We sat down for an exclusive interview with the performers of ‘Don’t Panic’, Gabrielle Norma-Griffin and Taylor Carmen, who is also the writer.
‘Don’t Panic’ is a dark comedy about two stage hands who, stuck together during a nuclear lockdown drill, debate the purpose of living in a world that’s poisoned the human experience.
This show runs from 21st-26th April at Etcetera Theatre Club, London- Tickets here
Taylor, Don’t Panic marks your writing debut. What first sparked the idea for this story?
Taylor Carmen: There was a time about three years ago I had been really struggling to engage with my art; I had graduated university into the pandemic and by the time acting and the arts reopened, I felt very displaced. Inundated by news cycles that painted a darker and darker reality for where our society is headed, I felt
overwhelmed and frustrated. This play emerged from this place of feeling lost in
the chaos, struggling to find purpose within it. These two characters are having a
really vital conversation I think all artists are struggling with today, and it’s a
conversation I was having alone in my head until I wrote it down and turned it into
“DON’T PANIC”.
Working on a two-hander places a particular focus on the relationship between performers. How did you begin building that connection in rehearsal?
Taylor Carmen: One really beautiful way I think we established a sort ofchemistry pretty quickly was by talking about other art that we loved. Bonding over movies or music gives us a better sense of who this other person is, what has informed their life and inspires them as an artist. Finding little things we both feel very passionate about, honestly things we fangirl over, gave us a shared language we then got to use throughout the play.
Taylor, how has it felt to be inside the work both as its writer and as Mani?
When I say “It feels like a rollercoaster” I don’t mean it’s been up and down, I mean it truly feels like that stomach-drop horrifying but scream-inducing thrill of a journey. Sharing your writing is a very vulnerable experience, so I feel grateful and humbled to have this room of people who are expanding this story with their imaginations. And as an actor, it’s been a joy to discover this character more intimately. I’m no longer negotiating which words to use, I’m actually finding how Mani walks and talks and it’s like meeting a version of myself I didn’t know existed.
Gabrielle, what was it like stepping into a brand-new piece and helping to shape The Kid from the ground up?
Gabrielle: It was so much fun! As an actor, it is my job to give a character flesh and bones,paying full respect to their humanity, and Kid just makes it so easy to do that. Kid is so reflective and relevant and so easy to love. I believe that because I am having so much fun, it doesn’t feel like work and makes stepping into someone else’s shoes that much easier.
What have you both found most rewarding about this collaboration?
Gabrielle-Norma Griffin: The opportunity to play has been so rewarding. Perhaps it’s because I am playing a literal child. Nevertheless, it has been fun jumping into the skin of someone who is so free with their imagination and creativity.
Taylor Carmen: The generosity these artists are giving to a new work has been a gift beyond imagination. It doesn’t feel like just my project, it feels like a little community is all putting in work to create something magical and important. It’s a microcosm of how I want the world to look, people eagerly showing up against all odds, asking “OK, how do we do this?” and then finding solutions together, one step at a time.
When audiences leave Don’t Panic, what do you hope stays with them?
Gabrielle-Norma Griffin: I hope they take the hope that this play provides.
When the world is on fire and it seems like everything will end, humans have a
way of bouncing back.
Taylor Carmen: A spirit of relentless, rebellious creativity.