General Secretary at VAULT Festival 2023
Comedy Theatre double act Thick 'n' Fast are heading to VAULT Festival 2023 next week with their revamped performance of General Secretary. We find out more from dynamic duo ahead of their run about the show and why they can't wait to get to The Vaults. You can catch them at the Cage 7th - 9th February and also on the 3rd February for their WIP.
Can you tell us a bit about the show and its key themes? General Secretary is a comedy we started during Lockdown 3.0, born out of not feeling in control of anything. We thought to ourselves, what would happen if we were suddenly in control of absolutely everything? Cassie and Georgie are just two unexceptional people until one day they are suddenly summoned to take over the world. We cannot stress enough that they are the last people who should have been chosen. It’s a recipe for disaster… or is it? A show about ill-equipped leaders feels particularly apt given that we have had three prime ministers since its most recent performance in Edinburgh! How is General Secretary unique in its approach to female power? The world has seen some exceptional female leaders in recent years, from Jacinda Arden to AOC, and we are highly invested in giving a platform to two completely incompetent ones. General Secretary puts a fresh perspective on what might happen if two seemingly powerless women were suddenly given vast amounts of power to affect change. This isn't a show about women being passed over for promotion; it's about two completely inept women being over-promoted. It gives a fresh perspective on power and the feminine urge to take up space and then immediately apologise for doing so. Has the show evolved since its first performance, if so, how? The show has developed, and continues to develop, with the evolution of pandemics, wars and Prime Ministers. We first performed it during Lockdown 3.0 as a livestreamed show from the wonderful Applecart Arts in Newham where we are Associate Artists. Thanks to the constraints of the form, technology was essential. We've continued to experiment with how this can keep the show exciting and it feels integral to the work. As a show about global politics, things land differently according to what's going on in the world at the time. We're constantly rewriting and tweaking to keep it fresh and appropriate to the world around us. Tell us a bit about developing your WIP, There's No Place Like Chrome? No one really understands what the Metaverse is, including those who claim to be building it, and quite frankly we think that is hilarious. Our work in progress is an exploration of this final frontier: the cryptic, ever-evolving world of technology. We are experimenting with how virtual reality might collide with our own realities in the coming years. Having dived headfirst into the Metaverse, we can now say that we are… still confused. The show plays with this idea of a world that sells itself as a populist fantasy being largely inaccessible to anyone who isn't a tech wiz. What excites you most about performing at VAULT Festival 2023? You might think we are mad, but we’ve longed to be back in a confusing, dark and damp underground tunnel, sharing stories and ideas with other artists until the wee hours. And have you seen the new light-up dancefloor in the bar? See you there! We are thrilled VAULT is back this year after multiple cancellations. After the political circus of the past year, we hope our show will bring some joyous light relief! We’re also looking forward to seeing so many great acts! Other shows we’re dying to see include: Charlie Vero-Martin, Isabelle Farah, Tatty McLeod, Tamsyn Kelly, Louisa Keight, Sharlin Jahan, Kat Bond, Metamorph Theatre, Olga Koch and so many more!
