Nature and nurture

Tell us about your character in a nutshell. What drives them?

I play Angie. I suppose what drives her is the need to get back to who she was. A lot has happened in the time preceding the play. And she quite recently has come to the realisation that this is not the life that she wants, that she deserves more – and she’s trying to have it.

Clare Chihambakwe as Angie in Is God Is. Photo: Pia Johnson

What resonates most for you within the show?

I think what’s really interesting is the conversation and the discussion around nature and nurture. The play explores how someone can go through life in one environment and live out a particular life. But if the environment changes or the people they encounter changes their entire life can take a different trajectory. This is evident with our two central characters, who are twins. They have lived a very similar experience. But when we meet them something happens. And they both understand it differently and move through the story differently.

What’s unique about this production?

The show’s themes and how it physically plays out are something we’re used to seeing on film. The use of music and underscore is a big part of the filmic quality of the piece. The risks the play takes with the need for some epic, live fight sequences has meant that the time spent on fight choreography (and safety!) is at a level most of us have not experienced before. We all have a new appreciation for the art of fight choreography!

To see this all on stage is quite unique. I think there’s a lot of challenges and risks within that. Whether it’s with the design, or the fight choreography. But it’s all come together into an epic evening.

What do you hope audiences are left with after they see the show?

I hope it sparks a conversation about family cycles that we get into, and how what you’re born into doesn't necessarily make who you are or who you’re going to be. The choices that we all make in life are what drives us in one direction or another.

We’ve got an awesome community engagement team working here, so I’m excited the show will connect with audiences that wouldn't necessarily always come to the theatre. And for audiences to experience a whole cast of people that they’re not used to seeing on stage before will be great. It’s going to be very impactful.

Grant Young, Clare Chihambakwe and Darius Williams in Is God Is. Photo: Pia Johnson

The play shifts from dramatic, darker moments to lighter, comic moments quickly throughout. How do you approach acting during these quick transitions?

I think it is human nature to look for light and humour in dark situations. Laughter in this play allows the audience a release and a moment of escape from some of the heavier themes. Considering the themes of the play and some of the content, I am sure audiences will walk away having enjoyed themselves thoroughly and this is testament to the brilliant writing and some of the decisions made by our directors and designers.

For me, the key to moving between the humour and the heavier content is to approach it all with the same element of authenticity and truth. The characters don’t realise what they are saying or doing will be found humorous, so you as the actor need to forget this might be the ‘funny line’ and deliver them with the same truth.

What has surprised or challenged you while working on this show?

Something that has been so joyous to discover during this rehearsal are the many layers of meaning writer Aleshea Harris has managed to squeeze into every paragraph. She is a poet and a spoken word artist and that is apparent in some of her rhythms and repetitions, which are so exciting to discover as we move through process.

What is on the page is incredibly clear on first read, yet there are a hundred different ways to interpret her text the more you read it. We have played with so many different Angie’s in the rehearsal room, all of which reflect what is on the page – but they were all so incredibly different.

This has been the most luxurious rehearsal process I have been involved in – the time we were able to spend around a big table talking and discovering was just magic.