Getting physical with The Brothers Grimm

Oliver Johanan Peters tells GWEN MANICKAM he’s thrilled about doing physical theatre in A Grimm Fairytale

Click on image to enlarge

“OF course, I still live at home, I’m Indian, aren’t I?” says Oliver Johanan Peters, one of seven young talents in director Helena Foo’s theatre production, A Grimm Fairytale. Peters, 24, is an only son and the youngest of four children in his family but he stresses: “I’m not pampered. My three sisters bully me. I’ve cautioned them that I may be the one who selects their retirement homes, so...”

Of the new production, an excited Peters says: “This is the first time I’m doing physical theatre, which is different. In theatre, people walk on stage, do something and walk off. In physical theatre, it’s extremely exaggerated. Lots of contemporary dance moves, action and music. For example, if I play a wolf, I’d have to interpret and create all the characteristics and actions to bring the wolf alive, not just walking on all fours.”

With the rest of the cast – Lex Balakrishnan, Claudia Low, Nur Zakuan, Gabriella Robinson, Capri Chin and Seshadri Kalimuthu – Peters has been training with exercises and interaction. “A lot of moving and bending, and playing characters as well as pretending to be prop, or an action or even an emotion. It feels like something new age, really awesome.”

At his first rehearsal, when the director played music and told the cast “let themselves go”, Peters turned rigid. “I was the only one with no dance background, so you can imagine my trauma. I was so stiff. I had no idea how I was going to make it. But thanks to the supportive cast members, I was nimble enough by the second rehearsal. Now I love every minute of it.”

Inspired by the original Brothers Grimm Fairytales, Foo has woven three Grimm stories – The Little Red Cap (original name of Little Red Riding Hood), Rapunzel and Hansel & Gretel – into a single 90-minute play. The performance will stay close to the original Grimm stories, which are different from modern versions we read today. For example, in The Little Red Cap, after the first wolf is killed, there is a second wolf and a sequel to the story. And at end of Hansel & Gretel, the children cross the river to return home on the back of a duck.

“In this production, the familiar stories and lovable characters are placed in a cleverly built virtual setting. The set feels more urban than mediaeval. It’s a plaster miniature that the cast made themselves,” says Peters excitedly. “It was then filmed in parts. In the video backdrop, an expectant mother narrates the three stories to her unborn child while on stage, the characters come alive.” Peters started live performances at age 13. “I did choral speaking with numerous church productions,” he says. “The church play directors are experienced and hosted many theatre workshops which I took part in and learned from.”

After school, Peters studied theology and philosophy for 2½ years while working part-time at The Actors Studio. This, he says “exposed me to a great, different way of expressing myself, so I decided to put religious studies on hold and pursue theatre full time.” He began performing for local audiences last year, starting Theatre For Young People (T4YP). With this troupe, he performed Ten: Theatrical Lightning Strikes Human Relationships (nominated for best ensemble performance for the Boh Cameronian Awards 2008), The Sonnets Of William Shakespeare, Love And Beauty and T4YP’s 24 Hour Theatre, the T4YP Sweatshop.

He was last seen entertaining the audience as Mr Din in All Hail The King during Short+Sweet Malaysia 2009. He also does stand-up comedy with the Young Comedians Of Malaysia (YCOM). Peters has been asked to act with the T4YP ensemble 2009 for Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead and as Horatio in the 15-Minute Hamlet.

“I really want the confidence that comes with the experience of being in as many productions as I can get into.” He took part in a Shakespeare workshop conducted by theatre veteran Jeff Kevin from Australia, that concluded with a workshop performance, titled From The Page And On To The Floor at KLPac. But, as much as he loves theatre, it’s not enough to pay the bills, so Peters works in commercials and on TV. “I’m absorbing all I can now because in two years time, I would like to go to England or Australia to work and study theatre.

Catch A Grimm Fairytale from Oct 29 to Nov 1, 8.30pm (3pm matinees on Oct 31 and Nov 1) at Pentas 2, KLPac. Tickets RM33 (adult), RM23 (seniors), RM18 (students and the disabled). Dress up on Halloween night (Oct 31, 8.30pm) and get A Grimm’s Fairytale goodie bag. NST