Is working with objects on stage like working with animals or small children?
It is so like working with small children. There are some things they won’t do. Or there are some objects that can’t act, some that are very reluctant and some that are stage hogs. A prime example of that would be the trench coat and fedora hat detective in the Wrapping Paper Caper series. He’s just instantly funny. And he can do no wrong, as far as I’m concerned. As a director, how do you handle the object that has too much of an ego? Well, the detective has been interesting. Over here he’s been objecting to having to take so many of the falls, because he falls a lot. He’s been asking for a stunt double. And I have to take him home and get him ironed every night. He wants to be cleaned and ironed, and he wants a new closet. Usually as a director I cater to some of their needs, but sometimes I say, You know what–trench coats are easy to find, especially in London. Weren’t you a scientist before you started Lunatique Fantastique? I’m a published molecular biologist. I worked at the Fre
