Absurd Crime Comedy and No Channel Surfing Required in Telly
Only Lucky Dogs Theatre are bringing their latest production, TELLY to London’s Bread & Roses Theatre. Founded in Sheffield in 2018, the company has consistently delivered thought-provoking and darkly humorous work, earning accolades for shows like Beaker’s Place and A Few Short Studies on Cannibalism. Now, they’re making their London debut with a solo show, TELLY, written and performed by their Artistic Director, James Huxtable.
We speak with James Huxtable and producer Gözde Kanyılmaz about the show and their journey to the London stage.
Welcome to ET! We’re thrilled to have you here, why don’t you introduce yourselves.
GK: Hi! My name is Gözde Kanyılmaz and I’m the producer of Telly.
JH: Hello – I’m James, the writer of Telly and the founder/artistic director of Only Lucky Dogs Theatre. This is our first production since moving from Sheffield to London, so we’re very excited to take it to the stage.
Where are you playing and why that venue?
GK: We’re showing at the Bread and Roses Theatre at 7 pm (and 2:30 on Saturday) from 25 to 29 March. The Bread and Roses Theatre has a strong reputation for supporting new theatre companies, like Only Lucky Dogs Theatre.
JH: It is a cool fringe venue that programmes lots of exciting new work.
What can audiences expect from the show?
JH: It’s a part stand-up, part theatrical solo show centring around a law-abiding citizen’s misadventures following a dastardly crime committed many moons ago. I think the play asks questions about how our actions affect us immediately and over time. How they can even cause ripple effects, literally and figuratively, strong enough to knock our entire lives off-track. TELLY fits the absurdist crime comedy genre, so expect the unexpected. I use some imaginative storytelling devices to explore more personal topics such as disconnection, the space between people, and the lengths we go to fill the gap between them. Reflection and memory are really important themes that have been popping up for me a lot recently too, so it’s been fun to explore this through a new lens.
GK: Also, expect to laugh.
How challenging has this role been for you?
JH: I’m both writing and acting in the show, so it’s been pretty challenging. Time management has been a key factor since it’s important to keep the project moving forward at a reasonable pace. It’s always interesting in writing plays, especially when they’re based on events you’ve seen or heard in your own life, and looking through a microscopic lens at how it’s impacted you. It’s funny what you find out. As a solo performance, it feels extra intimate since I’ll be connecting with audiences directly, but I think that only goes to enrich and enhance the production even further. We’re lucky to have an excellent team who are collaborative and communicative with their support/feedback, so it’s been a super conducive environment for creativity and exploration.
What is your favourite element of the show?
GK: I would say the way it progresses in such a way that you don’t really know where it’s going until it hits the major plot point. The character always keeps you guessing and I ended up thinking a lot about why he did what he did. It’s also interesting to see how his mind works and evolves as the show goes on. The writing is very smart and I think it will really grip the audiences and make them think about why we do certain things and how our decisions shape our lives.
Who do you imagine enjoying the show the most?
JH: Me.
This is your London debut, but this isn’t the first perfomance of TELLY, how has audience feedback shaped the current production?
JH: No. While studying for my master’s in drama school, I did a short R&D, which is a research and development period, as part of a class on solo storytelling. This is where the first incarnation of Telly was performed. Thankfully, people were super responsive and showed me how much they enjoyed it, inspiring me to develop the play further. Their feedback has been really helpful for nurturing the show into what it is today.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received during your career, and how has it influenced your work on this show?
JH: Enjoy the journey. And worry less. I’ve been oscillating between the two for the majority of this process so far.
GK: I would agree with James about enjoying the journey. There have been times during this process that the busy pace definitely tried to get the best of me. I managed to remind myself, with the help of those close to me, why I’m doing this because it gives me joy. We are lucky enough to be doing what we love as young creatives, and it’s easy to forget that while you’re in the midst of it
Thank you, Gözde and James, for giving us a glimpse into the world of TELLY. Here’s hoping your London journey is as rewarding as the show promises to be – just try not to let any ‘shelf warfare’ break out backstage!”
TELLY plays at The Bread and Roses Theatre from Tuesday 25 to Saturday 29 March.
