Interview: Adam Nichols of OVO Theatre

OVO, the acclaimed theatre production company, is set to stage Brecht's Threepenny Opera at The Cockpit this month. I had the privilege of conducting an interview with Adam Nichols, the visionary director behind this groundbreaking production, delving into the background of what this show is really all about. 

Photo credit: Elliott Franks

For those who may not be familiar with the Threepenny Opera, could you provide a brief overview of the story and its central characters?

Jonathan Jeremiah Peachum, the “boss of London’s beggars”, owns a shop where he outfits and trains beggars in return for a cut of their takings. When Peachum and his wife learn that their daughter, Polly, has married Macheath, a.k.a. the notorious bandit Mack the Knife, they hatch a plan to bring about Mack’s ruin. Other principal characters include “Tiger” Brown, the chief of police and an old friend and ally of Mack; Brown’s daughter, Lucy, to whom Mack is also secretly married; and Jenny, a prostitute with whom Mack has enjoyed a long and seemingly close relationship. Although Mack is imprisoned twice during the course of the play and is on his way to the gallows at the end of the final act, the king’s mounted messenger saves him at the last minute.

What drew you to direct a production of Bertolt Brecht's Threepenny Opera? Are there personal or artistic reasons that make this project particularly meaningful to you?

I have loved the play ever since seeing the seminal Donmar Warehouse production, starring a young Tom Hollander as Macheath, in 1995. I directed it at university, and was never completely satisfied with that production, so have always wanted to direct it again.

Can you share some insights into the history and legacy of the Threepenny Opera? What makes it a timeless and relevant piece of theatre?

Written by playwright Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) and composer Kurt Weill (1900-1950), Threepenny was first performed in its original German at Berlin’s Theater am Schiffbauerdamm on August 31, 1928, with Weill’s wife, Lotte Lenya, in the role of Jenny Diver. It quickly became an international sensation, and its opening number, “Mack the Knife,” achieved iconic status as one of the most popular songs of the century. 

Photo credit: Elliott Franks

A committed Marxist, Brecht was the most famous practitioner of “epic theatre,” a genre defined by a non-naturalistic mode of acting, montage-like dramatic construction, and the use of choruses and projections to provide commentary. These techniques are seen throughout The Threepenny Opera to achieve Brecht’s goals of breaking down the division between high art and popular culture, and using theatre as a platform to advance his political ideals. 

Critics were quick to recognize the work’s originality. In a 1928 review for the Berlin newspaper Die Zeit, A. Ebbutt wrote that The Threepenny Opera “is not … a morality play, it is not a revue, it is not a conventional burlesque, and it is not The Beggar’s Opera; but it is an interesting combination of them illustrating the progress of a movement towards freeing music, acting, and the cinematograph from the ruts of Italian opera, Wagnerian music-drama, drawing-room comedy, and Hollywood, and creating something new with them.” The work’s energy and freshness have won over audiences ever since. It may be said to be the very first modern “musical”.

The Threepenny Opera explores themes of capitalist greed and social injustice. How have you and your team approached these themes in a way that resonates with modern audiences?

This is the first major production of The Threepenny Opera to be presented outdoors (at The Roman Theatre of St Albans and The Minack Theatre in Cornwall prior to this run at The Cockpit), and one of the first to feature an actor-musician cast. We’ve introduced a framing device of “the factory of plays” in which two inventors are trying to create the perfect musical, but with very different motivations. This helps to explain the sometimes random and crazy things that happen, as well as bringing out the battle between social message and entertainment, which is at the core of the piece. The subject matter never grows old, which is why the play continues to resonate nearly a century after it was written. Corrupt police, the celebritisation of criminals, and the double standards we apply to the rich and the poor are perennial issues.

In your production, 13 actor-musicians play a total of 21 instruments. Can you discuss the role of live music in enhancing the storytelling and atmosphere of the play?

We have 9 actor-musicians (out of a total cast of 13) playing 21 instruments. Weill’s music tells the story in such a direct, often brutal way, yet with great charm and humanity. His score incorporates many influences from the baroque in the overture, to the opera recitative in the third finale, from the music of the cabarets and dance halls with their Foxtrots to a medieval chant in the Gang Wedding Chorus and Peachum’s Morning Chorale. 

Each musical number forms a part of a great mosaic which Weill’s genius vision unites into a musical whole in a masterful dramatic arc. The music at once mocks and consoles, with the moments of frenzy, lyrical yet sardonic truths about love, jealous catfights, and unflinching testaments on human condition. 

It gives the characters another deep dimension and makes us identify and recognise them as one of us, with our shared humanity. It grants these deeply flawed, damaged and abused humans their dignity and complexity, which we find to be one of the most important aspects of the story.

Photo credit: Elliott Franks

The cast includes actors with diverse backgrounds, including TV, theatre, and opera. How have their unique talents and experiences enriched the character portrayals and performances in this production?

The dialogue and music are incredibly eclectic, so a cast drawn from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences is absolutely crucial to land this piece. It has been hugely impressive to see the way in which the cast has mastered the very specific performance style that Brecht and Weill’s words and music demands. This is largely unfamiliar to a modern audience - and also to many modern actors, who have been trained to perform in a more naturalistic way to suit the needs of TV and film and the influence this has had on theatre over the past few decades. Moving into something which is heightened and stylised, and which you are regularly expected to directly address and challenge the audience, is far from easy, but this cast have mastered it with aplomb.

Brecht's style often includes breaking the fourth wall and engaging the audience directly. How have you incorporated Brechtian techniques into your directorial approach?

It’s been interesting playing with the breaking of the fourth wall, and the extent to which the audience can be directly engaged in the action. Particularly at the Minack, which is a very grand space, this was pushed quite far, and this helped to bring out the comedy of the piece. Although the Cockpit is a much smaller and more intimate space, we’re looking forward to retaining this heightened style of acting, and direct address.

What do you hope audiences will take away from your production of the Threepenny Opera, and how do you envision it sparking conversations about the themes and issues it explores?

I would like every audience member to be moved to an emotional response. They might love or hate the show, or the play itself, but we want them to feel strongly and passionately about what they have watched.

Lastly, could you share any memorable moments or insights from the rehearsal process or working with the cast and creative team that have had a significant impact on the final production?

This really has been a collaborative process with an ensemble of actors and creatives. More than most other shows I’ve directed, putting the show in front of an audience for the first time was a really transformational moment, because the piece is so dependent on the engagement and active participation of those watching. So that first performance was definitely memorable.

The Threepenny Opera runs at The Cockpit until 7th October - tickets are available here: https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/thethreepennyopera