Finze Frenzy – Vessel

“Don’t just be an artist, be a part of something bigger, be a part of artists banding together to create something special,” says Gus Miller, from Fine Frenzy theatre. A sense of collective spirit can fade in the harsh reality of the arts industry, where competition is high and an ethos of ruthlessness seems to be the most effective way of getting noticed. However for some it is not so, and they are living the dream of making a living from their work, as well as enjoying the unity and exploration of art with their friends. Gus Miller talked to me about Fine Frenzy’s thriving show, Vessel. Miller talks of carving a career from a foundation of friendship, and how exciting this method of collective creativity can be.

Miller met friends Samuel Warren and Christopher Walters whilst studying at the University of Nottingham, and admitted they “spent far more time making theatre than working for our degrees!” They found themselves feeling “like big kids, telling big stories, taking risks, playing around and piecing together ideas.” The theatre they create can originate from any genre or period but it has the same aim: “to engage the heart before the head”. With a playful attitude and openness to the different directions their work could take them, the trio set about making theatre and performing wherever they could.

Post university, they soon realised that within student theatre they had been somewhat “protected and uninhibited, allowed to do whatever we wanted to do whenever we wanted. We started to adjust to the harsh reality that without the protection of the university bubble our work would be scrutinised, criticised and challenged down to the last detail.” For them to survive this, they had to rely on their friendship and network of close friends. Fine Frenzy started work on its first main project, Vessel, which previewed at Edinburgh Fringe last year. The trio got together with the intent of making theatre that “spoke to each of them personally, banding together like-minded people in a room and seeing what could grow out of it.”

Without a specific vision or knowledge of where the devising would go, the process became a lot more about the journey than the final result. Their journey was “unlike a methodical or usual rehearsal period”. Instead they returned to “child-like states, allowing a curiosity and innocence to arise”. 
Vessel, set to be performed at AYT’S Incoming Festival at the new Diorama Theatre, has been Fine Frenzy’s longest-running project, having toured in Nottingham and at the Edinburgh Fringe. Miller talks of the process of re-launching work as a brilliant way to “revamp the performance”. He comments on how nice it has been to “keep returning to the play, getting a sense of the change, bringing in new influences and ways of working from the outside”. 

Vessel is set to deliver a heart-felt tale about demons of the past coming home to roost within a family, who have been ripped apart and brought back together again. Ten years ago, John disappeared out to sea. During the time frame of the play, which is set in 24 hours, John’s siblings reunite to build a vessel in his memory and confront their past.

Vessel was written by Peter Carey, who Miller met at university, and he describes his work as “strange, ethereal and full of challenges”. Carey, who wrote his first play at university is the “smartest person I’ve ever met”, and approached him with a new project. The three actors gave Carey the brief of a play that would take them to Edinburgh and consider all the practicalities that the festival presents – such as performance space, set and prop limitations, and potentially small audiences. The actors also wanted something they could “sink our teeth into, something that shouldn’t be theatrically possible, safe or easy. The plot was set around the premise of five siblings building a boat, which is basically impossible on a stage. We were forced to utilise their creative muscles, forced into a way of working that would push our abilities to the limit; a daunting task, made ever more challenging by the looming time limit the rehearsal process we had.” But Miller believes a “freak out about how little time we had to put it together gave it that edge.”

 The play will not “spoon-feed the audience, or lay everything out neatly on a plate for them to passively soak in at their own leisure. The audience are encouraged to work at the story, delve in, and immerse themselves amongst the complexities and changes.” The piece is highly physical, a leap between “frenetic physical activity and balancing that of still actor centricity”. Miller believes the themes of loss and being reunited are part of a journey experienced when growing up, leaving home and beginning university. The actors found this story resonated truthfully with their own experiences and wanted to “immerse them in the story from a childhood perspective.” The play is structured through a back and forth motion in time, much like the image of waves crashing against the boat, where they grow ever-closer to discussing the real matter at hand, but the struggle to talk about that which is so painful, makes them withdraw time and time again.

A lot of the creative process for Fine Frenzy was working together and experimenting with their individual passions. Physical theatre was relatively new to the actors, and they found that the first challenge was using different materials and ideas to tell a story. 
So what’s next for Fine Frenzy? The company has now doubled in size, with the three actors at the core pushing the company in new directions. Fine Frenzy has other projects in the pipeline but, keeping everything close to his chest, Miller explains that “they are just starting to devise a new piece from scratch, working with a writer, and experimenting to see what we come up with and whether it works.” It seems the creativity and playful innocence of the three actors is being nurtured once again and sheltered from any possibility of criticism or outside eyes. 

Thrilled to be part of AYT’s first festival, Fine Frenzy is passionate about working with other companies, grouping together collectively to deliver great art. The company is hugely grateful to be a part of Incoming. Miller describes the line-up that will be presented at the New Diorama as “extremely talented”, and praises the NDT for being a “forward thinking theatre”. New Diorama is “company centric and hugely supportive”, Miller explains, calling it a perfect home for this festival and what Fine Frenzy is aiming for: “It’s exciting to be a part of something that seems to condense the fringe – celebrating that and putting it at the front of everyone’s minds. It’s not just the young artist; it’s young artists who are banding together to make something special.”

Asked if he has any tips for upcoming writers and aspiring theatre companies, Miller suggests “getting in a room and rooting yourself in time. Fine Frenzy discovers things by ‘doing it’, not expecting to be told what to do. Don’t get too comfortable in an education system taking the methodical next step up the ladder, expecting validation through a qualification. They are without a doubt all good things, but the terrifying reality is that you are on your own once you’ve left. Training is very important, but there is also a real benefit to finding out things in the industry and refining your craft.” So what is the best way to do this? Regardless of whether you go it alone or band together with close friends, hard work and sacrifice are non negotiable. However, in order for that journey to be thrilling and exciting along the way, the safest and most supportive route may be with your friends by your side. After all, “they’re there to pick up the pieces and bounce ideas off when the going gets tough”.

Miller admits it can be “hugely stressful, doesn’t pay any money and seems a long old slog. However, with persistence things start to move.” Miller sums this up as “just do it”, noting the danger of sitting around and talking but not actually acting on your intentions. And find a friend he says – “they’ll be the one to pat you on the back when the reviews aren’t great, or when you’ve run out of ideas and are banging your head against the wall, your friend might just be the one with the answer.”


Fine Frenzy will be performing
Vessel as part of A Younger Theatre’s Incoming Festival at the New Diorama Theatre on 25 May. For more information and tickets, visit the New Diorama Theatre’s website.