Viva Brighton Issue #58 December 2017

PERFORMANCE
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Fagin’s Twist
Was Dickens’ arch villain misunderstood?
I wanted to do an
adaptation and we
settled on Oliver
Twist but I wasn’t
satisfied with the
story. It was too
simple for me, too
much of a Disney
ending, with the rich
uncle who comes
and saves him. I
felt that in this day
and age there was
a different story to
be told.
I started to look more at Fagin instead of
Oliver and that was it – explosions in my mind.
I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to feel about
the character. He’s a villain but when you look at
the text he does show a caring side, elements of
camaraderie with the kids.
I thought, what happened to him before he became
the man we meet in the novel? What was
his upbringing? Was he really as bad as we think?
I suppose I saw a few similarities with myself in
some ways! I run a company and have a multitude
of young adults that I am responsible for, and it
can get tiring and frustrating.
Maybe that sounds like a leap but I don’t think
I could have called my company Avant Garde
Dance if we were just about regurgitated
ideas. I always want to be pushing boundaries, to
be innovative. If I’m not challenged by it, if it’s not
new for me, it doesn’t feel right to me.
I kind of brought myself up in terms of my
career. I didn’t have a mentor. I made mistakes.
I learned a lot. Artistically I don’t have any inhibitions
and that’s allowed me to think - I want to
make a dance film, I
want to make a show
that’s outdoors, I
want to do an adaptation,
a weird, contemporary
show. I
make shows in clubs,
WW2 bunkers…
anywhere I can.
I really wanted to
create a company
that stood for
something and
I’ve persevered
with that. I’ve been
running Avant Garde Dance for 15 years now. I
want to give young people opportunities to dance
and be creative.
In Fagin’s Twist we’re inviting young dancers
to take part in each of the places we’re touring.
I don’t like ‘curtain raisers’ - you know when you
have a group of young people at the beginning
of the show and they do their thing and everyone
claps then the ‘real show’ begins? We’re all dancers.
So I’ve created three moments in the show
that are based around local participants learning
the choreography beforehand then being on stage
with the professionals.
It’s important. I remember theatre and dance
companies coming into my school. It created
a strong memory at an early age and probably
inspired me to do what I do.
I guess the thing that drives me is that I get
bored easily. I like to be creative. I always have an
idea on the go, whether it’s for film, music, dance
or fashion. There’s always something bubbling…
As told to Nione Meakin by Tony Adigun
Attenborough Centre, 14th - 16th December
Photo by Rachel Cherry
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