Emily Davis Interview

In this interview, I had the great pleasure of interviewing Emily Davis about the upcoming production ‘Blodwen Rocks the Boat'. She has shared insights into what audiences can expect from this show, as well as the inspiration and hard work that went into bringing this show to life.

Blodwen Rocks the Boat blends music, storytelling and personal history. Where did the first spark for the show come from?

Everytime anyone said they would ‘circle back’ to me in a meeting or email, I would get this vivid image in my mind of an eagle soaring away then swooping back and diving straight for me. And then I’d have to blink twice and tell myself, no no, that’s not what they mean. And then I would think, well why don’t they just say what they mean? What does any of this mean?? And it felt like that should be a song. So that was the first little seed.

How has the development process shaped the show so far?

It started off as a WIP hour with some original material and a few other songs, and it took me a lot of hours in a room with a Director to peel back a lot of the script and figure out what it was it was trying to say. I’ve worked with Paulus for years and he’s very good at pulling ideas out of me and holding up a mirror to make me really scrutinise what I’m doing. The script went through 7 or 8 iterations before it was put in front of an audience, and since it’s been put in front of an audience has also evolved. Everything is just theory until you get in a room with a load of strangers and they do or don’t laugh!

The writing walks a fine line between sharp observation and emotional depth. How did you approach balancing satire with sincerity?

I think good satire is sincere. It can’t really be anything else, what’s why we laugh isn’t it? This show is about trying to be an individual in a world that wants you to conform, and it’s very real - you know it’s things that have happened to me and millions of people all over the world for years and years. At one point when we were looking at the script we did a bit of a ‘is this preaching or is it sharing’ edit, which I think was a really important step. I don’t want to tell anyone what to think or how to feel, I just want to share my experiences and let them have their own feelings and opinions. One of the things I love about the chats I have with audience members afterwards is how different the takeaways often are for different people.

What three words would you use to describe Blodwen Rocks the Boat?

Funny, inspiring, uplifting.

Blodwen is a character rooted in Welsh identity. How important was it for you to centre Welsh culture and voice in this piece?

I can’t not do that, it’s just such a huge part of who I am. It’s funny because it took moving to London for me to realise how important it is to me (I touch on that in the show actually - in Wales everybody’s Welsh so it doesn’t feel unique). But take me out of Wales and all of a sudden I can see how I’ve been shaped and how the influences I had growing up make me look at the world. I am Welsh, I’m very proud of where I come from and Blodwen wears her Welshness with pride. I think as a nation we’re often seen as an underdog but we punch above our weight. I’m terrified of everything all of the time, but I’ve got a steely core and a lot of grit, so I don’t usually let the fear get in my way, and I think that’s down to where I come from.

Touring a solo show can be both liberating and demanding. How does the piece change as it travels to different audiences across the UK?

There’s nothing really fundamental that changes, it’s more that some references work with some audiences and others don’t! I’m still learning on that front, but I’m always mindful about where I’m going and asking myself the question is this going to make sense. What’s really helpful about Blodwen is she’s so eager to share, that characteristically she does a lot of explaining, so that can get me out of a bind! The main thing I notice is a difference in what resonates with people - when I’ve performed it in a particularly rural area there’s a different type of reaction to the satirising of city life. People laugh at it more than they laugh with it. It’s amazing because I don’t have to do a thing differently, and yet the way the audiences responds and interacts with the show can completely change the weight of the story.

As both performer and storyteller, how much of Blodwen is autobiographical, and where does fiction take over?

She’s pretty close to me. There’s very little in any of the shows I’ve done that hasn’t in some way been based on a direct experience I’ve had, and her thoughts are very much mine. I will often change names, places and timelines - partly for narrative reasons and partly to respect the privacy of people who have inspired me! Her thoughts and feelings are always completely autobiographical, but sometimes she might do things that I haven’t done (yet). No spoilers, but I’ve been performing this show for a year and towards the end she achieves a qualification that I’ve only just achieved myself. So I seem to be using her to manifest my future somewhat too!

How does performing it now differ from the very first outing?

I’m so much more sure of myself, what I’m trying to say and where I want to get to. It’s infinitely more enjoyable to perform. We’ve done so much work on stripping out fluff that it feels like every word is important. Being so much more familiar and comfortable with the material is super helpful because it means I can get on stage, I don’t have to think, I can just be with the people who have come along. Andy and I have a lot of fun, (Andy Campbell Smith, accompanist) - we wrote a lot of the songs together, he now plays a part and we have a duet, so I really enjoy that element of it too. It’s a one woman show but a man makes an appearance!

What conversations do you hope audiences are still having on the journey home?

I hope it helps people work out whether they’re getting what they want out of life. Unfortunately we don’t always have a choice. What I would really love is for people to say “I had a great time and would love to see Blodwen again”, and “Maybe I will take up that life drawing/rowing/pottery class after all”.

Blodwen Rocks the Boat is touring the UK from the 17th March to the 22nd May before heading up to the Edinburgh Fringe. Full information can be found via this link: https://www.welshgirlsings.com

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