Vamos Theatre talk ahead of the company’s latest production...

With a tour of a new production each year, Worcestershire-based full mask wordless theatre company Vamos open A Brave Face at the London Mime Festival in February, prior to an extensive UK and European tour. 

The show tackles the emotional subject of post-traumatic stress and has been over two years in the making, in collaboration with British war veterans and their extended support networks.                   

As artistic director and writer/director of A Brave Face, Rachael Savage’s CV is certainly impressive. Even prior to her setting up Vamos over a decade ago, she worked for Trestle (the world’s leading full mask theatre company at the time) as a performer, assistant director and director of the Trestle Young People’s Theatre, before leaving when they stopped doing full mask theatre - her passion since the age of 12. Vamos gave Savage the ability to put into practice everything that she had learned and to establish her own company brand, looking in-depth at social and political subject matter rather than solely playing for laughs.

With her enthusiasm radiating throughout our conversation, Savage clearly loves the variety that her job provides. “I even enjoy looking at the management accounts!” she gushes. From directing and devising in the rehearsal room, to performing and running training courses for non-art professionals, there’s no doubt that Vamos is a ‘passion project’ for Savage: “I love working with people who relate to the ethos of our work and the way in which we communicate without words.” 

She also feels that her time performing as Joy, a dementia sufferer, in the company’s Finding Joy production, has enabled her to empathise more with the actors. “Getting behind one of those horrible pieces of sweaty plastic makes you realise what you can and can’t do, and makes you an actor’s director.”
New production A Brave Face came about when the artistic director of the Mercury Theatre Colchester, Daniel Buckroyd, approached Vamos about working on a co-production. Due to Colchester being a military garrison town, this gave Savage an angle to research. Pretty quickly the topic of post-traumatic stress (PTS) came to the forefront. “I wasn’t very aware of PTS before, and to be honest, it wasn’t something that I knew I cared about until I started reading stories about people affected.” 

One of the first stories Savage read, in the Guardian newspaper, was about a young ex-military man whose parents didn’t know he had a problem until they found him in the wheelie bin at 3am. It’s stories like this one that provide pictures in Savage’s head, causing questions to be raised. “I’m a really visual person, and as soon as I see a frightened, terrified young man hiding in a wheelie bin, I know that it would make a good full mask scene.”

Vamos held a mask-making residency at Help For Heroes, working with four ex-military people living with PTS. “I was inspired by the men’s work ethic - fast and efficient, listening hard and taking orders. They worked so diligently, and then I realised that they were military.” 

Their fragility made Savage want to do more research with them. One man in particular has read through every version of the show, helping and supporting Vamos over the last year. “I’ve been humbled by his honesty and generosity in sharing his fears, traumas, hopes and, ultimately, his journey.”

You would’ve thought that writing and directing a wordless show would bring with it additional challenges, but Savage doesn’t see it that way. For her, it’s just exciting. “You get to give a voice to people who don’t have one,” she enthuses. 

Because there’s no dialogue, the show’s music is a massively important factor. Having once auditioned Savage for a job at Trestle Theatre Company, composer and script consultant Janie Armour is now a regular creative within the Vamos family. “I’ve worked with Janie on every single show in different companies I’ve been with. It’s the best gift to receive Janie’s interpretation musically.”

Having tackled dementia in Finding Joy and now PTS in A Brave Face, Savage feels a huge responsibility when exploring subjects that really impact on people’s lives. “It’s what I feel most anxious about - not letting people down.” 

A series of workshops with invited audiences lead up to the premiere of a new production. For A Brave Face, army veterans and people with PTS have been invited into the rehearsal room. One veteran in particular has provided the kind of straight-talking, no-nonsense approach that’s essential to ensuring the material is accurate. “‘Well you wouldn’t do that, that’s stupid!’ has now become a regular phrase in the rehearsal room!” smiles Savage. She also notes that although the work absolutely needs to be realistic, telling a story in a theatrical way means a few rules need to be bent - otherwise the piece becomes a documentary.

The incredible number of venues being visited on the show’s tour is testament to Vamos’s nationwide following. Savage particularly enjoys performing close to home: “We always sell out at the Worcester Swan Theatre, and it’s wonderful playing to our home crowd.”

She recalls performing at The Torch in Milford Haven, Wales, for the first time, when there were only about 12 people in the audience - and one of those was the theatre’s artistic director! However, they loved the show so much that they pleaded with the board to allow Vamos to return, even though the theatre lost money first time round. The company’s shows there have sold out ever since.

Last year saw Vamos become a National Portfolio Organisation, a status that ensures regular funding from the Arts Council. “Now that we have this secure footing, over the next four years we look forward to building more exciting partnerships with venues and working with new artists.” 

Three Cirque du Soleil clowns worked with the company last year, and Savage is excited about the prospect of more people wanting to be a part of Vamos.

Constantly watching the news, Savage is always searching for new production ideas. She mentions her interest in the plight of refugees and the UK’s current small island attitude with Brexit going forward. She also recalls a recent news story about Africa’s population being set to double by 2050, and the huge impact such an enormous increase will have on the rest of the world. “I’m interested in big global themes such as PTS and dementia but also in the individual stories of people who want a voice.”

A Brave Face shows at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, on Wed 22 February; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Fri 9 March; New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Mon 12 March; MAC, Birmingham, Wed 14 March; Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton, 15 & 16 March;  Malvern Theatre, Thurs 29 - Fri 30 March; Theatre  Severn, Shrewsbury, Wed 25 & Thurs 26 April; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Fri 27 April.

Interview by Jenny Ell