Emily Carding is a British Shakespearean Actor whose work includes Ghost Stories and Return To Silent Hill, as well as the award-winning Richard III (A One-Person Show) and Quintessence, a critically acclaimed post-singularity re-imagining of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. They are one of the performers for The Key of Dreams, a one of a kind Lovecraftian experience which combines immersive theatre, narrative puzzles and fine dining. We caught up with Emily to find out more.
STARBURST: How would you pitch Key of Dreams to an elder god disguised as a man?
Emily Carding: An extraordinary 24-hour experience in which you will be immersed in a world of stories that challenge, surprise, inspire, and disturb. Get to know the characters who live in the world, solve the puzzles of their lives, help or hinder as you choose and find your own place in this strange world as you help form its unfolding.
You’re best known for your energetic one-person shows; how does Key of Dreams compare?
The intimacy and responsiveness of solo shows such as Richard III (A One-Person Show) and Hamlet (An Experience) that I created with Brite Theater have given me the right kind of foundation for this work because even though it’s on a different scale in terms of space and time- taking place over the entire house and grounds over 24 hours instead of a small theatre over an hour- it’s the connection that’s formed with each audience member/ guest which is extremely personal. The solo shows both use the audience as characters in the story, and both Locksmith’s Dream and now Key of Dreams take that concept and really push it to the limit, giving guests real agency and the opportunity to not only form bonds with the characters but to affect the outcome of their stories.
How is Key of Dreams different from normal theatre?
Many, many ways. It’s very different even from immersive theatre that people might be familiar with. Theatre is really only one aspect of it, merged with puzzle solving, game elements, fine dining and, of course, the reality of the house, your room and location overall. It’s extremely site-specific, with the overarching stories being tailored to the house and land around it. There’s no script as such; the actors are in character and responsive to what you choose to bring (or not bring) to the event, and the outcome(s) is(are) fluid. By necessity, only small numbers are able to attend each event, so there’s a huge amount of 1:1 contact with characters, which will be completely unique to each guest. Of course, if you decide to, you can book a future event and make completely different choices and see how that affects your experience! Also, gotta mention the food again. The food is SO GOOD.
What was the most challenging part of the production?
Although there’s no script, that actually means that in order to be fully versed in the world and as naturally in character and responsive as possible, there’s a lot to read and learn – A LOT. Maintaining energy levels over the 24 hours is a challenge, but the world is so exciting to be in that it’s a real rush for us as performers as well as for the guests.
How do you prepare for a role like this?
Reading, reading, reading. For this role, I’m going to need to be very physically fit, too. This time, we’ve got the excellent Leo Doulton on board as director, so we have someone to bounce character ideas off, which is great, and make sure everything works well within the bigger picture. The key to being alive and in the moment is knowing who you are and what you want. Once that’s in place, you just trust yourself, and your character will take over.
Does horror always need to be personal to work?
Not necessarily, but it’s most effective when it has the key to some hidden part of yourself.
What’s next for you?
Other than Key of Dreams, I’ve got some international and UK dates coming up with some of my solo shows, and looking forward to the release of Return to Silent Hill later this year – I don’t know when, sorry! – in which I play a supporting character.
What other projects would you love to be involved with?
I’d love the chance to develop some new work. It’s difficult to get funding, even just for the time and energy it takes. There are a couple of ideas brewing. I’d also love to do more screen work, especially TV, which, for some reason, I haven’t had much opportunity to do yet. There are some great horror and fantasy shows being made these days. It’s a great time to be a nerd!
Why period drama? What is it about the past that makes horror work so well?
Both period drama and post-apocalyptic settings take away the distracting veneer of technology and society as we understand it now and force us to look at the wild mysteries that dwell beneath. It’s both familiar but slightly removed from our everyday or a subverted version of that which adds to the disturbing elements.
Hounds or Hares?
Hares.
Simpsons or Futurama?
Simpsons.
Truth or Beauty?
Is There In Truth No Beauty?
