I sat down with writer and performer Becky Goodman to find out more about 1 Pill, 2 Pill, Red Pill, Blue Pill, coming to the Lower Marsh Arts Club this November.
Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?
This show is a parody musical of The Matrix, with a twist: before there was the The One, (Neo) there was the other The One: Typo. Typo is our rejected hero, whose life is thrown into turmoil when Morpheus reveals he’s moved on to greener pastures. So, what happens when the main character finds out they’re actually a side piece to the plot?
One woman, one puppet, six songs, and plenty of audience interaction. 1 Pill, 2 Pill has the energy of Titanique and a plot structure similar to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. It’s a fast-paced, energetic, hour of idiotic fun, with a giant side-helping of humanity.
Audiences can expect non-stop laughs, surprising moments of gravity among levity, and a puppet named Squiddy, who steals the show.
What drew you to this specific story?
Originally, I had an idea to create a Broadway-style show parodying The Matrix, because the world of that film is so inventive and limitless. I thought it would make a great stage production, with high-wires, explosions, and dance sequences.
However, seeing as I was lacking a budget and cast–as well as lacking access to a Broadway theatre or any remote interest from a big-shot producer–I thought: wouldn’t it be funny to see one lone, untrained performer attempt to recreate the fantastic action sequences and crisp aesthetic of one of the most iconic films of the twentieth century?
The plot followed naturally, as I am always drawn to underdogs and rejects. The show is about two of them: Typo, the rejected The One, and the secondary character, Squiddy, who is a supposed killing machine designed to eradicate any remaining resistance to The Matrix (he is a puppet).
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
The show is very stripped-down and has a home-made feel. But the biggest challenge has been making and performing everything myself and making it feel solidly professional!
From sourcing costumes, to writing the script, to coming up with and recording/self-producing all the songs, to making the puppet, to doing my own tech cues on stage, to bringing the whole show with all its props around to the venues in a tightly-packed suitcase. It’s a lot of work for one person!
How does the design of your show (set, sound, or lighting) impact the presentation of your story?
What a great segue. As stated above, I had to build the whole set, tech, and design of the show around what I could plausibly achieve as a single performer. There is minimal set design/dec by design, but plenty of props, and lots of idiotic action sequences by me in addition to audience interaction. The whole thing is stripped-down and has a home-made feel.
The huge advantage I have is that most people are familiar with the look and feel of The Matrix, and I make it obvious from the top that I am a completely incompetent hero, so the fact that it’s not a polished set actually underscores Typo’s ineptitude. However, the sound of the show was very important to me to get right and to be high quality and professionally produced.
All the songs and soundscapes are top-notch, so that the audience knows the whole show has a ton of work behind it.
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
Easy! That would be: “Free your mind”. That’s a quotation from the source material; Morpheus says this with great gravitas to Neo.
This show is great fun and ridiculousness, and, if you free your mind up enough to enjoy the idiocy and silliness of it, you’ll have one of the best nights of your life!
1 Pill, 2 Pill, Red Pill, Blue Pill runs at the Lower Marsh Arts Club, London, on 14 November. Tickets available at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/vaultcreativearts/2450571
