Interview: Louis Viljoen of THE VULGARIANS at Masamba Theatre, Baxter

As spring ushers in a fresh season of theatre at the Baxter, one production promises to stir conversation and laughter in equal measure. Written and directed by the renowned Louis Viljoen, The Vulgarians is a bold, unsophisticated comedy that dives headfirst into desire, honesty and the awkward beauty of being human. Starring Emily Child and Nicholas Pauling, this unapologetically adult play reunites a creative team known for pushing boundaries and delivering thought-provoking theatre.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Louis Viljoen about his latest work, the joy of reunion and why laughter might just be the most revealing response of all.

Louis, your work often explores the darker corners of human behaviour with wit and sharp honesty. What inspired you to write The Vulgarians and what drew you to this particular mix of humour and discomfort?

I wanted to do something lighter after tackling very dark and upsetting stories in my previous four plays. I’ve always enjoyed the energy of so-called sophisticated sex comedies, so I thought it might be fun if I used that genre as a starting point. From there I could introduce other genre tropes and archetypes and use all these elements to tell a raunchy story and make the play an unsophisticated sex comedy. 

This play reunites you with Emily Child and Nicholas Pauling, two actors you’ve collaborated with on several acclaimed productions. What makes your creative partnership with them so enduring and effective?

We’re old friends and we’ve done a lot of work together, so we have a short-hand that makes the process unfussy and reasonably easy. That ease allows me to make the text much more complex, because I know the actors can handle it and they look forward to the challenge. They push each other to excel and they push me to make the production around them the best it can be. There’s no unnecessary bullshit when working with Emily and Nick. Egos are left at the door, everyone focuses on the story, professionalism is key and we all strive to make an honest play that will engage and entertain the audience.

The Vulgarians dives into marriage, desire and the messy business of self-discovery. What conversations or emotions do you hope this story will spark in audiences once the lights go down?

My hope is that by telling a funny, often ridiculous, dirty but romantic story, we can sneak in real ideas that delve into the intricacies of relationships. By delving into the specificities of this particular relationship, the play aims to reveal some universal truths about human desire and the ways we love. Albeit presented as an amusing nugget of filthy, boozy, foul-mouthed fun. 

Kieran McGregor’s design work has become almost synonymous with your plays. How has his visual interpretation helped shape the world of The Vulgarians?

What makes Kieran such a brilliant designer, is that his talents stretch from designing major productions with massive budgets to small independent plays like mine without losing his attention to detail and respect for the script. He designs not for himself but for the play. We’re very limited in independent theatre and Kieran doesn’t ever make a play look like a zero-budget indie, and that’s because he gives a shit about the work, not about the madness surrounding the theatre industry. I pride myself in working with stone-cold professionals and Kieran certainly is that.

Lastly, beyond the laughter and shock value, what do you hope theatre-goers will take away from this experience when they leave the Baxter’s Masambe Theatre?

The goal of this play, just like my other plays, is for the audience to be entertained and engrossed. That is achieved by telling a story honestly, never preaching to an audience, never thinking we’re smarter than the audience and to always be uncompromising when it comes to staging a play for an audience. I accept that my plays are not for everyone. I believe that if you aim to make something for everyone, you end up making it for no one. If the team and I do our jobs properly, and an audience member loves it or hates it, then at least we can be confident that we gave them work of a high standard. And that has become increasingly rare in this industry.

Thank you!

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