BWW caught up with Graeme Leake to chat about bringing SAVED to the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Tell us a bit about SAVED.
Inspired by the beauty and power of sound, SAVED is a curious, magical and retro-mechanical music theatre show, full of new sounds made with old technology but being played in a new way.
The lounge room setting features two Yamaha Electone organs side by side and two spinning speakers on high stands above and behind the organs. I dance upstage between the organs, building, adjusting and live-mixing multi-layered auto-play accompaniments then moving downstage to sing and play my one-string bass. There is also a collection of percussion instruments and sounding objects downstage that are played in quiet passages as well as a dynamic fast drumming sequence.
What was the inspiration behind it?
The inspiration is the organs themselves. I've become a collector of discarded home organs. I love these instruments! I love their brochure copy saying 'these organs will make any beginner sound like a professional from the very first day'.
I'm intrigued that their 1978 price tags are today's equivalent of a new car and wonder why they've lost value. I am impressed with their build - they have a lovely, warm analogue sound with great low end.
How does it differ from the digital production?
When we filmed the show last year we asked ourselves - is this a film of a live show called SAVED or is this a film called SAVED? We opted for the former and the film was shot in one take, with just a few close ups and cutaways inserted. The biggest difference will, however, be the immersive sonic experience of the organs filling the theatre with their gorgeous, warm and spinny sound. This was impossible to recreate in the film (I mean, I KNOW that some people would have listened to it on their phones - what is that, a 2mm speaker?) and can only be experienced live, in person. I can't wait!
Who would you recommend comes to see it?
I've been delighted by the positive responses expressed by a broad range of people to the work during showings and previews. Certainly retro-tech geeks will love it, as will anyone interested in live sound production. I've heard great feedback from young children, the elderly, teenagers, musicians and non-musicians alike. A mother with her babe in arms was surprised at how fascinated and quiet her child was throughout the show. I would recommend anyone looking to escape the bustling festival outside comes to the show for a moment of reflection - alone, with young families, with friends - there's something for everyone.
What do you hope audiences take away from it?
The same sort of feeling that you might have after a good hot bath, a relaxation massage or a deep meditation session, as well as perhaps a newfound awareness of the beauty of everyday sounds that constantly surround us, but that we never hear or appreciate.
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Photo Credit: Hazel Palmer
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