In Conversation with Nick Jay | Midnight Carousel

"The core of Midnight Carousel was inspired by the idea of memory, how it twists and shapes over time, and how we try to reconcile the person we were with the person we've become."

In this week's Backstage Blog, we chat with emerging playwright Nick Jay about MIDNIGHT CAROUSEL, playing at Theatre Works from 6 - 16 November!

Q: What should audiences expect when they come to see Midnight Carousel?

A: An entirely sentimental and beautiful experience. I think the role of stories is first to make people feel things. It’s a story about exploring the thin lines between love and passion for what we do, and who we do it with. The play is poetic, intense, and has a surreal atmosphere. I hope that Midnight Carousel amazes people with spectacular moments and resonates with them for a long time.

Q: What made you want to write Midnight Carousel? What were you trying to uncover / what inspired you?

A: Oh jeez, the idea of Midnight Carousel has changed so much since I started writing it that it’s hard to pin down what my initial thoughts were. However, in the time spent drafting and rewriting and polishing and repeating the process, I think we found the truth of what kept intriguing me about this particular story.

The core of Midnight Carousel was inspired by the idea of memory, how it twists and shapes over time, and how we try to reconcile the person we were with the person we've become. I’ve always been fascinated with relationship dynamics and the kinds of lies we tell ourselves to keep ideas, hopes and dreams alive. They have a kind of corrupting influence on everything we do and the more I wrote Midnight Carousel, the more I began to identify these situations in the world around me.

Q: What does a typical rehearsal look like with Frenzy Theatre Co?

A: Thusfar, rehearsals have been mostly focused on the incredible choreography work collaboratively done by Belle Hansen and the whole cast. Since Midnight Carousel has a surrealist atmosphere to match the poetic writing, the project requires a lot of physical storytelling and we’ve been incredibly blessed with such a talented array of movement and dancing actors who have put in a colossal amount of work into crafting and refining the dancing. Only recently have we delved into the actual text and yet again, I’m amazed by the varied and interesting interpretations of the work. I wrote it, but Belle and the actors have truly brought it to life in a way that I could never have done so without them. There are moments in rehearsal where the air electrifies, the actors get lost in character, and the world falls away. Those, for me, are where the magic is.

Q: We are playing Connections, the category is Midnight Carousel. What were the four words that made this connection?

1. Memory

2. Nostalgia

3. Romance

4. Passion

Q: If Spotify created a Daylist based on this show, what would it be called and what songs would be on it?

A: Funny that as I’m writing this, I’m listening to one of the many playlists I created for Midnight Carousel during the writing process. Honestly, it would be a lot of twinkling ambient modular synthesizers, piano instrumental with reverb and slow symphonic pieces. To illustrate my point, here are three personal recommendations.

Agape - Nicholas Britell

Clair de lune L.32 - Ann Annie

I Hear a Symphony - Cody Fry

Q: If you could have anyone in the world see this show, who would it be and why?

A: There are so many answers to this question. I come from an arts family and I know that any one of my many siblings would thoroughly enjoy this piece, as well as my parents, who have both been drama teachers. My partner has been with me every step of the way since I first stepped foot into Theatre Works. My friends have been subjected to many a draft on my journey from amateur to author. Can I say all of them? No? Pick one? Okay… I think out of all of these wonderful people, I think my dad might enjoy this play the most.