An interview with James WF Roberts by Meredith Fuller OAM psychologist
For midsumma festival James WF Roberts, writer and director, is staging his play at The Butterfly Club Mon 3 Feb 2025 to Sat 8th Feb 2025 8.30pm
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
‘ “Hot White Kiss” is a twisted tale of addiction, bisexuality, polyamory, obsession and trauma. This is a play about human frailty and hubris; our arrogance when we get cut down by our unconscious desires.’
James describes his play as ‘an evening of exploration of the complex darker side of relationships, addiction, human nature, and reality.’
‘In the hour-long play I uses drama, pathos, comedy, music, to tease out the issues with compassion, knowledge, and felt experience. By exploring arguments for and against the themes raised I would like to think that the audience will get a coffee afterwards and discuss their reactions, thoughts, surprises, and feelings. If the audience leave the play wanting to talk with friends or family about bisexuality, polyamory, and the dynamics of relationships dealing with trauma, I will have used the black comedy to bring awareness and education.
‘I am mindful of the audience and their sensibilities. They will witness how couples may trauma-bond. There is an overdose scene. This is conducted with sensitivity and realism interspersed with a comedic scene – akin to providing a sorbet between courses, and some music before we move to the aftermath.’
I’M AWARE OF YOUR BROAD INTERESTS, INCLUDING YOUR SUCCESSFUL RADIO PROGRAM AT ‘JOY 94.9 FM’. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND
‘I come from a creative family and I’m the youngest of four. My mother was an actor, and my late father was in the music industry since he was a child, and won a lot of awards, and siblings include a music teacher who is often involved in local productions as a musical director and social worker. I have been a roadie for my brother and my sister since I was a kid. My father was also in Radio, 3CCC and I was later involved in Phoenix FM Bendigo, before moving to Melbourne. . I have always been interested in philosophy, poetry, and the classics, as well as comparative religion. Academically, I have a Masters in journalism, a Masters in Media studies & Communications, and a degree with Honours in Humanities focusing on the Romantic Movement and Greek Philosophy.
When I was young, I was in the cadets, and really wanted to join the Navy but wasn’t so high on maths, so it was the Army for a short while. Then Professional Writing & Editing at Bendigo prior to University, I worked a lot of corporate and government jobs over the years.’
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
‘I’m intense; an internal thinker who absorbs ideas from relationships and living in the world. I’m passionate and compassionate, and you could say foolish and naïve!
The authenticity of my lived experience is evident in the autobiographical elements, but of course working with the actors enlivens interpretations and incorporates changes. It is a truthful play that dispels some common myths.’‘I get ideas from ancient and contemporary society. Dating apps, family violence, class warfare, drug overdose, marriage. But you don’t put everything you know about in a play. In Theatre writing you must restrain yourself – you can’t put in everything you wish to say. Timeframes and deadlines ensure that you don’t become self-indulgent’
I WILL ADD INTELLIGENT, THOUGHTFUL, AND RESPECTFUL
HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT CASTING FOR THIS PLAY?
‘The play requires a particular age range, and each character is multi-dimensional. Not simply good or bad. I was looking for actors who understand nuance. Ethics and integrity are important – you do not wish to exploit your actors, or be guilty of the societal issues that you are observing and calling out.
I used various platforms, including Star Now. There are visual considerations – do the couples seem to make sense, do they ‘fit’ their characters. Also, will this ensemble jell together? We’ll be working in rehearsals for some time; I’m hardly wanting to select a volatile group of people who can’t form a team and share the vision.
I looked for competent actors who had been in plays and were current (it isn’t fair on the group to have students with no experience or actors who have not been on stage for a very long time).
I invited applicants to respond to some questions regarding the controversial themes in the play. This helped me whittle down which applicants I auditioned. Being respectful of the actors means that I am not retriggering any trauma, or causing distress to individuals. There is some sexy material, and you need to make sure that the actors have some intimacy co-ordinated training.
I am delighted with the actors, they have depth and have contributed to how I tightened the dialogue.
I am just so blown away by all of my actors. Olivia Buckton Smith, is on stage for most of the play, Leena is a very demanding role and she knocks it out of the park. Olivia brings out both the vulnerability and the manipulative nature of the character terrifyingly well.
Bridgette Kucher, is reprising her role as Cilla from the first run we did at the Butterfly Club in March 2024, she brings a lot of malice and humanity to the part, she is the villain and sets so many things in motion. She is fun to watch. Savier D’Arsie-Marquez, brings an intensity to the character of John I was not aware when I first wrote the part. John’s role probably has the biggest arc as her transforms from someone who both enables and his a victim to someone who finds his own agency.
Taylor Bogrand, brings a sophistication and sexiness yet vulnerability to her high-society interpretation to the role of Taylah.
Cyrus Raco brings a very masculine and controlled performance that could easily be farcical or cliched. The characters mirror each other in many ways. They are all equally good, bad, troubled and broken.
The characters are an amalgamation of real people. Names have been changed and I have mixed certain people from my past into different aspects of the characters. Essentially, I think this play is about how torturous love can be.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU AS THE DIRECTOR?
‘The themes are significant, and I am not into gratuitous
“trauma porn”
Given the serious topics, you don’t want the play to be too long. Music breaks some of the scenes. Being on radio, I am conscious of timing and this is a tight play.
Mostly, there are no more than 3 actors on stage at any given time – if too many on stage it can be difficult for the audience to grasp the relationships and process the dialogue. We discuss paedophilia and drug use and childhood trauma. We don’t bring everything to a neat conclusion – you cannot resolve everything. But you do want the audience to be informed and interested in discussing what we hold up as a mirror in the world we’re living in.
As well, some audience members may wish to enjoy the writing, the actors, the action and humour without wanting to examine unconscious motivations and the nature of what went on with the evolving relationships.
WHO WOULD LIKE THIS PLAY?
‘People over 18 years old, and up to any age. If you can handle Tarantino, you can handle this play!’
Here is a play that has gender diversity, surprising revelations, and powerful observations about diverse relationships. In the past queer theatre had too much comedy, then swung too far into heaviness with no humour. I am allowing the fulcrum to settle in the middle instead of extremes.
‘In our society, everyone is broken in some way and trauma is rampant. We need to understand. What are the antecedents to trauma? What are the lines we shouldn’t cross or tolerate, and where is empathy required?’
PLAY DETAILS
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?
‘More playwriting. I am working on a verse-novel, ‘Beast’ about toxic masculinity and queer plus crime.’
