We chatted to Karen about her show ‘Dreamgirl’, playing at the Soho Theatre until the 11th July.
Hi Karen, how does it feel to be performing at the Soho Theatre?
Hello. I am super excited! Soho is a wonderful theatre, and I cant wait to play DREAMGIRL there.
How did the idea for ‘Dreamgirl’ come about?
It came from an exercise where I sat down and wrote a six page document titled “Why do I write?”, and then I went to the British comedian and theatre maker, Elf Lyons, and seeked help to gather my thoughts. Within four days, we had written the whole show together – based on stories I had in the text of why I write.
How has it been watching the show develop?
Its been very fun. I have been touring with the show in Australia, Asia and Europe, and I keep on learning about my own show as well, while seeing what the different audiences focus on. Even though its based on my personal story, the feedback has been that people really reflect it into their lives.
What do you hope that audiences take away from the show?
I hope they get a bit more curious about “the others”. Curious about strangers. My dream is to come down to the bar after the show, and some of the audience members have ended up staying and getting to know each other. That has actually happened a few times already.
What does it mean to you to perform your show on stage?
I love community and connection, and I think live performances create this in a wonderful way. Also DREAMGIRL speaks a lot about what’s happening right now in today’s society with fear and polarisation. To be a hopeful voice in this world is very important for me.
To book tickets visit: https://sohotheatre.com/events/karen-houge-dreamgirl/