Machomer Interview
Written by Claire Renton
Theatre In Preview
In an age where the combinations of culture have spawned such idiocy as iSnack 2.0, cynics would be forgiven for baulking at yet another pop culture double-up. However they would be kicking themselves if they overlooked ‘MacHomer’, a clever and often hilarious blend of Shakespeare and ‘The Simpsons’.
Veteran performer Rick Miller is the creator and star of this one-man, 75-minute explosion of theatre combining the entire plot of Shakespeare’s ‘MacBeth’ with the cast of ‘The Simpsons’ in a theatre performance he gleefully describes as a “cultural car crash”.
“I’m dealing with brilliant source material - Bart and the Bard. I think both are reflections of popular culture in their own time, mirroring and satirising the era and its inhabitants. Obviously, Shakespeare's language is more poetic, but there is also a certain poetry and art to the dialogue in ‘The Simpsons’. The fact that ‘The Simpsons’ can fit convincingly into one of Shakespeare's bloodiest tragedies is testament to the depth and quality of Matt Groening's creation. The characters are so well-written that they are possessed of what I call a 'tragic nobility'. Basically, you laugh at them and their pathetic longings but you also care deeply about them.”
The combination of ‘serious theatre’ and everyone’s favourite yellow family found its initial conception in Montreal as a way to keep Rick entertained offstage.
“In the summer of ‘94, I was playing the coveted role of ‘murderer # two’ in a touring production of ‘MacBeth’. With only six lines or so, I had a little too much time backstage. I dreamt up a cast-party joke where ‘The Simpsons’ would play our roles. The actor playing MacDuff sounded a lot like Barney Gumble. It was his “Horror! Horror!” speech that kicked it all off for me. Then I started hearing Simpsons voices everywhere - our King Duncan sounded like Mr Burns, our Drunken Porter sounded like Krusty and so on. When I first performed it, I realised that I had found a good vehicle for my skills.”
Fifteen years on, ‘MacHomer’ has been performed in 150 cities and has evolved into an ambitious, highly-technical performance. “I always wanted ‘MacHomer’ to be as visually and aurally intricate as a Simpsons episode. Much of my career has been spent working with multimedia theatre director Robert Lepage and all my shows have been heavily influenced by his use of image. ‘MacHomer’ may have started as more of a comedy sketch but my work with the designers helped turn the one-joke concept into a visually rich theatrical experience. There is a large video screen behind me that provides detail, context and other information throughout the play. I drew over 200 drawings, recorded a soundtrack and Beth designed an intricate light show, all to help add to the theatricality.
“It’s hard work but it’s a short show. I like to think of it as an intense vocal and mental workout. I’ve become accustomed to these high-intensity solo shows where I flip between dozens of characters. The pressure is big but I get to be in total control of the audience, which is a fantastic feeling. There’s nothing like having 1,000 people stand up and clap after you’ve taken them for an amazing ride.
“Another thing that keeps me interested is that I’m bringing Shakespeare to many people who would confess to hating both Shakespeare and theatre. They get it because they have a sense of who the characters from ‘The Simpsons’ are. People often forget that Shakespeare was pop culture 400 years ago. I personally think he would have preferred the rowdy irreverence of ‘MacHomer’ to another lame, heavy-handed production of ‘MacBeth’.”
Does this mean that we’ll be seeing more Shakespeare mash-ups in the future? Not soon, if Rick has anything to do with it. Although he does concede that he’s thought about it.
“I have titles - ‘Othell-D’OH!’, ‘King Beer’ and my personal favourite ‘Mmmm…Ham-let’. Although sequels have been called for, I refuse to do so with ‘MacHomer’ on the grounds that it is a one-joke concept that has now been ‘done’.
“I think the show is in its final form, but there are two places I have yet to take it - London’s West End and Off-Broadway in New York. I’m in no rush as ‘MacHomer’ is only one part of what I do and it looks like I’ll be doing it for some time still. Fifteenth anniversary this year!”
Rick Miller performs ‘MacHomer’ at the Playhouse, QPAC January 24-30.
