“It’s not all entirely true” Terry Johnson tells us at the beginning of Ken at The Bunker Theatre, but “the lies are small, and white.” He’s referring to the fascinating stories he’s about to tell us about Ken Campbell, the man who became the very definition of experimental theatre.
It will be ten years this summer, since Ken Campbell died, and this is effectively a loving eulogy, albeit a wildly funny one, delivered from a lectern atop a psychedelic orange carpet. Over the course of ninety minutes Johnson talks us through anecdotes from Campbell’s life, but more specifically his own relationship with him.
The sprawling monologue, which would have pleased the man in question greatly, is interspersed with Jeremy Stockwell portraying Campbell, and a myriad of other characters from the infamous troupe. It’s amazing to see Stockwell switch from his very life-like representation of Campbell, to other characters so easily. Occasionally veering off-script, he brings to life the curious casting techniques, and even more curious rehearsal processes, which have become the stuff of legend.
Even if Johnson’s version isn’t historically accurate, the salient points, are as close to the truth as any of us are likely to know. He spends a large portion of the performance talking about Campbell directing The Warp, a mammoth, ten play cycle which took an eye-watering 22 hours to perform. In this version the production is confined to a dilapidated cinema at The Edinburgh Fringe, though in reality it had an earlier life in London, but in any case, it’s a riveting tale.
The already quirky seating arrangements in The Bunker Theatre, have been totally transformed. Whole sections of seating are replaced with oversized cushions and comfortable pouffes, exotic lanterns hang from the ceiling, and the strong scent of incense wafts over the chairs placed directly on the stage. The whole space is utilised, primarily by Stockwell, who frequently climbs over audience members so as to speak to Johnson, from the wings as it were.
Both Johnson and Stockwell share a number of inside jokes, that anyone with a connection to the theatre industry will appreciate. Director, Lisa Spirling has however, ensured that Ken appeals to a wider audience, with its relaxed and comfortable staging, making it feel like a very intimate form of storytelling.
Johnson may have embellished on the details a little, but you are left feeling that he’s barely scratched the surface of this remarkable man’s life. Ken leaves you both enchanted and intrigued, desperate to explore this life in more detail, and what better form of tribute could that be?
