Sheffield Theatres are bringing us this one-man thrill ride KENREX. Part True Crime, part Western, with a foot stomping live Americana soundtrack, KENREX is devised by Jack Holden and Ed Stambollouian; the creators of the Olivier-nominated Cruise.
In this Behind the Curtain interview I speak to KENREX Star and Co-Writer Jack Holden to find out more about the show.
Could you tell us what ‘KENREX’ is about?
KENREX tells the story of a wild but utterly true crime which occurred in the small town of Skidmore in rural Missouri in 1981. This town is in the middle of nowhere and the police rarely pass through, so it’s a law unto its own. In this power vacuum, Ken Rex McElroy rules the town with fear, intimidation, firearms and his pack of racoon hounds. But when Ken’s bullying turns violently bloody, the people of Skidmore rise up to take back control…
The story is told through the eyes of David Baird, the new district attorney who rocks up in Skidmore just as things start to kick off. He finds a bully who is seemingly indestructible, and an angry community who have had enough. As the enforcer of the law David tries but is ultimately powerless to stop the inevitable fireworks.
You perform in the show and also you are the co-writer of the show. Tell us why you wanted to tell this story on stage?
As huge fans of True Crime, co-writer and director Ed Stambollouian and I wanted to discover if the genre would work on stage as compellingly as it does in podcasts and Netflix series.
To present evidence to the audience, we use lots of different tricks and techniques, which we hope will keep the audience engaged and amazed. We present 911 calls, court transcripts, interview recordings, reenactments of scenes, car chases, shootings, barn dances, tv commercials, and a bunch of incredible songs written and performed by John Patrick Elliott.
KENREX asks fundamental questions about wrong and right, good and bad, justice and injustice. We think the audience will be left chewing over some really fiendish questions when the curtain falls.
While you also perform and co-write what is the easiest and hardest part of both sides of the project?
The easiest part of being both the writer and performer is that I know exactly how each line was intended to be performed. However, the rehearsal period has been a time of play and experimentation, in which we’ve changed a lot of the text. That’s probably the hardest part — trying to switch between being a writer who wants to get the wording exactly right, and a performer who wants to learn the script and get good at it by the first performance.
The show is based on a true story, why this story? What was it about the story of Ken Rex McElroy that felt right to put on stage?
The story of Ken Rex McElroy versus the town of Skidmore is so appealing because it’s so archetypal. It’s a classic fable — but with a murky ending. It’s like the story of St George and the Dragon: a town tolerate the cruelty of their resident monster until something or someone wakes them up and they decide that enough is enough — and they must determine their own destinies.
Co-writer and director Ed Stambollouian and I were drawn to this story because of the simple question that underpins it — What would it take for normal people to resort to violence?
We also feel that telling an American story about a powerful bad man getting his comeuppance feels increasingly relevant given recent global events…
With the show being a one person show, how do you feel when performing on your own?
I won’t lie — the moments before stepping on stage are terrifying. 13,000 words are waiting to be spoken — all by me. But once the first few lines are done and I push through the nerves, it’s like entering a trance-like state. The show moves at such a fast pace, and the music drives the story forward, there’s no stepping off the train after it leaves the station. So I sort of have to surrender to the will of the show — which is a totally focused and immersive experience. You come out the other end feeling so alert, present and quick.
Having a band on stage, how do you feel this adds to the show?
In truth, the piece is a duet. Composer and musician John Patrick Elliott is on stage with me throughout the show — just like he was for my first show, Cruise — and he’s at least 50% of the reason the show works. His music is extraordinarily good. The soundtrack ranges from Bluegrass to Americana to Rock to Country. It sets the location and the mood of every scene so perfectly. John is so good at listening to my rhythms and predicting my every move that the music fits with the scenes hand-in-glove.
The show is described as it “shares a lot of DNA with Cruise” which was your debut play. What did you learn from your debut that you are taking into this show?
I learnt a lot about myself doing Cruise. I learnt that I’m capable of speaking thousands of words in one go — I learnt that I can withstand a huge amount of adrenaline — I learnt how to manage my energy levels across the run of a solo show.
But I also learnt that it takes a village to create a one man show. John Patrick Elliott’s music glued the show together; incredibly talented set, sound and lighting designers elevated the words and music further still; truly brilliant directors and producers drove the whole project forwards; fantastic stage managers kept the show on the road. And the same is absolutely true of KENREX. In some ways it’s an even more complex show, so the need for an exceptional team has increased — and I feel completely supported and empowered by this gang.
How are rehearsals going? And have you had to change anything now you have started rehearsals?
Rehearsals are tiring, but inspiring! It’s a joy to be in the rehearsal room, particularly at Sheffield Theatres where we’re being looked after so well by the staff here.
We’ve changed a lot of the show as we’ve worked — KENREX has always been a collaborative and devised creation, and we haven’t stopped refining and tweaking. It’s a test of my mettle, but we’ll probably continue editing and distilling the show right up to press night — that’s exactly what previews are for, after all.
What is your favourite part of the show? And What are you excited for the audience to take away from the show?
KENREX has so much in it: so many styles, tricks, songs, dances, wild characters, action sequences — it’s constantly surprising and endlessly entertaining. But my personal favourite is the crescendo of the whole story, which is a scene straight out of a Western: high noon, loaded guns, a Mexican stand-off, maximum tension — and only one possible outcome.
Describe the show in one sentence or three words.
KENREX is an action-packed True Crime thriller, a one man thrill ride through the 1970s American Midwest, a foot-stomping barn dance of a show!
KENREX is playing at Sheffield Theatres in the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, Sheffield, from Saturday 26 October – Saturday 16 November 2024
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