It’s not every day that you come across a theatre production inspired by the drama unfolding behind the scenes of the Tango community. Today, we have the pleasure of discovering the story behind one such show.
The Swan, the Werewolf and Gianpiero is a dark physical comedy that delves into relationship chaos behind the scenes in Argentine tango. It is being performed on the 12th and 15th November at the Playground Theatre in London as part of the Viola Festival. I caught up with Agata to find out all about it.
Hello! Tell us about yourself.
I’m Agata Nielsen. I’m primarily an actress and tango dancer, but I’m also the founder of Drama Queen Studios, where I write and produce my own theatre and film projects.
Tell us a bit about the show, The Swan, the Werewolf and Gianpiero.
It’s a one-hour, tango-themed dark comedy inspired by my own experiences within the tango community.
It follows professional tango partners Roxana and Mateo, who are also a couple—until Roxana breaks up with Mateo backstage, five minutes before their big performance. Their argument spills onto the stage, where it is witnessed by Gianpiero, an eccentric director who considers himself the greatest theatrical genius of the millennium. Naturally, he decides to turn their disaster into his next masterpiece.
How are rehearsals going?
The rehearsals are long and physically demanding, but we have an amazing atmosphere together. There is a really good balance between getting the work done and having the freedom to brainstorm, play and discover better solutions.
A lot of devising happens during rehearsals because the performance is heavily physical. Some ideas only reveal themselves once we put the scene on its feet and begin experimenting with the movement, choreography and relationships between the characters.
Tell us a little bit about the rest of the cast.
Erwin Janke plays Mateo. He is originally from Germany and has worked mainly in film. I first had the pleasure of working with him on a short theatre piece two years ago, so it’s lovely to be working together again on something much bigger.
Mateusz Mirek, who plays Gianpiero, is also Polish and has experience in both theatre and film. I recently saw him performing in his own play and thought he would be perfect for the role, so I invited him to step into Gianpiero’s rather extravagant shoes.
Maddy Miron plays the Maid. She is a longstanding friend whom I originally met through tango. She isn’t a professional actress—she works as a therapist—but what began as a little joke gradually developed into a surprisingly substantial role.
What is the most challenging thing about doing the show?
Time—there is never enough of it. We constantly notice things and think, “We could improve this choreography,” or “We could develop the scenography here.”
There are always more ideas and further details we could add, so the challenge is deciding what will make the greatest difference within the time we have.
What have been some of the best highlights since doing the show?
Watching the show transform has probably been the greatest highlight. It began three years ago as a ten-minute sketch and has since developed into a full one-hour play.
The original cast consisted of my tango friends, who weren’t actors. The idea began because we were dancing together, discussing all the drama that happens within the tango community, and decided that somebody should write a play about it.
Eventually, the project rather took over. As it became longer, more physical and more demanding, we invited professional actors Erwin and Mateusz to join us. Meanwhile, Maddy’s small comic appearance kept growing into a proper character. The whole production has evolved organically through the people involved in it.
What is the best reaction you have had from an audience member?
The show relies heavily on audience interaction, the audience is essential to what happens. Without giving away too many spoilers, the best reaction was the absolute terror on one audience member’s face.
That was exactly the reaction we needed. I’ll leave it at that!
If people want to follow you on social media, where can they find you?
You can follow Drama Queen Studios on Instagram at @dramaqueenstudios_ and on TikTok at @dramaqueenstudios.
Finally, in three words, why should people come to your show?
Hilariously dramatic entertainment.
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