Interview: Actor Archie Backhouse on THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISSOCIA at Theatre Royal Stratford East

Anthony Neilson’s The Wonderful World of Dissocia, directed by Emma Baggott, opens at Theatre Royal Stratford East later this week. We spoke to cast member Archie Backhouse (Hunger, Arcola Theatre) about his roles in the play and the way the show explores mental health.

Can you tell us what The Wonderful World of Dissocia is about and who you play? 

The Wonderful World of Dissocia is a play about Lisa Jones, a woman whose life is out of balance, she finds herself on a quest to find her lost hour and in doing so, she ends up confronting many aspects of her mind from the bright and wonderful to the traumatic and harrowing. 

I play a range of characters including a nurse, an accident-prone hot dog chef and a talking goat who Lisa has quite the run in with!

What do you think the play has to say about the world we live in today?

The play revolves around Lisa’s struggles as she and the people around her get to grips with the complexities of her mind but the show is not a Ted Talk on mental health. We’re not attempting to give the audience answers or diagnose Lisa but instead, the play brings to life some of the complexities of her mind; we attempt to show what she’s going through but in bright colours and with humour, songs and spectacle as well as witnessing some of the tougher moments. This feels important now because we can be so quick to pick sides, label people and attempt to solve problems rather than simply attempting to understand clearly how an individual is feeling.  

How have the last few years changed the way you interpret the play?

Lots of us have been knocked off balance over the last few years whether it’s due to not seeing loved ones, Covid, a lack of freedom, the cost of living…I could go on but these things highlight that fine line between us being ‘stable’ and ‘unstable’ which is seen in the play. 

There is a joy and relief that we can make theatre again and have audiences in front of us, but theatre is in a fragile place so we don’t want to take that for granted. This play is inherently theatrical and that is something we’ve been keen to keep a hold of through rehearsals. I think the last few years have meant we want to make the most of the uniquely theatrical elements of the show. It’s an event to come out to the theatre and one that was denied to us not that long ago. There’s things that you can do on the stage that you can’t do anywhere else so why not make the most of that opportunity. 

What is it like to work at Theatre Royal Stratford East? 

I’m really excited to be working at Theatre Royal Stratford East. I’m from Hackney so Stratford was one of the big theatres nearby so I’m looking forward to being local. My friends and family don’t have any excuse for not coming! It’s an old, grand theatre which lends itself to the brilliant set, the musical numbers and chaotic farcical moments while the fact it’s in Stratford makes it a story that is accessible and for us. 

You've recently been performing in touring shows. How does being settled in one venue change the experience as a performer from taking a show on tour?

I love being on tour because you get to see parts of the country you might never see and you get such different responses from different audiences. When touring, you develop a brilliant adaptability and are always prepared to make minor adjustments depending on the venue but knowing we’re staying put at Stratford means we can get really comfortable, make ourselves at home and tailor the show to the venue and area. Nadia Fall (Artist Director of Theatre Royal Stratford East) came and gave us a brilliant welcome on day one of rehearsals and stuff like that really makes you feel at home and supported. 

What have you learnt from the rehearsal process so far? 

Despite what people think, goats don’t actually eat anything and everything, they are a lot more discerning than you think when it comes to their diet so my message to you at home is ‘stop tarnishing goats with the ‘goats eat everything’ lie!

Why should audiences come to see The Wonderful World Dissocia? What do you hope they will take away from the show with them?

It’s explosive, funny and surprising! It’s unashamedly theatrical. We could all do with a laugh at the moment but alongside that laugh, there is a character at the heart of the play who really could be any of us so hopefully people will leave and get on the tube feeling truly tickled but also in thought… so much so that maybe they miss their stop….

The Wonderful World of Dissocia plays at Theatre Royal Stratford East from 14 September-15 October, with tickets available here.