With just two productions left of this year’s season at NNT, we at Impact once again went behind the scenes to catch up with writer and director of Order from Chaos, Jonny Khan. Though a member of the NNT since first year, Order from Chaos is Jonny’s first time writing, and directing, a performance – a play all about X, Georgia got in touch with Jonny to ask all about the inspiration behind the piece, the process itself, and his feelings on the play as a whole.
Q: What inspired the story of Order From Chaos?
Jonny: I was actually watching a music video for a song by Jamie XX called ‘Sleep Sound’. It revolves around deaf people dancing to his record. It was really cool to watch and made me think a lot. It was a really sweet video and the song really fitted with it all. After that I just kept imagining how a story could be made out of something like that.
Q: I’m assuming music is a big source of enjoyment for you, considering the play’s themes, what music particularly inspired Order From Chaos, and what’s your favourite type of music?
Jonny: Yeah I love listening to music, it’s been wicked to collaborate two huge hobbies of mine (music and theatre) together in a cool mash up. I listen to a lot of dance and electronic music, so it was so cool to be able to combine both of those into a production, something you don’t really see a lot of when you go the theatre.
“It’s been wicked to collaborate two huge hobbies of mine”
Q: What would you say are the main themes of the Play?
Jonny: I think reconnection is a cool idea. The idea that someone can feel like they have lost something major in their life but then be able to reconnect with whatever they had lost. I wanted to focus on that moment of realisation and reconnection. It’s been so cool to play around with this idea in rehearsals. I also wanted to focus a little bit on family. The idea that family know you better than anyone and will be there with you, but not always in a deep way. In the play this is especially around the brotherly sisterly love of the two characters.
Q: How have rehearsals been so far?
Jonny: Rehearsals have been going well, we’ve experimented a lot. Had some cool ideas and some dreadful ones so was interesting to kind of sieve through all the ideas. I’m buzzing for it now and so happy with what we’ve all managed to do.
“I’m buzzing for it now and so happy with what we’ve all managed to do”
Q: What has been the most challenging part of the process?
Jonny: I think devising movement was the most difficult part. As the play is all about dance music, we wanted a lot of physicality in it. We wanted to make this movement large and powerful but still choreographed and structured, so this kind of thing took some time.
“I hope they leave wanting to party and dance”
Q: What has been your favourite part of the process?
Jonny: Just devising different scenes with the team and actors. It’s been so cool to be able to combine both music and theatre so I’ve enjoyed it all a lot.
Q: What do you hope audiences will take away from this performance?
Jonny: I hope they leave wanting to party and dance a little bit. Also with an appreciation for all different kinds of music. Either would be cool.
“Abstract, surprising and music-y”
Q: Are you nervous about the first performance?
Jonny: Yeah I am shitting myself but sure it’ll all work out.
Q: Finally, if you had to sum up the play in just three words, what would you say?
Jonny: Abstract, surprising, and music-y
Personally, I have no doubt that Order From Chaos is a show perfect for any music lover, theatre lover, or anyone in between. Only showing today and tomorrow, this is not a production to miss, so if you’re looking for a unique way of celebrating the end of the semester, I’d thoroughly suggest going along to this sure-to-be fab production.
Georgia Butcher
‘Order From Chaos’ is showing on Sunday 9th December at 2.30pm and 7.30pm, and Monday 10th December at 5pm. Tickets can be purchased here.
Featured image/article image courtesy of Jase Neal. Featured image cropped for clarity, full image present in article.
Image use licence here.
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