Ferment Fortnight Preview | Adam Kammerling

Ferment Fortnight kicks off its biannual explosion of work-in-progress and scratch performances from 26 Jan. Here Adam Kammerling gives us an inside look into his superhero inspired world. Catch it at the Wardrobe Theatre on the festival’s opening night.

Hey yo. My name’s Adam Kammerling. I’m a spoken word artist from London and I will be performing my new piece of work on Fri 27 for Ferment Fortnight. I’m very excited to be bringing the piece to Bristol as after its first scratch (which was exciting but ultimately woeful), the first place it got a proper showing was Ferment 2016. It was there, in the bright lights of Bristol Old Vic studio, I realised that this was something I needed to keep working with.

The piece is a combination of spoken word and acrobatic dance. It’s about the fact that heroes are AWESOME but highly detrimental for the world, especially dudes in the world, especially young dudes who LOVE the X-Men (me). I’ve enlisted four actual super humans to help me tell the story - Eric Mitchell, stunt man extraordinaire, who can do a backflip like you or I can eat a biscuit. Jacob Smart, founder of Parkour dance, contemporary dance improvisation master, who lives much of his life upside down and in the air. Keiran Merrick, who is half human, half Music Production Centre. And Si Rawlinson who is the bendiest breakdancer in the northern hemisphere.

It’s quite a team so getting the funding to make it happen was a very exciting moment, thanks Arts Council England! We’ve taken the piece to Peterborough, and performed at The Albany and at Southbank for Being A Man festival. Every show is a nerve-wracker. The biggest challenge has simply been finding the ways in which this combination of mediums can work together. It’s very new and it has been a very experimental journey, that surprises us every time we get in the rehearsal rooms.

I’m very much looking forward to bringing the piece back to the place where I feel the idea hit puberty. It’s like going back to your Yr 9 self (I was a late bloomer) and showing off your new, totally macho facial hair.

And on that note, see you in the theatre!

Ferment Fortnight takes place at The Wardrobe Theatre 26-28 Jan before returning to Bristol Old Vic 31 Jan-2 Feb. For more info and to book tickets, click here.