Remi Rachuba, a native Pole, having initially studied English, participated in acting courses in Warsaw, London, New York, Moscow before settling in Scotland and finally being accepted to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Recently, Remi has performed in a highly successful revival of Katie Mitchell’s production of “Lucia di Lammermoor” at the Royal Opera House. Since graduating, he has also participated in a production at the Traverse Theatre titled, “The Builders” with Plutot La Vie, toured with a T.I.E production of “Pinocchio,” and has taken part in various workshops with Ian Rickson, Jeremy Stockwell, Theatre O, and Frantic Assembly. Remi has participated in several short films, which enabled him to be selected for the Berlinale Talent Campus at the Berlin International Film Festival. He has a bilingual solo show titled, “The Intruder.” He received funding from Creative Scotland for developing the piece. His solo production was shortlisted for the 2013 Adrian Pagan Playwriting Award at the King’s Head Theatre in London and was recently shortlisted in the BBC Writersroom 12 (Drama). All About Solo had the chance to talk with Remi about his solo show, “The Intruder,” which will have its presentation this November at The Hope Theatre in London.
Pat McAndrew: I am curious as to how you ended up discovering theater and, more specifically, solo performance? Remi Rachuba: I’ve always known I wanted to be an actor. When I was little, I remember going on school trips with my mum’s secondary school pupils to Warsaw from my hometown, Kudowa Zdroj (8-hour train journey) to see theatre. Plus, our local cinema “Capitol” where I ran every Sunday to watch cartoons and films. I think that’s when it all started. As for solo performance, it discovered me.
How did solo performance discover you? What inspired you to create “The Intruder”? A traumatic event, its aftermath and an immediate written account of it as a way of getting rid of my anger and frustration was the basis for the piece.
I can imagine how important the piece must be for you then. How is “The Intruder” important for today’s audience? I feel it’s a very timely piece on how to learn to cope with bad things that happen to us, learn from them, put them behind and do what you’ve always dreamed of doing. It’s about mental health, forgiveness and good.
What would you say is your favorite part about this show? It changes in a split second. It’s non-linear and bilingual.
What were some challenges that you faced in developing “The Intruder”? It took about 5 years with breaks to finish it. I didn’t have challenges writing it. I always loved revisiting the piece. It still makes me laugh when I read it. Maybe a moment when things were slightly put on hold was: my very good director friend’s passing last March; she was attached to the project.
Does “The Intruder” speak to other work you have done? I’ve done theatre mainly and some short-films so it’s something I haven’t done before.
What do you hope the audience walks away with after seeing this piece? Positive, hopeful, uplifted.
“The Intruder” Written and Performed by Remi Rachuba November 19, 2018 at 4:30PM Photo by Benjamin Matthews The Hope Theatre London, UK
Pat McAndrew is a NYC-based actor, writer, and consultant. As an actor, he has performed Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway, and in various locations throughout New York City, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. His one-man show, REEL, was performed in the 2017 United Solo Theatre Festival and featured in the new documentary, Electronic Crack. Using his background as an actor as his foundation, Pat consults with individuals and organizations on how to communicate effectively and build deep, meaningful relationships in the digital age. He is the Founder of The Low Tech Trek, an organization devoted to discovering a better balance between human interaction and how we use technology. He is a member of Village Playback Theatre, Endless River Arts, and Svaha Theatre Collective. Pat holds an MA in Theatre from Villanova University. Check out patmcandrew.com for more information.