From birthing maggots onstage to kidnapping celebrities for marketing campaigns, Em Barrett has built a career on the beautifully bizarre. Now the performer brings their favourite creation yet to Melbourne Fringe; a hapless German poet named Johann, whose desperate fight against capitalism and obsession with Elton John makes for what Barrett calls oddly relatable chaos.
Meet The Performer – Em Barrett
What is this production or show about?
Johann is launching a poetry book. Johann is a very bad poet.
Born in Limburg; Germany, Johann packed his quill and moved to the small town of Tīrau, (NZ) to free himself of his parental constraints and find himself as an artist. Now he is ready to share his angst with the world.
With a diary full of inspiration (and sheep poo), Johann has arrived in Naarm to launch (or attempt to launch) his first poetry book.
Unfortunately, as he presents his painfully curated manifesto, he will be sidetracked by his hatred of society, his love for Elton John, and his ongoing frustration with capitalism. Will we ever hear the full book? Do we want to?
Why did you want to be part of this production?
This is a funny question to me, as I have never been sure why. I think as a weird kid turned weird adult, performance feels like the only way I can communicate in the world. (God that sounds really theatre kid-esque, I promise you I am not a theatre kid. Quite the opposite really.) I could never imagine myself in a ‘regular job;’ whatever that means. Performing and making art are really the only ways I feel truly myself.
What has been your favourite performance or role so far in your career?
I have played a fly birthing maggots live on stage; I have played a magical gateway entity for a real life open world game; I have even played a flavour scientist for the strangest marketing campaign (and borderline celebrity kidnapping scheme) I’ve ever been a part of. But by far, Johann is my favourite role. He is just so awkward, and desperate to prove himself. His fight to keep things together whilst simmering with rage and despair at the capitalist world is oddly relatable.
Have you ever had to improvise or adapt during a live performance? What happened?
Ohhh all the time! I love to incorporate some structured chaos into my shows. For example, Johann is obsessed with asking audiences to suggest poems for him to create. He will then make up a live poem on the spot based on the suggestions. Sometimes they are poems, sometimes they are songs. Sometimes they are just a long tortured vocalisation as Johann stares into the abyss. It’s always fun.
What strategies do you use to manage nerves before you go on?
Eat some good kai (food); breathe; stretch and do a vocal warm up. Maybe do a speed run of the performance. Self care and pre-show warm ups are vital for me to be in the right headspace.
What sort of person is going to love this show?
A show for poetry lovers and haters alike.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I’m proud to announce that the full season of Ode to a Grape will have Open Captions and a Low Sensory Show on the 30th September. You can find the access guide here: https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/whats-on/events/ode-to-a-grape
A huge thank you to Em Barrett for sharing the gloriously weird journey that led to Johann and his rage-filled poetry. If you are ready for live improvised poems, existential vocalisations, and a performer who thrives in structured chaos, grab your tickets to Ode To A Grape at Melbourne Fringe.
