Who is Yve Blake?
A playwright/screenwriter/composer/lyricist tiny dog with one tooth only who smells exactly of yeast.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
In my whole life?! what a hectic question! Career wise: nothing. FANGIRLS is the show of my teenage dreams, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. Life wise: I probably would tell my teenage self to not worry so much about whether I was hot enough. Teenage girls are taught to waste so much mental hard drive space on that and it’s such a ripoff.
Who inspires you and why?
Right now, it’s Shannen Alyce Quan and Tomáš Kantor. They’re the two on-stage swings for Fangirls, which means that every night they’ll perform in the show’s big ensemble numbers, while ALSO each understudying 3-4 of the main roles EACH. Can you imagine having to learning 4 roles AND your own part? can you even imagine having to learn 4 different dances to the same song? and 4 different harmonies? Tom & Shannen are two of the most professional beasts I’ve ever come across. I’m shook by them.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
I think that the world could benefit from us all re-thinking the way we perceive and talk about the interests of teenage girls. I started writing FANGIRLS when I realised that teenage fangirls are often described as ‘hysterical’, ‘crazy’, ‘over the top’, and ‘a bit much’, whereas teenage boys who love sports don’t suffer the same labels and derisions. I think the words we choose to describe teenage girls are important, because the words you hear about yourself define what you believe you’re capable of.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
Anywhere that is not my home office or the studio where we are finishing the FANGIRLS Cast Album – OMG I miss travelling and holidays?
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
I like Milk Beach in Sydney. It’s a lil harbour beach with some great grassy picnic spots.
What are you currently reading?
Smart Ovens for Lonely People by Elizabeth Tan and I am loving it so hard!
What are you currently listening to?
Ellen Winter’s new album, Every Feeling I’ve Ever Felt. She’s extraordinary. If you’ve never heard of her, she also *casually* wrote a podcast musical starring Jonathan Groff, and she sounds like the child of Missy Higgins and Regina Spektor and Mitski.
Happiness is?
Right now it’s getting to sit in the audience FANGIRLS during that one bit where there’s a fake boyband concert on stage, and the crowd all get their phone lights out. It’s the closest I’ve felt to being in a mosh pit since the start of the pandem.
What does the future hold for you?
Right now I’m hard at work putting the finishing touches on the Cast Album which comes out on April 16th. After that I have a bunch of commissions I’m working on. Oh and hopefully sleep.
Yve is the Playwright (book, music and lyrics) of FANGIRLS – which has enjoyed highly acclaimed seasons in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide – and now heads to the Canberra Theatre Centre (24 – 28 March), before playing at Arts Centre Melbourne (28 April – 9 May). For more information, visit: www.belvoir.com.au or www.fangirlsmusical.com for details.
Image: Yve Blake (supplied)