The Glitch is a welcoming space in London, known for showcasing creativity and culture, and a fantastic venue to see a wide range of events, from theatre to music, comedy, and more.
Back To The Moon is a one-woman show that previously ran at The Vaults and, by popular demand, is now returning to The Glitch from August 13th to 18th.
Show: Back To The Moon
Venue: The Glitch
Writer and performer: Giovanna Koyama
Director: Selwin Hulme-Teague
Sound design: Yuri Furtado
Producer: Skylar Mabry
Assistant Producer: Fernanda Pedroso
Graphic Designer: Darlane Batista
An absurd physical comedy, Back To The Moon is a piece about chasing dreams, facing fears and discovering what truly matters – something I think we can all relate to, and therefore this show is one we can all find parts of ourselves in.
Ahead of the first show – tonight! – I got to interview writer and performer Giovanna Koyama, and discuss the changes of the show from the past to present, her inspirations behind the show, and the challenges of bringing it to the stage.
Her answers were fantastic and gave a really interesting insight into a comedic and imaginative piece. I hope you enjoy reading the interview as much as I enjoyed conducting it!
Note: none of these answers have been edited in any way.
1. Let’s start easy – please can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about Back To The Moon?
Of course! I’ve been a theatre-maker for about 8 years now, but my work exploring themes of migration and belonging is grounded in more than two years of ongoing artistic research. For the past 3 years, my focus has been more on directing, but with Back to the Moon I needed to go back on stage because it is such a personal story that I love telling and sharing with the audience.
Back to the Moon is a physical comedy and surreal story about chasing your dreams, facing your fears, and discovering what really matters in life. I feel this story tells my own journey of how I ended up in London to pursue my theatre career dream.
2. This is a show that has already been staged and is now back by popular demand; what made you decide to bring it back now?
After the run in 2023 with such good feedback and responses from the audiences, I always felt this play hasn’t reached enough people. And this year, thanks to Selwin the director and Skylar the producer, they were the initial believers who pushed to bring it back. I was a little uncertain, with another full-time corporate job on the side, I just wasn’t sure if I would have the time to make it work. But when we saw this opportunity at The Glitch, it felt like the right moment. I think our generation still needs to hear about the journey of pursuit and how this makes us feel.
3. Are there any changes from this run to the previous one?
Yes, minor changes. But after 2 years, I just got way more clear about what the play is about, the message, and I feel much more confident in what we’re doing. I think this changes everything, even if the lines are the same in some parts.
4. Where did the inspiration for this play come from? Does it draw on any personal experiences, or was there something specific that sparked your imagination?
Hahahah, I laugh because it is indeed very surreal. The play is set inside Giovanna’s dream, and I had this idea because I dreamed about it at the end of 2022. I woke up at 3 a.m. with the first lines of the play in my head and just started typing in my phone. So the opening of the play is pretty much words that came out of a dream. Then, as the process of developing the play was ongoing, I gained clarity on the message and what I wanted to talk about and eventually found out it was very personal indeed. But I also did a lot of research interviews on stories of migration and chasing dreams from others.
5. Were there any challenges in bringing Back To The Moon to life in this run, either from a writing or performing perspective, and how did you overcome those challenges?
For sure! I think managing time and energy was a big challenge. The first time I did Back to the Moon, my professional life looked a bit different and I didn’t have as much responsibility in my full-time job as I do now. Managing that was challenging, and a very obvious one for any theatre-maker is funding. I think how I overcame the first challenge was by being super communicative, organized, and clear at my work, which still remains my priority, so I maintained a level of commitment in both. The second challenge is always one that doesn’t depend only on you. Although our brilliant producer applied for funding, we didn’t succeed, but we joined forces and, as a team (Skylar, Selwin, and I), we were super smart in the way we invested in the project.
6. Back To The Moon sounds like it is a play with a lot of layers to it, one that encompasses so many emotions; was it a conscious decision to write the play in this way, or something that just happened naturally as the play evolved?
I think both. It felt very natural as Selwin and I discovered some key elements in the rehearsal room, but I also put effort into researching, studying storytelling structure, and understanding how and what’s the best way I could tell this story. So I would say any process requires a good amount of research, imagination, and creative flow.
7. Is there anything in particular you’re excited or intrigued for audiences’ reactions to?
Yes! I think I’m excited to see their reaction when meeting the surreal characters in the play: the pair of cups with eyes, Mr. Onion, the Book of Knowledge. And I’m excited for them to feel they can be on this journey with me.
8. What would you say to convince people to come and see the show?
I would say that this play is for everyone who feels they have a dream and they have gone, or are in, the journey of pursuing this dream. It’s a play that talks about universal themes and how we can be human together, but not in an obvious way. I’ve heard so much feedback that this play surprises people in such good ways, and they leave the theatre feeling lighter and connected to their stories once again.
9. What do you want audiences to take away from Back To The Moon?
Ahhhh ahhahaha I can’t really decide that for the audience, this is so particular to each individual. I will be the one asking them that question, and that will be my best present reward after creating this play. The only thing I would like from them is to come with an open spirit, ready to throw themselves in and have a good time.
10. And finally – can you sum up Back To The Moon in 3 words?
A dream adventure of pursuit.
And there we have it! I am honestly quite sad I won’t get to see the show, but who knows – this is already the second run of Back To The Moon, so who knows what the future holds? Maybe one of my own dreams should be to see this play one day!
Back To The Moon is running at The Glitch from tonight (13th August) until the 18th. You can buy tickets here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/vaultcreativearts/1624072
You can find out more about The Glitch here: https://www.theglitch.london/
One Show at a Time 