Q&A with Rachel Atlas: Star of one-woman show Gag Reflex coming to New Plymouth in June

Rachel Atlas is bringing her autobiographical, humorous and ultimately heart-warming show to New Plymouth as part of the Right Royal Cabaret Festival in June.

Rachel Atlas has what has been described as “a complicated relationship with danger”. She’s had knives thrown at her, swallows swords and performs world-class stunts on stage. Editor Ilona Hanne caught up with Rachel to find out more before she bares her soul on stage in Gag Reflex, one of the shows featured in this year’s Right Royal Cabaret Festival.

In the publicity for this show, you are described as a veteran of the vaudeville. Does everything get better with age, be it performing, sex or life overall?

I don’t think I have heard myself described as a veteran before. I actually came to it quite late, I was in my 20s and I’m not old now, I am only 42 so I wouldn’t call myself a veteran. But yes, everything does get better, life gets happier and you get better at being yourself.

So you weren’t a school leaver when you first started swallowing swords, having knives thrown at you and so on, but it still is a long leap from the average school-leaver ambitions. Unless your school was very different to mine, career talks were more about secretarial skills than sword swallowing, and dentistry not becoming a dominatrix. So how did you ‘end up’ in your line of work?

Some good friends of mine have a really successful, really good fringe vaudeville show in the US, and I was over there, and well, basically I ran away with them. I loved it and realised I had to make it part of my life and start learning the skills needed.

And one of those skills was sword swallowing — why that particular part of fringe vaudeville?

It’s an act everyone in that world respects. It’s hard to learn and people know that. Also I guess for me, I have always enjoyed the danger aspect of things, in the sense of this type of danger which you are actually completely in control of, unlike a lot of other dangers you can find yourself in where you have no control. So yes, I taught myself sword swallowing, and it is really hard, you have to overcome that gag reflex and it does really hurt but it’s worth it at the end when you can do it.

You’ve been a teenage stripper and an accidental dominatrix, and much of your time on stage over the years has involved wearing fairly skimpy costumes, but this show is about your own life story, so baring your soul more. Which is easier — baring your soul or your body?

It’s definitely harder to bare your soul. Writing a play like this, about your own life is a very raw experience. You think about things deeply and the process makes you evaluate things and how you perceive yourself in ways you might not have done before. It’s very confronting to do, and I felt very vulnerable when this play was first performed. Now, though, it’s been two years since I wrote it and in that time things have changed for me; so now I look at it differently, things that were really important and monumental at the time, now aren’t so raw. With time you can look back at it as having been a storm in your life and be more objective about it, and that’s very nice to be able to do.

Despite it being hard you still do it. Same as sword swallowing, been a knife thrower’s assistant. Is there anything you are scared of?

Lots of things actually. I don’t like snails. I’m scared of heights, you would never see me on a tightrope or bungy jumping, I just don’t get the appeal of that. I’m scared of fire too, I would never be a fire eater, sword swallowing is fine but I won’t put fire near my face.

You come across as a very strong, independent woman. Who are the women in your life who inspire you?

Go-go Amy, she is the woman who started up the Pretty Things Peepshow in the US — she got me into performing, I find her very inspiring. She’s very talented. Also Sabrina Martin, she is the director of Gag Reflex and is an incredibly strong woman and amazing director. She has worked so hard with me, crafting me into an actor. This show would be nothing without her.

Who should come to this show, or who shouldn’t — is it for everyone, or a very select type of audience?

It’s actually not as offensive as people might think. It’s funny and thoughtful, yes there is some vulgarity but there is also some very beautiful parts to it. I suppose if you are really easily offended, maybe stay at home, but I think if you come with an open mind you will leave feeling very fulfilled I think.

The Details:

What: Gag Reflex, part of the Right Royal Cabaret Festival

When: Friday, June 23, 9pm

Where: Theatre Royal, TSB Showplace

Details: Tickets via Ticketek or www.rightroyal.co.nz