Hamming it up

MELBOURNE: A subversive Melbourne Fringe Festival show is a celebration of freedom through the eyes of a gay pig stuck in a twisted story of the 50th anniversary of the famous Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba. Performer Octavio Campos speaks to James May.

Octavio Campos is a Cuban American trans-disciplinary artist. He is currently in Australia to work at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and to perform his latest theatre cabaret, The Pig Show at the Melbourne Fringe festival.

The Pig Show is a subversive cabaret solo show that explores a new genre – Cocklitics. It is a celebration of freedom through the eyes of a Gay Pig stuck in a twisted story of the 50th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion in Havana, Cuba. This interactive socio-political work looks at religion, GLBTI issues and Cuban culture, blended with humour and interactive social experiments.

As the 50th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs draws near, the performer says he can't understand the nostalgia for what Cuba was and is. "The reality is that many people have no food and no opportunities in Cuba and many people would like to see change. In this story, I try to understand freedom and the lengths a person will go to obtain it."

Octavio says that the crime and horror for which Miami was notorious in the eighties was largely the product of Cuban exiles who became 'humans on the fringe' and made their way into the social fabric through crime and drugs. "Miami in the eighties was a vibrant city that everyone wanted to be a part of – the 'Riviera of the Caribbean.' It's a city of booms and busts. There was a major boom in the nineties and it was gentrified by corporate interests who forced out many artists."

The Pig Show also explores hatred of the 'other' and Octavio says that this is where his 'queer body' comes into the story. "Not queer in the sense of gay sexuality, but queer in the sense of the 'other' – if you don't know something it's easy to hate or disregard it."

While Cuba has a deeply homophobic history, seeds of change are being planted, the performer tells me. He mentions a gay marriage ceremony that was recently shut down by the authorities. "Being a gay man in Cuba is seen as 'el femina do' which means 'you are a girl'."

Octavio Campos plays with this concept in The Pig Show and performs a burlesque striptease to embrace this part of his identity, which he also refers to as the 'two-sided spirit' – "living something on the outside while being different on the inside."

The performer also has a background in clowning and has trained with the Cirque Du Soleil in St Petersburg. "The job of a clown is to provoke and have no problems making himself the object of ridicule. I'm happy to involve the audience and have them make decisions as to where the show will go," he says. "I'm good at provoking people to do things they wouldn't normally do. I can't wait to bring people onto the stage. I'm an exhibitionist and I enjoy being watched with others."

Octavio loves the realness of solo art. "Once the provocation takes place, the story can be driven in any direction. The spectator becomes spectactor," he says. Certain aspects of The Pig Show have been changed to suit the Australian audience, he reveals. "I want the influence of the audience to come through the performance."

He says the concept of Cocklitics is a reference to 'machismo' where the cock is the force that decides. "It's something I'm just playing around with. I don't know why I do things at first, but people have fun. They are stirred up and they enjoy themselves."

Octavio loves subversive entertainment. He lived in Germany for 12 years where he embraced cabaret theatre with enthusiasm. He says this strongly influenced his work which is surreal, grotesque and pop culture driven. "I feel strongly connected to the Weimar era in Berlin."

The performer will tour public spaces in Melbourne and hopes to do some nightclub performances. "I've got my disco-ball gas mask so I might be doing surrealistic appearances in random places. I love getting out on the street and finding locations that inspire me."

Octavio Campos will be teaching two workshops at the Dancehouse in Carlton. One is a spring intensive dance/theatre workshop in dance theatre technique, while the other is known as 'Body Movement Imaging' which is driven by imagery for actors and dancers. This is a 2 hour lab-style open workshop.

The Pig Show, Revolt Melbourne Theatrette (12 Elizabeth Street, Kensington), September 22 – 24 at 6pm, and September 25 at 3pm. To book visit melbournefringe.com.au or call (03) 9660 9666