Adam Kelly: Tragedy and Comedy
The Anorak on Film and Hot Docs' Let's All Hate Toronto
In 2006, Adam Kelly caught the attention of two Montreal producers when they heard about The Anorak. Kelly is a glutton for research, a trait that probably comes from his role as a teacher, and likely the reason these producers asked him to collaborate on a film treatment for The Montreal Massacres.
All good theatre is discourse and this play must evoke that. Some people still want theatre they can really sink their teeth into.
“Well then this is the play for you.”
This is being worked into a film correct? Do you know when that will be released?
“It is being made into a film feature in Montreal. I think they are going to start shooting relatively soon. What they had talked about with me is that it would come out in time for the Toronto Film Festival next year, but I have no idea whether that’s actually going to happen. There are so many factors when you are shooting a film.”
What is the film treatment like? It’s not a one person play anymore…
“No, no. This is a project that started independently of me. Actually, the producers are very well known in Montreal. One of the producers is very well known actress named Karine Vanasse (Bruce MacDonald’s Killer Wave, Seraphim: un homme and son peche).The director is Denis Villeneuve (Maelström). It’s a big deal. Every time there is new news either from one of the councils who they applying for money from, or news about the show itself, it always makes the front page entertainment news in the Montreal French press. My role involved was strictly as collaborator. I gave them some ideas because Karine and the principal producer Max Remillard, (An American Haunting, Battle in Seattle) came to the see the show, after they read about it in La Presse. We are doing this movie and there’s a guy doing a show about Marc Lépine maybe we should go and see it. After they saw the show, they asked me to be involved with it. I threw them ideas in a collaborative way and did a bit of writing for them and that’s the extent of how much I have worked with them.”
The Anorak must be very hard to perform. How does this play emotionally affect you?
“To be honest with you, it … inspires me to do comedy. After doing it so often, it is taxing and it is hard to do. If you see the show, you will see that it is emotionally taxing for sure, but that’s my job also. My job is to do that kind of work. I want to do that because I want to be an actor and that’s part and parcel of being an actor, as far as I am concerned.”
You have another very comedic side as part of The Dancing Cock Brothers comedy troupe. You are regulars in Montreal Sketch Comedy Festival and recently debuted at The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, in addition to being in a documentary.
“Yes, I am in a comedy troupe called The Dancing Cock Brothers, as in male chicken, you know, and we were in a doc called Let's All Hate Toronto. We were featured as part of the Montreal leg of Let’s All Hate Toronto, Toronto Appreciation Day Tour.”
How did you get involved with Mr Toronto?
“Actually, they put out an ad in the paper saying they were going to be here for Toronto Appreciation Day and anyone wanted to come down and had something to contribute than they were welcome to. We had a song (Goodbye Toronto, Bonjour Montreal) that was all about the differences between Toronto and Montreal and there are plenty of them, believe me. I lived in Toronto for five years so I know the difference, We came down and sang the song and it made it into the doc, That was good fun and a good time.”
