In Scary Piece of Work, Choreographer Martin del Amo takes on one of our most primal emotions: fear. Below, we spoke to Martin about the show's themes, his return to solo performance and combining movement with verbal storytelling.
Tell us more about Scary Piece of Work?
Scary Piece of Work is a new full-length solo performance exploring fear in all its shifting forms – as a primal survival instinct, a debilitating force, and an ominous presence in our everyday lives.
It’s inspired by the idea that fear is everywhere: in the dark forests of childhood fairy tales, in political speeches where fearmongering has become routine, in conspiracy theories and social media rants, and in our enduring fascination with horror.
Blending dance with verbal storytelling, Scary Piece of Work slips between imagination and reality – from the shadows outside the door to the ones inside our heads.
When did you first become interested in the theme of 'fear'?
Quite some time ago, to be honest – a bit more than 10 years, I think. It struck me that fear as a theme has both universal appeal and the potential for a deeply personal approach. It’s that kind of tension I’m drawn to in a work: something broad that many people can relate to, but that I can also inhabit in my own way.
At the time, though, my solo practice had taken a back seat, as I was focusing more on working with other performers, creating solos and group works for them. When I came back to making solo work a few years ago, it felt like the right moment to revive the long-dormant ‘fear project’.
In the meantime, the world had shifted quite a bit, with a growing sense of uncertainty and instability. Suddenly, fear as a theme resonated very differently – and perhaps more urgently – than it would have 10 years ago.
"It struck me that fear as a theme has both universal appeal and the potential for a deeply personal approach"
You're known for your solo work but it's been a while since you worked in this space. What makes you excited about this return to form?
Yeah, I kind of started out as a solo artist, regularly making full-length works that fused dance and spoken text. At a certain point, though, I felt I could only mine myself for material for so long. I became more interested in working with other performers – their stories, their physicality, their perspectives. During that time, text slipped onto the back burner as I focused on the choreographic possibilities that opened up when creating movement for other bodies rather than my own.
Even when I returned to performing full-length solos a few years ago, I initially kept things movement-based, like Mirage, a shared solo with Miranda Wheen that I presented at Campbelltown Arts Centre in 2022. But before long, I felt drawn to bringing spoken text back in. In many ways, it’s my preferred form, I realised.
I love combining movement with verbal storytelling. They operate very differently in how they communicate with an audience – text is more direct while movement tends to be more abstract. Bringing the two together, or setting them against each other, can be really effective. Especially with a theme like fear, which lends itself to being explored physically as much as through language.
Who are you collaborating with on this project and what do they bring to the work?
When I returned to making solo work, I knew I didn’t want to lose the level of collaboration I’d come to value when working with other performers. As much as I enjoy following my own vision, I really do crave the input of others – their perspectives and expertise. I think I was after the best of both worlds, and that’s reflected in the team I’ve brought together for Scary Piece of Work.
Gail Priest is creating the soundtrack for the work. We’ve been working together for over 20 years. She created the soundtracks for all my early full-length solos, so it’s a real pleasure to have her back on board.
I’ve also had long-standing working relationships with Vicki Van Hout and Marcus Whale – more than 10 years, I’d say. Our roles have shifted over time, which keeps things interesting. I’ve worked on their projects as a dramaturg and choreographic consultant respectively, and they have performed in mine. For Scary Piece, Vicki is the dramaturg, while Marcus is developing the live vocal processing and sound design.
My collaboration with Frankie Clarke (lighting designer) and Anna Tregloan (design consultant) is more recent, and I’m really excited to be working with them. I have a deep respect for their work and the distinct perspectives they bring.
Any special insights into the show you can give PSpace friends?
Presenting work at the Sydney Opera House is obviously a dream for anyone working in the performing arts. What makes this project especially meaningful for me, though, is that I get to do it in partnership with two organisations I have long-standing affiliations with – Performance Space (co-presenter) and FORM Dance Projects (producer).
It’s hard to believe, but my connection with Performance Space goes back nearly 30 years. The first solo I ever presented in Sydney – all of three minutes long – was there in 1996. Years later, they commissioned my first full-length work, Unsealed (2004), and went on to present all my subsequent solos, including Never Been This Far Away From Home (2007), which was the first performance work shown in Bay 20 at Carriageworks.
Since then, I’ve worked with Performance Space in many different roles – performer (Day For Night), mentor (Queer Development Program), facilitator (Experimental Choreographic Lab), dance curator (Liveworks 2023), and collaborator (Marcus Whale’s Ecstasy). So having Scary Piece of Work presented in association with Performance Space really feels like a full-circle moment – one I’m genuinely grateful for.
Scary Piece of Work has been commissioned by Sydney Opera House as a part of New Work Now, supported by Professor Ross Steele AM and The Skrzynski Foundation.
