Victoria Melody, deviser and performer, Northern Soul
Success is buying a round of drinks at the bar ...
Victoria Melody is the kind of performer who takes her not-so-serious art very seriously. She chooses to immerse herself so completely in the culture or community she’s trying to capture that her projects have seen her transform into a championship dog handler, a beauty queen, a pigeon racer and a dancer. For her latest project, the Brighton-based talent toured the dance halls and living rooms of northern England, attempting to master the very unique dance style of northern soul. The comical result is an autobiographical one-woman show combining film and live performance, which will feature at Brisbane Festival next week. Ahead of the Australian premiere of Northern Soul, Victoria took a break from rehearsals to talk weekend rituals and life lessons with The Weekend Edition.
How do you like to start your weekend?
I’ve been on tour for a while and when that happens your routine goes a bit out of kilter, but if I was home I hope I would go to the gym … The reality would be me lying in and moaning at my husband until he made me a vegetarian fry-up.
What’s your favourite thing to do on a Saturday morning?
We live near the beach in Brighton and I love ‘walking’ the dog (dragging – he’s a lazy Basset hound) along the beachfront, wearing wellies and getting a coffee or ice-cream, or both.
How do you like to unwind?
Watching mindless rubbish on TV, wearing pyjamas.
What are your essentials for a well-spent weekend?
Seeing friends – lots of friends. It’s so hard for us to meet up these days. It seems like we have to plan three months in advance and then we all get stressed out because there is so much built-up anticipation, but then we get drunk.
What’s something you’ve been meaning to do on the weekend but haven’t got around to yet?
A car-boot sale. I won’t throw anything out – I store it and then I move and I store it again. It would be a great release to get rid of it all, but the antique dealer’s daughter in me picks up an old stuffed donkey with no eyes and thinks I could get at least a pound for that.
What’s your favourite thing to do on a Sunday evening?
Cuddles on the sofa with my husband Mitch, eating cake. I have talked about food a lot in this interview, I must be hungry!
What are you reading at the moment?
Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism by Natasha Walter – really easy to read and important.
What inspires you?
Ordinariness and the everyday, and celebrating and documenting it, obsessively.
What was your childhood dream?
To be beautiful and popular because I was friendless, overweight and had a moustache and a patch over my lazy eye – if only I knew then that it would make great material for my shows!
What has been your greatest achievement?
Being able to exist solely on my artistic career. It’s been a long time coming but I am grateful.
What is success to you?
Buying a round of drinks at the bar.
What are your words of wisdom?
Remember that everything has consequences.
FAVOURITE WEEKEND SPOT TO:
Perk up … Small Batch Coffee Company, Brighton.
Relax … At home.
Indulge … Snoopers Paradise, Brighton.
Shop … Space.NK.
Catch-up … Iydea, Brighton.
Be inspired … Institute of Contemporary Arts, London.
