Behind the scenes of BLUE NOW with Russell Tovey

“I think people are going to be stunned by Blue…Derek Jarman is giving you an opportunity to access more about the self”

30 years ago, legendary filmmaker, artist, writer, and LGBTQIA+ activist Derek Jarman’s Blue, was released, just months before his death. His swansong project, Blue is a 74-minute film featuring an unchanging screen of the colour blue, over which Jarman shares his experience of gradual onset blindness whilst living with HIV in a deeply moving and inspiring message of compassion, love and dignity.

Fresh from his critically-acclaimed adaptation of Orlando in London’s West End, director Neil Bartlett stages this very special screening of BLUE NOW, with Jarman’s words spoken by actor Russell Tovey, poet Joelle Taylor, performer Travis Alabanza, and writer Jay Bernard, plus a new live score from original composer, Simon Fisher Turner.

We hear from Russell Tovey about what the project means to him:

Why did you choose to work on BLUE NOW?

It is incredibly important. It’s an historical document, but it’s timeless. It’s an extremely challenging work of art, [but] it is also a unique experience unlike anything else. As a piece of entertainment, it is phenomenal.

It feels like it’s a gift that is sacred, that I want to protect – but I also want to show everyone, to share. It makes me want to be a better artist.

What does Derek Jarman mean to you?

He was a trailblazer: he wore his sexuality and activism and his illness on his sleeve. I love him for his filmmaking, his activism, for his artwork – this one man is able to tick so many boxes, and that’s rare.

I came to him partly through his paintings, these very expressionist paintings that he made when he was losing his eyesight. He gives me so many gifts.

What effect did the HIV/AIDS epidemic have on the arts and why is it important to talk about it?

It’s devastating – what could have been, what’s been lost. It’s not just the queer artists: whole audiences were taken away from us, the people who champion arts. I don’t think we’ll ever fully recover.

It cannot be forgotten – it’s too big. I feel a responsibility to tell stories and make sure that people are remembered: they were here, they existed.

What do you think people will take from BLUE NOW?

I think people are going to be stunned by Blue, if they’ve never encountered it. He [Jarman] is giving you an opportunity to access more about the self. Just give yourself permission to be in the moment!

Don’t  miss out on the BLUE NOW series over on WePresent by WeTransfer. As part of the series, the brilliant cast, plus director Neil Bartlett and composer Simon Fisher Turner have each penned an essay exploring Derek Jarman’s seminal film “Blue”. If you want to learn more about BLUE NOW, the performances, and the background of the project and collaboration, dive into the series over on WePresent.

BLUE NOW
in association with Fuel and Basilisk Communications
A film by Derek Jarman, performed live
Live event commissioned by WePresent by WeTransfer
Directed by Neil Bartlett
Performed by Russell Tovey, Travis Alabanza, Jay Bernard, and Joelle Taylor
Sound by Simon Fisher Turner
Production Management by Andy Downie
Produced by Fuel