Channeling Quentin Crisp.

Review.

‘Come spend some time table tapping with the grand old poof as Andrew Dark brings us ‘Channeling Quentin Crisp’. Based on the writings of the powered messiah himself, Mr. Dark has created a radio show which is peppered with a slew of witty stories and some sad truths. All the while espousing Crisp’s outlandish yet somehow unifying theory of style. A truly refreshing time to be had.’ The Nyack Journal.

As I write this, it’s been eleven years since my dear friend Bob Olsen left the building. He was one of my first friends at the Elmwood playhouse. A theatre in America I was to work for and around for some twenty years. He was a set designer extraordinaire and taught me so much about how you could use the same space again and again. One of the first things he told me was that you couldn’t control what the director did with the play. But, you could make sure that the set and all the other depts like costume and sound were the best you could do. I was living back in Gibraltar when he died and was unable to attend his funeral or memorial service. So, instead many months later, I created this piece and performed it at ‘A night for Human rights’ here in Gibraltar. The first in a small tour which included a trip to the USA and The Elmwood playhouse’ where Bob and I worked and played. 

Dark Radio:

A recording of myself performing ‘Channeling Quentin Crisp’

Bob Olsen has left the building.

Since the sad news of Bob’s exit, I have of course thought much of him. He would have loved the panoramic view from my cable car as it goes up and down over the lush vegetation of the Rock of Gibraltar. From here you can see the rugged coastline of Africa a mere 15 miles away across the blue, blue waters of the Straits and the majestic Moroccan mountains peaking up above the icing of white clouds. Of course, he would’ve rearranged the clouds, redrawn the coastline as it suited him and had to fudge the perspective a little to get it to work on the back wall of Elmwood. But, I would have loved the chance to work on one last earthbound project with him. Before he moved onto exclusively celestial designs and beyond my ability to turn up for construction. And that’s how I have remembered Bob ‘working on projects’ and the many friends I met doing so. The loyal family of workers who came and went through the years helping our very own Don Quixote tilt the windmills and chase his dreams. Miss you Bob. Your little Brother Andrew Dark.