The Wild Side of Theatre with OMG Someone Dies!
Downstage Artistic Producer, Katherine Rawlinson, sat down with Bitch Sassidy, co-creator with Karla Marx, of GoGo Battles about Motel Theatre's upcoming one-of-a-kind experience you don't want to miss. This is a prime-time satirical feminist wrestling mini-series event for the ages!
If someone has never been to a GoGo Battles before, how would you describe it?
GoGo Battles is a satirical feminist comedy wrestling spoof, deeply seated in clown logic, existing in its own universe where all things lead to wrestling.
For first-timers, how do you suggest we best get into the GoGo Battle spirit?
GET READY TO RRRRRREALLY GET WEIRD!!! Lean into the immersive, engaging excitement of the wrestling ring! This isn't your grandma's theatre - this is <basically almost> a sporting event! Cheer, boo, pick your favourites, and be ready to get out of the wave if we take a dive!
What's the craziest thing that's ever happened in GoGo Battles?
Well that's a tough one. First we must define the definition of the definite of 'ever'... perhaps it was a double jesi crucifixion, maybe it was the standoff between the iceberg and the titanic, or when Pit Viper exploded out of a 1998 dodge caravan? Could have been the incredible escape of Jane Blonde from the Speculum laser. Personally, it was when the ghost of Nancy Regan was beaten in hell.
Tell us about how GoGo Battles came to be.
It began its humble journey as a largely gogo dance focused performance at a sports bar, ending with a short but dramatic cat fight. Turns out, people really like wacky violence. We soon transitioned our focus to the battles, connected with a wider audience, brought in more characters and expanded the world GoGo Battles exists in.
Now there is lore, battlers who have come and gone, and the world keeps growing.
Who are the characters of GoGo Battles?
The original 8 were: Eightball, Pit Viper, Val Halah, Axis D'Evil, Evil Angel, Baby Rock, Ivory Bloom, Maddie the Wilde with ref Matt Ryder and commentator Bobcat Joe.
What is special about this edition of GoGo Battles compared to past productions?
This presentation of GoGo Battles in partnership with the amazing Downstage team allows us to share GoGo Battles stories, characters, and the world in greater detail. Though the nights at Dickens, our usual wrestling home, are dynamite, absurd, and highly entertaining, we don't typically have this amount of time to really dig into the character stories. We as writers and producers took that space and created a three night epic which will carry on into the lore of this wild universe.
Each night, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, are their own interesting and individual shows, however they string together to make a murder mystery wrestling saga. It is the largest project we have produced through GoGo Battles to-date, the process and product are thrilling.
The World Premiere of GoGo Battles: OMG Someone Dies by Karla Marx and Bitch Sassidy with Generous Support from Val Duncan and Downstage runs in Motel Theatre from April 18 - April 27, 2024. For more information on the show or to buy tickets, please visit downstage.ca/gogo-battles.
Photo credit: Leonard Conlin Photography
