13 Questions: Garry Robson

by Ouch Team

30th July 2009

Garry Robson is a force to behold in the disability world. Actor, writer, director, one half of the singing duo Blind Gurl and the Cripz and owner of his own production setup, there isn't much he hasn't done in the area of performance art. He also recently did a stint as presenter of CBBC's game show Crisis Control.

With his Liverpool-based company Fittings Multimedia, Garry is currently touring the UK with Sputnik - an art installation featuring aerial crutch dancing upon a large kinemat (kinetic sculpture). It tells the story of a young disabled woman who wants to live away from Earth. She asks a watchmaker to build her a beautiful machine that fuses with her body and soul, then spirits her away on a magical journey. But Garry takes us on a fascinating journey of his own as he answers our insightful 13 Questions.

Uppermost in my mind today is ...

The two shows I have in the offing. One is called The Ugly Spirit and will open later on next year. The other is a new version of Raspberry, a musical theatre piece based loosely on the life of Ian Dury which will tour the UK next spring.

Not a lot of people know that I …

Am an England international athlete at wheelchair curling. I've never won anything though because I'm crap. It is a bit like chess on ice.

I want to ban ...

People who impose their thoughts, needs and desires on others unnecessarily.

The best piece of advice I would pass on is ...

This too will pass. Centuries ago, a great king engraved the phrase on a ring, so that in times of greatest triumph or times of greatest sorrow he could look at it and be reminded that they would not last forever.

I struggle with ...

Walking. I had polio as a kid so walk with sticks and a calliper. Various things have happened over the years so that I don't walk much these days but like to do a bit . It is nice to get a different perspective, to look people in the eye.

I excel at ...

Loving. I love everybody. We all have a huge capacity for love, I've just tapped into it more.

I couldn't live without ...

My heart. Practically of course and if it is the vessel that is about love, desire and passion, well I couldn't live without that.

My ideal dinner guest is ...

Jesus Christ. It would be fascinating just to chat to him and see where he came from. All the mysteries could be resolved in a stroke, plus, he would provide the wine with ease.

Garry during the filming of his CBBC show, Crisis Control

Garry Robson presenting CBBC show Crisis Control

My first job was ...

As a toe puff putter-inner in 1968 before I went to university. The part inside the toe of a boot is called a toe puff.

When I come home in the evenings I ...

Read, have a glass of wine, watch films. My partner decided a long time ago, before I moved in with her, that she didn't want a telly in the house. It makes you less lazy. You can't just come in and switch it on.

Being a wheelchair using actor is …

Frustrating because I don't get the range of parts. Directors have a lack of imagination when casting people and can't see beyond the wheelchair so I have often ended up playing someone who was shot or injured and is very bitter about their disability.

Performing in front of an audience is ...

Dynamic. It becomes a real two-way street, like having a dialogue. You don't act, you react. The audience is the third player in the room. You can't beet it to draw out the best performance.

I chose to work in disability arts because ...

I never found anything that interesting outside of it. The best work I see comes from deaf and disability arts. There are less boundaries than in the straight stuff. I'd probably never set my cap at working outside that sphere.

• Catch Sputnik, by Garry's company Fittings Multimedia Arts, at Stockton International Riverside Festival on the first and second of August, followed by various dates around the UK. Here’s a video clip from a performance at Liverpool’s Blue Coat to whet your apetite

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