‘I think I always underestimate my intestines.’
Samuel Skoog
A BODY TO DWELL dramaturg, performer
‘I have a fast metabolism. I think I am always trying to process everything as quickly as I can (food/information) and this puts me on edge.
I reckon the intestines have a lot to do with feeling nervous, or bad, in the pit of the stomach. Maybe if I paid mine more attention they wouldn’t make me so anxious, tying myself in knots all the time... I worry that would mean acknowledging all the time I've already lost, eating myself up.’
‘When I was about ten, my family lived in this old manor house that had been broken up into lots of small apartments.
It had a huge abandoned basement that felt really haunted, labyrinthine, with all these separate cell-like rooms, plus people had come through and spray painted things like “HELP!” on the walls.
I threw a halloween costume party for all my primary school friends down there with themed games and performances by my brother and I.
It was my first time working with a found space...
I wish I still threw parties that awesome as an adult.’
‘As for my practice...
I am interested in the co-dependent relationship between the individual,
the environment and narrative forces,
especially mythic ones.
As a result I have worked primarily with text, either as a writer or dramaturg.
I’m now expanding my work into non-verbal modes of expression, including clowning, puppetry, dance.
I’m currently developing my next major project: Nige.’
SAMUEL SKOOG is a performance maker, writer and producer who was born in the UK, grown in New Zealand, studied in Glasgow and is currently based in London. He has taught with the Lyric Hammersmith, ushered more shows than he can count, and now works as Studio Hires Manager for Artsadmin UK.
He has collaborated with people from all over, including The National Theatre of Scotland (Cadaver Police In Quest Of Aquatrax Exit) and on projects in London (There She Is), Glasgow (Cleansed, To Have Done with the Judgement of God), Estonia (A Body To Dwell) and New Zealand (Thin Skin, Open Home).
His poems have been published in Wet Grain and Goodbye Scarecrow. His first play, Bucket Men, was shortlisted for the Scottish Arts Club Theatre Awards at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.