Interview: Aurelien Bernard of Blue Man Group (From Preston and Leyland Citizen)

Interview: Aurelien Bernard of Blue Man Group

11:50am Friday 22nd May 2009

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FORMED in New York in the late 1980s, when three young men wanted to create something different, the Blue Man Group have now sold a total of 16 million tickets.

The Blue Man theatrical productions are described as miscellaneous, experimental rock and performance art and their concerts combine music, comedy and multimedia theatrics to produce a unique form of entertainment.

The productions are centered on a trio of anonymous mute performers, called Blue Men, who appear in black clothing and blue grease paint over latex bald caps and play a mixture of percussion instruments.

With sell-out performances and a large fan base across America, the Blue Men Group now hope to convert British theatregoers with their very first trip to the UK.

Despite their mass appeal, the group are surrounded by mystery, but this is part of their attraction, as Blue Man Aurelien Bernard explained.

“We are like a cross between a clown and a superhero,” he said.

Aurelien says the men are blue because it creates something to look at that is deeper than if you saw just another human on stage.

“Blue takes the life-force out of objects”, he said. “So it is makes you think only about what they are doing, not who they are. The Blue Man is vulnerable, innocent, and curious of the world.”

In the Megastar World Tour show, the Blue Men come across an instructional DVD of how to create the perfect rock concert experience.

Aurelien said: “It’s something you cannot describe. You have to see it to believe it. We are like a modern art tribe.”

But it all comes at a price, and not least the laborious chore of painting on the heavy blue paint to get into character.

“It’s so thick,” said Aurelien. “We do it ourselves these days.

"We used to need a bit of help to get it everywhere, but we’re good at it now.

“You forget you’re wearing it and I have nearly left a theatre still blue. That would have scared a few people.

“It’s made of mineral oils and other materials and after three days you are still finding blue in your nails and behind your ears!”

Aurelien has performed in New York, Los Angeles, London and Berlin and now he is coming to Manchester for the first time.

l Blue Man Group, Manchester Arena on Sunday. For details contact 0844 847 2277.

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