Five Minutes with Justin Burford from Kurt

At first, the idea of playing Kurt was enormously daunting. It happened organically though. I decided early on that I wanted to tell the story in his own words, complied from his writings and interviews. There was a lot of myth perpetuated by Kurt himself and I thought I’d play that angle. If he was around to tell his story, this is the sort of story I think he would tell. When I was rehearsing, I found myself slipping into his voice and it just seemed like the most natural way of delivering these anecdotes, so I went with it.

What else should audiences expect from the show – loud tunes and guitars, or the darker side of the story?

He was a pretty complex guy. We all are. It is hard to sum up anyone’s life in an hour. So there are different shades to the story. He had a great sense of humour, which shines through I think. But of course there is the dark side of his life. I haven’t tried to avoid or sugar coat any of it. It’s all right there for the world to see and I think that’s how he wanted it. That was why it was so important for me to tell it in his words.

How much of an impact has Kurt Cobain’s music had on you personally?

An immeasurable amount. My image of him has changed a lot since I was a teenager. I see his flaws and there is a lot about him I don’t like. But the impact his music made on me and my generation, as well as generations since, cannot be denied. I would say, like a lot of other kids, Kurt Cobain and Nirvana definitely made me feel like I could start a band and play from the heart.

What is it about the Cobain story and Nirvana that makes for a good stage show?

People generally don’t realise how much theatre went into a Nirvana show. There was a reason they became the biggest band in the world. But it was a subversive theatre. Plus, Kurt’s private life was anything but short of drama.

How did you come to be involved in cabaret performance originally?

I knew for a long time I wanted to do something like this. I wanted to tell Kurt’s story. And I bloody love playing these songs live. I didn’t even know there was a name for the kind of show I was thinking of. It’s definitely cabaret. Not your usual fare, sure, but still essentially cabaret.