Matthew Morris talks to Dominic Smith about being electrocuted, technology and rebirth

GøL4M sees visionary French choreographer Frederic Deslias and his company Le Clair Obscur push their co-collaborator to the limit.

His principal dancer Matthew Morris will be working on stage with a Tesla coil which can emit up to 45,000 volts.

“It’s pretty terrifying,” admits Morris.

GøL4M is the latest instalment of a series of works in which Deslias explores the interaction between man and machine.

Morris says together they came up with the idea that the stage would become a laboratory.

Morris, as the hybrid creature fusing humanity and technology, will be put through a series of tests that stimulate his creature and develop its growth.

GøL4M begins with Morris “being born” from underneath stretched latex.

“I am vacuum-packed under latex, which is the bed at the birth of the creature, and the initial thing, the compression of the bed, is almost suffocating.

“I’ve learnt it is about finding a way as a performer being to embrace that and work with that.”

“To work through that as a performer – when you’re contained in such an environment and you’re physicality is compromised and even your breathing is compromised – I strangely like submitting myself to these experiments and I think Fred quite enjoys that I do.”

At one of the pair’s other residencies, for another piece in the series, Morris was electrocuted.

“At one point I would hold up these metal objects to make the electrical volts arc towards them.

“But it was all relatively safe. I had been playing around with it for a while then one day I held up this metal object for it to arc out and this massive electrical shock ran up my arm.

“It didn’t paralyse me but it certainly sent a shock through me and my arm was a bit tense for a couple of hours.”

After more research, reveals Morris, Deslias has now confirmed it is “relatively harmless”.

The brave Antipodean, who graduated from Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and has previously worked with DV8 and Siobhan Davies Dance, likes the challenge.

“It proposes a real visual and corporal element to the work that challenges me as a performer.

“You know, I don’t want to die but it does challenge this aspect of performance and what is performance and how close we can get to these incredible experiences.

“So we are still figuring out my proximity, but it’s definitely going to stimulate the audience.”

Deslias is interested in issues of control around multimedia and technology – “how much control we have on it and how much control does technology have on us” – and abstract soundscape and visuals which conjure the inner workings of computers.

In ancient Jewish folklore Golem is a creature made from inanimate matter and brought to life by sinister means.

In Deslias’s new production the mythological figure is re-imagined for the modern age as GøL4M. He is a hybrid of man and technology, animated by digitally enhanced choreography.

“Golom is based on a creature from Jewish mythology. This is a creature that God creates out of sand and mud to become something he can control. So,” ponders Morris, heavily tattooed, sporting a big beard and closely shaved head, “am I this creature that is built from an idea of technology or a scientific exploration?”

  • Essential info: Starts 6pm and 8.30pm, £6. Call 01273 709709.