Paulina Lenoir
Published: Tuesday 12th November 2024
One random comedian, eight random questions; it's the ultimate test of funny person and fate.
This week that funny person is Paulina Lenoir, AKA Puella Eterna, which is also the name of her show, one of the finest visual feasts at this year's Edinburgh Fringe, now transferring to London's Soho Theatre. It is, as she poetically puts it, "a show about life in all its stages told by a poetic idiot in haute couture throughout the ages." But where did Ms Eterna emerge from?
"I found Puella after an existential crisis which led me straight to the caves of Granada where I saw flamenco in its purest form," Lenoir explains. "I felt so moved and inspired by the way these people turned their sorrow into power through their movements that I immediately bought flamenco shoes and signed up for classes. In my search for 'duende' (which is a flamenco term for a sort of spirit beyond your spirit) I found Puella Eterna, a poet in perpetual mourning for her own mortality.
"The show follows her quest to find the meaning of existence by performing the whole of LIFE in under an hour. She does so through a myriad of intricate costume changes exploring the endless transformations we go through as humans."
And which transformation does she enjoy most?
"No mother should admit to having favourites but out of all the costumes I would have to go for the red outfit with the bow. It holds a very special place in my heart because it was the first costume I ever made with [German artist/designer] Annika Thiems and it started us out on our ruffle infused journey. A very close second is the black costume that I start the show in because it serves as my portal into Puella Eterna's world."
The paying punters get pulled into that world too - any particularly interesting interactions, in Edinburgh?
"I play a lot with the audience during the show so many strange things happened throughout the Fringe but my favourite interactions have been the whispers I receive towards the end of the show. It can be a very intimate moment but I can't say too much about it without giving it away!"
Whisper gold. Paulina Lenoir, your Random 8 await:
Who is/was your most interesting relative?
The competition is tough because my family is full of very strong and eccentric personalities. I also come from a long lineage of powerful women and although I admire all of them, I am currently most intrigued by my great grandmother Carmen Guajardo. She was the first woman to become a pilot in Mexico and was known for being a huge diva. I try to channel her when I perform my show.
What's your favourite building?
Hands down it has to be the whole of Niki de Saint Phalle's Tarot Garden. Technically they are 22 structures including some livable buildings, each modelled after a major arcana of the tarot deck. I just love the idea of her looking out of the boob shaped windows of the Empress building as she dreamt up new sculptures.
My dad is an architect and I remember as a kid I would constantly ask him for a slide that went from my bedroom to the garden. For me this is the spirit of her estate but taken to a whole other level.
Ever met a particularly great or awful famous person?
I honestly can't think of any but my grandmother met some of my favourite artists, including Leonora Carrington and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, so I live those experiences vicariously through her.
Which live event would you most like to have attended?
The first that came to my mind is a play by Leonora Carrington that was staged by Alejandro Jodorowsky in 1957 called Penelope. Both of them were performing in it and Leonora made all the set and costumes. I would do anything to get to see that.
What's the worst thing you've ever bought a ticket for?
I don't diss and tell.
Which movie would you love to have been in, and which part?
There are so so many! I would have loved to play the next door neighbour in Juliet of the Spirits by Fellini, or virtually any character in a Fellini film. Also Andrea Caracortada in Kika, by Almodovar. She is a news reporter who reports the very worst news of the day (a little like Lachlan Werner's character Bradley News) and wears one of the most incredible dresses I have ever seen in a film. I think it was designed by Jean Paul Gaultier.
I'd also love to play Julie from Celine & Julie Go Boating by Jacques Rivette; Cleo from Cleo 5 a 7 by Agnes Varda and the evil toy factory owner in Holy Mountain by Jodorowsky.
What's the weirdest thing in your wardrobe?
My costume wardrobe is full of strange things like lace egg hats, my Excessively Long Shoes and cabbage dresses with extended sleeves, but as my costume wardrobe grew wilder my own day to day wardrobe became more boring. I have a few things that are exciting but I mostly wear black now. A Mexican shaman recently told me off for wearing black though because in their view you shouldn't wear black until after you're in your 50s so maybe I will start bringing more colour back into my wardrobe.
Your favourite shop, ever?
Whenever I am sad, I go to Dover Street Market to look at all the beautiful clothes I can't afford. I then console myself with a cake from their bakery on the upstairs floor.
Paulina Lenoir: Puella Eterna is at London's Soho Theatre from 13 - 16 November. sohotheatre.com
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