Alirio Zavarce And His Book Of Loco

Prominent Adelaide writer and performer, Alirio Zavarce brings to life an extraordinary account of madness in his semi-autobiographical production – ‘The Book Of Loco’.

Playing Loco, his manic alter-ego, Alirio takes the audience on a journey through his own real-life experience with insanity. From his migrant upbringing to the death of loved ones, he weaves a rich tapestry of loneliness, despair and the ways we cope in a crazy world.

Here, Alirio responds to questions about ‘The Book Of Loco’, the tragic circumstances that inspired it and the nature of madness.

‘Book Of Loco’ is described as a chronicle of real-life descent into genuine madness. What is your personal experience with madness that inspired the work?
On September 11 2001, circumstances in my life changed. My relationship with my wife ended in Melbourne, my mother was diagnosed with cancer in Venezuela, and two planes crashed into the World Trade Centre in New York. All of this happened at the same time.
All that I have worked for and created disappeared. So I had to start a journey – a physical and healing journey. The whole world was collapsing around me and all I had was a notebook and a pen. So I wrote and wrote, one notebook became 13, and that’s were 'The Book Of Loco' began.

What is ‘Book Of Loco’ all about?
It’s a one-man show, kind of like a battle between myself as the actor in front of an audience and Loco –  my alter ego who believes the world and him are one. The actor always affirms that 'he is not mad'. While Loco always tries to bring any global evidence to demonstrate that the world is mad and therefore “sometimes you have to become mad to stay sane.”

Was writing ‘Book Of Loco’ a cathartic experience that helped you deal with your own situation?
Yes, definitely. Writing helped me focus on something positive, and to use my pain and my experiences to create art. Pain has to have a bit of currency, right? ;)

At the time I felt that I really couldn't talk to anyone about what was happening to me, so I just wrote. But from the very first moment, when I wrote the title of the show in the first notebook, I was speaking to an audience. I was writing to unknown friends that sit in a theatre and will listen to this story.

'The Book Of Loco' is like a survival guide, and Loco’s mission is to help the audience deal with destruction and loss. But as a good story to tell there are fun things, surprises, funny moments and touching things and of course a bit of madness.

What was/ is the most difficult thing about writing and performing this play?
There were so many ideas, 13 notebooks and endless possibilities in terms of shaping it. So as the writer and deviser of the play I had to apply method to the madness and be ruthless and focus on what I needed to say. So pieces were really hard to cut.

How do audiences generally respond to the play’s themes? Do you find they relate your experiences to their own?
I love taking the audience on a journey – for them to have an experience where they can laugh, cry, think, reflect. It is an intrinsic part of the work that our experience depend on our perspectives, and they are all unique but at the same time we are all human and feel pain, loss, fear, hope and love. So I love talking to the audience after the show and discovering what their experience was.

Aren’t we all a little bit mad in some way?
Absolutely, in Spanish we say 'de musico, poeta y loco todos tenemos un poco.' Which translates to 'of musician, poet and madman/woman, we all have a little bit.'



Is there a broader message about mental health in the play?
I think the broader message of the work is how the world is mad and we are ruled by laws and by arguments that are based on 'rational Madness'.

Do you see madness as a disease or a state of mind?
A state of mind.

History and literature are replete with characters labelled as ‘mad’, e.g. The Mad Hatter, Mad King George III, Mad Max and Ozzy Osbourne to name a few. Do you have a favourite historical or literary figure who is considered ‘mad’?
Oh I have so many. Some of my favorites are Gibran’s 'The Madman', Nietzsche’s 'Parable Of The Madman' and of course Shakespeare’s 'Hamlet'.

Why do you think so many artists, writers and performers are drawn to madness and insanity as sources of inspiration?
I think to wear the mask of madness allows us to defy the conventions and rules of society, to challenge the world and speak without fear. In the end it can only be the ramblings of a mad person. So there is freedom and safety in it.

Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. How do you define it?
Insanity and madness are different things; I am interested in the beauty of madness. To challenge the norms and the freedom of the human spirit. But I think it is insanity is to be lead and follow blindly the drumming of politicians, advertisement and the media rather than to oppose them and do what we know in our hearts, in our humanity to be right.

Finish this sentence: Madness is… Magical

What advice would you give someone suffering a tenuous grip on their own sanity and sense of reality?
Don’t suffer in silence. To be tender and gentle with themselves, it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help. And to document their thoughts, feelings, emotions in a positive way – be it writing, painting, recording, etc.. Whatever medium they are attracted to and feels right. Again, surely our problems, our pain can have some currency, right? ;)

‘The Book Of Loco’ plays Adelaide Festival Centre, 14-22 August.