Meet: Mina Orak
- Written byEleanor Harvey
- Published date 29 July 2024
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Mina Orak's new show, ‘The Little Death’, opens in August at the King’s Head Theatre in Islington. The play is a self-starring comedic journey exploring the messy and realistic experiences of female sexuality, based on her final MA project. She graduated from MA Performance: Design and Practice at Central Saint Martins in 2023.
Mina spoke to us about her experiences of putting on a professional show a year after graduating.
You graduated from MA Performance: Design and Practice in 2023. Can you tell us what drew you to this course?
Honestly, I came upon this course by accident! When I was applying, I mistakenly thought it was a set design program. It wasn’t until the end of my first year, amidst a bit of a mental breakdown, that I had a conversation with my course leader, Pete Brooks, and realized it was a performance art course!
So, while I can’t say what initially drew me to it, I can definitely share what kept me there. The course was unlike anything I’d done before. It brought together people from incredibly diverse backgrounds, leading to an amazing exchange of knowledge and skills. We could create any world we imagined—our own, a fictional one, or someone else’s. It also pushed me to take responsibility for my practice. This course is what you make of it, and that freedom and responsibility were both rigorous and exhilarating.
What was your background before starting your MA?
I earned my Honours Bachelor's degree from Sheridan College in Toronto, Canada. During my studies, I loved working on infographics and conceptual narratives. However, just before starting my fourth-year thesis, I had another meltdown — transformation is tough! I noticed that I didn’t enjoy drawing as much as I thought; it felt limiting.
My thesis professor suggested I explore collage, and I absolutely fell in love with it. Combining elements from various sources to create a new, cohesive world was fascinating. This experience made me recognise I wanted to explore more in the physical world.
What was your experience of the course and of CSM?
My start was quite challenging—I felt very lost. Yet, in some ways, I enjoyed being lost. Evolving from the confines of paper and screens to the vast possibilities of performance art was overwhelming. Initially, I wanted rules or boundaries to guide me. I came in as an illustrator, expecting to do set design, and my professor’s early assertion that I was a performer threw me off (why I still delusionally thought this was a set design course is beyond me). I struggled with the self-directed nature of the course, feeling like I was falling with nothing to hold onto. However, it's all about perspective! Once I began viewing falling as fun or a game, everything changed. Instead of complaining about obstacles, I started using them to fuel my ambition.
After a year of uncertainty, things began to shift. Perhaps it was beneficial to allow myself that period of not knowing. The only thing I was certain of was my desire to excel in whatever I ended up doing, so I remained open to possibilities. One of the great aspects of the course and CSM was the encouragement of collaboration, and I made the most of that.
Your first show, ‘The Little Death', is opening at the end of August at the King’s Head Theatre in Islington. Can you tell us more about how this came about?
‘The Little Death’ is the brainchild of my best friend and co-director, Justin Atkins, and me. In some ways, it feels like an homage to our decade-long friendship and the six years we’ve lived together.
Justin allows me to be myself, which often means chaos. The show evolved naturally from a workshop where my classmates and I were experimenting with Victorian skirt bones and sounds, which led to the creation of my character’s vagina. Justin and I then wove in elements of our shared experiences, putting about five percent of our lives on stage.
Getting the show to King’s Head Theatre was another journey. After our performance last year, someone suggested we take it to the Edinburgh Fringe. Unfamiliar with the Fringe, we prepared and applied but didn’t get the response we hoped for.
Determined to bring the show to life again, I emailed around 50 venues in London. King’s Head Theatre was the most prominent one out of all that showed significant interest, and since the show has been picked up, everything has moved very quickly. The past two months have been a whirlwind, and we’re handling things as they come.
The show is based on your final MA project and is a self-starring comedic journey exploring the messy and realistic experiences of female sexuality. How does it feel to break into the London stage with this work just a year after graduating?
Pressure and excitement! I feel happy for the first three minutes when I share the news with someone, and then all I can think of is the long list of things to get done. I never intended or aimed to be on stage, but a part of me loves the unpredictability of it all. No day is the same, and I’m learning so much that I can hardly take it all in! However, there’s a lot of internal panic! I want the show to be successful, for people to enjoy my work, for the show to potentially be picked up by other venues, and for it to give me confidence for future projects.
I feel like I’m representing CSM and the performance courses, and I want my professors and colleagues to be proud. There’s so much competition, and I want to make the most of the opportunity. So yes, there are many positive and also scary thoughts, but I think that’s the nature of this path. If you're finding it too difficult, this might not be the best direction for you.
What would your advice be for performance students and grads looking to carve out a place in performance art and theatre?
Surround yourself with people who genuinely want your success. Send emails and chase opportunities! Engage in healthy competition, appreciate challenges sent your way and take time to acknowledge your accomplishments. I could probably do more of all the things I just mentioned!
Tell us some things you’ve learned since working on this professional production?
Oh my! I thought I was just going to go on stage and perform, but that’s only about 10% of it.
The other 90% is admin work. A professional production requires a strong team and a good budget. Building solid relationships is crucial because it’s the people who step up to help you that make a difference. Especially if you don’t have a big budget you need to lean into your community, I’ve learned that you can’t do everything yourself—you really need a crew. There are so many more moving parts than you can imagine. There’s always something you can do better and something you’ve done wrong. You just need to accept that instead of beating yourself up about it, or you won’t be able to move forward.
What's next for you after 'The Little Death'?
Another show! I’m currently working on another script—well, more like 12 pages of notes that need to be transformed into a script! Maybe another step in my education, as I’d love to pursue a PhD. But let’s leave it at that because you never know where life will take you!
You’re also currently working at CSM, how do you balance work with your creative practice?
I can’t confidently say I balance it. I’m getting better at balancing it but there are some days where it’s really all over the place! However, there is a lot of crossovers. As I navigate life as a new graduate, I identify areas within my work that need improvement. Initially, I was very stressed and wanted everything to be perfect. Quickly, in a new job, you learn that’s not possible, so I tell myself that whatever I don’t achieve this year, I’ll learn and apply next year. This applies to my creative practice as well. While I don’t know if there’s balance, the 2 definitely hold hands and tug at each other along the way.
I will say this though—I’m very lucky to be in an environment surrounded by creative people!
'The Little Death' is on at the King's Head Theatre, Islington from 26 - 31 August.
