In the theatre circles he is the short man with the big voice, an emerging talent and this week Nickose Layne, Best Director in the Junior Category of the National Drama Festival two years in a row sat down this week with The Scene to talk about his passion for theatre.
“I love being a director,” he said. “I have always liked to have things my own way and I see the attraction of controlling an entire world through directing – my own way. It is not autocratic but done autocratically,” he laughed. “It feels as if you are really showcasing a part of you when you are directing but it is not easy, it is never easy especially when dealing with a strongly opinionated cast. [However] at the end of the day, the tradition of theatre dictates that the director knows what is best for the successful production in its entirety.”
As regards acting, he says, “I like acting because I like to play with people. I mess with people, mentally manipulate – it is not used as an offence to anyone or to hurt them but to explore the human social constructs and adaptability in different settings. What is done on stage is done in life. We have different roles, different names, titles, masks, characters and I frequently analyse these on others and even myself. I try to create the character in another place and expand the emotions beyond even my understanding.”
Nickose is also a playwright and poet. For his plays he applies techniques in characterisation to create personas in various, often perplexing forms with simple backgrounds. He considers poetry to be his purest form of expression. “Poems keep bursting out of me, with little control from me. I do not write because I want to, I write because I cannot not express,” he says. Three major themes in his poems are self-evaluation, honesty and perfection. “I feel like I am perfect because I recognise my flaws and the beauty in them. That makes me perfectly imperfect. I believe anyone who accepts their flaws, also accepts their perfection,” he says.
Some of his poems include ‘Society Mentality’, ‘Sense Me’, ‘The Release’, ‘Listen to Me’, ‘Closure’, ‘I am not a real poet’ and ‘Boxed by Five.’
Inspiration comes from a certain type of person. “When I see people living – that is being happy doing the things they do or having the will and energy to accomplish what they desire and just going out there and being something is inspiration – I am attracted to that energy. I feel like I want to do myself. I have that spiritual connection and energy around and it’s when I am most productive.”
Nickose is an independent marketing and public relations consultant and he says he feels like a workaholic but not in the way one would think. “I just love to always be working, always be active and doing something. As a rule I cannot work at anything I do not like so I enjoy whatever I do and I put the best into it applying my talents and creativity, the energy – at the end of the day it is a win-win, I get the job done and I enjoy doing it with a fine finished product.”
Nickose does not keep theatre far from any of his professional jobs. In fact he seeks to professionalise theatre work as a career not only for himself but help build it into a commercialised industry. With this in mind, he created a theatre group, Centre Stage Productions.
The focus of this group is to show thespians, the young and young at heart that they can depend on their talents to sustain their livelihoods. Nickose believes “There needs to be an artistic union, which represents the rights and interests of the artists in Guyana. There are numerous production groups with varying levels of success, but a union would aid in artists not feeling blacklisted or personally attacked. [It would allow for] better payment and upholding of contracts by producers, better conditions to work in more creative spaces, like backstage of theatre institutions. I may be stepping out on a limb while stepping on some people’s toes, but it is a fact that many producers do not uphold their contracts with artists, and the artists feel like they have no mode of redress.”
Turning to audiences, Nickose says he is not mad at them for liking the type of theatre they like – that is farce and satirical and he explained why little appreciation goes to the other types of drama. “I know that marketing goes a far way [with] any product. And if you do not sell the serious dramas appropriately, the audience turn out will be piss-poor. Those who come may laugh at serious issues, because they are only exposed to comedic theatre. The audiences are intelligent enough to adapt, but we need to ensure they are transitioned from an era of pure comedy, to an era of modern and post-modern theatre.”
Born on February 10, 1992 at the Georgetown Public Hospital, Nickose first lived with his parents and sister in Kitty. His parents separated while he was still a child and he moved with his mom and sister Nickasee to East Ruimveldt to live with his extended family.
He formed a close bond with the matriarch, his grandmother, whose Catholic-conservative influence on the household made their simple lives enjoyable. They were neither rich nor poor; there were multiple sources of income in the large household and the feeling of being with your family was a heart-warming.
As a child growing up in East Ruimveldt, Nickose and his cousins were confined to the limits of “the big red gate” so they would resort to running in the yard and in the house – to the displeasure of some. He looked forward to Easter and August vacations in his grandmother’s place in Perseverance, Essequibo Coast – fruit trees, grass, the beach in their backyard – it was their own slice of tropical paradise.
He enjoys a close relationship with his sister and says his mother is his icon, his rock and his “best lady.” She has always supported him, offered advice where needed, comfort and love and is one of the biggest influences in his life. “She is a role model really. She made sacrifices for her children and she endured a lot, she is strong and brave… She is an incredible human being with passion, love and kindness but her blunt honesty and character are what makes her real – she is cool.”
Nickose has a Diploma in Marketing from the University of Guyana.
He enjoys volunteering and has done so with the Ministry of Health Peer Education and the President Youth Award Republic of Guyana, which afforded him many experiences in several areas and the opportunities to travel around Guyana and to neighbouring Suriname and Trinidad.
He donates blood regularly and says volunteering for him is “selfish” since he gains a lot of pleasure from helping others. He has a healthy social life and most of his social activities involve work of some sort or just a casual hangout. Karaoke happens to be a hobby although his talent for singing is debatable.
His career focus is to build an empire based on all his interests, talents and professional experiences. His goal is to work efficiently in building a business and working along with people who share the same ambitions and passion.
Nickose has been a member of the Theatre Guild by association since 2011 but his love for the stage goes way back. Since nursery school his dramatic disposition caused the teachers to choose him to perform at school concerts and shows. His Primary Four teacher Clyde Bullen encouraged creativity in the classrooms and this made Nickose confident to compete nationally.
At St Joseph High, he was often the director of class plays, and was nicknamed ‘Denzel’ (Washington) by some students. He often got the nod as best actor in class plays and best speaker in debating competitions.
In 2012 he was among the first batch of graduates from the National School of Drama and Theatre Arts.
Among his credits are: character on the radio serial drama Merundoi; Best Supporting Actor, National Drama Festival (NDF) 2012; Featured Poet at Upscale Restaurant’s Poetry Night; Best Actor in the Junior and Open, Full-length Categories at the NDF this year.
