An eerie silence greets THN arriving for Twin Peaks Festival UK 2012 at Riverside Studios, Hammersmith. Tentatively we approach a desk adorned in red – sporting an array of Twin Peaks merchandise from pictures of the day’s guests to pin badges and broaches – and rather foolishly enquire if this is Twin Peaks; needless to say it is – not many other places have pictures of Catherine E. Coulson (The Log Lady), Phoebe Augustine (Ronette Pulaski), and Lenny Von Dohlen (Harold Smith) for sale. It transpires the visitors are in a screening of Twin Peaks Season 2 Premiere – the gasps, laughs, and looks of awe show this to be, unsurprisingly, an educated audience. As the episode finishes we are treated to burlesque, violence, and other forms of debauchery thanks to the Double R Club, inspired by David Lynch’s work. Performing once a month in Bethnal Green the performances cover burlesque twists on Twin Peaks scenes, some top notch comedy, and a sensational fire-eater, and breather whose lungs are so powerful the ceiling – 30 feet high – almost goes up in flames.
Following a break we are treated to Episode 5, featuring The Log Lady’s finest moment ‘The Tea Party’. Suitably after this has finished we enter the Fat Trout Trailer Park Diner for some David Lynch coffee and a complementary donut and there she is The Log Lady Catherine E. Coulson has arrived. Wasting no time we introduce ourselves and quickly learn she is a joy to be around, and a blast to interview:
It’s your second time here – what is so great about the Twin Peaks UK Festival?
Here, the fans are such a great group from all around the world: Easter Europe, Britain. My Dad is English so I have developed a very special, warm feeling for Twin Peaks UK fans.
How was working with David Lynch as an actor on ‘Amputee’?
Oh, it was wonderful; we made it as an experiment for a videotape company. Two types of film were requested and Fred Elms tested both filming Amputee. It was only going to be greyscale but we decided to make a scene with David as the doctor, I suggested the hairnet due to his long hair. We did the film twice exactly the same for different stocks and years later David found reel-to-reel footage and transferred it into a short and released it. David is a good actor, much more limited in range back then, he is better now but was very responsive and a good listener.
Your small part in ERASERHEAD inspired The Log Lady. It must have been great that 12-13 years later David had remembered and included you in TWIN PEAKS?
I’ll test my log with every branch of knowledge was going to be the TV show and log girl was to be the part; of course when it came to TWIN PEAKS I said to David I wasn’t a girl now, so we changed it to log lady. We always spoke of her carrying a Ponderosa pine asking wood experts questions and from there it evolved into TWIN PEAKS log lady.
You said in 1990 to People that you didn’t think the log lady unusual – do you still think this or do you now think of her as odd?
Oh no, she’s just a regular gal with an affinity for wood.
If there was a third season where do you think David would take it?
He says still a few stories to be told, but he isn’t ready to tell them – if he will at all. I’ve no idea what his imagination holds he is very instinctive. Yesterday – before I left for the UK – he said to me ‘Always remember the smell of fresh tar,’ – that was his advice! He loves the UK fans, and appreciates their fondness very much.
I take it you’d be happy to work with David again?
I’d love to, but you never know as he’s into his music work. Maybe we’ll make an album together.
What are you up to at the moment?
I’m performing in the Oregon Shakespeare festival – the oldest and largest in US – in a production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. I’ll soon be starting a film with Shirley Knight, called REDWOOD HIGHWAY. I am still working in the theatre as well so am back to Oregon tomorrow. It has a 1200 seat Elizabethan theatre outside, provides good quality work, and there are lots of Londoners working there.
How was it working on Eraserhead?
I was cast as a nurse, strapped to a bed with battery cables connected to my head but it got cut and lost. There are other scenes to be restored. I worked behind the scenes, and was married to Jack Nance (Eraserhead). I did lighting, coffee, jack’s hair and was credited as assistant director – it was great.
A child of Lynch, Catherine is later regaling the masses with stories of making TWIN PEAKS along with Lenny Von Dohlen and Phoebe Augustine, who we bump into next. Still as pretty as 22-years prior in the pilot, Augustine is a much quieter individual but no less charming; learning she has given up acting altogether THN is only too happy to discuss her music work with her husband Steve:
How did you get the part of Ronette Pulaski?
Auditioned in the normal way. I wasn’t made aware of the part, or the project really.
Given your much larger part in FIRE WALK WITH ME, were you disappointed by the critical reaction?
I wasn’t aware of the negativity surrounding the release from critics. So no affect on me, and I don’t think David cares.
This is your first time in the UK, but you’ve done US festivals. How are they?
Great. Snoqualmie Falls is wonderful. The fans are great in the US – passionate and enthusiastic – and they are here, I’m sure.
Do you still work in music?
My husband and I moved around some bands in Austin, Texas – everyone is in a band there. We got into recording, it grew and we now have a home studio where we help smaller bands we really like. Bands hire Steve (Phoebe’s husband) as a producer and we let them stay at our house and it’s very cosy.
You’ve stopped acting now – did the music take over?
I think if I was meant to stay in acting the music wouldn’t have taken over. It didn’t suit me. No offense to people who stay in it but I didn’t like thinking about myself – you have to all the time. How do I look, what’s my motivation? I’d find myself taking scenes home with me – if I was mad at my husband in a scene I’d be mad at Steve but he’d not done anything. I made some good money, whilst not millions it was good. I started in theatre and loved that but something changes when you get paid and I’m trying to stop that happening with the music. We make an effort with the studio so we don’t hire it out, we bring bands in we love, on affordable rates. We want to keep it pure and real. If something is free, the value is lost so we keep the rates reasonable in the hope it stays pure.
All this excitement gives us an appetite and we head over to grab a delicious hot-dog and chips – with more David 
Lynch coffee (and a donut) to wash it down. ‘Where’s the cherry pie?’ you might ask – it’s OK it comes later. Following lunch the VIPs in attendance – not us, the folk paid a bit extra – are treated to a ‘Tibetan rock throwing contest’ which judging by organiser Lindsey’s reaction was hysterical. Normal ticket holders were treated to Episode 7. Shortly after Symon Vegro is presented with the signed Kyle McLachlan canvas for which he paid £501 (all going to Macmillan) I manage to sit down with the newest arrival Harold Smith himself Lenny Von Dohlen, a softly spoken but utterly charming individual:
It’s your first time in the UK. How are the US Festivals?
I’ve done two: the first was when my daughter was very young – she lives in Seattle [one location of ‘Twin Peaks US’] so it’s a good way to get me there, and the second was when she was 12. I was prepared for something different but the people are wonderful, relaxed, and very enthusiastic. People come from all over the world – Japan, Australia, and Sweden. I’m shocked. Of course, they know more than I can possibly know about the show, and it is wonderful.
It must be humbling to know people have travelled all that way, and gone to great expense as one of the star attractions?
It is very nice, I was such a tiny cog in the wheel so yes, humbling.
When you auditioned were you told of the part – and the fact you’d have Laura Palmers diary?
They kept a lot of it under wraps. I knew going in the character would meet his demise – didn’t know how – and I had seven-eight episodes to bookend the character creation. They very cleverly put me in contact with the homeward bound society [Lenny’s character was agoraphobic] and I met many brave and frank people. The series developed along with the character so we weren’t always aware of where it was going although it was a most collaborative project which is very rare in the US; usually you don’t meddle with the foundation of the ‘factory’ but TWIN PEAKS wasn’t a factory it was a mad scientist lab and we were all made to feel like contributors. I maybe didn’t appreciate it then as much then as I do now.
So it was nice working with David Lynch?
It was wonderful. I had many different directors – which was thrilling as they were all gifted in their own ways – and David for the film and you can’t get better than that.
What are you up to at the moment?
I’m shortly doing a film in the dessert outside LA called BROKEN HORSES. I found out this morning at Heathrow so I’m forced to leave a city I’m in love with – but found myself priced out of this love affair. I first visited in 1982 and fell in delirious over the top love and came here again at 23 for a film and was deeply spoiled; I felt like a prince as the US dollar was stronger then. Now I’m learning to live it on a budget.
If there was a Season Three of TWIN PEAKS what do you think it would have held?
I don’t know, I feel the organic gestation period of it was properly timed and it would have been sullied if it had gone on longer. It’s like James Dean: burn bright, fast, and die young. I think it is something to do with that and also it is completely visionary – nothing of the like has been seen before or since.
It must have been an incredible thing to be a part of.
I felt very grateful to be a part of it you could feel the molecular difference in the air. It was in this impressive place in Washington and a warehouse. You were in your own place, could go there and feel like you were entering the world.
Finally, I think I know the answer but would you work with David again?
In a New York second.
With each of the guests covered, and some downtime, we thought it only appropriate to speak to Lindsey Bowden, co-producer and organiser for each of the festivals three years along with Helen Henson:
Are you happy with how it’s going?
I’m very happy. It’s a great crowd everyone is very chatty and asking about next year. We’ve learnt every year and we’re always ironing things out, but yes I’m really happy.
What are you most looking forward to today?
Not just one thing it is everything coming together – this is for the fans. In the UK we have to be a bit more creative because we don’t have the locations obviously and for me it is really important to make the fans feel like they are in the TWIN PEAKS world and that is more important than any one thing,
How did you get the print signed by Kyle McLachlan?
NBC Universal donated it. They had it in storage and we had a long chat – they’ve donated prizes every year including the signed gold box sets from the first year – there was nothing massive given away by choice last year, but this year they’ve outdone themselves.
Were you tempted to bid?
I’m completely jealous but I thought I can’t – I want a fan to have it.
How did you get the guests?
Catherine and I are friends so I wanted her to come over to see the fans and for that reason. Lenny and I met through Facebook I introduced myself and we e-mailed; he wanted to come over because of friends and his love of London, I had a contact for Phoebe who was really happy to come over.
What about next year?
We always say we won’t but the only reason we wouldn’t would be overkill. If we skipped a year would the fans want it even more? I don’t think they’d forget about it but the truth is we don’t know.
What else is Bowden and Henson up to?
On my own: I’m working on a few screenplays and producing a short film. I could also be taking over production of a West End theatre show for Xmas. Together, something Helen is really excited about, but I can’t disclose unfortunately we only do things we are passionate about and want to do.
Before dinner we are spoiled by The Double R Club again, and straight after the Q & A starts. Click here to listen to the whole hour:
After the Q & A a signing session takes place – planned for an hour and 15 minutes it easily runs over – the guests, so eager to speak to every fan individually, ensured no one cared. On to a showing of FIRE WALK WITH ME – 20 years old – in the screening room, and the chance to play Twingo – Twin Peaks Bingo – with The Double R Club in the diner. We didn’t win, and we didn’t even come close in the quiz chaired by Tom Huddleston which closed the festival at 12:30 am.
Twin Peaks UK Festival 2012 was a celebration of all things TWIN PEAKS; fans got everything they could ask for, lots of money was raised for charity – in addition to the auction manicures were available with a minimum donation of £1- and most of all the star names delivered and everyone left happy. For Peakies this is heaven, as for next year? We’ll keep you updated.
