A Beginner’s Guide to Devising Theatre 9781350099746, 9781350025943, 9781350025974, 9781350025950

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A Beginner’s Guide to Devising Theatre

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A Beginner’s Guide to Devising Theatre Jess Thorpe and Tashi Gore

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METHUEN DRAMA Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP, UK 1385 Broadway, New York, NY 10018, USA BLOOMSBURY, METHUEN DRAMA and the Methuen Drama logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published in Great Britain 2020 Copyright © Jess Thorpe and Tashi Gore, 2020 Jess Thorpe and Tashi Gore have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as authors of this work. For legal purposes the Acknowledgements on p. xx–xxi constitute an extension of this copyright page. Cover design: Louise Dugdale Cover image © Kevin Low All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc does not have any control over, or responsibility for, any third-party websites referred to or in this book. All internet addresses given in this book were correct at the time of going to press. The author and publisher regret any inconvenience caused if addresses have changed or sites have ceased to exist, but can accept no responsibility for any such changes. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Thorpe, Jess, author. | Gore, Tashi, author. Title: A beginner’s guide to devising theatre / Jess Thorpe and Tashi Gore. Description: London ; New York, NY : Methuen Drama, [2019] | Includes index. Identifiers: LCCN 2019005538| ISBN 9781350099746 (hb.) | ISBN 9781350025943 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781350099746 (hpod) | ISBN 9781350025974 (xml platform) | ISBN 9781350025950 (ePDF) | ISBN 9781350025967 (eBook) Subjects: LCSH: Theater–Production and direction. | Theatrical producers and directors–Interviews. Classification: LCC PN2053 .T575 2019 | DDC 792.02/32–dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019005538 ISBN:

HB: PB: ePDF: eBook:

978-1-3500-9974-6 978-1-3500-2594-3 978-1-3500-2595-0 978-1-3500-2596-7

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For our children

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Contents

List of Figures and Tables x List of Contributors xii Foreword Lyn Gardner xvii Acknowledgements xx

Part One An Introduction to Devising Theatre with Young People 1

An Introduction to Junction 25

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Who Is This Book For?

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Why Devise Theatre?

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4 Beginning to Collaborate

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Part Two Devising Theatre in Seven Stages 5

An Overview

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6 Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic 7

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Stage 2: Selecting an Inquiry Question

8 Stage 3: Finding the Frame

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Contents

9 Stage 4: Making Original Material for Performance 73 10 Stage 5: Structure and Composition 11 Stage 6: Reflection

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12 Stage 7: Production – Sharing your Work with an Audience 187

Part Three Five Interviews and One Running Order 13 Interviews with Companies that Devise Theatre: An Introduction 209 14 Interview about the Process of Devising All the Sex I’ve Ever Had by Mammalian Diving Reflex, with Artistic Director Darren O’Donnell 210 15 Interview about the Process of Devising Wallflower by Quarantine, with Artistic Director Richard Gregory 218 16 Interview about the Process of Devising Mission Drift by the TEAM, with Artistic Director Rachel Chavkin 226

Contents

17 Interview about the Process of Devising £¥€$ (Lies) by Ontroerend Goed, with Artistic Director Alexander Devriendt 233 18 Interview about the Process of Devising Trilogy by Nic Green, with Artist Nic Green 240 19 An Example of a Running Order: Anoesis by Junction 25 247 Index 271

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List of Figures and Tables

Cover image: Jack Matheson in I Hope My Heart Goes First by Junction 25. Tramway, 2009. Photograph by Kevin Low

Figures 4.1 6.1

8.1 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4

9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 9.9

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Full cast of A Bit of Bite by Junction 25. Tramway, 2016. Photograph by Alan McAteer/Glasgow Life Eoin Mackenzie, Ethan Brodie, Clare Morris, Laiqa Umar, Maria Bissett, Eilidh Bryant and Lucy Bozkurt in I’d Rather Humble than Hero by Junction 25. Tramway, 2014. Photograph by Carrie Hay Full cast of Figment by Junction 25. Tramway, 2013. Photograph by Carrie Hay Adam Low in I Hope My Heart Goes First by Junction 25. Tramway, 2009. Photograph by Kevin Low Laiqa Umar in A Bit of Bite by Junction 25. Tramway, 2016. Photograph by Alan McAteer/Glasgow Life Full cast in I’d Rather Humble than Hero by Junction 25. The Traverse Theatre, 2015. Photograph by Robin Mitchell Nathan Low and Kevin Low in From Where I’m Standing by Junction 25. Tramway, 2008. Photograph by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan Lily Smith in I Hope My Heart Goes First by Junction 25. Tramway, 2009. Photograph by Kevin Low Example with our show Anoesis Full cast in From Where I’m Standing by Junction 25. Tramway, 2008. Photograph by Kevin Low Jess Wood in Figment by Junction 25. Tramway, 2013. Photograph by Carrie Hay Francesca Lacey, Adam Low, Tom Raymond, Stan Smith, Nathan Low, Aidan Turner, Fern Calderwood and Lucy

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23 70 76 96 102

111 130 133 139 151

Figures and Tables

9.10 10.1 11.1

12.1 14.1

15.1 16.1 17.1 18.1

Palmer in I Hope My Heart Goes First by Junction 25. Tramway, 2009. Photograph by Kevin Low Megan Reid and Lucy Palmer in I Hope My Heart Goes First by Junction 25. Tramway, 2009. Photograph by Kevin Low Clare Morris and Maria Bissett in Anoesis by Junction 25. Tramway, 2012. Photograph by Kevin Low Joanna Wilson, Megan Reid, Viviane Hullin, Francesca Lacey, Emma Stewart and Laura Murray in Elegant Variation by Junction 25. Tramway, 2006. Photograph by Carrie Hay Cara Brodie in A Bit of Bite by Junction 25. Tramway, 2016. Photograph by Alan McAteer/Glasgow Life All the Sex I Ever Had by Mammalian Diving Reflex, performed at Festival Mladi Levi, Ljubljana. Photograph by Nada Žgank James Monaghan and Jo Fong in Wallflower by Quarantine. Photograph by Simon Banham Mission Drift by the TEAM. Photograph by Rachel Chavkin £¥€$ (Lies) by Ontroerend Goed. Photograph by Thomas Dhanens Trilogy by Nic Green. Photograph by Will Potts

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215 223 230 236 242

Tables 12.1 A template for a production schedule 12.2 A template for building a budget

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List of Contributors

Jess Thorpe is co-Artistic Director of the creative partnership Glass Performance as well as co-Founder and co-Artistic Director of Junction 25. Alongside this work, she is currently part-time Lecturer in the Arts in Justice at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she designs and delivers creative projects in prisons and with communities affected by crime. She is a founder and trustee of Justice and Arts Scotland (formally SPAN), which is an organisation dedicated to developing creative work in Scottish prisons and post-release. Jess is an artist with the International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA), where she has led projects across the world. Tashi Gore is co-Artistic Director of Glass Performance and co-Founder and co-Artistic Director of Junction 25 at Tramway in Glasgow. She works predominantly in socially engaged contexts as a facilitator/director, producer and consultant. She has worked with organisations such as the National Theatre of Scotland, the Roundhouse in London, Dance Exchange in Maryland, USA, and as Visiting Lecturer with students on the Contemporary Performance Practice Programme at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Rachel Chavkin is a director, writer and dramaturg, as well as the Founding Artistic Director of Brooklyn-based company the TEAM (theteamplays. org), whose work has been seen all over London and the UK, including the National Theatre and the Royal Court, and in multiple collaborations with the National Theatre of Scotland and the Battersea Arts Centre. Selected freelance work includes: Dave Malloy’s Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Ars Nova, American Repertory Theater, Broadway); Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown (New York Theatre Workshop, Edmonton Citadel and London’s National Theatre); Matt Gould and Carson Kreitzer’s Lempicka (Williamstown); Caryl Churchill’s Light Shining in Buckinghamshire (New York Theatre Workshop); Marco Ramirez’s The Royale (Old Globe, Lincoln Center); Bess Wohl’s Small Mouth Sounds (Ars Nova, Off-Broadway, national tour); Sarah Gancher’s I’ll Get You Back Again (Round House, Bethesda, Maryland); and multiple collaborations with Taylor Mac, including The Lily’s xii

List of Contributors

Revenge, Act 2 (HERE), and with Chris Thorpe, including Confirmation and Status. Rachel is a recipient of a Tony nomination for Best Direction, three Obie Awards, a Drama Desk Award, multiple Lortel nominations, two Doris Duke Impact Award nominations and with Dave Malloy the 2017 Smithsonian Award for Ingenuity. Alexander Devriendt is the Artistic Director and one of the founders of Ontroerend Goed. His past work includes: the creation of the individual theatre trilogy, The Smile Off Your Face, Internal and A Game of You; the direction of the three celebrated teenage plays, Once and for All We’re Gonna Tell You Who We Are So Shut Up and Listen, Teenage Riot and All that is Wrong; and A History of Everything, co-produced with Sydney Theatre Company. Alexander’s most recent works are: Sirens, a performance on feminism; Are We not Drawn Onward to New erA, a palindrome show; and World without Us, the final part of the Fast Forward Trilogy. His plays have won several awards around the world, and are performed all over Europe, Australia and America, recently visiting the Middle East, Russia, Hong Kong and Singapore. Lyn Gardner was a founder member of the City Limits publishing co-op. She wrote about theatre for the Guardian for twenty-three years. She now reviews for the digital app Stagedoor, and writes about theatre for The Stage, Digital Theatre Plus and numerous national and international publications. Nic Green is an award-winning performance maker based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her work is varied in style and method, with forms often ‘found’ through collaborative and relational practices with people, place and material. Nic has received several awards, commissions and recognitions for her work, including A Herald Angel, Best Production at Dublin Fringe, the Adrian Howells Award for Intimate Performance and the Total Theatre Award for Best Physical/Visual Theatre Edinburgh Fringe. She is also the recipient of the Inaugural Forced Entertainment Award, in memory of Huw Chadbourn. Nic is the 2018 Artist in Residence at the National Theatre of Scotland and teaches Directing at the University of Glasgow. Richard Gregory is an artist based in Manchester. He is Founder and Artistic Director, with Renny O’Shea, of Quarantine since 1998. Richard has developed a distinctive practice around a creative response to everyday life and the commonplace. He recently directed Wallflower (2015), a dance

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List of Contributors

marathon performance and the seven-hour epic Summer.Autumn.Winter. Spring. (2016) for Quarantine, and What is the City but the People?, the opening event of Manchester International Festival 2017 and for BAK, Utrecht, 2018. Richard directed English, a co-production with National Theatre Wales (2018) and is developing Meet the Neighbours, a pan-European project around neighbourliness and gentrification, with partner organisations in France, Netherlands, Poland and Morocco. Darren O’Donnell is an urban cultural planner, novelist, essayist, playwright, filmmaker, performance director and the Artistic and Founding Director of Mammalian Diving Reflex. He holds a BFA in Theatre and an MSc in Urban Planning from the University of Toronto and studied traditional Chinese Medicine at the Shiatsu School of Canada. His books include: Your Secrets Sleep with Me (2004), a novel about difference, love and the miraculous; Social Acupuncture (2006), which argues for aesthetics of civic engagement; and Haircuts by Children and Other Evidence for a New Social Contract (2018), which proposes the cultural sector as a site to pilot a new social contract with children. As an urban cultural planning specialist, his focus is on participation and, in particular, the radical engagement of children and young people at the core of cultural institutions. Past and current planning collaborators include the Humboldt Forum, Tate Modern, West Kowloon Cultural District, London International Festival of Theatre, Metropolitan Region of Rhine-Neckar, Schauspielhaus Bochum and Portland Institute of Contemporary Art. Rachel O’Neill is a visual artist and a designer for contemporary performance. As a graduate from Glasgow School of Art, Rachel is interested in the relationship between objects, materials, space, time and bodies, and how this complex language can form meaning and experiences within the context of performance. Rachel has a particular interest in the social value of art and, through her practice, devises and creates work for theatre spaces and other spaces, including performance, site-specific work, public works and live events. Rachel is a long-term collaborator with Glass Performance and has worked with other companies and solo artists such as National Theatre of Scotland, Woman’s Creative Company, Superfan, Lee Ivett of Baxendale Studio, Michael-John McCarthy and Martin O’Connor. Rachel is also Lecturer in Performance Aesthetics at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she teaches on the Contemporary Performance Practice programme.

List of Contributors

Members of Junction 25 (2005–2018) Christie Bissett – Maria Bissett – Lucy Bozkurt – Cara Brodie – Ethan Brodie – Eilidh Bryant – Fern Calderwood – Lauren Cameron – Rory Cameron – Josie Campbell – Emma Clark – Rory Doherty – Caitlin Fullwood – Sean Fullwood – Lyla Gaizley-Gardiner – Raedie Gaizley-Gardiner – Joe Gardner – Viviane Hullin – Eva Hunter – Stephanie Hunter – Eve Jahoda – Ruth Jahoda – Francesca Lacey – Adam Low – Nathan Low – Sarah Macdonald – Rose Manson – Eve Marriott – Jack Matheson – Amy McCall – Dexter McCall – Eoin McKenzie – Adam Montgomery Masters – Clare Morris – Conor Morris – Myriam Mouflih – Laura Murray – Elisabeth Nelson – Lucy Palmer – Misha Palmer – Lola Pryde Belshaw – Molly Quinn – Scott Ramage – Tom Raymond – Megan Reid – Rosie Reid – Martha Smart – Lily Smith – Stanley Smith – Laura Speake – Emma Stewart – Aidan Turner – Katrine Turner – Niall Turner – Laiqa Umar – Ivan Wainwright – Nina Williams – Joanna Wilson – Stephanie Wilson – Jess Wood – Becca Ziola.

About Junction 25 Junction 25 has been devising original performance work together since 2005. The company, based at Tramway in Glasgow, is made up of young people aged between 11 and 18, and attempts to use theatre as a platform on which to explore their own ideas and opinions and document what it means to be a young person today. Previous works include Elegant Variation (2006), I Hope My Heart Goes First (2010), Figment (2013) and I’d Rather Humble than Hero (2014), A Bit of Bite (2016). Junction 25 have toured festivals and venues across Scotland as well as the Stage@Leeds, Battersea Arts Centre, Rogaland Teater in Stavanger, Norway and CONNEXOS Festival in Brazil. In 2011, they received a Herald Angel Award for I Hope My Heart Goes First, presented at the Edinburgh Fringe as part of the Made in Scotland programme. In 2013, they presented Anoesis to sell-out audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe, where they were nominated for a Total Theatre Award for Innovation. The company’s most recent show, A Bit of Bite, about young people and contemporary politics, recently toured. Junction 25 were awarded the CATS Whiskers Award in 2015 for outstanding contribution to Scottish Theatre.

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List of Contributors

Junction 25 is part of Youth Theatre Arts Scotland (YTAS). The company was founded by Jess Thorpe and Tashi Gore, and since 2017 has been led by artists Rosie Reid and Gudrun Soley Sigurdardottir. For more information about past performance work and touring shows, visit: www.glassperformance.co.uk.

About Glass Performance Glass Performance is an award-winning theatre company run by Jess Thorpe and Tashi Gore based in Glasgow. They work with real people in place of fictional characters to tell human stories that resonate with audiences of all ages and experiences. They have been making this work since 2004 and have produced over 30 pieces of new work inspired by the people they have met. Past shows include: Life Long (2010), a show about love, featuring Tillie and Ronnie Jeffrey, a couple who have been married for 55 years; Hand Me Down (2011), about the things women pass down to each other in families, with Margaret Hendy, her daughters, granddaughters, sisters, nieces and cousin; Albert Drive (2013), a large-scale project looking at the idea of neighbours from the perspective of one street in Pollokshields, Glasgow; and Old Boy (2017), about grandfathers and their grandsons. As well as producing the young company Junction 25, Glass Performance also run Polmont Youth Theatre in HMPYOI Polmont – a long-term project designed to enable young people in custody to develop confidence and communication skills through devising theatre. For more information about the company and to be updated about upcoming performances, visit: www.glassperformance.co.uk.

Foreword

Theatre has changed a great deal over the last twenty-five years, and there is no going back. Much of that transformation has come about because the processes by which theatre is made have changed substantially, too. It is a far more collaborative and process-led enterprise. That doesn’t mean that playwrights will come down from their garrets and stop writing plays or that directors will no longer revive classic plays. But it does mean that what we mean by new writing – and how it is generated – has shifted substantially. It means that everybody in the room can have a hand in the authorship of a piece of theatre. Everyone’s creativity can be excavated and celebrated. It is a far cry from the days only thirty years ago, when the Arts Council refused to fund shows made with the community, on the grounds that it was their job to fund professional theatre, not amateurs. Now we – and funding bodies – are far more attuned to the idea that everybody should have the chance to be creative, and even those with little or no experience can make great theatre, if they are given the opportunities and the conditions in which they can thrive and allow their imagination to run riot. This is a book about making theatre with people, not just for them. It is part of an accelerating shift away from the idea of making art and towards the idea of facilitating art-making. It is written by two young women, Tashi Gore and Jess Thorpe, who have been at the forefront of making devised work within the community since they graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s influential Contemporary Theatre Practice programme over fifteen years ago. Since then, they have made work with young people via Junction 25, a company of young performers based at Tramway in Glasgow. They also make work together as Glass Performance, embedding themselves in communities to make shows through a process which gives people the agency to interrogate their own lives and relationships. Often these shows are intergenerational, frequently they have been pioneering in the form they take and the freshness of the autobiographical material they unearth, and what they always do is give people who we don’t normally see on our stages a voice. Their own voice. xvii

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Foreword

In Junction 25’s From Where I’m Standing (2009), it was parents and teenagers being brutally honest about their relationships with each other. That was a warts-and-all show, which was as beady-eyed about the frustrations of the child–parent relationships as it was tender about the love shared. In 2017, Old Boy, made with grandfathers and grandsons from Glasgow, was a poignant and vastly entertaining interrogation of the ties (and love) that bind, what is handed down within families and how legacy is made. This is work that matters, which is enormously revealing about how we live now, and which is impactful because it is raw and honest. It is always made with enormous care. The latter is crucial. The ordinary people on stage are potentially made vulnerable by their willingness to share the intimate details of their lives and expose their emotions. But because they are doing so within a process developed by Tashi and Jess which creates a safe environment, rather than being exposed, they are made visible and powerful. They own the stage and their own stories, and because of that when we come to see them we end up seeing ourselves. It used to be the case that we were raised to be consumers – whether in the supermarket or the theatre. But one of the major disruptions of the last decade is the way that people have been able to generate their digital content. The Internet has given us the tools which were once only available to professionals. If we love animations, we cannot only watch them on our mobiles and our tablets, we can also make them using the tools which are readily available to us. We don’t just watch, we also want to do. This book not only gives an insight into the process that Tashi and Jess have developed, but also offers the tools for those who want to make their own work within their own communities. It is Tashi and Jess’s way of holding open the door for the young theatre-makers who come after them. It lets them into their process so that the next generation doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel. That alone makes it invaluable, but its generosity of spirit also recognises that one size doesn’t fit all. The interviews with some of the world’s major companies – which also make their work through a devising process, sometimes in a community context and sometimes not – offers an insight into other processes and other ways of working and devising theatre. What is fascinating about the interviews with Ontroerend Goed, Quarantine, the TEAM and others is that they are conversations between peers and therefore all the more open and revealing.

Foreword

All these companies are instigators of change and, in writing this book and sharing their process – including its practicalities and challenges – Tashi and Jess are helping to propel theatre forward, demystifying the way contemporary theatre is made and giving tomorrow’s theatre-makers a head start. Lyn Gardner

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Acknowledgements

The authors and publisher gratefully acknowledge the permission granted to reproduce the copyright material in this book. Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission for the use of copyright material. The publisher apologises for any errors or omissions in the book and would be grateful if notified of any corrections that should be incorporated in future reprints or editions of it. The third party copyrighted material displayed in the pages of this book are done so on the basis of ‘fair dealing for the purposes of criticism and review’ or ‘fair use for the purposes of teaching, criticism, scholarship or research’ only in accordance with international copyright laws, and is not intended to infringe upon the ownership rights of the original owners.

The authors would like to thank Viviane Hullin, who was in the first-ever show we made with Junction 25, when it was just a seed of an idea. Who came to work with us and helped it to grow and whose idea it was to write this book in the first place. Deborah Richardson-Webb for creating a programme which made us feel passionate about art and the role it can play in the world. For giving us creative tools and encouraging us as we figured out how to use them. Steve Slater and Andy Lindsay for having the idea and for giving us the space and support to begin something new at Tramway. Liam Sinclair and Russell Boyce for being part of making a dream a reality. Gary Gardiner for so much energy and inspiration and for collaboration on making I’d Rather Humble than Hero. Rosie Reid and Gudrun Soley Sigudardottir for being the people we felt we could pass it to and for making exciting and brave new work.

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Acknowledgements

Kevin Low for having so many skills and being so willing to bring them to the table. For working with us in so many ways and being our favourite person to have a cup of tea and talk about art with. Louise Brodie, Rachel O’Neill, Jamie Harrison and James Pearson for your love in the beginning and throughout. Heather Lynch, Rosemary James-Beith, Jo Walmsley and Sarah Munro for being champions and conspirators and total powerhouses. Susan Deighan, Colin Bradie, Ria Din, Lucy Gaizely, Iain Findlay Walsh, Lisa Torrance, Suzanne Kay, Vivianne Hullin, Laiqa Umar, Salome Wagaine, Kate Bonney, Johnny McKnight, Jackie Arnott-Raymond, Louise Allan, Mona Keeling and Anita Clark for holding fast to the foundations, for giving us practical and emotional support. For encouraging us and for believing in the bigger picture. Lynfryn Mackenzie, Avalon Hernandez, Scott McIntosh, Sam Phillips, Dave Evans, Colin Chaloner, Jamie Wardrop, Josh Armstrong, John Palmer and Paul Sorley for being our absolute favourite technical collaborators and for caring enough to go the extra mile. Becki Gerard, Thom Scullion, Rosana Cade, Nick Anderson, Jo Conway, Nic Green, Jodie Wilkinson, Paul Gorman, Robert Allan Evans, Jenna Watt, Jodie Marshall, Sinead Hargan, Craig McCorquodale and Sarah Bradley for bringing so many ideas and so much inspiration along the way. David Proudlock, Lorna Saunders and Nikki Birkbeck for nurturing us as young people and making us feel as if the Arts was a road we could travel. Chris Hall and Harry Wilson for giving us love and balance and understanding. For being unofficial dramaturgs for everything we make and for trying not to mind when we spend more time together than we do with you. Tim and Kay Thorpe and Shona and Julian Gore for being the first people to teach us about love and why community matters so much. For believing in us always and for giving us unconditional support and a soft place to land. All the young people in Junction 25, past and present, for the quality of this creative journey we have been on together. It has been a joy to learn about how to devise performance alongside you. Thank you for all your commitment, creativity and generosity: without you, we would have nothing to write in a book about theatre.

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Part One An Introduction to Devising Theatre with Young People 1 2 3 4

An Introduction to Junction 25 Who is this Book for? Why Devise Theatre? Beginning to Collaborate

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1 An Introduction to Junction 25 The telling of stories about oneself is part of the construction of an identity for that self. Deirdre Heddon, Autobiography and Performance (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008)

Before we delve into the practical work of devising theatre and the ideas and exercises you can use to support you in the process of making your own theatre, we wanted to begin by telling you a bit about ourselves and how we work. In order to do this, we thought it might be useful to go right to the beginning and share how we discovered devising and why it felt so important to us in the first place. Our names are Jess and Tashi and we met in 2000 as first-year students on the Contemporary Theatre Practice programme at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS, formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, RSAMD). It was a degree course making critical work that had something to say about living in the world now, and, over four years, it introduced us to many different ways of thinking about theatre and making performance. We were inspired by new ideas and alternative perspectives and were given many opportunities to experiment with style and form as we tried to find what it was that we wanted to express. Although we were both a little sceptical of each other at first, it was not long before we realised that we actually had a lot in common. We both loved people, community and sharing stories of human experiences, and we both wanted to find a way to make a kind of theatre that brought these things together. We talked a lot about our own first experiences of theatre and the fact that neither of us had ever actually had a ‘main’ part in a play. In the school productions we had been involved in, we both had often been cast as 3

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A Beginner’s Guide to Devising Theatre

a ‘villager’ or a ‘local prostitute’ (The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht) and, while it had been fun to be involved, these parts had left us feeling a little frustrated and creatively unfulfilled. Through these early discussions and the creative learning we were engaged in on our degree, we started to realise the power and potential of devising theatre as a way to empower and inspire young people. It felt really clear how it provided an opportunity for young performers (like we had been) to immerse themselves in a process that worked to give them a voice and allowed them to explore their own creativity through making theatre. It felt politically important that the ideas, experiences and perspectives of young people be valued and given a platform to be heard and understood. We wanted to try and challenge some of the preconceived notions of the place of ‘educational theatre’ or ‘creative learning’ in venues where, sometimes, it could feel like an added extra or side dish to the main arts programme and almost always featured at the very back of the brochure. We wanted to put young people on the main stage. To work towards getting an audience for their work that was not coming to the theatre because they were related to the cast or for a charitable reason but instead were coming because they wanted to see good art. No longer did we want to hear phrases like, ‘Didn’t they do well?’ or ‘It was good – for kids,’ but, instead, we hoped for a time when young people would be recognised as artists and as equals. Not just waiting to be an adult so they could be a ‘proper actor’ but valued for their contribution to the present moment. Attributed proper worth. This was our shared goal. As well as trying to give young people their rightful place at the heart of a wider cultural scene, we believed that the process of being listened to and asked for their opinion would play a huge role in building their selfconfidence and sense of agency at a key stage of their lives. As teaching artists, we wanted to build a theatrical practice that provoked dialogue and an active process of inquiry. We were inspired by the notion that we could create an environment where young artists could discover themselves and the world they were living in through making creative work together. When we graduated from the RCS in 2004, we looked around for theatre groups for young people that specialised in devising but we could not find any. At the same time, it turned out, the Tramway, a renowned venue for contemporary art and theatre in Glasgow, was also looking to establish a resident project for young people to make performance. Its senior producer, Steve Slater, had approached our programme leader, Deborah RichardsonWebb, for advice on how to do this. She connected us all together and, with the additional support of Liam Sinclair and Russell Boyce from the RCS, we

An Introduction to Junction 25

went on to create a brand new performance company for young people which we called Junction 25.

junction (noun): a point where two or more things are joined Dictionary (Oxford English Dictionary, y, OED D).

When we first launched Junction 25 in autumn 2005 at Tramway, the vision was for it to be a creative space for young people to make original performance work, informed by their own experiences and ideas about the world around them. It was hoped that it could be a place for voices to be heard, stories to be told and questions to be asked. It was built on the core idea that no one would ever have a ‘main part’ but that the group would work as an ensemble and, in doing so, celebrate the importance of being an individual, alongside the feeling of belonging to a collective. The core company structure of Junction 25 has always been a mixed-age group, with ages ranging from 11 to 18 years. We believe that working with a diverse range of ages informs and inspires the creative work and allows for a rich variety of different experiences and reference points on stage. We feel that working in this type of ‘family group’ also provides a valuable environment of collaborative peer support and serves to nurture young people and help them find their voice as part of a creative process. At the time of writing, Junction 25 continues to make new performance work in Scotland and the core company is currently made up of around twenty young performers aged between 11 and 18. In this way, the core company is always changing and the direction of the creative work shifts as each new person adds their voice to the conversation. It is always an attempt at collaboration, shared ownership and co-authorship. It is always a group effort. Since 2005, Junction 25 has produced over twenty pieces of original work. We have toured festivals and venues across Scotland, the UK and internationally. In 2011, we presented I Hope My Heart Goes First at the Edinburgh Fringe as part of the Made in Scotland programme, where we received a Herald Angel Award and were named number 27 in List Magazine’s Hot 100 of Scottish Creative Talent. In 2013, we presented Anoesis to sell-out audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Anoesis went on to be included as part of the Conexoes Festival in 2015 through the British Council and was performed by groups of young people across Brazil. In 2015,

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A Beginner’s Guide to Devising Theatre

Junction 25 was awarded the prestigious CATS Whiskers award in Scotland for ‘an outstanding achievement in pioneering and high-quality work by young people’. This critical success has been rewarding for us in that it serves as an indicator that the group has achieved something of what we originally set out to do: to level the playing field between work made by professionals and the voices of young people on stage. In this way, we are immensely proud that Junction 25 has contributed to exploding the culture of mainstream programming to include work that might have previously been sidelined, allowing audiences to recognise the power and potential of young artists and what they have to offer.

2 Who Is This Book For? This book is inspired by the experiences we have had working with the young people who have been in our company, Junction 25. It is an attempt to record something of what we have learned from collaborating with them and the things we have found inspiring about making theatre from their ideas, experiences and opinions. It outlines our creative process, from laying the initial foundations for successful collaboration to presenting a performance in front of an audience and offers practical and philosophical insight along the way. As a result, we hope that this book will be exciting and accessible to young artists wanting to explore making their own work for the first time. For those studying theatre or who are part of a group or company, we hope that it will provide you with a set of suggestions for how you might structure your creative process and give you some new tools with which to experiment with on stage. Feel free to use these things to inform and empower you with what has gone before as well as to encourage you to break theatrical ‘rules’ and do it all your own way. This book is also designed to be useful to practising artists, youth theatre leaders and teachers – anyone who is facilitating other people to have a creative experience or supporting a group to make new theatre from scratch. We hope that you will find some clarity in how and why certain exercises work and in identifying starting points from which to build and nurture. To all readers, it is important to say that this book is not designed to be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to devising theatre, nor does it provide a blueprint for making a successful show. That just isn’t possible. Instead, it offers a framework through which to explore new ideas and utilise your own unique creative voice. We would encourage you to approach the reading of this book, not as a story that can only be read in sequence, but instead to imagine it as a collection of starting points designed to help you begin. We hope it enables you to take joy in both the complexity and the simplicity of the creative process. 7

3 Why Devise Theatre? Devising theatre is about thinking, conceiving and forming ideas, being imaginative and spontaneous, as well as planning. Alison Oddey, Devising Theatre (Routledge, 1994)

Many theatre productions begin life as a play, a story involving characters following a journey that has already been written down by a playwright. In this case, it is our job as directors and actors to bring this story to life through the creative ways in which we choose to present it to an audience. But what happens if, when we start, we have no script, no characters and no plot? What happens if we are starting with a blank page? To devise theatre is to make performance from scratch. This usually, although not always, occurs as a process of collaborative creation, where a group of individuals come together to share thinking, experiment with ideas and invent a new piece of work together. The power of devising is in its infinite possibility and the opportunity it offers theatre-makers to make something unique, something which is entirely their own and expresses their own ideas and experience of the world as they find it. Some of the most exciting new theatre and performance made today stems from this practice. Companies working in this way readily experiment with ideas of content, form, structure, staging and styles of performance in order to create new and exciting theatre.

devise (verb): to plan or invent (a complex procedure, system, or mechanism) by careful thought (OED D).

Devising can be an exciting prospect for a young artist as you begin to apply your developing toolkit to the process of making your own creative decisions and exploring new theatrical possibilities. In many ways, devising 8

Why Devise Theatre?

is a little like that moment as a child when you are given a blank piece of paper and a box of colours. It is completely up to you to decide how you choose to fill the paper: whether you will write or draw, recreate an image you have seen before or imagine something completely new. There are so many creative options open to you and it is really not possible to get it ‘wrong’. One of the things that is most exciting about this type of creative process is that everyone can bring their own individual skills to the mix. You might be a person who finds reading big chunks of text difficult but loves to dance or move on stage. Maybe you express yourself visually and spend hours experimenting with objects and materials or through music and can lose a whole day playing your guitar or harmonica or harp. Devising works on the basis that everyone has something to offer and has their own unique creative potential. The trick is really just to figure out how best to use it. Another key feature of the devising process is that you do not need to worry about the size of your cast. Whether you have 1, 10 or 100 people, it is equally possible to make something brilliant. It also does not matter who is in your group: whatever age, gender, background or ability, there is a space for everyone. You can imagine as many roles as there are people to play them. Devising theatre need not be reliant on the idea of having a ‘main part’ but instead relies on the fundamental idea that everyone involved is equally important and can contribute to the overall creative process in all sorts of ways. For the young people we have worked with, the most valuable thing about devising performance has always been the opportunity it has offered to them to use their own voice and have a say about the world as they find it. Making shows and sharing them with audiences has provided a platform to share some of their ideas, experiences, perspectives and questions with others. It has allowed them to challenge preconceived notions of who can be artist and who is qualified to make performance and shift focus away from the professional adults. In this way, it has enabled them to share the power and creativity inherent in young people and to energise the conversation around what theatre and performance can look like. As we consider the potential of devising performance it is also important to consider what the function of art is, in the first place. It is a mistake to imagine that it is not all just about ‘entertainment’. Art has always been the way human beings make sense of the world we live in. Right back when the Greeks were making the first shows in Athens (the origins of Western theatre), they were using theatre as a tool to communicate what they felt and

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believed about the society they lived in and to engage with their wider community in the larger questions they had about life and existence. This remains true of art to this day: every song, every painting, every poem, every play you can think of has been born out of human creativity. They are all the result of our need to share our thoughts and feelings and, in doing so, to encourage the thinking and feeling processes in others, too. When we consider it this way, we soon come to realise just how very powerful theatre and performance are and the potential they hold for all of us.

4 Beginning to Collaborate Chapter outline Our guiding values A note about hearing every voice Activities to introduce a group to each other for the first time A set of ideas for starting to work together

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Collaborate. The space between people working together is filled with conflict, friction, strife, exhilaration, delight and vast creative potential. Bruce Mau, An Incomplete Manifesto for Growth (http://www.manifestoproject.it, 1998)

The devising process most often involves working collaboratively and, as a result, it can be useful to begin with a discussion with your group about shared expectations and the way everyone would prefer to work together. This is not just about the practicalities of working such as times of rehearsals or available space – although these issues are, of course, relevant – but more about the values of how you want to communicate as a group and what you want your working environment to feel like for everyone. When we first set up Junction 25, we had a conversation about the kind of performance we were most interested in and the conditions we needed so as to feel the most creative and engaged in what we are doing. We made a list of how we might best achieve this type of learning environment every week, the things we most hoped to achieve. We called these our ‘guiding values’ and we used these ideas to underpin how we would work together as a group and fuel the process of our making performance as a collaborative creation. 11

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A Beginner’s Guide to Devising Theatre

Our guiding values Collaboration: We want to make our performances together as a group. Shared authorship: Our performances will not have just one author but many (all of us). Shared ownership: We will all own the performances we make together. Valuing everyone: We want our performances to value the unique individuals we have as part of our group. We want to make sure that every voice is heard in our rehearsals. Dialogue: We want our performances to encourage a larger conversation with others. Connection: We want our performances to help us make a connection with the world around us. Deciding on what you all care about can really help to focus your creative process and make sure you are all on the same page about what it is you want to achieve. It also means that if you get lost or stuck along the way (which sometimes you undoubtedly will), then a list like this can provide you with a valuable anchor, reminding you of what you wanted to achieve together in the beginning and what feels most important to the group as a whole (Figure 4.1).

Figure 4.1 Full cast of A Bit of Bite by Junction 25. Tramway, 2016. Photograph by Alan McAteer/Glasgow Life.

Beginning to Collaborate

A note about hearing every voice When you are having a conversation about how you all want to work, it is also important to make sure each person has a chance to speak and every voice is heard. Remember that groups are often made up of lots of different personalities and include people who communicate in all sorts of different ways. Not everyone feels confident in speaking in large group situations but that does not mean they do not have something really relevant and important to say. It is useful to consider that all conversations do not need to be verbal and so try and use a variety of styles and types of exercises in order to help everyone best contribute their ideas. Thinking in this way right from the very beginning of your process also means you are building exactly the right foundations for a positive and caring approach to collaboration that supports a fruitful and enriching creative process for everyone involved.

Activities to introduce a group to each other for the first time Meeting people for the first time can be really daunting and it can sometimes be hard to know what to say and how to start. As a result, it can be useful to begin a process with a simple exercise, with clear instructions that people can follow easily and that are not too intimidating. We have always found that making space at the start for a group to talk to one another and share small human details about themselves with each other can make all the difference to the quality of the energy of the room and the willingness of individuals to open up to possibilities of working with others in a new way. The following exercises are designed to give you ideas as to how this could work in practice.

Pair introductions Talk to the person next to you and find out any of the following details about them: ● ● ●

Three things they really love Three interesting facts Three things the two of you have in common

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Their hopes of what to learn/gain from the devising process

Introduce your partner to the bigger group, using their name and what you have just discovered about them.

Questions 1 Prepare some questions on small pieces of paper. 2 Place them in a hat or envelope. 3 One at a time, each person takes a question and answers it for the group. Example of possible questions could be: What is your favourite type of biscuit? Where would you most like to visit? What is your favourite colour? What is the worst thing you have ever eaten? What is the best joke you know? Have you ever had a nickname? Where were you born? This activity can also be played as a game by throwing a ball to each person and asking them a quick question. This suits the needs of some groups better. It is important to remind everyone not to suggest questions that are too personal or that they would not be prepared to answer themselves.

Movement round the circle 1 Ask everyone to think about how they are feeling about beginning the creative process and meeting everyone for the first time. 2 Ask them to find a movement that symbolises that feeling. 3 Invite each person to share their name with the larger group and then perform their action. If there are members of your group who have language barriers, then this exercise can be useful as it allows the group to think about expressing themselves through movement and the body rather than through speech.

Beginning to Collaborate

A set of ideas for starting to work together The following exercises provide ideas for beginning to embark on creative process with a new group of people.

Group contract A group contract is the process of arriving at a consensus about the conditions for working together that everyone can agree to. It is important to remember each new group will have a different set of needs and priorities and so contracts should change each time a new project begins. Contracts are not just about time-keeping and keeping the space tidy but also about the practical ways you foster creativity, how you would like to be treated as a fellow collaborator and how you learn and work best. A suggested process for making a contract is as follows: 1 In small groups, discuss how you each work best as individuals and what you value and find important in a creative environment. Write them down, ready to share with the larger group. 2 Share your findings as a whole and use them to write a central list of rules or ways you would like to work together. 3 Ask everyone to agree to keep to this contract. You can each sign it if you wish and/or put it up in the room you are working in so, as a group, you can keep referring to it.

Things to think about Working environment, atmosphere, how people treat each other.

Suggestions of things you might include in a contract ● ● ● ● ● ●

We will listen We will ask questions We will turn up on time We will be positive We will be honest with each other We will offer ideas

Some of these ideas might seem basic or obvious at first glance, although it can be useful to formalise them by writing them down.

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This means that everyone is clear about matters and understands what is expected of them from the outset, which often allows the group to have a more useful conversation should communication break down at any stage.

Manifesto A manifesto is less about setting rules and more about making a declaration of the intentions, motives or views a group agreed to use as a shared vision for the time they will work together. One way to develop a manifesto as a group might include the following steps: 1 In small groups, discuss what your vision for the process might be. Think about what each of you value in a creative process and what you find important to foster in a creative environment. 2 Share your findings as a whole group and use suggestions to make a central manifesto. This can take the form of a written paragraph, list or set of actions that you create together. 3 Perform the manifesto. You could select one person to read it on behalf of the group, take a line each, read it as a collective or, if it is a physical manifesto, perform it in partners, as a group or as individuals.

Things to think about Not everyone will have the same views or aims, how do you reach a consensus or a compromise? How do you make sure every voice is heard?

Extract from our Junction 25 Manifesto ●

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This is a space to make performance in a way that doesn’t feel as though you’re just a ‘child’ but have an equal voice in the world. This is a space where you can say how you would like the world to work, regardless of whether or not you are ‘qualified’ to say so. This is a space to feel challenged, inspired and encouraged. This is a space to speculate about the future. This is a space to become politicised and to speak your mind. This is a space in which ‘failure’ is not necessarily a bad thing. This is a space to feel safe in saying that you just don’t like something, or that you love something or even feel indifferent to it. Source e: Manifesto, Junction 25: www.junction-25.com

Part Two Devising Theatre in Seven Stages 5 6 7 8 9

An Overview Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic Stage 2: Selecting an Inquiry Question Stage 3: Finding the Frame Stage 4: Making Original Material for Performance 10 Stage 5: Structure and Composition 11 Stage 6: Reflection 12 Stage 7: Production – Sharing your Work with an Audience

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5 An Overview Where do we begin, how do we begin, to engage a critical mind? Matthew Goulish, Goat Island School Book (Salsedo Press, 1997)

When you are working with a script or existing story, it can often feel much easier to imagine what the steps might be to realise your final production. You know you will need to assign characters to performers, make decisions about staging and design, begin to learn lines and block each scene at a time. When you are devising theatre, you still have some of these challenges but there are also a whole new set of creative questions to consider as you try to make a new piece of performance from scratch. In our work, we have found it useful to break down the overall process for devising theatre into key stages: starting from generating ideas and building a group, right through to when the piece is finally ready. We have found that thinking in this way, with clear steps, has enabled us to develop an approach which best reflects the ways we want to work and provides us with a structure through which to channel our ideas. As a result, it has enabled the young people we work with to feel empowered and informed, in an environment where everyone knows the rules and everyone has a shared understanding of a shared goal and the way we might get there together. Working within the creative constraints of a structured process has also helped us to enjoy each part of the overall journey by itself and, in its own way, to resist the temptation to rush the work or worry too much about what the finished product will be and when it will be ready. As new young people have joined our company, this narrative has provided them with a sense of safety and an ability to trust that even in those moments of experimentation and play, there is still a plan. Things will all come together at a certain point just as they are supposed to, and there will be a show at the end of it. The aim of Part Two of this book is to introduce you to a possible way of structuring your creative process, with seven clear stages designed to support you along the way. These are: 19

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Stage 1: Building the group dynamic Stage 2: Selecting an inquiry question Stage 3: Finding the frame Stage 4: Making original material for performance Stage 5: Structure and composition Stage 6: Reflection Stage 7: Production – sharing your work with an audience The next seven chapters of this book are dedicated to exploring each of these stages. Looking in depth at the potential of each area and the ideas that support and underpin its overall purpose. We have tried to include lots of exercises as well as examples of how these things have worked for us in the shows we have made with Junction 25 in order to help support emerging artists to use these tools in practice. As you explore each of these stages in turn, we would encourage you to think of them as part of an overall system, an ecology of ideas that are all intrinsically linked to one another. It is, of course, possible (and useful) to dip in and out of these ideas to support your own creative journey and to help inform and inspire your own thinking as you make your own work. We just also want to be really clear that for us this is a process. A series of steps carefully designed to support the creation of original performance, from the first rehearsal right down to the final production.

6 Stage 1 Building the Group Dynamic Chapter outline Exercises that practice collaboration Exercises that build confidence in using our voices Exercises that build confidence in working physically together Exercises that encourage sharing stories about ourselves Exercises that practise support Exercises that help to think outside the box Understanding group dynamics

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Beginning a process by building the right group is crucial to the success of any creative project. It is vital that you spend time getting to know the individuals who make up the collective in order to understand how you can best work together. It is also important to acknowledge that working as part of a group can be hard. Collaborating with others is often challenging and can be messy, complicated and sometimes emotional. It involves the bringing together of lots of people who all work in different ways and can have a range of different expectations. It involves effort and compromise and understanding. It requires you to show up and be in the room. Contributing your own ideas and opinions in order to try and make something together. To risk yourself and commit to the notion that maybe sometimes the suggestion you just made might not work as well as the one somebody else did. To be okay when things do not go your way whilst also having the confidence to suggest another point of view where necessary. 21

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So often in the past, when collaboration has felt tricky for us, when we have been stuck with a creative problem, not been able to agree on an ending or lighting state or song choice, we have found ourselves wondering if it might not be easier to work on our own? If we were just one and not many, then maybe we could achieve our own artistic vision more quickly. We could make what we want to make and say what we want to say. Maybe then the show could just belong to us alone. It would be better that way, clearer, less complicated. Right? Then we remember that we actually think that working with other people is a very important thing in the world (in small ways and big ways). That engaging in creativity with others and trying to make theatre as a group is a small but radical act of community. For us, working in this way has been about actively considering more than one perspective and being open to learn from viewpoints and experiences that are not our own. It has been about creating a space for many stories, many journeys and many ideas to come together in one final product. This has always been very exciting for us and has filled us with all sorts of joy. So now, because we know that working as part of a group is hard, but very important, we always put time and space into the beginning of the process to practise our collaboration. As a result, we all participate in a series of exercises and activities designed to help us explore some of the ideas and qualities that will support our creative work further down the line. We think of it a little like the foundations of a house: you need the bottom layer to be firm and solid in order to support the future building you want to put up. Once you are finished, no one will see it and will instead focus on the beautiful front door or the view from the windows, but those first bricks will still be there holding everything else up. They are always the first to be laid and integral to the success of the building as a whole. When making a show, it is the same. It is important to consider your foundations, the strong start on which everything else will be built (Figure 6.1). We believe that this stage, Stage 1, is key to the success of creative collaboration and should never be skipped, even when working with exactly the same people as in a previous project. Get it right and you pave the way for a creative process, where everyone feels valued, invested and supported and stands the best possible chance to make creative work of the highest quality and something you can all be proud of – something that you made together. We have often heard this first part of a process called a ‘warm up’ and we would stress that, for us, it is actually quite a different thing. Building the right group dynamic is about seeding some of the important ideas and

Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic

Figure 6.1 Eoin Mackenzie, Ethan Brodie, Clare Morris, Laiqa Umar, Maria Bissett, Eilidh Bryant and Lucy Bozkurt in I’d Rather Humble than Hero by Junction 25. Tramway, 2014. Photograph by Carrie Hay.

values that will underpin the work you will go on to make together. It is about identifying the kind of creative environment you want to build that will support a deep and quality process of making art together. For us, the choices of exercises we draw on in building a group dynamic are directly informed by our guiding values as outlined in the previous chapter, ‘Beginning to Collaborate’. In order to work towards the group understanding and practising these values, we choose exercises and activities that will develop some of these skills practically in the rehearsal room. As a result, we frame our exercises in the following ways so that we are able to be really clear about why we use them and what qualities they contain that will support a deep and meaningful creative process for everyone going forward: ● ● ● ● ● ●

Exercises that practise collaboration Exercises that build confidence in using our voices Exercises that build confidence in working physically together Exercises that encourage sharing things about ourselves Exercises that practise support Exercises that help to think outside the box

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As you explore these exercises, discussed in more detail below, you may find that some of them are not new to you. As with many drama exercises, they have been passed down and developed over many years and are taught in lots of ways. There are multiple different versions of them and these are just the way we choose to lead them in a way that has worked for us. You should take them and make them your own too.

Exercises that practise collaboration We often like to begin a process with a series of exercises that ask our group to begin working together with one another in simple ways. We want to begin from the idea that the theatre we are making is based on collaboration rather than competition, and the quality of the group is important. As straightforward as it may sound, this can often be a new idea for some groups. Many still anticipate the culture of lead roles that comes with some existing theatre practices and, as a result, are thinking about how to stand out in order to get the ‘main part’. We try and spend time addressing this by working in a way that explores performance as a dialogue and asks individuals to consider that they are an important part of a larger ensemble. The strength of what they then will go on to make and perform will be the result of the strength of the group as a whole and the quality of meaning that is shared. The following exercises aim to introduce some of these values practically.

Shapes How to do it Ask the group to walk/move around the room. Ask them to pay attention to the space they are working in: the furniture, the colour of the walls and the texture of the floor, the windows, the technology, one another. Ask them to look at one another in the eye and to smile at one another, acknowledging each member of the group, in turn. Without talking, ask the group to work together and use their bodies to make the following shapes in the room: ● ● ●

2 squares 6 circles 2 hexagons

Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic

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3 spirals 1 zigzag

Shapes and numbers can be varied.

Why it works This exercise requires the group to work together to find new ways to communicate. The simplicity of the instruction and the shared language of numbers and shapes means that there is no real complex negotiation required. Instead, the group must focus on achieving a clear goal together by paying attention to one another and the space they share. The fact that this exercise must be completed in silence is also a real leveller and means that those who might ordinarily take the role of vocal ‘leader’ (as happens in most groups) have to find a new way to work. It is also an excellent way to get new groups moving and exploring touch in a simple and supported way.

Groups of How to do it Ask the group to walk/move around the room. On a given instruction and without talking, ask them to form a group of a specified number: ● ● ● ●

2 4 6 12 (whole group)*

* Numbers can be altered to suit the size of the group. It is also important to remind the group that variations are permitted when necessary. It is more important that no one person is left out than that the numbers are exact.

Each time a group is formed, all members must remember names and faces so that the same group can easily be reformed. Repeat the numbers, in turn, and ask the group to attempt to re-form their original group in the quickest time possible. You can develop the game to give each combination group an object to create together, using only their bodies:

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● ● ● ●

2 – a household object 4 – a famous monument 6 – a poster for a film 12 – an historical event

Play the game again, where groups have to re-form and recreate their images in the quickest time possible. It can help to play upbeat music to help the group find the energy of the game.

Why it works This exercise asks participants to use both verbal and physical communication in responding to a simple task. They have to practise sharing creative ideas and working practically in a quick and energised way. The playful and competitive nature of the game also allows groups to begin to work with touch and explore their physical boundaries in an enjoyable and non-pressured way.

Lines of How to do it Give the group a time limit of 30 seconds to form a line in response to the following categories. They must not use verbal communication but must instead find other ways to organise themselves: ● ● ● ● ●

Height Birth month Hand size Hair length Names in alphabetical order

Categories and time limits can change where appropriate.

Why it works This is an exercise designed to explore non-verbal communication. It asks groups to find new ways to share information with one another and to learn things about one another. It is a gentle way to begin to practise things like eye contact and touch, which are integral parts of meaningful group work. This exercise also helps to create connections as the group explores its identity as a collective made up of different individuals.

Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic

Exercises that build confidence in using our voices Devising theatre involves a lot of time working together as part of a collective but also requires individuals to contribute their own ideas and opinions to the development of a new piece of work. For this reason, it is important to spend some time encouraging each person to feel confident and empowered in using their voice as part of the creative process. There are times where it can be hard to find your voice within a group situation. It is often difficult to identify where and when you are allowed to offer a different perspective and how to go about this. Fears about having something ‘worthwhile’ to say or anxiety around the reaction of others can lead some people to opt out of discussion and, as a result, means that some voices are lost from the group. We believe that it is important to work against this possibility right from the outset with a series of activities and exercises designed to promote each voice in the room, in both small and big ways, encouraging differing opinions and exploring ideas from all possible angles. Delivered in the right way, this should lead to a creative environment, where all members of a group continue to ask of themselves: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

What are the things I agree with other people about? How do I think differently? What are my opinions? Am I allowed to change my mind? Can I think about that idea from another perspective? What is really important to me and why? Why is my voice important to the conversation? Why do I need to hear the voices of others?

Preferences How to do it Ask individuals to stand on two opposite sides of the room in response to their preferred choice or two options. For example: ● ● ●

Summer or winter Sweet or savoury Tea or coffee

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Film or football match City or countryside Rock music or rap music Night out or night in

Where appropriate, you can ask people to share the reason behind the specific choice they made and encourage discussion around likes/dislikes/thoughts.

Possible development Ask each side to create a still image or short advert about why their preferred choice is ‘better’. How might they encourage the other group to reconsider their preference?

Why it works This is a really gentle introduction to autobiography and individual decision-making. It encourages participants to offer opinions in a low-risk, ‘everyday’ kind of way and allows for the group to make connections as they share small details about themselves with others. The framing of having a preference also does not require individuals to give too much if they are not yet ready to but instead asks them to make a simple choice between two clear options.

Categories How to do it Ask the group to all walk/move around the room. Give them the instruction to find other people who have something specific in common with them by standing in groups of the following categories: 1 2 3 4 5

Favourite food Music taste Favourite genre of film A place you would like to travel to Favourite/least favourite subject at school

Why it works The group use verbal language to find out things about each other and make connections in the room. This is a useful exercise to support individuals to begin to feel less nervous with one another as they begin to share small details about themselves and explore

Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic

areas of commonality. It also promotes the idea of dialogue and the notion of participants being asked to contribute something of themselves to the process.

30 seconds How to do it Prepare an envelope with a variety of categories or conversation topics. For example: ● ● ● ● ●

Animals Politics Weather Hobbies Food

1 Ask the group to sit in a circle. 2 Ask each person, in turn, to take out a category and talk about that category continuously without stopping for 30 seconds.

Why it works This is an exercise that uses the framing of a timed challenge to encourage individuals to share ideas and opinions quickly and without worrying too much. It allows them to share small details about themselves and their likes/dislikes with the wider group and, in doing so, make initial connections with others. It also encourages the group to actively listen to each other and to appreciate the quality that comes from having different voices in the room.

Spectrum How to do it Ask the group to agree on a side of the room that is ‘Strongly Agree’ and a side that is ‘Strongly Disagree’. Make a clear statement on a given subject. For example: ● ● ●

Watching films is an excellent form of escapism. Chocolate is good for you. It is always better to be outside than inside.

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Ask the group to place themselves along an imaginary line between the two opinions in order to signify their thoughts in relation to it. Where appropriate, ask individuals to share why they chose that position and encourage dialogue around the various perspectives in the room. Depending on where the group is in the process of working together, you can go deeper and select statements designed to encourage a greater level of critical dialogue. For example: ● ● ●

Young people are just underdeveloped adults. Formal education is not for everyone. Gender is about society, not biology.

Safety note: It is important for this exercise to be carefully facilitated so that individuals do not feel attacked or alienated for having differences of opinion.

Why it works This exercise allows individuals to think about their own opinion on a given subject and to actively share it with others. It encourages decision-making and allows participants to see the range of ideas within the group. Using the form of a ‘spectrum’, it also recognises that we are all coming from different places and have different ideas about things. Facilitated properly, the exercise should celebrate dialogue and model a positive and fluid discussion around points of view and ways of thinking. It also asks a group to consider new ideas from a variety of angles and appreciate the complexity in asking difficult questions.

Exercises that build confidence in working physically together The following exercises are designed to explore a shared physicality without putting too much pressure on ideas of ‘dance’ or ‘movement’. Through working with clear instructions and systems, groups are encouraged to try different ways of moving that they would perhaps not have tried before. There is an emphasis on enjoying the process of moving – getting the heart rate going and making physical connections with one another without the pressure of performance. We always use music with these exercises as we find it creates a light and energetic atmosphere and enables the right environment to encourage creative play.

Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic

Skipping How to do it Take a long skipping rope and put on a playlist of songs that have a good beat to them. Ask two people to turn the rope for the rest of the group. Offer the following instructions: ● ● ● ● ●

● ● ●

Run through the rope Run through the rope, one after the other, without leaving a gap Run through the rope with a partner Run through the rope as a whole group Find a new way to move through the rope (e.g. jump, slide, cartwheel, leap) Find a new way to move through the rope with a partner Try and jump the rope Try and jump the rope as one whole group. It is important there is a big enough gap between everyone so that no one hurts the person in front or behind when they jump.

Why it works By creating an atmosphere of a ‘challenge’, groups are encouraged to experiment with different ways to move. Working in this way asks them to be instinctive and encourages an instant creative response as they find new ways to negotiate the rope. There is also an element of collaboration as they work with others to be creative with their bodies and try things they might not otherwise have considered. The final task of jumping the rope as a whole group is a clear metaphor for working together as a group and approaching new challenges as a collective.

Dancing down the room How to do it 1 Ask everyone to find a partner and for pairs to stand in a queue, one behind the other, at one end of the room. 2 Play some upbeat music – something that will encourage dancing within the group. 3 Ask the first pair to find a way to move down the room together. This can be any kind of movement but should be found

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organically and without too much worry. It just needs to allow them to travel in a dynamic way. 4 Ask everyone else to copy the first pair and follow them down the room and back, using the same movement. 5 Ask the second pair to lead the line with a new movement, which, in turn, everyone copies. 6 Repeat this until the end of the song or until every pair has had a chance to lead the movement. Ask the group to consider ideas such as speed, dynamic and levels. Also, to try and create a movement everyone can copy but that explores using the body in various ways. Variation: Line dance 1 Ask everyone to stand in a line. 2 Ask the first person to perform a movement that travels, which everyone copies. They can lead for 20 seconds before running to the back of the line, leaving the next person to change the movement. Variation: Circle dance 1 Ask everyone to stand in a circle. 2 Ask one person to enter the middle of the circle and perform a dance move that everyone copies. 3 After 20 seconds, invite the person in the middle to approach someone else and give a high five. This new person can then go into the middle of the circle and change the movement.

Why it works These exercises ask the group to engage in quick collaboration and to try something out without thinking or worrying too much about whether it works or how it looks. It requires individuals to think quickly, make a non-verbal connection and to adapt and build on what their partner is doing. This is also a hugely joyful set of exercises that allow people to not only interpret movement in their own way but also instill an overall sense of unity and collective action. We often like to do them when we are preparing to go on stage as they always bring a lot of energy and build the group dynamic in preparation for performance.

Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic

Body parts How to do it Ask the group to move around the room. Instruct them to find ways to connect with each other, only using certain parts of their body. For example: ● ● ●

Palm to palm Foot to foot Back to back

You can develop this exercise to find a way to connect two different body parts. For example: ● ● ●

Head to thigh Finger to knee Stomach to arm

A further development is then to ask them to find creative ways to connect more than one body part at the same time. For example: ● ● ●

4 heads, 3 backs 5 stomachs, 3 arms, 2 legs 2 toes, 4 necks, 6 shoulders

Why it works This exercise encourages instant collaboration and quick decisionmaking. It builds up slowly, allowing the participants to become increasingly more comfortable with touch and physical connection. It asks them to create abstract shapes with their bodies and to find new ways of moving together. It also asks them to be creative in their ways of interpreting the task and to negotiate their own comfort levels in terms of the connections they are making.

Exercises that encourage sharing stories about ourselves The act of telling stories about ourselves is often called autobiography, and this is something we are really interested in exploring when devising new performance work. That said, we know this way of working can often cause

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a little trepidation for groups exploring it for the very first time. We all tend to enjoy listening to stories about other people but, when asked to share stories about ourselves, we worry about whether we are interesting enough or have enough to contribute. As artists, we believe that every human being is fascinating and feel that the personal stories we each have to share also have a huge amount of political and poetic potential. It is also important to say that it is not always the ‘big’ stories that make the best theatre but that moments of inspiration and connection can come from the everyday details of our memories, experiences, our relationships and the questions we have about the world around us. Sometimes, it is these small details that offer us the greatest opportunity to make meaning and communicate with others. We have found the following conventions helpful in unlocking some of the stories we each carry and in developing an overall confidence in performers to begin to share this type of material with one another and appreciate the beauty and poetry in everyday autobiography.

The story of my name How to do it Invite each person to write their own name in large letters on an A4 piece of paper (or a chalk board that can be passed around the circle). Ask each person, in turn, to hold up their name and tell the group one story that is associated with one or all of their names. This might include: ● ● ● ● ● ●

The reason why they were given the name A name they might have been given but weren’t A family connection The lineage of their surname A more current story related to their name A story about a nickname they have

Remind the group that there is no ‘right way’ to do this and is up to the individual to decide on the details they would like to focus on.

Why it works This is essentially an introduction to storytelling and enables people to find connections with one another through simple details of people and place.

Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic

It is also a great exercise for exploring culture and understanding where different people have come from. Different countries and communities have different relationships with naming and talking through this frame can be an excellent way to recognise and celebrate diversity in the creative space, right from the outset. On a practical level, we have also found that this exercise is extremely effective in encouraging the group to learn one another’s name. Hearing a name at the same time as a story just makes it much easier to remember and connect with a person and a little of their personality. The action of writing a name on paper and holding it up also gives a useful focus that helps with the overall confidence of individuals being asked to speak in front of the whole group, often for the very first time.

This belongs to me How to do it 1 Ask everyone to take an object out of their bag that they feel says something about them. For example: what they like, what they do, something about their family, what they find important, how they like to work, etc. 2 In pairs, ask each person to tell each other about their object and why they chose it. When they have finished the story, ask them to give their partner their object to ‘look after’ and leave the interaction, having swapped objects and stories. 3 Instruct each person to then find another partner, introduce the object they are looking after and talk about who it belongs to and why it is significant. Example: ‘These headphones belong to Sacha and they are significant because they were given to her by her brother when he moved away.’ Ask them to swap objects and stories once again. 4 Invite everyone to come and sit in a circle. Ask each person, in turn, to tell the whole group about the object they are ‘looking after’ and the story they carry about it. Once the story is told, ask them to pass the object back to its rightful owner and give them an opportunity to correct any details that are not quite right in the ‘retelling’ or to add anything else they would like to share.

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Note: The step of swapping stories can be repeated as many times as feels appropriate. Emphasis should be placed on active listening and ‘caring’ for stories and objects as they are passed around the room.

How it works This exercise allows the group to share stories about themselves through everyday items. Through beginning with a simple object, we begin to discover larger narratives and a little of what each individual is bringing to the group as a whole. It also introduces the core ideas of care and explores the basic notion of ‘looking after’ each other’s material in an autobiographical context. The metaphor here is, if we can look after these small stories, then we also can move on to look after bigger, more significant pieces of material created by individuals as we begin to make a piece of work together.

Here is a memory How to do it 1 Ask a person to write down a memory that is important to them in some way but that they feel happy to share with others. Encourage them to consider the detail and quality of the description they might choose to include in their writing: Where are they? What can they see? Hear? Smell? What are the colours around them? Who is there? What are people wearing? How are they feeling? What happens? Memories can be written in any way, to flow like prose or captured in a list of sentences or words. It might also include a drawing or diagram. Ask them not to put their name on the memory but to keep it anonymous. 2 Invite everyone to place their written memory in an individual envelope and make a small mark somewhere on it so that it is identifiable only to them as the author. Place all of the envelopes in the centre of the circle. 3 Ask each person to select a new envelope (being careful not to take their own). Ask them to read the memory in the envelope and to use it to make a new moment of performance. In doing so, they are creating a performance ‘for’ the person who contributed the memory in a way that they will recognise it as theirs and appreciate it. 4 Encourage pieces to be performed, one after the other, in an anonymous way so that the person who originally contributed

Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic

the memory is not required to identify themselves, if they do not wish to do so.

Why it works Much like the previous exercises, this activity asks participants to hear another person’s story and to value it. The development here is that it also requires an individual to consider how they might work creatively with this material. Through making a small moment of performance, they must also think about how to care for this story and handle it with sensitivity and respect. This is excellent practice for what is required of group devising and will help lay the foundations of a considerate and meaningful collaboration going forward.

Exercises that practise support Introducing the core value of support is a really important part of our process and something we prioritise very early on. Elements of what we traditionally know as ‘trust’ exercises can also be found in the following examples but, for us, the metaphor here is a little bigger. Framing this work through the lens of ‘support’ shifts the emphasis from the individual to the group and asks the collective to take responsibility for each individual. Support is an active idea that considers the dynamics between people, what we each need and how we might encourage and nurture one another in the ways we work together. We often begin by exploring this idea physically with a number of exercises designed to ask groups to support each other practically in the rehearsal room. Often, through witnessing actions such as falling, lifting and being supported by others, individuals are better able to reflect the need for this level of care as part of the larger devising process. As the group begin to take small, managed physical risks with one another and feel supported as a result, they are then more able to move on to take other risks in the making and performing of original material because they feel supported to do so. It is important to acknowledge that exercises like this can often be challenging for some people and takes them outside of their existing comfort zone. It can sometimes be difficult to let go and allow others to support us and to take on the responsibility of supporting others. As a result, it is vital you take this work slowly and in small manageable steps. Always make sure

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there are enough confident, experienced leaders to facilitate the process and to support the wider group to explore these new skills together.

Paper island How to do it 1 Instruct each person in the group to take a piece of newspaper and place it in on the floor in order to construct an ‘island’ in the centre of the room. 2 Play music and ask the group to walk round the island in a clockwise direction. 3 Stop the music and instruct the group that the aim of the game is that each time the music stops, every person needs to have their feet on the island and not on the floor. 4 Repeat the game and each time take away another piece of paper to make the island smaller. Continue until there is only one piece of paper remaining or the group can no longer support itself.

Why it works The context of the ‘game’ allows a sense of fun and joyful exploration as boundaries are explored and individuals physically work together towards a shared goal. As the island gets smaller, the group must find new ways to support one another and practise skills in strategic thinking and problem-solving. We often use this action of all standing on one piece of paper as a metaphor for the overall process: of being on the ‘same page’, looking after one another and achieving something we thought might not be possible when we first began.

Leading and following How to do it 1 Ask everyone to find a partner and to label each person A and B. 2 Ask A to close their eyes and B to lead them by the hand on a journey around the room. 3 Once trust has been established, invite A to drop B’s hand and now to guide them with a gentle hand on B’s elbow. Then, again when everyone is comfortable, just by walking next to them and then finally simply by using their voice. 4 Ask A and B to swap roles.

Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic

Why it works This is an exercise based largely on non-verbal communication and trust. The group is required to take responsibility for one another and to care for one another’s overall experience. Once again, this is a metaphor for making performance and for the support required to explore meaningful material together. On a practical note, it is also a useful exercise for practising focus and discipline, as participants need to give all of their attention to another person and must try not to be distracted.

Leap of faith (stage dive) How to do it 1 Invite one person to stand on a raised platform (a stable, heavyweight secure rostra or stage can often work well). 2 Instruct the rest of the group to stand underneath them with their arms raised in the air. The people at the front of the group should prepare to support the person’s legs, the people in the middle support the hips (this is the heaviest part) and the people at the back take the shoulders and head. 3 Instruct the person on the raised platform to stand with their back to the group with their hands crossed over their chest. On making sure the group is ready (a call and response can be useful for being clear about this: ‘Ready? Ready!’), invite them to fall backwards onto the group. 4 Instruct the group to support them in the air, before placing them back carefully onto the platform or up to standing on the floor. Safety note: You must only do this exercise if there are enough participants to support every person in the group. It would be very alienating for anyone who felt they could not participate because of their physicality. It is possible to do this exercise with anyone and it is just about having the right size of group to achieve it properly.

Why it works This is an exercise that requires full attention and participation of all members of the group. The risk involved is real and, in this way, the stakes feel high. This is trust work at its very best as the group are

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really able to see and understand the reality of what is being asked of them and their responsibility in action. It can take time for each member of the group to try this exercise but the results are longlasting and always worth it. There is real value in participants challenging themselves to take a ‘leap of faith’ and then feeling the physical effects of being supported by the group. It has always been our experience that the work that goes on to be created by the individuals in rehearsal is much richer as a result of investing in the group in this way.

Falling and flying How to do it Note: Before attempting this exercise, refer to ‘A Note about Taking Weight’, in the section below. Falling 1 Ask one person to stand in the middle of the circle and cross their arms over their chest. Instruct the rest of the group to gather in a tight circle around them. 2 Invite the person in the centre to say, ‘Ready,’ and the group to place their hands on them. Ask the centre person to say (loudly), ‘I’m falling,’ before giving their weight to the group. In this way, the group will be able to support them to move from side to side in the constraints of the small circle. 3 As the person increases in confidence, encourage the group to step out, in order to create a larger space between them and the person in the middle. They still need to have their hands out, ready to catch them, but this time will need to move forward in order to make the catch. At this point, instruct the person in the middle to say (loudly), ‘I’m falling forwards’ or ‘I’m falling backwards,’ before they fall so the group can anticipate where the catch needs to be and which members of the group need to engage. It is important to make sure you agree as a group before starting how many people are required to make the catch. This is usually at least 3 or 4. 4 Repeat with each member of the group. Development: When everyone is confident with this way of working, you can develop the exercise so that the group move around slowly

Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic

in a circle. The person in the middle says (loudly), ‘I’m falling forwards/ backwards,’ the group must react quickly and run in order to catch them. Then, if the person in the middle feels comfortable, the group can take it to a run. Flying Note: This should first be practised in slow steps. 1 Ask one person to stand in the middle of the group, cross their arms over their chest and say (loudly), ‘I’m flying,’ before falling backwards. Instruct the 6 people around them to then step in to lift them, 2 people support the shoulders, 2 people the hips and 2 people the legs. As the person falls, the group lift with the momentum created – this should be led by the people supporting the hips. 2 Once the person is in the air, everyone can take a couple of steps forward before placing the person down again gently, feet first. The movement should be swift but careful. Note: If you have a large group and more than one leader, it can be useful to split into two groups for this part of the exercise.

Falling and flying: An improvised performance Once the whole group is good at the skills of Falling and Flying, you can use it to create a small moment of improvised performance in the following way: Ask the group to walk around the room. At any point, anyone is invited to raise their hand and say (very loudly), ‘I’m falling’ or ‘I’m flying.’ At this point, the rest of the group must run to the person and respond by either supporting them to fall or lifting them. Music can be added to help create a mood or dynamic, although do make sure to play it at an appropriate volume so instructions can be clearly heard. Safety note: When doing this as a performance, it is important to remember that the person in the middle may fall in any direction, forwards or backwards. As a group, you need to take full responsibility and make sure that all members are alert and ready to respond at all times. The person falling/flying should feel at ease that they will be surrounded and supported on all sides. It is important to remember that you must never leave it up to 1 person to catch someone. There must be at least 3 for a fall and 6 for

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flying and these should be the people nearest the person who has called the command.

Why it works This exercise requires time, space and investment from everyone involved. Each step must be given careful consideration and nothing must be rushed or skipped. However, the result of this hard work is that the group is soon able to develop an increased level of trust with one another that allows them to explore their physical possibilities on stage. Getting to the stage where they are able to support one another to ‘fall’ or ‘fly’ is cohesion in action. It builds strength and practises care, awareness and trust in the undertaking of collective support.

A note about taking weight When supporting others, you must have a strong base. To achieve this, stand with one foot in front of the other, with your knees slightly bent, spread your weight evenly over both feet in a shallow lunge, from which you can move to either side. This position will best allow you to take the weight of another person and to lower them safely to the ground. When you are moving in to catch another person, the best way we have heard it described is by Gary McNair, a theatre-maker we have often collaborated with, who talks about it much like how you would catch an egg: you need to go with the movement rather than meet the movement with resistance. When working with support and taking weight, it is important to think about safety and to pay attention to all instructions. Even though you are part of a bigger group, you cannot rely on others to do the work for you. For these exercises to work, everyone must stay focused, be alert and be careful at all times.

A note about touch Some people find touch difficult and it is important you ask permission before entering into any physical work with others. Talk through the steps of an exercise before trying anything practically and always be prepared to stop and go back to the beginning where it is safe to do so. Remember that some people can also find it challenging to give their weight to someone else and should be supported to take things at their own pace. It is really important to create the right atmosphere for this to happen, and gentle encouragement

Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic

and small steps can really help to build confidence and support those less confident to have a go if they can.

Exercises that help to think outside the box The ability to see lots of possible answers to a question, lots of possible ways to interpret a question, to think laterally, to think not just in linear or convergent ways, to see multiple answers, not one. Ken Robinson, RSA ANNIMATE: Changing Educational Paradigms (Cognitive Media, 2010)

Very often in life, we are used to following pre-existing rules and systems. We have been taught ways to think and behave in certain situations and it can be difficult to imagine another set of choices. At its very best, creative practice can free us from these dominant ways of thinking and offer us the opportunity to look at things in new and innovative ways. Looking at things from a diverse range of perspectives and trying to imagine other opportunities is a key part of the artistic process and so we always build it into our initial work as a group. During this stage, we think a lot about meaning: what we mean in relation to one another, in relation to the objects and materials we bring into the space and to the context or site that we are performing in. We think about the fact that every action matters and every tiny thing holds meaning. We think about metaphorical meaning, poetry and the idea that theatre and performance is not just narrative storytelling but can also allow us to explore different forms and to make something entirely new. The following exercises are designed to encourage individuals to break the rules and think outside the box in order to explore their own creativity in its fullest potential.

Stop, Go, Jump, Clap! How to do it 1 Ask the group to move around the room and to respond to the following commands in a literal way: ● ●

Go (moving around the room) Stop (stop moving)

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Jump (jump once in the air) Clap (clap hands once) 2 Then ask them to reinterpret the rules by swapping the action they would naturally perform as a response to a command so that it becomes: ● ●

Stop (moving around room) Go (stop moving) ● Jump (clap hands once) ● Clap (jump once in the air) 3 Play the game so that anyone who forgets to reinterpret the new commands is ‘out’ and has to sit at the side. ● ●

Development Once the group is comfortable with the framing of the game, you can make it a little more challenging by giving multiple commands at the same time. For example: ● ● ●

Jump, Jump, Clap, Go Clap, Jump, Clap, Jump Stop, Stop, Go, Stop, Jump

Why it works This is a game that immediately shifts the energy in the room and seeds the metaphor of thinking in a new way. How does it feel to go against the rules as we know and understand them? This introduces the idea that a creative space can provide an alternative environment to explore what things can be rather than what they are.

Pass the chair How to do it 1 Ask the group to sit in a circle. 2 Pass a chair around the circle. Invite each person to find a way to interact with the chair in a way that changes its meaning. For example, a performer holds the chair to their ear (making it a phone); a performer cradles the chair (making it a baby). 3 Encourage the rest of the group to guess what it is that the chair has become.

Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic

Development 1 Place a chair in the middle of the circle. 2 One at a time, ask each person to enter the circle and place themselves in relation to the chair in order to create an interesting image. Encourage them not to decide on a story or lead the meaning by using obvious facial expressions. Ask the rest of the group to say what they can see or interpret from the image. 3 Repeat by adding more people to the exercise.

Why it works This activity stimulates a group’s imagination and asks them to look for new possibilities and alternative ways of looking at things. This opens the potential for a discussion around the power held by the ‘viewer’ to help make and shape meaning. This can be an exciting shift in a group’s understanding of the dynamic between performer and audience and seeds the idea that how we watch and what we see is largely informed by our personal viewpoint and previous experience.

Stand, sit, lie How to do it Ask each person to find a space in the room with a chair. Invite them to improvise a small solo performance using only three basic instructions: ● ● ●

You can sit You can stand You can lie down

Encourage individuals not to actively try and make meaning or develop a story but instead just to play with the rules and the potential they hold. Playing with levels, speed, repetition and transition. Music can also be played in order to support focus and provide additional framing. Split the group in half and encourage each smaller group to watch the improvisation and discuss what they see. What stories do the audience find for themselves? What images do they discover?

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Development Ask each person to select eight of their favourite positions and link them together to make a sequence. Consider: transitions, speed, levels and repetition.

Why it works This exercise gives a clear structure for making a simple solo that allows a group to see that meaning can be made not just by the performer but also by the audience. Taking away the performer’s power over what something ‘means’ immediately opens up the idea of a communication between artist and audience and the possible creation of meaning.

A note about accessibility It is important to note that these exercises can all be adapted to suit the needs of any group. Some exercises will be more appropriate and others not so, depending on who is in the room. We always select and tailor each activity to include everyone. Language has a large part to play: for example, instead of saying ‘walk’ round the room, we would say ‘move’ so as not to suggest it is an exercise only for certain types of bodies.

Understanding group dynamics When trying to build the right dynamic in a group, it is important to remain open and responsive to how it feels in the room. When you get a set of different personalities together, the resulting energy is naturally always very different. You will find some groups can be loud and fast in their interactions, while some are more reserved and tend to take time over things. Some groups will be full of ideas and a desire to try everything and others will take more encouragement. What works for one set of people might not work for another and it is crucial to allow some flexibility in your choice of exercises that best cater for the specific needs of the room. We have worked with many different groups over the years, made up of performers of all combinations of ages, backgrounds and cultures and, each time we begin a new process, we find ourselves talking a lot about what a new group might most need or benefit from in order to support their creative process.

Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic

Examples of different group dynamics Group A We were once commissioned to make a new piece of devised theatre with a group of young actors. The group had been put together through a process of auditions and met weekly at a main stage theatre. They had worked together for a few months prior to starting rehearsals with us and had taken part in a few master classes with visiting directors. The project with us was to be their first big show. The first thing we were aware of when meeting the group was how loud and ‘showy’ everyone was. It seemed that they were always talking, singing and trying to demonstrate their various skills at all times. We soon realised that they were thinking and worrying about the final show and how big/small their own part would be. In a sense, they were still auditioning for us as directors, wanting us to see and appreciate all they had to offer, to recognise their ‘potential’. They did not yet understand that we cared more about community than competition in our approach to making theatre and that we would all spend a lot of time experimenting with ideas and exploring meaning before even beginning to worry about what the final show would be. For this group, we realised that Stage 1 would need to involve a larger proportion of exercises designed to build qualities such as care, trust and collaboration. We would need to help this group to find ways to listen to one another more carefully. They would need to challenge the idea that the loudest person is the most interesting and begin to appreciate the texture and potential offered by different personalities coming together.

Group B We were leading a creative residency in a secondary school near where we live. We were working with a group of 18 first- and secondyear students (aged 11–12), taken from a variety of different classes. What united them was that they were all using English as a second language but this also meant the group soon divided as people gravitated to those who spoke the same first language as them. This

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meant that at any one time, there could be lots of people speaking simultaneously in different languages and, while this was exciting in some ways, it also made it impossible to achieve anything as a whole group. A lack of confidence in English also meant that several individuals visibly withdrew from activity and disengaged completely from creative work. For this group, it felt that we needed to prioritise exercises that functioned on non-verbal communication in Stage 1: to lean into the opportunity theatre offered us to make connections that are not reliant on oral language but that allow us to speak in other ways using eye contact, physicality, relationship with objects, etc. Primarily engaging in these ways would allow us to support this group to feel comfortable together – in both their difference and similarities – and to move towards making a piece of work together.

Group C We went to work in another country with a group of 12 young performers selected to make a brand new piece of devised theatre that would play for six weeks in a main stage theatre. The group was incredibly committed and conscientious. They were always there early, never missed a rehearsal and always went above and beyond what was asked of them in each new task. They were also quite serious and found it difficult to explore ideas outside of the parameters of what they already knew and understood theatre to be. When we asked them what they thought, they always gave well-constructed answers that were positive and pointed to an area of learning they felt they still needed to do. We soon started to realise that this group was really worrying about getting it right. They had a view of us as ‘international directors’, as having superior knowledge and expertise, and wanted to please us at all times. We felt this was blocking their creativity and meant they were never fully able to let go and discover new territory on their own. It was also difficult for them to achieve a larger sense of ownership of the work we were making together and what it meant for them personally. For this group, we felt that Stage 1 needed to be heavily weighted around exercises that encourage individuals to use their voice and exercises designed to build a sense of play. We wanted to support the group to challenge the idea that the director has a greater amount

Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic

of power and to accept the possibility of the group as a democracy and an act of community. We also felt the need to throw away the ‘rule book’ of theatre and to enable a greater sense of experimentation and play in the process.

A note about environment When meeting new groups, it is also important to consider the environment you are working in together. The context of a space can have a huge impact on how it feels and how people use it, which, in turn, can impact the quality of how people engage. Where possible, try to find a large room with furniture that can be pushed safely to the side. Think about the need for safety and privacy and look for spaces where your work is not overlooked or will be constantly interrupted. For example, practising ideas of support and getting a group to move out of their comfort zones would perhaps not be a success in a corridor or hallway. Be clear about what you want to achieve and look for a space, where possible, that will allow you to get the very best out of the exercises you have planned.

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7 Stage 2 Selecting an Inquiry Question Chapter outline A note about non-narrative theatre A note about autobiography A note about starting with questions, not answers A practical process to help you find your inquiry question Deepening the inquiry question

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Questions are the key tool of every theatre artist. Each worthwhile project is animated by curiosity, by questions, by a nagging itch that requires attention. Part of what makes a play endure through time is the significance of the question that lies at its core. Anne Bogart, ‘What’s the Question’, SITI (http://siti.org/content/whats-question?, 2013)

Once you feel the group is working well and you have the right dynamic with which to support everyone to work creatively together, it is time to move on to thinking about what you would like to make. Because devising theatre is essentially about making something brand new, from scratch, it is first useful to decide on a theme or idea with which to begin your process. This can come from anywhere. Sometimes, it is already set or gifted by someone else but perhaps most often it is up to you to decide it. 50

Stage 2: Selecting an Inquiry Question

It is very possible that as you begin to work, the meaning of what you are creating will shift and change. Devising is a living process that demands dialogue and thrives on growth and it is important you allow your ideas to form and re-form as you go along and do not always worry too much about how it will turn out. That said, it can be helpful to have a clear place to start and look for an idea which everyone understands, cares about and can connect to in the beginning. For us, devising as a group has always been an act of community fuelled by ideas of shared ownership, authorship and collaboration. As a result, it has felt important for us to find the theme for each new show together as a group: making sure every voice is heard and everyone has a chance to offer ideas.

A note about non-narrative theatre When thinking about themes or starting points, it is perhaps useful to know that as a company, we make non-narrative theatre. This means we do not tend to structure our work around a story or a sequence of chronological events like with narrative theatre. The theatre we make often has no central protagonist and no central plot. Instead, we tend to choose an idea we are all excited about and then devise lots of material that explores it in different ways. We will discuss how this material is then structured later on in the book but, for the purposes of this section, it would be useful to remember we are discussing how to generate starting points for nonnarrative theatre. In this way, we are not looking to create a cast of characters that something ‘happens to’ but, instead, looking for a larger, umbrella idea that will offer all sorts of possibilities for a rich and meaningful creative process.

A note about autobiography Another important characteristic of the work we make is that we ask each performer to come to the process with the understanding that they will not play a character but will instead approach the creation of original material as themselves. This is something that affects our process in selecting a starting point for each new show as it means it is also essential for the group to have some kind of relationship with the theme. The topic they choose to explore

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has to impact them in some real way. To help them to delve deeper into what it means to be human and to share that understanding with others through making performance. The theme will be selected according to its capacity to connect, and engage, with the students’ lived experience. Jim Clark, Warwick Dobson, Tony Goode and Jonathan Neelands, Lessons for the Living (Mayfair Cornerstone Limit, 2001)

A note about starting with questions, not answers When coming up with a starting point from which to make performance, we have always found it most useful to think about starting with questions, not answers. To us, questions have always felt more democratic: they ask for more than one response, encourage dialogue and consider multiple points of view. Answers are more fixed. More concrete. Answers seem to present a sense that, ‘This is the way it is.’ One view. One version. Definite. With questions, we find possibilities where answers close them down. The world – as we have found it – has always been full of questions and it has been our questions that have connected us to others, helped us to share meaning, explore what and who we are. We try to begin making each new performance with a question or, as we have preferred to frame it for ourselves – like many others engaged in learning processes have done before us – as ‘an inquiry’. For the artistic process, this is very much about prioritising an overall journey of discovery and a shared process of learning and dialogue. In 2014, Tashi Gore worked with the American choreographer Liz Lerman. Liz shared with Tashi the idea about the importance of staying on your growing edge. This feels like a really clear way to think about making theatre from the questions we have about the world. The process of questioning and exploring and examining mean we are always learning and ‘growing’ in our understanding of things and our relationship to them. It is a direct provocation for us to challenge ourselves in the making of art and to allow that art to change us and to keep us moving forward.

Stage 2: Selecting an Inquiry Question

inquiry 1 examination into facts or principles: research 2 a request for information 3 a systematic investigation often of a matter of public interest (OED (OED D)

A practical process to help you find your inquiry question During our time working together, we have developed the following process of coming up with an inquiry question as a collective activity. Depending on the time available to you, it is a way of working that can be condensed over a few hours or over a number of sessions.

Step 1: Start with a blank page Start with bringing a blank page into the room. This allows you to physically see the metaphor of starting from scratch in the space and the idea that everything is as yet unwritten. This ‘blank page’ can take one of two forms: ● ●

A huge length of blank paper (stretching the length of the room) A single piece of A3 art board (one per person in the group)

Step 2: Collage ‘Collage’ is a technique used by artists that dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century. It is a process in which, traditionally, pieces of paper and/or materials are layered on top of each other and glued to a surface. It can include layering two or more images, placing pictures side by side or combining a piece of text with images in order to discover new meanings. Collage allows the opening up of conscious, which is very direct . . . John Stezaker, ‘Art term: Collage’ (http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/c/collage)

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Collage is an important creative process that has been used by many artists over the years, including Pablo Picasso, Richard Hamilton, Hannah Hoch and Eduardo Paolozzi. In our process, we use it as a way of gathering all of our possible ideas together so that we can all see them all in one place, at one time. In this way, we can understand a little bit more about what excites us and be inspired by one another’s contributions. You can make a collage from a variety of different materials and, often, the more elements you draw on, the more interesting it can be. Here is a list of source materials we enjoy working with: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

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Photographs Postcards Images from magazines/newspapers/books Images from art books, including copies of works by other artists Images from throughout the history of art, design and architecture Adverts Headlines Clippings from articles/essays Found texts from books or the Internet Handwritten letters Favourite poems or prose Self-generated text or stories you have written yourself Coloured paper, textured paper and card, wallpaper, wrapping paper, sandpaper Stickers, labels, string, stamps Chalk, charcoal, pastels, crayons, paint, ink

After looking at the blank space for some time and imagining the many possibilities it holds, you can begin to fill the space with ideas you care about or find meaningful in some way. You have to begin somewhere, so you put something down. Then you put something else with it and you see how it works . . . and the picture grows in that way. One thing leads to another and you take the options as they come, or as you are able to perceive them as you proceed . . . Once you get going, all sorts of things begin to open up. Romare Bearden, quoted in The Visual Equivalent of the Blues by Albert Murray in Romare Bearden 1970–1980 (exhibition catalogue)

Stage 2: Selecting an Inquiry Question

Instructions for making a collage ● ● ●

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Lay your paper or board in front of you. Spend some time looking at the source materials. Select text and images that feel meaningful to you. You do not have to know why – just allow yourself to be drawn to things. Start with one image and build from there. Place things next to each other to create new meanings or let them stand alone. Try and alter your source materials by using: inks, dyes, chalks, pastels and everyday items such as teabags. Try manipulating the text and images by cutting them up or drawing or writing over them. Try ripping, cutting, layering images and text. Generate your own text by hand, cutting from newspaper in a ransom note style or use transferable letters and numbers or stickers. Try changing your surfaces by: drawing, painting, scratching and printing on them, enlarging or reducing them on a photocopier or copying them onto tracing paper and overlaying this against another image. How does this change or add to the meaning?

A note on flow It is important to remember that there is no right or wrong way to approach making a collage. Allow yourself to flow and try not to think too much about where it is leading or question yourself too much. The most important part of this process is to be brave and to see where your imagination takes you. Creativity is that marvelous capacity to grasp mutually distinct realities and draw a spark from their juxtaposition. Max Ernst (1891–1976)

Step 3: Find what most interests you. Develop it ● ●

Spend time looking at what has been created. Step back and view the result of the collaging process from afar.* Look at the cumulative effect of each person’s contribution to the long sheet

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of paper or the impact each individual collage placed together, side by side (as if in a gallery). View the detail. Read each contribution, in turn, and allow for a process of being inspired by the ideas presented on the page (no longer blank but full of possibility). It can be helpful to play music during this process of looking to allow some sense of ceremony and ritual and to provide a greater sense of focus and framing. Go back to the paper/board and further annotate it with ideas that most interest you. Highlight things that draw the eye, fuel the imagination and make you think. Remember that this inspiration can come from anywhere and does not need to be specific to one part of the page. You may choose to draw links to two separate images/texts together to create a brand new idea or further develop the seed of something that has already been offered. Allow yourself to ‘let go’ of your suggestions as soon as you offer them. Consider the idea that as a group, you are not in competition with one another to find an idea but instead are trying to pool your resources to achieve something together. At the heart of this process is the central idea that you are the coauthors of meaning. That no one person ‘owns’ an idea but that you can each take a part in helping get where you want to go. This is an attempt at collective thinking, of being fuelled by each other and pushing ideas further and deeper as a group to allow yourself to explore territory you might not otherwise have discovered on your own. Some of the most interesting and dynamic thinking that can come out of this exercise is the result of one person’s interpretation of another’s ideas in a new and altogether surprising way.

Note: * This is a process we often use – of looking at things from a distance and then up close. It is an important idea that is relevant to so many areas of the overall devising process. It helps to develop a sense of perspective and recognise that things can always be viewed differently, depending on how you look at it.

Stage 2: Selecting an Inquiry Question

Step 4: Pitch an idea ●

Offer each member of the group a piece of paper containing the following prompt:

We could make a show called: Exploring the inquiry question(s):

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Ask everyone to consider how any of the ideas on the page might be transferred into an inquiry question that would serve as a starting point for a show. Think about the notion that ‘no idea is a bad idea’ and encourage the offering of as many ideas for questions as possible. For reference, here are a number of examples of previous suggestions made by the company Junction 25 as starting points for shows. For interest, some of these were subsequently created and some were not (yet anyway).

We could make a show called: I Hope My Heart Goes First Exploring the inquiry question(s): What does it feel like to fall in love and to get your heart broken?

We could make a show called: The Apple and the Tree Exploring the inquiry question(s): How are we like our parents? What do we carry from previous generations?

We could make a show called: A Bit of Bite Exploring the inquiry question(s): Do young people have a voice in politics? How can we use it?

We could make a show called: In the Light of . . . Exploring the inquiry question(s): Is it possible to create a perfect world? A place that works for everyone?

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Invite each member of the group to come forward if they so wish and, in no particular order, pitch their ideas for possible shows to the larger group. Ask that there is no talking between each pitch and encourage active listening. Request that everyone practises kind, open faces as they hear new ideas and receive each suggestion in the spirit of collaboration and care.* Each time a new idea is pitched, write the name of that show on a large piece of paper in list form so it is visible to the whole group as a reminder of what has gone before. Encourage everyone to make notes of ideas they like as they hear them for the purposes of voting later. There should be no pressure to pitch an idea (some people choose not to sometimes) and there is no limit to how many can be pitched. Continue the exercise until there are no ideas left unoffered and it comes to a natural end.

Note: * At this point, it perhaps feels useful to think back to Chapter 6, ‘Stage1: Building the Group Dynamic’. Building the guiding values in the group and practising the qualities of collaboration enables the group to participate in exercises such as this and supports them to listen to each other and to properly care for each other’s ideas.

Step 5: Vote for an idea you find exciting ●

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Using the list as a prompt, ask each member of the group to vote for the three shows that most excite or attract them. It is equally possible to vote for your own show suggestion or someone else’s. It is also possible to vote for a possible variation, a combination of a title and an inquiry question or even a further idea had as a result of something pitched. The goal is to give everyone a voice and promote overall investment and ownership over the creative process. At the end of the first vote, identify the three shows with the most votes (more if numbers are tied) to take forward.

Step 6: Engage in blue-sky thinking ●

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Write each of the three most popular show ideas on large pieces of paper and place them in different areas of the room. Allow three rounds of 5 minutes, in which the idea can be further developed through dialogue in small groups. Use this time to imagine

Stage 2: Selecting an Inquiry Question

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the wider creative possibilities for the show: staging, costume, sound, tech, audience, content. Write all suggestions discussed on the paper so that everyone can see how the idea develops. Individuals can choose to be part of any discussion they wish and develop the show idea they are most interested in. At the end of each round of 5 minutes, offer everyone the choice of whether to move to a new discussion or stick with the one they are in. At the end of the exercise, present all the developed show ideas to the whole group.

Step 7: Make a choice ●

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Place the paper containing ideas for possible shows at various points around the room. Invite the group to stand next to the title they feel most excited by. Ask individuals to vote with their feet so it is clear and transparent for everyone to see which idea is most popular. The idea with the most votes is then officially approved by everyone and offers you a clear starting point with which to begin making your show.

Deepening the inquiry question After we have worked as a collective in order to come up with an inquiry question from which to make a new piece of work, we then spend some time deepening our initial relationship to it. We do this by thinking more about our own connection to it and why it matters. Going back to some of the ideas discussed previously in Chapter  3, ‘Why Devise Theatre?’, our work as a company has always been fuelled by the belief that devising new theatre and performance offers us a unique way to say something about the world in which we live and to share our own ideas and opinions with other people. As a result, it feels important to work to actively explore how the question we have chosen makes us feel and what it makes us think about at the very start of our creative journey. In this way, we are beginning to consider the possible power and impact of the work we are making: Why is it important we are doing this? What are we hoping to discover? One of the key things about Junction 25 as a company is that it is made up of individuals of various ages from 11 through to 18. This was a deliberate choice, made right when it was first formed in response to our interest in the shifting ideas and opinions that young people have as they grow and change.

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It felt exciting to see how everyone might learn from an environment like this and the discoveries we all might continue to make as we are constantly asked to consider an idea from a new and different viewpoint to our own. We have always found that this composite mix of ages and varying experience has served to enrich the creative dialogue of each show and has offered a unique texture to the material that has been created. However, it has also meant we have had to work hard to find a process that engages everyone and that offers each person a way to offer their own perspective and have their own voice heard in an equal and valued way. We always begin by considering our chosen inquiry question from two different perspectives: ● ●

What does this inquiry question mean to me personally? What does this inquiry question mean to us as a whole group?

Below are two suggestions as to how to explore these ideas practically in the space.

What does this inquiry question mean to me personally? Signs Once a show title and inquiry question has been selected, we often use an exercise we call ‘Signs’. This is a technique we first developed as students, having been heavily influenced by the artist Gillian Wearing and her work, Signs that Say What You Want Them to Say and Not Signs that Say What Someone Else Wants You to Say (Tate, 1992–3). In this piece, she photographs strangers in the street, holding signs on which they have written something they really want to say. Among the most famous is an image of a well-dressed, smiling man in a suit, with a sign that reads: ‘I’m Desperate’. We initially loved the simplicity of this convention and the ides that sometimes the things we want to say are not what you might expect. It also felt incredibly democratic as it offers each person the opportunity to present something they really care about, clearly and simply. We decided to adopt this idea for our process of making performance. ‘Signs’ works in the following way: ●

Give each member of the group a blank sheet of A4 white paper and a black marker pen.

Stage 2: Selecting an Inquiry Question

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Ask everyone to think about the chosen inquiry question and to create a sign which asks their own question in relation to it. Thinking about: What is it that they care most about in relation to it? What do they want to know more about? How does it affect them in their own life? What does it make them think about? Why does it matter to them? Place a chair in the space and, in turn, invite each person to come, sit and, without talking, hold their sign to show the larger group. Playing music can be useful to help create an atmosphere of reflection and ritual. Ask the group to remain quiet throughout and not to talk directly about any of the signs so as to encourage an environment of reflection and inspiration. Remind everyone that valuing each other’s different and individual perspective is important and that the group needs to work together to create an environment where everyone feels they can be honest and will be valued. Their connection to the chosen question might already be deep and researched or it might be something they are thinking about for the first time. Recognise all equally and value all as an integral part of an overall creative response.

Examples of signs offered by the company in Junction 25 in response to making the show Figment Inquiry question: What does it feel like to grow up? ● ● ●

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Will I always have my mum and dad? What am I scared of? Will I find out that some things that adults told me are not true, like Santa or the Easter Bunny? Will I lose my imagination? When do you realise you have grown up? Will I always be afraid of the dark? Who is telling me what to believe in? When will I stop playing with toys? Why do I still want to believe in Santa? Will my ambitions change? When will I be a grown up? When did I stop believing in things? Am I the same person now I have grown up? What is growing up?

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Does it get better or does it get worse? Why can’t I stay young? Why do we stop playing with toys when it is better escapism than TV and coffee? Will I like the same things when I grow up? When did I stop playing with my dolls and start watching ‘reality TV’? What do I know, now that I am older?

This ‘Signs’ exercise is often a really thoughtful part of our overall process and something that deepens our collective understanding of the meaning of the work we are making for ourselves and for others. Again, it is important this exercise is only attempted after adequate time has been spent in ‘Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic’. Embedding the right qualities of generosity and care for one another’s material is integral to the group’s ability to engage with a process like this in a meaningful and supported way.

What does this inquiry question mean to us as a group? Ideas Wall All the signs are placed together on one central wall in the rehearsal space. The group is then given the opportunity to continue to add to this wall with further ideas they have, research they have found and connections they have made to the inquiry question and its many creative possibilities. This collective wall of ideas then works as a visible reminder of all the meaning the process holds for us as a group and provides lots of inspiration for practical exploration as we move on to make material for performance. It also acts as a map we can use in the moments we are lost or need to remind ourselves of the things we first cared about. We often build our ‘Ideas Wall’ on one long strip of wallpaper that helps to keep it all together and allows for it to grow and be added to as the process progresses.

8 Stage 3 Finding the Frame Chapter outline Staging Design Examples of the framing of past Junction 25 shows

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You cannot expect other people to create meaning for you. You cannot wait for someone else to define your life. You make meaning by forging it with your hands. It requires sweat and commitment. Working towards the creation of meaning is the point. Anne Bogart, And Then, You Act (Routledge, 2007)

Devising theatre means you might not always have a clear setting for your performance in terms of time or place. If your work does not involve developing a story involving characters following a central journey or plot, then you will find yourself with a different set of choices about how to present your ideas on stage. Framing is the process of making certain creative choices about the world of your show in order to further draw out the key themes and better allow your audience to understand what you are exploring. It might also be useful to think of it much like the act of framing a picture: by placing a clear boundary around edges of an image, you are saying, This is what I want you to look at. Then, by choosing where to hang the picture in the room, you are making a clear choice: This is how I want you to see it. It works much the same way when you are devising a performance. You need to find the frame 63

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or concept in order to hold your ideas and make sense of them in order to share them with others. There are a number of elements that can help you frame your performance and we will go on to discuss two in depth in the remainder of this chapter. These are: ● ●

Staging Design

As a company, we find we are engaged in an ongoing debate about when exactly framing happens in a creative process. In most instances, it happens early and as a natural progression from selecting the inquiry question. In these cases, our ideas of what the performance should be and how to best present our idea to an audience feels clear from the outset and everything else seems to follow. On other occasions, we find we might have to begin to make material in response to our initial question, which then sometimes sparks a larger idea about what the performance should be as a whole. If you do not feel ready to make big decisions about how to frame your work just now, then don’t. Just start to make material. Play and allow your experimentation to develop your understanding of what it is you are making and how best to present it. Do not worry about the end result – go on the process.

A note about leading with the inquiry question One of the best ways of finding the right framing device to support your performance is by leading with your inquiry question (or starting point). Working to fully understand the truth of what you are trying to explore creatively will provide some really strong clues about which theatrical tools you can use to best support it. For example, if you are making a show about journeys, it might make a lot of sense to explore options of travel within your staging. Would it make most sense for the audience to play an active part in following the action rather than have it all presented to them as they sit in their seats? Allow yourself to be inspired by the possibilities of your theme and become excited by the many options it offers for audiences to discover meaning in this way. This will really help you make the most memorable experience for everyone involved.

Stage 3: Finding the Frame

Staging There are a number of ways to imagine staging your work, with a clear set of choices as to where to place the audience in relation to the performance, helping them to best connect with the themes of your piece. ●

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End on (or proscenium staging): This is perhaps the most common choice of staging, where the audience is seated in one block facing the stage. Traverse: The audience is seated on two sides and the performance space is in the centre. Thrust: The audience is seated on three sides, with a platform that extends out. Arena/in the round: The audience is seated on four sides, with the performance in the centre. Promenade theatre: The audience walks around and follows the action as it moves. Site specific theatre: A performance created to exist in a specific place (not usually a theatre). Intimate Theatre: A performance created for one or two people at a time. Durational theatre: Theatre that lasts for a longer period of time. Audiences are sometimes expected to stay for the entire time but more often are invited to come in and out as they wish. Immersive theatre: The audience is placed in-role inside the performance and they interact with it in some way.

Design The design of a performance refers to everything that you can see and experience in the performance. This is the way the audience can visually experience the overarching framing or concept and understand meaning through the way things look and feel. We try to think about design right from the beginning of any process so that it feels like an integral part of the process and not something that is layered on top at the end. This includes thinking about staging, lighting, costume and any objects or materials that we bring into the space. In our process, we allow our ideas for design to be informed by three key factors:

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Meaning: What do we want to say with this work? What is the environment we want to create? What are we trying to communicate? Context: Where are we making the show? What is happening in the world at the same time as we are making this show? Resource: What can we do with the things we have available to us? What can we achieve within the budget we have? What can we source or borrow from people we know?

The design of a show is really about making clear and coherent choices. Every object or material, big or small, that you place on stage can make all the difference to how the audience experiences the work you present. It might be making the decision to site your show in a nightclub or seat the audience in the round or whether to wear a tie that is red or blue. Every aesthetic choice is linked to a larger process of meaning making and has an impact on how an audience will read and understand the material being presented.

An example of fresh grass Show: Elegant Variation Inquiry question: What makes you and I different? It is 2005, and it is the first show we have ever made with Junction 25. We are making a show with seven young women about the things that make them alike and the ways in which they are different. We have made a lot of material so far but we haven’t made any decisions about Design and we haven’t really found the frame for the work – although, at this point, we didn’t know this was what we were looking for. We are a bit lost. Nothing seems to make sense and we are really preoccupied with it. We talk about wanting to create a world for the performers to exist in that feels really different from the concrete of the theatre. What could this world be? And how might this change the experience of the audience to the material. The Hidden Gardens have not long been built out of the back of Tramway and they are starting to be beautiful. We discuss how we might bring the outside inside and imagine the possibility of filling the space with grass. This feels exciting and we use our budget to buy turf cut the exact dimensions of the stage.

Stage 3: Finding the Frame

By choosing to cover the floor in fresh grass, we are creating a frame for the performance and an aesthetic for the show. This is the world of the garden. We start to explore this further and, as we watch our material with these seven young women on the grass, a whole new set of meanings started to come into focus. Everything immediately becomes about growth and youth and change and seemed to directly explore an old archetype of girls and women and the notion of ‘blooming’. Informed by this developing world of the show, we decide the costumes should be bright yellow summer dresses and we bring in other related objects such as lemons and skipping ropes. The stage begins to smell fresh and green and we realise design can be bigger than just the way something looks. We can use aesthetics to create an overall experience for the audience that taps into something deeper about meaning and the way we make sense of things. The show becomes bigger than the starting point of similarity and difference and finds a focus in exploring the transition from girl to woman, asking questions of femininity and our preconceived expectations of how we bring up young women.

After the initial experience of making Elegant Variation, we were really inspired to learn more about how aesthetics and design might support the work we were making. At this time, we began working with visual artist and designer Rachel O’Neill in some of the projects we were making outside of Junction 25. She inspired us to think about concept, the politics and quality of objects and materials on stage and finding meaning through these elements. In the Performance Images section of this book, we discuss the key ideas of reading images and the use of materials in the performance space and we would encourage you to visit this as you consider how to design your work.

Ten tips for designing performance by Rachel O’Neill 1 Making as growth: Think about the process of design as slow and in response to ideas developing and forming. 2 Making through doing g: Spend time trying things out in the rehearsal space.

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3 Space as performance: performance e: Consider how the qualities and features of the space you are performing in can influence the work. 4 The complex language of materiality: Objects and materials have qualities that connect to our senses and personal stories. 5 Practise the act of looking g: Spend time looking at what you have made. Develop ideas based on your thoughts. 6 Draw everything g: As a way to unlock and find ideas. 7 Find the power of all imagess: Once you have found an image, spend time refining it to make it stronger through use of materials, the size of it, where it is placed on stage. 8 Listen: Dedicate time to listening to what people feel and see in relation to what you have made. Develop your ideas further in relation to this. 9 Collect images and pictures s: Keep adding to your collection and use them as a resource in moments when you are stuck. 10 See artt: Go on trips to see exhibitions and performances. Talk about how this work can influence your work. Talk about the importance of art.

A note about less being more With so many exciting options in staging and design, it can be tempting to want to try out as many ideas as possible in one production. Where experimentation is almost always a good thing in a process, it is also important to remember that less is more. Framing your performance with one clear concept that supports the central theme of the work can often be the best way to ensure an overall clarity for your audience and enable you to fully explore its full potential.

A note about not being afraid to change your mind One thing that feels true of all areas of the devising process is the idea that it is rarely too late to change your mind (although, of course, sometimes it might be). If something is not working with the way you are framing your material, it is okay change it. Your instinct is usually a good guide as to whether something is working and sometimes trying a new frame can be exactly what you need to bring the material to life in a new way.

Stage 3: Finding the Frame

A note about when framing can help with making material So often in the past we have decided on the framing of a particular show and then realised how many new images we can make using the design/staging we have chosen. For us, it has been useful to dedicate time to literally ‘play’ with the stage or set in order to explore its full creative potential. Some of the most beautiful moments in shows, we have found from abstract experimentation with the ‘world’ of the show as the process develops.

Examples of the framing of past Junction 25 shows Show: Anoesis Inquiry question: What impact does the education system have on young people? We are making a show about the systems that most affect us in contemporary society and have decided to focus specifically on the education system as everyone in the group has a direct experience of it. We are spending a lot of time discussing ideas of achievement and the expectation we all feel (or have felt) to succeed in a system preoccupied with grades and fears of ‘failure’. As we explore these ideas related to school and the impact it has had on the group, we realise we all share a real and pressing anxiety around examination culture. Some of us have just finished sitting a block of exams, some are preparing for ones on the horizon or choosing subjects now they feel would help them gain a better pass later. Whatever the experience, exams have been a large and imposing influence on all of us and something we feel we can all relate to. Scott suggests he would love for an adult audience to be able to gain a first-hand experience of how this pressure feels for young people and for them to be reminded of how scary the conditions of the ‘test’ can be. As a company, we are excited by this idea and begin to discuss if this could be a way in which to frame the whole show.

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We bring long tables into the space and try sitting behind them, with spaces in between the performers for the audience to sit, too. We try using the structure of the exam to help us with how we might structure the show: a name call at the beginning, a briefing of the rules of an examination, a ticking clock, a set of questions to be answered. As the work develops, we play more and more with the role of the audience inside the work: giving them an exam paper and asking them to participate, assigning them a name badge and referring to them during the show. All these conventions seem to provide us with exciting theatrical options and ways to play with how to make meaning on stage. As we explore the potential of the desks, we also begin to find new opportunities in the work. They become platforms for running and jumping off each end, a podium on which to give a speech, a seat from which to swing legs or a place to lie flat and gaze upwards. We start to see that for an audience, they can sometimes offer safe space and allow them to look ‘on to’ moments played out in the area between both desks but in other moments they can implicate them in the action as they sit side by side with the performers and are asked to participate directly in the action. There is both the clarity and versatility in the staging of two long desks and the framing it offers us in our creative exploration of our larger inquiry into the impact of formal education on young people.

Figure 8.1 Full cast of Figment by Junction 25. Tramway, 2013. Photograph by Carrie Hay

Stage 3: Finding the Frame

Show: 5.9 Million Inquiry question: What is public and what is private in contemporary society? We are exploring an interest in surveillance culture and how the age of increased media and communication means there are now so many ways we are being watched and recorded on a daily basis. Maria has discovered a recent government statistic claiming that there are currently (approximately) 5.9 million CCTV cameras in the UK. We all vote on this as a name for the show. These ideas of being watched and ‘big brother’ culture leads us to discuss if an end-on show might not be the best way to explore our question. It feels restrictive to have one view and we make lists of other ways we could stage the show. Is there a way for the audience to understand the issues by being inside of it? One of the group talks about a love of immersive experiences and what happens when you attend an event and are led on a journey with various parts. Everyone become immediately inspired by this and start to shift our thinking in this direction. We invite one of our graduates, Becca Ziola (now an architecture student), into the process and she works with the production manager to design a possible staging – a large square made by curtains with ten separate rooms that can be visited individually. We spend weeks experimenting with small (3-minute) performances that are in each room for an audience of six people at a time. We get excited about what each mini-performance looks and feels like and what it explores. We find creative ways to signal the beginning and end and to move the audience round the journey. We love the idea that an audience would not know what to expect and that the meanings around watching and being watched will change with each new encounter. In one of the rooms, an audience is asked to sit on two sides of a bed in a girl’s bedroom and watch over the shoulders of two young women as they participate in a live chat on social media, one being cruel to another. In another room, two younger boys are playing a video game in virtual reality, projected onto a huge screen that requires them to pursue a criminal through busy city streets. Other rooms are more abstract – one contains just a video camera with no

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instruction, another holds a TV which displays whatever that audience has decided to do in front of the camera. What feels most exciting is that this framing is providing us all with a brand new way to work. It is encouraging us to experiment be with form and play with the boundaries of what theatre can be. e.

9 Stage 4 Making Original Material for Performance

Chapter outline Writing text Movement and choreography Performance images Action Music

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We are firm believers that limitations create freedoms and breed creativity. Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett, The Frantic Assembly Book of Devising Theatre (Routledge, 2009)

For us, the theme or subject of the theatre we are making always comes from an idea or question we have a direct relationship to or interest in. As a result, the process of creating material often requires us to draw from our own lives and experience and discuss our own opinions and personal points of view. In this way, we also call it autobiographical. Devising autobiographical theatre in a collaborative way has led us to develop a number of different approaches to making original material. These are: ● ●

Writing text Movement and choreography

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Performance images Action Music

When we are creating a new show, we find that working in these different ways can help us to better understand our inquiry question from a variety of angles as well as allow us to build a dynamic and diverse bank of performance material from which to choose. We also find that having a series of distinct ways to approach making material means that members of the group are able to work to their own strengths and area of interest. This allows each performer to utilise their individual learning style and find a form of creative expression that allows them a level of autonomy and ownership and the freedom to best communicate themselves and their point of view. In the past, we have enjoyed watching young performers develop in new and unexpected directions as they experiment with different ways to create meaning and present themselves on stage. The following chapter will explore each of these ways of making, in turn, and offer a series of practical tools for using them in your own creative process.

Writing text Words are powerful. Specific words and combinations of words are the keys that will unlock realms that seem closed off. Find your words that accurately describe what you are attempting. If you don’t find the right words at first, keep trying new ones. You will locate the keys that fit and unlock the door. Find the words that can communicate to others the feats that you are trying to realise. Anne Bogart, And Then, You Act (Routledge, 2007)

When we think about creating theatre, we so often think about the traditional role of the script and the process of realising words written by a playwright: a story or sequence already created and given to a director and actors to imagine on stage. However, the process of working with text when devising original theatre can be very different. In this case, there is no script and no pre-existing story. As a group, we are beginning with a blank page and it is up to us to fill it in. We are the authors of this brand new piece of work and it requires our imagination to get it going. We will write the text and it will be up to us to find the words that best express our ideas and communicate exactly what it is we want to say. There are so many ways to approach the

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writing of text for performance that the process can sometimes be overwhelming. We have always found it useful to offer groups we work with the choice to channel their ideas through a number of suggested conventions. In our experience, this has served to offer an initial inspiration and stimulus that has opened up the creative process and allowed ideas to begin to flow more easily. Here are just ten of many different ways that you might choose to use in the creation of original text for performance: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Factual information Personal story/memory Found/stolen text Instructions Lists Letters Lectures Questions Re-enactments Creative writing

A note about using the inquiry question Before we explore each of these conventions in turn, it is important to remember that the best way to frame writing tasks is by using the theme or inquiry question that underpins your show. In this way, it might not make sense to lift these ideas straight from the page (which, of course, you are welcome to do) before you have first considered how they fit within what it is your show is looking to explore. Once you are clear about your starting point, it should then be relatively easy to alter and adapt these suggestions to support your own creative process and help generate the kind of material that will deepen and inform the work you are making (Figure 9.1).

1. Factual information This is the process of drawing on factual information related to your starting point or inquiry question that helps you to better understand the wider subject you are exploring. This often involves some research and can be achieved through accessing books, journals, articles, documentaries, podcasts, websites or contacting people with some specialist knowledge. Factual

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Figure 9.1 Adam Low in I Hope My Heart Goes First by Junction 25. Tramway, 2009. Photograph by Kevin Low

information is interesting in that it is rarely fully objective and is often slightly different, depending on the source of material. This can be rich creative territory as you discover various ways to look at an idea and approach any given subject from a ‘factual’ point of view.

Ideas for generating text from factual information ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Find a dictionary definition Find an historical account Find a scientific description Find a mathematical equation Find a set of statistics Draw upon local knowledge Draw upon collected data from an official source Collect some of your own data Find an article written by an expert

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An example of the heart Show: I Hope My Heart Goes First Inquiry question: What does love feel like? Task: Find a scientific explanation for how the heart works. Scott The heart a large muscular organ, located in the upper chest. It is a living pump about the size of your own fist. The heart you see drawn on the average Valentine is only a rough representation of the actual structure of the heart. Your heart is actually shaped more like an upside-down pear. People say that falling in love and heartbreak have an effect on the heart but this has never been scientifically proven. Certainly I think it’s unlikely. A heart attack occurs when the supply of nutrient-rich blood to the heart muscle is reduced or stopped. If the blood supply is shut down for a long time, muscle cells die from a lack of oxygen. If enough cells die, the victim will also die. When your heart stops beating, there is no blood getting to your brain. And so what happens is that within about 10 sec., brain activity ceases. Because there is a lack of blood flow, the cells go into a kind of a frenzy to keep themselves alive. And within about 5 min. or so, they start to damage or change. After an hour or so, the damage is so great that even if we restart the heart again and pump blood, the person can no longer be viable, because the cells have just been changed too much. And then the cells continue to change so that within a couple of days the body actually decomposes.

2. Personal story/memory When devising performance, it can often be useful to draw upon our own stories or experiences as a way to illustrate or demonstrate a larger idea. The use of personal material can be a really effective way to find greater meaning and depth in the theme you are looking to explore. As you think about the way something has affected you personally, you allow others to think about the impact it may also have had on them or the world around them. For example, if your show is looking at the current education system and the way it affects young people (like when we made Anoesis), you might find

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it useful to write a text about a specific occasion, where being part of this system affected you. In this way, you are using what is personal to examine what is universal or using the personal as political. For us, leading a company of young people making performance work, this has always been an important and powerful idea. When working with personal material, it is also important to remember the need for emotional safety (refer to ‘A Note about Emotional Safety’ at the end of this chapter). It is important for you to feel comfortable with whatever story or memory you contribute as part of a creative process and that it feels appropriate and safe to share with an audience. Remember that personal stories can also be small or everyday things and you are under no pressure to draw upon big events that feel private to you. Similarly, if you do find you want to share a particular story with your group in the safe and supportive space of your rehearsal room, you should feel no obligation to go on to include it in the final performance if it is not something you wish to do.

Ideas for generating text from a personal story/memory ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Do you remember when . . . ? When I was 3, . . . When I was 10, . . . When I was 15, . . . A place I always loved was . . . A game I always played was . . . I think I saw/felt injustice when . . . When I was a child, I wanted to be . . . A smell of home is . . . A sound of home is . . .

An example of a birth story Show: From Where I Am Standing Inquiry question: What is the relationship between teenagers and their parents? Task: Tell the story of the first time you met. Kevin I remember the first time I saw you Adam, it was just your face and you were sleeping, you were very tired, and I thought it

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looks just like Nathan. Then you were there suddenly, all of you, all white and you were not moving, and it was quiet and you weren’t crying, and I thought, this is not (was not) right. Nathan I remember the first time I saw you, too, well I don’t really remember seeing you, I don’t remember your face, but I remember going to see you. I remember the excitement and I remember the big long empty corridor and the sound of my shoes on the varnished floor. I remember feeling quite nervous. I had butterflies, which I thought was strange. I hadn’t really thought that was how I would feel. Adam The first time I can remember seeing you Nathan, was on my birthday and we were in the garden. Me and you were sitting on a big pink blow-up motorcycle and I was cuddling into you. I was really proud because I thought I was a big boy but I was only one. Kevin I remember the first time I saw you. Nathan

Me?

Kevin You. You were being held upside-down by the ankles and your head was still in your mum’s insides, you were peeing all over her. The doctor was laughing. Nathan Adam

Dad! That’s not funny. It is a bit . . .

Kevin You were peeing everywhere and it was pouring all over the place, into your mother’s insides, where they had cut her open, I can remember the sight of the blood diluted by urine and birth stuff dripping onto the floor. Nathan Dad! That’s really not funny. Kevin You were making loads of noise and the floor literally was flooded with amniotic fluid, blood . . . and urine and people’s feet were splashing in it as they went about, it splashed up the walls, this lime green . . . Nathan

That’s a bit far, Dad.

Kevin That’s why they wear the wellies . . . Both You’ve gone too far now, Dad.

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3. Found/stolen text One of the best things about devising non-narrative performance is that it allows you to source and borrow text from a wide variety of sources. If you feel there is a poem, article or extract already in existence that captures exactly what you want to say in a particular moment, then use it. As long as you reference it (in the programme or otherwise), it is entirely possible to use the words of others as part of your own creative exploration. Sometimes, the very reason a text works in a show is because of its preexisting meaning or because it is already famous or recognisable to an audience – like in the case of ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ (from the Christian religion) or Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. What then gives it increased significance is how you then choose to use it. For example, you may use it to highlight exactly how you are feeling or to draw parallels with events in another time or place. Alternatively, you may wish to question it or challenge it or use it as satire. You might use it as a way to contrast, juxtapose or undercut. To highlight, explain, understand, undermine or use as proof. There are so many creative choices available to you. Borrowing text written by others can also provide you with a way to contribute a personal idea or emotion to the creative process without needing to use your own words. For some people, this can provide a certain level of emotional distance that allows for authentic expression without the same amount of personal risk. Using text from a number of sources can also help to make material that has a distinctly different feel and style. For example, what are the specific qualities offered by a poem that is different to a news report, a tweet or a letter?

Ideas for generating found/stolen text ● ●

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Find a poem that captures an emotion. Find a description from a book which describes a person or a place. Write down the lyrics of a song that is meaningful to you. Find an extract from a film that makes you laugh. Find a magazine article you find flippant. Find a news article about something very small/something very big. Find a school report from when you were a child. Read a list of status updates from your social media feed.

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Read the comments on an online article that is trending. Find a series of questions asked on Twitter. Find a diary extract from someone of your age from 100 years ago. Read a letter written to a newspaper.

An example of Parliament Show: A Bit of Bite Inquiry question: What is my voice in contemporary politics and how can I use it? Task: Find lines that politicians have used to insult each other in Parliament. Sean You don’t need it to be Christmas to know when you’re sitting next to a turkey! Eve J First checking if the microphone is on before speaking might be a good idea. Ruth People always ask me the same question, they say, ‘Is he a very, very clever man pretending to be an idiot?’ And I always say, ‘No’ . . . Ethan No need to go to the Natural History Museum to see a dinosaur, come here at about half-past twelve. Dexter Living proof that a pig’s bladder on a stick can be elected. Eve M A remarkable transformation in the last few weeks from Stalin to Mr Bean. Cara The only man I know who immatures with age. Adam She said she wanted to elect someone – I said who – and she said ‘Bill Someone.’ Jess He should get back in his Delorean, go back to 1985 and stay there. Raedie down.

Calm down, dear, calm down. Listen to the doctor! Calm

Rory The right honourable and learned gentleman has twice crossed the floor of this House, each time leaving behind a trail of slime.

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Caitlin I know he’s very keen on summing up policy in six words, well how about this – you are the weakest link, goodbye. Eilidh A picture tells a thousand words – just look at the all-male front bench. Niall

He might as well have a corn cob up his arse.

Nina

Let me break this gently. I think I’m busy that day.

Joe

When she goes to the dentist, he needs the anaesthetic.

Laiqa He has a brilliant mind – until it is made up.

A note about context and ethics When using a found or stolen text in your work, it is important to consider the wider context of the material. You should make sure to research the source of the writing: where it came from, who wrote it and why. In this way, you will be able to better understand the cultural, social and political implications of the text, which will allow you to use it in your work in an informed and deliberate way. On some occasions, you might also find that a process of research leads you to further question whether the text you have chosen is right or appropriate for the show. Do not be afraid to allow new meanings to influence your choices and help you change your mind. This is about being an ethical and responsive artist and is hugely important.

4. Instructions We have always been big fans of writing that involve creating instructions. There is a quality about this type of text that allows for information to be shared whilst also providing a degree of opinion and autobiography. You can write instructions for anything and it is possible for them to be meaningful, poignant or sometimes even funny, depending on how you choose to write them. For Junction 25, as a company of young people, instructions have often provided a style of text that has allowed them to explore the ‘dos and don’ts’ they feel they experience in the world around them. It has provided a creative way to illustrate the idea of feeling instructed and in some ways offered a challenge to the notion that there is only one way to look at things or a singular way to ‘be’ in the world.

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Ideas for generating text from instructions ●

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Write a set of instructions of how to master a dance which is difficult to do. Write a ‘how to’ for being an adult. Write a recipe for disaster/hope/growing up. Find a set of instructions for a little-known skill/craft. Write a series of steps for recovering from heartbreak. Write a set of instructions for a journey not yet taken. Write a set of instructions for behaving correctly/incorrectly in a given situation. Write a set of instructions for making a smooth transition.

An example of making it big Show: I’d Rather Humble than Hero, Hero, co-directed by Gary Gardiner Inquiry question: How can you create a celebrity? Task: Write a set of instructions for how to make it ‘big’. Eoin You are an excellent dancer, Niall. Really, very good. You could be really big . . . and this is how . . . Step One – We will make an Internet sensation of you via a strategically planned viral video and marketing campaign. Step Two – We will maintain audience through releasing what can only be considered a seminal debut album that touches the soul of the listener with both poise and elegance. It rivals the likes of . . . Step Three – Build and develop your fan base through witty social commentary on websites such as Twitter and Tumblr. Step Four – Do extensive charity work for organisations such as ‘The Foundation for the Protection of Tropical Birds’, which will accumulate the respect and admiration of the general public. Step Five – On the back of this charity work, and the ensuing press coverage, you will meet the Queen. Step Six – Through some inexplicable twist of events, you marry Victoria Beckham, which does wonders for your publicity and fan base. Step Seven – You will write, direct and star in your own feature film entitled Niall is the Coldest Colourr, which enjoys both critical acclaim and mainstream success. It will go down as one of the greats.

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Step Eight – You will cement your success and be in the public eye forever through making 17 seasons of your own biographical reality TV show, entitled Niall Turner: My Life!

5. Lists Lists are perhaps one of our most loved writing conventions. They are an effective and often beautiful way of getting right to the heart of something really quickly and focusing in on a central idea. Lists can be framed in so many ways. Long or short, literal or abstract, numbered or open-ended. As a moment of performance or just as a way to generate ideas for further exploration in rehearsal, they are an excellent creative tool and have a poetry all of their own. We have been so inspired by the look and feel of a list over the years that we have experimented with lots of different ways to present them. In past shows, we have: ● ● ● ●

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Shouted a list from on top of a ladder. Whispered a list from under a table. Written a list in chalk all over the back wall of the theatre. Created a series of T-shirts, each with a different point of the list on them. Projected lists onto a wall. Made signs out of a list. Given a list to the audience to read. Asked an audience to make their own list. Given an audience a list to take home.

Ideas for generating text from lists ● ● ●

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Write a list of people that should not be forgotten. Write a list of all the questions you have for the Prime Minister. Write a list of the times you experienced something for the first time. Write a list of apologies. Write a list of the best days you ever had. Write a list of the 10 funniest jokes you ever heard. Write a list of the worst chat-up lines. Write a list of the best songs about love. Write a list of the things your teachers have said about you.

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Write a list of places in the world you’d like to go. Write a list of things you heard on the news during the last week. Write a list of the 5 most important lessons you ever learned. Write a list of significant dates.

An example of the things I know Show: Figment Inquiry question: What does it feel like to grow up? Task: Write a list of the things you know now that you are older. Maria I know that Santa isn’t real And about the Easter bunny And the tooth fairy I know that if I eat my carrots it doesn’t mean I can see in the dark And that my face will be fine even if the wind changes I know where babies come from And about periods I know what it’s like to feel guilty And how to ask for help And what it feels like to not know how to ask for help I know I have to follow rules And that I need to have an opinion I know about hypocrisy And about hard work I know about struggle And about guilt And about compromise I know about priorities I know about beauty I know about friendship About Science and about Maths and English And how to speak a little French I know about exams About success And about failure And about waiting I know about puberty About hormones

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I know that my moods are constantly shifting And that my body is changing I know about culture I know how to dance I know the music I like And the music I don’t I know that things can be difficult And that things will change I know about trust And about broken promises I know about pain I know how to tie my shoelaces And how to tell the time I know about kindness And about cuts I know not to believe everything I read Or everything I’m told And that there are a lot of things I’m not told I know about stress About deadlines About keeping everyone happy I know about pressure I know that there are lots of things I don’t know That lots of things will surprise Will scare me Will overwhelm me Will make me happy I know that I can’t go back That I can just go forward And that I will keep getting older I know that Santa isn’t real And about the Easter bunny And the tooth fairy

6. Letters Letters can be an effective way to focus your ideas and explore your starting point from a particular perspective or point of view. Letters also provide a creative way to bring something of the outside world into the performance. They can allow you to touch on the wider sociopolitical

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context of things or a lens with which to view a memory of a different time and place. Letters can be found or sourced and brought into the rehearsal room: like a letter from a historical figure or a childhood penfriend. They can also be written as part of the making process to allow you to explore the central inquiry from a different angle.

Ideas for generating text from letters ● ● ●

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Write a letter to yourself when you were five. Write a letter to yourself when you are older. Bring in a letter you received in the last month (bills/junk mail included). Bring in a letter you have always kept. Write a letter you will never send. Write a letter to a celebrity. Write a letter to a stranger. Write a love letter. Write a chain letter. Write a letter to someone who can change things. Write a letter you wish you’d received.

An example of Mike Russell Show: Anoesis Inquiry question: What impact does the education system have on young people? Task: Write a letter to the Minister for Education. Adam Dear Mike Russell, current Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning in Scotland I wanted to write to you as I have a few questions I really want to ask: Why can some people raise their voices and some people can’t? What happens when I am late? Why should I stand outside? What kind of attitude do I need to have? How much do I need to remember? How many times will you ask me? What happens if I don’t manage it first time? How intelligent am I? What if I don’t understand? Because I don’t understand

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I don’t understand I don’t understand Thank you so much for your time, Mr Russell. I look forward to your response Yours sincerely Adam Low, aged 16

7. Lectures Framing a text like a lecture can be an interesting way to impart lots of factual or contextual information to an audience. So often, when we think of lectures, we think of teaching and the idea of a person being an ‘expert’ in something and, sometimes, in the past, when we have been working with younger people, this has caused a little anxiety. One young woman we worked with a few years ago worried she’d not be able to write a lecture because, in her words, ‘I’m not an expert in anything.’ It made us sad that she felt this way because this is simply not true: as human beings, we are all expert in so many things every day. A lecture is simply a style of presenting information and this information can be drawn from anything. It can be created from something you already know or something you are going to research. Everything can be material for performance, if you approach it in the right way. The dynamic thing about lectures is that they allow us to draw upon all the tools that belong to the world of the presentation: PowerPoint, Prezi, live demonstration – it can be fun to experiment with them all in the illustration of your ideas. It is also important to remember that the look and feel of a lecture can be distinctly different, depending on the subject it is introducing. For example, a lecture on the micro-climate of a remote island of Scotland might be very different to a lecture about falling in love. Whatever the topic, a lecture has something unique and beautiful to offer. For inspiration, you can look at the many and varied TED Talks available to view. Another thing we have loved about including lectures in performance is that they have enabled us to seed metaphors or draw parallels with larger bodies of research. For example, when making a show in Norway in 2016 about the pressure to succeed, one of the group created a lecture about theories of thought and the way human beings have made sense of things at various points in history. This allowed us to seed the idea that the systems we have in place now are the result of a bigger journey of an attempt for meaning and understanding. Everything is transitional and change is possible.

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Ideas for generating text as a lecture ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Create a lecture on a style of music you like. Create a lecture on an idea you find exciting. Create a lecture on something you don’t yet understand. Create a lecture on a system of which you are a part. Create a lecture about something very, very small. Create a lecture about something huge. Create a lecture about an emotion. Create a lecture for 1 person/for 100 people/for a video.

An example of first-past-the-post Show: A Bit of Bite Inquiry question: What is my voice in contemporary politics and how can I use it? Task: Write a lecture explaining the voting system. Joe My name is Joe Gardner and, as you already know, I’m actually 18, which means I can vote. Not just in Scotland but, if I moved to somewhere in England, like Milton Keynes, I could vote there, too. Obviously, because I am 18, I take the business of voting very seriously. I feel that it is important to know exactly how the system works. I have done my research. When I was still at school (I’m not now, I’m at university), I took the subject ‘Modern Studies’ with a really great teacher called Miss Mowat. In Modern Studies – with Miss Mowat – we learned all about voting systems. And I now feel duty-bound to share some of this very important learning with you. So –. The UK does use many different voting systems and it can be confusing, but I shall try and debunk any myths and explain them clearly and effectively so that you, the electorate, can use your votes as wisely as possible. I have prepared a small presentation to help me. First of all, we have ‘first-past-the-post’ (FPTP). First-past-the-post is used to elect an MP to the House of Commons in London. And, just so we are all clear, there are no postboxes involved. Unless you’re doing a postal vote, obviously. Essentially, FPTP means the person with the most votes.

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Or, as ABBA would say, ‘The winner takes it all.’ Next up, we have the ‘additional member system’ (AMS). AMS is used to elect MSPs to the Scottish Parliament, members to the Welsh Assembly and also to elect London councilors to their assembly. You mustn’t confuse AMS with . . . SAS, BHS, IBS, CBS. Just for visuals, here is how an AMS ballot paper is laid out (shows picture of ballot paper). Each constituency elects one candidate, in the style of first-pastthe-post. They then elect a second candidate, based on the party rather than the candidate. The votes for this second candidate are then allocated on top of the constituency seats to ‘top up’ the number of seats won by each party to share the votes proportionally. These are the ‘additional members’. Next up, we have the ‘single transferable vote’ (STV). STV is used to elect councilors here in Scotland and is not to be confused with the television channel! Under STV, voters rank candidates in order of preference by marking 1, 2, 3 and so on next to the names of candidates on a ballot paper. A voter can rank as many or as few candidates as they like. Ladies and gentlemen, to be honest it’s very confusing, so I’m not going to explain it to you right now. It took me at least three periods of Modern Studies to understand it properly myself. No wonder we don’t use it that much in Scotland. Exhausted? I know you probably are, ladies and gentlemen, but it is crucial we don’t underestimate how important your vote actually is. Miss Mowat knew it – I know it and you need to know it. I mean, this is a big moment. One where you choose the person who is going to represent you. The person on which all your hopes are pinned. The person who will make decisions on your behalf. In your name, ladies and gentlemen.

8. Questions Questions are our most favourite way to write text for performance. We love the act of asking questions because it feels so integral to who we are as human beings and our process of trying to understand the world around us. As theatre makers, we are definitely more interested in questions than answers. Questions are possibilities. They open up our view of things and ask us to re-examine the way things are and the way they might be. Questions

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are action and dialogue and grappling with the complexity of things. It is actually impossible to find a show that we have made which does not contain at least one set of questions. They are knitted into the fabric of everything we do and everything we care about. There are also multiple creative options as to how to place questions in a performance. You can ask questions to another performer, to one audience member or the whole audience in general or to yourself rhetorically. You can look for answers or leave the questions open as a text in themselves. The choices are endless.

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Write a set of questions you have for someone in charge. Write a set of questions you have never asked. Write a set of questions you don’t know the answers to. Write a set of questions about big ideas. Write a set of questions about a subject you know very well. Write a set of questions you have about love. Write a set of questions for a friend. Write a set of questions for your family about you. Write a quiz on a specialist subject. Write a test for your teacher. Write a set of questions that do not have answers.

An example of reasons Show: Figment Inquiry question: What does it feel like to grow up? Task: What are all the questions you have about the world you live in? Jack How was the earth made? When was the first day? How long does it last? Is there a god? How old is God? How tall is He? When did He make the earth? How long did it take Him to create it? Why did He make the sky blue?

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Why did He make the sun bright? Why did He make the moon glow? Why did He make the water wet? Where does He live? Or is He a She? How far is heaven? How deep is hell? Should I see the things I don’t see? Should I believe in things I don’t know? How can I know what is really there? And what isn’t? Is there a reason: For Men? For Women? For Dogs? For Cats? For Time? For Thought? For Happiness? For Joy? For Anger? For Pain? For Ideas? For Endings? For Imagination? For Questions? For Money? For Fame? For Love? For Marriage? For Space? For Stars? For Emptiness? For Everybody and anybody elsewhere? Is there a reason for me? And how do I know what it is?

9. Re-enactments Much like in the case of Found/Stolen Texts (above), it can also be interesting to take existing texts and re-remember or re-enact it for the purposes of

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performance. This can be an effective way to draw upon some of the wider cultural references like films, videos or speeches you feel have affected you personally or play a significant role in how we, as a society, look at a particular theme. As with some of the other conventions, re-enacting existing moments can help to offer another perspective and draw from a larger field of contextual research as you explore your idea. As well as using material from the world of media, personal stories or domestic interactions can also provide rich stimuli for the purposes of re-enactment. For example, recalling a conversation you once had with a grandparent or a tutorial you had at school may actually provide a meaningful and dynamic piece of text for performance.

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Re-enact a scene from your favourite film. Re-enact a music video you find funny. Re-enact a political speech that is important. Re-enact a significant conversation you once had. Re-enact a section of the news. Re-enact an interview. Re-enact an argument you once had. Re-enact a conversation you have everyday.

An example of When Harry Met Sally Show: I Hope My Heart Goes First Inquiry question: What does love feel like? Task: Re-enact an iconic film about love. Laura I love you. Lucy

How do you expect me to respond to this?

Laura How about you love me, too? Lucy

How about I’m leaving.

Laura Doesn’t what I said mean anything to you?

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Lucy I’m sorry Harry, I know it’s New Year’s Eve, I know you’re feeling lonely, but you just can’t show up here, tell me you love me and expect that to make everything alright. It doesn’t work this way. Laura Well, how does it work? Lucy

I don’t know but not this way.

Laura Well, how about this way? I love that you get cold when it’s 71 degrees out, I love that it takes you an hour-and-a-half to order a sandwich, I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts, I love that after I spend a day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes and I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it’s not because I’m lonely, and it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve. I came here tonight because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of the life to start as soon as possible. Lucy You see, that is just like you, Harry. You say things like that and you make it impossible for me to hate you. And I hate you, Harry . . . I really hate you. I hate you. Source e: Nora Ephron, When Harry Met Sally (Castle Rock Entertainment, 1989)

10. Creative writing There are times when a structured writing convention is not the right fit for what you want to explore and the best thing to do is open the process up to interpretation and creative response. In this case, you can engage in a process of writing from a given stimulus or creative writing prompt. Prompts can be taken from anywhere: words, pictures or objects. Anything can be a starting point, if it helps spark inspiration and the desire to write.

Ideas for creative writing prompts Titles ● ● ● ● ●

A speech you really need to make Journeys Full stop Overheard at the bus stop A significant day

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Beginnings When everything changed

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An old photograph An image from a magazine/newspaper A postcard A picture taken from an art book/monograph A picture of a place/people/objects

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A shopping list A key A box A storybook A glass jar

An example of the person on the street Show: A Bit of Bite Inquiry question: What is my voice in politics and how can I use it? Task: A speech you really need to make. See Figure 9.2. Laiqa Dear person on the street, Do you want to know what really makes me angry? I really want to tell you because, for once, I am in control and I get to have a say after years of keeping my mouth shut and just walking on. To the person I had never met – you took one look at me and made an assumption. You decided you knew everything about me and chose to act upon your assumption. You chose to make me feel uncomfortable, to make me feel small and like I didn’t belong. You chose to make me feel less than everyone else. To the person who told me to go back to my own country. What does that mean? I was born here, just like you and this is my home, too. To the person on that day – what was going through your mind, when you chose to throw rocks at my mum and I?

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To the person who called me a ‘terrorist’ and asked where I had hidden the bombs. Can you not see that you were the one causing terror? Dear person in the street – how does wearing a scarf make me different? Does it matter if I am different? Why does it matter?

A note about how to write Before doing any kind of writing, it is important to remember that there are lots of ways to go about it. It comes back to the idea that everyone learns in different ways and, as a result, might need to work slightly differently. Some people find creative writing intimidating and others need more time to find the words to express exactly what it is they want to say. Before beginning any exercise designed to generate text, it is useful to consider the following elements: ●

Time: How much time is necessary for this task? Would it benefit from a set of quick responses or is it better to give time and space for careful thought?

Figure 9.2 Laiqa Umar in A Bit of Bite by Junction 25. Tramway, 2016. Photograph by Alan McAteer/Glasgow Life.

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Environment: What is the room like and how can it best support a writing process? Playing gentle music in the background may help to create a calm and reflective environment, where playing a loud song with lots of words might make it difficult for people to concentrate. Value: How can you best value what is created? Have you left the necessary time and space to hear what has been generated and value each contribution? Is there a way to make sure all text is saved and doesn’t get lost as you continue working? Care: How can you look after each other as you share your writing? Very often, people in your group have written words that are very significant to them or are contributing stories of real depth and personal meaning. This should be remembered.

When we think about writing, we often imagine it to be an entirely solo process but this is not always necessary. Sometimes, it can be helpful to vary the size of the groups involved in writing tasks in order to explore the different quality and style of what is created. In our time working collaboratively in this way, we have witnessed people writing beautiful pieces of text with the help of others and completely exceeding their own expectations of themselves. Different ways to go about writing tasks include: ●

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As an interview: In pairs, with one person questioning the other and writing their response. As a story: In larger groups, with each person taking it, in turns, to share stories. Recording it and writing it down later. As a solo: Time spent alone writing.

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Feel the fear and go for it. Trust that ideas often only start to flow once you begin. Forget about time and do not compare how much you have written to other people. If you can’t find a way to start, use a prompt line that can be repeated at the beginning of each sentence, for example: ‘I love . . .,’ ‘Sometimes, I . . .,’ ‘Here I can . . .’ Don’t worry about structure. Try and write a stream of consciousness and then go back to it and structure it afterwards by picking out sections and re-ordering it.

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Don’t be scared to have a conversation with someone if it helps you to find your ideas and opinions through talking about them. Just write everything down. Try not to self-edit before you have even written anything. Try bullet-pointing your ideas so you can share with the group by talking them through rather than writing them down. Get together with a partner and ask them to write down your ideas as you say them. Record your ideas on a phone or computer.

A note about journals At the start of making each new show, we have often found it useful to give each member of the group a journal to use for all writing tasks as well as for noting new ideas as the process progresses. For us, it has been important that these journals were made up of plain blank white pages (not lined or squared) in order to support the central idea that creativity can come in any form and that participants have ownership over their approach to the process of creation. It also seeds the metaphor of the ‘blank page’ and that devising is essentially a process of making something entirely new, from scratch.

A note about emotional safety Writing can often be a deeply personal experience and throw up lots of complex and sometimes difficult emotions. It is important to look after yourself and seek support from the group where you need it as you go. It is also really good to know where your own trigger points are and avoid material you know will make you sad or distressed in a way that feels emotionally unsafe. Remember, you do not need to share experiences or writing that you are uncomfortable about or that makes you feel overly vulnerable. One of the good things about devising is that you should feel empowered to make what you want and be free to participate in a creative process on your terms.

A note about letting go When engaging in any kind of creative task, it is good not to worry too much about ‘getting it right’. So often in the past, we have worked with people who have found themselves stuck and unable to write for fear of the

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quality of what they will produce or a long-held fear of just not being good at it. In these cases, try to remember that it is not possible to fail at creativity. Writing for performance is not an essay or a test and it will not be marked or corrected or ridiculed. It is a process of using your voice to express something about the world you live in: something as you see and experience it from your own valuable or unique perspective. Sometimes, you will write something you really love and, sometimes, you will struggle to find the words to say what you want to say. This is all okay and a perfectly normal part of the creative process. The trick is to take a deep breath and let your imagination go. You never know, you might surprise yourself with what happens.

A note about caring for other people’s material One of the reasons we really prioritise a careful and invested approach to Chapter 6, ‘Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic’, is because we recognise that when it comes to making stages you need to be able to share your work with your group. When you offer new material, it is so important to be in a creative environment in which you feel safe and supported, with people who will hear it and care about it. There will always be times when something you have written might not be quite right for a show or will need to be developed. Regardless of the outcome, it is important that each person’s work is valued and cared for as part of a larger process of making meaning together.

Developing text for use in performance It is rarely the case that a text is just lifted from the writing process and placed directly into the show, ready for performance. Most often, it needs to go through a process of refinement in order to further craft ideas and make the most of the intended meaning. Here are a few practical ideas for developing your text: ● ● ●

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Take one part and go deeper. Change the order, add to it, think about the alliteration and the flow. Think about what is the small idea in your text and what is the bigger idea. Go deeper into both. Abstract it so that it can be more open to meaning and interpretation. Get another performer to read it so you can hear how it sounds from the outside.

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Describe more/describe less. Summarise the journey of your text in three lines. Develop it with a partner. How can a new voice help you find new meaning and go deeper with what you are trying to say?

A note about playing with ways to deliver text It can often be useful to explore the different meanings you can find in a text as you play with it in performance. You might try: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Shouting the text Whispering the text Lip-syncing a prerecorded version of the text Repeating the text Making the text into a sound piece Videoing the text Changing the performer who reads the text Using a microphone Making a sign out of the text Giving the text to someone who has never seen it before to read it

Often, the meaning of a text can change quite dramatically, depending on how it is delivered or the context of how and where you place it in performance. You can read more about this, later in Chapter  10, ‘Stage 5: Structure and Composition’.

Movement and choreography I wanted to express something that I couldn’t express with words at all. Something I have to say urgently, but not verbally. These are feelings, or questions, I never have an answer. Pina Bausch, quoted in Royd Climenhaga, Routledge Performance Practitioners: Pina Bausch (Routledge, 2009)

Exploring movement can be an exciting and empowering way to make material for performance. Working in this way asks us to go beyond words to find new forms of expression, challenging our relationships to our bodies, the bodies of others and the space around us. Movement is also often not literal and does not pin us down to one meaning or definition in the way words sometimes do. And so, as we move, we find ourselves open to new

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possibilities and new conversations about what things are and what they could be. Exploring an idea physically can also help us to unlock it and understand it in a number of different ways. Interpreting a theme or feeling through the body can throw up a whole new set of questions and can help get to the heart of what it is we are trying to say. Using choreography as a tool for exploration and interrogation can help offer a different focus and allow for a deeper level of understanding. To work with movement is also an excellent way to feel positive, energised and connected to the world around us. So often, everyday actions can find us sitting behind a desk or staring at a screen or portable device and so having less need to work with physical action or in contact with others. Our relationship with our bodies has become more and more regularly linked with sport or exercise led by notions of competition and endurance. As a result, we have become less likely to think about how and why we move and the use of our body as a tool for communication and feeling. As important a tool as it can be, working with movement can also be a daunting prospect for many new performers. Some confuse it with being good at dance and worry about technique or achieving a certain level of skill. In these cases, fear and the concern about being ‘good’ at something can act as a barrier and get in the way of an overall sense of creative flow. When we were at college, we had a much loved teacher called Dave Richmond, who told us that everyone is beautiful when they move in their own way. We think this is true. To make peace with your body and explore how it can communicate is an exciting adventure, open to us all. We are all individual: some of us are faster, slower, more contained, more frantic than others. Some of us can easily run 10 miles, while others take just one step. Some of our bodies move without us being able to stop it, while others make the smallest of actions that are almost invisible. All of these things are movement and all of them are beautiful and relevant to our shared experience of being human. We just have to find how our bodies work best for us and allow this knowledge into our creative work. Embedding a dynamic and energised movement practice within your devising process can be key to a healthy creative collaboration. It can allow you to think in new ways, find common ground and work with a shared language and, in doing so, support your understanding of yourselves as a group of individuals working to create something new together (Figure 9.3).

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Figure 9.3 Full cast in I’d Rather Humble than Hero by Junction 25. The Traverse Theatre, 2015. Photograph by Robin Mitchell

Ways to make movement Movement and choreographic practice is a huge and well-documented part of theatre history. There are so many schools of thinking and tools you can borrow from a whole host of different artists and their processes for making. Over our years of working together, we have collected a number of different ways into movement that can be adapted for people with any amount of experience or training. Here are eight of our favourite ways to explore movement and chorography as a creative tool in devising new theatre: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

From gesture From rules From metaphor From words From music From images From games From existing dances

Each of these ideas can be played with in the following ways:

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As a solo As a duet As a group

1. From gesture gesture (noun): A movement of part of the body, especially a hand (OED or the head, to express an idea or meaning. (OED D)

Gestures are central to how we express ourselves as human beings. They are a non-verbal set of tools we use to make ourselves heard and understood and, so, often serve as shorthand for things we want to illustrate or make happen. Some gestures are specific to individuals or communities and some are more universally understood. Think about the gestures most associated with saying ‘hello’ or hailing a taxi. What is it you do if you want to ask a question or signal to a friend from far away? All of these actions are gestures and part of the language we use with one another every day. When using gesture in performance, we are essentially taking these everyday actions and making them poetic. By playing with compositional tools, such as speed, repetition, sequencing, and layering them alongside other elements like spoken text or music, we are asking them to be considered in different ways and offering them new meanings. It is possible to bring gestures you use or have observed in everyday life into the rehearsal room for use in creative work. It is also possible to make or discover new gestures through play and experimentation with physicality in the space.

Ideas for creating movement from gesture ●

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Go outside and observe people passing by. Recreate six gestures you saw in the everyday. Create a series of gestures you do when you are happy. Ask someone to tell you a story. As they are telling it, note down all the gestures they make and recreate them. Have a conversation with a friend using only gestures. Watch a televised event. Copy eight gestures people make. In pairs, find all the things that are physically the same as each other and make a gesture that represents each one.

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Create a series of instructions for doing an everyday task and make a gesture that represents each instruction. Think about your favourite outfit and create a gesture for each garment of clothing. Read an article that makes you angry and create a gesture that represents each thing that makes you angry.

An example of politicians Show: A Bit of Bite Inquiry question: What is my voice in contemporary politics and how can I use it? We are exploring politics and the role it plays in the lives of young people in contemporary Britain. For the purposes of research, we decide to watch various extracts from the weekly televised Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) and observe the gestures made by politicians in this context. As a group, we make notes about the gestures and ways of moving that are used most often: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Standing up and sitting back down Pointing at one another Crossing arms and legs Waving hands Raising arms to the sky Stamping feet Eye rolling Clapping Throwing heads back

We decide to select eight of the most common and build them into a sequence we can repeat. We work to make them exactly the same each time and to deliver them on a shared count. When we do it together as a collective action, it feels powerful and begins to work as a piece of material. Eilidh points out that the politicians also all make sounds as they gesture. They jeer, cheer, grumble and guffaw at each other as part of the debate. She suggests we try to add a snippet of this sound to what we are making. We all agree this is a good idea. Through abstracting these sounds and gestures from their original source (the politicians discussing in Parliament), we find we are able to highlight

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the theatricality of the politicians we often see on television and so begin to examine them and their style of communication in a new way. We make the creative choice to layer this gestural sequence with Frédé déric Chopin’s Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2 (played by Finghin Collins for the London Philharmonic Orchestra). It is a piece of classical music that is beautiful and calming in tone. The music works in juxtaposition with the harsh, aggressive gestures we had borrowed from the politicians and, placed together as one image, they help to offer a bigger set of questions around our perception of the role of the politicians in the society in which we live.

A note about being clear with gestures In everyday life, when we make a gesture, the action is quite quick and spontaneous, but in the process of using it in performance they often work best when they are clear and precise. When you are working with gesture, make sure to spend some time cleaning the action to make it as clear as possible. Be definite with each part of it so that it can be easily repeated and can be exactly the same each time you use it in a sequence.

2. From rules Often, it is easier to create something if you have a clear framework or structure from which to start. Rule- or instruction-based choreography is exactly this: a process which asks the performer to respond creatively to a set of rules or instructions in the development of new movement for performance. When working with rules or instructions, you can be as literal or interpretative as you wish. You can allow them to provide you with a strict set of parameters for making or use it, as a way to push against what is expected and explore something completely new. Setting rules or instructions for making movement can be a very effective way to work within a devising process as it allows performers a shared language from which to work together and to explore space and meaning.

Ideas for creating a movement using rules ●

Travel from one side of the room to the other, with only one person moving at a time but always staying in contact with one another.

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Make a duet, where only one of you can touch the floor at one time. Write a list of shapes for another group to recreate, e.g. create a circle, make a line, form a square. Draw a series of symbols and give them to someone else to interpret as a sequence of movements. Write the directions for how to get to your favourite place, use them as a floor pattern. Take an old instruction manual for something that no longer exists and interpret it using the body. Write a set of instructions for someone else to follow. Write a series of rules for a personal solo.

An example of sisters Show: I Hope my Heart Goes First Inquiry question: What does love feel like? We are making a show about love. In the group, we have two sisters and they are interested in exploring love between siblings. Rosie (18) and Megan (17) are very close. They were born within one year of each other and since then have done everything together. They are sisters and best friends. They want to make something about their relationship, about how much they love each other but also about how complicated it can be, how unconditional and visceral it can feel and how it can turn from fierce loyalty to sheer frustration or overwhelming rage in an instant. They decide they want to make a piece of movement because they are very physical with each other and they see this as a trait with siblings. They set some rules for an improvisation, in which they want to test the boundaries of their relationship: 1 Rosie must try to find as many ways as she can to hug Megan. 2 Megan must try to get away from her. 3 Either of them can use the ‘safe word’ at any time and the improvisation will stop. The improvisation builds up and Rosie is hugging Megan round the waist, leg, neck and jumping up on her back. Megan twists and squeezes out of each embrace and moves away from her. Megan starts to get really annoyed with Rosie. This then moves into a series

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of grappling and clinging as Rosie is still passionately hanging onto Megan, with her legs wrapped round her waist, whist Megan is dragging her across the floor in an attempt to force her off. They both collapse, exhausted and in the state between laughing and crying, they both agree that this is what it feels like. We decide this must go in the show but that they will set some of the movements so they can do it safely. Megan feels she needs more of a reason to get annoyed with Rosie. We ask Rosie to make a list of questions beginning with the sentence, ‘Megan, would you still love me if . . .’ We add this list to the beginning of the moment, it begins with: ‘Megan, would you love me if I borrowed your favourite top and ruined it?’ and builds up until Rosie asks Megan, ‘What about if I slept with your boyfriend?!’ At this point, Megan has had enough of the questions and wants to get away from Rosie and so the rule-based movement begins.

A note about making your own rules One of the best things about working with rules is the opportunity it offers you to play with interesting ideas. Try building a set of your own rules that help a group of performers to explore in a new way. Think about instructions that would initiate dynamic new interplay or result in a curious pattern or set of shapes in the room. Remember that many of the best ideas are discovered through experimentation and play. Take a risk and do things your own way – you never know what you might make!

A note about having a safe word When working physically with others, you are engaged in an informal contract of trust. Together, you have rehearsed a sequence of moves you know and feel comfortable with (if you are not, it is important to say this and to change it). Sometimes, these movements can be performed at speed and with an intensity designed to illustrate a mood or feeling for the audience – like in the case of staged conflict or with pair work like carrying or falling. However, in cases like these, you should always make sure to have a safe word you can use. It is basically a word agreed by all performers that anyone can say at any stage and will stop the action immediately. This is useful when you feel something is going very differently to how you rehearsed or on the occasion there is an unexpected situation with staging that feels unsafe or insecure. It is designed to prevent performers getting hurt or injured and to stay in control of the movement on stage at all times.

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Using a safe word in the rehearsal process can also be a good way to allow the group to know when an exercise or performance moment must end or when they have personally had enough and they want it to stop. Remember that everyone has different thresholds and energy levels and so it is important to put into place a word that all performers can say that they know will be taken seriously. When choosing a safe word, think about something that has nothing at all to do with the action on stage. For example, ‘No’ or ‘Stop’ might be something used to give emphasis in the scene and therefore is not clear, whereas a word like ‘Bananas’ or ‘Spade’ is completely out of context and is therefore recognisable and easy to respond to quickly.

3. From metaphor It can be hard to explain exactly how we feel about something just by using words. Sometimes, there just are not enough words – or just not the right words – to describe exactly what we are thinking and, in some cases, it might just be too difficult or emotional to try. On these occasions, we find it can be useful to work with movement and to find a physical action or sequence of actions that illustrates a feeling or expresses an emotion. One good way to think about movement that stands in for something we can’t express with words is imagining its value as a metaphor.

metaphor (noun): a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else. (OED D)

For example, you may be exploring the feeling associated with falling in love and choose to play practically with the physical act of falling and what it helps you to communicate. What does this action mean, if you keep getting up again and repeating the fall? What happens if you fall once and stay on the floor? Suddenly, we can see how simple physical choices offer us a world of metaphorical meaning that is bigger than words and also allows space for the audience to bring their own feelings and interpretation to its meaning on stage. Group movement sequences can also hold a great deal of metaphorical potential. In moments like these, ideas of collaboration, trust and collective action can be seen and felt by the audience. Groups can be seen to be working as one, supporting one another, standing together, performing together as a critical mass.

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Create a series of ways to slide from a chair onto the floor. (Wanting the ground to swallow you up) Create a series of movements that push and pull. (The give and take of a friendship or relationship) Make six movements where you are balancing. (A feeling of being on the edge) Create an action where you are trying to reach something. (Striving for something out of reach) Find five ways to carry another member of the company across the room. (Support) Find three different ways to trip up your partner, then choreograph it into a sequence you can both perform safely. (Struggling to get to the top)

An example of falling Show: I Hope My Heart Goes First Inquiry question: What does love feel like? We are making a show about love and the group is fascinated with the first stage of falling in love with someone. We talk about what this feels like and the fact that sometimes you can physically feel like you are out of control or in free fall. We wonder how we can show this through movement and imagine what might be the right physical metaphor to communicate how it feels to fall in love. Nathan describes the feeling you get in your stomach when you fall in love and suggests there is a reason it is called ‘falling’ in love and so we choose falling as our movement. As a big group, we learn how to fall to the ground from standing, without hurting ourselves. Everyone learns exactly the same way of doing it. We try everyone falling at the same time and then standing up again, we repeat this and, one at a time, we step out to watch. We discuss the fact that sometimes you fall in love more quickly than other times, that sometimes it is unrequited and that on

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different occasions you feel more in control than others. We try adding a jump so that we can vary the impact and speed of the falls, we try falling one at a time, in unison and at random, we speed it up and we slow it right down. We agree that there is something about the repetition of this simple action that allows the audience to reflect on the feeling of falling, falling in love and out of love, trying again and again to find love, to stay in love, to understand love.

4. From words Words are part of verbal communication that most of us use every day. They have meaning attached to them which allows us to share knowledge and understanding with those around us. But what happens when we interpret these words through our bodies? Do we understand them differently? Does it change how we feel? Does the meaning become more complicated? Or even more clear? Making movement from words can be a helpful way to get to the heart of the thing we are trying to communicate, offering us a way to distil into one simple action what it might take a whole paragraph of writing to say. It is possible to take words from anywhere. They can be action words or feeling words, invite literal interpretation or something altogether more abstract. It really does not matter how or where you choose them from, you can use these words to inspire creative response and playful experimentation. When making movement from words, you might sometimes find you end up with a string of individual actions. In this case, it is up to you to find dynamic and creative ways to link them into a sequence for use in performance. You can find some tips as to how to do this later in this chapter. Figure 9.4 shows a sequence of movement created by Nathan Low and Kevin Low, exploring the bond between them as father and son.

Ideas for creating movement from words ●

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Choose a feeling you are wanting to express (e.g. love/sadness/ frustration) and find five different words you associate with this feeling. Create a movement for each one. Take the word you would like to see represented in the space (e.g. Support) and find six different ways to represent that physically.

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Find an article about something you really care about. Highlight ten key words from it you think best capture the essence of what it is about and make a movement to represent each word. Take a poem you love. Make a movement for each line of it. Take a newspaper. Rip eight unrelated words out of the text at random. Use them to make a movement sequence. Write continuously for 5 minutes about something you would like to change about something you love. Read it back and circle eight words. Make a movement for each one. Take a famous speech from history. Underline every twelfth word. Assign a physical action to each one. Do not try and be literal. Think of each word as its own movement. Take the first line of each chapter of your favourite book and make a movement for each one.

Figure 9.4 Nathan Low and Kevin Low in From Where I’m Standing by Junction 25. Tramway, 2008. Photograph by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

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An example of privacy Show: 5.9 Million Inquiry question: What is public and what is private in contemporary society? We are in production week for 5.9 Million and the group have made an interactive experience about surveillance for small groups of audience members at a time. We are right at the end of the process and we are discussing the other side of the inquiry. We are discussing privacy. This is what we want the end of the show to represent. We decide to make a piece of movement that captures the idea of being private. We consider how the group can show their real selves? What is it we do when we are on our own? When we are not being watched? When do we switch off? How does this make us feel? As a group, we choose six words/phrases for privacy: ● ● ● ● ● ●

Personal Time to yourself Your own space Secret Confidential Secure

We take each word individually and make a movement for it. We learn each movement and we pay attention to exactly how it is performed, focusing on the small details in order to make it precise. As we learn them, we find a way to link the movement together, we try to take our cues from the movements, we look to see which ones naturally flow into each other and which we need to alter. We know that the audience will be on all sides and facing into the room and so we would like the sequence to turn and to travel. We consider the tempo of the sequence to be reflective as it is the final part of the performance. We want the audience to be left with something simple and honest. We all agree that the section will start with a solo from Lucy. She stretches her arm out to her left side and opens her hand and looks down at her palm. She walks in a circle so that the whole audience can see her palm. She swings her arm back, wraps it around her body and faces the other direction. She steps forward and raises her hands above her eyeline. She makes a diamond shape with her hands and looks through it, the sequence continues with people joining slowly until everyone is in the space.

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5. From music We love working with music and are so often inspired by it when making and thinking about performance. Shortly after first selecting our initial inquiry question for each show, we find ourselves bringing in tracks of music that have led us to think or feel something in response to it. Often, the tempo or dynamic of these responses are very different and can help us to see just how layered and complex our thoughts about the question are, right from the outset. Music also helps us to connect to our bodies and can unlock our desire to move and express ourselves. Have you ever watched a small child when music is played? They move, they cannot help it. Rhythm affects human beings in ways that we cannot explain: it makes us dance, it makes us cry and makes us jump for joy. We have so many physical reactions to it. This is who we are. For all of these reasons, we bring music into our rehearsal room and we use it to make movement. Sometimes, we challenge ourselves to interpret it (much like we suggested in Section 4, ‘From Words’) and, at other times, we lean into the ways it makes us want to move, without worrying too much about what it means or why we are doing it.

Ideas for creating movement from music ●

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Take the lyrics from your favourite song and find a movement for each line. Take a song that really makes you feel something and try to interpret how you feel, by turning your feelings into actions (e.g. swing, jump, turn, step, run, crawl, crouch, fall). Take a piece of music you love and improvise to it. Get someone to note down the movements they like best, repeat this a few times and then choreograph a sequence you repeat. Close your eyes and move to a piece of music. Video yourself in this moment, watch it back and learn the movements as you first made them.

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An example of breathing Show: A Bit of Bite Inquiry question: What is my voice in contemporary politics and how can I use it? Raedie (13) is talking about what it feels like to be confused or when you really care about something but you don’t know what to do about it or how to express your opinion about it. We discuss the fact that he really enjoys interpreting things through music or through movement rather than writing things down. We ask him to find a song that maybe captures some of what we have been discussing and what he is feeling. He brings in a song that is meaningful to him and he creates a series of movements that interpret the emotion he feels when he listens to it. He makes individual actions and then connecting movements that bring it together into a choreography. He uses the flow and tempo of the music to give him ideas for each new movement, he plays with speed, he uses momentum and allows his body to respond to the music rather than thinking too much about what might come next. We play the song in rehearsal and he dances his sequence. It is beautiful because you can see he really feels each emotion when he is moving. It is beautiful because the movements are very much his own and performed in the way that only he would perform them.

6. From images Working from images can be a really good starting point for a group that has little or no experience of performance and is looking to build their confidence through exploring movement. This is essentially a process of drawing on something we have already seen or recognise in order to create a quick and effective sequence. There are two main ways to think about using images to make movement: ● ●

Taking images from another source and recreate them on stage. Making images in response to an idea or to illustrate it.

The genesis of these techniques can be found in the well-loved theatre convention of ‘still images’ or ‘tableaux’, although when used in the context of making movement for performances they become a little more abstracted

Stage 4: Making Original Material for Performance

and dynamic in their style and framing. We have found working with images particularly useful when asking groups to make connections with the realworld context of an inquiry question. For example, when exploring the theme of politics for A Bit of Bite, we asked the group to research famous images of protest and then asked them to recreate them in the space to music. In this way, it allowed us to bring the wider world of research into the work in an interesting and alternative way (to telling/describing). You can explore images as a solo, pair or in larger groups. It is often most effective to take a number of related images and move on to create a larger sequence out of them. You can find some further tips as to how to do this, later in this chapter.

Ideas for creating movement from images ●

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Take a newspaper and find five pictures you think are important and recreate them. Find eight adverts and recreate them. Look at your Instagram feed and recreate some of the photographs. Take some old family photographs and recreate them. Find six images of injustice and recreate them. Find six famous images from history and recreate them. With a partner, make four images in response to the following words: tender/care/conflict/turmoil/together/apart.

An example of advertising Show: I’d Rather Humble than Hero, Hero, co-directed with Gary Gardiner Inquiry question: How can you create a celebrity? We are making a show about celebrity culture and, at this point in the process, we are exploring image and what is advertised and sold to young people and how it impacts on their own sense of self and identity. We all bring in fashion magazines we have picked up from spaces we inhabit during the day, our homes, schools and in the shops we visit. We flick through them to select adverts that really stand out to

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us. We observe the poses or positions the models in the photographs are taking. We talk about how they are holding their bodies, what they are wearing and what it makes us feel. As a group, we decide to see how it feels to physically interpret some of these poses and create our own ‘adverts’. Everyone chooses six poses they can recreate from the magazines and, in small groups, they make six pictures using the individual poses. We set the rule that each pose must connect with at least one other person in each picture. The groups find fluid ways to move between each picture and use momentum, tension, balance and one another to transition from one picture into the next. We watch what has been created and we play with intention and the different ways we can perform them. Claire suggests there is a franticness in the moving between each picture that she feels represents the relentlessness of fashion and advertising and that there is something in this we can push. We decide to develop this further and each group finds different ways for their sequence to travel from the front to the back of the stage. We play with completion and the intention that, while performing, each person is trying to get the most attention. The sequence soon becomes exhausting and really competitive. The posing begins slowly and the pictures are clear, however, as the movement becomes more frantic and the performers begin to move up and down the space, they fall over each other as they compete to be at the front of the group. You can see that they are struggling to keep going, that they are tired and, as a result, the clarity of the pictures begins to disintegrate. We layer projected images of current advertisements onto the back wall behind them as well as music, and the finished moment creates an overwhelming cacophony the group feel is representative of the pressure they feel from the lifestyle they are constantly sold.

A note about playing with images When working with images (that can be quite literal in meaning), it can be interesting to play with ways to develop or abstract their meaning in performance. For example: ● ● ●

What happens when the whole group does the same thing? What happens when one person does something different? What happens when you change the direction you are looking?

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What happens when you make the image clearer? Can you make the image more complicated? Can you exaggerate the image? Can you give the image a clear ‘attitude’? What happens when you change it? What happens if you alter the make-up of the original image? E.g. if you change an image of a traditional straight white wedding to one of a same-sex couple?

Playing with images and altering them can often be a way to make political commentary, encourage reflection, highlight absurdity or make new meanings for/with your audience.

7. From games As children we learn to play games. In the playground, at a birthday party, in organised sport and with our friends in the garden, games are a big part of our memories of being young. We learn the rules of these games and we know them by heart. So many of our favourite games are physical and involve actions such as running, jumping and chasing. These movements also have different dynamics, depending on the aim and motive of the game. Creeping softly so as not be heard, charging at speed so as not to be caught, freezing as still as a statue so as not to be seen moving – all of these movements have an intention, a purpose and a quality. Because they are so well known, games can be a great way to introduce new performers to the world of making movement. In the past, we have encountered many groups who have been hugely sceptical and furiously shaken their heads in refusal when we have said ‘movement’ but have rushed to be the first in line as soon as we mentioned the possibility of a game. It was through realising the accessibility of games and the clear opportunity for getting groups moving and interacting that we first discovered how to utilise them to make movement for performance.

Ideas to make movement from games ●

Play the game: Grandmother’s Footsteps One person stands with their back to the rest of the group, who have to move silently behind them, freezing whenever they turn round and being sent back to the start when caught moving.

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Ideas for development Try making it as big as possible. Try making it as small as possible. Add the rule that each time ‘grandmother’ turns, everyone falls dramatically to the floor. Add the rule that each time she turns, everyone finds a partner and hugs them as close as they can. Add the rule that, on the turn, everyone raises their arms to the sky. Add the rule that, on the turn, people give each other a piggy back. Play the game in slow motion. When ‘grandmother’ is finally reached. Lift them and carry them back to the start/drag them along the floor. Take away the role of ‘grandmother’. Add fast music/slow music/classical music/rock music/ electronic music. ●

Play the game: Stick in the Mud One person is ‘it’ and chases the rest of the group to try and ‘tig’ them. Each time someone is caught, they have to stand with their legs apart and their arms outstretched (as if stuck in the mud). They can only be freed if a member of the group crawls under their legs. At which point, they can join the game again. Ideas for development Change the action you do when you are caught. Change how you are freed. Play the game in slow motion. Exaggerate every single movement. Every time someone is caught, have the whole group jump in the air and fall to the ground. Have everyone caught stand in one line. Have everyone caught lie on the floor. Have someone chase the chaser. Give everyone the job of secretly copying someone else in the game. Add fast music/slow music/classical music/rock music/ electronic music.

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Play the game: Rock, Paper, Scissors

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Everyone agrees on an action that literally illustrates rock, paper and scissors. Playing against someone else (or another group), count to three and perform your chosen action: Rock beats Scissors Scissors beats Paper Paper beats Rock Ideas for development Change Rock into a run. Change Scissors into a jump. Change Paper into a fall. Change the rules yourself. Leave no gaps between rounds of playing. Everyone performs the game in a line facing no one. Make each action so small you can hardly see it. Make each action so large it fills the space. Play the game so fast it is chaotic. Play the game so slow it is boring. Add fast music/slow music/classical music/rock music/ electronic music. ●

Play the game: 21 In a circle, everyone counts to 21, with each person taking it in turn to say a number. The person who says ‘21’ can then change any of the numbers to become movement. Every time someone forgets a change, go back to the beginning. Repeat until every number is a movement. Ideas for development Play the game in a line facing forward. Play the game on two sides. Make the movements as large as possible. Make the movements as fast as possible. Run to a new place in the room before each movement. All performers perform each of the 21 movements in unison with the group. Every performer performs each of the 21 movements at their own individual pace. Any performer can perform any of the 21 movements in any order at any time. Add fast music/slow music/classical music/rock music/ electronic music.

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An example of fighting Show: A Bit of Bite Inquiry question: What is my voice in contemporary politics and how can I use it? We are making a show about politics and the property tycoon Donald Trump is running for president of the USA. We are worried it might happen. Most of the group is concerned about the relationship between capitalism and politics and ideas of money, ownership and greed. Some of us feel that power can impact people in negative ways when mixed with money and status. We want to make a piece of material that explores this. We remember one of our favourite games. It involves the group getting into partners, each pair getting a number and then sitting on opposite sides of the room so there is a big running space in the middle. A scarf is placed in the very centre of the room. Each time a number is called, that pair has to race one another from their opposite sides of the room to see who can get the scarf and return to their seat first. They are allowed to tag each other and, if tagged, must drop the scarf, leaving it open for their partner to get it. The person who makes it back to their seat with the scarf is the winner. In practice, this game always turns into a lot of ‘grabbing’ and ‘pushing’. We discuss how these actions make us feel and what they might represent in a capitalist society. Rory suggests we try changing the object and see how doing so might change the meaning of the game. We do it first with a bag of crisps. The packet soon rips and the contents go everywhere. It’s an interesting moment and the image reads as greed but it is not quite what we mean. Jess has a £5 note. She places it in the centre of the room and we play the game again. Suddenly everything changes. It no longer feels like a ‘game’ but instead the image is much darker. It is about getting money above all things. Getting what you want above all costs. Fighting off the competition. This feels theatrically exciting. We alter the rules to make it more dynamic. The pairs are allowed to use their physicality to restrain one another and pull one another backwards. They each rehearse a safe sequence of combat that they know and can be repeated. More than one pair is invited to go at once. We fix an order, add a crescendo where it all descends into fighting and it becomes a choreography.

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When we use the material in the show, we layer it with the song ‘Nasty’ by The Prodigy (The Day is My Enemy Enemy, y, Take Me to the Hospital, Cooking Vinyl, 2015). It is loud and fast and involves a lot of shouting the word ‘Nasty’, over and over. The performers wear oversized suits and this offers yet another layer – a nod to a corporate world, the world of the professional. A world of suits and money. All of these elements placed together in one image helps us with the meaning we are hoping to explore.

8. From existing dances This is one of our most favourite things to do when creating movement for performance: to borrow dances we already know and to re-examine them in the context of a new creative inquiry. Working in this way has allowed us to explore the varying histories, memories and cultures associated with dance. And how moving in certain ways to certain tracks of music makes us feel and behave, remembering dances that remind us of significant moments in time or people/places we love. As part of a process of remembering or recreating dances that have been danced, we always find ourselves asking: ●

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What does it feel like to perform something choreographed by another person for another purpose? Can I do this movement in the same way or does my body interpret it differently? How is my version different? What does it mean when I perform this dance? What is the function/reason for this dance to me?

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Recreate a dance from a musical. Find a dance from a music video. Remake a moment from a classical ballet. Remake a dance by a well-known contemporary choreographer. Find a traditional dance from your own culture. Find a dance from a form you are not familiar with.

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Find a line dance – the Slosh, Macarena, Cupid Shuffle. Do a dance you remember from school. Draw your favourite dance and give it to someone to recreate. Take a movement sequence that already exists, take the floor pattern and create something that follows the same floor pattern but has the opposite energy.

An example of the Cha Cha Slide Show: Gender Divide Inquiry question: How are boys and girls different? It is 2010, and we are thinking about the difference between boys and girls. How and why are they different? How much is nature and how much is nurture? It is a conversation that is not part of public debate in the way it is currently and it feels like it is taking us a long time. Much of the theory we are reading and sharing is heavy and is making us feel all sorts of ways. It is important stuff. For a little light relief, we start talking about school discos. We share the cringe-worthy moments some of us have experienced and the awkward way people behave when they are unsure of the rules and are trying to impress. Megan begins to describe a typical scene from a disco at her school. We all laugh as the characters are recognisable and we feel we know them. Her story reaches the moment when a song comes on, the ‘Cha Cha Slide’ by DJ Casper (aka Mr. C The Slide Man). It is one of those songs that has prescribed actions and is popular, so everyone knows it. Suddenly, all the awkwardness and weirdness of the disco is on pause as everyone joins in and does these actions in lines. It is a hilarious image and we can all relate to it. Stan and Megan play the song and begin to show us how to do the ‘Cha Cha Slide’: 1 hop this time, 1 hop this time Right foot. 2 stomps Left foot. 2 stomps Slide to the left Slide to the right Criss cross

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Criss cross Cha cha real smooth DJ Casper, also known as Mr. C The Slide Man, ‘Cha Cha Slide’, Frederick Johnson and Willie Perry and The Platinum Band (2000)

Soon, the rest of the company joins in and the energy is electric. It is a welcome break from the weight of our previous conversations and yet it also helps us to unlock something important in our original question. This is a real-world example of some of these early dynamics in action. The meanings are right there in our memories and our responses to it.

Some advice for making sequences Often, when you have experimented with a tool for making movement, you find you have a number of individual parts, for example ten gestures or four ways of falling. You then find you are faced with the task of linking them together and using them to create a sequence that can be repeated. When putting your movements together, spend time thinking about: ● ● ● ● ● ●

Which gesture naturally follows the next one? Where is the flow? What is the connecting movement? Does the movement travel? Does the movement turn? What is the floor pattern your sequence follows?

Try playing with: ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Speed Time Levels Repetition Direction Small and Big Transferring the movement to different parts of your body

As you develop your sequence further for performance, consider questions such as: ●

How can you keep each movement as precise as possible?

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Which parts need to be bigger? Which parts needs to be smaller? What happens if you repeat the sequence until you cannot do it any longer? How can you make it really matter?

A note about focus and group responsibility When working physically as part of a group, you should try to stay alert, focused and aware of everything going on in the space at all times. If you are performing a movement sequence that is fast-paced and requires high energy, you need to ensure you do not collide with another performer. Similarly, if you are performing a moment in which someone is being lifted or supported, you need to be careful not to injure them. It is the responsibility of the whole group to care for everyone, and this requires an awareness of focus and of being present and active in the room.

A note about warming up When working with movement (whether in a workshop, rehearsal or in the performance of a show), it is very important to warm up. A proper warm-up serves many functions. It supports us to look after our bodies and ensure against strain or injury. It also allows you to build an ongoing level of fitness and achieve the necessary stamina you need to deliver a high-quality and energised performance for each new show. Some of the shows we have made in the past have required the core company to perform a number of long and complex movement sequences in quick succession, and this has only been possible due to a regular and sustained commitment to warming up. Warming up together as a group can also be a fun collective activity that builds energy and focus and supports ongoing healthy collaboration. One way to find a shared warm-up is to identify a popular song that everyone in the group loves and to create a brand new sequence to it, together. You can do this collectively by each person creating a movement for a part of the body they feel should be warmed up and then choreographing it to the music. This sequence will be unique to each group, one sequence might be really high energy and travel across the room, whilst another one might be done entirely sitting down, it all depends on the group of people. One thing that is important is that it contains exactly what that group needs to get into the right zone.

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A note about performing and directing movement When developing movement work from its initial creation to use in the final performance, it is important to allow time to polish and refine each action in order to be specific about its meaning and how it is being read by an audience: ●

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Make sure everyone is clear about what the whole body is doing in each moment. If you are performing a gesture with your hands, what are your feet doing? What is your face communicating? Is it giving too much emotion or too little? Which way is your body facing? What is the distance between you and the other performers in the space? Where are you looking? How does the overall sequence begin and end?

When directing movement work, it can be useful to ask performers to think about the feeling or emotion that they want the audience to feel whilst performing a piece. To understand the quality of each action and to view it as a feeling, as well as a series of physical movements.

Performance images The power of an image is that it embodies the complexity of what we see, feel and think but cannot literally describe in words. Miranda Tufnell and Chris Crickmay, A Widening Field (Dance Books, 2015)

Making movement or writing text are often familiar ways to make theatre and provide a number of clear conventions for finding new material for performance. However, exploring the world of performance images is also a very exciting tool you can use when making new work and can provide you with a dynamic set of options for expressing your ideas and exploring meaning on stage. In our journey in understanding the possibilities of imagery, we have been inspired by many performance makers and visual artists. When we were students, we worked with brilliant women such as Grace Surman and Jules Dorey Richmond, who encouraged us to think about the language of objects and materials on stage in the same way as we

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use text to create meaning. They challenged us to play as a way to explore. Then, later in our long-term collaboration with visual artist Rachel O’Neill, we began to really see the potential in the relationship between performer and object and the huge amount of meaning that can come from the quality of these objects and how we use them. Once we started to get excited about making images, we realised what a huge amount can be said without words. It would be true to say that at the core of any one of our shows is an image. A moment that touches on something bigger and deeper than any of us could ever fully describe – that tries to get to the heart of something. To speak directly to what is most human in all of us – to tell the truth in some small way. Making images is an exciting and liberating way to work and something we would highly recommend to anyone interested in devising theatre. In our work, we have created performance images in a number of ways: 1 Exploring an idea or feeling through working with objects and materials. 2 Playing with objects and materials to find new meaning. 3 Finding images in the ‘world’ of the show. 4 Finding images through production.

1. Exploring an idea or feeling through working with objects and materials Sometimes, it can be hard to put an emotion, feeling or experience into words. Maybe this is because it is difficult to find exactly the right words, or maybe there are just not enough words to capture the essence or gravity of the moment you want to express. When exploring a difficult or personal subject, it can be easier to explore how you feel about something by creating a moment of performance or image that shows the audience rather than tells them. This is an action or picture that stands in for a bigger idea. We call this a visual metaphor.

A process for using object and materials to explore an idea or feeling ● ●

Identify the feeling/idea you would like to express. Make a list of all the objects and materials with which you would like to play.

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Play with each object/material, in turn, and try to find a way to illustrate/explain your feeling/idea. Watch to see if new meanings also emerge. Show them to another person/group. Which of the images you have created evoke a feeling in them? What does it make them think of to view them?

A note about choosing objects and materials Think about the quality of each object or material you play with. Try to choose objects/materials that do not just have one function but hold a quality that invites exploration. Think about objects that attract or repel you, things that have personal meaning, things you see every day, something you are seeing for the first time. For ideas and inspiration, you can refer to the sample list later in this chapter.

An example of the squashed tomato Show: I Hope My Heart Goes First Inquiry question: What does love feel like? We are making a show about a love. One of the group, Lily, is 11 and wants to explore heartbreak and how it might feel. She doesn’t know exactly and none of us can really help her with an accurate description. It feels messy and complicated. Unpredictable. Something that happens to the body and mind at the same time. Something that takes over. It is bigger and more personal than any of us can really understand. Lily decides to try and explore the feeling of heartbreak using objects that look a little like the heart. She only picks objects that are red: A red balloon full of red paint A tomato A red T-shirt A red shoe A strawberry Tomato ketchup Red lipstick

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She plays with each one, in turn: She fills the balloons with paint and jumps on them until they explode. She throws them against walls so they bounce off. She pierces holes in them so the paint drips out slowly. She balances strawberries on her head. She draws on her body with red lipstick. She squashes tomatoes between her fingers with all her strength. She squirts ketchup everywhere, quickly and very slowly. She puts the shoe on her foot and kicks it off. She rips the T-shirt into shreds. Each time she asks us: Does it feel like this? As we watch Lily and her creative experiments, we realise we are beginning to recognise the feeling of heartbreak in the squashed tomato. It feels visceral to us. Touches on something in our core as human beings. As she squashes the tomato, we are thinking about the heart. We are reminded that when a ripe tomato is squeezed, it looks like the moment your heart expands in your chest. As she tightens her grip and the tomato begins to explode, it reminds us of a heart breaking. The tomato juice running down her hands feels like it could be blood. It feels messy and complicated. It goes beyond words. We put Lily’s image of the tomato in the show. It goes to a place that is integral to our inquiry about love. Lily asks the audience, Does it feel like this? ? And we imagine that they understand.

An example of the burst balloon Show: Figment Inquiry question: What does it feel like to grow up? We are making a show about growing up and the process that happens to a young person when they stop believing in the same things they believed in as a child. Lauren is describing the feeling of having a dream (however childish) and being told it might not be possible, a sense of when reality kicks in and you are told that something can’t happen, when your bubble is burst.

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She wants to show us this feeling and makes a list of things it is possible to break or burst: Bubble gum Bubbles Balls Balloons Towers of boxes She enlists the help of her friend Lucy and together they play with each of the objects, finding as many possible ways of breaking them as they can. In one of the images they make, Lauren is blowing up a balloon. She shows it to us and then Lucy takes a long needle and pops it. They repeat the action several times. Each time Lauren blows the balloon bigger than before. She is impressed with her efforts and shows it to us. Lucy then pops it with the needle and walks away. We all agree that for us, this image really captures the idea of the wind being taken out of your sails, your bubble being burst and you being told you can’t do something. It feels emotional for many of the group and we tell the stories of how it makes us feel – in big and small ways. We decide to put this image into the show. It helps to go where we want to go, find the meaning we want to communicate. It is bigger than words.

2. Playing with objects and materials to find new meaning As often as we know what we want to communicate, there are also as many times that we do not know exactly what it is we want to say. In these moments, we have found it interesting to play with objects and materials to help us discover new meanings. In this way, it has felt useful to us not to force our understanding of an idea but to try and unlock it through the process of play and experimentation (Figure 9.5). Working in this way asks you to abandon a sense that you already know what you want to achieve but instead open yourself up to the idea of a set of infinite possibilities. It requires you to look at images for themselves – for their quality, depth and potential, without the need to pin them down or decide on the overall ‘use’ of them in the larger piece of work.

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Figure 9.5 Lily Smith in I Hope My Heart Goes First by Junction 25. Tramway, 2009. Photograph by Kevin Low

A solo process for playing with objects and materials to find new meaning ●

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Make a list of 10 objects/materials that would be interesting to play with. For inspiration you can refer to the sample list provided below. With masking tape, mark out 10 squares (of various sizes) on the floor. Place one object/material in each square. Invite a performer to enter each square (one each) to play with the object/material in any/all of the following ways: How is it placed in relation to your body? What do you instinctually want to do with it? What is the strangest thing you can do with it? What is the most obvious thing you can do with it? The most surprising?

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What is the funniest thing? The saddest thing? The biggest thing? The smallest thing? The messiest thing? The most beautiful thing? After a certain amount of time (5 minutes can be good), tidy up each square and move on to a new one. Restart the process of play over again. Ask members of the group to take turns sitting outside to watch the process of playing with objects and materials. From this outside position, note what is being made, images you notice and find meaning in. Make a list of moments that might be useful to revisit and further develop.

A group process for playing with objects/ materials to find new meaning ● ●

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Tape out one large square on the floor. Place a series of objects and materials inside the square and sit around the edges. Look for an object or material and consider a way to explore it. When you have an idea, go into the space and perform your action. When you feel you are finished, leave again and watch what is happening from the outside until you have a new idea and wish to re-enter. Do not feel the need to rush. Perform your action carefully and with thought. Try not to judge yourself as to whether it is ‘good’ or you feel it is ‘working’. Commit to the idea and allow it to be what it is. When you encounter another person in the space, interact with them: What can you do together? How can you add to what they are doing? What can you build? How do you change each other’s action? What do your bodies add to the space? How can you be together? How can you be separate?

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As you sit on the outside and watch the work develop, note down images that make you feel something or give you an idea. These are things you can revisit later. Note: We have often found it useful to play music during this exercise as it seems to allow performers to lose themselves more easily in the action of play. That said, it is important to consider how the tempo/style/ genre of music can also impact on the quality of what is created and how it can change the overall mood of the process. Choose carefully to allow the process to remain as open as possible.

Ways to consider expanding the meaning of an image Once you have created an image, you can go on to develop it and think further about its meaning. A way to explore a deeper meaning is to expand an image and you can do this in the following ways: ● ● ● ● ● ●

Make the image physically bigger. Make the image physically smaller. Make it happen over a really long time. Repeat the image many times. Increase the number of objects. Layer the image with other images (text, music other visual images).

Sample list of objects/materials to explore ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Flowers Soil Lipstick Feathers Paper Balloons Flour

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Strawberries (or another fruit) Paint Boxes Cotton Wool Sand Water

A note about cleaning up Thinking about cleaning up may probably feel like an obvious idea but often, in the whirlwind of creative play, it is an important part of the process that can be easily overlooked. So often in the past, we have planned elaborate creative experiments using a whole array of materials. We have been left with

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a whole new set of ideas for images but also with a huge mess and nothing to clean it up with. Make sure you plan ahead with brushes/hoovers and cleaning equipment to allow you to leave your rehearsal room exactly as you found it. Give yourself plenty of time as it can often take much longer than you anticipate. It can be useful to think about the types of spaces that are better suited for working with different types of materials. For example, if you want to play with a sack full of feathers, it might make sense not to work in a space full of felt curtains (this one we know from experience). Some of our most playful experiments have taken place outside – away from the fear of staining or ruining our rehearsal room.

3. Finding images in the ‘world’ of the show Very often, your inquiry question and the frame or ‘world’ surrounding the central idea of your show can carry a whole host of relevant objects with which to make images. When you have identified these things, they can provide you with endless possibilities and ways in to finding meaning for performance.

A process for finding images in the world of the show ●

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Write your inquiry question or theme for your show in the centre of a large piece of paper. Around it, write down all the objects you can think of that have some relationship to it (Figure 9.6).

Paper Pens

Chalk

Overhead Projector

White board

Pencils

Red pen Educaon

Ruler

Exam paper School

Desks Benches

Books Gold Stars

Figure 9.6 Example with our show Anoesis

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Bring in the objects and play with them in turn: What images can you make with the objects? How do you use them in an everyday way? How can you use them in a way that is surprising? How can you use them in the opposite way to their usual use? How can you introduce them in a new way? What is the biggest thing you can do with them? The smallest? What happens if you take one object and multiple it by 100? What happens if you find creative ways to highlight/conceal/ reveal your object? How can you celebrate the object? How can you ridicule it? Explain it? Excuse it? How can you change it?

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Allow the objects to help you see the visual pictures you can make that help to give texture and meaning to the overall process of making the show.

An example of toys Show: Figment Inquiry question: What does it feel like to grow up? We are making a show about the process of growing up and what it feels like for your beliefs and imagination to shift and change as you get older and learn more about the world. We feel we have lots of text that explore the idea of growing up from a variety of angles but are struggling to see where the visual images might come from to give what we feel is another important texture to the work. Through thinking about the objects most closely related to the theme, we come up with the idea of toys and each one decides to bring something into rehearsal – a toy we loved as a child and have never really forgotten, something we have cherished. It is a hilarious and heart-warming collection. Claire has a plastic baby, Maria a small, well-worn cuddly cat, Jack has a puppet monkey, Ethan has a monster and Adam has a set of figures from Lord of the Rings s. Eilidh has a magic wand, Laura has a parrot that repeats

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everything she says and has a mind of its own and Cara has a perfect porcelain doll that looks a little like a mini version of herself. Bringing in the toys serves to unlock the creative process in ways that we could never have expected and provides us with a series of simple images that deepen and enrich the work in big and important ways. This includes: ● ● ●

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Teenagers tenderly holding toys they have grown out of. Teenagers posing with toys as if they were fashion accessories. Tom (aged 17) cradling the baby when no one is looking and throwing it aside when he feels he is being watched. The parrot randomly repeating parts of the show at unexpected moments. The monster making terrifying shadows on the back wall. Rose (aged 16) repeatedly throwing the baby at Claire (aged 17). Eilidh pointing at people with her wand as she introduces them. The difference between Cara and her doll. Jack asking all the questions he has about the world to his monkey. The vulnerability of Maria (17) as she holds her cat and talks about the things she has learned and the things she feels she knows.

Finding images through production As you near your production, you will get into the theatre or space in which you will stage your show. At this point, you will usually start to bring together a series of other elements of production that will help you realise and formalise your ideas: ● ● ● ● ●

Lighting Staging/Set Audience Seating Sound Projection (if used)

In some ways, you might feel as if your work is already ‘made’ by this stage of the process. And yet, it can also be interesting to leave yourself the time (where possible) to play and experiment with these elements and allow them to help you continue to find new images within your work. So often it is in the final stages of production that we have found some of the most beautiful and meaningful images in the shows we have

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made. When we have been inspired by a new sense of space or moved by the magic of a lighting state. These things have helped us to look at what we have made from the outside and to look for ways to further enhance our understanding of it. You can learn more about what the various elements of production can do for your work in Chapter 12, ‘Stage 7: Production – Sharing your Work with an Audience’, but here are a series of suggestions for how to further play with some of these tools in order to find visual images.

A series of mini-challenges for playing with production lighting ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Turn every light on. Turn one light on at a time. Sit in the dark. Find a way to hide using lights. Find a way for the lights to expose you. Find a way for the lights to tell a story. Make the lights into another performer. Find the shadows. Find the brightest place.

Staging/set ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Do something you have never done before. Go bigger. Go smaller. Create a game on the stage. Do what you think looks best. Do the opposite. Find a way to surprise people. Find a way to take over the stage.

Audience seating ● ● ● ● ●

Find a way to connect with the audience in a new way. Find a way to be bigger than them. Find a way to be smaller than them. Find a way to be very close to them. Find a way to be very far away.

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What are all the ways to make sound in the space? What is the loudest/quietest sound you can make? Can you play music on: A phone? A stereo? A record player? A loud speaker? A sound system? Can you project your voice through: A microphone A megaphone A voice distorter

Projection ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

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How many spaces can you project on? What is the largest image you can project? The smallest? Where would be the most surprising place to project? What is the oldest technology you could use to project? The most high-tech? How many times can you have an image projected in the space at once? Can the projection move? Can it change? Can you hide it? Catch it?

An example of tables Show: Anoesis Inquiry question: What impact does the education system have on young people? We are making a show about the education system and its impact on the lives and experiences of young people in Scotland. We have known for a long time that we want to stage the piece around long tables and to seat the audience in the space as if they were sitting an exam.

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We have been rehearsing for weeks with trestle tables. The ones we are using can be folded away and stacked and it is fair to say they are quite wobbly. The performers sit side by side with the audience and all the action happens behind the tables or in the space left in the middle of them. When we get into the theatre (a week before the show), we are finally introduced to the tables we are going to use in the production. They have been made by a carpenter out of a combination of wood and steel deck and are formed in two long strips down the centre of the theatre. They are completely different in look and feel to the ones we practised on. Solid and wide. They make us want to move differently. We put some time aside to play with the tables. We realise we can stand on them. Walk along them. Skip along them. With a bit of bravery (and correct supervision), we discover we can run along them and jump off the ends. We can lie on them and roll and dangle our legs. We can stand on our tiptoes and take huge strides. And just like that, everything is different. We make and make and make. Visual images flow like water. So much more is possible. Everything goes deeper. Everything is more exciting. More beautiful. The tables become more than just an exam desk – they become catwalks and runways and journeys. They are other places. They help us transcend the system and imagine other possibilities. Although we only have a week left until production, we realise we need to allow the tables to change the work. To allow ourselves to realise the potential offered by the set. We feel that our show is stronger as a result.

A note about the importance of play In order to really discover what is possible and what you can do with visual imagery in performance, you really need to allow yourself to play. It sounds like this should be easy. We did it as children. But actually letting ourselves play can be really difficult to do. It requires us to let go. Turn our brains off. To stop trying to understand everything and control everything. To stop deciding what it all means and what is good and not good and what will work. We need to stop thinking so much. Real play requires flow. It asks us to focus on a process of exploration and discovery, to proceed with a sense of wide-eyed wonder about what things can do and be and how things work. It encourages us to be joyful

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and unselfconscious in our experiments. To allow ourselves to be surprised and delighted as we are chartering new territory and breaking new ground. We imagine for a second that we do not have all the answers and that there are things that we do not yet understand. Things might be different to how we were brought up to see them. They may hold new options, new possibilities. Play as you did when you were three. Like no one was watching. And time was all yours. Let go. Start again. Do it differently. Do it again. Figure  9.7 shows a huge family pillow fight in the ending moment of the show, From Where I’m Standing. An image created from taking an ordinary moment from domestic family life and playing around with the possibility of the image.

Figure 9.7 Full cast in From Where I’m Standing by Junction 25. Tramway, 2008. Photograph by Kevin Low

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A note about breaking the rules Rules can be exciting when it comes to creativity. They can give you a helpful set of parameters with which to make interesting decisions and help focus you to find new solutions. However, in the case of making visual images for performance, it can actually be helpful to imagine how you might actively break the rules. Thinking about how you use objects/materials in new ways – in ways they are not supposed to be used – can be hugely liberating and allow you to find new and exciting ways to relate to them. When you break the rules of how to act and how to interact with the world around you, you can often find yourself at your most creative and innovative. It is from this place that the most interesting images can emerge. It is from this place anything is possible.

A note about leaving space Making visual images can be a really exciting process and it can be easy to get caught up in the desire to play with as many objects/materials as possible in the pursuit of an idea. As important as it is to be practical and to enjoy participating in active and messy exploration, we would also encourage an understanding of the need to leave space. If you are always doing or trying or offering, then it is very easy to leave no real room to look and see and reflect on what is being made and what that means. When you leave no space for yourself or for the others you are working with, it can be all too easy for ideas to be wasted. In these cases, it is possible to fall into the habit of experimenting with everything quickly and then miss the moments of real beauty or potential. Try to challenge yourself to spend as much time looking as you do making. Explore the potential of one object before moving to a new one. Respond as often as you initiate. Sometimes, it is in the moments when we leave space that we find the real moments of clarity and inspiration we are hoping for.

A note about reading images Having a sense of play when making visual images is one thing but when making the shift to thinking about how to go on to place them in performance, it becomes very important that you start to try to understand exactly what you have made and how it will read on stage. To read an image is basically the process of trying to understand exactly what it is you are communicating

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or what an audience may see in what you are presenting. To work out what the political, cultural and social meanings that are inherent in the image you have made are and how these things will look and feel to other people watching. Here’s an example: A performer stands on a box. He is wearing a three-piece suit and holding a microphone. We look at the image and we try to understand what it is telling us. We try to understand what it means. We look at everything we can see. We understand that a suit means that the person is perhaps a professional – maybe they work in business or as a politician of some kind? We understand that the fact they are standing on a box means they are about to make a speech or a declaration. The microphone indicates that they want to be heard. That they want to make their voice louder. We look at the performer, too. Their age, sex, ethnicity. The things we might be able to tell about them by how they wear their hair or the shoes they have on. Then we might think about the following: Does the meaning change if the performer is a woman? Does it change if they are 5 years old? Or 90 years old? Does it change if the suit is old and tattered? Or if it is brand new, with the price tag still attached? Does the image mean something new if the performer has tape over their mouth? Or if the microphone is broken? What if the box is a toy box? Or a box marked ‘Explosives’? Or if it is made of gold? Everything has meaning. And all these meanings have the potential to affect how we see something and what we understand from it. It is also important to remember that objects hold their own cultural, historical and personal meanings and, as a result, what an image reads on

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stage can change, dependent on the place or context in which it is viewed and on the associations of the audience member. Images are political. The way that things look and the messages and ideas they contain can mean lots of different things and make people think and feel in certain ways. This is not something to be afraid of. Theatre is all about the communication of meaning and visual images can be a very strong and powerful tool to express ideas to an audience. It is important to be thoughtful about the images you choose to present and to try your best to fully understand what they mean and how they can come across based on the choices you make and how you place them in the space.

An example of strawberry jam Show: Picnic Inquiry question: What is British-ness? It is 2006, and we are making a show about British-ness and a received sense of etiquette. We choose to stage the show as a picnic and have the audience sit round a huge gingham tablecloth in a garden. The performers are all dressed as if for a formal tea party and are served tea and beautifully presented cakes on silver platters. As the show progresses, they play with what is ‘right’ and ‘proper’ and explore what happens if they change the social rules usually applied to an occasion of this kind. In rehearsal, one of the performers, Francesca (14), makes an image with a jar of strawberry jam. She thinks it will be interesting if she breaks a social ‘norm’ by spreading the jam with her hands before getting it all over her clothes. She does this and then develops the image by starting to panic and scream as if suddenly thinking the jam is blood. For Francesca, this image is political – she feels she is making a comment on the blood on the hands of dictators as they continue with social niceties: what is happening behind the scenes while we continue to drink tea? We understand what she is trying to explore. It feels important. The rest of the group watch the image. It is really effective in so many ways and we all know what Francesca wants it to communicate but something is troubling us. It feels like it is telling another story. There is another reading coming out that she/we hadn’t expected. The jam still looks like blood. But because Francesca is a young woman of 14 and we find that we naturally associate her image with menstruation. We can’t help but read it this way: that she has

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started her period and is finding the experience of the blood on her clothes traumatic or is in pain in some way as a result. This is not what Francesca is wanting to communicate and she tries to change and alter the image but it does not work. The association is too strong. Our reading of blood and young women is too ingrained in our cultural and social understanding. In the end, Francesca makes the choice to ask Nathan to perform the image for her. In all other respects, it is the same image but, now, with a young man performing the image, the meaning is completely different. For us as a group this is an experience which helps us to understand the power of signs and the ability of meaning to be open to interpretation. It is the beginning of a conversation we will have many times over the years.

Exercises in understanding how to read images The following exercises can be useful in helping groups to practise making images and then to understand how to read the images they make.

The chair ● ●

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Sit in a circle and place a chair in the centre. Ask the group to think about the questions: What is a chair if it isn’t a chair? If you aren’t allowed to sit on it? If you are seeing it as an object for the first time? Going round the circle, ask each person, in turn, to walk into the middle and perform an action with the chair which makes it no longer a chair. Note: You may choose to offer examples of a telephone, a baby, an earring – it is just about the performer changing how the group see it by the way they interact. Now, repeat the exercise but ask each performer to place themselves somewhere in relation to the chair. Try not to worry about what the chair is/means in the picture. Just play with placing themselves in the space. Note: Examples may be offered: close to the chair/ far away/ sitting looking at the chair/standing on the chair/sitting with your back to the chair.

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Talk about the images that are created: What does each member of the group see? Does everyone see the same image? Do we all attach the same story to the picture? The same meaning? Who is in charge of the meaning that is created? The audience or the performer? What elements change the way we see the image? Note: It can sometimes be useful to play music during this exercise to promote an overall sense of flow, although it should be noted that tone/style/genre of music can have its own impact on the meaning and feeling of the exercise.

The sheet ●

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Place a plain flat white sheet in the centre of the room and ask the group to sit around it/on one side of it. Ask the group to think about the question: What could this sheet become? Going round the circle, ask each person, in turn, to walk into the middle and perform an action with the sheet that changes its function. Note: They are allowed to move and manipulate the sheet but after each new turn must return to its starting form – spread flat on to the floor. Now, repeat the exercise but this time ask each performer to place themselves somewhere in relation to the sheet. Try not to worry about what the sheet is/means in the picture. Just play with placing themselves in the space. Talk about the images that are created (as above).

I see ●

Choose a visual image made by one member of the group. Note: It is also possible to do this exercise with a picture from a book or magazine or image taken from an existing piece of performance or art.

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In turn, ask each member of the group to look at the image and finish the sentence, ‘I see . . .’ In this way saying out loud something they personally can see in the image. The group is challenged not to repeat an idea that has gone before, in the hope of going deeper into the meanings an image might contain. This often starts with physical things and then can move to metaphorical or emotional things. For example, in the case of the strawberry jam (above), they may respond:

‘I see a boy with strawberry jam, I see red, I see sticky, I see a boy who has blood on his hands, I see a boy who might be in trouble, I see fear . . .’ ●

Repeat the exercise, changing the prompt from ‘I see’ to ‘I feel’ . . .

Action action (noun): The fact or process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim. (OED D)

When we consider how to make material for performance, we might most often think about a world related to fiction or pretence. However, as a company, we make non-narrative work that stems from a place of autobiography and so are always looking for ways to make images for performance that are rooted in our own lives and experience. Creating action-based material has been a large part of achieving this goal and often helps us to get to the heart of what we are trying to communicate in a unique and meaningful way. Action is basically the difference between pretending to do something and actually doing it. It is a way of thinking and working that derives from the world of live art and performance art, where artists experiment with ideas of real time and real effort. This is about performing an action in front of an audience so that they are physically able to see the work that goes into it and, through doing this, communicate something of its significance and meaning in everyday life. Action-based performance can also be a useful way to explore metaphor in performance and as a way to demonstrate an extremity of feeling or attempt.

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In making our own work, we have been inspired by visual artists and performance artists working with action-based performance: When Faith Moves Mountains (2002) was conceived by artist Francis Alÿs as a response to the political and social unrest he experienced after visiting Peru in 2000. In what he describes on his website as a ‘social allegory’, Alÿs assembled 500 people at a large sand dune near Lima, where they performed the collective action of shovelling the sand and together managed to move the dune several inches in one day. By staging this action, Alÿs was exploring notions of ‘maximum effort, minimum result’ and how futile the attempt to change things can sometimes be seen alongside the power and impact of community and collective action. In The Lovers: The Great Wall Walk (1988), artists Marina Abramovic and F. Uwe Laysiepen (Ulay) started at opposite ends of the Great Wall of China and walked for ninety days towards each other until they met in the middle. At the point when they planned the project, the artists were in a long-term relationship and wanted to complete the journey as a symbol of the endurance of love. During the six-year process of planning and organising the walk, their relationship began to falter and ended. They still went on to perform this poetic action and, after walking for three months, they met each other and hugged goodbye, which marked the end of their relationship. This action then came to symbolise the idea of the journey we are on as human begins and the challenge of finding common ground in our relationships. It was about them doing something in order to understand a complex emotion rather than talking about it. The wider dialogue around action-based art or performance has led artists and audiences to discuss the relationship between life and art and what happens when you put everyday actions on stage. What makes it art? Who can make art? Who says what ‘art’ is, anyway? These questions were perhaps most famously captured by the German artist Joseph Beuys (1921– 86), who said that ‘every human being is an artist’. The debate about the borders between life and art remains exciting and ongoing and yet, for us as theatre-makers, we have found it useful to borrow from this way of making in the creation of material for devising theatre. We have enjoyed finding new ways to put live action on stage and use it to explore ideas of both personal and universal significance. When we were drama students, we worked with the Manchester director Michael Mayhew, who, as part of a project we were working on together, asked us to consider how we might create ‘a series of actions that matter on stage’. It is an idea that has stayed with us ever since because it speaks to the

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belief that theatre and performance has the potential to get right to the heart of what it means to be human, that what we do on stage and what we ask others watch us do matters. It can move us, inspire us and change us. It has gravity and weight. We love this idea. It feels like a question to be answered. A provocation. Later, when we graduated from college, we took part in a workshop with the artist and teacher Liz Aggiss, and she asked us the same type of question in a different way: ‘What is the action?’ She said, after watching a moment of performance on stage, ‘Why is it important for me to watch? It just doesn’t feel like it really matters. Make it matter to me.’ As we have developed our understanding of action-based material, we have also come to value the role it can play in helping us to play with liveness on stage. This is the idea that an audience is watching something that is actually happening in front of them, the implications are real and the consequences and impact are real. The audience, in watching the performance, is witness to an action they understand is not pretend and therefore they are bound up in it in some real way: To witness an event is to be present at it in some fundamentally ethical way, to feel the weight of things and one’s own place in them, even if that it is simply, for the moment, as an onlooker. Tim Etchells, Certain Fragments (Routledge, 1999)

We have been fascinated with how we might bring action-based material and the core ideas of real time – real effort – into our work and how we might make moments on stage that really do matter. The following examples illustrate a number of different ways we have explored this in our work and the bigger ideas that these moments have helped us to unlock in performance.

An example of competition Show: Gender Divide Inquiry question: What is the difference between boys and girls? We are making a show about gender and about how we feel we are expected to behave in society based on the sex we were born into. Some of our research is around the biological differences in men and women and the discussion around the perception that this makes it easier or more difficult to do certain tasks. We decide to turn this into action and set up a real-life competition between two performers on stage: one ‘male’ and one ‘female’. We

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create a game of several rounds, in which the performers are required to go head-to-head in real time to see who ‘wins’ in certain categories, including: ● ● ●

Who can jump the highest? Who can run the fastest? Who can ‘get ready’ the quickest?

The competition is deliberately designed to be live each night and the winner changes in each performance. At points, the audience is asked to vote with their own opinion and so also become implicated in the result. The meaning in this image is not really to be found in the research or even the result of the competition but instead in the attempt to actualise e the question, with the emotion that occurs when we see real people involved in this type of generalisation. We see the impact of this effort and emotion and examine our own responses to this idea of being deemed more or less ‘able’ because of our sex and the gender assigned to us as a result.

An example of doing the thing Show: Dirty Words Inquiry question: What can young people say and not say? It is the second show we have made as a company and we are looking at language and its role in the lives of young people. What are we allowed to say and what are we not? We talk together about what happens when we say things we are not supposed to and use language deemed inappropriate or perhaps too old for us. We remember the old saying (used by many of our grandparents), ‘I’ll wash your mouth out with soap and water.’ A threat designed to deter children from swearing – an image of ‘cleaning’ dirty words out of the mouths of babes. The group decides to make this into action and so, in the show, Katrine (15) takes a bowl of soap and water and slowly and methodically washes out Laura’s (16) mouth. The result is quite shocking. It is visceral and, it seems, extremely uncomfortable for an audience to watch. There are visible murmurs from the seating bank that become louder as it continues.

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It is a moment we have discussed at length in rehearsal and that Laura and Katrine have considered deeply and have made informed choices about how to deliver it safely. As directors, we had worked it through with them and trusted them. We felt clear that they were in receipt of their work and understood why they wanted to include it in the show. However, as the audience began to react to the image, we started to lose faith in the action. We wondered if we had made a mistake to allow young people to perform such an action on stage. We questioned whether we, as adults, should not have permitted it but instead pushed for them just to pretend it in some way. We started to signal to the girls to stop – they ignored us and continued with the image, exactly as rehearsed. After the show, Laura was angry with us. She felt we had undermined her and our attempt at a process of democratic collaboration with young people. She wished we had been able to trust the work we had all done in preparation and understood she was in control of what she was doing. For her to perform the act on stage was political and she had wanted to be taken seriously doing it. She felt that us losing our nerve and asserting ourselves as ‘adult’ in the face of an audience’s reaction took away her voice and her power. It was a significant moment of learning for us all, both in terms of how we would continue to understand the way we create performance with young people and the power of action-based material on stage.

An example of anything is possible Show: Figment Inquiry question: What does it feel like to grow up? We are making a show about growing up and what it feels like to move from being a child to being an adult. Jess is 11, she is the youngest member of the company and is exploring how this makes her feel and the difference in the way she is treated by being younger. She talks about the importance of imagination and belief and how, when you are little, you believe anything is possible. She tells us about how, when she was little, she always wanted to fly like the character Peter Pan in one of her favourite stories. We decide to try and turn this into an action. We wondered how might we make it possible for Jess to fly? Make true the dream that anything is possible.

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In the theatre where we are staging the show (Tramway 1, Glasgow), there are two very high walls on either side of the stage. We realise that it would be possible for Jess to sit up on the ledge of one of the walls and abseil down slowly, which would give the effect and impact of flying. We engage the help of an instructor, who works with Jess over a period of a week to explore and rehearse the action. She gets good at it. In the show, Jess sits high on the ledge, in a child’s onesie that hides the straps. She looks very small sitting up there. In the beginning of the show, she talks to the audience. Jess Do you remember when you were a little girl? When you were younger than you are now. Do you remember that you wanted to do things? Amazing things. Big Things. Things which would be really exciting and provide you with adventure. Do you remember? (Pause.) I have always wanted to fly. It’s always been in mind. Something that I really wanted to do and something I always felt that I should experience. Like all of the characters in my favourite books – like Peter Pan. Flying. I’m not talking about aeroplanes or hot air balloons – not at all. I’m talking about me, Jess, aged 11 – lifting off and taking flight. I’ve been planning it for a while and am pleased to say that, tonight, I am finally going to do it. Tonight. With all of you here to watch. This is the moment I have been waiting for. It would be really great if you would help me by counting down with me to the moment of my flight – would that be ok? Perhaps we can start from 10 and work backwards. That way, I know exactly when to jump. That would be great. Thank you. OK – all together now: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 . . . (Sean interrupts.)

In this moment, Jess is playing with the audience’s view of her as a small child and their natural feelings of protection and care towards her. It goes against human nature for her to jump off the wall and it creates a tension in them as she asks them to help her count. We

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return to Jess at several other moments of the show and as she is always interrupted, it looks like it is not something that will happen. We don’t believe her. The action is impossible. At the end of the show – without speaking at all – Jess stands up and leaps off the wall into the air. The audience gasp. This one action contains so much meaning that goes beyond words. It is about belief and magic and imagination. It is about faith and growing up. It is perhaps one of our most favourite moments of theatre we have ever been a part of creating (see Figure 9.8).

A note about being young and making actions When examining the impact of action-based material, it is important to recognise that the context of Junction 25 is that it is a company of young people aged 11–18. This changes everything. This is largely because of the idea (also discussed in this chapter, above, about making ‘Performance Images’) that much of the meaning made on stage is created by the audience. How they read and understand actions on stage will alter, depending on who is performing it and how they are performing it.

Figure 9.8 Jess Wood in Figment by Junction 25. Tramway, 2013. Photograph by Carrie Hay

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Let’s take the action of jumping as an example. A man jumps for a long time. We can see he is tired but he doesn’t stop. We think about men, about masculinity, about sport, about fitness, about endurance. We think about competition. We think about exhaustion. If he is older, we think about ageing. We wonder if he should stop because we worry about his fragility. If he is overweight, we see it and we think it is related in some way to the action. Our brain searches for meaning based on what we already know and believe about the world we live in. It organises the image in our heads. Now a woman jumps. She is tired but she doesn’t stop. We think about women – about the difference in her body – about the roles she might play in her life. If we ourselves are women, perhaps we can relate to this endurance. Maybe for us it represents something bigger about our own struggle. About the things in our own life we strive for. About our own repeated actions. Does the action change for us if she is pregnant? If she is black or if she is white? If she is blind? It does. This is how meaning works. We can’t help but make it. We do it without thinking. And so, whether we like it or not, every action made by a young performer in Junction 25 is contextualised by their age and by the larger narratives attributed to young people in society today. Much of the time, these images will be read alongside ideas of innocence and the need to protect or care, the notion of childhood being a precious stage. Sometimes, their actions will be read as a rebellion, as a need to kick against hierarchy or existing rules. They can, on occasion, be viewed as naive, as ‘not knowing’ or not yet understanding something that adults already know. An 11-year-old will inevitably be viewed differently to an 18-year-old. ‘Girls’ different to ‘boys’. As a company, it feels theatrically exciting for us to actively examine some of these preconceptions and challenge them through the actions we place on stage. It is interesting to play with these ideas and to use them to explore bigger ideas and ask bigger questions, to lean into complexity rather than simplicity, to challenge existing notions of young people and show them as they are and want to be.

Action and time One of the exciting things to consider when playing with action is the amount of time it can take. This is all dependent on what it is you are trying to achieve and the impact you want to make. Sometimes, the action you put on stage can be very small and take no time at all, but then, other times, the meaning can come from how long it goes on for. For example, when we were

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making the show Anoesis (exploring formal education), one of the performers, Maria, created an action where she tried to answer a difficult question on an exam paper and couldn’t. In her frustration, she scrunched up the paper into a ball and started the action again. She repeated the action lots of times, sat at her desk as the show continued, and as she did so the pile of balls of paper became larger and started to spill over onto the floor. In her choice to repeat the action, she was making a powerful comment on what it feels like to be trying. Only by seeing the action again and again and seeing the visual metaphor of her struggle could we reflect on the frustration and pain that comes with ‘failure’ and begin to question its place within the wider exploration.

Action and activism When exploring the impact of action in performance, it can be exciting also to consider its political potential. In the past, we have found that actually doing the thing, rather than pretending to do it, has allowed us to make an active contribution to a larger dialogue about the things that matter to us as a company. It has been invigorating to imagine how placing an action in the context of theatre and performance and placing it in front of an audience might give it resonance as a form of commentary around social change. All art of every sort changes the world. Perhaps an artist aims at less direct, precise, immediate an effect than a president or legislator or general or banker or activist will have; but more effect, more potency, more agency than the ordinary is inevitably an artist’s aspiration, and artists who choose to deny that are simply kidding themselves. Art is not merely contemplation, it is also action, and all action changes the world, at least a little. Tony Kushner et al., ‘How Do You Make Social Change?’, Theatre, 31 (3) (2001)

Ideas for making action-based material ●

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Write a paragraph about something you feel passionate about. Then write a list of all the things it makes you want to do. Find a way to do them. Perform an action that feels like a tribute. Perform an action that feels like an apology. Perform an action that feels like a public declaration.

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● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Perform an action that feels private.* Perform a collective action. Perform a solo action. Perform an action that feels urgent. Perform an action you have always wanted to do. Perform an action in solidarity. Perform an action without words. Perform an action that matters. Perform an action for one hour. Perform an action by yourself.

Note: * Remember also to consider ideas of emotional safety and managing your own boundaries.

Music Music is one of the oldest and most powerful forms of creative expression and communication. For as far back as we can remember, human beings have used rhythm and song to tell stories and capture emotion. We have used it to pass on memory, tradition and ritual. We use it to relax us, distract us and to make us dance. It underscores the joy and the sorrow in our lives and helps us frame all the things we don’t have words for. We place it at the centre of the important moments in our lives and as a background to our everyday. Music is time and place, history and zeitgeist, celebration and protest. It connects us to the present and the past and to people and things and feelings. In this way, it is right at the heart of how we understand who we are and our overall sense of identity as part of the world we live in. For all of these reasons, music can be a powerful tool for use in devising theatre as it provides all sorts of possibilities for the construction of meaning and the exploration of feeling on stage. Thinking about how to use music in your work can sometimes be a bit daunting but it is important to remember there are many ways to use it that do not require having previous experience or having studied an instrument to Grade 8. Here, we have listed several tasks we have used to make material using music and song as well as examples of the various ways we have explored it in the shows we have made. Music most often falls into one of two categories: found or borrowed music and original music.

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Found or borrowed music Music that has been taken from a historical source, from a contemporary artist or group or from another culture or tradition, and that has previously been recorded or written down by an artist.

Original music Music that is composed by a performer or other artists especially for use in the show you are making. This can be used as a creative tool to enhance and support the work in a variety of ways.

1. Music as material Music can sometimes be used as a stand-alone piece of material in a show. When used by its self, music offers the potential for a real moment of connection on stage. It can provide an energetic or poetic moment of reflection on a moment of meaning – something that cannot be achieved in any other way. This might be through the delivery of a live performance, using voice or instrument or through restaging it in an alternative way.

An example of every heartbeart Show: I Hope My Heart Goes First Inquiry question: What does love feel like? Task: Find a song about heartbreak. Make your own cover version. We are making a show about what we already know and the questions we still have about love. We are talking about heartbreak and how it is something many teenagers have an experience of. Many of us share the image of lying on our bed and listening to one song, over and over again, in an attempt to get over a relationship ending. Megan plays the guitar and is gigging quite a lot outside of the company. She has a fresh Scottish female sound that we all love and feel we want to use in the work. Megan spends time researching songs about heartbreak and comes to rehearsal with her own version of ‘With Every Heartbeat’ by the recording artist, Robyn (Kleerup with Robyn, Virgin, Konichwa, 2007; see also Figure 9.10). She works on it through collaboration with Lucy, who adds extra vocals and we

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decide to place it as a piece of material by itself, during a reflective part of the show. We all feel it offers a moment of simplicity and beauty and allows the audience time and space to think and feel about everything explored so far.

An example of crying a river Show: I Hope My Heart Goes First Inquiry question: What does love feel like? Task: Find a song about heartbreak and lip-sync to it. Tom chooses the song ‘Cry Me a River’ by Justin Timberlake (Timbaland, 2002) and tries to recreate it on stage as a lip-sync performance. We ask him to imagine that he is Justin Timberlake in the music video for the song and to try to physically convey the emotion the song is expressing. Francesca plays with the role of ‘director’ and makes an image where she keeps stopping Tom midperformance to ask him to make his performance sadder. Each time Tom begins again, he attempts different ways to perform ‘sad’. He falls to his knees, pulls at his hair, squirts water into his eyes and tries to simulate crying. We love the energy and humour of Tom’s performance of this well-known song and we develop it further, with the whole company joining in as backing for Tom trying to make it the ‘saddest’ version of the song possible. The result is electric and helps us to unlock something of how the pop world frames love and heartbreak in music (Figure 9.9).

2. Music as a bridge Music can often be used as a way to support the pace of the show and as a bridge between two different pieces of material or sections. In this way, it can help to build a coherent aesthetic for the performance as a whole and help the audience to connect to the sense of an overall journey.

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Figure 9.9 Francesca Lacey, Adam Low, Tom Raymond, Stan Smith, Nathan Low, Aidan Turner, Fern Calderwood and Lucy Palmer in I Hope My Heart Goes First by Junction 25. Tramway, 2009. Photograph by Kevin Low

An example of travel Show: 5.9 Million Inquiry question: What is public and what is private in contemporary society? Task: Make music to help the audience travel. We are making a show about privacy. It is very different to other shows we have made as it is a journey of ten individual rooms, which small groups of audience visit in shifts. Inside each room is a performance that lasts exactly 3 minutes. Each one of them explores some aspect of surveillance and privacy in society today. Once they have finished, the audience then moves to the next room and the next performance. As a result of its form and the precise nature of each 3-minute performance, we need to find a clear way to communicate with the audience as to when a performance is over and move them on to the next room. We give this task to Adam, one of the oldest members of the group who has a specific interest and expertise in composing electronic music. He builds an original track that is

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played on a loop every 3 minutes for a good amount of time to allow the audience to leave the performance they are in and wait at the door of the next room. The result becomes a musical instruction that the audience knew and which allowed them to engage with the performance.

3. Music as a frame/layer for other material The music and songs we choose so as to underscore a theatrical moment can change or enhance its meaning entirely. Adding music to an image, text or movement you have already made can often provide a depth to the piece of material that might not be possible without it. The layering of music with other moments can really help conjure up the right emotion and create a visceral experience for the audience. The words of a song can provide a whole different context and meaning to a movement sequence.

An example of a bloody revolution Show: A Bit of Bite Inquiry question: What is my voice in contemporary politics and how can I use it? We are making a show about politics and, as part of her research, Cara (17) has been making a piece of material about protest. She is trying to find a way to illustrate the journey of resistance through history and picks a number of key moments of significance: ● ● ● ● ●

Guy Fawkes (1605) The French Revolution (1789–99) The Suffragettes (early twentieth century) The Peace Protests of the 1960s Occupy Wall Street (2011)

Cara wants to tell this story with no words and so selects key items from each era that helps to clearly signify the protest she is referencing. She starts at one end of the space (the audience sits on two sides) and slowly walks forward. As she walks, members of the cast dress and re-dress her in the new items to show the

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passing of time and each new moment. It is a powerful image but some of us feel as if the sequence could do with another layer and discuss ideas as to what this could be. We all like the idea of bringing in a track of music to the piece to give it added energy and spend a few weeks bringing in songs that might help with this. We listen to what feels like hundreds of songs but nothing seems to quite fit. Everything feels too ‘over-produced’ and contrived somehow. It is at the point where we can’t imagine finding anything that Niall brings in a song by the 1970s and 1980s punk band Crass called ‘Bloody Revolutions’ (1980). Crass were a band that promoted anarchy and resistance from perceived oppressive authorities. The song was loud and powerful and was itself written as a protest song. Cara loved it immediately and we all felt it was perfect. You talk about your revolution, well, that’s fine But what are you going to be doing come the time? Are you going to be the big man with the tommy-gun? Will you talk of freedom when the blood begins to run? Well, freedom has no value if violence is the price Don’t want your revolution, I want anarchy and peace Crass, ‘Bloody Revolutions’ (Crass Records, 1980)

The layering of this song by Crass and Cara’s movement through the various protests allowed for the image to become deeper and more critical. As a group, we discuss the way it helps us feel connected to a wider conversation. Linking us to protests of the past helps us to remember that human beings have been trying to be heard in so many ways before and that politics is not always about political parties and parliament but is instead about what affects our lives and how we want/try to live.

4. Music to enhance the mood or atmosphere Music can be a really successful way to highlight or emphasise a feeling you want to communicate. In this way, you can choose music with lyrics that support what you are trying to say on stage or that provide a clear sense of mood or atmosphere. This can help you to construct meaning on stage and be clear with your audience about what you want them to think and feel about what you are presenting.

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An example of the eye of the tiger Show: A Bit of Bite Inquiry question: What is my voice in contemporary politics and how can I use it? We are exploring the world of contemporary politics and want to spend some time examining politicians and the role this type of persona plays in the world today. As we are making the show, it is election time – in the UK, we are about to vote in the referendum about whether to leave or remain in the European Union, and over in the USA they are in the final stages of 2016 presidential campaign. Ethan is looking at this and particularly at the politician as ‘celebrity’, which, in some ways, is a relatively new phenomenon. He creates a mini-campaign for himself: makes badges and fliers with his name on them and writes a speech. It is funny because it is full of one-liners and rhetoric but contains no real content at all. It is satirical in its style and overtly political in its scepticism of empty promises of some politicians we feel we are seeing on the news. He creates a moment for the show, where he tries to shake everyone by the hand and take selfies of him doing ‘good things’ in and amongst the audience. We talk about the idea of adding music to this moment as, often, political parties or politicians will use music in their campaigns in order to drum up energy in their supporters and communicate a bigger message in what they are trying to achieve. Everyone begins to suggest options and quickly settle on ‘Eye of the Tiger’ by the American band, Survivor (Scotti Brothers Records, 1982; the theme song from the film Rocky 3). It provides a hilarious soundtrack to Ethan’s cheesy persona and further highlights the satire of the moment.

Some creative ideas for exploring music in performance Bring in ● ●

A song you always hear on the radio. A song that reminds you of someone or something.

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A song from your life. A song from the past. A song that makes you feel something. A piece of music that really matters. Music that just makes you want to dance. Music that really says what you wish you could say.

Ways to try performing music ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Sing it acapella. Play it on a different instrument. Make a new arrangement of it. Play the song without the words. Make an electronic version of it. Remix it. Lip-sync to it. Sing along to it. Find a traditional song and re-imagine it.

Figure 9.10 Megan Reid and Lucy Palmer in I Hope My Heart Goes First by Junction 25. Tramway, 2009. Photograph by Kevin Low

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A note about music and permission If you are using music in a commercial theatre production (in a venue where you are selling tickets), you will need to secure the necessary permission for its use. Much modern or current music is protected by strict copyright laws, which means it cannot be used without the artist’s knowledge or consent. Many schools or youth theatres have their own specific licensing agreements for educational use and it is important to make sure you doublecheck how this works before presenting anything publicly. For theatre that will be presented through a venue or arts programme, they will need to declare the use of music and pay a small fee for the rights to do so.

10 Stage 5 Structure and Composition Chapter outline Thinking about structure A tool-kit for composition Thinking about pace, tempo and dynamic Writing a running order

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When you are making devised theatre and performance, you may find you are not always working with one central narrative or ‘plot’. As a result, you will need to spend some time thinking about what the overall journey or arc of your performance should be and how you might structure your material in order to best communicate your ideas to an audience. As children, we often learn about theatre at the same time as we are learning about storytelling and, as a result, can become preoccupied with needing to have a story or narrative at the heart of our performance. But what if we were working with not just one story, but many? It can be helpful to think about building non-narrative performance in the same way you might construct a collage. Placing lots of interconnecting ideas side by side so that they have a relationship with each other. Each piece working to deepen our connection to an idea or question, helping us to better understand it from various different points of view and allowing us to reflect on what it means to us.

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I like the idea of a collage because it illuminates the individual pieces that go into the final picture. If our performances do reflect the world we live in, it’s important for me to distinguish them as a collage . . . Bryan Saner, Goat Island performer, Goat Island, School Book (Salsedo Press, 1997)

It might also be useful to think about this stage of composition much like how we might create (or compose) music. This is a process of placing notes in sequence and using various tools such as pace and tempo in order to achieve an overall feeling or emotion. In fact, when making music, we worry far less (if at all) about a concrete story or linear set of ideas, instead we are happy to consider it more as a form of poetic experience, something that will inspire or move us each, individually, without us necessarily having to agree on what exactly every moment means. For us as a company, devising theatre works a lot like this. Instead of thinking about characters in a linear story, we think more about the different ways in which the elements of performance we have created can fit together to form part of a journey for the audience. We become excited about how each new idea we present on stage can influence and inform the overall making of meaning for an audience and how we might imagine new creative possibilities for sharing our ideas.

Thinking about structure When considering all the different ways you may organise your material, take inspiration from the various structures you use (or are aware of) in other areas of life: ●

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When writing an essay: What is the information that provides an introduction and gives context? How can you deepen understanding by offering a new or contrasting point of view? How can you reference ideas that have gone before? How can you make the meaning both personal and universal? When building a house: What is the best foundation on which you can build? Which is your strongest material? What needs to be at the core? How can you make it look beautiful?

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When baking a cake What are the key ingredients you want to use? At what stage should you add new elements? What will give a unique flavour? How do you want it to look?

Reflect on the overall experience of your audience. What are the first things they need to know or understand in order to go on an intellectual/emotional journey within your show? What is the feeling/thought you would like to leave them with at the end?

Practical ideas to play with structure Post-it notes 1 Write each piece of material you have created on an individual Post-it note. 2 Place all of your Post-it notes in front of you. 3 Stick them on the wall in the sequence you think they should come in the show. Thinking about a journey of deepening understanding, consider the following questions: ● ● ● ●

Which material best introduces your inquiry to an audience? Which material helps them see it in a new way? Which material feels more reflective? What would you like the audience to go away thinking/feeling?

4 Perform the structure of the show you have created with Post-it notes. 5 Come back to the Post-it notes: Make changes to the order to help the material run more smoothly or make most sense. Where are there gaps? Place a blank Post-it to acknowledge the need to create something new. 6 Perform the show again.

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Bran tub This exercise is inspired by the Fluxus Art Movement, which was/is a group of artists and way of thinking who believe in the power of play and the possibility that can come when experimenting with randomness and intervention: 1 Write each individual piece of material you have created on a piece of paper and fold it. 2 Place all the folded pieces of paper in a hat. 3 Take each piece out, in turn, and place them side by side in sequence (as they come out). 4 Perform the show in this sequence. 5 Try to commit to the structure. Find a way to make sense of the journey as you are performing it. Try not to judge the structure but instead view it as a possibility to be explored. A gift to help unlock your thinking. 6 Repeat the process in order to find a new order in which to perform the material. How does this affect the meaning? What works and what does not?

Build as you go 1 As a group, agree on a beginning of the show and perform it together. 2 Without conferring, improvise the rest of the show using only the material you have agreed to use. ● ● ● ●

What happens when you build as you go? Where can you find connections? What feels natural? What surprises you?

Beginnings and endings ●

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Try performing every piece of material like it was the beginning of your piece. Try performing every piece of material like it was the end.

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My version 1 Write all the agreed material on a large sheet of paper, placed where everyone can see it. 2 Ask each member of the group to write a possible running order of the material. 3 Present each order as a 5-minute solo performance for the rest of the group. 4 Compare the similarities and differences in the versions that each person presented. What things feel really clear to everyone? How has it helped you to find new possibilities in the material?

A tool-kit for composition Repetition Repetition is the process of presenting the same piece of material more than once (sometimes with slight differences). This can be an effective way to explore a re-occurring theme or highlight an area of significance. It can also allow you to continue to question an idea in the light of new knowledge or understanding.

An example of repetition in a Junction 25 show Show: I Hope My Heart Goes First Inquiry question: What does love feel like? Early on in the show, Lily is trying to understand what heartbreak feels like. She holds a tomato in the air, squeezes it in her hand and asks: ‘Does it feels like this?’ Later, the group is all singing loudly to ‘Cry Me a River’ by Justin Timberlake (Timbaland, 2002). Lily stands up on a chair and does the action again and again with lots of tomatoes. Each time she asks: ‘Does it feels like this?’ At the end of the show, all the performers are standing in a line. Lily passes a tomato down to each person in turn. She asks: ‘Does it feels like this?’ and everyone squeezes their tomato slowly as the lights fade.

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This repeated action represents our repeated attempts to find out what love and heartbreak feel like and mean to us. It helps us to think about the fact that this is an ongoing process and a constant part of being human. Something we all experience and impacts us all. We repeat the image as it feels to us like the central image of the show and something we want the audience to continue to reconsider as their relationship with the question develops and deepens through the show.

Layering Layering is the active positioning of two or more pieces of material side by side to further enhance and deepen meaning or, in some cases, to challenge or question it.

An example of layering in a Junction 25 show Show: Anoesis Inquiry question: What impact does the education system have on young people? Visual image 1: Rose chalks a line on the floor and Lily tries to jump and touch it. Rose keeps moving it to be further away. Visual image 2: Clare holds a sign that reads ‘Must Try Harder’. Visual image 3: Maria sits at a desk, scribbling on pieces of paper and then scrunching them up into balls (Figure 10.1). Music: ‘Flaws’ by Bombay Bicycle Club (Island Records, 2010) Text: (Adam (Adam stands on a desk.) Adam

Dear Mike Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning in Scotland, I wanted to write to you as I have a few questions I really want to ask: Why can some people raise their voices and some people can’t? What happens when I am late? Why should I stand outside? What kind of attitude do I need to have?

Stage 5: Structure and Composition

How much do I need to remember? How many times will you ask me? What happens if I don’t manage it first time? How intelligent am I? What if I don’t understand? Because I don’t understand. I don’t understand. I don’t understand. Thank you so much for your time, Mr Russell, I look forward to your response. Yours sincerely, Adam Low, Aged 16 Each of these individual images are placed together in order to help the audience understand the depth and scale of a bigger picture of the pressure young people feel and the impact of testing.

Juxtaposition ‘Juxtaposition’ is the placing of two pieces of material side by side that are deliberately very different or create dissonance in order to create new meaning.

Figure 10.1 Clare Morris and Maria Bissett in Anoesis by Junction 25. Tramway, 2012. Photograph by Kevin Low.

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An example of juxtaposition in a Junction 25 show Show: Figment Inquiry question: What does it feel like to grow up? Clare and Rose are sitting cross-legged on the floor. They are wearing pyjamas and hugging their childhood toys. Rose has a ‘Hello Kitty’ soft toy and Clare has a plastic baby. Rose asks Clare for a game of Truth or Dare. As the game develops, Rose begins to ask questions of a personal and private nature and Clare begins to become more and more uncomfortable and refuses to answer. The image is using the juxtaposition of the themes of innocence (in pyjamas with childhood toys) with ideas that come with adulthood and exploring some of the emotions that come with the transition.

Thinking about pace, tempo and dynamic Play with ideas of pace, tempo and dynamic when structuring your material. In this way, you can look for the potential in what you have already made and how you might continue to enhance it: ● ● ● ●

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What does it feel like to speed it up or slow it right down? How can you make your sequences as small or as big as they can be? What type of energy would help each piece of material? Can you add performers to change a solo piece to become a large group choreography? Can you strip a busy image right back to the most simple version of what you are trying to say?

Try and think about what works best, what is most interesting and what each variation communicates as you understand how best to order your ideas.

What is missing? Think about what feels missing. Does it feel like there are gaps in what you have made? Is there any new material you could create that would help the general flow? Do not be afraid to use the process of structuring your work to

Stage 5: Structure and Composition

allow you to better understand its meaning and what you can do to make it clearer on stage. Look around and ask, ‘What is missing from this picture? Whose stories are missing? What is not being spoken about? Where are the holes?’ Anne Bogart, And Then, You Act (Routledge, 2007)

Writing a running order Once you have an order or structure of your show that everyone feels happy with, it is important to accurately document it for future use. We have always referred to this process as writing a running order and examples of how we lay this out can be found in the performance script at the back of this book. However you choose to format it, the goal is to produce an accurate record of the creative decisions you have made so that everyone has a clear and shared understanding of it. This supports each person to do the necessary practical work of learning their lines and developing their own performance in the context of the piece as a whole. Having a clear and detailed running order will also support you later in the process when you collaborate with your technical team in order to realise your show in production. In this way, you will be able to give them a document on which they can record significant cues and better understand the flow of the piece and how all the elements fit together. Think about how a running order might be useful for restaging the work in the future and how clear you can be about each moment that happens. This will also help if you need to bring in an understudy at any stage or if you plan to invite an interpreter in to communicate your show to deaf audiences. You can find an example of a running order for the Junction 25 show Anoesis at the end of this book.

A note about finding connections Finding a structure for your show is all about looking for the connections in your material and the possibilities for increased and deepening meaning. Keep actively looking for ways the pieces make sense together and the ways you can link them to build an overall journey for your audience.

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A note about cutting As you are developing the right structure for your performance, you may find that it is hard to find a natural place for all the material you have made. Be brave and do not be afraid to cut material that is not working or no longer fits with what you are trying to do. This is all part of the process of composition. Be honest with yourself about what you should keep and when it is time to say ‘goodbye’ to a piece of material. Remember, everything has value in the creative process but that does not mean that everything has a place in the final show.

A note about the audience as a maker of meaning As a company, we have always been really excited by the idea that the audience also has a big part to play in the making of meaning. It can sometimes be easy to forget that an audience is not one person but many. And these people are all different – different ages, genders, ethnicities, coming from different homes, born in different places. Each with different experiences and opinions – looking at the world through a different lens. As a result of all of these variables, each audience member will look at or ‘read’ a performance in a completely unique way. If a performer walks on stage, places their hand on their heart and closes their eyes, one audience member might immediately think of a time they fell hopelessly in love, one may recall a heart attack and the fear of another hospital visit and another might think back to a moment of patriotic service. This is all because we bring ourselves to the theatre. Everything we think and feel comes from something we have already experienced or learned about the world we live in. In this way, we view each image through our own individual lens and respond to the things that make most sense to us about who we are and the life we have lived up until this point. We connect and relate to the material on stage in an entirely unique way and this is what is so exciting, the possibility that audiences can think and feel independently and that what we show them on stage is just the catalyst for a conversation, that they are also an integral part of making meaning and deciding what the piece they are watching is ‘about’ for them. It is useful to consider this when building the right structure for your performance. It might not always be necessary or possible to tell an audience

Stage 5: Structure and Composition

how to feel or what their response should be. Instead, think about how you can communicate yourself clearly and how you might create the right conditions for them to make meaning and find connections for themselves.

A note about play Try not to become too burdened with the process of finding the right structure in which to present your work. Allow yourself to continue to play with sequencing your ideas and continuing to explore what can happen when you are open to possibilities. Try not to spend the whole time sitting at a desk or talking but, instead, discover connections through an active process of trying material together in the space. See how it feels in practice as well as what it all makes you think.

A note about the need for sharing Keep finding opportunities to share your work with others. Ask them to tell you what it makes them think and feel. Ask them for ways you could make things sharper. Try to understand what you are communicating with what you have made. Remember that it can be difficult to see something clearly when you are close to it and have been working on it for a long time. Allow others in to help you in the final stages. Be open to the dialogue about what you have made and about how to develop it.

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11 Stage 6 Reflection Chapter outline Reflection as an individual practice Reflection as a collective practice

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We do not learn from experience . . . we learn from reflecting on experience. John Dewey, Experience and Education (Free Press, 2008)

For us as a company, reflection is perhaps one of the most important stages of any project. Put simply, it is through an active engagement in thinking about what we are doing that we have the possibility to get better at doing it. Reflection helps to develop our approach to devising, gives us different ideas about how to make material and inspires us to consider new ways to communicate with audiences. Reflection should be the beating heart of any project – the working mechanism right at the core that reminds you of what you are doing and why it matters. Too often in the past, we have made a mistake in imagining that reflection can happen by itself. That it was as simple as going home at the end of a busy day of rehearsals and thinking about what we did. Maybe we would tell our friends and family a bit about it: what we liked and what we didn’t like. Then, perhaps in the few minutes before bed, we might jot down a few ideas about what we might do tomorrow. And, of course, these moments were important – they helped us to process how we were feeling and how things were going with the creative project. They helped us to ‘let go’ a little of the day and made it easier to calm our creative brain and 174

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give in to a period of relaxation. But this is not reflection. This is something different. Reflection requires much more time and space than the end of the day allows. It requires our full and complete attention. At its most effective, reflection allows you to fully consider the creative experience you have been involved in and how you might take these ideas forward as part of your larger journey of development. It is about really understanding learning.

Reflection as an individual practice When you are engaged in any type of creative project, it can be useful to choose a mode of reflection that helps support you as an individual to keep track of your thoughts and outline your ideas. Good reflection should be something that is useful to you and that helps you to better understand what you are doing and how to develop it. In this way, it is really important you are comfortable with your chosen method and are able to take ownership of it. Here are a number of tools you can use for the purpose of personal reflection.

Creative journals Journals are a good way to record your ideas as a creative process develops. In the pages of your book, you can keep fragments of ideas and material as well as your own writing about your experience of, and research around, the work you are making. Many great directors and theatre-makers (Konstantin Stanislavski, Bertolt Brecht, Anne Bogart) have kept journals and notebooks in the development of their work as a way to help them record their creative process and make connections with ideas in the room and related theory. When working with creative journals, we have always valued books that are made up of plain, blank, white pages (not lined or squared) in order to support the central idea that creativity can come in any form and that we each have ownership over our individual approach to the process of creation.

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Digital There are also a number of digital tools you can use to document your working and capture your reflections. Technology changes all the time and so it is important to explore what is available and what best works for you. One of the key things about using digital platforms is that they enable you to share your reflections with others and begin a dialogue around your learning and development. This can be an exciting prospect and really help propel your ideas forward. We have used the following digital tools to document reflections and share thinking: blogging, vlogging and podcasts.

Blogging A blog is formatted a little like an online diary that allows you to make regular posts of writing (and other media) with different titles and store them in chronological order. There are loads of reliable sites out there that are easy to use and will help you structure your ideas in a clear way. These sites most often allow you to customise your blog by using a design and tag line. There is the option to embed widgets such as a calendar with upcoming events and a link to social media (tweets, etc.) so that readers can also see how the project progresses. There is also the function of leaving comments and these can be easily managed on the admin page. Once you have your blog up and running, you can share it within your community and allow others to participate in your critical journey of learning and understanding.

Vlogging A vlog is basically a video version of a blog where, instead of writing posts, you record them as a video file. This is a good tool for anyone who does not enjoy writing and prefers instead to verbalise learning or create visual content. The trick to vlogging is to plan each video carefully to ensure you are clear and concise with what you want to communicate. People are more likely to watch a vlog if it is short and engaging and not too repetitive. You do not need to have a fancy camera to make a vlog – if you have a smart phone or computer with a camera, it is possible to make something that works.

Stage 6: Reflection

Podcasts A podcast is a prerecorded audio file that you can download and listen to. It is a form of sharing ideas and it has really taken off over recent years. It is now possible to get podcasts on almost any subject and it is a great way for people to self-publish and get their ideas out in the public realm. In a similar way to vlogging, podcasts are best when they are carefully considered, with content planned and rehearsed. This will enable you to be clear about your ideas and make sure you are communicating in a dynamic way with your possible audience. Podcasts can be made and edited with most computers and smart phones. Make sure you record in a quiet space and test the technology first to make sure you have a decent sound quality.

Things to consider 1 When using digital tools, it is useful to think about choosing the technology which best allows you to express your ideas rather than the one that looks the most impressive or ‘flashy’. So often in the past, we have been attracted by complicated online platforms that turned out to be nice to look at but not actually that easy to use. Use your technology to empower you rather than give you additional things to worry about. 2 Be really careful to manage your security settings and take necessary measures to protect your data. Consider using a password and give it only to people whom you want to read your reflections. If you are happy for it to be shared more widely (sometimes an insight into the process can be used as an effective marketing tool), then make sure you monitor the content and feel comfortable with everything you are sharing. It is also important to make sure you have all the necessary permissions for any images/names/material you are sharing in this way.

Mind-mapping A mind map is a way of creating a map of your thinking and illustrating how all your ideas and reflections link together in one learning process.

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There are loads of articles online about creative ways to mind map, with inspiration from other artists and thinkers who have used this as a way into reflective practice. Visit www.mindmapart.com for a good place to start.

Reflection as a collective practice When you are engaged in a collaborative project with others, it is important reflection is an active process that involves every person and allows every voice to be properly heard and understood. In this way, it is useful to find ways for reflective activity to become a regular practice for your group and for it to be used as an ongoing tool to support the overall creative process and enable a positive and healthy group dynamic. Figure 11.1 shows the full cast of the opening performance of Elegant Variation, the first ever show by Junction 25.

Figure 11.1 Joanna Wilson, Megan Reid, Viviane Hullin, Francesca Lacey, Emma Stewart and Laura Murray in Elegant Variation by Junction 25. Tramway, 2006. Photograph by Carrie Hay

Stage 6: Reflection

The following exercises are designed to provide you with suggestions as to how you might facilitate a moment of reflection as part of a group.

Check out* At the end of each rehearsal, the group spend some time sitting in a circle. Each individual is invited to offer a reflection about their experience of the work of the session. Thinking about any of the following ideas: ● ● ● ● ● ●

What have you specifically enjoyed and why? What has been challenging for you? What new ideas has it given you? What has it made you think more about? Where would you like to see development? What feels like a next step?

It is important that there is time for everyone to contribute in the way they want to and that what they say is valued. If an individual does not want to speak, then they are invited to say the phrase, ‘Check out,’ in order to make sure their voice is heard in some way. As each individual speaks, the group is encouraged to practise active listening by letting them finish and by not interrupting. In this way, large discussions are avoided and everyone is allowed to express themselves freely. Once everyone has spoken, the group is asked if anyone would like to respond to anything they have heard. Note: * This is a convention we adopted for Junction 25 from the practice of ‘Natural Change’ (introduced to us by Deborah RichardsonWebb through the work of David Key at www.naturalchange.co.uk) and the philosophy of deep and active listening. We have found it be a useful tool for critical questioning and it has provided us with a physical manifestation of the idea of ‘every voice being heard’, a place where we can discuss the work we are making together without judgement. For us, Check Out has been a vital place to offer positive affirmation and encouragement in times of frustration and to listen to one another ask questions in order to deepen collective understanding. This has all helped to build towards an environment that will support the sharing of autobiographical material, and our goal of creating an original piece of theatre from scratch.

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One highlight, one challenge and one idea to take forward Sitting in a circle formation, the group is asked to actively consider the session they have just engaged in. First talking about everything achieved in the session and thinking through key stages of the work created. The group is then asked to identify what has been significant about their own experience through selecting one highlight (what have they most enjoyed?), one challenge (what was difficult but that they overcame?) and one idea to take forward (what have they learned?). These are shared in the circle.

A map of the journey 1 Everyone is given a piece of paper and a marker pen. 2 One person talks through the various parts of the process (see above) and asks the group to draw their own personal map, illustrating what they feel to be the journey they have taken. They are encouraged to be creative with the task and reminded there is ‘no right way’. The map could contain drawings/text/ symbols – whatever most makes sense to them. The room is quiet to allow focus (music is optional). 3 When completed everyone is encouraged to share their map with the larger group in any of the following ways: ● ● ●

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In circle discussion As a silent exhibition, with each map taped on the wall As a movement – the group are asked to physicalise their map in the space to music Sharing in pairs

Moments to remember A development of the game Groups Of, where individuals are asked to form quick groups in response to a given number – 2, 4, 6, etc.:

Stage 6: Reflection

1 Everyone is asked to create groups of a number, then give that group a specific title designed to initiate group reflection. Examples might be: ● ● ● ● ●

Something that surprised us A question we had A feeling we are left with A significant moment of learning What will remain

2 The group are then asked to create a ‘still image’, which illustrates their collective response to the title. Note: There is also the option to develop this exercise by adding music and creating more of a ‘performance moment’.

A letter for you 1 Everyone is given a piece of paper and an envelope. 2 One person talks the group through the various parts of the process so far and everyone is asked to write an anonymous letter to someone else, inspired by their own individual learning: What do you feel has been achieved so far? What have you most valued? What would you like to remember? 3 On completion of the letter, it is sealed in the envelope and redistributed to the group. Each person then ends up with someone else’s letter that they are encouraged to view as a ‘gift’. Letters can be read privately in the room (perhaps to music) or kept until returning home. However, the group is requested not to attempt to discover who wrote the letter or pass comment on its contents. Instead, they are asked to use it as a tool to help them with their own reflection. Note: Each person is encouraged to personalise their envelope in some way to ensure they do not receive their own letter.

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2 seconds of action/10 seconds of action/ 30 seconds of action In smaller groups, everyone is asked to create 2 seconds of action that capture and distil a part of the overall creative process: ● ● ● ● ●

A highlight A challenge The heart of the matter A question An opportunity

These reflections are then developed to become 10 seconds of action and then 30 seconds of action. At each stage, these fragments are shared with the wider group.

Questionnaire When you are getting closer to the completion of a show, it is good to check in with what the cast is thinking and feeling about the piece as it is developing. This exercise is designed to make sure that each performer/devisor has a chance to express their ideas and have their voice heard. Each individual is asked to write a response to the following questions: ● ● ● ● ● ●

What do you feel the show is saying right now? What is missing from the show? What is the central image? Where could we go deeper? What bits do you love? Where are the areas you feel need more work?

It can sometimes be useful to allow the responses to be anonymous as it gives space to those people who still feel nervous about making a contribution or who are worried about the validity of their ideas and the opportunity to speak freely and say what they think. Find a way to visualise or vocalise the responses so that everyone can hear them and so they can be used to inform the ongoing development of your work.

Stage 6: Reflection

A note about the Critical Response Process The point when an artist is ready for feedback is as important as any event in the development of a work of art . . . The rigor that applies throughout the artistic process should apply at this juncture. Liz Lerman and John Borstel, Critical Response Process (Dance Exchange, 2008)

When developing our ideas around feedback processes, we have been inspired by the ‘Critical Response Process’ devised by American choreographer Liz Lerman and promulgated through her work with coauthor and co-trainer, John Borstel.* We have found this to be a democratic way to structure group feedback and create a supportive environment in which every voice is valued. The process asks the people giving feedback to really consider what they are watching and therefore gently encourages critical thinking and helps to develop analytical skills in the reading of theatrical images.

A note about learning styles When selecting the right tools to support your reflective practice, it is useful first to consider how you, as an individual, work or learn best. For example, you might be a person who enjoys writing and would therefore find blogging or journaling an effective way to explore your ideas. In contrast, you may be a visual thinker and find too many words confusing – in this case, mindmapping or collaging might be a more useful way to navigate your process. Unless clearly stipulated by a teacher or exam board, there is no right or wrong way to reflect. The tool you choose just has to work for you and enable you to achieve the desired level of critical depth in your thinking. In the same way, when delivering reflection as a collective, you should also give some thought to the different learners represented in your group. With this in mind, it would be a good idea to vary the type and style of exercises used to make sure there is something that brings out the best in everyone.

A note about the importance of research So often in the past, we have fallen into the trap of thinking that reflection is just about documenting what we think and so have spent a lot of time * More information can be found at: www.lizlerman.com.

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collecting our thoughts, our feelings and our experiences. While this is, of course, valuable it has also sometimes meant that we have become stuck when having any new ideas or in considering how we might move things forward. Participating in active research as part of your reflective practice can really help with this. Finding out about how other performers and directors work or what ideas and theories have been discussed by other practitioners can further inspire you and inform your process.

A note about praxis and finding your critical voice When engaging in reflection, it can be all too easy just to report the facts of what you are doing and not question them or find wider theory to support or challenge what you are engaged in. ‘Praxis’ is essentially the bringing together of theory and practice, using ideas you have researched to inform your practical process and allow what you discover in the rehearsal room to fuel your theoretical research. Use your reflection as a way to help you in bringing together these elements and as a way to document the depth and rigour of your thinking. In this way, you will achieve a critical voice in the discussion of your ideas.

A note about reflection helping reflection One of the exciting things about the huge developments in technology and communication in recent years, is that it has meant an increased set of opportunities to share work and engage in dialogue with others about it. This can also be true of the creative documentation of projects and any reflective material associated with it. Many devised theatre companies are now blogging about their process from rehearsal rooms or sharing director’s notes through social media. It is increasingly possible to engage with the reflections of other artists and theatre companies and, in doing so, allow these ideas and areas of research to inform and inspire your own reflections. For example, perhaps you are struggling with the creation of a new movement section in your devised piece. Can you go and look for some of the reflections coming out of the rehearsal process for a physical theatre company to help you? Are there any ideas they are using that you could also try in practice? Drawing on the reflections of others in this way can unlock your own creative struggles whilst also connecting you with a wider critical dialogue

Stage 6: Reflection

happening in the world of theatre and performance. Remember always to reference any research you do or any ideas you take inspiration from. It is important to keep track of your thinking and properly credit the sources of what you are exploring.

A note about sharing your reflections In the same way you are able to access the documentation of other companies, you may decide you would like to share your own reflection with others as part of an online community. In one way, this can be a really positive thing as it stimulates a larger dialogue with other creative practitioners and allows you to learn from the views and experiences of others. That said, before doing so, it is important to consider what you hope to gain and who you hope to connect with. In order for these discussions to feel supportive and allow you to develop your work in the right way, it helps to consider the following questions.

Who is my audience? Who do you want to share your ideas with? Is it about others involved in the project? The larger theatre community? Your wider social circle? Carefully selecting who to invite to contribute to discussions around your work can make a huge difference in the types of responses you get and how useful they then become to your overall learning journey.

What is public and what is private? What are the ideas you think would most benefit from a group discussion and those you feel are perhaps a little more sensitive? Remember that the nature of online sharing means you do not always have control over who sees your work and how they receive it. People are sometimes a little more direct in their feedback in this type of exchange compared to the quality you may get from a face-to-face or a private targeted email. In this way, you should not feel obliged to share any ideas or information that you would prefer to explore more privately.

Why is sharing useful? It can be useful to carefully consider your motivations for sharing your ideas. Perhaps you want to engage the help of others in new ways to explore a new

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piece or material or to share a new moment of excitement from rehearsal. This type of reflection feels positive and therefore to share it carries minimal risk and has lots of advantages. Alternatively, you may be discussing another person’s material from rehearsal or a moment of conflict with someone else in your group. Sharing these sorts of reflections publicly might not be appropriate and might compromise the strength of your project and/or the success of your collaboration with others.

A note about challenge and difficulty It is important to remember that, sometimes, reflection can be a messy and complicated thing. When you are really honest with yourself (and others) about what you are doing and how a process is going, things can sometimes feel difficult. Sometimes, through true reflection, you can uncover that you are lost or stuck or not enjoying your work. Sometimes, you realise that your collaboration is not running as smoothly as you had hoped or you feel uncomfortable or insecure about something you have created. Be assured that this is completely normal and nothing to be afraid of. The measure of the success of your project is not about whether you experience challenges or difficulty but how you deal with it. It is times like this where Chapter 6, ‘Stage 1: Building the Group Dynamic’, should help you. If you have spent time laying down the foundation of how to work in the beginning of your process, you can now rely on these support systems to guide things back to even ground and move things forward. It is also true that, often, these moments of turbulence or tension can serve to strengthen and deepen the work you are making and help clarify the meaning you are striving for. In the past, some of our most beautiful and significant pieces of material came from a time where things had felt most difficult. The trick then is not to be afraid of the challenges that come from a process of real reflection but to embrace and nurture it as part of a natural and ongoing process of growth.

12 Stage 7 Production – Sharing your Work with an Audience Chapter outline Realising the technical elements of your show Producing your show as an event

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The process of taking a piece of work from the rehearsal room into full production can be a really nerve-wracking prospect. Often, this is when you move into a more formalised theatre space and begin to explore the technical possibilities of presentation. The nature of devising theatre from scratch can also mean that your piece is evolving and developing right up until opening night (and sometimes beyond). This is perfectly normal, although it does mean that it is important to be well prepared and organised in the delegation of roles and responsibilities and in making sure everyone knows what you are trying to achieve. The aim of this chapter is to introduce you to some of the key parts of the production process and to equip you with a basic understanding of terminology and ways of working that will help support you to realise your finished piece in front of an audience. As a result, this chapter is split into two key sections: ● ●

Realising the technical elements of your show Producing your show as an event 187

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It is also important to say that where the following tips and ideas are designed to offer you some confidence in navigating existing processes, we would also encourage you to explore your own ways to present your work. If the way things are ‘usually done’ does not quite fit with what you want to achieve or you have an idea for a new process, then you should feel free to explore it. As long as you can communicate your intentions in an open and supportive way with your chosen collaborators, then it is possible for you to design a way of working that feels creative and supportive of the skills of everyone involved.

Realising the technical elements of your show To help you to realise the vision you have for your performance, it can be useful first to consider some of the creative possibilities involved in the final stage of production. These are: ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Venue Staging Set and props Lighting Sound Audiovisual, e.g. projection/technology Costume

Spending time thinking about these elements and what they offer can really support you in articulating your ideas to your technical team and to feel able to discuss the different possibilities and how to achieve them on stage with confidence.

A set of questions to help to understand your show from a technical perspective Venue ●

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What form does your show take? Promenade, seated audience, intimate theatre, etc. What is your ideal audience capacity?

Stage 7: Production – Sharing your Work with an Audience

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How big an audience does the venue allow? Are there any special requirements or considerations regarding the audience when entering or leaving the space? Is there any audience interaction in your show? What does it involve? Should there be an age limit for an audience? Is there any material unsuitable for younger people?

Staging ●

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If your audience is seated, what configuration do you want? End on, traverse, thrust, etc. (see ‘Staging’ in Chapter  8, ‘Stage 3: Finding the Frame’). Can all the audience see the work properly? Are there levels to the staging? Is there any rostra required? Does your show require any mobile staging? Will you be supplying any covering for the floor? Are you doing a lot of dance or movement? If so, will you require dance lino or a sprung wooden floor? (This is often useful for supporting the physical safety of performers doing a lot of high-energy movement.)

Set and props ● ● ● ● ●

Are you using any set pieces or furniture? Are you using any objects? Do you require the use of a props table for your performance? If relevant, do you have a set of plans or models of the set? Do you need to hang anything from the lighting grid?

Lighting ● ● ● ●

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Will you be using lighting as part of your performances? How you are planning on using the lights? Who will operate your lighting? Approximately how many individual lights do you think you will need? Approximately how many lighting cues do you imagine will be in your performance?

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Are you bringing in any practicals (anything with a plug on it) with you for your performances? (All additional lighting must have a current safety test certificate.) Will you be using smoke or haze during your performances? Are there any special effects requirements for your performances? (E.g. strobes, pyrotechnics, etc.)

Sound ● ● ● ●

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Will you be using sound as part of your performance? How do you plan to use it? (E.g. live or prerecorded playback?) Who will operate your sound? How many sources will you be using? (CD players, laptops, microphones, etc.) What is the preferred choice with regards to playing music? (E.g. CD, MP3, laptop.) Are you using any live music? If so, how many musicians, and what instruments? Will musicians require foldback monitors for the performance? Are there any other sound issues that might be problematic? (E.g. loud bangs/noises, the requirement of extended periods of sustained silence, etc.) Do you need to apply for permission for use of recorded music? Do you require any pre-/post-show music?

Audiovisual (AV) ●

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Do you require any AV for your performance? (E.g. projectors, screens, TV monitors, etc.) If so, give a brief outline of how you imagine the AV will be set up. What source(s) do you plan on using for this set up? (E.g. DVD players, video, camera, laptop, etc.?) Will you be supplying this equipment yourself? (All additional equipment must have a current ‘Portable Appliance Testing’ (PAT) Certificate). Do you know what connections you may need to set up this AV equipment? Who will operate your AV during the performance?

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An example of the technical specification of a Junction 25 show Show: A Bit of Bite Staging ●

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The performance is staged as promenade, with seating on both sides along the entire length of the stage. The show requires a stage length of a minimum of 12 m x 4 m wide (preferred size would be 15 m x 4 m); this is for show playing space and not including seating. This stage has seating banks on either long side, much like a catwalk for a fashion show. Each end is used as a performance space and has a hung projection screen with a lectern and microphone below. A further black drape is required behind each projection screen at each end. This needs to be wider than the screen by at least 1 m each side in order to provide a crossover behind the screen and provide additional space for the cast to wait offstage unseen by the audience. If available, we require a 12 m x 4 m dancefloor for the performers. If this is not possible, other flooring solutions can be discussed. Lighting and sound desk will be visible beside the catwalk to allow for interaction between cast and technicians. Please see plan for diagrams of staging and layout.

Lighting ●

The staging for this show requires a lighting rig capable of providing lighting positions along the entire length of the catwalk and lighting positions for the performance space at each end.

Sound ● ● ●

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Music will be played from a laptop. Two handheld radio mics and stands to be provided by the venue. Speaker placement: 2 speakers at each end of the catwalk (4 in total) in order to support the sound coming from videos on screens. These could be on stands. Further speakers would need to be placed along the catwalk to provide vocal reinforcement for microphones and music as the playing space is so long.

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Audiovisual (AV) ●

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There is a projection screen at each end of the playing space. This can be front projected or rear, depending on the size of the venue. Along with each screen, we require a projector (technical requirements of the projector will obviously differ, depending on the size of screen, etc.) As such, these can be discussed with the venue.

Costume ●

The company all wear oversized men’s suits, with white shirts, trainers and different-coloured ties. They each need a belt to keep their trousers up.

Building a production schedule There are many parts to production and it is important to plan the process carefully and to communicate the proposed schedule effectively with everyone involved. Often, a technical team will not know your piece as well as you do and will need time and space to get to know the running order, explore the technical possibilities and practise cues, etc. Your schedule should include some or all of the following elements.

Production meeting(s) You will need to meet regularly to share information and plan the logistics of your performance. Deciding who will attend these meetings will depend on how you are working. It might be that you have a separate team with roles such as a director, production manager and stage manager or it might be that your group are each taking a production role alongside also devising and performing the show. It can be helpful to write a brief description of the content/concept of your show to take with you to any meetings so that everyone can imagine what you are striving to achieve. It is also useful to make an agenda for each meeting with a list of the points that you want to cover so that people can prepare for what will be discussed.

Site or venue visit It is important to arrange to spend some time in the theatre or venue in which you will present your work prior to the official get-in. At this point

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you should consider the positioning and the capacity of the audience and what is available/possible in terms of set, lighting and sound. This is also a good moment to develop your design process and you can find more about this in Chapter 8, ‘Stage 3: Finding the Frame’. It is good practice to measure the space so that you can then tape it out onto the floor in the rehearsal room you are working at.

Design deadline This is the time when the set, lighting, sound and AV designs have to be finalised and given to the technical team so that they can plan for the get-in and rig. They might need to hire equipment or book out specific technical resource for your show and you should factor in adequate time for this part of the process.

Get-in Everything that is needed for your performance is taken to the venue or site that you will be performing in and put into position.

Rig Lighting, sound and AV equipment is put up in the venue.

Plot At this point, the people involved in designing and operating the lighting, sound and AV will work alongside the director to decide on positioning, levels and timings for each of these elements. Usually, this involves starting at the beginning of the show making decisions and then recording each decision as a numerical cue (cue 1, cue 2, etc.). The Stage Manager will then notate each cue in a copy of the running order so that they are able to call the cues from their script during the show.

Technical rehearsal This is a staggered run through of the performance in order to concentrate on the technical elements of the show. It enables the people running the lighting sound and AV to practice their cues and make sure they feel comfortable with how everything runs together. Often the performers are only asked to say the lines or do the movements that are directly related to a

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technical cue or that help the team to see how a specific effect looks on stage. It is possible to do as many technical rehearsals as time allows.

Dress rehearsal This is a run-through of the whole show without stopping in order to see how all elements of the performance are working together. The director can take notes about the things they would like to change both technically and in terms of the performance but should not interrupt the flow of the runthrough. Traditionally, the company meets for notes and to make any changes after this rehearsal. Sometimes, you might choose to have an ‘Open Dress’, which is a rehearsal in which a small audience is permitted to see the show before it officially opens. This can be useful if you have audience interaction or if you want to give the performers an experience of performing in front of others.

Performance The show is performed for an audience.

Get-out The process of clearing all elements of your production from the venue or site and leaving it in the condition in which it was found. All props should be returned or stored and everything tidied away.

A note about timings When building your production schedule it is important to consider how long you will need for the various parts of the process. It can help to think through the following questions: ●

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Approximately how much time will you require to get all of your set/ props/costumes into the venue? For how much of this time do you think you will need additional technical support? Do you have any complicated areas of design and how long will these take to build/rig? How much stage time/tech rehearsal/dress rehearsal time do you require? Do you have any complicated effects that need more time to get right?

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Approximately how much time will you need to take down all lighting and sound, take back your props, tidy any debris and return the venue to its usual state?

Remember that a production schedule is a live document and, as a result, should be altered as plans for the show develop. Make sure to update it as things change and to circulate new copies to all members of the technical team and cast in good time, as shown in the template in Table 12.1. A useful way to keep track of schedules you are using is to label each version with a new number – e.g. V1, V2, V3. We have been known to have seven or eight versions of our productions schedule as projects progress and new information comes into play.

Understanding technical terminology When we first started making performance, we did not know what many of the terms the technical team we were working with were using. We soon came to realise that if we wanted to get the most out of the production process and the creative possibilities of technical theatre then we needed to familiarise ourselves with the right terminology for working in this way. The following is a list of terms that should help you to understand the technical elements on offer to you at the venue or space you will be working in. It should support you to communicate your ideas and have a genuinely collaborative dialogue with the technical team you will be working with.

Table 12.1 A template for a production schedule Date

Time

Location

Activity

People required

11/7/18 10 a.m.– 1 p.m.

Theatre Foyer

Production meeting

21/8/18 9 a.m.– 6 p.m.

Theatre

Lighting Rig

... ...

... ...

... ...

Agree Director/Lighting timetable Designer/ Production Manager/Stage Manager Lighting Designer/ Production Manager/Stage Manager/ Technician ... ... ... ...

... ...

Notes

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Useful lighting terminology Parcan: A simple wash light most commonly used to create broad colour washes with very limited control over the beam. Fresnel: Also a wash light that makes a soft edged round pool of light. It can be made bigger or smaller and comes with barn doors that are hinged flaps that can be brought into the beam to square off the edges. Profile: A more sophisticated light that can be used to create ‘specials’ (see below). It can be soft edged or sharp edged, it has a set of four shutters that can make square edges within the beam and it can take a gobo. Birdies: A very small light that can fit in small spaces. Often used along the front edge of a stage to up-light performers or attached behind a piece of scenery where a bigger light wouldn’t fit. Gel: Coloured transparent film that can be slotted into a light to filter its colour. Gobo: A cut metal disc or printed glass disc that can be slotted into a profile to make a pattern or image in the beam. Follow Spot: A spotlight that can be moved to follow a performer. Moving Light: An automated light that can be controlled with a lighting console to pan, tilt, change colour and other effects including beams, rotating gobos and animation, depending on the particular fixture.

Lighting states General wash: A group of lights that will cover the whole space from the front and light up faces which is important when delivering text. People often choose to have a cold wash (light blue) and a warm wash (more yellowy) so they can combine them to create a variety of atmospheres. Special: This is a term used for a light that is rigged especially to highlight one performer or a part of the stage or set. For example if you would like to highlight someone singing a solo song you might choose a spot light especially for that moment of action. Back Light or Top Light: Lights rigged behind or above the performance space that lifts and defines the performers from the scenery. Side Lighting: Lights rigged on stands called booms at either side of the stage, lighting across the space. These are often used to highlight movement as they light up the edges of the performers as they move in the space. Floor Lighting: A light rigged on a floor stand to create dramatic effect, for example, the light cast by a television or to cast a big shadow on a wall or piece of scenery.

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Practical: A practical is an ordinary light fitting that is controlled alongside the lighting rig, for example, a desk lamp or a bedside lamp.

Useful sound and audiovisual (AV) terminology Playback: The means of playing back recorded audio, usually a computer program but could also be an MP3 player, CD or some other device if there is good cause. Microphones: A device that captures audio so it may be amplified or recorded. There are many types of microphone but initially you may consider whether it needs a stand, whether it needs to be wireless or whether it needs to be worn on a performer’s body. Projector: A device that projects an image or film onto another surface. Live feed: A means of playing back activity as it happens live, for example, projecting video of a performance out of view of the audience or displaying a close-up of something small that wouldn’t otherwise be visible.

Key roles Depending on the size of your production and budget you have available, you will not always have or need all of the roles (below) but it is still useful to know what they mean and the responsibilities that come with them. With ensemble work you may also find that your performers also take on an additional technical role and this is often a good way to share out tasks fairly: Director: The person responsible for the overall vision for the work and communicates this to the performers and the creative team. Designer: The person responsible for what the work will look like, often including set and costumes. They are responsible for the aesthetic of the work. Lighting Designer: The person responsible for the lighting of the work to create moods and atmospheres or special effects. Sound Designer: The person responsible for the audio in the work. They may create original music and sound or they may be asked to work alongside the director and performers to select the right pre-existing sound or music. AV Designer: The person responsible for creating and sourcing prerecorded or live video content for the work. Production Manager: The person responsible for managing the technical team, the technical schedule, the production budget and the smooth running of the production process.

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Technical Manager: The person responsible for delivering all the technical elements of the show. Stage Manager: The person responsible for activity that happens on stage. They are also responsible for sourcing all materials and props used in the work. Deputy Stage Manager (DSM): The person who will take notes on all the action that takes place and will coordinate all of the cues including sound, lighting and video during the show. Assistant Stage Manager (ASM): The person who assists the Stage Manager sourcing and managing props and managing the stage. Technician: A general term used for a person who works with technical aspects of a production. Producer: The person responsible for overseeing and managing the whole process and production.

Risk assessment A ‘Risk Assessment’ is a document that provides evidence that you have identified and considered all the hazards that the work involves and have put appropriate measures in place to minimise any potential danger (Figure 12.1).

Figure 12.1 Cara Brodie in A Bit of Bite by Junction 25. Tramway, 2016. Photograph by Alan McAteer/Glasgow Life.

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A venue may provide you with a template or you can find templates to download online and the assessment is usually conducted along with the production manager.

Ten tips for getting the most of the production process 1 Bring a clear running order of material with sound and AV cues inserted. 2 Bring some ideas for lighting at each stage of your performance. 3 Familiarise yourself with the key technical terminology and names of equipment so you can really talk about what can be achieved. 4 Ask to be shown all of the equipment, lights and lighting states before you begin your plot so you can imagine what you can achieve. 5 See the technical team as your collaborators. They can often offer a solution to a problem that you have been trying to work out for months! 6 Ask the technical team their opinion on things, sometimes they can see something more clearly because they are fresh to the material. 7 Reserve your right to make the final decision. 8 A basic clean space can be as beautiful as the most state of the art theatre. 9 Maintain attention to detail. 10 Do not over-do it with technical elements. Less can sometimes be more.

Producing your show as an event When you are making something for the first time or on a small budget, you will often find you need to organise or produce it yourself. As a result, you will need to spend time thinking about the individual elements of the wider event that surround the show itself. Some of the additional things you might want to consider are as follows: ● ●

Managing the budget Marketing

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Building new audiences Accessibility Box Office and Front of House Making a programme After-show discussion

Managing the budget A budget is a document in which you detail all the money you have available for your production and what you will use it for. You should start thinking about the budget in the planning stages of any project so that you can make sure you have everything in place before you start rehearsals. If you are working in an institution like a school, university or as part of a theatre programme, it is likely that some of your costs will already be met. For example, you may have rehearsal space, lighting available in-house, have access to things like a camera to take photographs and have a peer group in place to fulfil all the necessary roles in production. In this instance, you may only need a small amount of money to cover props and costumes or anything specific you need for production. However, in other cases, you may find you need to do some research about the cash cost of putting on your production in a theatre and you may be looking to secure additional funding to help you realise your ideas. The template in Table 12.2 provides a useful way to plan and manage your budget and offers a breakdown of all the possible costs involved. The column, ‘In-kind’, refers to any costs that have already been provided by an institution or external party. The ‘Predicted Cost’ allows you to research how much each thing will be and suggest a figure that will cover it. ‘Actual Spend’ then allows you to record what it actually cost in practice. The template in Table 12.2 can be used as a guideline and be adapted to better fit the requirements of individual projects. As you begin to build your budget, you will choose to prioritise certain items over others as you might not be able to afford to pay for all the elements on a restricted budget. It can be useful to try and borrow or source for free. There are loads of ways to do this and it can often mean you are even more creative with what you have. Some of our very best shows have been made on the smallest of budgets. When managing budgets, make sure you keep track of all spending by holding onto receipts and invoices. This will help you get a clear idea of what

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Table 12.2 A template for building a budget Items

In-kind

Predicted cost

Actual spend

Rehearsal space Set and materials Costume Van hire Technical costs (including hiring extra technical equipment, e.g. lights, microphones, cabling, etc.) British Sign Language (BSL) and audio description Company travel Documentation: Photographs/filming performance

If you are not working in an institution, you will also need to consider Creative Team fees Design Team fees Production and Technical Team fees Box Office and Front of House Venue hire Total

you have spent and allow you to stay within your means. It is also training for the legal obligation to keep proof of expenses/incomes for production accounts.

Marketing This is the process of publicising your show in order to attract an audience and to build a bigger profile for your work. A useful first step is to generate a short, 100-word copy that describes the show and gives a bit of a background about the company as well as a central image to represent the work. This can then be distributed in various ways and used to build your wider marketing campaign.

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An example of a Junction 25 show marketing copy for the Summerhall brochure at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2013 Anoesis We know we have to sit up and face the front silentt, but that We know that we have the right to remain silent, anything we say may harm our defence We know that we have to succeed After a sell-out 2011 Fringe, Herald Angel Award winners Junction 25 are back with a brand new show. An immersive experience about formal education, exams, success, failure and the systems that affect us whether we choose them or not. Limited capacity, book early. **** Scotsman **** Herald d. Junction 25 are ‘terrific’ Lyn Gardner, Guardian Part of Made in Scotland 2013.

When choosing your image, you should consider what you would like the visual identity of the show to be. What might communicate a little of your inquiry question? What would give a sense of the look and feel of the work you are trying to make? In the images we choose for shows, we often like to include one or more members of the company so that an audience can see that the show involves young people. We find this helps to build an identity for the work and helps communicate who we are and what we do. Once you have chosen your image, it is good to use the same one with each individual piece of marketing you produce so as to provide a strong association for audiences as they begin to recognise and build interest in the show. Using your image and copy, you can then market your show in a number of different ways: ● ● ●

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Brochure of venue/festival Website of venue/company Posters and flyers distributed in the venue/local area/across the community Social media Submit information to local press, blogs, listings, radio

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Remember to credit the photographer each time you use the image and to include the logos for any organisations or funders that are involved. As well as these more official routes to market your work, there are also loads of ways to think creatively about how you might introduce your work to a potential audience. We live in an age of communication right now and there are endless possibilities for getting your work ‘out there’ in a way that feels exciting and innovative. Many of these approaches are also much more cost-effective than the traditional methods and can often achieve better results.

Building new audiences Try and consider creative ways to engage with audiences who might not hear about your show through the usual channels. Not everyone will come to a performance through seeing a poster or flyer and often it can be as effective to contact groups directly. As Junction 25 is a company of work made by young people, about the perspectives of young people, it has been a priority for us to engage with young audiences and try and get them excited about theatre and performance. As a result, we have often developed workshops around the inquiry question of the show and taken them into schools. This has provided us with a way of meeting new groups of young people and to have conversations with them about their thoughts and ideas around the subject we have been exploring creatively. We have then organised for them to come and see the show and followed up with their feedback on their experience of it. This has been a successful way for us to build a new audience base, many of whom have continued to see further shows. When looking to engage new audiences, you should also consider if there are ways to support their attendance. In the past, we have found that ticket deals have been a good way to increase numbers and, in some cases, providing help with travel costs for groups has been made possible with support from venues and additional funding.

Accessibility It is really important that you spend some time thinking about how your work can be experienced by audience members with a range of needs. This might mean building some additional resource into your budget or looking for help in embedding some other ways of communicating content

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into the delivery of your show. In Junction 25 shows, we always build in the following: ●

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A British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter for at least one night of every run. This is always detailed in all publicity for audiences and the interpreter comes to rehearsals running up to the show to work with the company. Audio Description available for each show on request. This can take the form of someone from the creative team sitting with an audience member who is blind or partially sighted and describing live action on stage or with venues that are equipped with the technology. It can happen over headphones from a booth above the stage. A tour of the set and meeting of the cast (on request) in order for audience members who are blind or partially sighted or have anxiety about coming to the theatre to be able to better imagine the layout of the space and become comfortable with the voices on stage. All shows have an accessible journey/seating position for wheelchair users or for those with additional mobility needs.

Considering accessibility is an integral part of an effective arts practice. The process of actively engaging with how a diverse audience can experience your work can also provide a set of exciting and creative opportunities for your event as a whole.

Relaxed performances Depending on the context of your work, you may wish to consider scheduling a relaxed performance. This is a version of the show that is designed for audience members with specific needs and who may not enjoy some aspects of theatre. In these cases, you might choose to keep the house lights on dim, to allow for some talking in the audience and to lessen any loud sound effects or intense lighting states.

Box Office and Front of House If you are working with a venue, then it is likely they will have their own system for allocating tickets and seating people. If this is the case, make sure you have conversations about these processes early on so that everyone understands what is expected and what information is required and at which stage. Depending on the structure and size of your show, you will require

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different levels of operational support – more ushers, longer hours, etc. – and it is important to consider this. Many venues have certain conditions around managing audiences in their own risk assessments and specific insurance policies and, while this should not (for the most part) affect your creative work, it will dictate the support you will need in place to realise your ideas. When liaising with Box Office staff, make sure you are clear about how many seats you have available to sell and about any age restrictions that apply to your work. If you are organising your own Box Office and Front of House, make sure you have a clear process, with designated roles and responsibilities. Record the number of tickets you have available and what the safe and agreed capacity of your venue is. Make sure that all ushers are confident about managing the audience throughout the show and that they are fully briefed as to what to do in an emergency.

Making a programme Providing a programme for your show can be a really helpful way to further frame your work and communicate some of your wider ideas to your audience. It provides a way to acknowledge the work of the whole team and provide an official document of the show for future use. It is also a good way for critics or visiting programmers to reference your work and those who are involved in it. Elements you may wish to have in your programme include: ● ● ● ● ●

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A key image from the show. List of names of cast/creative team/technical team. Details of venue/times and dates of the show. Information about your company/course. A small creative note from the director or member of the cast, talking about why you made the work and what it means to you. Special thanks to any organisations or individuals that have provided help, support or inspiration. Logos of any organisations or funders that have provided specific support with funding or other resources.

In the past, we have enjoyed playing with the form that a programme can take and finding creative solutions to build it into the key concept for the show. For example, in Anoesis, a show that explored formal education structures and was staged as an exam, we created a programme that looked

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like an exam paper and that also contained questions the audience would be required to answer during the show.

After-show discussion This can be an excellent way to engage with your audience after your show and to allow for a larger dialogue about the questions and ideas that you have presented on stage as well as the making process itself. We have an after-show discussion on one designated night of each run of a Junction 25 show and use it as an opportunity to invite the whole company on stage and talk about the making process. We have always found it invaluable to further understand the work we have made and learn from the diverse responses of an audience. A good way to manage this is to invite a trusted friend, teacher or artist to facilitate the discussion from an outside point of view. They can begin by asking a few questions of their own to start an initial dialogue and then open it to the audience for any questions they might have.

Part Three Five Interviews and One Running Order 13 Interviews with Companies that Devise Theatre: An Introduction 14 Interview about the Process of Devising All the Sex I’ve Ever Had by Mammalian Diving Reflex, with Artistic Director Darren O’Donnell 15 Interview about the Process of Devising Wallflower by Quarantine, with Artistic Director Richard Gregory 16 Interview about the Process of Devising Mission Drift by the TEAM, with Artistic Director Rachel Chavkin 17 Interview about the Process of Devising £¥€$ (Lies) by Ontroerend Goed, with Artistic Director Alexander Devriendt 18 Interview about the Process of Devising Trilogy by Nic Green, with Artist Nic Green 19 An Example of a Running Order: Anoesis by Junction 25 207

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13 Interviews with Companies that Devise Theatre An Introduction We wanted to produce a book that offered a clear process for devising theatre from scratch that would be useful for people exploring these tools, perhaps for the first time. In writing it, we have drawn heavily on our own experiences and have used many examples of how these ideas have worked for us in practice. That said, it is important to acknowledge that our suggestions are only one way to approach devising as a practice and are by no means the only way to do it. It is by its very nature a way of working that encourages invention and you should always look to find new and innovative ways to express your ideas and examine the possibilities on stage. In the time that we have been working together, we have been excited and inspired by many other artists and companies devising theatre and have always felt energised by the scope and depth of the work happening around us. As a result, we thought it would be a great idea to invite some of these artists to contribute some of their ideas to this book and have included interviews with five of them in the chapters that follow. It has been such a highlight for us to have the opportunity to talk about theatre with some of our very favourite theatre-makers and to share these conversations with you. We asked each of the artists and directors we met with to reflect on our offering of a 7-stage devising process and to explore the role that these concepts play in their own approach to making work. We asked them to focus on one specific piece of work in our discussion in order to allow a greater depth of insight into their own specific creative process and we gave them the opportunity to reorder our suggested stages to better fit with the way they work. We hope you enjoy reading them. 209

14 Interview about the Process of Devising All the Sex I’ve Ever Had by Mammalian Diving Reflex, with Artistic Director Darren O’Donnell

All the Sex I’ve Ever Had Older adults courageously open up their personal lives and experiences to fellow performers and strangers, divulging stories of first crushes, turbulent affairs, unexpected pregnancies and deaths of loved ones. They chat with the audience, toast to important milestones and sometimes dance on stage. All the Sex I’ve Ever Had d offers an opportunity to acknowledge that our elders have a lot to teach us, a lot to share, and that ageing can yield a way of being in the world that is open, generous and fearless. In our youth-obsessed culture, All the Sex I’ve Ever Had d re-establishes the notion of a community of wise elders to whom we can turn for advice gleaned from their vast wealth of life expertise. The show was first created in Oldenburg, Germany, as a commission of the Pazz Festival in 2010, and has since been recreated and developed with casts of older people in venues across the world.

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Interview with Darren O’Donnell

Mammalian Diving Reflex Based in Germany and Canada, Mammalian Diving Reflex views innovative artistic interventions as a way to trigger generosity and equity across the universe. Founded by artistic director Darren O’Donnell in 1993, Mammalian is a research-art atelier dedicated to investigating the social sphere, always on the lookout for contradictions to whip into aesthetically scintillating experiences. They are a culture production workshop that creates site and social-specific performance events, theatre-based productions, gallery-based participatory installations, video products, art objects and theoretical texts. They create work that recognises the social responsibility of art, fostering a dialogue between audience members, between the audience and the material, and between the performers and the audience. It is their mission to bring people together in new and unusual ways to create work that is engaging, challenging, and gets people talking, thinking and feeling. Find out more e: www.mammalian.ca

How did you select your inquiry question? A lot of my work tries to pay attention to social dynamics in a city or a neighbourhood and then tries to pull groups of people together across their differences to have conversations. I am interested in what is worth diving into about people and place. I want to draw these things out and share them with the world. With this show, the idea came when I was once visiting a small city and I saw so many women in their seventies riding bicycles. It was a bit of an oldperson town and so there was a lot of them and also the town itself had a cycling infrastructure so people cycled a lot because it predated cars and they were used to it. I just started to think a lot about this place: who was there and what were they doing? Here were these vibrant older people. It’s like I didn’t know they could be so vibrant, in this way, on their bicycles because of this culture of biking and then I wondered what else was going on and about the other things that we don’t know about them or the things that surprise us about ageing. This led me to think a lot about vitality and ageing and then, in a conversation in a bar with the presenter Thomas Kraus, I thought about starting with sexuality and came up with the concept of older people talking about the best sex I’ve ever had.

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How did you build the group dynamic? The first time we made the show, we were looking for a group of seniors who wanted to talk openly about sexuality. So, we postered the city and often sent people off to go to seniors’ hangouts, senior centres, LGBT places, looking for people who were quite conversant with researchers and wanted to participate. Then we pulled together a group and did a lot of socialising, like going for dinner and hanging out. We invited them to bring their partners to get to know everyone and tried to help them all feel more comfortable working with us. When we first started rehearsals, we went around the room and invited everybody in the room to just talk for a few minutes about sex. To share their first time, best time, worst time and most recent time. And everybody had to share this: the production manager, me, the cast, everybody. I also invited people to lie, to say what they want, it didn’t really matter, the important thing was just trying sharing things with others. We also played a bunch of games like Live Tinder, where we paired a younger person from the production team and an older person from the cast and they would go around look at people on the street and report back to each other who they found attractive, who looked like marriage material or whatever. Just talking and sharing their views. Then we came back together and asked everybody about their partner’s taste and what they thought their type might be and we all had a discussion about that. We created another game called Out of My League, where they were challenged to approach people who they thought were out of their league and say: I’m supposed to find people who are out of my league and see if they agree with me and I think you are out of my league, do you agree? And then we had lots of discussion about why we were doing that and particularly the idea of them making themselves vulnerable with a stranger who actually (mostly) was pretty kind back to them and how that felt. Whenever we make the show, we always try to encourage the cast to goof around and that’s one of the things that works in the performance itself. They have a script and they have to stick to it but we also encourage them to play around in the transitions, comment on each other and make jokes with each other. It is, of course, difficult to engineer it so that everybody loves everybody but we often play with the seating arrangement in the actual show so that we’ll have those that connect with each other on either side or people who get on really well together. This is a good energy.

Interview with Darren O’Donnell

How did you find the frame? In the early days, we were first developing the idea with a team of seniors in Germany and a couple of others that we brought over from Canada and we just tested a bunch of different things. We did a lot of interviews and just kept asking them loads of questions about sex and their lives. Then I literally had to sit down and go: What are we going to do? How are we going to present our show? At this point, we’d been working for two years and had all these people involved, all these seniors that were willing to take part and music designers and I had become stuck. I knew that we had loads of stories and that this was interesting stuff but I wasn’t sure how it could all fit together for an audience. In these moments, you have to keep on trying things and keep on thinking about it. We had done all of this work and so now we just had to be patient and try to examine everything in order to come up with a form that was succinct. Throughout the development process, it had become clear that what was most interesting about these guys was that they were born in a time when nobody could speak about sexuality at all and people often didn’t even know where babies came from until they were well into their teens, if not pregnant. Then there was a bit of a sexual revolution in the 60s and 70s and now we live in a time where perhaps people talk about it too much. It just felt like this is a really interesting generation and then I thought let’s tell the story, year by year, because what is really amazing is how these guys and their lives have changed with the passing of time. As soon as I had this idea of going year by year, I decided to interview each person, in turn, about each year and then turned these stories into one script. The script itself as a form is very rigid. It starts with the date and then ‘I’m born,’ ‘I am six years old,’ ‘I am ten years old,’ etc. The lines follow and each of them ends with a twist. In the show, the performers sit as a panel of between six and ten people; going, year by year, through their lives. Then music is introduced to the decade and we have musical loops that are scored and played throughout like a live composition happening. There is also a party element and when it gets to the years 1970 and 2000, the production team gets onstage and dances with them. We have done the show many times, in many other places, since the first [show] and this has allowed us to play with the form. We have started to introduce song elements and we added confetti canons in Sydney and moving lights in Melbourne. There’s been a lot of accumulation of moments and also in how we, as artists, understand it as a show and this is super-important for people to

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understand. I think some people have this idea that, with theatre, they have to lock it in and not change it after opening night and that it may be true in some parts of the theatre world but for us we think that this thing is alive and changing and we feel we can still be making it better. How did you create original material for performance? The biggest thing we did, and we have now also applied this method to projects, is that we interviewed the cast for 4 hours each and recorded it. There were six of them in the cast, so that produces 24 hours of audio, which we then divided it up between (usually) three writers. We then turned this material into a script with some rules. Things like: ● ●

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Do not change any words. Feel free to change the order of the words but do not change the actual words. Try to stick as closely to the transcript as possible so that the language is very clear. Use words and phrases as the person says them.

We also had a bunch of other rules for writing. For example, no reflection at all. So we can’t have a line like, ‘I really like him,’ as this is a reflective thought. It is a ‘tell’ as opposed to a ‘show’. We try and show not tell. We don’t want to hear what anybody thinks about anything but we just want the facts. We like a line such as, ‘He looked at me and I looked away,’ as it tells us much more about the situation as it was. As we have developed this way of working, we have learned to ask for this detail during the interview stage. We are always looking for specifics in order to find the quality in the material. For example: Performer Yeah, we used to fight a lot. Us

Can you remember a particular fight?

Performer

Nah, we would fight about everything.

Us So, where would you have a fight? Where would you be? Any particular room in your house? Performer Yeah, we often fought in the bedroom and then one time in the kitchen . . .

And then the memories start to trickle out. It is just about unlocking them and then allowing people to talk. People love to talk. I think one thing that is always interesting about this stage of the process is the role that the artist plays with the non-artist. It is totally their content

Interview with Darren O’Donnell

but it is totally our form and so this division of labour is very clear. This is where my job comes in. It’s my idea and they participate in it by giving content. How did you structure and compose? I think, really, it was pretty much a standard writing strategy. We produced a written text that came out of these initial interviews. Everybody wrote material and we overwrote at first so that we have lots of material to choose from. Then we gave the cast a script and listened to it read in their voices to see how it sounded before we started to trim it all down. When we work like this, we always have to caution them at the beginning; do not get attached to any lines, do not get attached to any of your stories. We are not representing your whole life on stage, or your life on stage with any accuracy at all. There are a lot of things that have happened in your life that are probably way more interesting than this but the show is not ‘All the jobs you’ve ever had’, or ‘All the psychiatry sessions you’ve ever had’ – this is about ‘All the sex you’ve ever had’ (Figure 14.1). It was important to be straight with the cast that this is a process of viscous pruning because we have got 24 hours of material that we have to turn into ninety minutes. I think the most the interesting part for us as

Figure 14.1 All the Sex I Ever Had by Mammalian Diving Reflex, performed at Festival Mladi Levi, Ljubljana. Photograph by Nada Žgank

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co-creators is the battles that the three writers will have. This is because I might understand my character’s arc that I have been working on and I might know why I have kept a certain line in – because we need it later and it has a nice outcome – but the others do not. They have other priorities. And so this negotiation happens for the overall collaboration as we all work it all out together. As we have done this process a few times, we know how many words each person should have and roughly how many times we want to hear them speak. If people are a bit older, then we should hear from them more but we do try to balance it out between everyone. I have a really useful piece of software called Scrivener. This allows me to take one document and chunk it up so I can see it all as that one document or I can make groups of just one performer’s lines so that I can go really fast to see what their through-line is. Sometimes, there is an arc that is missing or we need to add something else and we will have to go back and do a subsequent interview to see what else happened. How did you approach production? The main idea we had with production elements was to strip back the space as entirely as is possible. The overall goal was to reveal everything about the stage in the same way their lives are being revealed. So, if the back wall of the theatre is painted really badly, then we see it. In this way, we wanted the audience to see the theatre, ‘warts and all’, like they are seeing the lives of the cast, ‘warts and all’. And then with lighting, we had the concept to light whatever we could see super-beautifully. So, reveal it all with lights in a way that looked amazing. The lighting designer, Konstantin (Bock), also really wanted people to come in the theatre and to say, ‘Wow, I’ve never seen this place look like this.’ He wants to make it feel like they have never been there before – that it’s really strangely beautiful but also stripped down and kind of ugly at the same time. As he was designing the lighting, he was also thinking about how the show could be an overall experience for an audience inside the theatre itself. As a result, he chose not just to light the stage but also the auditorium where the audience sit. So we are all part of the same moment. We have done the show in lots of places now and each time we play with these ideas to create new elements. The sound is also an important element of the show as it keeps the journey going. We used to have an ambient score, made by a composer but then we dumped that and in more recent versions we have musical loops that are

Interview with Darren O’Donnell

scored and played with a piece of software called Ableton. This allows us to take three or four loops out of a song and play loop one, loop one, loop one, loop three loop three loop three loop two, and then we bring it back to loop one so it feels like it concludes and feels more like a live composition happening. This way of working came in gradually. It was through presenting it a number of times that the different pieces fell into place. One thing about production elements is that I feel I only want to use what feels essential. That what we use has to be driven by what we are doing and what we need to communicate. That it is coming from what’s happening and not imposed because it’s an external concept. For example, we always use gooseneck microphones because we want it to feel like we are in a kind of UN [United Nations] environment, where these guys are delegates or diplomats. So, then we use this specific kind of microphone to help signal that a little bit. How did you reflect on your process? The more we’ve made this show and the more we’ve seen, the more we learn about how to keep making each version of the show better. The possibility is infinite and there are always new things to play with along the way. We have a channel on an app called Slack we use to record called ATS Learning, so, every time we do the show, we just put what we learn each time around and then we can transfer that into how we communicate with venues that are putting on the show. It can be technical like making sure to have moving lights on the ground or about the process for the cast like noticing that every time we go for Asian food with everybody we can find a round table and that is much better than a square table because there are no corners and no one feels left out. So I think that this reflection is a constant process now.

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15 Interview about the Process of Devising Wallflower by Quarantine, with Artistic Director Richard Gregory

Wallflower Can you remember every dance you’ve ever danced? Wallflowerr is a dance marathon, a game that alters according to the players. Memories of dancing alone all night at a party; of whirling across the stage at the Paris Opera Ballet; of silently, slowly revolving with a new lover on a canal boat at night; of a repeated tic – a bodily habit that feels like dancing; of walking alongside their mother; of racing with a dog across a beach; of dizzily spinning children; of weeping and dancing; of hitting the mark for Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker . . . Like much of Quarantine’s work, Wallflowerr serves as a form of portraiture. Each night, the performers choose what they want to reveal, what story of themselves they want to tell. In the seats around the dance floor, the spectators bring their own histories, understanding and expectations. And somewhere between the spotlight and the sidelines, Wallflowerr happens. Wallflowerr takes two forms, a 90-minute version and a durational version which transforms the performance into an epic, exhausting

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5-hour piece – the dancers grappling with the effort of memory as bodies and minds tire, hurt, slow and repeat. From the audience, a fourth performer documents each dance in an ever-expanding archive, a vast record of thousands of remembered dances, which begins with dances from early rehearsals and always ends with the last dance. To date, it would take over two days to dance them all, and by the time you read this, there may well be hundreds more.

Quarantine Quarantine is a Manchester-based company that creates theatre, performance and other public events. Their work is about the here and now. In its form, content and process of creation, it examines the world around us. They have made 30 original pieces of work of varying scale: family parties, karaoke booths, cookery lessons, radio broadcasts, reading rooms and journeys in the dark for one person at a time, as well as performances on stage for audiences in seats. They have worked with philosophers, soldiers, chefs, children, florists, opera singers and countless others. The work is made out of lengthy and intimate research with its performers, often working with people who are rarely seen on stage. They are not interpreters, but individuals, each with their own story. Find out more e: www.qtine.com

How did you select your inquiry question? For me, finding the inquiry or what I’d refer to as the ‘concept’ always comes first. I guess there’s two ways I decide what to make shows about: one is a sort of informal, human, inaccurate way, which is that somehow an idea will arrive. This will be something that I’ll realise I’m interested in but also because it’s part of my life in some way. Then there is the more theoretical version of it and, really, what I’ve realised is that for over 20 years, the work of Quarantine is essentially dealing with the same sets of questions looked at from different angles, over and over and over again. I think I’ve grown more and more comfortable with that over time.

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When thinking about how a concept arises, I think that, essentially, that it falls into three areas: the personal, the political and the theatrical. I also have to have some level of personal investment or stake in what we’re doing, which is inevitably based in some way on what is happening to me – what my experience is of the world. I guess the main driving reason why I make theatre is that it’s a way for me to talk about what it is to be human and what it is to be in the world. But then, of course, I also know that what I’m going do with any show is to put it out in the world and share it with an audience. So, when I’m thinking about concept I also think about the potential broader context of the personal/political idea and how it might engage other people. I choose to collaborate with other people to make theatre because I’m interested in trying to bring voices and ideas into the room that might contrast with my own. I’m interested in having dialogue that might be productive through dissent rather than consensus and so the first step of making a show is also to find the right people to work with to explore the ideas that are of interest. The idea for Wallflower began with a residency at Aberystwyth University in February 2015, although we had done some thinking about it and talking about it before then. The first name we had for it was ‘Shit Happens’ and it was based on the idea that, in life, shit happens and we confront it and we deal with it or not. We buckle under or we respond to it and, in doing so, part of our identity is formed and we make connection with other human beings. I was really interested in that. Also, in a pragmatic way, we wanted to make a really small-scale, light touring piece because we didn’t have one and we wanted to make it easier to tour our work. Of course, that isn’t what happened but then it never does! How did you find the frame? I knew I was interested in making the piece with two performers who’d been in a previous show that we made in 2011 called Entitled. This was a dancer and choreographer called Jo Fong and a writer called Sonia Hughes. We then set out to make a piece of work with them based on this idea that shit happens and we also had some MA students who helped us unlock the process in the beginning. One of the strengths that I knew Jo and Sonia both had in common was dancing. Sonia is not a trained dancer but she’s a fabulous dancer – if you went out to party or a club with Sonia she’s the person you’d want to dance with. Jo is an amazing performer, who has spent the last 30 years on stage all over the world and is technically extraordinary as well as having an amazing presence.

Interview with Richard Gregory

At some point part-way through the residency in Aberystwyth, I asked Jo and Sonia to sit across a table from each other and to describe to each other every dance they had ever done in their lives. Something really interesting came out of this because it actually became a way of talking autobiographically about experience and key times in life. Then – inevitably – when ‘shit happened’. We did this exercise for ages and we kept trying to move in from it because, in some ways, it is was really simplistic but it also just became the thing that felt most interesting and important; just the act of trying to remember every dance they had ever done. By the end of the residency at Aberystwyth, we decided that this would be the frame and that the performance would be called Wallflower. This was because we had become really interested in what happens when you watch dancing, and you sit on the outside of two people talking about dancing in their own lives. We found that, as an audience, you started to author your own imagined version of it and think ohh, that make me think of this, I remember the time when . . . although you yourself are not dancing. How did you create original material for performance? As the idea for the show began to evolve, we tried making material in lots of ways: Jo and Sonia would tell us about a dance, they would show us the dance, they would try and remember it or they would tell us and show us at the same time. It became a bit like ping-pong – like I’ll do mine, you do yours and then back to mine, etc. By coincidence, the artist, Nic Green, was in town that week and we invited her to drop into rehearsals just to see what three performers would be like in the space. It became about a triangle rather than two and this just liberated the form. It seemed to become something wider and more complex and so Nic joined the company. Then I realised that we had three women performing the piece, which didn’t feel like the right thing, so we auditioned for male performers and James joined as well. When we looked at the material we had made, we also realised that we had set out to make a 90-minute show but that 90 minutes of people just remembering dancing is sometimes absolutely brilliant but also is sometimes terrible. And so, in order to find different textures for the piece, we did an exercise in rehearsal in which I asked each performer to improvise on their own for a long time, with no one else coming in. This was really challenging – they had 45 minutes each, just them, they could pause for as long as they wanted and go anywhere with it. This was really interesting to watch and it really started to get under the surface of things and so, from this, we developed the idea of making solos or self-portraits of the performers. We then decided that within each performance, we would include one of

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these solos but that who performed it would change every time. The content and the structure of their solo remained the same but when and how and if it is performed would be different with each show to make it always a live and different experience. This felt exciting. How did you structure and compose? There is no script for Wallflower and the performers have to play it much like a game. They know the rules and the shape of things but they are composing it live and so they have to really be very active in how they relate to each other on stage and in creating stage pictures. They need to consider how bold to be in interrupting each other and when to just let silence occur. They became very skilled at the live composition but when we started to put the show together, we discovered it could not all be improvised and did need some kind of architectural structure. And so started to play with a structure of a piece. The performers dance for half an hour before we open the doors so that they get into the rhythm of the game and practise remembering dances. Then, we open the doors and the audience come in. The performers are following a clock that is on the back of the DJ desk and they have a set of marking points throughout so, structurally, it is very tight, although the material is very open. The first marking point is 22 minutes in and, in this first section, the overarching instruction for the performers is very individual and fragmented – they don’t need to connect very much and they are just telling their own stories. These can be very broad: Jo might be recounting a choreography she was in at the Paris Opera Ballet and Nic might be talking of going for a walk with her dog and the dance she does chasing him. Then, after 22 minutes, Jo always does the same dance that was from a piece she was in before and this is a marker. After this, there is another 20-minute section, where they start to try to find connections between what they are doing. After another 20 minutes, Sonia sings a Gladys Knight song as a big cabaret number and this is another marker. Then, one performer has a solo and we just decide who this is going to be before each show and it changes each night. And then structurally after the solo, there’s another dance at the end, where they all do a dance together and then it finishes. I think this [is] quite common with us now. Building architectures that give a show shape but also provides space between those pillars: like building scaffolding. We try to make our work very human and so I’m not interested in arriving at a point where it becomes slick or polished. The scaffolding holds it all together and gives the audience a kind of journey but there is a

Interview with Richard Gregory

Figure 15.1 James Monaghan and Jo Fong in Wallflower by Quarantine. Photograph by Simon Banham

lot of creative opportunity for the performers and things can still go wrong or be different each night. This is exciting to me. We made the 90-minute version of Wallflower, which is very sculpted with marking points and has a solo in it but then we decided to make another version which is 5 hours long. This longer version also has architecture but the spaces in-between the markers are much bigger and it repeats some of its structure. The audience can come and go but the length means that, really, you just have to sit with it and watch as something grows. It becomes much grander and more epic and more universally human in its scale when you give it the time to expand (Figure 15.1). We did one version of the 5-hour version and it was incredibly intense and also hilariously funny, I cried one of my contact lens out with laughter in the last 30 minutes. When you’ve been watching something for 5 hours and everything has been exhausted, then something really interesting occurs. How did you build the group dynamic? We spent probably way too much of our process sat around talking. We ate a lot together, we talked a lot and we socialised a lot. We are friends. If I’m honest, I’m slightly cynical of, or mistrustful of, mechanical approaches to building groups like repeating the same thing every day

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because I think they can become a bit stagnant and a bit false. I think the best approach is to find the most open, honest, human relationship you can with people and not exploit them. How did you approach production? For us, production is always integrated and part of the whole project from the outset. Renny (O’Shea) and I first set up Quarantine with Simon Banham and he has designed 99 per cent of everything that we’ve produced so far. His aesthetic is fundamental to what we do. The aesthetic that Simon has developed with Quarantine over the last 20 years is very simple, refined, clear and quite elegant. It feels like a really vital counterpoint to the very human, fragile, messy exploration of human beings and relationships of stage. If the aesthetic was also messy, there would just be too much going on. Simon’s involvement in the creative process comes right from the very beginning, when I’ll describe what I think the form of the show should be and Simon will react to that and create ideas for design. For the last 20 years, we have also worked with a lighting designer called Mike Brookes, who also makes his own stuff with Mike Pearson (including a number of projects with National Theatre Wales). Mike is a very close collaborator, too, and the three of us work very closely together in the early stages across the initial development of projects and then very intensively in the final stage. Greg (Akehurst) has been our production manager for the last 16 years and he is in the process as much as possible. Right from the outset, we have had this theory that everyone enters in the conversation with – Renny (O’Shea) uses this phrase, which I quite like – parity of esteem. It means that everyone has a quality of intelligence and we all enter into the room just as human beings to have a talk about something that we are all interested in doing. Quarantine often sets the circumstances up and then we get together as a bunch of people and we work out what we are most interested in. Then, at some point, because we each have quite specific sets of skills of knowledge or experience, we each put our metaphorical hats on that say director, choreographer, designer, whatever, and we start to focus on a particular element of the production because that’s what we’re good at. It is just important that everything starts with everyone integrated as one group. How did you reflect on your process? I think that reflection is a stage but it is also a constant part of the process. Often, I find the experience of making theatre very exposing and often a mix of incredibly difficult and a bit traumatic and wonderfully satisfying and

Interview with Richard Gregory

stimulating and exciting. I find it all consuming but then I also think that, as a human being, it is brilliant to actually have the space to ask: What am I interested in? I have a sort of aftershock after a project. I just got an email from Jo (one of the performers) the other day and she said: ‘I’ve had “The Dip”.’ I think that’s very common. You finish a project and you get this big dip, especially when your work is quite intense and intimate and very human. You spend time with people in close relationships where you’ve been grappling with very complex ideas and you have been very open with each other and you put something out in public, where people react in different ways. I have quite mixed feelings and responses to thinking about audience reactions about shows. On the one hand, I’m not that interested in what other people say about what I do. For me, the most important response is my own: Am I satisfied? Do I think it is interesting? Do I think it is good? Is it not what I was trying to do but has it produced something interesting? On the other hand, I’m absolutely very human about it, so, if people have positive things to say, it boosts my ego, very briefly, and if people criticise it, then it pricks my ego, very briefly. Ultimately, I’ll spend time looking back on a project and thinking about what it is and how it was made. Most often, because most of our work is very organic and continues to evolve and change and every time we continue to create fresh versions, that responds to the last version of it and responds to context. So, being alive with it and being in a conversation with the work is a constant thing.

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16 Interview about the Process of Devising Mission Drift by the TEAM, with Artistic Director Rachel Chavkin

Mission Drift Mission Driftt is a pioneering journey across the USA in pursuit of the soul of American capitalism, created in the blazing heat of a Las Vegas June. Told through atomic blasts, lizard ballet and original music that fuses Las Vegas glitz with Western ballads and Southern blues, it features two interweaving love stories. It tells the epic saga of an immortal teenage Dutch couple as they travel west from Amsterdam to New Amsterdam in 1624, all the way to modern-day financially devastated Las Vegas, and the intimate portrait of a cocktail waitress and a cowboy grappling with the 2008 recession and their crumbling American dreams. Over it all reigns Miss Atomic, seductive storyteller/singer, inspired by the 1950s beauty pageants celebrating the bombs tested in the Nevada Desert. She is the symbol of creation and destruction, bankruptcy and bonanza and this profoundly unique American city.

The TEAM The TEAM is a Brooklyn-based ensemble, dedicated to creating new work about the experience of living in America today. The Guardian

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once described them as ‘theatrical excavators of American culture, American dreams and the American psyche’. Combining aggressive athleticism with emotional performances, their work crashes characters from American history and mythology into modern stories, drawing unexpected and sometimes uncomfortable connections across time to touch the raw nerves of the current moment. The company was founded in 2004. They devise plays by examining a wealth of material, ranging from existing texts (fiction, theory, drama, etc.) to images taken from visual art and film, and then combining that research with original writing and staging. In a final production, it is nearly impossible to trace any one line of dialogue or image back to a single author’s hand. Find out more e: www.theteamplays.org

How did you select your inquiry question? So, the question for Mission Drift, the very first inquiry, which I think is a great way of thinking about it, was me asking the company to think about: what defines American capitalism specifically as opposed to capitalism anywhere else? It was a question that grew very much out of a previous work we were making called Architecting, for which we had read the novel Gone with the Wind. During that process, we read Naomi Klein’s book, The Shock Doctrine, which discussed the idea of disaster capitalism as a particular (and particularly brutal) American invention, and it started me thinking about the reasons why capitalism evolved to be as . . . an Australian friend called it ‘religious’, as it is in America. How did you find the frame? We began working on Mission Drift in the spring of 2008. And then the fall came with the collapse of the American housing market and, with it, the global economy. And so, at this point, our inquiry as to what defines ‘American capitalism’ suddenly became very different, and much more dramatically urgent. Planet Money started as a podcast and there were endless books about what had happened, including Michael Lewis’s book, The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. So, it became very clear that the world didn’t need us to make a work about how this had all happened – instead, we began to focus on the question why are we this way? Then, a colleague suggested I read The Island at the Center of the World, a book by Russell Shorto (historian) about the founding of the New Amsterdam colony that eventually became New

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York. Shorto argues that, though we are taught that America’s founding myth is about freedom of religion, in fact we were equally founded by Europeans seeking to make as much money as possible. So we began to put the pursuit of individual freedom alongside the pursuit of capital, and this was a major breakthrough in terms of finding the world of the show. The other major breakthrough early in the process was when Jake Margolin brought in a presentation on Las Vegas. He was interested in a character who loses their house because of not paying taxes, and the tension in Westerns between self-determination and group civilisation. He also was grabbed by the fact that Vegas was the fastest-growing city in the country at the turn of the millennium. And then we all became fascinated with Vegas, not as a metaphor of gambling (which felt obvious), but as a small Western town that embodied the cycle of boom and bust. So, ultimately, the frame emerged when we linked the real historical figures of Catalina and Joris Rapalje that we read about in The Island at the Center of the World, with the idea of real estate titans in modern-day, financially devastated, Las Vegas. Catalina and Joris became these teenage capitalist gods, dominating the contemporary love story of Joan and Chris and this is the frame of the show. How did you build the group dynamic? We’ve been working together for 13 years, so, really, when we start making a new show, we really just start talking about the question and then get on with making material. There’s never a shred of the rehearsal process, at least early on when we’re not generating material and this is the core of our process. We don’t warm up – we start. How did you create original material for performance? Our generative process kind of grew out of the process I shaped for myself as a solo artist in college. I took a class with a brilliant teacher named Marleen Pennison, and the only assignment was to be interesting alone on stage for 10 minutes. I was lost and so I began – I’ve always been a ‘good student’ – to give myself homework assignments. These would be something like ‘make a monologue about X’ or ‘make a dance that does Y’ and this is basically what the TEAM does now. I think early-career artists often think that there is a holy grail of exercises that more established artists use, but this certainly isn’t true for us. You can make an assignment from anything, so long as you know what the problem is on any given day. That skill – identifying the problem or challenge to be addressed – is one of the most important for a director.

Interview with Rachel Chavkin

That said, we sometimes do recycle assignments, and one we often use came from a workshop that TEAM member Jess (Almasy) and I took with the playwright Charles Mee when we were 23: make a list of 40 things that might happen in the play. So, back to Mission Drift, we know we’re making a show about American capitalism and then, early on, we begin thinking about Las Vegas because Jake (Margolin) brought it up as the fastest-growing city in America at the turn of the millennium and then, in 2008, it became the epicentre of the housing market collapse, and meanwhile I read this book called The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto about the founding of the New Amsterdam colony (later New York) and the forging of America’s capitalist routes, and it introduced me to these Dutch teenagers, Catalina and Joris Rapalje, who Shorto describes as the Dutch Adam and Eve in America . . . and so we start making all these lists, which become scenes or improvisations, which eventually become material. In rehearsal, we’ll often split up and then come back together and share – and I’d say it’s more common for us to work as individuals but occasionally we do couples or groups. Some other things we did: describe the first 90 seconds of this play as vividly as possible. Write a scene or improvise a scene between Catalina and Joris, where they begin their journey. Write a scene in reaction to the Grand Canyon – that’s how Heather ended up writing the song ‘Talk to Me, Vegas’. We just start, working off of assignments that are open enough, you don’t know what will come out of them, but specific enough to be at least a wee bit inspiring. When we were making Architecting, we did an assignment one day to create a character who would be at a Miss Scarlett O’Hara pageant, and five of what ultimately became the main characters came out of that. Again, when I talk to young artists, they also ask: What are the assignments you use? And, really, it doesn’t matter exactly what assignments I have used – what I think is more important is building the muscle for making an assignment. And that means building the analytical muscles for identifying what feels missing or off, and learning to trust your taste (cause you don’t really have anything else). Maybe you have characters but you don’t know what they’re saying, so the assignment becomes about writing dialogue or creating given circumstances for improvisation, or you have a whole bunch of material but you just find it all really boring. Identify the problem you want to try and tackle on a given day, or even in a given hour, and then the assignment is just an attempt at a way to solve it. It’s fundamentally the same thing I would do if I were rehearsing a Chekhov play and thought, ‘Why is this scene not working?’ Maybe this character’s objective is miscalibrated, or maybe I’ve put the couch in the wrong place. You need to figure out all these

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different ways that something is not functioning as awesomely as it could, and, for me, assignments are rooted in the same problem-solving muscle but specific to the devising process. How did you structure and compose? I would call this the editing stage. As a company, we try to work within a totally consensus-driven editing process and my sense is this is quite unusual. The TEAM has actually become more and more democratic and consensus driven over the years. It used to be that everyone would write and make stuff and then I would go away and write a first draft that honoured everyone’s contributions. But with Mission Drift, at the very end, me and Libby (King) and Brian (Hastert) did this together, in conversation with Sarah Gancher and Heather Christian and Amber Gray, in particular (Figure 16.1). We wrote every sentence through a combination of taking transcripts from improvisations and individuals’ writing. If there were gaps, we would discuss them and come up with solutions together. It was probably like I imagine a television writers’ room might look. Another thing we’ll regularly do during the editing process (because we make a lot of material), is to ask everyone to write down one to three pieces

Figure 16.1 Mission Drift by the TEAM. Photograph by Rachel Chavkin

Interview with Rachel Chavkin

of material that have been generated (a song or a scene or a dance, etc.) that they think the final piece cannot live without. We will then share these lists and very often there are the same things on multiple lists and these become the building blocks of the dramaturgy for the piece. How did you approach production? Nick Vaughn, our set designer, was a big part-making of the show and the creation of the ‘world’ it exists in. Very early on, when we began talking about Westerns and the history of Las Vegas, Nick found this book of images of amazing atomic-bomb shelters. The images felt deeply tied to the themes we were looking at, because Vegas was near the Nevada Proving Grounds, where they tested atomic bombs above ground for decades, and hotels would host ‘atomic parties’, where you’d drink and at dawn you’d put on your sunglasses and go watch the explosion. There was one shelter, in particular, that was like this insane underground ranch, with fake trees and painted ceilings. It reminded us completely of the interior of casinos, where there are these weird, fabricated environments that are synthetic versions of capitalist idealised dreams of places that kind of exist, like ‘Paris’ or ‘Venice’. Our set was drawn from this kind of fake environment. Design processes are often a lens for helping us think about the world of the show more vibrantly, and this, in turn, ends up inspiring the writing of that world. It’s sometimes sticky, like building a bus while you’re driving it downhill, but the two elements go hand in hand. Mission Drift was also a musical and so there was a huge sound element to production, with multiple microphones for storytelling, a bandstand area. How did you reflect on your process? There are sort of two answers, maybe: there is the reflection that is happening constantly through the process, which is the basic impulse of ‘I hate what we’re making’ or ‘I think I like what we’re making.’ We all do that, and those reflections in relation to the daily material that we’ve generated are really important because they determine what you’re going to do at rehearsal the next day. Then, after the project’s premiere, we have begun doing something of a post-mortem, where we’ll just go around, everyone gets 5 minutes to share without interruption, and then we’ll discuss. This practice came from working with a group therapist, which we began doing towards the end of making Mission Drift, because we nearly fell apart as a company during that process. You are encouraged not to speak reactively, and you try to avoid

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‘extreme language’, which includes the words ‘always’ and ‘never’. And so we just literally have someone with a timer, and, importantly, this should not be the director because for these moments of reflection we try to de-centre me from a leadership position as much as possible. As long as a project is alive, the reflection sort of never stops. For example, I am coming to London next week with a couple of members of the TEAM for continued work on Anything that Gives off Light, which premiered in 2016 and will start touring in 2019, and we will probably start rehearsals by reading the script as we first presented it at the Edinburgh International Festival and then talk about how it feels that now some time has gone by and what we want to change now. A piece is never ‘done’.

17 Interview about the Process of Devising £¥€$ (Lies) by Ontroerend Goed, with Artistic Director Alexander Devriendt

£¥€$ (Lies) £¥€ Ontroerend Goed invites you to get under the skin of the well-to-do the 1%, the super rich the ones who pull the strings, the faces we never get to see. For one night, you can take their chairs. You call the shots. You’re in the centre of our economic system. You shape the course. And who knows, you might make the world a better place, more fair, more responsible, because you’ll do things differently, for sure. £¥€$ is an immersive piece of theatre that puts the audience in role as the bankers and offers them the opportunity to play the game of money, profit and risking it all – from the inside. PS: If you come and see the show, please take some money. Cash, because we don’t trust the pixels on your screen that tell us how much money you supposedly possess.

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Ontroerend Goed Ontroerend Goed is a Ghent (Belgium)-based theatre and performance company. They produce self-devised work grounded in the here and now, inviting their audiences to participate as well as observe. They first emerged on the international scene in 2007 with The Smile off Your Face e, a one-on-one show in which the audience is tied to a wheelchair and then blindfolded. Their hit show Once and for All was an uncompromising celebration of raw teenage energy on stage. With every new piece of work, Ontroerend Goed provides an intense experience, constructed in reality: life goes on during the performance. The company has won numerous prizes across Europe and has hit New York, Sydney, London to critical acclaim. Their work is currently being performed in countries around the world. Find out more e: www.ontroerendgoed.be

How did you select your inquiry question? First of all, I am always asking myself: What do you want to tell? What’s the project? What’s the idea? Where does it originate? What is the feeling . . . that the world needs or that you want to communicate? That’s always the first thing. Everything always starts from a question, or a feeling, or a frustration like, what should I do? When we made £¥€$, it came out of crisis. It was me being angry at bankers. Like everyone else, I was sharing Facebook posts about these things but then I suddenly realised that I didn’t really understand what I was posting. I was just using articles that said things like, ‘if we share all the wealth of all the richest people, everybody’s fine’. And I thought: something is probably not right here. There’s something wrong in my thinking. I know that the people who work in finance probably look at these articles and think that this is not quite right. It just felt weird for me that I didn’t actually know very much about something that is so important in my life and in my general feeling of injustice in the world. I started reading a lot of material about it. There are books that are about the crisis – everybody bought that book from [Thomas] Piketty, Capital, but I’m not sure anyone actually read it because, in some ways, it’s unreadable. Then, at a certain point, I realised that, although there are good books and good documentaries about this stuff like The Big Short and Margin Call, in

Interview with Alexander Devriendt

some ways these things don’t really reach people. Perhaps most of us don’t totally understand it and perhaps this is because we are just like pupils listening to a teacher explaining something. I am also a total board-game geek. I love board games. So, as I thought in this way, I also wondered: What if I was the banker, would I have done it differently? This made me want to make a show that explored this idea in some way. And offered this question to the audience through being part of a game. How did you find the frame? For me, this stage in the process has to come directly after knowing my question because, otherwise, I don’t know who I need and what I should do next. It could be a project that leads to a poem or a theatre show. It could be that it has to be a story in a monologue. I don’t know. You can only really know these things by living what bothers you, what interests you and what you want to communicate. And sometimes, for me, that can happen straightaway or it can be there for years and I don’t find the form or the show for it. What you are calling ‘finding the frame’ here, I would call ‘the concept’ of the show or how does this question result into an idea for a show? When making £¥€$ about money and wealth, I knew that I wanted to explore the idea that we always feel like the 99 per cent – but what would happen if we could feel like the 1 per cent? What if we could feel like we were holding the ropes, for once? So then, immediately I knew I wanted to invite the audience to be in the seat of the banker and to be inside the game where money is spent and things happen. Immediately I could see the limits of the show and its capacity. I went a lot to casinos and wondered if I could use this as a form but also develop it. I didn’t want to just have one performer with a small group of audience – I wanted a bigger cast and more energy. So, I created an idea of a cast of fourteen people for audiences sitting around twelve tables, all playing a game investing chips in shares in the larger game. My general manager wanted to kill me at first because, he’s like, ‘this is too expensive and it’s absurd’. So, then I had to try and find a way to make the show happen and respect the best situation fuelled by both the practicalities but also my drive. But I just knew it was the right way to make this show. How did you build the group dynamic? Once we have the right idea for the show, it is then about bringing people together. Thinking who do we need? Then making sure – and this is very

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important for me – making sure that all the people that are involved are also inspired by the question, too. For me, the most important thing with the fourteen performers involved in £¥€$ was that they also read the books and documentaries and that they also talked together about inflation and money. I provided the board-game structure, more or less, but what happened inside of that was constantly devised within little groups, like think tanks (Figure 17.1). I was constantly giving tasks like, ‘Okay guys, you need to talk about stocks’ or ‘Alright guys, you need to talk about how this game is going to work and how do we use casino elements?’ In this way, I wanted to constantly make the performers agents and active participants in the devising process along with me. In any project we do, how we work together is also adaptable, depending on what a group needs and what the overall project needs. This is why, for me, building the group dynamic can never really be the first stage – it just all depends on the show and on the idea we are working with. I always say to performers at the beginning of a rehearsal process: Everything I will ask of you is motivated by how can we make the most beautiful project for an audience? You might need to read a book to do good research or maybe you have to stop complaining about your costume or that you don’t get on well with the group. Always think about what is best for the project as a whole and work with that.

Figure 17.1 £¥€$ (Lies) by Ontroerend Goed. Photograph by Thomas Dhanens

Interview with Alexander Devriendt

How did you create original material for performance? I always feel that reading a lot before rehearsals begin helps me a lot because it forces me to nudge the idea and develop it in my mind. I also do a lot of talking. There are always little seeds of ideas I think about very privately but then I will use my wife, my friends and my colleagues to check them out a little bit. I don’t throw them straight out in the world but first try them in a private circle: I want to protect my thinking a little bit and think about it more before putting it on stage. Then, the first thing that I have is a group of people, I’ve chosen them mostly based on gut feeling and I have told them in an email where my thinking is at and what I would advise that they would read before first rehearsals start. And then the first rehearsal would be . . . Okay, how am I gonna create this? With £¥€$, I felt like, if I wanted to use this group of fourteen minds in the most helpful way, it would be very important to have a very clear structure. For example, if you go into a rehearsal room and you say, ‘You can write about anything,’ you don’t get good material. But if you say, ‘Write about what happened this holiday,’ then everybody knows what to do. So, in the first rehearsal, I explained the structure and what I was hoping to do. The funny thing was in the rehearsal of £¥€$, I knew immediately that audience interaction was going to be huge, so, on the fourth rehearsal day, we already had a try-out of the idea and we still had a month and a half, I think, of rehearsals. It really was immediately clear what we needed to do from the beginning. On the fifth day, there was already an audience there and we already had a lot to talk about: How do people react to the instructions we give? What do they do? So, based on that, I was constantly saying, ‘Okay guys, so this is the framework, what are the gaps? I think these are the gaps, what do you think we need to think about? What is the most urgent question? Who wants to think about this? Alright – you three think about that. You two do this. Let’s meet back in two hours.’ Then, in two hours, I am asking, ‘What did you achieve?’ And we share back what we have made and what works. How did you structure and compose? When putting material together in the framework of the show, I often use the metaphor that it is a little like a coffee filter: everybody can put anything (ideas, etc.) in it and then I will try and make sure we get a good coffee out of it. The team put stuff in and I provide the filter. Does this make sense? It’s maybe not the best metaphor but it helps me explain how I work.

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With £¥€$, I constantly took it on myself to make sure I was the coffee filter but that the team knew how I was filtering it. And so I made sure that almost every day I gave everyone an overview of where we were at in the process and what I thought the direction of the work was. We always had moments together where we talked about what we all felt. It can sometimes be hard with a big creative team of fourteen performers to try and take on everyone’s suggestions. The hardest thing I found when I first started making shows is that I didn’t trust myself and so I was constantly listening to everybody’s ideas and was like, ‘Yeah, great let’s do that,’ and then I would get lost in what it was I was trying to do. That doesn’t happen so much anymore. I have to hold the overall vision. I understand that is my job. The constant constructing of the show is a collaborative process but I always see myself as ultimately responsible. Like, at a certain point I have to say, ‘Guys, don’t worry about it, it’s my job to deal with this.’ The performers have to give me their trust in that way. And that’s a hard one sometimes because you don’t know if you’re going to find a solution but you also have to acknowledge the fact that it’s not their responsibility to solve it. I can use them to talk about ideas, but at a certain point it’s my responsibility to take care of it. For instance, the ending of the show was constantly something we talked about and we never found it and, at a certain point, I said, ‘Okay! No more think tanks, I just have to do it.’ We all have our roles we need to play and I have to see the thing as a whole. For instance, there was a beautiful moment where the group found the perfect idea about the stock market. We developed it over five days and it was beautiful and made perfect sense. But then I had to make the decision not to include it in the show because I felt that it was too overwhelming and took the attention away from the basic principles of money. This was a hard decision – but one that the group understood. This is where that as the director I needed to make choices. How did you approach production? This was constantly happening during the process of making Lies. We always had the tables and were always talking about how they had to be. We had always to have the chips in the room and to work with test audiences. I needed to practise with everything we needed so we could explore the feeling and how it all worked during the making process. With lots of shows, you can wait to add production elements nearer to the end – depending on how practicalities like how much time you have in the space, etc. but, with this process, I needed it all there for the beginning. For example, we thought we might be able to just do the lights in the last week but, at a certain point,

Interview with Alexander Devriendt

there was a crisis for me in my mind and I needed light to solve these problems. Then we had to push the lighting design much earlier. I rarely use the idea of a set designer working independently from the main process. They have to be in the room, talking and making alongside us. Same with music: I’ve just worked with a composer for the last show and at a certain point he says, ‘I have the feeling that I have to be with you the whole time, in the rehearsal space.’ For him, this was a new way of working for me, I was like, ‘Yeah, for me, that’s essential or I’m not going to be able to use your material.’ And he loved it. For me, the idea of a writer or a composer or a set designer who makes something independently and then gives this material over to be used in the show just goes against the collaborative nature of theatre. How did you reflect on your process? I think that it’s essential that you dive into an idea straight away but then reflection can be hard because you are ‘in it’ and you know more than anybody else about the material you have created. So, what I always try to do in almost every working process, is have a showcase or try out the idea for an invited few people. Always, with every show, I have these moments where I have other eyes in the room that force me to look at what I am making in a new way. It is sometimes less about what they are actually saying afterwards but just having them watching makes me have to look at the material again through their eyes. And this is always a good moment for reflection. I am thinking: What are we doing? What are we creating? How is it communicating? After these sharings, I always have a group talk and I ask each of the audience to think about the most important positive thing they can see in the work and the most important negative element or thing that we still have to work on. Maybe they have a feeling that something doesn’t work or that something is missing. I always ask them to think about these two things and not let them be influenced if other people talk. This process helps me a lot because if they say, for instance, ‘Oh, yeah, it was a beautiful show,’ and then they offer a little detail that they didn’t like, I can see the perspective of what they’re saying. Then, other times, they say a really crucial thing that actually didn’t help them see the bigger picture and the positive nature of the show. This helps me see it more clearly. Then, when the show finally opens, it becomes more about my letting it go and not controlling it anymore. Then I am able just to reflect on what I’ve done, although it can take a while before I can see it with fresh eyes.

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18 Interview about the Process of Devising Trilogy by Nic Green, with Artist Nic Green

Trilogy Trilogy y is a celebratory performance venture, acknowledging the joys and complexities of identifying as a womxn today. Exploring relationships with the body, Trilogy y invites women of all ages, backgrounds and identities to come together in the initial instalment of this bold series of works. Archive footage from the 1970s panel discussion Town Bloody Halll follows this in Part Two of the Trilogy Trilogy, y, examining how the past informs the future, acknowledging the possibilities of the here and now. An exuberant paean for womankind concludes an evening of eclectic style and tireless energy, in this honest and adventurous performance event.

Nic Green Nic Green is an award-winning performance maker based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her work is varied in style and method, with forms often ‘found’ through collaborative and relational practices with people, place and material. Her work has received several awards, commissions and recognitions, including a Herald Angel, Best Production at Dublin Fringe, The Adrian Howells Award for Intimate Performance, Total Theatre Award for Best Physical/Visual Theatre Edinburgh Fringe and she is the recipient of the Inaugural Forced Entertainment Award, in 240

Interview with Nic Green

memory of Huw Chadbourn. She is 2018 Artist in Residence at National Theatre Scotland, and teaches Directing at the University of Glasgow. Find out more e: www.nicgreen.org.uk

How did you select your inquiry question? I suppose it came from some experiences that I had when I worked with several eight-year-old girls on a show called Cloud Piece. The show wasn’t about body image but I did start to notice a tendency in some of the girls to pass comment on themselves, their own bodies and how they looked in performance. In rehearsal, they also always wanted to impress us with dance routines from certain girl bands and moves which seemed particularly sexualised. They were just emulating what they see on the TV and music videos but there was something a bit jarring about an 8-year-old doing these highly, what I would interpret as quite sexual, movements without the awareness of what they were about. This kind of shocked me a bit because I hadn’t really had extended periods of time with girls in that age group before that process and I suppose I was having my eyes opened a little bit. There was also one girl that would only eat lettuce for her lunch because her mum had said that she should and I was just like . . . what?! It actually broke my heart to see young girls have such negative views of their own bodies because they were beautiful in the show but some of them couldn’t see it and found it difficult to be positive about themselves. And then, at the same time, I’d been working for this organisation where I delivered workshops in schools for young people to consider their aspirations and what careers they might be interested in. This organisation tried to engage with young people who were in full-time education in areas where the take-up to things like universities and things were low statistically. So I guess they were trying to encourage a change in those statistics. I would ask: if people had aspirations, what were they? What were their dreams, what did they want to do in their life? A high percentage of the boys wanted to be a footballer, and the young females in the room said things like that they wanted to be a footballer’s wife and that just really depressed me as an answer. Then we would have a conversation about the fact that being a wife was circumstantial and not a job and that it didn’t necessarily represent their own agency or potential. All these experiences were coming together to give me a bit of a bleak look at the future, I suppose, for women and girls in certain contexts. And

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then I started thinking about my own relationship with my body and questioning my own discomfort a little bit and that led me to imagine how I might be able to explore that through a piece of work, but also change it. So, not only did I want to ask the questions but I wanted to transform my relationship to the female body. And so, I suppose, that became . . . the question became how to do that: what could I (and my co-collaborator Laura Bradshaw) possibly do that would help do that? What could we do that might help us feel transformed? How did you find the frame? Trilogy is a piece of three parts. This is because once I had made one piece, I looked at the themes and realised that there was just so much stuff to look at. And I just decided that I wasn’t done with it and wanted to make a commitment to myself to continue. Part One is the shortest part. It is just 15 minutes and begins with Laura Bradshaw and I reading some quotes from a famous feminist reader, which focuses on the relationship that some women might have with their bodies. Then it moves on to explore these ideas in a physical way. We do a dance to a Clash song, where we take off all our clothes and wobble our bodies around with lots of energy. This grows into a bigger dance, which invites lots of women – that are volunteers – to also be naked in the space with us and

Figure 18.1 Trilogy by Nic Green. Photograph by Will Potts

Interview with Nic Green

wobble about to punk music. They jump around and let their bodies move and jiggle and feel joy. It’s very defiant and joyful. The second piece is the longest, it’s an hour, and looks back at a document from 1971 called Town Bloody Hall. This was this moment in feminist history where some feminist thinkers came together in New York City and discussed the idea of women’s liberation, chaired by Norman Mailer, who served as a kind of devil’s advocate figure. It is a really fascinating document to look at because it allows us to see how far we’ve moved, but also how little we have shifted. The second part is a response to this document and allows the cast to reflect on that time and ideas of feminism and women’s liberation. The third part is more like a presentation on a web project, which doesn’t exist anymore, called ‘Make Your Own Herstory’. It was a project that asked women from anywhere to respond to different creative instructions under the very broad banner of global feminism and then to submit their responses via this website. And the piece itself addressed, or looked at, some of these creative instructions and their responses, and shared them with the audience. One of the invitations was to sing the song ‘Jerusalem’, without any clothes on, somewhere outside, with your friends. ‘Jerusalem’ – although perhaps now associated with political parties and the Church of England – actually used to, by law, belong to the suffragettes. The composer Hubert Parry actually gave the rights to the suffragettes as a gift to their cause and so for years they sang it as their anthem. In this third part, we are also remembering the sentiment of that song as it was when it was owned by the suffragettes. And at the end of the piece, there’s an invitation for women identifiers in the audience to come and do that action with us on the stage – so, to take off all their clothes and sing the song to finish the show. How did you create original material for performance? With Part Two, we used the video of Town Bloody Hall as a source. We dutifully transcribed it, scripted it and I thought we were just going to perform it but it was so deadly boring. I was like, ‘Wow! We can’t do this.’ Even I can’t be bothered to watch it. So, then I realised that I had to think about not recreating this thing, but responding to it, which felt a lot more complicated, and a lot more personal for us, because I suppose we had to then take some position on it. We all assigned ourselves to one of the people in this video, and we were able to do things like study their movements, study their words and how they came across. We wrote letters to them and some of that text did end up in the piece. We made dances for them. We sort of saw them as collaborators who gave us creative instructions – even though

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they weren’t really there. And a lot of that material I then just took and composed with it to make the piece. How did you structure and compose? In terms of how the three parts fit together, I have always thought that the show grows up a bit as it progresses. The first part has an energy that is youthful and unashamed and it makes no apologies, no matter what. The show opens with this energetic, kind of, boom! The second part is more contemplative and has a liminal feeling, which works well for the middle – a feeling of trying to move through something to get somewhere, even though you don’t always know where. The third part is much more consolidated. It’s a presentation and we are playing grown-ups behind a table for a bit and we’re giving it facts and information and delivering research to people about women and girls. I suppose we are providing a context for some of the mysteriousness of the second part and maybe even the first part. We are helping people draw a frame around what they’ve seen after they’ve seen it and then, with the knowledge of this, we are asking the audience to think about what happens next for all of us. It’s a journey. How did you build the group dynamic? For me, creating the initial invitation for the women was one of the biggest things. The invitation was for women to come join the project and to dance naked. So, for me, that invitation worked because it already had energy in it. When a person looks at it, they either feel energised in a good way or they think: Not in a million years. So, automatically, when people have decided to come, they already feel energetic about it. It is also really clear what it is they will be doing. I am not hiding anything from them, which is also ethically important to me, especially given the themes of the work and when it comes to women and the presentation of their bodies. On the first meeting, everybody has a chance to talk about why they have come and to ask any questions that they want. Then we also do lots of dancing games but clothed. We also do the first little bit of the movement from the show so they can get a flavour. For some reason, the relationship that most people have with contemporary performance lead them to think that they are going to be doing some sort of swaying, floaty movement. But, actually, we are going to be jumping up and down to punk music. As the nights go on, we continue the process of talking to each other by asking people to go round at the beginning and have a little check-in and go round at the end and give a reflection. This happens every session so that the voices within the bodies are also woven into the process in quite an integrated

Interview with Nic Green

way. Also articulating what the body is doing and why they are choosing to do it does affect the dancing, definitely. Each night, we also learn a bit more of the choreography and also, incrementally, we arrive together at being naked, which we do in a particular way. We start in the dark, lying on our stomachs in a circle, and we take off a few clothes. We stay in the dark and we just look up at each other so we can really see each other’s faces in the dark and we tell jokes, nothing heavy. And the process grows until, in the end, we’re standing up in the dark – we’re doing the hokey-cokey – and on the last time we do it, we’re standing up in the dark, we’re completely naked and the lights come on and the music comes on and we just run into position and we do the dance, even before we know what’s happened. Suddenly, we are all naked and dancing. There is always a space in the process to discuss being naked and being in front of the audience because, obviously, this is what the show is about. Later on, we show them the part of the show that comes before their entrance because, again, we just don’t want anything to be a nasty surprise about the context that their bodies arrive in. It would ethically be wrong not to do that. We also play every night, dancing. We play dancing together. We just enjoy dancing. I think a lot of the process is about finding joy in the body even if you have never framed yourself as somebody that dances or somebody who can dance. In this process, everybody can and does dance and there is joy to be found in the individual way that they do it. How did you approach production? We didn’t have a designer on Trilogy because we were really on a budget. We made it on nothing and it remained a very sparse piece in terms of its design or any objects that were on stage. You could put it all in the back of a tiny van even though it was a three-hour main-stage performance. The other thing with objects is that they cost money, they are cumbersome to move around and then, in the end, they go in the skip and that feels uncomfortable for me. I prefer to spend my money on people rather than materials. We did end up with a really amazing lighting design and this actually was a major element that we chose to focus on, given that we didn’t have loads of objects. This became really important because of how bodies look in the space and the many different ways you can present a body with different lights. The difference between having a beautiful lilac side light and some fluorescent down-facers is, like, miles apart. It was also a lot about comfort for the women in performance and about how we might look at the body differently through the work with the help of lighting. We had a stage manager on that work which was important because we had quite a few people involved. We needed to look after the women involved

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and make sure that their backstage areas were comfortable and okay for them so they felt great when they went out on stage and met the audience. We also needed to ask for a lot of sensitivity in the theatres we were working in. We had to ask the people that work there every day not to come in at certain times during rehearsals so to create a safe space for everyone. Having a stage manager was really useful with this and helped with the sensitivity of the context. How did you reflect on your process? Reflection is a major part of my process. Massive. This is why now I don’t make things in six-week blocks, ending with a performance anymore, because I don’t have time to reflect properly. I make things in little bursts, with lots of time between the rehearsals so that I can reflect properly on what I made and then, when I come back to it, I have a fresh eye on it. That’s how I’m able to make it better. Something that’s really important for me is that I have a few people I know that will look at things for me and be very, very frank about what they see. These people that will talk to me very frankly about what I’m making are like gold dust to me because I need people to give me honest feedback and, actually, this is a lot harder than you might imagine. So that’s a really big thing: someone to reflect with, who is going to be bold with you, is great. After some time to reflect, one of my criticisms of Trilogy as a project was that because of the demographic of theatre-goers and people on theatre and arts mailing lists, at that time – which was a decade ago – the group of women that were presented in the show was not as diverse as it could have been. It can be difficult and upsetting to look back and think that your work was replicating problems, but it is important to recognise that. When I took the work to Australia last year, I tried really hard to change this (10 years on) and to make the work more diverse and more representational of our wider cultures and not theatre-going cultures, that in some places can be very narrow in demographic – basically white middle class. It was important for me to try to do that and this was the result of a major reflection.

19 An Example of a Running Order Anoesis by Junction 25 Pre-set:

The audience assemble outside of the theatre.

Conor and Scott meet them at the door, give them each a sticker with their name in big letters and compile a register of names. The performers are seated at various places behind two long catwalk tables designed to look like ‘desks’. These tables are strong enough for the cast to be able to run along. There is an exam paper and pen in front of each place. There are two microphones on stands at each of the two ends of the space in-between the two tables. There is a black curtain/door/screen at one end concealing an additional space. The audience are seated in the empty spaces next to performers, ready for the performance to start. There are 14 performers in total.

Pre-set music: TRACK 1 – ‘No Fit State’ by Hot Chip Scott enters – he walks down the centre of the two tables, greeting the audience informally. He stops at the far-end microphone and calls the register from his clipboard. [These are the performers’ names:] 247

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Rose Stan Cara Jack Becca Clare Lily Lily? Lily? (no answer) Adam Stephanie Nathan Christie Maria When each performer’s name is called, they answer, ‘Here’ and raise their hand. When all the performers’ names have been called, Scott moves on to take a register made up of the names he collected from the audience. He encourages them also to raise their hand and answer, ‘Here.’ Conor stands at the opposite microphone. Conor Ok, so it might have been some time since some of you were last in an exam situation, so I am here to remind you how it all works: Rule 1: You need to sit on your chairs in the correct way. Four legs, not two. No swinging. No shuffling. 2. There will be no talking. There will be no talking. There will be no talking . . . 3. There should be nothing, apart from your exam paper and a pen on your desk. 4. You should make sure all mobile phones and electronic equipment are switched off. 5. Keep your eyes on your own work. It doesn’t really count if other people help you. Try not to fidget, tap pencils or do anything that may distract others who are trying to work. 6. If you need to use the bathroom, then please raise your hand and I will take you.

An Example of a Running Order

7. I will tell you when we are half through the allocated time. 8. You will need to stay till the end, we are going to use all the time allocated. 9. Remember, this is a test, so have fun. Does everyone have their pen? Please raise your pens. The performers raise their pens and encourage the audience to do the same. At the far end of the tables, Maria and Christie (sitting opposite each other) take out their pencil cases with pen, rubber, ruler, pencil, calculator. They mirror each other as they carefully position each item in front of them – eager for the ‘exam’ to begin. Conor

Does everyone have their paper? Please raise your paper.

The performers raise their papers and encourage the audience to do the same. At the far end of the tables, Maria and Christie (sitting opposite each other) take out a huge pile of exam papers and slam it onto the table. Throughout the performance, Maria will continuously scribble on the paper and then scrunch it into a ball as if continuously making a mistake. In contrast, Christie will create origami stars out of hers. Conor

Good luck and let’s begin.

Over to you Scott . . . Scott

Thank you, Conor.

Right – The first thing I want you do is write your own name at the top of the exam paper. There should be a box for that and you should know how to spell your own name as it’s on the badge. Once everyone has done that, I’d like you to open it up and at the top left of the left-hand page, I want you to write in big letters ‘SECTION A’ (he spells it out). Connor holds up an alarm clock.

TRACK 2 – Ticking clock (sound effect) Scott Question 1*: What is the capital of Bulgaria?

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Question 2*: A right-angled triangle has the sides A, B and C. C being the hypotenuse. If A = 6 and B = 8, what does C = ? Question 3*: If a hammer and a feather are dropped from the same height on the moon, which will fall first? * Please note: Questions are designed to change with each new performance so they are never the same. Conor sounds the alarm on the clock. Scott

Pens down everybody – that is the end of section A.

Lily enters. She looks blankly at the audience. She looks to find a seat and walks slowly to sit down as everyone watches. Rose Lily

Lily – Don’t you have something to say? Erm, . . . Sorry I’m late.

Rose We sometimes worry about Lily. Her lack of timekeeping skills is becoming an issue. She needs to learn to turn up to class on time in order to reach her full learning potential. Nathan ————— (audience member’s name*) ————— is undoubtedly able. However, his recent examination results were terrible. He seems too obsessed with his friendships and social life, so maybe he should try and emulate this enthusiasm academically, too. Maria ————— (audience member’s name*) ————— is a wellmannered and polite individual, who has been strong this year. She will participate with encouragement and is a pleasure to teach. Becca ————— (audience member’s name*) ————— really is unique. I think they could become a rising star. The potential is there but I often see their mind wandering. If she puts more focus on her work, she could become something really big. Conor Despite good grades in formal exams, ————— (audience member’s name*) —————’s vulgar and frankly obscene language in class continues to be a major concern.

An Example of a Running Order

Lily ————— (audience member’s name*) often forgets her gym kit, which isn’t really acceptable and even when she does remember it, I deeply disapprove of Nike wear. Cara ————— (audience member’s name*) ————— is very talkative and needs to concentrate and listen more. I am glad that ————— (audience member’s name*) ————— is sociable but really does need to keep the conversations for break times. Adam The thing about ————— (audience member’s name*) is that he/ she refuses to take anything seriously. He/she often gives two or three joke answers before giving us a serious answer. This bad attitude is clearly down to rap music. Steph ————— (audience member’s name*) ————— hasn’t fulfilled her/ his potential. Clare ————— (audience member’s name*) ————— is prone to causing arguments if you try and tell her what to do. Stan ————— (audience member’s name*) ————— is highly intelligent but has a tendency to just coast along. At this increased level of work, it is not feasible to continue as such and more effort must be made to ensure work is completed at home in order to truly excel. We also have worries about his/her stories in English, which often depict violent and morally questionable scenes, which are not appropriate for a learning environment. Scott Now ————— (audience member’s name*) ————— isn’t exactly the brightest pupil in the class, although she/he does have some potential. However, this potential is lost alongside the poor attendance, the horrible language, insubordinance and the inaccurate portrayal of historical figures. Christie ————— (audience member’s name*) ————— is a passionate student but he/she finds it difficult to channel his/her energies in the right direction. And so, we must ask that the public displays of affection end now. * Please note: Performers select audience members at random, based on the name badges they can see at the opposite side of the desk. Jack Jack’s biggest problem is with his speech. Jack doesn’t smile during class time. Jack lost a grade in his English group project for not making eye contact. Jack needs to improve or he will not succeed.

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TRACK 3 – ‘The French Open’ by Foals The performers look at the audience expectantly. When the music picks up, they stand up on the tables, two at a time, (one performer from each side) and walk to the end of the catwalk. When ready, they run along the tables (as if in a race) and jump off the end to stand in the space between the two tables. Each pair does this, in turn, until they form one large group at one end of the space. As a group, they then walk back and forth between the tables, getting faster each time until they are running at full speed. In turn, individual performers then begin to stumble and fall as they struggle to keep up with the group. As the music ends, Stan is left at one end with the group at the other. Stan Who wants to be a successful human being? The group go back to their seats. Stan grabs a microphone and sits on the table in front of an audience member. Stan Joining us today is ————— (audience member’s name*) —————. * Please note: The audience member selected is encouraged to answer each question in this section. Stan Where are you from? Have you played the game before? He pulls out question cards from his pocket. Stan There are a series of multiple-choice questions you will be required to answer. There are four lifelines you can use at any point – they are: Ask a mate Google Plea to God Samaritans Okay, let’s get started . . .

An Example of a Running Order

Question 1. You were born in . . . A: Scotland. B: Rest of the UK. C: Europe. D: Elsewhere. Audience answers. Question 2. Your favourite toy as a young child was . . . A: Barbie. B: Action Man. C: Lego. D: Board games like Risk or Monopoly. Audience answers. Question 3. What type of primary school did you go to . . . A: Private. B: Public. C: Faith. D: None. Audience answers. Question 4. At school, you were . . . A: Clever. B: Clever and well-liked. C: Well-liked but dull. D: A bit of a dunce. Audience answers. Question 5. Your favourite teacher was . . . A: Female and young. B: Female and old. C: Male and young. D: Male and old. Audience answers. Would you mind sharing why? Question 6. Your least-favourite subject area was . . . A: The Arts. B: The Sciences. C: English. D: Maths. Question 7. Your circle of friends was . . . A: Most female. B: Most male. C: Well-mixed. D: Non-existent. Audience answers. Question 8. You left school at . . . A: 16. B: 17. C: 18. D: Before. Audience answers. Final question, Question 9. It all rests in this. You are . . .

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A: Fine. B: Good, thanks. C: Been better. D: Great. Audience answers. Well done. Everyone give her/him a round of applause. She/he did great. Stan sits back in his original seat. Cara Were you scared on your first day of school? I was absolutely petrified . . . I was told I would have no friends when I got there, that I would get my head flushed down the toilet. How many people have actually had their head flushed down the toilet? No, me neither . . . I was also scared of the teachers, of what they would be like . . . Like my Tech teacher, he had a face like an angry bulldog, he made you sit in alphabetical order, which is okay if your surname begins with an ‘S’ or a ‘T’ but if you are a ‘B’ like me you have to sit right up-front . . . And my Religious Studies teacher, who always wore glitter in her hair and, when asked why, she said, ‘Because there isn’t enough happiness in the world.’ Then there’s my English teacher, who sometimes brings in his guitar and plays songs to us . . . Scott marches over to Stan. Scott Stan, I said no electronic devices . . . He takes the microphone off Stan and walks back to place it on the stand. Conor stands at the opposite end of the space. Conor Section B. Does everyone have their pens? Please raise your pen. Everyone raises their pens. Conor

Does everyone have their exam paper? Please raise your paper.

Everyone raises their paper. Conor Write a short essay on your interpretation of a picture that will be displayed on the board. Scott brings in a drawing of a ‘maze’ on a whiteboard and then holds up the alarm clock.

An Example of a Running Order

TRACK 4 – Ticking clock (sound effect) Conor

Draw conclusions from your own life.

Scott turns the alarm on. Conor End of Section B – please put your pens down and close over your paper. Nathan leans forward and looks directly at one audience member he has chosen. Nathan Hi, ————— (audience member’s name*). How are you? * Please note: The audience member selected is encouraged to follow the instructions in this section. Nathan Could I ask you a favour? Could you step into my office please? Do you know where my office is? See, if you go down to the end where the board is and walk right down in the centre. It’s just right there. You aren’t in trouble. Don’t worry. I’ll be with you in a second. Nathan (stands on the table.) How are you?

Hi, ————— (audience member’s name*).

Don’t worry ————— (audience member’s name*), you are not in trouble. I just wanted to talk to you about your work. It won’t take a second. He jumps down to face the audience member. Nathan Come in. Actually, could we try that again? Could you come back in and, this time, could you knock? Who is it? Come in ————— (audience member’s name*). I just wanted to talk to you and tell you that, in my opinion, you are doing really well. You really are. You are doing exceptionally well.

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Now, . . . I’ve brought this up because a lot of my colleagues have been saying, ‘See that ————— (audience member’s name*), s/he’s really excellent. She/he’s outstanding. And I say, ‘I know,’ I know ————— (audience member’s name*) is doing exceptionally well. How do I know this, you ask? Well – I’ve been tracking your development and you are a hugely focused and highly concentrated individual and I admire that. I have noticed you sitting over there. So focused. I can see you have so many aspirations. I am proud to have you in this institution – well done. Are you okay? I just wanted to bring you in and point out how well you are doing. Because you are doing exceptionally well. You really are exceptional. Well done. And I am sure your parents would be really very proud of you. I know my parents are proud of you. Yes – I have told them about you. And, do you know that, one day, you could be where I am now? You could be a person to look up to. Have authority and prestige. You could have your own office. Would you like that? I just want to say, ‘Well done,’ again. Because you are exceptional. You really are. I think you deserve a pat on the back (demonstrates). Well done. Can I shake your hand? I’m going to give you a gold star . . . (gives audience member small gold star). Well done.

An Example of a Running Order

TRACK 5 – ‘Palms’ by Jana Hunter (this song needs to be looped to provide at least 10 minutes of soundtrack to accompany the following movement sequence) Christie enters and thanks the audience member. She gives them one of the stars she has been making from exam papers. She leads the audience member back to their seat and then walks down to the middle, giving stars to various audience members in their seats. Christie This is for you (whispered to each audience member she gives a star to). Christie reaches behind the curtain and pulls out a long piece of elastic, on which are threaded a large number of the stars she has made from old exam papers. She drags the stars along to make a line across the space. She attaches them to a pully and hoists them upwards so they are raised in the air in the gap between the two tables. She stands up on one of the tables and walks slowly down, looking up at the stars. As she does this, the following movement sequence begins. Movement sequence INSTRUCTIONS: During this section of the performance, the performers each perform a series of small movements on top of and around the tables. This moment is designed to feel ‘dreamlike’ and is best created from suggestions from the cast used to create a sequence. Suggestions from Junction 25 include: ● ● ● ●

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A performer tiptoeing down a table. A performer cartwheels down a table. Two performers leapfrog down a table. One performer lies on a table, looking at the sky – another drags them down the table by their feet. Two performers run down opposite ends of the table to hug in the middle. Two performers sit together, dangling their feet.

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● ●

Two performers stand on opposite tables and mirror each other’s movement. Two performers stand at opposite ends of the space between the tables and spin round.

The movement sequence ends as the music fades and Lily is left on her own, walking slowly down the tables, looking up at the stars (mirroring the way Christie began). Rose stands on the table on the opposite side. Rose We sometimes worry about Lily. She seems to spend most of her time in a world of her own and is always distracted from what she should be concentrating on. Walk with me Lily . . . Lily tries to keep up with Rose’s walking. Rose In my opinion, Lily spends too much time daydreaming, swinging on her chair or staring out of the window. I sometimes think she doesn’t listen to a word I am saying . . . Lily! Lily needs to spend less time with her head in the clouds and more time with her feet firmly on the ground. Lily doesn’t seem comfortable behind a desk and needs to make much more effort to abide by the rules and concentrate on what she is supposed to be doing in order to improve her learning potential. Rose sits back down in her seat and Lily is left standing alone looking bewildered before sitting down herself. Jack

Jack’s biggest problem is with his speech.

Jack doesn’t smile during class time. Jack lost a grade in his English group project for not making eye contact. Jack needs to improve or he will not succeed. The group lean forward in their seats to whisper confessions to the audience of times they have broken the rules in their own school lives. INSTRUCTIONS: This section is best created from the cast’s own real-life confessions. Suggestions from Junction 25 include: ●

I once covered the wall with pink bubblegum and blamed it on Michael Robertson.

An Example of a Running Order

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● ●

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Clare

In Geography, we used to count how many forward rolls we could do without the teacher noticing – I managed 12. In French, we sometimes make pigeon noises . . . I used to forge my mum’s signature on late slips so she wouldn’t know I was skipping class. My friend once left his Maths book out on the table and, being his ‘mates’, we drew a big cock on every page. I once made a shadow puppet and put it on the window so that at 12 p.m. everyday, the sun projected the word ‘wank’ on the board. I once cheated on a French exam.

The group sit back in their seats as if shocked. Becca Woahhh. Erm, Clare . . . I think I speak on behalf of us all when I say, we just don’t think that that is acceptable. Enough is enough. You’ve crossed the line, Clare. You’ve gone too far. Everyone in this room wants to do well? We all want to do well, don’t we? Everyone in the room has experienced that, haven’t we? But not one of us have done what you have done, Clare. Do you know what you’ve done, Clare? You have crossed the line. You have taken the easy way out. Do you think that’s acceptable? We are not angry at you, Clare. Becca stands up on the table. Becca We are just disappointed. We feel that you have let us down. We feel you have embarrassed us.

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We feel that you have disgraced us. We feel that your actions reflect badly on every single person in this room. You need to try a bit harder, Clare. Not just for us – but yourself, Clare. I think you need some time out. An opportunity to reflect on your actions. Stand up, Clare . . . right up. Clare stands on the table. Becca Wait there, Clare. I’m just going to get something I think you need. Just so you know. Everyone in the room is looking at you. Becca enters with a large sign, reading, ‘Must Try Harder’. She gives it to Clare and makes her stand in the spotlight. We think this is appropriate. Becca sits down, leaving Clare alone. Steph ————— (audience member’s name*). Can I ask you, what job do you do? * Please note: The audience member selected is encouraged to interact with Steph in this section. That’s a coincidence because I would love to be ————— (job given by audience member) also. Can I ask you – hypothetically – in the future – if there was an opportunity to work alongside you and to train for a position like yours – would you give it to me – or to Clare? It’s probably hard to say because, right now, you don’t know much about me so let me tell you some things that might help. I’m really good at Maths. I got a B. But I didn’t study, so that’s really good. If I’m honest with you, I could have done better and I’m still working through that. But if top grades are what interested you, I got an A in Higher Arts despite all my teachers’ efforts. So that’s good, eh? Convinced? OK – let me tell you more.

An Example of a Running Order

I was in a basketball team in Cumbernauld Primary School. I was the top defence player in that team – everyone said so. To the point where, when this girl bit me, I still continued to play un-phased. What this shows you about me is that I’m a good team player and I don’t give in in the face of adversity and also, I’m brave . . . You probably need to know more . . . I also ran the tuck shop, not just in the finance department but also in design and marketing. I created the logo on a huge banner, which I produced myself reading, ‘tuck shop’. These were good times – in the end, I had to leave the young enterprise team due to differences over the stock. They wanted an increase in chocolate milk and I wanted apple juice. I guess that means you could add healthy living to my CV. I was once asked to host a major event – the 6th Year leavers’ fashion show, hosted by Stephanie Hunter. Unfortunately, due to unforeseeable circumstances, I had to pull out prematurely. However, people were excited about my potential appearance, which I think shows you that I have a personality but my immune system can let me down – don’t tell me you’ve never had a sick day. I’m going to be honest with you, I’d quite like a job as ————— (job given by audience member). I’m definitely really up for doing that. If you were able to organise that job for me, that job – that would be great. I just want to be a ————— (job given by audience member). I just want to be a ————— (job given by audience member). I just want to be. I just want to be. REPEATED. The group raise their hands in sequence and shout ‘Here!’ to correspond with the end of each of repeat. ‘I just want to be’ (here).

TRACK 6 – ‘Green Light’ by Alan Fitzpatrick This builds to become more chaotic as the group stand up behind their seats and then up onto the table.

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They then run down the tables to form a large group at one end behind Clare, holding the ‘Must Try Harder’ sign. When they are all assembled, they walk as a group behind Clare with the sign, back and forwards in the space between the tables. This builds and builds in speed until they are all running. Alongside this, Nathan goes to the microphone and continues to praise the same audience member he previously chose over the music. Nathan (shouting) You are doing so exceptionally well ————— (audience member’s name*). You really are. You are just doing so well. Everyone is so proud of you. Well done. You are exceptional. Absolutely excellent. You are doing so very, very well. REPEAT. The music stops and the group stop at one end of the space, with Clare at the other end still holding the sign.

TRACK 7 – ‘Flaws’ by Bombay Bicycle Club Maria, who has remained in her seat, continues to furiously scrunch up her pile of exam paper – the pile is getting larger. Rose holds up a piece of chalk and draws a line on the floor, across the middle of the room. Using it as a marker, Lily starts jumping and to see how far she can get. Rose measures her progress each time by making a mark on the floor with chalk. Adam stands up on the table with the microphone. He takes out a letter. Adam Dear Mike Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning in Scotland* I wanted to write to you as I have a few questions I really want to ask:

An Example of a Running Order

Why can some people raise their voices and some people can’t? What happens when I am late? Why should I stand outside? What kind of attitude do I need to have? How much do I need to remember? How many times will you ask me? What happens if I don’t manage it first time? How intelligent am I? What if I don’t understand? Because I don’t understand. I don’t understand. I don’t understand (repeat – getting louder until shouting). Thank you so much for your time, Mr Russell, I look forward to your response. Yours sincerely, Adam Low Aged 16 *Please note: It works best if this letter is addressed to a government official local to the cast. Maria pushes the pile of paper on the floor and Lily stops jumping.

(TRACK 7 finishes) Adam takes out another envelope and reads the response he has received*. Clare, Lily, Rose and Maria walk to join the whole group. * Please note: This should be a local response. Conor takes the microphone and places it back on the floor at one end of the space. Scott goes the microphone at the opposite side. Conor

Does everyone have their pens? Please raise your pens.

Does everyone have their paper? Please raise your paper. Conor holds up an alarm clock.

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TRACK 8 – Ticking clock (sound effect) Scott Section C. Question 1: What have we learned? Conor

Question 2: What do you want?

Scott Question 3: What is the future? Conor

End of Section C.

The alarm sounds. Cara is lifted onto everyone’s shoulders. Conor passes her the microphone. Cara Things that I would like to learn . . . How to ride a unicycle. How to speak fluent Italian. How to cook a soufflé. How to sail a boat. How to wear heels without wobbling. How to do a pirouette. How to make an origami hat. How to make a public speech. Jack

Jack’s biggest problem is with his speech.

Jack doesn’t smile during class time. Jack lost a grade in his English group project for not making eye contact. Jack needs to improve or he will not succeed. Jack doesn’t like to use words to communicate. To Jack, the English language is overrated. Jack prefers music. Jack is at his best when music is playing. This makes most sense to Jack. Jack leaves to the space concealed behind the curtain/door/screen. He starts to play the piano. Everyone goes to stand behind their seats. They stand up on the table, one by one, as they speak. Maria Maria is a perfectionist. She tries really hard to get things right.

An Example of a Running Order

She seems shy but it’s not because she’s quiet, it’s just, sometimes, she prefers to just sit and listen.* Steph Stephanie feels she must be serious or she won’t be taken seriously. However, she is happiest when being silly. She works best when there are no constraints.* Clare Clare loves to build things. She’s happiest when working quietly in her own space, especially when listening to the Arctic Monkeys.* Scott Scott is quite a changeable person. Scott can seem very intense about some things, while completely relaxed about others. This is because Scott does not always know how to feel about things. What he does know is that he thinks best with a simple pastime or listening to music.* Rose Rose is happiest when she commits herself to something she is passionate about.* Lily Lily is best when talking about the things she loves. She often uses humour when she doesn’t know what else to say. She likes listening to records and sticking things together with glue.* Nathan Nathan loves reading. He learns best outside, in a peaceful environment. Nathan loves working in groups and relishes the opportunities of debate, conversation and discussion.* Stan Stanley is often most comfortable with a few close friends, where he is more able to express his views and let his personality flow. In this situation, his famous cool, confident persona is dropped and Stanley becomes more social, often resulting in witty observations.* Conor Conor feels he is in his element when playing guitar. He excels at the physical aspects of learning but can often be quiet in new social situations. I believe that with a bit of confidence and self-belief, he will do great things.* Becca Becca might seem like she worries too much but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. She works best when at her drawing board.* Cara Cara learns well in big groups and in a room with lots of noise.*

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Adam Sometimes, Adam struggles to take things seriously. He likes to be alone or in small groups. He feels awkward in situations that are unfamiliar to him. Adam just wants to have fun.* * Please note: This text should be developed to sit in with personalities/ perspectives of the individual cast members. Christie and Maria pull back the curtain to reveal Jack playing the piano. From their position standing on the table, the group watch him. All lights go down until they are just on Jack. Then his lights go down and he continues to play in the dark. END Anoesis was originally performed and devised by Stanley Smith, Lily Smith, Cara Brodie, Christie Bissett, Maria Bissett, Nathan Low, Adam Low, Scott Ramage, Stephanie Hunter, Clare Morris, Conor Morris, Jack Matheson, Rose Manson, Tom Raymond, Sarah Macdonald and Becca Ziola. Devised and directed by Jess Thorpe and Tashi Gore of Glass Performance www.glassperformance.co.uk Company Manager: Viviane Hullin Production Manager: Sam Phillips Scenic Artist: Scott McIntosh Lighting Design by: Paul Sorley Associate Artist: Rosie Reid Marketing Design by: Josh Armstrong Press Officer: Ruth Marsh Photography by: Kevin Low

Notes about performing Anoesis Anoesis was originally devised by the company Junction 25 in 2012. It was born out of the questions they had about the world around them at that time in the education system they were a part of, which seemed hugely focused on exams and academic success. The themes, anecdotes and images involved stem directly from the group’s own ideas and experiences and, as a result, are personal to each performer.

An Example of a Running Order

For a cast deciding to restage Anoesis as a performance, we would suggest that much of the piece can be altered to fit in with the personal perspectives of the performers involved. It is important to us that these young people are encouraged to find their own voice and establish their own journey through the piece. In this way, we give full permission for any text to be rewritten to better represent each performer’s own experience. As you will see from the script, there are areas in which we have suggested how to ‘make’ certain sections rather than describe them exactly as they were originally performed. We feel that this offers an important dimension of creative input for a new cast and ensures each version of Anoesis looks different from the one before. Should a company wish to receive further instruction or tasks related to the rehearsal or themes of Anoesis, we would be happy to supply additional support.

Performers In keeping with the rationale outlined above, we suggest that the names of the original performers in the script are substituted with those of the new cast. There are 14 performers outlined in this version of the script but the piece can be adapted to accommodate slightly more or less than this number.

Music The script details information of the music used in the original staging of Anoesis but we are happy for a new cast to replace these tracks with music that reflects their own ideas and influences.

Staging The original stage dimensions of Anoesis were: 10 pieces of steel deck sized [2.43 × 1.21 m] (5 steel deck per side). 40 steel deck legs at a height of 720 mm [28.34 in] (4 legs per piece of deck). Benches or seats placed behind the steel deck. Wooden tabletops and sides (covering the steel deck, not the legs), screwed into the steel deck to give the appearance of wooden desks.

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The steel deck is placed 5 pieces on each side of the performance space, with the audience seated behind it to create a long performance space in the centre. This accommodates 14 performers and approximately 36 audience members.

Suggested marketing copy ANOESIS We know that we have a lot of choices to make. We know we have to sit up and face the front. We know that we have the right to remain silent, but that anything we say may harm our defence. We know that we have to succeed. An immersive performance experience looking at formal education, success, failure and exams.

Props list ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Pens Exam papers 2 × clipboards Large white stickers and marker pen (to write) 2 × wireless microphones and stands 1 × large sign reading, ‘Must Try Harder’ 1 × alarm clock 1 × white board with drawing of a maze 2 × stacks of old exam papers 2 × pencil cases and contents 1 × packet of gold stars 1 × letter to government official and 1 × response 1 × piano 1 × long piece of elastic with threaded origami stars (and pully system)

An Example of a Running Order

Suggested costume All performers were dressed in white shirts and black trousers or black skirts. This gave the suggestion of school uniform without all the costumes being identical. All performers also wore trainers to provide support for the movement sequences.

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Index

Abramović, Marina 146 accessibility 46, 117, 203–4, action-based performance 145–54 aesthetic/aesthetics 65–8, 156, 224 after-show discussion 206 Aggiss, Liz 147 Alÿs, Francis 146 audiovisual 190, 192, 197 autobiography/autobiographical 3, 28, 33–7, 51–2, 73, 82, 145, 179, 221 Bausch, Pina 100 Bearden, Romare 54 Beuys, Joseph 146 blogging 176, 183–4 Bogart, Anne 50, 63, 74, 171, 175 Borstel, John 183 Boyce, Russell 4 Brecht, Bertolt 4, 175 budgeting 200–1 Chavkin, Rachel 226–32 choreography 100–25, 170, 222, 245, Clark, Jim 52 collaboration/collaborative/collaborating 8, 11–16, 21–6, 31–3, 47–9, 51, 58, 97, 101, 108, 124, 149, 178, 216, 238–9 collage 53–6, 163–4 composition/compositional 103, 163–73, 213, 215, 217, 222, 230, 237, 244 concept 64–8, 211, 219–20, 235 Crickmay, Chris 125 critical response process 183 design 63–9, 192–8, 224, 231, 239, 245 Devriendt, Alexander 233–9

Dewey, John 174 Dobson, Warwick 52 Dorey Richmond, Jules 125 emotional safety 78, 98 Ernst, Max 55 Etchells, Tim 147 Fluxus Art Movement 166 frame/framing 23, 63–9, 158, 205, 213–14, 220–1, 227–8, 235, 242–3 Gardiner, Gary 83, 115 Gardner, Lyn 202 gesture 103–5 Goode, Tony 52 Goulish, Matthew 19 Graham, Scott 73 Green, Nic 221, 240–6 Gregory, Richard 218–25 group dynamic 21–49, 212, 223–4, 228, 235–6, 244–5 Heddon, Deirdre 3 Hoggett, Steven 73 journaling/journal 98, 175 juxtaposition 55, 105, 169–70 Key, David 179 Kushner, Tony 153 layering 53, 55, 168–9 Laysiepen, F. Uwe (Ulay) 146 learning styles 183 271

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Index Lerman, Liz 52, 183 lighting 135–6, 189–90, 196–7, 245 McNair, Gary 42 Mammalian Diving Reflex 210–17 manifesto 16 marketing 201–3 Mau, Bruce 11 Mayhew, Michael 146 music 154–62 natural Change 179 Neelands, Jonathan 52 non-narrative theatre 51, 168 Oddey, Alison 8 O’Donnell, Darren 210–17 O’Neill, Rachel 67, 126 Ontroerend Goed 233–9 performance images 125–45 praxis 184 producing 199–206 production 135–9, 187–99, 216–17, 224, 231, 238–9, 245–6 quarantine 218–25

reflection 174–86 repetition 167 Richardson-Webb, Deborah 4, 179 Richmond, Dave 101 risk assessment 198 Robinson, Ken 43 Royal Conservatoire of Scotland xvii, 3 Saner, Bryan 164 Sinclair, Liam 4 Slater, Steve 4 sound 190–3, 197, 216, 231 staging 65, 135, 188–91 Stanislavski, Konstantin 175 Stezaker, John 53 structure 51, 70, 163–73, 215, 222, 230, 237, 244 Surman, Grace 125 the TEAM 226–32 technical terminology 195–9 Tramway 4, 5, 66, 105 Tufnell, Miranda 125 Wearing, Gillian 60 writing text 74–100

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