One interesting aspect of undergoing solo performance is the ability to create content on your own however I myself have found within myself that I am deeply visual learner and performer and even actor. One aspect of my developing solo performance I have always maintained strong links to is the idea of visuals as these either aid or hinder a overall performance and its development, one image can say a thousand words where as several can only say so many. As with my original Idea I talked with Martian about including elements from Chris Goodes’ The Adventures of Wound Man and Shirley, which we examined as a group during one session. I think the most interesting aspect of this text as a solo performance Is the fact that it is unapologetic and almost dreamlike and whimsical, I also like the idea of creating something that is normal while still maintaining the aspect of not being real. Although I don’t particularly like Goodes’s writing I can’t deny it has amazing theatrical style and is in itself highly clever and approachable. However I think my real problem lies in this text being to theatrical and at present my work is more autobiographical. I shall develop this further in the coming weeks.
The Adventures of Wound Man and Shirley Trailer.
(Hull Truck Theatre, 2012).
This text taught me the importance of creating a character on stage and I think it could be useful in aiding the overall development of my script. When I talk about creating a character I am not talking about myself as a performer however one of a more narrative driven nature. As Goodes text creates the split duo of Wound Man and Shirley I too could create something similar along these lines, originally I intended to create the idea of a mouse trapped within a performance space and talk about loneliness as one of my original script dictates. (Mentioned previously in the blog, titled A side-plate of cheese.) I think is interesting and should be explored further.
Part of my overall process is the changes that have come during a working rehearsal and through this the exploration of using a bedroom to create my given space. As exemplified below by (bad photos, sorry) of my rehearsal space.
However crude this may look it perfectly fit my need for my developing solo performance as in essence it provided a accurate idea of the space I would have, it was also interesting as a actor to show a space to myself and this in turn helped me as a visual learner see what I could and could not achieve in the space. The space in itself how crude may look fitted the performance the masking tape shows the overall layout of a bog-standard bedroom with the bed taking center stage, there were ideas for me to create a nostalgic ascetically pleasing performance style I.e. a torch under the covers, however I am not sure how this would add to my performance or if it would hinder it. This could be interesting to explore in future rehearsals. Around the bed was going to be all variety of objects, this appears to be a running theme throughout my performance ideas. (The idea of everyone being together, the idea of possessions and not really mattering. A tad sad to admit.) With this script I also had the idea of behaving like an animal, very much like that like texts such as Rhinoceros written by Eugène Ionesco and The Metamorphosis written by Franz Kafka as these plays I find highly interesting and have always wanted to explore animistic performances on stage. However I’m not sure if this is appropriate for a ten minute solo performance.
Time will tell.
Works Cited.
Hull Truck Theatre . (2012). The Adventures of Wound Man and Shirley. [Online Video]. 30 May 2012. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud5jsvC1x4g. [Accessed: 12 April 2016].