The Fine art of giving offence by Julie Burchill.
This week we all had separate meetings with Martin, we sat and discussed multiple ideas concerning my performance from staging, lighting, and imagery. Martin seems to think that the topic of loneliness would be interesting to explore as we all as human-beings have experienced this in some form or another. Immediately I had several images conjured up in my mind on how to express this subject and how to make it approachable to an audience. (Will be talked about in a later post.)
We discussed multiple ideas on how setting my performance within a bedroom with be open to interpretation. I already had a few key ideas on what I could do with a bedroom setting, however I was struggling on how to make a solo performance based around night terrors. We talked at length and we talked about loneliness and how through my own life I had dealt with my own loneliness and the images and words that had been conjured up from it.
A helpful suggestion came from Martin who suggested I look at a recent article in the NewsStatesman, at first I was reluctant however through reading the text it allowed me to see how this one section could be used, developed when expressing both the disadvantages and benefits of loneliness. Through rewriting or perhaps taking separate lines throughout my performance I could convey the subject of loneliness in a fresh all be it striking manner as exemplified by Burchill’s almost direct tone, I think this statement is provocative as it gives a fresh look into class-divides and how people can be affected via paranoia or criticism or simply due to their status claim in a hierarchical society.
I also think this subject does worryingly lend itself to mental-illness, however this is a subject I want to avoid as I feel I am not the right solo artist to tackle this diverse and often taboo subject matter.
We also discussed the idea of imagery, how using lights and torches could be effective when conveying the stereotypical imagery of a child’s bedroom at night, maybe creating the sense of an enclosed space will metaphorically give the idea of being alone in a subtle way.
The fine art of giving offence.
“It is important to recognize that such gossip is not just a verbal form of “gratuitous violence” is not pointless or unnecessary, but in fact has a perfectly reasonable purpose, and clear of social benefits… Negative gossip also promotes social bonding between the gossipers. By criticizing someone else, we are affirming the values and opinions we share with each other- emphasising what we have in common, cementing our friendships, building alliances.” (Burchill, 2016).
Works Cited.
Burchill, J. (2016). How Half Man Half Biscuit have forged a career mocking middle-class idiocy. NewStatesman: 4 March. Available from http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/music-theatre/2016/03/how-half-man-half-biscuit-have-forged-career-mocking-middle-class [accessed 13 March 2o16].