Dave!
I felt the urge to briefly update you on the fantastic design meeting Rich and I had last week, which has made us both even more excited about the R&D week. We met in the National (what a lovely place to meet and do business - I wonder how the refurb will change that...only for the better I hope!), and discovered our two designers, Rhys Jarman and Max Humphries awaiting our arrival. Thus ensued an energy filled hour of ideas and doodles about the puppets we're having made for the R&D week, as well as some ideas about the overall concept for the set for next year.
We've asked Max to make us two puppets for our week of research, one, the Nurse, the other Juliet's father, Lord Capulet. Rich has had some lovely ideas about the Nurse, and it looks like she'll be smaller than the rest, and ever so slightly magical... I don't want to give too much away, but it's all very exciting! One little clue... In a discussion about the Nurse and how to make her magical, Max did come out with the ever so slightly worrying statement, 'Well, I do have a dead pigeon in my freezer, so we should be ok'...resulting in a short pause around the table as we all digested this, and silently resolved never to accept icecream whilst at Max's house...
Lord Capulet is set to be a hugely versatile puppet, comprised of a head and two arms, and after only a weekend of work, already looks amazing. Rich's design ideas for Lord C are based around the idea that he will grow not only in power but also stature as he becomes more and more incensed by Juliet's rebellion against his authority. For a brief moment we strayed down the inspirational line of Ming the Merciless, but we caught ourselves, and went for the safer, and infinitely more appropriate inspiration of Brian Blessed for the face. Ideas of royal colours, blue, green, red, all floated around the conversation, but what is fantastic is that it's all so experimental, and we can keep playing and experimenting 'till he's just the way we want.
In talking about the set we began thinking about using the textures of marble, and stone, and then thought that these would be great textures for the skin of the puppets, making them look like they are truly a part of the set. We've also managed to incorporate these ideas of texture into our new title we've just had designed....watch this space for more details of that!
All in all, it was an exceptionally productive and exciting meeting, and I'm sure I haven't done justice to it here, but I know for certain that Max and Rhys will, and we'll have some fantastic puppets and sketches to play with come the week of the 25th, and I for one Dave, can not wait!
Thanks Dave, see you monday.
Sarah (Night Light Producer)
Friday, 15 October 2010
a quick invite from Philippa Tom and Jon...
"Night Light Orchestra is hitting the Cambridge scene again with their next gig at the SNUG, Lensfield Road on the 16th November and everyone is invited and so very welcome! There's no better way to spend your Tuesday night in Cambridge so pen that in your diary right away. We've been working hard on new material and cant wait for the gig. We promise to make it a night of fun, flavour and frolics! 2 sets full of some classic favourites and some fresh newbies. We'd really really love to see you there... Love the Nightlight Orchestra"
"Night Light Orchestra is hitting the Cambridge scene again with their next gig at the SNUG, Lensfield Road on the 16th November and everyone is invited and so very welcome! There's no better way to spend your Tuesday night in Cambridge so pen that in your diary right away. We've been working hard on new material and cant wait for the gig. We promise to make it a night of fun, flavour and frolics! 2 sets full of some classic favourites and some fresh newbies. We'd really really love to see you there... Love the Nightlight Orchestra"
Thursday, 14 October 2010
Unmasked
Extracts from Rich’s notes on Burn My Heart by 'trestle unmasked'
He gave me ten pages rambling on about how masks are really intimidating for a director and how amazing famile floez are. I have selected a few chunks which relate to Romeo and Juliet and the stage that they are at with it today.
“The show was very tight, and although some of the characters were annoying I was with all of the performers throughout. I left really thinking that this was great theatre for young theatre makers. It was a slick example of devised theatre which would be brilliant for school groups GCSE to A level. Some companies would take that as an insult, I know I wouldn’t, making inspirational theatre for young people is an admirable goal, trouble is that it felt a little bit like it was trying to be for older audiences…
…It’s strange how much the space effected the experience for me. As with all of my research reports I am not talking about the play, I’m not judging it, I’m reporting on it. The New Diorama was the perfect place to see this show. I have seen every touring show Trestle have made over the past ten years. They are good people and usually good people make good theatre… However I have been consistently confused by Trestle shows. Lost somewhere in-between children’s theatre and adult fantasy theatre, using a mixture of mime, puppetry and mask work I have wanted to love trestle’s work and more often than not I have been found wanting. Burn my heart goes back to basics, it is so simple, it uses delightful staging to clearly portray a gentle story of a time I was really interested to learn about. The music was great, the characterisation and actor race crossing was brilliantly effective. But where does this sit now? Fringe theatre has moved on, the techniques they were using like sitting in a car are commonplace in every good school devised piece.
Is trestle a small scale devised company? Is trestle a mid scale touring theatre? Is it completely moving away from its mask history? I know it only tours work now but what sort of work does it tour?
I REALLY don’t think they need to answer that, especially not to me, I take the work on face value, to me this is a very small scale show which should be seen by school groups in their masses, loads to write about in terms of performance techniques and full of all sorts of fun tricks for students to enjoy playing with. If I saw this show in a 300 seater I would have had a very different opinion of it I think.
…And now they are ‘unmasked’ who is still masked? Trestle are a hub of mask history, they are the first mask company I ever experienced, their masks were never the problem it was the shows that they chose to use the masks in that lost them their audiences and by god I think they can get them back! In a time of creative constraints we need diversity, we need for people who are the best at what they do to do everything they can to do it well and keep our creative pool colourful and vibrant. I can name 25 companies who could have done what they were doing in this show just as well or better. I couldn’t name 5 great British companies with the traditions and the abilities that trestle have…
…I am sure that the creative team at trestle are aware of a shift in style, but I think that its always important to be bold in the theatre. Be bold or don’t bother showing up. Bold and shocking are in no way the same thing. I would love to see trestle at the New Diorama with a really bold show- something lyrical, original and full of masks used in a way we have never seen and puppets coming to life in a way they never have. They are one of the few companies in the country with a name that books itself and I think they should use it…
…For Romeo and Juliet I must know my spaces. The design has to fit obviously, but I am learning that the show must ‘belong’ in a space. Burn My Heart belonged in the New Diorama, even if it was just for one night and maybe if I saw it in a bigger space it would have belonged their too but I don’t think it would be the same…
…Romeo and Juliet is all about atmosphere, as I hope all my shows are, the room has to be electric and I am learning, only now after watching thousands of shows, that sometimes the generator isn’t big enough for the building. Once with Gomito, we performed Little Red Things, a children’s show, in the Bury Theatre Royal (A stunning place). That was about 4 years ago and I felt it then. The space was simply too big. It wasn’t my fault, nor the fault of any of us, we just assumed it would work, the show was fine, the cast loved it, the audience loved it. But I knew something wasn’t right. it sounds obvious but every show has it’s own generator, we will do everything we can to harness that power and make everyone feel as connected to the show as I did to Burn My Heart on the second row of an 80 odd seater.”
Thanks for reading.
He gave me ten pages rambling on about how masks are really intimidating for a director and how amazing famile floez are. I have selected a few chunks which relate to Romeo and Juliet and the stage that they are at with it today.
“The show was very tight, and although some of the characters were annoying I was with all of the performers throughout. I left really thinking that this was great theatre for young theatre makers. It was a slick example of devised theatre which would be brilliant for school groups GCSE to A level. Some companies would take that as an insult, I know I wouldn’t, making inspirational theatre for young people is an admirable goal, trouble is that it felt a little bit like it was trying to be for older audiences…
…It’s strange how much the space effected the experience for me. As with all of my research reports I am not talking about the play, I’m not judging it, I’m reporting on it. The New Diorama was the perfect place to see this show. I have seen every touring show Trestle have made over the past ten years. They are good people and usually good people make good theatre… However I have been consistently confused by Trestle shows. Lost somewhere in-between children’s theatre and adult fantasy theatre, using a mixture of mime, puppetry and mask work I have wanted to love trestle’s work and more often than not I have been found wanting. Burn my heart goes back to basics, it is so simple, it uses delightful staging to clearly portray a gentle story of a time I was really interested to learn about. The music was great, the characterisation and actor race crossing was brilliantly effective. But where does this sit now? Fringe theatre has moved on, the techniques they were using like sitting in a car are commonplace in every good school devised piece.
Is trestle a small scale devised company? Is trestle a mid scale touring theatre? Is it completely moving away from its mask history? I know it only tours work now but what sort of work does it tour?
I REALLY don’t think they need to answer that, especially not to me, I take the work on face value, to me this is a very small scale show which should be seen by school groups in their masses, loads to write about in terms of performance techniques and full of all sorts of fun tricks for students to enjoy playing with. If I saw this show in a 300 seater I would have had a very different opinion of it I think.
…And now they are ‘unmasked’ who is still masked? Trestle are a hub of mask history, they are the first mask company I ever experienced, their masks were never the problem it was the shows that they chose to use the masks in that lost them their audiences and by god I think they can get them back! In a time of creative constraints we need diversity, we need for people who are the best at what they do to do everything they can to do it well and keep our creative pool colourful and vibrant. I can name 25 companies who could have done what they were doing in this show just as well or better. I couldn’t name 5 great British companies with the traditions and the abilities that trestle have…
…I am sure that the creative team at trestle are aware of a shift in style, but I think that its always important to be bold in the theatre. Be bold or don’t bother showing up. Bold and shocking are in no way the same thing. I would love to see trestle at the New Diorama with a really bold show- something lyrical, original and full of masks used in a way we have never seen and puppets coming to life in a way they never have. They are one of the few companies in the country with a name that books itself and I think they should use it…
…For Romeo and Juliet I must know my spaces. The design has to fit obviously, but I am learning that the show must ‘belong’ in a space. Burn My Heart belonged in the New Diorama, even if it was just for one night and maybe if I saw it in a bigger space it would have belonged their too but I don’t think it would be the same…
…Romeo and Juliet is all about atmosphere, as I hope all my shows are, the room has to be electric and I am learning, only now after watching thousands of shows, that sometimes the generator isn’t big enough for the building. Once with Gomito, we performed Little Red Things, a children’s show, in the Bury Theatre Royal (A stunning place). That was about 4 years ago and I felt it then. The space was simply too big. It wasn’t my fault, nor the fault of any of us, we just assumed it would work, the show was fine, the cast loved it, the audience loved it. But I knew something wasn’t right. it sounds obvious but every show has it’s own generator, we will do everything we can to harness that power and make everyone feel as connected to the show as I did to Burn My Heart on the second row of an 80 odd seater.”
Thanks for reading.
THE NEW DIORAMA
Rich wrote this, i'm beginning to think that this company works more at night than in the day...
"I’m falling in love with a building. It’s not a romantic love, nor a passionate one. It isn’t the kind of love you tell your friends about and it isn’t the love that you take home to mum. My theatre fling is The New Diorama in London.
Recently some friends of mine RashDash performed their Fringe First winning show, Another Someone, there and so I used it as the perfect opportunity to check out a new little venue on the London Fringe. I wasn’t disappointed. The show was great, the performances were perfect for the style they are creating, the movement was, as always, visceral and the whole experience was uplifting and thought provoking. It was the perfect start to my relationship with the New Diorama.
Basically, if you haven’t been, It’s a beautiful little venue about 15 minutes walk from Kings Cross, I don’t know how many seats she has but they are comfortable and they generate a intimate atmosphere. The rig looks fully functional and the nature of the venue suggests that the tech team will get more and more creative with the space as time goes by. The bar is snug and shiny and I think it will be beautiful in the winter. There is a magical corridor which leads to the loo and you can hear the cast warming up when you are in there, I think that’s a really brilliant sound, it gets you excited about the show! Like an orchestra stretching before a big musical. The stage isn’t huge but it was big enough for RashDash to toss each other around quite happily for over an hour so I think, by definition, that makes it a good size.
A few weeks later and I’m back, this time welcomed by the lovely staff who, in about 6 months time will know everyone who comes by name I have no doubt. Not saying it’s a repeat crowd, I just mean they clearly care and are openly grateful for your custom. They are a warm welcome in out the cold and I for one like my tickets to be handed over with a greeting and smile.
This time I was there to catch Burn my Heart by Trestle. A show I have written a report on, which I will post later. I loved how Trestle put their faith in this new venue, I think it was a brilliant move for them and it was my favourite trestle show in over 10 years, largely I think, because of the space…
The week after Trestle, (a long running, established touring company) The New Diorama is playing host to the Waxwing Theatre. A company I know very little about, but I would know even less if this brilliant little bundle of potential wasn’t opening it’s doors to companies of all sizes. I asked the team about Waxwing and they said “We are really excited, we saw a show of theirs a while ago and we loved it! So they are bringing their new show here!” I think that is great. I will write about 9:21 to Shrub Hill as soon as I get a chance to go and see it!
The program is packed with little gems and theatrical events, please take a moment to look at it…
As I mentioned before the glory of this building isn’t in what it is achieving now but what it is striving to achieve. Great theatre is all about potential, The New Diorama is filled to the rafters with potential. If it can continue to mix the likes of Trestle with small scale devising companies I really think magic will happen. Everyone benefits from diversity. I want to see Complicite and TheNoBudget theatre company under the same roof because to me as an audience member, it isn’t how old your company is, how far you have toured or what budget your show has. It is always about the atmosphere the show generates, the truth in the production and above all the entertainment factor. The New Diorama, so far has provided all three of these in bundles."
Next week i will be going to Farnham Maltings with the design team to record Rich's day in the puppet workshop.
Peace
Dave
http://www.newdiorama.com/whats-on-at-new-diorama.aspx?id=37
"I’m falling in love with a building. It’s not a romantic love, nor a passionate one. It isn’t the kind of love you tell your friends about and it isn’t the love that you take home to mum. My theatre fling is The New Diorama in London.
Recently some friends of mine RashDash performed their Fringe First winning show, Another Someone, there and so I used it as the perfect opportunity to check out a new little venue on the London Fringe. I wasn’t disappointed. The show was great, the performances were perfect for the style they are creating, the movement was, as always, visceral and the whole experience was uplifting and thought provoking. It was the perfect start to my relationship with the New Diorama.
Basically, if you haven’t been, It’s a beautiful little venue about 15 minutes walk from Kings Cross, I don’t know how many seats she has but they are comfortable and they generate a intimate atmosphere. The rig looks fully functional and the nature of the venue suggests that the tech team will get more and more creative with the space as time goes by. The bar is snug and shiny and I think it will be beautiful in the winter. There is a magical corridor which leads to the loo and you can hear the cast warming up when you are in there, I think that’s a really brilliant sound, it gets you excited about the show! Like an orchestra stretching before a big musical. The stage isn’t huge but it was big enough for RashDash to toss each other around quite happily for over an hour so I think, by definition, that makes it a good size.
A few weeks later and I’m back, this time welcomed by the lovely staff who, in about 6 months time will know everyone who comes by name I have no doubt. Not saying it’s a repeat crowd, I just mean they clearly care and are openly grateful for your custom. They are a warm welcome in out the cold and I for one like my tickets to be handed over with a greeting and smile.
This time I was there to catch Burn my Heart by Trestle. A show I have written a report on, which I will post later. I loved how Trestle put their faith in this new venue, I think it was a brilliant move for them and it was my favourite trestle show in over 10 years, largely I think, because of the space…
The week after Trestle, (a long running, established touring company) The New Diorama is playing host to the Waxwing Theatre. A company I know very little about, but I would know even less if this brilliant little bundle of potential wasn’t opening it’s doors to companies of all sizes. I asked the team about Waxwing and they said “We are really excited, we saw a show of theirs a while ago and we loved it! So they are bringing their new show here!” I think that is great. I will write about 9:21 to Shrub Hill as soon as I get a chance to go and see it!
The program is packed with little gems and theatrical events, please take a moment to look at it…
As I mentioned before the glory of this building isn’t in what it is achieving now but what it is striving to achieve. Great theatre is all about potential, The New Diorama is filled to the rafters with potential. If it can continue to mix the likes of Trestle with small scale devising companies I really think magic will happen. Everyone benefits from diversity. I want to see Complicite and TheNoBudget theatre company under the same roof because to me as an audience member, it isn’t how old your company is, how far you have toured or what budget your show has. It is always about the atmosphere the show generates, the truth in the production and above all the entertainment factor. The New Diorama, so far has provided all three of these in bundles."
Next week i will be going to Farnham Maltings with the design team to record Rich's day in the puppet workshop.
Peace
Dave
http://www.newdiorama.com/whats-on-at-new-diorama.aspx?id=37
Monday, 11 October 2010
Music
Philippa’s thoughts on the music of Romeo and Juliet...
Hey Dave!
I wanted to tell you about our music day last week. Rich and I met with our friend and composer Dom last week at the Battersea Arts Centre- a very exciting and also bizarre day!
Before I talk music... I have to express how I love the BAC. I’d never been before and although I didnt see a show this time, I loved the place. I think its really cool when you can walk into a theatre, feel that its somewhere a bit fantastical, a bit special where anything could happen and yet feel really really homely. I felt that if i were to curl up on one of the big sofas in the cafe and sleep for a day no one would mind, in fact i’d probably be given a blanket and extra pillows! Or if i were to deliver a Lady Macbeth monologue from the top of the marble staircase, I’d probably get into a really interesting conversation with someone about why I said a line in a particualr way... along with applause and a hot chocolate. Great place. Great atmosphere. Great.
Music. Very very exciting music chat. Its a special moment when you can sit between two very intellegant people who are talking about something you love and just absorb. I love sponge moments. I sponged for a bit then had to get involved. We talked about voices- how Dom loves the voice and everything it can do, how the voices in the cast can be the backbone of the music, the drive and the atmosphere of the show. We talked about vocal qualities; how the style of the show is not one that necessarily needs pureness of voice or perfect choral harmonies- but that wants to hear people really really sing. The rawness of singing, the heart and soul of people really belowing together and the power and energy it provides in theatre. Dom talked about harmony, about bending notes and how the voice provides the most amazing opportunity for lifting a moment by simply bending a harmony very slightly and gradually. We talked about the rhythm for the show. I know Rich has been thinking about the rhythm of the text- Shakespeare’s known for his iambic pentameter which naturally provides rhythm into the speech. Next step is to experiment with those rhythms in the music, be it with percussion or vocals or both.
I’ve always seen this show as blue. Sounds odd but i see it steely, quite harsh, almost icy. The music fits perfectly. Courtly with scratchy guitar, choral harmonies with wild drums, classical melodies with roaring voices. I cant wait.
After our very gripping musical chat, we made a box. A big mdf box designed to fit two people in it for a brief encounter of pure entertainment. Never did I foresee my day taking me into a makeshift carpenter’s workshop! Dom and friends have created ‘folk in a box’- folkinabox.com with a slight issue that their box had disappeared!... fixed by the end of the day with a few screws, hinges, old books and PVA glue. A wonderful day I say!
Sunday, 10 October 2010
Vision
Here is a message I just recieved from Tom. It is very late, so I assume he must view it as urgent business.
'Dear Dave.
I just wanted to provide you with a status update, focussing particularly on the last twenty or so minutes.
1) I broke my glasses. I did not sit on them. I want to make that clear. It turns out that there are other ways of breaking your glasses, ways in which my cartooned youth did not inform me.
2) I found my old glasses, but the prescription is slightly off. Allowing time for my eyes to begrudgingly adjust, I ask that if you pass me in the street, tottering, stumbling or in any way portraying an apparent offensive state of inebriation, please assist me, for I am infact just struggling to see where my feet are.
and finally
3) My television has broken. It turns on but will not show me the programmes. Sometimes it teases me with a dabble of dialogue, or some broken shards of an image (Peter Andre's face is a recurring theme), but it is not long before darkness once more fills my screen, and, alas, my heart.
On the plus side, due to my current total lack of vision, I cannot see the TV anymore.
Oh, and the heating has still not announced its arrival. Soon I will begin to warm myself by burning my Cheffins standing order. That'll teach somebody'
'Dear Dave.
I just wanted to provide you with a status update, focussing particularly on the last twenty or so minutes.
1) I broke my glasses. I did not sit on them. I want to make that clear. It turns out that there are other ways of breaking your glasses, ways in which my cartooned youth did not inform me.
2) I found my old glasses, but the prescription is slightly off. Allowing time for my eyes to begrudgingly adjust, I ask that if you pass me in the street, tottering, stumbling or in any way portraying an apparent offensive state of inebriation, please assist me, for I am infact just struggling to see where my feet are.
and finally
3) My television has broken. It turns on but will not show me the programmes. Sometimes it teases me with a dabble of dialogue, or some broken shards of an image (Peter Andre's face is a recurring theme), but it is not long before darkness once more fills my screen, and, alas, my heart.
On the plus side, due to my current total lack of vision, I cannot see the TV anymore.
Oh, and the heating has still not announced its arrival. Soon I will begin to warm myself by burning my Cheffins standing order. That'll teach somebody'
Friday, 8 October 2010
Brilliant National Theatre Videos
From Rich
http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/62268/or-you-could-kiss-me/choreographing-thought.html
The award winning content of The National Theatre website is so brilliant. These videos are really interesting, nothing shocking in terms of technique and style but some brilliant things to think about especially in the 'Thought' video.
http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/62268/or-you-could-kiss-me/choreographing-thought.html
The award winning content of The National Theatre website is so brilliant. These videos are really interesting, nothing shocking in terms of technique and style but some brilliant things to think about especially in the 'Thought' video.
Thursday, 7 October 2010
OR YOU COULD KISS ME at the NATIONAL THEATRE
From Rich's write up on OR YOU COULD KISS ME as part of the Night Light R+D
"Dave,
It has been a good long while since I have left the theatre with the feeling I have now and I am trying to come to grips with it. Its exciting.
I have written a report about all aspects of ’Or you could kiss me’ at the National theatre and I think that overall I loved it.
I thought you might like some of these thoughts for the Blog. Remember I am not a reviewer, I wouldn’t dare ‘star’ this work, although if you forced me I would give it at least a star more than Warhorse. Ooh, controversial… get over it Dave.
SPOILER ALERT
‘Of you could kiss me’ is a puppet masterpiece, it is, the two leading gentleman puppets are fluid, elegant and overflowing with emotion. A wonderful achievement and that is where our comparison to the Nationals other recent puppet work ends. Warhorse this is not, and I am pleased about that.
This is a huge achievement of puppetry and storytelling for an older audience. That in itself makes it a must see, this is a major UK venue performing puppetry for adults, using a huge range of devising techniques, playing with convention and ultimately creating something really unique.
I was with the story for the first two thirds, and while the final scenes had some moments which I found engaging and moving I feel pretty strongly that this was unfinished business. This felt like an experiment, I haven’t read anything about the show, I try not to before seeing puppet work, so often the best bits are given away in a ploy to sell the show. It felt like its answering questions, and in that sense I suppose it feels a little like a rehearsal room. Is it asking ‘Can we tell an adult story with puppets and make the audience really feel something?’ In a way I think we already know that to be possible, we know how a puppet encourages the imagination to project a face or a memory onto it, we know we can jump through time and be free of ’reality’ a puppet can swim and fly and die and age and shrink and do anything. I have seen a puppet reduce an audience to floods of tears, we know that can happen, so what was this really about? ‘Can we make puppets realistic?’ Any puppet moments which seemed insincere were the fault of the writing. I believed the puppets almost completely. The rehearsal room feel, free from boundaries in time and space is really comfortable, characters flow through the actors and always drive the story forward. A narrator jumps on the mic to conduct the ensemble, props are handed in and out of the space. It is clear we are all here for the story, and that is very strong… So why use puppets?
I think this is something I am grappling with going into the design stages of our Romeo and Juliet. Instinctively I know that it is right to use puppets but logically I cant find a reason.
And I think that is the point. We do it because we can, because the imagination is so rich and brilliant that we want to flex it and stretch it as much as we can. We want to spark it and charm it. There is a moment in ‘Or you could kiss me’ when one of the puppets swims into the space. It is quite simply one of the most glorious things I have ever seen on stage. The movement, the focus, the puppetry, the shift of atmosphere and the sheer beauty of it will be with me always. Other moments, where the puppets are held frozen in time are brilliantly executed, the faith in the puppets at times like this is so apparent that you can feel cogs turning in the heads of the audience. We are given time to think of when our eyes had locked across a table at a pivotal point in our lives, the puppets’ completely still faces allow us to imagine and wonder what is really going on in the minds of the characters and sometimes I would have been happy with silence over choral narration. There is also a very notable squash sequence and a perfectly made, brilliantly controlled (but ultimately distracting and crowd pleasing) dog. Handspring are clearly world class. We want it to work so much. But for some reason it doesn’t entirely.
There is something really beautiful about the silence of these puppets. It’s as if the characters never speak, as if the entire show is a telepathic conversation between our two leads, in shared glances and difficult silences. I don’t think that was the intention but it’s a thought.
The story, as I mentioned is a little strange, I am certainly no writer, but I found myself frowning from time to time. It all seemed a little too obvious and we were all primed for a twist, a shock, something huge. From the off the ensemble refuse to talk about certain events, but I suppose the problem is that those events are already obvious to us because of where we were in the present. Its like the story is saying ‘don’t tell, don’t tell’ and we’ve already been told. Maybe I was missing something, and yes the events that are reflected upon are hugely important to the characters and therefore important to us, but I don’t think they warrant or require the mystery driven home from dialogue like “He’s not ready yet” “Don’t say it” all the way through…
I wont talk to much about the story, it’s the staging and realisation that is dividing my opinion. I enjoyed listening to the story I just didn’t get involved enough.
I will note the puppeteers. I found them fascinating from the off. Most of the time they were engaged with the puppets, crawling and sprawling about the stage with black suits and no shoes- an interesting decision.
They spend a great deal of time trying to get out of the way, a tough job playing in the round, they work hard to share the puppets with as much of the audience as possible but there are so many of them! Sometimes it is hard to feel the intimacy of the couple as they are so clearly surrounded by half a dozen men. The final moments are almost completely obscured and I really wanted to be with them right at the end. As a rather conventionally Greek chorus the puppeteers provide thoughts and memories throughout, they play various characters, in various accents, a device seen a lot in devised ensemble theatre. What I found especially fascinating was the relentless wandering around. All theatre directors I have ever come across have told me only move when you need to move, only go when you have to go, even if it is something trivial, to move away from a character you dislike, to answer a phone, to make a point… This ensemble wandered around relentlessly and it drove me crazy, they just walked around, always moving always shifting, it went against all of my desire to focus and listen in to the scene. It really unnerved me and distracted me. I would love to ask them why they did it. It was so deliberate, so choreographed, pointed ‘dancer toes’ were on show all over the place because of the lack of shoes, it was almost like an exercise in animal behaviour sometimes. Bloody fascinating.
I can honestly say I have never believed human puppets in the way that I did tonight, but I think if you take the puppets away this is a distinctly average play. I really need to learn how to make the puppets feel incidental in Romeo and Juliet, the audience should accept them as real but not rely on them for all the entertainment. Is there such thing as a show with puppets or is it always a puppet show. There must be compromise, I think Warhorse is a puppet show and His Dark Materials was a show with puppets, but that was for family audiences, so much to think about…
Seeing work is so important, i learnt so much today! I love the theatre, I love the National, I really enjoyed my evening and therefore ‘Or you could kiss me’ is a success in my book!"
Rich has also written notes on Burn My Heart, the new Trestle 'unmasked' show which should appear here soon.
Coming this week.
Sarah's notes on Designers
Toms review of Frantic Assembly and Kneehigh (what a week-cant wait)
Philippa's notes on the music of Romeo and Juliet.
"Dave,
It has been a good long while since I have left the theatre with the feeling I have now and I am trying to come to grips with it. Its exciting.
I have written a report about all aspects of ’Or you could kiss me’ at the National theatre and I think that overall I loved it.
I thought you might like some of these thoughts for the Blog. Remember I am not a reviewer, I wouldn’t dare ‘star’ this work, although if you forced me I would give it at least a star more than Warhorse. Ooh, controversial… get over it Dave.
SPOILER ALERT
‘Of you could kiss me’ is a puppet masterpiece, it is, the two leading gentleman puppets are fluid, elegant and overflowing with emotion. A wonderful achievement and that is where our comparison to the Nationals other recent puppet work ends. Warhorse this is not, and I am pleased about that.
This is a huge achievement of puppetry and storytelling for an older audience. That in itself makes it a must see, this is a major UK venue performing puppetry for adults, using a huge range of devising techniques, playing with convention and ultimately creating something really unique.
I was with the story for the first two thirds, and while the final scenes had some moments which I found engaging and moving I feel pretty strongly that this was unfinished business. This felt like an experiment, I haven’t read anything about the show, I try not to before seeing puppet work, so often the best bits are given away in a ploy to sell the show. It felt like its answering questions, and in that sense I suppose it feels a little like a rehearsal room. Is it asking ‘Can we tell an adult story with puppets and make the audience really feel something?’ In a way I think we already know that to be possible, we know how a puppet encourages the imagination to project a face or a memory onto it, we know we can jump through time and be free of ’reality’ a puppet can swim and fly and die and age and shrink and do anything. I have seen a puppet reduce an audience to floods of tears, we know that can happen, so what was this really about? ‘Can we make puppets realistic?’ Any puppet moments which seemed insincere were the fault of the writing. I believed the puppets almost completely. The rehearsal room feel, free from boundaries in time and space is really comfortable, characters flow through the actors and always drive the story forward. A narrator jumps on the mic to conduct the ensemble, props are handed in and out of the space. It is clear we are all here for the story, and that is very strong… So why use puppets?
I think this is something I am grappling with going into the design stages of our Romeo and Juliet. Instinctively I know that it is right to use puppets but logically I cant find a reason.
And I think that is the point. We do it because we can, because the imagination is so rich and brilliant that we want to flex it and stretch it as much as we can. We want to spark it and charm it. There is a moment in ‘Or you could kiss me’ when one of the puppets swims into the space. It is quite simply one of the most glorious things I have ever seen on stage. The movement, the focus, the puppetry, the shift of atmosphere and the sheer beauty of it will be with me always. Other moments, where the puppets are held frozen in time are brilliantly executed, the faith in the puppets at times like this is so apparent that you can feel cogs turning in the heads of the audience. We are given time to think of when our eyes had locked across a table at a pivotal point in our lives, the puppets’ completely still faces allow us to imagine and wonder what is really going on in the minds of the characters and sometimes I would have been happy with silence over choral narration. There is also a very notable squash sequence and a perfectly made, brilliantly controlled (but ultimately distracting and crowd pleasing) dog. Handspring are clearly world class. We want it to work so much. But for some reason it doesn’t entirely.
There is something really beautiful about the silence of these puppets. It’s as if the characters never speak, as if the entire show is a telepathic conversation between our two leads, in shared glances and difficult silences. I don’t think that was the intention but it’s a thought.
The story, as I mentioned is a little strange, I am certainly no writer, but I found myself frowning from time to time. It all seemed a little too obvious and we were all primed for a twist, a shock, something huge. From the off the ensemble refuse to talk about certain events, but I suppose the problem is that those events are already obvious to us because of where we were in the present. Its like the story is saying ‘don’t tell, don’t tell’ and we’ve already been told. Maybe I was missing something, and yes the events that are reflected upon are hugely important to the characters and therefore important to us, but I don’t think they warrant or require the mystery driven home from dialogue like “He’s not ready yet” “Don’t say it” all the way through…
I wont talk to much about the story, it’s the staging and realisation that is dividing my opinion. I enjoyed listening to the story I just didn’t get involved enough.
I will note the puppeteers. I found them fascinating from the off. Most of the time they were engaged with the puppets, crawling and sprawling about the stage with black suits and no shoes- an interesting decision.
They spend a great deal of time trying to get out of the way, a tough job playing in the round, they work hard to share the puppets with as much of the audience as possible but there are so many of them! Sometimes it is hard to feel the intimacy of the couple as they are so clearly surrounded by half a dozen men. The final moments are almost completely obscured and I really wanted to be with them right at the end. As a rather conventionally Greek chorus the puppeteers provide thoughts and memories throughout, they play various characters, in various accents, a device seen a lot in devised ensemble theatre. What I found especially fascinating was the relentless wandering around. All theatre directors I have ever come across have told me only move when you need to move, only go when you have to go, even if it is something trivial, to move away from a character you dislike, to answer a phone, to make a point… This ensemble wandered around relentlessly and it drove me crazy, they just walked around, always moving always shifting, it went against all of my desire to focus and listen in to the scene. It really unnerved me and distracted me. I would love to ask them why they did it. It was so deliberate, so choreographed, pointed ‘dancer toes’ were on show all over the place because of the lack of shoes, it was almost like an exercise in animal behaviour sometimes. Bloody fascinating.
I can honestly say I have never believed human puppets in the way that I did tonight, but I think if you take the puppets away this is a distinctly average play. I really need to learn how to make the puppets feel incidental in Romeo and Juliet, the audience should accept them as real but not rely on them for all the entertainment. Is there such thing as a show with puppets or is it always a puppet show. There must be compromise, I think Warhorse is a puppet show and His Dark Materials was a show with puppets, but that was for family audiences, so much to think about…
Seeing work is so important, i learnt so much today! I love the theatre, I love the National, I really enjoyed my evening and therefore ‘Or you could kiss me’ is a success in my book!"
Rich has also written notes on Burn My Heart, the new Trestle 'unmasked' show which should appear here soon.
Coming this week.
Sarah's notes on Designers
Toms review of Frantic Assembly and Kneehigh (what a week-cant wait)
Philippa's notes on the music of Romeo and Juliet.
Friday, 1 October 2010
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