Tag: Theatre

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Time…

This is generally intended to be quite a short entry (though it may run on) as I really need to get some sleep after quite a packed weekend spent in Manchester. Then tomorrow I’m back at Foursight before going to Leeds on Thursday for my little brother’s graduation, then London to see Black Watch, and then Yorkshire for a family matter, before back for more work, and then moving house the following week… So a bit low on time! And whilst I’m back home I wont be able to update anything with ease, so I thought I should briefly ‘check in’.

I am generally, and quite suddenly, feeling really strapped for time, and a bit nervous about getting things done in time. Mainly pressing concerns are the redraft of Being Someone Else along with the accompanying 6000 word essay, and the Amnesty International/Ice and Fire competition that I was writing something for. The deadline for the latter is VERY soon, 1st August, and I think that due to this family matter taking me away I’m probably not going to get anything complete in time to send off, which is a real shame because the piece (tentatively titled Eismas/Traffic) feels quite gripping as an idea, has been emerging well, and recently had quite a reasonable break through in terms of structure. However the main problem is that it’s only about 1/2 an hour of material (the minimum is 1 hour) and I am so exhausted after work/gym that work nights along with all this traveling are opposing progress almost completely. we’ll see, I am going to try as hard as possible to get something finished, though I hold no great hopes for the competition now, it just seems a shame to have written something quite specific for it to just sit on the shelf…

In terms of the thesis play and essay for the Playwriting Studies course, I am seeing and feeling a little more each time I think of it, and look at it, I just need to find some good chunks of time (at the expense, unfortunately, of others) to get at it. The key is the emotional link between reader/audience and the characters/story- it is an alien world, so anchoring the emotions is really important to give you a ‘way in’ to understanding… I did a big chunky redraft of the real world which is moving in the right direction, but thoroughly lacked heart, and any notion of the characters as really feeling- I think that they haven’t developed enough with the change in plotting, and are therefore stuck in previous drafts’ modes. The essay I am less worried about, I spent 3 years writing essays, it’s always do-able- I just need, again, more time before this ever-nearing deadline of mid September. Think I may have to take a week off work and blitz it all, I am very much a ‘blitzing’ kind of person.

In slightly other-ness (sorry, can’t think of a real word, my brain is a bit melty from many trains) I am getting the urge to set at some short pieces of writing at the moment, small lines and starting images keep on popping into my head, so I think I may buy a new notebook (not lined! hate lines >_<) and start getting some things down. It’s been a very long time since I did any short pieces, and I’m interested in particular to see how/if the masters has changed that part of my writing.

Right, now I really must sort my self out ready for work etc… when I next write I will have either shelved or posted Eismas/Traffic so depending what happens there, I may go into more detail about that particular piece, or I may share so short scribblings… let’s see!

Thanks for reading! xx

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Good Bye Bugsy

Hooray for technology! I have a phone again! It is officially up and running- after a lot of pain trying to APP/CID unlock it, I just hard-reset, and second time round it worked fine, it’s all unlocked (inlc SIM) and windows 6.1’d up now, so I am content :-) I am currently transferring music on there- got an 8gb micro SD card to fill up with exciting things, then all I need do is set up the push mail and I’m good to go! It feels SO much better to be part of the world again, rather than passing through.

My time at work this week was really excellent- I revisited two schools in Smethwick for the culmination of their work on The Corner Shop Project. The kids had visited their local high street, then invited guests, interviewed and archived what they gleaned, and then created site-specific (around their schools) performances, which involved shadow puppetry, food tasting, ghost stories, and walking back into the past of Smethwick’s high street. Some amazing and so eloquent responses from 9 and 10 year olds, amazing stuff. Particularly valuable was seeing the nuts and bolts of the work- all the thought behind it on the part of the people running the show… and finally, the difference it made in the kids, in one school, there was a pupil from Russia and a pupil from Iraq, neither of whom spoke english very well, and neither of whom had ever been to school. Likewise in the other school there was a little polish girl who did not speak very good english, and a boy who could barely read and was official ‘class joker’ because it was the only way he could deal with having no friends. I am wary of being too idealistic about ‘the power of drama’ but seeing these kids, and the changes wrought in them was almost overwhelming. The children who had felt outsiders, were suddenly part of a group effort, they had made friends, talked fluently and understood each other, the little boy who had felt so outside his peers had made friends and (according to his teacher) his studies had improved immeasurably. They all spoke so meaningfully about the project, and how it had brought them together, how it had made them feel, it was a really moving experience.

Now I know that schools and education is very difficult territory, the national curriculum must be a nightmare to preside over, and to provide a national service at the same time as being able to cater for millions of individuals? Horrible. But we all know how important some things can be- that extra special teacher that supports and pushes you, that lecturer who took the time to make you feel like you really did have potential. I believe that theatre, in a very special way can make kids feel similarly- an awareness of yourself as construct, of your body and your movement and the signs you give off, the chance to try and understand others’ lives, theatre can help show us that we are all amazing, we are all individual, and that we are all part of this… and I think that somehow, a more concrete provision for challenging and different theatre needs to muscle in on the time dedicated to yet another production of ‘bugsy malone’ or ‘high school musical’ in our schools.

Taking my hippy hat off now, there, it’s gone. In a nutshell, I think the idea solidifying in my mind is that my next big piece, after the thesis play, and a new piece for radio, will very definitely be a piece for young people… so watch this space for emerging ideas.

In other news, I have entirely avoided any work on my AI piece due the end of this month… and I’m probably losing hope on that… we’ll see. Fixing and sorting my technology has gotten in the way. I shall redouble efforts, and try and fix something in time for the end of July.

Right, teatime methinks…