Month: March 2016

A main memory my Granda recalls is when he used to pick me up from school, or he would be looking after me for the day. He always says that I was happy to trundle along as long  as we stopped for an ice cream at some point during the day. It is common knowledge that I love ice cream, however it is what ice cream I like that is the question. My two favourite ice creams of all time are a 99 with sherbet or a 99 with crushed nuts. However about a year ago I actually found out I was allergic to nuts. I have an extremely severe allergy. Unfortunately my Granda is at a point with his Alzheimer’s where he doesn’t remember new facts or memories or occurrences. Therefore this new knowledge simply went over his head. As I took him to the park last summer as I ran off to the loo and came back he was stood there with my ice cream, 99 with crushed nuts in which we immediately had to get rid of. Although for a split moment he understood and got rid of it. He then turned back and looked at me and asked if I had not had an ice cream yet.

This may seem a small and insignificant loss of memory however for my family this is a huge thing to forget as it is part of us. It is what we recognise and it is part of my Granda that we know. I feel it appropriate to use this as my final destination memory as it is such a simple thing to forget but it also shows the deterioration of such a disease. As well as the fact in turned a moment later and forgot the whole incident had occurred. I also feel this memory although heartbreaking when thinking about it, it is also rather comical. The way my Granda was stood trying to hide my ice cream. His big smile across his face at making me so happy. The laughter as we realised what had happened, but then the downfall of the fact that both his memory and my allergy are serious.

I appreciate the light heartedness of the idea of simply talking about ice cream. That anyone in their lives could have gone through this and alzheimer’s is not just forgetting oneself or people or places. It is alos the loss of making connections, making those solid connections to the parts of the brain for recall and being able to process new information as and when needed.

Apart from people from back home no one really knows how good an actor or singer my Granda is. I still now admire his strength and commitment to such a hobby and love within his life.It has shown me that people can take knocks but with that power of their own and their inner strength you can get to a point where you are happy with what you are still able to do.

My Granda performed in The Wizard Of Oz. He was the scarecrow which was quite amusing if I may say so as it was around this point we were beginning to find out his diagnosis of alzheimer’s. I have always loved going to see my Granda perform as I would watch as he would become a character and see a different person rather than the one I knew. I always became mesmerised in how talented he was and how he was able to be one person on stage but still my Granda off. I saw many characters which my Granda played one being the scarecrow, before this he had played Val Jean from Les Mis. This complete jump of characters was a key in how I really decided that this was the career I wanted. This was what I found most interesting and what I wanted to study myself. The way of playing a character but also using your own knowledge and ideas to create an iconic and loveable character for the audience.

The memory I recall the most from seeing my Granda perform was when he first walked on stage as the scarecrow, he acted, he moved, he stumbled around as he was just starting to be able to walk. Dorothy said her line and then, silence. There was complete silence and my Granda’s face fell. He then got it back by turning and saying “oh pet I really do wish I had a brain right now.” He simply laughed it off and got his lines back, the rest of the show seemed to go without a hitch.  Unfortunately due to this My Granda didn’t perform in a live performance again. A fear had taken over him and he no longer felt able to perform to the standard that should be expected.

I think this memory is strong as you could hear the panic in his voice but then the comedy he created from such an upsetting moment. It showed us as well as the audience that you can rehearse as much as you like, but sometimes it doesn’t stay in your memory. Sometimes you cannot make that connection.

I want to capture the audience with these memories, for them to be excited at what I am talking about, but as well known the heartbreak and the upsetting nature of such instances. As well as the fact that their is nothing that can stop it. Nothing will help, it is simply about making the best of what you still have.

“Audiences need to be entertained, provoked and, above all engaged.” (Anderson, 2006) I found this quote really helped me when I was first looking into solo work. This allowed me to understand why the exploration of different performance styles was necessary. What one audience member may find entertaining, another may not, however as long as they are kept engaged then the show works. From seeing Victoria Melody’s performance ‘Hair Piece’ I found that she always spoke to the audience. Not past the audience but actually speaks to them. It was directed to each individual which made you connect more with what was happening on stage.

She provoked a reaction form us as we were shocked at different parts of her performance, for instance when she showed us different kinds of hair and where they were from. As well as when she told us however expensive extensions are and how they are got from people. The process that the hair goes through and what some people go through in order to afford to live by selling their hair. This provoked us as an audience as what we believed to be such a simple yet expensive process we were shocked to find out what actually happens behind the scenes and the extreme nature of what occurs. Her performance was also entertaining as she was herself, she didn’t hide her lisp, she chatted to the audience and showed her personality. When moving from place to place she also sat on a seat and used a hair dryer as if she was getting on a plane and this got her from place to place. This was extremely comical to watch, it not only entertained us but it kept us engaged in the action. There was so much going on within her show however it was easy to follow. The voice overs, the videos, the movement and her actually speaking to us herself.

Although their are many aspects of her performance I do not want to include within mine I do believe if I was to create a longer piece I would use her performance as inspiration as it allowed the audience to observe aspects of her journey, otherwise she would simply have to try and explain it. Where as being able to see it made it more real and thought provoking.

Anderson, M. (2006). SOLO – A guidebook for individual performance. Sydney: Currency Press, p.38.