Solo Performance

It’s so difficult to read through your own work, to have written it and love what you have written yet to know it is not exactly what you need. That you haven’t quite captured an aspect of the performance that you wanted to. At certain parts I have feared that because I was not mentioning alzheimer’s that my audience would not understand what I was performing and the memories that I was sharing. Therefore I have so far had to draft and redraft, some being too personal, some being too characterised rather than myself and some not explaining or showing the memories to much. I read that

“Drafting and redrafting are essential parts of script development. Most writers say that the first drafts they write bear little resemblance to the final stage of their plays- they write and re-write until they think the piece is ready for performance.” (Anderson, 2006)

If anything I have found that this is an extremely important stage of writing. I have never written a play before, nor have I ever performed a solo performance therefore I have had my moments where I have absolutely loved my writing and could not understand which parts an audience did not understand or particularly like.  It has taken me a while, as well as a lot of stubbornness to get over, however I now feel I am at a point where I am able to edit and redraft my script for the sake of the achievement of the performance.

I now agree that sometimes I am being to personal, describing certain sides of my Granda and giving him monologues to say. This seems like too much, it should be me representing my Granda not simply becoming him. I also feel my performance is stronger with the memories and stories being from both my Granda, as well as myself, as that way I can describe what happens to my audience through my own eyes. While still being able to become my Granda within certain parts of the memoires to emphasise what is occurring at that point.

Although I still have a lot of redrafting to do I can now see the shape of the performance and I now feel I have more of an understanding as to what solo performance is and why you need to show yourself and your own personality to the audience not just a character you wish to create.

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

Chris Goode is a writer, director, performer and sound designer. He has been said to be “one of the most exciting talents working in Britain today” (Chris Goode & Company, 2016). Chris Goode is an ‘alternative theatre’ maker. ‘Alternative theatre’ is a term which was found between the late 1960’s and 70’s describing the loose movement of individuals as well as groups and partners within the opposition of ‘mainstream theatre’. Performances were created around a set of theatrical ideas which opposed this predominantly seen theatrical experience.

Chris Goode is well know for “… make[ing] theatre by creating welcoming spaces and interesting structures for something unexpected to happen in.” (Chris Goode & Company, 2016) Goode’s work allows the audience to think more about the words and movements and the set rather than simply what they are shown straight in front of them, their comfort and security of a theatrical predominance is taken away and instead audience members are allowed to use their own imaginations and react in the necessary form for themselves.

Goode’s main ” … principle aim is to make space for unheard voices.” (Chris Goode & Company, 2016) I wish to do this with the disease Alzheimer’s. I hope to use the ideas of memories and imagination to play on the idea of Alzheimer’s and the instances that are remembered and ones which become broken. I will take this from experience from my Granda. Goode uses conversations he has with ‘ordinary people’ to inform the words he creates for his show, I feel this would be a clever way to show how Alzheimer’s affects the individual as well as their families.

Chris Goode & Company. (2016). Chris Goode – Chris Goode & Company. [online] Available at: http://www.chrisgoodeandcompany.co.uk/team-profile/chris-goode-lead-artist/ [Accessed 12 Apr. 2016].

 

There are so many aspects to think about when performing, how you are positioned, where the lighting is, how loud you need to be, what accent you are using, what your characterisation is, how you are trying to make the audience feel and these are just a few to name. However, it is extremely important to think about the body. How you are standing, your stance, your posture, the way you are facing. Each one of these changes the way the audience views you, are you snarling but standing as if one of the Royal Family, are you speaking in a Church but whispering and hiding behind yourself. It’s always important to know what reactions you want from your audience and how you want them to feel at each point of the performance. Where the changes are and what the changes are for.

“The linking of the body and the voice are important to a cohesive performance.” (Anderson, 2006) This will be a hard task to accomplish but it is a very important aspect of acting which could take a great performance a turn it into something people dread to see. To act is to use every inch of the body, your personality, your character and your strength. To exaggerate tendencies and to know that with all you can you show the audience the character you are trying to portray. This may take some time to accomplish with such a performance as mine, but with rehearsals in front of my fellow class mates I believe I will get to a point where this simply happens rather than being forced.

Anderson, M. (2006). SOLO – A guidebook for individual performance. Sydney: Currency Press, p.48.

 

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.