Half-Term Intensive Week

What a busy, fun-filled and productive week – everyone really got to explore their characters and Tanya now has the enormous task of taking all of your ideas, characters and stories away and threading them together to resemble a play – good luck Tanya!

Anyway… we started on Monday with an exercise that would stretch the duration of the week – writing a diary entry, for your character, before, when and after their advertisement had been placed. Vik then led a physical warm-up (jeans really were cumbersome and there was plenty of puffing and complaining!) and everyone was then asked to find a space in the theatre and individually explore their character’s bedroom. Everyone was aksed to come up with three movements that could be repeated, and then exaggerated, to suggest how they might spend time in their own space. Vik also reminded the group about the French word for rehearsal – répétition!

We next repeated a quick warm-up exercise from LAB 4, where participants had to recreate a variety of objects using their bodies, from an umbrella to a desk; and a pair of shoes to a duvet. The duvet was particularly inspirational and we found ourselves coming back to it again and again over the course of the week.

After lunch, we hot seated Alex, Grace, Shanice and Chloe’s characters and then finished off with some focussed improvisations – Naomi (or Veronica) and Raz crossing paths but always missing each other; Grace and Ben being visited by a social worker; Shanice’s parents turning up out of the blue; and Alex and Jack discussing Alex’s encounter with a chav.

Tuesday again started with the diary and we re-capped everyone’s character profiles and shared homework tasks. Vik again led a physical warm-up – this time teaching the group the Lindyhop. We then worked on putting two of Monday’s exercises together – working on Grace and Ben’s room and Mollie’s room, but with additional actors becoming the objects in their rooms. The group were encouraged to personify the objects as much as possible and breathe life into the inanimate furniture and objects. We then went on to hot seat Yaz, Naomi, Raz, Mollie, Desara and Grace (again). Again, the time after lunch was spent on specific improvisations to help move the characters’ stories forward. We spent time physicalising Aisha’s monologue to strangers on a train – playing around with the difference between what happened when they responded to her compared to what happened when they ignored her; and we also worked on physicalising Leila’s encounter with the tree. Leyla’s monologue is great – but we decided to play around with her having more urgency, even being angry at the tree. It was great to see how the tree responded to her woes.

Wednesday – and mid-week – again we started with diary entries and the Lindyhop. We then went straight into hot seating Eliza, Leyla and Aisha, before working again on pysicalising objects in relation to characters. Chloe worked with a group to show her using a PC to communicate with the outside world; and Aisha worked with more people on physicalising the train. We then presented homework tasks – participants were asked to bring in photographs or pictures that suggested memories for their characters. They had to describe them to the rest of the group being as specific and detailed as possible. We then extended this, as a writing task, asking participants to create a poetic response reflecting the tone of the memory for them. The afternoon saw more work on the train, expertly choreographed by Vik. We also had a marketing meeting with Doug, Head of Marketing here at the Almeida, to discuss strategies for how LABBERS can promote the show.

On Thursday, we went straight into some hot seating, followed by some focussed improvisations. Alex and Desara worked on their encounter in the park, where Alex is offering £100 to get his phone back; Leyla worked further on her confessions to the tree; and Eliza and Raz worked on a scene where Raz confronts her about stealing his sister’s jewellery. Raz and Eliza played the scene quite realistically, but then we gave Raz the challenge of not speaking, but showing his feelings through actions. After lunch, we hot seated Pius and worked on two further scenes – one with Pius selling love, and the other physicalising Grace’s notes for the supermarket notice board. And on Thursday evening, Mike Attenborough came to talk to the Young Friends about In a Dark Dark House. It was a fantastic two-way exchange with Mike talking about the process of getting the play from page to stage and the young friends sharing thier throughts about the play. A real treat, so thanks Mike.

Friday already? The week really flew by. We started with the Lindyhop again and then shared our character name poems and diaries for the week. Luis was hot seated and the group was split in half to work on two improvisations – the first, an encounter between Leila and Zain (Luis) by the tree; and the second, Yaz pinning her fortune-telling advertisements to some trees. Vik then choreographed a scene to Lonely, by Akon, where everyone made a simple move that reflected their character before moving into a scene where Raz and Veronica wake up simultaneously from their duvets and move around their rooms.

After lunch, we worked on improvisations in pairs: Naomi and Raz on finally meeting at a newsagents in Highgate; Mollie and Shanice both selling on the internet; Desara and Alex on the way to a party/dance class on the bus; Louis and Leyla meeting for the first time on Leila’s wedding day; Jess and Chloe – the former talking to an imaginary friend and the latter to a real friend on the internet; Aisha and Eliza meeting on a train; and Yaz and Pius responding to each others ads. We then finished by hearing some ‘words of love’ from Pius and by hot seating Eliza (whose character has now changed considerably).

All in all a considerably productive week – I’m really looking forward to getting into rehearsals for the new play.

LAB 6 - When the Rain Stops Falling

Sunday 8 February 2009

Today was the final Sunday LAB session – next is a full week of intensive exploration during half term.



We started the day by listening to the adverts that participants were asked to prepare for the session. These were great, and ranged from selling a bracelet to a toy; and a mobile phone to an acoustic guitar. Participants were then asked to think about how they might physicalise their ads. How do we stage a gumtree ad or a notice in a window? Again, this produced some imaginative responses – from a literal presentation of being that faded piece of paper in the shop window, to using the body to create the object being sold.

We then spent a little more time sharing talents. Those who didn’t share something last time, were asked to at least sing ‘Happy Birthday’ if they weren’t comfortable with anything else. It is becoming more and more likely that music will form part of the final piece, and so it was important for Tanya to ascertain people’s singing abilities. It is also likely to include movement, and so Raz and Desara spent some time teaching their choreographed routines to half of the group each.





We decided that as this is quite a complicated plot to get your head around, that it was a good idea read the synopsis of When the Rain Stops Falling before focussing on sections of the script. A number of questions emerged. What is fate? What would life be like in 2039 (especially if something that you took for granted no longer existed)? What is the significance of a name? Why does it keep on raining? We discussed some of these questions before breaking for lunch.

After lunch, we read sections of the script that looked at some of the questions that had emerged from the discussion, including the following excerpt:

You’re twenty four years old. You work in a roadhouse in the Coorong. You play netball on Tuesday nights and clean the bird shit from the headstones of the graves of your family on Sunday. You know that if you don’t leave here soon you will marry a farmer from Salt Creek. He will be a good man who works hard and likes a beer. He will love you and you will make his life hell because that’s not the life you want. You will go mad in that life. But you don’t know what other life there is. Then this man, this stranger walks into the roadhouse, in the middle of winter, all the way from London and orders a toasted sandwich with no ham and talks about things that they don’t talk about in the Coorong. He says let the dead take care of the dead. And now he’s sitting in the car with the engine running listening to a song on the radio. And you know the song. You know it well. You know the last verse has just begun, you know the words, you could sing them and when it’s done you know you’ll hear the tyres on the gravel and he will be gone and you may as well start looking for your wedding dress. You want to go, you want to run, you want to leave these ghosts behind but you’re scared. In your stomach, in the pit of your stomach you know there is something wrong and that you should not get in that car.




This prompted even more discussion about fate, and we divided the group down in to two halves. One half were asked to present the opening of the debate pro-fate and the other anti-fate. Lots of arguments were put forward – from the fact that no matter what path you take, or choice you make, the outcome, or final destination will always be the same; to the fact that fate is a human construct that we have invented to try to understand ourselves better, and that the only inevitable fate is death. The groups were then asked to create two pieces – the first a physical, or abstract, representation of fate (pro-or anti, depending on the group) and the second also a physical, or abstract, representation of a specific argument (pro or anti fate). Again, these were fantastic.




Finally, we spent the remaining hour talking about the direction the play is heading in. Tanya told everybody, individually, the ideas that she had for their characters and set everyone a task for half term. All in all a great last Sunday LAB – I’m really looking forward to half term and getting stuck into the stories of each of the characters.



Tanya’s Thoughts – at this stage.
To quote Tanya – “It’s still like a blancmange that’s not set yet – and we will shape it during half term.”

This will not be a three act play. Music will play a big part in it. Nobody will be over the age of 19. The concept of the advert – of each of you having something to sell – will be a major through-line of the piece. Each of you will have a different story. The undertone will be mournful, but with a will to change – young people looking to change their lives or transform in someway. The loneliness of the transition from childhood into adulthood is daunting, but the energy will come through the staging… There will be three tracks and three choreographed pieces, and the individual stories/strands will be weaved through these. Others will be used physically to be part of each other’s stories.

Raz (based on one of your monologues) – you are a 17 year old boy, known as Razmataz. What are you escaping? What are your dreams? Can you also practise whistling Here Comes the Sun.
Leyla – you are a 13 year-old Indian bride. The son of your husband’s first wife is only a couple of years older than you and there is a spark between you. Who can you speak to about this dilemma? God, a tree? Can you also learn the first section of Hometown Glory on the piano.
Chloe – you are 16 years old and you are about to set up home with a much older man who has promised to train you as an opera singer. It’s not ideal, but you put up with him because this is your dream. Write a monologue – as an email – telling a friend about your new life.
Jess – you are the little boy, Ben. You live in a house with no adults, but Grace’s character is taking care of you and you have money. You are taking ballet lessons. See if you can work out the accompaniment to Hometown Glory on the steel pans.
Naomi – you are Veronica La Fleur. You pretend to be French – but you aren’t. Why do you pretend to be someone/thing that you are not? Please also familiarise yourself with Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars.
Eliza – you are the girlfriend of Maryam’s brother and you have been going through her jewellery box without her permission. It's an attempt to draw closer to her, but she takes it very badly. Your relationship with her brother is on the rocks. What kind of contact do you have with Maryam’s character? Phone? Texts? Bumping into her in the street? Build up a history of your relationship with her brother.
Desara – you look like a tough girl, but what you actually want is to be treated, by a man, with chivalry. There is a guy (Alex’s character) who is well-to-do but he isn’t treating you in the way you want to be treated. How did you meet him? How do you communicate with him? What do you want from him?
Alex – you are the posh boy who thinks that Desara will only be attracted to you if you are street. All chivalry – even though that is the genuine you – goes out of the window. Prepare a monologue/pep talk to yourself while you are getting dressed/at the mirror before going out that evening to a party you know Desara will be at.
Yaz – you are a wanderer, caught between one world and the next. You might sell an alarm clock because there is no point getting up in the morning. Write a monologue about another squashed animal in the road. Can you also email Tanya with the lyrics to your song(s).
Shanice – you want to sell everything you own because you want to cut loose and travel to a third world country. Your whole story may be told through ads. Have a think about creating some of them…
Grace – you live in a house with no adults (with Jess’ character, Ben). You are trying hard to be a responsible adult. How much of your story can we glimpse through notes on a notice board of a whole-food store?
Aisha – you want to escape the small town that you live in to go to London. You can’t wait to leave behind your small minded friends. You are driven by ambition. In fact, you are selling the violin of one of those friends to pay for your train fair. Tell someone on your train journey why new friends are better than old. Can you also familiarise yourself with Hometown Glory, by Adele.
Mollie – you are selling your baby. You don’t want to be a teenage mum and you have realised that you can make a bad situation better and get a lot of money – you’re not going to sink, but rather turn this to your advantage and swim. Make sure you understand your family context – what are you escaping? Also, learn Hometown Glory vocals.
Louis – you are the 16 year old son of a 46 year old Indian man with three wives. You are the son of his first wife. Leyla, age 13, is the third wife. You and Leyla hit it off, and in any other circumstances (i.e. if you weren't her step-son) romance might blossom between you. Can you research what you might be doing at that age in a fairly poor Indian family. What are your prospects? Who you might be forced in to marrying? Also – can you familiarize yourself with Kate Nash's song Mouthwash.
Maryam – you are the sister of Eliza’s boyfriend. You can’t stand the bitch (this is based on your monologue where she goes through your jewellery box) Your task is to build up a history for yourself of this character, her relationship with her brother, their family, her circumstances, what she wants, where she's heading.
Pius – you are torn between being a boy and being a man. Write a poem about being half-boy half-man.

Everyone – what are you selling; why are you selling it; and how? You might also like to create a character profile for your character, by writing down the following:
-Their gender
-Their age
-Their ethnicity
-Their name
-Where their money comes from
-What sort of accommodation they live in
-Where is this on a world map?
-Something they lack in life
-Something they need right now
-A secret they have
-A problem they have
-A memory they have
-Something they believe
-Something they wish for
-Where they are at this very moment
-What they are doing at this very moment
-What they are thinking or saying at this very moment
-Three other things you know about them (not that you’ve written this list)
-Have any other questions arisen from your findings? You don’t necessarily need to answer them at the moment.