Reflection & Feedback on First Public Performance

On the whole very successful. je and cv thought the performance of the material was good, and strangely that the laptops performed well.

Half the audience were given programme notes before the performance. However, during a straw pole of the audience no one admitted to not being transported somewhere else. Typical words were - solitude, emptiness, alone (no one mentioned fear or the storms which dominate the text)


1. Questions immediately after focused on:
1.1 Should this be a radio play?

1.2 Should the audience be watching the 'score' to relate sound to an interpretation? (This point was again mentioned by DC - my immediate response was to say that we are, but through our ears!)

1.3 What does the score look like, and which software?

1.4 What is the software logic?


2. Meeting with Damian Cruden (artistic director of York Theatre Royal): Before watching performance on computer
2.1 Paradigm is very interesting as it breaks down forth wall conventions of participant-actor participant audience.

2.2 The freeing of the imagination because of the openness of imagination will be augmented by the communal-ness of theatre spectatorship - one that can not be replicated in cinema: we are all experiencing this live and is a constant reminder that we are spectators, which in turn should allow braver thoughts and illicit more vivid and daring flow of imagination.

3. DC after watching performance on computer (visuals in 2 halves: i) development stills, ii) live gig)
3.1 up until the live performance footage the see-hearing was working. Composition excellent. BUT the eye, and therefore the mind, was seeing 2 guys on a dodgy table pouring over with cables - this utilitarian relationship damaged the mental image and should be seen as a warning.

3.2 Additional elements that need considering
3.2.1 be careful what the audience see's in the vicinity of the gig - it all has meaning
3.2.2 Perhaps an LX designer is needed to work with the tapestry of the stage
3.2.3 Do we need to see the musicians? The CJA setup is not normal therefore we prescribe meaning to it unlike an orchestra whos form is ubiquitous in its theatre environment
3.2.4 If seen the musicians need to engage with audience - not 'panto' have a presence i.e. what is the nature of their connection?
3.2.5 What is the 'animal' communication in the CJA - what primeval/ overarching feeling do I want to convey?
3.2.6 At which point - and how - does it stop being a witness of a live 'radio broadcast' and enter theatre?
3.2.7 cause and effect - if we see them the musicians are responsible for this in their audience


4. Future development
4.1 cv to revisit the library - is it representational enough?

4.2 organise 2 private performances back to back for a gathering of professional creatives in York at YTR - mixed M/F music/theatre. The purpose is to present, explore and discuss at length the implications of musician presence as opposed to lighting/stage presence