Sunday 16th June
Well a fine weekend of performances, shows and good will could not be dampened by some pretty terrible weather. The Odyssey Theatre Group shows, scheduled for the outdoors, were all performed inside the foyer of the WMC. This was a management decision but it has to be said this group would perform anywhere, such is their enthusiasm and comaraderie. What Shall We Do? involved a drunken sailor, played by Martin, wondering around the centre trying to find drinking partners. He was thrown out regularly by the actors playing security guards, photographed by our tourists and flirted with by a group of lonesome women waiting for a blind date. There were pantomime moments as the people in the foyer regularly booed the expulsion of the sailor, us as buskers and cheered when we snuck back into the centre to resume the game. The show finished with a flash mob song and dance and a little rowdiness before once again security, who had been skipping around like girls during the song, composed themselves and threw us out again. All much fun. I also got a chance to see some of the other performances today… I stood in a light drizzle with a large crowd to watch the Graeae show, Iron Man, and then tapped my toes to the engaging Irresistible by Mind The Gap. Both these companies are leading lights in develop inclusive theatre by placing disabled actors centre stage.
So tomorrow we are back to the Frantic Assembly residency that leads to a couple of shows on the last day. I have done my homework and I’m ready to go. The weekend has been really inspiring and I’m loving this amount of activity… although I’m ready for an early night.
Monday 17th June
Back into Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger with Frantic Assembly and a full physical day with detailed group choreographic sections coming together. Most of the people there today were involved in the weekend activities and although ready to work there is some obvious fatigue. However a really aerobic warm up gets everyone in the mood and I enjoy the coordinated movements that test body and brain. Danny points out that I have beads of sweat on my brow and I am not the only one. Today we worked on some new lifts with everyone of us flying above the heads of our comrades who hold us up at arms length whilst in a plank position. This brilliantly facilitated exercise allowed all of us to fly… simple as… and the mood was buoyant throughout. Further contact work in threes developed some nice ideas and this opportunity to further play was a good Monday tonic. We then looked back at some of the rehearsed sections and we added new tightly timed elements. The aerobic session has prepared us well for this work and Stephen and Christa are pleased with our efforts. We return to some creative writing in the afternoon and share some initial ideas. After such a focused and physical day there are signs of weariness but we persist with a final signing exercise in unison. There is no doubt this week is going to be tough and challenging in so many ways but the production looks like it’s going to be something really special. I’ll be counting steps in my sleep for a few nights that’s for sure.
Tuesday 18th June
We are back to a full compliment with Sophie and Nicky returning to the group today. We start once again with some good exercises to get the heart and limbs pumping and then work on some unison games. Bouncing for 8 in teams of 4 is impossible to describe here but trust me it tests body and brain and is something I will definitely be using in future workshops. In fact there is so much here that we’ve all learned and also so much that ratifies my own practice. This is invaluable and gives me a lot of confidence in the power of this work to bring people of all abilities together. This was evident with some lifting of Marega in one team and Martin in another. Some of the collective work was amazing, and I know that word is over used, but watching Marega climb on various bodies to stand firmly on Nicky shoulders was incredible to watch. In the afternoon we look at the entrance scene and set some of the scene. We then don matching crash helmets and clutch metallic cases and stride into position. I can only guess what this looks like as the helmet cocoons me somewhat but the few observers look enthralled. There is a long way to go and we are warned of tough days ahead but the process is so engaging I don’t want it to stop.
Wednesday 19th June
A little excitement to end the day as we are told Scott Graham is joining us tomorrow. Best foot forward an all that … there are a couple who are excited by his imminent arrival, well Jade mostly who is a big Frantic fan. We spent much of the day piecing together different sections and then adding text. We all have words and phrases to add to movement and the context of the show is revealing itself, which helps massively. We spend a little time talking to camera about our individual attributes and Denni is wonderfully concise and abrupt. We have a couple of sneaky after work pints and then watch the Snook Brothers show in the foyer followed by Cirque Inextremiste. What an evening of entertainment… incredible performances from all involved and I do not say that lightly. The acrobatics in Extremites just takes the breath away.
Tomorrow we return to The Waiting Room and we will have to be on top form to compete with the somewhat tricky foyer space at the Millennium Centre. However I’m looking forward to the day with the Frantic crew in preparation for the weekend shows … and then getting back into the waiting game that is The Waiting Room. If you haven’t see this show you’ll never guess what it is about… until the end that is!
Part 3 is to come ….
Photographs Malwina Matusiewicz