Hey guys, I have probably been going on about this for sometime, but I think it would be a good idea to see not only to boost our theatre experience (what we have seen) but to also see how they use the puppets. The actors seem to be in all blacks while the puppets are brightly colourful and slightly cartoonish so that they are easily recognisable to the audience. I am such this would be a great experience to see it and maybe we might get some ideas on how to use puppets within our performance of Beowulf along with our personal stories. It's being performed at The Old Market Theatre in Brighton/Hove between the 11th - 15th February (its not a long period space to see it, so it would be great to get the tickets soonish, as a whole group instead of some of us so we all know how to try and use some of the ideas within our performance) http://www.theoldmarket.com/ai1ec_event/avenue-q/?instance_id=
You can see from both of these images, that even one puppet can be operated by two actors. You can also see that whatever the puppets reaction has to show by the actor. Some of the characters in Avenue Q do not have puppets they just play their own characters as an actor, this gives the show great dimension and depth to the performance. The actors that are using the puppets are generally in all blacks to make sure that the puppet stands out and the actors that are playing their own characters are in costume. The sticks that connect the puppet to the actor are in black so they camouflage and don't distant from the performance.
This is what I was talking about on Thursday for an idea for
the king which I think would be quite funny. Maybe not in this sort of costume but yea. I don’t know if it would work but
hey thought I would share anyway. (1:42 is when he comes in in the video). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6eibFYnlF4
On Wednesday this week we had a workshop with Tim Crouch.
This was really interesting and gave us lots of ideas that I feel I wouldn’t have
necessarily thought of. I think his ideas where really simple but that’s what was so great
about them. One of the things he told us that stood out to me was about letting
the audience do the work themselves. Make the piece simple then the audience
members will each make up their own mind on what the piece was. I have thought about this idea before but never thought about putting it into our piece but actually after thinking and learning about it I actually think it
would work well for our piece?. An example of this would be using an object as a
character and just saying “this is (whatever)” then the audience will believe
and make their own picture of it. In the afternoon we improvised a few short piece ideas for
Beuwolf that we all individually made and brought something to it such as mine and Anna’s
individual thing was a song we wrote. We done this three times but found the
last time worked the best when we had very little time to think about it. I
think it worked well because we didn’t over complicate it and didn’t talk and
think about it too much we simply just told the story in our own way and all just went with the flow of the story (using some
of Tim Crouches ideas).
Thursday we worked on the battle scenes and ideas for these. We
came up with a lot of comedic and serious ideas for this that work so well. I think a mix of them both
would work really well and give a nice contrast. We also did an improvised thing
to help with ideas with some objects where you could do whatever you wanted.
One idea I had for this was at one point in the 'piece' two people where lying down and had
masks on symbolising they where 'dead'. I think from this it might be nice if when you 'die' in the piece you get
something like a feature drawn on the mask you are wearing and you come back to
life as that character you have been drawn as maybe?. Another idea that came out
of this that I liked was using puppetry (a small doll was used on this day) to
move us all so the army are the puppets getting trained up. We then in the afternoon
choreographed a sort of march thing with war type movements like we were
getting ready for battle. We used the puppetry idea in this, an idea where
someone is looking for worriers and a few ideas where we all moved together as
one slowly. This gave a really nice atmospheric mood which was great and I
believe this is what we are looking for?.
There was so many good ideas from this week that I think
will make the piece look really good and feel really atmospheric if used. My
favourite ideas from this week where:
·Puppetry-There is something about watching
puppetry like watching someone be controlled that is quite captivating and eerie
in a way and I think if used it will work really nicely and look really good for the piece.
·Moving as one (as an army)/army selection (a
routine or the slow walking thing worked well when we done this)-togetherness/all
in it together which could back up the puppetry idea as they are all going
through the same thing? (if that makes sense).
·Comedic/serious-having a bit of both thrown in
so not having the piece to serious but at the same time quite serious (if that
makes sense).
·Music-Both live and backing.
·Personally I liked our improvisation pieces when
they were quite random and not thought about to much. I feel this is when our
work has worked the best at the moment.
Political
Theatre: Lion King – Power - Status, Wicked – colour of hey skin (green),
witches are evil – princesses are nice.
French
artist Orlan – 5 franks for a kiss, plastic surgery
Theatre
of protest
Dennis
Kelly – Political Theatre, war – terrorism, Islamic – monster, 2005, new ways
of thinking
No art
without ideology – all theatre is political if we read it that way – The
American Dream – Keep Calm And Carry On, (don’t complain) – (Natural) better fit
to rule than others, survival of the fittest, keeping us in our places
Lion King
– who has the power? Does the casting revel an ideology? What does the costume
say about class? The music? The accents? Does the work critique capitalism? – Food
chain, power, status, selfish
Money –
tickets, sets
Sound of
Music (favourite things) – don’t worry about the Narzi’s think about the sliver
white winters… - Selfish. Don’t think about what you don’t have and think about
what you do have…
Tim Crouch came and taught us about himself and how he sees theatre and storytelling. He kept it vey basic with us picking up a cup on the floor using one action/movement - which was hard to get a grip off but I completely get it now. The point he wanted to get across that there is no point making something so normal/simple so fancy. Using his technique we put this into practise during the afternoon, it took us a while to get into the swing of it as some of us didn't understand what we had to do or some people didn't listen to one another which made it very difficult, but once we got it, it worked really well.
Improvising - Beowulf as an object rather than a person
Later that night I was watching a movie that was on Film4 called "The Eagle" which gave me some great inspiration for our show which includes makeup, set, costume and combining the old english text into the performance.
Hair
Makeup
Incorporating script with original text/language - songs
Dance
Fire
Masks
Weapons
Burial
War
Death
Thursday:
The day was used to experiment with movement for the war scene and to talk to the production team about lighting.
Zizuki Dance
Sitting/Standing Sats
Rowing
Actors creating a boat
Combat
Training
Voodoo Doll - which controls us (Dan)
Picked out for the army/Requirement to fight - could combine comedy - war (Victor)
Fish plaits
I don't know if anyone saw this on the Northbrook Blackboard - but how cool is this!
Puppets have been a big part of us as we have grown up with them from watching Punch and Judy (with your school friends) to the wonderful characters on Sesame Street (who are still well known today).
These are perfect ways to combine comedy with puppets
I came across this guy YouTube his name is Kev Sutherland (Scottish Falsetto Sock Putter Theatre), he creates videos using sock puppets which combines comedy, songs and political issues into videos, there are so many to choose from to look at but the basic use of the sock puppets work really well to tell whatever he is taking about. I hope you find this as interesting as I do.
(Version 1 - Incorporating jokes/comedy to the song)
A: Once apon a time, not so long ago
In a far away distant land
Surrounded by woodland,
There lived boy,
B: His name was Beowulf
A very sweet little boy,
But he had to grow up quickly,
His plans were changed,
The king sent him off,
To defend the land
B: From the ogar, Grendel
A: He came back so brave and so strong
He was the one who took care of us all
Both: Why do you have to go
Why do you have to leave
I know you'll be safe, but I want you here with me
A: There was a mean green ogar,
Called Grendel,
He
B: No that was skerk
A: There was an ogar and he slayed them all
He got jewels and money for his deeds
And he became leader of them all
A: Some 50 years later,
B: 50?!
A: Our tell comes to an end
B: Finally!
A: Just leave!
B: But don't wanna go, I wanna know what happens!
A: Where were we, ah yes
While slashing this dragon
It didn't go so well,
He was hanging off a metal chain and had to cut his arm off
B: Wait that doesn't rhythm
A: He fell, by the dragon by his side and they crashed into the ground and non of them survive,
B: Well that's a bummer, I shall tell you a joke instead;
Two dragons walk into a bar... and on says, "It's hot in here", and the other dragon says, "Shut your mouth"
Songs that have inspired me to write version 2:
Jack - Pixie Lott (Based on the nursery rhythm "Jack and Jill")
Go the Distance - Michael Bolton
I wish I was James Bond - Scouting For Girls
Living for the City - Stevie Wonder
It would be amazing to try and incorporate this into our show, in someway. Using music to tell a story but using comedy in it!
(Version 2 - Incorporating jokes/comedy/the story of Beowulf)
A: Once upon a time, not so long ago
In a far away distant land
Surrounded by woodland,
There lived boy.
B: His name was Beowulf. Oh what
do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear!
A: A
very sweet little boy,
But
he had to grow up quickly,
His
plans were changed,
The
king sent him off,
To
defend the land
He
came back so brave and so strong
He
was the one who took care of us all
A: Beowulf
had boasted,
About
what he had achieved,
During
the night Grendel came.
B: He’s a tall green ogar!
Both: No, that’s Shrek
B: What colour was he then?
A: It
doesn’t matter
B:
All together now, was he red? Was he Orange? Was he yellow? Was he…
A: HE
WAS NO MATCH FOR BEOWULF!
BEOWULF
FIGHTS HIM AND THE MOSTER SADLY DIES!
B: Oh, that’s sad…. Did I mention there was a severed arm? It
was hung in the Mead-Hall as a reminded of the victory!
A: There
was a feast in his honor,
With
lots of food and drink,
And
they all danced the night away.
Cheering
and laughing,
B: That’s because they were all drunk!
A: But
this was soon to end.
B: Oh?
A: Grendel’s
mother wanted revenge,
So
she killed Aeschere,
B: Hrogthar’s most trusted adviser.
A:
But Beowulf was smart,
He
dived into the swamp and killed her own sword,
B: He cuts off Grendel’s head and gives it to Hrothgar.
A: Beowulf’s
fame and fortune grew,
As people heard of his good deeds.
He
heads back to his hometown of Geatland,
Where
he ascends the throne.
Some 50
years later.
B: 50?!
A:
Will you stop interrupting me? You’re putting me off!
B: I’ll just go then.
A:
That would be a good idea!
B: But I don’t wanna go. If I’m silent can I say a joke at the
end?
A:
Fine, hold on where was I? Ah yes
A:
When Beowulf is an old man,
A
dragon emerges from the ground,
Intending
to kill the people of the Geats.
In a
deal of courage,
B: You mean people are pushing him to do it
A: Beowulf
goes to fight the dragon,
He
defeats him.
B: But at a cost!
A:
Beowulf sadly but horrically dies along with the dragon
B: While losing his arm!
A: He
is laid to rest,
At
the top of the hill,
Overlooking
the ocean and the horisan.
B: Which is what he ordered!
A:
This is not a sad story,
B: Nor a happy one,
Both: But you can make up your mind,
On what you think it is,
But there’s no need to worry,
Because……
This story isn’t real!
B: I’ve got just the thing to cheer you all up before you go:
Right, are you ready?
Two dragons walk into a bar and one says “It’s hot in here” and
the other dragon says “Shut your mouth”
Haha get it?!
I wrote this song the other night, I didn't have anything specific in mind when I wrote this, but I can change some of it to relate it to the story of Beowulf.
(Love) Drug - Song - (Addiction)
(Verse 1)
There's something inside of me that I can't let
go of,
But at the same time there's something inside
of me that I need to release,
It's haunting me,
Wrecking me,
Intoxicating me,
Trying to capture the light that's in my soul,
(Chorus)
I don't wanna feel like this,
There's nothing to make it stop,
My life has been turned around and tipped
upside down,
By what you have done,
I don't want it, I need it,
It's some kind of drug,
The only reason to explain this is,
Your love, your love is my drug,
(Verse 2)
There's a light inside of me, that can't be set
free,
A light that can only be seen, in front of you,
Just like a puppet, you pull me in every
direction,
Bowing to your every need,
Oblivious to what I feel,
To what I need,
I don't think I can take this any more,
(Chorus)
(Bridge)
Enough is enough,
I can't take this,
I've never felt this way before,
You've used me,
Abused me,
And manipulated me,
Now I stand up for I believe in,
My feelings have been pushed aside,
You've made me loose track of who I am,
You've had your way, now let me have mine,
(Chorus)
Chorus idea:
I don't wanna feel like this,
There's nothing I can do to make it stop,
My vision is cloudy,
My judgement is hazy,
And my body feels like its on fire,
I know, I don't want it, but I know, I need it,
It must be some sort of an addiction, The
addiction of you,
