The phenomenon of theatre clan.
Melanie Challenger says in her book, How To Be Animal, “The methods by which animals work together to hold off dangers elide into the related idea of social buffering. This is the phenomenon now found to exist in a wide variety of animals in which the presence of other members of the same species can act to reduce the stress experienced by an individual. Being together can make some social animals like us, feel better too.”
This late autumn has thrown its fair share of turbulence about-globally and locally. In the midst of big change we are so incredibly privileged to be able to work at what we love . I’ve been immensely galvanised and supported through this moment by working with two theatre artists Polly Wiseman and Peta Lily. Both women are powerhouses of the UK theatre world and I count myself incredibly fortunate to have created work with them each in different ways over the last decade and more and, to have worked with them again this autumn.
With Polly I have been the movement eye for the early stages of her first autobiographical theatre piece, ‘How To Go Crazy For Good’. This is an upbeat riotous celebration of women and the crazy world of being diagnosed as bipolar. Polly is determined to keep away from ladling the unbelievable horrors that her diagnosis dealt her whilst giving the audience little flashes of this incredible personal story. It’s first airing was on 27th November at the Omnibus Theatre as part of the Engine Room programme. Keep your eyes peeled for this work as it develops and for anything she makes as actor, writer or director.
It is with theatre clan I come together, needing only a space and focused time on a subject.
I recently held a series of sessions on deer with core company member Timothy Dodd and a small group of generous and curious practitioners. We gathered in a bare rehearsal room and, using imaginative improvisation, immersed into the animal bodies and the herd and brought the sense-information of field, forest and urban intrusion into the otherwise prosaic space. The group reflected how grounding it was, and at the same time, how expansive. And how the experience brought a palpable sense of refuge.
Theatre maker, performer, director Peta Lily came in to observe and give some feedback on this research. Her collaboration in the room brought rich suggestions and provocative text which augmented what we were discovering with our current deer and stag focus. Peta has a laser eye for story, for substance and for contrast of images and ideas and has given so many less skilled makers of theatre, including me, gems of advice and insight. If you are looking for a show to light up your winter you can catch Peta’s current solo show, ‘Parker Dee’, at Crazy Coqs, Zedel, Soho in February.
Peta Lily and Polly Wiseman make up part of my theatre clan and their presence alongside me this autumn has played a pivotal role in keeping a steadfastness of spirit through this unpredictable time.
