Last week was an intensive creative week for me, leading to 26 individual work in progress performances of Treasured -A Secret Journey. As ever, there was too much to do in the time frame, but I enjoyed a really focused week with my five collaborators - Ben, Katherine, Louise, Sam and Gareth.
Having worked mostly in non-theatre "found" spaces it was a pleasure to be surrounded by good facilities and knowledgeable theatre people at Warwick Arts Centre.
Our aim was to write and perform three stories, one to go with each piece of jewellery, and each making a complete show in itself. In fact in the end we only completed two, but this was still more than enough work in the time frame.
We had enthusiastic audiences who engaged with the work in a inspiring way; all reacting in their own unique way to their individual performance.
There are still lots of questions to be challenged before the piece is complete (probably in Spring 09), but I'm really chuffed with the way we've started.
The stories have a real fairytale quality to them, which I love. Here are the opening sentences for two of them:
There was a girl who grew up in her Grandmother's house. A house made from warm wood and staircases - staircases that twisted and turned and reached for the stars.
- Arms piece
It has been the longest of summers. The days burnt into each other and the nights made only the briefest of appearances. Deep in the heart of the palace the old, frail King lay breathing his last breaths, coughing and groaning.
- Head piece