Alison Oddey states that:
“Devised theatre can start from anything. It is determined and defined by a group of people who set up an initial framework or structure to explore and experiment with ideas, images, concepts, themes, or specific stimuli that might include music, text, objects, paintings, or movement” (1996, 1).
This is definitely the case for our company, especially in relation to images which have been our main source of stimuli. Within the framework created by our director, Laura, the work has been “generated by a group of people working in collaboration” (Oddey, 1996, 1). This means that the cast have been given more creative input than they may have had in a more text based process, which has allowed them to try out ideas and create fragments of work.
By devising we have allowed ourselves scope to create original work that is topical and reacts to society and the events within it. For us, devising:
“enables a group of performers to be physically and practically creative in the sharing and shaping of an original product that directly emanates from assembling, editing, and re-shaping individuals’ contradictory experiences of the world” (Oddey, 1996, 1).
Particularly the idea of ‘re-shaping’ is something that we are testing out in relation to the famous and personal images. As a company we want to create work that “reframes stories that consider notions of identity and communication; to explore how it has changed, how it has evolved, how it has refracted” (Refract Theatre Company, 2015).
As the stage manager, unlike a text based show, it is difficult to begin work on the technical aspects of a devised show until work moves into the development phase. Once this begins it is possible to begin drafting the book for the show and consider technical elements such as lighting and sound. In order for this to be possible it is important to manage time and create deadlines “balancing initial planning, research, and preliminary workshops against how time is scheduled for the making of the product, for rehearsal and for performance” (Oddey, 1996, 12); creating and sticking to an activity plan is essential. This week we have continued to experiment with a view to starting to develop some of the work created towards the end of next week’s rehearsals.
Works Cited:
Oddey, A. (1996) Devising Theatre: a practical and theoretical handbook. London: Routledge.
Refract Theatre Company. (2015) Manifesto [online]. Available at: https://refracttheatrecompany.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/our-manifesto.