Major Tom
Things to think about from Major Tom:
- Drawing similarities between two disciplines / areas to highlight / juxtapose/ compare
- Presenting documentary style personal experience
- How we can share the stage in solo
- Creating a script from recorded speech
- Relationship with audience – inclusive, confessional, conversational
- Satire addressed through whimsy / endearing tone
- Measured pace/ emphasis of delivery
- Performance arc – maintaining story, losing floaters
After taking a while to warm up to Mrs. Melody, I enjoyed her gently comedic performance with its critical / political undertones and healthy dash of feminism. She had a clear, linear progression; the audience knew what to expect and the kind of journey they were going to go on, though I don’t suggest the narrative was predictable, the comedic elements certainly kept it from being so and both Victoria and Major’s personal peaks and troughs kept us moved throughout the performance.
Though not looking to create such an extensively devised piece, there are some things I’d like to consider for my own solo. I really liked how we got a sense of her character through her script / speech. Speaking to her in the post-show she said the way she created her script was to tell her story to someone, record and dictate it. I think this is a great way to convey the right sense of tone in a conversational piece, I think it would be interesting to contrast sections of script created in this way with devised, written pieces and see how the differences sounded and felt.
I also thought it was very clever how she tinged the piece with a slightly political tone in places, an interesting way to highlight everyday politics as encountered by us all. I think this is definitely something to consider for my solo not only to give it another dimension in terms of context but to help ensure a wider reaching message can be derived from what is likely to be a self-involved, though not self-indulgent, performance.
Most importantly her point on maintain the performance arc was really interesting and helpful. When asked in the post-show how she chose what material went into the final show and what other things she had gathered were left out she said that it was important to focus on the performance arc and discard any ‘floaters’. I think this will be really helpful for selecting material when I settle on my final idea.
Major Tom by Victoria Melody (2015). [Lincoln Performing Arts Centre, Lincoln, 5th February 2015].