Performed as part of FEAST Festival, ‘A Pattern of Bad Behaviour’ follows two individuals looking to add some excitement into their lives and to escape the mundanity of their days. We see them meet for the first time and begin to fight in a carpark. We then see an escalation of their actions as they introduce weapons and become more desperate for the adrenaline rush that comes from putting themselves in danger. This is displayed through a simple set. There is a box on the floor drawn as if to represent a boxing ring where all the action takes place. Two stools are also moved around the set. They are different colours which suggests two opposing sides and the characters differing personalities brought together through their shared desire to connect. Their differing opinions and subsequent goals are ultimately what leads to a breakdown of their relationship as they disagree on the necessity of fighting each other to feel wanted. 

Performed as part of FEAST, which encourages diverse work that focuses on community and how we interact with each other, it felt like a relevant and illuminating piece as it explores the idea of a search for connection and the length a person can go when they are swept up in a moment of desperation. 

The piece uses well known and upbeat music which adds familiarity and energy to the atmosphere, helping to engage the audience within the action. Furthermore, the fight sequences were dynamic, and it was clear to see and feel the increase of intensity as their relationship progressed. However, as the performance is made up of a series of short scenes, some of the sudden music changes felt a little jarring at times and momentarily disrupted my engagement with the characters. 

‘The Endling’ by Strange Futures is an energetic and physical devised performance that sets up a world you are instantly sucked into. The piece’s exploration into the moments that species die out is portrayed in a disjointed and episodic way. It is as if the story itself is a fragmented memory of how things used to be, but even that is now crumbling away. 

Within this piece, Strange Futures tackle issues of climate injustice and raises questions about how we impact the world. It does this within an intimate setting that allows the audience a chance for self-reflection and consideration. 

I felt that the shows lighting invoked a sombre and isolating atmosphere that created a more intimate connection between myself and the performers. This contrasted nicely with the larger-than-life characters presented to us as we see those big personalities on a dim and bare stage. This juxtaposition felt almost like the remnants of what a species can be- big and loud and so full of life. Therefore, this contrast with the knowledge that this is now coming to an end causes a feeling of injustice that something so spirited can be stripped away so easily. At times the amount of energy even felt wrong- why are they so full of life when we already know how it is going to end? 

‘The Endling’ poses questions about the environment without lecturing its audience on what they should do better. It serves as a reminder of all the species before us that have now become extinct and suggests that one day it will be our turn. The performance creates a sense of calmness. It suggests that the end won’t necessarily be a big spectacle, but a rather subdued and muted one. Ultimately, it leaves us all wondering, what would happen if everything just stopped? 

‘War of the Worlds’ by Rhum and Clay reignites the classic tale of Orson Wells’ 1938 radio broadcast as a means of exploration into fake news and the uncertainty that lies between fiction and fact. 

Made in the run up to the 2016 presidential election, ‘War of the Worlds’ was created with the intention of exploring the ramifications of spreading fake news. It feels like an incredibly relevant production that causes us to reflect on why we believe the stories we are told and question the people telling those stories. Even in 2021, with the number of conspiracies circulating about the Covid-19 pandemic and anti-vaxxers, the productions message maintains its importance and significance with its audiences. 

Switching between past and present, the play’s main narrative follows a podcaster (Jess Mabel Jones) as she investigates the story of a family affected by the 1938 broadcast. The play is laced with misinformation and deceit as her quest for truth leads her to lie about her identity to gain information from the family and slowly, what was being investigated for entertainment purposes, is turned into a weapon. 

Intertwined within the narrative, we are introduced to Orson Welles as he talks about his little prank. The character appears to refuse responsibility for the reaction the public had and seems to believe there was no real harm done. His attitude is emphasised through striking physicality and split-rolling as the cast speak about the event as if they are children playing a game with no real thought of consequence. 

The production places the tech box in clear view on stage. This not only resembles the set-up of a recording studio, providing an exciting visual image, but also fits with the piece’s intention. The technician almost appears as a manipulator of the play- observing the events that occur on stage and then controlling the lighting and sound to twist both the characters and our own experience of the action, much like the news can take a true story and edit it to create a more interesting narrative. 

The performance demonstrates the different ways in which people can manipulate a story and begins to explore some of the reasoning behind it. The precision of the physical movement combined with the script and set creates a striking performance that provides an engaging and impactful play. 

One show that has influenced me is ‘The Man Who thought He Knew Too Much’ by Voloz Collective (2022), which I watched at The Swan Theatre in Worcester. One of the main things that stood out was their dynamic way of storytelling. They used a combination of physical sequences and narration to tell the story, interrupting certain physical moments to step out of the action and add important or comedic observations about the story. This allowed me to see how key moments can be highlighted and emphasised in effective ways. This has encouraged me to think outside the box when considering how to convey a complex story with lots of plot twists in a simple yet effective way. Furthermore, it gave me an example of how far a narrative can be pushed where it still feels genuine and believable, even when the events are getting more and more ridiculous throughout. This has encouraged me to think about the importance of drawing the audience in and finding a connection with them so that they are willing to follow the characters on their journey. 

Also, their use of props and how they were used to signify characters made the story extremely clear and added to the comedy. This was especially effective when they were manipulated as if they were blowing in the wind. This allowed me to see how props can be used as an integrated storytelling device of their own and how they can impact a performance instead of just being used to aid a performer. I now want to experiment with how I can incorporate props into a piece without just using them as a visual tool to drive the plot forward.

Another performance that influenced me was ‘The Endling’ by Strange Futures (2021). With such a bare stage, there was a lot of focus put on the characters. Two of the characters seen in the show communicated through sounds and exclamations without the use of speech. Their ability to convey what they were talking about through physical representation and mime was interesting because I found myself being drawn in to focus and work out what they were talking about. This impacted my practice as I now want to explore how much, or little is required in order to create clear communication with an audience and the importance of every little movement and sound when telling a story physically.