However, having seen dozens of versions of her final piece, ‘4:48
Psychosis’ they have always left me cold. It is clearly a cry for help and a
distressing insight into a person’s mental breakdown and eventual suicide. The
writing is dark, moving and, at times, almost too much to take! When producing it I feel the trap a lot of actors and director’s fall into is to make it an
‘Artaudian Nightmare’ that screams, shouts and jumps around more often than not trying to ‘scare the audience’ or give them a ‘sensory experience’. All of which usually shows great theatrical invention but leaves an audience annoyed above anything else (maybe that’s the point?).
So, the biggest challenge for me is to take a script I don’t particularly like and try to make it work. I also have the disadvantage (not sure that’s the right word?) of working with an actress who absolutely loves the play! She has already been in an ensemble version and is the one who suggested it in a double bill. Originally it was going to be a two hander (to go alongside the double act in ‘Funny Ha Ha!) but I knew that if I was to direct it then I would want something different. I suggested to Becky a one woman version. At first she looked at me as If she wasn’t sure I was joking or not then realized I wasn’t! I’ve talked about this enough in my former blog so won’t go into but needless to say it took a bit of persuading. I asked Becky to adapt the script to suit, the one advantage being is that this play is literally just words on a page, without stage directions, and can be interpreted in anyway. First of all she wanted the character of the Doctor to appear, as it is suggested in the text that there are conversations between the ‘suicide case’ and her psychiatrist. But, I wanted this to be a conversation in her head that had been played endless times. We compromised and now have the doctor character appear at the end (won’t give it away as to why... you will have to come and see the show!). Does this make it a one woman show now? I think so? Becky has ten pages of dialogue to get through before the Doctor character makes an appearance right at the end with a page of dialogue! The rehearsal revealed a lot of things. Can you really expect an actress not to put any ‘emotion’ in her voice? To be totally ‘detached’ from feelings? Isn’t that the two key things an actor relies on? A couple of funny looks again from Becky but by the end I think we both started to ‘get’ where we were heading with the production. More will be revealed in our 3 hour rehearsal next week!
After the dark and, frankly, depressing journey through ‘4:48 Psychosis’ we move onto the next play in our Double Bill, ‘Funny Ha Ha!’ Totally different from Sarah Kane as in it is a new play and has nowhere as much detail in dialogue. Becky and I wrote a first draft knowing that this play needed to be
work shopped in rehearsal and changed as we went along. It tells the story of
two circus clowns who are at the end of their tether! To make the double bill
varied it attempts to be as theatrical and comedic as possible whilst still
looking at a serious subject matter. Having inventive actors is always a bonus
for me. If they can be armed with ideas on day one then my job becomes more of an ‘editor’ who picks and chooses what he wants. So, thank God for actor Darren Little who tuned up with juggling balls and magic tricks that he wanted to get into the play. So, the first thing we did was totally change the opening and add a couple of great visual gags. And the rehearsal went on in this vain, with not only Darren continuing to give a 101 brilliant suggestions but Becky (I think relieved to be able to finally emote!) showing her natural gift for comedy and adding her own little bits of business. By the end we had the same play but with vast improvements that had us all laughing like mad! Just the tonic we needed from rehearsing Miss Kane’s play and something I think will help rehearsals as we can change moods and, hopefully, show just how diverse Whole Hog can be.
Until next week...