Blackout by Davey Anderson

Heard of it? Not a lot of people have!
If you have, what do you think of it? I want to know everything!!!!!

I went to go see this in scarborough as part of the national theatre new connections and although there was some good parts about it overall i was quite disappointed as to me, there was no end and no real story behind it. I liked how there were people saying the characters thoughts and telling the story but nothing ever really happened it was all in the past and it left me a bit confused although it was executed very well.

Reply 2

Bicallis

Bethied

My theatre group is doing it as part of the new connections too and so far we had brilliant feedback. The theatre we peformed at (hamstead) has even asked us to come back. It really depends on how the actors have interpreted the text. Who did James end up killing in the one you saw?

Reply 3

Ellytea

Wow, this is an old post! Not sure if you're still interested in answers but here we go.

Just performed this for my GCSE drama performance, we had a group of 5 - 2 girls and 3 guys. We all took on the role of James together, coming together in unison for different parts and splitting up the text into monologues also.
We all multi-rolled as the other character's - we all played the mum as voices off stage, but divided roles like the judge to individual people.

We interpreted the text as intended to be performed very minimal, to small audiences. We performed in the round, with the audience around us so we were completely enclosed. Around the edge of the circle, we had mirrors to represent reflection.

We wanted to turn it into more physical theatre however, because while the words were powerful we wanted a mixture of simplistic monologues mixed with just the craze and maddness going on inside James's head.

I'm most proud of a scene we divised ourselves, independent of the text. The scene with the 'Slasher Film' we thought to be very significant - this was the turning point where he started to crave the bloodlust.

Using a red sheet, we had this intense music playing and a strobe light going and coreographed the 'slasher film' James was watching, and portrayed him literally being sucked into it, first of all being thrown around by this sheet into the audiences faces but then beginning to enjoy the bloodlust, and gaining control of the knife so he winds up figuratively stabbing someone. The 'knock on the door' brings him back to reality, where's he's imagined all this bloodlust in his head.

I loved the text. It left it so open to interpretation, and i'm so proud of what we managed to devise. Its such a powerful piece of writing!

Reply 4

mirror_blue_night

ooh just came across this thread... Blackout's gonna be at the Edinburgh Fringe this year! It'll be directed by Neil Bettles from Frantic Assembly and Davey Anderson will be involved in the rehearsal process so it definitely looks like one to watch :wink:

http://www.thickskintheatre.co.uk/Current_Projects.html

I agree with Ellytea...I think the text lends itself brilliantly to a more Physical approach. And with the Director being from Frantic Assembly... that's what to expect :smile: