since FIX21 got the opportunity to perform again, this time in glór, with Emma Breadman. We called it Chop Chew. It was discombobulating but also very convenient, given that it was a 10 minute journey so I could get the lunches made etc before leaving.
More of that later. Now I am going to Revision Festival again. I think it was some time early this morning, like 3am, when I woke up with my proper idea for the perforamnce. I do realise that even though I am now calm as I have set myself tasks (therefore I simply have to complete the tasks) I have yet to find out if I an actually do the tasks I want to do.
What I submitted to Revision:
Performance title: Going on a bit.
Performance Description: Durational performance.
Estimated length: 90 – 120 minutes
Concept:
I want to put on my nice clothes. I want an occasion. And in my nice clothes I will talk, and talk, and talk until the words become meaningless. I And at this occasion I will keep talking. I will talk about myself, my deepest insecurities, shit that’s annoying me, how I feel about the world, my favourite colour, why middle ages lady hairstyles fascinate me, I will talk to the audience, I will talk to the other performers, I will keep this up and I will go on and on and on until it gets uncomfortable, a little unpleasant, and more than likely boring, and the whole point of communication is getting questionable and the meaning of the idea of language and how we use it has become lost.
Sometimes performance art very clearly cordons off the audience to play their role as ‘the audience’ when they are required to simply watch. I want to make the audience question their role and what is expected of them by switching up the job of performer and audience.
I want to get into that space, that uncomfortable space, and bring the audience in too if
they want, and allow ourselves to reconsider society’s expectations of how we should
behave.
There’s always one person who won’t get off the phone, who will stand a little too close to you when they are talking at you, who goes on and on about their problems, sucking the life out of you. There always one person who is hilarious at the beginning and gives off a light that you want to feel the glow of by just being near them. I want to investigate what happens when that light stays on too long and overheats and starts to warp the lampshade, and the burning smell emanates out as it all goes too far, too hot, too bright, too much. That one person who won’t stop talking on zoom, when every particle of your being is screaming at them to shut it, but no they are still there going on about shit that seemed interesting for a millisecond when they first opened their mouths, but Christ, not any more. I want to make the audience think about what is ok and what is not ok. What behaviour is normal and what is not normal and why does society ask for ‘normal’.
My idea (as written down at 3am)
Ideas for going on a bit Going through the motions of what I do each day, doing the actual actions, all the time keeping up a stream of consciousness of talking non stop. So get up, find slippers, go to toilet, wash hands burst teeryh, etc go to kitchen let out dog make coffee etc and keep going through each stage of day whilst keeping up my internal dialogue throughout
So lets break this down: wake up, roll out of bed, find slippers, feel for glasses and phone, place these on window, stumble to bathroom, go to toilet, look in mirror, brush teeth, , come out, out on dressing gown, go to kitchen, meet dog, let dog out for toilet break, go into kitchen, turn on coffee, turn on kettle, do some squats, get dogs food, pet dog, give dog food, heat milk for my coffee, drink a mug of hot water, make my coffee, sit down drink my coffee look at my phone, go put lights on in kids rooms, come back finish coffee, go get Annie dressed, get breakfast stuff for kids on table, kids in to kitchen, go get dressed myself, make kids beds, get annies hair brushed and done, follow kids around and shout at them to brush teeth and hair get their shoes on, tidy up breakfast stuff, hassle kids in to coats, let whichever builders into house that morning, get kids into car, wave goodbye and hug kids, go get my boots and dog lead, take dog for walk, bring dog home, drink another coffee, get work bag, get organised, send emails, drive to ennis, park car, walk to studio, sit down and do emails, potter about, draw stuff, leave, come home, eat something quickly, go to toilet again, get in car and drive to get kids, senf a text or two, park car and talk to whoever is there waiting who I know, greet sna and Annie, greet Hec, help annie into car, put walker and bags in boot, make sure all kids are in, wait to get out of space and drive out, deposit kids, get home, bags into house, help annie into house, take out lunchboxes, toast bagels. get drinks, sort out food stuff, chat re day, take out books, sit down start homework, spend an hour arguing, checking phone, doing homework, picking up pencils, ruling red lines, finding rubbers, asking sums and doing tests, checking homework online, talking to builders, emptying dishwasher, sweeping floor, bringing annie to toilet, charging ipad, answering door, arguing with kids re music practice, sweeping floor again, prepping dinner, dropping connla to training, driving home, eatign dinner really fast, going back to pick up connla, coming home, making lunches, packing and putting bags into hall, getting pjs on, doing stories, brushing teeth, kids to bed, take a shower, put on trackie pants and t shirt, look in mirror at face, do facial exercises, clean bathroom, sweep again, talk to husband, hug older kid, put loads of laundry away, go to bed to look at phone and read a book for two pages.
Tsk: simplify the above, rehearse performing the tasks WHILE talking through them, non stop, a monologue of inner thoughts as I go about the tasks. Goal: to keep up the talking non stop whilst acting out the actions of going about my day.
