All images by Vlada Nebo @slycatempire
For the RADA MA Theatre Lab 2024 Clown adaptation
of a classical play,
we chose The Winter's Tale. AKA Exit, Pursued By.
You can find previous Clown Dramaturgy posts from previous Clown adaptations by searching in the Categories (see to the right).
All photographs in this post by @slycatempire
One thing I love about approaching Classical texts in Clown is the ability to reveal the absurdities of misused power (as well as the concurrent pathos of those on the receiving end of injustice).
Also I love the ability to elevate the lowly characters, and the overlooked perspectives. We featured the sheep, the servants, the baby Perdita, Florizel, a tree (in Bohemia) and The Bear. The Bear's through line culminated in an Anger Management meeting which Leontes attends.
Double up!
The large cast exigency of doubling characters doubles the fun of stage business as well as amplifying themes and emotions - for example: Hermione's pain; Leontes' Tyranny (and subsequent grief); and the Mama Bear ferocity and care of the plural Paulinas.
Set the theme
We began the play with a Country & Western song about a grieving man 'Statue of a Fool' sung / spoken by the two kings.
Set the scene
And then segued into an ensemble tableau of Leontes's court. See the image above. Enough time was spent here to enable to audience's eyes to take in the madness and clown genius of all the details. You'll see, on the right, a foreshadowing of The Bear. Missing from the photo above is a found prop (it was not in the room when the photos were taken). One person in the court tableau had chosen to mime fanning the King. 'Can we get a fan?', I asked? A large woven fan maybe? It needs to be big. Someone in the company indicated an electric standing fan in the room. The performer (who was one of the Hermiones) comes from India and she (as did we all) enjoyed the opportunity to depict injustice in an absurd way and, via the medium of clown, deliver an anti-colonial message. The Fan had a cord - 'can you put that over your shoulder'? And then Hermione #2 stepped forward and held it - 'oh, yes! can you plug it into your heart?' As she acted being drained/slightly electrocuted, a bit of Dark Clown suffering was added to the picture.
Use humble magic
The titular concept of Winter was honoured at a few points during the 50 minute piece with tiny accents of tossed torn-paper snow provided by the framing ensemble - marking moments of weather, or emotion or magic. Our Rock-star Oracle sprinkled some over themselves to add pizzazz in their appearance in the courtroom scene. (In this image below, you get to see the fan!)
of a classical play,
we chose The Winter's Tale. AKA Exit, Pursued By.
You can find previous Clown Dramaturgy posts from previous Clown adaptations by searching in the Categories (see to the right).
All photographs in this post by @slycatempire
One thing I love about approaching Classical texts in Clown is the ability to reveal the absurdities of misused power (as well as the concurrent pathos of those on the receiving end of injustice).
Also I love the ability to elevate the lowly characters, and the overlooked perspectives. We featured the sheep, the servants, the baby Perdita, Florizel, a tree (in Bohemia) and The Bear. The Bear's through line culminated in an Anger Management meeting which Leontes attends.
Double up!
The large cast exigency of doubling characters doubles the fun of stage business as well as amplifying themes and emotions - for example: Hermione's pain; Leontes' Tyranny (and subsequent grief); and the Mama Bear ferocity and care of the plural Paulinas.
Set the theme
We began the play with a Country & Western song about a grieving man 'Statue of a Fool' sung / spoken by the two kings.
Set the scene
And then segued into an ensemble tableau of Leontes's court. See the image above. Enough time was spent here to enable to audience's eyes to take in the madness and clown genius of all the details. You'll see, on the right, a foreshadowing of The Bear. Missing from the photo above is a found prop (it was not in the room when the photos were taken). One person in the court tableau had chosen to mime fanning the King. 'Can we get a fan?', I asked? A large woven fan maybe? It needs to be big. Someone in the company indicated an electric standing fan in the room. The performer (who was one of the Hermiones) comes from India and she (as did we all) enjoyed the opportunity to depict injustice in an absurd way and, via the medium of clown, deliver an anti-colonial message. The Fan had a cord - 'can you put that over your shoulder'? And then Hermione #2 stepped forward and held it - 'oh, yes! can you plug it into your heart?' As she acted being drained/slightly electrocuted, a bit of Dark Clown suffering was added to the picture.
Use humble magic
The titular concept of Winter was honoured at a few points during the 50 minute piece with tiny accents of tossed torn-paper snow provided by the framing ensemble - marking moments of weather, or emotion or magic. Our Rock-star Oracle sprinkled some over themselves to add pizzazz in their appearance in the courtroom scene. (In this image below, you get to see the fan!)
Honour the through line of your props.
'The fan needs a payoff', I said. At the end, for the miraculous transformation of the frozen Hermione, the fun was brought forward (now plugged in to electric supply) and handfuls of paper snow plumed towards the frozen statue of the double Hermiones.
Find and love your Metaphors
Find your metaphors and honour them. The Statue of a Fool song presages and adds a bit more oomph to the statue(s) at the end, as well as serving a point on how patriarchy hurts men too. Both Leontes and Hermione endure a process of petrification.
Running Gags
Running gags are a part of Clown Dramaturgy (they can either serve a function akin to that of symbolism in dramatic works, or simply assist the game of laughter nudges. Any time it was mentioned, the guards thumped their fists on their breastplates and chanted percussively: 'SI.CI.LY!' (later to be countered by Aloaha-shirt-clad guards from 'the seaside country of Bohemia. 'ALL. HAIL.BOHEMIA!')
Neglected perspectives
To continue the point of focusing on the neglected perspectives of the play. We enjoyed having a representation of Perdita as a baby - allowing us to highlight the anxiety over her abandonment. We used a baby body prop - made by the player who wore it - the likes of which used to appear in Vaudeville acts. I also used this prop device in Strange Forces.
The actor played the baby with a sometimes sassy joie de vivre and sometimes a sweet innocent obliviousness (e.g. babbling a lullaby gently to herself as The Bear appears onstage). This created an effect that was memorable; ridiculous, hilarious, but palpable. Also slightly surreal and sad. It also allowed us to show the anguish of those who came in contact with her (adding a bit more Dark Clown flavour there also).
'The fan needs a payoff', I said. At the end, for the miraculous transformation of the frozen Hermione, the fun was brought forward (now plugged in to electric supply) and handfuls of paper snow plumed towards the frozen statue of the double Hermiones.
Find and love your Metaphors
Find your metaphors and honour them. The Statue of a Fool song presages and adds a bit more oomph to the statue(s) at the end, as well as serving a point on how patriarchy hurts men too. Both Leontes and Hermione endure a process of petrification.
Running Gags
Running gags are a part of Clown Dramaturgy (they can either serve a function akin to that of symbolism in dramatic works, or simply assist the game of laughter nudges. Any time it was mentioned, the guards thumped their fists on their breastplates and chanted percussively: 'SI.CI.LY!' (later to be countered by Aloaha-shirt-clad guards from 'the seaside country of Bohemia. 'ALL. HAIL.BOHEMIA!')
Neglected perspectives
To continue the point of focusing on the neglected perspectives of the play. We enjoyed having a representation of Perdita as a baby - allowing us to highlight the anxiety over her abandonment. We used a baby body prop - made by the player who wore it - the likes of which used to appear in Vaudeville acts. I also used this prop device in Strange Forces.
The actor played the baby with a sometimes sassy joie de vivre and sometimes a sweet innocent obliviousness (e.g. babbling a lullaby gently to herself as The Bear appears onstage). This created an effect that was memorable; ridiculous, hilarious, but palpable. Also slightly surreal and sad. It also allowed us to show the anguish of those who came in contact with her (adding a bit more Dark Clown flavour there also).
Double fun
Doubling the characters brings double the impact (see the fierce four-armed Leontes below) and double the fun (the palace guards) plus a complexity of attitude and response to characters (see the two Hermiones here below).
Doubling the characters brings double the impact (see the fierce four-armed Leontes below) and double the fun (the palace guards) plus a complexity of attitude and response to characters (see the two Hermiones here below).
Make the pain palpable (and cathartically ridiculous)
Other overlooked moments in the original Shakespeare text includes the fact that Hermione gives birth in a prison. Cue the Prison Birth Rap (imagine the beat underneath).
Prison birth - The bed was not comfortable
Prison birth - The equipment was not clean
Prison birth - No epidural
Prison birth - Nothing fit for a queen
Prison birth - No Pilates balls
Prison birth - No paddle pools
Prison birth - No whale music
Prison birth - It’s just awfool
Other overlooked moments in the original Shakespeare text includes the fact that Hermione gives birth in a prison. Cue the Prison Birth Rap (imagine the beat underneath).
Prison birth - The bed was not comfortable
Prison birth - The equipment was not clean
Prison birth - No epidural
Prison birth - Nothing fit for a queen
Prison birth - No Pilates balls
Prison birth - No paddle pools
Prison birth - No whale music
Prison birth - It’s just awfool
You can see here above the two Kings bearing witness to this (on the right, one sitting, one standing on a chair) - note their individual reactions to the moment.
Shared experience
I love having all actors onstage throughout the piece (Shared Experience theatre company used to do this to wonderful focusing effect, albeit in drama, rather than clown). It requires a lot of focus from the ensemble during the devising and requires a lot of detailed focus from the directorial eye, but can add the power of choric moments (at one moment, the whole ensemble played Leontes' rage as a thrashing serpentine tail). It also certainly gives more playing opportunity to the clown players not in the centre space scene-play of the moment.
Ensemble means no small parts
Stanislavski said 'there are no small parts'. See the charisma and joy of this clown serving in the courtroom scene as 'Stenographer's desk'.
Shared experience
I love having all actors onstage throughout the piece (Shared Experience theatre company used to do this to wonderful focusing effect, albeit in drama, rather than clown). It requires a lot of focus from the ensemble during the devising and requires a lot of detailed focus from the directorial eye, but can add the power of choric moments (at one moment, the whole ensemble played Leontes' rage as a thrashing serpentine tail). It also certainly gives more playing opportunity to the clown players not in the centre space scene-play of the moment.
Ensemble means no small parts
Stanislavski said 'there are no small parts'. See the charisma and joy of this clown serving in the courtroom scene as 'Stenographer's desk'.
Strategic Stupidity
And here, right, this clown serving in the role of 'Tree'. As well as evoking the country of Bohemia, the sole tree underscores the utter aloneness of the baby after the guard who delivered here there (yes we used a Guard, not Paulina's husband as in the original) makes an uncomfortable exit due to the arrival of - you guessed it - The Bear. The Tree character also keeps us invested in the thought that the clowns have decided to stage the play this way.
Follow through your stupid idea
See here below left: the Shepherd, her stupid son and sheep. The shepherd and her son saved the baby and now we see (below right) the grown Perdita (alongside her baby-self for both fun and Clarity).
The Shepherd's favourite sheep is beside her, although they are indoors. In this scene, after Perdita confides to her adoptive mother both her love for a 'very special boy' and the fact that he is - ta dah! - a Prince in disguise (as a sheep in our clown world) so as not to attract the displeasure of his father, King of Bohemia).
And here, right, this clown serving in the role of 'Tree'. As well as evoking the country of Bohemia, the sole tree underscores the utter aloneness of the baby after the guard who delivered here there (yes we used a Guard, not Paulina's husband as in the original) makes an uncomfortable exit due to the arrival of - you guessed it - The Bear. The Tree character also keeps us invested in the thought that the clowns have decided to stage the play this way.
Follow through your stupid idea
See here below left: the Shepherd, her stupid son and sheep. The shepherd and her son saved the baby and now we see (below right) the grown Perdita (alongside her baby-self for both fun and Clarity).
The Shepherd's favourite sheep is beside her, although they are indoors. In this scene, after Perdita confides to her adoptive mother both her love for a 'very special boy' and the fact that he is - ta dah! - a Prince in disguise (as a sheep in our clown world) so as not to attract the displeasure of his father, King of Bohemia).
Beats and reactions
Below - more joy of doubles, plus react, react, react. As Mamet said: 'Beat, beat, beat'. I don't think he ever said exactly that, but that is how the audience follows a story (this, then that, then that), and how the audience understands the stakes and follows the emotional arc of the story. Dramaturgy is built beat by beat. Is that true or does it just sound good because of the alliteration?
Anyway it's worth saying because many new theatre makers can get trapped at the level of their ideas. How does your stage action play out over the duration of your stage time? What is the nub of your piece and how does that express itself into different threads? Keep us interested using variety and contrast from moment to moment. During the devising process, be sure to keep the mind in a state that's receptive and playful enough to pick up on the running threads. Is something bringing your process to a halt? ... do you need to incorporate something planted earlier? Or skip to another scene elsewhere in place and/or time, or just change mode (i.e. from tight action to a musical interlude?)
Below - more joy of doubles, plus react, react, react. As Mamet said: 'Beat, beat, beat'. I don't think he ever said exactly that, but that is how the audience follows a story (this, then that, then that), and how the audience understands the stakes and follows the emotional arc of the story. Dramaturgy is built beat by beat. Is that true or does it just sound good because of the alliteration?
Anyway it's worth saying because many new theatre makers can get trapped at the level of their ideas. How does your stage action play out over the duration of your stage time? What is the nub of your piece and how does that express itself into different threads? Keep us interested using variety and contrast from moment to moment. During the devising process, be sure to keep the mind in a state that's receptive and playful enough to pick up on the running threads. Is something bringing your process to a halt? ... do you need to incorporate something planted earlier? Or skip to another scene elsewhere in place and/or time, or just change mode (i.e. from tight action to a musical interlude?)
The take on the story - Time, trouble and a moving tableau
Now that's timely (pun unintended but let it stand) - because there is a Time Out in The Winter's Tale that is about the passing of ... Time.
Here we picked up on one of the statements that was harvested from the Clown Council process - one clown thought that Shakespeare must have been very depressed to write TWT. This Clown Council statement led me to research Country & Western music, famed for articulating heartbreak, which led to the fortuitous finding of the 'Statue of a Fool' song.
One clown states:
We’re not here to tell you what to do …
We’re just researchers …
We’ve taken this disturbing artifact
And are trying to work with it, understand it
(By the way, this drops a seed for the philosophical / quasi scientific investigation of the magical transformation at the culmination of our play.)
We see another (non-static) tableau of: time passing in abstract movement, the bear eating the dead guard. the KIngs in desolate torment, the Aloha-shirt-clad guards of Bohemia surviving their imprisonment, the growing and maturing Florizel and Perdita (placed edge of frame stage right and left) transforming as if by time-lapse photography during the scene. Plus a few sheep living their sheep lives.
One actor almost broke my heart here as her sheep as she subtly but palpably moved through the seasons, shivering stoically in the winter because of the shearing (mentioned in TWT as well as our version of the play).
Sung on a strummed guitar to the tube of Tom Wait's 'Time.'
Well a king got a bee in his bonnet and his wife pays the price
And his dear son dies because of it all
And there's travel by sea to a landlocked country
Where a bear has a new arrival to maul
And the baby doesn’t cry ‘cos she’s known no other life
A fiancée’s growing up and they will meet
And the storm’s inside your mind and the rain is everywhere in life
And the king has nothing left
But a stack of regret.
And it's time, time, time ...
Learning how to bear it
Sadly on the photo shoot we got no images for the Bear Anger Management meeting scene, but here's a snippet of text:
Teddy: My name Teddy, I'm a bear.
Group: Rawr, Teddy …
Grizzly: My name is Grizzly
Group: Rawr, Grizzly …
Grizzly: I don’t know why I’m here – I’m not angry, I’m a bear.
Bear Facilitator: It’s ok, this is a safe space. Remember our motto – anger is Bearable.
Group (nodding): Rawr ...
Leontes (seated): My name is Leontes
Teddy: You have to get up.
Leontes (gets up): ... Leontes, I’m a king ...
After Leontes gets in touch with his feelings and is given advice, someone else raises their hand:
Bear Facilitator: And you, what’s your name?
Clown stands: Bozo the great.
Group: Rawr, Bozo.
Funny haha
A funny thing (pun acknowledged) about playing Shakespeare - the clown speeches are not always laughter-provoking on the page. Humour does not age well. The antique phrasing, words and concepts don't easily split the ribs of a 21st Century audience. Speaking of words, in TWT, the Shepherd's stupid son is literally listed as 'Clown' in the Dramatis Personae.
We need to remember that the meaning of the word clown has changed since its inception. Wikipedia says:
'c. 1560 (as clowne, cloyne) in the generic meaning rustic, boor, peasant. The origin of the word is uncertain, perhaps from a Scandinavian word cognate with clumsy.'
In the Clown Council process (this is the exercise where, the players, in clown state, reflect spontaneously on the original text and it's themes), a few of the clowns protested: '... 'and the 'Clown' isn't even funny!'
Bozo: I’m here to protest the level of un-funny of the character called "Clown" in 'The Winter’s Tale'.
Really he should just be called what he is – the shepherd’s son. It’s a crime, giving misrepresentation
to our trade.
(unfolds piece of paper)
Here are some of the "clown’s" 'jokes'. Which are really just – dialogue.
a/ Prithee bring him in; and let him approach singing.
b/ Comfort, good comfort!
c/ Ay, by any means prove a tall fellow.
I don't even think that last one's grammatical.
In one rehearsal, The actor playing the Clown, seated at the edge, interrupted this scene by laughing in an inane high pitch after each of these underwhelming phrases. It was a nice follow through of the whole 'clowns approach the text' conceit so we plotted that contribution in.
Weaving themes through like a dance
One more follow through was at the sheep-shearing party scene. I asked the group for contributions for folk dance music. One person suggested Struttin', continuing the C&W reference at the very start of the piece and the upbeat rhythm of the track made it perfect for a line dance. See here below.
Now that's timely (pun unintended but let it stand) - because there is a Time Out in The Winter's Tale that is about the passing of ... Time.
Here we picked up on one of the statements that was harvested from the Clown Council process - one clown thought that Shakespeare must have been very depressed to write TWT. This Clown Council statement led me to research Country & Western music, famed for articulating heartbreak, which led to the fortuitous finding of the 'Statue of a Fool' song.
One clown states:
We’re not here to tell you what to do …
We’re just researchers …
We’ve taken this disturbing artifact
And are trying to work with it, understand it
(By the way, this drops a seed for the philosophical / quasi scientific investigation of the magical transformation at the culmination of our play.)
We see another (non-static) tableau of: time passing in abstract movement, the bear eating the dead guard. the KIngs in desolate torment, the Aloha-shirt-clad guards of Bohemia surviving their imprisonment, the growing and maturing Florizel and Perdita (placed edge of frame stage right and left) transforming as if by time-lapse photography during the scene. Plus a few sheep living their sheep lives.
One actor almost broke my heart here as her sheep as she subtly but palpably moved through the seasons, shivering stoically in the winter because of the shearing (mentioned in TWT as well as our version of the play).
Sung on a strummed guitar to the tube of Tom Wait's 'Time.'
Well a king got a bee in his bonnet and his wife pays the price
And his dear son dies because of it all
And there's travel by sea to a landlocked country
Where a bear has a new arrival to maul
And the baby doesn’t cry ‘cos she’s known no other life
A fiancée’s growing up and they will meet
And the storm’s inside your mind and the rain is everywhere in life
And the king has nothing left
But a stack of regret.
And it's time, time, time ...
Learning how to bear it
Sadly on the photo shoot we got no images for the Bear Anger Management meeting scene, but here's a snippet of text:
Teddy: My name Teddy, I'm a bear.
Group: Rawr, Teddy …
Grizzly: My name is Grizzly
Group: Rawr, Grizzly …
Grizzly: I don’t know why I’m here – I’m not angry, I’m a bear.
Bear Facilitator: It’s ok, this is a safe space. Remember our motto – anger is Bearable.
Group (nodding): Rawr ...
Leontes (seated): My name is Leontes
Teddy: You have to get up.
Leontes (gets up): ... Leontes, I’m a king ...
After Leontes gets in touch with his feelings and is given advice, someone else raises their hand:
Bear Facilitator: And you, what’s your name?
Clown stands: Bozo the great.
Group: Rawr, Bozo.
Funny haha
A funny thing (pun acknowledged) about playing Shakespeare - the clown speeches are not always laughter-provoking on the page. Humour does not age well. The antique phrasing, words and concepts don't easily split the ribs of a 21st Century audience. Speaking of words, in TWT, the Shepherd's stupid son is literally listed as 'Clown' in the Dramatis Personae.
We need to remember that the meaning of the word clown has changed since its inception. Wikipedia says:
'c. 1560 (as clowne, cloyne) in the generic meaning rustic, boor, peasant. The origin of the word is uncertain, perhaps from a Scandinavian word cognate with clumsy.'
In the Clown Council process (this is the exercise where, the players, in clown state, reflect spontaneously on the original text and it's themes), a few of the clowns protested: '... 'and the 'Clown' isn't even funny!'
Bozo: I’m here to protest the level of un-funny of the character called "Clown" in 'The Winter’s Tale'.
Really he should just be called what he is – the shepherd’s son. It’s a crime, giving misrepresentation
to our trade.
(unfolds piece of paper)
Here are some of the "clown’s" 'jokes'. Which are really just – dialogue.
a/ Prithee bring him in; and let him approach singing.
b/ Comfort, good comfort!
c/ Ay, by any means prove a tall fellow.
I don't even think that last one's grammatical.
In one rehearsal, The actor playing the Clown, seated at the edge, interrupted this scene by laughing in an inane high pitch after each of these underwhelming phrases. It was a nice follow through of the whole 'clowns approach the text' conceit so we plotted that contribution in.
Weaving themes through like a dance
One more follow through was at the sheep-shearing party scene. I asked the group for contributions for folk dance music. One person suggested Struttin', continuing the C&W reference at the very start of the piece and the upbeat rhythm of the track made it perfect for a line dance. See here below.
The full Pastoral
In the image below this - note the shepherd's son's shears at the ready.
In the image below this - note the shepherd's son's shears at the ready.
Body shape, configuration in space
Each moment tells a story and serves character and plot. Physically and vocally, the performers use tension and release to present, to create different dynamics and atmosphere.
Click on the images below that to see the captions. The pictures are from various moments in the show.
Each moment tells a story and serves character and plot. Physically and vocally, the performers use tension and release to present, to create different dynamics and atmosphere.
Click on the images below that to see the captions. The pictures are from various moments in the show.
Winding up
It was humbling bringing the piece to a close. These Clown adaptations (as part of the module I lead each year) are written/devised and rehearsed in about ten hours.
After playing fast and loose with certain aspects of the original play and story, I really got to appreciate at first hand how deftly Shakespeare would follow through and knit together all the threads.
We had to elegantly (while still stupidly), bring together all the parties and resolve all the problems and reconcile all the relationships and bring not only the plot, but the conceit of our piece to a satisfying close.
Conceit: Clowns encounter a play about rage and regret and loss and new gains, and in their playing of it, show the audience the role of humour and of wider imagination* in achieving it.
* The clowns have empathy for the bears and the sheep, as well as for the humans. Also the clown play holds the possibility for multiple views to co-exist. They can critique Shakespeare's poor or negligent grip on geography (Bohemia as a seaside country), as well as offering the perspective that those in power can absolutely be as stupid as they (the clowns) are seen to be by the 'sad normals'**.
** 'sad normals' is a teaching phrase I use (of course, there is, in life, no normal).
Addenda:
Metaphor and music
Oh, one more thing - the storm. The harrowing event that causes the wreck of the ship aboard which was the guard bearing the baby. It's a metaphor for the storm in Leontes' mind (mentioned in the song 'Time' and both metaphor and reality of the wide-spread havoc his unschooled emotions have wrought. Imagine this photograph (below) in movement - not pictured is one clown who circled the group and made a leaping pantomime blanche crick-crick-crick crack of lightning on centre front each time.
We planned to use music here, but opted for the splish-splash/wind sound soundscape created by the clowns themselves.
The cohort was an international group and we used, at one player's suggestion, a brilliant Icelandic heavy metal track based on a folk song. This was used in the choric writhing serpentine tale created by the full ensemble that formed in the space at the peak of Leontes' jealousy.
Leontes:
I can see them in my mind’s eye
Making the beast of two backs – without me!
Emotions, feelings! What are they?! I don’t want them!
Ensemble form writhing Jealousy train covering whole stage
SFX: Icelandic rock music
Put her in prison!
Lock her up!
Ensemble chants: Lock her up!
Chant continues as ensemble forms prison scene.
Set pieces
The storm, like the courtroom is a great set piece. Different to the original meaning of that word is the fact that the clowns use their own bodies to create the special effects. See also the image under the heading 'humble magic' where you'll see The Oracle appearing from behind the flipchart scroll, elevated on the shoulders of the tallest ensemble player. (I love that this player chooses to serve this function while simultaneously playing his role as the young son Mamillius). This seeming ridiculous, chaotic style allows for the richness of layers.
The prison was another such scene, with ensemble members providing physical support as well as restraint for the pregnant Hermiones.
It was humbling bringing the piece to a close. These Clown adaptations (as part of the module I lead each year) are written/devised and rehearsed in about ten hours.
After playing fast and loose with certain aspects of the original play and story, I really got to appreciate at first hand how deftly Shakespeare would follow through and knit together all the threads.
We had to elegantly (while still stupidly), bring together all the parties and resolve all the problems and reconcile all the relationships and bring not only the plot, but the conceit of our piece to a satisfying close.
Conceit: Clowns encounter a play about rage and regret and loss and new gains, and in their playing of it, show the audience the role of humour and of wider imagination* in achieving it.
* The clowns have empathy for the bears and the sheep, as well as for the humans. Also the clown play holds the possibility for multiple views to co-exist. They can critique Shakespeare's poor or negligent grip on geography (Bohemia as a seaside country), as well as offering the perspective that those in power can absolutely be as stupid as they (the clowns) are seen to be by the 'sad normals'**.
** 'sad normals' is a teaching phrase I use (of course, there is, in life, no normal).
Addenda:
Metaphor and music
Oh, one more thing - the storm. The harrowing event that causes the wreck of the ship aboard which was the guard bearing the baby. It's a metaphor for the storm in Leontes' mind (mentioned in the song 'Time' and both metaphor and reality of the wide-spread havoc his unschooled emotions have wrought. Imagine this photograph (below) in movement - not pictured is one clown who circled the group and made a leaping pantomime blanche crick-crick-crick crack of lightning on centre front each time.
We planned to use music here, but opted for the splish-splash/wind sound soundscape created by the clowns themselves.
The cohort was an international group and we used, at one player's suggestion, a brilliant Icelandic heavy metal track based on a folk song. This was used in the choric writhing serpentine tale created by the full ensemble that formed in the space at the peak of Leontes' jealousy.
Leontes:
I can see them in my mind’s eye
Making the beast of two backs – without me!
Emotions, feelings! What are they?! I don’t want them!
Ensemble form writhing Jealousy train covering whole stage
SFX: Icelandic rock music
Put her in prison!
Lock her up!
Ensemble chants: Lock her up!
Chant continues as ensemble forms prison scene.
Set pieces
The storm, like the courtroom is a great set piece. Different to the original meaning of that word is the fact that the clowns use their own bodies to create the special effects. See also the image under the heading 'humble magic' where you'll see The Oracle appearing from behind the flipchart scroll, elevated on the shoulders of the tallest ensemble player. (I love that this player chooses to serve this function while simultaneously playing his role as the young son Mamillius). This seeming ridiculous, chaotic style allows for the richness of layers.
The prison was another such scene, with ensemble members providing physical support as well as restraint for the pregnant Hermiones.
Showing the usually un-shown - the pregnant Hermiones in prison.
Prop check and quiet individual a l'italienne run before the invited audience sharing.
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