VOLT: The Cycle Snippet

 VOLT- What I performed and how the script came about.

As I have said The Cycle was initially written as part of my BA at Circomedia. This required 20 minutes of material however, the maximum amount of material allowed at VOLT is 15 minutes. Obviously this meant I needed to make some changes.

In the first draft of The Cycle script I had sections of songs chosen because of how they related to the topics in The Cycle. At Circomedia I realised that audiences tend not to listen to the lyrics of songs, this meant that I had to be clever about the songs I chose and how I portrayed them. So I decided instead to try to use my physicality to recreate on stage the feeling the song evokes in me. Therefore, I would be maintaining the feeling of the song without the audience needing to know the song or exactly what the lyrics are saying.

I chose to use songs in my audio because of the connection we have to music; this is evidenced by my grandma’s constant singing at Christmas. I was also inspired by the video of the dancer with Alzheimer's remembering her routine after hearing the music. I think it’s interesting how our bodies remember but our minds do not, therefore using my body to portray a mental issue will be really interesting. Many of my circus skills have become muscle memory, they have moved into a different section of the brain than other knowledge such as facts or life events. Alzheimer's tends to effect the hippocampus first, which means muscle memory is not affected. 

Since the song Mad as a Hatter was one of the 1st pieces of inspiration, I decided to include a section of the song in The Cycle. I chose the 1st verse and chorus because of the description of time being a thief and Alzheimer's reaching into your mind to hollow it out appearing in My big little mum– Christian Oliver, I felt created this idea of time/ Alzheimer's being a creature, reaching into people’s minds.

There are lots of similarities between clients and carers and I think one of the most common is loneliness, this got me thinking about The Lonely by Christina Perri. Not only does this song reference loneliness, but also not wanting to go to sleep in an empty bed, which I think is relatable to all of us. On top of that, the lyrics remind me of Brian and dancing around his kitchen with him. I felt it was important to include this song in The Cycle as I can see some really strong imagery building around dancing with my trapeze.

It was tough cutting down the script but I felt it was important to provide a variety happy, sad and funny moments. As well as a mix of client conditions, client families, my family and my thoughts, I wanted to bring the audience into the world of care, give them as many different experiences as I could fit into a 15 minute piece.

Now I have the possibility of 40-50 minutes worth of  material I am unsure whether or not to add the songs back in. The feedback from VOLT was so positive and after performing the snippet I don't think the songs would have added to the performance. Instead I think I will add other stories of my time as a carer and how the death of my first client affected me. Additionally I hope to bring a script writer in to work on The Cycle before I take my physical R&D further.