(a love affair between Paper and Ink, for two voices)
SHE
Waiting for the lines
HE
The lines, the lines
SHE
Waiting to be filled
HE
Waiting to be sealed.
SHE
Thick and white and blank I lie
gazing up beneath the sky
Waiting to be filled
HE
Through her I live,
she gives me life, she lets me breathe
SHE
My edges curl, they rip, they tear
they gently undulate the air
HE
It is flirtation, invitation,
Paper flutters, palpitation.
She calls for words
SHE
Through him I live,
he gives me life, he lets me breathe
HE
I scrawl a story on her skin
of passion, of what lies within
SHE
He scratches out his joys, his pains
along my length and back again.
HE
I dot the ‘i’s’ and cross the ‘t’s’
each stroke a gift – when suddenly
SHE
The Scissors glint, they glare, they growl
Metallic mouthed into a scowl
Those cold blades wink
jealous of the Ink
envying the power
to conjure hour by hour
worlds of words, on the brink
of bursting forth in song
but silenced by steel’s long -
by Scissor’s deathly stare
that snip the trembling air
vibrating with the promise of
the whispered nothings of true love
My mighty Pen, mightier than sword,
than Scissor blades who rent the air
and unlike Ink can devastate
But never create, no never create.
HE
Jealous blades out to destroy
will slice and sharply slash our joy
They cannot bear our happiness
To save her I must sacrifice
I’ll pour myself, my soul, my all
to flood the words, the worlds, the small
attempt at reaching human hearts
and in so doing I depart -
SHE
The Ink is spilled, the deed is done
it spreads, a stain, begins to run
bleeds through me, bleeds about me still -
HE
But there are things you cannot kill.
Though I am spent and drying now
the tiny scrawls of love avow
a feeling that you can’t destroy.
SHE
And heavy, sodden though I am
I am in tact, which must annoy
HE
So jealous steel is not requited
although my ruin has delighted
love’s letter’s lost is not enough
to soothe the shining glint of lust.
SHE
In rage the blades cut through the lines
and through my skin and though he finds
an extra thrill in this reduction
it leads him to his own destruction
My lover’s blood still wet and raw
begins to clog his shining claws
and as I fade, in shreds, he must
I know, at last, succumb to rust.
SHE
So while the Ink and I expire
HE
We know there will be others
SHE
Some will be cut, some burnt in fires
HE
Some shredded, flooded, smothered
SHE/HE
But Paper and Ink will seek always
to meet, to mark each-others’ days
to leave those marks, those scrawls of love
vibrating air with promise of…
While blades will rust and fires will die
new pale blank Papers always lie
ready for Ink, to be transformed
to be transported, to be adorned
SHE
Waiting for the lines
HE
The lines, the lines
SHE
Waiting to be filled
HE
Waiting to be sealed.
Been doing some more work with that time-travelling magical duo Morgan & West and have another day with them coming up on Monday. It’s a fascinating insight into the world of magic – as with circus work as soon as you have a little vocabulary and some technical understanding it all becomes so much more accessible…so watch out for lots of magic in future Metta shows!
Also been off out on various meetings, mostly Arab Nights related, but as the due date draws increasingly near I’m trying to get people to come to me rather than have to schlep across town myself. That said next week, as well as the magicians, I’m off to ETT on weds to do another reading of my play ‘Box’ because the first one went so well I’ve (perhaps rather hastily) done a redraft and expanded it to a 30 minute play (rather than the original 20). Maybe it’ll get even longer – we’ll see. Then on Friday I’m up to Northern Stage again where we’ve been shortlisted for the Title Pending Award for New Theatre (for Arab Nights). Extremely chuffed, and excited, and only a little apprehensive about possibly going into labour on the train!
In other award-y news – we received a Circus Space Lab:time Award to develop Monkey & Crocodile which is brilliant – and I’ve been meeting theatres all over the country (well Bristol Old Vic and The Egg in Bath so all over the West country) about developing that together.
After a few fairly relaxed weeks and some much needed rest back in the West Country over Easter it’s now all gearing up again. I’ve been meeting with actors and a wonderful Iraqi designer called Rajha Shakiry who is going to design the costumes for Arab Nights. And just generally locking down the details of the autumn production. On top of which I may now be directing another two shows in the autumn – both Shakespeare plays – an As You Like It and a Much Ado About Nothing – that could be a busy time…
Yesterday I wrote a libretto for a short opera competition and today and tomorrow I’m jumping back on the shadowing bandwagon, spending a few days with the wonderful women of ETT.
Then Thursday sees the rehearsed reading of a short play that I wrote directed by my friend James Bounds at the newly opened Theatre Delicatessen building. Friday I have an NCT class and Saturday I’m in Sidcup talking on a panel discussion about Storytelling in the morning, then dashing back home for my baby shower in the afternoon.
So after a fairly quiet start to the year I seem to be getting busier and busier as the baby approaches…I’m sure that’s the wrong way round.
Last week I spent a gorgeous few days up in Newcastle shadowing Erica Whyman, Artistic Director & Chief Executive of Northern Stage. What an inspiring woman – she’s who I want to be when I grow up. Gosh it was tiring though – they literally none of them take any kind of break all day, so it was 10am-10pm straight through each day (because we also ended up watching shows in the evening) which is pretty heavy going when you’re seven months pregnant. That said when there’s so much going on in a building and so much energy and passion you don’t really feel tired (until you get home in the evening after getting lost on the Newcastle Metro…every night!!!)
This week is shaping up to be equally interesting. Have set to dramaturgical work already on our big project for the autumn – Arab Nights – a series of short plays by writers from across the Middle East and North Africa. Mostly stull unwritten apart from the play from our Palestinian writer which is already, excitingly, in its second draft – possibly becoming its third as I type. Also launched a crowd-funding campaign for that and have already raised 15% of our £3000 total so that’s looking positive.
Today I’m off for a meeting with the Gate and then going to a touring forum run by ITC now that Metta are ITC members. And then tomorrow I’m meeting with an Iraqi actress who might be a part of either Stories from 1001 Nights or Arab Nights, or both!
Spring is a time of things developing. Devoted & Disgruntled was as inspiring as ever, as was last weekend’s Women of the World Festival at the Southbank Centre - both planting lots of creative seeds that I hope will develop into bigger things over the next year.
Had a meeting at the Royal Opera House about developing a puppet opera there, and also met with a brilliant Puppet designer & maker – Mandarava – with whom we might collaborate on it. Also been meeting many many writers, a brilliant young Lebanese Composer called Bushra El Turk, and the British Council about a project we’re developing for the autumn which I hope to announce soon.
Last Monday I helped develop a piece called Fragments of Her for my dear friend Loren O’Dair at the Theatre in the Pound scratch night at the Cockpit Theatre. And I’ve also been developing – or rather reviving – my acting career as I performed (naked and 7 months pregnant) for the Belarus Free Theatre and Fuel at the WOW Festival at Southbank this weekend.
Then today had a rehearsed reading at ETT of a new play/project we’re developing – Stories from 1001 Nights – which will hopefully have a life this summer.
So lots of things developing, as well as the baby too of course. I’ll keep you posted as it all…develops.
Gosh, I’ve been off for a while. Laid up with flu for two weeks – which when you’re pregnant is no easy thing to get over. But up and running again now. Just got back from lunch with a producer advising me on touring. And back on the meetings train talking to people about Metta shows from Autumn 2012 through to 2014. All this business plan writing has made us very strategic. Let’s hope they all come off. Bush Theatre, Oxford Playhouse, Northern Stage, Southbank Centre, ETT, Soho, Lyric Hammersmith, Ustinov Bath, Farnham Maltings, Gate Theatre here we come. And Royal Opera House. And throw a few babies into the mix as well. That’s not over ambitious is it?
In the mean time I’ll spend the weekend with Improbable at this year’s Devoted & Disgruntled. In my flu-ridden state I was feeling very disgruntled with theatre in general, but now that I’m out of that I’m back to my natural state which is of course one of devotion.
The Dominican Republic was lovely – even managed to squeeze in a workshop with young people at a local school (staying with my sister out there, so not quite as random as it seems). Coming back to the bitter cold and massive pile of funding applications that need to be filled in…not so lovely.
Still, I’ve discovered a real love of spread-sheets. And this week has been far more varied than simply filling in forms. I also had a meeting with the Arts Council (about filling in forms, among other things). Will was in tech this week and had forgotten his staple guns and a big stick, so I took them to the meeting (as you do) and the woman I was meeting actually said ‘Have you come to beat me with a big stick?’ Yes, because that’s the way to get ACE funding I think. Monday afternoon was spent at the Young Vic chatting to other mums-to-be and mums as part of their ‘Working In Theatre With A Family’ or WITWAF group, and evening was spent watching Ayckbourn’s Absent Friends at what’s now called the Pinter Theatre but will forever be known as The Comedy.
Tuesday I spent…filling in forms. Yesterday I spent at the Young Vic doing a workshop on Producing (some more useful form-filling advice there from the Development Department). Then today a brief respite from all the forms – spent a day with magicians Morgan & West working on character, back-story and generally (hopefully) tightening up their show. Tomorrow promises more forms, followed by seeing the Magician’s in the evening trying out their preview for the Adelaide Festival. Magic.
The R&D has been whizzing by – can’t believe we’re showing something tomorrow. Not sure if anything is quite fit for human consumption yet, apart from the delicious organic apples from Will’s farm. Been huge fun though, if a little cold as we’ve spent a lot of our time working geurrilla style (and gorilla…well monkey at least) outside in playgrounds. No rain so far, but it is getting colder by the day.
Also cramming in as many phone meetings and as much time for writing funding applications as I can between rehearsals – about to fly to the Dominican Republic on Thursday though, so there’s light at the end of the 12-hour-day tunnel.
Last week was hectic and included several skype meetings and regular phone meetings with a composer I’m writing an opera with, and my costume designer and aerial choreographer for Monkey & Crocodile. As well as a few face to face meetings with a lawyer, an accountant and a marketing expert (all for Metta).
This week has turned out no less (and arguably more) hectic with Monday cracking off with a meeting with English Touring Theatre – who are very kindly going to mentor us on out STC tour (hurrah) – followed by some epic business plan writing. To clarify – the writing of it was epic, the plan itself is…well it’s great but it’s just a business plan.
Yesterday trumped that with five meetings (Southbank Centre, Young Vic, Young Vic, Hampstead & RSC) followed by a quick trip to Argos to pick up some playground equipment for the Monkey & Crocodile R&D followed by a dinner party for the cast/creative team for that. Luckily I’d made the crumble the night before and put the slow-cooker on before the five meetings so I returned from Argos to a lovely stew that had been cooking for ten hours. And crumble for pudding. And everyone stayed the night because we were rehearsing nearby – it was like my dream of having a Theatre Commune.
Today was relatively relaxed by comparison. First day of rehearsals for the R&D. Started with acro-balance on a slide, then some juggling (got up to six apples between them…albeit very fleetingly). Then back to ours for lunch (home-made soup). Then some snake-boarding and tricycle chase sequences, then a bit of aerial work off a swing – amazingly not too cold to be working outside in a playground – crazy weather! Finally I made them do some animal character work (in the bedroom). All got a bit dark and adult. Good to know there’s some depth to this piece but maybe we’ll leave the violence out for the family version.
Last year I decided 2011 would be the year of amazing…which it was. So this year I have to choose a new word to represent all that is to come. So far I have ‘the year of courage’ which maybe sounds a bit negative, or ‘the year of new beginnings’ which sounds a bit naff. Maybe ‘the year of great things to come’…no I’ve got it – ‘the year of greatness’. S0 2012 will be the year of greatness.
The end of 2011 was pretty great – managed to cram in a few last minute meetings before everything wound down for Christmas – Royal Opera House was a highlight, as well as a meeting with Headlong to pick their brains about how to run a company, and some magicians (Morgan & West) I might be working with this year.
This week it all gets proper busy again with a clutch of meetings, some business plan writing and lots of funding applications to nail. It’s going to be great…
