Observership on ‘The Arrival’ at Alchemy Festival at Southbank Centre

As someone who is experimenting with visual arts, performance art & new circus crossover, I was curious about the showcase performance of Tamasha’s the Arrival at the Alchemy Festival, Southbank. I applied for the observership as I thought it could be a fantastic opportunity to witness a week of rehearsals leading to 9 performances at the Royal Festival Hall and to be a part of the creative process in such an unusual and site specific situation. The rehearsals were open to all and the staging of the production unfolded to passersby each day. It was a privilege to observe director Kristine Landon-Smith at work, leading a team of creatives, to be able to meet and engage with all the performers and the production team on a daily basis.

The daily rehearsals, which were fully open to the public, took place in the RFH foyer’s space on the 2^nd floor, in front of large glass walls, surrounded by staircase, a lift and a seating area. The performance spot was rigged with circus apparatuses: 2 poles, silks, straps, rope and slack-rope all neutral in colour (black and white).These formed a part of the stage design together with a number of subtly suspended white paper birds and an enlarged sepia portrait illustrations out of Shaun Tan’s graphic novel.

The working conditions seemed quite challenging, with largely no rehearsal space privacy whatsoever. The director, choreographer, performers and production team needed to be able to block out the constant passing by and visitor interactions with the space, and the festival as a whole. One needed to be ‘in the zone’, concentrated fully on the task rather than on a flux of external stimuli ranging from frequent loud sounds of events happening in the space nearby (workshops, concerts and performances), through toddlers running into the rehearsing area, to the people ascending / descending the staircase and just general mingling of the public. What was remarkable is that Kristine as a leader kept calm, clear in her intentions and directions. She held absolute charge of the rehearsal process and schedule, assisted by production manager Tom’s attention to organisational detail.

My main focus during the observership was to see how a professional and experienced director works on a production that merges circus with theatre and visual arts. I was interested to particularly observe the following areas:

• how a theatre director negotiates ways of rehearsing a circus / theatre performance piece and interacts with not only performers but the whole creative and technical crew
• how  a work inspired by initial source that is purely visual, develops into a theatrical production
•  the dramaturgical possibilities in site-specific performance
• how one negotiates and organises timescale and the logistical needs and practicalities of such a process

A collaborative approach to creation of such a cross over genre is clearly essential. Kristine employed a talented young choreographer, Freddie Opoku-Addaie, whose role was to take care of the physical aspects of the performance – the football and a ship scene in particular. She also had Circus Space’s acrobatics lecturer, Glen Stewart, as an adviser present at a few of the rehearsal sessions. It was a joy to witness scenes being constructed and how the whole collaborative team interacted at ease, as Kristine is a very encouraging director for both her performers and collaborators.

Each circus performer devised their physical role and then fine tuned it under Kristine’s direction to suit the scene. The text, which referred to real life migrant and refugee accounts, was poetically scripted by Sita Brahmachari and beautifully delivered by the actors, Charlie Folorunsho as the lead character in particular. The role of music and sound was here crucial too as it evoked the external and inner landscape through which the characters were navigating and added a further emotional impact to the performers’ presence and movement.

It’s a shame that in this instance lighting couldn’t be employed – together with the noise pollution in my opinion, a major obstacle for working in such site-specific circumstances. As one can’t expect to have total control of one’s stagecraft as in a more conventional theatrical space, I felt that intimate and more poetic moments of the show and their dramaturgical impact got lost during some performances due to the ever present institutional light and competing festival sounds.

What I got from this week is a real insight into the complexities of working with a professional company in site-specific circumstances with the looming pressure of a deadline – which in my opinion is simultaneously limiting and enhancing. I realised what a physical toll such an intense work schedule takes on all, and especially on circus performers. In such a working environment, it is crucial to find ways of keeping the energy levels and focus up as the 3 performances were spread throughout the afternoon and the evening. The physical toll and aforementioned problems with noise and lack of control over lighting are however counterbalanced by the sheer amount of exposure this showcase gave to all involved.

Being a part of the Alchemy festival in the centre ofLondonbrought many thousands of people closer to the work and skills of Tamasha and Circus Space creatives, many of whom are probably new audiences for Tamasha, intercultural theatre and for circus/ theatre crossover in general.

Lara Ritosa Roberts – Observer

Week 4 Photographs of ‘The Arrival’ by Anna Nguyen

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Observers on ‘The Arrival’ – Weeks 3 & 4

Image: Barry Lewis

“So, as I sat down to write this, I thought – ‘how can I transfer all of my reflections into just a few paragraphs..?’ However, it soon became clear, that what’s even more important is my own personal journey within this process… And it’s been an incredible one…!

During one rehearsal, I remember Kristine saying to the group; ‘ this show is a series of beautiful images’ and that is most definitely true. I’ve been particularly struck by the beautiful aesthetics, and the real simplicity of the images that frame the scenes..

Learning to become an ensemble is a real skill. Through the process, these talented circus artists have opened and grown together to become just that – an ensemble. While the hands-on approach of play, and really looking at the performers to see what they individually and collectively need, has remained the same, what has changed, has been the opening and expansion to incorporate and hold all of their circus disciplines as well. This nurture, and real understanding of what is needed at any given time, helped to create and consolidate real trust in the room, whilst also building an ensemble energy - vital ingredients for any theatrical piece.

Observing the process this time around, things just fell into place even more. That wonderful, yet essential marriage of doing as much prep/research as is needed, and then whilst in the room, allowing things to simply unfold, with the trusting of instincts (both the director’s and the actors’), and the careful set-up of play and improvisation. And with each layer, the piece becomes more alive and thrilling. One instance where this happened for me was the use of the actors’ cultural context. This often helps to bring a piece of theatre to life, as the text automatically becomes very ‘full’ and alive. And whilst the use of the cultural context is one layer, it can often inform, and expose further layers.

And what a thrill it is to watch a circus artist in their zone, with their discipline… from the adrenaline-fuelled flying trapeze, to the beautifully graceful cloud swing. These are images I’ll never forget! They evoke such powerful emotions.

I’ve always loved how we don’t need words to create or express an emotion, and this piece is a prime example of that. Scenes were created with such simplicity and sensitivity, using the circus disciplines, playing with levels/heights, and adding delicate music – the experience is a feast for the senses – a kaleidoscope of emotional colour.

‘That for which we have words is already dead in our hearts.’ ”

Renu Arora – Observer

Photo: Barry Lewis

“The opportunity for an emerging artist to observe a professional production from start to finish is an incredibly valuable experience. As a huge fan of Kristine’s practice the observership has allowed me to get close and personal to a true representation of her practice.

Each day I arrived at Circus Space, I would have my morning coffee in the Juggler and decide one thing to focus intensely on for that day.  However no matter how much I chose something different the focus always boiled down to Language and instincts. As I sat pensively on the gym mat at 9:45 on a Tuesday morning, I closed my eyes and listened intently to Kristine’s voice:

“Right we’re just going to do the street scene again this morning to 11 o’clock”

“It will be a bit tedious, but if you commit 120% then it will move along very quickly, it’s already looking very good, and then you can have a  twenty minute break.”

“And because I’m so nice we are only going to work to 3 o’clock today, so you can have extra time for training. So can we all get ready for the street scene”

The sheer clarity struck me. In one swoop Kristine had set up the morning, informed everyone what to expect, instilled her own confidence and set up a reward system. It would seem that Kristine’s approach of ‘Actor Led’ is mirrored in her rehearsal room direction as well. Her decisions were born from an ability to sense how the group was feeling each morning and afternoon, and from there deciding what she would need to do in order to work well. This can be a scary thing for some directors, because it is so open to the moment and anything could happen, or change rather.

For me it has been particularly integral part of my development as a young director to undertake the observership shortly after the Actor / Directors Lab. I remember hearing certain phrases and small details that Kristine had said, but never really being able to make sense of them. Well, not until The Arrival.

For example, she always spoke about not ignoring what is happening in the rehearsal room. On day three of The Arrival, the session was stopped and everyone one was called into a circle. As I watched Kristine, I observed the students meddling nervously with their shoe laces.

“As a director it is important for me to address a resistance in the rehearsal room, when there is one, and find a way to dissolve it, as it can be very hard to continue and have a really fruitful process if it does not get resolved at an early stage. So I just wanted to call this circle to invite you all to come and tell me how you are feeling about this project at the moment? Is this what you had expected, are you happy, are there things that really work for you? etc”

From far right of the circle a voice appears, “I am really enjoying the process, but to be honest I was expecting there to be more circus. It seems that it’s more ‘theatre with circus’ rather than ‘circus with theatre’. Personally for me I find it a bit weird we have to justify all our tricks through a narrative, especially as circus is such an abstract thing already”

From that moment on an escapade of hopes, fears and worries cascaded into the middle of the circle. As I observed Kristine tackle them head on, sometimes faltering, sometimes succeeding to stretch their minds, it became more apparent to me just how important and unavoidable this discussion was. From this point on the road was a lot smoother, the minds of the performers more flexible and the director had gained the company’s trust.

It is integral that a rehearsal room is set up correctly, and what Kristine does so well and courageously is recognise the individual needs of each person on board the project, and face emotions and dilemmas head on.

This was the most profound part of my journey as an observer, and it is certain things like this you cannot learn through a book, teaching or advice, but only through demonstration.

Thank you Tamasha for an exhilarating experience that will forever contribute to my work as an Artist.”

Anna Nguyen – Observer

Photo: Barry Lewis

“For a process that had so many ideas, theories and images, to consolidate this into words seems too difficult. I entered the process very eager and enthusiastic about the experiences ahead of me. I leave the research and development still eager and even more enthusiastic about my endeavours.

Kristine approaches her work with such an open mind. Each day offered a new improvisation and a fresh exploration, conquering the ambiguity of creating something tangible.  I was particurly taken back by the vast amount of research that has gone on before we even entered this space. This was so easily seen in how Kristine approached working with the students. It added ease in the rehearsal room; all that the performers needed to do was to trust Kristine and the team at Tamasha. To trust the director’s vision is always at the centre of any work, as once this is established, something unique happens. After a discussion I had later with Kristine, she acknowledged this moment when addressing the street scene. Unfortunately I was away this day, so I saw this moment at a later time in the process. On entering the rehearsal room at the final stages before performance, it felt dramatically different. The trust was so apparent and strong. The space was one of excitement, anticipation yet conclusion. The set was so cleverly matched with the narrative and formula of the piece.

Shaun Tan’s The Arrival images were so brilliantly utilised and expanded. The birds suspended from the ceiling covering the right-hand side of the space were an artwork in itself. The images carefully crafted by Kristine were ever evolving ‘stills’, lifting off the page of The Arrival and into the physical. The structure and order of the scenes exposed the trap of this constant and universal cycle of immigration. Yet as I left the performance it felt like just a taster of what is to come. For this I wait as I started, just as eager and enthusiastic.”

Alice Jordan – Observer

Photo: Barry Lewis

Week 2 Photographs of ‘The Arrival’ by Anna Nguyen

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Observers on ‘The Arrival’ – Week 2

Photo by Anna Nguyen

“We hit the ground running this week with frameworks for all the major scenes. The process of building up the layers – images, movement, circus skills, text, storytelling and soon sound, costume and projection – is necessarily slow. However, more and more I think that everyone is beginning to understand and thrive within this system of working. Image by image and moment by moment, Kristine is allowing the performers to find their own way of telling their part of the story while not losing a sense of ensemble and bigger stage picture.

I came into this process for various reasons but one key question for me to explore was how does one organically incorporate circus skills into a narrative – or vice versa. Of course the book, The Arrival, has come first and has provided inspiration for Kristine, Sita and the other members of the creative team. So how is Kristine incorporating the performers into what was already a strong artistic and aesthetic vision? I have enjoyed how much she gets involved, whether in the volleyball warm-ups, nurturing an improvisation or energetically demonstrating the style of movement necessary. Not all directors I have worked with have been so “hands on”, and this is a way of working that really appeals to me. I think it has also won over the company. So, although scenes and structure may have been decided before rehearsals began, in the rehearsal room it is crucially the performers who are given freedom to improvise, contribute to text, voice ideas and hone their routines. Going back to the comments from last week about director and performer/actor each offering something that the other can’t do, I think it is important for a director of circus to acknowledge that the circus artist knows infinitely more about their discipline and use this to the advantage of the process.

I have also been interested in the way that the performers’ own languages have been used so regularly. As text is generated by them and captured by Sita, they are often encouraged to improvise in Polish, Spanish, French, Arabic… Obviously in a play about generations of immigrants toLondonthis works well, but there is something else happening here too. There is little artifice and the performers are often “being” as opposed to “acting”. For a group with some initial resistance to “acting”, they are now doing just that simply by playing in the space. I would be very interested to watch Kristine work on an already established text that couldn’t necessarily be adapted so freely.

My favourite moment from week two came on Friday when we worked on each scene we had in chronological order. The section where Obi, the father, leaves his son inNigeriawas particularly moving. It was a potent combination of music composed by Felix Cross, simple text, and movement created by Antonio on the Chinese Pole. It will be a powerful example of how circus can be used within a narrative and for me highlighted what this process is all about. When I see, for example, Kat perform an incredible trick on the Cloud Swing (I could name check anyone in the company here), my immediate reaction is consistently one of raw amazement and total engagement. This is something I experience less commonly watching a “conventional play” in a theatre. Maybe by combining the disciplines, the one can enhance the other. There is also something thrilling about being in a rehearsal room where a normally impossible instruction such as “Climb that ladder upside down, fly across the room performing a somersault and land in a double back flip” (!) can become real. This observership is opening my eyes to so many possibilities and I am certainly keener than ever to pursue the idea of directing circus.”

Amy Draper - Observer

Director Kristine Landon-Smith watching rehearsals. Photo Credit: Anna Nguyen

“In sitting down to write this blog I found myself striving for the revelatory idea or erudite comment that would illuminate the development and creativity of the last fortnight in the rehearsal room.

And I strove and strove. And still I couldn’t think of anything, which was puzzling because I knew so much had happened, being in the rehearsal room was thrilling because of the physical skill of the artists and the delicacy of this new language of circus narrative that was being cultivated, so much that was exciting and incredible. So why was writing about it so hard? So instead I paused and looked at the photographs that my fellow observer Anna Nyugen had taken of the rehearsal process.

And then I saw the most important thing about these two weeks – and the most important thing I had learned from Kristine: look at your actors, look and really see, not what is wanted by the director but what is needed for the actor.

And what I saw were images of raw skill and moments of company play and a depiction of a director immersed amongst these artists involved in candid conversations with the cast. And what I recalled instantly, was the amazing development of the last two weeks of these highly skilled individuals into a great ensemble, tentative forays into acting were now captivating scenes which held the entire room, and how these circus artists had found some real moments of beauty and emotion in the narrative from their skill.

And again things sort of ‘clicked’, like when I was on last year’s Actor/Director Lab. I understood that even though the cultural context may have other layers involved now (as well as different nationalities, the individual performers’ disciplines inform this) the process of playing with the actor and seeing what is needed for them has not changed, just as the frame of working has expanded to encompass the scale of work being created. I saw that play was still essential, and trust me when I say that seeing a skilled circus artist in full flight (sometimes literally) playing with their discipline in an improvisation is incredible to watch; improvisations were still set up and played and moments that they created were captured and cultivated. And that patience and courage is required by both performer and director, the patience to afford both the chance to exercise their skill in complement to the other – although the rate at which we work is highly swift and efficient – and the courage of both to stay the course even when one is uncertain where it may lead but definite that there is something there to discover.

The resolve to trust one’s own instincts is great to watch in any artist but the instinct to trust another’s is the mark of a great artist. I have seen that this fortnight.”

Ian Nicholson – Observer

‘The Arrival’ Anna Nguyen Photographs