Story and Structure

It is great to be working with the Apples on 'In Our Hands', with a fresh new subject to tackle. After seeing the scratch performance at Little Angel theatre, it was clear to me that the show has a strong visual aesthetic and performance style and that the ensemble work well together. At this early stage I asked the company about their hopes and dreams for the piece, some aims included: informing the audience about the political, environmental and strict regulation surrounding trawling and the impact this has on communities such as Newlyn, use lighting to clearly demarcate space and place, and that the piece has a human 'heart'. We started to discuss narrative for the piece and let our imaginations run wild about what could be going on plot wise in this world we are creating. Perhaps the town has secrets and mysteries the audience might not be expecting, what we will choose to uncover and reveal is a tantalising question. I helped the cast discuss and reflect on their ideas so far, acting as a sounding board and story shaper.

We discussed Alf the main character and at this point the need to develop a stronger sense of who he is, his traits, behaviours and characteristics. We drew on the research and people that the company met in Newlyn, this formed a starting point on which to build our own fictional narrative. We will work in much more detail with the puppetry and stylistic elements of the piece once our narrative vision is more formed.

We hope to be able to present information about trawling and the complexities and issues surrounding it, whilst giving the audience an engaging experience and empathy with the situation of the characters. This is a big dramaturgical challenge and one which relies on the piece working well on a visual, narrative and stylistic level. Some audience members from the scratch at Little Angel thought that some of the scenes were a little didactic, something we will try and avoid in future. One of the tasks we face is to present information and facts that the audience needs to know, pinning them to the main themes and plot. At some point we will have our 'eureka' moment and the narrative will fall into place, for now the puzzle has not yet been solved, but it is fun trying to work it out.

Gemma Williams

Red Threaders Dramaturgy