R&D at artsdepot
Our second R&D was hosted by the brilliant artsdepot
in London as part of their artist residencies. We set up
home in their Creation Space with an expanded team,
full set and a meticulous plan (based on audience
feedback!) to develop BURNOUT.
Our R&D has been both challenging and exciting, demonstrating the excellence of our people and our hunger to bring the show to the audiences it deserves.
SOUND DESIGN
Jamie Lu has joined the team as our Sound Designer;
they have been working through the idea of cycles
that are very present in the form, design and narrative
of BURNOUT. Jamie has also thoughtfully designed sound to consume the space and underscore moments of tension. Working with Jamie has been both collaborative and refreshing, understanding how
sound can elevate live performance.
ACTOR vs CHARACTER
Our Writer Nikki has created new scenes that play with the relationship between 'ACTOR' and 'CHARACTER'. This switching between performance modes allows for the performers to interact with the audience and encourage participation. Utilising the form of the show in this way felt imperative as the content lends itself to demanding a direct dialogue that breaks the fourth wall.
We also spent 2 days at New Diorama Broadgate - new free rehearsal studios for freelance artists! Whilst at ND, we worked with Movement Director, Aimee Bevan.
MOVEMENT DIRECTION
The team collaborated with Aimee to work through the transitions of the show, understanding how the performers move through the show and what shape that takes. In the future, we'd like to continue working on Movement to fully understand how it can be realised in the show.
LIVE PERFORMANCE SHARING
On Thursday 2nd December 2021, we invited a closed audience to watch selected scenes of the show. The aim of the sharing was to understand how these new components were working and to gain feedback before heading into venues in 2022.
REFLECTION
As part of this process, we also dedicated 1 day to Creative Team Reflection; this included opportunities for individual and group reflections on the R&D process, the show creation, team dynamics and anything else people felt necessary to raise.
When working to tight timescales and on small budgets, it's difficult to find the time to do this but a very important part of our company ethos to ensure both the creatives we work with and the shows we make are always in motion. There's always stuff to learn!