BACKGROUND:
When asked whether he could describe Complicite in five words Simon McBurney, the owner, said "no I cant." He goes on to say that Complicite is formed of actors who are not only performing but producing work for the show. Each piece is created from a piece of subject matter, the subject matter is what drives the piece forward says McBurney. They create wildly different pieces in 2010 they had created three differing performances, the first was A Disappearing Number about an American Mathematician, the next Shun-Kin which is entirely in Japanese and the final piece this piece was created in Russian with a Russian composer. Good theatre to McBurney is "not even what you see on stage but is all about the audience and what they imagine."
PERFORMANCE WORK:
A Dogs Heart: In the performance, A Dogs Heart they use puppetry to create a live dog. They have three actors controlling the dog, in this twisted interpretation of Frankenstein. The combination of sound effects and realistic puppetry fixates your attention and makes you look past and forget the actors controlling the dog despite them being very visually prominent. As well as that, the person creating the live sound effects with a megaphone is also on stage, despite these quite distracting figures on stage, you are still engrossed in the dog and its movements, this is because as a member of the audience the dog is more interesting than those controlling it, proving its effectiveness. There is also clever use of lighting, this is used to disguise the changing set, as the play takes place in several locations. This is effective as the play is seamless and fluid rather than stagnant from blunt transitions.
I can also tell how much each of their performances vary, Beware Of Pity includes a quite a large cast whereas The Encounter is a solo performance, demonstrating that Complicite are always experimenting and evolving. Complicite also use lighting very creatively, often projecting images on to actors to communicate an emotion or atmosphere to the audience.
They do not create naturalistic plays, instead frequently using physical theatre and gestus to stimulate and engage the audience. They do this very effectively creating pieces that utilise proxemics to communicate relationships between characters, the staging is equally important to complicite's shows, having tightly choreographed sequences that are beautifully orchestrated.
SUBJECT MATERIAL:
Currently the are showing a piece Beware Of Pity, a show that is based on a German novel called Ungeduld des Herzens and is performed completely in German. They almost always create a piece from text, the material naturally differs completely from piece to piece, they created a more family friendley piece based on the novel Lion Boy. It is evident that Complicite never do the same thing twice.
Complicite choose subjects that will lead them naturally to the appropriate style and form, however they stay open to surprises and reject things that feel forced or aren't working. They choose subject matter sooner rather than later, and allow to see where it takes them instead of waiting for the perfect subject to sprout from their minds.
When researching subject material the Complicite will visit museums, listen to music, find text and pictures and share this research as a group. This helps everyone gain a deeper understanding of the subject material, understanding is essential. When they have hit a creative block, or need material quickly they will improvise something within a defined amount of time, this also builds understanding of subject matter and creates potential show material.
REHEARSAL METHODS:
The rehearsal process of Complicite is devised largely through trial and error, exploring with those your working with using their imaginations as your creating the piece, engaging with peers. Often performers may swap roles in a scene, this may help them understand their character more and at its best may even be revolutionary.
In the beginning of the process they often make use of games. One of these games involves playing ball, the game involves embracing an atmosphere of aggression and competitiveness. This is done to naturally release any negative emotions that actors may have brought in before rehearsals, this energy can also be used to create shows.
An example of a game they play is Cat And Mouse, a game we played in class.
1. Divide the group in two. One group stands in a large
circle to mark the edge of the playing area, and to stop
the blindfolded players from leaving the space. The
other group put on blindfolds.
2. One of the blindfolded players is named the cat and
the rest are mice.
3. This game is about maintaining perfect silence and
listening. The cat must listen very carefully and attempt
to catch all the mice. The players are not allowed to stop
moving for more than a few seconds. If a player is
attempting to walk out of the circle somebody in the wall
must turn them gently
This game forces you to rely on your other senses, making you more aware and in the present moment. It forces you to be spatially aware without seeing the space allowing you to get a genuine connection and feel of the space,
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