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  1. Records of my life: A ‘play’ on words

    March 6, 2017 by Holly Patricia Marshall

    I have an idea! *cheers!*

    IN BRIEF: A small number of anecdotes all responding to the idea of love and relationships be that in a romantic or family/friend way.

    WHERE THE IDEA CAME FROM:

    * Inspired by Flickbook Theatre Company. I very much like their use of staging and props such as using projectors and ‘shabby-chic’ decoration. Their stories are honest, and although light-hearted, can also have hard hitting undertones.

    * My diary entries that I have kept for many years.

    * Listening to music and having the realisation that music influences everything I do: my fashion sense, how I spend  my money, my collection.

    WHAT ARE THE STORIES?

    * Funny, fast paced and maybe emotional at times but all in light spirit.

    * My own experiences – Tinder, Leeds festival, high school, first boyfriend turned out to be gay

    * Social media/societies view on love?

    HOW ARE THEY GOING TO BE TOLD?

    * Music is a central theme. My record player on stage, playing songs that match the mood/theme.

    * Home videos on screens – projections

    * Strings with photos of my friends/family on.

    * Overhead projector – telling the story using shadow puppetry.

    THINGS TO CONSIDER/NOTES

    * Post-it notes

    * Left/right side of the brain

    * Time line of my life

    * Love shack

    * Intimate feel

    * Diary on stage

    * Hand outs – lyrics, answers to social media questions?

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  2. The Empty Hourglass

    February 24, 2017 by Holly Patricia Marshall

    When you think about it, it’s like your brain is on fire.

    So many thoughts are so electric that they spark together and burst into spectacular flames.

    Your brain is screaming: it is scared of the fire that is burning you from the inside out.

    The fire can’t escape: there are no windows, doors or emergency exists inside your head.

    As the fire rages on and you’re still screaming trying to find an escape that doesn’t exist, smoke fills.

    Black, thick smoke that clouds your vision.

    You cannot see through the smoke that is a result from your fried brain.

    Everything goes into slow motion.

    The smoke covers your eyes, it clouds over your eyes and although you still want to scream, the smoke makes you feel unconscious.

    The smoke seeps everywhere all over your body and in your mind and brain and world around you.

    A void.

    A black hole.

    A bottomless pit.

    Empty nothingness.

    Even when the fire has been extinguished, which could take hours, days, months, even years, there is still ash left behind.

    The ash is dead.

    Remnants of something that was was.

    There are parts of it which are molten hot, ready to set alight at any given moment with no warning.

    Around the ash, the smoke is clearing but small, whipped clouds are still present.

    The smoke is light now, almost like fog.

    It is still clouding your vision even when the fire has been put out.

    It’s hard to walk through especially when you’re trying to not stand on any hot ash that could potentially start the fire again.

    It’s strange because, although you don’t want to cause another fire and you worry what might happen if another fire sets off, the fog makes you feel wonderfully calm because…you just don’t care.

    You don’t care about the fire.

    You don’t care about burning yourself.

    Or the smoke becoming too thick.

    You don’t care about anything or anyone or anything.

    Sunshine appears over the ash and foggy smoke making it look beautifully grotesque.

    The sun hits a bit of the molten ash.

    It begins small, but it does begin.

    Spreading and burning all over again.

    The dreaded, unexplainable fire starting again…but there’s no 999 call to ring.

    No one to come running with a hose and water to put the flames out.

    You just have to wait for it to burn down again.

    You just have to wait for the sunshine.

    The sunshine that lights the fire.

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  3. Emotional fuckwittage

    February 22, 2017 by Holly Patricia Marshall

     

    The opening to my journal

    Anyone who vaguely even knows me, knows that I am a real life, breathing Bridget Jones.

    Horrendous dates, many embarrassing cringe worthy moments and somehow, an exceptional optimism for my future make up the life of yours truly which is weirdly similar to that of Bridget Jones. Even my own family members refer me as Bridget. How Tragic.

    To add insult to injury (to myself of course), I decided to start a diary about 6 months ago and it has changed my life. As a constant worrier and sufferer of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), having my life written out and having time to just relax and work on my artistic side is very therapeutic, and also very helpful with getting my life more organised.

    A typical week to do list in my Bullet Journal

    I found the style of journal I use on Pinterest completely by accident. It is called Bullet Journaling. It was created by an American called Ryder Carroll, and now it is a system that is used by many people around the world: so much so, it even has many Facebook groups that you can join to see how other people are laying out their own journals. It is a completely flexible way of organising your own life. More can be found out about the system on the website: http://bulletjournal.com/

    I would like to somehow incorporate my journal into my performance. It is always with me and I write most things into it when I get the chance: memories, lists, financial information, and even photos within it.

    We have thought about ways to incorporate my journal into the performance or to have it AS the performance maybe using shadows, post it notes, and other forms of media. I also like the thought of using my own belongings on stage to make it seem more homely/personal to the audience however, at the heart of the performance, I would like it to still be comical and lighthearted.

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  4. Lost and Found

    February 9, 2017 by Holly Patricia Marshall

    Spalding Gray – A pioneer of modern stand up comedy

    Spalding Gray was an American artist who worked closely with Richard Schechner, and thus created The Wooster Group.

    We looked at his work today in the seminar and I have been inspired to want to write something that is in his shadow.

    He was primarily a storyteller, including monologues, novels and audio work. Much of his work is based on family life (such as the death of his own Mother). It is self mocking and whimsical.

    We came together as a class, and realised that his work was both confessional and performance which is something that I would like to explore within my own work. I like the idea of self mocking and laughing about yourself. I think it’s important in such a serious world.

    His stand up comedy differed from the usual because it was storytelling and not just merely punchline jokes. It is fast paced, quick, witty and simple, but complex enough to make the audience think as well as laugh.

     

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  5. The Fool on the Hill

    February 3, 2017 by Holly Patricia Marshall

    I’m not going to lie to you: the thought of a solo performance absolutely terrifies me.

    If you’d told me at the start of my first year here, that I’d be doing something so self indulgent as a solo performance module, I would have laughed at you in the face.

    But why not?

    Surely working and coming out of my comfort zone is a key step to take in my university journey. I might discover things that I can do that I’d never dreamt of being able to do. Who knows?

    Sarah Millican, Queen of stand up, famously said: “People were laughing at me anyway, so I thought, ‘Fuck it, I might as well charge them.’” and you know what, I share the same ethos….except, “I might as well get a good experience” from it.

    I love music.

    The Beatles, The Smiths, Mystery Jets, COASTS, The Rolling Stones, The Macabees, Alt-J.

    I’m from Hull.

    The UK City of Culture 2017.

    I want to include things about me. What speaks to me, what I like, what it’s like to be me.

    Of course, there are my downfalls but in my opinion, we need to look at the silver linings of the clouds when they cover the sun. I want it to be uplifting, for people, my audience, to have a few minutes out of their day where they can appreciate life, and the way that I pronounce my O’s.

    I can’t wait to see what the future will bring.

    Bring it on.

     

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