Immersive experiences
We were treated to a rare immersive experience recently, beneath the dome of St Marks Church, Kennington.
50 of us sat in a group, within a circle as 10 singers sang round us, over us, among us. They sang together, individually, with each other and at each other. They sang while sitting, standing, lying down and moving around. And they explored the range of their voices, the range of our emotions and the impact of a cappella voice. They created a whole sound world and left the audience spell bound.
The event was a performance of Verity Standen’s Undersong and represented a further development in that artist’s growing maturity as a composer and an original voice.
A few days earlier we had a very different theatrical experience as we went to the Yvonne Arnaud in Guildford to see a production of The Producers by the Performance Preparation Academy. A Mel Brooks show is well suited to young performers. The outlandish plot, the irresistible and wacky humour, the sheer delight which runs through the writing. All these, added to the energy of the cast, were enough to make it a night to remember. And there was talent on display, stage presence and versatility.
Live theatre can take many different forms and still delight.
Looking forward
All this input while we work on producing our own dramatic experience with Sex is Another Language, our exploration of the life of Elizabeth Taylor. Only a couple of weeks to go before the Leith Hill Place and Guildford performances on 5 and 6 July.
Here’s hoping the audiences will find the show as stimulating as I’ve found my recent theatre visits.
Tony Earnshaw
Music stand image credit: David Beale via www.unsplash.com