We are well into our first week of the Interprogramme Project and have certainly hit the ground running. Although ideas and being pushed to the side as quickly as they are being thought of we don’t have time to get precious about them.
Hannah and I have made the model box
And I have begun to make a model figure to make the space alive. I have used a different method (from David Neat’s blog) to what a normally use as I am not very good with model figures and am still finding my method. David Neat is a genius model maker and also a visiting tutor to Bruford. I have his book however in that the only method he uses for figures involves soldering and is very time consuming, however on his blog he uses pretty much the same method but using wire and card.
I came out with this
Thus far obviously just as a size indicator but it will eventually be made into a proper figure.
I have also begun with character work. I shall run through each character and how I see them at this point. At the moment I am not thinking in terms of any limitations and so the ideas are rather elaborate and possibly more film-like rather than theatrical.
BLACK DOG
Maybe a sort of human/dog combination, we do not have the funds to create an extremely realistic dog costume nor the means to get a trained dog and so if we do try and create a natural dog costume is will probably turn out more comical and that is not the atmosphere we want!
BROWNIE
The Brownie is a tricky one, I am thinking maybe a scraggly figure? But I need to talk to the director more about his vision for this character. there are so many versions of a brownie and so many types of brownie to be sure of what is appropriate.
RAWHEADANDBLOODYBONES
Not many people know the story of Rawheadandbloodybones but the name really says it all. I see this character as rotting, possibly with out of tree growing out of her, as she dwells in woods. Her face maybe falling off, an outline of a human.
HAG
In the script she rushes into the underworld shrieking, looking for her body parts that are scattered around and being eaten by spirits. That is going to be a tricky one.
NELLIE LONGARMS
Again, the name really says it all. I see Nellie as having extended arms (obviously) but maybe all her features are elongated…
RADIANT BOY
A Radiant Boy is a type of ghost. This character I see as being painted white with gold flecks and patterns over them, with completely white eyes. We may need to invest in some contact lenses.
GIRL WITH TELESCOPE
Described as ‘tired and sad’…
PASSER-BY
This is one of my favorite characters. He comes on at the beginning of the play and starts dancing to music that the Kelpie is playing and carries on all the way through, even when the Kelpie stops playing, and then ends the play by stopping dancing and walking off. No ideas for costume thus far but dance moves will have to be thought through.
JIMMY SQUAREFOOT
Head of a pig and big wooden slabs on his feet. I feel slightly inclined to use a rotting pigs head, just for a little more impact.
GREEN LADY
Seen by the girl with telescope through the telescope, other than that no other indications in the play.
SPRIGGAN
10ft tall and grotesquely ugly. I am not too sure weather to make her magically ugly or humanly ugly, as in unbelievably or she could be human.
YALLERY BROWN
Yallery Brown is a small fairy -like creature. I see her as having a great long beard, and maybe entwined in twigs and leaves
JENNY GREENTEETH
I see Jenny as a sort of human/fish combination, NOT like a mermaid or siren, but more as a mix, not half and half but patches of scaly skin, deep cuts as though they are gills, slight wet look, wet hair etc.
KELPIE
The kelpie is a half human half horse creature, but not to be confused with a centaur, it is the other way around. I am thinking maybe a horse skull, and then patches of horse and horse features over the body, like bowed legs.
LOST GIRL
She is the spirit in the underworld who warns Josie not to eat the feast. She needs to be wary, maybe dwelling in a corner.
BLACK ANNIS
In all stories I have read she is described as having blue skin. But I do not want to make her look like a smurf. There is in fact a skin disease called ‘Blue Skin Disorder’ that actually makes humans skin turn blue. There is a photo below. She is also said to kill lambs and children and tie them around her waist so I am thinking maybe some sort of lamb skin incorporated into her costume.
We have discussed the underworld scene with our director and are thinking of songs to put the lyrics to, and he is suggesting ‘Soft rock Star’ and ‘Dreams So Real’ both by Metric. Also he likes the 10 second introduction to ‘Sleepwalker’ by Parkway Drive. He wants to incorporate that into the music.
I have also got a collection of Dulux paint charts that Ed is going to rummage through so hopefully we will have a colour palette to work with soon.
rosiemotion 