Skateboarding Live on Stage! (is this an insurance nightmare?)
Present: Amelia, Beth, Lily, Mais, Mary, Mikey, Phelim, Yeon.
This sesion was called by Mikey to discuss an idea for a book adaptation. The story of the bok features animals and humans skateboarding and Mikey has been thinking about how to adapt this to stage. The driving force behind this idea is that people and animals skateboarding inside(!) and on a stage(!) in a THEATRE(!!) feels incredibly naughty. And naughtiness should be embraced.
We looked at the following ideas:
R&D
Where? In a skate park? In a rehearsal room? On a purpose built set?
Who? Professional/experienced skaters? Actors who can skate? Puppeteers who can skate? PErformers who can’t?
What are the limits to what we can do? Safety-wise and narratively?
Is a skate R&D more for me than for the show itself? For me to work out the visual language?
SHould the two worlds (skateboarding and puppet story) be separate at first? For clarity?
Risks
Imitative BEhaviour
Audience participation
PErformer safety
Audiene safety
Rhearsal
GEtting the skating level of actors hgh enough
Drilling specific tricks to land reliably and safely
GEtting skaters’ acting good enough
Who does what between actors and skaters?
ALSO!
I want tricks!!
DO they skate in the aisles/ in the foyers/ etc?
Animals being pushed out of their habitats =equivalent to= The streets are ours! Of skate/street art / street sport
Adding a beat - using graffiti to hide tracks or trick the trackers
SKATE CULTURE - engage with this - make this story with the culture
Saving themselves from eradication / conformity / push to the mainstream = universal link to marginalisation
Royal & Derngate had a show “Top G’s Like Me” with scooters on a built skate park - designer: Rebecca BRower
I don’t know what I need to know - at the moment
I think it’s a great show. Why?
I think it should tour. Why? Universal story idea. Mass appeal to kids + Adults
SHould I learn to skate…??
WHAT NEXT?
“Why now?” Interrogate this question.
Secure the rights! I know they are available.
Producers - what do I ned to ask them? CAn I do 1 or 2 R&Ds - story / visual, skating, puppetry.
HAve a coffee and a cake with Lynnette Shanbury, HElen MAtravers, Peter Holland… - get them as excited as I am.