Working as a producer, you learn that working with creative people can be frustrating - all the energy goes into the art; the rest is left to chance. Organisation is not key and it is hard to focus on the minor details when the bigger picture is so overwhelming. As a volunteer I’m really feeling the toll of these tendencies. Today I'm working on 'That Night Follows Day". No one is expecting us at the Hippodrome and our representative is missing! Luckily the security guard is also used to this and all goes smoothly. The audience is shown into the Patrick Centre, a small 200 capacity space for cutting edge performing arts, as opposed to the larger commercial productions that usually take place at the Hippodrome. Our former self, and future persona
 | | Stage show: That Night Follows Day |
The minimalist set is suited to the simple and naive nature of the play, in which the seventeen pre pubescent cast members address the audience as a collective chorus in unison, as well as individually. The formula is direct as we are challenged by representatives of our former selves as well as our future persona’s. The cast chant the things that we are all taught, from what our parents really think of our relations, to the simple truths in life that we have now grown to become complacent about - monsters aren’t real, don’t talk to strangers etc. The performance continues in this manner, with little relief from this onslaught of ‘facts’, for an hour and a half. Unsettling but fresh The choreography of the piece was also in keeping with the naive form of the play, the cast moved around from time to time, breaking into an aggressive outburst of play fighting half way through, then reforming into an orderly line to continue addressing us. The performance was an unsettling, fresh and unpretentious look at what we learn when we are young and how it affects us. However it did seem to drag on and the sub titles distracted from the power of the words and the actors facial expressions. As people exit we (the volunteers) hand out questionnaires, to those who are willing to fill them out. Forget the stiff upper lip It always surprises me how unwilling people can be to provide feedback on things that they have paid to see, I believe it's all in keeping with that, oh so British, stiff upper lip! The following are some of the comments from the questionnaires; - "Personalise it, its cold…sorry!"
- "Phenomenal! A moving and challenging look at what being a child is like."
- "Misled by brochure and expensive. Sorry but I completely missed the point."
The questionnaire called for people to rate the show from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) - the response was predominately 5. But I would give it a 2. I liked the idea, but thought it could have been more engaging. That Night Follows Day - presented by Tim Etchells and Victoria Presents (Performed on 18th May) Next update I'll be updating from behind the scenes at the Fierce Festival again next week. | 
