Concept...

We want to perform under the Dove theatre stage in the concrete square room which measures about 2x2 metres. We will have the audience chosen from upstairs and led down to the ‘train station’ where they will hold in the green room, in the dark. They will be ushered in to the dark room by ‘train officials’ and ‘people waiting to board the train’, and they will stand along the back wall of the room. ‘Kate’ played by me, is seated in the middle of the front of the room upon a box, glancing around the room at the audience as though bored and waiting for her train. We chose to have a building soundscape of rain, with Hannah, Rebecca, Greer and Annabelle in the corners of the room, facing the walls, whilst I am on the phone to my mother. They whisper and repeat parts of my conversation. The noise builds until Greer slams on the wall. Then she approaches me and asks to borrow my phone, to which I say yes. She then purposely throws my phone away; the ‘murder victims’ are crouching around me, making use of physical theatre and body language to warn me not to listen to her. They whisper to me and jump away as I am slammed up against the opposite wall. 


Whilst this occurs, the victims move around the room in a crazed state. I slap Greer then try to run away however she grabs me and drags me out the door. We slam the door behind us and inside the victims move through the audience touching them and whispering in their ears. They begin to yell and scream which will scare the audience, with the added effect of being in complete darkness. Outside of the room Greer and I are vocally acting out my murder; I am screaming and panting whilst she tells me to shut up and slams the wall loudly. We have also decided to smear red paint down the white cupboards directly facing the exit to the room, intended to look like blood. Greer then opens the door and walks in and picks up the cell phone, before the audience are ushered out by the ‘train staff’ and ‘passengers.’ As they leave the room I will be lying under a table twitching and convulsing slightly with my torso visible to the audience. Then the lights will all go off and we will all (except Greer – the murderer) walk into the room quickly and slam the door. Then Greer will turn on the green room light and it will only be the audience left in the room with her. She will tell them the station is closed and get them to leave up the stairs.  


Our piece will be very dark and gruesome whilst reflecting Artaud’s ideas of a sensory experience. We want to be able to touch the audience, plunge them into darkness so they can only hear us, and we are performing in a room which smells damp and musty – perfect for the setting of our scene. We won’t use full costumes however the murder victims will wear their school culottes, tights and white shirts unbuttoned and messy, with their hair down wildly, and black all over their eyes and lips. Greer the murderer will wear the same but her shirt will be done up fully. I will wear my uniform with a jumper and scarf, and my hair in a high ponytail and a black bow. We really want to frighten the audience and make them feel very uncomfortable when being touched by the victims. It will also be interesting to see their reactions to the dead body lying on the floor as they exit, and the blood smeared on the wall.