Lucy McCormick, of ‘GET IN THE BACK OF THE VAN’ (GITBOTV), influenced my practice through her solo workshop and subsequent conversations because I found her style and attitude towards creative work particularly stimulating and we share an enthusiasm for pushing theatrical boundaries. Her approach demonstrates that, “the question of boundaries and extremes is always in the room” (McCormick, 2014). In our workshop on ‘The Importance of Being Ernest’ Lucy got one of my classmates, Laura, to chew up cucumber and then spit it into bread. I was aware of the process involved and, of course, ate the cucumber sandwiches, to the vocal displeasure of the audience. Laurence was unwilling to eat but was encouraged to by my response. Jess, who had been
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I was willing to accept the cucumber sandwich challenge and was pleasantly surprised that others joined me. People have told me they usually dislike immersive shows but enjoy the good nature of my work. McCormick thought that if the performer wishes to “lean forward and kiss a person it’s legitimate because you don’t have the contract of ‘I’ll stand here and you can watch me’” (McCormick, 2014). I disagree with this because there needs to be give and take. If I choose to kiss an audience member they are within their rights to slap me across my face. In ‘La Beauté’ I state I came across the Situationists “because some cunt threw a fridge off a roof.” I pause and state “I am sorry I said cunt. I would like a strong word that doesn’t demean lady faces. I will search for it” and then permit the audience to shout a swearword at me to make things “even stevens” (Jancis, 2015: p3). I acknowledge this was an unacceptable word to use in this context and am punished but the audience respond more strongly than my original provocation. The style of participation is friendly and humorous with the audience laughing with me, which works because “making people laugh makes people join in” (McCormick,
I was willing to accept the cucumber sandwich challenge and was pleasantly surprised that others joined me. People have told me they usually dislike immersive shows but enjoy the good nature of my work. McCormick thought that if the performer wishes to “lean forward and kiss a person it’s legitimate because you don’t have the contract of ‘I’ll stand here and you can watch me’” (McCormick, 2014). I disagree with this because there needs to be give and take. If I choose to kiss an audience member they are within their rights to slap me across my face. In ‘La Beauté’ I state I came across the Situationists “because some cunt threw a fridge off a roof.” I pause and state “I am sorry I said cunt. I would like a strong word that doesn’t demean lady faces. I will search for it” and then permit the audience to shout a swearword at me to make things “even stevens” (Jancis, 2015: p3). I acknowledge this was an unacceptable word to use in this context and am punished but the audience respond more strongly than my original provocation. The style of participation is friendly and humorous with the audience laughing with me, which works because “making people laugh makes people join in” (McCormick,