keepitpg2017-blog

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Keep it PG, Live Theatre, 15th September 2017.

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Concluding Post

Post show, I have never experienced such an uplifting, encouraging response from audience members. Walking into the bar area of Live Theatre there was of course feelings of apprehension in not knowing how both friends, tutors and theatre-goers responded to the somewhat 'controversial' show. However, the amount of encouragement and positivity that came from every single person I spoke to was incredible. Being able to stand in-front of industry professionals and programmers from local theatres such as; Marc Calvert (Northern Stage), Ali Pritchard (Alphabetti) and hold myself in a conversation was extremely satisfying, knowing the topic of conversation was my work.

Prior to undertaking the MA programme (and during the earlier stages of it admittedly) I would never have been confident enough to talk about myself or my practice to people already in the industry. However, by creating my own work and being confident in the work in relation to both it's content and my contributions to it as a theatre-maker, is how I've progressed to where I am today. In a place where I can speak openly and confidently about theatre, in a way which shows my passion and dedication to the field itself as someone driven by what the arts has to offer people.

Words cannot describe the feeling one had when being told by programmers from throughout the North-east to "Get in touch" for a follow-up conversation in relation to (potentially) getting the work into the next season of programmed work. In attempting to describe such a feeling, the only response I can offer is pure joy and happiness that the amount of work put into such a personal piece of theatre was worthwhile.

Another fantastic feeling was reading positive reviews of the piece by theatre blogger and reviewers who attended the evening.

Laura Purvis, Guest blogger from Live Theatre said:

"The final performance of the night was “Keep It PG!” by Gary Quinn and Paige Hegarty. From the moment they stepped on stage, Gary and Paige captured the audience. In another semi-autobiographical story, this piece explores the friendship between two people from different Irish communities. After having seen two comedies already, this piece took it up another notch. Gary and Paige bounce off each other and in turn their comedy becomes infectious. Their timing was impeccable, and their audience interaction was seamlessly carried out. After seeming like a whirlwind of sorts, albeit a very funny whirlwind, the piece ended by dramatically bring the pace down with a song and a well performed duet." (2017).

Stephen Oliver, a reviewer from The North East Theatre Guide said:

"The evening finished with Acting the Maggot presenting Keep it PG”, a tale about our neighbours performed by Irish Gary Quinn and Northern Irish Paige Hegarty. Using a combination of news clips, music and emotionally charged dialogue we were given both a history lesson and two views on the issues facing the island. Honest and energetic, it was a great way to finish the evening’s entertainment. Gary & Paige were able to be funny and controversial without going at each other’s throats. The B*Witched moment was one to cherish." (2017).

Getting two positive reviews from critics is such a wonderful feeling, knowing my work as a theatre piece engages people from start-to-finish and is actually interesting to watch from a spectator's perspective.

As this is the concluding post of this project's blog, It is perhaps worthwhile to refer back to the aims and objectives for this show I set myself back at the beginning of the process and see which ones have been ticked off;

'To devise and perform a 30 minute cabaret-style piece of theatre at Live Theatre in-front of a packed audience.'

'To enhance my devising skillset to a more professional standard that represents the progression underwent from studying an undergraduate degree, to a postgraduate degree.'

'To network theatres and industry professionals for residencies and gigs in the future.'

'To bring this show on tour throughout the North-east region and establish ourselves as local theatre-makers and performers injecting a fresh take on the contemporary theatre scene.'

Thus, I have successfully performed the piece at Live Theatre, enhanced my skillset as a practitioner and networked industry professionals from the North-east region. The only thing left now from this list is get the show programmed and on tour throughout the region.

In terms of what the future holds for Keep it PG , this is not something that can be answered easily. However, needless to say I am not leaving this piece in the past - as I have done previously with other shows. Keep it PG is a show that is, and will remain, very close to my heart for a long time and it is because of such, why I believe the future looks promising for both Keep it PG and myself as a theatre practitioner in the arts sector.

References:

O, Stephen. (2017) REVIEW: Northumbria University Students' Final Showcase at Newcastle Live Theatre [online] Available at: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/review-northumbria-university-students_16.html Last accessed: 25/09/2017.

Purvis, L. (2017) Guest blogger Laura Purvis shares her thoughts on Northumbria University Theatre and Performance MA Students Final Showcase [online] Available at: https://www.live.org.uk/blogs-resources/guest-blogger-laura-purvis-shares-her-thoughts-on-northumbria-university-theatre Last accessed: 25/09/2017.

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Final Script

Below is a copy of the finished version of the script for Keep it PG:

 Gary:               Fuck me. That was a bit intense wasn’t it.          

 Paige:             Fuck I need a drink.

 Gary:               But sure were not allowed to drink

 Paige:             Aw here Northumbria’d have a heart attack if you tried to stand on a chair

 Gary:               A what?

 Paige:             A chair.

 Gary:               Anyway, I think we should introduce ourselves.  

 Paige:             I’m Paige.

 Gary:               I’m Gary.

 Both:               GARY

 Paige:             I’m from Coleraine, Northern Ireland.

 Gary:               I’m from Enniskillen, Ireland.

 Both:               Know where that is? No? Didn’t think so.

 Paige:             Can you imagine Belfast.. yeah well its no where near it.

 Gary:               Or if you imagine Dublin down south, yeah I live miles away.

 Paige:             Basically, it’s in the arse end of nowhere.

 Gary:               But its home.

 Paige:             So back home you have the Protestants.

 Gary:               Scum. And you have the Catholics

 Paige:             Teigs [pause]

 Gary:               So in our last performance we were told we didn’t really give enough context of the history of Ireland…

 Paige:             NORTHERN Ireland. So here goes….

 Paige:             ….. in 1995

 Gary:               The year I was born.

 Gary Charles Patrick Quinn. Not entirely happy with Charles as a middle name to be honest it’s bit English   -  no offence. But sure what can you do. Most people say I look like my mum. Where I grew up it was relatively calm, I didn’t so much feel the impact of the troubles which was still ongoing. Don’t get me wrong Enniskillen is a complete shit hole. But it’s my shit hole.

 What about you Paige?

 Paige:             Well I’m Paige Hope Shawnee Hegarty – Shawnee though. Some people say I look like my Dad.

 Both:               Aw here / Fuck sake / Seriously? / Are you for real?

 Gary:               Who in their right mind would support Arlene Foster and the DUP?

 Paige:             Mate, who the fuck would support Sinn Fein? Gerry Adams is basically Vladamere Putin with a grey wig.

 Gary:               Aw here, well Arlene Foster, is a bit like Hitler, but with an Irish accent.

 Paige:             A NORTHERN-IRISH accent.

 Gary:               Oh is that the same accent that banned same-sex marriage in NORTHERN Ireland?

 Paige:             Tell me this does Gerry Adams still hang about with the IRA these days?

 Gary:               Nah, but at least he isn’t licking Theresa May’s arse to get into Westminster. Oh look at me in Westminster – I got a seat. Big whoop.

 Paige:             Martin McGuiness rang he’s having a nice time in hell.

 Gary:               Aw is Ian Paisley with him? Tell him I say hi.

 Paige:             Typical Catholic…

 Gary:              All we want is a united Ireland.

 Paige:             Gary do you really think that would work? All that craic with the euros.

 Gary:               Aw here Paige that’s another show.

 Paige:             Well here never-mind our Arlene what about Gerry and all them bombings?

 Gary:               What bombings?

 Paige:             (clears throat) in 1064 King Billy….

 Gary:               Aw here we’ve all had enough of that for one day. Thank you.

 But here who really understands parliament? How does a party actually get a seat? What I picture is you know on X Factor when they always have a sob story and a sad song playing in the background? I can imagine Arlene Foster saying to Theresa May–

 Theresa my parents were abducted by leprechauns.

 It was very traumatic. I was raised by sheep in a field. From a young age my granny always supported me. The last thing she said to me was ‘Arlene make sure you get rid of those Catholics’. So, I’m doing this for her. Every election we’ve tried to get a seat in parliament. This is our year. The DUP will be victorious.

 Paige:             Gerry what do you have to say?

 Gary:               To be honest, you’s English are…

 Paige:             Arrogant

 Gary:               No..

 Paige:             Full of shit

 Gary:               No.

 Paige:             Obnoxious, Insufferable, Ignorant, irritating, annoying, overbearing, attention-seekers, Shite at football….

 Gary                Paige! What I was gonna say, is that some English people are racist.

 Paige:             Because according to you - I am a leprechaun.

 Gary:               I am a potato.

 Paige:             I am a farmer.

 Gary:               I live in a Caravan.

 Paige:             I drive a horse and cart.

 Gary:               I have 3,000 cousins.

 Paige:             I built the Titanic.

 Gary:               I crashed the Titanic.

 Paige:             I am an alcoholic.  [pause]

 Gary:               Yeah you English think all us Irish are alcoholics. That all we do is drink, drink, drink.

 Paige:             And we’ve had it. Enough-is-enough (goes to audience to take a drink)

 Gary:               Paige… ok, so maybe we enjoy the odd drink every now and again. Who doesn’t?

 Paige:             That doesn’t mean we don’t know when to call it a day…

 Gary:               Right, so maybe some stereotypes of Irish people are true. I love a drink. You love a drink. What’s the big deal?

 Paige:             Fuck I’d love a drink.

 Gary:               Yeah well because of risk assessments we aren’t allowed to drink alcohol onstage. Classic Northumbria. 9 grand a year.

 Paige:             So we’re just gonna eat the alcohol instead (laughs)

 Gary:               Ok fine fine.

 Paige:             It was just a joke.

**Please note the above script does not include the tech cues and visual/sound elements which of course form a vital part of the show's content.

In comparing this script to the previous edit used for the scratch performance, the majority of the script has changed either in content or it's position in the show. Starting with the cuts we made from the scratch performance. The song 'Tell Me Ma' by Shamrock has been cut, the reason being it didn't add anything to the show other than acting as a song non-Irish people had heard of. In it's place however is the song 'There Were Roses' by Cara Dillon, a track which lyrics speaks volumes in terms of Irish history. 'There Were Roses' tells the story of one Protestant and one Catholic caught up in The Troubles in East Belfast. This unusual pairing very much relates to me and Paige's relationship in the show, as one male Irish Catholic, paired unusually with a female Northern Irish Protestant. Not only would the track consist of Cara singing, but we too would be singing. As both of us have backgrounds in musical theatre, we felt it was only apt to include our own singing voices as well as Cara's in the performance. This, in an attempt to make the track and it's poetic language even more raw for us as performers to engage with, whilst simultaneously captivating our audience.

Another cut that was made was the parody of the song 'Jolene' by Dolly Parton that focused on Arlene Foster and Gerry Adams. Now although this song got a fantastic reaction from the audience, we felt it didn't fit in with the direction the new version of the show was going in. I love the song as something we wrote ourselves in terms of the cleverly written, comedic lyrics. However, once we added in B*Witched's 'C'est La Vie' we felt there wasn't room for both in the show. Additionally, with there being a full dance routine with 'C'est La Vie' it just wasn't plausible to include both in the show due to time constraints.

The remainder of the cuts that were made were some sections of the dialogue, such the Irish stereotypes section which been reduced to allow more time for the new additions. In place of these minor cuts, myself and Paige added in a history lesson section using a scroll made up of endless Irish trivia facts and history points. A visual of which can be found below;

This particular addition was something that was (bravely) added into the show the day before the performance date. The reason for such, is that we felt there wasn't enough context to what the show was discussing throughout - coupled with the fact our scratch audience's feedback was all about wanting more history and contextualisation. By adding this in, then then allowed us to turn the previous audience's feedback into a joke, by saying 'You asked for it so, here goes'. The actual visual of the scroll being unwound and physically having it fall offstage directly next to the audience would assist in the comedic effect of doing so.

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Flyer Photoshoot

Below is a collection of photos taken during a photo-shoot for the showcase’s flyer. Thanks to our photographer Tanya McCaffery. 

Deciding on which image to select was a long process, as we wanted the image to capture and reflect the show's story as much as possible. As the piece juggles both comedy and serious events, knowing whether the flyer’s image should be entirely comedic or entirely serious proved difficult. Although the piece is comedy-based from start-to-finish, there is still a recurring sense of seriousness underpinning what the humour is actually discussing. It was because of such, that we wanted the image itself to be somewhat static and representational in as simple a manner as possible.

Now we had our image, something was missing. The image perfectly represented the divide in Ireland between Catholics and Protestants. However, it didn’t reflect neither of our bubbly personalities or sense of humour. So, I came up with the idea of vandalising the image in a way which makes it looks like someone has drawn over the poster. This, to reflect the vandalism of a number of either Catholic or Protestant murals in Ireland by each group’s opposition. It is due to such a strained relationship between Catholics and Protestants, why we wanted this to be incorporated into our flyer image. Not only would doing so reflect such a strained relationship, but it would also inject a bit of life into the image and make it stand out amongst other show's images that are of a more conventional set-up.

Back home, both Protestants and Catholics use murals not only as way of 'marking' their territory in specific parts of the country - such as Belfast for example - but as a sort of celebratory device to honour the country and its history. In the aptly titled article 'These murals lie at the center of a debate over Northern Ireland’s future' by Ivette Feliciano for PBS Newshour, it states "In Protestant sections of the city, murals proudly display United Kingdom flags and celebrate Northern Ireland’s colonial relationship with Great Britain. Murals in Catholic neighborhoods boast Irish flags, commemorating nationalists who lost their lives fighting for an end to British rule..." (2017). Now as Feliciano discusses, the flags play a vital role in such displays of proudness and remembrance for either communities' history.

Consequently, in Keep it PG there is a section dedicated to such where a recording of a news broadcast plays, discussing the ongoing conflict with the Irish and British flags in Ireland/Northern Ireland. Whilst this is taking place, myself and Paige repeat the same movement sequence which consists of raising our own individual flag's (mine being the Irish tri-colour flag and Paige's being the British union jack flag) and dropping it. Through repetition, our audience are able to see how this is still an ongoing debate between Catholics and Protestants, in relation to who's flag is the more dominant figure in Irish/Northern Irish society.

Below, is the finished product and the image we selected to represent our show in the showcase’s flyer.

Photography by Tanya McCaffery.

References:

Feliciano, I. (2017) These murals lie at the center of a debate over Northern Ireland’s future [online] Available at:  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/belfast-murals-recall-brutal-war-debate-northern-irelands-future/ Last accessed: 25/09/2017.

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Video/Sound Editing

Despite having already used video and sound files in our scratch performance at Live Theatre, I was keen to incorporate more visual elements and soundbites into the show. The reason for such, is having seen a number of shows that incorporated technology into the piece in a clever and engaging way (such as Sticking by Matt Miller and An Evening With Savvy B by Hannah Walker) I myself have experienced how effective it can be from a spectator's point of view to have technological elements play a vital part in the overall production of the piece.

Thus, by expanding on the usage of technology in Keep it PG, would assist in both making the show more versatile in the usage of different elements throughout, along with showcasing our skillsets as performers on stage. By using technology as performative instruments, this demonstrates to our audience that we are able to take risks and not produce a non-linear piece of theatre that has no structure to it. Rather instead, devise and perform a contemporary piece of theatre that showcases us as creative artists, who possess the ability to explore different styles and techniques that merge together to form one, linear show.

Taking sole responsibility for the editor process, it fell to me to ensure the finished product was of a professional standard - a standard that matched the content included in the two previously mentioned professional shows. Having previously edited videos for a similar project during my undergraduate studies, I had first-hand experience in using the relevant software packages. However, the finished product last time was something in hindsight that could have been to a more professional standard. Thus, this time there was a constant level of motivation to ensure that every single clip (whether this be video or sound) was edited to an appropriate standard that could be played during a run of a show in a professional venue.

Furthermore, the reason for including videos and soundbites to the performance was to ultimately give the show a different dynamic for the audience to experience. This, to act as a supportive device to the dialogue taking place throughout the show between both myself and Paige onstage. It also added more theatricality to the show which was something our audience gave feedback on from the scratch performance at Live. Thus, by listening to our audience and taking this into account when developing the show during extensive rehearsals, demonstrates our ability to take into account what our audience want the piece to explore or examine. The use of comical videos and/or sound clips also assists in adding a comedic nature to the show, allowing us to discuss the perhaps more serious events during the dialogue and then having the technological elements contrast with such by shifting from one to the other throughout the show. The difficult task in doing so, was ensuring that such transitions from comedy to serious matters were appropriate and that the two had a clear relationship from start-to-finish during the show's run.

^ An example of how the clips were editing using Audacity to merge sound bites and clips together into one track.

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Feedback from Lindsay Rodden

During our scratch performance one of the audience members who watched the show was Lindsay Rodden, a writer and theatre-maker originally from Ireland. I had met Lindsay previously during a number of workshop sessions as part of the MA programme last year. Lindsay was also present at my solo show Mo Oige which of course looked at Irish identity and Irish upbringing. I got in touch with Lindsay after our scratch to get some feedback from a dramaturgical point of view, as well as a personal viewpoint from a fellow Irish citizen.

Below is Lindsay's feedback in relation to developing Keep it PG from a scratch, to a piece of theatre:

"I know this is just my take on things.  And yours will of course be different.  I'm trying (in a very long-winded way) to make a few different points: 

- That the timing of your play makes it very important indeed.  This is a crucial point in history and you are making a play about it.  That's a big responsibility, and doesn't mean that you need to solve or answer anything - not at all - quite the opposite.  I think you have to be careful not to simplify too much, not to make it too neat or easy to swallow.  And that's really hard when you have limited time, to do justice to that complexity.

- That it's personal.  Don't be afraid of that.  Other people could take this subject on, sure, but you are.  Not you in terms of what you represent - Catholic, young, male etc.  But you with your own personal history, your memories, your family, your emotions, your future, your home.  Put that in.  Make the show only you could make and don't be afraid to put the real you - not what you symbolise - at the heart of it.

- That there are a number of narratives at work here, and none of them are definitive.  But your audience do not have a collective brain.  One of my pet hates is being sat in an audience, observing all the rules of being quiet and attentive and receptive, and then a performer on stage telling me they know what I think or feel about a certain situation or idea, when they know nothing about me, and when the conventions of the performance dictate that I have no comeback.  You don't have to assume the best of your audience but don't assume ignorance either.  Aim high.  Give them something more complicated than they were expecting, they can take it.

- That there is, though, a simplistic narrative currently being told about Northern Ireland, that is reductive and lazy.  And that you have to counter that.  So what do you want the audience to take away from your show?  What is your counter narrative?  And it might be hard to sum up, messy, contradictory, awkward, it might be personal and delicate, whatever it is, I think if you know what that endpoint is then you will have your show.

 - That you're on to something, I think.  There's a really important, warm, funny, beautiful piece of theatre to be made about this.  You're the man to do it!!

I think the easier bit is the technical, structural stuff, and the dramaturgical possibilities your starting point suggests:

We go into the theatre with expectations.  I already knew that a Catholic man and a Protestant woman were going to take sides, and that is exactly what I got.  And that's fine as a starting point, but where do you take us then?  How do you subvert that expectation?

Some what-ifs and some thoughts...

What if they, by design or 'accident', end up on the 'wrong' side?  If they have to speak or live the other's story? 

What if they end up on the same side?  What would it take to make that happen?

Or the physical language of the stage breaks down so that the set doesn't give them 'sides' any more?  Think about the physical choreography of the piece, and how you use the stage.  Think of the floor as a map, and everything that represents.  Think of that hideous oxymoron: a 'peace wall', of whole towns unvisited by the 'other', of the endless squabbles over who gets to march where.

When is there no side at all? 

Think of people who actually don't fit into either narrative, who don't, or won't, pick a side, or aren't welcome in either.  Of  the Eastern European Northern Irish, Chinese Northern Irish, Syrian Northern Irish.

Think of Yeats - 'Great hatred, little room' - the ridiculousness of it all really (and you are great on the ridiculousness, I love that!  More on this below), this tiny place, riven with contradiction, carved up by tradition, scarred by fighting.  And here are you and Paige sharing this tiny stage (how tiny could it be?  Could you have fun with that?) and working out where the divide is, what it's made of, what it's really for.  And really you are just two friends on the same stage from the same somewhere-else.

The 'two sides' convention is, I would argue, part of the lazy established narrative, so how you break it is, I think, crucial. 

I love the particularity and ridiculousness, the pantomime theatricality of the place, that only insiders can really fully understand.  I love what you're doing with language, and I wonder if there is some more mileage in that.  The arguments of whether Irish and Ulster Scots are true and distinct languages takes a back seat when you consider that Northern Irish people also share a language, that is everyday, domestic, funny, poetic.  And I like the idea that it can border on being unintelligible to the outside, that it is something that bonds people.  And not just language, but all the strange little peculiarities of a place so often overlooked, and for so long inward-looking, and in so many ways foreign to the rest of the UK.  I remember an English friend in Liverpool, a socialist internationalist folk singer (we'll call him Dave, 'cos that's his name), telling me that Ireland was just like England really, or at least Northern England, and I nearly choked on my pint.  Jesus, has he actually been there?  Liverpool has many Irish characteristics, sure, but it's that way round Dave!  Damn it, here am I taking sides again... 

But if you're going to go into the peculiarities of language and place then really go for it - how far can that take you?  How absurd and weird and lovely could that be for the audience, with you and Paige talking in a language that unites you?  And the pageantry of the place, the costumes, the traditions, the endless bonfires, the squabbling over who gets to walk down which road today - it reminds me of clowning sometimes.  See where it takes you.  And see what draws you together. 

That goes too for something like the sight gag of dropping a can of Guinness - well what instead of a sight gag, the pair of you drank five pints over the duration of the show?  Then what happens?  I'm not sure I'm actually suggesting you do that (am I?!), but it's an interesting 'what if' - what if the show is really an awkward mixed marriage celebration necessitating shared drinking and dancing and karaoke...

It's time to tell a new story.  And I think that, whatever that story really is for you, if you know what you would like that new story to be, and even if the structure is built around trying and failing to tell it, then you have your play."

Being able to speak to Lindsay and gain some much needed constructive, honest criticism in relation to Keep it PG was brilliant. Knowing she too can relate to the problematic nature of discussing the history of Ireland in the confinements of a theatre show, having written a number of short plays about Irish identity and society herself, was important to me. This made me realise what we're attempting to do isn't easy, tackling Irish history in a theatre piece is a challenging task for a theatre-maker. However, knowing this made me even more passionate and determined to create a piece that explored Irish history and Irish identity that was engaging, enjoyable and impactful. 

The main thing I took from Lindsay's feedback was to take risks and to be proud of those risks. By choosing a topic that is still, even today, very raw to some people (both at home and here in England) this was on my mind constantly during the creative process when devising and sculpting the piece. However, as Lindsay says above I was the person to do this and to do this well. I had to believe in myself as someone who was raised during the aftermath of The Troubles who has a right to talk openly about growing up in the country where it happened. I had to stop thinking about other people in some ways and focus on ensuring the story being told was my story, and not a story other people want me to tell. The hard part in doing so was ensuring Paige's story was also getting told. However, one of the feedback points from the scratch was that it came across offstage to the audience that Paige won the argument - and this was not something I wanted to happen again with the newly developed version of the show. I wanted both parties to get an equal opportunity to share their opinion and not overshadow, or dominate the conversation taking place. Thus, by doing so this would demonstrate the passion and beliefs of both Catholics and Protestants in Ireland today.

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Scratch Feedback

Below is a collection of audience feedback from our scratch performance at Live Theatre. In our feedback forms we asked them the following two questions;

1. Is there a suitable balance between Irish politics and Irish humour in our piece?

2. As we develop the piece, is there anything in particular you would like us to explore? i.e. - something in the piece in more detail, or something new?

1. Is there a suitable balance between Irish politics and Irish humour in our piece?

At times it felt as though it could have been more political, great format to engage audience in a political area they may not have a great deal of familiarity with.

Really great swearwords. Yes, humour/politics balance worked well- felt very current.

Yes! Thought it was very balanced. I feel fortunate I knew the politics beforehand though.

Yes absolutely. Feels important to have both in good measure.

Yes.

Yes but don’t give it all so early on! Also some of the humour is a little ‘on the noise’ and I think there’s more to it than that.

I didn’t recognise a humour different from English Humour.

Yes, aye! More!

I would say so, very good accents.

Would have preferred more politics, especially given the current circumstances with the DUP.

Perfect mix.

Yes it made me laugh and think if that counts. Not sure it needs to be humorous all the time.

Yes- be lovely to establish the tourist board/ confrontational contrast. More theatrical adventure would be good.

At times it felt as though it could have been more political, great format to engage audience in a political area they may not have a great deal of familiarity with.

2. As we develop the piece, is there anything in particular you would like us to explore? i.e. - something in the piece in more detail, or something new?

More politics/ explore more taboos.

Read plays “quietly” - real phone calls.

Is this a political story? Is it about oppression of Ireland by England?

I thought the exploration of stereotypes vs reality was interesting. Which do we believe? Can they both be true everywhere or only in Ireland

Your local towns- status quo and social structure.

Where you went growing up.

How the current circumstances affect Ireland/ peace process.

The song was really well put together, felt dominated by the woman (felt like she won!) would be canny to see his counter song.

Slightly more political context. Wear the ski masks more. Be angrier!

Find the common ground.

The movement part at the end was fun. . . perhaps more potential there.

Hmm, more politics? There’s a lot of history would be interesting to hear about it.

Your relationship to each other as performers. We need to see you united in the experience at some point. Remember a lot of stereotypes have a hidden past- alcoholism related to inherited trauma etc. Really fun and engaging. Want some personal views.

Who is your audience? If it is an informed audience can there be more depth in the political argument.

Ach here, I wanna hear some more about the IRA.

Receiving such constructive feedback in attempting to further develop the piece is extremely helpful, in allowing us to then talk through all of the points raised by different members of the audience in detail. The main feedback from the first question we asked was that our audience wanted more political context to the piece, if we are wanting to address Irish politics and discuss such in-front of an unfamiliar English audience. The difficult task in doing so was not overshadowing the comedic nature of the show, ensuring there is a suitable balance between politics and humour in retaining the attention of the audience throughout. The only major criticism of the comedy aspect was that questions were raised as to whether or not the show has to be funny from start-to-finish. This is plausible if we are wanting to make the piece more political. However, this means that humour would not necessarily sit well for some people in discussing some political areas or historical events i.e. The Troubles or the on going conflict between the DUP and Sinn Fein. Or, perhaps discussing such events with a comedic undertone would break such feelings of them being 'taboo' areas for discussion?

Moving onto the feedback expressed in relation to the second question. The main feedback from this particular question is that our audience wanted to see more of us as people and not just as performers. They wanted us to speak about ourselves, our upbringings and share our own personal opinions of Ireland and Irish politics. Thus, adding more of a personal feeling to the show and by default making it an auto-biographical show. The other main feedback was there needed to be a clearer understanding of who our audience is and what sort of audience the piece is targeting as a demographic. This was something that played a part in us essentially 'watering' down the piece in terms of politics, to ensure anyone unfamiliar with Irish politics or Irish culture would be able to follow the show from start-to-finish without confusion. However, moving forward it is clear we have to remove ourselves from this idea of 'filtering' the show and instead include a clear, real narrative for the show that is genuine and authentic.

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MA Scratch night at Live Theatre, Newcastle.

(Photography by Alexandra De Jong)

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Song

Writing a song.

An insight into the creation of ‘Arlene/Gerry’ a comedic-twist on the classic song Jolene by Dolly Parton.

Having both a history of performing in musical theatre, we were keen to play to our strengths and incorporate different performance forms into the show. Firstly - singing, we wanted to write a song for the show that would assist in telling a story based on Irish politics. A song would also add some theatricality to the performance in engaging audience members with different performance interests. In addition to this, I was also thinking about the overall content of the show when attempting to then network theatres and grab the attention of industry professionals who may have questions about the show. Perhaps questions such as – what actually is the show? Is it just 30-minute of talking to your audience? I wanted the show to have different layers throughout and felt by including a song, this would add a whole other dynamic to it.

Whilst attempting to devise a song from scratch, we came across ‘Jolene’ by Dolly Parton, a song title which by coincidence rhymed with the two party leaders we were discussing in the show – Arlene Foster and Gerry Adams. Now for those unfamiliar with these two political leaders it is perhaps worthwhile to explain exactly who they are. Arlene Foster is perhaps the more known of the two here in England, especially due to the recent potential link-up between Theresa May's Conservative party and Arlene Foster's DUP party. The DUP is the Democratic Unionist Party which back in Ireland, is mostly supported by the Protestant community. The DUP remains loyal to the British Queen and Britain as a whole, wanting Northern Ireland to remain a part of the United Kingdom. However, this is the complete opposite for Gerry Adams. As leader of the Sinn Fein party, Gerry Adams and his party want the North of Ireland out of the United Kingdom. This, to then allow a united Ireland between the North and the South to take place like it was before The Troubles. Sinn Fein is mostly supported by Catholics back in Ireland and it is the sheer fact that either community supports different political parties, why both have hatred towards each other.

Therefore, by telling the story of these two politicians and their parties manifestos through the medium of song, would enable us to engage our audiences in a more comedic, informal manner. This, as opposed to just explaining through speech who both are and what they represent. The writing process involved in such was surprisingly a relatively quick one, as it allowed each of us to openly introduce the other community’s politician in an honest, unfiltered manner – albeit somewhat controversially.

Below is a copy of the song's lyrics;

Lyrics

(Chorus)

Arlene, Gerry, Arlene, Gerry,

I’m begging of you take responsibility.

(Paige’s verse)

That beard makes you look like a creep

He makes promises he can’t keep

He’s IRA, He’s scum, He’s – Gerry.

I can’t fucking understand

Why you could yourself a republican

1,823 deaths whose to blame?

(Chorus)

Arlene, Gerry, Arlene, Gerry,

I’m begging of you take responsibility.

(Gary's Verse)

Irish language isn’t part of your plan,

Unlike a same-sex marriage ban,

Westminster I introduce, Arlene.

The British Troops were on our turf,

You took the North for all its worth,

And for that you are responsible, Arlene.

(Chorus)

Arlene, Gerry, Arlene, Gerry,

I’m begging of you take responsibility.

Arlene, Gerry, Arlene, Gerry

Please stop being a massive c**t-ry.

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Rehearsals

An insight into the rehearsal process where the foundations of Keep it PG would be created.

It’s been a week since we began working on this project and perhaps as expected, the external conflicts we’ve decided to explore have managed to arise internally within the confinements of the rehearsal room. As an Irish Catholic, I have had many encounters with Irish/Northern-Irish Protestants both in Ireland and here in England. Therefore, I have found myself in many situations where casual conversations quickly turn into arguments or confrontation and back in the rehearsal room, this at times was certainly the case.

Myself and Paige are both very opinionated people and like to get our points across – thus, conflicting opinions and understandings of historical events from the past proved difficult to manage initially. Catholics and Protestants have a history of possessing different accounts of past events and despite this being many years since such events took place, it was clear feelings were still somewhat raw. To overcome such, we had to actually listen to each other’s understanding rather than talk-over and immediately disagree with.

Furthermore, Irish politics is very much publicised in the English media in recent months, what with Brexit, Arlene Foster and the DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) all receiving widespread coverage through the media and tabloids. In this sense, it was the perfect opportunity to use this to our advantage in bringing what is happening politically into the theatre industry. What was important to us is that the stories being told in the show were our stories, real life encounters and experiences – not dramatised for TV or censored for controversy purposes evident in other people’s work. An example being Channel 4’s London Irish (2013) which starred four Irish individuals living in London. The immediate response from critics and Irish people was the inclusion of stereotypical language, predicable characters and its portrayal of St Patrick’s Day. For me personally, all of the above were thoughts I had myself and felt sorry for the four actors (who were all Irish in real-life) for the tone the show took and Channel 4's portrayal of Irish people. However, myself and Paige wanted to explore the stereotypical behaviour of people (such as the English writers of the aforementioned programme) in relation to both Irish people and Ireland as a country.

Having lived in England for over four years now I’ve experienced first-hand the stereotypes the English have of Irish people. In addition to such, with Paige having went through this too it felt apt to explore this in more detail with our show. We wanted to tackle stereotypes head on, in a somewhat blunt manner to address the negative connotations such stereotypes bring when associated with the Irish. These stereotypes include; excessive drinking, leprechauns, Guinness, potatoes etc. All the above were subjects we wanted to explore and confront an audience with in a light-hearted manner. By doing so, this enables us to address something we both feel strongly about whilst simultaneously adding a comedic tone to the piece for the purposes of entertainment. This was exactly what we wanted to achieve with the piece, to entertain our audience whilst discussing Irish politics. It was after a few rehearsals when we collectively agreed on this decision, which then allowed us to have a loose structure to the show when attempting to devise material for the show.

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Introduction

Welcome! This blog will offer an insight into the creative process and final performance of my new show Keep it PG – a contemporary, cabaret-esc piece of theatre that explores Irish heritage and Irish identity. 

Having previously devised the solo show Mo Oige, which explored Irish childhood, the work undertaken throughout this project explores my own Irish heritage in a much more in-dept, political manner. A s the originator of this new show, this blog and the opinions shared on it will be that of my own and not that of my collaborator's – Paige Hegarty. However, many of the decisions that forms the content of this blog will have been made by both myself and Paige collaboratively throughout the creative process.

Whilst on the subject of my collaborator, it is perhaps useful to explain why I decided to work with Paige on this particular project - as opposed to another student from the MA programme. The reason being no one else’s practice or interests were similar to that of my own, i.e. Irish identity and/or Irish heritage. Paige, who is from Bangor, County Down, is herself Northern-Irish and thus has experienced growing up in Ireland, as well as encountering many stereotypes from people of other nationalities. Therefore, although Paige is from the Protestant community and I myself am from the Catholic community, I deem this the perfect match to collaborate on a project together due to our Irish upbringings and encounters in life so far. 

Furthermore, although throughout this blog I will refer to the project on many occasions as a ‘collaborative process’ and the presentation of work will be under the theatre company name ‘Acting the Maggot’ – I do see this project as one that I have originated and invited Paige into as a devising collaborator. Nonetheless, the finished product we will produce will be our show, that we have both contributed to equally throughout the creative process.

Why have you decided to create a new piece of theatre instead of developing Mo Oige into a full-length show?

I’m very proud of what I achieved with Mo Oige in terms of the finished product. As a performer, it was extremely liberating to perform in a show I myself devised from scratch in such a short period of time - approximately 3 months. Being able to tell a story that, for the first time, was my own story of growing up in Ireland in the 90’s post-troubles and sharing with an audience my own childhood memories, was both personal and genuine. Admittedly, the piece was not perfect, nor to a professional standard and if I could re-do the whole experience I would do things differently. Nonetheless, being able to add a solo show which I myself both devised and performed to my acting portfolio is a massive achievement – an achievement I’m immensely proud of ever since.

In saying so, deciding not to develop Mo Oige into a full-length show was somewhat of an easy decision. One of the reasons being I felt I had told the story as best I could, in that there wasn’t anything else to explore in terms of my childhood. Another reason is that the children’s theatre style of the piece for an adult audience was tricky to manage, especially in the rehearsal process in trying to merge the two together and complement one another. Lastly, on reflection the overall style of the piece and lack of comedy didn’t suit my skillset as a performer having mainly focused on theatre with a comedic undertone throughout my undergraduate training.

Consequently, I decided I wanted to devise a more professional and ‘grown up’ show so to speak with more of an adult tone. Thus, introducing Acting the Maggot a duo made up of myself and Paige Hegarty – a fellow North-east based theatre-maker and performer. 

 Who are Acting the Maggot?

Acting the Maggot are a performance duo based in the North-east of England who specialise in contemporary theatre. Made up of one Irish male and one Northern-Irish female from different sides of the divide, together we enjoy making theatre that is political, humorous and controversial. Our rather blunt and unapologetic delivery is what we feel sets us apart from other duos who are not afraid to both offend our audiences and each other. This, coupled with ensuring comedy remains an integral part of the performance at all times.

How did you form and why are you working together?

Best friends outside of university, we formed through a mutual love for contemporary theatre, with a specific fondness for cabaret-style performance. Having each written and performed a solo show previously - Mo Oige and This One’s For You, we came together to explore a subject matter that is close to both of our hearts – albeit a subject matter that causes a debate every time it is discussed...

What is ‘Keep it PG’?

Keep it PG is contemporary piece of theatre that explores Irish/Northern Irish identity from both a Catholic and Protestant perspective. Through voice and song we offer an insight into Irish/Northern Irish history, sharing personal stories and opinions through both performance forms.

 What is your aims and objectives for this show?

·         To devise and perform a 30 minute cabaret-style piece of theatre at Live Theatre in front of a packed audience.

·         To enhance my devising skillset to a more professional standard that represents the progression underwent from studying an undergraduate degree, to a postgraduate degree.

·         To network theatres and industry professionals for residencies and programming slots in the future.

·         To bring this show on tour throughout the North-east region and establish ourselves as local theatre-makers and performers injecting a fresh take on the contemporary theatre scene.  

How are you going to carry out your research?

The main body of research for the show will come for our own, contrasting upbringings in both a Catholic and Protestant area. This, meaning the piece will be somewhat auto-biographical in content or at least semi-autobiographical. We will also look at the current political activity in Ireland and how such activity is understood within British parliament here in England.