A solo performance by Caroline Horton (with the help of Boris and Sistahl).

‘Josephine is putting on a play – Boris and Sistahl help. It’s about anorexia – but don’t let that put you off. Unflinchingly they confront big issues (and extremely tiny ones). And today they will tackle a particularly thin elephant in the room. Obsession, addiction and not wanting to get out of bed: a play with songs from Best Solo Performer (The Stage Awards 2010) Caroline Horton’ (Mess Poster, 2013).

Caroline, like many solo performers began with what she knew. Mess is her story which she tells very vividly. This play is completely autobiographical, with the help of improvised scenes to establish what could be said and what was going ‘too far’. At many times throughout the audience were made to feel uncomfortable but with the storyline so personal, raw and desperate this was necessary. Although Caroline had the help of Boris and Sistahl, she made it clear throughout that this was her play and when she thought they were taking too much of a lead role, she would tell them to back off. This added great comic effect while installing a sense that her anxiety was no longer so overpowering – she had found her voice and was determined to use it. The use of live music and singing enabled that the play was at no point static while adding a sentimental element to the story.

The character of Boris represented a close friend of Josephine’s, someone who had clearly been there through the darkest of times. I am grateful that Caroline chose to include this character as it added an emotional sense of realism to the sense of isolation that she was going through. Although Boris was the best friend that she could possibly have, Josephine felt more alone than ever, but without him, she may not have got through it. Boris is there to remind the audience that things can get better and quotes my favourite line of the play: ‘70% of live will be average. 30% might be brilliant but 30% will probably be horrendous but that’s okay but that is life Josephine!’ This line really stuck out to me and is an attitude I think most people could learn by.

Although the play was distinctly based upon anorexia and the mental illnesses of eating disorders, the meaning of the play was also very personal to the quality of life, an element that is very poignant to my own performance.

Works Cited
Mess Poster. (2013).

All images from Google Images. Google Image Search: ‘Mess’ by Caroline Horton. Online: https://www.google.co.uk/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi Accessed: Saturday 20 April 2013.

Though I was happy with my new plan to audition for the part of myself, I have slightly changed my idea. I have decided to scrap the scenario of auditioning though I will still be playing the part of myself, touching upon very real and honest autobiographical moments within my script. After feeling stuck in my original performance, my new script naturally came to me during a sleepless night. While having so many thoughts on my mind I had to get them out, little did I expect them to turn into my solo performance. I began to write everything down that I was thinking about in order to get it out in the hope that I would then be able to sleep. Now though, I am very grateful for this sleepless night as I am so happy with my script. It is very honest, shows a contrast in pace and context and says exactly what I, and many others think but never say.

Though my script often refers to personal issues I am keen for my script to not be too heavily buried in autobiographical material as I am conscious of this giving my piece a static feel. I aim for my script to take the audience on a journey in which they will be able to relate to many of the things I talk about. Through my honesty I hope that the audience will experience the same emotions that I will when delivering my performance. I begin talking about my circumstances at the moment, before steering off to talk about money, seperated parents, being the ‘angel’ child and how loss can make you realise how the little things in life that we seem to focus on mean absolutely nothing. I feel the most inspired by my performance that I have to date and am eager to now begin working on the stage and set up of what I hope to be a great performance.

Solo performance is the perfect excuse for performers to experiment with ‘the self’, therefore creating an element of autobiography through performance. Carlson suggests: ‘For the general public this still remains the most familiar and accessible manifestation of this movement’ (2004, p.126). I am in agreement with Carlson and put this down to the audience expecting a sense of normality and being inquisitive of other people’s life stories. Even though solo performance has a growing reputation I feel it’s audience is still a niche market due to the general audience being wary of the more expressive performance art.

Autobiographical performance is included in many solo forms, one of the most popular being stand up comedy. Many comedians such as Russell Howard and Sarah Millican use their own lives and experiences to gather material for their performances, often speaking of their friends and families which is something I admire being very family focused myself. Though I expect their portrayals to be some what exaggerated, I am humbled that established artists still look close to home for inspiration.

Other artists such as Eric Bogosian use autobiography through a mixture of stand up and performance art, creating monologues to present a contemporary take on autobiographical performance. Freedman comments on Bogosian’s characterisation and describes him as ‘less a writer or actor than a mixture of stand-up comic and performance art’ (ctd in: Carlson, 2004, p.126). Bogosian comments on his position and I am in agreement that: ‘I don’t really care what you call it. That’s not important. What’s important is effect’ (ctd in: Carlson, 2004, p.127).

Unlike Bogosian who through solo performance ‘[explores] concerns vital to the performer’s psyche’ (Carlson, 2004, p.126), Spalding Gray approaches autobiography in a different manner. When approaching the contemporary monologue Gray ‘utilizes a distinctly more individualized autobiographical narrative that avoids the alternate “selves” which have a tendency to crystallize into new “characters” with a distinctly “theatrical” feel’ (Carlson, 2004, p.127). While Gray uses his own experiences at the forefront of his performances by choosing to stage these sat at a table with just a glass of water the performance holds a clear linear narrative, letting the audience follow the story in order as Gray tells it.

In seeing the many paths that solo performaners tend to take when dealing with solo performance, I am confident that I can include an element of autobiography within my own performance. When working on my script I hope that the path I take will come naturally and this is something that I am looking forward to discovering.

Works Cited
Carlson, Marvin. (2004). Performance: A Critical Introduction (Second Edition).  New York: Routledge.

Gray, Spalding. (1985). Swimming to Cambodia – Part One. Online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCGmra0eFQk Accessed: Wednesday 3 April 2013.

Howard, Russell. (2011). Right Here Right Now Tour. Online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnBDTJCwwds Accessed: Wednesday 3 April 2013.