I believe that the structured improvisational of my performance aided in giving a more authentic feel to the ‘pre-show’ part of the performance. There was a slightly delayed response when I went to the ‘interval’ section of the performance with the selling of the ‘Meta! Mugs’ and ice-cream. However once the first person had come up, who did know what was going on, more people followed to buy both Ice-cream and the mugs. The ‘post-show discussion’ worked well, even though I was asked some unplanned questions by members of the audience. However I responded to them with answers that were fairly arty and pretentious which is what I intended to, and did do, with the planned questions. The pre-prepared questions were also improvised, but because I knew what they were going to be I already had a rough idea of how to answer them. The pre-prepared questions were a combination of banal questions such as “How did you learn all your lines?” and questions seeking approval, in this case it was concerning the skull and suitcase on stage and what they ‘represented’.  This was to satirise the typical questions that occur during post-show discussions, and how often they can be meaningless to the piece itself. I did receive and have to answer a couple of unscripted questions from actual audience members, however they were easy enough to answer in a similar way as the pre-prepared questions and I feel that I responded with suitable ‘artsy’ and pretentious answers. If I were to perform Meta! again or to do a similar performance I would certainly like to extend the length of the performance. This is because the short length of the performance felt as though a lot was being squeezed into a short space of time. A longer running time would allow the pace of the performance to be a little bit slower, as I felt at some points I was rushing, and for the potential introduction of new material. However I would want to ensure that the material still flowed and felt natural in an extended performance, as otherwise the fabricated authenticity could be lost. If I put more time into the planning of the set I could have worked more in it during the rehearsal process to create the illusion it was going to actually be used within the show. Also with more planning I could have looked further into merchandise for the show so that there was a wider range to take that particular piece of satire further. Beyond what I could do myself, ti would be interesting to perform Meta! or something similar in a larger theatre space. I had been able to perform in the main Lpac auditorium I would have been able to make the set and lighting more dramatic and been able to use the same space as the material I was satirising. Whilst this was not an option for me with the performance I feel that it would be where I’d want to take the show in future if I were to work on it. Overall I feel that Meta! was a success from the response I had from the audience. Some didn’t seem to catch what was going on initially, however soon most were laughing along to the continual delays to the ‘performance’ starting and I feel that the performance was well-received.

In the technical rehearsal I got to finally see my set all in place, and fully lit. Pictured you can see what the set looked like. It featured various pieces to imply something meaningful or ‘artsy’. On the right there was the suitcase and the prop skull, which I linked to the ‘post-show discussion’, a costume rail with several costumes in order to suggest a number of roles being played throughout, a top-lit phone on a bar table to imply something meaningful, a set of foils linked to audience interaction and finally a table with a typewriter on it and a chair by it. The pre-set of the show had a number of lights cross-fading on the set to create a further ‘artsy’ feel, with a light constantly on me at the typewriter whilst the audience entered. I got to see the ‘profanity’ slides in the space, and if I had more time I would probably have put some more words into the slide show towards the end of it. The slides began with simple profanity that the audience could easily work out, until at the end the slides had longer and longer words with only the beginning and end letters visible. Whilst this provides a joke for the audience it is also meant with the intent of poking fun at how more and more is deemed offensive in contemporary society. A theme that was more prevalent in earlier versions of the performance but there is now less of in the performance’s final form.

The technical rehearsal also forced me to do my final cutting and ordering of the show, based around my technical requirements and also the planned order I had come up with. The order of topics that I finalised for the show ensured that the topics slightly linked from one to the next. This was so that they appeared almost as a stream on consciousness and worked with the improvisational style to give the impression of authenticity. The technical rehearsal overall filled me with confidence for the performance, being able to see my set in the space and walk through the show in order make it feel far more real, as previously the performance side of  Meta! has felt almost purely conceptual.

Rehearsing for Meta! was fairly simple as for the most part it was simply planning the content I wanted for the show, then also working out what set and props I required. When forming the content I planned to perform the show as a structured improvisation, so I would know a set order for the show, and roughly what required saying at each point. I settled on this because it would give the impression of authenticity to the ‘pre-show’ section of the performance, rather than give it a potentially rigid or structured feel to it. For a considerable length of time I was uncertain which topics to mention and address within the show, with examples of these being allergy warnings, fire alarm warnings and profanity warnings. I wanted to strike a balance between coddling the audience with warnings and catering to their whims, whilst also establishing a large number of elements that are present in contemporary theatre culture, but are almost entirely superfluous. Taking inspiration from Will Eno’s Tom Paine based on nothing I really wanted to establish a relationship to the audience. Whilst not to the same extent as in Tom Paine planned to immediate speak to the audience in the performance, to immediately establish that I was speaking directly to them as audience members.

One element however that was necessary to the show as a whole was to make sure it flowed from one topic to the next, and felt authentic. If the performance felt as if it was rigidly following a script then it would lose some of its impact. To this end I have recorded a improvised version of the show, with a rough structure planned out beforehand so that I have a rough idea of the direction and to give me a sense of how long the show will take. Once I had a number of topics I create a list of potential post-show discussion questions that I could give to planted audience members. Whilst some were simple I decided to have some that were a reflection of the show that Meta! purported to be. These were the questions that linked well to explaining metaphors and seeking approval from me as a the creator of performance. However I was unsure of how many I might need due to the timing of the performance, so I will narrow down the list later down in the process, and also I can later make some of the questions relate somewhat to the set I eventually decide upon.

One of the staged ‘rehearsal’ pictures I released on social media.

Another ‘rehearsal’ picture to give the impression I was still in the process of learning lines, and that there was a full script.

In order to create the illusion that the show was progressing, and to further wrong-foot the audience I created a number  of staged ‘rehearsal’ photos. By posting these to the various social media sites for Meta! I hoped to create anticipation for a performance that didn’t actually exist. I choose pictures that fitted with the theme of the initial profile picture in order to create the impression of a slightly zany show that should be amusing to watch. Later on in the process I even went to the extent to acquire a fake quotation from my tutor concerning the performance, “It’s such a relief to see a show that’s uplifting after years of turgid crap. I blame Sarah Kane.” (Pulford, 2016) This combined with my initial description of the performance on social media of

“Meta! is a solo performance by Simon Payne. Addressing                   both timeless and contemporary topics, it is an artistic take               on real life, adventurous and moving.”

sought to create the idea that Meta! was a fully fleshed out and serious performance. Hopefully all these elements with work together to create the impression of a performance for the audience that can be completely shattered and satirised once the performance actually begins.

From there being such a focus on social media in contemporary society, it was not only prudent that Meta! would address social media in content, but that it also had an established social media presence itself. This also contributed to the satire of social media can pull focus from the performance itself. this is more during the development and rehearsal processes of a show when focus should be on the show itself rather than glorified advertising. However this was only a secondary element accompanying the main point on the role of social media in contemporary society.

In order to accompany Meta!‘s social media presence there was the necessity of a logo. I chose something simple and eye-catching (pictured) to draw attention to Meta! on social media, as would be intended if it were a full and serious show. I also took a picture of myself to use as part of the performance’s promotion. I then created  facebook, twitter and instagram accounts for the performance in order to create a wide social media coverage, and to post various staged rehearsal photos on. The profile picture I chose for the social media sites had the intention to intrigue those who saw it, and to mislead them concerning the nature of the performance. The social media sites also served the practical purpose of advertising the performance in the hope of getting more people to come to the performance.

The chose profile picture for the Social Media sites.

The merchandise I finally settled on for the performance was to only have ‘Meta! Mugs’. This was partly because the price to order a number of other products started to increase drastically and also none of the designs for other merchandise looked as good as the mugs did.  It also simplified what I needed to be doing during the ‘interval’ of my performance. However I received confirmation from the Lpac that I was able to sell ice-creams during the ‘interval’ of the performance. I don’t particularly care how many of the mugs and ice-creams are sold during this section of the performance, it is more that they are there for sale which emphasises my point of the superfluities of contemporary theatre.

One of the ‘Meta! Mugs’

In preparation for our performances and technical runs we were given the opportunity to attend a lighting workshop to give us more insight into what we could be doing for our performances. We were shown various different techniques and how they could be used in a performance to create both technical effects and to create meaning themselves on stage. It made me consider applications of lightning in performance and how much more of an impact the lighting can have when there is only a single person performing. I thought on some that I could use to be ‘arty’ within my performance, primarily for my pre-set whilst the audience entered, and I decided on a series of crossfading spotlights. These would be used on my set to create a dramatic and ‘arty’ feel for the beginning of the show, in order to wrong foot the audience’s initial response when entering the studio.

I decided after the workshop that I would probably have house lighting for the majority of the show. One reason for this is so that the ‘pre-show’ announcement section of the performance feels separate from the atmosphere as the audience entered. Furthermore it removes any theatricality from the performance and grants a sense of authenticity as well. Whilst it does feel a shame to have seen some incredibly impressive lighting effects in our workshop and to have gained insight into the lighting’s application and the meaning it can imply, the simplicity of the house lighting feels that it best suits the style of performance that I am going with.