One topic for consideration that occurred to me and could be developed further for my solo performance is the notion of getting older. The performance dates for the performances in May include one that is on my Birthday, the 17th, and it will be a ‘milestone’ at 21. I’m unsure of what I will be doing after University ends this year, and I wonder if addressing my performance on growing older might be of interest. Not necessarily just my experience of growing old, but how it is treated in various societies, and how we are unsure of what the future will bring. This would then be given particular relevance by being performed on my birthday itself if at all possible. I had the image of sadly sitting with a party hat and blower, much like the pictured image, however I wasn’t sure where to take this idea. Therefore despite the stage image being quite humorous to me I knew it wasn’t going anywhere. When much later I was thinking about what life for me might be like after University I realised that it could play off my previous idea and perhaps become something more meaningful and relevant to a solo performance occurring on my birthday.

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There could be the potential inclusion of relevant stories that are close to me but not personal, in a similar manner to that of David Cale. These might include what members of my family or older friends did whilst they were my age and over the years that followed in their twenties, and how their lives developed. Other moments within the performance might not necessarily be stories, but other ideas surrounding the wider concepts of growing older and future uncertainty. Again with reference to David Cale, his structure to the piece Deep in a Dream of You could be of great help. Cale performs 12 monologues around the themes of love and lust. The tone of these monologues vary as does the way in which they are told, some in first person and some as a narrator. Applying a similar structure to my work initially might be a good way to start developing it. From my core concepts of growing older and the uncertainty the future brings, I could develop a number of short scenes or monologues all linked through a common theme.