As part of our devising process, each member of the company is researching into different milestones in a relationship which may be used in the performance. For the structure of the piece, we have discussed using a timeline of some sort that plots the generic events that occur in an average relationship (first kisses, meeting parents etc). These events will then be explored individually through a mixture of real accounts from the public, our own experiences and the heightened portrayals that popular films/songs/TV use. I am delving into the muddy waters of marriage; a foreign territory for me which means relying on my own experience is not an option.
In films and TV, marriage and weddings are often overly romanticised or unrealistically dramatic. What springs to mind instantly is the classic soap opera nearly-wedding where just before the couple say ‘I do’, something terrible happens that disrupts the ceremony. This more unrealistic view of engagement could be something we explore, however I have already started talking to real couples who will be getting married later this year. Their responses give an honest but heart-warming account of what this life event is like. From the interviews, I have picked out a few points of interest that could be used in the performance. The proposal is something that I think we can definitely play with and using details of real proposals we could create a very uplifting (but genuine and not sugar coated!) scene. Below is a picture of the location of one proposal that was revealed in an interview which we may explore in rehearsals:
First dance songs could be a useful and interesting way to connect our use of live music to this section. That would also create a potential opportunity to have a more physical scene, as currently we have a lot of static, text based moments. It would also be interesting to link some of the stories that we find together. Here is a short list of possible songs that we could use for this section:
- ‘Don’t Marry Her’- Deep South
- ‘Love and Marriage’- Frank Sinatra
- ‘Marry You’- Bruno Mars
- ‘Going to the chapel of love’- Dixie Cups
- ‘Paradise By The Dashboard Light’- Meatloaf