Audience feedback is important to me as from this I can observe their reactions, understand any confustion that may have arised and establish an overall feel on what they thought of my performance. There are things I would have liked to have done better on the day, however due to windy weather I do not feel this obstructed or effected my performance in any way, if anything I think my performance benefited.

Post-performance, I asked some audience members to send me comments on what they felt worked, what they felt didn’t, how they felt at different times, did they establish an emotional connection and if they think the props worked throughout?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After reading these comments, I appreciated their honesty and involvment and felt proud that I had accomplished my intentions. I made some people cry, smile and laugh, sing and even dance. I attracted attention from both the B&L building, the library and passers-by, interested in what I was doing, stopping to record and join in. I’m glad I excelled out of my comfort zone because I wanted to truly understand what it means to perform solo. I have enjoyed understanding various practitioners techniques in vocal delivery, creations of atmopheric settings, their use of multi-media and their continous progression from the start to achieve an exciting end performance, this has helped me in understanding that you shouldn’t rush and go with your first idea.. it should be a continour journey, exploring different possibilities.

From Spalding Gray’s notion of ‘being in the moment’ and Laurie Anderson’s use of emotional stimulation through music (both of which influenced my performance greatly), Solo Performance has shown me a different, more thrilling side of theatre in which a ‘one-man-show’ can entertain as much as a full-cast broadway show! Sometimes more is less.. I have enjoyed the long process from the creation of an idea, initial knock-backs and the changing of  ideas, the research behind practitioners, the research behind my own ideas with Bansky and quotations and finally the end performance which I hope benefited not only myself in the ability to actually let things go, start a fresh and say good-bye to Uni but also to my audience who I hope felt moved and empathy, towards my situation comparing it to theirs.

I leave this module behind with a quote (of course) that’s helped me in my time at Uni..

‘EVERYTHING IS OKAY IN THE END, IF IT’S NOT OKAY, THEN IT’S NOT THE END. NEVER A FAILURE, ALWAYS A LESSON’.