Stravaig Theatre Blog

Think of a stage.

You're probably thinking of a raised platform framed with a proscenium arch and thick red curtains, or a completely blackened room with extra intimate seating.  

Was that close to what was in your head? Well, you wouldn't be wrong but that's not the only kind of stage that exists.

We've been reflecting this week on just how far we've been able to reach with our performance work; the wide variety of performance spaces we've been able to work with.

If you study theatre or performance, you'll probably have or will read The Empty Space by Peter Brook . Even if you don’t  quite make it past the first chapter*, it's undoubtedly one of THE most inspiring texts in theatre academia. The premise being that any empty space can be a stage (or performance area). 

Stravaig Theatre firmly believes that all spaces can inspire creativity and have performance potential. We love space, the stranger and further out the better. Sometimes we go to the space and sometimes we bring the space to us.    

Don’t get us wrong, we do love a black box studio. However, we look for ways that we can use media to transport the audience in front of us as far away from that black box as possible. 

*Please note that Stravaig Theatre accepts no responsibility for students not completing their reading homework (just saying)

Where we work 

So far, we have created theatrical events live on the street, in a back garden, on the beach and now most recently we are creating in a forest. 

Our current rehearsal studio and base for working is a disused canteen in Motherwell (it’s huge, and it’s fab.) Perhaps you think of a theatrical event as something you sit down and witness from the safety of the auditorium. Our perception of live theatre is different to this. 

With some of our work, we never see the audience and never get the applause at the end, especially with our audio guide theatre. Our audio guides are events that never end and are therefore always live. If the space still stands, even if it alters over time, our art will be there as a marker for what the space is and was after we are gone.

When we did What the Dickens at Christmas time, we had to have a smaller,  intimate audience due to the show being live in the narrow and busy streets of Edinburgh old town. The audience gathered, probably not quite knowing what to expect, and were whisked away into the past to take an evening walk with Charles Dickens. With suspended disbelief, and festive spirit on our side, we found the audience fell into the given circumstances instantly, shouting for Mr Dickens without hesitation. We found that this relaxed and almost regular setting of a walk in the street created a conversational atmosphere. Dickens enthusiasts enjoyed making sure we had done our research, and  those with a repertoire of terrible jokes enjoyed sharing them with complete strangers. The whole event was alive in a way that struggles to be experienced in your standard auditorium. 

Site Specific 

This is theatre which takes place on location to either exactly where a play is set or generally a similar environment. For example, a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream taking place in a forest, is site specific and this location would be relevant to the overall plot and themes of the play. The same play done in an industrial park, while less obviously relevant, is site specific and perhaps attempting to refresh the frequently reprised play and instigate a different perspective. 

Pros of Site-Specific Work

• brings a new life or energy into a play
• brings you closer to the environment of the play and therefore you are more empathetic towards it
• it’s more accessible to new companies that can’t afford to build or store set
• sometimes a play is site specific because the location plays as big a part in the narrative as the characters. This is the case in the play Further Than the Furthest Thing by Zinnie Harris.

Why space matters to us

As much as we love going to the commercial and well-known theatres, these are not accessible to newcomer or emerging theatre companies. So, where does that leave us? Well, everywhere else. If we widen the perspective of theatre beyond the confines of a traditional building, the possibilities for theatre events become limitless. 

We are inspired by local heritage, whether it be historical, mythological or the culture that already exists in the place we are working. The clues to the heritage of a place are already there, we simply bring your attention to them so that they can be appreciated. Why should these matter? Apart from being interesting, we need to know and understand our inherited past to know where we should go in the future. Invisible Theatre, originated by Theatre of the Oppressed, is a form of performance, almost in the style of a flash mob event. Except, unlike a flash mob, the public around them may never know that they are witnessing a theatrical event because it is a mundane action.  What’s the point in that? We think theatre goes beyond a form of entertainment and can be used as a way of having a conversation with society and as practitioners we do not always need to claim ownership of the lasting impression that is created. 

In our latest work in Arkaig forest we will be using the space to tell the narrative of the place. Without too many spoilers, there is a story being told by the actual forest itself, all we are doing is pointing it out. No, the trees don’t talk to you…but they show off their past full of pain, destruction, and misunderstanding , as well as their current narrative which is one of healing and re-growth. 

Conclusion

We have absolutely only covered the tip of the iceberg here. We wanted to share our opinion and perhaps start a conversation, especially with people who only have experience and knowledge of traditional theatre. Please do investigate these practitioners below for some examples and further reading on site specific work.

If you think we should add someone to the list, you have any questions or points you’d like to bring up, please email share@stravaigtheatre.com Remember to be kind and respectful, this blog is always in light hearted spirit. 

Some practitioners we are inspired by:

Punch Drunk

Theatre of the Oppressed (Invisible Theatre)

Janet Cardiff 

One Step at a Time Like This 

Back-to-Back Theatre 

Peter Brook