Comments on: Last Seen http://www.londontheatreblog.co.uk/last-seen/ Group authored publication covering theatre and the performing arts in London and beyond Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:24:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Paul http://www.londontheatreblog.co.uk/last-seen/#comment-5558 Paul Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:06:27 +0000 http://www.londontheatreblog.co.uk/?p=2755#comment-5558 I followed the one about the man who was planning to try to leave his memories behind by going to the coast (I think that was Terence wasn't it?) Some bits really worked for me (eg the early scene looking into the restaurant, the girl he stood up), but I was frustrated by the silent scene involving the whole family in and out of their home (I suppose I wanted to know more about what was going on at this point in his life, but couldn't separate in my mind what were troubles and what were the normal ups and downs) and found it difficult to concentrate on the final scene (at the restaurant again) because there were so many other people milling around by then that it was getting a bit distracting. As a result, I was surprised that Terence did actually go - he seemed a person who would wallow but not be decisive - and that his mate got into the car with him - I missed the motivation for this completely. But it was still worthwhile and would recommend it to others. I followed the one about the man who was planning to try to leave his memories behind by going to the coast (I think that was Terence wasn’t it?) Some bits really worked for me (eg the early scene looking into the restaurant, the girl he stood up), but I was frustrated by the silent scene involving the whole family in and out of their home (I suppose I wanted to know more about what was going on at this point in his life, but couldn’t separate in my mind what were troubles and what were the normal ups and downs) and found it difficult to concentrate on the final scene (at the restaurant again) because there were so many other people milling around by then that it was getting a bit distracting. As a result, I was surprised that Terence did actually go – he seemed a person who would wallow but not be decisive – and that his mate got into the car with him – I missed the motivation for this completely. But it was still worthwhile and would recommend it to others.

]]> By: Julien http://www.londontheatreblog.co.uk/last-seen/#comment-5524 Julien Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:57:37 +0000 http://www.londontheatreblog.co.uk/?p=2755#comment-5524 This is an old tool - i think, 1st used by Jean Francois Lyotard for his "postmodernism and immateriality"-exhibition - he was the first also who designed special routes for the visitors (architecture, city-guides, other exhibitions followed later, the GPS..) - it´s the stage´s stage. These solutions, to me, construct the opposite of the Brechtian theatre (!!!) but also melt structures together - isn´t there a kind of Living Theatre with it?? The sonic and sound problems seem not unsolvable. I wasn´t there - but - the concept as intended by Lyotard was a way to sensibilize the audience - Lyotard confused the real with imaginations and images about the real, ...with fakes, simulacra and all that ... immersion and emotions ... to me, here, the structures (including the headphones) generate the emotions... not the people/persons... ... i volunteered in a real missing person case - it was a big one with big media storms in the u.s.a. - one result was a movie (thriller - a person i worked with helped to develop the script - i never would have done it) - in reality, you do not have these structures above... you sustain the structures with hope and much bullshit (because you believe in the happy end)... to develop the structures, as Slung Low did, means, to control... anyway ... of course it´s an open work, it´s still fuzzy... but the MINUS (i wasn´t there, you can kill me) is also the cultural history the effort had been set into... (fairytales, mythology)... so, it´s not really out of the box... and... the stage became a sonic realm ( a substitute)... they can do better... plus ... a missing person consists of relations... it´s much more complex... to work with this complexity cracks any stage into life... the person unfolds... becomes real, more real... Slung Low didn´t made enough out of their concept... the idea with the three narrations is an ongoing ticket inspector... route comes from routine... any routine splits to pieces with the real case... all maps are thrown away... Slung Low delivered a mapping... (but a good idea) This is an old tool – i think, 1st used by Jean Francois Lyotard for his “postmodernism and immateriality”-exhibition – he was the first also who designed special routes for the visitors (architecture, city-guides, other exhibitions followed later, the GPS..) – it´s the stage´s stage. These solutions, to me, construct the opposite of the Brechtian theatre (!!!) but also melt structures together – isn´t there a kind of Living Theatre with it??

The sonic and sound problems seem not unsolvable.

I wasn´t there – but – the concept as intended by Lyotard was a way to sensibilize the audience – Lyotard confused the real with imaginations and images about the real, …with fakes, simulacra and all that … immersion and emotions … to me, here, the structures (including the headphones) generate the emotions… not the people/persons…

… i volunteered in a real missing person case – it was a big one with big media storms in the u.s.a. – one result was a movie (thriller – a person i worked with helped to develop the script – i never would have done it) – in reality, you do not have these structures above… you sustain the structures with hope and much bullshit (because you believe in the happy end)… to develop the structures, as Slung Low did, means, to control… anyway … of course it´s an open work, it´s still fuzzy… but the MINUS (i wasn´t there, you can kill me) is also the cultural history the effort had been set into… (fairytales, mythology)… so, it´s not really out of the box… and… the stage became a sonic realm ( a substitute)… they can do better…

plus … a missing person consists of relations… it´s much more complex… to work with this complexity cracks any stage into life… the person unfolds… becomes real, more real… Slung Low didn´t made enough out of their concept… the idea with the three narrations is an ongoing ticket inspector… route comes from routine… any routine splits to pieces with the real case… all maps are thrown away… Slung Low delivered a mapping… (but a good idea)

]]> By: Matt Boothman http://www.londontheatreblog.co.uk/last-seen/#comment-5498 Matt Boothman Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:02:40 +0000 http://www.londontheatreblog.co.uk/?p=2755#comment-5498 It's really interesting that you enjoyed the interference as part of the experience. I've always thought that when people give a work the benefit of the doubt and make an effort to excuse its faults rather than criticise them, it's evidence that the work must be particularly engaging. With that in mind, it's especially interesting that you (Paul) feel like justifying the technical problems rather than being annoyed by them, <i>even though</i> you thought the story was only so-so. Which route/character did you follow, out of interest? I saw Reason Season (Terrance) and I've heard some stuff about Joy, but I know nothing about The Great Bear besides a chalked-up urchin and a dinner table in a park that I glimpsed while following my own route. It’s really interesting that you enjoyed the interference as part of the experience. I’ve always thought that when people give a work the benefit of the doubt and make an effort to excuse its faults rather than criticise them, it’s evidence that the work must be particularly engaging. With that in mind, it’s especially interesting that you (Paul) feel like justifying the technical problems rather than being annoyed by them, even though you thought the story was only so-so.

Which route/character did you follow, out of interest? I saw Reason Season (Terrance) and I’ve heard some stuff about Joy, but I know nothing about The Great Bear besides a chalked-up urchin and a dinner table in a park that I glimpsed while following my own route.

]]> By: Paul http://www.londontheatreblog.co.uk/last-seen/#comment-5495 Paul Sun, 12 Jul 2009 10:45:02 +0000 http://www.londontheatreblog.co.uk/?p=2755#comment-5495 I found the 'radio interference' added to the atmosphere; it reminded me that even when at heart-stopping moments and other key moments in our lives, there is the continual cross wind of other people's lives going on. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. The drama itself though - or at least the story we followed - was only so-so. I found the ‘radio interference’ added to the atmosphere; it reminded me that even when at heart-stopping moments and other key moments in our lives, there is the continual cross wind of other people’s lives going on. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.

The drama itself though – or at least the story we followed – was only so-so.

]]> By: Davide http://www.londontheatreblog.co.uk/last-seen/#comment-5467 Davide Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:54:00 +0000 http://www.londontheatreblog.co.uk/?p=2755#comment-5467 Interferences, undesired noises, pirate radio waves: that's a very interesting audio material for the play, unforeseeable, unexpected, showing the "radio wave dimension" in which character's voices lives. Interferences, undesired noises, pirate radio waves: that’s a very interesting audio material for the play, unforeseeable, unexpected, showing the “radio wave dimension” in which character’s voices lives.

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