Theatre Trip - Normal Madness

Last night I went to go and see a performance of Normal Madness by Fiona Geddes. It was not only written by Fiona Geddes but she also performed the piece. I attended the show at the Paisley Arts Centre and from the blurb the performance looked to be quite interesting. Normal Madness is a one women portrayal of a young woman's life living with her mother who has been diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder. It looks at the effect which her mother's disorder has on the young woman's life.

Having worked as a carer for three years and having cared for someone with schizophrenia I can say that Fiona has really done her research into the subject of mental illness and is touchingly true to life. There was hardly a single person watching the performance who did not leave with tears in their eyes at this heart-warming story. Despite this the story is very funny at times and is quite light-hearted at the beginning, getting more and more heartbreaking as it goes on.

Whether or not you have been affected by schizophrenia or not, I believe that anyone who has ever cared for a relative with any condition, mental or physical, will be able to empathize with Kirsty's story. Many of the issues surrounding caring which affects Kirsty in the play, I have seen affect the families of those I have cared for. From dealing with advance statements to the controversial matter of having children with an increased risk of the condition, these issues are portrayed fairly and truthfully.

When the character Kirsty entered her clothing and relaxed manner made me think that she was a member of the audience. She began with wearing a cardigan over two tops and jeans. One of the tops was used to break the ice with a joke while the cardigan was put on and taken off throughout the performance. This casual clothing set the tone for the piece. A relaxed casual atmosphere which added to the integrity of the performance and made it truly believable. Talking to audience members afterwards some of them express that they found it hard to distinguish what was acting and what was real.

Music was used as a tool to show the audience flashbacks to the mother’s past. As the performance was built around just one performer this helped distinguish when she was portraying Kirsty and when she was portraying Kirsty’s mother. The flashbacks were mostly set in a caravan resort and so nostalgic almost carnival like music was used in addition to sound effects of crowds, waves crashing and other sounds associated with a holiday resort. This was in contrast to the rest of the piece which was quite minimalistic.

The only sound effects used outside of the flashbacks was Kirsty’s phone ringing. As most of the piece was dialogue between Kirsty and the audience in an anecdotal style this broke up the piece in a way which made it seem as if it was happening in real time as Kirsty’s mother was interjecting with phone calls to her daughter during Kirsty’s storytelling.

Lighting was widely used to differentiate between when Kirsty addressed the audience and when other characters were portrayed. When three spotlights were used on the stage this showed that Fiona was switching between the characters of the doctors. When more complex lighting states were used this set the landscape for the flashbacks to the mother’s past. Darker lighting states were brought into play in the flashbacks to represent the mother’s declining mental state. Overall the lighting was quite subtle. When Kirsty addressed the audience the lighting was brought up almost as if the house lights were on. This put Kirsty and the audience on equal ground and helped to set up the realism of the story she was telling.

The set was very minimalistic with just a chair on a raised tilted platform with a black background. This provides a blank canvas which the audience can imagine the changing setting of the flashbacks, the doctor's offices and the theatre itself. Keeping the stage with minimal set increased the realism of Kirsty being there to tell her story to the audience which increases the audience's connection with Kirsty.

All props used in the show were brought onto the stage in a handbag by Kirsty. Props used were Kirsty's phone, letters and a bottle of water. These things are the type of items which a woman would carry around with her in her bag on a daily basis which added to the authenticity of the story.

All of these elements came together very well to create an amazingly heart-rending story which is astonishingly  funny at times but extremely well researched and written. This sweet anecdotally told story encapsulates so much in just under a hour long. It is definitely worth going to see and I highly recommend it.

http://www.kidder.org.uk/normalmadness/

Creative Writing Series 2

2.     A taxi, an old enemy, and Valentine's Day.

Valentine’s Day was Leo’s least favourite day of the year. Lovey-dovey couples everywhere showing off the extent of their love for one another. It was sickening. He hadn’t a girlfriend. He didn’t need one. With a girlfriend came the nagging and the disgusting PDA’s and worst of all the need to make romantic displays especially on days like today. Yes, he was getting off lightly.

Even his favourite local tea shop, who served the especially delicious chocolate cake and the amazing scones, where he spent his breaks between lectures had been infected with it. Couples taking up all the tables. Streamers and paper hearts covering the place which before had a lovely vintage appeal with an old nineteen twenties style.

Whoever decided that red was to be the colour of love anyway? To Leo, red was the colour of those old musty leather-bound books that his grandmother kept in her bookshelf. Contained within those books, that was true romance.

That kind of romance was something he could be interested in. Instead of romance that’s only end was to get into each other’s pants. Having a girlfriend he actually liked and not just someone to define himself by.

He finally managed to find someplace to sit in the busy tea room when he saw her. She was stepping out of a taxi with her boyfriend holding the door open for her. They couldn’t have picked somewhere else to eat?

Lilith was his step sister. Her father had married his mother when they were sixteen. With their parents away working a lot he was the one who had to suffer her.

How long had she been with this one? He wondered. She usually had a new boyfriend every week or so. Each one thinking they were special. Until she grew bored of them that is.

He tried to avoid her gaze. But she found him anyway. She led her newest companion over to the table seated opposite him which just happened to be the only free table available.

Creative Writing Series 1

I've decided to write a series of short stories and post them regularly on my blog. This is an effort to get into the habit of updating more frequently. So I went onto creative-writing-now.com and used their story starters to get myself started. I hope you all enjoy them and would love to hear your comments and reviews of my work.

1.     A stolen ring, fear of spiders, and a sinister stranger.

Anna fingered the finger where her mother’s ring used to sit. It had been a beautiful ring. Gold with a black stone surrounded by white stones. Before it had been stolen, it had been her mother’s engagement ring. Although her mother had never been married it was still something which had adorned her mother’s hand since before Anna had been born.

Upon moving halfway round the world to Melbourne, Australia, her mother had given the ring to her as a token to remind her of home. Her mother would laugh at her for the loss of the ring, tell her she should be more careful with her belongings perhaps, and not to trust the “friend” who had taken it.

There was no sentimental value to the ring. An old suitor of her mothers who had proposed and after a few months engaged had been hit in the face with the damn thing. Then her mother had remember that she had bought it with her own money and promptly demanded it back.

Still, the guilt of losing something which was not her own nagged at her and would continue to do so until she confessed the story to her mother.

This new country was a scary place to be without her mother. It had always been the two of them and adjusting was hard. Not that she was alone. She did have cousins who lived nearby, but she barely knew any of them. Her only contact with them before moving here was through an old senile member of the family who was always telling of them but she hadn’t actually spoken to any of them.

The climate alone was vastly different to home. At home it was warm for only a few days in summer and nowhere near the temperature here. She had needed to replace most of her wardrobe within the first few days of arriving.

The neighbour across the street hadn’t minded that. He would stare whenever she left the house and had asked her out numerous times. She wouldn’t have minded if it was for the pig-headed, grossly sexist comments he would make.

He was amused whenever she opened the mailbox at the end of the drive and scream as a mammoth spider lurking at the other end would come scuttling out. She wasn’t afraid of spiders. She wasn’t. But these things were not like the spiders at home. No, these were double the size and hairy. And when they came crawling out of her mail box she wasn’t expecting them. Of course that would make her scream.

What made it worse was that he would just stand behind her laughing. Trying to hide it of course, so instead it would come out as a snort. Possibly one of the most unattractive noises imaginable. It was just a shame that his looks weren't as unattractive as the rest of him.

University

Uni has kept me busy and I know it's been a long time since I updated.

The Renfrewshire Witch Hunt fell through. I did go in to chase them up about volunteering but they just said they would be getting back to me within the week but I never heard from them despite going to see them a few times.

I am loving living at Queen Margaret University. I am less than 10 mins from Edinburgh by trains and less than half an hour by bus. My flatmates have all turned out to be really nice. I have 5 flatmates all girls...which is disappointing for all of us. We all wanted to be sharing with at least one guy. We have a mix of different people from different areas and subject areas.

The course is fantastic. I am learning so much about costume and get to work on shows for the uni as part of the course twice a year. We started with unfitted garments then I worked on Gamestastic show for the National Museum of Scotland. At the same time we got to learn about other aspects of the theatre like lighting, which I have fallen in love with, and sound. In addition to this we had a drawing module where we had to draw lots of characters in costume.  I have just complete the second show called Harlequinade, which we were making costumes for acrobats and clowns. Both of them were really stressful but totally worth it. Currently I am working on Fitted Garments and a straw bonnet which will, in addition to another drawing project, finish off my coursework for the year.

Unfortunately in October I was hospitalised for an abscess in the base of my spine which had to be lanced and drained thankfully while I was put under general anaesthetic. I then had to go back to the nurse everyday for a month to get the wound packed. Turns out paracetamol works wonders if you take it half an hour before getting your wound packed!

I joined a few societies. I joined the Drama Society and Cobweb Theatre Company Society and through them I got to work onstage as well as in the tech box which was really cool. I really love working with the lighting. I worked on the lighting for Cobweb's showcase Wonders of the Web. After Christmas I didnt go back to the Drama Society as it was getting too much as I was working on the Gamestastic show as well as both societies. Cobweb introduced me to working with Ridotto which was a night held by our uni in the Caves in Edinburgh. Unfortunately this year was the last year it was going to run but I thoroughly enjoying working the lighting for it. I got to work in the Edinburgh Student Arts Festival dressing people for their catwalk. I got to do a monologue from Taming of the Shrew for Cobweb's Nacho Ordinary Cobweb Show which was really fun. Cobweb has got several upcoming events which I get to tech including Fear and Misery in the Third Reich, with sound this time, which I am also organising the costumes for and Caught in the Web which is only for new writing which I will tech. Hopefully lighting but I'm fine with either.

I got to work backstage at the Kings theatre in the costume department of Oliver! with a lady named Kate for one night only. She seemed really nice and told me about opportunities for the future which is always nice to hear about. When I came home I was buzzing from experience. I loved it.

Now my First Year is coming to an end and while the year has just flown by so fast I am looking forward to second year.

Middle of Summer

I've been off for summer just about a month now but now the sleeping the day away phase has gone away I am inspired to actually go and do stuff!

My other blog for college work is almost up to date just two projects to go.

Also I have put my name forward for volunteering with the Renfrewshire Witch Hunt which is like a historical society for the area. I am still waiting to here back but I should hear back this week.

I am really looking forward to moving away. I now have almost everything I need. I still need to get a grater and a frying pan. You have to take your own kitchen supplies and bedding.  It's slowly sinking in all the things I will get to do when I'm away. Like, for example, cooking my own meals. Which is a good thing. It's really hard to try to adapt your diet when someone else does the cooking. I have been trying to make my diet healthier. Not that I'm going on a diet but in my house we usually end up end lots of processed foods which I want to change. I want to start making my own veggie filled casseroles and curries and soups etc.

In addition I have also started making up my own patterns to start making clothes. This I am really excited about. I have spent most of my free time just looking at bloggers who make their own clothes and working out how I would mke the pattern for that. And yes I do mean making the pattern not buying the pattern. In my course I learned how to make patterns and adapt them to different styles. This means that I can attempt at least to make at garment from a basic block.

I have all ready made most of my basic blocks: Loose Bodice, Trousers, Loose Dress, Skirt.

So I still have to make a Bodice and Dress with darts and a Sleeve Block. I will then make up Muslins of each to see how they fit and how I can adapt them if I wanted a different pattern.

I made the blocks on a roll of recycled brown paper I got from WHSmith. This is sturdy enough for my blocks at the moment while giving me the length I need to actually make them without sticking bit of paper together. However to make up production patterns I think I'll go with tracing paper as I can see the blocks underneath.

For my first pattern I think I may make a Mandarin style top with three quarter length sleeves and have the front decorative seam going down the side the way it would on a mandarin dress.

Busy Busy Busy

Glasgow Clyde College HND Fashion Textiles Class of 2014 is hosting a fashion show and I am organising the press and publicity for the show and if you want to come along check out the blog page for more details. http://glasgowclydetextiles14.blogspot.co.uk/

Okay now that the shameless plugging is over... This has been a busy few weeks. I finally managed to get my Graded Unit finished!!! Yay! And as above I have been helping to organise our years fashion show while designing and making my two dresses which are going into the show. My dresses are now almost finished and I'm very excited for the show as well as for the summer.

I can't wait for the summer. Amongst other things I have shopping to do! I got accepted with an unconditional offer to Queen Margaret's University for Costume Design which I am really excited about. I had gotten an offer from Edinburgh College of Art but QMU's course seems to be more about the practical skills and QMU is smaller which suits me as although I'm creative I am quite a quiet person. I will be moving there in probably August/September time which is really exciting. I can't wait to go.

It will be strange moving out of my Mum's house even if I will be going back for holidays but the student life there looks really good. The campus is just a stone's throw away from the accommodation and there is a bar, cafe and gym on site. The local supermarket is apparently just a few minutes walk away and to each flat there are six to a flat. You have your own bedroom and toilet though they are quite small. I think this may be a good thing as if the bedrooms are small it should, in theory, be easier to tidy.

Yeah Right!

Currently I am looking for a summer job involving costume to dip my toe in before I go. This week I will start emailing theatre to see if they need anyone even on a volunteer basis. And, Yes I have told my current employers this but since I'll be leaving come August/September time regardless, they don't mind.

This summer I have plans to start making my own clothes. That may not end up happening but its my wee dream for the summer. I was also thinking of going away somewhere. Maybe a weekend abroad or even just camping for the weekend.

Long Time No See

Hi

Haven't even thought to update in a while. Lots has happened. I passed my Driving test. I now have a full UK driving licence. I have been put on the press and publicity section of our college's fashion show committee. Birthdays are coming up and been. Mine is this week.

One thing that has been really bugging me since I got my licence is the constant question of when I'm going to get a car. Right at this point in time I cant justify the cost of a car. I'm in the middle of the college year for a creative course which is expensive in terms of buying fabrics and such anyway and I have the possibility that I'll be moving away next year for university. My Dad won't stop talking about it and it's really getting on my nerves. Until I know what I'm doing in terms of university I can't even think about a car. It's not even an option.

Now that I have that out of the way and off my chest on to happier subjects. Glasgow Clyde College, previously Cardonald College, Fashion Textiles course is organising a fashion show and I'm one of the people delegated to organising press and publicity. I think this is mainly due to the fact that I'm good with computers. Just this morning I managed to save my tablet from a never-ending boot-loop of death. I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in. Unfortunately I can't really do anything till the venue people organise the times and dates and things. Once they've done that I can start to publicise the event. At the moment we haven't even got a name but it's coming. I think we're considering Regeneration. Fundraising was suggested to be put on hold till after we get a venue but I thought that wasn't a good idea. If the Venue required a deposit we'd be stuck.

In college feeling really nice and calm. I need to post on my college blog as I now have a working camera after my camera pins for the memory card broke and my phone is doing some strange thing I can't even explain. I need to send it back to the insurance company anyway because the screen is smashed.

This week was both my best friend's birthday, whom I haven't seen yet, and my twin brothers birthday. I saw both of them yesterday along with my Dad, his wife and my youngest little brother. I got the boys the Hunger Games trilogy and a trivia game called Beat the Parents. My birthday's on Friday so I was thinking of asking my best friend if she wants to go to see Catching Fire next week.

The last time I went to the cinema with my friend we went to see Sunshine on Leith which is based on the music of the Proclaimers. I still can't get the songs out of my head. I actually prefer the movie versions of the songs to the Proclaimers.
I also went to see Andrea Borcelli with my Gran which was really great in the new Glasgow Hydro. It was maxed out and we were right in the back row but we could still hear him really well. We couldn't see very good as there was one big screen but the others were pretty small. I really enjoyed the night.

Bobbi Jean
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