Here is my personal reflection about my writing process.
This was probably one of the hardest tasks I’ve ever done. It requires creativity and I think that you have to be in a very specific mindset. I started writing my monologue when I came back from Spain, after my studies in France. I felt devastated and heartbroken and I could not write a single word. I spent so many hours looking at the screen not writing a single word.
I believe that writing requires a lot of research in order to create a whole new world for the characters. I feel that I did not have either the training or time to do so. Therefore, most of the writing is very personal and based on my own reflections about life or experiences.
Drafts
I'd love to share my writing journey. Here you can find my drafts in chronological order. Just click on download to access the PDF file.
Rehearsals and Performing at the Corbett Theatre
I had many disorganised ideas that I used for creating my first draft. I tried to shape it and create a structure but I really struggled to do so. It wasn’t until I started saying the text out loud, rehearsing with Robin Sneller that the text started to make more sense to me. It was easy to explain all my ideas orally but more difficult to express myself on paper. I recorded some of the conversations during the rehearsal process which helped develop further the text.
At first, I tried to add extra elements to the character like a scarf but I found that I just wanted to focus on my acting instead on creating a whole new space filled with stuff. I love the simplicity of the setting.
I also used my close friends and family to research. For example; I asked my mum about her memories as a child; I asked my aunt about religion since she teaches catechism to children, etc.
It was a great kind of work for me because it is a contrast from what I did before in Orlando. Where my performance was more physical and less realistic. However, B612, even though “Oliver” came from a different planet, was more realistic. Oliver does not represent a specific minority but he could be anyone really.
The Corbett theatre is a very intimate space to perform and I had already been in that space before. I felt very comfortable and free. A last thought about the performance is to keep exploring the emotions. It is not only about feeling the emotion but to use them to move the audience and get them closer to my world.
