I lay there on stage in stillness, I have my costume on and I’ve checked my props; I have my head inside a bucket and I can see out of the bottom of it that the house lights are up. I can hear the muffled sound of voices and footsteps, which tell me that the audience are beginning to arrive and that I can be seen. I need to be still. I stay here like this, until I get clearance to start the show. I try to think of nothing but being in the moment – sometimes thoughts about notes or movement directions creep in and I quickly re-focus myself to the present. I have butterflies in my stomach and adrenaline in my bones. It is the moment we have been working towards. It is the premiere of Tiger at Platform in Easterhouse.

 The Audience and the performer

The premieres of both shows went well this weekend and I thoroughly enjoyed performing to our first official audiences; who responded with positive feedback and congratulations.  I’m finding the concept of telling the same story from two different perspectives and for two different audiences an exciting one; it has inspired me to think about the dynamics of the audience – performer relationship.

“The less one is aware of the audience, the greater the chance of a deep immersion in the piece that results in a more satisfactory performance” Charles Rosen

As a performer, I’ve found that although I’m performing to an audience, I hardly ever see them, so as not to be distracted, with the exception of intentional audience interaction or participation.  This is harder to do though when they are as expressive and responsive as children.  It’s good fun seeing how the children react and it keeps me on my toes.

“The audience isn’t here to listen to you; instead they’re here to listen to the message you’re conveying. The more you concentrate on how to convey the message effectively, the less self-conscious you become.” Neil Pettinger

Jade

For full details of the Tiger and Tiger Tale (6+) tour please visit our Productions Page