A Response to Dan

Dear All,

We felt it was important to respond to some of the concerns that Dan has raised in his comments to this week's blog for two reasons. Firstly, we wanted to address how he is feeling and provide some constructive solutions and secondly to reassure anyone else who might be feeling similarly. Hence a communal post.

Responding to Dan's thoughts makes us address several things:

1. As 'outside eyes' we are required to ensure a collective ensemble's growth/progression at the same time as balancing this with space for individual characters' growth and progression. There are 39 individual characters to be mindful of and we try to do this the best we can.

Sometimes it becomes hard to anticipate how individuals will respond to tasks/suggestions, just because it is impossible to do so. The tasks we bring prepared for ensemble's development however are crucial for the ensemble's development and cannot be compromised. In such circumstances, it becomes vital for the individual feeling destabilised to use this feeling as part of their character's growth and not be deterred by it. It might even allow a new depth of your character to be revealed through this process.

2. Devising is always a process of compromises. Particularly when not working chronologically, characters develop different layers at different stages and it is a bit like putting the pieces of a jigsaw together for a character to make sense eventually. But this 'sense' may take a while to appear. It takes time and patience.

3. My advice to Dan or anyone in Dan's position is not to do the task being asked of them immediately if it makes them feel unstable as a character. Equally, don't say out loud that it is not right for you. For to verbalise doubt is to confirm your thought and let the brain become more superior to your body/physicality. Allow instead to be neutral and let the others around you carry out the task until you find a new impulse to bring you into the work.

Also sometimes you need to transform/negotiate gestures you have carried out in other sections to reflect how the character develops through each session. All of you are doing this already but maybe this just needed reinforcing. Dan, in the section where you end up hugging the other 3 in a human train, perhaps your physicality needs to reflect your struggle within, through a slight sense of discomfort receiving the hug, but also a relief to have been involved in the action. This should add more depth to your character (not make you have a split personality but make you more complex) as someone who desires contact and affection, but is also scared of it simultaneously.

4. Finally and very importantly, in a devising process timing is everything. Come and speak to us at the end of the session instead of during the flow of it, so we can address your concerns without stopping the ensemble process during the session. During the session carry out point number 3 and see where this takes you.

I hope this helps. Thanks Dan for being honest about your difficulties. Hopefully this will help address others' similar concerns about the process.

Royona & Paul