Tranquility Base  - Research and Development  March 2015
Lead Artists Max Humphires  & Emma Williams 

  

The aim of the research project Tranquility Base  was to develop a visual language and support the creation of a new piece of text for a puppet/actor based performance. The research explored the theme of fear and was set in space. We were interested in investigating fear on stage and how it can be represented, particularly the fear of the 'unknowable' in the rational mind. Space symbolises the physical frontier of human thinking and also is an environment that lends itself to interesting theatrical visualisation.

Below is the documentation from the weeks research. 

We were interested in investigating alternative models that forge more co-intentional relationships between writing and puppet theatre and challenge the narrative restrictions of puppetry. A commissioned writer, working with an already developed visual language for puppetry, has tremendous potential.


Our desire was to maintain the same theatrical integrity when working with puppets that is expected when working with actors. The outcomes of the research, the documentation of visual concepts developed and the commissioned script have formed the foundation of the next stage of the project: to bring on board other creatives and producers to develop the work into a full length piece of theatre.


Creative team:

Max Humphries
Emma Williams
Thomas Eccleshare
Avye Leventis
Toby Olie
Claire Harvey 
David Emmings 
Alex Scott
Cheryl Brown
Liam Cooper  

Supported by Arts Council Uk and Farnham Maltings