Monday 17 October 2016

Performance 2

Hitchhikers guide to the family

The second performance i went to see was called the Hitchhikers guide to the family, a one man autobiographical performance written and performed by Ben Norris.
The performance was about a journey to discover who his dad really was, and resembled a type of pilgrimage. The journey that takes place began in Nottingham and ended in Wembley. The use of digital media was used as a point of focus throughout the performance to aid the audiences understanding of the journey.
Also the use of lighting was effective as when the mood of the performance changed the lighting dimmed or even blacked out, the stage was then lit with just hand held torches and LED push lights. Physical theatre was also used throughout the performance, it was used to act out certain movements that happened during the journey made. This gave the audience a sense of what it was like to embark on a journey that Ben Norris took.

Watching this performance made me think about 'what is performance', because the two performances so far have been very different but are both classed as performances. This performance was very personal and in-depth, it spoke truth that parts of the audience could understand and relate to, thus making this performance more poignant. The performances were both performed at a high standard and captivated their respective audiences.

A performance is something that attracts the attention of people from all different backgrounds and brings people together. A performance can be anything from a singer in a street to a full production at the London theatre.



(Pictures by Joe Price)

LED lights were used to mark out the middle line of the M1 and Ben acted around them, either turning them on and off depending on the scene.

They were also used to represent a map of the places that his father had lived in. Turning the lights on and off when he had visited them.

The lights became part of the performance and each single movement of a light had a purpose.
 The props on the floor gradually become more apparent as the performance goes on because each item that he took out of the bag had a story behind it.

The use of physical theatre in this part was to demonstrate to the audience how he got to London by being a passenger in strangers cars. The exhaustion at this point is clear to the audience and its also apparent that Ben is determined to get to Wembley.

The use of digital media throughout the performance reflected on what he was doing on stage. The signs that were created told the audience what location he was in.

The digital media was made up of a collection of pictures and videos that were taken whilst on the journey. The videos were of the car journeys that took place and others were of Ben waiting to catch a lift and being rejected.


His performance was about 'Love and Motorways' and reviews from the stage say 'A modern pilgrimage ... a complex and emotional ride.'

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