ONE MAN SHOW

Edgar Allen poe..........

which Poe story did I utilise in the creation of a one man show???

I took on "The Tell Tale Heart" a Poe classic.  Taking things to new extremes can either make or break a performance for an audience.  I chose to do an adaptation of Poe's classic as this one stood out to me amongst all of his writing.

Gazing into the flame of the lantern

Firstly I analysed the text and began getting a clear image of who the characters of the piece were.  Then utilised improvisation to create a new world.  When you are able to play with the material magical new works are created.  After this I then had a picture of the surroundings in my head then decided to manipulate the show into a grotesque form of theatre.  Extending movements making them pronounced quite over exaggerated and stretching myself to my limits.  Looking at these mechanical movements I then progressed to find a medium point and told the story forming the house and everything within with my movements. 

I then utilised voice to create a specific tone and also made a few sounds effects to add different levels and elements to the piece.

Getting the spacing correct is vital for show function :)

After weeks of rehearsals I then looked at costumes and props.  Then decided that candle-light would maximise the overall effect of the piece.  I would need complete darkness for the candle light to be fully effective.  As for costume I decided to wear a suit then shed the clothing at the start of the performance and be left with shorts on.  This way the audience would see my grotesque movements and also the flesh of the character.

Torment of the mind!!

Performance night came and the audience loved it especially the ending.  I blew all but one candle out and opened a box taking out a pigs (fake) heart and squeezing it the blood (fake) engulfed my pale skin making a lasting image as I blew out the final candle.

Staring into the void

 I have performed this show multiple times and enjoy the experience more and more with each performance.

Frome creation to performance all elements are worth the final product

All the best keep pushing yourselfs

Liam