IJAD - my final thoughts

On Wednesday night I eagerly headed back to the Science Museum to see the final performances of Infinite Space as part of the Museums Space themed Late. I was excited to see the final product and see all the elements from rehearsals come together so here’s my final post about the project.

Here's a few video clips from the final rehearsal

The performance was all about making the audience directly involved with the performance through Twitter. Before entering the performance space audience members are asked to Tweet their replies to three questions using the #infinitereach –

What is time?

What is infinite space?

What is the center of the universe?

The answers to these questions were then projected onto the walls of the performance space, and I excitedly spotted my Tweet emerging on the walls a few times. I had initially expected the tweets to directly impact the performers during the show, perhaps a section where they are interpreting the Tweets audience members are sending in live would have taken further advantage of this idea.

The audience were led into the space and settled down, however I had initially expected the audience to move around and feel that some audience members may not have had the complete experience in this instance.  For example from the front of the performance area you could see projections covering the whole space which created a tunnel like effect, especially when the dancers were in a line, however from the sides you would not have got this impressive effect! Some members of the audience twigged this and moved, and although there was probably not enough space for all the audience to be in this one space it was still a shame.

One of the biggest developments of the performance was the way in which juggler and dancer interacted.  From initial experimenting I had witnessed I wasn’t entirely convinced about how it would work. However the final performance demonstrated how well this idea had come together. The section that I particularly liked involved just two performers, with the dancer and juggler passing balls between them and seamlessly incorporating these movements into a dance routine. 

Throughout the rehearsal process I had wondered about the use of music, none seemed to be used to rehearse with which I have to admit struck me as slightly peculiar. This all became clear on the day when I entered the dress rehearsal and saw and heard a beat boxer creating all the sound for the show.  He was incredibly talented and the music created suited the themes and performance perfectly! As a musician I find that the music is what most sticks and affects me from any kind of performance and can in fact make or break my opinion of a production. In this instance the beat boxer made the performance a whole and a fantastic experience.

I have found my time as an embedded journalist for IJAD hugely rewarding and think that the final performance had a much greater impact for me after seeing the rehearsals leading up to it.  This reminded me of a discussion that took place at the recent Critics Circle Conference I attended, the discussion was around whether critics should be allowed to see rehearsals ahead of the official opening or press night of a show.  This split opinion across the panel, and I’m sure throughout the audience, as some regarded rehearsals as a private space where actors, or indeed any type of performer, can feel relaxed without the beady eye of a journalist on them! However, and I by no means pretend to be in the league of the critics on the panel, I feel that being part of the rehearsals in this instance created a sense of ownership of the piece and amongst the many emotions on the night pride was one of them. Would I have felt proud of the performers had I not seen what had been achieved in such a short space of time? I don’t suppose I would.  This is only touching on a topic that could be discussed at great length, but from my personal perspective over the past few weeks I would say invite critics in – if you dare.

Here's a few bits from one of the performances on the night including one of my favourite moments when it seems as though a burst of electricity has been shot through the dancer - perhaps alluding to the Big Bang?

One final note, I'd like to thank IJAD and in particular Camilla, for this opportunity to gain some insider access to their work.