These last few days have been spent in The People Show Studios in Bethnal Green integrating lights and sound into the performance. It has been quite focussed work that has become quite precise, today being our last day to decide upon the length of sound fades, the order of light and action cues and suchlike.
I purchased a large plastic table cloth from a Turkish store where they sold it by the metre. It has a shiny lilac flower patter on it and, when three 4-metre long strips are taped together it becomes a stage. We were thinking at first of purchasing a white dance floor but our flower stage is MUCH cheaper and more fun. It is not so sober and clean a look but this performance will never be one of those ones. When light hits the flowers, it is reflected very well in different directions so the performance has a bright look to it.
The sound has been taking a turn for the ‘everyday’ and I have found myself searching youtube for Chinese pop songs I remember from Xiamen. It being Spring Festival time that I was there, many of the songs I recall most were festive songs associated with that time of year. Whilst one of the ‘supermarket hits’ still evades me I have found most of those I am looking for and I was surprised when listening to them how evocative they were. I had to put that aside somewhat however and choose the songs which also had the electronic feel that the performance wants. These, James Dunn, my sound composer then edited, altered, layered with other sounds to create a series of soundscapes one for each chapter of the performance. Some of it sounds like a video game and other parts like a supermarket. I have to say he’s done a good job at creating a China of the imagination.
Gong Xi Gong Xi song
