All my performances of ‘007 v John Ridley’ at the Ovalhouse are over and as is usual after a big project, my body and mind are a little jaded. I had promised myself to do less running whilst I was performing, to leave me more energy, but of course I overdid it and I have a slight cold now. The reception was great, even on the quiet days people responded to my special secret messages, typing, Bond like forays into the cafe area and viewed my drawings and statement. Having a guaranteed audience of people coming to see the play and me at the Ovalhouse was a great relief, no pressure on supplying an audience every night. But I was pleased with how many did come on my private view night. As a play relies so heavily on it’s reviews, the press night was also very busy and a real buzz was apparent in the air. This taught me a valuable lesson, to be more pro active in the pursuit of press coverage.
The first night was not so easy and it was noticed that I had relaxed and improved by the third night. I was pleased to have done five performances as I changed the actions I performed and modified my pace according to the conditions each night. The accompanying drawings and explanation I think in the end did help viewers to get more out of the work, without over explaining and closing the work down. I have a final meeting with Michael Atavar tomorrow, so fingers crossed for the post -mortem and the future.
So now it is only a day till the first performance and I am heading over to the Oval house with the first of my props when I finish this blog. This morning I remembered (a bit too late) to contact the South London Press about ‘007 v John Ridley’ and just in time to make some A5 flyer’s to put out on the tables at the venue. I have been added to the Oval House website and the details have been finalised. There is no more rehearsal time and the art work has to go up as agreed to show some of my ‘process’.
This perhaps more than the actual performance is difficult for me. I am not sure if my drawings and lists will be seen as records of process or final artwork. Strange how the whole point of the prize is sidelined by exhibiting 2D art, something I have done 100 times before.
There has been some synchronicity, I found that on Ebay you can buy a ‘James Bond’ platinum lighter (£1,225) that has the name DuPont attached to it. This was the name of my fathers employer at the time of my confusion as to his real occupation, spy or sales manager.
I have started to accumulate the props for ‘007 v John Ridley’ which is soon, the 25th to the 29th of October (pv on the 26th) I really enjoy this bit as it involves going around those house clearance and office furniture places. They just seem to function separately from the rest of London, sprouting up like mushrooms on high streets and side roads from tooting to Walworth. The DIY, ‘make do and mend’ mentality was a big part of my fathers personality and as a kid I was always in and out of dusty second hand shops. Having a solid prop around which I can weave a performance is almost the final piece of the jigsaw. Short of having the actual wooden swivel and reclining chair that we had at home for years in Dads ‘office’ I have found the perfect substitute. There is quite a theme of absence in our relationship, perhaps this is apt.
