Before the performance of Exit This Way, I was aware that the show contained humour and that the direct address present within the show created a tongue in cheek aesthetic. Having never performed it in front of an audience however I did not know how much this would come across. During the actual performance of the show the positive audience response brought the meta theatrical aspect of the show to the forefront. Even when lines were directed towards those characters on stage, a sideways glance to the audience successfully broke the fourth wall. When things went logistically wrong on the stage, it didn’t matter because there was a self-awareness from the performers to go along with the problem thus adding to the makeshift nature of the show.
If Fragment Theatre Company were to continue beyond the end of our degree, our next steps would be to scale down the production of the show to make it viable for touring in alignment with Arts Council England’s policy of sustainability and resilience. In its current state this would be very difficult because of the large set/scaffolding/TV’s projections etc. These elements would be difficult to tour and would limit the size of venues the show could perform at also.
Fragment Theatre Company (Odonnell, 2017)
We could look at presenting this scaled down version at a small festival such as Newvolutions to grow, develop and refine the show into something that could be toured locally and eventually nationally.
We could then look at potential future shows that continue along with our mission statement of focusing on the individual. Next year is the 100th Anniversary of the end of the First World War so we could potentially do something in relation to that. One thing is for certain, we will continue with the makeshift aesthetic and homemade props as this makes for an interesting dynamic that is also viable for a touring production.
Works Cited:
Odonnell, S. (2017) Fragment Theatre Company. Lincoln: SO Photography.
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