Blog 5: Clare McGarry (Paisley Artist in Residence)

15 January 2019

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It’s been a few weeks now since Cosmopot toured Renfrewshire.  A show, in a teapot.  We did it! 

Overall the show went really well.  We worked hard to create a story that would appeal to children aged 5-8 years old.  This definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone as I usually work with children younger than this.   We found that 5-8 year olds need more of a narrative and so we developed characters and a story we hoped they would relate to.   The feedback was very positive, children did seem to identify with the boy Chip, and many parents commented that they found the relationship between him and his mum very real, especially when she loses her temper.  They did also love the silly stuff, especially floomadoom, the alien in space. Here’s a video of some vox pops.

I’d never done a show in a dome structure before and loved the way it extended the theatrical experience.  Children loved taking off their shoes and entering through the spout.  Designer Ali Maclaurin created a beautiful and intimate environment, accompanied by a gorgeous and evocative score by Nik Paget-Tomlinson.  Performers Sita Pieraccini and James Siggens brought tons of ideas and creativity to the process, as well as some beautiful songs which they wrote together.  

There are definitely some changes I would improve if we get the chance to do it again.  It was very last minute coming together, but I think we did it by the skin of our teeth!   I’m still working out my role as a director; I found it challenging in a devised process, when the core of the material is made up by who is in it, how you make it your own. 

Some good news to finish on is that my residency is going to be extended for a while longer!  I am hoping to go back to working with children with additional support needs, and create a mini-project exploring some of the sensory ideas I had during the first development stage of Cosmopot.  More environmental, less narrative based.  I can’t wait!

Watch this space, oh and all the best for 2019!