Interim Show review

"I like your idea of playing with the audience, although I think that you have to explore more the way you show the people that they have to write in the ipad, because they didn't understand. The voice was really nice but someone told that they didn't listen very well. As for the dragon change him to a bigger car, that way will not fall. But he was really niceYour Troll king was really well done and I even imagine him bigger." -Goncalo Carlhavo

"Kok’s work suggested a possibility that how the performance can communicate with audiences technically and directly. The servant monster, which brought audience to his master, troll king, was an effective way of leading audiences to do a journey getting to the theatre rather than a human performer." - Soohyuan Park

"I love the show in general, the flow is quite smooth yesterday. Here are some suggestions from my point of view. 1) It might be good to give more interactions to other audience who are not asking questions. Since there were a group of audience yesterday standing in front of the troll king, it will be great to let them know what is the person asking so that they can understand your answers and enjoy the show better. Maybe project the question on another black wall so everyone can know the questions. 2) The projection part is not very clear due to the shapes/colour of the troll king. When you project the camera view, I think the audience get quite confused cuz they can't really tell what are projected. 3) The relationship between the darkness and the sudden lighting is not very noticeable. I understand the concept because you mentioned and sent your paper to me. But in general, i don't think the audience would think about the lighting. 4) The servo part does not match your voice quite well due to the delay. It's something that can be optimised later. "

- Luona Cai (collaborator)

"First of all, I love that communication bit with the troll king. My first feeling when I enter the theatre and saw the theatre space design is very dynamic, the usage of the audience typing the message and your response in a special effect voice is far more interesting than a typed response. Because I am trying to figure out what you are trying to say. It seemed like me listening to others speaking english, I only half understand. Hehe.. I know it is only very minor, but I found it extremely interesting.

I don't know what you did in the technically, but I think it is superb! So personally if you ask me how do I feel after seeing your work, and what would I have improve. I would say the entrance of the theatre is quite attractive already, but if you can hide and reveal the troll king somehow later instead of seeing him once we entered the theatre. You might like to create a maze of some sort. The little tao tie guy can stand in the dark and lead us into the theatre. In the dark, we don't know where we are going, but the little guy knows very well and take us the troll king. It will also be able to set a stage for the audience.

The communication part, I understand that you want have a one to one communication. I also understand that you are hoping that you want to give each audience a personal encounter. However, when I enter your stage, since every one was very confused about the situation or figure out what to do, so we don't feel like being proactive and ask you questions. The other rather embarassing situation is that we weren't able to know the questions ask, maybe you should project something or voice re-enacting the question for the audience. There was a uneasiness of waiting the questions to be answered. We are only guessing the answers when you respond, and that wasn't very effective. If both the question and the response has a funny question and answer, that would be more effective for the performance." - Tianhong Yuan

"I felt that for a first attempt we can be pleased with the results that were achieved. My main observations were that the audience need to be aware of the questions that were being asked as the responses otherwise were quite disjointed. This could be achieved by having the questions displayed on a screen or perhaps by the actor reading back the question they were asked before proceeding with their answer. An element of scripting here would allow for a more fluid and cohesive experience and allow me, as the sound designer, to add additional elements that would lend to the performance as a whole. I also feel that an actor should be employed to respond to the questions put forward by the audience as they will be able to embody the role better than you, me or anyone else involved in the production." - Harry Wills (collaborator)

After thoughts - Carol Kok

I have Luona Cai and Harry Wills as my collaborator this time. Luona is an mechanical engineer 4th year student in Oxford University, and Harry Wills is in soundscape. I'm glad a lot of people have given me very valuable comment. I understand that ipad communication thing is problematic which Esther noticed and commented instantly. There will be a Led scrolling light in the back to be projected. See if I need to construct it or project it, all need to be find out in time. Michael Vale also have an excellent suggestion that I should have a timer, which is very sensible. So the audience will know that the timer is counting and know. It would seem logical to prepare A script of 20 questions now, and I should carefully think of the questions and answers.

As for construction, I am adding a lichtenberg figure at the back of the troll king, and it will light up and do a flashing light effect everytime he talks. I am working with Nicolas Strappini for the final project along with Harry Wills, which did my sound scape for the interim show. Both of them are musicially inclined. The Lichtenberg picture that Nicolas shown me reminds me of the nerves system in our body, which I think fits in the theme. (see picture below)

It was from a project he did, which uses toner powder on acrylic, a very instaneous and ephermal effect. His link to the project: https://nicolasstrappini.com/toner-powder-on-acrylic/. We worked together previously in a workshop that we were in the Physics department in Oxford Brooks univeristy previously. We shot the film with the worm twirling around with paint for the video. His work is both theatrical and alchemic, which kind of co-incidentally fits in to my work. We are also testing using cornstarch and amplifier speaker to project a sculptural thing.

Let's see what can be developed in this few months before the final performance.As for the troll king, I want to make a slightly bigger one, twice the size. I also feel very frustrated as the original design has fog machine that filled the room, but Marc, the technician in the theatre said despite that they have the machine, we weren't allowed to use it, for health and safety issues. I think that's ridiculous as fog machine is cold. I think it greatly affects my design..... anyway, the little guy definitely needs bigger wheels, although I kind of think he is so funny as he is so slow... The sensor thing, I still need to see if I can do a smaller threshold, and the connection is rather far away, it was working brillant without fail when close to proximity of the computer. Need to properly test it again. I think I am trying to control too much stuff, so I think I really should find an funny guy to at least do the voice. I am thinking Keith from tech art. See who's willing. I would like to get going and work on it like I did with my exhibition now. I think previously in Unit 1 and 2, there are so many classes. It was really tiring and stressed for me as I spend my time non-stop working in between flying back home, but I'm glad this interim show is over. It was, however, a very good testing ground, because for sure I didn't know the audience will be so shy, after all, it was my lack of experience with theatre performance.

There should also be slight change from usb connected camera to possibly a wireless camera.