Gill responds...

ROOM 1
Audience enters.

Room is alive with sound and lights, steam, wind, smell. Perhaps extraordinary wall hangings made of electric wires, transparent tubing (made by Pip’s workshops) hung on the walls and in the central area – like an art gallery? Perhaps it a monument or piece of public art they’ve come to visit. Or a heritage site.

Q: do audience wander and look or is there an area designated for them to stop?

Group of children (& adults) enter or are already inside. The place is strange to them, but it’s clear they’ve come a long way to see it and their visit is important.

A: They find some objects lying around (ref Pip’s exercise) or in a trunk – significant objects perhaps relating to water used in the past. Eg an old flask; watering can; a medice bottle, perfume bottle, etc. (Perhaps in the future water is no longer used to dilute because too precious.) Or these objects might be displayed and lit.

A screen fizzes and lights up; a voice speaks (what kind of voice? Kindly forceful? Intimdating?). The jist could be:

Thank you for coming. We have a very important problem. Because you have shown curiousty and determination in traveling so far to this place, you are chosen to take part in an experiment. We meed children to solve problems which adults in the past caused.

They must look to the building for clues and answers to the water dilemma which the world finds itself with. It is a kind of henge that once was a source of water. Sort of thing. . .

Or no one speaks directly to them; they look at various screens with projections, and all these give a sense of mystery. They begin to puzzle it out. . .

Child coughs in the dusty air. There is no drink to soothe her throat. They start to look for a source of water. Is there a pipe or a tap?

I don’t think they discuss the atmosphere of the place – too tell not show – or speculate much about its history – they know it relates to water once.

As before: The children look around. The sound of the room seems to respond to them. One sound is heard when they go near the bore hole, then when they retreat they can hear another sound emerging from a hatch. They open the hatch. There’s a string, which turns into a rope, which turns into a net which is flown upwards followed by The River Woman/Creature who climbs up it.

She tells (NOT SURE SHE CAN, OR SHOULD, SPEAK) ? them that pure water can be found if one of them is brave enough to go below to fetch it.

Q: how does she interact with them if she doesn’t speak? I see her as a guide, ushering the boy on to the next stage of his journey, which is to go underground.
The sister volunteers and descends. A diver with a camera, and microphone, follows so we can follow her journey. She crawls along the tunnel, she finds the spring, she collects water, the spring starts to gush, the water level rises, the screen goes blank. STRONG

The boy asks the woman to do something - she cannot - this is nature, these are the tides, the water will abate, perhaps the girl will survive (I LIKE THE CONTENT BUT AGAIN, CAN'T IMAGINE THIS BEING SPOKEN BY THIS CHARACTER WITHOUT ENDING UP WITH A COD WATER SPIRIT - OH ME OF LITTLE FAITH

If she speaks, she’d say she must stay close to the water’s source – and only the boy and his companions can go on.

ROOM 2

Audience enter submarine room. An installation of children draped over the walkway and ladder. All arid and white, with lighting. Sounds – a hum of the submarine perhaps.

The boy and his companions move slowly around the scene, exploring it;

I like the idea that these children have already set out on their journey to solve the water mystery – and have found something which they believe highly significant in their search. It could be a tap, or a pump or something iconic. They could explain where they found it and who they are taking it to. Eg. The Engineer – he may have a mythical status (like wizard of oz) or he may be very ordinary, just a wise adult left over from the past who is living/hiding somewhere.

The boy realizes they like him are parched. They must be revived before they can go on together. But how if they aint got water? Maybe the boy finds a bottle underground. . . ? Or the water nymph gives him one for the journey.

They decide to travel together on the next stage.

I think I feel a song coming on!! But I like the idea that this scene could be developed with Allenbourn drama club. But should it be kids only? Why wouldn’t adults also be on this trip?

Running out a bit here – need to chew over with others. Q where do we want to end up? What’s the ending?

NEXT ROOM
Green tank room – perhaps or a shed outside.
Could this be the Engineer’s abode. Instead of a lab he’s found himself a shed type place and what he’s doing is very very important. In fact it’s going to make all the difference to the future of the world in terms of water supply.

The children are apprehensive of him

NEXT SPACE
Outside?