Tony responds

This group creating is an interesting process. During our last session I felt frustrated and stimulated in equal measure. I suddenly got an 'idea' flash through my head that seemed illuminating. But a few seconds later I decided it was just a fuse blowing! Maybe it's like mining - 'blowing' a bit of the collective rock of dark matter apart and then inspecting the shards for signs of sparkling meaning together. One of use sees one kind of gem, and someone points to another fissure, another way ahead…

Enough of rambling metaphors, I’ll get to the business of plot.. I think we did make some a lot of progress last time. The scenario is getting a shape. I like the fact we are exploring a new more imaginative type of story, not just trying to find the now familiar ghosts who moved through a particular historical space invisibly or visibly over time (e.g. Bankes family members at Kingston Lacy; agricultural workers just about everywhere we've been).

So I'd like to extend this imaginative story. I am not convinced (or maybe it's just it doesn't excite me much) by the current idea of the opening ‘presenting’ story of a group of children being shown around the pumping station by a rather dry scientist/engineer in present time. It could work, but I just don’t find it convincing in terms of what happens next.

I'd prefer us to be bold and go with the science fiction idea from the start - try and imagine how things may be in the future, so we can use that particular Dr. Who-ish atmosphere we have all remarked upon in the Pump House as a set for an exploration of how things might be, and how they were.

I mooted my idea to Peth earlier of putting the audience in role as people somehow transported to the Pump House for a (perhaps sinister) purpose. And you, Peth, explained you don't like/buy that concept as an audience member. You think - and I agree now - that the story itself must be the source of ‘transporting’ the audience. So I am now seeing a kind of mystery thriller type opening.

ROOM 1

NOTE: Given the challenging acoustics of the building, I am thinking it would be practical to use ‘hi-tech’ looking communication tools –such as microphones/ screens – pre-recorded maybe??) to relay narrative in the scene.

The audience settle – maybe to interesting effects and music/sounds.

A group of children (and adults?) are brought in by an adult/adults. Maybe they are carrying some belongings – old cases; bags; remnants.

The Engineers communicate with the group via microphones or on precorded screens.

They are told where to stand/wait. We hear that they have been brought to this place for their own good, their own safety. (?But maybe the intent is more sinister?) The Engineers will drop hints that we are in the future and that the supply of water to the world’s inhabitants is now critical. The ‘visitors’ will be allowed to ask minimal questions via microphones.*

*(This should give a lens for us to explore the global environmental issues concerning water, which we have discussed over the past two years. Could we talk to B&H Water Engineers and ask them to outline how they think things might be in the future, given a negative global warming scenario?? ).

The next bit would follow the outlined idea from last time – the child saying he is thirsty and requesting water. A silence. The Engineer character saying there will be refreshment provided later. The group is moved on.

The child – and his elder sister – remain. Perhaps the child trips, or starts coughing. (A hint of a serious problem of illness? The sister supports him/ offers an inhaler of some sort? I am wondering if a mother figure could add something too??)

They hear strange sounds and see strange images projected.

They discuss the strange atmosphere of the place. It will be mysterious to them. They speculate on its history – as a Victorian pumping station. The sister can offer a ‘simplified’ version of a time when water was supplied ‘on tap’.

Then we follow the scenario outlined before again.

i.e. 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 them that pure water can be found if one of them is brave enough to go below to fetch it. 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.

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. But the boy insists something must be done. He sets off to find the Engineer.

(Or maybe to find his mum who has gone on… ahead???

ROOM 2

This is where we discussed the submarine part – and the child rehydrating the dehydrated crew…are they all children, as `I think we said, or will some be adults? Is it a kind of Children’s Crusade – like the Brecht poem, set in WW2, which some of you may know - by the way, the poet David Constantine has done a great new translation, which I have. The kids are in it are refugees setting off on a journey of survival in a world gone mad with war.

I think I’ll stop here and let you guys think about it. Does this help dramatise the establishing scene? Does it overcomplicate it? Could it be just as good if set 'in the present' but still hinting at the secretive, surveillance society we are already living in? Do we need explanations at all? Think we've all seen good theatre where the images spoke much louder than the words.

One other idea I’ve had is to use one of the sessions I’ll be running with the students at Allenbourn Middle School in their after school Drama club to brainstorm ideas for this scene – or it could be the first? Kids will be much more au fe with adventure stories than us and may have some very imaginative ideas. It could be a question of giving them our scenario and asking tem to work in groups on ‘filling in the gaps’. We don’t have to use all their suggestions. But it would make the collaborative process even more inclusive.