CLAQUEUR PERFORMERS
JON ORAM DAVID BRETt ABRA HUNT MJ STEVENS
WHAT IS A PLAY IN THE MOMENT?
“Two actors walk onto stage and find themselves in a scene that’s already in progress, neither actor knows what character they are playing, what their relationship is, where they are, what they’re doing here or why. Then they look at each other and begin to discover everything"
The most common critique from audiences is a suspicion it's not being made up on the spot. Believe us there is no pre-planning, we simply discover the play at the same time as the audience, in the moment the next thing happens. Most improvisors ask the audience for suggestions to start the show to evidence that it's improvised. The audience will often offer silly suggestions to thwart the players. We don't, and care less about whether the audience believes us and more about giving them the most interesting story we can. We believe that stepping into the unknown, and like the audience not knowing what will happen next beyond this moment, is a more exciting shared experience. We have no rules, no format, only principles. The main principle is "Everything we need is in your partner" and we put our trust in that.
SO HOW DO WE MAKE UP A STORY?
We don't, we invent nothing. When we first walk on stage we have no ideas, we are a blank slate, then when we look at our partner we begin to discover everything. They look at one another, Actor 'A' sees his stage partner is standing, holding on to the back of a chair, she’s looking pensive, he simply says what he sees, He's not describing too directly, not “I see you are looking pensive” but a response to what he truthfully feels is happening, she's pensive, "you worry too much, be calm, all things will pass" She glances at him looking a bit annoyed. It's a tiny exchange but it makes him feel like he knows her, she also doesn’t seem that happy with what he's just said, He hadn't meant to upset her so tries to explain himself better. “You don’t have to always carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, Rosie, relax.” He's given the character a name because it's convenient that she has one. His remark irritates her further. “I can’t help it Bobby it's a worrying time.” He’s now annoyed that she’s not taking his advice and says in a slightly irritated tone - “worrying won’t help, sit down, read a book, take your mind off things. Let me get you a drink” She says, “Is that your answer to everything, do nothing.” They are uncovering shared feelings that suggests they actually know each other very well, it's a long term relationship. They are irritable but concerned for each other at the same time. He feels like it’s a brother/sister relationship. So he says, “Then talk to Mum about it.” She is aware there have been two mentions of an ‘it’ and ‘it’ needs to be defined so she says, “The moment I tell Mum I’m pregnant, she’ll tell Dad and then I’m screwed”. He goes for the obvious brother joke, “You’re already screwed.” And so, they move from one moment of discovery to the next. These discoveries in the first minute of the scene are enough to carry them through a fifty minute play.
The actors have no plan about ‘what happens next’, they are only concerned with each moment as it arises, with ‘what just happened’, and responding. The story will emerge in the wake of each response. They must trust the scene will reveal itself and eventually the next scene will suggest itself. Already it suggests that the next scene will involve Mum. Simply put - ‘they look at their partner’ to know what to do. Behave genuinely, respond honestly so their partner knows what they are to each other. This is the most challenging form of improvisation, it's walking the tightrope blind, anytime they might fall but if they keep their nerve and trust the process it can create an evening that surprises everyone - it might be drama or a comedy, a romance, or a tragedy, more often it's a mix of all of these things – Not unlike life.
“Two actors walk onto stage and find themselves in a scene that’s already in progress, neither actor knows what character they are playing, what their relationship is, where they are, what they’re doing here or why. Then they look at each other and begin to discover everything"
The most common critique from audiences is a suspicion it's not being made up on the spot. Believe us there is no pre-planning, we simply discover the play at the same time as the audience, in the moment the next thing happens. Most improvisors ask the audience for suggestions to start the show to evidence that it's improvised. The audience will often offer silly suggestions to thwart the players. We don't, and care less about whether the audience believes us and more about giving them the most interesting story we can. We believe that stepping into the unknown, and like the audience not knowing what will happen next beyond this moment, is a more exciting shared experience. We have no rules, no format, only principles. The main principle is "Everything we need is in your partner" and we put our trust in that.
SO HOW DO WE MAKE UP A STORY?
We don't, we invent nothing. When we first walk on stage we have no ideas, we are a blank slate, then when we look at our partner we begin to discover everything. They look at one another, Actor 'A' sees his stage partner is standing, holding on to the back of a chair, she’s looking pensive, he simply says what he sees, He's not describing too directly, not “I see you are looking pensive” but a response to what he truthfully feels is happening, she's pensive, "you worry too much, be calm, all things will pass" She glances at him looking a bit annoyed. It's a tiny exchange but it makes him feel like he knows her, she also doesn’t seem that happy with what he's just said, He hadn't meant to upset her so tries to explain himself better. “You don’t have to always carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, Rosie, relax.” He's given the character a name because it's convenient that she has one. His remark irritates her further. “I can’t help it Bobby it's a worrying time.” He’s now annoyed that she’s not taking his advice and says in a slightly irritated tone - “worrying won’t help, sit down, read a book, take your mind off things. Let me get you a drink” She says, “Is that your answer to everything, do nothing.” They are uncovering shared feelings that suggests they actually know each other very well, it's a long term relationship. They are irritable but concerned for each other at the same time. He feels like it’s a brother/sister relationship. So he says, “Then talk to Mum about it.” She is aware there have been two mentions of an ‘it’ and ‘it’ needs to be defined so she says, “The moment I tell Mum I’m pregnant, she’ll tell Dad and then I’m screwed”. He goes for the obvious brother joke, “You’re already screwed.” And so, they move from one moment of discovery to the next. These discoveries in the first minute of the scene are enough to carry them through a fifty minute play.
The actors have no plan about ‘what happens next’, they are only concerned with each moment as it arises, with ‘what just happened’, and responding. The story will emerge in the wake of each response. They must trust the scene will reveal itself and eventually the next scene will suggest itself. Already it suggests that the next scene will involve Mum. Simply put - ‘they look at their partner’ to know what to do. Behave genuinely, respond honestly so their partner knows what they are to each other. This is the most challenging form of improvisation, it's walking the tightrope blind, anytime they might fall but if they keep their nerve and trust the process it can create an evening that surprises everyone - it might be drama or a comedy, a romance, or a tragedy, more often it's a mix of all of these things – Not unlike life.
the FIRST play in the moment
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We began developing Play in the Moment during the COVD lockdown. Jaffa Cakes the video below is an early unedited 22 minute Play with Jon Oram and David Brett. We had decided the essential principle of Play in the Moment was not to think ahead, that we should abandon the old improvisation rules we once followed of thinking about about what happens next and focus on responding to what just happened. Or intention was to put ourselves much more in the moment. When were confined during COVID, David and Jon met a couple of times a week, restricting though it was, it did force us to look at one another and notice the nuances of our partners faces. This confirmed one of Keith Johnstone's principles about looking after your partner, but also highlighted the importance of that fact that everything we need is in our partner, once we start to employ that the plays become about the relationships between the characters.
Jaffa Cakes was one of the earliest Play in the Moments we recorded. |
