Asa, lonely and missing her homeland, finds solace walking along the coast and through worked out quarries on the island. One day she finds an unusual amulet in the dust and while cleaning it hears a strange voice. The voice belongs to Askander, a young boy deliberately drowned during a Viking raid in the 8th century.
Askander tells Asa that the amulet has come from a Viking hoard which his soul is charged with protecting. Now, increased mining of Portland stone is threatening the hoard and the ecological balance of the island. If the hoard is discovered and removed a curse will ensure the island falls into a time of decay and wilderness and Askanders’ spirit will be lost. He is determined to remain in the place he has grown to love, and enlists Asa’s help to fight for him, the island and its community.
Responding to a story rooted in magical realism, I’m keen to develop bold and unconventional dramatic approaches to realise these elements. I will use sound through non-narrative audio atmosphere and documentary audio to develop the story, build dramatic tension and position the island of Portland as a character, creating a soundscape illustrating the rich history of the island and the sounds of life in the present.
I will explore non-traditional story telling methods including verbatim theatre. Using documentary audio of the islanders I will illustrate their point of view especially through exploring their response to refugees and outsiders.
This is landscape theatre–performed where it is set on Portland.
A mixture of theatre; poetry; song; verbatim theatre; sculptural installation and community participation and audience involvement.
To successfully create theatre designed to be performed within the landscape, with sculptural installation at its heart, bringing together performance, poetry and visual art.
To develop conversations surrounding the ‘othering’ of migrants/refugees.
To explore loneliness caused by the breakdown of local communities.