In the Studio 7 Making spontaneous offers

Mike says:

“Our rehearsals will include working on physical articulation, holding a moment, creating ‘full stops’ and points of focus for the audience. The following exercise then produces ideas that move the devised work on. I like to do this exercise in a space that’s been marked out on the floor (i.e. by masking tape) so that there’s something tangible, a space to be charged and the presence of perimeter for showing when you’re on stage and when you’re off!

Standing in a circle, mark three beats (not necessarily saying them out loud - the group can feel it). On the 4th beat, everyone jumps into the circle and makes a physical offer: a pose or a position. Hold that position for 3 more beats, and whilst doing so, tune into and adjust to the other people in the circle.

In the space of 3 more beats, everyone find a common focus: a point or person to look at. It might initially take more than 3 beats, depending on the experience and cohesion of the group.

Everyone in this circle is actively involved in this ‘moment’ that has been created. What do they see? What might be happening? Who might each person be? At this point, you might want to have some people observing this circle to make suggestions, or you could take a photograph to record that moment.

This offers the opportunity to then harvest all the ideas - the participants can come out of their positions. I am wary of encouraging discussion so use big sheets of paper and write when possible, single words. Once harvested, look to select and edit these ideas. I find grouping ideas in families or categories effective.

Once the selecting and editing has happened, your stepping stones are revealed which can then be developed and crafted into expanding the scene(s).

It’s important to make decisions in devised work to counter the risk of endless possibilities going nowhere. Make decisions, initially accept them and find ways of making those ideas better. You can always decide later to cut them!”