Choosing a novel/story which is contained within a 10 minute period, especially while read aloud, is near enough impossible – unless the book in question is a child’s book.
To create a world within 10 minutes from an existing book is hard. The 10 minute adapted story needs to be able to stand alone within its own merit, while still containing the through-line of the original story. So, although it won’t be as extensive as The Adventures of Wound Man and Shirley or the same length as an actual audio book, the atmosphere created should be more intimate and more immersive – with the world of story coming to life within the space. The atmosphere created by the sound and lighting in the performance space will become more rushed and intense as the performance progresses – mimicking the mental engulfment and obsession with a text whilst we are reading. Sounds and lights will both intensify in volume and speed allowing the story to inhabit the space in a more three dimensional manner and allowing the audience to really step into the world of the book without moving from their seats. It is this physical development of the space which restricts me to just one text. Before this idea developed I was going to use ipods/CD players to act as audio books to give the audience as a collective a different experience from one another by giving them the option to listen to different tales. However, with this idea the audience will be listening to one story as a collective, experiencing the space together, delving and falling deeper and deeper into this fabricated world. If the text chopped and changed between multiple texts, the essence of ‘falling’ into a text would be lost, as the establishing of the world would have to begin again with each new tale, thereby drawing the audience away from the world they had just been welcomed in to.
The idea to juxtapose the story with the space is overwhelming. Introducing a story meant for a child into a more mature space is an interesting idea, and one which I want to explore further.
When reading a child’s story you automatically become more animated -both physically and vocally- to ensure the child stays attentive and understands what is happening. If the same story were to be told to adults, would the animation cease? Would it be important for the expression to lose excitement? If The Gruffalo were to be told to a group of adults in a more sombre tone, would it change the message of the story?
These are questions which I think need exploring and working through. Especially when placed within a more mature environment.
Works Cited
MagicLightPictures (2011) The Gruffalo – Official Trailer, dir. Jakob Schuh and Max Lang, Online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVkj4McR1Fo (accessed 13 March 2014).