Cockroach Waltz - London

A playfilm about the true story of an extreme love affair between a naïve Greek student and her elderly English professor. On stage we see the story as it progresses, on the screen behind, we see how the actors’ thoughts and feelings interact with their stage reality – hence the playfilm term. The first version can be explored here.

The London production raised the bar of the play-film’s content and execution. Dealing with professional actors and a demanding larger audience that has seen and welcomed the likes of the Wooster Group, Forced Entertainment and the Chameleons, our aim was to create an environment where the film within the play would not only enhance, disrupt, comment and disrupt the play but would provoke the very essence of the storyline. 

We worked closely with the actors discussing their view on ‘their subconscious’. Stepping into their roles was one thing. Stepping into the roles’ subconscious required an outrageous effort from their part that proved in the end not only creatively rewarding but  also immensely cathartic.  Helena Mitchell (Bella), Iain Dootson (Charles) and Karen McCaffrey (Yolanda) became the vehicles of their alter ego, balancing between two worlds and tiptoeing on the thread from their conscious place on stage to their unconscious on screen.

Stills from the production, both from the stage and frames from the subconcious film sections. Click on a thumbnail to view a larger version.

The Filming

The film material we shot ended being 10 hours, out of which only 50 minutes were used. Choosing what went where, under what phrase, under which music, under what context, was perhaps the single most fascinating part of creating the playfim.  The term ‘choice’ became a powerful tool in which the story and the sub-story could go in so many different directions.  Editing so many choices is not the same as editing original, planned footage for a linear film.  Choosing the subconscious portrayal of the actors and still retaining the variety of their investment was a pure challenge but also a unique challenge.  And that is the beauty of this combined medium. Re-editing the footage of the film even while remaining still on stage will give a totally different playfilm.

Overall the London playfilm contained  the 50 mim sequence shot on HD which was projected in a key position on the stage and appeared and disappeared at will.  Edited either to music or to specifically interact with the action and dialogue on stage, it provided a rounder, more deep view of the story.  During rehearsals the actors perfected the synchronisation between themselves and their alter ego, their timing mainly depending on visual clues they did on stage.

Various frames from the subconcious films. Click on an image to enlarge and view a slideshow.

The Music

The music of the London production was twofold. There was the play’s soundtrack and specific ensembles for the individuals actors, all created by Richard Pollott/Lewis. Bella had her theme – a more emotional, fragile piece of piano, whereas the professor had his mental medley of strings – a more disturbed, intense sound. Yolanda, the mother had an assortment of traditional Greek, upbeat, and also touching, bare. The music used for the subconscious was done by  indie-funk band the Laurel Collective and  also some of Richard’s beautifully delicate tracks from his CD were used over a memories sequence and also to depict Bella’s descend into madness.  The progression of the music rivalled the complexity of the story. It perfectly complemented the emotional ride of the heroes and provided the audience with a magnificent soundtrack.

Publicity

We also marketed and generated a supporting website, www.cockroachwaltz.com  for the performance which ran during November in 2006.