Theatre Practitioner: Sleeping Trees

We are best known for our physical style of storytelling which delivers stripped-back comedy, narrative-sketch with elements of clowning, and multi-rolling character acting.

What makes us unique is our bond as a three-piece. We have worked and lived together for over a decade and have been friends for even longer, which has given us an understanding on stage that would be hard to emulate without the years of annoying each other dedicating ourselves to the art form.

One of the most important aspects of our work is play. From writing, to devising, to performing a show, the only successful methods are the ones where we are genuinely having fun, and that is apparent in the work we create. We are always happy to try anything once, but generally the devising techniques that really stick are the ones that make us feel like we are enjoying ourselves, having fun while creating, playing.

We firmly believe a performance should only be 80% finished to give us 20% to roll with the punches and let the magic happen. Perhaps a little unorthodox (and definitely to our creative team's dismay) but it has always seemed to work for us Trees.

Devising techniques and method

We are considered to be laid back (and in real life that may be true) but when it comes to performing, we give everything. When you rely on minimal props, no set or costume, it is the physical performance itself that is integral to the energy of a show. We like to carry this philosophy into our workshops as well.

One thing you have to realise very quickly as an emerging artist is that West End style budgets aren't readily at your disposal, so you have to learn to create performance as economically as possible. We are also firm believers that a bad show that looks good is still bad, but a good show that looks bad is still good. In a nutshell: focus on the content rather than the fancy lights!

Exercises

Here are two effective exercises that engage with physicality, vocalisation and text. They work well with students of all ages and abilities. There is no right or wrong way of attempting these exercises and both should encourage students to think outside the box and, most importantly, play. Both exercises are ensemble-led methods and require small groups (preferably 3-5).

Exercise 1: Prop-Up Poems

Prep: A pen and piece of paper per group.

• Choose a story: this can be anything that inspires the students. We usually suggest a fairytale or some form of well-known short story. Ideally something the entire group is familiar with.
• Students create a poem that essentially foreshadows the events of the chosen story. It can be a prologue, epilogue, or version of the story itself. So long as it is in verse or poetic it will suffice.
• Each group must then collectively read their poem to the class. Once every poem has been shared, students must pass their masterpiece to the left. Each group should have a new poem.
• Using this as source material, the groups must then create a performance using the text they have just inherited.

Outcome: Getting students to create text can sometimes be difficult. Using source material that inspires them will get them offthe ground running. They will both create original text and learn to adapt others’ texts to create a unique performance.

Exercise 2: Dot-to-Dot

• Give each group one of these three genres: Sci-Fi, Gangster or Western.
• They must create three tableaux using stereotypes and tropes of the genre. The three images they create must be stand-alone and not be related in any way. Examples: Create a spaceship, cowboys on horseback, or a shady poker game.
• Once they are all familiar with the three images, call out the numbers 1, 2, 3. The groups must form the tableaux they made that correlates with the number in the order they made them. Encourage them to do this in silence (if possible…we all know what Year 9 are like).
• Once they are confident, name the first freeze-frame the beginning, the second the middle and the third the end. Students must then create a short piece of physical storytelling using the images they have created. The idea is that they bring the images to life and create a performance using physical theatre, ensemble, and character. They have already made their narrative – they just need to connect the dots.

Outcome: This is a great technique for the ‘we're stuck’ moment when students are devising. They simply can apply the dot-to-dot tableaux system to anything; from the starting point of a new project down to a single scene they are struggling with in a devised piece they have been working on for a while.

www.thesleepingtrees.co.uk

For booking details or further information about workshops run by Sleeping Trees, email John Woodburn on wesleepingtrees@gmail.comSleeping Trees: At the Movies is published by Salamander Street. @WeSleepingTrees