3 Performers | 3 Writers | 3 Experiences | 1 Choice

A Lighthouse | A Fish | A Connection | Your Choice

“For years theatre has been made from page to stage, so we have decided to conduct an experiment.
We created a piece of physical theatre in just 3 days and got 3 writers to put a narrative to our work.”
- Three’s Theatre Company

When Anna (Artistic Director of Three’s) asked me was I interested in writing a narrative to a dance piece that she hadn’t yet created - I was more than nervous! But what an experience it was. I was given the theme of ‘Memory’ and once the dance piece was devised.

I was invited, along with the other writers, to watch the piece (whilst wearing noise cancelling headphones so as not to hear the music the dancers were moving to.) Then I had to put some kind of ‘meaning’ onto the movement I was watching that should connect to ‘memory’ - it was thrilling to witness images and stories unfolding in my mind just from experiencing the artists ‘random’ physicality, like looking up at the blurred shapeless clouds in the sky and suddenly seeing obvious images begin to appear. 

What was fascinating about each of our experiences as writers, and this was echoed by reviewers, was that we each wrote the only story/stories we could see happening, we couldn’t imagine any alternative narratives making sense and yet our stories were completely different in tone, style and setting. And for the audience, whichever story they heard while watching the piece was the only story they could ever imagine fitting the movement.