Meet Ove...

Ove is a 59 year old nosy neighbour. He glares, stabs his forefinger, mutters, continuously checks his watch and is quite overwhelmingly misunderstood.

• Big chews, closed mouth, stiff = he is uncomfortable
• Choppy hands, head shaking, touching hair = he is stressed
• Checking watch, wiping face, bored = he is getting nervous
• Frown, biting lip, not listening = he is disorientated
• Big, slow, deliberate. Darting eyes = he is starting to forget
• Guilt, unease, unsure. Cake for lunch = he misses his wife

Ove is the perfect man to base a physical character on...

I created a solo about Ove very early on in the course, and have come back to it over and over because it was the first time I felt I had used the layer technique effectively to create a physical character. I decided the arc of the piece by making decisions about the first and last state, then adding a transition. In class we then worked on the timing, use of text and adding a prop. The first video below is my 'first draft', I hadn't included props yet but had added words. I worked through removing the words as they weren't adding anything the audience didn't already know. I also worked a lot on timing, because I have a tendency to rush some parts and take way too long over others, so I need to learn to find the perfect balance. The second video is the 'finished' work in progress Ove piece, where I had settled on using paper as a prop due to it's wonderful crumpling quality which linked to my idea of an old man and his crumbling bones. I also loved the sound it made and how I could manipulate my body in the same way the paper was being contrasted. The next step would be to add more material and possibly music, but I don't think it needs any text to give further context as it has clear intention but is open enough for the audience to add their own contextualization. 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgqa83xKXqM&t=370s
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpLp7wg8K9o&feature=youtu.be

I am now using this 'Ove Solo' as a starting point for a section in my final piece. It feels right and good and clear to be going back to this early stage and applying what I have learnt on top. I hope to keep the clarity, sound transition and forward momentum that I achieved in this solo as it progresses into something deeper.