four - substance
A musical, in theory... part 8 of 14
A musical called four is the work of theoretical theatre* I’m currently sharing. Click here for the start of the story.
What is the substance of their connections, these characters? What’s actually written?
Apparently, in my old notes, only their questions and confusions stood out to me. There are a few things which might be dialogue of some substance, but it’s mostly guarded information, stalled communication, waiting and turning and re-turning, around and around and around.
This is certainly no Hero’s Journey, no linear ‘arrow’ narrative. Rather, it’s a container, a carrier bag of confusion.
confusion of story confusion of structure confusion of sound confusion of silence
It occurs to me that some things I’ve extracted from my notes above are now directed at myself as writer:
No-one is saying anything out loud. Why are you cleaning the house? Are you doing something useful?
I think I am doing something useful. Instead of forcing them to the point where they can no longer speak and are compelled to sing — which seems unnecessarily aggressive, now that I think about it — I am giving them the space and time they’re trying to grab for themselves.
I’m giving them, and myself — and you — the freedom to dream, to see what happens.
Perhaps this is what I saw in Bachelard’s words in The Poetics of Space. As he says:
“… linear reading deprives us of countless daydreams. Daydreams of this sort are invitations to verticality, pauses in the narrative during which the reader is invited to dream.”
Substance… In theory, what freedom is this giving you? In theory, what’s happening, now that you have it?
You should know that there might not be anything more substantial later.
Click here to read the previous post: connection
Next post tomorrow…
*This may be theoretical theatre, but it’s still protected by Copyright © 2000-2025 by Jenifer Toksvig All Rights Reserved. Though I may be inspired by conversation and ideas, as long as you don’t infringe my copyright, anything you write in response to this belongs to you. Obviously. The Poetics of Space by Gaston Bachelard is translated into English by Maria Jolas, quoted here where referenced for the purposes of researching this work.