There was really no time to rest between the end of the Odyssey festival and the start of the Ehsaaz project, what with the final round of interviews and then an extended meeting with Mohit to select a shortlist from all those who had applied, to invite them to the opening workshop. In truth, it was still part of the audition process, and to my mind the more useful process, though it was true we did have to reduce the numbers before working with them.
This was partly to do with our rehearsal space, in the courtyard garden of the house where we had held the interviews, It was not very large, and was further hampered by having a large number of hanging baskets containing plants, as well as mosaic-style lanterns, hanging from the ceiling, some of them at head height, with the perilous potential of damage to lamp or head. Because of the heat, there were also a number of large electric fans whirring and roaring, making it especially difficult for me – my hearing aids amplify all noise, not just the bit I want to hear. On the other hand, when the lams were switched on, there was a magical atmosphere. But it was a challenge to do much in the way of physical work, twenty or so actors having to negotiate each other as well as the suspended obstacles.
And yet, of course, we were obliged to continue, this being our first practical workshop leading to a production which emphasises the physical. After a circling exercise, we moved on to mirroring, and then groups moving as one – one of the concepts we want to explore, for at least some of the time. In this production, instead of having a single Ariel, the lines wiol be shared between some six or seven girls, sometimes simultaneously, sometimes radically different. It can have a philosophical, theoretical justification, but also has the useful advantage of providing roles for many more girls: Shakespeare was particularly careless in this regard, with Miranda the only original female role in the play.
One fairly obvious issue was that in general the women were stronger than the men- more confident, louder, more expressive. And at present, we are some three or four men short.
