Searching for happiness...

Workshops on the 9th and 12th March.

Listen to me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amZaoONrDO8 whilst reading this...

So the Fiasco team have decided on the basic structure of the show: A promenade piece travelling around the Howbury Centre, based on the notion of looking for happiness. At Slade Green. With others. Through our dreams and fantasies.

We asked participants to fill out a questionnaire based on what makes them happy and what they believe in. The uniqueness of each individual was again highlighted here as the responses were all so different, with happiness being evoked by everything from chocolate and ice-cream, through to a niece's smile, their wives and sunshine. Later exercises were then developed based on these responses.

We went round in a circle asking people to recall a happy moment in their lives and a game which we play during the Drama Club which makes them happy. The positive nature of our group shone through as nearly everyone had a story to share, of which we incorporated later into developing a scene which combined people's fond memories with an underscore of participants singing Day Dream Believer. Here is The Monkees singing it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQNqk54HPdE

We also explored a bit of happiness training, trying out jumps and greetings which sparked an inner happiness within us. We are looking for a genuine happiness within the teenagers and adults, rather than something forced.

Other scenes we started to devise incorporated intriguing spies, tranquil opera singers and naughty school children. Euphoric moments of happiness were explored within a 'Winning Goal', 'Olympic Swimming Race' and 'X-Factor Final' scenes which were extremely well composed and rather comedic when played with emotive atmospheric music.

A rather long post I must admit, but so much is happening within our two hour sessions!

Aaaand smile.

Lauren.