2020 marked the beginning of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

 

New government regulations and laws came into force that brought about the immediate closure of theatre, cinema and other forms of  performance arts. In order to keep the industry alive, it embarked on creating alternative methods of delivering live performances in open, public spaces where both performers and audience could be socially distant.

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The brief for “Missing Live Theatre”  was to create an outdoor performance in a public area through our own narrative.

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Glasgow Central Station

My daily route to ECA involved travelling through Glasgow Central Station, Scotland’s busiest railway station. BBC Scotland documentary program "Inside Central Station" gives an insight into daily running and the history of the station. Guided tours take you through Central from its construction over the former village of Grahamston, its role in World Wars 1 and 2, as transport to holidays 'doon the water tae Bute' to its thriving commuter service today.

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Inspiration for this project developed through my research. Beneath platforms 3 and 4 was the site of the Alston Theatre, Alston Street, Grahamston, built in 1764. This meant that the station had already been the venue for performance art. The second historical event linked to the effects of worldwide restrictions during WW1 and the following Spanish Flu pandemic.

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The project I created was for a ballet which used the music, Behind the Lines (c1918) by  Scottish composer Cecil Fredrick Cole who died in active duty in WW1. The narrative follows the lives of three couples, one of which is Cecil and his wife. The costumes were designed to use upcycled old clothing as access to new fabric was limited by closed shops. At the same time, they were sympathetic to the uniforms and clothing of the period whilst allowing freedom of movement suitable for dance.

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