It's a dangerous world out there.
'Sudden Skies' by Blank Space Productions is an exploration of the world's refugee crisis and the danger of a volatile climate, as two anti-heroes collide on stage, fighting for survival and safety.
Here, Co-Creator and Director Bridget Le May pens an open letter about being a part of the show.
“Directing 'Sudden Skies' is like a roller coaster with a prize at the crest of each peak. The show is incredibly physical and we’re constantly choreographing movement while exploring the text. Choreographing is new for me and everything takes two or three times as long as I think it will, bodies have limits, Ann-Marie and Haydon need time to rest and stretch.
There are so many points of the process that excite me; when we find a new movement that is important to the work, when a tricky line falls into place, when the characters’ powers seem totally real. There is so much detail in every word and stage direction, we spent months researching and having long discussions about this new world and our anti-heroes, their needs, desires and imperfections.
I expect a lot from audiences. The details of the world aren't gifted to you on a silver platter, they are revealed over time so you get a chance to figure a few things out for yourself. Our anti-heroes have their own opposing struggles and it will be interesting to know who people want to succeed in the end. You can absolutely sit there and enjoy the emotional journey, the movement, the sound and light, but I really hope people will be on the edge of their seats.
'Sudden Skies' is the most socially relevant work I’ve made. It takes an unabashed look at the human need for safety and protection. It’s led me to understand how important it is to think globally today. International crises aren’t legally anyone's obligation but they’re everyone's responsibility. But the work isn’t overtly political, it functions entirely in metaphor, so if politics isn’t your thing, you don't have to engage with that. The show has a lot to give, with every tiny particle in my body, I want to share it. I want it to be part of a bigger conversation. And that is why I get out of bed every morning, to find some small way to be part of what carries society forward. You should come and see it. Better still, see it, and then talk to me about it. Say hi at the bar, contact me or Blank Space Productions on Facebook. That is what theatre is really about. Conversation. Change.”
– Bridget Le May
There are so many points of the process that excite me; when we find a new movement that is important to the work, when a tricky line falls into place, when the characters’ powers seem totally real. There is so much detail in every word and stage direction, we spent months researching and having long discussions about this new world and our anti-heroes, their needs, desires and imperfections.
I expect a lot from audiences. The details of the world aren't gifted to you on a silver platter, they are revealed over time so you get a chance to figure a few things out for yourself. Our anti-heroes have their own opposing struggles and it will be interesting to know who people want to succeed in the end. You can absolutely sit there and enjoy the emotional journey, the movement, the sound and light, but I really hope people will be on the edge of their seats.
'Sudden Skies' is the most socially relevant work I’ve made. It takes an unabashed look at the human need for safety and protection. It’s led me to understand how important it is to think globally today. International crises aren’t legally anyone's obligation but they’re everyone's responsibility. But the work isn’t overtly political, it functions entirely in metaphor, so if politics isn’t your thing, you don't have to engage with that. The show has a lot to give, with every tiny particle in my body, I want to share it. I want it to be part of a bigger conversation. And that is why I get out of bed every morning, to find some small way to be part of what carries society forward. You should come and see it. Better still, see it, and then talk to me about it. Say hi at the bar, contact me or Blank Space Productions on Facebook. That is what theatre is really about. Conversation. Change.”
– Bridget Le May
