The first improvisation of the day sees the three children coming into the site and meeting. At first it is a little too simple, but at only the second attempt, the scene seems to fly...Yudai as Aka, is a fantasist - imagining himself as 007, overcoming his own litany of imagined dangers, in addition to the real ones. Young Ju is an appealing figure as Norang, following a little cat paw trail, wondering if she dares enter through this barrier, and crying out for Yoghurt. Daniel is hidden away, peeering meaningfully from though a crate. The impro is long and full of suggestion and invention.
The room is pretty full, with sometimes three translators, in addition to the thtee writers, Stage Manager and designer. Simon, our lighting designer, who will come with us to Korea in April, also drops in, as does Ohiro the composer, who came last night.
After letting the improvisation run on for a long time, there is applause as it finishes. So many notes already written. We have time only for a quick rehearsal of the outline of our school workshop, before it is time for a quick lunch, and then a little convoy.
Chandos School is close to the centre of Birmingham in one of the most diversely populated areas of the city. It is an impressively creative and approachable school, and the children gather round the team as we arrive into the playground...'who are you?'...'what do you do?'. There is a great atmosphere about the place.
For those of us from the UK the visits to schools in Korea and Japan were the highlights of the work there, and we hope of course that the same will be true in reverse. Certainly the welcome at Chandos is impressive, especially considering they were not really expecting an invasion of 14 people into their staffroom. There is such an air of friendliness about the place. It is an important session, because the class of Yaer Five children we are working with will be attached to the production from today right through until May, working with me towards their own performance drawn from the same themes. Their ideas and level of engagement with the afternoon workshop is great - meeting the company, and then the actors in role as the characters, watching a short scene and then creating their own suggestions through drama. We asked them about the scnee where the children dig down to 'Brazil', the perfect world down on the other side of the planet. What would their perfect world be like?
Their tableaux reflect worlds with sport and shopping, rest and freedom. they show travel through space, and wishes being granted. One thing is clear from the session - children love digging, and their visions for a utopia are rich with possibilities. It is an energising and stimulating session, and the company comes away buzzing.
Back at the theatre there is time for two hours of drumming, while the writers dissect the outcomes from another dense and exciting day. We are already feeling time ticking, but the atmosphere of discussion is serious and clear. These are writers with strong instincts, and clear sight - qualities that will be crucial if we are to get the practical tasks of the fortnight achieved, despite the slowness of rythmn which is the inevitable effect of translation. Ayako has devised a system of yellow and red cards which she waves if someone speaks for too long, or before translation is done - something which still happens all the time.
Tomorrow is a music day, and we have decided too that it is Blue day - a long discussion about Aspergers has helped us flesh out a little more of what the character background should be. Thursday is pencilled in for 'Grandmothers story', and 'digging', and then friday is 'monsters' day, and the next school visit. It all promises much......and I am tired already. Tired but happy.
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