Way out West (incorporating Way up North)

the day war broke out, part 2

Three days in, and we're just about getting our theatre together. We're performing in the oldest theatre in Bogota, built in the 1920's. It is currently undergoing renovations, which broadly means, that we are performing in an empty shell, with mud floors and a temporary stage in the auditorium. The experience of performing in Colombia is strangely similar to that of putting on a show in Rio eighteen months ago, the crews are very willing and hardworking, but simply don't believe the information that they are given in advance. Thus lanterns are substituted at will, and they feel free to improve on the plan when it suits them.

The show we are doing is based around a loose concept of 'unsuccessful rock band' although there are no actual musicians, but we do have woodenheaded and singleminded roadies, bad 1970's rock lighting and a hundred cliches explored. The whole visual concept depends on there being a complete, small, working sound system onstage, this then feeds the main sound system. We haven't yet toured to a venue where this idea has been understood, there are always arguments, and plenty of helpful suggestions; Bogota is no exception.

As for the war, there are plenty of soldiers about, mingling happily with the dozens of private heavily armed security guards, and today there was a very large peace demonstration, other than making the traffic even more chaotic, I can't say that there is a great sense of unease.

posted by Lampy @ 3/06/2008 10:34:00 pm