On the 29th January 2018, we started our first Solo Performance session. One artist which we were introduced to that was particularly intriguing was Matt Chewiwie. According to his artistic statement first published in December 2008, his sole intention is to create work which “strives to find the inner child in others” (Chewiwie, 2008). Having been introduced to the work of Chewiwie, it reaffirmed the idea that performance in a solo context can be produced through a comedic lens, as opposed to one which takes a serious focus.
His obsession with staging the insanities and amazements commonplace in life are intriguing to me as it introduces the lack of limitations within a solo performance. The vast majority of his work manages to retain this, in particular his Step Dad Poetry (2008) which involves a child-like dance mat which is retrospective of common childhood arcade experiences. Through the use of the mat, Chewiwie explores seemingly serious topics at the beginning, managing to take a comedic turn at the end of the piece through utilising the mat to performance a somewhat menial activity to reinforce the child-like nature of his work.
Chewiwie’s work inspired me to research into comedic solo performances in the mainstream popular culture. Stand-up comedy is an art form which I have admired for a long time, so viewing Chewiwie’s entertaining blend of planned stand-up and theatrical spectacle influenced me to research further into their work. UK-based comedian Lee Evans is one who uses physical comedy alongside the spoken word to create a performance. His performances can be described as having “captured audiences’ and critics’ imaginiations with his irrepressible physicality and disarming charm” (Evans, 2018). The way in which he uses his physicality develops a freer audience-performer relationship, as displaying himself as light-hearted and ‘one of the lads’ removes a distance between the two. Removing theatrical distance between the performer and the spectator is something that I would like to explore within my performance, as I believe there is a lot of merit in making a statement to an audience when they feel more comfortable and immersed within the performance. Breaking the ‘fourth wall’, per say,
The impact of breaking the Fourth Wall for comedic effect was highlighted by Brecht. According to Davis,
“Though Brecht was certainly
not the first modern playwright to break the fourth wall, he was perhaps
the first to seriously consider the social, political, and philosophical implications
of the technique, which had otherwise been employed to achieve a primarily comedic effect” (Davis, 2015, 87)
Both Evans and Chewiwie are successful in breaking the fourth wall by humanizing themselves to rid of the distance and barrier between actor and spectator. As detailed by Davis, ridding of this wall allows an ability to make more of a philosophical, social and political implication in performance. I am a firm believer that comedy is the ideal vehicle to make commentary on serious issues. Moving forward, this is something I would like to explore further.
WANT: To further research the impact of comedic performance in creating a social, political and philosophical comment
LEARNT: About how the fourth wall implicates a barrier between self and audience. The strength of comedy and how physical and nostalgia are powerful tools in performance.
EXPERIENCE: My experience with the work researched this week has been positive. It has given me suitable scope to further the nuances of the performances I wish to create.
Works Cited
Chewiwie, M. (2008) Artist Statement. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yJPZfFOrsc [Accessed 5th February 2017].
Chewiwie, M. (2008) Stepdad Poetry. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoouBqguWzg [Accessed 5th February 2017].
Davis, N. (2015) Not a Soul in Sight! Beckett’s Fourth Wall. Journal of Modern Literature, 38(2) 87.
Evans, L. (2014) Channel 4 Comedy Gala. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yn7RMqis-E [Accessed 5th February 2017]
Evans, L. (2018) Lee Evans Website. Available at https://www.leeevans.net [Accessed 5th February 2017]