Explore T***k You
A reflective note on T***k You by director Lisa Gregan (2020)
T***k You investigated political questions we wanted to try to answer, like: If I ruled the country what would I do? What does the future hold for the NHS (hopefully our current situation will change the course of our prediction and we will cherish the NHS like we should)? How does class affect your trajectory in life? All of these were interrogated with intellect, sensitivity and quite often humour.
I spent A LOT of time looking at post its on a wall trying to decide if we needed a narrative structure, or a clear framing device. In the end we decided to share the material as ‘bits’ that we made and felt strongly about, and decided that trying to answer the questions was impossible, all we could do was present our thoughts and feelings and allow the audience to reflect on their own position. To date is it one of my favourite Young Company processes and shows. The young people who made this show will not always be young but I am positive that their politics will help change the world.
I put together team of brilliant creatives (all ex-Young Company, all ex-Made In Bristol). James D Kent as visual artist (I knew I wanted the piece to be heavily projection-led), Julia Head as Associate artist and Jack Morrison as sound designer. All of them wonderfully talented artists who brought more to the table than I could've imagined.
A note from the cast by Ruby Ross
People say that we are the generation who are obsessed with social media, celebrities and ourselves. We have no consideration for the world around us and we are not grateful for what our ancestors have given to us. Sorry to break it to you, but you’ve got the wrong generation.
We are listening, we are interested and we are grateful. We all have opinions that unfortunately are often not listened to because we are ‘not experienced enough’. We are aware of all the awful and amazing things that are happening right now and we want to talk about them. After all, we are the people who will have the power to change them.
This piece has been a compelling and riveting way of showing our opinions and our emotions. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with all of these inspiring young people and I am so proud of what we have created. So, for anyone who thinks we don’t care about our future, I hope this proves that you are wrong.
Original 2017 Director's note by Lisa Gregan
Last year at the time of the EU Referendum (and the American election), the young people I work with were angry - really angry. They were angry about having no say and the work they were making in sessions was reflective of that. I had already been toying with the idea of making a thematic show with YC and now seemed like the right time. I wanted to take the frustration, confusion and the hope and give them the space to make it theatrical.
So, we have talked a lot about the world, as it is now and what it might become. There has been a lot of laughter; the cast have shared stories of adversity and optimism. We have dissected manifestos, arguments and dictionary definitions. We have shared news articles and funny memes whilst always asking ourselves ‘what do we actually want to say’. There is a lot that we want to say…
T***k You is only a fraction of everything that we created in rehearsals. There is no narrative; there are just ‘bits’ that we wanted to share with you. Thank you for allowing us to do that.
Photos: Paul Blakemore
Some provocations
The following are some provocations inspired by T***k You:
- Choreograph a piece of movement in celebration of something… gender, the NHS, freedom of speech. You could create a video, or a dance information sheet like this one Julia Head has created for T***k You.
- Inspired by ‘We are the liberals’, write a Satirical song.
- Inspired by Ruby’s speech on how she would rule the country, write your political manifesto. What would you do if you were in charge?
If you do create a response to this show, we'd love to see what you make. You can email them to us here, or tag us on Twitter (@BristolOldVic) or Instagram (@bristololdvic1766). Or, feel free not to share and to just be creative for yourself.