So after a day to recover and reflect, I’ve been thinking back over the last couple of weeks and the madness that took over my life when Mayfest 2018 finally landed after a year off in 2017. I’ve been heavily involved with MAYK since January, having been on placement with them through my MA course, and it’s been an absolute privilege to be part of bringing this wonderful mix of work to Bristol. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, I thought I’d share some of my favourite festival moments.
1. The Calm before the Storm
My festival started in incredibly chilled fashion, with three days on site at the impressive Bristol Cathedral helping out with Draw to Look. It was the perfect way to ease into the madness, enjoying quirky art, the strains of Undersong drifting across from the Chapter House and the overall atmosphere and architecture of the historic cathedral. I even found out about some hidden carvings, including a fox in a dress (?!)
2. Watching TV in the dark
The most talked-about show of the festival definitely seemed to be Now Is The Time To Say Nothing, an experience which opens with you watching TV in the dark by yourself, before coming together in a pure moment of magic with other audience members. It’s one I’ve been thinking about a lot, as both it’s approach to form and content were so innovative and humanising. I also ushered on this one a few times, and it was such a pleasure to watch everyone come together over and over again.
3. A surreal trip to the seaside
One of my more unusual festival experiences was my afternoon in Weston-Super-Mare. It started with the most cringeworthy train journey – escorting Contact Gonzo, our visiting company from Japan, through a true British rail experience complete with half-hour delays, last minute platform changes and carriages packed to bursting. I then had the pleasure of experiencing Richard Allen’s incredible binaural audio piece The Killers – an incredible mix of atmospheric setting, masterful mixing of live and pre-recorded audio and pure nostalgia, before going for a post-show pint at a suitably outdated pub where the presence of women seemed to baffle the patrons.
4. Helping someone discover something new
I love making recommendations to friends, particularly if they aren’t ‘theatre people’. When you strike on that perfect mix of elements that ensures they discover something they love and you manage to share some of the magic of theatre with someone who’s not normally a fan, it gives me tingles. I had one particular experience like this when I dragged my fiance along to Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story at the Old Vic. The mix of Klezmer music, Yiddish humour and a totally true, flawed love story had him (and me!) captivated throughout, and he’s now a huge fan of lead Ben Caplan’s music. We’ve got the Old Stock LP on pre-order!
5. An emotional rollercoaster
Now we were heading into the final few days of the festival. I was exhausted both body and soul, but so far had managed to keep my emotions mostly under check when watching highly emotive work. A eye-stinging moments but nothing like the breakdowns some team members were having at shows. That was, until I went to see Stewart Legere’s Let’s Not Beat Each Other To Death. Through the ethereal and haunting first act I was captivated, but the brutally honest second act where Stewart simply talked through his own thoughts and feelings and sang poignant songs over montages of images of people who’d been brutally beaten simply for being LGBTQ+ had me in floods of proper ugly-crying tears. It’s the most emotional reaction I’ve ever had to a show, and I think part of that stemmed from both the brutal honesty, and the way a lot of his worries and anxieties chimed with my own – does hating these hateful people making you a monster too? Thankfully we went into the night with love, culminating in a joyous dance party to clear the feelings of hopelessness and provide a sense of catharsis.
And everything else..!
This is by no means an exhaustive list, and there are tonnes of precious memories and moments that will stay with me. The raw power of Undersong, the joyful celebration of WE ARE LIGHTNING!, the ever-changing office-come-meeting-place-come-resting-space-come-exhibition of the Arnolfini front room, dancing the night away at the Opening and Closing parties… Far too many to mention. Bring on Mayfest 2020 – I’ll definitely be buying a festival pass.