GROUP WORK
The group brought found objects – a flower, a stone, a feather – from the site and formed a circle. Random words describing the objects and the feelings they invoked were recorded and later edited into the versions used in the final production.
Thoughts in a ring
1
People inside the ring
We’ve abandoned our treasure
They don’t care
It makes you happy and sad
Like pebbles in the pond
The sun comes out
2
Green leaves for Indian feathers
Happy flower arrangements
Picked and slowly dying
3
Sailing heart
Sailing heart
Sailing heart
The ark of Spring
Sailing towards the Autumn
Sailing heart
Sailing heart
Sailing heart
An eyeful of gardens
And fallen chestnuts
And glimpses of a house through the trees
These are our ritual offerings
Blowing in a random breeze
4
Broken sticks
Forsaken flowers
Monkey dancing on the ground
Indian feather chanting in a circle
Green hand and ten fingers
EDITED VERSION
From this ring of sticks
And forsaken flowers,
Still as pebbles in a pond,
We glimpse the house
Through the trees.
This eyeful of gardens
Makes you happy
And makes you sad,
Like flower arrangements
That are slowly dying.
A random breeze takes our offerings –
Leaves, feathers, stones, bark
Into an ark of Spring
Steering towards Autumn.
Broken sticks
And sailing hearts;
An eyeful of gardens
Reflecting the tulip tree
And the kangaroo.
FOUND OBJECTS AROUND A STICK CIRCLE
a chestnut tree flower reminds me of a pineapple
this rough cold stone reminds me of the sea
nice green flowers
rose scented magenta
craggy rock and hidden caves
frothy and delicate like a ballet skirt
broken dandelions remind me of lost time
this reminds me of my nan’s house called Roo0ky Wood
lucky clover
lovely bluebells
neglected and lost, a lonely leaf
people inside the ring
dan dee coloured – reminds me of family ages
buttercups – broken buttercups
smooth mottled stone with hidden hollows
I like green leaves – like Indian feathers
horse chestnut flowers smell of perfume
EDITED VERSION (used in the opening ritual of the play)
Voice 1: Horse chestnut flowers remind me of pineapples.
Voice 2: This rough cold stone reminds me of the sea and craggy rocks and hidden caves.
Voice 3: But not these smooth mottled stones with hidden hollows.
Voice 4: I like green leaves – pointed like Indian feathers.
Voice 5: And nice green flowers, rose scented magenta, frothy and delicate as a ballet skirt.
Voice 6: Horse chestnut flowers smell of perfume, and lucky clover and lovely bluebells.
Voice 7: Broken dandelion clocks remind me of lost time.
Voice 8: And buttercups … broken buttercups. Neglected and lost. And lonely leaves remind me of …
Voice 9: This bark reminds me of my Nan’s house called Rooky Wood …
Voice 10: Dandy coloured – it reminds me of family ages, going back like time rings inside trees.
All: We are the garden people living inside our own ring of sticks.