Is it In-Yer-Face?
When simply discussing my idea (The Man You Hate) in class, it was pointed out that areas of my idea may have origins in in-yer-face theatre. Aleks Sierz’s definition of in-yer-face theatre is “a theatre of sensation: it jolts both actors and spectators out of conventional responses” (Sierz, 2001, 4). As stated in my previous blog this is exactly the outcome I am looking for. I do not want my audience to become docile; having conventional responses like silence or worse, agreeance.
[Please look to my second blog titled The Man You Hate, published 21 February, 2014.]
I Hate In-Yer-Face Theatre
I have become dispassionate towards in-yer-face theatre, not because of the range of un-delightful emotions I am forced to feel but rather because of the frequency of performances that claim to be in-yer-face. During all of my A-level drama and some GCSE drama, I half expected all pieces performed to include some horrific depiction of rape or violence. I know I am not the only one that got fed up with vulgarity being present for no other reason than vulgarity itself.
It is often believed that by exploiting elements of in-yer-face theatre, any performance can be made good by adding violence/gore/aggression to them. As if by some magically means, elements of violence/gore/aggression will always excite strong emotions and thus discussions. This is half true especially for a 21th century British audience. Violence/gore/aggression is quite foreign to this particular audience as we don’t frequent it in society. Most of the time we experience such depictions behind the pages of a newspaper, or a TV screen or a proscenium arch. On the other hand you could argue that all this violence/gore/aggression that is mediatised has desensitised us to these depictions on media, and possible even within our society.
However even if these elements do excite the audience emotionally, they will rarely excite the audience so much as to make them talk and debate about the violence/gore/aggression. What is needed is some sort of meaning which is important enough to make the violence/gore/aggression necessary in the deliverance of said performance.
Another problem with in-yer-face theatre is that it is carefully crafted so that it does not provoke humour, compassion or delight. It exists solely in one heightened emotional state of disgust, within the audience. Unlike a play like The History Boys, in-yer-face theatre cannot excite humour yet at the same time grief. To fall out of this heightened state of disgust, an in-yer-face performance risks being misunderstood or risks losing its effectiveness in affecting the audience.
It Is Not Completely In-Yer-Face
I would agree and say that the idea of The Man You Hate is a type of in-yer-face performance however Sierz adds to his description of in-yer-face theatre by saying “it affronts the ruling ideas of what can or should be shown onstage”. To avoid presenting violence for the sake of violence, my idea tries to stay away from this description. This is because this description focuses too much of the visuals of the performance. Rather than focusing on what should or shouldn’t be shown I instead focus on what can and can’t be discussed on stage; the key word being discussed instead of shown. I feel that if I change the dynamics of the performance to instead present it as a sort of meeting/conference/lecture where I don’t perform but rather present directly to the audience I will better affect the audience. Almost like an insufferable narcissist, presenting a Ted Talk on their love of sadomasochism.
Since in-yer-face theatre often exists in an abstract reality, this paradox prompts me to ask – how can the audience feel that the performance is truly in their faces if the performance doesn’t exist on some plain of reality? To be honest, in-yer-face theatre as it stands does affect the audience however I feel that the style can be improved on. My hope is that I can successfully couple a sense of realism with the outlandish material which will truly send uncomfortable icy chills down the backs of the audience members.
Sierz, A. (2001) In-Yer-Face Theatre; British Drama Today. London: Faber and Faber.