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The end

The End emerged from a Dutch commission to contribute the final part to the theatre piece Beginning Middle End. Since then, I have explored this theme through practical workshops with Ollie Smith and Mole Wetherell (Reckless Sleepers), with visual artist Hetain Patel as dramaturg and an original live soundtrack by Chris Cousin (Bathysphere), periodically presenting works in progress to audiences around Europe. An initial impetus was the stage direction ‘Exit pursued by a bear’ from The Winter’s Tale, and the imagined experience of the bear actor waiting in the wings for that singular entrance/exit. In part, this project has investigated absence and loss, re-staging real-life experiences such as a relationship break-up or facing a firing squad; in part it has been influenced by the lingering memories of any completed piece of art. Conceptually, I have both explored and articulated this theme with a ‘dot dot dot’, not a full stop—The End therefore evolves, reflecting on its own last ‘ending’ and revising its position. As such it explores the process of writing as part of an ongoing performative exploration of how dramaturgy, writing and performance coalesce (see also my article ‘Ten Characters in Search of a Narrative’). Throughout, the process has been informed by reflections from many voices, with each ending offering a new beginning. During workshops, a photographer, sound artist and dramaturg reflected on what endings mean visually, aurally and dramatically. Following performances, reflections from collaborators, audiences, other artists, and a psychologist informed subsequent iterations of this un-ending odyssey. A working blog (makingthebeginning.tumblr.com) has documented the process and its reflective feedback. Footage of one durational iteration of The End at the Chester Performs Up The Wall Festival (2010) can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCSBUeGT5X4; a British Council showcase detailing a different iteration of The End can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOEJVxc-qBg.