Output details

Sex and God [by Linda McLean, first production]

This is an example of a collaborative production sharing new insights into the expressive potential of the voice. In this first production of Sex and God, the researcher worked as voice specialist with the cast and director Nicholas Bone, to explore the full potential of Linda McLean’s complex text, which takes the form of a counterpoint of monologues.

Steen’s practice-based research extends the voice work of Nadine George (itself based on Roy Hart’s techniques) into the process of direction. This approach identifies four core qualities in each individual voice (two ‘male’ and two ‘female’), and thereby changes the status of the voice work in production: whereas traditional voice coaching aimed to support a director’s pre-determined vision, Steen’s research allows the dramaturgy to be shaped by the unique vocal qualities of the actors in a given production.

The researcher’s integral role in this production led on from her participation in Rough Mix, an interdisciplinary creative development programme funded by Creative Scotland and led by Nicholas Bone. This, in turn, followed Bone’s participation in Steen’s Earthing the Electric project (see Steen1). Steen’s decisive contribution to this production is indicated by its critical reception, which specifically highlights the role of the voice in Sex and God: ‘Imagine a string quartet, but with actors instead of musicians. In place of a score, a set of overlapping monologues. As they riff on similar themes, they could be from a family of musical instruments, each with her own timbre and pitch, but each part of the ensemble. Phrases echo like a melody from one performer to another, sometimes dissonant, sometimes in harmony, taking on different meanings according to their setting.’ (Mark Fisher, The Guardian,17 October 2012).

For the purposes of this submission, the six 'co-authors' are Nicholas Bone (director), Linda McLean (playwright), and the cast of four.