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The Good, The God and the Guillotine - Musical compositions as part of a theatrical performance

The Good, The God and The Guillotine (TGTGATG) is an intermedial music theatre work that explores the use of a computer laptop as a musical instrument/performative tool. The research inquiry is concerned with developing new forms of electronic musical expression specifically for collaborative live performance. MMUle (Manchester Metropolitan University laptop ensemble), led by Dr Martin Blain has collaborated with Proto-type Theater. Specifically relevant to the development of new forms of expression for music has been the invention of new software instruments through software applications as well as exploring an aesthetic approach to live laptop music performance. The live music contribution for this research project advances a practitioner understanding of laptop performance practice and suggests new approaches to be further explored.

TGTGATG is part of a larger portfolio of collaborations that considers the relationship between the performer and spectator, mediated through digital technologies. Dr Blain composed four music compositions for the work and collaborated with MMUle on the development of all other compositions in this piece. Aesthetically, the work considers the dislocation between performative gesture and resulting sound and the apparent loss of connection between performance, gesture and spectacle: it explores the Auslander/Phelan position on liveness; the performing states of Kirby; and notions of intermediality. This approach offers new contexts for live laptop performance and has been disseminated at the following conferences: SLEO 2012; SPEEC 2011; FIMPC 2011; IMTC 2010.

The Proto-type/MMUle collaboration was invited to develop aspects of the research as part of a week-long residency at the Tramway (Glasgow) as part of their Rip It Up season. During the residency the research work was disseminated through a post show discussion and the work was premiered at the Lincoln Art Centre (2013). The work has received Arts Council England funding and will tour throughout the UK in 2013/14.