The Voice Behind the Picture @ Traverse Theatre Virtual Programme

On the 2nd of July, Glasgow-based In Motion Theatre Company and See Me Scotland released their project The Voice Behind the Picture, a series of monologues created during Covid-19 lockdown.

These 5-minute pieces take us beyond what people see, hear or take at face value. They reveal what is going on behind-the-scenes in someone’s life.

Lisa Nicoll, Creative Director of In Motion, playwright and former Tron Theatre producer, talks about the premise of the project:

We see images posted by individuals of what they want people to see so they can be accepted. But what is behind that person, that image that we don’t hear. I have spent my life thinking the key to things is to be accepted by others (the title of my first play – Acceptance). But it is accepting yourself and being able to fearlessly speak our truths with love and without judgement. A vulnerability that can keep us more connected as humans.

It’s true that we live in a hyper-connected world, more than ever. However, if we examined these connections under a microscope, what would we see? How many of them are genuine? Not only we apply filters to our photos but also to our words.

The project is the result of five intense weeks of online workshops and one-to-one development sessions with Lisa Nicoll and 14 emerging writers from across Scotland.

Most of the monologues were inspired by real-life experiences. However, the project wanted to steer clear of the confessional theatre. Nicoll explains they used those “seeds of truth” as a starting point of the creative process: later they were dramatised. And there was also room for humour.

The monologues are diverse but have some elements in common. They are all filmed with a steady camera with the character facing the audience. As you watch them from your laptop, tablet or mobile phone, you feel as if you were in a video call with that person.

The characters open up to you. Everything feels natural and unstaged. They look at you and reveal their truth. No questions asked. Just raw humanity. When was the last time you experienced something like that?

The monologues explore topics such as social anxiety, hypochondria, Asperger’s syndrome, overthinking before sending a message, grieving, etc.

However, Nicoll emphasises they wanted to go beyond a theme. They wanted to create pieces about that individual person and focus on how to tell that story in order to connect with a wider audience.

“The Senescence of a Leaf” by Grant Redmond is a really powerful piece. The character is staring at you and opens up about the bullies in his mind. He is mourning the death of his father.

In “Heavy Like a Stone” by Lynsey Duffy, Daniel Cameron plays a character who is sitting in the toilet of a pub, hesitating about telling his date that he is an orphan and «handing her a big heavy dirty stone».

See Me is Scotland’s national programme that aims to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination. Maeve Grindall, Social Movement Support Officer at See Me also comments on the project:

We are delighted to partner with In Motion Theatre. The project has created a real opportunity to open up conversations about mental health in a way that is engaging and meaningful for the participants and audiences.

Many are capturing a snapshot of the strange world of Covid-19 and lockdown, a situation that has created and exacerbated mental health challenges for many people.

Originally, the project was meant to be performed at the Traverse Theatre, however, since theatres had to close due to Covid-19 restrictions, the monologues were launched within the Traverse Theatre Virtual Programme instead.

Good news is that all the monologues are now available for you to watch from In Motion’s website. You might find them relatable or maybe you will not, but I can assure you they will provide you with some good food for thought.

Producer and script-developer: Lisa Nicoll
Writers: Stephen Arthur, Lesley Capitanchik, Grant Christie, Lindsay Craik, Lynsey Duffy, Arron Greechan, Abi Pirani, Grant Redmond, Leah Rossvel, Nora Smyth, Dianne Stewart, Nicola Todd and Chris Tait.

Performers: Stephen Arthur, Karen Bartke, Daniel Cameron, Angie Cassidy, Lorna Craig George Docherty, Cameron Fulton, Mary Gapinski, Colin Little, Andrew McIntosh, Rachel Ogilvy, Josh Whitelaw and Rhiannon Wyn Thompson.