I've been asked many times "What's Mischief La-Bas?" Here's what Ian had to say:...
From "The List" 13-27 April, 2006
IAN SMITH "Happy Streets"
Ever been confronted in the street by a mime artist on stilts wearing a dreary orange wig? If so, it's time to revisit your prejudices about street theatre, says the artistic director of Glasgow-based theatre company Mischief La-Bas.
At some point in the past 15 years we may well have interfered with you. Perhaps you saw Christmas trees running down the street pursued by a crazed axeman. Perhaps the groundsmen at some major sporting event you were watching started a spontaneous disco routine and got chased off the pitch by large hotdogs. Maybe you noticed that a 45-foot flame-belching space rocket crashed overnight into Paddy's Market, or maybe you've had your shoes shined by the Elvis Cleaning Company. That's because my company, Mischief La-Bas deals in street art, public art, "mucking about". Mission statement: 'to gently warp the underlay of the fabric of society'. Emphasis on 'gently'. The opposite of terrorism, in fact. We seek to inspire, uplift and bemuse - to flag up possibilities. And so do a whole bunch of other people.
This kind of work can be far more powerful than conventional theatre or art, where a contract is struck with the audience when you buy a ticket or enter a venue. Even buskers cut a deal, establish a convention, seek a reward. This stuff just happens when you are least expecting it - in public places. 'They don't want money?' Nothing bewilders our society more than that. (Before you ask, festivals, councils, promoters etc. usually pay for it up front.)
As a punter confronted with an 8 foot Triffid outside the chip shop you have to make a decision. 'Do I go along with this, do I throw a beer can, or do I just walk away?' (Please don't throw the beer can.) I reckon most people are delighted to have the opportunity to let loose their imagination and play along. To pop their own bubble for a minute, in fact. Like the jolt when you see a running shoplifter, you're suddenly in the moment: alive.
And it's the same for the performers. You must dismiss your obvious vulnerability and become invincible. You cannot fail. Your co-star may turn out to be a dog pissing up your leg, and they will demand equal billing. Deal with it, now. There will be no backstage banter ('bit fidgety tonight, aren't they?'); rather, the real possibility of being chased down the street with torches and pitchforks. If you want to know how easy it is to disrupt reality, but how hard to find the courage, just try walking very, very slowly down the street.
As well as intimate, interactive stuff, there's the big scale outdoor or site-specific stuff where the public are invited to attend. Here, the surprise is what can be achieved in an unsuitable environment with an impromptu crowd. Talk about inclusiveness in the arts, this IS the public at large. All of it, ASBOs not withstanding. It is heartening that the National Theatre of Scotland, in seeking a ressurection of theatre, realised that the first step is to crawl out of the little black boxes. They too, are coming out to play.
I remember watching a show by a French company, when something resembling a large pink rhinoceros came hurtling down a wire from the Finnieston Crane. Somebody desperate for politics whined in my ear : "'What's it all mean?' and I was delighted to realise that it meant a large pink rhinoceros was hurtling down a wire from the Finnieston Crane. And that was fine. It reminded me that the streets actually belong to us. From then on, if I had an idea that was so ridiculous it shouldn't be happening, I would try my damnedest to make sure it did. Hence things like the one-off Space Rocket.
After watching imported large scale touring stuff for many years, in 2004 it was about time we joined the game. Big In Falkirk gave us the kick in the pants. They invited us to put in a proposal for European money through the INSITU promoters network, and our 'Painful Creatures' proposal was chosen as one of three from Europe to get support. They liked the fact I was introducing painters and sculptors to the field, literally. The Scottish Arts Council joined in and we suddenly became international.
We premiered in Falkirk then hit the continent. Fantastic! Burning 30-foot Wickermen in the grounds of French hospitals. It would tickle me to hear Falkirk bandied about at international conferences in the same breath as Barcelona and Aurillac as a major centre of exciting new work. But actually, it is. The open-mindedness and enthusiasm of The Big in Falkirk organisers (and punters) has paid off, and for a small, rainy country Scotland is punching above its weight.
This year Mischief La-Bas will be premiering another daft experiment, 'Montague Place', a full sized fake town square, which we intend to animate with cartoon choreography every 15 minutes. As our crew don't usually rehearse and are generally pretty unfit, ( Hey ! ? d:oO ) that's quite a challenge. In fact, it's ridiculous. So lets do it.
Big in Falkirk : Sat 29th-Sun 30th April
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