“How do you represent cinema on stage?” – Hardboiled Development Process Blog

19 May 2014

Rhum and Clay’s Matthew Wells blogs about the process of developing a new production inspired by the film noir genre for the stage. Hardboiled will tour to village halls and small arts centres before a two week run at The Watermill from Tuesday 1 to Saturday 12 July.

We have just finished two weeks of development on our new show Hardboiled: The Fall of Sam Shadow. This extra time in the space, kindly supported by Sheepdrove Organic Farm, has allowed us to really explore the various themes and styles of the show.  We have spent the past two weeks bringing together many different ideas, weaving them together to form a framework with which we can head into rehearsal.

Because this piece is inspired by the genre known as ‘Film Noir’, one of the main questions has been: how do you represent cinema on stage? Further to this, how can we take all those classic film noir tropes and not only put them on stage but make it better than cinema? The answer to this question is a playful mix of well-known characters, presented in a completely new light. Also, the performance style will be physical, with all four actors never leaving the stage. The result is a strong emphasis on the ensemble, based in a fun and visually inventive world.

Creating a show from scratch is like watching a polaroid photograph come into focus; with each development you can better see what it is you have created, your decisions become more and more specific and soon it becomes about fine tuning rather than creating anew. Finally the only thing that’s missing is an audience and that’s when the fun begins! We can’t wait to show you what we have created. See you at The Watermill or in a village hall near you!

Matthew Wells
Rhum and Clay Theatre Company