Southwark Playhouse, part of Scratch Interact, curated by Glue, 5th August 2009
“… the awful weather… my mother… that new secretary… just so tired… big brother this week… new freeview box… rather fine bottle… amazing food… these new shoes… he got her pregnant again… died last week… she should resign… call my bank… shocking performance… buy more milk… must leave him… like totally stresses me out… looks amazing here…“
A writer seeks characters for his new work; you might be one. Listen to his thoughts and you might recognise something of yourself. Three people are coming to meet a friend. You might be one of them. Will you have time to share your thoughts? The third bell rings, they all disappear. ‘What about you?’
Kaffeeklatsch (German for “coffee gossip”) is set in the café of a theatre. The site of a café acts as a meeting point of people, as a point of exchange of thoughts and emotions. The theatre foyer functions as a gathering point, with the audience full of expectation before the performance starts. Kaffeeklatsch explores both of these sites – café and foyer – at the point they meet.
Kaffeeklatsch calls the audience to experience part of the process of making a performance; a process of being creative by observing life. Kaffeeklatsch will make them wonder about their presence in the threshold of the theatre. Are they the spectators or the creators? Do they have the chance to reflect on the thoughts of others, whether those of their friend, drinking coffee with them, or those of the theatre-maker, creating a performance for them?
By synthesising an audience for an unexpected Happening, Kaffeeklatsch will question the line separates theatre from life.