I have very nearly collected all of the props I need for my performance.  The only one that remains unsolved, as yet, is the lawn.  The problem I’m having at the moment is actually getting hold of some!  I’ve looked in the local B&Q and Homebase and they don’t have any as yet.  I will go back within the next week or so just to see if they’ve brought some out as part of their Spring/Summer stock (maybe I visited the shops too early).  If there is some, my next task will be to check the price (make sure it’s within reason) and then work out when I need to purchase the lawn.  I can’t buy it too early as I don’t want the grass to turn brown before the performance.  Being rolled up however, it might be able to survive if I bought it a week before the show.  I would then have to figure out how I’m going to get the lawn from said shop to my house or straight to the theatre as the lawn is breakable and heavy and I do not drive a car.  This proves problematic as, because the local stores to do not have any, it means I will have to travel further out, but to do so, I would need a car.  The other option would be to buy it the day before in a friend or family member’s car, and take it straight to the studio, but then I risk the store not having any lawn in stock.  Also, looking at Homebase’ website, it informs me that I can only purchase turf in bundles which are very expensive, with prices starting at around £139!

From working through this dilemma, I believe my best option would be to contact the store (wherever that may be in the local area), tell them the purpose of needing the lawn (only need a small amount), pay and arrange for the lawn to be delivered straight to the theatre the day before the show and only roll it out on the day of the show so it will still be fresh.

As a back up plan however, I have purchased an Artificial Grass Carpet for £6.99 at Aldi, so if getting my hands on some real lawn fails, at least I still have grass! :

Aldi (2014) Artificial Grass Carpet.

The other idea that I’ve also been thinking about of late, is what photo to use for the projection.  I’ve only ever thought that it’d be a picture of a field, but what field has sparked many different questions as I want the photo to have a real purpose and significant meaning to the piece.  My first thought was to just have a look on google images but a lot of the photos I found looked photoshopped which is not my desired effect, particularly as I’m focusing so hard on having real grass in the show.  Then I thought about using one of my own photos, one that I have taken, which then spurred me to think about when the photo was taken, possibly using a photo of a field where I would have played as a child.  This would link strongly to my piece as it focuses on the dreams and memories of childhood.  I found the following:

Webster, M. (2012) Old John Tower in Bradgate Park.

What I really like about this image is that there is a tinge of blue sky at the top which will, in the studio, almost blend in with the top of the ceiling to make the last episode of my piece (when I focus on the sky) look as if I am actually lying down in this field.  The point of view also looks as if I could have taken the photo and could have been in the field (which I have visited, just when I was younger and didn’t own a camera!)  Having been to Bradgate Park, it evokes a feeling of remembrance which makes this image more personal and equally makes me feel certain that this is the image I want to use.

There was also the option of this photo as what is striking about this image is the vividness and intensity of the purple of the flowers.

Webster’s Wildshots (2012b) Charnwood Forest.

This would also fit into my show as the first section of my piece deals with a flower and so it would give the idea that the projected backdrop is almost blending into the reality of the field/lawn on which I am sat.  However, what prevented me from choosing this design is the fact that it is not an open space (a sense of freedom and happiness), the trees in this image evoking instead, feelings of  entrapment and danger and could almost have a dark and shadowy element to it that could change the dynamic of my piece which is most definitely not my intention.

References:

Aldi (2014) Artificial Grass Carpet. [online] Available from https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/sunday-27th-april/product-detail/ps/p/artificial-grass-carpet/[Accessed 27 April 2014].

Homebase (2014) Garden Turf and Artificial Grass. [online] Available from http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/garden/turf-and-artificial-grass/classic-fresh-turf—40-rolls-305171 [Accessed 27 April 2014].

Webster, M. (2012a) Old John Tower in Bradgate Park. [online] Leicestersire: Bradgate Park. Available from http://www.awao38.dsl.pipex.com/focf/photos.html [Accessed 26 April 2014].

Webster’s Wildshots (2012b) A Rainy Spring with the Bluebells. [blog entry] 25 May. Leicestershire: Charnwood Forest. Available from http://websterswildshots.com/wordpress/category/natural-history/[Accessed 26 April 2014].