DELPHINE - new audio drama / comedy
During lockdown, I've been working with some amazingly talented writers / actors who had shows to perform but nowhere to perform them. We've created audio versions of their shows, making the airways their stage. I've produced and edited them as individual fiction podcasts, added sound design and original composition, aiming to support the show and help to make it work in audio-only format. They are all single person shows, teetering somewhere between drama and comedy.
Delphine is the first in the series. It was written back in 2015 by amazing writer and performer Clare Pointing, as a one-woman show. Over the years it's received critical acclaim and has graced stages in London, Edinburgh and New York. It's an uplifting and witty piece of storytelling about facing fears, taking a step away from the safe and familiar and bravely moving towards something new.
To find out more, I did a Q&A with Clare, which sets the scene nicely.
<<<Listen to Delphine on Spotify here>>>
1. You wrote Delphine a few years back and have performed it at places like Leicester Square Theatre, The Pleasance, and Soho Playhouse in New York. It's a really touching and intimate show. What does the show mean to you, and why did you decide to make an audio version?
Delphine was the first piece of writing that I ever completed and my first solo show. It means a lot to me as I surprised myself, I struggled at school with dyslexia and whilst I’ve always enjoyed creative writing I often felt that it wouldn’t ever be something I’d be able to pursue for this reason. However the desire to do it outweighed this insecurity in the end and so this show not only tells a coming of age story of this particular character but for me as a writer, my first pursuit of just going for it and putting myself out there. When I finished performing the live show I always felt that there was more I wanted to do with it, that her story wasn’t finished. A few people over the years have suggested that it would translate well to audio but other life stuff has always got in the way. When lockdown was announced and the reality of all work coming to a halt dawned I started thinking about what I could do, what was accessible and so I revisited this idea something I’ve always wanted to do and that’s when I approached Ben after hearing some of his work.
2. Paint us a picture of how you recorded it and what the process was like putting this together.
My husband, Ed got a voice over job at the beginning of lockdown and so we decided to invest in some home recording equipment. Which has opened so many options to us in terms of being able to access something creative at home. However we are still in a small two bed flat with a very busy two year old who has an impressive set of lungs so creating that quiet space takes a lot of planning and homemade redesigning. During our daughters park trips with Ed I would quickly empty out our wardrobe, pad it with our duvet and pillows and climb in with the equipment. After much guidance from Ben it was ready to go and although a tight squeeze, it did the job. I also knew I was handing it over to good hands with Ben to clean up those unavoidable noises that inevitably come trough when recording in a home “studio” we live in a flat so there’re the noises of surrounding flats etc but we got there… and I was so taken back with the results of what Ben has put together.
3. Is the character of Delphine based on anyone? What were the influences and inspirations when creating the character?
Delphine is a bit of lots of women I’ve known in my life including myself, she's an exploded version of that inner voice a lot of women fight daily that makes us doubt a lot of what we do and say. That voice that makes us apologise for just being there. She is at the beginning of a very long journey of becoming the woman she deserves to be, discovering her inner strength on a path to becoming a “difficult” woman. On the surface Delphine is warm, cute and full of quirks, but underneath something steelier lies and this is the part of her that is finally breaking free, she’s a little late to the party but she’s on her way. I suppose I was inspired to write her story as a way of reminding myself to be brave and also to keep talking about the fight women face everyday to belong in world that is yet to be equally ours. She is learning not to validate herself because of the men in her life but because of who she is in her life…if thats makes sense, I’m not sure I’ve worded that very well… hello dyslexia...!
4. If you were Delphine's mate in real life, what advice do you think you'd give her?
Be you and get yourself out there.
5. How does the music differ from when you performed it live to the audio version? What was the process like?
In the live show I used very recognisable motown, disco and funk tracks which Delphine danced to, it was a way of showcasing glimpses of Delphine’s unexpressed joy and passion, it was used as a gateway into her fantasies. The show is set in the current day so with all the tracks being form the 70’s was also another subtle showcase of how Delphine wasn’t living in the here and now…her favourite music is her mums music. However without this live element the songs no longer have the same effect and having unique music written for the show has been a dream and has taken the show to a different level. After Ben read the script and we discussed the show and how we’d go forward I felt he had a very good understanding of Delphine and the piece, what moods I was trying to create. We discussed themes and the characters and to be honest I handed it over form there. There were a few minor back and forth's but basically it felt like a great mutual understanding of what we wanted to create and I’m so happy with the results.
6. What's your favourite detail of the recorded version? Are there particular moments that come across differently in the audio piece compared to performing on stage - how much does it differ from your perspective?
It’s very difficult to judge the audio against the live show as the main real difference is that I never got to sit back and watch the show but this time round I can be an audience member. It’s still hard to remove myself and that critical ear when listening to your own voice but when I get past that it’s been so fun. I absolutely love all the details that have been added, the subtle sound effects of the clock, the leaves in the trees, the dreamscape. There’s too much, it’s been like creating a new story and I think both the live and audio stand alone as pieces of work. Some of the music has made me laugh (the good way) and other bits have really moved me.
7. What else are you working on at the moment / what else do you have coming up?
It’s very hard to concentrate on one thing at the moment whilst the landscape is so uncertain but I am still writing, at the moment I’m skipping between a play and an idea for a television comedy drama. To be honest most of my time is being taken up being a parent which I really love.
8. Where can people find out more about you and your work?
t: ClareRebekah
Clare is represented by Hatch Talent.
I hope you enjoy the show. Further one-person shows are scheduled to appear here soon.