INCUBATOR

 'Incubator' is a Wales Millennium Centre initiative that encourages new theatre work with grants and opportunities to show work in progress to their audiences and get feedback. Last night two pieces of work were shared: 'The Gretel Files,' a reimagining of the classic Brothers Grimm tale,Hansel and Gretel', written by Mali Tudno Jones, and Mercury Theatre Wales' devised piece, written by Bethan Morgan and Lynn Hunter, which explores the rise of Welsh club culture in the 1990s, entitled 'Spangled'.
        Yesterday morning I received a text from M17. It said,
       ' For the next 24hours you are an elite member of mi7. Be vigilant,be procative. Briefing at 7pm. In the meantime www.mi7files.wordpress.com.' On the website  I was told that MI7 is the British branch of the Ministry of Intelligence that protects characters and locators of myths and legends.  In this show, 'The Gretel Files',  'the group have been working to combine traditional storytelling methods and new media platforms in order to deliver an exciting interactive storytelling experience.'  The show is intended for children and their families. We were designated special agents and were invited to follow the characters Gretel, the Witch, Narcissus and Echo around the WMC, looking for clues, asked to take photographs, receiving classified information via twitter and text on our mobile phones, moving the story on to find the recipe for the best gingerbread in the world.. It was the only show I've been to where you are invited to keep your mobile phone turned on and the volume up loud. I can imagine children would love to be special agents, getting coded messages, running riot in a building with secret passages, setting out to solve a mystery. But by the end of the small piece shared I'd forgotten what the mystery was but it was fun.
      'Spangled' invited us into a 1990s club. We had our hand stamped, a neon bracelet snapped on our wrist and our coats taken. We walked into a smoky room with flashing lights, pulsating garage music and a young woman dancing on a table. The action moved round the club and we were directed/hoarded towards the action as the characters developed and interacted: The girl who wanted to be a DJ, the boy who sold drugs, the boy who didn't want to take drugs, the DJ, the boy who was bullied at school, the stepfather with two lovers wanting to protect his anorexic step daughter. It all built to an ecstatic crescendo as actors and clubbers danced together; or clubbers looked embarressed as wild actors invaded their space.
         The problem was with so many 'clubbers' you couldn't always hear the conversations or see the action, and so missed some of the story unfolding fast and furious. I can see the show would appeal to a teenage audience. I came out with more insight into why it would have been so exciting to have taken ecstacy at a rave. If I hadn't already done zumba and pilates that day I might have joined in.
        For further info about 'Incubator' email simon.coates@wmc.org.uk.