My week with an elephant in the room... DAY TWO 

Today was all about improvisation.  There's a lots of process and practice that comes before this point, and even more so when you're working with puppets that contain so much intricacy whilst existing on such a large scale. It's not only about waiting till the group are comfortable and confident in what they can offer, as we do with performers and actors in this scenario, but the puppets and the physical manufacturing of them haven't quite been ready for improv yet either - so it felt like the perfect time in the rehearsal process to jump in and see what comes naturally. 

We set up different moments that we knew we needed, we certain interactions that we knew had to happen and then let them play out. We added in different music sound tracks to underscore the scene. 

We went for musical narrative that contrasted with the upbeat, frantic circus theme we had already sensed in the other scene we created. I thought that the slower and different styled classical pieces worked well, particularly Humperdinck's overture to Hansel and Gretal and 'The Swan' (from Camille Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals) as it gave the baby elephant the chance to explore its personality outside the music world we would usually have provided and expect. 

It was beautiful to see the puppeteers have the freedom to play. To see what opportunities brought and where their instinct took them. Usually in processes like this the time is so constricted that there is just no space to play, no room for collaboration like this. Luckily enough we have been provided two weeks to create about three relatively short sections, and luckily that allows the best of both worlds. ​