'Nowhere is this more important than the territory of clowning, where loss. vulnerability, and 'not knowing' are the very preconditions for success and laughter.' 'Jaques Lecoq' by Simon Murray

So I have found myself with an unexpected night off. The show I was doing costumes for got cancelled tonight, because of the heat. The school year is nearly over, and I have the studio booked for four weeks during the holidays. I’m excited about the summer. But summer is making me tired this week.
Time has ticked on since my last blog, and I’ve not made much progress on ‘Jeu Jeu la Foille’s Pithy Obituary.’ I’ve got a bit further with some of the writing, and I’m still researching into the Innana myth. The Barbie film that came out in summer 2023 was loosely based on the myth – whether intentionally or unintentionally. And up until a week ago, I had only seen it dubbed into French. I took myself on a solo cinema date when I was in Colmar; that was towards the end of a long stay in France, and I wanted to see how much I understood. I have a poetic monologue in the show about that time. It’s a stupid film in both languages, but the whole story begins because Barbie contemplates death.
I’m attempting to re-write the Inanna myth, the myth is the container. There is a story I want to tell within that. Barbie’s heels fall flat when she starts thinking about dying, but she first thinks of it in the middle of a choreographed dance number. I probably need a dance number before the telling.
I met up with my friend who organises all the Palestine protests in Southampton, to discuss with him what I’d written so far based on our last conversation. I told him to be savage, and that it didn’t have a container yet – as in the writing doesn’t know what form it wants to take. He was very kind about what I’d written. I showed him my New Orleans poem, that I’ve recently finished. I gave him a brief context beforehand, and he said that if I hadn’t told him what it was about, he would’ve had no idea. I confessed to him that I was worried this new show was going to be very depressing.
At the Summer Solstice sunrise, I said I was bringing in peace and rest. My feet have already left the diving board. I have booked and paid for the venues, done all the online stuff, had some flyers printed. From the start of September to the end of November I will be very busy, and I need rest too.
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The dates are:
Jeu Jeu la Foille’s Frontal Lobotomy and Testy Manifesto
Thursday 17th September 7-9.30pm The Stage Door, Southampton
Sunday 27th September 4 – 6.30pm The Alma, Bristol
The Stage Door and the Alma are listed buildings, and are not step free
Jeu Jeu la Foille’s Frontal Lobotomy and Pithy Obituary WIP
Saturday 10th October 7 – 9.30pm Wickham Community Centre (step free access)
Jeu Jeu la Foille’s Testy Manifesto and Pithy Obituary WIP
Saturday 21st November 7-9.30pm Weeke Community Centre (step free access)

I intend to take a break from performing in 2027, as my time as a property guardian is coming to an end, and I plan to relocate to another city that has begun to win my heart. But I’ll return to the stage in 2028. Triple bill?!
So over the summer I have three big tasks ahead.

1. Rehearse FL and Testy Manifesto together. Re-do the Tech scripts and sound cues. Do any mending. Promote the double bill.
2. Create at least one Living Portrait film for the Out of the Shadows project – aiming for three.
3. Finish, put together and rehearse Jeu Jeu la Foille’s Pithy Obituary. Make flyers.

That’s plenty. And I’ll have opportunities to step away and do other things over the next two months as well.
It was unbelievably hot the whole time I was writing this. I’m upstairs at Chez Jeu and sitting at my writing desk. It would be much cooler downstairs.

​With love and imaginary ceiling fans,
JJlF xx