In the beginning there was...

The fantasy elements of this show are based on my experience of using fantasy as a form of escapism. I enjoy creating fictional characters and worlds in my head so that when I feel distressed, I can escape to these worlds and live inside the head of a fun and courageous character. I used to play Dungeons and Dragons, which is a table top role-playing game. I did some research into the mental health benefits of playing Dungeons and Dragons. Mental health counsellor, Drama Therapist and Play Therapist Katie Lear suggests that playing as a character helps you literally see the world through different eyes, which can help build empathy. It helps people bond and build friendships. It also helps people develop their communication skills through role-playing, (Lear, 2020).

When I used to play Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), I noticed the positive affects it had on my social skills. Despite not knowing my D&D group that well, I felt more confident talking to them in character than I would as myself. I also remember the excitement and joy I felt when creating a new character. I want to embody this sense of joy and adventure in my show.

A huge inspiration for my show was the show Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light by Alison Davies. I saw this show at Alphabetti Theatre in Newcastle. It follows the life of Else, who grows up feeling different compared to the people around her. She thinks and acts different. There is also an octopus living in her head. She takes the audience on a journey of her life from childhood to adulthood and shared her experiences as an undiagnosed Autistic woman. I felt inspired by this piece because it is fun and deals with dark themes in a way that is not too triggering, which made it more comfortable for myself, an audience member with anxiety. The main character, Elsa, is also very playful and she kept that persona throughout the show, making it easier for the audience to connect with her.

(Hannah Genesius as Elsa in Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light. Photo credit- Victoria Wai Photography)

I also took inspiration from the graphic novel series and tv show Heartstopper. This is aimed at teens and although it is a love story, it also deals with serious issues, but in a safe, less triggering way. The graphic novels and the tv show use lots of bright colours and is light-hearted, which helps appeal to a teen audience. It follows the story of Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson. Charlie is recovering from being bullied in his previous year at school after being outed as the only openly gay boy at his all boys school. He is also stuck in a toxic relationship with another boy who is closeted and doesn’t even want to be seen talking to Charlie at school. Things change for Charlie when he is moved into a new form group and meets popular “rugby lad” Nick Nelson and the two become unlikely friends. Nick, who everyone assumes is straight, slowly starts to realise that his feelings for Charlie may be more than friendship (Heartstopper, 2022).

Photo- My beloved Heartstopper books proudly on display. I love the colours of each of them, they make me so happy!

The tv show, which has reached top ten on Netflix in 54 countries (The Guardian, 2023), has what is calls “Heartstopper moments”, in which small cartoon illustrations appear alongside the live-action characters. These moments are always significant and the illustrations help show the emotions the characters are feeling. A common Heartstopper moment used throughout the show is the appearance of a couple of cartoon leaves that float or dance around a certain character. Their way of traveling across the screen depends on the mood of the scene or how a certain character is feeling. This is a common occurrence between Nick and Charlie. Leaves are often seen dancing gracefully between them, showing the character feeling pulled towards one another and their contentment in being together. I wanted to play with the idea of having bright colours and sort of Heartstopper moments in my show. It would make the show more visibly appealing and it would enhance my characters thoughts and emotions.

One of my teachers, Melanie, owns some light up blocks that she uses for her theatre company and she said that I could use them for my show. They are big enough to sit on. I think the boxes would work perfectly for my show. It adds more colour and they are remote controlled, meaning that I can control them myself onstage. I would love for my character to change the colour of the boxes, reflecting her mood in the show. They will be her own Heartstopper moments!

In case it wasn’t obvious, I am a big fan of Heartstopper. This show is very special to me. It helped lift me out of a very dark place and it helped me discover my sexuality. I owe a lot of who I am today to Heartstopper, and I am not the only one. Heartstopper has been praised for its wholesome storyline and accurate representation of LGBTQ+ characters.

Author of ‘Here and Queer: A Queer Girls Guide To Life’ Rowan Ellis said in a YouTube video essay ‘When I say it’s the future of LGBTQ+ teen media, it’s not because I think that it’s the be-all and end-all in queer teen rep, but it is showing us many possibilities. We need to see more wholesome storylines, more teen shows with age ratings that mean that all teens can actually watch them.’ (Ellis, 2022).

I think that both the graphic novel and the tv show are excellent forms of media to show this story. The graphic novel is fun and vibrant, with beautiful illustrations. The characters inner thoughts are able to be shown in a way that might not be as obvious if it were a story performed onstage. The tv show also uses gorgeous visuals and shows some of the characters inner thoughts through daydreams and cartoon illustrations. Something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently is how I would translate my show into a different medium. I think that a graphic novel would be a perfect way to tell the story of Jen and The Sea Serpent. Jen’s inner thoughts would be able to be seen clearly alongside the action of the storyline and the fantasy scenes would be more enhanced and colourful, adding to the drama. The graphic novel would use bright colours as Jen’s world is made up of bright colours to help her cope with feeing anxious. Jen’s equivalent of Heartstopper moments would be more enhanced, which can help highlight key moments of the storyline. I would also be able to slow down scenes with Jen and Maisy, in order to focus on their friendship and Jen’s romantic feelings developing. Illustrations and inner dialogue will help with this.

I did some research into work that is similar to mine, to understand where my work sits within theatre and media today. I discovered a lovely tv show called A Kind of Spark, based on the novel of the same name. It is aimed at a teen audience. This is about a teenage girl called Addie, who has Autism. She is trying to solve a mystery from her town's dark past, whilst also trying to cope with the different surroundings of being in a new school year. (A Kind of Spark, 2023). This show's main protagonist, Addie, is going through battles that would be invisible to most other people. It cleverly shows this by making noises like chattering, doors closing, and the wind a lot louder to let the audience hear things from Addie's perspective. A lot of background noise, even if it is not very loud, can make her feel overstimulated. I have ideas to do similar things with my show, for example, having angry voices of people in Jen's life play one after the other. This is to show that Jen is getting more and more distress and she can't block out the voices of people that she thinks are angry with her. A Kind of Spark also uses a lot of bright colour, making it more visually pleasing to look at. This may also help a teenage audience engage with the show, which is something I would like to do.

Image credit- BBC/9 Story Media Group

Another thing I love about this tv show is that the main characters have a colour associated with them. I think it helps give them a sense of individuality. This is something I would like to do with my show. I would like to research colour meanings and find a colour that best suits Jen.

Bibliography

Lear, K., 2020. Dungeons and Dragons as Therapy? How This Popular Game Helps Mental Health. [Online] Available at: https://www.katielear.com/child-therapy-blog/2020/5/20/dungeons-and-dragons-as-therapy-mental-health [Accessed 25 September 2023].

The Rise of Heartstopper | Video Essay (2022). YouTube. 3 May. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPu6iQMMWOQ&t=220s (Accessed: 25 September 2023).

Guardian, T., 2023. The Guardian view on Heartstopper: a phenomenon that defines a generation. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/03/the-guardian-view-on-heartstopper-a-phenomenon-that-defines-a-generation [Accessed 25 September 2023].

Wai, V. (2023) Hannah Genesius as Elsa in Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light.

A Kind of Spark. 2023. [TV Series] Directed by Matt Holt and Marek Losey. UK: BBC.

Heartstopper. 2022. [TV Series] Directed by Euros Lyn and Andy Newbery. UK: See-saw Films and Netflix.