The Song of Solomon
December 20, 2011
I am Struan Leslie the director of Song of Songs – a staging of the 22nd book of the old testament The Song of Solomon.
This blog will be a bit like a journal of the production and the processes and collecting of bits and pieces. We are essentially devising a new piece of movement based theatre for The Swan here in Stratford-upon-Avon. – (though it would be nice if it had a life beyond it's three shows). The movement ideas will all come from the text – the sensations more than literal explanations. The cast will be actors and not dancers though my work is very much about blurring those boundaries. The cast will be four women and three men.
As I say it will be made out of a collaborative devising process. That means that design, sound, music, lighting, textual exploration will as much as is possible will all be represented in the rehearsal room all the time – as much as is possible. We have four weeks rehearsal. In that time there will also be a lots of movement training for the company.
Song of Songs is last of the RSC's King James Bible 400th Anniversary Celebration. We will be basing the work on the version of the text that is found there. It is one of the shortest books in the Bible at 117 verses. So the idea is of basing the text on it.
I have used the title 'Song of Songs' as the title for this piece for poetic reasons. It sounds good and trips of the tongue and looks good on publicity !
I say the title because the text is known by a number of titles, The Song of Songs which is Solomon's, The song of Solomon, Canticles, Canticum Caticorum,
Also Song of Solomon is a 1977 novel by American author Toni Morrison - so it avoids confusion. There is, a for me, a bit of a historical thing there which I will talk about at some other point.
I hope to be able to show you images and insert bits of music that are in my process of making the work.
It is worth me saying here that I was brought up in the Church of Scotland – went to Sunday School, and attending the kirk with my parents and grandparents regularly. I have had no interest in the church and organized religion since my young adult exploration of religion.
I say this because it is not my intention to present the work as a work of 'religion'. The text does not mention 'God' and that is my key. It is however, amongst other things read as an allegory of the relationship between God and his people. However it is my intention for us to read it as text and poetry. To take the meaning as literal.
Robert Burns in one of his poems describes it as 'the smuttiest sang the e'er was sung'. Song of Songs is sensual, passionate and indeed erotic.
The Bonniest Lass
by Robert Burns
The bonniest lass that ye meet neist,
Gie her a kiss and a' that,
In spite o' ilka parish priest,
Repentin' stool and a' that,
For a' that and a' that
Their mim mued sangs and a' that,
In time and place convenient,
They'd dae it themselves for a' that.
Your patriarchs in days of yore
Had their handmaids, and a' that,
O, bastard gets, some had a score,
And some had mair, for a' that.
For a' that and a' that,
Your Lang syne saunts and a' that,
Were fonder o' a bonnie lass,
Than you or I for a' that.
King Davie when he waxed auld,
His blood ran thin and a' that,
And found his cods were growin' cald,
Could not refrain from a' that.
For a' that and a' that
Tae keep him warm and a' that
The Dauchters o' Jerusalem
Were wailed for him and a' that.
Wha wadna pity the sweet dames
He fumbled at and a' that,
And raised their blood up into flames,
He couldna quell for a' that.
by Struan Leslie
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