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The Ice Queen and The Sun King
(1998) Thirteen Radio plays written by children and performed by L.E.G.O. |
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13: The Crying Baby |
6: Poodely Doo! |
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The Ice Queen and The Sun King
(1998) Thirteen Radio plays written by children and performed by L.E.G.O. |
|
|
13: The Crying Baby |
6: Poodely Doo! |
|
These plays were written between 1990-1997 by children aged 6-9 at Hugh Myddelton and Hanover Primary Schools, Islington, North London. They were improvised verbally while I typed on a portable typewriter, trying to keep up. The use of a typewriter meant that only minor corrections were possible so the spontaneity was not lost in re-writings, and there was a commitment, an irreversibility, in the setting down of the words. It wasn't quite the stream of consciousness it would have been if I had used a tape recorder - the flow was regularly halted while I 'caught up - and this forced some necessary and worthwhile pauses for thought and discussion about the direction of the plot, character development, moral implications, tastefulness, etc.
They were made in one go, with some plots being resolved with extreme haste as the dinner bell went, in the midst of often very noisy classrooms, with distractions from teachers. The
clickety-clack of my Silver Reed was not always a very welcome addition to the sound world of the classroom and some of the more irreverent or violent plays never made it to the bookshelves. But in the right environment the little books were big
favourites, becoming dog-eared and memorised by their authors and classmates.
I realised the virtues of this process once I moved on to using computers. Everything could be changed later - and so became both less thought out at the point of invention and over-considered by the time it reached publication. I also aquired greater control over the situation (partly through being asked to work outside the classroom) and was able to impose my adult sense of order and narrative logic. And whilst the children may have learnt more about narrative structure, and a bunch of other useful things, we lost the magic.
The recordings on this disc were made in a similarly direct manner, in single takes, at LEGO HQ, Brick Lane, and in various kitchens and bedrooms. All music and sound effects were improvised with whatever was at hand. They were performed by
L.E.G.O. for broadcast on RESONANCE FM in Summer 1998, on the daily morning show ‘GO! For children of all ages’. Thanks to Phil England and Ed Baxter for setting this up, and to Lepke B. for his enthusiasm and support.
The countdowns, which link each play on the
cd, introduced each show. Thanks to the children of Highbury Quadrant School, Islington.
Many thanks to L.E.G.O. for taking the time out of their musical schedules and for bringing to these plays their characteristic blend of serious joy, nonchalance, earnestness and casual carefulness.
John Bisset May 1999
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