Strange

26h March 2005

STRANGE
The English are known to be polite and civil. So, why do people spit everywhere and why do they throw rubbish on the ground? Besides, why is there so much phlegm and spit in the throat in the first place?

STRANGER
In London, you don’t need to buy newspapers. If you take the tube, especially in the morning, there will be newspapers left by commuters in the cabins. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a whole set (and not just sections) of it. Sometimes, there would be magazines too! Is it irresponsibility that the commuters leave things lying around? Or it is a nice gesture that they leave it for the next commuter to enjoy some reading pleasure?

STRANGEST
The Setting
Imagine a glass cabinet along the college corridor, about 2.5m long, 0.7m wide and 1.8m high.
Imagine a wooden box at one end.
Imagine a person seated on the box facing the other end.
Imagine the length on the floor covered in bananas, right up to the foot of the performer – like a blanket of bananas.
Imagine at the other end of the cabinet, facing the performer, a hanging container with two mice in it.
Imagine the following items placed at the foot of the performer: a bowl of packets of condoms, a container of milk, a plastic chopping board, a knife, a pair of scissors, a small hand-held blender, an empty bowl and some empty plastic cups
The Performance

The performer picked up two bananas, peeled them, cut them into pieces, placed them in the empty bowl, added some milk and made a milkshake with the blender.
He opened a packet of condom and filled it with the milkshake.
He used the scissors to cut the tip of the condom such that the milkshake dripped into the empty cup.
Imagine the performer repeating this three times.

The performance was an assessment for MA Performance students.
The performer was my flatmate, Jiva.