A video introduction to \’The Last Picasso\’

‘THE LAST PICASSO’ – Is a modern MUSICAL PLAY written and performed by John Watts and a small choir, accompanied by still and moving images on film. (75 minutes)

Picasso comes back to earth to create one last piece of work in exchange for a good favour..

This is a musical theatre performance, a play with accompanying songs and music. John Watts performs the role onstage of the main character in a radio play, set off against on screen images that he has created himself. (Drawings photos and films) The other characters exist with the help of coordinated voices, text and projected images. He also has another role as a singer who moves to the front of the stage to perform 14 songs which help to summarise the story. A small choir from the town will sing onstage with him for most of the play.

Subtitles and dialogue also appear on the screen to make the story clearer to the audience – A bit like a silent movie. The music and dialogue will be amplified in the same way as in the presentation of an action movie.

This is a description of the first 7 minutes of the play is for promoters to understand what to expect.

Scene 1 – The lights go down. There are the sounds of a choir ‘tuning up’ their voices. The voices trigger lights that flash to reveal singers seated on stage. A musical track starts up and John Watts appears centre stage and starts to sing the song, ‘Infringe my human rights’. A single ‘search’ spotlight moves around on his body. As the choir onstage sing the “OK” chorus, synchronised lights briefly illuminate the whole theatre. As the song fades down some text appears in white on the screen, like a subtitle panel on a silent movie, explaining to the audience that “PETE ASHER is on a plane to Paris working on his Picasso book. His fellow passenger looks like Picasso in a suit!”. There is the sound effect of aircraft engines and people talking as a film of moving clouds appears on the back screen.

The audience will notice that John has moved stage left and is sitting with his back to them in silhouette. He is now the main character in the performance. The cloud film gradually morphs into a cloud-like drawings as a voice (PICASSO) with a French accent asks PETE ASHER (John) about his book. (Whenever PICASSO speaks there are drawings projected on the screen.) The voice of an air HOSTESS interrupts their conversation, to ask if PETE ASHER had pressed the call button. At this point the screen goes back to the cloud film and there are background sounds of aircraft catering. PETE ASHER realises they are about to land and so signs off his conversation with PICASSO. The lights and screens fade to darkness and a subtitle appears on the screen explaining “The HOSTESS returns and gives PETE ASHER a pill and a cup of water”. A song ‘Plane Paranoia’ is playing in the background. It sounds like it’s coming out of the aircraft intercom.

Scene 2 – A subtitle appears on the screen. “PETE ASHER is at a Brasserie in Paris. He’s waiting for his daughter JANE to get home from work. He’s looking in the mirror in the bathroom”. A film of PETE ASHER’S face reflected in a mirror appears on the back screen. He is standing with his back to the audience stage left in silhouette. PETE ASHER (John) delivers an ‘Is this it?’ speech. The stage goes dark. There is the sound of the choir whispering. The audience can just see John return to centre stage. A musical track counts in and John sings the ‘Is this it?’ song, with a single spotlight on his face. The choir all sing ‘Is this it?’ with candles/torches under their faces. As the song finishes, the screen fades to black and a subtitle appears explaining “PETER ASHER then unlocks the toilet door and makes his way back to his seat on the terrace of the brasserie’. In the background there are sounds of the café, the street outside and a distant busker……