Dr Wayne Thexton
My Colleague Dr Wayne Thexton of Stoke Surrealist Circle (yes…it still exists!) has unearthed a manuscript (in Seaton’s hand) entitled: ’screaming round the airstream screaming’! there are fewer than 2 000 words in it, but lots of instructions (very typical of Seaton in his Los Gattos era)! It appears to be a minimalistic physical theatre performance involving a dunce’s/clown’s/comedia del arte type conical hat, an airstream trailer and an accordion! You’ll notice it isn’t mentioned in the article above. just as exciting, your man Chris Lewis-Jones is in possession of an ink drawing of a man wearing such a hat, apparently hopping around an airstream! This too looks as though it was produced in the mid 1950’s. Do you know about this airstream thing? If not, I’m sure Wayne will forward a copy of the script (and the drawing can be seen hanging in Chris’s studio) (I wish he’d frame it!). If authenticated, I’d like to explore this ’screaming round the airstream’ thingand weave it into the above.
Yours,
Rex x
I gave a lecture at Derby University last week and was astonished that none of the students had heard of Seaton (despite the performance by the Cycle Roots at St Werburgh’s church and the exhibition at Derby Museum last September)! Let’s hope that some of them will seek out this site and join in the fun!
rexbarker said this on February 9, 2009 at 10:19 am
Dear Rex,
I believe the performance influenced and later evolved into a children’s game called ‘Chase around the wall’ It had something to do with screaming, making a din and a hat. For detail we will need to speak to some of the remaining residents of the caravan park where Seaton lived. Mrs Gloria Mcllwaine one such resident thinks there is a strong connection between these two activities, as she knows that her father either took part in a performance or merely observed one.
Ed Bishop
cyrilseaton said this on February 9, 2009 at 3:04 pm