Content and sensory elements

The detailed content description below is intended for audience members who would like to assess in advance whether the performance is suitable for them. Please note that it includes spoilers about the performance – read only if this information is necessary for you.

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INTRODUCTION
The narrators introduce the story. There is medium level light that covers the whole stage and full audience light is on. There are no effects, lighting changes, or music, and the scene lasts approximately 10 minutes. The scene ends with the sound of waves crashing and a lighting blackout. During the darkness there is a sound recording of a ‘conversation’ between Peter and Margaret, in English. The scene-change lasts 1 minute 45 seconds.

SPEAK OUR LANGUAGE
The narrators become other characters in the story, using new costumes and introducing the story of how Peter started English lessons with Margaret. This scene includes video clips of archive footage, projected words, and live camera feed of the actors changing onstage. A forklift truck transports ‘Peter’ to the stage, a large speaker that represents the voice of the dolphin. The scene lasts approximately 12 minutes. The scene ends with a 20 second blackout and the sound of waves crashing.

FLOATING LUNGS
The scene focuses on the language of our bodies, how to communicate without the use of language, and echolocation. There is the use of flashing lights that are facing the audience from the screens’ LED strip-lighting that lasts approximately 30 seconds, and this is approximately 10 minutes into the scene. 5 minutes later, fairly loud choral music is heard underneath the actors speaking. The scene lasts approximately 17 minutes. The scene ends with a 20 second blackout and the sound of waves crashing.

BIKINI NUDITY
The narrators discuss animals’ perceptions of humans as real, and introduce Margaret as a constant fixture in Peter’s life. There is use of live video feed and written words as projected images on the screens throughout the scene. All words on the screen are acted aloud in the spoken text. The scene is approximately 6 minutes long and ends with a musical scene change and dancing that lasts approximately 1 minute 30 seconds.

PETER <3 MARGARET This scene discusses Peter’s sexual needs and how Margaret chose to deal with them by manually masturbating him. The scene uses live video and contains sexually explicit language and references. The scene is approximately 7 minutes long and ends with the led lights framing the pool and the screens flickering rhythmically in a strobe-like manner for 30 seconds, slowly fading into a blackout for the last 10 seconds. The scene change is a 45 second video clip in English, subtitled in Finnish. The rest of the lights are off. FABLES This scene explores humans’ love for animals being self-serving, and how loving animals doesn’t necessarily mean treating them with respect and autonomy. The scene uses different video footage across all three screens, text to replicate spoken text acted on stage, live video feed, and original animated video material. The physical Peter onstage is hoisted with motorised chain hoists and is suspended in mid-air. Peter’s eventual suicide is discussed at the end of the scene. The scene is approximately 18 minutes long and ends with a 10 second blackout with the sound of waves. A BATHTUB AND DEATH The penultimate scene explains Peter’s final weeks alive and his suicide. The scene uses video footage and manipulated live video feed. Approximately 3 minutes into the scene, all the lights change suddenly to red, and 3 minutes after this Peter is hoisted into the air where the audience can hear his loud cries– when he reaches the top height there is a sudden and brief series of flashes from the video and lighting before returning to a clinical white and blue palette, with Peter’s loud cries continuing to be heard. Approximately 3 minutes later, a narrator asks why we would breathe if there was only a wall, and repeats the word wall on a loop – this indicates the beginning of the suicide which is demonstrated over the next 4 minutes using bright, arhythmic flashing and strobing from the lights and video, in and from all directions, and a distorted soundtrack of vocal manipulation and noises. This finishes in a short blackout, and the scene continues at low level lighting for 2 minutes before returning to a minute blackout with choral music whilst the narrators continue. This scene is approximately 17 minutes long and ends with all the lights returning to a natural, open state. FINAL THOUGHTS The narrators conclude the performance with final thoughts on Peter’s story and how it affects them and their thinking about animal relationships with humans. There are no lighting changes or video use in this scene. Part way through, the narrators remove their microphones and speak directly to the audience without amplification. The performance ends in a slow blackout with the soft sounds of waves in the background.