I researched the work of Chris Goode as a solo performance practitioner. I compiled this research and some thoughts on his shows into a PowerPoint presentation which I shared with the group and have attached here.
The honesty from Chris Goode in his performances is something I really appreciate and want to be conscious of in my performance. I want to speak as myself directly to the audience and when I write the script it won’t be something I am forced to stick to perfectly in order to keep the monologue natural. In Hippo World Guestbook, the main script of his show isn’t even something he wrote. He forms his script from comments from strangers on a website. Similarly, if I use a crossword, then I will be using words sourced from elsewhere and just threading them together.
Chris Goode also uses a fun sense of humour in humour which is light and unaggressive. His performances also transition between humour and more thought provoking moments. For example, the duration of Hippo World Guestbook creates a sombre ending. The subject matter is still the same thing which we are initially laughing at for something trivial being taken so seriously. However, because Goode builds an attachment with the comedy through the duration of the piece, the audience can feel something when something painful happens to this trivial thing. Likewise, in my performance, taking trivial puzzles seriously will be comical but the ending will be unexpectedly thought provoking.