Chapter 2 - 'Librettising' Astrophysics to create The Flowering Desert
2.1 Introduction
2.6 Conclusion
This work explored embedding astrophysics in the creation of a libretto and production, through frequent contact with the creative collaborators (composer, designers and filmmakers), reflection on the subject matter, and a cyclical working pattern in which all artists were able to input their understanding and knowledge. This helped to generate a joint language between all of us working on the project, and to focus our creative outputs towards the same end goals, considering each other’s own required outcomes. Through embracing traditional narrative, and making use of historical operatic forms and structures (such as mélodrame, aria, recitative, etc.) I was able to provide a text that clearly structures the scientific ideas into a narrative form ready to be applied to a theatrical setting. It also provided me with a scaffolding through which to unfold and construct the anthropomorphic characteristics of the science, and the archetypal dramatic story found within it, in collaboration with the other creative practitioners in the project. Having direct contact with Dr Triaud was a vital and catalytic moment for the work. It enabled me to have a greater sense of certainty when deciding on the characters, providing a joint starting position for myself and the composer, as well as reassurance over my understanding of the scientific and philosophical implications of this work. Ultimately it gave me the key with which to explore the emotional expression of this discovery and this system. It was also very important to be able to share this knowledge directly with Daniel as composer, and subsequently to relay it to all other creative participants. Dr Triaud was very generous with his time and met with us online during the pandemic as well as looking over the short story, and responding to further questions I had on the science itself.
This work displays the process and outcome of creating a hyper-immersive and emotional experience of the science for the audience through opera. I have been able to see from the feedback and responses that the cyclical process of working enabled us to get to a point at which the purpose, message and intentions of the work were clear and understandable to an audience member who did not have much prior experience of either opera or astrophysics. This was evident in a message we received after our final production, and the feedback from audiences in both the second and third cycles (which can be found in appendices 1.5.d and 1.6.a). In this message the audience member stated that they had no prior interest in either opera or astrophysics, but that they had very much enjoyed the production and could now see themselves taking an interest in both. By the final production we had positive responses where the audience agreed that the show had increased their interest in both opera and physics, and that it had helped them to empathise with the science presented. However, it is important to note that we only had 5 questionnaires returned to us after this performance so it is not statistically realiable. However, I feel that the process undertaken by the creative team, to empathise with and embed the scientific research of TRAPPIST-1 within this piece has created a work which is able to communicate the principles which underpinned its creation to an audience.
Our subsequent review in the journal Astronomy and Geology by the Royal Astronomical Society (Bowler, 2023) expressed the view below:
Perhaps it's the combination of spectacular images and a comfortable, enclosed space, but there's something about a planetarium show that can open your mind to new ideas. Now add live action, musical performance and operatic storytelling and you have some idea of what The Flowering Desert offers. This immersive presentation . . . offers a strikingly stylised take on exoplanets.