Battle for the Winds/Breathe
(The Ceremony to find the wind to set the sailing boats to sea)
An original play, inspired by ancient wind mythology.
Written by Alex Bulmer
Story developed with: The Remix Cast, Double Act, Jamie Beddard, Deborah Baddoo,
Louise Katerega, Cirque Bijou, Desperate Men, Jude Christian and Lois Sargent.
Synopsis Compiled by Tam Gilbert
The Breathers (Citizens of all time and all worlds) include:
Hunters
Collectors
Elders
Builders
Jesters
Rebels
Navigators
Doldrum – A hard man made of Portland Rock.
Aeolus – The Father of the Wind
7 Wind Champions with their Gatherers– from seven regions across the UK
Misery, Glum, Sneer, Killjoy and Scowl – Doldrum’s Henchmen
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The audience arrive, and see a warning: Doldrum, the ancient villain made of stone, has
been spotted near Weymouth Beach. He is heartless, dangerous and has never been
beaten. Beware!
Seven wind vessels chaotically prepare for the ceremony of the winds.
Aeolus flies in, and is tethered to the aerial stage.
We are warned that Doldrum is nearby, and intent on stealing the winds. Aeolus is our
host and Father of the Winds. He declares the Ceremony open. The wind gauge is
prepared, and the 7 Wind Champions introduced. One is missing – The South-West Wind.
Their battle commences, with the winner being the Champion who sets the wind gauge
spinning and the prize being the honour of setting the Olympic boats to sea. The battle is
interrupted by an uninvited group claiming to be the Breathers. They’ve come to
celebrate the sailing. Some are partying, others are observing the Ceremony. The wind
gauge does not spin, and Aeolus demands an explanation.
In the meantime, the Breathers, washed in from the sea, leak onto the mainstage. Once
all are assembled, they begin to shake and dance. Their costumes make percussive
sounds, and the FLOCKING DANCE gets underway.
The Wind Champions don't like this and shout insults at the Breathers. They call them
‘water tramps’ and blame them for interrupting their competition.
Suddenly the wind gauge starts to spin! Aeolus wants to know who set it in motion, and
all the Wind Champions claim responsibility: “Me! Me! It was me, I did it!”
Aeolus congratulates the Wind Champions, saying the wind will now set the sailing boats
free.
Suddenly, there is a massive interruption to proceedings as Doldrum appears with his
three henchmen.
Doldrum is angry with Aeolus for playing these games, which he forbids and hates.
Aeolus tries to welcome him to the celebrations, but Doldrum angrily demands to know
who set the wind gauge in motion. The Wind Gatherers are all petrified of Doldrum, and
point accusingly at each other. Doldrum zaps one Wind Gatherer, and he falls to the
ground.
Eventually the Wind Gatherers point out the dancing Breathers, as those responsible for
making the wind gauge spin. Doldrum demands to know who they are, and tells them to
get off his beach. They continue to dance, and he zaps the wind gauge, and the Wind
Gatherers who scatter. Still the dancing continues, and Doldrum summons his henchmen
to get his fun Bubble. He zaps Aeolus who falls and is bundled into the fun Bubble by the
henchmen. The Breathers continue as Doldrum starts a countdown to Aeolus’s inevitable
suffocation. Aeolus collapses, and the Breathers fall to the stage.
The Breathers realise that they need to do something to save themselves, Aeolus and the
Olympic Games. They know that all are in great danger and start to perform a silent
ritual, summoning courage and strength from within.
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As they do this, Doldrum walks amongst them, reciting a poem. He talks of how he will
reign from shore to shore, and the winds sails will blow no more! Anyone or any boat that
persists with sport will crumble, rot and die.
He then says he is hungry and orders his henchmen to remove the Breathers, who he calls
rubbish, from the beach. He leaves the stage.
The ritual starts to rise up. The Breathers' speak quietly, some in Portuguese!
The words they speak are: Wash, Voice, Tide, Time, Free
As they rise up, the Breathers gain strength. Some of them depart from the meditation
dance to form a choir. The Navigators, take centre-stage, in preparation for the ‘Fierce
Dance’.
The Breather Choir start the 'Wash In' song.
The singing and dancing gets louder and stronger. The words Wash, Voice, Tide and Time
are shouted in different languages. The dancing gets bigger. The Breathers are determined
that they will create the winds to launch the sailing boats!
The song turns into a chant to help the dancers and some words are repeated – “Set
those dreamers free! Set those dreamers free ...set, set, set!”
Doldrum returns and is furious to find the Breathers are alive and singing. He knows that
they now have the power to make the boats sail!
The Breathers scatter, except for one Breather – Dave.
Dave and Doldrum have a “Scare-off.' Dave makes fun of the way Doldrum moves, and his
voice, which sounds like an electric guitar!
The Breathers realise that Doldrum is not as strong as he likes people to think, and one by
one, they return to help Dave. They all laugh and make fun of the way Doldrum moves,
and his angry screams get louder and louder.
Eventually he screams so loudly that the power goes out! There is silence, darkness and
the Breathers all fall to the floor.
Doldrum now sees how powerful the Breathers are, and he does celebrate their collapse.
He is very cautious, and just watches, as he is unsure of what they will do. He thinks they
might be dead, but he is amazed to hear the sound of a pulse, a heart-beat, and he
realises that they have survived!
From all over the stage, where the Breathers' are lying, their heartbeats are heard, and
they beat all together and their “DUH DUN, DUH DUN” gets stronger and louder.
The fun Bubble, which has Aeolus trapped, dead inside it, comes back and a red light
starts to shine.
Aeolus's heart starts to beat again – he is alive! His heart beats along with the Breathers'
hearts.
The Wind Gatherers' hearts beat too.
3
The audience beat their hearts too, and soon all hearts are beating, all along the beach!
Doldrum's evil guards are very moved by all these beating hearts, and help Aeolus escape
from the fun Bubble.
Aeolus says: “Breathe!”
Doldrum can't believe what he is seeing and hearing. Soon there is a loud BOOM. It is
Doldrum, clutching his heart, which, like his voice, sounds like an electric guitar. His heart
is beating for the first time. The man who is made of stone has a beating heart! He grips
his chest, and his body crumbles into a thousand pieces of sand.
Aeolus understands that the Breathers have the ‘deepest power’, and asks them to decide
what to do with Doldrum. He must be set free.
The Aerial Breathers fly in over the audience scattering rose petals.
There is celebration music. Some Breathers dance, while others sing the 'Wash In' song.
The audience sing and dance too!
Torches light up the sky. It is beautiful – everyone is singing and dancing!
Aeolus invites the audience to follow a procession to the seaside...the Olympic sailing can
now start as our show ends!
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