The National Theatre Studios

In 2012 and March 2013,  Abigail embarked on reseraching how to make  a show exploring human relationships to time and nature. 

In July 2013, Abigail developed ideas with award winning sound artist, writer and performer, Melanie Wilson, and interactive system designer Ross Flight.

These collaborations allowed her to investigate possible structures and themes for Primrose and look at computer systems that responded with sound to plant ‘triggers’.

Studying the circadian rhythms in both plants and humans, Abigail started to investigate all types of clocks, mechanical and natural.

A major inspiration for the work came  from an 18c Botanist  called Carl Linnaeus who wrote ‘Horologium florae’ (Flower Clock) published in  Philosophica Botanica (1751). 

Carl made the first list of local flowers with specific times of when flowers opened and closed.  The time of day could be deduced according to which species had opened or closed its flowers. This sequential flowering over a day became known as a floral clock. 

Carl wrote about 3 types of flowers, the Meteorici, Tropici and Aequinoctales. In an evening with Primrose, Abigail works with the last type as they have fixed times for opening and closing regardless of weather or season.