When you have a place in the larp, you’ll be sent a link to a form that you should use to create your Alex.
Of course you will be the best judge of the kind of Alex that you will be happy to play, but here are a few thoughts.
- The more similar your Alex is to yourself, the more bleed you’re likely to experience — feeling emotions yourself because of what has been happening to your character. That can be very positive, but it can also be emotionally disturbing.
- It’s interesting if your Alex is flawed in some way — with a weakness, an empty place inside them, a dark side, etc — which they may or may not be aware of. That gives them a chance to grow and heal during play, or to learn about themselves. If they’re perfect already, it’s not going to be such a rewarding journey.
- But, don’t go too dark — Alexes should have at least some positive aspects. An Alex who is wholly miserable may bring down the experience for other participants.
Here are a couple of example Alexes.
Alex Z
21 / London / Female (she/her)
Occupation
A spoken word artist and social media influencer.
Living Arrangements
Lives with 2 friends and a cat, Whiskers.
Hobbies / Favourite Pastimes
I practice different makeup techniques and then post them on Tiktok and Instagram. I perform my poetry and practice different forms of performance art exploring the uniqueness of the human body
Why do you want to be on ‘Alex the Great’?
I just want to share my talents with the world and inspire people to create.
What is Great about you, would you say?
I’m a very friendly person and I’m great in front of a camera.
Tell us about a happy moment in your life.
The first time I was recognised when I was out at a bar. The woman commented on my art and the difference it had made in her life and it made me feel like I was adding something positive to the world.
How much has Alex been loved?
She feels like she’s adored by lots of people and that’s enough – but she also probably hasn’t really felt much like she’s been loved when she’s not putting on a show.
What did Alex think, when they were young, they would have achieved by the age they are now: but they have not done so?
University degree in biology. She always wanted to study, but had to drop out.
What fictional character(s) was Alex most drawn to, when they were in adolescence?
Katniss (one of her first projects was a Hunger Games photo shoot).
What gift would Alex most like to receive (perhaps for a birthday present), if anyone thought to ask?
Books about the theory of art – anything that shows her she’s been recognised as an artist.
Who would Alex most like to reconnect with, and make things right again: like they should have been, the first time around?
Her father who she refused to see when he tried to reconnect with her when she was a teenager.
Alex is a contradiction. On one hand she enjoys publicity and performances, and courts the public eye as a vibrant and friendly personality. On the other hand she tries to keep the camera away from her inner life, and has a core of insecurity that she prevents people from seeing.
Her greatest wish is to be recognised as a true artist – she is aware that the type of work she doesn’t isn’t taken as seriously as more traditional forms of art and is defiant about it – why shouldn’t art be centred around the body and experience? Again the defiance hides an insecurity – she would deeply like others to have emotional reactions to her work.
Alex lives with two friends. She speaks regularly to her mother, but hasn’t spoken to her father since he left when she was a child. She rebuffed his attempts to get back in touch when she was a teenager, and on some level she regrets not at least listening to him.
She hopes the show will boost her profile – being part of it is partly a career decision as opposed to a personal one. She doesn’t think winning is as important as making an impact and reaching people, both individuals through their one to one conversations and her wider audience.
Alex K
39 / Knotwood / Male (he/him)
Occupation
Helping my mother with the family hotel
Living Arrangements
I live with my mother on the hotel premises
Hobbies / Favourite Pastimes
Going for walks. Listening to music. TV mysteries
Why do you want to be on ‘Alex the Great’?
Lockdown’s hit the hotel badly, but the show would let me tell people why they should come to and visit us once everything’s better.
What is Great about you, would you say?
I’m not sure I’m really ‘great’ but I mostly get on with people, I think.
Tell us about a happy moment in your life
One evening I went for a walk in December, and got lost in the mist. I found myself on the top of a hill, with all the lights of the villages all blurry and magical-looking down below. I realised nobody knew where I was, not even me. I could walk any direction I liked, and nobody could stop me, and I felt like if I walked down into the valley those villages would be strange fairy places instead of Milhurst and Tollacre. The feeling was just really nice while it lasted. I don’t know why
How much has Alex been loved?
His mother and three sisters are certainly fond of him, and they rely on him. His role is to be reliable, boring, uncomplaining, not too bright. He’s the target of a bit of gentle teasing, and the rest of the family make decisions for him since they assume he can’t do so himself. (Applying to take part in the TV series was his mother’s idea. Alex himself is terrified.) He’s his father’s favourite, but he hasn’t had much contact with the family since his parents’ divorce. He’s never had a boyfriend.
What did Alex think, when they were young, they would have achieved by the age they are now: but they have not done so?
He was never really sure what job he wanted, but he did think that he’d like to go to university and study _something_. His mother told him it wasn’t worth it, though – he wasn’t really bright enough to get a good degree so he’d just end up with massive debts for nothing. Much better to get to grips with the working world by helping out at the hotel. In the end it all felt inevitable and Alex didn’t have the willpower to fight it.
What fictional character(s) was Alex most drawn to, when they were in adolescence?
Alex never told anyone, but age 13 he was a bit obsessed with an Agatha Christie book called ‘The Man in the Brown Suit’. He loved the way that main character Anne simply ran away from ordinary life to have adventures in exotic places, solve mysteries, and fall in love with someone dangerous and exciting.
What gift would Alex most like to receive (perhaps for a birthday present), if anyone thought to ask?
There’s a 1930s hat Alex has seen on ebay. It looks really chic and detective-y, and it wouldn’t suit him and he’d never ask for it.
Who would Alex most like to reconnect with, and make things right again: like they should have been, the first time around?
The best friend at school who admitted his romantic feelings towards him, whom he then shunned.
Alex didn’t really want to be on the show. He felt pressured into applying and expected not to be accepted. Now he has been he feels overwhelmed with stress – he’s struggling to eat and sleep. He’s scared that he will say something which will make the viewers hate him.
Alex has been reasonably content to work at the hotel. He enjoys it, although it is routine. He has never really been pushed out of his comfort zone, and has never wanted to be, although he does occasionally daydream of something more exciting.
He has lived in Knotwood all his life. It’s a small English village that mainly attracts tourists taking a weekend break from London. He has never really ventured outside the village.
He would like some romance in his life. He’s never had a boyfriend and doesn’t know how he would begin going about meeting someone. Part of him feels that a serious relationship would disrupt his life in a way that scares him.
Alex the Great 