According to a recent survey the rate of alcohol–related traffic crashes is greater for drivers ages 16 to 20 than for drivers age 21 and older. So, this play is relevant and could stop and make students think about their actions and consequences.
In the opening scene, the actors portray their characters in the most enthusiast ways to make their characters come to life. With the uses of: Movement, Gestures, Use of Voice, Energy, Mood, Timing and Comedy.
All 4 characters make their Movements and Gestures as big as possible, For example, when they all take a drink they include sound effects and mime lifting their arms really high then pouring the beer down their throats.
They all put the most energy possible as they can into each Movement and Gesture and you can tell this because after that scene they are all out of breath. They are all in the right moods at the appropriate times, e.g. happy and energetic at the bar or sad and sluggish when Judy is having her flashbacks. They are all in time with each other and each action includes the element of Comedy in it.
The opening sequence was all four actors, (Judy, Joanna, Bob and Nob) doing a pub scene in where they all chanted a poetic dialogue,
Judy: Vodka
Joanne: Lager
Bob: Bitter
Nob: Gin
They shouted this in turn, getting faster and faster and moving backward into a circle. They soon chanted together in unison, getting louder and faster until they stopped, stood still and then finally introduced them selves.
The opening of the performance was different to reading the text because instead of having to picture the actions in your head, you had the real thing (actors) right in front of you.
As a member of the audience, I could feel the amount of energy and hard work they had put into the performance because it was a very high quality performance. What really made it good was that the actors made audience interaction. They made it really exciting and made me want to watch more.
The music used in the opening scene was, ‘Going Down Blackpool’ this was very loud. The effect of the music created a really good high-energy atmosphere, which matched with the high-energy performance that all of the characters gave. I think they used this music as a reference to what they were doing. As you listen to the song, you associate words and phrases like, Going out, Clubbing, and getting drunk to the song.
The music defiantly sets the mood and atmosphere for the actors to work in, as it relates to the events and times that it is played.
This was very different compared to the text because again you had to picture it rather then have it performed in front of you.
I think that the music really set the scene for the characters.
The story was told using actors who spoke the exact words at the time of the accident and the events leading up to it. Using monologues was effective because you got to hear the actual words and thought of the actual witnesses and family members at the time of the accident.
One character who I thought definitely brought her character to life was Judy. The scene at the end, where she does her monologue about what would have happened if she could turn back time was exceptional. She was so realistic and believable. Through out the play, she portrayed her character of Judy in depth and with emotion. She spoke in a slow pace because she was so upset, but when she got angry and remembered what she had done, she began to raise her voice and scream and shout, and also she began to cry. This made me so emotional that I also began to cry. She played on everyone’s emotions, which made her performance even better.
The actors changed their costumes to show that they had changed characters, For example, Joanna who wore an open cardigan with her hair tied back, also played her mother. When she played this character, she zipped up her cardigan and clipped up her hair. Her body language also changed. As Joanna she was loud and visibly active, from her movements but as her mother, she would cross her arms as if she was cold and walk in a slow motion. Using costume this way helped to identify the different characters.
A symbol is an object that is used in the performance to represent something. In ‘Too Much Punch For Judy’ the symbol was the set of Car Keys. I think that this represented Life. More specifically, Joanna’s. They argue about who should drive, they say:
Judy: I’ll drive
Joanna: No, I’ll drive, it’s my car, my responsibility
Judy: But if we get caught you’ll get into much more trouble than me
Joanna: Okay then…
(In slow motion throws the keys to Judy, who catches them)
Joanna: You drive
When she throws the keys to Judy, she is unknowingly putting her life into Judy’s Hands.
They do this in slow motion to show that it is an important part in the play.
The repeat motif is effective because it shows you what happened because of their decision and what could of happened if they decided not to drive themselves home.
In the play, they also used Flashbacks. This is where Judy reminisces on the good times, or even just the times where she and Joanna were together, e.g. when they are getting dressed for a Wedding Reception or Judy’s Cookery exam.
I think this establishes the kind of relationship that Joanna and Judy had together. I think that the flashbacks make it clear that they weren’t exactly perfect and loving sisters but they did have fun together, e.g. when they went out clubbing. And they did look after each other, e.g. when Judy’s husband left her, Joanna was there for her and took her out and they had fun together.
The accident was represented using a stylised piece of Drama. They used the least amount of props they could and I think that this made it better. They didn’t make the stage cluttered with props. But instead they moved the audience closer and used fewer props, so you could get a better view of what happened.
The use of music was a great way to cause more tension in the performance. Whilst watching the scene the music became loud and all you could do was watch until ‘it’ happened. The use of poles was good, watching the poles go through the imaginary windscreen made me cringe at the thought of the poles knocking back Joanna’s head with such force that it broke her neck clean off. Watching the accident made me feel so sad, the use of the loud music made such an impact on me and I think most of the audience.
This was a Documentary piece of theatre, as the actual monologue was used and even really photographs which were taken at the time. This made the play come to life just that bit more. Even though the slides are 20 years old they still have an effect on you, as you are seeing the actual scene were such a horrific accident took place.
I think the plays message was simple ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’
From watching this play, it made me realise how selfish drink drivers really are. The thought of knowingly getting into a car when you’re drunk and not even considering the thought that you might actually kill or injure someone, is just stupidity. The performance was a brilliant way and really brought the characters to life. Hopefully, drink drivers will watch the performance and make them think the next time they try to get into a car whilst drunk.
