Theatre
The theatre was quite small making the audience feel more intimate with the play. Also, the size of the theatre meant that all of the audiences’ attention was focused on the actors. There was a tension between the girls when Mary first enters the home. They build the audience up to a climax when Mary Gives birth, using the curtain as a screen as if in a hospital. The play highlighted the problems faced by pregnant girls in the 60’s.
The theatre, itself was different to those I am used to, it felt more welcoming to walk down a warmly lit narrow staircase. Towards an intimate seating area where the staff showed the audience to their seats in a similar way to that used in a cinema.
Characters
Mary
Mary was portrayed as a bright girl with more confidence than I imagined her to have when I read the script. She walked with her chin up and her back straight. She seemed to be less friendly with Queenie than I thought she should. She also seemed to be a bit too snobbish and “above” everyone else. She spoke with a predominantly English accent, which abruptly changed to northern when she first entered the home, however, after the interval, it changed back again. Mary seemed very set in her ways and to the point in the way that she was portrayed. If Mary were an animal, she would be a peacock as they are very proud and confident.
Queenie
Queenie seemed less compassionate than I thought her to be. She seemed very argumentative and harsh. I didn’t see a “softer” side to her personality that I feel she should have. She walked with her collar up and her head down. She didn’t despise Matron as much as I thought she would and seemed to be the leader of the group. She spoke with a rough northern accent and seemed less confident than I pictured her to be. If Queenie was an animal, she would be a snake because she is nasty but can be tamed and she can relate to the colours of exotic snakes as Mary says she wears her pregnancy like war paint.
Dolores
Dolores spoke in a high pitched voice while behaving in a childish and naïve manner. When I first saw her, I thought she was too young to be a good actress but as she began to act I, like many others in the audience, was proved wrong. She proved hr acting ability when she caught the audience by surprise when she shouted; “I said ‘stop’”! When she read aloud, she spoke in a slow voice, which made her seem innocent and uneducated but also made the audience feel sorry for her while providing a humorous edge to the play. If Dolores were an animal, she would be a deer because she tries to be clever but is clumsy.
Norma
Norma is nervous which she portrays by shaking and speaking in a high pitched voice. The audience could feel the tension she felt and pity her when she was rigid with fright from having the baby. When she walked, she took short, quick steps and kept moving to make the other characters feel nervous. Norma’s most effective moment was during her conversation with Matron when she said; “I’m going to hell, aren’t I?” the way in which she said it seemed to convey her feelings and confusion she was. If Norma were an animal, she would be a hamster as she is nervous and “scurries” around.
Matron
Matron was a lot more sympathetic and helpful than I had thought but this was an interesting perspective and one, I thought was more true to life. She seemed to have a good relationship with all the girls and an overall happy life.
Mrs. Adams
Mrs. Adams was more compassionate than I had thought; this showed her “softer” side more than her “hard outer shell”. She still worries what people will think and has a very posh appearance.
Characterisation
Amy Phillips played a very convincing Mary but, if I were directing the play, I would make her less confident and more eager to fit in. Also, if Mary was seven months pregnant, her father would’ve noticed so she would dress in baggy clothes or clothes that were too big for her, however, she entered the home wearing a fairly tight skirt and jacket set.
The play highlights the problems and flaws in 1960’s society, what pregnant girls had to go through and their feelings. They used the stereotypical northern teenager and divided it into four, adding feelings and history. Setting the play in northern England, using northern accents makes the girls sound “backwards” and poor.
Audience Reactions
The audience laughed mainly at Dolores. Norma made the audience nervous and made them pity her. Mary made the audience feel as if they could relate to her. Queenie was the leader of the girls, and so led the audience into the home and into the other girls’ lives. Matron made the audience look up to her, as she was responsible for running the home. Mrs. Adams made the audience feel sorry for her to have to give up her own daughter, but at the same time hated for being so obsessed by her status and what others would think of her.
