- Thuy and Engineer exit. Dance becomes prominent again. Now soldiers wearing masks with red stars on them. Represent the loss of individuality in a communist country. Lighting back to red.
- Soldiers march to reveal Kim’s hut for the next scene. The set is taken off and on in this time. ^Pick up Ideas from notes at beginning^
- The scene is a huge contrast to what has previously gone on. From free-living immoral Americans and Prostitutes and an intimate love story, to the traditional Vietnamese values of order and discipline represented by above. And the power of the military, Thuys behaviour, status over Engineer.
- Overall it seems, to be creating an intimidated, bad view on the communist regime, and Military force, and creating, the American dream, look like it is what the ordinary Vietnamese want. Although the play shows all the different countries, in a realistic way, it is trying to create a much more ‘free-living’ view on the issues.
Too Much Punch For Judy
A Theatre in Education Presentation performed by Ape Theatre Company at Wellsway School 3rd October 2002
- Play deals with theme of drink driving. Jo has already been convicted of drink driving but is keeping it from her mother. Jo is a stereotypical good girl, but Judy is more rebellious. After a night out they argue over who is to drive and Judy decides too because of Jo’s previous conviction. She loses control of the car and crashes, causing instant death to Jo. Judy is left distraught knowing she has killed her sister.
- Thrust stage. Audience on three sides.
- 4 entrances and exits used to keep audience involvement and strengthen the disciplined timing in the performance, due to the frequent entrances and exits.
- Music very significant, sets moods: opening sequence, after accident (carpenters)
- Music distorted to confuse and disturb the audience, especially at the site of the crash, when there was a sense of panic, and confusion in the audience. The music made the scene manic.
- Same costume mainly, simple changes~ cardigan for mum, Police jacket and cap, porter overall (nurse thing). To not hold up the action or lose dramatic moment.
- Minimal props, made props used more significant, throwing keys, wheelchair.
- Scaffolding poles with red cloth on ends for blood used in sharp movements with distorted music, moment of high dramatic intention.
- Furniture: two chairs for car.
- Use of mime to maintain place.
- Special effects: projection of the real car crash, emphasizes the fact it is based on a true story.
- Opening~ lots of movement, pace + energy~ got the audience involved, used appropriate language etc to link with the audience, to gain a close relation ship.
- Use of pause and quick change in pace in more serious scenes eg.when keys were handed over to Judy, very effective.
- Use of monologues to give different views
- Going backwards and forwards in time to tell story, good structure
- Characters using voice offstage, behind audience, to involve them
- Use of ironic music in car crash scene, caused confusion. Made emotional impact stronger
- Uses of freeze to allow focus to shift to another area
- Use of different tone, pitch pace etc in voice to create different emotions throughout performance.
- Closing scene goes back to the opening. Then to Judy’s monologue creating a strange emptiness in the once joyful scene, sitting the next emotions up for the next seen, changing the atmosphere, but gaining seriousness.
Opening sequence:
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Engage the audience from the start. Strong ensemble with all 4 actors.
- Two girls getting ready for a night out. Strong, loud vocal delivery ‘loutish’ behaviour. Exaggerated stylised movement, when miming putting on clothes and make up. Strong physical and vocal energy. To emphasise excitement etc.
- Sisters have equal status, age communicated by ease of movement, when getting ready, sharing bikes with boys and in the pub. Stereotypical behaviour of teenage drinking culture.
- Boys enter on mimed motorbikes to accompanying distorted, manic, drunken music. Girls jump on back, in movement and voice seem carefree.
- Arrive at pub. Location in a crowed environment created by close interaction, loud voice, limited movement. All four characters have close interaction with the audience.
- Girls being ‘laddish’ challenging stereotype, winking at boys in the audience. Use contemporary references to relate to audience eg Ali G Harry Enfield. Draws the audience into production. Enjoy the characters company.
- Chanting ‘Whisky, vodka, lager, beer’ in choral voice. Strong aggressive, physical positions by facing directly to the audience. This begins with a light tone, then becomes much more harder and aggressive, then stops. Jo says, “you drive” to Judy. Long pause and the tension is high after lots of pace and movement to stillness. The keys are thrown to her. Then cuts to the next scene, which starts the tragic story.
- Do you say yes? Scene very important, it is repeated at the end, for audience to reflect on it in a different light. Chanting before may have been conceived of as funny, but at the end the chanting seems harsh and upsetting, even as though they are being silly, drinking too much. The message has got through to the audience.
Chris informing mother of death of Jo:
- Contrast to opening scene. Demands on actors to create and intimate scene between two characters in a large empty space. Balance of seriousness of the policeman’s job, but also the grief and sympathy as he is a family friend, this is a complex emotion to act.
- Officer forces audience to listen rather than sympathise. Narrates the facts of the situation, his tone of condemnation and anger towards Judy’s stupidity. Walks with a serious, slow pace. Agitated, annoyed, but trying to keep calm.
- Entrance at door. Mother unaware. There is stillness and silence “Can I come in” he asks in cold plain tone, lacking the warmth that the mother knows of the family friend. He shows sensitivity as he is trying to hide his own grief. This makes the facts interesting; because of the way it is communicated. Important part of a TIE production.
- When being told, Chris stands apart from her, avoiding eye contact, looking at audience, trying to show strength in physical structure, voice betrays weakness and emotion.
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Once told, there is more silence, and minimal movement from Mother. Chris approaches her slowly and comforts her. Holding eye contact for 1st time and he begins to show his grief. The mother then separates and begins to cry, hugging herself for comfort. At the end the actress returns to her seat and continues to cry despite sitting in a neutral way, creates the sense that her grief is still there even though the focus is on another scene.
‘Stones’
A performance by ‘Travelling light’
Performed at Wellsway school, Thursday 31st January 02
- Deals with manipulation and bullying, between different statuses in many areas of a middle/lower class contemporary society. Using the story of two boys (Yahoo and Shyboy) who throw a stone off a bridge, and get caught by the police.
- Performed in the round: Audience symbolise society, watching and disapproving of the characters actions. Allows all audience to have equal involvement and view of the piece. Allows them to think about it, from watching others emotions.
- Minimalistic set – fill in gaps with own imagination, puts pressure on actors creating admiration
- No lighting. Natural light. Reflects the quality and importance of the acting skills.
- Used lots of sound effects (wind noises on the bridge) creates atmosphere. Forces audiences’ imagination to flow, as there is no specific set.
- Music used to change mood, used with the movement to create rhythm and pace, therefore creating mood and atmosphere.
- Simple, plain costume. No changes. Represented no specific ideas, but still did not detract any thing from the performance.
- Few props – petrol can, screwdriver. The use of mime made the piece a strong performance, although unrealistic at times. Its leaves more space in the viewers imagination, allows it to be more personal to each individual in the audience.
- Set – abstract, metallic structure, used along with miming to create a number of settings. Standing on large circular canvas, decorated with dull colours. Set like style and costume etc is plain and simple, but interesting and versatile.
- Tone, pace, pitch and volume of voice and movement, expression, gestures, posture changed a lot between characters- the audience could tell there was a change, avoided confusion.
- Clear difference in status between characters, separated in language, voice, movement etc.
- Volume of voices and music changed in certain atmospheres. For example loud volume in exciting, fast scenes, quiet in serious scenes, created tension.
- Lots of movement in a small set, physical theatre. Use of mime in same area would create new setting.
- Change pace throughout. Made interesting, and exciting, though the audiences emotions about.
- Audience used as walls. Close to the action, audience involvement.
Opening Sequence:
- Loud music and percussion creates excitement.
- Actors run frantically around acting area, fast movement, using all space, in a random order.
- Jump off and of set, sometimes hanging from it. Physical theatre.
- Movement becomes synchronised and they make strange noises over the music. Sound effect of wind.
- Lots of eye contact, creates them to be very close.
- Quiet music begins to play, and suddenly mood changes, the boys slow down and become cautious, examining the structure.
The Drain leading to the Warehouse:
- Begin to argue about braking into the warehouse, their voices grow louder into a crescendo. Then silence, the argument begins again getting louder. Play with volume and pace to create tension in the audience.
- Status becomes clear Yahoo; the dominant one manipulates Shyboy into doing things. Shyboy, the younger one, is unsure of himself and therefore follows Yahoo.
- Interact with audience whist miming climbing through the drain.
- Yahoo seems fearless, playing with a lighter, Shyboy is afraid. Yahoo intimidates him into doing things.
- Slow motion sequence, when Shyboy throws screwdriver to Yahoo, again playing with pace, makes piece interesting.
- Alarm of car begins; noise made by actors, run around trying to escape, Yahoo has bad asthma attack, increases tension.
- Suddenly change roles to policemen. The actor Dan (Shyboy) changes to Quinn. Higher in rank than Craig (Yahoo) who is Russell. Tone, volume and pace of voice changes, more confident. Posture changes to be straight and tall, and movement is slow and strict, but confident.
- Sequence with cat. Quiet, only noise of cat meowing (made by Craig), then sound of dogs brakes mood, and the chase begins.
Return to the Forbidden Planet
Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
7th November 2001
- Roughly based on ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare. It is a parody of 1960’s American science fiction television. It is a grand, exciting musical and the story line is of secondary importance, to the music, set, costume and versatility of the cast.
- No change in set. Allowed quick pace of action, and change in scenes.
- Bright colours, and shiny chrome, very futuristic (no traditional materials)
- Microphones and musical instruments left on set throughout the show. Drum kit prominent on stage right. Made the music a big part of the show, like going to see a concert.
- Entrances and exits very dramatic as air lock opens to reveal cavernous entrance. Space is often filled with bright light and smoke. Makes it very dream like, a clear story, for entertainment.
- Large projection screen upstage centre, very high. Used to project images of the planet, Patrick Moore commenting of the action, Prospero in lab, moving stars. Creates a place, with out changing set. Project things happening on stage such as the guitar solo, again made it like a concert.
- Symmetrical set – every thing perfect. (created in future my machines)
- Stage right and left are glass structures with door (turbo lifts) used as entrances and exits using smoke and bright lights, to create a dramatic, illusional tele-port effect.
- Above are balconies, which can be reached by staircases behind them, which lead to the top of the air lock. This was used in the love scene between Miranda and the Captain, to create the famous balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet.
- Almost like a rainbow above the set has arcs of coloured lights stretching from stage left to right. Makes stage very bright, and futuristic, because it is not the normal lighting of that time.
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Snap blackout at end of 1st half, in time with last drumbeat. Audience excited and exhilarated.
- The main acting areas are downstage (a strip at stage level), centre stage (a raised area containing drum kit and the platform and balconies). Allows action to take place on different levels, to create the feeling that they are not on the stage, they are in a spaceship.
- At one point huge monster tentacles come through the portholes round the outer walls of the spacecraft. Unrealistic, therefore humorous, but exciting as well, along with the loud music, and shaking set (created by strobe lights)
- Impressive, detailed set, looked expensive, but a little fake, the use of hair dryers as guns – parodying low budget science fiction films of 1960’s.
- Costume – Capt and Crew – Blue suits, silver shoulder bibs. Back boots, some with caps.
Capt has peaked hat and pipe.
Cookie – blue suit, white apron, and sailors hat.
Gloria – Blue suit, short skit, high heels, glasses. Then in second half, the skirt
becomes angled, with a zig-zag hemline, reveals one leg.
Miranda – Pink blouse, silver dress, white pumps and socks, gives her a very
young appearance. Later dresses up as Marilyn Monroe to impress the
Capt wears shiny, gold, revealing dress, high heels and make up.
Ariel – completely silver, to create being made of metal, bulbous joints, tubes and
wires, LED display on his front.
Prospero – Suit covered by white, doctors coat, grey trousers and waistcoat, shirt.
Neat professional appearance. Authoritative.
Later rips off hiss coat to reveal pink long jacket, back collar and
lapels, reminiscent of the ‘teddy boy’ era.
