Drama Explorative strategies - playing the role of Kipps in The Women in Black

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Documentary Evidence – Unit two

The women in Black

  • “The Women in Black” the thriller performance written by Susan Hill, and was adapted into a play by Stephen Mallatratt. In this play, an older Kipps enlists an actor to help him tell the story of the
  • 'Woman in Black', hoping that with his help, it will let him move on from the hauntings and events. The actor plays the part of the young Arthur Kipps while Kipps plays the roles of the people he met, and typically ends with the women in black appearing.

  • Our first use of the explorative strategies was that of still images of key moments of the play. Two groups were given the opportunity to explore different moments of heightened tension.
  • In my group our first still image consisted of Kipps first visual meeting of the women in black. myself portraying Jerome, had my face to the floor with his neck craned. Sherif playing Kipps also had his body facing the audience but  was looking over his shoulder with a confused, shocked and amazed look on his face, at the imaginary women in black which was symbolised in this by a coat hanger.
  • This still image was effective as it symbolised the confusion and inquisitive tension being made by Kipps’ one look.
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  • I particularly enjoyed the second groups still image, in which they portrayed the rescue attempt to where Kipps struggles to save the dog. Kipps was bent over, with one knee soiled into the ground, stretching forward with all his might, the body language revealing his frantic feelings to save the dog. The women in black is stood over Kipps with her neck craned and her arms stretched out, with her hands drooping, suggesting she is causing all of the horror. I liked this group so much as it vividly depicted the whole play in a single still image.

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