The part that I performed was Rosie in The Cuckoo Sister. Before I write about that performance I will look at another piece that I studied called Skungpoomery.

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GCSE DRAMA – WORKING NOTEBOOK – COURSEWORK 2

Introduction

The part that I performed was Rosie in The Cuckoo Sister.  Before I write about that performance I will look at another piece that I studied called Skungpoomery, as this was my starting point in terms of looking at ways of developing a character and using space within a rehearsal process.

1. Analysis of the Artworks

Skungpoomery – Textual Analysis

This is a comedy and uses two stereotypical characters as the basis for the humour.  There is a weak and easily dominated son and a formidable and dominant mother.

We did a visualisation exercise and I view the mother (Mrs Wibble) as a big, strong woman with a loud, deep and powerful voice, but who moves in a quick, efficient manner.  I imagine her son (Nicholas Wibble) walking with his head down, a tall, skinny man with a quiet little voice.

Imaging how the character is and what kind of person they are was useful in the performance process because I could get into character and see how the character would move and talk.

The characters appear very stereotypical.  The mother thinks her son is still a little kid “Nicholas! You little fibber! We both got those sandals at Clarks and we both looked down the X-ray machine together and we both saw that you had plenty of room in those sandals Nicholas!” and “Kiss please. I’ve made you some sandwiches”.  She still irons her son’s clothes and makes him a packed lunch for work, even though he tells her he wants to eat in the canteen with his friends.  She also makes him wear sandals from Clarks in hot weather which she says they both chose – but I don’t feel he had any choice in the matter, as with everything else his mother tells him to do.

The son, Nicholas, seems to do everything his mother tells him to do.  I think he is nerdy, as he still lives with his mother, even though he has a job as a policeman.  I feel that he walks slowly with his head down like a little boy.  “O I’m not ungrateful at all, mum.  I’m grateful. I really am.  Its all right.  I’ll take the sandwiches.  And I’ll enjoy them.”  He uses short sentences when he talks, like an frightened, intimidated child.

I feel that this is a piece of sad comedy, as it shows the man being frightened by his mother, and we all think that it is a funny situation – but it isn’t for him.

The following is a piece from the Skungpoomery text that I looked at and performed in more detail

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Mrs Wibble:  I should think so.  O Nicholas!  I ironed those trousers at the weekend and now look at them.  They’re all baggy at the knees.  Don’t you hitch them up when you sit down?

Wibble:  Yes

Mrs Wibble:  Take them off and let me give them a quick press.

Wibble: O no, Mum – look I’m going to be ever so late now.

Join now!

Mrs Wibble:  Take them off, Nicholas, it won’t take a moment.

Wibble: No

Mrs Wibble:  Nicholas!!!

Wibble: Ooooooooooooooooh!  (Stamp and paddy. Mrs Wibble waits.  He sulkily removes his trousers revealing Chilprufe underpants.  Mrs Wibble takes the trousers off and returns with an iron and ironing board.)

Mrs Wibble:  Right

Wibble: Please hurry up, Mum

Mrs Wibble:  I am being as quick as I can, Nicholas.  (She is now ironing.)  The number of times I have been on to you, Nicholas, to just think before you go to bed at night, what you’re going ...

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