Being a monologue, it is usually difficult to maintain the audience’s attention. In this scenario, it is because the audience seem to make assumptions before the play has been acted out. For example, people may find the character dull at first because they may assume that an elderly woman has nothing interesting to say. Also the idea of having to listen to only one person for a significant amount of time may also seem fairly dull. So Bennett, as the writer must ensure that the play has a reasonable strong beginning to captivate the audience and make the want to carry on watching. As well as the beginning, Bennett must ensure that all of the actions on stage are interesting, which is why he uses his very many techniques to achieve his goal and engage the audience throughout the play.
One of the simpler techniques he includes in his play is the use of pauses. “It’s such a silly thing to have done… *pause*”. Bennett uses pauses to build up tension; this way he can give the audience some time to reflect on what they viewed, allowing them to predict the upcoming and therefore maintain their attention. Another fairly simple technique he uses is lighting: at the very end of every scene the lights fade to black. This again, shows the passing of time and the change in scenes. It also allows Doris to move around her house, so she is able to talk about different things that may have a connection to that particular spot that she is at. At the end of every scene the light will fade to black, apart from the final scene were it simply states “*light fades*”. This is an interesting technique because the audience are unsure weather she dies or lives at the end of the play, so this really adds drama allowing the audience to think about, and decide what actually happens.
Usually in a monologue there aren’t very many subjects to talk about all at once. This is why Bennett uses certain techniques as ‘conversation starters’ so that the character Doris will be able to talk about different things whilst keeping the audience engaged. An example of this is the props which are used; “she looks down at the wedding photo on the floor.” The photo frame is one of the most important props because that is what starts the conversation about her deceased husband. The prop makes it more interesting than Doris just sitting there and talking about Wilfred. Other props include the cream cracker. When she spots the cream cracker she begins talking about Zulema and how she doesn’t clean very well. “She’s not half done this place, Zulema” Again through this prop a conversation begins and we get to see Doris’s cleanliness obsession. This technique helps the audience to understand she has this obsession because it wouldn’t be very interesting if Bennett made her say “I have a cleaning obsession”. Another technique Bennett uses as conversation starters is the place she is at. As mentioned previously, the place she is at influences her speech: “*she looks at where the pram was* I wanted him called John.” Similarly, the place allows her to talk about different things and lets the audience see where the idea of what she talks about came from, therefore making it more engaging.
“Cream cracker” is quite a dramatic and serious play, so Bennett uses humour to lighten the mood. However he wants the play to be dramatic so to satisfy both issues Bennett uses a technique entitled ‘black humour’. “This must be what they give them them frame things for”, this is an example of black humour because Doris is struggling to get up so Bennett adds a slight bit of humour to make it more captivating. Bennett also involves other characters by making Doris talk about them. “Zulema says to me every time she comes: ‘Doris, do not attempt to dust. The dusting is my department’”. Bennett does this because we learn more about Doris’s personality through other characters. Although we get a very biased outlook on the other characters, Bennett’s way of writing allows the actress to decide how the impression of the character should be. For example “yes Zulema” could be said as if it is an act of defiance or as if she is in trouble.
Naturalistic setting is another dramatic device that Bennett uses in his play. We can tell by the style of her house and the description of her street and neighbours that she is living in a working class type area in a typical elderly person’s house. This makes the play more interesting because it is more realistic and much more believable. Similar to naturalistic setting, is naturalistic dialogue which basically means her dialogue fits her personality and the type of person she is. She is made out to be the stereotypical 70 year old woman who complains about different things and compares them to her ‘good old days’. For example, her grammar isn’t always correct so this tells us she is from a working class background: “them’s her leaves.” Also her way of speaking again confirms she is from a working class background. Some of the things she says that portray this are: “little demon”, “cheeky monkey” and “oh stink”. Bennett uses naturalistic dialogue for the same reason as he uses naturalistic setting; he uses it to make it more realistic and to make the actress really fit into the role of Doris. The more believable it is, the more likely that the audience will be engaged and interested in what is going on.
Other major devices that Bennett uses are Subtext and stream of consciousness. Stream of consciousness is basically the thought process of a person; it is used to link one idea to another. Doris uses this in her speeches to link one conversation to another. “Shakes you up, a fall. Shan’t let on I was dusting”, Here Doris talks about her fall then goes on to talk about dusting, and how dusting is ‘forbidden’ and may lead her to Stafford house. Subtext is the deeper meaning beneath the surface. Bennett uses this technique quite regularly because it gives the audience a chance to guess the hidden meaning and to predict the upcoming. “We’re cracked Wilfred.” She says this after she catches sight of the broken photo frame. Although Wilfred is dead she talks as if he is still alive and by ‘we’re cracked’ she is referring to their relationship and how it wasn’t going well and how they are now separated. Another example is near the very end of the play. Bennett doesn’t reveal the ending so it is up to the audience to decide, however it is written in a way that may suggest that she does indeed die. “I wish I was ready for bed…” my interpretation of that line is that she is saying she wish she was ready for death. “Never mind. It’s done with now, anyway” here she talks as if it is the end, even though we as the audience aren’t fully sure.
Overall Bennett makes this play entertaining and interesting for the audience by using various techniques and devices. The reason why these devices are effective and the play engages the audience is because Bennett cleverly finds a correct balance between the wide ranges of techniques he uses. He uses fairly simple devices such as pauses, alongside more complex devices such as subtext and naturalistic dialogue. He even writes his play in a way that will enable the actress to choose how some lines can be said. I personally think that this was a very captivating play and Bennett achieved his goal of making the action on stage varied and interesting.
