Response to Live Performance

10PA Debbie Reeve

Section B Question: Response to Live Performance

“The Play What I Wrote”

Character Review: Toby Sedgwick (stage character Arthur)

Albeit the production consisted of a scarce number of actors, Toby Sedgwick’s dynamic performance compensated, due to the way in which he effectively portrayed an astonishing broad spectrum of characters. These characters varied greatly in presence, from absent-minded Arthur who dreamed of playing the harmonic no matter what the circumstances may have been, to the idiosyncratic stage manger.

Despite the significance of each character; whether it being merely an addition to the main characters; Jo and Ben, or the focus of the scene, Toby always possessed a remarkable presence, which was able to divert on eyes onto him. This factor was what distinguished Toby from the other actors in the productions, as every movement and every sound he made was directly related to his character, showing that he had put considerable thought into each individual character and in which way would their characterisations be at the utmost effect to the audience.

To elaborate on this, there were a range of moments in the play in which Toby’s characterisations made great impact on the responses of the audience. For example, during Toby’s part as the bizarre stage manager, rather than his words alone, it was his body movements that made Arthur a memorable character. This was as he began to move in a rubber-like manner, suitable to make even the most reserved members of the audience holler and wail in laughter. An alternative time soon after, Toby managed to epitomize the mannerisms of a woman perfectly, from the totter on the highest heels, to the gestures and positioning of his arms and legs. In addition towards the climax of the second half, Toby was dressed as the village people, wearing a suit, which incorporated numerous men. His actions and movements as the village people were so entrancing, that it served as a distraction for a change of set in the background.

Not only was Toby’s alter ego Arthur’s actions hilarious, he also adapted his voice in a number of ways and forms to suit his character. For instance as the stage managed instead of the usual upbeat voice he had, Toby put on a rather higher pitched squeak, which accompanied his movements and the character’s manner flawlessly. Also in comparison to this moment, Toby’ s voice completely changed again when he was playing the female part of Daryl Hannah. He was able to achieve a suave hum, which polished the character off.

It was in both these factors ...

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It was in both these factors put together flawlessly that had the audience in fits of laughter each time Arthur attempted to become someone new; each time completely different. Arthur’s as a character was also effective to the audience as unlike the other characters, he acknowledged the members of the audience in the ‘God’s’ whom were not in his direct eye line. As a result of lifting his eye line slightly, he not only made the people in the ‘dress circle’ feel invited into the actions of the play, he also made us the students feel as though he was talking to each and every one of us.

All in all I feel as though the many varied faces of Arthur; played by Toby Sedgwick, were so effective to the audience as characters due to the individual brilliance of Toby’s characterisations. This was due to the fact that he was able to fill the entire stage with his presence, which meant even the smallest movements had a big impact. I consider Toby to be an exceptionally talented actor, to whom I cannot expect a better performance.

Character Review II: Joseph Alessi (stage character Jo)

Joseph Alessi alongside his alter ego Ben, formed one half of the comedic duo, who mainly reflect the comedy virtues of ‘Morecambe and Wise’. Constantly throughout the play Jo persistently attempts to persuade Ben that a tribute to ‘Morecambe and Wise’ would be rather more successful than Ben’s own play ‘A Sticky Situation for the Scarlet Pimple’. Although at first the audience believe that this persuasion is due to the fact that they will only be able to perform on Broadway if they capture the comedic duo, later it is also clear the Jo rather stay with the old act so that the old times will live on, so that they will always be together on the stage.

Due to this rather delicate situation, Jo tries to convince Ben by using Toby’s range of character, that his play will live and that they will perform it together on the stage. The reality is that Jo’s attempts to deceive Ben are part of a ploy to keep their comedy act going strong. Even though his plan appears to succeed at first, later Ben uncovers the truth that Arthur is really only an under paid electrician set up by Jo.

Similar to Toby, Joseph’s mannerisms are also extremely funny. Towards the audience he is seen as the humorous side of the duo. In particular Jo achieves this effect by degrading Ben, which comes across as extremely comic. One example of an extremely hilarious moment in which Jo took advantage of Ben’s moment of solitude, was when he held up signs reading:

“Let’s get out of here…Blonde girl. Row C. Pizza Hut. 10 minutes…”

This specific moment was uproarious, making the audience break out in laughter.

On the whole I feel that Joseph Alessi portrayed his character well, however there is room for improvement. Unlike Toby’s performance, personally I feel that Joseph did not fill the entire stage with his presence. This may be due to the fact that his eye level was rather more restrictive than Toby’s, as he focused more on communicating with the ‘dress circle’, that involving the upper area in the action. Also, his tonal quality was rather monotonous compared to Arthur’s varied tones. On a more positive note, I feel that Jo used the space around him more wisely than Toby, as vast movement helped Jo’s character to be as interesting as it was. In conclusion I believe that even with the imperfections in the performances, Toby and Joseph alike both gave enjoyable performances, although Toby’s was more memorable than the other actors’.