Drama Coursework - The Women In Black Analysis

Based on Susan Hill's best selling novel, The Women in Black is an extremely successful theatre production that is renowned for its gripping and terrifying plot. In his adaptation, Steven Mallatratt has combined the power and intensity of live theatre with a dark ghostly tale to fashion a spine-chilling production which re-lives the hauntings of the eerie Eel Marsh House. The play itself is actually a play within a play, somewhat merging the borders of fantasy and reality. Meet Kips, a Lawyer from London entangled in the dark secrets of the secluded Yorkshire Village of Crythn Griffin. Obsessed with a curse that has been put upon him and his family, Mr. Kipps wishes to lay his horrific memories to rest. For this he has employed the services of an actor, whom he expects to help him re-enact his tale and in doing so allow him to overcome his fears. But will the malevolent spectre of Jennet Humphrey oblige? Or will Mr. Kipps' sinister secret lead him and those close to him into further peril? The venue for the production of the play my classmates and I were taken to see was the Theatre Royal in Newcastle. As it was a professional production, I was constantly studying the play as it unfolded to determine how different types of drama medium had been incorporated to enhance the performance. Although the Women in Black consists of many characters, the company had employed just two

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
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An Inspector calls - A letter to Mr.smith from Mr J B Priestly.

English Coursework: An Inspector Calls Dear Mr Smith, I was very pleased to hear that you wish to produce a version of An Inspector Calls in Dover. Below is some advice to help to accurately represent my ideas. As you know from the stage directions in my play, I have a very strong vision of how my play should be set. At the beginning I'm very adamant that the scene must look cosy so as to make the audience more involved and understanding of the time setting of the play. The entrance of the parlour maid is very important also and this key part should not be forgotten about. This is so the audience can understand that this is obviously a wealthy family if they have a parlour maid. Also, the lack of interaction between the family and the maid reflects the fact that people did not think much of their domestic servants at this time in life. The opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the play and I hope you can recreate the atmosphere of the opening. You could make the atmosphere tenser by advising the characters to use very overwrought facial expressions and movements. You could also use atmospheric music as the audience are waiting for the play to start. This will make them suspicious of the things to come and they will start to prefigure that something bad or mysterious is going to happen. As well as the music, the lighting should be quite dull and focus in on specific

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  • Word count: 989
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
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La Amistad

Amistad During the 1830s and 1840s, racial discrimination against the African- American race was frequent and greatly devastating. At this time acts of discrimination against African Americans included racial segregation, black suffrage, denial of economic opportunity or resources and private and mass acts of violence. Blacks were not thought of as being equal to whites and so were not given the freedoms they deserved. They were regarded as property rather than individuals with rights. The movie "Amistad" is a compelling historical courtroom drama that sheds light on an overlooked period in American history between the Declaration of Independence and the American Civil War. The film addresses the definition of freedom and how it varied among the different people of America during this time period, "Freedom is not given. It is our right at birth. But there are some moments when it must be taken." In two hour, the film captures the general plight of the African people taken from their homes and forced into a life of slavery that was unfortunately common during this time. It is the true story of a little-known armed insurrection carried out by 53 heroic Africans against their slave masters on July 1, 1839. The film begins with the main character Cinque escaping from the shackles restraining him on the slave ship called, La Amistad (which is Spanish for 'friendship'). Along with

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  • Word count: 547
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
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