Today began with a speed run of the play, specifically to highlight any props or set use that we need to use. A lot of it can be provided by the college itself and is being made from there also. However a few smaller things were requested of us, if we knew we owned it. I am to bring in some records for Bisto's dj desk to bulk it out as such. I will be providing the professor with some glasses also. There was also some brief mentions of brown paper bags for characters such as Scullery who are always seen with a bottle of alcohol. We were all asked to see if any of us owned some old bed sheets for Joey and Clare too. In general, we were all asked to provide hair and make-up equipment; so plenty of red lipstick and hair wavers to get the 80's look, not forgetting the hairspray. As Louise is busy getting ready in the opening scene she could be applying lipstick and spraying hairspray on.
I gave out feedback to most characters today as we went from pages 17 onwards (a continuation of Laura's lesson last Thursday.) This began with Frankie playing Clare (and unfortunately without a Joey)
[All the feedback notes that I noted down today, have been sent to all those whom it applies too, with a bit of luck it should be published on their blog's also.]
- Frankie: Voice projection. Gain some more emotion into your voice. Pause: they add some easy effect. 'Honey quiz' be genuinely pleased! Re-fresh yourself with your lines. When you stand up, make it look more natural not as though you know you have to stand on that particular line. 'Mom' not 'mam' (however I am in a predicament with this, as later on today I was told to say 'mam' not 'mom' but I feel as though 'mam' isn't quite Road accent but more 'Mrs Browns Boys' it will be something I look into.) Make the 'I love you, my man' more genuine.
- Nyakeh: Try not to over-emphasis each time you say 'chips' otherwise it gets a bit same'y'. Re-fresh yourself on your lines. Be a lot more persuasive- these chips are your life and you want everyone to know it etc etc. Curt: When talking about how vile Road is, take in your surroundings of Road, look around, observe how vile it really is.
- Donna: Careful on your lines as they start to blur into one at times. This will allow the accent to appear more strongly also. Be less Donna so change Dor's posture and walk perhaps? More confidence as Dor!
- Brandon: Voice projection! Still needs more emphasis on the headlines you speak- honestly these headlines are your life and the reason why you are starving so give them some 'omph'. Don't lose your accent when you begin shouting '...devil...'. And you can afford to be more girl friend and boy friend'y'.
- Bauld: Your posture needs to change as it is too Jake (as well as your devising character) it will make you more intimidating as both Blowpipe, and Brother too. Do be up for helping her much more as soon as you know there is a bottle opener in it for you; this will make it comedic too.
I feel, that throughout this entire project, I have succeeded in contributing my feedback and ideas to various characters as the rehearsal process developed. I know that physical (either a image or given to me on paper) feedback notes work best for me; as I then have the exact wording and thought process of the audience member whom would've been watching my performance and then taken notes from it. Off-the-top-of-your-head type notes make them much more true and often a lot more honest. So if I were to say I didn't like a line it would be simply noted down as 'change this line, it didn't work.'
The feedback I received I, of course, noted down in order to really work on these in time for Monday and preferable show day itself:
- A lot of work needs to be done where I spill the drink!! Preferably it needs to be done with glasses and liquid as it is something that we all need to know how to work. I need to practise actually dropping it. Lewis needs to practise mopping it up. We need to know how much liquid should be in the glass as we don't want to flood the stage. Basically this is just a very big section we need to carefully run through so we become familiar with it.
- In the dance scene, me and Lewis accidentally both went into a spin, which proved something Deborah wants us to keep in. As well as Phoebe falling over, drunk, and myself and Lewis (Eddie) to help her back up on her feet. This is then the 'signal' for Carol to really let herself go.
- MORE DRINKS! Fairly self-explanatory.
- Lines specifically 'what for' and 'oh'
- More emphasis on 'it's hard' and 'big wishes'
- Speed through the list more, as though listing these things off before someone tells her she can't
All of this feedback are definitely things I can work on, as we near the show itself. It is all down to practise now and I fear that our drinking section needs to really be done physically with actual glasses and liquids so we can properly gage how much we go through and just balance it overall. This is something we can only do when we have the correct props and this will hopefully be done on Monday. This will also give me chance to work on me spilling my drink also.
I seem to be getting my lines more and more now, despite the fact that I have learnt them and do know them; but this is boosting my confidence more when I know I get the monologue right- which is giving me the freedom to put the right emotion and feeling into it.
Continuing our Road work, my second lot of feedback today, consisted of:
- Go all out on the reactions to 'shagging'
- Reply quicker on 'is they?'
- Change around the face wipe (so it is now more than it was, and aimed at smudging the lipstick I will have just applied
- In B+C scene: enter in much more of a hurry "a shamble"
Being prompted to respond with 'is they' quicker, considerably helps me with reacting to the 'shagging' line. In my family situation, there is no chance (at all) that I could relate to Louise and the thought of her mum and dad 'at it'. Which theoretically should prompt me to react more violently relating it to my life. But the more I react the more comedic it is as most people will be able to relate to this fully. Making me enter in more of a hurry links my first and second scene a lot better as that's how I end the scene with brother so it just makes more sense. It will also highlight the tension that has slowly built between Brenda and Carol- so when I enter the atmosphere is rife between the two of them and there's little Louise, awkward as ever.
After running all of my beginning scenes, me and Jake went off and rehearsed our brother scene. It is now looking a lot stronger than what it was when we first tried it. It would've been interesting to have recorded our first blocking of the scene and then to compare with it now, at the standard it is. The tension is built to a much higher level and Jakes level of intimidation has also risen considerably.
Me and Milo then went through our monologues together. His request was to work specifically on the accent. So we came up with a good method: he would recite a line of his monologue, I would then repeat it, in my accent; emphasis on certain accented words. We did this for his entire monologue; and then he recited it fully afterwards, including everything I had prompted him to do so. The accent was a lot stronger and more importantly it was heard more in his odd words. I am definitely no expert on the accent but the little things I could input did really help him. And I think that if he took it all in, and kept practising it the way we did it today he will really improve.
Briefly I was talking to Luke and he gave me two important drunk motives: Number one being to walk sober. And secondly to talk sober. So the drunkenness shines through more when you are trying to act as sober as you can. This doesn't hugely apply to Louise, as it's not how I have nor want to portray her but I gather from these motives that in her monologue, she takes her time thinking about what she's about to say next. As though everything has slowed down in her life, due to both being drunk and it being her big lead up to letting everything out. From a very recent experience (including some other cast members... you don't want to know!) I mentally noted that some people go really quite quiet when drunk. Often happy amusing themselves. This applies more so to Louise as the drunkenness needs to show when others are doing their monologues. So I will get Louise to be 'happy drunk'. She is still aware of what the others are doing, but there would be times that she would laugh to herself perhaps getting excited as she knows this is her chance to speak. This is almost like she is drunk but at the same time more than happy in her own company and thoughts (pretty much her sober life) but these subtle drunkenness actions will make her more realistic and also relatable.
Today I got some peer feedback in which I was very grateful to recieve, as I feel like I offer my feedback out a lot freer than I recieve it: The feedback was from both Jake and Joe:
Today I got some peer feedback in which I was very grateful to recieve, as I feel like I offer my feedback out a lot freer than I recieve it: The feedback was from both Jake and Joe:
- Jake noted: Have more confidence on your lines, however the accent work is good. Short and sweet but also a good reminder for me to continue the confidence work but making sure I keep it in mind throughout my entire scene and not just my big moments such as the monologue.
- Joe noted: Confidence on your lines, refresh yourself with them as you do know them. Lovely timing (not sure what for however) but I need to make sure I make good use of my props.
It's nice to have feedback given to me from my peers as it shows that they are taking notice of me as much as I am them. I also believe there is no possible way in which I can improve if I don't know what to improve on, and sometimes its better receiving this off of peers, my age, than my lecturers as our audience will be college students so it's got to be appealing to them as much as it needs to for adults.
| Accent notes I made, for others |
http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content/articles/2008/04/09/dialect_az_feature.shtml This website link, takes you to a really useful Lancashire accent page. Once on the website you can select letters that you want read out to you, so I can copy the sounds of these and learn the accent more and more this way. I tried this out with the letters of 'mam' and 'mom'. To me, using this website, the 'mom' version still sounded better suited but it's going to have be something I bring towards Matt (the Northern expert) this way I will get the perfect way of saying it.
Thursday: Our last ever rehearsal before show week. And a first for a full run, no prompts, scripts and in the mind set that we were performing to a proper audience.
Personally I thought that I did well in the full run. There were no real big mess ups on my behalf which I was pleased about and I felt that I targeted the areas that I needed too such as 'shagging' entering in B+C's scene, and then playing that slightly quieter, tag-along character but then building this persona and really letting go in the dancing and the monologue.
After completing the entire run in a good hour and 26 minutes we were given feedback, from both Laura and Kirsty:
- Pause for longer when Brother throws the fag on the floor. It'll help build tension and the relationship as most people would react immediately with a more angry tone whereas changing it and slowing it down will change this brother and sister relationship.
- To react more to Carol and Scullery's dialogue, preferably on Carol's side.
Unfortunately we didn't get to finish the feedback so this is all I was given today, which is annoying because I wanted a big list of things to work on for Monday. But that is our rehearsal process done for Road! I think the improvements in everyone has been massive. I also think that my improvement has been at large. To start off with I really struggled with the accent, and I would like to say now that it is very much improved and a lot lot stronger than what it was when I began with it. I can honestly say it took a lot of work as I did find it hard to master but hopefully the improvement. I have gained a lot more ideas to Louise and developed her greatly also. I stuck to my first opinion of her being this quiet, tag-along character but I see clearly now that there is so much more to her. It is now clear for me that Louise is a character in hiding. She has these 'big wishes' and throughout her life she has been 'wanting to say' these things, but never had the opportunity because she is quiet. She is also a lot like me, I often find myself thinking if I had said that; for example in rehearsals I wish I had put across all my initial ideas or feedback. Sometimes I would rather keep quiet, like Louise does often because we are both surrounded by big, loud, confident and bravado characters/people. But Louise proves that she can do it and it is definitely for the better. So it is a really nice way to end the show with Louise finally coming out her shell but it is almost a disappointment we end it on her; as I feel like we could get a lot more out of her in her drunken/confident state.
After our previous project (devising: Ode to Billy Joe) I had a slight apprehensiveness about working in groups again, but Road has proved that majority of times group work is precisely what you need as an actor; especially if your'e quiet. Working with Milo, Phoebe and Lewis has been a treat; they are all very talented and the help we have given one another has been really beneficial for me and it's been sealing the disastrous devising project experience I earlier gained. This has also been our first time being properly directed by Deborah and Kirsty: and all credit goes to them. The work they have both put into this show is brilliant and I presume teachers get the same thrill after performing a good show as us actors do (but just from the audience pit instead!) This project has pushed me further towards my teaching route passion, and that can only be thanks to my lecturers; despite the fact that it has re-lit my ultimate passion in performing which might have been lost temporarily for devising.
Road:
A story of "impoverished lives, full of regrets for the past and dreams for the future" ~Sunday Telegraph is probably the best and the only way to describe Road. It is the story of everyone whom lives there. It was first published in 1986 by Jim Cartwright. Cartwright has since done other pieces such as 'I licked a slag's deodorant' 'Hard fruit' and the 'The rise and fall of Little Voice.' Picking 'I licked a slag's deodorant' as it is definitely the one that caught your attention: "A crack-addicted street-walker and a vulnerable, broken man" sounds familiar? It sounds as though it very much focusses on the vulnerability of this character and perhaps his downfall, and like Road you audience members simply watch this happen around you- but it is all so real. "Away from harsh ugly streets" could well be a line from Road as Curt, Louise Dor and Lane all use imagery to describe the road to us and they are all pulled to the more negative side of opinions.
On first recieving a script I read through it and wrote some small notes that I thought might become important as we progressed into the rehearsal. These have yet to become important but it made me wonder why Cartwright included them: such as in the pre-show briefing (The Bloomsbury script: Road Jim Cartwright) there is mention of a music box, this is requested upon our directing later on also; but we have taken the decision to not use it. But I didn't quite get the significance of it. It's clearly owned by Scullery as it only appears with him, so could it be a precious possession of Scullery? Or did he steal it, typical Scullery? I have a feeling that it's more than Scullery stealing it because Cartwright mentions it a few times; as though it should/could be important to Scullery's characterisation?
The very beginning of the play, there is a short introduction provided by Cartwright and here I noted that half of the sign was missing. 'The name part had been ripped off' which can only mean that Road isn't called Road!!! It has a real road name but it's been ripped off... So we shall never know but it's an interesting thought to think that perhaps Cartwright had something in mind but wanted it kept a secret or it could be a boring and simple solution in that he simply couldn't think of a suitable road name. 'Scullery: Its been broken' Scullery is written to not care that its broken, so it leaves it open to the fact that we were those slang Northerners whom only called it Road because one it didn't deserve much more and two because we were cool, lazy, hip whatever you call it!
Later on [page 57, Bloomsbury script] Scullery has a little moment and a few lines where he is fully involved with his alcohol: 'ah my saviour'. On the surface it could be seen as comedic as we all know someone who messes around with alcohol and they use it as an excuse to their 'saviour' but like Blowpipe feeling so strongly about finding the bottle opener, it's quite sad really. Scullery lives by alcohol. It is almost like what everyone on Road fell back onto when they were made unemployed by Margaret Thatcher and perhaps they used drink as a rebellion act towards her? Throughout the show, I think Scullery puts on a front for the audience, because deep down I reckon he is an incredibly lonely character, hence why he is constantly asking for a life, a drink, happy to do Prof's interview and intrigued to where us youngsters were going out for the night. So the 'saviour' line is the real Scullery. Drink is his only friend and it something he is never without, a bit like Louise without Carol and Dor without Lane (friends).
The politics that surrounded them at the time, was written as though it didn't bother them and that they had their story to tell. "Here are people with almost no decent economic prospects living in a soon to be ghost town yet most have enough spirit to resist becoming ghosts themselves" http://www.markedbyteachers.com/as-and-a-level/drama/road-by-jim-cartwright-notes-on-the-plot-and-subject-matter-of-the-play.html They tried to push away what was happening in the real world and they take themselves to this more fantasy version. But at times there are very obvious escapees whom see life beyond Road and whom see Road for what it really is, ' a place where all the crap comes but doesn't drop off.' In the website link it states how 'even Joey and Clare have been dragged into all this, but again with a sort of positive attitude, 'a tender dance of death.'
Did you imagine Brink and Eddie as brothers...? This website states that they are brothers...?
The script cover is of a bright red colour with its contrasting black as its background. Straight away this tells you that it isn't a play about 'unicorns, or flowers' whereas it is a little bit darker; and nothing more is let on from the cover. It's Cartwright himself on the front cover, made out of slightly digitalised pixel red cubes (see cover, and you'll catch my drift.) And if you are old enough, this was a little bit like what TV used to look like, the days where you could only get channels 1 to 4. So was the cover that closely thought through? It is clear that the setting of this play is important to Cartwright as it is one of the first things you look at on the cover, because it is so much smaller than the other text. It is set in the time of: 'tonight' so the dark background most probably signifies that but at the same time a negativity about the road itself.
Friday afternoon I (not just me, with help from my sister) did some hot-seating. So some of the questions asked were:
After our previous project (devising: Ode to Billy Joe) I had a slight apprehensiveness about working in groups again, but Road has proved that majority of times group work is precisely what you need as an actor; especially if your'e quiet. Working with Milo, Phoebe and Lewis has been a treat; they are all very talented and the help we have given one another has been really beneficial for me and it's been sealing the disastrous devising project experience I earlier gained. This has also been our first time being properly directed by Deborah and Kirsty: and all credit goes to them. The work they have both put into this show is brilliant and I presume teachers get the same thrill after performing a good show as us actors do (but just from the audience pit instead!) This project has pushed me further towards my teaching route passion, and that can only be thanks to my lecturers; despite the fact that it has re-lit my ultimate passion in performing which might have been lost temporarily for devising.
Road:
A story of "impoverished lives, full of regrets for the past and dreams for the future" ~Sunday Telegraph is probably the best and the only way to describe Road. It is the story of everyone whom lives there. It was first published in 1986 by Jim Cartwright. Cartwright has since done other pieces such as 'I licked a slag's deodorant' 'Hard fruit' and the 'The rise and fall of Little Voice.' Picking 'I licked a slag's deodorant' as it is definitely the one that caught your attention: "A crack-addicted street-walker and a vulnerable, broken man" sounds familiar? It sounds as though it very much focusses on the vulnerability of this character and perhaps his downfall, and like Road you audience members simply watch this happen around you- but it is all so real. "Away from harsh ugly streets" could well be a line from Road as Curt, Louise Dor and Lane all use imagery to describe the road to us and they are all pulled to the more negative side of opinions.
On first recieving a script I read through it and wrote some small notes that I thought might become important as we progressed into the rehearsal. These have yet to become important but it made me wonder why Cartwright included them: such as in the pre-show briefing (The Bloomsbury script: Road Jim Cartwright) there is mention of a music box, this is requested upon our directing later on also; but we have taken the decision to not use it. But I didn't quite get the significance of it. It's clearly owned by Scullery as it only appears with him, so could it be a precious possession of Scullery? Or did he steal it, typical Scullery? I have a feeling that it's more than Scullery stealing it because Cartwright mentions it a few times; as though it should/could be important to Scullery's characterisation?
Later on [page 57, Bloomsbury script] Scullery has a little moment and a few lines where he is fully involved with his alcohol: 'ah my saviour'. On the surface it could be seen as comedic as we all know someone who messes around with alcohol and they use it as an excuse to their 'saviour' but like Blowpipe feeling so strongly about finding the bottle opener, it's quite sad really. Scullery lives by alcohol. It is almost like what everyone on Road fell back onto when they were made unemployed by Margaret Thatcher and perhaps they used drink as a rebellion act towards her? Throughout the show, I think Scullery puts on a front for the audience, because deep down I reckon he is an incredibly lonely character, hence why he is constantly asking for a life, a drink, happy to do Prof's interview and intrigued to where us youngsters were going out for the night. So the 'saviour' line is the real Scullery. Drink is his only friend and it something he is never without, a bit like Louise without Carol and Dor without Lane (friends).
The politics that surrounded them at the time, was written as though it didn't bother them and that they had their story to tell. "Here are people with almost no decent economic prospects living in a soon to be ghost town yet most have enough spirit to resist becoming ghosts themselves" http://www.markedbyteachers.com/as-and-a-level/drama/road-by-jim-cartwright-notes-on-the-plot-and-subject-matter-of-the-play.html They tried to push away what was happening in the real world and they take themselves to this more fantasy version. But at times there are very obvious escapees whom see life beyond Road and whom see Road for what it really is, ' a place where all the crap comes but doesn't drop off.' In the website link it states how 'even Joey and Clare have been dragged into all this, but again with a sort of positive attitude, 'a tender dance of death.'
Did you imagine Brink and Eddie as brothers...? This website states that they are brothers...?
The script cover is of a bright red colour with its contrasting black as its background. Straight away this tells you that it isn't a play about 'unicorns, or flowers' whereas it is a little bit darker; and nothing more is let on from the cover. It's Cartwright himself on the front cover, made out of slightly digitalised pixel red cubes (see cover, and you'll catch my drift.) And if you are old enough, this was a little bit like what TV used to look like, the days where you could only get channels 1 to 4. So was the cover that closely thought through? It is clear that the setting of this play is important to Cartwright as it is one of the first things you look at on the cover, because it is so much smaller than the other text. It is set in the time of: 'tonight' so the dark background most probably signifies that but at the same time a negativity about the road itself.
Friday afternoon I (not just me, with help from my sister) did some hot-seating. So some of the questions asked were:
- How old are you? Age is nothing really, is it? Haha sorry, I am 20. Young and free, well I should be the latter but that's a different story now eh?
- What is your relationship like with your brother? He's the older one of the two of us. And don't we all know it. Eh, he think's he can pick on me cos I'm quiet. He's quite intimidating at times, but I think I've learnt to live with it now, ya'know? I just look forward to getting away from him really. He's a typical big brother.
- How did meet Carol? It were through school when we were younger. We sorta stuck together ever since. So we're probably quite good friends. She loud though int' she. Good fun all the same.
- Do your parents work? Take a guess. Thatcher is a clue. They both lost their jobs earlier this year so were scav'ving like our neighbours and their neighbours. That's why I wan' get outta here. It's a trough. One day I'll be outta here and living life how I wanna. Nought to the rules of me brother or parents. Not that they give a shit about me though, eh?
- Do you like your mum|| dad? I hate me dad. Then not that fond of me mom either. We're just sorta there for them, something they have to deal with or feed. Nothing more. Suppose' they ain't got the money to care for us like some of the others kids in this werld, but nor have. That's life though, for ya, int' it.
- Where do you see yourself in the future? Outta here. Simple. It's not that I don't hate it but ya'know I'm young and I can get outta here before I turn out like me mom and dad. If you don't like the look of something there's not much point sticking around and experiencing it is there?
This exercise was only really brief with fairly surfaced questions but it still opened up Louise a bit more for me, especially as I am currently focussing on my character study. I tried to make my answers as detailed as possible and I liked (if I can even like what I've said) how she thinks that her brother is a normal relationship. But it's all she knows. She knows no different so this is normal for her. But for us audience members it is far from normal. I wanted her to have a good reason as to why she is quiet and her brother seems a very valid one, but also her parents can be one. I've said that perhaps they aren't fond of their children and not much is cared about them so Louise and brother have been brought up to fend for themselves. So we should really be seeing some sort of closer bonding between Louise and her brother but perhaps the brother is more desperate for the love of his parents? I think if I were to ask her where would she be in the future, in the last bit of the end scene she would respond with something similar to no.6 but if you asked her in her first scene it would probably be less passionate. She would know that she wants to live this place, but the hope doesn't exist whereas we see it later in the monologue sections.
As I said the hot seating was only a brief task but I did find it really beneficial especially now we are on our last stretch towards show day: I can refresh myself on my real thoughts and feelings that I am experiencing when playing Louise and the real life thoughts and feelings Louise is experiencing, there and then.
As I said the hot seating was only a brief task but I did find it really beneficial especially now we are on our last stretch towards show day: I can refresh myself on my real thoughts and feelings that I am experiencing when playing Louise and the real life thoughts and feelings Louise is experiencing, there and then.
| Ra-Ra skirt |
I've gone for a non-patterned top half of my outfit with a denim jacket and a big black t-shirt. I am still using all the jewellery that I used for my last costume idea as it still very much looks the 80's part. The lacy/fish net tights, as said in the A-Z book, were a thing whether they were patterned, spotty, lacy, coloured whatever. I don't think the prospect of making your clothes match existed then. Pixie boots and chelsea boots were popular, they were usually suede ankle boots with a cuff at the top. For Louise I've gone for the red converses, but they still give off the pixie boot look as they come up to my ankles, and are also flats.
 |
| Crimped and batcombed hair |
Make-up was just as awful, rocking the blue eyeliner which is what Louise will be wearing, also pink lipstick which she can be applying in her first scene so brother can smudge this. Blue mascara was popular as well as pink frosted lipstick (which is the similar effect to the lipstick I am using for Louise). A night out would consist of decorated faces with glitter, silvers and gold. I don't want to go all out on face decoration for Louise as I am still wanting to bring in the diy/poor look to her outfit, as such. So I will be just giving her the blue eye-liner and the pink frosting lipstick.
I much prefer this outfit to my original one, as this suits Louise a lot more. It's that bit more girly but also very much more 80's with more research into the Ra-Ra skirts and the pixie boots I have come to the conclusion that this outfit is definitely the best of the two.
For Monday we have to bring in a lot of different stuff, ready for a run through in costume etc. We were asked to bring in some old newspapers to fill the bin bags with, and to my advantage we have a load left over from my sisters paper round. I am still brining in the records, which together are looking really cool, with the mixes of sizes and colours. From my nan, I have got some brown paper to wrap Scullery's and others bottles in. I have also asked Donna to bring in our empty drink bottles, as they are the perfect brown colour for Scullery. I am providing a tape for Prof and glasses also. I am also bringing in spare clothing ideas for anyone else in need such as the black trouser braces, that Clare might use, fish nets and spare bracelets and necklaces which fit the era. I've also found two spare, fitted bed sheets that was requested of us, for Joey and Clare's scene. There is a pale blue one which I think would be best but I am bringing in both just in case. I am also bringing in some funky looking ties if any of the male characters are in need such as Jerry. I am bringing in some blue eye-liner and purple eye shadow for me and the other female characters, preferably only Dor and Lane as I can't really see the other characters such as Clare and Valerie wearing it. I am also bringing in red lipstick, but I am hopefully going to use Donna's pink lipstick as it's perfect. I can also bring in some empty wine bottles which will hopefully bulk out the messy-look we are aiming for in Eddie and Brink's house. I feel as though I am contributing to Road as much as I possibly can.
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