Scene 2

In the lesson we completed scene one of the play with sir which is described on the physical script blog. We then got into our groups and started to make up scene two for our assessment next week.

We decided in our group to have an action for every line, lots of the time we are all saying the line at the same time and doing the same action but at others we have chosen just one person to say the line to make it different.

We made our scene so that everyone in the class can be apsrt of it and the parts we have decided to single out can be someone in our class but because our group we are in at the moment is quite small with only 6 people we all have quite alot of lines which would be shared out in the class.

We use all of the space in the room sometimes spread out and others grouped together in a clump. We also use mirroring to make the piece more effective because it shows how the mum feels about herself. At some points we are facing the back or you cant see our faces because we are trying to hide and there are points where the whole group is involved performing in unison.

We need to now make sure our transitions are smooth and we know all our lines for the assessment next week.

Catch a clap

This exercise involves everyone standing in a circle. A clap is then past across the circle to whoever you want. When a clap is given to you, you should receive the clap and then pass it on. When passing the clap on you need to make eye contact with the person and clap towards them so that they know it is supposed to be for them. The claps should not speed up it should stay at a steady beat which you should make with your feet.

To make the game more difficult you should then walk around the space and pass the clap. For this you will need to be aware of where the clap is incase it is passed to you and you should concentrate. Remember you need to make eye contact with the person, so don't give it to someone if their back is to you because they won't realise the clap is for them.

We didn't get to this level but if you wanted to make it more difficult you could add in another clap so more than one clap would be going around.

This exercise was good because it made us concentrate and work as a team. In order to keep the clap going we had to focus and work as an ensemble so that the clap continued to be received.

Sources - Blackout

Source 1                          

Web Address - http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fascism

Title - The Free Dictionary

Date found - 7/11/13

Source 2
Web Address - http://www.daveyandersontheatre.com/blackout.html
Title - Plays Blackout
Date found - 10/11/12

Source 3
Author - Tim Stark
Title - Blackout Production notes
Date found - 10/11/12

Source 4
Title - Youth Crime
Date found - 28/11/12
Web Address -http://www.understandingglasgow.com/indicators/children/safety/community_safety/youth_crime

Source 5
Title - Skinheads
Web Address -http://www.bbc.co.uk/britishstylegenius/content/21862.shtml
Date found - 29/11/12

Source 6
Title - Blackout Physical script
Blog - http://blackoutscript.blogspot.co.uk/
Date Found - 6/12/13

Source 7
Title - The story of the modern skinhead
Date Found - 30/01/14
Web Address - http://urbantimes.co/2013/06/the-modern-british-skinhead/

First five lines

In today's lesson we took the first five lines in the play and split up into groups of six. The lines were:

Imagine

You wake up

You open your eyes

Any you're like that

Where am I?

Using these lines and the three exercises we did in todays lesson (fishers, milling, waking up) we had to make a beginning for the play in the theatrical configuration, thrust.

We then had to perform ours to the rest of the class and sir chose the one he wanted to use for the beginning of the play. The group I was in was the one that was chosen.

Charlie and I then became directors and had to teach the rest of the class how to perform it. A few bits we had to change because there was so many of us but it looked really good.(The Physical script link explains what it is.)

I really enjoyed the lesson because everyone got to put something into the performance so its not just one person directing, everyone has an input. The beginning involves changes in energy, different voice levels and lots of different movement. I also enjoyed being a director however sometimes people didn't listen which was frustrating and something our class needs to improve on.

Exercises

Milling

Milling is when you walk around the room going in and out between each other. Remember you should not be walking in a circle. Milling is then made difficult by changing the energy levels between one and five. Jacque Lecoq who came up with this exercise originally based it on levels 1 - 10.

1 - Slow (hardly moving)
2 - Lazy
3 - Normal
4 - Fast
5 - Frantic (controlled chaos)

You must walk through the middle don't just stay to the outside of the room and you don't have to walk straight on. You can go backward, sidewards, you can spin around. When you walk past someone you may want to have a small relationship with them and feed of their movement. Remember this relationship can still be going on even if they are on the other side of the room. 

This exercise is useful because it means that we are able to recognise different energy levels when needed and we also use it in blackout when we are shouting 'where am I' at the beginning of the play.

Fishers Exercise

Fishers exercise is when one person is chosen in the class and the rest have to copy their direction. You must all be facing the same way and if you can't see the person doing the movements watch others around you because they might be able to see. This may cause the movements to be in a ripple effect. The person who is leading should do all their movements slowly and they should not be too complicated. If the person can no longer be seen by anyone then someone else should take over so the exercise continues.

This helps us work together as an ensemble and use our peripheral vision so that we are able to follow the leader. We use this skill when raising our hands in a salute and a fist at the beginning of blackout. This is also used when people start changing into the dad behind kitty because they are all doing similar movements.

Waking up for the first time

Everyone should lay on their backs with their eyes closed. Then slowly people should begin to wake up but like it is the first time they have ever woken up. You should use the time to explore the floor, your hair, your clothing even your body because it is the first time you might not know how to sit up. You should also explore the room you are in, the lights, windows and space around you. Remember you do not have to copy others you may stay on the floor for the whole time whilst others could be a bit faster than you.

We used this exercise quite a lot in blackout when we were in the jail cell because it showed that we were trying to discover where we were and show that we couldn't remember what had happened because we were just waking up in this place that we did not recognise,

Link to physical script

http://blackoutscript.blogspot.co.uk/

This is recording what we have done in the lesson - by Lara and Clay (Source 6)
Before each lesson I will look on this blog so that I am able to remember what we have done in the previous lesson.

This is England

What is the function of the iconography used in the title

sequence of the film How might it help you understand the

film?

In the title sequence lots of different

things are shown to give the audience an

understanding of what the film is going to

be about. Graffiti and old buildings are

shown to show that the film is set in a

rough area. There is also lots of

destruction, fighting and

police to show that there are riots and different views going

on therefore a fight is needed to get their voices heard.

There are also images of soldiers, war and death showing us

that people are dying in the Falkland's war which some people

in England believe we should not get involved in. Music, dance

and the English flag is shown to set the time period and show

that people are proud to be British. Finally a flock of sheep

is shown to show that people join skinheads because they want

to be part of the group and they are just following what other

people do.

How is Shaun represented at the very beginning of the film?

How does his representation contribute to your understanding

of him as the protagonist of the film?

At the beginning of the film Shaun is shown as a young boy who

is being bullied by people at school because of how he looks.

He is shown to be living with his mum due to his dad having

died in the Falkland's. Shaun is represented as a angry boy

who has no one to talk to therefore he feels alone. This

representation of him makes us feel sorry for him because all

he wants is a friend to comfort and look out for him. We

can understand that he is the main character because he wants

to make his father proud, the skinheads use this to their

advantage by making him do things because they say it will

make his father proud. He is the protagonist of the film

because it shows how someone with a bad background can be

drawn into a gang and do bad things just because they are

looking for their identity and by joining the skinheads Shaun

becomes part of something and is no longer alone.

What do you think about the depiction of the skinhead gang

What are their defining features? Does the director glamorize

the gang? Does he demonize it? Give your reasons.

The skinhead gang are definitely defined by their short hair

and how they look. They are also defined by their actions, there is alot of smoking, drinking, weapons and aggression. The first group of skinheads however are quite welcoming, they are rude but shaun sees them as cool because they like to have a laugh and being part of their group looks fun. They all wear jeans, braces and shirts as well a DR Martens. The director makes being a skin head look fun at the beginning because they show friendship, they stand up for eachother, play games, play pranks, have handshakes and they dont let each other down.

However when the new group of skinheads come they are older and more aggressive and they believe being a skinhead isnt a games it is a fight for power, respect and freedom. The new skinheads brainwash people into thinking racism is good and shaun believes he is making a logical point. The new group of skinheads are alot more violent and uses graffiti and weapons to show this.

What is the function of Milky in the story? What does his name

suggest?

Milky is mixed race, his function in the story is to

show originally the skinheads were not racist because he is

also part Jamaican. However later on he is forced to decide 

whether he is truly English or Jamaican. His name is ironic

and suggests that he is trying to fit in because

he doesn't have 'milky' skin, as I said before he is coloured.

However later on in the film he is beaten up and called a

nigga to show Shaun that this is what happens. Having Milky as

a friend shows Shaun that people with coloured skin are normal

people to and him being beaten up makes him want to not be

racist anymore because these people have friends and family

to.

What does the gang mean to Shaun? What does Shaun mean to the

gang?

To Shaun the gang is a group of people he can have fun with and an identity. The gang is friendship and he is given confidence by being part of them. The gang is a place to go for comfort, it is another family and a place where he can be someone else's "Son" because he no longer has a father.

To the gang they see shaun as someone they want to cheer up and make feel better because he is alone and only has his mum. However the new skinheads want to use him to fight, to become aggressive and to be part of their fight for freedom.

Homework - This is England

What is your view of how masculinity is defined in the film?

I think masculinity is shown in lots of different ways through the film. First I think that both the male and female characters show masculinity by the way their hair is cut. The men have very short hair making them look tough and the female characters also have quite short and messy hair which suggests they like to be seen as tomboys. I also believe it is defined by the way they act, throughout the film there is alot of fighting and aggression so that the characters can show they have strength and are powerful. They also smoke and drink alot showing that they can handle it because they are manly and are up to it. Finally I think masculinity is also defined by how they are dressed and how they speak. They are dressed in big boots and checked shirts and they often use rude language. Many of the female characters use the same language as the men do which is not lady like and they also talk down to people showing that they are in charge and there is nothing you can do about it.

Discuss the theme of loss-of-innocence/coming-of-age in the film.

At the beginning of the film Shaun is a young boy with a squeaky voice, who is being picked on. He is an innocent boy who joins the skinheads because he wants somewhere to belong to and needs comfort. However he is then taught about how England has become a place where people from other countries can come over and take all the jobs and houses. He is persuaded and made to believe that no one should live in England if they are not truly english. In the beginning he is a young boy that has lost his father, then he is taken on as a young skinhead, he is taught how to speak powerfully and racist towards people and he thinks he is doing this for his father. He gets a better understanding of the world he lives in and becomes aggressive to people he believes does not belong in England. Becoming a skinhead he has been made to believe in racist views and has lost his innocence because he now fights and is aggressive to people who are not "truly" english.

Research Task - Clay, Holly, Thaliqua, Jack and Kit

Youth Subcultures

How are youth subcultures defined?

A youth subculture is a young group of people who differentiate themselves to a larger group of people were some people think they may ‘belong’, as the word culture suggests a separate group within a larger society. They usually have different styles, behaviour and interests than most people. And they believe that this is a way to express themselves and show how their individuality and how they really feel.

When And Why Do Youth Subcultures Emerge?

Youth subcultures usually emerge/start when the larger society fails to meet the needs of a group of people and fails to make them fee apart of something more. They create new styles of living however they still depend on the larger culture for general goals, help and direction. Another reason is due to labour (work) in the family the young people were separated and consequently turn to their inner-self and establish patterns of their own. However it has also been stated that youth subcultures are simply a temporary phase during young people’s social and physiological development.

What are the defining features of youth cultures?

The main features of a youth culture are the following, these are the things that they believe should either change or express themselves through: style, language, music, class, rebellion, gender, art, relationship to the popular/dominant culture. The most popular youth subcultures in society today are: Goth, Emo, Chav, Gangster there are also Skinheads, Punk etc.

How Are They perceived through society today and mass media?

I think that in today’s society emo’s and Goths and other subcultures are perceived as very different as to they were in the 1900’s. Flappers were not looked down upon however there was a lot of controversy about the old and young and how flappers were influencing the youth. In today’s society some people are able to accept youth subcultures and they strongly believe that it is a ‘stage’ and not a way of life. On the other hand some people are unable to accept youth subcultures and hurt people due to their subculture, however overall I believe that Goths, Emos, skinheads etc are seen as not normal and an anomaly in society.

What impact might things like ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation have on the emergence of youth cultures?

I think that ethnicity may have an impact on the emergence of youth subcultures as the non – original skinheads emerged due to the fact that they didn’t believe that people who weren’t of the white race and different ethnicity to full British should be able to live in the country England, this is therefore why the youth subculture emerged (to express and act on their opinions of what England should really be like). I also think that sexual orientation can have a an impact of the emergence of youth subcultures as when you are not ‘straight’ which is seen as the right sexual orientation you could maybe feel disconnected from society and make you feel as though you are not included. This is one of the main reason as to why people join or start a youth subculture and I believe that it would majorly impact on the emergence of youth subcultures.

Skinheads

When where and in which social, political and economic contexts did it start?

During the late 1950’s and early 1960’s money had become slightly more disposable in some families , these family’s spent money on new trendy cloths whereas the family’s that couldn’t afford them wore boots and jeans etc. .these groups became known as mods ; there were two groups of the mod subculture , those known as ‘ peacock mods ‘ who kept up with the fashions and were not violent and those known as ‘ hard mods’ who were working class and had a lot less money so couldn’t afford to waste it on clothes . When they did have money to spare they would spend it on things such as tonic suits and other things they could wear at nicer occasions. The hard mods often had closely shaven heads, mostly for work reasons and because they were easy to maintain which is where the phrase skinhead is thought to have originated from.

During the 1970s some of the skinheads began to associate themselves with very right wing British political parties who strongly believed that the economic issues Britain were facing were due to the non-white emigrants in the UK. The neo- Nazis also adopted some of the skinhead culture, wearing the skinny jeans and boots. It is because of these groups within the skinheads that people associate skinheads with white supremacy. There are large groups within the culture that were very racist and right wing, however the racism is not part of being a skinhead but rather an additional factor that evolved, there are also anti-racist skinheads so to define a skinhead as racist is not accurate.

Did they have a distinctive style?

Male skinheads had a grade two or three closely shaved head whilst women had a short feather cut. They wore skinny jeans and they tucked them into Dr Marten’s boots. They wore checked shirts and finished the look of with a pair of braces and a hat. (Source 5)

Why did young people associate themselves with this youth culture?

Many young people became skinheads because they came from dysfunctional homes or they thought being a skinhead was cool. Many came from lower class families and they joined because they felt alone and wanted to be part of a group. Skinheads originated from hard mods, originally skinheads were not racist they just hung around in groups and had fun but over the years some did turn to violence and racism. Also some of the youth didn't know many people with different coloured skin so they had racist views so being part of the skinheads meant you all believed in the same thing and would stick together.

How did they define themselves?

How skinheads defined themselves is a tricky question. There were so many different branches and versions of skinheads, like Trojan skinheads or gay skinheads. The main stereotype and view of skinheads (apparent in the play Blackout) is that they were racist and had similar beliefs of the  political party, the Nazis. The violent branch of Skinheads were known to be as different from the Hippies as possible, a revolutionary movement at the time. 

In the late 60s skinheads in the United Kingdom, including black skinheads, took part in violently assaulting South Asian immigrants, Paki bashing in common slang. However despite the very strong racist stereotype surrounding skinheads, there were many anti racist skinheads, even since the beginning of the subculture.

There was even a skinhead movement in the Netherlands, adopted by the Hardcore Techno movement. It was heavily criticised by the Dutch media, labelling it to be racist and having Neo-Nazi beliefs. The early forms of skinheads were not necessarily part of a political movement, however come early 70s, skinheads were starting to join the national front, a racial nationalist, whites only political party. After an increase in racially motivated violence, the media and also the general public began generalising all skinheads to be Neo Nazis and racists. 

There is an urban myth that the size of the checkers on you're

shirt would determine the authority that you had in you're crew. Half an inch and black and white shirt could classify you as the leader. An interview with Alan Mortlock suggests that skinheads really took pride in what they wore. "You felt a good buzz when you got dressed, ready to go out." Despite the shared identity and almost uniform of the skinheads (Doc Martins etc) Alan Mortlock suggests that there was a real urge to find clothes others didn't have, to be unique within your crew. 

Did this youth culture change over the years?

Skinheads originated from Mods. Mods would were sharp suits after having more disposable income thanks to the econ boom after the wars. This lead to young people spending more money on more fashionable items of clothing. An interview provided by the BBC suggests that Mods evolved or developed into skinheads for functional reasons. In 1966, England had just won the world cup and football was at the peak of its popularity, thus violence towards other football fans emerged. To fight in an expensive suit that you have just bought would not be advised, this would most likely follow with your suit being damaged. Perhaps for this reason Mods developed the more casual and yet functional skinhead look. It goes without saying that a kick to the face with a pair of Doc Martins could do quite a bit of damage.

Alan Mortlock, talks about how in the late 70s, when the skinheads were effectively revived, upon commenting abou this he said "this aint how we were." Complaining that they looked "super aggressive" with their adaptation of the style, consisting of bigger more threatening boots.  

How were they perceived by society and by mass media?

Skinheads were perceived as negative people to the public because of the way they behaved. The racist behaviour wasn’t acceptable to the public’s eye.


What was the role of young men and women in the emergence of this subculture?

The skinhead style seems to look quite masculine, even female skinheads would shave their hair short, a feather cut, leaving only a fringe and some hair at the back of the head. Female skinheads would also were similar clothes as men, with an addition of skirts, stockings or dress suits. 

What images do you associate with the word "Skinhead"?

Now that we have learnt lots about skinheads I don't just think of someone with short hair as a skinhead. I also think of a crew, gang, friendship, fighting, racism, fun, comfort, family, riots, aggression, violence, confidence and also having an identity. Having learnt there are lots of different types of skinheads we know not all of them are racist so we can't really judge them unless we know exactly what they are like and what they believe in. However these are a few words that come to mind when thinking of skinheads.

Does this subculture still exist?

The subculture does still exist in small numbers; however it’s large for a small subculture. The numbers waned during the 1970 but then increased again slightly in the 1980s the group exists now with people dressing as skinheads and calling themselves skinheads however it is quite rare to hear about them as they are not as prominent.

This website has lots of interesting videos about what it was like to be a skinheads and how they came to be 
(Source 5)

Shane Meadows

“Blackout” and “This is England” are described as “semi autobiographical”. Do some research to find out about the film director’s background and discuss how this information can be related to the film?

Semi autobiographical – A piece of work that falls between fiction and a biography.

First use of word – 1939

At its peak of use in books in the year 2000 (according to google books ngram viewer)

Meadows grew up within a working class family - his father was a long distance lorry driver, his mother worked in a fish and chip shop. His father discovered the body of a child murder victim, this then later lead to him being bullied and shunned by other children. He also said in a quote:

“if you were born with a dad who doesn't go down the pub with all the lads and doesn't drink and isn't a fighter, then you're going to get heaps of shit, my dad was a long-distance lorry driver who spent most of his time away from home – so although I had a dad, unlike in the film, he literally had to work away five or six days a week.” -Meadows Film4 Interview

Here he makes a direct link to the lead of This Is England, Shaun, having a similar upbringing to himself and that he mentions in another quote, "the first half of the film was completely and utterly as it was."

He also mentions, in a number of interviews, that many of the characters were based on skinheads he had met in his childhood. Woody for example, was based off his sisters girlfriend, who, in his words, "took me under his wing and taught me about the roots of the whole culture." This obviously links in with that Woody plays the fatherly figure in Shaun's life for the first half of the film. "He was a nice bloke who bore no relation to the stereotypical racist yob that people now associate with them." This perspective of skinheads is portrayed in the first half of the movie also, it shows them having confidence in each other, having a shared identity and being genuinely committed to being skinheads. Very different from the general skinhead stereotype, that did exist, but was only a branch of the actual movement.

Meadows and Shaun were lacking a father figure, though he has never stated it, it is entirely possible that Shaun is based upon himself at that age. The character Milky, quite an ironic name, serves the purpose of being a positive piece of iconography and symbolism displaying the passive skinheads, who had no racist beliefs. Similar to the the group of skinheads he was in when he was younger.  

 This is an article in the Guardian, that Shane Meadows wrote about This Is England:

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/apr/21/culture.features

All quotes from Film4 interview and guradian article.

Youth crime

http://www.understandingglasgow.com/indicators/children/safety/community_safety/youth_crime

This Link has facts and figures about youth crime in Glasgow which helps us understand what types of crimes are being committed and how old people are when they do these crimes. (Source 4)

Locations in the script

Page 5
Location:Jail Cell
It is a small room, with white walls and bright lights. It probably makes James feel trapped and he wants to get out.

Page 6
Location:Jail cell
As above 

Location:Home
At first it talks about how horrible it was with his father abusing his mother so there is quite a negative atmosphere however when he starts talking about what his mum wanted him to grow up to be it becomes more positive because there is hope for the future and she loves him.

Page 7
Location:Home
Once again he is at home so we thought it should be very light and homely when he is in the kitchen getting food but we thought up the stairs it should be dark like hes going upstairs and entering how un happy he is and all the negativity he has to live with.

Location:Street 
It then talks about spending time with his grandad so we thought he could be on a well lit street playing with him and having a laugh because he loves his grandad.

Location:Grandads house
It then goes to his grandads house which we thought infront of it could be a window and then a street so whilst acting james and his grandad can see what is happening in the streets below.

Page 8
Location:Grandads house
A happy place with lots of things around to make it look as though the place has been well lived in.

Location:Bedroom
He is in his bedroom thinking about how he is alone and doesn't have true friends. Quite a dark atmosphere.

Page 9
Location:School
In this scene he is getting beaten up so we thought it would be set outside school and would have a loud atmosphere making James feel overpowered and alone.

Page 10
Location:Bedroom
He is in his room watching horror films so it is a dark atmosphere and is very negative.

Location:Jail cell/Secure care unit
In this scene he is being questioned so again it would be a small, white room with bright lights. There would be a table and two chairs and I think James would be feeling nervous and afraid to find out what he has done.

Page 11
Location:Jail cell/Secure care unit
As above

Location:Street
In this scene he is getting beaten up again so again it is a sad atmosphere and James cannot do anything about it.

Location:Bedroom
This is when James is changing into a skin head, again it is a negative place to be because he is trying to not be bullied and is hoping this will solve the issue.

Page 12
Location:Home
James comes down to the kitchen with his new hair, he is entering a positive are but inside he feels negative emotions.

Location:Bedroom
He is watching fascist films and is starting to change into a skinhead by trying to look like them.

Location:School
School is supposed to be a happy environment so when james comes in there is a lot of tension

Page 13
Location:School
James is still at school and he is acting unlike himself. He is standing up to the bullies and is showing aggression to others, this makes people confused in the scene because he has changed so much and they can't pick on him any more.

Page 14
Location:School
As above

Location:Bedroom
Again he is in a dark place because he is starting to think like skinheads and is thinking about hurting people and how good it will feel.

Location:Bedroom
In scene twelve his mum shouts up the stairs, he still respects and loves his mum so he tries to hide away his feelings and tell her what she wants to hear.

Page 15
Location:Bedroom
When his mum is gone he puts on a slasher film and then his friends come round so it is quite a dangerous atmosphere and intense. James is trying to look cool in front of his friends.

Page 16
Location:Bedroom
As above

Page 17
Location:Bedroom
James' mum comes in so there is a rush to hide the blade. In front of his mum he doesn't act all cool and hard he has a change in personna. He doesn't want his mum to see him upset so he tries to hide his feelings from her.

Location:In mind
Scene twelve is showing his inner thoughts and feelings so his emotions about his anger and upset about the loss of his grandad could be should through physical theatre.

Page 18
Location:Interrogation room
This location should be a very open space showing that he cant hide and he has to know what he has done.

Location:Park
He is in a place he feels uncomfortable in and with people he doesn't really know

Page 19
Location:Park/Alley
Again he is in a place where the public cant see him and it is quite a scary atmosphere because people are making him do things he hasn't done before.

Page 20
Location:A street
We know his friends are taking him home but again he doesn't feel comfortable and is confused.

Location:Home
We think when he starts to beat people up he is at home, probably in the living room, definitely not the kitchen or his bedroom, because he is fighting with his hands so there is no access to weapons. It is a loud and crazy atmosphere because james acts really violently and people don't know how to stop him.

Page 21
Location:Home
As above

Location:Jail or In head
This could be either because he is remembering about how he nearly killed someone so it could be him remembering it in the jail cell or it could be going on in his head and how he feels about what he has done.

Location:Courtroom
He probably feels very exposed because this is a place he cannot lie. He has no control over what the judge says and the reason he did all of this was to try and take control of his life. He is also probably feeling nervous and shocked about what he has done because he is still just a kid.

Page 22
Location:Courtroom
As above

Location:Outside the jail
He feels relieved and it is a positive place to be outside again and free

Page 23
Location:Outside the jail
He is feeling relieved but also anxious because now he has to face his mum, but his mum forgives him so it is a happy atmosphere.

Location:In head
He is letting the audience and everyone know how he is going to improve his life and how this can happen to anyone.

Location:Bedroom
He is taking down all his posters and try to forget everything he has done. This is a positive atmosphere because he is leaving things behind and trying to make a better future for himself.

The Stage

After reading through the text and discussing all of the locations I thought that the staging configuration that would be best suited to this play was thrust. I thought it would be good because everything would be performed end on so no ones back would be towards the audience. Also  because the stage would be big it would be easier to perform physical theatre and change the location. Finally the bit of the stage that comes out could be where his thought and feelings are, this small area could represent his mind and its closer to the audience which makes the audience feel closer to what he is going through and like they are discovering what emotions he is feeling with him.

However, we then got asked to perform parts of the play in a certain theatrical configuration, my group got told to use traverse. I really liked using this staging because it meant that the audience got so see things from a different perspective. It also meant lots of different things could be going on at the same time and it would be interesting to see how we could adapt the play so we were able to perform it in traverse.