Lesson Evaluation 3rd April

Within today's lesson we realised that we had come to a 'roadblock' within our devising process. With lack of research and knowledge of the original play, it is hard to transform or even base our own adaptation of 'much ado' on something we know little about. Using our research from yesterday 'the five stages of grief' we have assigned each step (denial, anger, depression, bargaining and acceptance) and a section of the play to individuals - where more thorough research and analysis will be shared back to the group. My section include bargaining and scene one, act one.

It is important that we go back to the beginning ( we have skipped an important step) as this will help us in future rehearsals. All of our knowledge/ main source of information will come from the original text which we can now use as a platform to move forwards. My research on bargaining is as follows:

Song- 'running up that hill' (Bo Bruce does a good cover). The lyrics reflect this idea of bargaining 'if I were to go, and make a deal with God, and get him to swap our places...'
This is relevant to how Claudio feels- guilty and wanting Hero back alive. Although we had initially decided that the bargaining scene would be the bingo, it could also work in the packing scene where he starts to regret and miss Hero (we could show this through flashbacks)- As part of his final thoughts/ desperation to do anything and 'bargain' before he takes his own life. Potential to be emotional and portray him as vulnerable- as in previous scenes we will be using humour.

Poem-
 Bargaining with yourself
lungs beating back and forth
like wary eyes
scared someone might see
and know you've lost it
gone so subtly that
not even you knew
(until this moment).
Not even you noticed
your anchor's been dragging for miles
But still, a bargain.
Self, I will act as though I'm sane
and in exchange
please illuminate me as to
what the hell has happened.
We'll shake on it.

This could be used as an insight to Claudio's mind. Nicole mentioned previously that we could have pictures around the hotel which gave clues as to what's going in Claudio's mind, his feelings, memories, future etc. perhaps this poem could also be framed - giving an insight as to how Claudio feels in this stage of grief 'bargaining'.