Within today's rehearsal, we completed a run. The feedback we received for this included the following:
- rather than taking our time with the acting and introducing characters, we were 'playing for laughs'. The first run through we performed,we were unaware of how funny if was (or the response we would get from the audience! This was particularly evident within the bingo scene- I know that I could have slowed down my lines, exaggerated the characteristics of my character less and perhaps portrayed this more truthfully/ realistically.
- there were some scenes that were too slow, whereas some were too fast! The bingo scene in particular dragged whereas the suicide scene was too fast - some audience members even missed the suicide happening! We need to find a good balance- being aware of when we need to pick up the pace or slow down!
- as some people completely missed the suicide ( and it seemed funny as it was done badly!), Rose suggested that we could climb over the barrier instead so that the death takes place in front of the audience. We will experiment with this tomorrow- although making sure we put safety first e.g. Spotting, being aware of each other's abilities etc. here we could have a 'titanic moment' as though Claudio doesn't want to leg Hero go, yet she falls from his grasp.
- when we swap at the end of the play- Claudio dies instead of Hero, Claudio could just jump, as he is led to death by Hero ( and realistically, we're all to small to safely catch him!). This ties in well at the end where we can lay the roses on him, rather than just placing them on the floor.
- there was a moment where I appeared at the end of the bingo scene in my hero costume (rather than blue coat) and continuing the tour. This confused the audience as they expected the character of hero- not the blue coat! I need to re look at this transition, making sure I am able to bring my blue coat down stairs in time, ready for the change.
This run definitely wasn't as successful as the last- we need to consider what it was that went wrong and how we can bring it back to the standard that it was before.
2 ) What led to those discoveries?
The run and rehearsal- marking through with props and costume. Perhaps one of the reasons this run seemed more rushed was because it was the first time running through with props and costume. Although we had marked through this (walked through each of our journeys), physically putting in the costumes and performing was trickier and involved more preparation and planning than we had initially thought! It would be useful to run over this again slowly- perhaps changing to perform the first and last sections of scenes so that we can move through the run quickly!
3 ) Towards where do those discoveries lead?
Tomorrow's rehearsal we will go through the suicide scene, working out the practicability of using the front barrier for the suicide instead (climbing over the railing and falling into the crowd (being caught by the rest of the group. We also need to run through the canteen scene, considering new entrances and exits. Rose suggested that instead of having Beatrice and Bernadette walk through the crowd ( where they can't be heard very well), they should walk in through the opposite entrance, which would draw the audience attention/ focus- they instantly have something to concentrate on and watch- this is because when running this transition some of the audience completely missed this section of text/ argument which therefore didn't make sense in context.
4 ) Consider questions No. 1-3 except focus on important roadblocks/dead ends.
The roadblocks here are similar to last rehearsal- we can't become too 'comfortable' in knowing that we have finished the play. Today's run reiterated the fact that we still have lots to refine and practise! There were certain scenes that still need changing and 'tightening' - which is really important we get completed soon considering our tech is on Saturday- and the final performance on Monday!!
5 ) Reflect on dramatic action and conflict. How’s it going? What actions does this suggest?
Need to remember our characters and tone of the piece- not play for laughs. Ensure that we keep the comedy in the bingo scene whilst maintaining a serious tone.
7 ) Reflect on the journey of one or both of the actors with whom you are working. How’s it going? What needs to happen next?
I love Jessie's commitment to her character in the bingo scene, she doesn't hold back (which helps to add to the surrealistic nature of the piece!). I also admire Nicole's organisation- she know exactly where to place her props/ costume and what she needs to do for the next scene! I also loved the script Amy wrote for the bingo transition- her writing is very humorous and captures the personality/ characteristics of both our characters really well! She is clearly very talented at script writing and understands this from both audience and actor perspective!
8 ) What is the most important thing that happened (or didn’t happen) in your recent rehearsal? Unpack its importance.
The run with costume was important as we now understand how this should run and what we need to do to ensure it runs smoothly next time e.g. Slowing the whole piece (including transitions) down!
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