12th May Lesson Evaluation

1) What important discoveries were made during the rehearsal? 


Within today's rehearsal, our aims were to complete the final scene and transitions. These scenes evolve around the character of Claudio (who was away) therefore we had to work around this, making sure that we used our time beneficially and productively.

We considered the scenes that needed most work or improvement- in this case we ran over the bingo scene a couple of times, focusing on lines (making sure they were learnt), perfecting harmonies, practising with the new props (fans) and linking this to the transition. Alongside the bingo scene, we ran through the bedroom scene twice, ensuring that we were aware of the timing and that the group section was perfecting (all movements in the same direction).

As it was difficult to rehearse these scenes without Claudio (as he is the main character!), we discussed possible lighting techniques which we could use e.g. Amy suggested that we have a single spotlight on Nicole (during the bingo scene) which would project her shadow/outline onto the floor in front of Claudio- this would create a ghostly effect!

There weren’t many other acting scenes that we could rehearse physically without Claudio so we used the second half of the hour to list all the music cues needed- tonight I will research train/ train station sound effects! We also considered how we would use the TV news report- Jess has done lots of research and found a news report on TV which would suit our piece and could also apply to Hero. We were discussing whether to use the TV’s already provided in the foyer or the white board. We agreed that the white board would be easier to access – and we would have freedom to place it wherever we want! Considering our assessment is on Wednesday, it would be simpler and easier to use the white board (as this is one of the minor issues we are currently trying to solve and either way, won’t have a great impact on the rest of the performance).

2) What led to those discoveries?

Towards the beginning of the rehearsal we accepted our situation and planned out what would be the best use of our time- in this case we agreed to run over and perfect any scenes that needed improvement, and secondly, to discuss technical issues including music, lighting, sound effects, costume, and props (catching up Jessy with our costume and props map made last rehearsal).

Certain discoveries were made during the bingo scene e.g. we realised that there were complications with the fans and Hero cards- it was hard to find the time to pick up our fans whilst displaying the cards at the same time. To resolve this we changed some of the movement and worked around the timing- changing our acting/performance to fit with the music.

3) Towards where do those discoveries lead? 


Now that we generally feel confident with the technical aspects of the performance, our next goal will be to complete the final scene and transitions! Without the transitions, our piece will fall apart and won’t make sense. There are still four transitions to devise (the tour- with the manager, the bedroom to bingo scene, the bingo to bedroom 2 – continued tour with blue coat and salsa dancer,  bedroom 2 to final scene- leading Claudio to his death). Even if we split these transitions between us – so that they get devised quicker, it would be better than leaving them altogether (we need something to hold the piece together otherwise it won’t be ready to be shown!).

4 ) Consider questions No. 1-3 except focus on important roadblocks/dead ends.


We were worried today that we might have to step in for certain characters on Wednesday if there are still issues with attendance. We are at the point now where we know the play well and could cover each other parts of work our way around problems if needed. It’s unlikely that this will be the case however we need to be prepared in advance and aware of the things that could go wrong (generally) e.g. at this stage costumes and props! And be ready to work around or improvise through issues that may occur.

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 admire Amy’s constant commitment to the characterisation and diversity of characters. She uses her voice and body in a creative way that is different/unique to all the roles she has to play. I would like to be able to perform my own characters in this way – at the moment all my characters are too similar (and I struggle to change/use my voice in a different way).

8 ) What is the most important thing that happened (or didn’t happen) in your recent rehearsal?  Unpack its importance.
Also -What is the most important thing that could happen in your next rehearsal?  How will you shape the rehearsal in order to increase the odds of that “thing” happening?


As mentioned above, the most important thing that should have happened was to at least start and devise the final scene + transitions! In the circumstances this was difficult however we could have practised individual transitions e.g. Nicole’s tour (as manager) and my tour (as blue coat).

We haven’t yet completed a full run including the transitions (or attempting). It would be useful to use extra rehearsal time tomorrow to complete the final scene and try linking the ending ad beginning of scenes to transitions- these need the most work! 

Symbolism of the Veil

We are considering using a veil within the final scene to represent/ symbolise a new beginning- Claudio leaves to join Hero in death. I have researched into the meanings and history of the veil I case there are any different or more relevant meanings.

'There are many stories of the origin of a bride’s veil. Some say that the veil was introduced in ancient Rome. People of that era believed that evil spirits would be attracted to the bride, so they covered her face with a veil in order to conceal her features and confuse them. The definition of veil is to “obscure, shroud, mask or cover, so perhaps that is how the bridal “veil” got its name.
It’s also said the in medieval times, the veil was used to protect her from “the evil eye” and was a symbol of purity, chastity, and modesty.
Others say the the origin of the bridal veil was due to the circumstances of an arranged marriage. In days past, men bargained with an eligible young lady’s father for their hand in marriage. AFTER the ceremony, the veil was lifted to reveal the brides features. This was to keep a groom from backing out of the deal if he didn’t like what he saw.
Some say that the veil was used in days past as a symbol of a bride’s submission and willingness to obey her husband.'

From this research perhaps it could symbolise Hero's innocence- she never cheated on Claudio, perhaps she was buying a Rose for him or it was given in innocence ( the Rose given to hero could be yellow- a symbol of friendship). Perhaps the veil at the end could represent her willingness to obey and accept Claudio's decision of death - perhaps she wants to start a new beginning with him?

Symbolisation of Roses

Rather than using paint for the bedroom scene, we decided to use Rose petals ( as this links back to the beginning suicide scene - handing of the Rose and Hero death). Originally when using the paint idea, each of us were going to have a different colour paint to symbolise a different emotion or aspect of the relationship e.g. Love, hate, anger, disappointment, betrayal etc. however, for ease and clarity we decided to use 5 love Hero's (red) and one death hero (black/dead petals).

For the final scene we had the idea of each hero passing Claudio a Rose, as he passes them (we will each be placed on a different step).  This is as though Hero is leading him to his death (roses are often placed on graves at funerals) Perhaps here we could use colour to symbolise the different emotions?

Research- colour meanings

Red Rose
Scottish poet Robert Burns didn’t compare his love to a red, red rose for nothing. Long associated with beauty and perfection, red roses are a time-honored way to say “I love you.” Whether it’s for a birthday, Valentine’s Day or just to express appreciation on any old day, there’s no better way than a bouquet of red roses to express your feelings.
Read More – Meaning of Red Roses

Pink Rose
right and beautiful to behold, but pink roses are also fabulously versatile when you have something important to say. A classic symbol of grace and elegance, the pink rose is often given as a token of admiration and appreciation. Whether they’re for your best friend, fiancée or ever-dependable cubicle mate, a pink rose bouquet will create a bright spot in a special someone’s day.
Read More – Meaning of Pink Roses

White Rose
White roses are traditionally associated with marriages and new beginnings, but their quiet beauty has also made them a gesture of remembrance. When the occasion calls for reverence, whether stately or somber, a bouquet of white rose is a perfect way to say, “I’m thinking of you.”
Read More – Meaning of White Roses

Orange Rose
With their blazing energy, orange roses are the wild child of the rose family. Whatever feelings you might be bubbling over with—enthusiasm, passion, gratitude—orange roses will get the message across with both oomph and elegance.
Read More – Meaning of Orange Roses

Yellow Rose
When it comes to sending a joyful message, yellow roses are your best friend. In fact, yellow roses are a traditional symbol of friendship, so there you go. With their warm, sunny disposition, a bouquet of yellow roses tends to light up the room, making them a perfect way to say thanks, get well, congratulations or just, “Hey, thanks for being you.”
Read More – Meaning of Yellow Roses

-Red (Dark) Unconscious beauty

-Red (Single)"I Love You"

-Deep Burgundy Unconscious Beauty

-White Purity, Innocence, Silence, Secrecy, Reverence, Humility, Youthfulness,
"I am worthy of you", Heavenly

-White (Bridal) Happy love

-Pink Appreciation, "Thank you", Grace, Perfect Happiness, Admiration, Gentleness, "Please Believe Me"

- Dark Pink Appreciation, Gratitude, "Thank You"

-Light Pink Admiration, Sympathy, Gentleness, Grace, Gladness, Joy, Sweetness

-Yellow Joy, Gladness, Friendship, Delight, Promise of a new beginning, Welcome Back, Remember Me,  Jealousy,
"I care"

-Yellow with Red Tip Friendship, Falling in Love

-Orange Desire, Enthusiasm

-Red and White Given together, these signify unity

-Red and Yellow Jovial and Happy Feelings

-Peach Appreciation, Closing the deal, Let's get together, Sincerity, Gratitude

-Pale Peach Modesty

-Coral Desire

-Lavender Love at first sight, Enchantment

-Orange Enthusiasm, Desire, Fascination

-Black * Death, Farewell

-Blue * The unattainable, the impossible

-Single - any color Simplicity, Gratitude

-Red Rosebud Symbolic of purity and loveliness

-White Rosebud Symbolic of girlhood

-Thorn-less Rose "Love at first sight"

-Roses by the Numbers

A single rose of any color depicts utmost devotion
Two roses entwined together communicate "Marry me"
Six Roses signify a need to be loved or cherished
Eleven roses assure the recipient they are truly and deeply loved
Thirteen roses indicate a secret admirer

From looking at this chart we could use black roses (to symbolise death/farewell). Also the fact that 6 roses 'signify a need to be loved or cherished' suggests why hero is leading him to death- wants to be with him again. Or could suggest how the opposite- this love is non existent.

Characterisation for Blue coat

From the run through I was not happy with my character of blue coat - I realised that I didn't completely understand this character or knew how to portray her. Also her relationship with the manager (Nicole's character) is still unclear. Initially me and Nicole had agreed the following about our characters:
- the manager would be bossy and ordering the blue coat around
- the blue coat finds the manager annoying as she is so controlling and is often told off for slacking/ lazing around when the manager is not around

Despite these ideas, I still didn't know how my Character would respond to the audience/ guests of the hotel. Therefore I have researched into possible character parallels we could use.

Firstly I tried to link to characters from the source text 'much ado about nothing', here the characters of the watchmen have similar relationships- one bossy leader (dogberry) with passive followers - verges and other watchmen. In the globe theatre version of the play, these characters are ridiculed and made fun of ( there was a particular scene which poked fun at the size/ weight) of the characters. The leader, Dogberry, gets annoyed and fed up with the men when they fool around (although he is portrayed as dumb himself). This relationship could relate back to mine and Nicole's characters (manager as Dogberry and blue coat as verges/ watchmen). For a transition we could even include some of the text from this section?

Secondly, and more appropriately, I thought we could link our characters to 'Mean Girls' - Karen and Regina. Regina is the leader if the group (manager), fake and 'overly nice' to people, yet bitches behind their backs. This is similar to Nicole's character- nice to the guests (tries to get into everyone's good books) yet finds them annoying and difficult! Karen is more a follower of the group (doesn't have much power) and is really dumb! The dumb element of this character is appropriate for the tour I give to the guests in a transition, I make up lots of irrelevant facts e.g. Pointing out fire exits and commenting on wallpaper.

I could take the passive 'follower' of the group from the watchman, and the dumbness of Karen from 'mean girls'.

8th May Lesson Evaluation

1 ) What important discoveries were made during the rehearsal?

The aim of today's rehearsal was to prepare for our full run - showing to the rest of the group. Through doing so we were able to discover the following:
- what still needs to be done, where the gaps are ( any problems that we need to resolve and change)
- linking scenes together. It is clear that the transitions are the main missing aspects! Without the transitions, it was difficult for the audience to know when and where to move (also some of the audience were confused as to the connection between scenes- the transitions could clear this up!)
-beginning/opening scene. As we were only given the script for this today, it is clear we need to make lots of improvement/ alterations. We also need to clarify that Claudio has booked a room with Hero otherwise this becomes confusing in the canteen scene when he only refers to his 'wife'.
- the bedroom scene with all five Hero's is confusing - the audience were questioning why there are suddenly five (considering that I have been the only one portrayed as Hero so far). We need to find a way of making this clear- communicating our idea of surrealism to the audience. I suggested that we could write words on the dresses however this may be too obvious.
- within the canteen scene there is nowhere for the manager and blue coat to hide/ or change. We will have to consider transitions and 'backstage' next rehearsal.
- from feedback I learnt that the depression scene ( with hero and Claudio) doesn't quite work. Instead of Hero being in the bedroom before Claudio arrives, Claudio should start off on his own- which makes it look as though he's talking to someone who's not there (and further reinforces the fact that this is all in his head- he's having a mental breakdown!). I can then enter when he talks about 'needing me there with him' where we show our separation using hand placement either side of the door.
- lines and cues were a problem! The full potential of our acting was masked by scripts and also the cues were messy- however the transition will help to fix this problem.
- small issues with the bingo scene, we need to re rehearse the song! thinking about timing and accuracy of harmonies.
- I personally need to research my character of blue coat ( as I felt I gave a really weak performance as this character!)

2 ) What led to those discoveries?

The full run was essential to the discovery (of the above). Without this, it would have been difficult to expose the possible issues and problems - now that we have made and experienced these mistakes/ problems, we can begin working towards fixing them

3 ) Towards where do those discoveries lead?

We now need to consider the prop and costume changes, during the run we only mentioned and mimed where these would be - however we need to put this into action to discover how this will work (if we need to make any changes, alterations, solve complications etc.) we have made a props/ costume list of everything we need to buy - this will be the first thing we do next rehearsal!
The feedback given way really helpful, we can now take on board these comments and apply them to our performance. In particular I will focus on my bedroom scene and what I can change or include to make if clear why there are suddenly five Hero's alongside me. Someone had the idea of using a Rose as a symbol - which could tie into the final scene when Claudio is left to his death.
Considering the final scene, we need to plan the ending- what do we want to happen? How will it finish? Where do we want to stage this? etc.
it is important that we keep re rehearsing in order to improve quality and standard of acting, costume changes, and confidence of lines.

4 ) Consider questions No. 1-3 except focus on important roadblocks/dead ends.

As mentioned with the props/costume, we have a tendency for saying '(prop/costume change) Will happen here' rather than physically doing it. If we get in the habit of performing this way, the same will happen on the night of rehearsal!

5 ) Reflect on dramatic action and conflict.  How’s it going?  What actions does this suggest?

From audience response it is very clear where the dramatic tension is within the scenes- we provoked a good contrast in responses - crying with laughter to seriousness.

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 was really impressed with the level of organisation from Nicole, Jessie and Meg. Furthermore the initiative Jessie and Meg had to separately rehearse the Beatrice and Benedict scene  (in their own time) really helped to improve and develop our performance- this section acted as a transition which was much better than the one I had originally devised. I also loved the characterisation of Claudio which George chose- it makes sense with his actions and also adds to the comic effect.

8 ) What is the most important thing that happened (or didn’t happen) in your recent rehearsal?  Unpack its importance.

The run though was the most important thing to happen in rehearsal as it has helped us to Realise where we are at 'in the grand scheme of rehearsals' and set the agenda/ criteria goals for the upcoming rehearsals.

9 ) What is the most important thing that could happen in your next rehearsal?  How will you shape the rehearsal in order to increase the odds of that “thing” happening?

All of us agree that we need to plot/ plan out all the costume and prop changes- the run helped us to realise how complex this would be!

9th May Lesson Evaluation

1 ) What important discoveries were made during the rehearsal?

Within today's rehearsal,our main aim was to plot the costume and prop changes. Our performance is very reliant on the different characters, however, to introduce most of these characters, we each have to multirole. Therefore there are lots of significant costume changes -which help to make it clear to the audience the different characters (makes each one easily distinguishable). Alongside planning the different costume changes we also had to agree and place our order on costumes to ensure they are delivered in time for the show.

2 ) What led to those discoveries?

We realised in the previous rehearsal how important it would be to start rehearsing with costume/props as we are currently just miming- we need to rehearse with the physical props/ costume to make sure that we are able to use them,we know where to place them backstage and that any complications can be solved e.g. Helping to move each other's costumes into the right places.

3 ) Towards where do those discoveries lead?

Within the rehearsal Megan drew out a map of the hub whilst we all made 'paper cut outs' of ourselves to be plotted onto the map. We then drew a table, charting each scene and each character. Firstly for costume, We went through each individual within the scenes marking off each character and the costumes that would be needed at each point (considering where and how we would place them). Whilst we checked through each scene, we blocked this physically using the paper and drawn map- this helped us to visualise as well as just writing a list. To further help us understand and test wether our costume plan worked, we wrote each item of clothing/ costume on a piece of paper- pre-setting them around the college. We then walked through each scene together, holding up one of the pieces of paper to represent our current costume whilst placing the other ps in the correct spaces. Through doing this we were able to discover any issues that we'd missed and also understand physically how it will work during the performance.

Considering how well this plan worked, we used the same method for planning the props- however we are yet to walk this through physically.

4 ) Consider questions No. 1-3 except focus on important roadblocks/dead ends.

The roadblocks/ dead ends that could occur as a result of this is if we 'switch off' during the performance or don't learn the order of costume placing- if one of the costumes is in the wrong place, it could ruin/ effect the whole piece. As mentioned before, our piece is very character driven- relies on each character ( each character has a major role and specific purpose!)

6 ) Reflect on transformational leadership.  How’s it going?  What actions does this suggest?

Although Meg took charge with plotting out map/ table (which was a brilliant and very useful idea!), we all contributed towards this, offering alternate solutions, listing all the different costumes needed. This activity needed a leader to hold it together otherwise it would have got very confusing and taken too much time!

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?

Now that we have got the props and costume sorted, our next plan of action is to complete the play ready for the run next Wednesday! We had also previously set a deadline for learning scripts ( which was Wednesday) however now this has changed to Monday- this gives us time to practise a couple of full runs (with costume and props) without having to worry about lines- this will also give us an indication as to timing and enable us to act freely (focus in the acting and quality rather than lines).

8 ) What is the most important thing that happened (or didn’t happen) in your recent rehearsal?  Unpack its importance.

It was so useful to plan the costume/ props and the backstage logistics (where each person needs to be at what time and where). This has helped me to feel more confident- I am now able to relax knowing exactly what I'm doing and when - I can now focus on the acting and line learning!

7th May Lesson Evaluation

1 ) What important discoveries were made during the rehearsal?

The aim of today's rehearsal was as follows:









Considering that we had to show our performances within the lesson today, we discussed what was necessary/ essential to be rehearsed/devised and decided what would be the best use of our time.
We were able to achieve lots within the rehearsal and decided to use extra rehearsal time (over break and lesson two) in order to complete the bingo scene. Both and Amy and Meg were able to extend the scripts (before and after both songs) which helps to clarify/ explain what has happened within each scene as beforehand it was too short -  May have been confusing for the audience to follow!

2 ) What led to those discoveries?

Yesterday's production meeting and run helped us to realise what was still needed to be done and how we could shape our rehearsals in order to achieve completing these scenes. Furthermore, all of us came to rehearsals today focused and ready to work - Meg organised a time table for the lesson with clear aims (as shown in the picture above) which we were mostly able to stick to and complete.

3 ) Towards where do those discoveries lead?

Realising what we have/don't have, has helped us to plan our rehearsals- we know what still needs to be done and have made decisions on how to work around this. One particular example- one of our cast is ill and therefore cannot make rehearsals (or block/ provide the script for their scene) therefore we have begun to write/ plan a back up script that we can have ready in case it comes to the worst- if that person is no longer able to rejoin us!
Furthermore, I also now knows personally what I need to do in order to make sure these scenes are completed e.g. Learn scripts, practise harmonys, research into suicide, bring necessary props, brainstorm ideas for the final scene etc.

4 ) Consider questions No. 1-3 except focus on important roadblocks/dead ends.

At the end of our rehearsal we were able to watch each other's performances - these were all really good however very different from ours! We need to not be put off or distracted by this yet accept that ours is a different style/ theme/ genre/ play etc. and have confidence within our own choices and decisions.
Also today some of us were worried about our input and abilities within the group - we need to be really encouraging each other (especially as we've nearly reached the end performance!) and supporting each other's roles. Further to this, we also need to ensure that we accept everyone's ideas, listening and trying them out even if we don't end up using them!

6 ) Reflect on transformational leadership.  How’s it going?  What actions does this suggest?

Particularly today, we relied on Megan's leadership skills to guide us through the rehearsals. Without a structure or organisation to our rehearsal time, the group would have fallen apart and nothing productive would have been made. I found the timetable useful as we included a variety of different tasks - meaning that we were able to achieve more than just one goal and that these goals wouldn't become tedious (we wouldn't get bored or tired of doing the same scene- we could put our energy into lots of different scenes instead).

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?

Although we all need some encouragement, Jess needs to be aware of how much we value her in our group and all the contributions she's made! She's done some really good research into suicide news reports and I love her idea of using a 'background'/green screen to record the news reporter. I also thought that George was really focused today and we were able to move through each scene quickly without distractions!

8 ) What is the most important thing that happened (or didn’t happen) in your recent rehearsal?  Unpack its importance.

It's really helped me to watch back the other groups performances! Alongside enjoying what they've created, it's helped me to realise where I need to be in comparison- scripts need to be learnt and the movement needs to be more fluid! In future rehearsals I will aim to be more focused as I know how much we still need to complete and the potential we have within this time - we have the potential to create some really good acting/ movement.
The Macbeth group inspired me through their use of physical theatre and props - I loved how they used suitcases to show characterisation and the variety of movements - beyond simple, they had created moves 'outside of the box', using contact work and use of levels.

9 ) What is the most important thing that could happen in your next rehearsal?  How will you shape the rehearsal in order to increase the odds of that “thing” happening?

As mentioned above, the most important thing that could happen in our next rehearsal is to make progress with either the beginning or last scene, transitions, and performing with lots of energy/ characterisation when performing to the rest of the class!

10 ) Consider where you’re at in the grand scheme of all rehearsals.  How’s it going?  What actions does this suggest?
The run through (and performance tomorrow) will hopefully enable us to discover exactly what needs to be done and how we can approach this in future rehearsals ( the feedback here will be particularly useful!). Comparing to other groups I feel we are in a similar position however we need to ensure that we perform with full energy and characterisation otherwise the play appears dull and is like a 'struggle'. The piece is heavily based on the portrayal of characters in order to successfully replicate a comedic style.