"Dr Faustus" - Marlowe (4) (Clowning Continued)

In this lesson we continued with and completed our Charlie Chaplin inspired silent scene. Instead of doing a little bit of work on the scene and performing it to the rest of the class, we decided to work at the scene and involve everyone. We worked out what characters we wanted to include and who would play what role:

• RHIANNON = the person who tries to get away from the ticket warden as they didn't buy a ticket
• OLIVER = the ticket warden
• ROBERT = the creepy person who will sit next to you despite being plenty of other seats available
• LORNA = an older lady who looks down her nose at everyone. Tries to read a book
• LEWIS = the person who falls asleep (and falls asleep on the old snobbish lady!)
• JAMES = the person who always talks loudly on their phone
• CHARLIE = the drunk person

We began by setting up the chairs in the formation to represent our train. We then discussed an order for our partnered scenes (to ensure that only one section went on at a time, to ensure that the attention wasn't taken away from the section in focus). We decided who would begin on the train and who would be getting on the train. We decided we wanted music during our piece, so we were not performing in total silence and to give a sense of movement to the piece (as well as keeping our piece in style with the old-fashioned silent plays). We had a different piece of piano music for each little scene (this was to show that there was a change in situation and characters). We tried to include repetition in our piece (as this was a typical convention of the silent era) as well as making our characters quite over-the-top.

What went well with our piece:
-- We included repetition (e.g. with the constant changing of seats)
-- The music helped create the right atmosphere
-- The layout of the chairs looked like a train
-- Our characters were all very different
-- We kept up our characterisations for the majority of the piece

What could have been better:
-- Our characters could have been more exaggerated
-- Our timing with the music could have been better
-- We should have used our faces more

Commedia dell'arte (20)

FINAL REHEARSAL:
Achieved:

• Lighting plan sorted ---> we asked Dan from the year above to operate the lighting desk for us during our performance. I went through with him what lighting we wished to have (what areas needed to be lit at certain times and also when we needed the lights off [for the cupboard scene!]).
• First full run-through complete ---> although this run-through didn't go as we had planned, we did fairly well bearing in mind this was our first full run-through together (due to people being off ill and so not having a rehearsal for a while where we were all there and in character).
• Costume run ---> our costumes looked really good and helped with our characterisations. We felt like we were actually working in a restaurant. I helped Rhiannon and Oliver by styling their hair and also by helping Rhiannon with her makeup (as her character is unmasked).
• Organised all props ready ---> we all chipped in and bought different props to ensure that one person wasn't left to buy everything.
• Set up the hall with tables and chairs ---> as well as working out where to position the tables and chairs to allow everyone a clear view of the action, we decorated the tables with flowers and napkins.
• Organised the stage to look like a kitchen ---> we used two stage blocks positioned in the centre as a cooker and counter, and another stage block positioned stage right as a sink.
• Team work! ---> the run-through didn't go to plan (as we were not confident due to a lack of thorough rehearsals) so we were rather down-heartened to say the least. However, despite a range of negative emotions, we pulled together and tried to stay positive. We discussed what we needed to do, this discussion included the following: let go more and relax / don't be afraid to look silly / keep the energy up / involve the audience and interact with them throughout the piece / keep the stance of our characters.

EVALUATION OF FINAL PIECE:
What went well:

• The lighting, sound and staging worked effectively. The lighting and sound cues were correct and our set up of stage blocks worked well as kitchen counters. 
• Our costumes looked good and were effective as they helped the audience understand our characters a bit better, as well as helping us get in to and remain in characters. 
• Our layout of the tables and chairs enabled all audience members clear visibility, as well as making them a part of the piece (as they were customers at our restaurant). 
• Our character interactions on the whole were fairly accurate as they showed the status of all characters as well as the interactions between the original stock characters.
• I think we all kept the stances of our characters for the majority of the piece.
• We let go a lot more in this performance and had no awkward silences this time (unlike in the run-through).
• We worked well as a team as we gave each other cues if we were in the wrong place or were unsure what was to happen next.

What could have been better: 

• As we were worried about having a repeat of the run-through with the awkward silences, we kept the energy up the whole time and improvised a lot of the time. Unfortunately, we over-compensated and the piece ended up quite messy as the audience were unsure on where to look (so the sections that were supposed to be the main focus were not focused on as other sections were too distracting) ---> if we were to do the piece again we would have scheduled more rehearsals in the performance space where we would work out what everyone else would do (that would not be too distracting) whilst the main action took place.
• Our characterisation wasn't always strong... ---> we should have done more lessons and exercises on characterisation purely. We also could have done a characterisation exercise or two between the run-through and the performance if we had time.
• We were not always very audible. When we were on the "restaurant floor" we were audible the majority of the time, but when we were "in the kitchen" our voices were lost ---> we needed to project more.

Contemporary Theatre (6) (Research on "The Trojan Women")

"The Trojan Women" is a tragedy written by Euripides in 415BC. It is an anti-war play set during the Peloponnesian War. The themes are love, beauty, harmony, dread, hope, revenge and the horror of war. It is set near the walls of Troy. The play premiered

Characters:

• Hecuba - Queen of Troy.
• Poseidon - God of Sea.
• Athena - Goddess of war and wisdom.
• Andromache - Hecuba's daughter-in-law. Widow.
• Talthybius - Greek messenger.
• Cassandra - Daughter of Hecuba. Gets raped.
• Astyanax - Son of Andromache.
• Helen - Daughter of Zeus. Most beautiful woman.
• Melanus - Helen's husband. Was King of Sparta.

Plot summary:

This plot summary is from the following site: https://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/mdconley/entry/summary_the_trojan/

Contemporary Theatre (5) (Research on "Hecuba")

"Hecuba" is a tragedy written by Euripides in 424BC. The play takes place between the Greeks departure from Troy and the Trojan War, and is about Hecuba's grief over the death of her daughter (Polyxena) and the revenge she takes for the murder of her youngest son (Polydorus). Hecuba is the main character - she if the wife of King Priam and former Queen of (the now fallen) Troy. The play is 1295 lines long and premiered in Athens. It is set in a Greek camp upon the shore of Thracian Chersonese.

Characters and backgrounds:

• Hecuba - Wife of King Priam.  Had 13 children with him (10 male: Hector, Paris, Deiphobus, Helenus, Polydorus, Troilus, Polites, Antiphus, Pammon, Hippnous // 3 female: Cassandra, Laodice, Polyxena).
• King Priam - Husband to Hecuba. Had 68 sons and 18 daughters in total from several wives!
• Agamemnon - Son of King Atreus and Queen Atrope. Brother of Menelaus. Husband of Clytemnestra. Father of Iphigenia, Electra, Orestes and Chrysothemis. He commanded the United Greek forced to begin the war after Paris abducts Helen.
• Polyxena - Daughter of Hecuba and King Priam. Gets sacrificed.
• Odysseus - Killed Deiphobus during the Sack of Troy (an episode of the Trojan War).
• Polymestor - The Thracian man who was supposed to keep Polydorus safe until the Trojan War was over.
• Talthybius - Friends with Agamemnon.
• Polydorus / Ghost of Polydorus - Son of Hecuba and King Priam. Murdered.
• Chorus of captive Trojan women - Slaves to the Greeks as a result of the war.
• Therapaina - Maid to Hecuba.
• Achilles - Killed Hector (the central Trojan hero in the Trojan War) by attaching his body to a cart and dragging him around town.
• Cassandra - Daughter of Hecuba and King Priam.
• Clytemnestra

Plot summary:




I found this plot summary from the following website: http://web.randolphcollege.edu/greekplay/education/studyguidehecuba.pdf

Commedia dell'arte (19)

Hair: Side parting with some of side plaited, with the plait leading into a slick high bun
I decided to have my hair up to show that my character is well-kept, organised and cares about their appearance. I plaited half of the front section of my hair to one side; the reason for this was to show that my character is complicated but also to show the split personality (to your face Brighella seems helpful but behind your back Brighella is always plotting something - my character is very cunning).

Costume: Shiny shoes, black trousers, white shirt, black waistcoat and apron.
I wore smart shiny shoes to show my character dresses smartly for the occasion, as I like to make a good impression (to then be able to manipulate people and get away with things without people suspecting me). I wore black trousers to blend in to the background and look smart whilst doing so. The white shirt was to also make me look smart, but it was long sleeved to suggest that I am more respected and higher up on the social hierarchy ladder. The waistcoat was to show that I am sophisticated, but also to suggest that my character is hiding behind a costume and is in fact not at all trustworthy and shouldn't be respected. The apron I wore was to keep myself clean and tidy, as Brighella would not leave a mark and would travel unnoticed.

Contemporary Theatre (4) (Scenes from AT)

In this lesson, we were given another scene from "After Troy" - this time the script involved Hecuba, Polyxena and Talthybius. At the time of this scene, Hecuba is very ill and confused (due to her dreams) and Talthybius arrives with the news that Polyxena will be "getting married to a noble lord". However, she will not be getting married and in fact will be sacrificed (in attempt to change the winds to allow the soldiers safe return).

When we were given the script, we read through it a couple of times to understand the narrative and for Ollie to understand mine and K
at's characters, and for Kat and I to understand Ollie's character! Once we understood what was going on, we staged our scene. We wanted to keep it very simplistic (as to not distract from the narrative).

We decided to have just two chairs to form Hecuba's bed. We didn't want too much movement in this piece, as we didn't think it was necessary, but we did have levels to make the scene more interesting to look at (Ollie standing, Kat kneeling on the floor and me sitting on the chair). To ensure the piece wasn't too static, I moved about on the chairs (changing from having my feet up to sitting sideways, to sitting up right, to slouching). We tried to perform this scene as naturally as possible to convey our characters emotions and to build the tension in the scene. Our feedback from performing this scene was that our body language, use of voice (tempo, tone and pauses) and facial expressions were strong. However, some of the class were a little bit confused as to what was happening in this scene so we should have made sure that we completely understood the narrative and worked out how we could make it more clear to the audience.

Contemporary Theatre (3) (Clowning Lesson)

In this lesson we looked at clowning. Clowning is a type of drama revolving around comic characters - these characters are formed through use of exaggeration, over the top body language and facial expressions, gestures and comic timing. Clowning isn't just to do with circus clowns; clowning includes the old-fashioned silent movies and even some types of children's television characters.

We began this lesson by watching a clip of the CBeebies character Mr Tumble (created and played by Justin Fletcher). As his programmes are for children, the programme is very reliant on his exaggerated facial expressions, body language and friendly voice. He also signs as his character, so death children can understand the narrative too. There is a lot of (child-friendly) slapstick in his programmes (for example, the episode we watched in this lesson involved him struggling to put up a tent), however the slapstick is normally between Mr Tumble and an objects to not promote violence.

After watching Mr Tumble, we watched a clip of Charlie Chaplin. Charlie Chaplin (Charles Spencer Chaplin --- 16/04/1889 - 25/12/1977) was an actor, screenwriter, director, composer, producer and editor. He was an English actor who rose during the silent era. He became one of the most important figures in the film industry history. Chaplin's silent movies are very funny due to his exaggerated movements and facial expressions. He used a lot of repetition in his movies and a lot of slapstick comedy. His silent movies obviously had no speaking in them and instead were played with a live orchestra playing to the movie, or simply a piano playing along. Moments where dialogue was essential, they had the speech appear on the screen (like a placard).

We are in the process of creating our own silent movie scene. We began by discussing what we could do. The two ideas we came up with were the typical fight scenes or something set on public transport. To make our piece modern, we decided to set our piece on public transport. We eventually decided that we were going to set our piece on a train as it opened up more opportunities. A bus is a bit too typical, a taxi would be too limiting (as we wouldn't be able to move around), and a plane would be difficult to show in a silent movie (also it could be restrictive as you can't have people getting on and off!). After deciding we wanted to set our piece on a train, we discussed what sort of characters you would find and what could happen. We mentioned the inevitable crying child, the loud person on their phone, someone playing their music really loud through their headphones, someone rustling a newspaper constantly, and someone trying to dodge the ticket warden. We thought we should definitely include someone trying to dodge the ticket warden as this would allow a lot of movement in the piece - Rhiannon shall play this role, whilst Oliver will play the ticket warden). We wanted to have someone talking loudly on the phone, as this could be a business person, and so we could show a larger range of characters (rather than looking like a group of teenagers on a day out) - James will play this role. I shall play a middle-aged lady and Charlie will play a really aggravating person who keeps leaning on my character and going to sleep. My character gets progressively more annoyed at Charlie's character and gets more violent towards him. We ran out of time this lesson to finish making our scene, so we shall continue with it at the beginning of next lesson and we will perform it to the rest of the class (who weren't there this lesson due to illnesses).

Commedia dell'arte (18)

We began this lesson by discussing what we have left to do to sort our piece for our performance on Monday. We discussed who would get what props and what we thought we could add to the piece to improve it. We decided that we needed more Lazzis to ensure we stuck to the style of Commedia dell'arte throughout our piece. Lazzis are sections of movement that are very comical. Ideas we had for additional Lazzis were as follows (this list also includes already existing ideas for scenes, but scenes that have not been included yet):

• Oil cocktail - Brighella spots Harlequin attempting to drink a customers apple juice, so she swaps the apple juice for cooking oil - B&H
• Extendo fork - Harlequin tries to steal the customers food by using an extra long fork. Brighella and Harlequin end up having a fork fight over the customers heads - B&H
• These things do happen - Harlequin ends up dropping a very creamy cake on a customer. His response is to lick it off of them - H
• Zannis plates - Zanni follows Columbina, taking the plates off of her as she passes them to him. However, instead of collecting them to be washed, he licks them and puts them back down on the customers table - Z&C
• Captain and his ego - Captain ends up picking a fight with someone as he receives a complaint (which was supposed to be a compliment. This scene will show his arrogance and also his coward-side when confronted - IC

We then worked out our final scene order:

1. Opening - Messy Kitchen (All)
2. Prawn soup (D, P, IC)
3. Restaurant name - (D, P, B)
4. New waitress (D, P, C)
5. Tasty notes (IC, C, H)
6. Oil Cocktail Lazzi (B, H)
7. Licking Plates Lazzi (Z, C)
8. Cupboard love (D, IC, H)
9. Golden Syrup (Z, C, D, IC, B)
10. Extendo fork Lazzi (B, H)
11. Captain's excuses (IC, ?)
12. Zanni's entertainment (All)

 What we need to do in our final rehearsal before our performance tomorrow afternoon is as follows:

• Do a costume run with all props
• Rehearse in the space
• Work with lighting
• Do a complete run through, focussing on transitions
• Make any adjustments to the piece to make it seamless

Contemporary Theatre (3) (Scenes from AT)

This lesson, we were given scenes from the "After Troy" script. The girls were put in one group, whilst the boys split off into pairs. Once given our scripts, we sat down and picked a character each - we did a read-through as our chosen characters. The aim of this first read through was to get an idea of what is going on and who each character was. We then did a second read through, but as different characters this time. On this read through we established what each character was like and what the characters relationships were like. We read through the script twice more, so we could all have a chance of playing every character. After doing this, we picked which role we enjoyed playing the most: Hope played Cassandra, Katya played Polyxena, Rhiannon played Andromache, and I was Hecuba.

When it came to staging this scene, the first thing we did was look at the stage directions again. We soon discovered that Cassandra (the old woman) tends to wander off randomly, due to Polyxena's line "where were you, what's happened?". We decided to have a chair for Cassandra when she enters, as she is an elderly character and is looked after by the other women, so we thought she should be seated (this would also give her a lower level so would suggest her lower status). The script also mentions a bed (which we formed out of two chairs), so we had Andromache sit on this for the majority of the scene, as she is the sister who keeps herself to herself a bit more and is quite disrespectful so keeps her distance. We had another chair, in between Cassandra's chair and Andromache's bed, for Hecuba. We put this chair in the centre to further imply that Hecuba is the one who tries to build bridges and keep everyone at peace with each other.

Our performance of this scene to the rest of the class went fairly well. Our character interactions were fairly strong and our body language was mostly convincing. We gave our scene as much movement as we could - what with it being set in a cave! I tried to show how confused and delirious my character is when she keeps mentioning her son, Palidorus, by staring off into the distance and keep going to stand up and sit down. I think my facial expressions showed my characters inner feelings at this point, but I feel like I could have done more with my body language to portray this. Although Hecuba is Andromache's mother, I think I should have acted more uncomfortable and more weary around Andromache. I enjoyed looking at this scene, as it was a bit of a challenge to work out the characters relationships, and I look forward to learning more about this play as we look at different parts of the script.

ContemporaryTheatre (2) (Script work)

In this lesson we split into pairs and small groups to work with some random scenes from different plays. The purpose of this was to get out of the devising mindset and get used to working with scripts again.

Charlie and I went together and had a scene from the play "This Property is Condemned". This story was an adapted version from the 1946 play by Tennessee Williams. Our scene took place in the fictional Mississippi town of Dodson. Charlie played the role of a 15 year old boy called Tom, whilst I was a 13 year old girl called Willie, who was playing on the railroad tracks.

When we first got our scripts, we sat down and read through it together. We then attempted adding in accents. Charlie's accent had to be similar to that of Forrest Gump, whilst mine had to be almost Texan. I struggle with accents but decided to not give up and that I wold carry on with it as it was a good opportunity to try and improve myself. After our read through, we began staging our scene. We mimed the props that were in this scene, and I mimed walking along the railroad tracks, but we used a couple of chairs to act as bench to make our piece look more interesting (and to allow us to incorporate levels). The feedback we got from our scene was that our accents were good, we used a good amount of movement (movement where appropriate but the section of no movement worked well) and that our character interaction was strong. However, I feel like I needed to make my voice slightly higher to make my character sound younger.

ContemporaryTheatre (1) (Research)

Play:                        After Troy
Playwright:             Glyn Maxwell
Genre:                     Dark comedy
Era:                         Contemporary
Setting:                    A cave and its surroundings

"After Troy" was made from fragments of two Greek tragedies: "Hecuba" and "The Trojan Women".

Troy is in ruins. Its men are dead. Its women are captives and the victorious Greeks are camped in the ashes preparing to sail home. We find, among others, four quarrelling women drawn together by grief and four exhausted soldiers who hate each other's guts.

The play has four male characters and four female characters. The female characters are Cassandra (Hecuba's older daughter), Hecuba (Queen of Troy), Polyxena (Hecuba's daughter, who is in love) and Andromache (Hecuba's daughter-in-law). The male characters are Kratos, Talthybius (a compassionate scribe), Agamemnon and Mestor.

As "After Troy" is based around a war, this play can easily be set in the modern day (as there are wars still happening today). The bottom photograph is from a University showcase in California. Judging by the motorbikes in the background, I assume this version is a modern adaption of the play. By looking through pictures online, it has opened my eyes as to how we can perform this play - we do not have to perform it wearing togas!

Commedia dell'arte (17)

Scene list:

--- Completed:
(1) Tidy the kitchen! - Doctor & Pantalone realise what day it is and run in to a busy and unorderly kitchen. They shout at Brighella for the mess, although she is the one trying to make it tidy.  
(2) Prawn soup - Doctor and Pantalone argue over what should be the special. Eventually Il Capitano manages to please them both by combining their ideas. 
(3) New waitress - Introduction to Columbina. The audience learns her characteristics.
(4) Syrup head - An accident occurs with syrup (due to Zanni's stupidity) resulting in Zanni, Doctor and Columbina becoming stuck together. Brighella saves the day.
(5) Tasty notes - Columbina gives Il Capitano the orders. Harlequin helps Il Capitano write a poem for Columbina. Harlequin gives the poem to Doctor.
(6) Cupboard love - Doctor receives the poem, thinking that Columbina wrote it. Doctor and Il Capitano end up in the cupboard thinking the other is Columbina. The light comes on and they try to work out what has happened. When Harlequin arrives they soon realise who is behind this.
(7) Finale - The entertainment doesn't arrive so Zanni is forced into it. The lights come on at the wrong time and everyone ends up being a part of the performance.

--- Incomplete:
(1) Welcome critic - Doctor and Pantalone attempt to welcome the critic, however they argue over what they should call the restaurant (as it is its opening night). Brighella saves the day and creates a name spontaneously and pleases the critic. Doctor and Pantalone are silent until the critic sits down, then they begin arguing again over the name.
(2) Extendo fork - Harlequin has been constantly stealing food but with difficulty. He has created an extendable fork to make it easier for him. Brighella is angry and the two end up having a fork fight over the guests heads.
(3) Olive oil cocktail - Harlequin has made a really long straw and it about to drink the critics drink. Brighella swaps the apple juice for olive oil which Harlequin begins drinking and then realises and spits over the critic.


Prop list:

Extendo fork (Rhiannon has one) //  packets of crisps (buy) // lettuce (buy) // syrup (buy) // plastic cups and plates (buy) // trays (buy) // four aprons (buy) // chef hat (Lewis has one) // Pots and pans (We will all bring in some) // Wooden spoon (Rhiannon will bring)


What we have left to do:
-- Complete the scenes we have left outstanding
-- Rehearse with props and costumes
-- Inform plants on what we have planned to happen around/to them
-- Rehearse in the space
-- Create the lighting plan and do a technical rehearsal

The Healthy Performer (8) (Poster - Know your own body)

As a performer, it is extremely important to keep ourselves fit and healthy. When performing, we depend on our muscles and joints to enable us to have a successful performance. Our brains are very important to us as well so it is important to keep well hydrated. For triple-threats, we have to remember the choreography (and the technique for each move), lyrics, melodies and harmonies and character motivation and interactions - so we rely on our brains! Depending on what type of performer you are, different parts of your body become more important than others:

Singers:

• Strong abdominal muscles allow singers to support. Support gives performers a means of controlling their sound.
• Large lung capacity enables longer notes to be held and ensures you won't run out of breath. Breathing exercises will help with this. A strong diaphragm enables the lungs to expand more.
• Back muscles (latissimus dorsi) aid singers in belting. By using their diaphragm, abdominals and back muscles less pressure is put on the voice and so straining is reduced. 
• Although singers have to contract a lot of muscles when singing, it is very important that they don't tense their trapezius or sternocleidomastoid, as this puts pressure on the voice and causes strain.

Dancers:

• All of our joints are very important as dancers, especially our knees, hips and elbows.
• Abdominals are needed for core support. Core support helps with balance and enables dancers to hold positions for longer. It also helps with posture.
• Strong quadriceps and hamstrings are very useful. The more loose they are the more flexible the dancer. 
• Strong gluteus maximus - this is essential for ballet dancers who are going on pointe as, when tensed, it aids balance and keeps them from falling off of their pointe. 
• Strong biceps, triceps and abdominals are extremely important for male dancers as they tend to be the ones who lift other dancers. 

Actors:

• Ensure that joints are not damaged so movement isn't restricted, as to not be limited in roles. 
• Strong latissimus dorsi and abdominals to help with a good strong posture. 
• Strong biceps, triceps and abdominals in case lifts are needed (e.g. in physical theatre). 
• Strong intercostal muscles to allow the rib cage to expand more to increase lung capacity, allowing an actor to project their voice further.
• Actors will use their saddle joints in their thumbs to work with smaller hand-held props.

The Lungs:

• The windpipe (trachea) branches into two airways (bronchi), which "feed" the lungs.
• Your left lung is smaller than your right lung, as there is less space for your left lung because it has to share space with your heart.
• Covering your lungs are two thin layers of tissue (pleura). As you breathe, these membranes slide over each other to allow the lungs to expand and contract.
• Inside the lungs there are approximately 300 million tiny air sacs, called alveoli. They have very tiny thin walls and are criss-crossed with the finest of blood vessels called capillaries.
• Your lungs are protected by your rib cage. Between your ribs are inter-costal muscles with allows the rib cage to expand allowing the lung capacity to increase. 
• Our lungs have to work harder when we are exercising as to regulate our breathing and to keep our blood oxygenated.

The Heart:

• Your heart is protected by your rib cage. It is one of the most important organs in the human body. It continuously pumps blood around our body through blood vessels. 
• Veins carry blood towards the heart, whilst arteries carry the blood away. 
• The heart beats about 100'000 times a day (40 million times a year and about three billion times in a lifetime). 
• The heart is a cardiac muscle so it works without us having to think about it.
• The beating sound that the heart makes is the clap of valve leaflets opening and closing.
• The heart is made us of four chambers: the left atrium, the left ventricle, the right atrium and the right ventricle.
• Each minute your heart pumps 1.5 gallons of blood.
• Having a healthy diet, managing stress and doing plenty of exercise will help you maintain a healthy heart.
• Dancers need to have a strong, healthy heart so blood pumps around their body faster so oxygen-rich blood gets to their muscles faster.

The Healthy Performer (7) (Programme)

This is the programme I have now incorporated into my lifestyle. I crafted this programme so it fits in with what I do, rather than me having to change everything I do around to fit to the programme; this therefore means that I am more likely to stick to the programme. To make this programme I began by drawing the grid with the days and filling it the exercise I already do (dance on wednesday and saturday, and singing on tuesday, saturday and sunday). Afterwards, I thought about what I want to improve and then worked out what exercises I would need to do in order to achieve my goals. I want to become physically fitter, thinner and more flexible. Dancing will help me become fitter, and so will singing (as I have to control my breathing, and therefore will be increasing my lung capacity, as well as strengthening my back muscles that are used for support and posture). To become thinner I am trying to become more toned, so will be doing exercises like planks, sit ups and leg raises. To improve my flexibility I shall do more stretches - I will do the warm ups that I do at my theatre school (Razzamataz Theatre School - or "Razz" as it is shortened to on my programme) - these stretches include triangle stretches, butterfly stretches and deep lunges.

I have a black book that I have written my measurements in, which I will update every monday - the purpose of this book is to keep track of my progress. I will also be making notes in this book: have I completed what was set on my programme / did I do more than what I had planned on my programme? This programme was originally intended for three weeks, however, I had to start this a week late due to a trip to New York. I will work with this programme for the two weeks, however I intend to keep this programme up until the end of sixth form. At the end of these two weeks, I will review my programme and make alterations to it to make it more challenging (e.g. increase the number of sit ups, or increase how long I hold the planks for), so I am still benefitting from it as much as I can.

"Dr Faustus" - Marlowe (2) (Physical Theatre Lesson)

Physical theatre is an abstract type of story-telling that puts the performers body at the focus. There is sometimes very little (if any) dialogue in physical theatre. This type of theatre is very similar to contemporary dance, however, the difference is that contemporary dance doesn't have to tell a story. Moreover, physical theatre doesn't have to be constant movement using the whole body, it can be simple gestures, mime, or even freeze frames. It can also include complex lifts, sound and projections.

Our version of "Dr Faustus" is a shortened version, but we haven't received the script yet and we haven't cast it - however, we have decided that we would like to a have a physical theatre approach on our version. Working in physical theatre relies on devising, as opposed to blocking the play itself. This is because physical theatre can involve a lot of complex group work, and if one member of the cast doesn't feel comfortable with the movement, then it would be changed. Physical theatre isn't choreographed and is instead devised and directed.

We were given a monologue from the character of Mephistopheles. We got in to two groups; I went with Oliver and James. We worked out our individual strengths in movement to know what we were capable of as a group: Oliver is very strong and is very good lifting and supporting people, I don't mind being pushed about and am quite good at coming up with ideas, James is good at mime and coming up with ideas too. We decided the both Oliver and James would play Mephistopheles, whilst I represented those who had sinned and had just been sent to an eternity of Hell. We began our scene with me standing centre stage, with James and Oliver standing either side of me facing in. As James is also rather strong at puppetry, we included some puppetry sections. In our warm up, James and I were partners in a lead and follow exercise, so we had already worked together in this style (and had established what we were comfortable with and what didn't work). As a group, we picked out what we thought were the key words and should be emphasised. We split the narration up between James and Oliver (as they were both playing Mephistopheles), but I had the last line of "no words can express such dire torment", to emphasise the point. What we felt went well with our piece were the puppetry sections, the lift, my facial expressions and the fluidity of the piece. If we had more time, we would have all learned the lines of by heart and we could have made a short, fast-paced hymn hands section on the last line (where hands would go over my face as if to stop me from speaking). 

"Dr Faustus" - Marlowe (1) (Research)

Play:                     Dr Faustus
Playwright:          Christopher Marlowe
Genre:                 Tragedy
Era:                      Renaissance
Setting:                16th Century Europe
First Published:   1604

"The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Dr Faustus" (or "Dr Faustus as it is commonly known as) is a tragedy play written by Christopher Marlowe. It is based on the German story "Faust". The play was very powerful and lead to many legends. One tale involved "the actual devils" appearing on stage during a performance of the play, shocking both performers and audience. This tale was recorded by William Prynne; those who witnessed this event were allegedly driven mad.

Brief Summary: 
          Faustus craves more knowledge in law, medicine and logic, so gets his servant (Wagner) to bring his two German experts in magic (Valdes and Cornelius) to teach him about necromancy. Faustus manages to make Mephistopheles appear. Faustus sends Mephistopheles back to hell with a message for Lucifer: if Faustus can have 24 years of absolute knowledge and power, he will sell his soul to Lucifer.
          Despite several omens warning him, Faustus ignores the angels’ advice and signs a contract in blood for Lucifer when Mephistopheles returns. Later, Faustus begins to repent as the voice of the Good Angel. However, Mephistopheles and Lucifer appear and display the seven deadly sins to confuse Faustus. Mephistopheles takes Faustus to various places (including Rome and Germany) to play tricks on many people (including the Pope) against Faustus's will. Faustus realises that time is running out for him and it is too late for him to ask for forgiveness. He sinks into deeper despair and is taken away by Lucifer and Mephistopheles to hell.