"Dr Faustus" - Marlowe (28) (Evaluation)

What went well:

• The majority of lines were remembered and nothing was skipped
• The physical theatre sections looked really effective and conveyed the right feeling
• Our set was really effective - both aesthetically and practically for what we wanted it for (e.g. the stage bocks created levels: something interesting to look and for us to work with, as well as them being practical to move about)
• The lighting created the appropriate atmosphere and moods at the right times
• Our transitions were mainly smooth and lead to a seamless performance
• Our simplistic costumes fit with the abstract style of the piece, as they were not naturalistic for each character / character specific
• We all remained in character -we kept up our voices, stances and body language in general when performing as said character
• Our use of props worked nicely (e.g. the ribbons used in the Heavens section really added to the sense of movement that we tried to create)

What could have gone better:

• Some lines were forgotten at times, but this did not matter as the cast members managed to improvise and get back on track with the script without the audience noticing a problem
• Couldn't use the projection due to not having a cable long enough to reach, without someone being on stage to operate this. Therefore we decided to scrap our projection - which was a shame as Charlie had done a really good job on it, and it did help aid creating the desired atmosphere. However, I think our piece worked quite well without it though as I believe that having a projection as well might have distracted the audience away from the movement. Also, the movement was clear enough in portraying the narrative
• The sheet that Charlie and I used, for the physical theatre scene where Faustus practices necromancy, was rather large and therefore difficult to negotiate and manoeuvre. Also, due to a stage block positioned on the steel decking not being moved far enough forward and due to the lack of visibility, I hit my head on the corner of the stage block. Although this was rather painful to say the least, I still continued with the scene to the best of my ability, when I could then have a drink before I next needed to go on stage.

What we would do next time:

• To avoid any accidents, we could practice in the space with all props and the set sooner in to the rehearsal process. Thankfully there wasn't any serious accidents, but I think we all would have been a little bit more confident if we had rehearsed in the space a little bit sooner
• If we were to do this performance again, I would still set the piece in traverse, as I thought this type of staging actually worked really well. This is because the audience felt a bit uncomfortable as there was distance between them and the audience on the opposite side, making the audience feel more vulnerable. The fact that the audience could see each other was also symbolic of how Faustus was constantly being watched by the Lucifer's demons. 
• I would also keep the cast size the same as it worked really well for our space, and there wasn't too many people involved in our movement section. If we had more people then it would have become a little bit too chaotic and the attention to detail would have been lost (e.g. too many people in the Hospital physical theatre scene would have resulted in certain parts not being noticed).