Childrens Theatre - 20th October 2016 - Analysis of progressed scenes

In todays lesson we continued to work on our scenes for Children's theatre. Our group decided to focus on characterisation and progression of narrative. For example, we analysed each others physicality and gave helpful advice in order to improve our performance. For example, people in my group gave me the constructive criticism of being more energised and using larger hand gestures in order to be more visually engaging for the audience. This meant that I exaggerated movements I hadn't before in order to act upon the suggestion. This is good for children's theatre as it would intrigue them as to what I was doing and would gain their attention instantly.

We also decided that 'The Story Stealer' and 'The Wise Wizard' would have different vocal performances compared to me and Charlotte who wouldn't change our pitch much. This is to show contrast between characters and to show that me and charlotte are the general, civilians of the planet and 'The Wise Wizard/The Story Stealer' are unique characters that are far from ordinary. This is good for children's theatre as it helps them to differentiate between characters and form more of a connection/understanding towards each character because they can pick out certain features that they like/remember.

As a group we also finalised the narrative of 'The Story Stealer'. We decided that the star hits 'Storyland' because 'The Story Stealer' wants to destroy all of the stories because they were read a bad one as a child that scared them. Therefore, they want to take away all the stories so no one reads a bad story again and 'The Story Stealer' has the good stories for themselves. We decided that 'The Wise Wizard' is the one with all the answers and knows prophecies about Storyland that no one else knows hence why he knows things like the star hitting Storyland.

We also established where we would take the children when they were here. i.e. We would start our story in the box office or just outside the theatre space, in order to raise excitement and set the scene of storyland. We would then take them into the space once the star had 'hit' and instantly introduce them to 'The Story Stealer'. The rest of the performance would be in this space until the very end when we have a laser/light show just outside the black box space. The movement of different areas in our piece is good for Children's theatre as different locations will mean they wont get bored and hopefully they will be engaged as they wont be in one space for too long.

~We then performed our story~

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In our performance our use of humour was good as it made it more interesting to watch/be a part of and had a very positive atmosphere. Humour was mainly contributed by our team member Harry who plays 'The Wise Wizard'. As most of Harrys lines are improvised to a degree it creates a sense of spontaneity and makes it far more exciting as you never know what kind of version of the story you will get.
Another thing that went well for our performance was that our energy levels had increased and  therefore meant that people themselves were more engaged and willing to participate in our story. For example, we created more of a contrast between our worried/panicked expressions which meant that, that created higher energy levels between us and our participants.

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Between the moments when me and charlotte are together we need to create more of a dialogue/relationship between our characters. As at the moment Charlotte is dominant in terms of dialogue and I add little phrases here and there. Therefore, I need to be more expressive and input more dialogue in order to help assist Charlotte with the storytelling.
We also need to focus again on characterisation in practice. As in rehearsal and theory we incorporate this but when it comes to the actual performance we just act like our normal selves in a realistic way which is not our intention. We need to experiment with levels and ways of movement in order to achieve this. For example, we could try a run where one of us is crouched down, one of us could skip everywhere etc. Try different ways of movement so that we get used to not performing in a realistic way.
Finally, another aspect which is an ongoing thing we need to work on is our ending. We have around 50-75% complete but we need to devise an ending. Once we have done this we can start polishing and perfecting movements/phrases.

Other peoples performances

Vicki, Andrew, Maddy, Lottie

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I think their use of activities were good as it meant we were constantly doing something and were physically engaged the entire time. For example, one of the first things we had to do was stand by  coloured piece of paper which decided our 'teams'. I thought this was good as it meant that the groupings were completely random and all depended on what the person chose.
I also liked their use of riddles as it was something different but kept your concentration. This is good for children's theatre as you want the children to be engaged 100% otherwise you run the risk of children wondering/misbehaving.

EBI.
In order to improve their performance they could experiment with different vocal techniques/become more energised when speaking in order to engage the audience. For example, each monster could have a slightly different voice in order to differentiate. This also link to characterisation, they could experiment with movement more.
Another thing they could improve on would be to expand 'Daniel the dragon'. For example, give him hands/claws so he can interact more/possibly give him a voice in order to make 'Daniel' come alive. This would make it more engaging and interesting for the children and make them believe in Daniel a little more.

Naomi, Megan, Jess, Lois, Raven

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I felt this group were incredibly strong in terms of characterisation as each monster had a completely different personality/physicality which meant we would connect with one more than the others/we were engaged and excited to meet the other monsters in the piece.
I also liked their use of being sensory. For example, theirs is oranges. They had physical oranges in their piece which we collect and then they are used to help re-fuel the monsters. This then links to the finale where at the end the children are handed cartons of orange juice which stimulates the visual and taste tense. By using different forms of orange it makes it engaging for the audience and creates a positive/spontaneous tone as not many performance use food as props/part of their performance.
I liked their use of the dance and song to restore the fuel/energy of one of the monsters. Its fully engaging as you have to sing words and do a dance at the same time, leaving little space to lose concentration and gain boredom.

EBI.
Possibly explain 'The Queen' storyline a little more as she is mentioned but personally I didn't get the link or it was glossed over. Possibly make it clearer what 'The Queen' represents, who the Queen is and where The Queen comes into place.
At one point in their piece there is a dance with a movement phrase, to improve this as it is a fairly difficult dance. They could teach it at an earlier point in the performance so that it gives the children a chance to remember/get excited about as they know it will be used for something later.

Variety - Change of plans...again!

In todays lesson I decided that I wanted to challenge myself musically as I felt that 'Imagine' by John Lennon was a very simple, safe song to perform. Therefore, I changed my song to 'Meet me on the battlefield' by Svrcina. I felt that this song had more emotion behind the lyrics and I felt as though I could put forward more emotion than I could in 'Imagine'.

My interpretation of the meaning behind this song is that no matter how hard things get people will still stand by your side when you need them the most. I also believe that this song suggests rebellion or a change of some sorts. As the lyrics "Everything could stay the same or we could change it all" suggests that the power of the people can make a difference compared to the power of a single person. I thought this related to 'Black History Month' as it can link to the unity people had when they were being discriminated against and how they stuck together through the tough times and eventually came out of it okay. In order to portray this meaning I will emphasise certain words when I sing, for example I will emphasise "we" a lot to show the power of people and strength in numbers. I will also emphasise words such as "battlefield" "shots" "forget" as they are emotive words that trigger a particular feeling/emotion. I want to strip back this song to a bare minimum to show the emotion and rawness the song has. i.e. I will sing and play piano. Having single vocals and one instrument will give it an acoustic vibe and I think will make it a far more emotional performance than if it was a backing track.

EBI
In order to make my performance better I could experiment with different octaves on the piano in order to make some parts more hard hitting and others softer. This would create contrast and make it far more interesting to listen to.
I could also experiment with using my chest and head voice in order to add dynamics to make some buts sound more vulnerable and other parts more powerful.

Due to the song change I will probably change my lighting to singularly blue in order to emphasise the sad emotion and coldness of discrimination.

Childrens theatre - Continuing monster story scene and sorting production roles

Today we carried on with our monster scenes. Our group decided that we had too many things going on at once so we therefore decided we would focus on the story of 'The Story Stealer' and how they became 'The Story Stealer' and why they steal the stories from StoryLand. We came up with the story that 'The Story Stealer' steals the stories because as a child they were read a scary story and were traumatised. Therefore they want to take the stories so they can read themselves nice stories at night and to make sure no one else reads a bad story. But, in doing so they prevent the other beings from reading stories. We then thought this could link the keys, as the keys unlock a box of lazers that change 'The Story Stealer' from bad to good.

On costumes and design we decided that we would all wear a specific colour throughout the entire piece so we would differentiate between each other. For example, I will be red with green spots/green with red spots. This would be good for children's theatre as it will be bright, vibrant, colourful and help them understand who is who in our stories.

We then did a quick block run of the whole thing so that we knew what was going on and what was happening when. We also decided that 'The Wise Wizard' and 'The Story Stealer' should be solid characters. i.e The people playing them should only play those characters in order to build strong characterisation and relationships with other characters as well as to confuse the children. We also worked a little more on our monster characterisation as we felt this was a weak point for us. For example, me and Charlotte move in a wobbly, jellyfish like way. This is to show that we are monsters not humans.

We also decided that when creating the sensory jelly box, instead of using jelly we would use shaving cream as its much cheaper and less people are at risk of getting a reaction if someone is allergic. We also thought it would be easier to clean up and the children would get sticky from playing with it. Meaning that we could move on/progress onto different stories easier and quicker as it will take less time to put away/set up than if we used jelly. i.e. making the jelly, waiting for It to set, cleaning the jelly, cleaning the space with products to make sure its not sticky after for health and safety reasons.

Production roles:

My role is: Lighting and Special Effects and part of the Props team.

As Lighting and special effects I will be the main point of contact when sorting out colours or lights, position of lights, smoke machines, media, projections, lasers etc. I will also converse with groups in order to find out what kind of lights and effects they want when they tell their stories. As part of the props team I will assist in collecting items to make props, checking we have all the props we need and conversing with groups in order to find out things they may need/want that we can make.

Dance lesson 5 - Group gang motif

At the start of todays lesson we created a group 'gang' motif influenced by 'Faultline' that represented the themes of anger and rivalry.

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We used a formation of a triangle in order to make it look more interesting. By also standing in a triangle formation it allowed up to open up and expand the space we were moving in as the piece progressed. This meant that we could be more adventurous and daring with our movements. For example, we when turn towards the centre after doing the first low sway it allows us to easily transition between facing different directions without making it look disjointed or broken.
We showed character and aggression by using similar movements to one another to represent the 'gang' but made them unique to our own individual character. For example, I made sure my fingers were outstretched and pointed at the end to show the anger and twisted nature my character felt against the other 'gang'. This meant that my character would look more fierce compared to some others. I also made sure my movements were solid and didn't waver in order to show the strength my character felt when with their 'gang'.

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I feel as though we could be a little more adventurous with our movements. For example, possibly breaking formation for some of us to come downstage and do something and for some of us to stay upstage and do something. Then come back into formation for certain phrases. This could be done in order to emphasise a certain motif to show power/aggression/rebellion etc.
In order to improve our 'gang motif' we could make our movements sharper and jerkier in order to show violence. We could also then use it to show contrast between the smoother parts in our motif to emphasise a certain feeling/emotion.
Personally, I feel as though I need to contribute more to group ideas when I have them instead of stepping back and leaving it up to the more experienced choreographers. This would be good as it then helps progress my experience and knowledge of choreography and will make me feel more confident when devising motifs individually or as a group.

• We then started to devise a lift with a few other elements around the edge. Its still in early stages though. 

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The transition from ground into the lift was very smooth and looked practised. The hold was strong and could represent the power and strength there is in a 'gang' and why some people would die for it.
Our jerky movements around the edge of the lift were good and contrasting compared to the lift and could represent that even when things try to tear a group apart the bond and ties between them are too strong.

EBI.
We need to work on more movements that link for both parts of this lift phrase. For example, at some point we could have the people on the outside stand up and move towards the person being lifted and possibly do a throw in the air (the person is thrown) whilst everyone else collpases to the floor. This could be done to represent how if one person infiltrates the group or betrays them how things can fall apart.


For the second hour we then worked on 'We Will Rock You' sequence.

Variety - A change of plans - New Ideas!

Due to unforeseen circumstances our group had to change what we were doing and part ways on separate projects. This meant starting the process of devising a variety act all over again. We were all happy with this decision and thought it would actually work out better for all of us individually rather than as a group.

I started by devising process by researching 'Black History Month' and the themes which were either celebrated, enlightened or presented through this campaign.

These were the themes that I found:

• Discrimination
• Racism
• Segregation
• Multicultural
• Celebration
• Integration
• Influential black people: Obama, Oprah
• Equality
• Love

We also did a mind-map in class and discussed what we thought 'Black History Month' stood for and how we could devise a variety act which linked with this.

I decided in this lesson that I would do an acoustic, musical performance which would consist of singing and guitar or piano playing. I hadn't decided which I would use as I hadn't completely decided on a song. I had a few in mind but I needed to do some more research on the meaning behind the songs before I chose which one I was doing for definite.

I researched songs that stood for equality and a change in society. I found two songs which stuck out for me as songs which represented peace, equality and change. These were:

• Imagine - John Lennon
• Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

I chose to research 'Imagine' first as I had stronger pull towards this song and instantly decided this would be the one I was going to perform that linked the 'Black History Month'. The song was written by John Lennon and his main aim of his song was to "encourage the listener to imagine a world at peace without the barriers of borders or the divisions of religion and nationality, and to consider the possibility that the focus of humanity should be living a life unattached to material possessions" - From this statement alone I decided that this would fit well with the theme and was something I felt strongly about and also want to raise awareness for.  - quote from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imagine_%28John_Lennon_song%29

Here is  little clip of me trying out 'Imagine' on guitar and seeing whether I liked the style I was singing in and whether the guitar accompaniment I used fitted well.

Variety - further thoughts on acappella act

In our second lesson we all came back together and decided that doing a mashup of 2000 songs may be a little difficult as the ones we had chosen were very different from each other and would be slightly difficult to put together.

We then brainstormed ideas of what we could do as an a Capella group. We did some more research on a Capella singers and what kind of things they tended to sing. We found out that a lot of a Capella groups started with some sort of Disney mashup. As it was a simple structure and many people know the tune and lyrics of Disney songs. Therefore we thought it would be a viable choice considering we have limited time to devise a performance.

We watched many videos of many different groups doing Disney mashups and decided which songs we wanted to include in our performance.

We decided upon a running order of songs and began to structure. For example, writing down what each of us could do. I.e. whether we were soprano or alto singers and whether we felt strongest singing harmonies or main melodies etc.

We decided that we would re-create the first Disney medley shown and add our own twists for example we would create our own version of the percussive lines in order to make it different and cater for the fact there are only three of us and its live singing. I suggested we make our own medley from scratch in order to make it unique for our group but eventually we all decided that, we didn't have enough time to create to the standard of these other ones so we would simply cover the Disney medley above.

We worked out harmonies and starting points on the piano by matching pitches so that our harmonies would work nicely together and were musically correct.

I thought for lighting we could have different colours for different songs. In order to create the atmosphere of that Disney movie/song to make it feel more realistic and make it far more enjoyable to perform. For example, when we sing 'Circle of Life' have green lights to represent the jungle.

Childrens Theatre - Thursday 13th October 2016

In todays lesson we started off by answering questions relating to our overall project of Children's theatre. We did this in order to visually write down what we know/want so then we can develop this/improve it to make it better for our final piece. The three questions we answered related to: How the children can interact with our scene, how we can make the space work in interesting ways and how we could use the boxes in our performance.

How can the children interact/engage with our scene?

• A major factor of our children's performance is that it breaks the fourth wall. This in itself is a giant interaction with the children and they will be engaged from the very start. This is good as it means they are less likely to get distracted or bored during the performance and are more likely to have a far more enjoyable time. We also had the idea of asking them questions such as 'what should we do now, should we do this or that? etc Meaning they have a direct impact on the direction of the performance. This would be good as it means they will be more intrigued to see where their ideas and decisions will take them.

- An example of this would be with our character 'The Story Stealer' in which the children have to stay still have chant a song in order to make 'The Story Stealer' go away. Children are engaged as they have to sing a song they learn on the spot and sing it louder and faster in order to make the character go away.

• An idea our group had which is a strong element to our story/performance is 'The Jelly Box'. This is going to be a box filled with jelly that the children have to put their hands in to in order to find the keys. This is a good idea as it is multi-sensorial which means that multiple senses will be triggered at the same time creating a surreal feel. For example, touch will be feeling the squidgy-ness of the jelly. Smell, will be from the jelly itself, sight as there will be a projection of 'jelly' or a 'jelly character'. Sound as we will be saying jelly or find a musical piece which contains the word jelly. I think this will be used in our final piece as it is such a key element already and will be a good technique to use for children's theatre due to it being multi-sensorial. We also thought about creating multiple boxes that had different textures on in order to engage the touch/feel sense.

How could you make the space work in interesting, unexpected ways?

• A way in which I thought we could make the space interesting would be to hang things from the lighting rig. For example, we could hang some smaller boxes of different shapes and colours/textures. We could also hang a key from the ceiling as one of the challenges in our piece is to find three keys. This would link well with that. This would be good for children's theatre as having things in the air as well as on the ground will visually engage and challenge them to look beyond the norm and to think 'outside the box' when trying to solve problems in our piece.
• Another way in which we thought we could use the space in different ways were to use 'The black box studio' for just the planet itself and then use the outside area where the seating rig usually is for the beginning before the main problem has occurred and at the end for the laser light show. By using the 'black box studio' for just the planet means that they will feel completely immersed in the environment we are trying to create. Meaning we will create a world for the children to experience which will be cut off from 'reality'. This will make it easier for them to get lost and enjoy the piece by forgetting about the real world for a little while.
• We also had the idea of sticking spots or stars on the floor and when we shout a specific word they have to stand on the spot really quick. This is an idea we came up with in order to calm the children down if they were getting a little too excited or to re-gain focus. Another way we could incorporate this idea is when 'The Story Stealer' is about they have to stand on a spot/star in order to not be seen. This would be good for childrens theatre as it would make our story/performance even more believable due to them having to perform an action in order to carry forth the narrative.

What shapes, set could be made from the boxes that would work with a variety of stories?

• An idea that I thought could be used was levels. For example, we could create stage blocks and cover them in boxes meaning that they would be secure but still look surreal as they would appear to be boxes. This then could be used in order for characters to sit or for objects to be placed on, or a place where the children can sit when they are watching or waiting for instructions. This would be good for children's theatre as it creates another reality in which the performance is set meaning they can get lost in the atmosphere of boxes. Also with this idea we could colour/paint the boxes different colours in order to show different areas for different stories. This would be good as it visually shows the structure of performance. I.e once we've finished the story in the red zone we would travel to the green zone and hear their story etc.

• Our group also had the idea of creating music, light and TV boxes in order to help tell stories, progress narrative or make it more interesting for children. For example, the TV box could be used to show a message from a distressed monster about something they need the children's help with. This would engage them visually and aurally in a different way to how they have been previously interacting with the performance. I.E. They have been watching us live performing and now they are watching a pre-recording. We also felt that this would enhance excitement as they would be wondering what's going to happen next. This would work for a variety of stories as it could help tell them in different ways and break up the live action performance a little bit.

How can we make the performance multi-sensory?

As I have previously mentioned we will make it multi-sensory by using a range of different techniques. For example, we have the textured boxes which will be covered in different materials. I.e. Tin foil, fluff, glitter etc. We will then have specific boxes which will have a specific theme/colour/activity, For example, one covered in lights, one containing a radio/TV and one containing a substance such as Jelly. These will be effective ideas for childrens theatre as it will engage their senses and possibly challenge them to become fully immersed with the perfromnce and excite their imagination. We also had the idea of having a perfume/spray spelling box in order to engage the smell sense. Possibly linking this to jelly so that their will be a sensory overload at one point during our piece. This will be effective as it will fully engage them and hopefully immerse them meaning that they will be fully involved and hopefully be more willing to participate.

We then picked three words that we thought showed how we were communicating meaning.

• Amusing - We have elements of humour throughout out piece and exaggerated characteristions that would be humuorous to children. For example, the wise wizard uses big arm movements and walks in a weird way. This works as the children will find it enjoyable meaning they will pay more attention.
• Engaging - We are using multi-sensorial techniques as well as using elaborate stage design/set. For example, hanging things from the lighting rig, possibly creating levels and having music, texture boxes and projection/video imagery.
• Challenging - We are creating little puzzels that the children have to solve during our performance. For example, how to find the keys. There will be little things they have to do before they can obtain the keys. I.e. One is suspended in the air but how do they get it? etc. We also have the challenge of creating quite intense emotional atmospheres for example, panic when the star hits, then fear when the story stealer arrives.

We then wrote out a synopsis for our first activity/story:

Here is a video of our first initial devised ideas for Children's theatre.

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Personally I feel as though I need to work on my monster characterisation as you can clearly see from the video I'm moving and acting very much like a human which is not the aim of this project. In order to do this I need to change my vocal pitch and move in different ways. For example, having a funny walk or weird arm movements. Something that makes me visually different from my normal everyday self which could add to my monster character.

As a group we need to create more contrast between the different emotions. For example, the panic when finding the key wasn't really as panicked as it could have been and therefore meant we lost enthusiasm and pace. In order to change this we need to exaggerate movements and change our voices in a dramatic way in order to create contrast. We can do this by speaking in a low pitch and low volume to start with and using very little gestures then when the panic sets in we start speaking in a louder volume, higher pitch and flail our arms and legs in different directions whilst running.

I feel as though we still need to work on structure a little better as at the moment the children are just following us without a clear path to follow or to investigate.

What I liked about other peoples.

Vickis group

I like the fact that they used live instruments during their piece. i.e. The Guitar. As it engaged us aurally as well as visually and set a mysterious almost mystical tone for the performance. It also faults and strengths of characters in their piece. For example, their villain was weakened by the sound of music and was chased away. Where as it was a strength for another character who was playing the soothing music in the lair of Daniel the dragon. This is a good technique for children's theatre as it engages them instantly and sets a positive, happy tone for which they will be in for a while.

Megans Group

I like their use of audience interaction where we were instantly told to grab oranges off the floor to give to another character which acted as a source of fuel for the monsters. This set a very positive, exciting atmosphere that made you intrigued into what was going to happen next. Their characterisation was also a very strong aspect of their performance. As from their physicality you could see that they weren't humans they were monsters and their use of vocal pitch and volume also added to this.

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Childrens theatre - Tuesday 11th October 2016 - creating trailers for our monster stories

In todays lesson we got back into the groups we made for the 'creating a monster' session and had a new task to complete. We had to think of three different stories/activities that would happen during our children's theatre performance. Which would star with a shooting star crashing into the planet filled with stories.

In a group we decided that our three stories would be

• An old wise wizard who predicts the shooting star hitting the planet.
• Then the children have to find three keys which are hidden around the studio in order to open a treasure chest that has the solution of how to fix everything after the shooting star has hit.
• Then we have the villain who is 'The Story Stealer' who mixes up all the different stories and turns the planet into chaos.  

We then had to create a trailer showing a little glimpse into what would happen.

The old wizard is almost like a fortune teller but no one takes him seriously as they believe he's just a crazy, old man. He warns everyone that a star will hit the planet. Me and Fran come on as the civilians and we say not to worry about what the wizard said hes just crazy. Then the star hits. We run back on stage and scream in chaos as the star hit and we don't know what to do. The old wizard comes back and mentions three keys that will unlock a chest with the solution to our problems. We then search for the keys. One is in a random box around the studio. Another is in a box filled with Jelly and whilst this is happening everyone has to wiggle like jelly until the key has been found. Before we can find the last key 'The Story Stealer' arrives on the scene with a clap of thunder. We all have to stay still so that 'The Story Stealer' cannot find us. Then suddenly I sneeze which means 'The Story Stealer' can see us all. We all then have to chant the song in order to get rid of 'The Story Stealer' 'Story Stealer go away, Story Stealer not today' etc etc. The Story Stealer than goes away and we continue to search for the other key. We keep looking and then Harry turns around and its on his back.

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We had a narrator (charlotte) who was telling the story clearly and simply in order to make it easier to understand. For example, with each change into a new section of the scene Charlotte would add emphasis on words such as 'then' 'suddenly' 'next' etc. This was to show that the story/trailer was progressing and that a new idea was being introduced.

Another thing that went well was that we used big gestures/facial expressions and exaggerated words. This was to create humour which is an essential factor in children's theatre as it makes it more interesting to watch and more enjoyable to be a part of. For example, we emphasised 'keys' to show that this was an important piece of information that needs to be remembered.

Another thing that went well was our idea of using sensory things such as jelly to touch and a picture on the projector to see (picture of jelly) this is to make it multi-sensorial in order to engage the children and immerse them into the performance.

EBI.

I believe we could have worked on transitions between the next new idea that was being introduced better. As a moments we had actors on stage that needed to be offstage in order to either come on or to change characters to progress the narrative. For example, Harry did a lot of multi-rolling which meant he was onstage the majority of the time and therefore meant that when he was the wizard he tended to wear a difference piece of clothing to symbolise the change. I believe we could develop this by having staging in order for him to hide behind to do a quick change. Therefore he is out of public view meaning he is technically not in the scene so that he can appear as a different character.

We could have all experimented with vocal approaches. For example, some of us could of had accents of we could of spoken in different pitches. This would make it far more interesting to listen to and would make it more unique and aurally engaging to listen to. This therefore, would make it good for children's theatre as it would make it less on the realism lines and slightly on the surreal depending on how we used our voices.

Personally, I feel as though I needed to work on my characterisation more in this lesson. As I didn't stick to my monster character that I created in the last monster lesson. I seemed to create a new one. Therefore I need to establish a character, and decide on my vocal and physical approach in order to portray a convincing and interesting monster. For example, I could walk in a weird way moving my legs higher when I take steps and moving my arms all the time like I had previously done.

Variety - first initial ideas

In todays lesson we were introduced to the idea of Variety and what it meant. For example, Variety means different/not the same. Therefore in our variety show, there will be multiple acts of different forms. For example, singers, dancers, actors etc.

My initial thoughts were to do a solo performance of singing with a guitar. After consideration I then decided I wanted to challenge myself and try something different. Something like a comedy act. I discussed this with my friend Megan and we both decided we also wanted to do something fun and entertaining, such as comedy. We thought about this but thought it was hard to come up with funny original material in such a short space of time.

We then conversed with our other friend Vicki and decided we should all work together and do something as a group. We unanimously decided we would sing as it was something we all felt
comfortable with and felt as though we could perform well.

I suggested we do something along the lines of a Capella as its very unique and engaging for audience members to listen to and watch. For example, watching people create an entire vocal performance which includes a percussive element/line is intriguing as we wouldn't associate the voice with this/we wouldn't think the voice would be capable of doing this. We decided from this that instead of doing one song we would do a mashup of some songs from the 2000's. As we all felt a strong connection with this era and the music that was created. We listened to multiple playlists of YouTube and found songs that we all knew well and that we thought would sound nice in a mashup together. Therefore, after this we decided we would go away and see whether we could either find more songs to add or start on constructing a way in which we could fit them all together.

Dance lesson 4 - 'We Will Rock You' and experimenting with formations

In todays lesson we spent the first hour learning a dance routine to a song featured in the musical 'We Will Rock You' which we will be taking part in later in the academic year.

In the second hour of our lesson we started devising a new dance phrase inspired by 'Faultline'. It included many motifs we have used before as well as adding on a few more moves in order to develop the dance piece.

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I believe our structure of having two groups. i.e. The group of four that walk down at the start and then the group that are in the corner. Is effective as it creates a different layer to the piece and makes it visually interesting to watch as there are two different things going on at once. By also having two groups it could symbolise the theme of 'gangs' from the piece Faultline. For example, they could be in some sort of rivalry as barely any movements are the same in the two groups accept the main dance motif which could symbolise that they are similar but have different views.
Another thing that went well was that we were all in time with each other and the music creating fluid  movement. Making it seem well rehearsed. As well as being in time it makes us look and feel connected with the piece itself.
Another thing I think went well was our formation when group 1 and group 2 merged together ready for the main dance motif. This was structurally engaging as we walked on diagonals and didn't bump into each other making it seem smooth and professional.

EBI.
I think to improve what's already been done we could establish emotions more. For example, anger/betrayal etc. This would therefore help us to decided how we should perform the motif. For example, sharp movements or smooth movements etc. This would also then be able to link with 'Faultline' and the themes in the piece. Personally, I feel as though I need to work on my rolls in the piece and making them smoother in practice. For example, I get halfway through the role and then stop. In order to prevent this I need to gain momentum as I go down and think about how to position my legs and arms when rolling.
As a whole I think to develop it we could have the two groups meeting in some sort of stand off and work our fight motif we did a few weeks ago into it. This would then also represent the 'gang' and 'violence' themes throughout.

Childrens Theatre - Drama - 6th October 2016 - creating a monster

In todays lesson we created monsters that were faced with a crisis that was threatening their tribe. I created a monster called 'Flenose' who had constantly moving arms like Mr Tickle from Mr Men. Their voice was also slightly higher than my own in order to make it aurally engaging. They were part of the tribe 'Flankazan'.

In our scene

We all started off, off stage, We then walked on, oblivious to anyone else and the stage as we 'couldn't see anything' due to it being dark. We also walked on in our monster style until we met in the middle. We jumped back scared and shrieked. As it was dark and we couldn't see anything. We thought this would be a good opportunity to add a comedic element which would be effective for children's theatre. This is because watching people 'exaggerate' a emotion or get scared over something they wouldn't makes them laugh. We then were discussing why we couldn't see we mentioned that it was midday so why was it dark. We then mentioned how we could use the light of the stars and pointed up towards the stars as a group. We then mentioned how we used to get light from the sun. We then turned around and pointed to where the sun was meant to be. We paused a little moment longer then mentioned the 'balloon' that was covering the sun. We then all looked at eachother and screamed, running around until we inevitably bumped into each other again. We then again gathered in a little huddle to decide what to do. After discussion we decided that we need to pop the balloon somehow so we all split off into pairs so collect supplies.

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I believe each of our characterisations were unique and strong. As we all had a different factor that mad us different. For example, Harry was a crab like monster. Charlotte had claw like hand/arm movements. Fran had an accent and a dance like walk. I had constantly wiggly arms. I believe this technique would be good for children's theatre as it create variety in a performance and children will like/relate to a character more than others. So having that variety gives them the chance to like a certain character more than the others. For example, they may like the way they move or the way they speak. 
Another thing that went well was we had a clear narrative that would be easy for children to understand. For example, we can't see because its dark. A balloon is covering the sun and we need to figure out a way to get rid of it. A simple storyline that is easy to follow is essential for children's theatre otherwise children may get confused and lose interest. Therefore, our storyline of an issue, identify a solution and work to fix it is a good structure for Children's theatre.

EBI.

I think to make it better we should have blocked the whole scene physically as we spoke about the idea but we didn't stage it. We spent a while working on the opening to our piece and how we should characterise ourselves. This meant that with the limited time we had we only managed to block half of it which meant the second half of our performance was slightly improvised and rushed. We also hadn't properly thought through how we were going to end it. In the future we could develop this into a better resolution rather than just popping the balloon. We could develop it to have a far more interesting outcome. For example, instead of popping it we could find a way in which the balloon would be useful somewhere else on our island. Creating a moral that perhaps we don't have to always destroy/get rid of things we don't like/want. We can work with them for a better purpose.

Childrens Theatre - company research - 5th October 2016

https://vimeo.com/130504399

"Gecko is an award-winning and internationally-acclaimed physical theatre company, led by Artistic Director Amit Lahav.

A Gecko show is visual, visceral, ambitious theatre crafted to inspire, move and entertain. Gecko strives to make their work wide open to interpretation and put their audience at the heart of the narrative.

Amit has created an organic devising process that oscillates between intense periods of experimentation, making brave leaps, learning and failing and including choreography, writing, storyboarding and reflection. Every stage includes sonic and technical development alongside the choreography." - http://geckotheatre.com/about/ 

Gecko are a physical theatre company that experiment with many elements of dance, heavily influencing their performances. They also use sound effects and music in order to help tell stories and emphasise certain gestures. For example, in the video clip above at one moment two characters are in a argument and every time they 'say' something a gun shot sounds. Symbolising the verbal attacks and 'shots fired' between people when they argue. It also emphasises the damage an argument can do in a metaphorical sense by using the gun shots. Gecko also tend to perform on the darker side using surrealist elements and dark lighting and costumes. Creating a tense, uneasy atmosphere. The way in which they produce/create their performances is over two years. They take a very productive approach and develop the show whilst touring. They also use elements of puppetry.

I like their use of sound and music in their performances as I feel it gives another layer to the production, making it aurally engaging. I also like the constant theme of surrealism they seem to have throughout all of their productions, making them stand out from other companies making them unique and interesting.

-They are supported by the Arts Council England and are based in Ipswich-

Complicite - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uba-qzbZsV8

Complicite are an international theatre company situated in London.

"The main body of work has been of devised theatre pieces and adaptations and revivals of classic texts but the Company has also created opera and worked in other media, with radio productions of Mnemonic and John Berger’s To The Wedding, a collaboration with The Pet Shop Boys in Trafalgar Square in central London, and The Vertical Line, a multi-disciplinary installation performed in a disused tube station." -  http://www.complicite.org/company.php

"The Company is famous for making its work through extensive periods of research and development which brings together performers, designers, writers, artists and specialists from diverse fields to create the works – a process now known simply as ‘devising’." - http://www.complicite.org/company.php

They use puppetry in order to help tell stories. Their productions often involve the use of technology. For example cameras, projectors/projections, as well as lyrical and philosophical contemplation of topical/serious themes in the world. They tend to focus more on drama and comical elements but use techniques of dance in order to make it interesting.

Their staging and use of set colour/design is a strong element. I feel as though this helps set the scene and encourages enthusiasm by the actors. It also helps the audience with visuals.

Frantic Assembly - Based in London

"We began with little more than a fierce work ethic and a desire to do something different and to do it differently." - https://www.franticassembly.co.uk/about

"Frantic Assembly has always been about more than the work on the stage. It is about the ethos of collaboration, of empowerment, of that constant desire to improve. It is about telling stories in a voice we don't always hear and about finding talent in places we don't always look. Over the years the Frantic Method of devising theatre has helped people understand and make work throughout the world." - https://www.franticassembly.co.uk/about

Steven Hoggett is their choreographer who has won many awards such as an Olivier award and an Obie award.

Frantic create their pieces in a unique way as they start with the movement first then craft a narrative/performance track from this. They tend to devise their pieces rather than focus on scripts. By doing so they tend to be very multi-medial. For example, they use music, dance and visuals in order to help tell the story other than just dialogue. They also contain elements of breaking the fourth wall and encourage audience participation.

DV8 -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNjE53Pt4WQ

DV8's approach to theatre is heavily through dance. Earlier in their work they tended to use aggressive, physically wearing movements. However, as the company progressed they started to use more poetic movement and used dialogue in order to help tell stories and talk about important social/political issues in the world. DV8 do this by using fluid, contemporary movement whilst speaking. Its almost entrancing which makes you pay close attention to the performer and you are hung on every word they are saying. Its gentle movement that tackles the censorship of important issues and topics in the world. Such as: sexuality, terrorism etc. DV8 are an award winning company, that has toured internationally attended many festivals as well as producing films for the BBC and Channel 4.  Physical Theatre company based in London.

I personally really like their style of physical theatre and think its very effective and clever in terms of talking about political/social issues. By making it visually engaging to an audience which may in other scenarios not be interested. The use of fluid, gentle movements psychologically make the audience more open and welcoming to ideas which may be presented to them.

Kneehigh Theatre - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiM3whG9Oxs

Kneehigh are a physical theatre company based in Cornwall. Their performances tend to be very site specific. For example, they used to perform on top of cliff tops, in quarries and up trees. Until fairly recently they have found their home at the 'Asylum' where they also perform shows. Kneehigh get their inspiration for their shows from history, culture, people and landscapes. Kneehigh use a variety of techniques in their physical theatre. They tend to mainly focus on drama but add elements of dance into it to make it more exciting. They also use elements of puppetry as well as live musicians on and off stage. This makes Kneehigh multi-medial. Their stages tend be very elaborate and contain dark elements making it feel surreal.

I like the use of live musicians onstage as well as the darker elements throughout as it gives a different tone and atmosphere to theatre. It makes you feel engaged with the performance itself and you feel as though you are connected to the story as you see every part. Their use of puppetry is interesting as they even though its a surreal element they make it seem so realistic by the way in which they use movement and voice/sound.

"We create vigorous, popular theatre for a broad spectrum of audiences, using a multi-talented group of performers, directors, designers, sculptors, engineers, musicians and writers. We use a wide range of art forms and media as our ‘tool kit' to make new and accessible forms of theatre. A spontaneous sense of risk and adventure produces extraordinary dramatic results. Themes are universal and local, epic and domestic."

Rank order

1. DV8

2. Kneehigh

3.Frantic

4. Gecko

5.Complicite

Childrens Theatre - Dr Seuss - 5th October 2016

In this lesson we explored what attributes made physical theatre. We then came up with individual definitions of what we thought physical theatre was to them come to a conclusion as a group.

Physical theatre: movement used in order to help tell a story. Elaborate movements that can use element of dance. Highly stylised.

We then were given a random Dr Seuss poem and had to find the other person who had the same one. We then had around 10-15 minuets to devise a short physical theatre piece that included: Pace, Repetition and Exaggeration. Me and my partner had 'The Nook' poem.

We tackled this task by first reading the poem a few times and understanding the story that was being told. We also took this time to structure how we were going to perform the poem itself. During rehearsal we were initially doing a chunk of lines each and then the other person would mime whilst this was happening. However, we decided that it would be confusing to the audience of which character/object we were portraying. So then we decided that we should read every other line between us.

For repetition, we repeated the first line twice. We did this in order to create a humorous tone and to establish characters really quick within the piece. For example, Naomi would say 'we took a look' and look around where I would then walk away to the other side of her acting oblivious. She would then repeat this phrase then carry on to say 'and saw a nook' looking and pointing at myself.

Our elaborate gestures were references to the objects in the poem. For example, the book. Naomi herself became the book and her arms were the pages in which I would turn. As well as the hook on my head being a bright red feather which I pointed to and bowed down to the audience in order to draw attention to it.

Our pace was slightly slower than normal. This was to ensure that the audience understood every word we said as well as to draw emphasis on certain words. Particularly the words that rhymed i.e. Nook, Hook, Book, Cook.

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I believe our physical approach to the piece was good as we used our whole body either to become objects/characters or to perform elaborate/big gestures. Such as 'we took a look' we crouched low, put our hand to our forehead and swayed to the right. To symbolise searching/looking. This was effective as it was visual and supported the dialogue we were saying at the time.

I believe our vocal approach was appropriate to our piece as we didn't want to lose diction and projection trying to make it entertaining. Therefore, we spoke clearly and almost patronizingly slow in order to exaggerate but still make it audible.

EBI

I believe we could have worked on characterisation a little better. For example, establishing a certain mannerism or posture in order to differentiate between characters/objects. Therefore, making it easier to identify who the poem was about.

I also believe that we could have been a little bit more experimental with gestures and movement. For example, moving around the space a little more and perhaps adding a movement phrase to a particular word. However, I believe we did well considering we had limited time to construct and then perform.

Our second task was to do the same but with a longer piece of text. A full story to be exact. Again we were randomly given one of two scripts and that formulated our groups.

Again with this task the group I was in decided to take a very physical approach. For example, we had two people being the characters then the rest of us were objects/scenery/narrators. We approached the task by instantly being proactive and working through each page blocking it trying to memorise the lines as we went. We didn't use any staging as we felt it would be more visually engaging if we were the staging itself. i.e. We were the trees in the forest. We became the bikes and boats etc.

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I believe my vocal approach was strong as I spoke with enthusiasm and emphasis in order to create pace and interest in the dialogue being performed. I also believe it helped add an excited/shocked tone to the scene in the early stages when we were discovering the true storyline of the piece. For example, when I said 'and then they moved' I spoke in a higher pitch and breathier tone in order to create suspense and tension.

I believe our physical theatre approach worked well as it meant we were all on stage at the same time and we all had an important part to play. Whether we were talking or not. I believe it made us feel immersed ourselves with the performance and made us understand it better. It also made us feel more energised and I felt we had more enthusiasm as we were constantly involved doing something.

EBI.

I believe we could of made our piece better if we used more of the stage space. For example, in rehearsal and in performance we tended to stick to one side of the stage rather than perform centrally. Therefore, at particular moments we were in lack of space and therefore meant that some scenes were squished and cramped.

I believe that if we cut out some scenes/pages from our script than we would have been able to perform the whole of the story. As we only got halfway through before having to stop as we hadn't blocked the next part. If we had cut out bits then we would have been able to tell the whole story and still have made it interesting using physical theatre.

Personally, I feel that I need to contribute a little more to decisions made by leaders of the group. Adding input into directorial advice as that is where I feel I am at my strongest - blocking ideas that have been made.

Childrens theatre - Fairytale lesson September 29th 2016

To prepare for this lesson we had to re-write a fairytale we knew well from memory. Whilst doing so we had to include the five sense into the story. i.e. Sight, Smell, Hear, Taste, Touch. This would therefore add extra details in the story which may not have been known before. I chose to re-write 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. I added things such as the date and weather into my story. As well as giving characteristics to the smaller characters. For example, the man who gives Jack the magic beans, I explained what he was wearing and the creepy grin he had plastered on his face.

How we put this into practice was we got into two groups of six and read our stories to everyone in the group. Once we had done this we were then split again in our groups of six into two groups of three and combined whichever stories we had together into one new story. In my group we had Charlottes - Little  Red Riding Hood. Naomi's- Goldey-locks and the three bears' and my 'Jack and the Beanstalk' We decided to also give our fairytales a modern twist. In our piece we also used big elaborate gestures in order to make it visually interesting as well as using other forms of arts/media such as singing.


This was how we constructed our story including all of the fairytales.

Our scene

Charlotte and Naomi are arguing about something and I walk shiftily towards them. I say my names Jack and that they have something for me. Beans. Naomi and Charlotte mull it over then agree as long as my character gives them something in return. A car and some bread. It then transitions into the next part of our fairytale combo which is linked with Goldey-locks.  After eating the beans I go to three grandma houses. First one is crazy and sings a lot. The second smells too much and the third is just right. I then sit in the third grandmas house and pretend to be said grandma. Little red then comes knocking on the door. Little red does the traditional, asking questions with a little twist. i.e 'you're hair is so conditioned. You're looking a little large. You have really big teeth' Then I admit that I'm the wolf.

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I feel as though our approach to the task was good as we used elaborate gestures and spoke clearly and confidently so that everyone can hear us. For example, we would emphasise certain words more than others if we were using them in a humorous way. For example, when we were doing the exchange and talking about 'beans' we emphasised 'beans' itself and then the branding. This worked in our favour as people recognised the tone we were aiming for and thought it was funny from how we were performing it.
Personally, I feel my characterisation at the beginning of the scene where I had to act shifty and nervous was really good. As I included mannerisms and 'habits' as to what my character would be feeling/would act in the particular situation they were in. For example, I was constantly looking around and moving my arms. Whether it be rubbing my arms, wringing my hands or fiddling with the back of my neck etc.

EBI
I feel our narrative was a little unclear as to what characters we were. Particularly me as I introduced myself as Jack but I was the Wolf by the end of the performance. I feel as though this could be improved by a prop or piece of costume that I either put on or took off. To symbolise the change in character.
Another way in which we could improve our performance was adding more staging in order to outline certain places and/or objects. For example, we only had two chairs on stage to symbolise the granny houses. I feel we could of made it more visually engaging by adding stage blocks in order to create levels. I,e. using the levels to establish between different stories. i.e. creating a stage two stage blocks high, then one, one stage block high and then the ground floor.

Dance Lesson 3 - fight phrase 30th September 2016

In todays lesson we got back into our pairs and had to produce a little aggressive fight scene in which we held connections for as long as possible. For example, if I help onto my partners arm we would have to do as many moves after that as we could without breaking the connection.

Here was our first attempt at creating the fight phrase:

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We used quick fluid movements which created pace and kept to the theme of aggression in this piece. For example, when I did the spin into the crouch it was a very fluid transition. Therefore, making it look smooth and finished. Another way in which it went well was our use of formation as we didn't stay in exactly the same place all the time. We travelled and crossed paths making it visually engaging for the audience. We also attempted to create levels to show dominance in certain characters. For example, when Lois pushes on my back to jump over. We felt like this could be a sign that her character had more power than mine.

EBI
We could work on our connections more as at the moment they are lasting about a second or two before we are creating new connections. We need to hold onto them longer in order to fit the brief. For example we could add moves that are closer together as we keep distancing ourselves at the moment. Meaning our connections are getting shorter and shorter.We also need to relax more and think less about how we connect and more about how we can make it look more like a realistic fight phrase. As at the moment it still looks very much like contemporary dance rather than a sharp, jerky, violent movement.

We then combined our fight movement phrase with the other devised phrase we created the week before. Here we changed our fight phrase as we felt we could make it better than our first attempt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_Fcsz50FAs&feature=youtu.be 

WWW - second attempt at the fight phrase
In our second attempt we managed to create connections which lasted longer that contained two or more moves. For example, when we spin and hold our hands together we manage to hold that connection for two moves without breaking. Which for us was an achievement. Therefore, achieving the brief slightly better than in our first attempt. Personally, I feel as though my extensions have improved since the first dance lesson. For example, when I stretch my arms out they are now straight and outstretched rather than slightly bending and halfway stretched. Meaning, my dance is getting more fluid and smooth each week. Therefore, meaning my performance level is increasing. Also in this version we are stablishing more aggressive moves. For example, pushing each other away or pulling each other around. This creates more of a tense dramatic tone to our performance meaning we are also fitting the brief better.

EBI
I believe we could still add more onto our fight motif to make it longer. For example, adding some connections where we move in sync together for a few moves and then break into the next connection. This could be done where me or Lois could hold each others arms or wrist as there are multiple joints in the arms/wrists which can be moved in more ways to allow longer connections. Therefore, creating longer, possibly better looking fight phrases. Also I think we still need to relax more into the idea of connections and experiment more with levels and different connection points rather than worrying about if it looks particularly interesting or whether its quick. As we can work on visuals and speed when we are finished and happy with our outcome.