Charatacter Profile 'First' (Black & White)

Annotated Script

The dialogue in the script was almost alien to me. When I first read the script, I was unsure what to make of the character. They seemed just and aimless and trivial person, but over time I was able to see greater depth to the character and that they are basically a compulsive liar. As I developed an understanding of the character, the script started to take on new meaning. The words and sentences meant something different. The words are the lie, the cover story. To reveal the truth I must reveal the lie of the character. It was like a eureka moment, where suddenly I knew how to say every word and what it meant. I saw the liar, the manipulator, the opportunist. When asked about the bread' she replied 'it's alright, hows yours?”. She doesn't actually like it, probably doesn't eat it and asks the same question, knowing that the bread is stale and dry. When she says “you can go along and come back” First is implying to Second, 'don't come back'. When Doris plans on returning later, she is also hoping that she will be attending the cafe with another 'friend'. It suggest that during this scene, she may not even touch the food and this changes my initially interpretation of the scene. I had assumed that First would eat the soup due to being homeless. However, now this meal is more of a brief passing on characters, not a meal.

Given Circumstances

The given circumstances are facts for the play. Throughout the script, there are facts about the world and character. With Black & White, I was also able to find other sources, such as the monologue version and Pinter's ideas on the character 'First'.

List of given circumstances for the scene:

The character First is a small, older woman. The detail of her being small is not just implying she is short, but that her character persona is small. She is indiscrete, quiet, hidden, unseen.

Black & White - Cafe name, could also imply the characters ethnicity or contrasting personalities 'like chalk and cheese'). The cafe is an all night cafe, which suggests it may attract people of varying backgrounds. The script implies that the place is grimy. This could be a literal representation, that it needs the floors mopped and tables wiped. The script is however, most likely implying it is the people in the cafe that are 'dirty' at least from the perspective of 'First'.

London Location – Set near or around the Hammersmith/Kensington area, on the banks of the Thames. The location has attraction such as Marble Arch, Waterloo Bridge and Covent Garden within its proximity.

Fleet street – This is a financial area of London known for its banks. This street would be known for its exceptionally wealth. This implies that despite the character First being homeless, she places herself in wealthy areas. This is possibly to beg for change, but most likely to meet a wealthy man. It also implies she may see her self as a middle class person, trapped in a difficult situation.

Wears red lip stick and scarf. Pinter described the character in this manner. This is not only useful but implies something of the character. The use of red lip stick is associated with sexual arousal. It may also be her favourite colour which can be used to develop back story for the character. She also likes tomato soup, which is red, which suggests the colour red is important to this character.

Talks to stranger – The character first, is accused of talking to strangers by the other character.

The character follows buses, or catches certain buses as part of her routine. Though on this surface it seems trivial or similar to trainspotting, it is actually part of her method of trying to meet men.

Backstory

Doris was born just before the turn of the century. She was raised in East London by a decent, but working class family. She was close to her mother, but her father was distant. However, she remembers when her father used to take her around the various attractions in London and tell her stories of their history. This memory created her attachment to London. Doris mum died when Doris turned 18 at this point she started to drift away from her family. Before the War (WW1), she met a soldier and when he returned from the war, they married. The man, Henry, worked in the banking industry and rose to become a trust fund manager. They lived a middle class-upper class lifestyle in central London. Doris became a house wife and did not want to work. Due to their wealth, they had cleaners, they ate in restaurants, she did not live a typical house wife life style and was more of a trophy wife. Due to her lack of friends and having a distant husband, she often would use buses to go out and visit the places of her childhood. She also acquainted with 2nd (Mary) at this time. Mary took Doris under her wing. Eventually due to boredom, Doris became an alcoholic (gin) and chain smoker. This changed her emotions and she would often start conflicts when her husband come home to work. Doris would also meet men whilst under the influence, due to the lack of intimacy from her husband. Eventually, her husband filed for divorce and she was left desolate. Doris has been homeless since before World War 2, but was able to take refuge during the conflict. However she now remains homeless. Their is the potential for her to move into a council house, but she doesn't want to go through the process and may end up outside of central London. She would rather be homeless in central London, than live in a council house elsewhere.

Doris desires to meet a man in which she can spend the rest of her life with. The man needs to live in the central London area. However, she is not so interested in wealth but is looking for a passionate and intimate relationship. Due to her dress style and openness to male attention, she can come across as a 'street worker'. This can put her into difficult and potentially dangerous situations, but she is naïve of this danger. Doris will take risks (standing on the edge of Waterloo bridge) in order to gain male attention, perhaps to find a knight in shining armour that will save her.

Doris seems an almost aimless person with no genuine goals. She has a routine, she goes to the cafe, she goes to various sites and catches various buses. However, this routine is a cycle and is optimistic and opportunistic. She is not following a routine to stay sane, but instead going out of her way to meet men. On each bus she has men that she has conversed with and taken an attraction to them. By going on the buses, she is hoping that the particular men are also on that bus again. As 'Second' is strongly opposed to this behaviour, Doris has created an elaborate back story in order to cover her lies. For example, she will say she caught the bus 'straight here'. When the other character states that there is also an 'alternative bus', Doris retorts that there are also others. She could have could any of them. However, the truth is she caught the bus for a specific reason. So, even though on the surface, the character appears whimsical and illogical, she is actually cunning and calculating.

Leading up to the scene, the character Mary (Second) wants to try and help Doris out, to protect her and encourage her to visit new places. However, this is a futile experience as Doris is too attached to the area. Doris knows this but instead of being open in regards to her feelings, she has become increasingly distant and hostile during their meetings. Mary has become disillusioned and coming to the point where she is ready to move on again. Mary is also trying to encourage Doris to see that there is more to life than men. That she can explore the world and be independent. However, this concept is almost alien to Doris.

Scene

During the scene Doris and Mary are gossiping and eating soup. Most of the script evolves around the cover story. Doris manipulates the conversation in her favour. She quickly moves on the conversation when its going against her. Doris already has the exact conversation detailed in her head and would have a similar conversation even if she was on her own. She is convinced by her own lie. Doris is in denial of 'talking to strangers' which suggest what she is getting up to outside of the scene. During the scene Doris states there are areas she wants to go and areas she 'doesn't fancy'. On the surface, this suggest she simply doesn't like the area. However, what it implies is that Doris actually has a particular reason going to those places. The reasons are possible due to her connection to the area, but most likely because there are strangers she meets on the buses on those routes. The logical explanation she wants to meet people who live in those areas.

The scene begins with Fist waiting. Seconds brings soup. First states “You got the bread then”. The words imply that the bread had been forgotten before. It is also First using an opportunity to be offensive without repercussion. They begin eating soup when second states “what's the time by your clock?”. This is not simply asking the time, but an offensive statement towards the character. Despite the event, First already has the conversation in her mind and the story that she uses to cover her lie. She quickly answers the question from Second. She offers some incite into her inner world. First goes into her inner world, she is probably thinking of who she is trying to meet next. She asked about the bread she shows her disinterest in the food. She quickly turns this towards charging for break if they have tea. This is obvious, because bread isn't associated with a cup of tea. She lies again and then points out that 'they (the men, the police) didn't keep' Second, as in they wanted to be with her. This was First again using an opportunity to be offensive. When Second states that the police men would not be interested in First, First is very offended. She turns away and looks out of the window. She has evolved to her evil self. She is quick to turn this offence of her self onto the world. She points out the other people in the cafe and the world outside. She also picks on 'that' other cafe, or seating position in the current building. The scene shows that First is a strange character, who likes quiet places, but still needs to be within central London. First likes to see what is happening, but not necessary be involved.

When the cafe is due to close, Second stands up to leave. First states “you can go along then come back”. She is however implying that although she is returning, she does not want Second to come back.

Second says she is going up to 'the (Covent) garden' , but First does not want to go there. She does not want to be around Second, she has other plans. First is trying to meet someone else. She checks the time to imply that she is in a rush, or it was unplanned “oh, look at the time...”. She also pauses when she states she is “going up to Waterloo Bridge'. This may suggest it was a random choice, or was innocent. However, it is most likely she knew exactly where she was going and that she will also be attempting to come back to the cafe when it re opens. Not on her own, not with second, but with the man that travels on that bus. It could possibly be the driver, due to her interest in men in uniform. When she says 'it don't look like an all night bus in daylight', she is trying to show how important the bus is. Not the person, but the actual bus. This further enforces her lie and how she almost believes the lie. When she says the words, she is referring to the bus, but her thoughts are with the man.

The message of this scene to the audience is “are you living a life or a lie?” Do your words represent your life?

Profile Brief:

Name: Doris

Age: 62

Born: East London

Lives: Central London

Occupation: Unemployed/Homeless

Relationships: Second (Mary), a new age traveller. Not close, the relationship is situational. 'The men', various strangers she has acquainted with on the bus routes.

Associated Colour: Scarlett (represents the emotion lust and sexual arouse)

Associated Song; When I fall in Love (represents the opportunistic and idealism of the character)

Associated Animal: Hedgehog. Comes out at night. Is quiet and mostly harmless, but spiky. Tenedency to get itself into dangerous situations

Favourite Food: Soup

Important item: Bus ticket collection. This helps her keep track of her routine and various buses she uses.

Hobbies: Visiting various attractions and locations of central London

Physiological traits: Delusional, opportunistic, compulsive liar, cunning, calculated, ritualistic, alcoholism, risk taker, OCD (compulsive reader), emophilic (falls in love easily)

Scene Objective: To manipulate the situation in order to keep the exchange brief. To get to Waterloo bridge to, put herself in the risky situation. To meet the man.

Super Objective: To fall in love, to find someone to live with. To marry.

Physical Action

The movement of the character is mostly comprised of nervousness when in public. The character is feminine, even overtly effeminate. They believe their movement and mannerisms make them ladylike, thus more attractive to men. This movement needed to be incorporated into the character. The character has subtle movements, they are not highly reactive, but will react to certain offence with retorts. When aggrieved, the character will look to one side, when they are looking internally. They will then direct themselves towards the other character to insult them. The character is mostly always distracted or distant. They will look at the world even when be spoken too.

Focus:

The character is mostly inwards focused. Even they are in discussion with another character and have a bowl of soup as a prop the character is not focused in the middle level. The character is inwards focused because of social anxiety but also because they are focused elsewhere. The character is desiring to meet a man, even though this has not bee pre arranged by both parties. First also has a pre determined conversation in mind, she is distant because she already knows what she is going to say. At other times she will look out to the world, out of the window and observe the world pass by. She is looking for negatives or looking out for her buses. She will make negative remarks or highlight one or more buses (Positives). She will briefly enter the middle range of focus with the character. This is mainly when she is making a direct remark towards the character. She briefly flirts with the soup, but she does not fully engage with it. The focus on the soup is another moment the character is actually reflecting internally.

Units and Actions

Overall objective: Get to Waterloo in time.

First is waiting for the character. He is impatient because the character forgot the bread

Second: To see that one.... (Waiting)

First: You got the... (chastising)

Second: I didn't know how to... (taking plates)

The characters start eating and gossiping

First: I lie a bit of bread (stating)

Second: Did you see that one...? (eating)

First: Who? (Leans towards centre of table)

Second: What's the time...

First: I bet you...(agreeing)

Second: I told him alright..... (thinking

First: I not long got here (lying)

Second: Did you get the all night bus? (eating/Thinking)

First turns defensive and starts lying to hide her secrete

First: I got the all night... (defending)

Second: Where from?

First: Marble Arch (defending)

Second: Which one?

First: The 2 9 4...

Second: So does the 2 9 1... Old Piece of Boot

First turns on the world. Uses facts to help cover lie.

First: I wasn't talking to any strangers (denial) (stares out of window) That's another all night bus...(distraction, looking outwards, pointing out the buses, making 2nd aware of the availability of all night buses)

Second: That's up..

First: I don't fancy going down there, down Fulham way...(developing lie)

Second: Uh huh

First: I've never fancied that... (manipulating conversation)

First is lost in thought

Second: Hows your bread?

First: Eh? (thinking/playing with food)

Second: Your bread?

First: It's alright, hows your (gesturing that its not alright)

Second: They don't charge for bread... (eating)

First gets more offensive and reactive

First: They do if you have tea (talks with menace)

Second: If you have tea they do..

First: I don't talk to strangers (shocked)

Second: They took me away once...

First: They didn't keep you though (scolds)

Second: They didn't keep me (smiles)

First: DO you think they'll take a fancy...? (wishfully)

Second: I wouldn't back on it (First Looks out of window)

First is extremely offended. She turns her attention from the soup/inner world towards the outer world.

First: You can see what goes on from this top table (looks around) Its better than going down to THAT (emphasises) place....

The characters resume to gossip. First is now more attentive to the conversation.

Second: Yes there's not too much noise

First: Always a bit of noise

Second: There is always a bit of life

First: They'll be closing down soon

First becomes more aware of the future.

Second: There's a wind out

First: I wouldn't mind staying (reflects on the temperature)

Second: They wont let you

First: I know (thinking). Still, they only close...don't they? (worrying) It's not long (gestures not to return with subtle eye movement )You can go along....

Second starts to leave changing the attention of the character

Second: I'm going, I'm not coming back (gives a wry smile)

First: When its light, ill come back and have my tea (optimistically)

Second: I'm going up the garden (hopes/agrees)

First: I'm not going up there, (thinks) I'm going up to Waterloo bridge (boasts)

Second: You'll just see the last 296...

First: I'll just catch a look of it (looks inwards), time I get up there (checks time, gestures that she has to go now). It don't look like an all night bus... (Upbeat, wishful, masking lie)

Leaves change for tip as waiter enter

Picks up bag and leaves scene

Emotional Memory

For this character, it was easy to fall into stereotypes, such as this character is very feminine and is also elderly. This made it very challenging to find a suitable approach for this character. I found that it was better to look inwards and find parts of myself that I can build around or associate with the character. I found that I may have times traits that match the characters, such as I can be passive or opportunistic. I may often visit places like cafe's and simply observe what is happening around me. I also decided to use my own physical features such as using my natural hair or emphasising my own femininity (my hands, my legs, my lips, my voice). I found from this, that I had a good grounding for the character. That by removing the masculine parts of myself, I already had some foundation for the character. By creating a backstory and adding other features to the physical action of the character such as walking, or subtle movement, I was able to change my form without completely eliminating myself.

From the beginning I saw this character as being mutton dressed as lamb. I remember a person who used to dress in short skirts, fur coats and heavy makeup regardless of where she was. I felt this provided a natural inspiration of the character. I also saw a woman walking between a town and village. She was dressed similarly to the character in scene and was carrying a huge shopping bag. I imagined the woman as being like First and that the character from the play actually existed in real life.

Final Performance