This is the script for 'That's your Trouble. Upon looking at the script, I am playing one of two men in a park. Their relationship is uncertain, but it looks like they may be father/son or brother relationship. This is because they seem to be close, but their interests and dialogue are contrasting. They are in a relationship because of their situation, not by choice. Therefore my character is more likely to be the father or older brother. His background is slightly different, he does not appear to be as educated as the other character and has sporting interests. I will need to analyse the script in order to understand details of the scene and characters. It is interesting that the character is carrying an umbrella whilst 'relaxing' in the park. Why would the character carry an umbrella if it is a sunny day? This suggest that the character is a negative person and is always expecting 'rain'.
This was the first read through of the script. The script includes a lot of direction and action that will need to be included. I see the character as a Londoner, so I aimed to use an annoying type of Londonesque accent for the character. The character is annoying and easily ired. He picks out on small things around him, like the sandwich board carrier, that has somehow caused offence. Although I have most focused on annoying for now. I see that this character needs to be angrier. He needs to be able to fall into an argument at will. I had auditioned for the other role, but I do not mind playing either part. I see that this character is a cricket player, so even though he may be older, I do not think he is physically weak. I have an idea of this type of person, a strong, temperamental, older male.
Hot Seating
During the Communal session, Jamie and I were able to develop character details, such as our relationship and ages. We decided upon that we are half brothers who shared the same father with different mothers. Barry mother was an alcoholic and very abusive. It's possible that Barry was effected by alcohol pre-natally and also by physical abuse. He has no memory of the abuse just that his own mother was not nice. Allen's mother was more caring and Barry considered her his own mother. We are different due to our parents and having slightly different background. One is educated, where the other is of a sports background. However, it is possible that we are step brothers. The relationship makes sense that they are brothers and not father/son as they characters are different due to their background. Close parent/child relationships, the characters are more likely to be similar. We decided that Barry, which is my character had been a cricket player and received a brain injury. This has afflicted him in his later years. Allen was forced into ending his career to take care of Barry and this has caused the conflict in their relationship. Barry likes to reminisce of his cricket days and perhaps gets caught up in the memory when he goes to the park.
The hot seating session allowed us to explore the characters in greater detail. We had established that we are half brothers sharing the same father. This explains our differences and our connection. We were asked questions in regards to the character such as what our relationship was like when we were children. We played in character and I feel this helped move the situation forward. It steered us to developing the quirky character associations, things they get up to together, what are they like in the home. Playing in character allowed us to see details from our characters perspective and enhanced the background for our scene. Jamie also played the educational side I played on the ignorant but sporty traits. Our upbringing also partially explained many of our differences. MY character had a poor working class upbringing with an abusive mother. Jameis character was raised during a time when their father had become financially wealthy and his mother was more caring
For this rehearsal I feel I have developed the character close to where I want them to be but I still think the scene requires more tension. I like the way my character sounds, but I have not been able to apply the required emotion to the character. Although I become angrier at the end I think this character needs to be more reactive. I also think the situation between the characters is creating tension between them. Their relationship has become strained and they are looking for any excuse to have an argument with each other. We have started to develop the fight routine, where my character is beaten with an umbrella. I feel this needs to worked on as it is the main action of the scene. I also feel this fight causes my character to finally break and go full blast on the brother. Jamie an I have develop a good chemistry and are exploring different ways of developing the scene. We are building a story that helps create tension between the characters during the performance. As I now have a better understanding of the character I will start to integrate this into practice.
Monologues
I create monologues that I used to help create characters background story and help enter character. I asked the character various questions and responded to the answers from a characters perspective. This was interesting as I was able to create natural responses to the questions and even change emotions due to the questions. I found details such as he is a labour supporter but loves the Royal Family. He is very much against the communists and he was a member of the home guard in London during the war. He is a bit disgruntled not fighting in the war and witnessed the horror of seeing women and children killed during the blitz.
High Tension 7/7
High Tension Version: In class we were asked to perform highest tension version of our scenes. For That's your Trouble, I felt this is scene that works well with higher tensions. Both of the characters are easily angered and irritated. Tension naturally grows with the scene and the characters do their best to convince the other is wrong. With high tension throughout, it added a lot of energy to the scene. It also made me realise that tension is not naturally high throughout the script, that at times my character in particular, acts more recessively, sarcastically or is confused. I have found that through each rehearsal, my character is upset towards the end, not because of argument, but because of the relationship with the other character. He is not just angered but feels that he is a burden and struggles with his cognitions due to injury. The relationship is also abusive, so he knows what his trouble is, its the relationship, not just his injury. In fact, he considers himself to be the trouble in their relationship. This internal conflict, where he needs Allen's help but at the same time is enduring abuse and wants out, contributes to the conflict between the characters.
Emotional Memory: During my early 20's, I lived with a friend in a flat. At times, we would go into discussions in regards to subjects such as politics, philosophy, even sports. We were passionate about the subjects, but often our views were conflicting. This could then create tension and lead to arguments in regards to the subject. There were also some communication issues because my friend is deaf. Although generally this was not an issue, during an argument this could create further frustration. I decided the relationship was a good basis for the relationship between the characters of the play. There is a close relationship but they are prone to arguments. I put myself into the situation where I am having an argument with the friend. I am also a windup merchant so, so I have brought this into my character. I am saying things, that are said to wind up the other character. Although not many things wind me up in real life, I am annoyed by dodgy drivers. When I see the 'bloke with a sandwich board', I imagine to myself that I have just had a driver cut in front of my with no indicition. I can also react to ridiculous comments, so when Allen says something as to what my character would percieve as ridiculous, I am able to use my real world emotional response to what has been said. It doesn't matter what is said, as long as I imagine what has been said is ridiculous.
In this rehearsal I feel I have come closer to finding the character. I have been able to look adding coarseness and harshness to the voice. When I speak I am more reactive during my responses. I also play on words to wind up the character. The tension workshop helped my find where most of the tension needs to be in the scenes. At different times the tension changes, either to create suspense or because the anger levels are different. I am also demonstration mannerisms and gestures associated with that character. He is very expressive with his hands, and uses them in a direct manner. I am also applying different levels of focus. When my character looks inward, he is building upon his energy to unleash an insult. He will talk directly at a person, but will either look to the world or inwards during times of frustration. He is reactive to the observed world around him, but this is mostly to generate an argument with his brother.
Going off script was challenging, but I felt I have most of the script taken to heart. Some parts of the beginning of the script are still a little bit confusing. I know the words of each line, but I am uncertain of the order. I will need to develop queues so I can remember which line to use at each point. Overall, I think the character is close to where I want, but needs to be angrier and more reactive. I also need to emphasise the parts where I feel the character is deliberately winding up the brother. I still feel the fight scene needs developing, but we will be receiving some training in this area which should enhance the routine.
Tech and Dress
It has been an interesting journey developing the character and scene. MY character A (Barry), is very temperamental and gets upset by the most trivial things. He can also include his injury which means he is easily confused. He is a fool and the butt of the joke. Initially I found it difficult to mind the aggression for this character, I would be louder and more intermediating, but not reaching the require level of anger. I wanted to be able to burst and switch between tensions. This character is high strung, but I didn't want an all out 7 in terms of tension. The tension workshop helped to work out which parts needed higher or lower tension and which parts had different energies. I also found I was pacing too much and needed to tone it down and be more controlled and direct. I decided to evolve pacing around and transition in energy, to create suspense before a burst. I also wanted my body language to imply I was not listening, as I am being told I do not listen. I do not want to hear this again, but I need to still focus on my characters movement and ensure I am not pacing too much.
Jamie and I have worked on developing the routine but it still requires some refining. It has been challenging as we have both missed time in college due to illness at separate times. This is part of the issue faced with acting, where an actor may need to rehearse solo, with a reader, or with a stand in. Each actor will need to exchange ideas but it does encourage impro as there has been less time to rehearse together. We developed contrasting characters and this has been important for the role. I have been able to use that as energy for the Piffs character. I feel we have a good chemistry and in this role, he is allowed to be the punisher character. We have both evolved our characters relationship towards a love/hate relationship and in our backstory, this would a typical afternoon in the park.
I need to remember to bring on the umbrella when I enter the scene. I also need to remember to bring the chairs into the centre for the next scene.
Umbrella combat training
Ed, a former student at Glos Col, attended class to provide a combat training workshop. Within this class Jamie and I were provided the opportunity to work with Ed through our fight scene. Ed was able to show us techniques that would improved both the realism and theatrical element of our routine. Instead of being hit directly, Jamie would now stamp the floor with each hit. I needed to be more reactive and increase the amplification of my shrieks to help mask the stamp sound. We worked through each hit individually and explored how they lead to the next one and so on. Each hit which change my position and therefore create different opportunities each time. As I was hit, I positioned my body to help set up the next hit and so on. The trickiest part of the routine had been the umbrella trip/fall. We had considered hitting the back of the knee to cause buckling. Ed suggested that Jamie 'stamps' on my foot forcing me to raise my leg. This then provided opportunity for the other leg to be pulled from beneath me. I still need to work on the fall as so I am not falling full force onto my rib. I should be able to use my right arm to help buffer the fall. A slap was also integrated into the routine has I am pulled from the floor. This provided an opportunity to use a newly acquired technique but also added greater humour into the performance. I feel I am good at taking the hits, I am reactive to each hit, especially the slap. The workshop was extremely helpful for enhancing the effect of the fight routine and helps complete our performance. We still need to practice the routine, but after the extensiveness of today's class, we already have a good understanding of its application.
Final Performance
We were able to record our performances with a 360 camera. This provided a better perspective of the performance in order to review and analyse. I think Jamie's performance in this role was very good and we had an excellent chemistry when performing together. We play off each others characters, where we have been able to create characters that are contrasting. My character has become very reactive, whereas his character builds up towards a release. I have been able to create a unique character that is not myself, and is not similar to the other characters. It was nice that I have a base reference for this character, due to knowing males like this. They are not the same, they are from a different region with different upbringing, interests etc. However, the basis details were they are in their 60's, are temperamental and are physically strong. This meant I had a different frame point for how I perceived an elderly person. I saw that even if they get beaten up and knocked down, they would still pick themselves up. I see that my character is very direct with their hands and has developed a gesture based on this. When angered the character will use their hands to emphasise this an enact the required emotion. The character has other associated actions such as they will look away when they are being 'told off' and basically ignore what is being said. The character will clutch at the umbrella when stressed. The character will walk in a circle when they looking inwards and building up to higher levels of tension and anger. I have been able to demonstrate how I use focus and attention to show changes in characters emotions. I felt genuine emotions during the performances. I did not simply get louder or more expressive to present the character as getting angrier, I got genuinely angry and wound up during the performance. I was able to apply this to my character and there mannerisms became different to how I would personal react in the situation. I think their is a clear distinction from now to the earlier rehearsals. The change has mostly come from understanding the character, building actions and relating to the script. Although I wanted my character to pace around, I feel I have been able to distinguish the movement of my character away from being aimless pacing. That the movement is more intentional and relevant. They are being ignorant, or they are becoming more stressed so the actions change.
I loved how the choreograph fight turned out, it looks fairly realistic and has entertainment value. The sounds seem accurate even though they are staged and we were able to sync our movements fluidly into one unit of action. The slap was fast enough as not to be too obvious a stage slap and had good sound quality. I like how in each performance my hat would fall off at different times, such as in this one. During the fight I am different stages of picking up and putting on the hat each time. The hat would fall at different times in different directions, but my characters became about putting on the hat each time it fell. I felt this further enhanced the fight and showed something of the character, that they were trying to maintain their pride during a degrading situation. This is why I used this hat as I wanted a hat that would fall off and be easy to put back on. During the argument I did not feel I was just raising my voice during the performance. I felt genuine anger building. I think there is a clear difference from the tension workshop to now, where I have gone from being loud to actually being able to create and express the emotion. I think with anger its one that is hardest on the performer, not just mentally but physically as well. Its also challenging to be angry in public and also, when you are having a good time, its difficult to find that emotion. However, in the scene, in character, I was able to react to that characters situation and the dialogue with the other character. I was annoyed by their words and I was able to express this into the performance. I do not believe my performance was 100% authentic and true to the character, I also had to factor in the theatrical nature of the performance. I do however believe that my anger and pain were expressed genuinely and this is something I can build upon. The character had distinct persona, a way of walking, standing, listening. They are reactive. They are both physically and mentally slow, but also physically and mentally strong. I am able to demonstrate the rigidity of age whilst avoiding the rigidity that may come with performing. I do need to understand more of acting techniques generally, such as an characters actions, but I was able to tap into the emotions and maintain character throughout. I also believe the performance in this scene was well executed and entertaining. The performance creates a lot of energy and tension that was perhaps not in the other scenes. It was a perfect compliment to the other scenes, with scenes exploring different topics and emotions. This performance was the most challenging due to the effects it has on the vocal chords. Shouting is extremely harsh and can damage the vocal chords. I would need to focus on warm up and shouting techniques in future, in order to avoid my performance being affected by straining the voice.
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