A

Roller Coaster of
Emotions

24th 28th November 2014

Games and
Exercises:
Bull Dog
SPOT Kicking
game
Musical Statues
Dodge Ball
Mats, ball and
Horn Game
Kings Chair
Spare Char

Newspaper Project, Audition Prep

and Schools Tour
This week has been an up and down one for the
company as a whole. There have been real lows where
the energy had been unproductive and actors are not
working together effectively. However, there have also
been real highs and moments of great discovery.
Therefore, it has been a rollercoaster of emotions and
atmospheres.
However, by
the end of the
week there
was a positive
vibe, and
reflecting now
I feel we did
achieve a lot.

Credited:
Google Images

Newspaper Project, Schools Tour and Audition Prep

24th 28th November 2014

We started off the week creating a dance to 'Santa Claus is coming to town.'
It was really fun to
do some
choreography and I
enjoyed creating an
energised and fun
dance that will be
like a grand finale to
our piece!

We start off all
asleep and then we
had Sam entering as
Father Christmas
asking where all his elves have got to! The dance is really animated and energetic!
We then had the idea of a section at the end where we could build a sleigh and
have a reveal of Santa and his reindeers! This is however liable to change once we
are cast and have more specific characters. I thought we were creative with our
choice of movement and I liked the variety of formations we created which
included the whole company. I do however; think we should also think about
including some more literal movement into the mix. Although we dont want it all
to be literal, some movements could be so that children will connect and relate to
it, making them want to join in.

Although we have a structure there, it really needs polishing so we all need to work
together and incorporate it into the warm up so that it gets better and its not
messy. Im looking forward to developing this and making it a really strong
number.

(Credited: Google Images)

Newspaper Project, Schools Tour and Audition Prep

24th 28th November 2014

We had the chance to tech our newspaper section. It was really good to finally see it
all coming together and be able to put our stamp on the design of the lighting and
the atmospheres that we want to create. It was a challenge as it wasn't like your
traditional lighting plot because in the studio there are only a certain amount of
lights. However, I was really pleased with the effects that we created and how it
complimented the actors on stage. For example, in the model section we had
flashing lights and brightness to show the glamour and then when Jack came out
this all went and lighting went down to a darker state. This really aids the message
we are portraying and shows the audience the discrimination in another form.

The piece has really benefited from having extra people being added into the mix.
Having more of the company involved creates the buzz it needs and keeps the
energy high. The model section and the park looked so much better because of this.

Jacks ending monologue also looked much more dramatic and we were able to get
a lighting effect inside it which pulsated like a heartbeat to match the sound effect.

As well as lighting, it was good to cue all of the music and make sure that the actors
are reacting and know when the next music come in. Music aids the transition but it
shouldnt be there instead of actor energy so they till need to remember to react in
the transitions.

Newspaper Project, Schools Tour and Audition Prep

24th 28th November 2014

On Tuesday morning there was a really dispersed energy in the company. When some
of us suggested we made more dance material, there was a real lack of enthusiasm.
Alex, Connor, Harriet and I had already stared devising a new dance when the others
were not in the room and then a negative atmosphere was somehow created. It is
frustrating because when you want to progress with the work its not productive
having a negative energy in the space. I don't like it when people argue and there is
tension because it stops us from working productively. I understand that perhaps
some company members do not enjoy doing it as much as we do but I don't think
that's an excuse. We all have to do things that we don't feel confident in and push
ourselves. There then seems to be a divide between boys and girls like we are not
including them. Personally I think this is not true because it's not up to the girls to
rally the troops all the time, it should be a company effort where people don't have to
be told to join in, they just do because entry want to make work. When Carleigh came
down she spoke to the company and the atmosphere was just not how it should be at
the beginning of a working day. However, I appreciated what Carleigh said about
commitment and truly believe that to be an actor you have to be dedicated therefore
there is no excuse for laziness.













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Newspaper Project, Schools Tour and Audition Prep

24th 28th November 2014

We also received our feed back letters from our mock audition. I didn't get a recall
but to be honest I wasn't a bit surprised after my experience!

Feedback included:

- Monologue was too close to actor personality - like the same person on the
panel!
- Not the right monologue for me

This shows that I need to do something against what I am used to and take a bigger
risk next time!

We then had the task to create a Christmas scene and this was the scenario:

- 23rd December
- A ball of some kind - disco celebration!
- By the end the baddie had to have had a change of heart for some reason.

When we started this task everyone seemed to put their worries or negativity to the
side and we had a lot of fun devising. We decided to set it in a church at the
beginning with Erol being the vicar! We all walked in to Silent Night. Everyone
gradually started to fall asleep when he was talking until he mentioned the word
ball. Charley was the silly elf and we came in holding a playing ball! The vicar reveals
he is wrong and its not that kind of ball its a party ball! We all dance and we created
a choreographed section where we have a partner. We all gave ourselves names like
M and M or Candy Cane! Each pair presented themselves to the audience and then
danced! When they are all oblivious the baddie played by Alex with her sidekick
Connor start to tie all the elves up! She realises that she went against Santa because
he said she got too tall and wanted to give her a different job. Julia, the head elf
reveled that when you grow you become head elf! This still doesnt seem to help
until Charley decided his ball is magic. He throws the ball at her head and it knocks
the bad out of her! She turns good again and all the elves hurry to get the presents
ready for Christmas!

It was good to play around and just be creative and spontaneous with lots of
different ideas!
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Newspaper Project, Schools Tour and Audition Prep

24th 28th November 2014

We got our first bit of script! It was really exciting to get a scene and start to discover
more about the style of the piece! The characters we met included the three eggs,
Stumpty, Numpty and Grumpy. I found the eggs quite a challenge to play because Of
their different personalities and how to make each one different. I also found the
physicality quite hard to automatically connect to. However, it was easier when we
had played around with the scene for a while and could nonce off of other actors
energy. We also met Ruth a Poppins. She is an evil character who wants to trick the
Christmas twins Holly and Nicky! She is very sarcastic and has a cunning plan to ruin
Christmas. She uses the eggs in her evil plan to get Holly 'the dumber twin by 3
minutes' to drink truth potion.

We had the opportunity to watch the newspaper project dress run. It was really good
to see it all come together and to see sections that we haven't worked on as
specifically. The piece is really raw and edgy. I love how risky it is and how many
chances are taken. The actors are tackling so many sentence subjects; they are
playing the comedy well whisky at the same time still getting across the true meaning.

The notes I had specifically for my section were:
- Opening mirror image - Everyone needs to be really aware and use their peripheral vision because the
timing was slightly out in places.
- There was a nice energy when the models walk down, don't be afraid to be even bolder with it and
make the reactions even bigger! -> Don't let the energy die when Jack walks down though - there's still
energy but of a different kind - we need to see the realisation and panic that is hitting you all - don't let
us just go through the motions - react and stay true to your character intensions.
- The fitness scene - Keep up that energy and the comedy inside it - It is funny - trust the material!
The online persona section with the girls chatting - Although your in a semi circle and talking to Jess, be
sure to share what you are doing with us - make sure it's not all played upstage.
- Jack monologue - the vulnerability is nice and it's an honest performance - don't rush it but still make
sure there is a build and driving force inside it getting you to breaking point. The end should be the last
straw we should see and feel your desperation. Build it up so that by the time we get to the end you
have earned that moment.
- Fitness Section - Courtney - Make sure we can understand what you are saying when you are being
dragged off because if we don't understand what you are talking about the gag doesn't work - make
sure you are clear but still have the energy!

Newspaper Project, Schools Tour and Audition Prep

24th 28th November 2014

We recorded a new Tightrope video to document the newspaper project. Julia is so

good at creating these videos, its good material to look back on and great for
promoting ourselves as a company.

On Wednesday, we had audition prep with Innes. We did some ensemble signing
which was good! We sung There she goes (Do Wa Diddy) It was good to refresh
ourselves on singing technique and how an effective ensemble works. This will come
in really useful when we do musical numbers in our Christmas Show.

We split into groups and played around with singing the song in different ways. For
example, splitting it up into sections and also looking at technique inside it such as
whispering it to give it a nice tone and atmosphere, or singing with gusto and how to
place it in your voice to get the best sound without it sounding like a football chant!
We also walked around the room singing our allocated verse and this encouraged us
all to really tune into what one another were doing and how to stick to the correct
harmony!

We also had time to look through monologue resources and get some more specific
advice. We had a one to one meeting with Innes and it was helpful to gets some
direct feedback. Innes spoke about trying to do something that is completely
different to me. I understand this because the panel needs to see a transformation
in character. I think the reason I find this hard s because there are some characters
that I am more naturally drawn to and find more obvious connections with.
However, now I need to push myself and see if I can find a monologue that pushes
the boundaries and makes me have to look a bit deeper within myself.

Innes recommend looking at contemporary plays by Dennis Kelly and more
specifically as a Shakespeare to look at Katherine from The Taming of The Shrew.
She is feisty and strong and in many ways my opposite so I will be looking at her!

Innes aloes gave me some great advice about the 4 basic rules you should follow
when delivering a monologue, these are:
- Who are you?
- Where are you?
- Is your environment contributing to the character and the way they are?
- What are your intensions/motivations?
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Newspaper Project, Schools Tour and Audition Prep

24th 28th November 2014

On Wednesday, I saw the Newspaper project as an audience member. I really did

enjoy the show and noticed lots of new things inside it I didnt properly clock before.
The way all the sections connected worked well and I though the transitions were
clever and kept you on the edge of your seat wanting to know what was next. It was
such a rollercoaster not knowing what was going to hit you next. It really was like
expecting the impossible because everything was so extreme and wacky. I clocked
how each section although different had elements on similar styles. I think its good
how the consistency has worked out and how we have all worked independently, but
pieces have come back to really compliment each other. A stand out moment for me
was Raheem and the Mickey Mouse joke. He played the comedy really well and
accompanied by Reece it was made even funnier. There were also actors inside it
that had really strong stag presence and you couldnt help but be drawn to theme
and see the story being told in their eyes. Denise was also a stand out performer for
me. Her sinning carried such emotion, and her dance where she isolated different
parts of her body was performed with intense focus and intension meaning I couldnt
take my eyes off her.

As a director, when your section happens you cant help but analyse everything and
feel more uncomfortable when watching it. However, I felt our section was much
better then before. There were still thing like energy dying and sometimes-delayed
reactions to what is going on. However, overall, there was a good energy about it and
the dynamic shifts worked. The overall flow seemed to work and you could see the
actors really engaging in the material.

Kierans speech at the end was stand out. He had a lot to cop with because half the
audience for some reason was in hysterics. It must have been so hard for him to keep
it together but he did it beautifully. He trusted his instincts, reacted off the audience,
stayed true to his intensions and really gave the powerful message he was there to
give.

Overall, I really enjoyed the performance and felt really proud of all the actors and
what they have achieved. Its such a different, edgy and raw piece and one that will
leave a lasting impression on me.
8

Directors Note:

Be committed, or dont be here at all.

Carleigh After the drama and tension in the
company, it was very much appropriate for Carleigh to
give this clear message to the company. We are all
choosing to progress in our training so that we can
move on to a professional level and therefore we all
need to wok together The company is only as strong as
its weakest member.

Images right of text box
Credited Google Images

On Thursday, we played around with the scene we had

so far which is Grumpty, Numpty, Dumpty and Ruth. It
was a fun scene to play around with and just experiment
with the different characters inside it. A lot of it was
about us just discovering, as none of us knew a great
deal about the characters at this point. I particularly
enjoyed playing Ruth Poppins because of the depth
there is to her character. I found her a challenge
because I have never played a baddie before so the
sinister motives she has were interesting! I can relate to
her more because I dont think deep down she is
actually pure evil. In many ways I think she is
misunderstood and she cant see a way out. She is very
sarcastic, dry and patronising and I must admit I loved
the challenging of physicalising and adopting her witty
but sinister personality.

Newspaper Project, Schools Tour and Audition Prep

24th 28th November 2014

When not playing Ruth, I played Numpty Dumpty. This egg is very dim and never
knows whats going on half the time! It was fun to play the blankness of Numpty and
how unaware he is of what is going on around
Him! I really started to understand the chemistry between them all much more and
how they all have their own individual character traits. I also discovered more about
the hierarchy and what each egg typical duty is!
We had fun as a group in rehearsal and tried to be creative in the way we presented
the scenes making the transitions and fact we were changing characters flow more
and be a part of it. For example, we used the song How do you like her eggs in the
morning and Humpty Dumpty to introduce the eggs. However, when it came to
actually preforming, the energy was really low and I felt like the scenes were dying!! I

Vernon God Little At Arts Ed

On Thursday evening, I saw Vernon God Little at Arts Ed in London.

Sydney and Phil who used to go to The Miskin were in it and it was inspiring to see
actors that have come from where we are now to performing there. It was good to
see a show at a drama school and get a feel for their style and standard they train
their actors to.

It was a really quirky, wacky and eccentric piece with an array of different charters. At
times, I found it hard to follow, but I was soon drawn in again with another burst of
energy or unusual concept.

Something that stood out to me was how when they were filming someone in the
play they actually had Televisions set up so as the audience you could see them live
and also have the illusion that you were watching them on Television It was really
cleverly done and also meant you got a close up of the actors emotions. Some very
humorous moments came out of it too.

(Credited: Google Images)

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There was also a more stylised section where props such as the sofa, washing
machine, toilet and fridge were used as other things such as cars, and I thought this
was a rely effective idea. It encouraged the audience to suspend their disbelief and it
left me really using my imagination to see what was going on in a new light.

Overall, it was a great performance, with concepts that made me think and
challenged me as an audience member. The actors seemed to do everything with
such flair and fluency about them. The energy was always high and from the off the
made a strong connection with us so you felt like you knew every character really
well. I have learnt a lot from this show and it has inspired me going back to my own
work.

Friday was one of our better days as a company! It was so much fun to learn more
games with Carleigh and I feel it was what we needed. After some of the
somewhat heated moments this week it was nice to juts let go and have fun, after
all you have to be playful to perform in a Christmas Show!

Games and Exercises we did in this workshop

Doge ball was so much fun! We played it where if you get hit, you are out but
then we also played another version where each team has a doctor. If you hit
the other teams doctor they are all automatically out so the team have to
sacrifice themselves to keep the doctor safe! If the doctor takes a risk though
and catches the ball them the team win! It was such an exciting game, everyone
got really into it! And of course absolutely no headshots - this leads to
disqualification!

We also did a version of grandmas footsteps but in the physicality of a
character from the show. Every time the 'grandma' turned around you can't
move! It was a challenge to stay still but maintain the really big physicality at
the same time! Even facial expressions had to freeze in time!

We also did a game of handball across the mats! The winning round is where
you have to get a rally of 5 and everyone in the team has to touch the ball!

We played musical statues as well; it was funny how everyone's dance adapted
to the music that was played! It was also good to dance all together!
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Newspaper Project, Schools Tour and Audition Prep

24th 28th November 2014

We learnt a new warm up where there were crash mats scattered around the
floor and Carleigh had a horn. We had to throw the ball to each other whilst
still moving in the space and when the horn sounded dive onto a mat. It then
got harder by having to dive onto all thee before the second horn went off! It
was very energizing and so much fun even! It was a creative and exciting new
way to get warm!

Another exercise, which we did, was a dating advert in characters. We just had
to take the space as any character we wanted to. I went in as Jane, Ruth and
Holly. It was fun to play around and just bring a snippet of the character to life.
However, I feel I need to work on my physicality and how to make everyone
really defiantly distinctively different.
We did an improvisation as the characters where we were in the market. I
played Jane Poppins. It was interesting to talk to other people in character and
discover new relationships.

The improvisation actually got really tense. It made me realise the tension and
how much is at stake for all these characters, something I feel is often missed
in a Christmas show. It's not just goodies and baddies, there is actually so much
depth and meaning behind it all that the characters can become quite complex
on the inside. It took us out of the grey room, out of the Miskin and outside
until Ruth forced holly to take the truth potion. I felt very stressed and
traumatized by all the events! It was really difficult to get my point across and I
felt like everyone was undermining me and not listening! The tension with
Ruth was also quite uncomfortable and Jane felt intimidated.

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We got yet more script, which I love; there is such a buzz about it!

The characters that we met and what I have learnt about them so far:

Nicky Christmas - one of the Christmas twins, brighter than Holly, wants to get things
organised. Fun and kind.

Holly Christmas - The dumber Christmas twin! Fun, kind, eager to please.

Jane Poppins - Kind hearted, flustered, wants to do well and nerdy.

Arthur - Fitness instructor, crazily enthusiastic!

Gramps - Eccentric does what hes told.

Granny - Bossy, Feisty.

Ruth - Evil, sarcastic, patronising, cunning.

Grumpty Dumpty - Grumpy, negative, leader, bossy.

Stumpty Dumpty - Eager, kind. Obsessed with Ruth Poppins.

Numpty Dumpty - The dumb one, doesn't know what's going on half the time, passive

Little Al Market man, con man, cheeky, clever, quick-witted.

We also read a new scene with Granny and Gramps, which was highly amusing!

Carleigh spoke about how in a kids show you can still have innuendos and adult humor
because most of it will go over the childrens head and it is also about automatically then
appealing to a broader age range and target audience.

We split into groups and we did a reading of the scenes rotating characters so that we all
got a chance to read for all the characters and get a real feel for the scene and the
character relationships and dynamics.

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Newspaper Project, Schools Tour and Audition Prep

24th 28th November 2014

At the end of the day we did a reading of the script we have from start to finish. It was
really good to hear it all at once and get a feel for the flow and structure. I was
surprised at how quickly we read it but I think in a way it shows that all the scenes are
really merging well. I am starting to really understand the rhythms of the text and
how the different characters relate to one another. I do think though there is a lot
more character discovery to take place. I think this will naturally evolve though once
we are cast and we all start delving more into our own character. In this reading I
played Holly and I really enjoyed playing around with her energy. She is full of beans
and eager but not necessarily because she has a plan! She quite dim but I got the
impression she will give anything a go; her heart is in the right place, even if her brain
isn't!!

We also had an interesting discussion during the day about a variety of issues
including people having relationships with bigger age gaps, and the difference it
makes from when you are young and then old. The point was also raised about
weather people want a partner who has money and how this affects relationships. It
was interesting to discuss how different these things are compared to how they were
years ago and how society has changed so much.

Lewis raised a point about most women want to find a man with money, I personally
disagree with this as I think as we have gone through the ages, women have pushed
themselves and stood up for themselves and women want to be the main
breadwinner. I also think that it not most women its a minority of women and a lot of
it depends on the society and background you have grown up in.

I also think though that its a shame these days things dont seem to be so romantic
because people dont have as high morals and values to live a lifestyle that doesnt
mean they devote themselves to one individual.

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This is a video Harriet put on the company site. Its from the show Not going out
and the character Daisy in it has lots of comparisons to Holly in our piece!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoxCXH5wFNU

It is so funny! Although she can never seem to say or do the right thing I can't help
but really like her and Holly has to be a likeable character! Its like when Holly throws
away the list, here Daisy has got rid of all gadgets! It would be interesting to explore
Holly and Nicky more and see how Nicky reacts, for example, weather she gets
agitated by Holly's comments or if she has come to accept thats the way she is!


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

This is a scene from the film Malificent and the three fairies.
Looking at these characters makes me think about how trios work. They all clearly
have their own distinctive personality that either clashes or compliments at different
moments. There is always a buzz and they bounce off of one another with such
energy and fun. I though the same would apply for the eggs in our show, the
audience need to understand who they are straight away and get the relationship
there is between them. The same applies to other characters like Holly and Nicky,
they work together but are not the same character, so the audience needs to clock
this and see the distinction between these sorts of characters really clearly. This will
also make the scene come to life more because it means you can have even more fun
inside it when you know you character intension, traits and how they are gong to
respond to others around them.
Looking at clips like this is great to get ideas of character inspirations and possible
ways we can build characters in new and exciting ways, gathering more ideas.

15

Newspaper Project, Schools Tour and Audition Prep

24th 28th November 2014

I feel that choreography has been a strength of mine this week. I believe I have
taken a prominent role when choreographing various dance routines and haven't
been afraid to out my ideas forward. I feel I was creative and had fun with this,
which we were then able to translate back to the company and create an energetic
number!

This week a weaknesses of mine has been physical clarity and being confident in
physicalising characters. I often doubt myself and question the effectiveness of
what I am doing. I need to be bolder with this and not be afraid to push the
Boudreaux to see what happens.

My plan and hope for heat week is that we will really start getting the ball rolling
and a structure to our schools tour Christmas show! I am so excited to do it she
cant wait for the concept to perform again.

To improve I also want to let go more physically and fond clarity in the variety of
characters that we try. I also want to be more confident in roles that push me
outside of my comfort zone and really challenge myself.

Something I think we also need to address and improve upon as a company is our
vocal warm ups. They seem to be non exist at the moment and we really need to
get back on that and strengthen our voices for the show. We will be performing and
leading workshops with children in schools which will really push our vocal
technique and how we project and command a space vocally. Therefore, next week
I hope we can start doing this effectively as a company as part of the warm up.

I am beyond excited to really get the ball rolling with this show. All
the characters are so magical, eccentric and exciting! I cant wait to
tell the story! Bring it on! J

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