Character Analysis

Name: Dean

Age: 15

Gender: Male

Relationship status: Dean does not have a girlfriend and is single. He does not show any
signs of interest in girls or boys during my scene, and it is not referred to in the play. Dean’s
mum is a single parent and is going out with Mick, who dean does not like. He has two
sisters, called Bex and Shelley. In the scene, they are 13 and 17, so Dean is the middle
brother.

Personality: Clever, introverted, focus, persistent and forward thinking.

When I first read my character’s lines and thought about how he saw other people and how
they might see him, I had a strong impression that he was a clever, focused teenager, who
was able to think ahead, anticipate situations and attempt to steer them in the right
direction. Dean is able to conduct a conversation at the same time as playing a Rubik's Cube,
as well as thinking about how the situation is developing. He does all of these things well -
he completes the Rubik's Cube, picks up on what his sisters say and question it, as well as
suggest plans and actions.

I was excited to play his character, as I felt I could relate well to him. When I was 15, there
were always a lot of women in my house and I used to sit amongst them and listen to
everything they said and ask them questions about why they were saying things. But I was
usually focused on something else for example, a game, a piece of music I was writing on the
piano or an idea I had on the go with Lego.

Dean comes across as a sharp and switched on 15 -year-old boy. His ability to complete the
Rubik's Cube is a good example of this and it draws the audience's attention to his good
brain. It's a mark of intelligence and the audience will recognise it. We often see people on
television completing a Rubik's Cube in intelligence competitions. Usually, the winner is a
nerd because this is the stereotype of people who can do it - nerdy and intelligent. Although
Dean is not a nerd. The fact that he can complete it at the same time as listening and
responding to the conversation highlights it even more. Another reason why Dean appears
switched on is his general conversation skills. He is constantly questioning Shelley and
notices straight away when she becomes confused over the year. He picks her up on it and
says “that's because this is the eighties”. He also notices that she looks different to their
mum and points out to her “By the way, you don’t look anything like mum”. He's also a good
multitasker. Not only does he follow the conversation, but he's able to react to it. For
example, he had already thought to put the TV in the attic in case the TV licence man came
round and wanted to use the bathroom. This shows foresight and practical skills. He also
offers to go and check who is arriving, so that he can get the heads up on how the situation
could develop: “I’ll go and look out the bedroom window”.

Dean is not only focused, he's also very persistent and was not willing to back down when
the phone rang, because he didn't want his sisters to answer it. He says “Can we just ignore
it?”. And “It will stop ringing in a minute”. And “Just hang up.” When his sisters did answer
the phone and the call was ended, he resorted to an insult “Mick the Dick”, just to make sure
that his point was made and heard. Mick is Dean’s mum’s boyfriend and Dean does not like
him. Mick is a shouter, who has to have everything go his way and he is very controlling. For
example, in the play he is always trying to keep tabs on Dean’s mum and wants to know
what she's doing and where she is. Dean doesn't want Mick in his or his family's life and is
prepared to assert himself to make that point. I sympathise with Dean here because my
mum is a single-parent and her having a boyfriend like Mick would be my worst nightmare. It
would completely change the atmosphere in my home.

The above all goes to show that Dean is not afraid to speak his mind and has a strong sense
of self. He is a punk and is confident enough to carry it off. He is very likeable and gets on
with his sisters well. He's able to join in the conversation and make a good contribution and
they respond well to him. Shelly says “I wish I had a brother like you”. She also says “you
must be really clever”. This shows that Shelly likes him even though she's not initially aware
that he's her brother. I am very happy to play Dean’s character, as I like him and can realte
well to him.