Diploma in Perfor

Performing &
Production Arts
Unit 12 Project Proposal

Candidate Diana Drew

Name
Candidate 544812
Number
Pathway Composition/sound design

Project Title Glass Town

Section 1: Review

This past year I’ve gained so much confidence and come into my stride as a creative and composer. The recorded
media unit gave me such a great opportunity to work in both of my favourite fields – writing and composing – and
allowed me to properly start developing my skills in those areas. Despite working as a performer in most of these
past units I’ve experienced a wide range of the creative process and have gained a real window into the parts of
the industry I want to pursue.

Throughout the course I’ve really noticed where I feel most excited in a production, and that has definitely come
from my experience of being in a rehearsal room and working with professionals. I’ve learnt a lot about
collaboration specifically in my time on the course, on my individual research project I tried to write an ambitious
mini-musical by myself, but I noticed I wasn’t as happy with it as I was with my music for my group’s devised piece,
our ‘It Snows’ performance and the recorded media projects.

I now have a sense for what it means to collaborate creatively and work to a brief, and I know now that when it
works, I really enjoy it. It’s become clear to me that in the long term I really want to work in musical theatre, as a
composer, musical director or just as a collaborator. I’ve developed my understanding of the world of theatre a lot
from when I’ve started, and I know that the specific path I want to take is quite niche and so I have to, as much as I
can, find my own path forward. In the short term, I really want to expand my contacts and just find as many
collaborators as possible, and then just take part in as many projects as I can – I want to use a gap year to
immerse myself in that world and gain some experience of the real industry. In the long term though, I’d love to
produce my own musical, and - no matter how successful - have a full-length creative project I can be proud of.

Section 2: Project Concept

The aim of our production of ‘Glass Town’ is to explore the links between reality and fiction, and more specifically
how childhood imaginary play affects the rest of our lives, through the story of the Bronte children as they grow. To
explore these themes, it will be useful for me to research the story of the siblings, the world of Glass Town itself,
and the characters inhabiting it that might link to the real-life family’s view of themselves and others. For this
project I’ll be working in sound and music, so I’ll have to research the musical context of the 19 th century and
specifically how the Brontes interacted with music in their lives. This production is a completely new piece of
theatre – the script hasn’t been written yet – so as a company we’ll all have to step up and contribute to the piece
to shape it how we want it to feel. Our company will spend about six weeks in research and development before
we go into intensive rehearsals, where we’ll spend four full weeks in rehearsal rooms creating the bulk of the play.
During the final week we will spend time putting together the final product, doing tech and dress rehearsals before
putting on six shows to finish off the project.

Section 3: Evaluation
To keep track of, reflect on, and evaluate my work throughout the process, I will record a ten minute video each
week that will include my company and I’s major decisions, what went well and/or poorly, and what I can do to
improve. To make sure I’m not only describing events but diving deeper and properly analyzing my progress, I can
take notes of the work done each day and write down the level of success, so when I come to record my reflection
I can concentrate on evaluating my personal work and progress without just focusing on the objective events.
Though this project by nature means working with lots of other people very closely, I must also make sure to reflect
on my own progress as much as possible to most effectively learn and improve. At the end of this project, after the
final performance, I will write up a closing reflection on the entire process, exploring in depth each stage of the
process (including the final week of tech, dress rehearsals, and the six performances) and examining them from a
critical and analytical angle.

Proposed Research Sources and Bibliography (Harvard Format)

Presentation:

Cosper, A. (2013). History of British Folk Music. [online] Playlistresearch.com. Available at:
https://www.playlistresearch.com/article/britishfolk.htm [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023]

Craig, Z. (2016). Charlotte Brontë’s London, And Why She Wasn’t A Fan. [online] Londonist. Available
at: https://londonist.com/2016/03/charlotte-brontes-london [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023].

Holland, N. (2017). The Brontës and the Haworth Music Scene - Anne Brontë. [online] Annebronte.org.
Available at: http://www.annebronte.org/2017/06/11/the-brontes-and-the-haworth-music-scene/
[Accessed 14 Mar. 2023].

Kerr Dobney, J. (2019). Nineteenth-Century Classical Music. [online] Metmuseum.org. Available at:
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/amcm/hd_amcm.htm [Accessed 13 Mar. 2023].

Nelson, L. (n.d.). Folk Music of England. [online] www.contemplator.com. Available at:

https://www.contemplator.com/england/ [Accessed 13 Mar. 2023].

Presentation – YouTube videos:

Over the Hills and Far Away - 17th Century English Traditional. [online] Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MR7VihPm2E. [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023]

Handel’s Messiah Live from the Sydney Opera House. [online] Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR0cEOTpYSk. [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023]

The Barber of Seville - ‘Largo al factotum’ (Rossini; Vito Priante, The Royal Opera). [online] Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9fNzkEY9Ko. [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023]

Franz Liszt - Liebestraum - Love Dream. [online]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=KpOtuoHL45Y. [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023]

Master Of Puppets interlude. 19th Century parlour guitar. [online] Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-4havJe5UY. [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023]

Grigory Sokolov - Beethoven ‘Tempest Sonata’, Allegretto. [online] Available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfciSCzKvp4. [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023]

Research pages:
BBC. “Queen Victoria: The Woman Who Redefined Britain’s Monarchy.” BBC Teach, BBC, 20 Nov.
2019, www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ks3-gcse-history-queen-victoria-monarchy/z73rnrd. [Accessed 15 Apr.
2023.]
English Heritage. “Victorian Daily Life.” English Heritage, 2018, www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-
of-england/victorian/daily-life/. [Accessed 15 Apr. 2023.]
Holland, Nick. “The Brontës and Queen Victoria - Anne Brontë.” Anne Brontë, 26 May 2019,
www.annebronte.org/2019/05/26/the-brontes-and-queen-victoria/#:~:text=In%20November
%201843%20one%20of. [Accessed 15 Apr. 2023.]
LibreTexts. “5.2: The Evolution of Modern Media (1800s-2000s).” Humanities LibreTexts, 2 July 2021,
https://human.libretexts.org/Courses/Achieving_the_Dream/Chapter_5/5%3A_Mass_Communication_a
nd_Social_Media/5.2%3A_The_Evolution_of_Modern_Media_(1800s-2000s. [Accessed 16 Apr. 2023.]
Monet, Dolores. “Fashion History: Early 19th Century Regency and Romantic Styles for Women.”
Bellatory, 23 Jan. 2021, www.bellatory.com/fashion-industry/Fashion-History-Early-19th-Century-
Regency-and-Romantic-Styles. [Accessed 15 Apr. 2023.]
Pyke, Oskar. “What Were the Dominant Virtues and Values in the Victorian Period and How Have
Historians….” Medium, 25 Mar. 2020, www.medium.com/@mollberg/what-were-the-dominant-virtues-
and-values-in-the-victorian-period-and-how-have-historians-29d78bf7b4af#:~:text=If%20we%20ask
%20academics%20to. [Accessed 15 Apr. 2023.]
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. “The Standard of Living in Europe during the Industrial Revolution –
Foundations of Western Culture”: Foundations of Western Culture, 2023,
www.foundations.uwgb.org/standard-of-living/#:~:text=While%20the%20standard%20of%20living.
[Accessed 15 Apr. 2023.]
Upchurch, Charles. “Nineteenth-Century British History Timeline.” Myweb.fsu.edu, 2003,
www.myweb.fsu.edu/cupchurch/Resources/Timeline_19thcBrit.html. [Accessed 15 Apr. 2023.]
The British Library Board (n.d.). Victorian fashion. [online] www.bl.uk. Available at:
https://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item106392.html?
gclid=Cj0KCQjwj_ajBhCqARIsAA37s0xjUIhU1ySAUFtdoIAsF8md5euX7TzesRkOR8AdFMWQVEd6p4B
syVEaAgnoEALw_wcB [Accessed 5 Jun. 2023].

Research Pages – image links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reform_Act_1832
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Wellesley,_1st_Duke_of_Wellington
https://www.veranda.com/luxury-lifestyle/a30531944/king-george-iv-decorating-legacy/
https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Famine-Irish-history
https://www.gale.com/intl/c/british-library-newspapers-part-i
https://www.historicalemporium.com/mens-late-victorian-clothing.php
https://www.langantiques.com/university/the-era-of-queen-victoria/
https://backinthedayof.co.uk/food-in-the-victorian-era

Casting – image links:

Sadie Sink: https://wallpapercave.com/sadie-sink-2019-wallpapers
Sophia Lillis: https://www.mycast.io/talent/sophia-lillis
Elle Fanning: https://www.filmstarts.de/personen/93688.html
Charlie Plummer: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4055138/
Amanda Drew: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0237629/
Hailee Steinfeld: https://www.biography.com/actors/hailee-steinfeld
Justice Smith: https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1029934-justice-smith?language=fi
Ana de Armas: https://personalityatwork.co/celebrity/profile/ana-de-armas
David Harbour: https://consent.yahoo.com/v2/collectConsent?sessionId=3_cc-session_0330cba5-aa85-
4fc2-a237-1b83a870decc
Patrick Page: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jerylbrunner/2019/05/26/after-working-as-an-actor-for-35-
years-patrick-page-gets-his-first-tony-nomination/
Lupita Nyong’o: https://www.deviantart.com/mickiesaysdraw08/art/Lupita-Nyong-o-Colorization-
699229367
Viola Davis: https://www.maconferenceforwomen.org/speakers/viola-davis/
Michelle Rodriguez: https://www.aufeminin.com/news-people/michelle-rodriguez-elle-se-confie-sur-sa-
bissexualite-s436565.html
Anthony Ramos: https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/anthony-ramos-bradley-cooper-in-the-heights-
leading-man-a-star-is-born
Sofia Bryant: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/681028774890715039/
Lakeith Stanfield: https://netflix.fandom.com/wiki/LaKeith_Stanfield
Anne Hathaway: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/anne_hathaway
Hugh Grant: https://www.biography.com/actors/hugh-grant
Jim Howick: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jim_howick
Creative Dynasties Essay
Balkovek, C. (2019). Jane Heir: Writers, Families, and Writer Families. [online] BOOK RIOT. Available
at: https://bookriot.com/books-from-writer-families/ [Accessed 5 Jun. 2023].
Dominus, S. (2013). Stephen King’s Family Business. The New York Times. [online] 31 Jul. Available at:
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/magazine/stephen-kings-family-business.html [Accessed 5 Jun.
2023].
Parth Pant (2019). How Mary Shelley Critiques Patriarchy And Science In Frankenstein. [online]
Feminism In India. Available at: https://feminisminindia.com/2019/06/13/mary-shelley-frankenstein-
review/ [Accessed 5 Jun. 2023].

Project Action Plan and Timetable

Week Date Week Activity / What you are intending to do - Resources / What you will need to do it -
Beginning including independent study including access to workshops

1 20th Feb Monday: Meeting the writer Tom, doing Notebook and pen
preliminary information about the Brontes
and Glass Town, starting some improv
scenes.
Wednesday: Meeting the composer Lizzie,
splitting into a group to write a song based
on an Emily Bronte poem.
Thursday: Went over the show timeline.
Explored the tin soldiers as narrators, did
some improv scenes with the Bronte family.
2 27th Feb Friday: Sharing expectations of the Notebook and pen
rehearsal room, recapping all the Glass
Town characters with Steph, writing letters
from the characters perspectives.
3 8th March Wednesday: [Online day] Assigning Notebook, pen and laptop
Brontes an element each, working with Abi
in a pair talking about Mary Percy, talked
with Lizzy about songs.
4 15th March Wednesday: Going through new scene Notebook and pen
breakdown from Tom, improvising every
scene at speed, then going into groups and
working on scenes we liked.
Friday: Going through more parts of the
script, working on Emily Bronte’s death
scene (me as lady Augusta), shared all the
Bronte death scene back-to-back,
discussing how to end the show.
5 22nd March Wednesday: Meeting Bex the designer. Script, notebook and pen
Reading through the first draft of the script
and splitting off to devise different scenes
from this. Composing very basic backing
music for the pirate and desert scenes.
Friday: Showing our scenes (and my music)
from previous sessions to Lizzy. Learning a
new song with a small group – Alexander
and Zenobia by Anne – and watching the
other groups Bronte devising.
6 29th March Wednesday: Reading through the newest Script, notebook and pen
draft of script with whole creative team.
Splitting off to devise more scenes before
sharing them all back.

7 17th April Monday: Vocal session with Lizzy, learning Script, notebook and pen
War Song. Read through of pg 56 – 63.
Tuesday: Full script read through, plotting
music and sound moments in the script.
Wednesday: Establishing locations and
ages of the Brontës in each scene,
recapping the War Song and learning the
Creation Song, rough blocking of the
creation scene with the song
Thursday: Practicing Creation Song with Keyboard
cast, incorporating it into the creation scene,
production meeting, clarifying my role as a
conductor and character.
Friday: Recapping War Song and practicing
both songs, incorporating them into scenes
1-3.
8 24th April Monday: Writing and teaching new verses Script, notebook and pen
for Creation Song, experimenting with Keyboard
different arrangements, rehearsed through
scenes 3 – 4.
Tuesday: Teaching lullaby draft to Aunt and Laptop w/ Logic Pro
Anne. Received rest of the rehearsal draft
script, read through.
Wednesday: Recap with Lizzy going
through script with sound cues, learning the
 new Penitent song, writing moon theme for
pg29. Learning and recapping all songs with
singing cast, learning full corruption song,
run through of everything until Zamorna
coronation.
Thursday: Small group work, blocking and
working through script. Sending out new act
2 Gondal song.
Friday: Recapping Creation and War songs,
learning reworked verse for Creation.
Blocking scene 2 with new Creation song
verse, interspersing the lyrics with dialogue,
practicing War song with new backing track.
9 1st May Monday: Bank holiday. Script, notebook and pen
Tuesday: Adding the War Song to the
warriors scene, rehearsing whole of scene
11, adding blocking to War Song. All of act 1
is now blocked.
Wednesday: Stagger through of entire of
act 1, plotting all sound cues! Adding in
mother moon moments, teaching theme to
singers.
Thursday: Starting on act 2 – pg67 – 76.
Adding in mother moon moment taking Aunt
into death.
Friday: Music call – teaching act 2
beginning Gondal song with small group and
going through solo singing moments for the
ending sequence. Practicing all other songs
with full cast. Afternoon was spent watching
first year shows.
10 8th May Monday: Bank Holiday Script, notebook and pen
Tuesday: Adding sound design to storm
scene rehearsals. Working on timeline of
moon theme throughout script. Costume
fitting.
Wednesday: Music call with singers,
recapping ending song and teaching new
Gondal song verse.
Thursday: Whole show run-through, taking
notes of missing or incorrect sound cues.
Production meeting. Seeing the theatre
space and staggering through notes from
run through.
Friday: Full run through in space, stagger
through of more notes. Working on music
cues with Lizzy.
11 15th May Monday: Mentoring chat with Lizzy, Mother Script, notebook and pen
Moon movement work with Deeps. Start of
tech rehearsals. Makeup tests.
Tuesday: Character work writing.
Continuing tech rehearsals till evening.
Wednesday: Tech set up with Alex and
Lizzy in morning, continuing tech rehearsals
till evening.
Thursday: Notes in morning, then costume,
make-up and warm up. Full dress run in
afternoon. First performance in the evening.
 Friday: Feedback and notes in afternoon.
Second performance in evening.
Saturday: Third performance in afternoon
and fourth in evening.
12 22nd May Monday: Full show practice speedrun in Script, notebook and pen
afternoon. Warmup and show prep
independent of practitioners. Fifth
performance.
Tuesday: Sixth and final show.