Diploma in Perfor

Performing &
Production Arts
Unit 12 Project Proposal

Candidate Chloe Barton

Name
Candidate
Number
Pathway Extended Diploma in Performance and Production Arts (Stage
management focus)
Project Title Little Shop of Horrors

Section 1: Review
Two years ago, I ventured into this course believing I wanted to act. In secondary school where only one
person liked drama, I believe that it was my strong suit, and this was the career I wanted to progress.
However, entering BTA was a bit of a wake-up call, being surrounded by people who share the same
passion as I made me realise that these people wanted this “dream” so much more than I did. In this
industry, if you want to be an actress you have to be 100% certain and I was not. However, all of the
skills and knowledge I have gathered throughout this course have helped me reach this understanding-
It's been a two-year journey of personal exploration. During the course, I have taken accountability over
personal work such as vision pitches and Independent research projects, finding comfort in developing
my ideas and finding ways to present them. Devising throughout the years has always posed a
challenge to me due to my lack of confidence in improvisation and working without a script.
Nonetheless, events such as our successful SCRATCH night helped me harness my devising skills in a
way that was comfortable to me, using a range of diverse mediums- live music and projections. My
proudest moment at BTA was successfully producing a student-led musical theatre cabaret. Stressful to
say the least, but it has been a valuable learning experience as I had to manage the acquisition of
materials, delegate responsibilities (most of which I had to do myself in the end,) negotiate venues and
budgets etc. It was brilliant to see the event come together; I hope to have more producing opportunities
in the future. I’ve also continued my passion for musical theatre and dance throughout the course by
incorporating a range of dance styles into our Shakeslam performances, giving Shakespeare a modern
twist. I thoroughly enjoyed a term of Musical theatre singing development where I grew in singing
confidence and vocal ability with the help of practitioners. Since the beginning I've also had a soft spot
for Shakespeare so, being able to demonstrate this through monologue and duologue work was a treat,
using my clear diction to a storytelling advantage. Through studying and watching a range of theatre
styles and techniques I have found that my strengths lie within more exaggerated performance styles
such as musical theatre, Shakespeare, Pantomime and Comedy. Highlighting show styles, I would like
to work on in the future. However, during the course, I discovered that I wasn’t just passionate about
theatre, I loved business too so took it on to teach myself the A-level business course. By the end of
BTA, although I have not sat the exam, the knowledge I have acquired by doing so has been adapted to
my work, especially in my leadership and managerial roles. I wanted to find a way to combine my love
for theatre and business so for my Final Major project, I will be focusing on Stage Management. Doing
this will allow me to take a step back from performing and learn a new skill that I have not had the
opportunity to do yet while combining what I have learnt in my self-taught business study with my
studies so far at BTA.

Section 2: Project Concept

Little Shop of Horrors is a dark comedy musical that comments on the destructive consumerist nature of
1980s America through a strange and unusual bloodthirsty plant. I was so excited to learn this was our
FMP as I adore musical theatre and can’t wait to get stuck in, although I am a little disappointed that I
won’t get a chance to perform in the show. I knew from the get-go that my sustained research and
development would look very different to projects I have done before, as my knowledge and
understanding would have to be applied differently to an actor. My main aim of this FMP is to be as
open as possible towards design ideas, use appropriate knowledge and skills to create these and be as
much help as possible within the rehearsal room. My job is to make our Director’s (Lydia) life as easy as
possible throughout this process; During rehearsals, I intend to be on hand to stand in for any actor ill,
take notes to feedback to the creative crew and source any materials to aid the smooth running of the
rehearsal process. Throughout tech week, although not 100% certain of my responsibilities yet, I’m
anticipating being on hand to help wherever’s needed, ensuring a smooth run. However, these
responsibilities will be made clearer as we progress through rehearsals. I will be keeping track of
character notes and stage directions in a personal master script where I can keep tabs on everything
that is going on, meaning that if any confusion arises during rehearsal, I have everything tracked. By
doing this I can also effectively track our day-to-day activities and any progress or gaps that have
become apparent. Having access to a shared Google Drive will be of the utmost importance, giving me
those extra connections to the creative team and their ideas, and helping me realise a more established
Student Stage Managerial role within the production. My independent study will be imperative to help
gain a more thorough and sustained understanding of the show as a whole and its intentions to an
audience. I will achieve this through completing research and development tasks as well as those that
expand my contextual knowledge of the show. I shall apply these through design ideas and informing
logistical decisions that will be made throughout the process. I will hold a lot of value on peer feedback
throughout the process; I am there to be as much help to the cast as I am to the director. If there is
anything my peers need throughout the process. I strive to help them as much as possible, whether that
is through the provision of resources and making information accessible to them. Likewise, if there is
anything I could be improving on from their perspective. I am certainly going to value this and take on
feedback quickly to make my work beneficial for everyone; if I did not take on feedback, I wouldn’t be
doing my job.

Section 3: Evaluation
To achieve a successful self-evaluation of my work, I will be maintaining a rehearsal diary throughout
the process where I note down everything that has been achieved for the day, tasks that I was not able
to achieve and what could be improved. This will allow me to identify gaps in my working practices so I
can adjust my work accordingly. My rehearsal notes will lead to further development within my weekly
reflection videos, where I shall outline clearly what went well over the week and areas for improvement,
but completing notes daily will help me adopt a more Kaizen approach of small continuous
improvements. As we approach the end of the show, my personal evaluation of success will come from
how smooth I believe the runs were. Were quick changes achieved? Was every prop on the correct
side? Are the cast comfortable? Etc. A lot of documents I need to access as a stage manager are
accessible through a Google Drive, so I Intend to record rehearsal notes given on a live document so I
can update it, also making it accessible to the relevant parties, making my work as useful as possible to
those who need it. Being a live document, any changes that need to be made can be easily
implemented. I am most likely to also take notes on a paper script in case there is no Wi-Fi, or my laptop
is dead. This way of evaluation and monitoring will aid in my aim of making everyone’s lives easier
throughout the process. Time management will be a priority for me as I will be balancing a new job as
well as rehearsals, so self-care will be one of my focal points to ensure I am ready to do my best work. I
pride myself on having a professional demeanour in rehearsal settings, so I strive to continue this
throughout the intensive process by effectively managing my personal, work and rehearsal time
efficiently, ensuring I am rejuvenated before every session and taking appropriate breaks when needed.
Self-motivation will play a big part this year in my journey as I am not a performer and will not have the
same connections you could have with your performing cast. I would still like to maintain a collaborative
feel

Proposed Research Sources and Bibliography (Harvard Format)

A.Behr (2nd August 2021) ‘40 Years of MTV: The channel that shaped popular culture as we know it’
[Online] The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/40-years-of-mtv-the-channel-
that-shaped-popular-culture-as-we-know-it-165365 [Accessed: 17th march 2024]

A. Highfield (13th August 2022). ‘'Coming out as trans saved my life but people use de-transitioning as
a weapon against trans people to stop us'’ [Online] MyLondon. Available at:
https://www.mylondon.news/news/north-london-news/coming-out-trans-saved-life-24739433
[Accessed: 28th March]

A.Volle (24th February 2024) ‘Occupy Wall Street’ [Online] Britannica. Available at:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Occupy-Wall-Street [Accessed: 28th March 2024]

A.Tikkanene. Britannica (February 23rd 2024) ‘I Have a dream’ [Online]

https://www.britannica.com/topic/liberty-human-rights [Accessed:16th March 2024]

American Experience ‘ JFK and Foreign Policy’ [online] Available at:

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/john-kennedy-and-foreign-policy/
[Accessed: 18th March 2024]

B. Holland (29th January 2016) ‘Barbie through the ages’ [Online]. History. Available at:
https://www.history.com/news/barbie-through-the-ages [Accessed: 19th March 2024]

Bitesize ‘Memorable LGBTQ moments in EastEnders history’ [Online] BBC. Available at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zhybydm [Accessed: 17th March 2024]

Bitesize. ‘Reasons for the cold war’ [Onine] BBC. Available

at:https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z8qnsbk/revision/3 [Accessed: 18th March 2024]

Britanica Kids. ‘Berlin Wall’ [Online] Britanica Kids. Available

at:https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Berlin-Wall/598930#:~:text=The Berlin Wall was a,the
world's most powerful countries. [Accessed: 28th March 2024]

Britannica (16th March 2024) ‘ Black Entertainment television’ [Online] Available at:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Entertainment-Television [Accessed: 17th March 2024]

Britannica. ‘Marilyn Monroe’ [Online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Arthur-

Miller-American-playwright [Accessed: 19th March 2024]

B. Sopelsa (20th December 2018) ‘Long before the 'rainbow wave,' Sen. Tammy Baldwin was blazing a
trail’ [Online] NBC News. Available at:https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/rainbow-wave-
was-ripple-sen-tammy-baldwin-was-blazing-trail-n950281 [Accessed: 28th March 2024]

C. Halton (28Th february 2021) ‘yuppie: Definition, History, and Yuppies today’ [Online]. Investopedia.
available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/y/yuppie.asp#:~:text=What Is a Yuppie%3F,by
their style and possessions. [Accessed: 17th march 2024]

C.Compierchio. ‘Look Out, Look Out, Look Out! Little Shop of Horrors as a Metaphor for Reaganomics’
[Onine] Undergraduate research Symposium. Available at:
https://urs.tftv.arizona.edu/presentation/look-out-look-out-look-out-little-shop-of-horrors-as-a-
metaphor-for-reaganomics/ [Accessed: 18th March 2024]

CDC. (March 26th 2021) ‘The AIDS Epidemic in the United States, 1981-early 1990s’ [Online]
Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/museum/online/story-of-cdc/aids/index.html [Accessed: 17th
March 2024]

CNN. (21st August 2023) ‘LGBTQ Rights Milestones Fast Facts’ [Online] Available at:
https://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/19/us/lgbt-rights-milestones-fast-facts/index.html [Accessed:
28th March 2024]

Crisis. ‘The cost of living crisis’ [Online] Crisis. Available at: https://www.crisis.org.uk/ending-
homelessness/the-cost-of-living-crisis/#:~:text=The cost of living crisis refers to a period
of,quickly than average household income. [Accessed: 28th March 2024]

E. Wharton (12th February 2024) ‘ The 2024 awards season is proving the point of the “Barbie” movie:
here’s why’ [Online] theChimes. Available at: https://cuchimes.com/02/2024/the-2024-awards-
season-is-proving-the-point-of-the-barbie-movie-heres-why/ [Accessed: 19th March 2024]

Emile (20th July 2023) ‘Ken’s chronicles: Fun Facts About the Barbie Ken Doll’ [Online] The Entertainer.
Available at: https://www.thetoyshop.com/childhood-adventures/kens-chronicles-fun-facts-
about-the-barbie-ken-doll [Accessed: 19th March 2024]

F.Parker (13th January 2023). ‘LGBTQIA+ History: What is Queer Coding?’ [Online] StudentHut.
Available at: https://studenthut.com/articles/lgbtqia-history-queer-coding [Accessed: 17th March
2024]

Fandom (2021) “Little Shop of Horrors (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” [Online] Fandom.
Available at:
https://littleshop.fandom.com/wiki/Little_Shop_of_Horrors_(Original_Motion_Picture_Soundtrack)
#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20outright%20omitting,album%2C%20but%20they
%20included%20a [Accessed Monday 4th March 2024]

Geekslop (15th August 2010) ‘ The Hula Hoop fad of the 1960’s’ [Online] Available at:
https://www.geekslop.com/life/fads-and-trends/fads-and-trends-1900/2010/hula-hoop-fad-
1960s#google_vignette [Acessed: 19th March 2024]

GOV.UK (11th April 2020) ‘Home Secretary announces support for domestic abuse victims’ [Online]
Home Office. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-secretary-announces-
support-for-domestic-abuse-victims [Accessed: 28th March 2024]

GOV.UK (25th January 2024) ‘The impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on crime demand and charge
volumes in England and Wales’ [Online] GOV.UK. Available
at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-impact-of-covid-19-lockdowns-on-crime-
demand-and-charge-volumes/the-impact-of-covid-19-lockdowns-on-crime-demand-and-charge-
volumes-in-england-and-wales#:~:text=23%2F03%2F2020,buying food or medical reasons ).
[Accessed: 28th March 2024]

H. Day (1st November 2019) ‘Section 28: What was it and how did it affect LGBT+ people?’ [Online]
BBC. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/cacc0b40-c3a4-473b-86cc-
11863c0b3f30 [Accessed: 17th march 2024]

History (23rd August 2018) ‘ The 1980s’ [Online] History. Available at:
https://www.history.com/topics/1980s/1980s [Accessed: 17th March 2024]

History (31st May 2017) ‘Stonewall Riots’ [Online] History. Available at:
https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots [Accessed: 17th March 2024]

I.Green (30th June 2021) ‘How Princess Diana Challenged HIV stigma with every hug’ [Online]
Terrence Higgins Trust. Available at: https://www.tht.org.uk/news/how-princess-diana-challenged-
hiv-stigma-every-hug [Accessed: 17th March 2024]

IG. ‘Pros and Cons of Brexit’ [Online] IG. Available at:

https://www.ig.com/uk/financial-events/brexit/pros-and-cons-of-brexit [Accessed: 28th March
2024]

IMDb. “The Little Shop of Horrors” [Online] IMDb. Available at:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054033/?ref_=tt_mv_close [Accessed: Sunday 3rd March 2024]

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum ‘ NOVEMBER 22, 1963: DEATH OF THE
PRESIDENT’ [Online] Available
at:https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/november-22-1963-death-of-the-
president [Accessed: 18th March 2024]

K. Watson ‘The 1960s the decade that Shook britain’ [Online] Historic UK. Available at: The 1960s,
The Decade that Shook Britain (historic-uk.com) [Accessed: 16th March 2024]

Logan Culwell-Block (29th June 2015). “Flip Through the 1982 Original little Shop of Horrors
playbills!” [Online] Playbill. Available at: https://playbill.com/article/flip-through-the-1982-
original-little-shop-of-horrors-playbills-com-352027 [Accessed: Sunday 3rd March 2024]

LUX ‘Molly Rainford Net Worth - Wiki, Age, Weight and Height, Relationships, Family, and More’
[Online] LUX. Available at:https://luxlux.net/en/celebrities/molly-rainford/ [Accessed: 28th
March 2024]

M. Levitin (14th September 2021). ‘Occupy Wall Street Did More Than You think’ [Online] The Altantic.
Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/09/how-occupy-wall-street-
reshaped-america/620064/ [Accessed: 28th March 2024]

M. Pierssa (2021) ‘Is consumerism the same as capitalism?’[Online]. Quora. Available at:
https://www.quora.com/Is-consumerism-the-same-as-capitalism#:~:text=More specifically
%2C,and services as they please. [Accessed: 19th March 2024]

M. Poydock & J. sherer (21st february 2024) ‘Major strike activity increased by 280% in 2023’ [Online]
Economic Policy Institute. Available at: https://www.epi.org/publication/major-strike-activity-in-
2023/#:~:text=Major work stoppages data&text=BLS data show that 458%2C900,in 2022%2C
which was 120%2C600. [Accessed: 28th March 2024]
Morin SF, Charles KA, Malyon AK. The psychological impact of AIDS on gay men. Am Psychol. 1984
Nov;39(11):1288-93. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.39.11.1288. PMID: 6507991
Moviefone (17th December 2016) “18 Things you never knew about ’Little Shop of Horrors’” [Online]
moviefone. Available at: https://www.moviefone.com/news/little-shop-of-horrors-facts/
[Accessed: Sunday 3rd March 2024]

N. Rossoll (17th October 2013) ‘ New Research Challenges JFK Death Conspiracy Theory’ [Online]
abcNEWS. Avaialble at:https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/10/new-research-
challenges-jfk-death-conspiracy-theory [Accessed: 18th March 2024]

N.K.Nittle (14th January 2020) ‘How MTV Handled Accusations of Racism and Became More Inclusive’
[online] Liveaboutdotcom. Available at:https://www.liveabout.com/when-mtv-first-aired-black-
videos-2834657 [Accessed: 17th March 2024]

National geographic Kids. ‘The Moon Landing’ [Online]. National geographic Kids. Available
at:https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/moon-landing [Accessed: 28th March 2024]

NCS. (1st February 2024) ‘LGBTQ+ History by the Decades (1980’s)’ [Online] NCS. Available at:
https://wearencs.com/blog/lgbtq-history-decades-1980s [Accessed: 17th March 2024]

NHS. (22nd April 2021) ‘HIV and AIDS’ [Online] Available at:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hiv-
and-aids/ [Accessed: 17th March 2024] #

OVRTUR. “Little Shop of Horrors” [Online] OVRTUR. Available at:

https://ovrtur.com/production/2881025 [Accessed: Sunday 3rd March 2024]

PMT. ‘Case Study Notes - Typhoon Haiyan - AQA Geography GCSE’ [PDF] Physics and Maths tutor.
Available at: AQA Geography
https://pmt.physicsandmathstutor.com/download/Geography/GCSE/Notes/AQA/The-Challenge-of-
Natural-Hazards/Case-Studies/Typhoon%20Haiyan.pdf GCSE [Accessed: 7th April 2024]

Royal Museums Greenwich. ‘Moon landing conspiracy theories, debunked’ [Online]. Royal Museum
Greenwich. Available at:https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/moon-landing-conspiracy-
theories-debunked [Accessed: 28th March 2024]

S. Gibbens (11th February 2019) ‘Hurricane Sandy, explained’ [Online] National geographic. Available
at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/hurricane-sandy [Accessed: 28th
March 2024]

S. Powers (30th November 2023) ‘ The good and the ugly of LGBTQ+ representation in film and
television’ [Online] The Miami Student. Available at:
https://www.miamistudent.net/article/2023/11/lgbtq-representation-film-tv-movies [Accessed:
19th March 2024]

S. Pruitt (29th June 2023) ‘14 major events of the 2010s’ [Online] HISTORY. Available at:
https://www.history.com/news/2010s-decade-major-events [Accessed: 28th March 2024]

S. Pruitt. (23rd November 2015). ‘What’s the real history of Black Friday?’ [Online] HISTORY.
Available at: https://www.history.com/news/black-friday-thanksgiving-origins-history [Accessed:
28th March 2024]
T.Havard (11th May 2021) ‘Domestic abuse and Covid-19: A year into the pandemic’ [Online] UK
Parliament. Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/domestic-abuse-and-covid-19-a-
year-into-the-pandemic/#:~:text=Emerging evidence shows a change,LSE and the Metropolitan
Police. [Accessed: 28th March 2024]

The health foundation ‘NHS Family Planning Act and the Abortion Act’ [Online] Available at:
https://navigator.health.org.uk/theme/nhs-family-planning-act-and-abortion-act#:~:text=NHS
Family Planning Act 1967&text=He identified a social problem,to a much wider population. [Accessed:
16th March 2024]

T. Fitzsimons (29th December 2019) ‘A very LGBTQ decade: Gay marriage, trans rights and a 'rainbow
wave'’ [Online] NBC News. Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/very-lgbtq-
decade-gay-marriage-trans-rights-rainbow-wave-n1107901 [Accessed: 28th March 2024]

T. Jolliffe (16th february 2020) ‘ Cinema of 1980: Blockbusters Take Over’ [Online]. Flickering Myth.
Available at: https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2020/02/cinema-of-1980-blockbusters-take-over/
[Accessed: 19th March 2024]

TIME. ‘The Moon Landings Were Faked’ [Online]. TIME. Available

at:https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860871_1860876_186099
2,00.html [Accessed: 28th March 2024]

U.S Department of Labour ‘Legal highlights: the Civil Rights Act of 1964’ [Online] Available at:
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/civil-rights-center/statutes/civil-rights-act-of-
1964#:~:text=In 1964%2C Congress passed Public,hiring%2C promoting%2C and firing. [Accessed:
16th March 2024]

UK Vote 100 ‘Women MP’s, 1955-1964’ [Online] Available at:

https://ukvote100.org/2021/10/25/women-mps-1955-1964/ [Accessed: 17th march 2024]

W.Kenton (8th March 2024)’ Reaganomics: Definition, Policies, and Impact’ [Online] Investopedia.
Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/reaganomics.asp [Accessed: 18th March
2024]

Wikipedia. ‘Renée Elise Goldsberry’ [Online] Available

at:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renée_Elise_Goldsberry [Accessed: 28th March 2024]

Wikipedia. ‘Sheila Ferguson’ [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheila_Ferguson

[Accessed: 28th March]

World Health Organization. ‘Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic’ [Online] World health
Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/europe/emergencies/situations/covid-19
[Accessed: 28th March 2024]
Project Action Plan and Timetable

Wee Date Activity / What you are intending to Successes and What do I need to
k Week do - including independent study Challenges? prepare for next
Beginnin week.
g
Intro To start our first session, we did a I’m feeling positive We have been given
ducti 5/02/24 group warmup that was quite about this project. audition material for
on movement-based, which was a great Lydia and Ash are next rehearsal.
way to raise morale in the room. lovely; I’m very excited Although I’m not
Firstly, we discussed what we knew to work with them on auditioning, i still want
about the musical and then jumped this show. I found the to learn this and work
straight into what Lydia called a “Poo- first session fun as, on it to give myself a
poo run-through.” The premise was despite the fact I was better understanding of
that we improvised the show from working behind the the play I’ll be working
start to finish with the context we scenes, I was able to on. To further this, i
already knew. We then sang through partake and enjoy all would quite like to
a couple of songs, getting used to the singing and watch the movie or
singing in 4 part harmony, which was improvisation exercises past productions of the
fun. We then got into groups and that we did. I enjoy play, again to build a
discussed potential what-ifs for the singing, so hope I can better understanding.
show, letting our minds wander with do more of this
the most outrageous ideas before throughout rehearsals
staging improvised scenes based on when there are no
our Favourites. Lydia and Ash then direct ASM tasks for
had a short 1-1 session with each of me to be working on.
us to uncover what we wanted from
this experience. As I’m an Assistant
Stage Manager, we just started talking
about rough job responsibilities in the
rehearsal room. During everyone
else’s session, we put together a Little
Shop of Horrors playlist and Pinterest
board to explore what vibes we were
getting from the source material.
1 We had a brief physical and vocal I feel like i have a bit I would like to go over
26/02/24 warmup before starting on the group more clarity about my the documents in the
singing for ‘The Meek will inherit’ I job roles now which is shared google drive so
sang the alto lines. Then Lydia and exciting. I also again, I can familiarise myself
Ash held singing auditions for the loved being part of the with them ahead of
performing cast so Katie (SM) took singing and hope i can Monday’s session. that
those focusing on backstage continue this. Although, way i will know exactly
specialisms and gave us a brief i do find staying within what to listen and look
overview of what might eb happening my harmony quite out for during
for us in the upcoming weeks. She difficult. I started rehearsals and know
talked us through what is in included creating the scenic what I’m filling in. I’m
in a scenic design plan so we started plan with ease so i also needing to make a
making them, honing in on our have no worries or start on my first
backstage focus, so i focused stresses about this at research and
primarily on props and audio cues. the moment. I think development
After lunch the cast completed some one challenge moving assignments. First one
partner work while Katie talked me forward will be being a weekly
through my roles and responsibilities remining attentive at all reflection video, made
as an ASM for the next few weeks. time in the rehearsal easier by me tracking
She told me that i can be working on room even when every rehearsal so far.
my scenic plan, creating a rehearsal carrying out my own I also need to start on
diary every lesson and making sure i tasks as I’ll need to be a research
 track all the ideas Lydia comes to me
with so they can be forwarded to the
creative team.
2 Rehearsal room: After our warmup
4/03/24 and Check-in, we went straight into
our first ever readthrough, every time
we got to a song, we played it which
really a gave us a feel for the overall
vibe of the show with our new cast.
Throughout, I was in charge of
reading stage directions. After reading
Act 1&2, we discussed challenges
within the script that we would have to
change or work around, such as the
Jewish stereotyping within Mushnik’s
character and what changes need to
be made with the gender of our
characters. We then talked through
how certain challenges would be
overcome. Molly (Assistant Movement
Director) and I discussed the
possibility of having Mushnik always
referring to Seymour as ‘son’ or ‘boy’
but for Seymour to constantly remind
him that she is a girl for comedic
effect. After this, we all went to the
media room to sing through ‘Little
Shop of Horrors’ and ‘Skid Row’ as a
taking notes for Lydia presentation to deliver
and Ash as well as my next Tuesday
own for Katie. We’ve
received our
assignments to
accompany our show
work and our first one
is to create a research
presentation. I am
really excited to
explore my question
which is exploring the
differences between
different productions
and films of ‘Little Shop
of Horrors’ However,
this next week is a very
busy and stressful time
for myself as I have a
cabaret to produce that
is being performed on
Thursday, with only a
week’s notice of this
research task, I know I
will struggle to get it
prepared in time. I will
overcome this by strict
time management over
the next week,
ensuring that all priority
tasks are managed
efficiently as equally
prioritised.
My work on the I will aim to spend
research presentation additional time working
really aided my on the scenic
rehearsal room work breakdown to ensure i
this week. I felt like I have some material to
had such a more show Katie next time
complex understanding we meet. As well as
of the play which this, I need to upload
helped with following the harmony clips to
the story and the google drive, both
understanding for the cast and in the
character intention as creative folder to
well as having a better reference. I will now be
grasp on the main developing my context
themes. I’m still feeling posters as i feel this is
very positive about this the best task to
project. after receiving complete first to solidify
casting I was my contextual
interested how this understanding before
would affect the moving onto
rehearsal room subsequent tasks.
atmosphere but
everyone worked really
well together However,
I didn’t fill out any more
 group. I really enjoy the singing of my scenic
elements so i joined in with this as alto breakdown, due to
as well as taking recording of each being occupied with
vocal part so the cast can practice other tasks. I’ll admit
with this. I sourced some large sheets that i did use a bit of
of paper for Lydia and as a class, rehearsal time to work
drew out our characters and key on my presentation
elements of their personality to start and organise some
exploring. As i don’t have a character, cabaret materials
i helped Jessie (Ronnette) with her which should’ve been
exploration. throughout the day, I completed outside of
updated the rehearsal log to be rehearsal time.
shared on the Google Drive. Theory:
On Tuesday, I presented my research
presentation which took much longer
than expected. I had talked for 23
Minutes!
3 11/02/24 Monday: We were lucky to meet our It was great to see a Moving on, I’d quite
Movement director, Sophie Cottle this bunch of movement like to over the stage
week where the cast started to come together. A design and start
explore movement/choreography for moment I loved was thinking about what
the Ronnettes as well as exploration when we made Audrey props is needed to
on how we achieve the effect of 2 as big a possible by achieve this. Better
Audrey 2 eating people. In this hanging fabric from all understanding the
session, I worked mainly on my scenic different directions to space can help me
breakdown which i am very near to create this awesome advise other members
finishing now. I thought it was best to silhouette. It has really of the cast if they have
stay in the rehearsal room so i can still got me excited for the any questions. I’m also
see what is going on and be aware of final song and i think continuing with my
ideas that are floating around. For there is so much theory work and would
example, the actors used a lot of possibility form this like to complete my
fabric and materials in their exercise. I’ve found out creative response task
exploration so I’m already considering that i really enjoy being in the next week.
how we can achieve this props wise. I around singing more
spent a lot of time recording rehearsal than he acting. On our
videos to note what movement session on Wednesday
sequences had been explored for our I loved being able to sit
directors to look back upon later. I there getting on with
appropriately labelled them and work, while listening to
uploaded them to the one Drive people sing. During the
Wednesday: We had a singing white card meeting
Session with Lauren Davies where we there were quite a few
sang through ‘The meek shall inherit’ designs and concepts
and ‘Don’t Feed the plants’ as an that i wasn’t keen on at
ensemble (These I joined in with) and all, they were very out
then the Ronnettes rehearsed there and nothing like
‘Dentist! Throughout i was recording Little shop of Horrors
audio clips of different harmony parts has been done in the
and appropriately labeling them with past which makes me
bar lines, song and vocal part to be nervous for the show
uploaded to the google drive for moving forward.
reference. Friday: I attending the However, i’m still going
White card meeting in which Ethan to retain that positive
(Our designer) shared his ideas for attitude throughout
how the show is going to look. Theory: rehearsal and hope I
This week i have focused on my can understand the
Moodboards and contextual posters. design choices in the
I’ve started to consider what areas i future.
 want to look into for these posters as
there is a lot that can happen in a
decade! I want to chose topics that
have relevance to our script so can be
applied to our rehearsals.
4 18/03/24 Monday: The cast worked on lots of A challenge this week By the end of next
little bits. We did some choreography was trying to not get week i would like to
for Mushnik and son, Dentist! and the distracted during have completed a
meek shall inherit as well as working rehearsals. Not that I document or poster,
on some character development for get sidetracked by non outlining my ideas of
the gentrified characters. I spent time rehearsal related tasks, Audrey 2 so we can
helping people develop their however, I spend a lot view my designs
characters, recording and uploading of time watching and digitally. I also aim to
and labelling my script. Wednesday: observing rehearsals have completed my
In our session with Lydia we split into because I want to see timeline task by next
small groups, each with different the amazing work my week, to really solidify
elements to focus on while our castmates are doing. and finalise my
designer talked through ideas with I’m enjoying the work understanding of the
some of the cast. I started thinking I’m doing for small play before moving into
about how we could achieve the first Audrey 2 as it feels like intensives.
Audrey 2 before it takes human form. I’m contributing to
We had a lot of debate whether we something that could
should go for the idea of a hand, have a strong impact
which Lydia and Ethan (Designer) are on the show.
very keen with, or stick with a
traditional puppet, which I am more
fond of. After some debate we agreed
that we prefer the idea of a puppet
because logistically it’s easier to
achieve, however if we were going to
have to go down the route of a hand it
needed proper attention and
development. We want to hand to be
very reactive and comical towards
events happening on stage. I also
watched rehearsals for Mushnik and
son which is helping me create a
better picture of how the show is
going to look.
5 Monday: We had Sophie back in I feel like my stage A focus for over the
25/03/24 today so a lot of focus was spent on management work has half term will be to get
movement and incorporating small plateaued at the all of my theory work
actions into a bigger piece. For my moment and I’m just complete. Also, if
work, I started putting together a searching for any tasks having the time, I
digital representation of how we can to do at the moment would like to make
achieve the plant form of Audrey 2. which is expected. sure i have two copies
It’s almost certain we are going to be However, being in the of the script, one for
using a hand so I’ve started rehearsal space is still official notes and one
organising my thoughts and design very motivating and I for making down my
ideas for achieving this. I completed jump at the chance to personal ideas and
my usual tasks of recording rehearsal take part. designs.
footage, uploading this to the drive
and updating the rehearsal notes.
there was also a moment where the
cast were rehearsing the songs and
due to illness we only had one alto, so
to even this up in the harmony’s, I
stepped in.