UNIT 12 - FINAL PROJECT

 As my final year of college comes to an end, I will be documenting my final projects here at college.

TASK ONE

PROJECT PROPOSAL 

RATIONALE:

Since becoming a student at Stockton Riverside College and a member of APTA, my life has certainly changed for the better. At the beginning of college I was an extremely closed off and anxious person, I struggled to speak to people and make friends- but in these past 2 years I have achieved things I couldn't have even dreamed of a few years ago and made such amazing bonds along the way. At the end of my first year, I had partaken in a variety of final films and taken on a lead role for our final show, and I came out with a Merit. While in second year we have expanded on our techniques and progression to get me to the next level, which I will be attending the University of Salford. 

PROJECT CONCEPT

As an actor, I think it is extremely important that you understand the production element of the industry. I also believe it is great knowledge to understand things such as directing and producing. At Stockton Riverside College we are fortunate to have our own student-run business called the 'Unknown Theatre Company'. In first year we saw the second years make their own virtual pantomime, so since then we have been super excited to delve into it. Since our end of year show is 'Blood Brothers' we decided it would be fitting to put on a showcase of Willy Russell's different play, selecting a variety of scenes from plays like 'Stags and Hens' and 'Educating Rita' plus a few songs. The plan is to put on a show which approximately runs for an hour- we will create a running order which makes each piece link together and flow nicely. We will need a few resources to be able to put on this show: dance studio for rehearsal/auditions, studio for rehearsal/auditions, library/computer classroom to collect research and print off scripts, technician for lighting, Tom Guest for singing lessons and makeup students. Research will be carried out extensively to ensure this production runs smoothly, such as: Scouse accents as all show's are set in Liverpool, culture, class, Willy Russell, costume, lighting, makeup and set design. 

EVALUATION:

My main form of evaluation will be production diaries on my days spent working on this project, this allows me to reflect on the progress I have made and what I need to do to improve my work- I will be talking about what went well as a producer and how the show is running, but also reflecting on any issues and what I will do to improve this for the following rehearsals. Additionally, I will be asking for tutor and peer feedback, this permits me to reflect on my work from somebody else's perspective. I will also be producing the show alongside Justin so we will be constantly evaluating each other's work. To ensure that everyone is comfortable and everybody's creative ideas are handled correctly, we have a group chat on Teams to keep up to date with each other, and smaller group chats with specific casts of scenes. 

TASK 2.1 - RESEARCH + DEVELOPING A SHOW

Why is the referencing of Marilyn Monroe so integral? 

Throughout the musical, Marilyn Monroe is referenced a multitude of times. The comparison between Marilyn and Mrs Johnstone is extremely important as it reflects on her journey and downfall. 

Willy Russell uses this icon of cinema as a structural device, and to further reinforce and develop his representation of various characters, however mainly Mrs Johnstone. In both the play and musical, the first song we hear is 'Marilyn Monroe'. Then in the musical, there is Marilyn Monroe part two and three, and the final line we hear of the show is "say it's just the end...of an old movie with Marilyn Monroe".

Marilyn Monroe Part One

In the first rendition of the Marilyn Monroe song, each verse ends with a refrain to Marilyn, however the connections change. Mrs Johnstone's husband refers to her as "sexier than Marilyn Monroe"- the use of this particular language is extremely important as Marilyn Monroe was seen as a sex symbol during her time, and this portrays Mrs Johnstone's life when she was free and happy. Additionally, the ensemble remark that Mrs Johnstone is "lovelier than Marilyn Monroe"- Marilyn is described as a 'gem of Hollywood' and one of the 'softest, kindest souls' despite the way she was treated and her stardom- this ultimately emphasises that Mrs Johnstone was genuinely a good person with good intentions. Although as the song progresses, the husband of Mrs Johnstone refuses to go dancing with her and describes her as "twice the size of Marilyn Monroe"; this particular line is important as Marilyn Monroe's weight has been a topic of discussion for years. Marilyn was seen as an icon for being a curvy model however her weight fluctuated due to illness and depression. Lastly Mrs Johnstone states that her husband left her for another "girl they say who looks a bit like Marilyn Monroe"- this is impactful as it resonates with how women are treated like objects, similarly to how Marilyn was reduced down to just her body and looks in most cases. 

Marilyn Monroe Part Two

The beginning of Act Two starts with the same melody that opened the show, and once again there are references to the beauty of Marilyn Monroe. For instance, the Milkman tells Mrs Johnstone she has "legs like Marilyn Monroe"- having this specific character make a comment about her looks, and particularly her legs is significant due to the fact that there was a common rumour back in the day that women would secretly be with their milkman. These rumours began during this time period because you would receive milk at your doorstep every day, in fact it's such a well-known rumour that another musical, Chicago, references it too. However, as time has progressed, and Mickey is now a teenager it states that Mickey is now at the age where "he dreams all night of girls who look like Marilyn Monroe". This tells the audience now that Mickey is maturing and becoming a young adult and has started to go into the typical teenage boy phase. Despite the element of humour in this section, it ends with a rather ominous and unsettling comment. Mrs Johnstone prays that Eddie will be "Okay, not like Marilyn Monroe". This line is extremely important as it foreshadows Eddie's future and fate where he is killed. It also links back to how Mrs Johnstone had to swear on the Bible that she'd never tell Edward he was hers, and now she prays to God about him since she can't reach out due to swearing on the Bible. 

Marilyn Monroe Part Three

At the point where Mrs Johnstone sing's part three to this song, Mickey has been sent to prison for robbery. This is when the show starts to become more tragic and intense, as the song states "it seems like jail's sent him off the rails, just like Marilyn Monroe". This is significant as Marilyn Monroe herself suffered with severe mental health issues, and it is now speculated due to recent research and the development of understanding mental illnesses, that the actress suffered with borderline personality disorder. Marilyn was described as 'volatile, unstable and impulsive' which are some symptoms that Mickey displays. It also says he now "treats his ills with daily pills just like Marilyn Monroe". As previously stated, Marilyn suffered with mental illness and took a range of medication because of this, however in August 1962 she tragically passed away due to an overdose of barbiturates. Mickey is then released before his due time based off of his good behaviour in prison, however he is described to look 15 years older after his release. Mrs Johnstone sings "you'd think he was dead like Marilyn Monroe"- once again this is foreshadowing his death. 

Stage Name, Persona and Identity 

Marilyn Monroe is a name we all instantly recognise. She is deemed as a Hollywood icon, somebody who will always be remembered. Names are an extremely important part of our identity; it shapes us into the person we are and makes us recognisable. However, Marilyn didn't always have the iconic name we've grown to recognise. Marilyn was born as Norma Jeane Mortenson (as stated by her birth certificate) although she was baptised as Norma Jeane Baker. After her first marriage, she proceeded to change her surname to Dougherty. As time went on, she adopted her iconic Marilyn Monroe stage name in 1946. It wasn't until 1956 that she legally changed it. She married the playwright, Arthur Miller, and then she liked to be referred to as Marilyn Monroe Miller. The significance of a name change is huge- with each name change Marilyn endured, she adapted a new persona. The different faces of Marilyn Monroe are effective as it displays all the different character journeys and arcs, specifically Mrs Johnstone and Mickey's. 

How does violence foreshadow Mickey's future?

In both the play and the musical, there is continuous references 

to violence- and this starts from when Mickey is a young, impressionable and naïve child. The violent themes begin when Mickey becomes infatuated with toy guns and playing games where people are going to die by these guns. 

At the age of seven, Mickey is often spotted playing with Sammy's airgun with Linda. Mickey explains to Eddie, who doesn't know about these violent games, that he and Linda "shoot at their target at the top of the park" which Linda refers to as "Peter Pan". The reference to a childhood hero like Peter Pan infers that they still have their young, childish and innocent mindset, despite these violent games- however it takes a dark turn as the story progresses. This particular game is referenced within the play when Linda quotes "Look, we've got Sammy's airgun, do you wanna have a go?". Additionally, Linda and Mickey would play with Sammy's catapult. Another game which Mickey played was throwing rocks at people's windows, however when Mickey suggested this to Linda she goes home as she knows it's wrong- this proves that Mickey is constantly surrounded by violent games therefore sees no consequences as he has grown used to it. He says Linda is "Scared" to throw these rocks in an almost taunting manner, despite the fact he's a child and knows no better; this further demonstrates the difference in the mindset.

Another demonstration of violence would be the scene where Mickey and Eddie become Blood Brothers. Mickey retrieves a penknife from his pocket and this suggests to the audience that he often carries it around with him, Mickey says "It hurts you know" which further highlights that Mickey is aware that using a penknife is dangerous and harmful. 

Violence is mainly present with the working class characters, from a young age. As Mickey's older brother, Sammy influences many of Mickey's decisions as he looks up to him. Mickey has a famous monologue where he is talking about Sammy and he says "I wish I was our Sammy' however in the majority of Sammy's scenes he is seen being violent, playing with airguns and catapults. When the children play Cowboys and Indian's Sammy is seen constantly bullying Mickey and pretending to kill him. Within the song 'Kid's Game', where Mickey is targeted by the older children, the kid's sing "But you know that if you cross your fingers, and if you count from one to ten, you can get up off the ground again, it doesn't matter the whole thing's just a game" at this point, the violence is only pretend, however it foreshadows Mickey's death as he ends up being killed at the end when it's no longer a game. During the musical version, Sammy persuades Mickey to become a member of his gang when they are adults. Sammy says "Look at y' Mickey. What have y' got? Nothin'." Mickey is struggling as he has no job so he turns to this. As part of the gang, they commit a robbery- Mickey was in a vulnerable and desperate state due to being made redundant. However as the gang are committing the crime, it goes wrong and somebody ends up being murdered; this lands Mickey in jail. This violent act suggests a lack of control and loss of power- Mickey was made redundant and fell into crime as he felt as though he had nothing left. While Mickey is in jail he becomes depressed, and once he is released this causes him to grow distant from Linda. Mickey's lack of affection and distant nature upsets Linda, as she has been without him for many years raising the children alone so she turns to Edward for support which causes Mickey to snap at the end- Sammy is the catalyst for the violent ending.

                                       

How is Nurture v Nature represented and why is it so important?

A question most people ask about Blood Brothers is: Was the fate of Mickey and Eddie really down to superstition or was it determined by the upbringing and difference in the two boys lives, despite them being genetically the same? 

Throughout the play, Willy Russell highlights many issues that the lower class families face, contrasted by the privilege Edward has by being raised in an upper-class family. Mickey is portrayed as rough, turbulent and rebellious but on the other hand, Edward is portrayed as sweet, smart and innocent-however this innocence leads him into trouble when he plays with Mickey as he doesn't realise his behaviour is bad since he is extremely sheltered by his mother. 

Although the two boys are so different in upbringing they do have many similarities. They both share the qualities of their biological mother: honest and loving. Furthermore, their similarities are emphasised by the fact both boys fall in love with Linda. Though Linda loves them both, she ultimately chooses Mickey. However, when Linda confides in Edward when she's feeling upset, it leads to their tragic deaths. 

Moreover, it is heavily represented that Mickey is brought up on a rough estate, compared to Edward who lives in the posh estate. This is depicted by Mickey's use of explicit language from a young age. Mickey says he's 'Pissed off' and Edward is visibly confused as he'd never heard such language before due to his family morals. In addition to this, Mickey explains the 'F word' to Edward, and again due to his confusion he say's he will 'Look it up in his dictionary'- Mickey however doesn't know what a dictionary is because he goes to a poor school, whereas Eddie goes to a private school. Sammy describes Eddie as a 'Poshy' which exemplifies the fact that Mickey's estate is not used to seeing the more privileged children. 

So although Mickey and Edward are both genetically the same, their circumstances see their fate. The Narrator imposes a question at the end, he says 'And do we blame superstition for what came to pass Or could it be what we, the English, have come to know as class?' Russell sets the play in the 70's/80's where Liverpool faced a soar in unemployment rate and poverty-class was an extremely important aspect of social existence. The class of an individual could determine their fate, not always by money but more subtler signs such as accent. A great example of this would be when Mickey and Edward get caught throwing rocks at a window and a police officer takes them home- the officer is much more stern with Mickey, threatening Mrs Johnstone with court, however with Edward the officer says it must've simply been a prank. The difference in the treatment between the two families is a clear example of the difference in class. 

Superstition

A superstition is a belief that a particular thing, event or circumstance holds some form of significance that something is going to happen, which can either be positive or negative, though it is not based or reasoning, logic or knowledge. These beliefs can occur due to a variety of factors: fear, ignorance, trust in magic, coincidence or a past experience in a similar situation. An example of a superstition in Blood Brothers is when Mrs Johnstone tells Mrs Lyons to 'never put new shoes on the table'. This is a common superstition that people believe bestows bad luck upon oneself, and during the play this is when the downfall of Mrs Lyons begins, and Mrs Johnstone's life is altered forever. Once Mrs Lyons realises superstition's is one of Mrs Johnstone's weaknesses, as she taunts her for it, she uses this to her advantage and as a manipulation technique. Mrs Lyons says to Mrs Johnstone that there is a superstition that 'if either of the twins learn that he was once a pair, they will both die immediately' and although this is not true Mrs Lyons thinks she holds ultimate dominance over Mrs Johnstone- however this plan to keep the pair separated unravels much to her dismay. Even when Edward mentions the 'Bogeyman' Mrs Lyons is adamant it is a silly superstition that a 'silly mother' would tell to her child. The Narrator is also a key element to this theme, as he is constantly reminding the audience of the impending doom of the twins. Throughout the play he references how 'the Devil has your number' to the Mother's, this is because the Narrator IS the devil, and he is there to remind them that if the twins find out they were separated they will both die. The Narrator sings 'Shoes Upon Your Table' several times during the show- this is crucial as it is a reminder once again of Mickey and Eddie's fate. 

POLITICAL CONTEXT

Completed in 1981, Blood Brother’s tackles the reality of politics and class during Liverpool in the 1970’s. Margaret Thatcher had been the Prime Minster for two years and was political leader of the Conservative Party. During this time, she felt as though the British manufacturing industry had became ‘noncompetitive’ and saw the cause as weak employers. She also believed the trades unions were overly strong- due to this she reduces the powers of the workers union and privatised many publicly owned companies- along with many noncompetitive coal mines. One of Thatcher’s many political beliefs was that success came to those who worked hard, however Willy Russell opposes this view within Blood Brother’s. By having Mickey and Edward attend completely opposing educational systems and live in different housing estates, Russell portrays a divide in class. Russell also exposes the double standard in Thatcher’s belief: rich people succeeded purely because of the fact they can afford to work hard in the correct places. 

SOCIAL CONTEXT 

As a complete result of Margaret Thatcher’s policies, Britain suffered from an economic downturn. The rates of unemployment soared massively, the Docks within Liverpool (where Russell resided) were allowed to fall into disrepair. Due to this Willy Russell will have witnessed the poverty first hand, as it was his reality. The unemployment that the Liverpudlians faced during this time would have made many citizens feel insignificant and Willy Russell shows the audience this when Mickey’s self esteem plummets.

CULTURAL CONTEXT 

Within the 50’s, society was changing drastically. Young people had more money- so even the less fortunate were able to afford to buy and keep up with the latest trends- popular music, clothes plus going out more frequently. 

In general, the majority of working class citizens within Liverpool resided in council houses. The typical house within the estates were terraced, with limited space and bedrooms- this would've been difficult for most families as they were usually quite big, with multiple children and family members. Due to Margaret Thatcher privatising the coal mines, families who did not have central heating and only coal fires, were left to struggle in the cold as the supply of coal was unattainable for them. Not only that, a lot of houses didn't have bathrooms nor toilets within the house and many were outside- with bad weather and zero heating this was extremely difficult as it made families more susceptible to illnesses. As pictured, a lot of the areas were very derelict and dirty, which is dangerous for families especially those who had younger children whom would want to play outside as they could contract an illness or disease, with no means of having medications or doctors either it doubled the dangers. Linking this to the show, Mrs Johnstone and her family live in a council house/estate. The mother struggles with her money, as she has seven children to feed and tend to, plus herself and the house. Within the show you will often hear her children complaining because they're hungry or are being a typical child and want something. For example, one of her children say: "Mum...mum, there's no bread. Mum, I can't sleep. I'm hungry." Mrs Johnstone has a constant battle with herself as she feels guilty that she can't provide for her children, she sings: "I know it's hard on all you kids, But try and get some sleep." As a mother, she wants to give her children everything she can but the circumstances, especially with the height with the rate of unemployment, however she just cannot afford to.  

BLOOD BROTHERS REVIEW

On the 3rd of February 2022, the actors, film students and makeup artists went to see a performance of Blood Brother's at Darlington Hippodrome theatre. Here is my review of the performance.

THE PLOT:

'Blood Brother's' is a play written by a Liverpudlian playwrite, Willy Russel. Set in 1960's Liverpool, this play tells the story of two fraternal twin brothers, Michael and Edward who are separated at birth. They both go on to live very different lives, in two completely separate environments. 

Michael, also known as Mickey, is brought up by his biological mother Mrs Johnstone. Mrs Johnstone is a single mother, and struggling financially, hence why she had to give Edward up. She is also raising seven other children, and they live in a poor part of Liverpool. However, Edward's life is very different. Edward (or Eddie) is raised as an only child, to Mrs and Mr Lyons. They live near by in a wealthy area of Liverpool. 

Mrs Lyons was unable to have her biological children; though she was happy to adopt a child Mr Lyons refuses. While Mrs Johnstone is working as a cleaner for Mrs Lyons, she persuades her to give up one of her children. 

For many years, Mickey and Eddie did not meet- until one fateful day when both boys were seven years old. Immediately, they became best friends- or 'blood brother's'. Despite the fact they have to go behind their mother's backs to remain friends, their strong bond continued through childhood and teenage years when they moved away. Regardless of their strong bond, the difference in their upbringing tears their friendship apart which spirals and eventually leads to their tragic deaths.

Blood Brother's takes place in Liverpool in the 1980's a time where the social class divide was immanent. The portrayal of the hardships of poverty was shown clearly and cleverly, and Mrs Johnstone's emotional journey really pushed this. Her rollercoaster from her husband leaving her, giving up a child, moving away for a fresh start, having two son's in jail and then watching her twins die in front of her was nothing short of flawless. The emotions were raw and real and you could feel it with every note and line- the guilt she felt as a mother was really touching. 

The performance of both Mickey and Edward was phenomenal, the energy was absolutely out of this world. The development of the characters was done fantastically, the comedic scenes in contrast to the dramatic/emotional scenes was breath-taking. 

Linda is Mickey and Edward's love from childhood until their death. She is a sweet, loving and fun character but she is also naïve and vulnerable. Her performance was beautiful and powerful- when she begins to mirror Mrs Johnstone it was really touching. 

On the other hand, Sammy's performance which illustrated a cheeky rebellious boy to gang member was one to remember. The humorous nature of Sammy's character was captivating. 

One thing I absolutely adore about this show is the ICONIC set- a set which any theatre person can recognise from a mile away. It feels almost nostalgic in a way, as if I've genuinely teleported to the 80's.

All in all, this show holds a very special place in my heart. It is so beautifully written and performed, illustrating the battles of love, death, learning, growing and the reality of life. It will always be my favourite show. 

 

Willy Russell

TASK 3: PROBLEM SOLVING

Doing two shows at once is extremely exciting but there is always things that go wrong. In this task I will document issues we faced with the Showcase and Blood Brothers and how they were solved.

THE DEATH SCENE

The first main problem we ran into was the death scene. As the show has a circular structure, it starts the way it ends. So as the audience walk in we will be in the position of the death scene. However when we began blocking it, we soon realised how difficult it is for the Mickey's and Eddie's to 1) Fall into the same position and 2) Fall in a position close to each other. Eddie was on the opposite side to Mickey so it was difficult for the actor to run over in time for the bullet to hit him. We tried to run it in a variety of different ways but nothing seemed to stick. 

SOLUTION

After running it for a good hour with Cast 2 and making no improvements we decided to swap casts. Swapping casts was almost like a fresh start so we began to run ideas again. In the end we managed to get the staging right by having the Brothers die facing the same way and then Mrs Johnstone could put their hands together to create the iconic image. 

SCHEDULING

Since there is two shows, 14 films and many different scenes with the same actors involved, scheduling was a bit of a nightmare. And by a bit I mean a lot. A few of the casts in the Showcase use the same actors, and some of them are also main characters in Blood Brothers. We needed to slot each other’s rehearsals around this so their was no overlapping of casts as it becomes more difficult to rehearse when you are missing the correct actors.

SOLUTION:

To ensure that the rehearsals ran smoothly we had to communicate with one an other. As I mentioned, some casts share the same actors so the directors needed to communicate on when and where they wanted to rehearse and make sure that there was going to be no cross-overs. Another thing we did to eliminate scheduling issues is creating a rehearsal schedule. Justin and I spoke to each director so we could plan their rehearsals in advance, and if they wanted to slot a new rehearsal in they could speak to us and we could sort it out for them.

COMMUNICATION

Although I just previously spoke about communicating rehearsals, communication with the producers has been a problem for me personally. Since Justin and I overlook the show we need to know if there’s any issues, what the issue is and what needs to be done. However, when actors or directors have been having issues they haven’t spoken to us about this and then it piles up and causes unnecessary stress and makes matters way worse than they should’ve been. 

SOLUTION

Justin and I held meetings to talk to the directors. We sat down and asked them if they had any problems and why they were worried, if they were worried and how we can help. We want our directors to know that we are here to help them and if they want someone to oversee a rehearsal or need advice or feedback then we are here and that’s what we’re here to do. Additionally, we personally spoke to the actors in the showcase pieces and asked them if they had any worries or concerns.

TASK 4: IT'S A BRIGHT NEW DAY (WILLY RUSSELL SHOWCASE)

THE IDEA:

It has been revealed that our final end of year show will be 'Blood Brothers' which was written by Willy Russell. Blood Brothers is one of the most popular shows within theatre, and iconic too. That being said, there is only six main roles and two year groups, so unfortunately not everybody will get the role they want. However, Kelly and the second years have decided on putting on a Willy Russell showcase- a selection of scenes and songs from Willy Russell plays. Willy Russell has a variety of plays, which all vary in genre but portray important matters like the class divide of Liverpool (where all of his plays are set). We decided we will make this production with our student run theatre company 'Unknown Theatre Company' as the last thing was made in 2020! The initial plan is for the second years to pick a Willy Russell play they enjoy, find some scenes they like and direct them using the other actors. This is great as it allows people who didn't land the role they wanted another stage opportunity-it's also a new opportunity for the second years as we haven't really directed anything, not to this scale especially! I have decided I will take on the role of the producer, alongside Justin. The role of a producer entails overseeing rehearsals, lighting, tech, costume, organising rehearsal slots etc. I think this will be a good role for me as I am doing a film and acting course at University so I will get a feel for it. The show will be on Monday 13th June, before Blood Brothers. 

TEAM ROLES:

Producer- Megan English + Justin Cromack

Director: Daniel Cooper + Mark Blakemore

Piece: Our Day Out

Director: Brooke Robinson

Piece: Educating Rita

Director: Magan James

Piece: Shirley Valentine

Director: Magan James

Piece: Introduction

Director: Kalem Stockill

Piece: Blood Brothers

Director: Ethan Brown

Piece: John, Paul, George, Ringo...and Bert

Director: Aaron Fletcher

Piece: Songs

Director: Tamara Mills + Emily Peaurt

Piece: Stags and Hens

PLANNING PROCESS:

First meeting with initial plan- 15/03/2022

First poster idea- 26/04/2022

Final design before edit- 26/04/2022

Planning sheet- 17/05/2022

Producer Notes- 17/05/2022

Producer Notes- 17/05/2022


PRODUCTION DIARY

TUESDAY 10TH MAY
Today is focused on the Willy Russell showcase, we decided to hold a meeting to see the progress people have made and where everyone is up to, where people may be struggling, etc.

MARK + DANIEL (OUR DAY OUT) - Fully cast and rehearsing on Thursday mornings scheduling around Maths/English. 

KALEM (BLOOD BROTHERS) - Almost fully cast but still needing to speak to a few actors about roles.

MAGEN (SHIRLEY VALENTINE) - Piece is fully cast, with a run time of approximately 10 minutes. Rehearsals will take place on a Wednesday afternoon and she will need a kitchen set for her scene.

EMILY + TAMARA (STAGE AND HENS) - Piece is fully cast and they have scheduled in rehearsals for this week. Will need a wall as their scene takes place in the men's / ladies bathroom so could use wall from Magen's SV set.

AARON (SONGS) - He has settled on his songs and will be organising a time to speak to Tom Guest to help us with them. 

KARLY (COSTUME) - Has begun a scrap book with costumes. Also began working on mood boards for every character in each piece.

BROOKE (EDUCATING RITA) - Piece has been fully cast with rehearsals starting today. 

After this meeting, Justin and I decided to work on the running order. Here it is:

• It’s A Bright New Day - song

• Willy Russell Introduction

• Shirley Valentine

• Stags + Hens

• The Beatles

INTERVAL

• Our Day Out

• Educating Rita

• Blood Brothers

• Tell Me It’s Not True (song)

Justin and I also went to the computer room to print off the lyrics for Aaron's songs so everybody had access to them.

THURSDAY 12TH MAY

Today I did a rehearsal for ‘Our Day Out’. I am an actor in this piece but I’m not in all the scenes so I watched over and made some notes while it wasn’t my part. Here are my notes:

- Great directions of Mark and Daniel, they know what their vision is and they’re explaining their ideas clearly to each actor

- Pace could be a little smoother and faster

- Morgan has great use of facial expressions and emotion

- Rebecca uses her movement well and her motivation on where she is going is clear

We then ran through the beach/cliff scene which I am in. I enjoy working with Mark and Daniel as they know what they want and they give good and clear directions to me. We blocked the scene fairly quickly as they were quick to tell us exactly what they wanted.

This afternoon we went through singing. We did Ethan’s songs by The Beatles a few times and then went through Aaron’s Blood Brothers songs. I am worried about the songs as we don’t get to do them often but we made a fair bit of progress today so I’m trying to stay on the positive side.

MONDAY 16TH MAY

Today we had a start of singing for the showcase. We tackled 'Tell Me It's Not True'. I was a little late due to filming however Justin and I made some notes so we could keep on track of it.

• Magen (solo) sings from - ‘Tell me it’s not true’ (first one) to ‘from an old movie with Marilyn Monroe’ (first one).

• Girls sing from - ‘Say it’s just some clowns’ to ‘it’s only a game.

• Everyone sings from - ‘tell me it’s not true’ (third one) to the end. 

STAGING

• Magen stands alone on the centre of the stage.

• The girls filter on one by one - starting from ‘Tell me it’s not true’ (second one) where they create a pyramid shape behind Magen. (I come on 7th after La Toya)

• Then us boys come in from the back - starting from the end of ‘it’s only a game’.

• Then we split in half at the end and leave equally either side.

  TUESDAY 17TH MAY

  
  

  
  

  Today was another ‘Our Day Out’ rehearsal. Today we focused more on the cliff scene, which is my main part in this piece. For context, I am playing a character called Carol. She is a young girl

  who is on a school trip to the beach however she finds herself at the cliff wanting to jump, until the stern teacher finds her and manages to save her. Ethan is my scene partner for this. We have already blocked this scene and there isn’t much movement and it is rather simple so we didn’t need to do that today. We ran the scene for about half an hour. I am feeling confident with this scene because I trust Mark and Daniel and they have told me what they want me to do and where they want me to go. We have ran it many times and I feel like, from an actor and producer, that it is at the right stage.

    

TUESDAY 24TH MAY

Kelly, Justin and I decided it would be really helpful for us to do a full run through of the showcase so we can make notes and see what need's to be done in the next following weeks to improve it. We wanted to make sure the running order we created would work. Here are my notes:

Introduction - Kalem plays an integral role in this and he really gets to show off his abilities with this monologue. I think the movement was just right and the pace was brilliant, the accent is sounding great and realistic. The only improvement would be for Trinity to try and make her steering of the taxi more realistic and maybe a few interactions. 

Stags and Hens - The girl section started off really strong and those comedic moments where really beginning to shine through, the cast is strong and all the characters gel together really well. However, I don't believe some of the jokes as the actor's don't understand them and it is evident. It began to feel a little static in the middle and maybe needed a bit more movement. Also needs a Linda. For the boys, it was actually their first rehearsal so they just ran it how it felt would go. There is some moments of excellence- it just needs to be polished. 

Educating Rita - This piece was fabulous. It was evident Brooke had directed her actors clearly and shown them her vision, as they knew exactly what they were doing. The piece is very long too so it may need a bit more movement or some sound to really bring it to life.

After the run through, we created a social media schedule for half term and afterwards to keep our followers up to date and get the marketing going. Here is what we came up with:

The final thing we did was make a sort of time line with each piece and the set needed so we could refer back to it and get everything sorted in time:

CREATING THE POSTER

Kelly informed Justin and I of a website called Canva which you can design posters on. Since Justin and I are the producers we need to come up with an idea for a poster. Our first initial idea was to do it in the style of Willy Russell's plays like shown below, however we did not have the devices to do this. We had a play around on the website and came up with our first idea which is shown in the photographs above. I quite liked this poster but we didn't feel as though it matched the vibe we were going for and we decided it didn't summarise our show so we restarted. In the end, Justin and I settled on a sunrise for the poster. We decided this as the show is entitled 'It's A Bright New Day' and this captured it. We wanted the poster to feel personal as it is made by us second years and is the start of our goodbye before Blood Brothers. 

PROGRAMS:

For the programs Justin and I came up with some questions for the second and first years to answer which will go along with their headshot. The questions are as follows:

FIRST YEARS:

1- What have you enjoyed most about being on the acting course?

2- What are your dream goals for the future?

3- What's your biggest achievement of this year?

SECOND YEARS:

1- What has been the highlight of your 2 years whilst being at Stockton Riverside College?

2- What have you enjoyed most about the course?

3- What are your plans after college?

SCHEDULING:

Justin and I created a set in stone rehearsal schedule for all the pieces. We discussed with the directors which times they'd prefer and which actors they'd need to ensure there was no clashes. We also discussed which rehearsal spaces they'd be using so everyone has a place to go that will be a good environment for them and the actors.

LIGHTING

SET DESIGN

MARKETING

RUNNING ORDER

An extremely important element Justin and I had to think about was the running order. Some pieces have the same actors and this may require some costume changes and makeup/hair changes so we had to make sure there would be enough time. We also had to think about set and how we could potentially make it easier. It has been confirmed that our Blood Brothers set will be on stage during this show so we need to work around this. Additionally, we thought we should try and make each piece link somehow- almost as if they're from the same universe. 

The running order is as follows:

1. Bright New Day - Opening Song (Aaron)

2. Willy Russell Introduction (Magen)

3. John, Paul, George, Ringo...and Bert (Ethan)

4. Shirley Valentine (Magen)

5. Stags and Hens (Tamara and Emily)

*INTERVAL*

6. Our Day Out (Mark and Daniel)

7. Educating Rita (Brooke)

8. Blood Brothers (Kalem)

9. Tell Me It’s Not True - finale song (Aaron)

TECH RUN

TASK 5-BLOOD BROTHERS

PRODUCTION DIARY:

Monday 28th March

Today we started some prep for Blood Brother’s as it is our final show. One of the biggest elements and challenges of this show is the fact that Mickey, Eddie and Linda (and some ensemble) begin as 7-year olds.

We began by laying on the floor and shutting our eyes so we can really delve into the head space and think about how we were as young children. Using emotional memory is extremely useful as an actor because we can tap into our brain and incorporate our own individual experiences to make our performance personal.

After this, Kelly asked some of us what we did at the weekend, but we had to answer as a child.

For example:

At the weekend I went out with my bestest friends, and we played loads and loads of games and it was really fun.

Once we finished with this task, we got into small groups. Then we had to devise a small poem about Mother’s since it was just Mother’s Day, but again as 7-year olds. When we finished this, we then played duck duck goose as it is a classic kid's game (don't mind the pun). 

This was a completely new territory for us as it's not very often you have to act like a very young child; however, these tasks were fun and challenging and it gave me some insight on how I'd have to prepare for Blood Brother's if I am going to audition for Linda.

WWE: I think I was quick to get into the childlike mindset today and I referred back to the practitioner Stanislavski to do this.

IMPROVEMENTS: I think in terms of acting as a child for Blood Brother's I will have to work on how to act like a child but not completely overdo it as it is easy to do this.

TUESDAY 29TH MARCH

Today we began accent work, and in specific the Scouse accent, which obviously is the biggest thing in Blood Brother's. I was feeling a bit nervous as I'd never done the Scouse accent before, but I was ready to take on the challenge.

Kelly gave us all a copy of the famous 'Our Sammy' monologue, and we got into partners and began rehearsing it. I paired up with Justin and we decided to focus on the first two paragraphs for the time being. Now, my Scouse accent definitely isn't bad but there is still plenty of room for improvement. Kelly informed us we would be performing them in the next upcoming week, so Justin and I drilled the first couple paragraphs until we were off script, then we did a tiny bit of blocking to top it off.

The scouse accent is definitely a trickly challenge for me since I do have a strong Northern accent, so I really have to practise getting all the small nuances that make up the Scouse accent, but this challenge is really pushing me, and expanding my range. I have never really delved into accents for a show, so it's definitely getting me out of my comfort zone.

WWE: I am have starting learning and practising the Scouse accent and applying it to my work.

IMPROVEMENTS: To further develop my Scouse accent, I need to begin working on the specific annunciations of letters and phrases. 

MONDAY 25TH APRIL

To kick start the lesson we played our usual warm up games. Ninja, Mob Boss and Partners. However, we quickly moved straight onto discussions about the Blood Brothers auditions, as we didn't know when they were.

It was announced by Kelly before the Easter Holidays that we’d be doing them this week (the first week back) but during the holiday we were still unaware of what scripts we'd use for the auditions and the exact date they were on; but Kelly soon revealed they were this Thursday, and we were given our audition material. At first, I was a bit anxious because we’ve never been given anything to learn in such a short amount of time- but once I'd read the two duologues, I'd be learning I soon felt relief as they weren't too long. I have settled on auditioning for Mrs Lyons and Linda. Kelly recommended I audition for Mrs Lyons, and Linda is my own choice. We will also be doing call-backs, Kelly has informed us, the following week of the auditions. This is weird, exciting and nerve-wracking as we haven't done call-backs or chemistry tests for a show before. 

My plans now are to spend my time in college and at home working on my duologues. I think my choice in Linda is a suitable choice, and one that will fill in any gaps in my portfolio- and although I was recommended Mrs Lyons, after reading the script her emotional journey was very interesting to me and that's something I'd like to tackle too.

WWE: I am confident on my decisions on who to audition for in Blood Brothers and feel I am at a good point for auditions.

IMPROVEMENTS: Learn the duologues as soon as possible.

TUESDAY 26TH APRIL

This morning was spent literally just hammering the audition scenes.

I have successfully learned the lines for both my duologues, which makes me feel much more at ease now I can focus on blocking, movement, expressions and vocals. 

For the most part, I rehearsed with Kalem for my Linda and Mickey duologue, as he was auditioning for Mickey so it just made sense. His Mickey is extremely good so it helped me really get into the headspace. I also worked alongside Morgan as Mickey too. I wanted to really portray the heaviness of the scene, and show Kelly and Kane all the emotion and turmoil Linda is facing, as her journey from being a young, bright girl to a burnt-out wife is something extremely heavy and it needs to be executed so the audience really grasp that emotion. For Mrs Lyons, I practised with Magen for a while as she is going for Mrs Johnstone and their relationship is extremely important. I wanted to get it right- as Mrs Lyons is so desperate and willing to do anything to get a child- I really wanted to dig deep into her psyche. 

WWE: I feel as though my audition scenes are coming along nicely and I am becoming more confident with each rehearsal.

IMPROVEMENTS: Really focus on the two different accents I am going to be diving into.

WEDNESDAY 27TH APRIL

Today was basically the same as yesterday, just drilling our auditions. I wanted to be careful not to over-rehearse but as the day gets closer, I get more stressed. Since its our final show here at college the pressure is on. I spent a good while rehearsing, mainly with Morgan and Magen. I feel I am now at a point with my two duologues where I am happy and confident. I think I've made appropriate choices for each character, so all I can do now is get the blocking down, focus on the goal do the audition as best as I possibly can!

WWE: I have rehearsed my audition and now feel confident in my choices.

IMPROVEMENTS: Make sure I keep up the accent during the speech.

THURSDAY 28TH APRIL

Oh God.

It's the day.

Audition day.

I honestly don't know what I'm feeling right now. Scared. Happy. Nervous. Excited. I have no idea. I'm jumbling up all these emotions at once. My Mrs Lyons audition is first. She is the first character to be auditioned, and I am the last actor to audition for her. I have plenty of time to prepare and get myself in a good headspace. I rehearsed the piece a few times before going in, but not too much to overdo it. After doing my audition, I feel very confident in it. Kelly and Kane both agreed that it was my best audition yet, so that has relieved me A LOT. I got all the lines right; I used the correct pacing and I feel as though I did it just as rehearsed. I am extremely happy with how I performed this. Now my Linda audition. I think I am more nervous for this one, because Linda has been my dream acting role since I first saw Blood Brother's when I was 15. I rehearsed this by myself in the changing rooms as everyone else was pretty preoccupied with their own audition, but I think being by myself made me feel a bit less nervous. After coming out of that one, I am feeling extremely happy with myself. Kelly said that I'm on fire today so I feel content with my choices. I really just went for it in this scene and let out all the frustration I knew Linda was feeling.

All I can do now is hope.

WWE: I think I performed the most confident I ever have, and it showed in my auditions.

IMPROVEMENTS: If I was to redo my audition, I'd use my space and movement a bit more.

TUESDAY 3RD MAY

Okay so today was a bit stressful. By a bit I mean A LOT.

So last night Kelly informed us we were to learn every scene the characters were in to do the recalls. So I knew one for Mrs Lyons and one for Linda. So I then had to learn the second Mrs Lyons scene with Edward, then the Linda and Eddie scene, which I hadn't read. So I learned them at night and hoped for the best, though I didn't know who my scene partners were. Then today Kane is with us. He's a bit confused too, and he doesn't have our callback list. So after a bit of time, we were informed that our callbacks would now be tomorrow- so at least we have some more time, however I also have to learn a Mickey, Eddie and Linda trio scene where they are children, so Kelly and Kane can see us as kids to know we can pull it off as it is so integral that we can portray a child.

My scene partners are as follows:

Mrs Johnstone + Mrs Lyons scene = Magen James

Mrs Lyons + Edward scene = Mark Blakemore

Mickey + Linda scene = Morgan Harvey

Mickey + Linda + Eddie = Morgan Harvey, Daniel Cooper

I am incredibly happy with my scene partners, as they are IMMENSLEY talented, and I can work and bounce off them. 

After receiving my scene partners, I began blocking my scenes with Magen and Mark. I discussed with both actors what felt most natural for them and then we added the smaller, more intimate details to top it off. I rehearsed the Mrs Lyons and Mrs Johnstone scene first with Magen, and it is simply staged, it is more the emotion and turmoil I want to get at- I need to execute Mrs Lyon's selfish but desperate manner, she's manipulative but due to her circumstances of not being able to have her own children, she is vulnerable. The Eddie and Mrs Lyons scene had a bit more staging- we included a bench as the scene was set in the household. During the scene Mrs Lyons loses her cool, and she's in an almost manic state- this is a challenge for me as I have never played a character like this so I nailed it down with Mark.

WWE: I rehearsed my scenes with both Magen and Mark and am feeling confident with my Mrs Lyons piece.

IMPROVEMENTS: Due to circumstances that couldn't be helped I could not work with Morgan today, so I need to work on Mickey and Linda tomorrow. 

WEDNESDAY 4TH MAY

Today I began by doing a few run-throughs with Magen for our scene together as Mrs Lyons and Mrs Johnstone. Magen is a fantastic actor, and I am extremely confident in this scene as I know she is reliable. Her line delivery is fantastic and I have absolutely no issues with this scene.

Then I began working with Morgan and Daniel on the kid's trio scene, as this is the most challenging as we have to literally be 7. The main thing I did to make myself appear younger is pitch my voice a lot higher, and have constant movement: swaying, playing with hair, jumping etc to get the childlike energy up. I ran the pill scene with Morgan a few times and then I went to work with Mark for the Mrs Lyons and Eddie scene. We blocked it fairly fast as there isn't too much movement, then we ran the lines a few times. But we only had half an hour to practise and then it was time to begin the re-calls.

The first scene I did was the Mickey + Linda + Eddie scene. Now, I really don't know how I feel about it. I think my voice was good, but I think I needed more energy. But I am fairly happy with it, Morgan and Daniel were amazing as always. Then I did the Mickey + Linda pill scene. This was quite difficult as Morgan and I only managed to rehearse this 3 times and it's a heavy scene-however I just went for it, and according to Justin Kelly said I was 'unrecognisable' as Linda, so I feel pretty good thus far. Next up was Mrs Lyons and Edward. I was stressed, but I was only stressed because Mark was stressed, and I didn't want him to feel upset. But I honestly think we did really well. Finally, I did Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons- as I mentioned Magen is very good and we did manage to rehearse this a few times, so I think we definitely had the blocking and performance down pretty good.

WWE: I think I managed my performances well despite the fact I didn't get to rehearse with some actors as much.

IMPROVEMENTS: I think I need more childish energy, and to strengthen my accent.

THURSDAY 5TH MAY

Okay so now it's the day after recalls. We were told we were going to get the cast list last night, but due to the Willy Russell showcase, Kelly was unable to incase of any disruptions.

Let me just say. I am absolutely beside myself with anxiety. Normally I wouldn't be like this with a show casting but the fact its 1) BLOOD BROTHERS and 2) Our final college show, the stress is on.

Kane arrives at the dance studio, and he insists he hasn't got the cast list. That's until we spot him with a singular piece of paper and we sus it out. But Kelly isn't here yet.

But once she arrives...I knew it was time. Literally shaking. I grabbed Justin and Trinity's hand for effect.

And then we realise there is not one. Not two. But three casts!

This is very different for us, but honestly, I don't mind the idea. Everyone deserves a chance. 

Should I just say it...? Well, okay!

I. Got. LINDA! You know the Linda I have dreamed of playing since I was 15?! Yeah that one! And when Kane read it out, Kelly did a lovely speech about me. So yeah, best day ever.

Here are the 3 casts:

CAST ONE

Mickey= Henry 

Edward= Geoffrey

Linda= Charley

Mrs Johnstone= Emie

Mrs Lyons= Sienna

Narrator= Harley

Milkman/Doctor= Justin

Police woman= Rebecca

Sammy= Jamie

Donna Marie= Trinity

Kid Two= Karly

Kid Three= La Toya

Kid Four= Samantha

CAST TWO

Mickey= Morgan

Edward= Daniel

Linda= Megan :)

Mrs Johnstone= Emie/Magen

Mrs Lyons= Tamara

Narrator= Mark (Y1)

Milkman/Doctor= Ethan/Justin

Police woman = La Toya

Sammy= Jamie

Donna Marie= Trinity

Kid Two= Karly

Kid Three= La Toya

Kid Four= Samantha

CAST THREE

Mickey= Kalem

Edward= Mark

Linda= Kadie

Mrs Johnstone=Magen

Mrs Lyons= Emily

Narrator=Aaron

Milkman/Doctor=Ethan

Police woman= Brooke

Sammy= Jamie

Donna Marie= Trinity

Kid Two= Karly

Kid Three= La Toya

Kid Four= Samantha

Honestly, I don't even have words. I am so incredibly proud of everyone. Everyone auditions were amazing, and each performance was damn incredible. This show is going to stick with me forever. I couldn't be happier with the cast, and this whole team. It's going to be fun, stressful, dramatic and emotional. And I am ready for the journey. 

For the rest of the lesson, Kane made us get into groups and practise the song 'Kid's Game' from the original Blood Brother's musical. We then got into two big groups and began choreographing and blocking it. It was definitely, a song. With movement. But it just wasn't giving what I wanted it to give. However we will be doing this song in the showcase so it's good practise.

WWE: Getting Linda! :D

IMPROVEMENTS: Getting into a childlike headspace quickly.

MONDAY 9TH MAY

Today begins the first official rehearsal of Blood Brothers. To kick rehearsals off, we started with my cast, up until lunch. As it was our first run through, it was obviously very stop and start, so we only got a couple of scenes done by lunch time so I didn't get to my first scene. Although, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Morgan and Daniel as Mickey and Eddie, and since I will be working so closely with their characters it's really helpful for me to have seen them perform so I can match my energy to theirs. We also began to think about transitions and brainstorm any ideas to get from scene to scene as there is so many- the first transition we though of is having children come on playing games (Cowboys and Indians) after Mrs Lyons says Mrs Johnstone is going to kill the twins if they find out they're parted. This is extremely important as having the children play a violent game after that line foreshadows Mickey's and Eddie's fate.  

WWE: Beginning of the rehearsal process and everyone is already starting to really understand the characters.

IMPROVEMENTS: For my casts next rehearsal, I need to make sure I play into the childlike mindset.

WEDNESDAY 11TH MAY

This morning we were tackling and picking apart some of the themes of the play which will help us understand the context and motivations of certain  characters. We were focusing on superstition today, which is probably the most integral theme of the play as that is what determines Mickey and Eddie's tragic death. We got into groups and I was with Emie, Kadie, Sienna and La Toya and we had to pick a superstition. We settled with how '666' is the Devil's number and it is unlucky to see or say it. Our piece was Emie on the phone, and me and the other's chatting. Then she says her phone number at the end which has '666' and we all started acting crazy, and talking about God/Religion as it is a very religion heavy superstition. 

I found this task really helpful as I learned about more superstitions and why they can affect people and the history of them; it also helped me understand some more in-depth context of the show and why the theme of superstition is so extremely important, particularly for Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons. 

We also began blocking the start/end scene. We will start on stage in our final position of the show as the show has a circular structure.

WWE: Understanding key themes to Blood Brothers and why they are important.

IMPROVEMENTS: Start to develop my research on the show to a deeper level.

AUDITION REVIEW

Mrs Lyons -

Why I chose this role?

Mrs Lyons is a character who I feel is extremely complex. Her character is particularly interesting to me in regard to the development of her mental state in the play. Mrs Lyons is an upper-class woman who does have a lot of privilege; however, she is very lonely due to the fact her husband works away, and I think her loneliness is her downfall during this play. I view her as very desperate- she is unable to have her own children and her husband doesn't want to adopt but she longs for a picture-perfect family and this desperation and willingness to achieve this at any price is ultimately what costs her sanity. Mrs Lyons is unlike any character I have ever played- becoming Mrs Lyons would stretch me as an actor in terms of her accent (London) and because she is so different to any other role it would flesh my portfolio out. 

What did I do to prepare?

An integral part of Mrs Lyons character is her accent, which is the first thing I began to work on after deciding I'd like to audition for her. I watched a couple of videos (linked) to help me with the diction and pronunciation of words, and different examples of British accents.

(8) Upper-class Accent Examples - YouTube

(8) RP (Received pronunciation) vs POSH ENGLISH The Differences and the HISTORY Explained. - YouTube

(8) British Accent Examples | Pronunciation | Posh Accent - YouTube

Additionally, I made sure I understood the culture of the 1970's, and the difference in upper-class families to lower-class families; this way I'd be able to understand the type of lifestyle Mrs Lyons had, and the lifestyle she'd be oblivious to (which would help me with my Linda audition). 

(8) Liverpool in the 1970s and 80s - YouTube

(8) Liverpool 1970s - YouTube

The other vital part of Mrs Lyons is her mental health during the play. As the play progresses her paranoia, anxiety and depression worsen. 

The definition of paranoid= unreasonably or obsessively anxious, suspicious, or mistrustful

The definition of depression= it is characterized by persistent sadness and a lack of interest or pleasure in previously rewarding or enjoyable activities

The definition of anxiety= Fear characterized by behavioural disturbances

(8) Paranoid Personality Disorder or Paranoia? [Causes, Signs, and Solutions] - YouTube

(8) Paranoid Personality Explained – When EVERYTHING is Suspect - YouTube

(8) What is Anxiety? - YouTube

(8) Clinical depression - major, post-partum, atypical, melancholic, persistent - YouTube

(8) Behavior Changes During Depression - YouTube

I also did some research on infertility and how it feels for women to not be able to have children, since this is the reason Mrs Lyons ended up with one of the twins, and it was also part of the audition material script. 

(8) What It's Like To Get Diagnosed With Infertility In Your 20s | Bustle - YouTube

(8) What I Learned From Struggling With Infertility - YouTube

(8) How infertility affects your relationship - YouTube

(8) Infertility when everyone else is pregnant | Kati Morton - YouTube

In terms of line learning, I did this pretty quickly. I had already read the full script, so I was aware of the full context. I printed off the script and made some notes first, to determine what sort of emotions/body language/facial expression I think Mrs Lyons would use during specific lines/words. 

Then all I did was reread the scene until I was familiar with it. Once I was comfortable without the script, I audio recorded it to see how long it was, and where I could improve. 

Once I'd established this, I began to practise it in the mirror and finalise my movement and facial expressions. I rehearsed this for a few hours each night, and at college I would rehearse it with a scene partner.

How I felt before the audition?

Mrs Lyons was the first character to be auditioned, but I was the last actor, and there were 6 other actors auditioning for this role. The amount of actors going for this role was intimidating, but I feel confident in my ability and performance. Since I'm the last Mrs Lyons I have plenty of time to get a few practises in before its my timeslot, although it also means the bar is set pretty high. I think the stress I'm feeling is due to the fact it's my final show at college so I really want to push myself. 

How did the audition go?

I think my audition went really well. I maintained the accent through the whole scene, and didn't slip out of it, which I know is sometimes a struggle when doing show with two completely different accents. I think that I made it look as if I was genuinely talking to Mrs Johnstone, despite the fact it was just me and Kane reading the lines. I wanted to portray Mrs Lyons as vulnerable and desperate, and I think my choices in body language, facial expression and vocal expression did this nicely. However I do think I could've used some more movement. I think to further demonstrate the desperation I could've added some pacing or just general movement. Kane and Kelly both said that this was my best audition to date which made me feel really confident in my choices and performance, I think I have improved a lot since my last auditions, and I can only hope that Kelly and Kane can see that too. 

Linda - 

Why I chose this role?

Linda is a fun, kind and loving character who has a big heart. Linda is a role I was interested in, as I found the development of her relationships with Mickey and Eddie to be gripping. I feel as though Linda had to grow up really fast, and that made her character more defenceless, and the audience would feel sympathetic to her as Linda just wants a normal family life and home, however Mickey's struggle with his depression makes this difficult. I found Linda's story to be an emotional journey, which would push me as an actor as I'd need to understand every intricate detail of what Linda goes through as a young woman, and similar to Mrs Lyons this character involves accent work (Liverpool) which would really challenge me. 

What did I do to prepare?

Just like Mrs Lyons, Linda's accent plays a huge part in her character, however Linda's accent is Scouse. Learning the Scouse accent was more of a challenge, as it is completely different to the RP London one. Again, I watched some videos of people with Scouse accents to really understand how they pronounce each word, and the energy of the vocalisation.

(10) School Of British Accents – SCOUSE - YouTube

(10) Learn the LIVERPOOL/ SCOUSE Accent - YouTube

(10) British Accents 2 ~ Liverpool (Scouse) Accent - YouTube

The segment of the play used for the audition was the 'pill scene' where Linda and Mickey argue over him needing his pills, which he is reliant on as this is a major part to Linda's character, I did some research into relationships where a partner is reliant on medication, and being in a relationship with somebody who struggles with depression. 

(10) Impact of Depression on Relationships - YouTube

(10) How do antidepressants work? - Neil R. Jeyasingam - YouTube

(10) Emotional Blunting with Antidepressants - YouTube

Dating on Antidepressants| Women's Health (womenshealthmag.com)

What It's Like to Be In Love With Someone Who's Going Through Antidepressant Withdrawal (mic.com)

Antidepressants Affect Feelings of Love for Partner | Live Science

How I felt before the audition?

The same as Mrs Lyons, there was 6 other actors auditioning for Linda. I knew from the beginning that this role would be very competitive, which is really stressful, but it also serves as motivation and determination. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't extremely nervous for this audition. I had a lot of confidence knowing my first audition went well, but with the Scouse accent being territory I'd never crossed before, I was anxious as hell. 

How did the audition go?

I am very proud of myself. I think my audition for Linda went really well, and I did the best I can do. Kane and Kelly gave me the option of having Kane stand up with me while I did the scene, which I think boosted my confidence that bit more. Having Kane with me was like I was performing it on a stage rather than an audition, is the best way I can explain it. I think I did the accent as best as I could do, though I know it needs some tweaking I tried my hardest. And the God's must have listened to me because I managed to cry on command, which I've literally never done in college before. If I were to redo the audition, I think I'd use some more physical choices, such as offering Mickey (Kane) my hand, putting it on his shoulder, stuff like that, to really emphasise the relationship between Linda and Mickey. Kelly said I was on fire today, so all I can do now is hope.

CALLBACK REVIEW:

COSTUME:

Kelly sent us a general idea of what she wanted for costume so I made a couple of mood boards. Here is what Kelly sent:

Here are the mood-boards I created based off of this:

 

And here are the pieces of costume I bought:

TASK 6: BLOOD BROTHERS EVALUATION

As my final week of Stockton Riverside College approaches, so does my final bow with my second family. Blood Brothers has been an emotional journey with laughs and tears and happiness, but most of all going through this with such an amazing cast has been an honour. 

I think my strongest point during this play was portraying Linda at the different ages and taking the audience on the journey through her transitions. Linda begins as a muddy-kneed, bubbly, energetic rebel who is always playing with Mickey. As a child, she is upbeat and fun- to encapsulate this energy was rather difficult at first since it feels strange to be acting so young at my age but working with Morgan and Daniel was fabulous as I could really bounce off of them. I think capturing the essence of her childlike behaviour was super important as it makes the step from a child to an adult that much more emotional- from seeing her and Mickey being best friends and playing together completely inseparable, to them arguing and then seeing him die in front of her- it really adds much more impact. An example of the childlike behaviour would be when Mickey and Linda first come on stage together and Morgan and I did a little improv- Mickey has Sammy’s airgun and pretends to shoot Linda so I did a full child tantrum with the stomping legs and sticking my tongue out, which made the audience laugh. The difference between the younger version of Linda and older Linda was intense. To show the stress and turmoil Linda is going through, I approached the big argument scene with Mickey in a more aggressive and angry manner. At first, I was going to do it emotional, but I believe going from the screaming argument and being the catalyst of the reason Mickey goes to kill Eddie and Linda seeing it first hand, made it more impactful for me as an actor. 

I have struggled with my confidence a lot for the past few years but something completely took over me as soon as I stepped on the stage. I didn’t feel like me at all, I only felt Linda. Working alongside Morgan and Daniel has been such an honour, they’re extremely talented actors and my best friends and being able to explore these characters and hearing the audience react and laugh to us felt unbelievable. The standout moments for me would be when we did the summer sequence and the argument scene. The summer sequence was a really lovely moment as it showcased the trio and their friendship- and it lead into the scene where Eddie confesses his love for Linda. Although Linda loves Eddie she loves Mickey too, and this is the scene where she chooses Mickey. Although a comical scene with the kiss, it is the moment their fate is sealed almost. The argument scene for me, is one of and if not the best scene i’ve ever performed. Morgan’s energy was insane, I could feel his anger radiating off of him and it ignited something inside me I’ve never quite achieved. 

Before our show begun, we received some feedback to work on the scenes with Eddie and Linda just to make their love seem more believable. To make sure this was achieved, Daniel and I ran out scenes together a few times and worked on how we could make it more believable. We decided on maintaining more eye contact with each other and being closer physically almost as if they were about to kiss, until Mickey comes back and Linda realises she also loves him. Another note we had was for Mickey to act more nervous in the school scenes with Linda- so I ramped up the flirting and Morgan acted more nervous and added some more stuttering/stammering which made it more comedic. I think that I took on this direction well and improved the scenes to the standard they should be. 

The show all in all was absolutely amazing and I am more than happy with the outcome- however there’s always room for improvement! If I were to play Linda again I think I’d incorporate more movement while she is a teenager, particularly in the Eddie/Linda scenes to emphasise how she’s deciding whether she wants Eddie or Mickey. 

My heart is so full with love and fulfilment from this show. My cast will always have a special place in my heart, they worked so hard and did such an amazing job of this show. I couldn’t be happier or prouder to have shared the stage with them. I will never forget playing Linda!

TASK 7: WILLY RUSSELL EVALUATION 

It’s A Bright New Day has been a new and exciting project to work on. Producing is something i’d never had the opportunity to do before so this was a nerve-wracking yet fun challenge to take on…

First up, each piece within the showcase was fabulous. Each actor was on the ball, and knew what they were doing and where they were going. Everyone had their costumes and any makeup/hair changes prepared backstage ready for the upcoming scenes. I believe each scene transitioned into one an other smoothly, which is something we were worried about before the show. 

Let me discuss the full day though. Justin and I prepared a schedule of the day. We did singing from 9:30am until 12pm and it went really well! The blocking and staging was doing quickly and it looked effective. However, our rehearsals were quickly cut short. Justin and I planned a tech run from 3-6pm roughly and we scheduled rehearsals for everyone before this. However, the technician then told us he wanted to do this at 1pm instead, so we had to cancel all these rehearsals and do that. This was extremely stressful for us all, as there was nothing we could do. However, the casts remained professional and got on with it. We did it all in the running order so everyone was prepared for what would happen tonight and where they’d need to go. Now for the show itself- all I can say is wow! I was incredibly stressed backstage as I just wanted it to go well for everyone. The directors and actors worked incredibly hard on this, and so did Justin. Each scene ran smoothly, and the casts were fantastic. There was not a single moment where I was worried about a piece when it was on stage.