1.

Choose two design or technical elements used in this live theatre production from: costume, set design, lighting, sound, special effects Choose one scene or section and explain how these elements were used. I am going to discuss Forty Tales of the Afterlives, a piece of contemporary dance/physical theatre which was based on David Eaglemans book of the same title. The book contains forty short stories describing what the afterlife might be like and the theatre production interpreted ten of them through music and dance or movement. I am going to discuss the set design and the lighting for one of the stories called Adhesion. I saw the production at the Peter Burke Theatre on the 17th Februrary 2011 The production took place in a studio theatre and used a promenade format so the audience and the actors shared the same space. Half of the space was raised about two feet above the remaining oor space with curved steps linking the two levels. Above these steps was a huge arch, fteen feet high made of the dead branches of ivy which had once surrounded trees. Hanging from this arch were lots of photographs of children and baby clothes and shoes. I think these belonged to the actors and they were hanging from the arch as mementos of their lives before they entered the afterlife, echoing the traditions of many ancient cultures. This caused me to think about my life and the items I would use to remember my life. Most of the space was surrounded by plain white walls, 8 feet high, curved at the corners in front of which were more trees/large bare branches, some of them 12 feet high. Two enormous projection screens hung in the roof space either side of the performance space, slanting at an angle so they could be seen easily from the oor. The raised level was surrounded by plain black walls and, in the centre of the upstage wall, there was an old, battered wooden door. Even before the play began, the door made me think of a route to another world, a world I couldnt see but which intrigued me. The at white walls and oor helped make it quite a neutral space which didnt specify a particular time or place - allowing it to represent the locations demanded by the different stories. It also brought to mind our traditional images of heaven as a very white place, suggesting purity. The trees were used by the actors; they held them upright as they moved amongst the audience and they used them to dene the spaces used for each dance, moving the audience around the space so that each dance took place in a different place and the audience had a constantly shifting view. This made the whole experience very active and engaging for the audience. The trees gave a very natural feel to the space, reminding us that death is a natural process. Adhesion is a romantic story and dance and it was performed as a duet between one male and one female dancer. The other dancers formed a small circle of trees in the centre of the space quite close to the large arch. The audience gathered outside this circle and the dancers moved through the trees into the space, giving the impression that they were creeping through a forest for a secret meeting. The fact that this dance took place in a small enclosed space added to the sense of secrecy and intrigue. At the end of the

What the Examiner Expects

Ref to two design or tech elements Explanation how they were used Effects created Audience reaction Style of production Period or place Correct terminology Design style genre period costumes - fabrics, textures, colours, details - justication set - space and levels set - representation of location health and safety some integration of design elements

Technical style genre period lighting - colours, intensity, plot, special effects, projection sound - live, recorded props - use and design integration of design elements

dance, the trees moved slowly to form an avenue, almost as if the couple were marrying. The trees and the white walls also made it possible to use very exciting lighting. Most of it came from follow-spots positioned in each corner of the space. As the lighting was sharply focused and from quite a low-level, it gave very strong shadows, accentuating the dancers movements and body shapes. It was also very exible lighting, allowing the action to take place anywhere in the space. The low level also meant it picked up the trees, casting shadows of the trees in interesting and moving shapes, giving movement and dynamism to the scenes. The lights also changed colour for each different story, creating different moods very quickly. The romantic pinks and blues used for Adhesion contrasted with another story which used deep reds to suggest a more military tone. The colours were made stronger by the use of white walls which picked up the colours so the whole space seemed to change with the lights. There were also some candles (battery-operated) positioned in the arch and around the edge of the space in some of the trees. These gave a very beautiful and delicate light between the stories and added to the romantic effect for Adhesion. Some light also came from the projection screen which were used to show a live feed of the movement, mixed form several cameras. These were often in close-up, sometimes with visual effects so they gave quite an abstract effect. The lighting and set were integrated to give a very exible space which was very dynamic but also very beautiful.

2 How effective do you think the use of the design/technical elements was in your chosen scene or section. (This answer is part 2 of the design/technical elements question) Adhesion is a very romantic story which explores the question why some people stick together, often in surprising pairings while others, who seem ideally matched, split up. The trees, held by the other actors were slowly moved into a small circle by the other actors, giving just enough space for the two dancers in the duet. The audience gathered all around the trees and the two dancers crept between them into the circle. It successfully gave the impression that the dance was taking place in a clearing in a forest and this added to the romantic tone of the dance, a tone which was created initially by the romantic piano music. It was almost as if we were seeing a secret, intimate moment and this made the audience feel privileged. Using the trees to dene a small space within the space as a whole focused the audiences attention on the dancers faces and bodies, and this was very effective in making it a very intimate dance. The video screens showing live feed of the dance were above the audiences heads for this dance and slightly behind, meaning that we tended only to glimpse the action on the screen and tended to focus only on the live action. However, the extreme close-ups used for lming this dance gave an abstract quality to the projections. We were aware of large sweeping movements and this added to the romantic tone without distracting us from the intimate scene. The lighting for this scene came mostly from four follow-spots, one in each corner of the space. They were at quite a low level, just high enough to hit the dancers over the audience heads but low enough to throw shadows from the trees. The fact that they were follow spots not xed spotlights meant that the light was constantly moving, giving a dynamic quality. The low angle and the shadows this created enhanced the shapes of the actors bodies very effectively. Two of the followspots in opposite corners used a pink gel for this scene and two used a blue. This might have been to suggest the male/female characters but I think it served to give a romantic quality. They were soft colours, very much in keeping with the mood of the dance. These colours cast the audience in a soft light, too and the colours reected off the white walls of the set which further enhanced the gentle, delicate mood of this piece. Some accent light was provided by the (battery) candles dotted around the trees positioned by the walls and by the central arch. These were also very effective in creating a gentle, romantic mood. The girl dancers owing red dress added to this again. All of these features were highly effective in creating a clear mood for this piece and the audience was enthralled by it, not wanting to move, perhaps because they felt they were watching something secret, almost as if they were voyeurs.
Analysis of the design/ technical elements Reasons they were used in the way they were Evaluation of effectiveness Awareness of integration of elements Justication of ideas offered Terminology

Choose one live theatre production you have seen during your course. Explain what impact it had on you. You should refer to how it was staged, the acting, design and technical skills The production which made the most impact on me was a production called Forty Tales of the Afterlives, a contemporary dance piece based on David Eaglemans book of the same title which describes many possibilities for what the afterlife might be like. I saw the production at the Peter Burke Theatre on 17th February 2011. The section that made particular impact on me was a dance called Circle of Friends which suggests that the afterlife contains only the people who you were friends with in the living world. Not only was this a very beautiful dance but it was also very engaging for me as an audience member because it forced me to move around during the dance so that I felt as if I was almost participating in it, as if I was part of this afterlife. The production was a promenade, taking place in a largely white space with curved white walls and white oor, although one wall was black. Surrounding the space were trees about twelve feet high. At various points in the production, these were carried by the actors and used to dene a different space for each dance but, for this one, they were arranged around the edge of the space, helping me to feel close to the action. I felt as if I was in the magic forest where much of the action seemed to take place. The actors, who were all wearing identical black dance leggings and longsleeved black tops with the logo of a tree on, began the dance in pairs. The music for this piece was quite whimsical and based around percussion instruments - bells and glockenspiel - with some strings to add a sense of romance. A voice narrated the story over the top of the music. The actors were spread all around the space so we, the audience, had to move, partly so we could see but also so we were not in the way. Two huge screens with live video feed hung above the space so we could see the dancers and also see ourselves. This was very effective in adding to the impression that we were participating actively in the dance rather than just watching passively. Each pair of actors began with two thin sticks about 40 cm long on the oor between them. As the dance began, they picked them up, using only their ngertips and keeping them in the air only by maintaining the pressure between them. This demanded great co-operation and silent communication between the actors and this made a strong impression on me. It also suited the story which is all about points of contact between friends so the action expressed the theme of the story very simply and powerfully. All the time, the actors maintained eye contact with each other and very still expressions. Their movement was very poised and delicate, as if the contact between them could be broken by any aggressive action. All the action was perfectly synchronised so the impression as you looked across the whole space was of a sea of identical movement.

What the Examiner Expects

Ref to one section Ref to nature of impact made on candidate Answers focusing on only one aspect will be selflimiting (wont be able to get full marks) How was the impact achieved? Performance style genre period voice - accent, pitch, tone movement - gesture, posture, physical skills facial expression interaction with other characters Design style genre period costumes - fabrics, textures, colours, details justication set - space and levels set - representation of location health and safety some integration of design elements

Technical style genre period lighting - colours, intensity, plot, special effects, projection sound - live, recorded props - use and design integration of design elements

The lighting, from followspots in each corner of the space had a gentle blue colour, quite rich and this enhanced the warm, gentle tone of the story. The focus of the lights was quite wide, allowing for all the actors to be lit. As the dance developed, each pair joined with another pair. Each pair was still connected by the sticks but now their movements interacted with another pair, making the patterns seem more intricate and delicate. Then, the actors all joined into a huge chain, linked by the sticks still held only at ngertip, which began moving around the space. Some of the audience were trapped inside the chain and they had to move around the actors to help disentangle the knot. Gradually, the chain moved into a tighter circle, spiralling until the climax of the music when there was a snap blackout. This piece had such an impact on me because it made the experience very interactive. Rather than just sitting and watching, I felt as if I was participating and involved. It was also very beautiful to see the actors all moving at exactly the same time all around the space and this was enhanced by the music and the lighting. The concentration needed to maintain the contact between actors was also very impressive.

Explain how successful you thought the opening section of this production was in making an impact on the audience This is part 2 of the question above The opening of this production was very unusual and it had a huge impact on me, affecting the way I viewed the rest of the production. Unlike a traditional production where the audience enters and then there is a blackout and a pause and then the start of the performance, it was as if this production had begun before any of the audience was able to enter the space. We were greeted by one of the actors wearing a circus ringmaster costume, with black leggings and a red tail-coat, and led in small groups of three or four through the door of the auditorium. Immediately, we found ourselves in a narrow tunnel made by the other actors who were all carrying r branches. It was very dark and the only light came from the (battery) candles, some held by the actors and some hanging around the edge of the space. This gave a very creepy atmosphere and it was unnerving to walk into. The smell of the r branches was very evocative of Christmas and of magic. We could hear delicate music playing. As we walked along the tunnel, we could feel the touch of the branches or, occasionally, the hand of one of the actors. Again, the effect of this was to make it quite a nervy entrance to the performance space. It made me feel as if I was making a journey into the afterlife, almost into a Greek underworld and the effect of this was to make me feel as if I was part of the production. As we left the tunnel, in the middle of the promenade space, we were met by two more actors, dressed in the black costumes with tree logo worn by all of them, who gave us a fortune cookie, saying, Welcome to your future! The fortune cookie had the name of one of the dances inside - mine was Circle of Friends - and this made me feel intrigued as to what that story would be like. When it came to that part of the production, I felt as if it was playing out my future and I took particular interest in that dance. Then, it began snowing inside the auditorium, which was very unusual and exciting and caused a gasp amongst the audience. As the music reached a crescendo, the r tunnel disappeared as the actors moved to the edges of the space and our attention was directed by two followspots towards the door in the black wall. The narration for the rst story was played and, after a few seconds, the music began. It was very powerful music. Then, the door creaked open, smoke emerging from it and an actress, backlit by a very powerful yellow light, walked out and began the rst dance. She was dressed like all the others but with a silver choker and corset and striking black lipstick and eye make-up. Already, I had been swept into the action and felt as if I was taking part in all the stories that followed.

What the examiner expects: Identication of the opening of the play Evaluation of the success of the opening in making an impact Reference to technical, design and performance skills Awareness of integration of production elements Reference to audience response

Choose one live theatre production you have seen during your course. Explain what impact it had on you. You should refer to how it was staged, the acting, design and technical skills. I am going to discuss a production of A Handbag by Anthony Horowitz, which I saw at the Peter Burke Theatre on December 10th 2010 This is a black comedy, naturalistic in style and set in the present day. It describes the attempts of a group of young actors to rehearse for a production of The Importance of Being Earnest. Gradually, it emerges that they are not ordinary teenagers but that they are locked up in some sort of secure institution. The play had a strong impact on me for several reasons. First, the naturalistic acting meant that all the characters were totally credible and I felt empathy for their situation. I thought the way the play withheld the truth about their pasts, only revealing details bit by bit drew me into the story and helped me to engage with it. Thirdly, the design was very clever and enhanced the plays themes of disguise and pretence very subtly. The character of George is onstage throughout the play and he is directing the production of The Importance of Being Earnest as well as taking the part of Jack Worthing. He showed great variety in his responses, being patient and very caring towards Rose, the weak-minded girl playing Lady Bracknell, but losing patience with the other characters as the rehearsal begins to fall apart. It was in his scene with Kinsey that he had the most impact, though. These two characters knew each other before being committed to the institution and it seems they were guilty of a crime similar to the murder of Jamie Bulger. In the scene, they reect on their lives before the crime and after it. George began the scene quite cross that Kinsey wants to drop out of the play. He is standing downstage centre, a strong stage position and his stance is condent, hands in his pockets. He begins with quite a confrontational tone of voice, snapping questions at Kinsey, looking him in the eye. This changes gradually as Kinsey begins to describe their arrival at the institution, being led through countless doors. Even though he wasnt speaking, you were aware of the actor playing George remembering this for himself and his body language changed. He dropped his head, looking to the oor and then slowly made his way to the chaise longue. As he sat on it, his shoulders seemed bowed and he clasped his hands in his lap, almost wringing them. This was not enough to take the attention away from Kinsey but it did add to the naturalism of the scene. I was suddenly aware that George was crying and this made me feel great sympathy for the character, despite his crime. The way the play gradually made me feel sympathy for characters who had done some terrible crimes had a big impact on me. Kinseys speech about doors was a key moment in this scene and it was tting that doors played a big part in the set design. Almost all the action took place downstage and the set was divided into two white-walled rooms by a wall running across the centre of the stage with a large doorway in it. Through this doorway, you could see into the upstage room which was built to have a deceptive perspective so the barred door in the upstage wall seemed much further away than it really was. This helped to give a sense of the frightening scale of the institution and helped to enhance the clinical, cold atmosphere

What the Examiner Expects

Ref to one section Ref to nature of impact made on candidate Answers focusing on only one aspect will be selflimiting (wont be able to get full marks) How was the impact achieved? Performance style genre period voice - accent, pitch, tone movement - gesture, posture, physical skills facial expression interaction with other characters Design style genre period costumes - fabrics, textures, colours, details justication set - space and levels set - representation of location health and safety some integration of design elements

Technical style genre period lighting - colours, intensity, plot, special effects, projection sound - live, recorded props - use and design integration of design elements

created by the fact that almost everything was white. The naturalistic details such as the moving security cameras positioned near this barred door and the posters explaining the rules of the institution, subtly scaled to add to the perspective, were very helpful in making the play believable. These naturalistic details contrasted with the few props and items of scenery the young actors had managed to gather and these were designed to look unrealistic - the book case was clearly painted on a at board, for example. This contrast helped to express the idea of the play within the play very well indeed. The fact that the actors were wearing unnished costumes with tracksuit trousers and T shirts under their Edwardian style costumes helped to add to this idea. These devices helped to create the impression that things were not as they seemed, tting for the theme of disguise and pretence in the play. The lighting was also very naturalistic and was designed to look cold and quite blue, as if the light was coming from cold strip lighting. More light, giving the effect of bluish moonlight was coming through a barred window high up in the stage right wall and this created interesting shadows. The lighting state didnt change until the end when the alarm sounded and the lights were dimmed and we were aware of ashing red lights through the barred door upstage. This gave quite an unnerving ending as we realised that the characters we had engaged with were about to be locked up again.

Explain how successful you thought the opening section of this production was in making an impact on the audience This is part 2 of the question above When the play began, I thought I was seeing a production of The Importance of Being Earnest. Although she was too young for Lady Bracknell, the actress playing the role was wearing a long, red Edwardian dress, in keeping with the part and was seated on a chaise longue, sitting elegantly as a woman would have done in those days. The actor playing Jack was standing just behind her and they were talking with the upper class, clipped accents you associate with the play. Jack was holding a teacup and saucer. Then Alan, playing Algernon, entered rapidly and delivered his line. There was a long pause during which the other two looked at each other, both looking disbelieving. It was clear that something had gone wrong and the audience began to laugh uncomfortably. We were wondering if they would be able to get out of the situation by one of them ad-libbing. At this stage, we thought the actors had got their lines wrong but then the character of Jack said, Youre a twat, Alan. We realised that the character of Alan had made the mistake, not the actor playing the part. This was a very clever device to introduce the idea of the play within a play and the idea that everyone in the play was unable to be themselves; they had all taken on a disguise or new identity. Of course, the use of the word twat and the fact that the character of George suddenly dropped his posh accent in favour of his more normal voice with its dropped letters and slang diction, presented a huge contrast and this was a source of comedy in this moment. This moment had great impact. It began as an uncomfortable moment but became a funny moment and one which expressed the key idea in the play. As the scene developed, with the characters speaking in their real voices, not their Importance of Being Earnest voices, we began to notice the naturalistic details in the set, especially the bars, and we guessed that this was not an ordinary group of young actors. The subtle way this fact was introduced had a strong impact on the audience and we empathised with them as a result.

What the examiner expects: Identication of the opening of the play Evaluation of the success of the opening in making an impact Reference to technical, design and performance skills Awareness of integration of production elements Reference to audience response