Today we were given scripts for the pieces we would be in for the Autumn Showcase that would be performed in the box. I was given three scripts that I would be in as well as an ensemble piece with the whole group.

The first is Fatal Light by Chloe Moss, which I will be performing with Chloe. I play the part of Maggie.

The second is Executioner’s Daughter by Suzan-Lori Parks which I will be performing with Andy and Cathy. I will be playing the part of the Executioner.

The third is A Handbag by Anthony Horowitz. I will be performing this with Aaron and Dale. I play the part of Rose/Lady Bracknell.

Upon first reading through the scripts with my fellow actors I got a brief idea of the characters I would be playing and also by using the given circumstances I was able to find out what the play was about. 

East End Tales

Before we started to go through our lines we had a brief discussion about the play. We talked about the playwright; Finn Kennedy. I already knew about Finn Kennedy from doing Stolen Secrets and so I knew that this would have some sort of group narrative in it as this is his style to write ensemble plays. We then started reading through the lines and it became apparent that it was set in a pub in the east end of England because the title gave it away and also the line “So I’m sitting at the bar.” As we read more lines a story began to unfold. The narrators were telling the audience about an incident in a pub of a older woman and a young man who look so much a like, and then they talk about a scuffle between them and how the man looks like he’s about to hit her. I knew that it would be hard to get a distinct character from the short extract because - as expected with work by Finn Kennedy - there were no stage directions or individual lines so this would give me a chance to experiment and use the Stanislavski techniques we had talked about in class such as the Who, What, When, Where and How.

A Handbag

When looking at the script for A Handbag there was some stage directions and a setting given before the lines. I had already been given the circumstances and so I knew what was happening. Three people were having a dress reheearsal for a play ‘The Impirtance of being Earnest’.

 Fatal Light

When first reading Fatal Light it became clear that the woman Maggie had lost her daughter because of the line ‘You’ll have to formally identify Julie’s body.’ as I read on it became clear that Janine (The policewoman mistakes for Julie) had killed herself in prison from the lines ‘Did she leave anything… A note?’ and ‘She got four years’. Then I found out that Janine had a daughter that Maggie would now have to look after -She got a little girl, my Granddaughter. It’s just us now…’ From the amount of rants that Maggie goes on as well made it clear that she didn’t want to be left alone ‘I thought they had to send two, I thought it was the law, I don.t know why. I suppose I’m getting that off the tele.’

Executioners Daughter

I was very confussed when first reading this script because it didn’t seem to make any sense.

Executioner’s Daughter was part of a project 365 plays in 365 days by Suzan-Lori Parks so there wasn’t much information I could get.

Playwright

Suzan-Lori Parks born 10th May 1964 is an African american playwright and screenwriter. She was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky. On 13th November 2002 she started a project to write a play everyday and on 12th November 2003 she completed it. In 2007 the plays were performed throughout the country. The mini dramas were ranged from issues about politics to relationships.



East End Tales was written by Finn Kennedy.

Synopsis

East End Tales is a series of nine stories inspired by photos and new articles from local papers in east London. It was written for the Mulberry School for girls in Tower Hamlets’ Half Moon Young People’s TheatreScriptworks project. The story was developed by a group of Year 10 Bengali girls throughout weeks. It was created through improvisation and written exercises under supervision of Finn Kennedy. The best work was extended and worked on to get the final piece, which was then written in lyrical style by Kennedy.

Playwright

Finn Kennedy attended Goldsmiths College, University of London in 2001 and graduated with a Distinction MA Writing for Performance. His first play, Protection, was produced at Soho theatre in 2003. Since then he has continued to write plays in a ensemble group narrative style such as Stolen Secrets, Mehndi Night and East End Tales. For the past four years he has been the Writer-in-residence at the Mulberry School for Girls. 

Fatal Light was written by Chloe Moss. 

Synopsis

The play is set in modern times. The opening scene of Fatal Light is a policewoman awkwardly informing Maggie that her daughter Janine had died in prison. Which then leaves Maggie responsible for taking care of her granddaughter Aine From this point the play works backwards in revealing the circumstances, including Jainie’s battle with mental illness, that have led to this point. It becomes clear that Janine’s interaction with the authorities did more than create this tragedy than prevent it. 

Playwright

Chloe Moss was born in 1976, in Liverpool where she grew up until she attended Manchester Metropolitan University. Her first professional play was A Day in Dull Armour that she wrote when she joined the Royal Court’s Young Writers programme. Fatal Light was written in 2010 for a theatre company call Clean Break which specialises in the staging of new writing intended to reflect the experiences of women whos lives have been affected by the criminal justice system. Fatal Light was performed in the Soho Theatre, London on dates from 1st to 27th November 2010.

Warm up

Timetable

Reheasal

Today we were given time tables and had to rotate around the group sometimes directing, sometimes being directed and sometimes we had to direct our own scenes.

Executioner’s Daughter

We were working with our Student Teacher Chris on this scene,