I think that I did a satisfactory job in the final performances. I remembered my blocking fairly well and only had minor script difficulties.
In my opinion I could have committed more to my character as Piggy to give a more convincing and affective performance for the audience. However, I do think that we all connected more as a cast during the final performances and really considered our relationship with the other characters on stage. This gave it more energy and interesting to watch
On the other hand I think I developed greatly on my secondary character during the production week and on the actual performances. I made the character contrast completely with Piggy. Piggy is constantly trying to stay proper and decent whereas my other character goes over to Jack's gang from the very beginning. Another large difference between the two people is their stance. Piggy always stood upright and had a narrow stance. My secondary character was much more animalistic and savage. They were mostly in a crouched position and went completely on instinct, not caring about anyone that gets in their way.
- Ebony.
Friday, 27 May 2011
Peer Assessment
Over the production week I found myself captivated by Ellie Jones' performance of Sam. In the last week I found that she threw herself into her part and really transformed as an actress.
The section of the play that really grabbed me was the violent scene between her and Roger (Adam Moran). They connected well with each other which made the viewers want to protect Ellie from the cruelty being inflicted on her. This was emphasized through her innocence in the play beforehand.
- Ebony.
The section of the play that really grabbed me was the violent scene between her and Roger (Adam Moran). They connected well with each other which made the viewers want to protect Ellie from the cruelty being inflicted on her. This was emphasized through her innocence in the play beforehand.
- Ebony.
Saturday, 21 May 2011
Character Development - 14/05/2011
I have decided to concentrate on my breathing within the next rehearsals. In Piggy's speech it mentions the fact that he has asthma. It is due to this that I have decided to concentrate on my pace and strength of breathing, especially in sections of the play where he is scared or under pressure, which is quite often.
I think the sections of the play where this will be most affected are just after Simon's death, once Jack has thrown him to the floor on 'We'll dance.' and the lead up to his own death.
Simon's Death because he can't believe what he just took part in. He is shocked at his own actions and is panicked about what this means for the future of everyone else.
Dance because he is unsure as to what Jack is going to do to him and is not strong enough to defend himself if Jack wanted to harm him.
Piggy's Death because he is completely defenseless without his glasses and is in the hands of the most violent character in the play, Roger.
- Ebony.
I think the sections of the play where this will be most affected are just after Simon's death, once Jack has thrown him to the floor on 'We'll dance.' and the lead up to his own death.
Simon's Death because he can't believe what he just took part in. He is shocked at his own actions and is panicked about what this means for the future of everyone else.
Dance because he is unsure as to what Jack is going to do to him and is not strong enough to defend himself if Jack wanted to harm him.
Piggy's Death because he is completely defenseless without his glasses and is in the hands of the most violent character in the play, Roger.
- Ebony.
Peer Assessment - 13/05/2011
In the past few rehearsals I have been extremely impressed by Billy Herrin's portrayal of Jack.
He knows his lines with only minor difficulty which makes it very easy to act opposite him. But better than that is his sheer enthusiasm. He brings such life and energy into his character that it encourages all others on stage to channel the same amount of dedication to their parts as he does to his. He throws himself into every performance, bringing new and innovative ideas to each and every run-through, making it exciting for everyone involved.
I feel privileged to be able to act alongside him and look forward to the performances ahead of us.
- Ebony.
He knows his lines with only minor difficulty which makes it very easy to act opposite him. But better than that is his sheer enthusiasm. He brings such life and energy into his character that it encourages all others on stage to channel the same amount of dedication to their parts as he does to his. He throws himself into every performance, bringing new and innovative ideas to each and every run-through, making it exciting for everyone involved.
I feel privileged to be able to act alongside him and look forward to the performances ahead of us.
- Ebony.
Friday, 13 May 2011
Character Development
In the beginning of the Second Act, Eric and Sam have to wake Ralph and Piggy after thinking that they have seen the Beast. As part of developing on my character I have decided to make him a heavy sleeper by only waking when physically moved. This way it means that he is extremely vulnerable while he's asleep meaning that he is an easier target than the others in the group. This emphasizes his position in the group as the victim.
- Ebony.
- Ebony.
Monday, 9 May 2011
Props Development
Yesterday I ordered two new air horns and two police hats from Amazon.
In the past few rehearsals the original horn has been slightly broken so the two new ones will be saved for the final performances. The new horn. --->
The two policeman hats are for the transformation of Piggy and Simon at the end of the play when they will turn into the officers. The hats will be placed in bin bags near to where
the two deaths take place.
<--- The police officer hat.
These will hopefully be delivered as soon as possible so that they can be used in rehearsals before the performances.
- Ebony.
Saturday, 30 April 2011
Script Work
At the start of the Easter holidays I decided that I would attempt to learn 4-5 pages of lines per day. This started off well but after about the third or fourth day I started to forget the other lines that I had learnt. Because of this I decided to try a different tactic. I started learning my lines in bulk by trying to learn about a third of an act in one day. Then I would spend the rest of the day and the next two days just going over the lines I had learnt. This was working quite well, especially when I was assisted by my sister. My biggest problem is remembering my cues.
I am still learning my lines but at a much steadier pace than I had hoped. At this moment in time I am unsure as to whether I will be 100% confident with my lines by the time I return to college.
- Ebony.
I am still learning my lines but at a much steadier pace than I had hoped. At this moment in time I am unsure as to whether I will be 100% confident with my lines by the time I return to college.
- Ebony.
Friday, 29 April 2011
Props Development
Over the past week I have visited a variety of different stores to compare different prices and sizes for chains and/or ropes.
These are the best I have found so far:
Homebase
White Plastic Chain 6mm £3.49 (p/m)
Steel Chain 6mm £12.49 (2m)
Sisal Rope 10mm £1.49 (p/m)
Sisal Rope 8mm £10.29 (15m)
B&Q
Long Link Steel Chain 5mm £4.37 (p/m)
Sisal Rope 10mm £1.08 (p/m)
Sisal Rope 8mm £0.88 (p/m)
I also found a couple of different hooks that could be used to attach the pig's head onto:
Homebase
Quick Release Hook £6.99
Spring Hook £10.19
In my opinion, if we were to use a chain, the 6mm sizes would be preferable in order to show up on stage.
However, although I think a chain would have a better affect in the production we shall probably have to use a rope as they are much cheaper.
I shall continue looking for cheaper offers while I wait to find out from the Set production team how high the rostra is going to be.
- Ebony x
Sunday, 17 April 2011
Character Development - 17/04/2011
One of the main things I have learnt throughout the rehearsal and research process for Lord of the Flies is that there is so much more to Piggy than meets the eye.
When I first read through the script I wasn't completely taken by Piggy. He seemed like quite a one dimensional character. I thought he seemed: co-dependant, spineless, unintelligent, yet opinionated. You could tell that he was civilised and wanted to do things diplomatically but was not confident or perhaps smart enough to get his point across.
After we were shown the movie interpretation in class it opened my eyes slightly to his character. You learn in the movie that he was bullied in school - this being the reason for the name 'Piggy' - which is probably the reason for his self loathing and shyness around others. Also, they clearly show his strong relationship with his Auntie. She was the person he turned to in times of trouble or hurt, but she isn't with him on the island. This fully explains why he would be so co-dependant on Ralph. He is filling the role that Piggy's aunt left behind. I think through the watching of this interpretation I gained a bit more respect for this character. There obviously are completely valid reasons for his insecurities, he's had a hard life.
In class we did an exercise similar to hot seating but for the whole group to do at once. (Answering the questions to empty air) This helped me hugely in developing my character even more.
Questions:
This exercise helped me so dramatically. Even though some of the details were made up or filled in and may or may not have been intended to come across in the story, it helped me understand Piggy. I hadn't even decided that his parents had died until this exercise. It just made sense. It made me feel so much more connected to Piggy on a more emotional level, so much so that I actually cried during the second answer. I think that this has helped me the most during this process. His character has developed so much more in my eyes and I now feel that I could portray him in a more realistic and relatable way.
I am very excited about this prospect and look forward to more character development.
- Ebony.
When I first read through the script I wasn't completely taken by Piggy. He seemed like quite a one dimensional character. I thought he seemed: co-dependant, spineless, unintelligent, yet opinionated. You could tell that he was civilised and wanted to do things diplomatically but was not confident or perhaps smart enough to get his point across.
After we were shown the movie interpretation in class it opened my eyes slightly to his character. You learn in the movie that he was bullied in school - this being the reason for the name 'Piggy' - which is probably the reason for his self loathing and shyness around others. Also, they clearly show his strong relationship with his Auntie. She was the person he turned to in times of trouble or hurt, but she isn't with him on the island. This fully explains why he would be so co-dependant on Ralph. He is filling the role that Piggy's aunt left behind. I think through the watching of this interpretation I gained a bit more respect for this character. There obviously are completely valid reasons for his insecurities, he's had a hard life.
In class we did an exercise similar to hot seating but for the whole group to do at once. (Answering the questions to empty air) This helped me hugely in developing my character even more.
Questions:
- What is your family life like? What's your relationship like with your parents?
- What is your first memory?
- Who is the person you trust the most in life?
This exercise helped me so dramatically. Even though some of the details were made up or filled in and may or may not have been intended to come across in the story, it helped me understand Piggy. I hadn't even decided that his parents had died until this exercise. It just made sense. It made me feel so much more connected to Piggy on a more emotional level, so much so that I actually cried during the second answer. I think that this has helped me the most during this process. His character has developed so much more in my eyes and I now feel that I could portray him in a more realistic and relatable way.
I am very excited about this prospect and look forward to more character development.
- Ebony.
Thursday, 14 April 2011
14 - Apr - 2011
Today we did Act One run-throughs with both casts without scripts.
Cast Order (Piggy)
It went moderately well. The majority of the actors knew their lines and it was quite smooth cosidering it was the first time off script. Josh did rather well with his lines as I know he was unsure when it came to learning lines. I thoroughly enjoyed acting alongside him. I noticed that Danae and Fraser also did very well with remembering cues and keeping the pace up.
I don't think I did too badly. My biggest issue was remembering cues for small lines such as: "Woss up." and "Can't see nothing now." I will have to revise my cues more closely over the Easter holidays.
Cast Chaos
On the other hand I do not believe that Chaos' run-through was to a suitable standard. It was slow, disjointed and had little to no energy. I think that a large part of this was due to Poppy not fully knowing her lines. This meant a lack of cues for others and endless pauses. I hope that this will be improved for after the holidays.
- Ebony.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Cast Order (Piggy)
It went moderately well. The majority of the actors knew their lines and it was quite smooth cosidering it was the first time off script. Josh did rather well with his lines as I know he was unsure when it came to learning lines. I thoroughly enjoyed acting alongside him. I noticed that Danae and Fraser also did very well with remembering cues and keeping the pace up.
I don't think I did too badly. My biggest issue was remembering cues for small lines such as: "Woss up." and "Can't see nothing now." I will have to revise my cues more closely over the Easter holidays.
Cast Chaos
On the other hand I do not believe that Chaos' run-through was to a suitable standard. It was slow, disjointed and had little to no energy. I think that a large part of this was due to Poppy not fully knowing her lines. This meant a lack of cues for others and endless pauses. I hope that this will be improved for after the holidays.
- Ebony.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Smoke Powder
Steph's idea was that during the confrontation between Ralph and Jack they can throw "smoke powder" at eachother. This is powder that when thrown turns into smoke/fog. After searching for this product I was unable to find one that did not need to be lit on fire to produce the smoke.
However, I did find things called "smoke pens". These are traditionally used to test the air flow in a room by spraying smoke out of a pen-like object. This may not work too well because the pen would be visible to the audience.
I plan on continuing my research into this product but have considered replacing it with flour that will appear to be smoke when thrown.
- Ebony.
Monday, 11 April 2011
Rubbish/Bin Bags
This is to be used as part of the set. In Steph's interpretation she imagined the stage to be littered with endless rubbish as well as earth and wood chippings. These will slowly get ripped apart and scattered around the stage as the acts progress. This is similar to the decomposition of the Pig's head in the original story, showng the boys' urgent and growing need for food and survival. Similar to the actions of a scavenger animal such as a fox.
I have began collecting dry, clean rubbish and shall ask for the help of everyone else when it gets a bit closer to the time. At the moment I have about two carrier bags full. The bin bags I will get for free from home for the production.
- Ebony.
Blood Capsules
Steph suggested the use of blood capsules in the pig's head. This way blood will drip from the head, we can take blood from the head to apply to our faces and it will splatter when hit by Jack. However, blood capsules are usually used for small things such as theatre mouth injuries by biting down on a capsule. This may mean that it doesn't have the desired affect unless the blood is taken out of the capsules beforehand and put into the head. This could take an extended amount of time and effort.I think that it could possibly be easier to use packets of fake blood to put into the head. I shall mention this to Steph in class.
Capsules x100 - £7.50
(Steph may have some we could use for free)
- Ebony.
Chain/Rope
This is to be attached above the highest rostra to the lighting rig for hanging the pig's head on.
This would preferably be chain as it fits in with the urban look a bit better.
I have looked at different DIY store websites as well as eBay and Amazon but got rather confused about the measurements for chains. I plan to visit Homebase sometime in the coming week to look at the different types, sizes and prices of chains.
Plus, the Set Production Team have not yet found out the height of the rostra so I won't be able to know the exact needed measurement until they have worked that out. However, I did find out the estimate heights of the two Jack's as they will need to punck the pig's head so it will need to be at a comfortable height for them.
Poppy - 5'7"
Billy - 5'10"/5'11"
- Ebony.
This would preferably be chain as it fits in with the urban look a bit better.
I have looked at different DIY store websites as well as eBay and Amazon but got rather confused about the measurements for chains. I plan to visit Homebase sometime in the coming week to look at the different types, sizes and prices of chains.
Plus, the Set Production Team have not yet found out the height of the rostra so I won't be able to know the exact needed measurement until they have worked that out. However, I did find out the estimate heights of the two Jack's as they will need to punck the pig's head so it will need to be at a comfortable height for them.
Poppy - 5'7"
Billy - 5'10"/5'11"
- Ebony.
Bike Chain
This is to be used to tie Eric and Sam together in Act Three.This will work better for our interpretation than the use of rope as it is a much more urban object.
- Ebony.
Glasses (x8)
I had been told that I would be able to purchase clear lensed ray bans for as little as £1 each from Primark.
I have recieved the petty cash for this from Ben in college. (£10)
However, after going into Hereford to find this style of glasses I found none in the shop. I ventured into a few other shops where I found the cheapest pair for £5 in New Look. I have not purchased them using the college money as I hope to find them in Primark another time. I hope to look again in a few days.
If this does not work I will look to buy them using the internet.
I am confused as to where in the play the glasses are broken so will have to find out from Steph. Otherwise it is unnecessary to purchase more than one pair.
-Ebony
Narrow Beam Torch (x2)
There are two narrow beam torches available in the college prop cupboard.
These are free for us to use and will save us money from the budget.
These will be used by the Police officers played by both cast's Piggy and Simon.
These will be used by the Police officers played by both cast's Piggy and Simon.
Horn
<---------- £3.85 on Amazon.
James suspects that he will be able to purchase one for a cheaper amount within a weeks time.
If this is not successful I will purchase this horn from Amazon instead.
- Ebony.
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
05 - Apr - 2011
Production Meeting
We sorted out what props we need to organise and collect.
- Horn
- Narrow neamed torch
- Glasses
- Bike Chain
- Chain/Rope
- Blood capsules
- Rubbish
- Bin bags
- Smoke Powder
- Ebony.
We sorted out what props we need to organise and collect.
- Horn
- Narrow neamed torch
- Glasses
- Bike Chain
- Chain/Rope
- Blood capsules
- Rubbish
- Bin bags
- Smoke Powder
- Ebony.
Monday, 21 March 2011
My Death
Last lesson we got onto blocking Piggy's death. I was curious as to how Steph was planning on showing it as it is quite difficult in the performance space we have.
Steph had spoken to me beforehand about using video projection for Piggy's death. I didn't think that this would be very effective as I feel it would take away from the emotional aspect of the scene.
In blocking we had the two different tribe's downstage fighting while I am being led by James (Roger) to the rostra at upstage left. At the climax of the scene between me and James the others onstage freeze. As I am about to be pushed the others at downstage center will collapse before a black out in which I disappear.
I think that this was quite an interesting idea but am unsure of how effective it will be for an audience and if it will just look like that is all we could do in the space we are given.
This scene isn't too bad at the moment but I look forward to the actual rehearsals to build up the tension needed for the climax.
- Ebony.
Steph had spoken to me beforehand about using video projection for Piggy's death. I didn't think that this would be very effective as I feel it would take away from the emotional aspect of the scene.
In blocking we had the two different tribe's downstage fighting while I am being led by James (Roger) to the rostra at upstage left. At the climax of the scene between me and James the others onstage freeze. As I am about to be pushed the others at downstage center will collapse before a black out in which I disappear.
I think that this was quite an interesting idea but am unsure of how effective it will be for an audience and if it will just look like that is all we could do in the space we are given.
This scene isn't too bad at the moment but I look forward to the actual rehearsals to build up the tension needed for the climax.
- Ebony.
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
11/03/2011
Today Cast Order (mine) started blocking Act Three.
This was a very productive lesson for me. I prefer doing the original blocking because it means that I am clear on exactly what I need to be doing at that time.
My biggest lesson on the play today was the development of the relationship between Piggy and Jack. I enjoy playing opposite Billy as he portrays the part very well. However, he was a bit timid when it came to physical contact with me as it was quite rough at times. I think that as time goes on he will get more comfortable with this part of his character.
I could tell how deep Jack's hate is towards Piggy and how that would effect Piggy's actions around him.
I enjoyed today's session and hope that Brad took note on the blocking to be able to benefit from it as I have.
- Ebony.
This was a very productive lesson for me. I prefer doing the original blocking because it means that I am clear on exactly what I need to be doing at that time.
My biggest lesson on the play today was the development of the relationship between Piggy and Jack. I enjoy playing opposite Billy as he portrays the part very well. However, he was a bit timid when it came to physical contact with me as it was quite rough at times. I think that as time goes on he will get more comfortable with this part of his character.
I could tell how deep Jack's hate is towards Piggy and how that would effect Piggy's actions around him.
I enjoyed today's session and hope that Brad took note on the blocking to be able to benefit from it as I have.
- Ebony.
10/03/2011
For this lesson we focused on finishing blocking Act One, running through it and starting on blocking Act Two.
In the start of the lesson Cast Chaos (Brad's cast) started the rehearsal. They went through the Act One blocking and it went moderately well. Brad didn't follow some of the blocking but it is slightly confusing when only one cast does the original blocking.
I think this will get easier after both casts have been through all of the scenes and understand what we are meant to be doing in each one.
Unfortunately, we didn't have time to start work on Act Three today so will have to start that tomorrow.
I have learnt about half of the lines for Act One. I think the most difficult part for me is the fact that there are so many people in the scene so the lines are quite widely spread apart. This means that I have difficulty remembering my cues.
- Ebony.
In the start of the lesson Cast Chaos (Brad's cast) started the rehearsal. They went through the Act One blocking and it went moderately well. Brad didn't follow some of the blocking but it is slightly confusing when only one cast does the original blocking.
I think this will get easier after both casts have been through all of the scenes and understand what we are meant to be doing in each one.
Unfortunately, we didn't have time to start work on Act Three today so will have to start that tomorrow.
I have learnt about half of the lines for Act One. I think the most difficult part for me is the fact that there are so many people in the scene so the lines are quite widely spread apart. This means that I have difficulty remembering my cues.
- Ebony.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
09/03/2011
Today we carried on blocking Act One.
I was able to do the part of Piggy and got to experience how difficult it could be to change his dialogue from a child to a young adult.
The best part of today's lesson was seeing how easy it was to get into the character of Piggy and realising how he would react to different things in life. Also, I found it very easy to perform opposite Josh as he comitted very well to his character.
- Ebony.
I was able to do the part of Piggy and got to experience how difficult it could be to change his dialogue from a child to a young adult.
The best part of today's lesson was seeing how easy it was to get into the character of Piggy and realising how he would react to different things in life. Also, I found it very easy to perform opposite Josh as he comitted very well to his character.
- Ebony.
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Costume Idea
These could be used for Piggy as he wears glasses and when we watched the movie version his glasses got rather ruined. I would not mind my glasses being roughed up for the piece.
- Ebony.
08/03/2011 - Part Two
Another essentail part of today was the discussion of production responsibilities.
Steph told us the list of possible jobs that we will each need to perform.
These included:
- Stage Manager
- Props
- Costume
- Set
- etc.
She asked us to tell her our two preferances and she will try to fit us into our choices. I chose costume and props.
- Ebony.
Steph told us the list of possible jobs that we will each need to perform.
These included:
- Stage Manager
- Props
- Costume
- Set
- etc.
She asked us to tell her our two preferances and she will try to fit us into our choices. I chose costume and props.
- Ebony.
Air Horn
As the conch is an essential part of the play we have decided to change it to an air horn found in the garbage.
The reason for picking this item is because it is not associated in any way to the beach. It is more linked to an urban environment which is more like the setting of our production.
- Ebony.
08/03/2011
We started blocking out the script today.
Steph told us that in the beginning of the production we will start off in the entrance to the theatre in our characters. We will be exploring the room as though we haven't seen it before and enter into the theatre with the audience, again wondering where we are and trying to explore the different areas of the room.
After some time the people in Jack's tribe in the beginning will start walking around together until they are in their full group. One group will go outside (or stay outside from the beginning) and the others will sit together at the side of the stage. The rest of us will slowly start to sit in our own space.
When performing as Piggy there will just be me and one of the Ralphs left standing on stage.
I like this method of entrance as it will create the atmosphere right from the beginning for the audience.
For today, Brad took the part of Piggy and I took notes on the blocking for when I perform it myself. It was quite interesting watching someone else playing the same part as me because it let me see what works and what doesn't work for the character. It also showed me that quite a few of the lines in the script make him seem very young due to the usual nature of the play. This can be avoided by either changing some of the dialogue or using a different way of delivering the lines.
I found today's lesson extremely useful for the development of my character and learnt how to change the age of my character to suit the interpretation we are performing.
- Ebony.
Steph told us that in the beginning of the production we will start off in the entrance to the theatre in our characters. We will be exploring the room as though we haven't seen it before and enter into the theatre with the audience, again wondering where we are and trying to explore the different areas of the room.
After some time the people in Jack's tribe in the beginning will start walking around together until they are in their full group. One group will go outside (or stay outside from the beginning) and the others will sit together at the side of the stage. The rest of us will slowly start to sit in our own space.
When performing as Piggy there will just be me and one of the Ralphs left standing on stage.
I like this method of entrance as it will create the atmosphere right from the beginning for the audience.
For today, Brad took the part of Piggy and I took notes on the blocking for when I perform it myself. It was quite interesting watching someone else playing the same part as me because it let me see what works and what doesn't work for the character. It also showed me that quite a few of the lines in the script make him seem very young due to the usual nature of the play. This can be avoided by either changing some of the dialogue or using a different way of delivering the lines.
I found today's lesson extremely useful for the development of my character and learnt how to change the age of my character to suit the interpretation we are performing.
- Ebony.
Sunday, 6 March 2011
06/03/2011
On Thursday we watched the 1963 movie adaptation of "Lord of the Flies" by Peter Brook.
The movie helped me greatly with developing my character of Piggy. It gave me a more in-depth knowledge of his history and personality.
A few things that I learnt from watching the movie:
- Piggy was actually a nickname given to him by his old classmates. He was obviously hugely bullied for his weight. (Self Concious)
- He was very close to his Auntie. He depended greatly on her and looked up to her as an idol. Without her being there with him he is using Ralph as his leader/role model. (Co-Dependant)
- There was a big difference in the impression I got from our script to the film's interpretation. When I first read through the script I read Piggy's lines as though he was trying to stand up for himself and was a much tougher character than in the movie. However, now that I have learnt more about his past it makes more sense for him to be more vulnerable.
After watching the movie we split into our doubles, discussed how we are going to play the character and went through the script for Act One together. Brad and I discovered that we had quite different plans of how to portray the character. Brad was going to follow more to the character of the movie by making him very vulnerable and helpless. My portrayal is going to be that, in the first seen when he is alone with Ralph I am going to make act hime out as being quite tough and show that he is trying to defend himself, put his history of bullying behind him. Then, when the other boys enter and learn his name he returns back to his old ways and depends fully on Ralph for support and protection.
I like the fact that mine and Brad's performances and going to be rather different. I look forward to seeing how both work with the different cast members.
- Ebony.
The movie helped me greatly with developing my character of Piggy. It gave me a more in-depth knowledge of his history and personality.
A few things that I learnt from watching the movie:
- Piggy was actually a nickname given to him by his old classmates. He was obviously hugely bullied for his weight. (Self Concious)
- He was very close to his Auntie. He depended greatly on her and looked up to her as an idol. Without her being there with him he is using Ralph as his leader/role model. (Co-Dependant)
- There was a big difference in the impression I got from our script to the film's interpretation. When I first read through the script I read Piggy's lines as though he was trying to stand up for himself and was a much tougher character than in the movie. However, now that I have learnt more about his past it makes more sense for him to be more vulnerable.
After watching the movie we split into our doubles, discussed how we are going to play the character and went through the script for Act One together. Brad and I discovered that we had quite different plans of how to portray the character. Brad was going to follow more to the character of the movie by making him very vulnerable and helpless. My portrayal is going to be that, in the first seen when he is alone with Ralph I am going to make act hime out as being quite tough and show that he is trying to defend himself, put his history of bullying behind him. Then, when the other boys enter and learn his name he returns back to his old ways and depends fully on Ralph for support and protection.
I like the fact that mine and Brad's performances and going to be rather different. I look forward to seeing how both work with the different cast members.
- Ebony.
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Loose Costume Idea (02/03/2011 - 23:21)
My only worry with these costume ideas is with the balaclava and how it will limit our facial expressions and may muffle our projection.
02/03/2011 - 21:29
Today we completed our first read through of the play.
Me and Brad are playing the role of Piggy, a rather large person with glasses that is quite a loyal friend to Ralph. My first impressions of Piggy were quite mixed.
On the one hand, I was quite apprehensive about the idea of playing a boy initially because this can quite often make the play comical when it isn't intended. However, Stephanie then informed us that the characters aren't meant to be having any specific genders in her adaptation so should not be an obstacle for us.
On the other hand, when I read through Piggy's part in the play it seems like quite a difficult role for me, especially his style of speaking will be something I'd need to get used to.. I was quite excited about this as I feel like I'm going to have to really commit to this character to be able to portray the character correctly and welcome the challenge.
We started to discuss how we are going to be doing the show and some of the ideas that Steph had come up with for costumes, set etc.
Costumes
Balaclavas? Hoodies? Knives?
Nothing has been set in stone about the costumes yet but we are going to be gaining more and more clothing as the play continues to show the passing of time. I think that these are quite good ideas for the costumes as they will aid towards hiding the gender of each actor. Plus, it will make it clear to the audience that we are not basing it around the traditional concept of it taking place on a deserted island.
Set
Very minimal. Soil and wood chippings on the floor. Using the balcony in The Globe (Hay) as the "cliff" and building up a "cliff" using blocks in the Folly Arts Theatre.
The idea behind having a very minimal set is that we don't want it to be obvious to the audience where they are. Steph's idea was to make it a non-descript place so that the audience spend the play thinking "Where are they?" "How did they get here?" Leaving the audience in a similar position to the characters.
I think that it's a nice idea to make it an unrecognisable location but am a bit worried when it comes to the split scenes and how it will work showing the different locations of the tribes. Steph mentioned the fact that we can use lighting for this purpose but with the amount of movements from one location to the other I am slightly curious as to how this will look.
Audience
One idea for the audience seating in the Folly Arts Theatre was to, instead of using the bleachers styled seating, use normal chairs and have them placed in one corner to see as much of the space as possible. The same sort of layout for The Globe.
I look forward to learning more about my character and developing on it.
I also am curious to see how the dialogue cope with the new context it is in.
- Ebony.
Me and Brad are playing the role of Piggy, a rather large person with glasses that is quite a loyal friend to Ralph. My first impressions of Piggy were quite mixed.
On the one hand, I was quite apprehensive about the idea of playing a boy initially because this can quite often make the play comical when it isn't intended. However, Stephanie then informed us that the characters aren't meant to be having any specific genders in her adaptation so should not be an obstacle for us.
On the other hand, when I read through Piggy's part in the play it seems like quite a difficult role for me, especially his style of speaking will be something I'd need to get used to.. I was quite excited about this as I feel like I'm going to have to really commit to this character to be able to portray the character correctly and welcome the challenge.
We started to discuss how we are going to be doing the show and some of the ideas that Steph had come up with for costumes, set etc.
Costumes
Balaclavas? Hoodies? Knives?
Nothing has been set in stone about the costumes yet but we are going to be gaining more and more clothing as the play continues to show the passing of time. I think that these are quite good ideas for the costumes as they will aid towards hiding the gender of each actor. Plus, it will make it clear to the audience that we are not basing it around the traditional concept of it taking place on a deserted island.
Set
Very minimal. Soil and wood chippings on the floor. Using the balcony in The Globe (Hay) as the "cliff" and building up a "cliff" using blocks in the Folly Arts Theatre.
The idea behind having a very minimal set is that we don't want it to be obvious to the audience where they are. Steph's idea was to make it a non-descript place so that the audience spend the play thinking "Where are they?" "How did they get here?" Leaving the audience in a similar position to the characters.
I think that it's a nice idea to make it an unrecognisable location but am a bit worried when it comes to the split scenes and how it will work showing the different locations of the tribes. Steph mentioned the fact that we can use lighting for this purpose but with the amount of movements from one location to the other I am slightly curious as to how this will look.
Audience
One idea for the audience seating in the Folly Arts Theatre was to, instead of using the bleachers styled seating, use normal chairs and have them placed in one corner to see as much of the space as possible. The same sort of layout for The Globe.
I look forward to learning more about my character and developing on it.
I also am curious to see how the dialogue cope with the new context it is in.
- Ebony.
Pictures of two different interpretations of the story.
Both feature the characters as obvious children and male. Our college's interpretation will feature non-gender characters around the ages of sixteen of seventeen.
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