DONMAR WAREHOUSE

We took part in Take the Stage Henry V project with the Donmar theatre and got the chance to work with director Vicky Moran.

The rehearsal period was 8 weeks long and we had the chance to explore some of the themes and issues in the production of Henry V running at the Donmar theatre and starring Kit Harrington.

We also got the opportunity to do some free writing and could put this into our scripts.

I ended up being part of the 'police' group who were asked to choreograph a dance to show our authority and intimidating behaviour.  Although we were not speaking I still needed to use my physicality and facial expression to show how mean and angry I was and how dismissive of the protestors and what they stood for.

In our next project I will put myself forward for more of a speaking role to develop my confidence and give me experience.  I was happy to be part of such a great show and believe that we got our points and message through to the audience.

rehearsal period

Our rehearsals and work process before the show

During the rehearsal period, I wasn't very keen on doing this project and I wasn't very motivated since this wasn't the type of theatre I amused. It was pretty hard for me to stay focused as my strongest point is working with scripted work instead of devising.  It was good however to come out of my comfort zone and explore something new.  I know as an actor that I will need to be versatile so will need to be more open to trying new things.

the show

Rehearsals on the actual day

By the time it got to the show I was super energised and excited. I think the work and optimistic energy from my classmates helped me to enjoy performing instead of feeling like its a tedious job. In the end I really enjoyed doing this project as a whole and the music, songs and lighting really made a difference.

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Doing this project was a whole new experience for me. As a team, we were able to bring our ideas to the table and create an awesome performance with a strong message behind it. I was able to learn a lot of new things such as important events and even some facts and information about black history and immigration stuff that I didn't know before. 

I also gained a variety of skills, such as creating a simple yet powerful choreography when doing the police dance, arts skills when designing the posters and improvisation skills.

I was really keen on doing a monologue for this project and talk about my own experiences about someone who I knew who was going through this exact same thing but I felt that it would be too much for me and I had to make sure I protected myself.

If there's one thing I wish I could improve, it's so that I could be a little more dramatic and energetic in what I was doing. I also wish I could have done a little more and had more lines to do but since this performance was a very touching subject I decided to only be involved in what I can to make sure I kept myself safe. I also wish there was a bit more pictures of me to show evidence of my participation

designs for the show

I really enjoyed making the posters for the show. I was able to experiment with different ideas and create different slogans for it. Even though I really enjoy art, I don't particularly enjoy painting but foe this project it was really fun and interesting as I was able to gain new skills when painting Boris Johnson
(top right)