We played a devised murder mystery game to prepare for tomorrow's discussion where we were given characters to play as to prepare ourselves for our upcoming murder mystery performance.

I was able to win as the murderer by pinning blame on other characters, reading up on their backstories to try and shift the blame. Although, I was nervous since it was my first time acting with the class so I wasn't able to get fully in character and project my voice out

For our first devising exercise, we were split into two groups to create a game which we called rounders charades.

We had to use four objects from around the room to create the game. We used a music stand, a block, a fencing sword and a bean bag. We set this up in a rounders formation. Starting at the music stand, one person had to hold the sword, run up to the bean bag and hit it with the sword, go to the block and tap it and then stand behind the music stand, acting out an animal for the team to guess.

7 levels of tension

Level 1 - Catatonic, Level 2 - Laid back, Level 3 - Neutral, Level 4 - Alert, Level 5 - Suspense, Level 6 - Passionate, Level 7 - Tragic

At first, we had to walk around the room and listen for the different levels to act each of them out, changing the way we move in a variety of ways from lazing around to then being hyper aware which was tough at the higher levels of tension since I wasn't sure on how to create a difference between 5, 6 and 7 but I was able to get through with it near the end.  

We were then split into two groups to make a scene involving all levels. We decided to do a bank robbery, I was going to be a bank teller at the 4th level which meant that I was Alert so I played my character as nervous and just asking questions about why someone needed a high amount of money.

I was struggling with how I should act as my character so we needed to do more rehearsals to build my confidence up. After multiple rehearsals, I came up with ideas to play the character being curious and alert, I also spoke clearly so that the audience could hear me.

We looked at our roles from the murder mystery pack and I was given the wolf, who is a confident but flirty man who works in the army as a foot soldier.

Proposal

What I was thinking of for the murder mystery was that the audience could be at around in a semi circle while we have a space to perform and a table so we can sit and eat. For my costume, I had an idea of just wearing a suit and tie, putting the wolf mask on my face. During the finding of the murder victim, the lights could go red and spotlight the dead body. I was thinking after Faith announce the party, the stage could have a blackout and play a noise that sounds like the way the red hood died.

We discussed the plot line for the murder mystery and I am one of the main suspects for the murder and accusing other suspects in the third scene at the table.

First Production Meeting - 27.09.24 

Chairing the meeting: SF 

present: CR, RT, HF, SG, JJ, WE, BK, PP, KH, TD, FD, FB, SF 

Apologies: N/A 

Agenda: 

Underline roles. 

Directors to clarify their vision. 

CR Liaising with the Charity Organisation, she will then confirm the dates with them and has also created a timeline. 

SG to create marking side of the performance, JJ has already created a poster for the performance. 

All elements of backstage covered. 

HF has envisioned the performance to be set in early 1920's, first world war. 

FB & FD has sourced some costumes already. 

Performance to be more serious with a comedic undertone, SF has said to use caution with how the performance tone is set and said to comedic to do with a serious undertone. make sure to entertain the guests but make it believable. 

Make sure to keep enough chairs for 60 people, which is the maximum for seating. 

The performance is going to be vaguely scripted. (could experiment with AI) 

Budget wise to keep to a minimum, maximum 100 pounds. 

Costumes to keep to a colour theme, masks to be sourced by FB. makeup could create masks if needed as it could keep costs down. Lighting Design needs to have a side meeting with Set Design. 

Timeline has been set for the group.

We then had to pick one character type from commedia dell'Arte where I was given Pantalone, who is lead by his hands and I had to walk around the room, going from 1 to 10 and getting deeper in character with each level which is a Theatre de Complicité exercise.

We then had to do an improv game called park bench where we acted as our characters in improv scenes to build up confidence on improv and performing in front of others.

We did another scene with our characters but this time we were split up and we couldn't speak, the only way we could communicate is by making noises. I was paired up with Charlotte and we created a scene where my character, the wolf lost his watch and she played her character, the lion as they both tried looking for the watch but only making noises and using physical theatre to present the performance.

For our next workshop, we all had to do some hot seating. I played as, my character, the wolf and I took a few seconds to think of an answer that would fit my character best for the question. I was nervous on the first couple of questions but I just kept going, focusing on just speaking in character for the rest of the session of hot seating.

We then worked on Chair duets, a devising exercise from Frantic assembly, where Faith and I would sit next to each other to create a routine. This would start off with one person creating a movement with their own body or moving the partner's body in a count of 4 and then the partner would respond and create their own movement or copy the person sitting next to them and this would go until each person has created 5 movements each for a performance, creating a story along with it.

To start off our discussion, William Wolf. We did a go through of introductions and round 1, walking around the room and talking to guests and other characters. After that, we then went through the accusations and discussing what we could say to try to clue the audience on who the killer was such as being poor, man, Jealous, having a business deal, hated by all.

Devising improv game

We had to stand in a circle and get chosen to act as other characters to go along with the person standing in the middle, telling them what they will do as part of a story.

We started with blocking, getting into our places where our characters would stand which was around the table, sitting down.

Discussed about the accusations in round 1

Made sure everyone got a point in and then started going on about how we could begin shouting around

Round 2 

What plans changed? Was it you who asked Red Cloak to find suitable lodging?

Got into costume - Large grey coat, grey scarf

Took headshots in costume

Went through Accusations - round 1

Did questioning - round 2

Freeze improv

Struggled at first but got used to it and made up ideas for scenarios

How they spoke

In the 1920's, English men spoke loudly and with purpose, using their volume to control a room.

The upper class British spoke in a way that is now considered old-fashioned. You can hear some of this language in period dramas and films. 

Fashion and style

Men would wear form-fitting suit jackets with gently sloped shoulders and tailored suits with cuffed pants that creased in the front for a stronger silhouette. Popular colors included blue, gray, brown, and ivory.

Male formal wear often included a tuxedo, top hat, and leather oxford shoes. For formal and semi-formal settings, men would often wear tweed, herringbone, or pinstripe suits in navy blue, gray, or brown colors.

Etiquette and manners

Men would keep their jackets on until asked by the host

Men are not allowed to mention business or politics around women.

They don't talk ill of family or marriage and treat women as if they are fairer; open car doors, sit down after them, help them with their coat, etc.

White tuxedos were a symbol of wealth. For evening events, upper class men would wear a tailcoat with a top hat and black patent leather shoes. 

Suits were worn for everyday wear and often had micro patterns or black and white pinstripes. Popular colours included blue, gray, brown, and ivory. 

Two-tone shoes or brogues were popular. 

Always take off your hat when you're indoors as a sign of respect. Middle and upper class men often wore bowler or trilby hats, while working class men wore flat caps or baker boy hats. 

New 2nd script

Looked at the updated script

Changed some of my lines

Blocking

Panic after the murder 

Louder on intro

Walk around the room

Bang and the Hare is gone

AEIOU stretch face

Complicite

7th level

Spoke to other  

1st run

More volume

Stumbled on my lines

Move around in Intro

We all need to shout at Ryan in the middle after his monologue.

2nd run

Much louder

Said all lines clearly 

Moved around in intro

Shouted at Ryan

We performed a rehearsal run in front of the Level 3 Performing Arts students where I made sure to use projection on my lines to have my voice be heard. I moved as far back as I could go to have audience see me more but since I took my glasses off to make holding the mask against my face easier, however the problem I had was that I couldn't see the audience while I was at the table.

I was able to project most of my lines but I did stumble on my introduction. I did recover but just said the line again while continuing past the mistake.

I need to talk to the audience more, put glasses on for future performances so that I can see the audience easier and I will try not to mess up on any lines for the paid performance.

In this performance, we are doing a late audience run but this time, the audience had paid for their tickets. Starting off, I was standing at the front door with Kian and holding my mask over my face which made me slightly nervous but once the doors were opened, I walked onto the stage and began talking to the other cast members.

When it came to my opening introduction, I made sure to keep turning every few seconds so that everyone in the audience can see my face and that I wasn't keeping my back to anyone, speaking loudly and clearly with projection even though I was really nervous. After that, we moved onto the next scene, sitting down at the table where we all started arguing with each other where I was full on shouting my lines out to make sure my voice wasn't hidden underneath everyone else's lines.

Once we were told to leave the stage by Sam, I did struggle to get past the audience but I asked them to move while in character and I got past into the backroom, waiting for my cue. Moving on through the rest of the performance, I was able to speak all my lines clearly and with projection. During the two interrogation scenes with Sam, I would be keeping in mind the characterisation I was given by the directors which was by acting defensive on every accusation and watch the detective in front of me. When it came to unveiling who the killer was and everyone started shouting at Ryan, I was also able to raise my voice loud enough to not be overshadowed by everyone else and shout at Ryan as well.

In this performance, I was able to deliver all of my scripted lines with projection and confidence, all while having the director's advice in my head. I was also able to stay in character for the entire performance even while interacting with some audience member but the big thing I struggled with was during the intervals, we could talk to the audience but since I was too nervous, I ended up talking to the other cast members on stage so I wasn't standing around at the table. So, for future performances, I need to build up my confidence further to actually interact and talk to the audience and to just stay in character as to hide nervousness.

https://sites.google.com/education.nsw.gov.au/jacqueslecoq/jacques-lecoq/commedia-dellarte

https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/what-is-devised-theatre/

https://taylorsbloog.wordpress.com/2019/02/25/the-history-and-development-of-devised-theatre/

https://sushoreline.wordpress.com/2017/02/17/theatre-practitioners/#:~:text=Notable%20practitioners%20of%20theatre%20include,Meyerhold%2C%20Boal%2C%20and%20Grotowski.

https://www.rsc.org.uk/about-us/history/past-productions/21st-century-plays/miss-littlewood/joan-littlewood-rebel-with-a-cause 

https://www.unitedstatesartists.org/artists/elizabeth-lecompte 

https://trainingzone.co.uk/what-the-theatre-can-teach-us-about-communication/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joan-Littlewood 

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Broadway-From-Home-Musicals-Plays-That-Deal-With-Social-Injustice-20200627