Logbook 21

The Variety Show 8 March 2015

We may walk dierent paths, but our destination is the same Gannon Carr

At the start of this week we finished choreographing the 4th coco scene as a company. I really enjoyed being apart of this piece because it was a parody which took it away from reality and made it fun. I think this piece will appeal

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SHOW TIME The Box Of The Unorthodox

Credited: Google Images


to a wide audience because taking a serious issue i.e drugs and turning it into something unrealistic and making it funny will make them laugh but what they wont realise is that after the performance they will think back and question why they laughed at something that is so horrific and not funny.

As a company we also had to figure out the running order of the show. This proved to be more difficult to rearrange than I anticipated because you have to think about the pace of the show, which I learnt means making sure that there is a good balance between big spectacle pieces and more intimate ones i.e. (Alexs and Daniellas song/trapeze) which allow the audience to relax more and take a breather.

As we were approaching closer to the show my biggest worry was the Promise because I felt rushed and a lot of pressure to pick up the moves straight away. I also wasnt confident in my singing ability and doing a solo within this routine. Therefore, I think making the decision not to sing was the right choice for us all because I dont think we were ready. My voice was a weakness for me during this piece because I found it difficult to project and hit some of the high notes within the song. However, I do think we could have achieved this if we had longer on this process because we could have worked on the harmonies and vocals together with Innes. After this we began to focus more on the choreography by adding different dynamics and levels because it was very repetitive and was becoming in my opinion very boring and stale. I felt like by removing the vocals and including props ie. The feathers, we adopted a completely different style and approach to this

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routine. I feel the routine became a lot more glamorous and stylised with the feathers but more importantly the style became a lot clearer. Holding the feather was surprisingly difficult to begin with because there is a lot to think about and you have to be able to control it at all times in an elegant manner. The hardest part for me was my facial expressions during this routine because, I was so focused and concentrated on the choreography I was forgetting to engage with audience. This is a weakness of mine that I need to improve on by having more fun and smiling.

When Alex and I worked on finalising our Bouffon piece Party Wid a Pimp this week, we had to make some last minute changes due to charleys absence. We decided to go one step further and challenge ourselves by picking a member of the audience to come out on stage with us. I feel in the variety show this piece is by far, the most challenging because there will be moments of free styling and improvisation which is very risky during a live show. Although, I enjoy improvisation because it is very free and in the moment which, I feel makes it easier for the actor to be natural. However, there is a lot of pressure that comes with it for example, the audience member may not want to come on stage or even respond to us.

This week Alex and I also became apart of the Puppetry piece as our Bouffon characters. I feel this short entrance is a great way for the audience to meet the characters for the first time because it allows them to get to know the characters before going straight into the audience in Party Wid a Pimp. I really enjoyed working with Alex during this process and creating the material for both of these sketches. I thought we worked really well together to create these characters because there is a lot of improvisation and bouncing off one another. I believe that as an actor its important that you

trust your parter (i.e. in this situation mine being Alex). I dont think this piece would have been as successful if we hadnt had a level of understanding of each other and also trust. This was a strength of mine this week because trust is vital when performing live improvisation and also doing lifts and acrobatics.

Im pleased that we found time to get a full Tech/costume rehearsal before the show because it allowed me to get a feel for the show and it helped me gain an understanding of how some of my costumes may effect my movement. My costume for the Promise effected my performance the most

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because the dress was very tight and restricting. However, I feel the heels enhanced and changed my posture in a more positive way because they helped me develop more poise. During the technical rehearsal Harriet, Sam and I improvised some magic tricks which we felt wasnt quite working. However, it quickly developed into something completely different and became about a couple going to see a spiritual healer. Spirituality is something that I am very passionate about so I did feel there was a lot of pressure on me to do it in the right way. I took the more extreme approach by performing a live exorcism and making into more of a parody rather than a reality. What I love about this scene is that it is very open to interpretation but I just hope that the audience can see the comedy inside of it rather than taking it as a literally thing.

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I was inspired by Professor Sybill Patricia Trelawney from the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and also The Exorcist.

Professor Sybill Patricia Trelawney was a witch and professor of Divination at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Regan MacNeil by Linda Blair.

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The company strengths this week were our drive and commitment towards every rehearsal. I feel everyone gave it their all this week and I feel the pressure of the shows at the end of the week increased the focus and positive energy within the company. However, the company did struggle with a lack of physical energy and strength at times and this was our weakness. This is something we need to improve on as a company because I feel our stamina defiantly needs to be improved. I plan to improve this on the next process by making sure I remain show fit and ready at all times by working my physical strength.

Overall, I feel both shows were successful this week because they showcased our skills and talents as a company. We produced a show that entertained people which was the goal and purpose of this variety show. When comparing the process to previous shows, I feel we responded in a more positive and professional way to the demands of the tight schedule this show required. Therefore, each individual is continuing to learn and grow within the company because I can see an improvement in our professionalism.

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Logbook 21

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Transcript of Logbook 21