max remy super spy

atyp teacher resources

October 2012

Photo: Angelo Sgambati

Photo: Olivia Martin-Maguire

The atyp show, Max Remy Super Spy is based on the imaginative and brilliantly inventive

Max Remy Super Spy novel by Deb Abela. We are thrilled to bring this internationally

celebrated novel to the stage.

atyp Education creates teacher resources that assist your students to make the most of

their theatrical experience. For this production, Deb has a wonderful website with

excellent resources that we’d like to endorse. She has worksheets that can be copied

and creative lessons that your students will love. Follow this link for more information:

http://www.deborahabela.com/site/Teacher_Resources_files/max_remy_notes_2011.pdf

This pack (compiled and created by Heather Clark) is designed to give you, and your

students, information and activities that enhance your experience onf the atyp

production. NSW BOS Syllabi have been used as a guide for this resource kit.

Heather Clark

Education Manager

Australian Theatre for Young People

atyp SEEKS TO CREATE EXCEPTIONAL THEATRE EXPERIENCES THAT ENGAGE YOUNG AUSTRALIANS AS ARTISTS

AND AUDIENCES

atyp is driven by the belief that the arts have the power to transform lives, enrich communities and

ultimately impact on the future of our nation. The power of stories and storytelling, of sharing experiences

and seeing life from another’s point of view, are integral to everyone’s growth and development.

Our work is motivated by the need to improve access and opportunities for all young Australians to

participate in the arts and to encourage them to share their stories, regardless of economic, geographic or

social barriers. We provide a supportive, creative environment for artists of all ages to take risks, engage,

challenge and test ideas and, in doing so, uncover their creative potential.

All atyp programs generate stories told by young people via the development, production and promotion

of new writing, and the maintenance of the dynamic creative hub that connects young people with

experienced professional artists locally and nationally.

Before you see Max Remy Super Spy

Have you Read the Book?

The Performance:

Behind the Scenes

The Creative Team & Cast

Jo Turner: The Code-Cracker Playwright

Fraser Corfield: The Director (aka “Chief”)

In Rehearsal

Classroom Activity 1

After you see Max Remy Super Spy

Making Imagination Everyday

Classroom Activity 2

Classroom Activity 3

Classroom Activity 4

Classroom Activity 5

What Makes Drama Dramatic

Design Elements:

Classroom Activity 6

The Elements of Drama:

Classroom Activity 7

Write a Review:

Classroom Activity 8

Get Involved!

table of

contents

Think of books that you’ve read that have been made into films or theatre productions.

They’re often quite different. In groups of 3-4 fill in the table below and then share with

your class.

Book ~ Movie ~ Theatre

production

What was the

same?

What was

different?

Which did you

prefer? Why?

E.g. Peter Pan ~ Hook

Do you think Max Remy Super Spy theatre production will be different to the novel?

YES NO

have you read the book?

before you see

max remy super spy

Why / Why not?

Max Remy Super Spy atyp Creative Team atyp Artistic Director & Director Fraser Corfield

Playwright Jo Turner

Assistant Director Sarah Parsons

Production Manager Liam Kennedy

Stage Manager Asha Watson

Designer Emma Reyes

SX Design Michael Toisuta

LX Design Christopher Page

The Brains behind the show! Photo: Claire Harris

Max Remy Super Spy atyp Cast

At atyp we make theatre by young people, for young people. Our cast members range

from 16 to 26 years of age.

Emmanuelle Mattana

Mia Orszaczky

Ondine Karpimellison

Lucy Avvenevole

Charlotte Pitt

Zai Nath

Iris Simpson

Natassija-Belle James

Kate Wagstaff

Joel Franco

Asha Boswarva

Joshua Chazan

the performance:

behind the scenes of

max remy super spy

Max Remy is awesome; a thirteen year old girl who takes on the most dastardly villains in

the world. Like many great spies, Max’s successes are not always by design, she has luck

and a brilliant sidekick (Linden) always on her side. We love her because she stands up

for what is right and good in a crazy world and also because she takes herself ever so

slightly too seriously.

Deborah Abela’s fabulous series of books are a cavalcade of madcap adventures and

larger than life characters, with more twists and turns than a bowl of Spaghetti. Trying to

wrangle these intertwining noodles into a short, sharp, action-packed play for and by 9-

13 year olds has been a fantastic challenge. I had to alter many things – apologies to

those purists of the book - but the important thing when adapting for the stage is to stay

true to the style and flavour of the original and keep the inner truth of the characters

and story. If I have managed to do that, then I am a happy playwright.

Plays for young people can at times be earnest with an educational tendency; this

adaptation of In Search of The Time and Space Machine has no truck with that. It’s

cartoonlike in its comedy; fast-paced, slapstick, self-referential and fun. Well, ok, there

are times when it’s a tiny bit serious. It is Max Remy after all.

The play is totally open to the actor’s and director’s imagination, so there are no props,

no tricks, no set; just the actors, who play all the characters, animals, sounds and objects

in what ever way they like.

This group of super-talented young actors are a true theatre ensemble. They have the

whole storytelling job in their hands. There have been plenty of experienced folk around

to help get this far, but once the first cue is called on show night, everything is entirely up

to them. They must stand alone on stage, with no exits, for a whole hour, and enthral us

this super spy story.

How exciting, and terrifying, and exciting!

jo turner: the code cracker playwright

Of all the ages we work with at atyp, the group I find most fascinating, magical and

mercurial are young people aged between 10 and 13. It’s the time we start to leave the

certainty of being a kid and board the exciting, confusing, unstoppable teenage train

that takes us to adulthood. It’s an age where toys, i-phones, mp3 players and wild

imaginations live side by side. Where innocence starts to mix with adult concepts and

old ideas start to be questioned. It’s the beginning of independence.

This is the element that Deborah Abela has captured so beautifully in the Max Remy

series of books. Max Remy travels the world, fights bad guys, drives cars, stands up for

herself … but the idea of kissing a boy is still yuck. Her novels are a celebration of the

time in our lives when we daydream worlds where anything can happen, then act them

out.

Working with Jo Turner to put Max on stage, we talked a great deal about how we could

embrace telling this story, rather than trying to recreate the book scene by scene.

Deborah’s books have a richness in our imagination that could only be poorly replicated

on stage.

The idea behind the staging of this production is that a group of extremely talented

young performers have been given all the ingredients they need. There are props, sound

effects, costumes, an empty space and an audience. There is no adult hidden

backstage whispering lines or telling people to stay focussed. There is no safety net. This

is young actors hopping on the train to being adult actors, and taking us for a crazy ride

in the process. I hope you enjoy it.

fraser corfield: director (aka Chief)

Our cast members rehearse two evenings a week and Sundays. They are all under 26

and some of them are school students. Evening rehearsals allow our young actors to

work and attend school during our season.

Photos: Olivia Martin-Maguire

in rehearsal

Have a look at the pictures below of the cast in rehearsal: What do you think is happening in each scene?

What are the characters feeling/ thinking?

PRACTICAL TASK

With your classmates, physically recreate the actors’ positions and facial

expressions.

Hold the position and then improvise a monologue from that starting place.

Remember, there is no right or wrong in this activity. Have fun with where

you can go in the improvisation!

classroom

activity 1

Max Remy Super Spy makes use of everyday objects for sounds and props. A mop

becomes a dog; talc powder becomes the exhaust fumes of a car. Everything you see

on stage, you can do yourself! The following photos are to get you started.

making imagination everyday

PRACTICAL TASK

It’s just a door. But who’s coming through?

Take turns to stand behind the door to your classroom.

Before you come in, decide who you are. (Are you a teacher, a policeman, a famous

hip hop artist?)

When you walk through, don’t speak; just let your physicality show who you are. The

class has to guess your character.

after you see

max remy super spy

classroom

activity 2

BRAINSTORM

How do you feel when you dress up to go to a party? How do you feel when you’re

wearing your PJs?

Clothes make us feel differently and act differently. A lot of actors use their costumes

(including wigs and props) to help them become their character.

PRACTICAL TASK

Everyone bring in a range of props and accessories from home, put them in a big

garbage bag and mix them up. Pull on item out and use it to create a completely new

character. Swap your prop and become someone else.

In character, meet someone else in your class and have a conversation with them. This

is a great starting point for playbuilding!

REFLECTION

Use the following questions to prompt a discussion with your classmates:

How did you feel being “someone else”?

Was it difficult to swap characters? Why / Why not?

Why do you think characters are so important to a story?

classroom

activity 3

My great aunt was a little girl during the Depression in Australia. Her family didn’t have

enough money to buy her a doll, so she pretended that a little three-legged stool was

her doll. She played with it for hours on end. It’s amazing what you can believe and

create with your imagination.

You’ll notice in Max Remy, there are some great creations that cost very little and yet

work brilliantly. The photo above is a dog made from a mop. The handle becomes a

very effective leash which gives the impression that the dog actually moves!

PRACTICAL TASK

Create your very own “dog on a leash” or “mouse on a mini-leash”

Bring in:

Bottle brush, dishwashing brush, or mop;

felt for eyes and a nose;

ribbons etc for decorations

glue

Wrap the handle in ribbon (for the lead) and create your little pet using the materials

you brought in from home.

Name your new little pal. What is the personality of your pet? Is it energetic, shy etc.

Move it in such a way that reflects its personality.

Move around the class and let you “pet” interact with other “pets” in the room.

classroom

activity 4

Max Remy makes use of “found objects” to create a soundtrack to the show. With

today’s technology you can find any sounds you like, but in the early years of movies

and radio, stage managers had to make the “real” sounds and then record them.

Watch this clip for an example of a modern day foley artist (sound effects person)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKDjLseCyVw

PRACTICAL TASK

In groups of 4-5, choose a fairytale

Your task is to create a soundtrack to the fairytale. You may choose one

person to be the narrator and the others to create the sound effects.

Try to use “found” sounds (i.e. use what you already have in your classroom.

Perform your fairytale, with sound effects, to the class

classroom

activity 5

Costumes

Draw a picture of some of the costumes you noticed in the play

design elements

what makes drama

dramatic?

classroom

activity 6

Lighting

What colour lights were used? What feelings did they make you feel?

Colour of lights

(Colour in the square)

Feeling

(Draw a face with the expression you felt)

e.g.

Set

Draw a picture of the set.

Sound and Music

What was your favourite sound? Why?

Match the drama element to the definition.

Dramatic tension The overall feeling, tone or atmosphere

of the drama.

Contrast Duration (past, present, future); era

(generation, season, age); tempo.

Symbol Opposites that create dramatic

meaning.

Time The moment in the drama that directs

attention to something to make it

significant.

Space Surprise, the unexpected, mystery and

conflict.

Focus The use of objects, visuals or people to

represent meaning.

Mood Where the drama occurs – size, shape

and size.

Where in the play did you notice:

Dramatic tension

Contrast

Symbol

Time

Space

Focus

Mood

elements of drama

classroom

activity 7

A review is a form of writing that gives your opinion on what you have seen, viewed or

read. It helps to give the reader an idea of what they will see without giving too

much away.

How to write a review:

Remember to:

- Paint a word picture of the production for someone who has not been there

- Give your personal opinion about the success of the performance

Include some of these details in your review:

1. Give details of the production, where, when, by who.

2. What was the play about (don’t give away the ending!)

3. Background of the show, importance of the production (including the

background of the scriptwriting process).

4. Information about the style and genre of the piece.

5. Analysis of the mood and atmosphere created by the cast/designers.

6. Analysis of the choices of the director.

7. Analysis of the performances of the actors.

8. Analysis of set, costume, lighting and design aspects and how these relate

to the themes of the show.

9. Your personal opinion supported by examples to justify your opinion.

10. Recommendation and / or overall rating.

Send it to heather@atyp.com.au

We'll publish well written reviews on our website.

Remember to make it concise and clear.

Try to write your review in 300 words.

We look forward to receiving your reviews!

extension task: write an atyp review

classroom

activity 8

How do you audition for an atyp show?

All atyp auditions are advertised on our website www.atyp.com.au and in our e-

newsletter. Once they are advertised call atyp to book an audition time 02 9270 2400.

atyp’s productions provide students with the opportunity to work alongside

professional directors and creatives in staging a show, providing an opportunity for

them to learn from people who are actively working in the industry.

get involved !