Skinhead Music

We use Skinhead music in the play to show aggression and James emotions in a particular scene. The music is very loud and we also showed the aggression of this style of music by creating a Mosh Pit centre stage whilst the music was playing.

Skinheads, like every subculture are defined by certain features and aspects of that certain culture. One of the aspects that define Skinheads is the music they listen to. The original Skinheads listened to Reggae, but the branches of Skinheads listened to rock/metal. The rock/metal was a more aggressive style and was the music that accompanied Skinheads like James. Though James himself wasn't a racist he took on the persona of a racist Skinhead so this was the music he listened to. The lyrics were generally racist or derogatory in some way. However the original Skinhead music wasn't like this, but the public and media presented them as racist and stereotyped their music similarly.

In the play the music connects with James and blocks out anything else going on around him. It transports him to the world he wants to live in and when it stops the harsh reality hits him which is shown by the following announcement that his Grandfather is dead. Like the gang itself the music was an escape and an added identity.

Review of our performance and what I have learnt

I am very pleased with how our performance went. We had spent the day perfecting and polishing our performance. We needed to mainly get rid of any lulls in the performance and lack of energy. If we earn a lull it was allowed but otherwise we had to keep the energy up to keep the flow of the play. We spent most of the day filling in the gaps and by the end of the day I was very happy with our preparation.

We did some activities to warm up our voice and body. We learnt how to speak from our stomach not our chest. By doing this you could make considerable differences to how you spoke. It helped with projection and with the perception of the lines. Depending on the tone of your voice when you deliver a line it can be perceived differently. We warmed up our body in the room where we waited for our performance to start. We did some rolls and voice warms up incorporated into them. However apart from that we stayed calm and tried to conserve our energy for the performance later. We were advised not to eat junk food as it could make us hyper. We were advised to keep ourselves hydrated and to not 'lose our heads.' Even though I was nervous and excited I tried to follow these instructions. 

For the play we wore jeans, a white top, braces, mine were black and white checked and black boots or lace shoes with our hair tied back. This was to reflect the Skinhead look .

When it came to the actual performance I feel we performed very well, perhaps even better than any previous rehearsals. All our lines had been learnt and not only that, they were delivered well, with conviction and with emotion appropriate to the character we were playing. All the physical elements worked according to plan and based on feedback from the audience they looked very good and clean. This was very positive as the play was mainly physical and without the physical element the play wouldn't have been as hard hitting. There were no lulls that I was aware of. Our transitions were tight and precise. The play flowed all the way through and the energy wasn't lost. Everyone contributed to the energy and we worked well together. Without that the play would've completely failed and therefore it was key that it worked as well as it did. 

The only critic I would have is that our braces came off during the performance which may have drawn audience attention away from the story slightly. 

We had great audience feedback and this made me even more confident in the performance I had just done. I didn't expect to touch the audience in the way I did, but the only people I have to thank for that is the director and my fellow cast.

What I have learnt about acting?

This term I have learnt so much about the art of acting. I have learnt different techniques because of the style of the play, but I have also learnt a lot from the detail that we put into the play; detail that I never thought a play could hold without being a complete disaster. I have learnt a lot about transitions and how a play can fall apart just because it has bad transitions and I have found this to be true. If you keep stopping a starting   it is no longer a story, it is a series of lines put to actions. Technically that is what a play is, but an audience and actor should get so much more out of a play and I feel I have.

I have learnt about working as an ensemble and sharing the work load. Even if you're not the one talking you still need to be engaged and play a character or the whole play and characterisation is lost, both for the audience and for the cast. However when you do have lines you have a responsibility to perform them well because the lines belong to every member of the cast.

I have learnt about physical theatre, a style I hadn't experimented with at all until Blackout. Though challenging, both for body and mind, I think it is an amazing way to bring a play to life. Using people as props also captures the meaning of ensemble because you are bouncing off and using each other to form the play and story unfolding in front of you. It gives a third dimension to the play and keeps the audience engaged in a play where, at time, may be hard to follow.

I have also learnt a lot about my strengths and weaknesses. I can now say that I have a better and wider understanding of the world of acting. However I also have a better and wider understanding of what I can and can't do. One of my main weaknesses is planning my spacial awareness. I can use the space for a given scene, but I don't plan ahead meaning my actions my hinder the next scene. My placement on stage will mean I need to move awkwardly across the stage, breaking the flow. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed this terms work and feel the final piece went well and the preparation leading up to it has made me a better actor. I look forward to our next performance and I hope what I have learnt will help me.

The Style of Blackout

The play has many styles involved in it. Some of these include ensemble, thrust, stream of consciousness, physical theatre, chorus, no set or props, narrator, change location very quickly and the three unities. Some of these styles were new to me.

Ensemble and chorus - this is when a company perform together as one instead of having different roles. In our play the main character, James, was performed by all of the company, not just one person. At points it was performed by just one person, but the actor changed throughout and at points we were all James. Ensemble is an unusual way to perform and a way I wasn't aware of. However the style of the play worked well using this technique. As James was changing constantly, both in mind and body, place and people, it was appropriate to change the actors throughout. I also think this technique helped the group perform well as we were allowed time to bond and work together, not just in small groups. Chorus meant that we said some lines together either to give more emphasis to the lines or put more emotion into them. 

Thrust- this was our chosen choice of staging. The audience was on three sides and it worked well alongside the theme and story line. I personally think it worked well because there was a sense of entrapment; there were obstacles at every turn, much like Jame's life. Also it allowed us to develop skills in spacial awareness and how to use the audiences position to our advantage. 

Stream of consciousness- the play was very emotional as it tackled emotional topics. This technique added to the emotion. You feel like you are following James and are part of his mind and therefore feel you are some what responsible for his actions. As the play was very detailed and complicated, it allowed the audience and indeed the actors to keep up as this technique gave a certain flow to the play.

Physical Theatre- the play was mainly a physical play using techniques such as sequences of movement, lifting and using the body to form props needed. It was quite taxing because you were constantly using your body to form objects on the stage. I used mine to form a sofa and a staircase and it was a technique that looked good, if perfected. It was also emotionally draining so both of these put together was hard. However using physical theatre that was sharp and clean made the play pleasing to the eye and interesting to watch. As we used so much physical theatre we had no need for props on stage meaning the audience were always drawn to the action on stage. This was needed because of the detail in the play. 

Change of location- "One of the best ways to make a bad play is to have bad transitions." 
Transitions are key to a good performance and therefore we spent a lot of time perfecting them and getting rid of any lulls in the performance. They were needed to keep the energy of the performance up and to keep the audiences attention. The energy of a performance to keep going up and never falter. Otherwise the audience will lose interest and the flow of the play will be lost.

(Refer to previous post on The Three Unities.)

Blackout Advert

My Directing- Scene 5

And say it was at school- 5 people in the group. Make two vertical lines, 2 people on each side facing each other with one person sitting at the end of both lines, facing away from the audience. Say this and turn their heads slowly to the audience then turn back sharply.

You would get beaten up for being a goth- one line says this.

Just cos you had long hair and wore black combats- other line says this. They touch their hair and their feet.

They used to call you- slowly stand.

The gimp!- three people (the bullies) shout at two others (the victims; one the memory, one the present.) Two being bullied fall.

Haw, look at him- first bully says this (when bullies talk they circle the victim on the floor.)

Ya dirty goth!- second bully says this.

Do you shag dead people?- third bully says this.

What?- victim says this.

You go up the graveyards and hang about there don't you?- first bully says this.

No- victim says this.

Yes you do. I've seen you- second bully says this.

Pure digging up the coffins and raping the corpses- third bully says this.

You dirty beast- first bully says this.

And you'd remember the beatings- victim stands as they say this.

One of the bullies would take off his belt- the three bullies mimic this action.

He'd wrap it round his knuckles- the three bullies mimic this action.

And whack you with it- the three bullies shout this and mimic hitting the victim. The victim falls.

Ahh!- victims reaction.

Then they'd throw you down the stairs- three bullies pick up the victim and throw them forward.

Don't!- victims reaction.

Kick you in the ribs- bullies mimic this.

Stop it!- victims reaction.

Death to the gimp!- bullies say this three times still mimicking kicking the victim.

And they would swagger off- one bully says this and all three walk away and freeze.

And leave you there lying on the ground, curled up in a ball- victim says this.

You'd remember that- victim gets up in pain.

You'd remember every punch- victim says this to the audience. Frozen bullies stamp and the victim falls back down.

Research on Skinheads

1. How are youth subcultures defined?
Youth subcultures are normally groups formed outside family, work, home and school. However they can in turn affect your life within these areas. Youth cultures usually are defined by aspects that don't follow the 'normal' presentation of certain people. For example they wear unusual clothes and listen to specific music. This is called symbolism. Some youth subcultures would be flappers, greasers, gangsta, rockers, geek chic, punks, emo, grunge, hippies and skinheads.

2. When and why do they appear?
As long as there are groups of people (cultures,) there will also be branches of the same group (subcultures.) They can form because a certain group of people, even though they might believe in certain values of a main culture, will change certain aspects of the beliefs and values, making a new individual group; a subculture.

3. What are the defining features of youth cultures?
The main features of a youth culture are visual features, mainly clothing, make-up or hairstyles. A certain look will be associated with a certain youth culture.

4. How are they perceived  by society and the mass media?
As dramatic events make better articles, subcultures get bad media presentation. Subcultures may behave in a certain way, perhaps in a way that goes against the beliefs of the core culture. However this reflects badly on the whole culture. Also if one subculture behaves rebelliously it can affect the perception of all subcultures. 

5. What impact might things like ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation have on the emergence of youth cultures?
Depending on the views of a certain culture, factors including ethnicity, sex and sexual orientation can have different impacts on different youth cultures.


Skinheads

1.  When, where and in which social, political and economic contexts did it start?
The start of the Skinhead culture can be dated back to the 1960s in the UK. Skinheads were started from the bases of two other prominent groups at the time. They were Mods, short for modernists. They were a group of middle class youths formed in the late 1950s in England. The second group were a Jamaican subculture named Rude Boys. Mods were interested in fashion, motorcycles and ethnic music. They listened to British rock bands and African American and Jamaican music. Mods started to divide into two groups; hard Mods, working class young people, who couldn't afford an expensive lifestyle. They shaved their heads and dressed in jeans and work boots, mimicking working class men of the 1960s. This separated them from the traditional Mods and hippies. 

2. Did they have a distinctive style?
Skinheads, as the name would suggest, have short/ closely shaved heads. They wear jeans with the bottoms rolled up to show of their Dr. Martens. They wear checked shirts sometimes accompanied by braces. Flight jackets in black or green finish off the look. 

3. Why did young people associate themselves with this youth culture?
Many people join groups/ gangs because they feel alone and so they want a group of people to rely on. If people have a hard time at home, a gang is like a second family, a second home, a place where they feel safe and happy. They feel like they have a purpose in life when they are part of a gang because it makes them part of something. Even if what they do is wrong they feel included and not excluded and ignored. However, even though some Skinheads were violent many were friendly people.

4. How did they define themselves?
They defined themselves by the elements I have listed above; their clothing, their likes and dislikes (music,) and for some, by their behavior.   

5. What was the role of young men and young women in the emergence of this subculture?
Men and women both played a role in the emergence of the subculture. This is because the first branch of Skinheads weren't particularly sexist. They both had similar haircuts; men had closely shaven hair cuts and women had feathercuts. They also wore very similar clothing, therefore they were defined as equals. However some Skinheads may have been sexist. 

6. Did this youth culture change over the years?
The Skinhead culture has changed very little over the years. The haircut and style hasn't changed. The only change some people say have occurred is the change in racist views. However this isn't necessarily true. There has always been different branches of Skinheads, the main being racist and non- racist Skinheads. The views of the different groups haven't changed; the stereotype may have, but the individual groups haven't.

7. How were they perceived by society and by mass media?
They were generally viewed as a negative youth culture This was because the bad and racist behavior was aired on the news and therefore did not explain the bigger picture.  

8. What images do you associate with the word Skinhead?

9. Does this subculture still exist?
The subculture still exists, but it isn't as prominent as it used to be. However people will always be affected by what happened then and people will find comfort from the identity being a Skinhead gives them.

Our Country's Good

During The Common Ground Season, one of the plays I went to was Our Country's is good; and out of the plays I saw, I felt that it was the best one.

The play was about English criminals who had been sentenced to go to Australia and serve their sentence there working to build a 'new world.' The convicts were supervised by officers. The story tells the story of one officer who wants to put on a play; using the convicts as the cast.

The play involved a whole host of characters and every single actor had developed their character and made it their own. For example one actor played a drunk officer who had no lines, all he had was slurred phrases. However I feel that he used that character, with or without lines, and made his actions on stage stick in people's minds. This showed me that no matter how many lines you have, you can still be the 'star of the show.' Every character had their own characteristics and this meant that you focused on everyone, showing also that the cast worked well as a unit; they fed of each other and every single person shone. Some characters also had different accents; Scottish, Devonshire, 'Posh' English and cockney. Everyone with an accent had perfected them and were consistent throughout meaning I wasn't drawn away from the acting on stage.

The set also helped draw your attention to the actors on stage (though you were mainly drawn towards them because of their superb acting.) Downstage was flat and upstage was raised, with the whole stage being the colour of sand. There was a large compass on downstage right which actors used to perform monologues. The set wasn't complicated and it didn't need to be. Other props were brought on and off stage when necessary.

Finally, no matter how good a set is or how good the costumes and props are, a good play needs good acting; and this was a key part of this play. Every character was so unique and refined that no matter who was speaking, I listened. They looked so comfortable on stage, being able to keep up a character and keep up the suspense or humour of a particular scene. I didn't get bored and I was always focused on the story. Each person performed very well and if I can achieve their standard of acting by the time I reach post 16, I will feel that I have achieved something from my time at The Brits.

The only critique I have is that certain scenes should be shorter. Even though the detail was good and added something to the general story line, I feel that particular scenes dragged out and therefore I lost interest slightly, which occasionally affected my view on the next scene. As it was such great acting I believe it deserved full concentration on the audience's part 

Aristotle's 3 Unities And The Link To Our Play

Aristotle's three unities are place, time and action:

Place- a play should only be set in one location.
Time- a play should only represent the happenings of one day; the events of the past are recounted by characters.
Action- only actions and scenes relating to the main plot should be included; any unnecessary subplots should be omitted

However our play goes against Aristotle's three unities.Our play is set in many places: schools, parks, homes, bedrooms and prisons, so this clearly goes against the unity of place which states that it should only be set in one location. Likewise it goes against the unity of time. Our play includes past, present and future scenes instead of being set during one day. Finally our play goes against the unity of action. This is because the plot of our play is unclear. It isn't set in one place and at one time and so therefore it makes it difficult for us to follow a set story line. As it is a physical play I think detail is necessary and also everyone story told by the narrator (James,) is a detail that adds to the overall play.

I feel that Aristotle's three unities do not apply to the play, yet I believe they don't need to be, so the fact that they don't apply isn't a negative; I perhaps feel that it is a positive. The style of the play wouldn't work alongside the three unities. They would hinder the plot and they wouldn't let the story line progress and develop. We must also take into consideration that Aristotle lived in 300BC and theatre then is very different to theatre now. Also I feel that every piece of theatre is different and unities referring to place, time and action can't apply to pieces in general because they all require different details.

My Youtube Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61UnSydowck

This is my video on the Oscars.

The Play So Far

At first the rehearsals for the play were going quite slowly; we would devise a piece as a group, perform and then devise a whole new scene which took up quite a lot of our time. This meant that out of the 20 scenes we needed to complete, we were still completing singular figure scenes. At the time I felt the best course of action was to all come together as one whole group and with Mr Rennison's help, device a scene together, with both input from teacher and pupil. I feel that this approach is being used and that is more effective than the original method. We have the evidence in front of us in the form of the scenes we have now completed. Apart from the method we are now using to complete the scenes, I think that group effort, concentration and contribution was key. If we hadn't worked as a unit the scenes we have now completed may not have been  finished and certainly not to a satisfactory level. If we hadn't all concentrated on the task at hand we would've had to keep repeating the scenes instead of moving onto the next. Also I think is important for everyone to input their ideas into the play because the play belongs to all of us and therefore we have a responsibility to both build the play and to perform the play to the highest standard possible.

I think that if we keep working at the pace we are and performing at the standard we are we will be able to pull of a good performance that will be built from the ideas and hard-work of everyone. I feel that we may need to put in extra rehearsals in our spare time to refine certain aspects of the play, but if we want the play to be the best it can be, that is something we will all have to do.