Friday, 14 February 2020

WHERE LOYALTIES LIE15 Adding scenes

Today we had an extra rehearsal. These are 3 things we need to work on:

  • Characterising all the time
  • Keeping up energy during physical theatre sections
  • But at the same time not rushing them i.e. varying the speed of the piece between Meredith and Harry

LAURENT INTRODUCTION

After changing Hugo's character name from Geoff to Laurent. We also came up with a scene that includes Swindon 5. Swindon 5 is a non-naturalistic style of theatre where people are walking around the stage in 2 triangles. It is used to show somewhere is busy. We used it to portray a busy train station where Amelie and Hugo meet up. Here is the script for this section:

Meredith: Hi, Laurent? 
Laurent: (offstage) Meredith, hi! 
Meredith: I have some really exciting news, but I want to tell you in person! Can you come down to London? 
Laurent: It’s funny you should say that, I’m actually on my way to London now! Got a meeting with Sensei Okymoto this afternoon. We’re planning to expand the Dojo’s around Brighton.  
Meredith: When are you getting in? 
Laurent: In about forty minutes. 
Meredith: I’ll come down to meet you. This really can’t wait.  
Cue ‘train station sound effects’ as the Swindon Five sequences takes place. Meredith is swept up and deposited in front of the arrivals board (DSR). 
Laurent: Meredith! (Fighting through the crowd) Meredith! 
Meredith: Laurent! Hi! 
They hug. 
Laurent: So? Tell me the big news! 
Meredith: Harry proposed! 
Laurent: Oh wow! Congratulations! 
They hug again. They are a huggy family. 
They turn to the audience. 
Laurent: I can’t believe she’s getting married. I know she’s all grown up now, but she’ll always be my little sister. 
Meredith: We were never close as kids. He was always off with his mates climbing trees in the park. I wasn’t allowed to go with them. Mum used to say she was scared I would break something. 
Laurent: I didn’t think it was fair. The trees in the park weren’t even that tall. 
Meredith: And then one day, I went with him. Not because Mum and Dad had said yes, but because they weren’t there to say no. 
Laurent: Since the day of the accident that took our parents, we’ve always looked after each other. I’ve had her back, and she’s had mine. 
Transitioning into dialogue. 
Meredith: That reminds me, I wanted to ask you something. 
Laurent: What? 
Meredith: Would you walk me down the aisle? 
Laurent: Yes, I would love to! 
They hug. AGAIN. 
Laurent: I’m not being funny, but who are you going to invite to the wedding 
Meredith: You know, my friends.... 
Laurent: to audience She doesn’t have any friends. 
Meredith: Hey! 
Laurent: Do you want me to get my friends to come?  
Meredith: Yes! Who were you thinking? 
Laurent: Charles and Marie? 
Meredith: Really? Charles? Won’t that be awkward? 
Laurent: No, why would it be? It’s all in the past! Besides, he’s dating Marie now. 
Meredith: Ok, that would be great! 
Laurent: I’ve actually got to run, can’t keep the sensei waiting! 

FIGHT BETWEEN LAURENT AND DAVE

Another scene we now have is where Hugo's character is asking James' character about organising a party for his sisters engagement. This will be done by cross-cutting as this will be taking place on stage left. Then Tristan's character enters, talking about how much he hates Meredith. Laurent then turns around and pushes him back. Then they are separated and Laurent walks off. Here is the script for this section:


Enter Freddie, pushing his bar. 
Laurent: Good afternoon, I’m looking for Freddie  
Freddie: Well mate, you’ve come to the right place, I’m Freddie, welcome to brothers bar what can I get you 
LaurentNot looking for a drink. I’m Laurent, Meredith’s brother…… I was wondering if there’s any chance for me to hire this bar as a venue for Meredith and Harry’s engagement party. 
Freddie:  Well, how many people are you planning on inviting? What food and drinks am I going to need? When? 
Laurent: Well, I’ve got the guest list here, food and drinks too. And I’m thinking about Friday in three weeks at the latest.  
Freddie – audience address some of the ideas that Laurent had were just nuts! 

 Enter Dave. 
Dave: Freddie, I can’t deal with that bitch Meredith anymore, she’s screwing with Harry, he’s not Harry anymore, he’s turning too much into her, he’s not himself, she’s put him on all these weird diets, and she takes him to goat yoga for fun of all things, she’s spending too much time with him. 
Laurent: Are you talking about my sister? 
DaveI didn’t know Meredith had a brother! 
Laurentyeah well now you do 
Laurent pushes Dave back, Dave stumbles. Freddie gets between the two. 
Freddie: Calm down boys, no fighting, no fucking swearing either while we’re at it. 
Dave: Fine. I’ll see you in the morning and we’ll carry on the party planning then. You…. Watch out 
Exits. 

MIRRORED CHAIR DUET

After showing what we had to Mr Lemon, he suggested that we should do a mirrored chair duet. A few weeks ago, we made a chair duet between myself and Amelie. Mr Lemon thought it would be a good idea for Emma and Tristan to be doing this on the other side of the stage. The idea of this is to show that both of these relationships are at a similar stage. Along with this, Emma has written a monologue that can be used as a fragmented monologue with the monologue Amelie wrote a while back. Here is the fragmented monologue:

Meredith: We met a few years ago. It was his 21st birthday. His friends took him to a goat yoga class. Which, by the way, is doing yoga while goats climb on you. It isn’t really a joke. I take it very seriously. Connecting with other beings is part of my peace mantra. I go every Sunday, and I am so happy I do because it led me to this wonderful man. He seemed to really enjoy the class and we started going out. At first, he seemed to be utterly perfect, but it soon became clear that there was lot of work to do. We began daily meditation at dawn to cleanse our souls. He was hesitant at first, buonce I put him on a diet of kale smoothies and natural supplements like spirulina and goji berries he became a lot easier to manipulate. 

Jane: It started 2 years ago.  He seemed like the perfect man.  We met at a local pub, one that I had never been to before.  I had such a bad week and needed to get away.  I may have gotten a little tipsy to say the least, but he was looking so hot and I couldn’t take my eyes off him.  We instantly clicked.  Talking till 2:30 in the morning!  We used the pub as our spot.  That was were all our best memories were.  He even asked me to be him girlfriend there!  I might have initiated it but he still asked me.  For most of the first year it seemed... perfect!  Honeymoon period, I guess.  Then something changed.

Meredith: We’ve been living together for eight months next week. I think it was quite a shock for him seeing how minimal I like to live. He’s adjusted now, although he looked really tired when he switched to sleeping on hand-woven reed mats. He knows it means a lot to me. People say imperfection is perfection, but I don’t see it that way. After a lot of work, Harry is almost perfect, and we’re nearly there! We are so happy. 

Jane: He got weird, he wanted to spend less time with me and seemed obsessed with trying to get his friendship with Harry back on track.  It’s not like anything was wrong with their relationship, they were already spending everyday together at the pub.  I feel like I have to compete to get his attention.  It’s ridiculous.  Any time I see David, Harry is always there.  I know they’re friends but I need some more attention.  I swear I’m not clingy.  I can spend 5 minutes without texting him. I’m not obsessed with him either.  I may know his favourite type of toilet paper, but that’s what a relationship is about.  The only time I’m actually alone with him is at night.  And nothing ever happens then.  He’s always too tired or drunk and passes out. 

Meredith: It’s Friday night, which means that Harry and his mates are going off to the Brothers bar.  

Jane: I’m not expecting to see Dave until lunch time tomorrow. 

Here is a video of our mirrored chair duet:


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