Things I Know to be True (Frantic Assembly) notes
(These notes were taken on the 29/05)
I took notes on this Frantic Assembly production because non-naturalistic productions like this are becoming increasingly popular in modern theatre. Frantic Assembly focus on non-naturalistic style, therefore it was important to include both naturalistic and non-naturalistic performance styles in my research
General notes
- Acting/movement
- Series of monologues
- Physical theatre - series of hands over body - not in spotlight
- Direct audience address
- When addressing family, physical Theatre starts - various lifts
- Girl lifted when mentioning making love
- Lights pop up and spotlight changes
- fast paced movement of furniture
- Family under blue spotlight while dancing
- Constant bell music
- Change of backdrop
- Lighting on fence and father
- Duologue between father and mother
- Father dressed in polo shirt and baggy trousers
- Mother in shirt and suit trousers
- Comedy element - identification
- ‘Something’s happened’
- Fast paced speech
- Comedic repetition
- Props -table, chairs, teacups, fence, leaves,
- Tableaux with chairs - comedy
- Music introduced for transition (wind and piano)
- Nonnaturalistic style
- Always something going on during a monologue
- Relationship between mother and daughter - abusive mother - trauma because sister climbed ladder
- Humour due to dads ignorance
- Argument scene
- Father dominant in scene - leaving mother alone
- Original music introduced when physical theatre takes place
- Cuts back to kitchen where food is being prepared
- A large amount of this takes place in the garden - significant
- Props of - onion and carrots + bowl and cooking utensils
- Ben introduced to the scene
- Both parents have contrasting opinions
- Mother has stronger relationship with son than daughter
- “She’s me but stronger”
- Pip enters the scene without acknowledgment from others (in the scene but spotlight shows different area
- Split through a letter and no eye contact
- Young daughter leaves scene - mother daughter either side of a table
- Link between scenes when singing - diegetic music
- Physical theatre to present families relationship
- Motifs of the character
- Found love in Vancouver
- Change of set - physical theatre used to bring desk on
- Phone prop
- Mother always on stage - showing it’s a letter to her
- Letter ends
- Lighting changes and whole stage is lit - then a spotlight on left side of stage (upper) showing older sun
- Raining on him
- Cigarette being smoked under
- Comedy in sad elements
- Whole play describing moments taking place within their house
- Change of costume
- Set stays the same when conversation about sex change happens
- Sympathetic for both mother and son
- Son kicked out of the house
- End of part 1
- Part 2 starts with spotlights on each member of the family
- Scene between son and Rosie packing suitcase
- Transition - gentle spotlight on old brothers monologue
- Ends with blue tint spotlight on parents dancing with lit up light bulbs
- Costumes changed to suit and dress
- Physical theatre including rest of the family
- Showing relationship struggle
- Direct audience address
- Monologue by younger son
- Passage of time shown by plants in the background
- Funny ‘sexual’ scene brings contrast
- Duologue between brother and sister
- Ben on drugs - almost hits sister
- Fallout between parents due to love separation
- Music introduced at end of monologue after “u and me?”
- Rosie enters
- All other siblings enter
- Physical theatre surrounding rosie
- Rosie says she’s leaving for university
- Rosie exits scene
- Music introduced
- Simple piano along with wind
- Mother back in work clothes
- Mother died and blue spotlight on father
- Monologue from Rosie
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