Script - Prologue

Tale 3 - Character

Development Criteria - 20/11/14

Interpreting Characters - 20/11/14

In today's lesson, I was very pleased with all the work I got done. We did some warm ups and started getting to work on the play straight away. I was partnered up with Ellis and we had to include speech for the passenger in the taxi for the prologue of the play "Tales Of The East End". We needed to insert some dialogue so that there would be a conversation between the taxi driver and the passenger. This way, the script made a lot more sense. It was quite difficult to find appropriate questions to add in at certain points of the script. We read through the script many times so that we were able to come up with different questions for the passenger to ask.

After this, we were put into groups and assigned a tale to study. My group was given tale 3. We had to draw the outline of a person and write about their interior and exterior. We wrote about how he was feeling, how he came across to others and words & quotes that had been used to describe him in the play. Following on from this task, our group had to perform a piece of theatre where we interpreted the character and showed his emotions and feelings. At the beginning, Amaia spoke about what she had done and how she was covering up. A few of us created a cage over her using our arms. We then started shouting guilt and other words to describe the character. I then shouted "Murderer" and the scene came to a stop. Our peers gave us very good feedback and said that our piece looked effective. I enjoyed creating the piece and thought that the performance of it went very well.

Telling A Story - 13/11/14

At the start of this lesson, the class sat in a circle and we all discussed the facts that we had researched for our homework. It was interesting to see all of the different things that people found out about the East End. Then we had a class discussion about the play and how the themes and facts we researched link into the play. After this, we got straight to work and were put into groups to create a small repetitive sequence of events to help us tell a story. This will help us when rehearsing for the play as we were able you find out how to tell a story using different body movements and sounds. I was put into a group where we had to create a sequence of events to show the daily routine of a man. Our group chose to portray a typical man getting ready to leave his house in the morning. We chose to act out a man going to the toilet, brushing his hair, shaving, putting on his clothes, pulling up his tie, picking up a briefcase, opening the door and leaving. This showed many different sides to a man as well. For example, the brushing of the hair and shaving shows that he is quite vain and self conscious. This activity will help us to develop our characters in the play as it helps us to know how to portray a particular character.
Towards the end of the lesson, we got put into the same groups to learn a scene from the play "Tales Of The East End". In this scene, I will have a large speaking part, which I have already started to learn. However, in the other scenes I will be a part of the ensemble. In our little groups we read through the script and chose the lines that each of us would be saying. Raneesha is our group leader and director. She will be helping to direct the scene and add in all of the ensemble. I like the tale that our group has been given. There are very strong and interesting characters in it and it has a dramatic storyline. It will be difficult to include all of the class in every scene, but I look forward to seeing how everything works out.

New Term, New Topic - 06/11/14

Today was our first lesson with Ms Lee, since performing "Noughts & Crosses" on Settling In Evening before the half term. At the beginning of the lesson we received our grades and feedback for our last unit (acting skills). My overall grade was distinction and I was very pleased with myself and happy for all my fellow peers who also received very good grades.
Soon after this, we moved on to our next topic. The unit is called "Performing Scripted Plays". Our class will be studying a play called "Tales Of The East End". It follows the different stories of people living in the East End. When reading the play, I was very interested as to how it was written and laid out. For example, all of the people are telling stories to the taxi driver and talk as if they are all the people involved in the story. It gives an insight into the many different situations and things that happen in our society (e.g. domestic violence, love and relationships). I am excited to start rehearsing and learning more about the play.

Facts About The East End

• The first ship to ever be built was in the East End. It was called The Greyhound.
• When slavery was abolished in 1833, 15,000 people were freed and most were found to be living in the East End.
• The first British female doctor was born in the East End. However, due to Britain's refusal for women to study, she had to study to become a doctor whilst in Paris.
• A TV show called "Eastenders" is based on the stereotypes of people living in the East End. It is incredibly popular and has been on TV for 29 years.

• A man known as "Jack The Ripper" was said to have gone on a murdering spree and terrorised the East End.
• After a lot of crime and violence, the East End re-invented itself as the Hub of London Life in the 1980's and is home to Britain's banking and finance industry.

Some useful websites are:

• http://londontopia.net/londonism/fun-london/language-top-100-cockney-rhyming-slang-words-and-phrases/
• http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-do-a-cockney-accent
• http://www.eastendtours.com/charming-lesser-known-facts-london/

Tales Of The East End - Main Themes

• Love
• Hate
• Violence
• Abuse
• Relationships
• Society
• Opinions
• Sympathy
• Diversity