Show Days

All in all, we managed to pull together a professional production.

Our first matinee show (which was also the first time using the microphones) was a small audience which I think put a few people as panto is very audience interactive. However, we did well even though our energy level as a whole wasn't it's full potential, the piece was still light and enjoyable. Battling with colds and tummy bugs which seemed to going round, the smoke machines were a prop to work with themselves. I wasn't used to breathing in that thick air and it affected both my voice and also breath control on stage.

The first evening show is when everyone's nerves kicked in; there was a minor hiccup with a sound cue with the first show, we were all hoping for a better turn out. There were a few more people in the audience which characters such as myself, Abanazar, Wishee Washee and the Dame were really able to connect with.

Second matinee, we performed to an all girl's secondary school, this performance was full. There were at least 200 girls who were incredibly interactive and a pleasure to perform to. They were however, a loud audience so seizing their attention and holding it was incredibly tricky. Personally, I needed to project more as the girls were rather loud as well as keep my energy up without overly exasperating myself. I should have completed more breathing exercises prior the performance as I felt out as though I couldn't breath onstage. I felt deflated as my character is funny although they react in the manner I was used to. I then realised that they were a younger audience than to whom my jokes were targeted at, but also that they were a different audience and there are rarely audiences who would react in exactly the same manner.

Our director did warn us about this in rehearsals upcoming to the show, but it wasn't until then that I realised just how disheartening it could be. After the performance, we had a show Q&A session with them which was really quite fun and encouraging to see how much they enjoyed our show.

The second evening performance we were very lucky to have Barbara Windsor watch; this raised the pressure alongside the fact that we had a full house. Backstage nerves were skyrocketing, adrenaline was pumping, we were all very ready for the show. There was also a horrible bug that many members of the cast and crew got, although the main victim for this show was our protagonist Aladdin (Corrina). 

Amidst, all the energy everyone had and the level of excitement and sickness that occurred especially in this particular show, it went spectacularly well. So much so, that Barbara came backstage to speak to us afterwards about our performance and expressed her gratitude for such a lovely show.

Last day of shows, our matinee show was for the Da Vinci School students and teachers. Due to circumstances in the week prior, a lot of the cast were unnerved about the show and worried that something would've gone wrong. However, we prevailed and their responses were exactly what we had hoped for. Admittedly, our energy levels were not as high as they were in our last performance, nor was the pace.

The very last show, there were tears of both sadness and joy. Another near full house for our final show worked out lovely; our best show however was the performance on Wednesday night. I enjoyed myself the most on both evening performances of the last two nights, I felt that I was able to portray a believable, funny character that fit well with the storyline.
Overall, I feel we all did a magnificent job and I'm certain that we all will miss this panto very much.

Characterisation

In order to get ready for the show with a fresher look, as we had intense rehearsals that we knew each and every detail inside and out, we were given the task to take our panto characters home.
This meant everything from walking in the door, to eating, bathing and preparing for our next day had to be done in character. Furthermore, we need evidence that we were completing these tasks. Here's the short clip of the Spirit in the house:

Not only were these videos fun to do, but it was interesting how we were all able to translate our characters into our daily lives.
Exercises like this helped us focus on our characters especially with upcoming shows.

Technical Rehearsals

dun...dun...DUN!

Three more full runs of the show until opening and we had the most terrifying rehearsal left to complete, the Technical Rehearsals. Essentially the manner in which they are run, the first rehearsal is que to que run in which the lighting figures out what they are doing and then followed by the sound rehearsal too.

The lighting rehearsal, was nerve-wracking as one of the two characters that opened the show (alongside Saskia) are movement had to marked to the points where the lights were appropriate for the mood and bright enough for us to be seen.
These runs were also done in costume, which I found to be an absolute nightmare. My outfit (which I adored) was made from a very light material which could easily be hooked onto anything and ripped. I was very cautious when in costume especially backstage with the splinters from the frames which help up the set. 

Once those runs were completed, we progressed with a run of the entire show with lights and sound. It changed some of the movement I had, an example of this would be the timing within the exit from the prologue. Both Saskia and I had our movements synchronised in a certain manner but then had to change it do to the lesser time we had to get off stage and transition into the opening number.

A scene added rather late on in rehearsals was a slow motion chase scene that took place through the audience and back on stage. That scene and the cave scene were the most tricky as a lot of different lights, sounds and echo effects on microphones had to be activated all at once.

It proved challenging but worked out well in the end.

A Trip to Peking

As a company, we went to the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage to watch their production of Aladdin.
This was my first pantomime to watch, I absolutely adored it. It gave a great insight into what panto is all about. The performers energy levels were always at the highest peak, their characterisation flawless to the point that I completely believed the Dame and everything she sold as her character.
There was a great amount of audience participation especially with the songs and dances.
Another aspect I wasn't expecting is how current panto's are and how they keep up with the latest songs and topics. It adds a greater level to the humour as the jokes aren't just for cheap laughs (although there are many of the Dame's jokes which are) they are intelligent with purpose.
Characterisation was done so well, there was a mishap on stage where the Dame's wig fell off and she began laughing onstage but covered it immediately with a witty line and a quick flurry off stage.
We also had the Dame pick our Dame (Jovan) which gave him a real taste of just how inappropriate can afford to go before it's too much.
Watching my character intently I noticed how she had a lyrical tone to her voice when she spoke which added to her magical element. She also used her arms a lot and had a few motifs. Taking this in, I began to think of similar moves to add that would be appropriate for my character.

Preparations for Show Day

Once our flyer was made we began promoting the show within Letchworth at first and in Stevenage as well as online and by word of mouth. A few of the main characters alongside did some promotional work in Stevenage town centre and performed in the children's ward of Lister Hospital which not only was fantastic for the children but also the actors as they had to ensure their characterisation was solid the entire day.

There was also promotion within the newspaper as well as on the radio.

Rebecca Day, one of the backstage managers within the production, put together a lovely trailer of our pantomime which we tried to share amongst friends and family as much as possible. 

Watching the trailer and doing promotion boosted my energy levels and I was suddenly incredibly nervous and excited for the upcoming shows.
I made sure that I was working on as much as I could personally to enrich my performance, I took to working on the cave seen once again as I felt this was one of the weaker scenes.

Below is a video of the improvements that were made. 

Peer Assessments

Prior to completing a run of both acts we were asked to pick a character to watch and asses.

Some notes given from Ella and a few of the backstage team were tweaks which would add to the already thought intention and intonation. By this point, we managed to bring the level of notes we received at the end of rehearsals to a minimum.

Notes:

• Look both at Saskia and then the audience on the line "but I'm honest"
• Work on improvisation and covering any problems that may occur onstage
• Just tap the staff tip on the line "ooh a bit sharp" for emphasis
• Synchronise some movement with Georgia in Act 2
• Cut the line "I'm not some kind of Apple Mac"

I found the peer assessments incredibly helpful because the task at hand asked us to focus on a character other than the one we were familiar with and really pay attention to what the other person was doing.

By this stage, we had become incredibly comfortable with the script that we began pre-empting other's movements and dialogue instead of listening to what the other characters were saying and reacting accordingly. It inevitably dropped our energy level as a company immensely; myself included, characters were throwing lines away and playing our roles incredibly 'safe' and not trying anything new. Our spatial awareness was completely muted, chorus members masked each other and there was an element of upstaging forming with a few chorus members.With opening night impending, our director was very firm with notes and critique which helped us achieve what we did in the next rehearsal. She also emphasised that ownership needed to be taken, especially those who weren't fully aware of certain scenes and relied on full run throughs to then be recorrected when infact, that should have been done prior rehearsals.
I hit a wall with the end of Act 2 where a few of the main characters sing a song with the audience and complete shoutouts of parties and birthdays. Wishee Washee, the Genie and I tried to work on the scene a few times, however, as we were all unaware of what song we were singing and how to structure it, we struggled greatly. We did take in the positive criticism and then worked with Chloe to create a slick ending to Act 2.

Personal notes

• Work on the 'cave scene' - mainly the transition between Abanazar's exit, your entrance and your exit and the Genie's entrance
• Practice the end of act 2 song
• Slow down the 'Kat Slater' line and keep projecting
• Slow down the 'Pot noodle' line
• Be aware of blocking in the last scene

During long rehearsals, there were moments in which we able to practise separate scenes if we felt that we wanted to to needed to. Aladdin  (Corrina Foley) and I decided to progress on with our 'cave' scene as we struggled with this scene more often than not.

These rehearsals were also used to practise dances and songs. I led a dance rehearsal in which we practised the finale dance 'Happy', the video below is a small snippet of it.

Script

Here is my script annotated with stage directions, intention and general direction of lines and movements. Some have the original ideas still on them, although they were not used in the actual show.

Work On Song & Dance

Chorus members are equally important, if not more than the main characters as they keep the energy up between dialogue filled scenes. They are also important and younger audience members connect with the chorus members, singing and even dancing along.  The links below are some of the first rehearsals learning routines:

During long day rehearsals there was at which the energy would drop and our performance in all aspects (acting, dancing and singing) were poor. Chloe (our singing director) asked us to momentarily forget about the panto and focus all of our efforts into singing and performing 'Hit the Road Jack' by Ray Charles. It proved to work well as our concentration was peaking with the new lyrics, our bodies awake with new movement and our performance both engaging and expressive. 

We were given a rehearsal schedule that outlined the hours we would be in. They were incredibly daunting at first and then thoroughly worked through we realised that there was not much rehearsal time left at all.

Reassessing My Character

After finding out that our pantomime changed from Jack & the Beanstalk to Aladdin, roles were automatically to a transferred. An example of this would be the role of the Jack's mother to Widow Twankey (Aladdin's mother); pantomimes have many stock characters (these are characters who are so well known by trait e.g. A King's body language is defined by a confident, well postured form and is known to look down their nose at others.

Who am I?	Where am I?	What am I doing?
A young (estimated age of 21), spritely, attitude coated, not overly wealthy, vain, obsessive, lazy but confident spirit of the ring who isn’t afraid to speak her mind. I am rather sarcastic and like to show off. I wear very obvious and bright jewellery and my make-up encompasses my flirty yet respectful nature.	Similar to the Genie, I’m held captive with an object although mine is a ring. Within my living quarters I’m based in a living room which is rather cluttered and has a television as I’m always up to date with the latest shows.	I’m either watching TV, or doing something that benefit me e.g. painting my nails, doing my make-up or eating. I am a compulsive eater due to my increased boredom within the ring.

What do I see?	Why am I here?	How do I feel?
Bright colours, I’m surrounded by red, orange and green.  There is an organised mess within my space, photo frames on the wall containing pictures of my family. There is also a world map which covers 2/3 of the wall.	It is a rite of passage; once 18 I was placed inside a ring and given the responsible of guiding those in need in trying times.	Lonely as the only interaction I encounter is when the ring is rubbed which summons me. Content as I know that I have to do what I do, although I do feel an overwhelming sense of imprisonment

My Story: 

I am the Spirit of the Ring, a guardian if you will. Once living with my family whom I loved dearly, then once I reached 18 had to take the path paved for me. I am one of the more successful spirits, not to mention the most beautiful. Money is something I am not bound by; I live each day as it comes. A lover of food and television, I have a great amount of time to myself. Every few years I put my knowledge to use and train those before they are allocated to a ring. My greatest wish is to be able to roam the universe freely which is why I have a large world map on my living room wall.

More Developmental Activities

We also worked with balloons. The aim of the exercise was to keep the balloons in the air, however, we had to do so in character. At first, we were all distracted by the objective of the game we lost all composure with our characterisation; to help focus ourselves, we then carried on with the same task although in silence. This encouraged greater emphasis on our movements, exaggerated facial expressions, and a sense of teamwork and understanding between characters. Saskia (our villainous character) for example, would try to push balloons down, whereas, Michael (our Emperor) would send his guards to keep them up.

Here is footage for one of the first rehearsals off script that we had. It's incredibly bare as I was still coming to grips with my character as well as my lines. 

Synopsis

In order to equip myself with the new script and songs, I used http://www.its-behind-you.com/ to understand the history behind the orginal version of Aladdin as I was very familiar and fond of the Disney version. Information below is directly sourced from this website.
The story originated in the 'Tales of the Arabian Nights', and in the pantomime version it is set in China. The Pantomime tells the story of Aladdin, son of a poor widow in Peking. Originally she was called 'Widow Ching Mustapha'. During the 1850's, Victorian London was the destination for the first clipper ships that supplied tea to the London tea houses. There was a fascination for the Chinese style in architecture, fashion and entertainment. In the Pantomime version of 1861 the name of Aladdin's mother became 'Widow Twankey', in H.J. Byron's production. Twankey was a popular tea at this time, from the Tuon Ky region of China.
Since then the Widow Twankey has become a laundress, allowing scope for slap-stick scenes in the Laundry, along with her other son 'Wishee Washee'. The increase in Chinese laundries in London's East End, and in Liverpool led to these comedy scenes.
The magical part of Aladdin comes from the two Djinn or Genies, the Slave of the Ring, and the Genie of the Lamp. The original Genie gave three wishes but in the pantomime Aladdin is free to use his newly found powers for as long as he holds the lamp.
Other characters include the Principal Girl, traditionally called Princess Balroubadour but more recently, after the Disney Film, Princess Jasmine.
The Pantomime is one of the most spectacular, often with lavish scenery, a glittering 'Transformation' scene in the cave of jewels, and very often a flying carpet to add to the magic.

From this information, it was very clear that the written characters had to be played very closely to the script's direction as everything was very particular in this plot. For audience members it would be seem amateur if there were wild card like characters amongst an already complicated storyline.
I began thinking of my character and how I would play her.

A Turn of Events

Due to another company close to where out theatre was based also putting on a production of Jack & the Beankstalk our company were unable to proceed with our own.
The decision was then made to go forward with the production of Aladdin which I greatly welcomed as I've always liked the story of Aladdin. After receiving a new script we had a read through with the company; this panto had more characters in the plot, there was:

• Abanazar - the Villain
• Spirit of the Ring - the 'Fairy'
• Aladdin - the Protagonist
• Widow Twankey - the Dame
• Emperor - the King
• Princess
• So-Shy - the Princess's handmaiden
• Bamboo and Typhoo - the Comedy Duo
• Genie

Due to the timing of when we changed panto, we were given 3 hours to prepare our audition pieces. However, those who had their roles such as Jovan (the Dame), Saskia (the Villain), Corrina (the Protagonist) and myself we were given the identical role within the new production.

As part of a pantomime there are songs and dances which younger audiences especially are involved in. We were given our song list and a deadline to learn the words of songs, they were:

• Live While We're Young - One Direction
• Do It Like A Dude - Jessie J (However, we used our own lyrics to the song incorporating the laundry 'Soap, soap has arrived')
• Oompa Loompa Instrumental - Again with personalised lyrics 'Washing, washing to do'
• Boogie Wonderland - Earth, Wind and Fire
• Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
• Hey Baby - DJ Otzi
• Happy - Pharrell Williams

Blocking

Succeeding in my audition, I got the role of the Fairy which I very pleased about. Our cast list:

Jack Trott	Corrina Foley
Dame Trott	Jovan Sutovic
Alfie	Kurt Johnson
King Hubert	Michael Parry
Princess Rose	Daisy Spicer
Nausea	Saskia Chambers
Fairy Nuff	Khadija Richmond
Blunderbore (the giant)	Kelsey Lewis
Daisy the Cow	Georgia Owen / Barnaby Jordan
Chorus	Eden Stewart, Lily Jordan, Georgia Owen, Barnaby Owen
Villagers	Emma Foskett, Molly May Giddings, Nathan Grant-Brooker, Amber Hunt, Ricardo Metin, Luke Rota, Tom Roethenbaug, Jack Smith, Sonia Dayal

We then began to block through scenes by following the directions on the script and from our director herself. It proved challenging as we were all in the process of line learning and were trying to simulate some form of characterisation as well.
Here are some of the points of reference from our director:

• When going through lines remember that there are different ways of pausing for effect which may or may not be given in stage directions. If already placed in the script, these are the recommended timings: Beat = 1 second, Pause = 4 seconds, Silence = 5/6 seconds and a Long pause = 8 seconds.
• The importance of character improvisation – even at such an early stage, we had to do excess work outside of rehearsals to ensure our familiarity with the script and our character and the character’s relation to the plot.
• Diction – making sure that we were clear and able to be understood.
• Upstaging – as mentioned above, it was an early stage in the rehearsal process however, if corrected this early then in theory it shouldn’t occur again.
• Building layers – this was a note mainly for chorus members which would add to the atmosphere. Building a back story for each character (especially non-speaking roles) which gave each purpose on stage.
• Front on acting – this was an overall comment especially for the main characters when having a conversation with another on stage, to tilt their posture diagonally towards the audience.
• Tonic body – this is to do with physical intention of a character, whether what is interpreted by their body matches what they are saying.

We also had to understand that pantomimes are played on two different levels as the art form is mistaken only for children. There are aspects such as the princess and the fairy which are intended for a younger audience, however, with the humour and the intonation of certain jokes they are for older audience.
Personal feedback given by the director were assessing my voice and finding a comfortable median between an upbeat  and spritely tone and one that can be understood. I (although in the process of learning) was also told to go over lines so that I was completely comfortable, this would encourage grander gestures which was my final note.

Developmental Activities

In order to aid each individual with basic elements of acting alongside deepening our understanding of panto, we have a session once a week with Olga. These sessions provide information on various aspects of acting, for example: showreels, stagecraft, audition process work, characterisation and also delving into what each person wants to do.

We began our panto exploration with the 7 levels of tension and establishing what they were and why they are used. This is a method used by both actors and directors (in a directive sense) to establish a physical adaptation of characterisation as well as make a clear distinction between naturalism and abstract work. The levels are:
1) Catatonic - this is to be completed at a lethargic state, with lifeless limbs and no movements.
2) Relaxation - this is done in a slightly more awakened state, minimal movements may occur.
3) Neutral - this can be done by moving around the space in a nonchalant manner.
4) Alert - this is performed with more urgency and at a faster pace.
5) Suspense - this is fulfilled by incorporating level 6 with a hint of melodrama.
6) Passionate - this is executed with a greater pace, over-the-top movements and extended movements and vocal range.
7) Tragic - this the utmost, melodramatic level where every fibre of amplified, both physical and vocal.

Trying these levels ourselves we started on the floor in the first stage and progressed through each one. The transition from level 2 to 3 proved the hardest as my body was completely lethargic and weighted, moving my arms and legs felt as though I was stuck in treacle and moving in slow motion. Distinction between levels 6 and 7 also proved difficult as I was already close to my full extent of excitement, however, after doing this a few times it seemed easier to get to grips with.

We repeatedly worked through these levels to engage familiarity as well as incorporating our characters within the panto. Using the different levels, we were put in challenging situations and asked to improvise scenes. Being put in different circumstances demanded high concentration levels as all responses had to be in character e.g. I was put in a situation where my tension level was 7 and Jack's level was only at 2 and we were placed in a supermarket. Personally, I struggle with improvisation as I feel I'm unable to think of engaging material quick enough however, playing such an over exaggerated character helped greatly as it gave me enough time to process what was said and how to respond all whilst extended my movements. This involved loose arms, walking with an amplified bounce and keeping my facial expressions big and sharp; as the exercise continued I gained confidence and tried different things.

Audition Process

Once we were told that we would be doing a pantomime we were both given information as well as guided to research more about them. As my first pantomime, all aspects of it were uncharted territory as I also had never watched one live nor online. Completing my research the websites I gained some of the information from was http://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/features/pantomime/ and http://www.its-behind-you.com/ .

The Italian art form reached British theatre’s and greatly influenced theatre in the 18th century. London being the focal point of most theatre if not all theatre, this is where it sourced, however, by mid-century there were many more built in other places. As productions put on in this time were naturally ‘British plays’ the introduction of pantomime was rather risqué; John Rich, an artist in his own right, was a key individual to opening the idea of commedia to the public at the theatre at Lincoln’s Inn Fields. His interpretation incorporated the introduction of animal roles, such like men dressing up as women; it was not only fun to watch but also showed how the art form was not gender specific. “Rich’s pantomimes cleverly fused commedia, spectacle, music, ballet and myth” his productions caused great controversy however, were mainly adored by spectators.

The production we were going put on was Jack & the Beanstalk, we then completed a read through as a class. It gave each of us the opportunity to try different roles as well as getting a sense of the characters. Our level of sight-reading was tested alongside intonation and ability to follow script directions e.g. If a line had to be whispered. It also presented if some people summating lines instead of reading them properly.

We were informed on the audition process after reading and began thinking of which roles we were interested in.

Having solely read through the script twice through, I was certain that I wanted to audition for the role of the fairy.

Prior to any work on my audition, which we all had roughly 10 days to prepare for, I watched the ITV version of the same pantomime. It gave me an insight to the level at which characters are played as well as the amount of energy and exaggeration I would need to perfect it.
I then began by choosing a section of the play I would use; the passage in scene 2 incorporated Rancid (the evil character) and the fairy which was a brilliant opportunity to show juxtaposition between the two.
Working with Saskia who was auditioning for Rancid was a good decision as the more I rehearsed with her, the greater characterisation I developed. Refraining from doing any in depth research into the characters I took liking to, I managed to develop my own interpretation of the characters.

Playing the 'good' in the play I wanted to add a twist to the role and give her a more comedic presence; I decided to try a Jamaican accent which I was able to really play with her attitude and general 'no nonsense' persona. It also changed the age I played her at, before I was more so a relatively young fairy however, once I added more characterisation she became more of a middle aged, wisdom filled lady. I incorporated a waddle when walking, making sure to plant my feet as she always moved with purpose, as well as constantly placing hands on my hips if I was not gesturing towards Rancid.
My characterisation for Rancid was completely different; I incorporated a hunched stance when walking to emphasise the trickster stereotype, as well as a faster pace both physically and vocally. Rancid was incredibly spatially aware and was certain to invade other characters use of space to create an air of dominance.
Learning the Fairy's lines were a bit more challenging than Rancid's as they were written in rhyming couplets and were riddled. I found an instrumental and created a song using dialogue from the script which I was able to memorise easier. Rancid's lines were just the counterpart to the Fairy and were more so manageable.

The audition itself, which took place on the 24th September, was incredibly nerve-wracking as we were told prior what the director was looking for and expecting, however, we were also given free reign. Knowing this I completed my fairy audition first as I was incredibly nervous about my accent.

The audition panel reacted well to the added twist (alongside Saskia's gangster villain) upon the fairy to the extent that we were both asked to create a improvised scene with the characterisation we'd created. This proved challenging as I was not as firmed with my accent as i would've liked to be as well as creating material relatable to panto as my prior knowledge had only ever been minimal. Nevertheless, both Saskia and I managed to come up with a two minute scene involving a discussion on money and jewels.

The second part of the audition incorporated the group as a collective to learn a song and dance and perform them in select groups within 3/4 hours. Choreography was the first step which I enjoyed and found manageable; 'Reach for the Stars' by S Club 7 was the song we were required to learn. The demand of singing and dancing at the same proved to be quite difficult, I took time to practice with each break we encountered to ensure that I had done the most to succeed in my audition and show the panel what I was capable of.

Introduction to the Course

As any introduction into a new topic, a breakdown of the course was required. We were informed on how many units the first year course entails and what we’d be doing; this included theatre trips, workshop information, the residential trip to Scarborough, work placement opportunities and available work both voluntary and paid.

“What is theatre to you? Why do you act?” The first question posed before us helped to decipher why we chose performing arts and what we hoped to achieve completing the course. I believe in the educative purpose of a production and leaving the audience questioning or even possibly adapting things in their life.

As a part of induction week we were given the task of creating a piece which embodied the entirety of a famous film (or in some cases films) in no more than 6 minutes. Enabled free reign, my group were given 'Jaws' to interpret; other groups were given The Titanic, Harry Potter, Star Wars and Frozen.
The second year actors were also asked to put a piece together for us; it was cleverly strategised and involved a few of the first year students unknowingly. It was a promenade piece (which was also sight specific) that discussed segregation within sexuality, racism, sexual abuse, religious views and domestic violence. A rather powerful piece highlighted the effects of jokes on such matters and how quickly it can turn into something rather upsetting.

We also watched the production of 'The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-Time' at the Piccadilly Theatre. It was my second time watching it but with a different cast, which was more engaging.