My Vocal Development Programme/ Voice Work

MY VOICE- ANALYSIS

My voice is naturally deep and therefore I am restricted to a low (and perhaps trapped) voice; and am also vulnerable to mumbling as I tend to speak at a very fast pace. This affects my performance as I can come across as very quiet although what I would be doing physically might contradict that. In attempt to widen my pitch ability, I shall focus on a series or exercises to support my voice and strengthen my overall speech. These exercises include tongue twisters such as "Chuck a chop of chicken or chuck a chipotle chilli up" or "Round and round the ragged rock the ragged rascal ran". Tongue twisters are proved to turn our brains on to fully pronounce each letter of each word and as a result, speak clearly and fluently without any major struggle- avoiding the mumbling. In addition, to get my higher resonators in shape, I could try humming through the nose and head; however starting from the chest as that is where it sits comfortably and can progress from there. Furthermore, gently tapping the sinuses supports this exercise as you are then preparing your resonators for action

MONOLOGUE/ PROGRESS

For my monologue, I have decided to read the character 'Mum' in Steven Berkoff's play 'East'- segment 'Mum's Speech'. The passage explains the Mum's role in her 'run of the mill' family and her place in society as she talks fondly about her television programmes and moans about her husband and dreams of what her life could've been with her ideal partner-just to return to reality quickly with a groan from her husband. I have chosen this particular monologue to read as it really stuck out to me when we were doing research into Berkoff- and I thought the character interesting as well as complicated as she has so many dynamics to her- the most obvious being that she has to be played by a man. This would provide me a varied way of portraying her- I could go down the route of playing her as she was at the time of the original performance or nowadays- however not much different, the script and perhaps the character's mannerisms would change or be slightly altered. However, I did not want to focus on this now as it was the voice I am going to be marked on, nonetheless it may guide me to improve my performance vocally if I am fully embodied as the eccentric character.

This week I performed my monologue to Karen and the class. For my mini-performance I used Logan as the dad and therefore my husband in the scene; I thought this may bring the attention to my character's journey in the speech and how it is very mental and the husband is there as a reminder that it is not in any shape or form physical or realistic. He is also there as a physical reminder that she is trying to reach out to her dreams, but there he is on her shoulder- almost dragging her down.

However, I was not yet fully adjusted to the script when I performed and therefore struggled with presenting, faulting and stuttering at main points in the speech and as a result, the character and style of the monologue was not really put across to the audience. In addition, I felt incredibly awkward as it was mistake after mistake in my mind and, instead of the script acting as support, I completely relied on it and that really hindered my performance and let me down massively.

Karen noticed that my performance was not up to its usual standard and said that I could really do with introducing the Berkoff-like movements and making sure that it is clear that the voice is actually in her head and she gets carried away.

I took the constructive comments and started to rewrite the script to contemporise it so that it would have the effect for modern audience as it did in 1975- when 'East' was first produced.

For this I firstly updated the television programmes that Mum talks of fondly; so that contemporary audiences would understand what the character was actually on about as the script has a tendency to jump from point to point as it is Berkoff and therefore very un-naturalistic. This entailed changes such as turning ‘On the Buses, What the Papers Say and Sunday Night at the London Palladium’ into ‘Downton Abbey, The X Factor and Poirot’; and then adding movements to the shows as Karen said it would make the piece less still and bring it to life. Therefore I would take my new additions and apply actions to represent the show; for example for Downton Abbey I would adjust my stance and poke my chest out and stiffen my lip to look ‘pompous’- the idea that that would be mum’s opinion on the dialect of the show as everyone is very well spoken. Then, for ‘Hawaii Five-O’ (which obviously wasn’t in need of changing as it is still on TV along with ‘University Challenge’) I focused on the action of the show and mimed drifting in a car- by placing both hands out and ‘steering’ frantically- then pretending to fire a gun. I plan to practice this piece to show to Karen next week.

This week I introduced my vocal exercise to the class and it was fair to say that most of the group struggled with the pronunciation of the ‘ch’ sounds in ‘chuck a chop of chicken or chuck a chipotle chilli up’- much like I did at first. However, during rehearsals for ‘Earthquakes in London’, I have noticed that I struggle with one line in particular that comes in Act Four when my character has his third and final encounter with Katrina’s character Sarah; it comes at the beginning of the scene where Katrina says ‘I’m feeling really good thank you’ after the character’s night out the day before, where they form a more than professional bond (as they meet through a business agreement). I respond to this with ‘Stronger constitution than the country you’re running. Not many people can say that.’ It is noticeable that I mispronounce the first line as it has been brought up that I say it too quickly and therefore I go back to my previous flaw of mumbling; as a result, I have been practising this line in order for me to execute it perfectly when it matters most- the performance. I can then ensure that I include a phrase like this in my vocal plan so that it can challenge me.

The build-up of phlegm and saliva in my mouth is a recurring problem when performing, yet it has got much better in time; ‘The Wardrobe’ and ‘The Cherry Orchard’ along with the Greek Chorus work provides a great example as I really struggled with‘s’ sounds put together in a line, especially noticeable when I attempted to speak Jewish in ‘The Wardrobe’. This may be because I have a slight lisp (perhaps caused by the build-up of phlegm and saliva in my mouth) which I had not noticed until recently, which would make sense as I am exploring my voice more compared to when I started the course. However, in ‘The Cherry Orchard’ it was diction that I struggled with as I was adjusting to a bigger stage space thus I had a tendency to be very quiet whilst upstage- above all when I had to engage in a kissing scene with Georgia; I felt it very hard to project whilst in such an intimate space.

On the other hand, during my Greek Chorus performance, I had none of my previous problems and spoke very clearly with great projection. This may be due to the fact that the piece was so grotesque that I grew into the bizarre and flamboyant nature of the characters that I was portraying at different times. As a result, I feel that my voice has strengthened both in diction and in clarity.

Physical Theatre- Frantic Assembly

'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time'- Choreography

Having seen 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time' at the Gielgud Theatre, I have seen first-hand the effect Frantic Assembly have on a performance. The visuals were amazing as they transformed the hypothetical plan for main character Christopher to fly into practice and, with clever use of positioning and lighting, created a unique environment on stage and engaged the audience even further into the performance. To do this, they put one of their adapted techniques 'learning to fly', also touching on 'jet packing' as they had to create the effect that the character was floating in outer space. The positioning of Christopher also saw him above his peers and therefore higher in authority, giving him more control although he was heavily relying on the people holding him so far up.


This was also a heart-warming scene in the play as main character Christopher deals with his severe autism, and the challenges he faces in life after a dramatic turn of events at the start of the play. In many ways, this scene can symbolize the hope in the play and provides the audience with more of an insight on Christopher's intentions and how innocent the character is besides his annoying qualities.

In addition, Frantic's 'walking on walls' method was also used during the performance as the walls surrounding him throughout the play may represent inside Christopher's head as people on the autistic spectrum see things as they are and tend to be tidy and well-planned people. This is infused by the performance space being very simplistic and representing a box-like space therefore linking to how Christopher may see everyday life. 'Walking' on the walls told us that Christopher was confined only to his head and represents how he is unbound from society and usually left to his own devices. However, this says that, as the play goes on, Christopher becomes more socially understanding yet is perplexed by the very concept of it as he sees it nothing more than illusion and prefers the company of his train set.

Frantic's round-by-through was used frequently during performance to represent the obstacles Christopher had to overcome/ the things in his way or just simple as one person acting as a door to Christopher's house. However, this technique was also used effectively when Christopher would feel uncomfortable in social situations. For example, when he gets lost in London and is panicked at a train station, actors would close in on Christopher, effectively trapping him- reflecting his feelings of isolation and fear.

The Cherry Orchard- Progress

From our very first read through, I found that I liked the script and had a good connection with the character I was assigned. Yasha, from first impressions, was quite suave and sophiscated ; especially for a manservant, and I felt that I could portray the role more than successfully as it seemed an exciting challenge. It was very different in comparison to 'The Wardrobe' as Benjamin could be seen as the complete antithesis of Yasha as both have very different intentions and objectives. For Example, Benjamin truly cares for his brother and perhaps even thinks more of Daniel than he does himself whereas Yasha only has his own best interests in mind.

I take the role of Yasha in Scene 1 and 2 and, as it was the first read through, we were not yet able to get into the character through obvious limitations however I still worked on becoming the character early so I could further develop personality and character traits towards the latter stages heading up to performance. From the very start it seemed people were already attempting to get into character and therefore stood out for me; these included Chloe S, Jack A and Sam. They seemed confident with what they were doing initially, however it was made much harder for us all when having to get up onto our feet and almost 'perform'; working on deliverance and figuring out where to place ourselves (of course as it is a play by Chekhov, we decided on very much open plan with actors spread across the stage). It took a while for me to adapt to this as our previous performance was no where near as fast pace and did not include so many actors on stage at one time. We were informed by Karen that almost entirely the whole performance had to be at an energy state 8 and could only drop down to a 7 otherwise the audience would get bored easily and therefore lose interest, taking away the naturalism in the drama as a result. I was keen to build on this as my character has bundles of energy due to his age and status of a manservant (is constantly running around for his employers) and then could at least match the energy state.

My only setbacks on achieving this thus far was the fact that I wasn't completely familiar with the script and had to look at it for guidance, and that I was almost trying too hard in matching the speed of the performance and getting my words mixed up or nobody being able to hear what I was saying. This bothered me as I was not able to perform to the already high standard I set myself and the fact that I had been told in the past that I, at times, could not be heard as I would know what I was attempting to say but could not actually speak the words without mumbling. This is a certain flaw I must certainly improve by the performance stage in order to maintain character as Yasha is a confident individual therefore would be whilst speaking- also in order for my audience to actually hear me!

On our second week of rehearsals, I was familiar with the script and knew most of my lines- breaking some barriers towards progress on my part; I now can experiment with movement and actions during scenes. Others I thought were disadvantaged at this point as some still relied heavily on scripts whereas I felt almost in control of my character- becoming Yasha by growing in immaturity and energy.

During our rehearsal of scene two, my character has to approach Katrina (Lyuba, the property owner and head of the family) in order to express how he feels living in the estate (and how he hates nearly everything about it) and to attempt asking to relocate to Paris once The Cherry Orchard and its estate is sold. I was told to go over my approach to Katrina many times in a search to find the truth in what I was trying so hard to ask for; this then took affect once I grew tired of repeating the same lines- this was the tone required for the line as my character would have grown tired of the residence by now as there isn't much to entertain him; so in many ways Yasha has the same mentality that of a petulant toddler...

The Cherry Orchard- Evaluation

EVALUATION

The aim of the task was to perform a piece of Chekhov in a naturalistic way. I think this was at a good standard in most senses as I feel everybody contributed and had a great part to play in the performances and the fact that everyone pulled together in a professional way. I feel that I did my up most in the shows however, when shown the Wednesday performance after show week, I realised that I could do with being louder and therefore using my higher resignators instead of my dominant lower resignators- made obvious by my deeper voice. This will be an obvious pointer to work on as from most audience comments/ feedback forms, my only obvious weakness on stage was the fact that at some parts (including the servant scene where my character pushes Dunyasha onto the piano further upstage) you could not hear me or what I was saying. However I was given great feedback otherwise as most said my portrayal of the character was subliminal, some read "Rhys was great, but a bit quiet at times", "Very consistent and a funny character" and "Scarily sarcastic". This I felt was a great insight on how others see my performance on stage and what I can thrive on and yet improve on all at the same time.

The play was hard to adapt at times with obvious limitations such as characters such as Firs being portrayed by Brad and the obvious age gap between actor and character. However, I felt Brad did very well despite this and was, in my opinion, one of the better actors during performance. In addition, I thought I was able to express my character's immaturity through his age as he would only be in his twenties, therefore an easier age gap to break down. I had tried to express this immaturity through his attitude towards Firs and others by facial expression and body movements around them. For example, in Scene 2 during the party, Firs and Dunyasha are seen to have a conversation about who Dunyasha has danced with and what "the boy from the post office" said to her, I acted curious towards them as I stood over by the piano on the other side of the stage, looking slowly from the floor over to

The Cherry Orchard- Character Profile

THE CHERRY ORCHARD

For our research task into 'The Cherry Orchard', I discovered this was the last finished play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov- written in 1903. The play is seen to be a 'realistic tragedy' and deals with themes such as loss, un/requited love, greed, hate and anger/wrath. These make for a insightful and touching play as the characters could be seen as everyday people (for the early 1900s) and therefore audiences may well share a unique bond with a character or appreciate the performance more for its subtleties. One being how the play could be seen as a comedy- the actors would have to perform with a light heart at times and make scenes come alive just through the deliverance of words spoken and how they were funny just because they left a certain character's lips.



YASHA

For our production of Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard", I was assigned Yasha, a witty yet manipulative, mischievous manservant who could be seen as the only real protagonist in the play. I say this as he is constantly looking for trouble and is successful in finding it. However Alexander could be seen as a real protagonist as well, I believe Yasha has more intent to truly make others lives a misery whilst he gets a kick out of it. In addition, Yasha has no motive and sees people as an opportunity to get his own way. For example, he is known to "befriend"; Simeon for comic relief, Lyuba purely for residential purposes and Dunyasha for his sexual desires as he merely sees her as an object and a 'toy to play with' when he is bored rather than a person.

For my research for the character, I stumbled across the same play that had been made into a short film in 1999 where Hollywood Star Gerard Butler played Yasha. Butler executed the role brilliantly and I enjoyed his moments in the film, yet the Yasha he portrayed was more scruffier and more masculine than mine. Yasha is not particularly liked by any other character but Dunyasha yet is thoroughly admired by the audience due to the character having very good comical timing and portrays a likeable evil in the play. His utter negligence and dislike of Firs is typical of a young hateful man as they both represent the gap in the society at the time and the difference between new and old Russia, suggested by the scene with just the two characters as Firs tells Yasha of 'how it all used to be' and Yasha responding with "Fuck me you're boring".

Previous performances have seen Yasha dressed very smartly, especially for the time period. He is renowned for his stylish and slick looks and the actor portraying him usually has neat and appropriately styled hair and minimal facial hair. The only exception being Gerard Butler in the film adaptation to match his rugged method of playing him, the character then modelling a full beard and shaggy hair.

Yasha does not seem to care for anyone else but himself and could easily be seen as the most selfish character in the play. Supported by his lack of empathy for his mother and the fact that he is known to roll his eyes or sigh whenever she is brought up in conversation, although she is eager to see him. This could be seen as the most discouraging factor about Yasha as he cannot relate to his own mother's love for him, however I do not think that this is expressed enough in the play. His main objective is to cause havoc within the estate in attempt to humour himself as he seems constantly bored (indicated by consistent yawning and fidgeting). In addition, to remain in character I added slight movements and responses towards other characters to appear as I'm listening.

The Wardrobe- Character Profile

In Scene Two, I play Benjamin, older brother to Daniel. In the scene, it is imperative that I maintain an assertive yet supportive image as my character is in role as the teacher

The Wardrobe- Progress

WEEK 1

This week Logan and I were assigned Scene Two as the Jewish Ben-Moshe/Santamaria brothers who secretly learn Hebrew in their Wardrobe. As I have portrayed older brother Benjamin previously, I have already gotten use to the lines and script therefore will now working on the deliverance of those lines. To assist us with this, our group had lessons on Stanislavski's system and emotion memory which both touch on bringing a personal experience into our acting.

Stanislavski's System entailed working on;
- The relaxed actor: a simple exercise which allows the actor to settle in his/her body and to become emotionless by blanking out all thoughts and just focusing on your present being
- The Magic IF: being partnered up and given a 'what if' situation to improvise your own reaction towards a statement one other person has made that you have been made unaware about
- Actions: an exercise which enables to converse with your partner through simply touching them and relying on each other to respond adequately
- Objectives: Partnering up and both being given contrasting objectives and seeing who is more successful in fulfilling this (e.g. One given an objective to leave the room and the other to stop them from leaving)

The System worked very efficiently within the group as we all took to it really well. I personally found it helpful as it would help me for future purposes as well as my current role as Benjamin as
it shall give me an insight on how to play him more naturalistically.

We also learned about energy states (from levels 1-9):
1. The Sleeper- Laying completely still- no movement whatsoever
2. The Waker- Making slight movements (as if waking up)
3. The Toddler- Not in full control of what you are doing but still are aware of it
4. The Businessman- In full control of what you are doing- walking around as if normal
5. The Worrier- feel as if you are being watched, controlled tension in movements
6. The Stalked- someone is definitely watching/stalking you (added tension)
7. The Expectant- something is about to happen- high amount of tension
8. The Victim- something is happening- extreme amount of pressure
9. The Aftermath- something major has happened (for example a bomb had gone off and you couldn't have done anything about it)- in a shocked frame of mind- most confide in the nearby walls/ stay low to the ground- indicates so much tension although a person would be more still

From this I have learned how to build tension though movement and voice and to a high standard. To play Benjamin, I would need a level 4 state as I would be relaxed as I am located in a familiar environment with my younger brother, therefore there is no tension in the scene until Daniel voices his disapproval of what they are doing and throws Benjamin off guard however I still try to understand as I would clearly care for him as the relationship would suggest. Therefore, the energy state may rise to a 5 as the tension is clear however there is no conflict during the scene.

WEEK 2

This week Logan and I have really focused on the deliverance of lines and are now successfully practising without scripts. I feel confidence is high as we work up to our first showing in a couple of weeks. To improve, I think we shall need to work on our places on set and dealing with props- a major candidate taking shape as the bananas as they are pivotal in the scene. In addition, a candle will have to also be introduced into our scene as we would interact with it during the scene as it is there to light up the wardrobe as it adds to the secrecy of what we are doing (which remains very important as it is one of the key themes in the play- the wardrobe is seen as a "place for secrets")



WEEK 3

I feel like Logan and I are making serious progress towards increasing the naturalism and flow of our scene. I say this as as the weeks progress we are not just experimenting with the lines and their delivery, but how, for example, I would physically react towards Logan in character as Benjamin in response to his lines. In addition, we have been working on our own body position and stature and how it may change during the course of the performance.

The mood changes many times throughout the scene; such as when the character in control adjusts from me to Logan when he states that he is not content with how he is treated as a (former) jew- indicated by, "Our ancestors are dead!" after being given a lecture by Benjamin on how and why he should be practising hebrew, the way of their ancestors. As the scene progresses, you can see both our characters become more comfortable with one another as Daniel (Logan) expresses his views on how he is coping with the taunting and bullying he recieves at school regarding his jewish ancestry. My character Benjamin then understands his brother's problems and comes to terms with his vigilance to learn hebrew, yet reinforces the fact that that is who they truly are and that they should not be ashamed of this.

Use of prop will be effective in our performance as there are pivotal points in the scene where the prop requires an explanation from one character as to what it is (a banana as Benjamin is transfixed as to what it is and asks whether or not it is a lemon- change in authority follows) or why one has it (the pamphlet about 'The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Jew of Malta', a play Daniel is going to see with his class). Additionally, a candle will be stationed centre stage (or middle of the wardrobe) to act as the pivotal part of our scene. It shall also provide a naturalistic feel of the performance as that is what people at the time of the scene would use to 'light up the dark'.

In order to improve for next weeks dress rehearsals, I think Logan and I need to get tighter on some lines as we have been working on specific sections of the scene and unconsciously dismissing sections further into the scene. For example, I deliver paragraphs regarding the former owners of the wardrobe, a statement key to the scene as it is the very first reference to an earlier scene in the whole of the play.

WEEK 4

This week we received our costumes for our scenes which is going to assist us massively on the build-up to the performance next week. During rehearsals, it allowed us to really become the character we are in role as it provides the scene with a more personal touch as any audience viewing our performance from hear on in would be able to clearly see what time period that we are supposed to originating from just from what we are wearing.