Audio Ensemble - Post 05

Audio Ensemble Performance

Tuesday 12^th – Thursday 14^th January 2016

Script Interpretation

Question –     How are we going to perform this radio play?

Answer -             This contemporary piece of radio play, has a modern day relevant story, therefore we aim to perform in tradition radio fashion.  In a similar fashion to the BBC’s radio drama ‘The Archers’, we have an ensemble cast to provide voice talent to each character.  The scripted sound effects, that will be pre-recorded, are designed to be used to enhance to audience’s vision of the play.  As well as formal recording studio conditions to ensure full concentration when recording and allow us to bring our best performance abilities.

                             As performers, we will be exploring various vocal abilities and structures to bring this play to life with truthful intentions.  Nothing will be performed to an exaggerated extent, where the play could be seen as pantomimic or indeed a comedy, therefore all vocal strengths will be kept to a neutral state that enhances the dramatic and contemporary formation of this piece.  Not only that, but through research and profiles we aim to express detail and layers to our performances to make the play meaningful and powerful to all audience members ears.

  

Script Analysis

Question -     What moral messages could we find within this play?

Answers -      Established through character relationships and plot elements we deduced three moral messages:

1)      Follow your Dreams – deduced through Lovvie giving up her dreams to become an actor for her family.

2)      Don’t be Afraid – deduced through Lovvie’s difficult relationships with her family and friends, her loyalty to them brings her down and she fears the worst in various scenes as they backlash on her bigtime and that is something she desperately wants to get away from.

3)      Be Yourself – deduced from Lovvie’s constant motivation, she wants to follow her dreams, but hides it from her family, and in the end, while she gives up, she always show who she is, what she wants, and who she wants to be with, no matter the consequences she is always herself.

Question -     Is this play relevant?

Answer -        I personally find this play to be extremely relevant, especially to a modern audience.  Not only is it an incredibly entertaining piece of radio, but it explores moral messages that everyone should hear.  The themes are relevant also.  But it is the concept of gypsy travellers and their relations/responses to non-traveller citizens.  The conflict that engulfs between the characters is both refreshing and heart breaking.  Refreshing, because it adds a modernised twist to the similar forbidden love of ‘Romeo & Juliet’.  Heart breaking, as well because our connection to these characters makes the reality of gypsy traveller’s perspective of real life disappear and when it all concludes we truly feel sorrow for many of the characters.  The connections to reality are there and make the play enthralling and it makes up question what do others think of us?

Question -     What themes can be found in this play?

Answer -        Similarly to the moral messages deduced from the script, analysed the script and deduced these three themes from the play:

1)      Love – deduced from the obvious conflict that goes through Lovvie, who does she really love?  Her dreams or Nelius.  The entire play revolves around Lovvie and her desperate choice to either follow John to find her true passion, or to stay with her family and marry her boyfriend Nelius.

2)      Marriage – one sub-plot to the play is Lovvie’s sister Norah getting married at the age of sixteen.  While somewhat of a tradition for gypsy travellers, it is rather unsettling to envision such events happening at a young age.  The play does question the characters, their relationship, and the power of marriage.  The fact that it is for life, the fact that they are at a young age, the fact that conflict always takes place and no one should take sudden action, otherwise things may backlash.

3)      Power – the play does question who has the strongest amount of power.  Not only that, but the play also inflects the fact that everyone has power over themselves and their lives.  It shows Lovvie as she both losses and gains her power and shows that she has a say in matters concerning her future.  This takes to great effect when she makes her own decisions in the end and does what she feels to be right.