Notes from the devising process...
DIRECTION
Doorkeeper collects the money on the door, Performers start in the performance space, chatting casually. Whistle blows. Each performer assembles in their chosen place. Their characters introduce themselves. As they come to life they ‘dress themselves’ with a prop or with a piece of costume. Neutral speech. Just facts. Status, relationships, name. Repeat. Repeat quieter. Shylock.
Beat.
Jew.
QUESTION
Do I just say my name, or do I say ‘I am . . .’ to introduce my character? How much colour do you give your character?
TEXT
ANTONIO. Wealthy Merchant. Friend to Bassanio. Christian.
Poor. Suitor to Portia. Antonio’s friend. I am BASSANIO. Christian
Heiress. Fate sealed in a casket. PORTIA. Christian.
My name is LORENZO. In love with Jessica. Antonio’s friend. Christian.
In love with Lorenzo. Shylock’s daughter. I play JESSICA. Jewess.
Businesman. Associate of Shylock. TUBAL. Jew.
Jessica’s father. Businessman. (Shakes money tin) SHYLOCK.
Beat.
Jew.
A RESPONSE TO THE RSC’S 'THE MERCHANT OF VENICE'
How to start? Where to begin? This evening’s production of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ confused me, irritated me, drained the very soul from me and, eventually (after 1 hour 35 mins!) drove me from my seat into the relative sanctuary of the foyer bar! (Where I must admit, I remained for the rest of the evening.)
It is always difficult for me, when I’m working so closely on a given text, to fully engage with alternative interpretations of the same work. It’s rather like that moment when you’ve just read a fantastic book and then go and see the film . . . it’s a very rare thing to be dazzled by both!
I don’t consider myself to be an ungracious person but, for some reason, the production we saw failed to excite or inspire me. I was confused by any number of things:
I found no answers, but great solace, in the extra glass of wine I had after you’d all returned for the second half!
Gordon Duffy-McGhie
We will be watching the RSC's new performance of The Merchant of Venice. Please assemble at 7.15pm in the Theatre Royal Foyer. Tickets have been pre-booked and will be handed out by Teresa and Thom.
THURSDAY 9th OCTOBER
David Edwards will lead this session between 6pm and 9pm. Please re-read Act 4 Scene 1 and bring your scripts!
Despite the reduced numbers at tonight’s session, I felt we made great progress in finally structuring our planned performance. Having collectively focussed on some key scenes from the play I now have clear ‘vision’ on how we might be able to, not only play with the various improvisatory techniques we have employed over the past weeks, but also how these, apparently disparate exercises can be brought together in order to create a meaningful interpretation of the play.
David started the evening off with a continuation of his session on language exploration – much impressive atmospheric work was created, all of which could be incorporated into our ‘final vision’.
We attempted to view a short clip from the opening of the Louis Malle film – ‘Vanya on 42nd Street’. (Several people gathered around a PC with limited sound was perhaps less than ideal – note to self: don’t buy Region 1 DVD’s!)
EMERGING STRUCTURE
The clip highlighted an idea I had for the opening of the show – a seamless segway from ‘real life’ into the ‘world of the play’. A rough structure emerged:
On Saturday Oct 8th when we meet from 10.00 ‘till 4 .00 all will be revealed – and puppets will be made!
Participants are invited to share their ideas, responses, suggestions and any exercises or tools which might be useful to other members of the group.
THE WORLD OF THE PLAY:
Introductions to unknown/known characters.
‘Waiting’ games.
Wants/objectives/super-objectives/obstacles (using these in a scene).
Creating a different world using sound/music/characters.
Using short sections of text to create a ‘different world’ to the one intended.
THE USE OF SHAKESPEARIAN TEXT:
Short scenes – dialogue/meaning/winning and losing units.
Development of a short scene of The Merchant Of Venice (TMOV).
Development of a longer scene of TMOV using music/movement, etc.
IMPROVISATIONAL SHAKESPEARE QUOTES:
I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano:
A stage where every man must play a part,
And mine a sad one.
(TMOV).
I owe you much, and like a wilful youth
That which I owe is lost.
(TMOV).
If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches, and poor men’s cottages princes’ palaces.
(TMOV).
He is a proper man’s picture, but alas who can converse with a dumb show?
(TMOV).
...I neither lend nor borrow
By taking nor giving of excess,
(TMOV).
...Heaven in my mouth
As if I did but only chew his name,
And in my heart the strong and swelling evil
Of my conception.
(M4M)
Alack, when once our grace we have forgot,
Nothing goes right: we would, and we would not.
(M4M)
...I warrant you we will play our part
As he shall think by our true diligence
He is no less than what we say he is.
(TTOTS)
Believe me, sister, of all the men alive
I never yet beheld that special face
Which I could fancy more than any other.
(TTOTS)
My only love sprung from my only hate.
(R&J)
A glooming peace this morning with it brings,
The sun for sorrow will not show his head.
(R&J)
HAMLET'S SPEECH TO THE PLAYERS:
HAMLET: Speak the speech I pray you as I pronounced it to you,
trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it as many of your players
do, I had as lief the town-crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the
air too much with your hand thus, but use all gently; for in the
very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, whirlwind of your passion,
you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it
smoothness. Oh, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious
periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split
the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of
nothing but inexplicable dumb-shows and noise. I would have such
a fellow whipped for o'erdoing Termagant — it out-Herods Herod.
Pray you avoid it.
FIRST PLAYER: I warrant your honour.
HAMLET: Be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion be your
tutor. Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this
special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature. For
anything so o'erdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end both
at the first and now, was and is, to hold as 'twere, the mirror up
to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image,
and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure. Now
this overdone, or come tardy off, though it make the unskilful
laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve, the censure of the
which one must in your allowance o'erweigh a whole theatre of
others. Oh, there be players that I have seen play, and heard others
praise and that highly, not to speak it profanely, that neither having
the accent of Christians nor the gait of Christian, pagan, nor man,
have so strutted and bellowed that I have thought some of nature's
journeymen had made men, and not made them well, they imitated
humanity so abominably.
FIRST PLAYER: I hope we have reformed that indifferently with us, sir.
HAMLET: Oh reform it altogether. And let those that play your clowns
speak no more than is set down for them, for there be of them that
will themselves laugh, to set on some quantity of barren spectators
to laugh too, though in the meantime some necessary question of
the play be then to be considered. That's villainous, and shows
a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it. Go make you ready.
EXCERPT FROM PATSY RODENBURG'S 'SPEAKING SHAKESPEARE':
What does Hamlet say?
1. He asks for clear, effortless articulation – and just to prove it can be done, he speaks a tongue twister: ‘trippingly on the tongue.’
2. He doesn’t want them ‘to mouth it’, i.e. show effort in your performance. Over-enunciated and affected speaking encourages the audience to watch and listen to the actor’s craft rather than the word spoken. Hamlet wants them interested in the play, not the actor’s mouth.
3. ‘Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand.’ This is a brilliant description of a physically uncentred actor flaying about on stage. The less centred you are, the harder it is to control your arms or your stance – smooth movement requires a rooted centre. The more heightened and emotional the actor becomes, the more control is required. Only uncentred actors fidget or flap. When a centred actor moves from centre, the movement will feel connected and part of the performance, aiding not hindering it.
4. Hamlet hates vocal pushing – it offends his soul and splits open the ears of the audience closest to the stage, growing to a crescendo as the emotional charge of the play intensifies. The violent imagery Hamlet uses to describe the ‘robustious’ actor brilliantly captures the approach of one who is unfree and locked in his voice and body. This is the actor who bluffs.
5. On the other hand, Hamlet doesn’t want the actor to be too tame: in other words, devoicing and under-enegerised. This is the actor in denial.
6. He asks the actor to be taught by discretion: ‘Suit the action to the word, the word to the action.’ This is the perfect description of an actor being in the moment and on the text. Mean what you say as you say it: not behind or ahead of the word, but fully and imaginatively with it at the moment of speaking.
7. Stay true to humanity. Don’t over-act, embellish or play for cheap laughs. It might amuse some members of an audience, but those with judgement and iscernment will know it’s false. Hamlet has heard abominable actors praised who have nothing human about their portrayal – ‘imitated humanity so abominably’ – but it is a kind of profanity to be that bad. Shouting and bellowing are not the way to portray a character.
8. Don’t improvise or add words. Learn the text accurately or you will lose the plot. Parts of the audience might enjoy it, but any actor encouraged by this is merely pitiful and ambitious.
So Hamlet’s advice, in brief, is perfectly straightforward. It is a set of basic rules for any actor, and we do well to note it before moving on: speak clearly and well; stay centred; don’t push or shout; don’t devoice; stay on the text; be truthful; learn accurately; and don’t improvise.
Shakespeare
David will deliver sessions on ‘Language’ and ‘The World of the Play’ and I will take care of the other two; our hope is that everyone’s needs will be taken care of. That, at least, is the plan!
Gordon Duffy-McGhie
‘You can’t do many things son…so stick with what you know!’ - as my old mother used to say.
Participants from left to right: Laura, Bridget, Gordon, Judith, Caroline, Paul, Fleur, Amanda & Terri.
Saturday 11th October (10am - 4pm) @ TRN, LEARNING SPACE
WEEK 7
Thursday 16th October - THEATRE ROYAL NEWCASTLE , LEARNING SPACE
WEEK 8
Saturday 18th October – Full rehearsal: Theatre Royal Newcastle (10am - 4pm).
HALF TERM
WEEK 9
Saturday 8th November - Full rehearsal: Theatre Royal Newcastle (10am - 4pm).
WEEK 10
Thursday 13th November – 1st Performance: Theatre Royal Newcastle.
Date TBC – 2nd Performance: Middlesbrough College, Middlehaven.
NOTES:
Please note that the Middlesbrough College sessions have now been merged with the Theatre Royal Newcastle sessions (and have been removed from the schedule to avoid any confusion.) In WEEK 6 the group will be given the opportunity to attend a trip to see the RSC’s production of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ at Theatre Royal Newcastle during Week 6 (tickets paid for by TRN).
