On the day of the performance I arrived with my stage team at 9 o’clock so that we were there and ready for when the technical team wanted to begin. We set up the stage the night before as it would give us more time on the day but also that we could practice with the bungee rope and frames. This became very beneficial as we had not been able to before hand and due to this we encountered a number of difficulties which I then had to amend so that everyone felt confident. For example within ‘Bank scene’ the chorus were to bring their frames to the front of the stage. During rehearsals as we had not got the frames to work with, the actors used their bodies to showcase their actions as oppose to using the frame as a multi-functional office prop. On reflection the night before the bungee was not secure enough for the furthest frames to bring forward. I did not want to risk any accidents or uncertainty within the cast and for this reason I decided that the cast would continue performing this scene how they had in rehearsals. This actually benefited massively as the chorus were then given more space and the actions became larger and clearer to an audience.

The day ran very smoothly and we were able to have the cast on stage for a full run of the show before the final performance. We had decided as we had a lot of lighting cues, that I was very specific about, that our Producer, Alex, was to be in the lighting box ensuring that the rhythm and pace of the piece did not fall behind the actors and thus lose energy.

The final performance was one that I feel both the company and I can be proud of. The professionalism of the group throughout the day and within the performance was outstanding and within the performance this was only further reflected. I am so privileged to have worked with such an enthusiastic, talented and passionate group and I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome of the performance. Hopefully this won’t be the last you see of STAMP Theatre!

Word Count: 356

When I first read ‘The Trial’ I was confused as to what the play was supposed to represent. Even to this day I will still read it over and over and each time come to a different conclusion. This was certainly something that Berkoff had aimed for when writing this adaptation, as although the play fundamentally focuses on the representation of society through the figure of Joseph K, this figure will speak differently to each audience member depending on their experiences of life. Therefore, upon reflection,  perhaps what makes the play so fascinating is that each person can interpret the plot, the characters and the events in their own unique way.

One of the greatest challenges of staging The Trial I have faced is creating a performance that is approachable and relatable to every audience member, without imposing my opinion onto the audience. One way this has been achievable is through the hard work and exploration of the play with my fellow company members. Like all the best things in life, it has been a challenge, but the final product has proven to be a show we can all be proud of.

This performance of The Trial has no grand gimmicks or design concepts; It is a production stripped back to the roots of what STAMP Theatre believe performance should be about; the actor, the audience, and the shared story. Created through the encouragement, innovativeness and passion of my fellow company members, this performance will be sure to have an audience engaged and entertained from start to finish.

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As mentioned in a previous blog, the idea of the Grotesque character became a fundamental part of our adaptation, and therefore I was adamant that, in pursuing this, the characters speaking directly to K should maintain this to the fullest extent.

As Orti mentions;

“The physical theatre performer uses his body as his tool to create Character[…]What’s important is how they move: how they walk, how they look, how they scratch their nose. All this allows for instant communication with the audience about the character’s state of mind. There is no need therefore to find your character’s “motivation” as long as you know its “movilization”. (2011)

Therefore, when focussing on these separate characters, these specifics became an essential  part of each characters. To find out more information on this, each actor has written a blog about their particular movement and vocal expression within their character/s.

Here is a shoert video of when I got the cast to do an excercise where they walk around the corner in character. Here I wanted to see a clear distinction in their walk and faces.

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Works cited

Orti, P. (2011) So You Want to be a Physical Theatre Performer? Smashwords

Within this play there is a large emphasis on the chorus and them working as a team to create atmospheres, places and events. Therefore one notion that I really focussed on within the rehearsals was ensuring that the chorus work together to create a slick and well-rounded performance.

As Hodge mentions, Brook prepares his actors through “a collaborative weaving of an ‘invisble network’ that feeds, generates and energises all aspects of theatrical communication” (2000, p.177). In order to create this similar approach, I spent many rehearsals focussing on getting the ensemble to move as one.

One way I did this was through a game I would play at the start of rehearsals. I would have Stuart (Joseph K) go outside of the room and I would choose one chorus member to lead a movement that the others would follow. When Stuart then returned, they would all move as one and Stuart would have to guess who was leading it. The more times we did this, the more intertwined their movements became and you could begin to see the start of this ensemble that moved as one. Once applying this within the performance, although people had their separate characters for each scene, the ensemble worked with each other rather than against.

Another concept of the chorus which was of importance was the pace and rhythm within their movements. As many had no experience in physical theatre, one way I ensured the pace to become tight is by slowing everything down. Sometimes I would have the group moving very slowly to ensure everyone moved to different places within ease of each other and safely. Once we had done each scene I would then gradually build up the pace in order to ensure everyone was moving together and that no one was confused or got injured. One scene that is evident of this is the ‘Taxi scene’ where people were putting chairs over bodies and running around. By the finished product this scene looked disorientating to an audience but ensured the safety within a well thought out and fluid choreography.

Words-347

Works Cited

Hodge, A. (2000) ,Twentieth-Century Actor Training, Routledge