Workshop 1

The first workshop we went to focused predominantly on breath. Angela Pierce, an actor and director based in New York, took the workshop, guiding us through the importance of the dynamic of multiple actors onstage and how controlling your breathing can completely transform a piece of theatre. 

Angela led us through a series of exercises that emphasised and highlighted the points above:

• For the first exercise, we were all stood in a person, throwing a beanbag to each other. As we progressed, two more beanbags were introduced. We had to say the name of the person we were throwing the beanbag to as we threw it; combining physical activity with a vocal line that we were confident on. I found the exercise really helpful, it felt almost like a performance in and of itself, so we found that all of our hand-eye coordination became much stronger as the exercise went on.
• The second exercise brought quick-fire, non-dialogue improv. There was a prop phone on a stool centre stage. The task was simple, all we had to do was walk across the stage from upstage left, to downstage right. With the stool being centre stage, of course, we would meet it in the middle of our path, when it would ring and we would answer the phone, put it down, and continue walking. The most significant thing I observed about this exercise, was that everyone who took part interpreted it completely in their own way, often revealing a lot about the group's creative ideas on the whole. After this exercise, Angela emphasised that it's purpose was to see a clear physical change, which would hopefully change the atmosphere and tone; I chose to go from a solemn yet gentle atmosphere, to an utterly distraught one, whereas some people went from happy to sad etc. 

Marcel on the Train

On the 16th February, we went to see a previews performance of the brand new off-broadway production of Marcel on the Train.

The story follows a young Marcel in Nazi-occupied France before he becomes a world-famous performer. Marcel is given the dangerous task of helping guide groups of Jewish children across borders to safety as a part of the French Resistance which we see in different episodes with discussions with his father. During these tense journeys—often by train and through the countryside—he uses mime, humour, and silent performance to keep the children calm and quiet so they are not discovered. As Marcel develops his talent for physical storytelling, the play shows how his experiences during the war shape the artistic style he later becomes famous for. His ability to communicate without words becomes both a survival tool and a way to bring hope to frightened children. The play blends drama, physical theatre, and moments of mime to tell a powerful story about courage, creativity, and resilience. By focusing on Marcel's youth, Marcel on the Train reveals the human experiences behind the legend and shows how art can provide comfort and strength even in the darkest circumstances, and for me, it did exactly that.

Aaron Serotsky amazingly multi rolled as Marcel's father, a Nazi officer, and a man, George, who helped Marcel and the children to a camp to seek salvation. As the Nazi officer, he used his dramatically upright, rigid posture and low pitch and loud projection, creating an almost 'booming' voice that lingered in the theatre after every time he spoke, emphasising the authoritarian role of the Nazis. The most impactful moment when he plays the Nazi Officer, was just before and during his entrance, when a chalk devil (in the context of a Jewish person) that had the Star of David on the end of it's tail was drawn over the doorway, so that when he was standing in the doorway he, momentarily, was the devil. For me as the audience, I was particularly affected my this moment, as it instated the power of his character, whilst the other characters onstage had such contrasting, meek body language, with their shoulders arched in, they were lying on and under benches, physically placing them below Serotsky's character, once again emphasising that power dynamic.

Another powerful moment that demanded my attention and was rather emotionally profound, was when Maddie Corman's grown up character was auditioning for Marcel Marceau's École Internationale de Mimodrame de Paris. As the audience, I knew that she was still mute, even after the time change which I inferred was years, via her costume and change in body language, with a more assured posture, with her shoulders further back than when she was the child version of her character, and the same characteristic facial expressions, with a consistent tremble of her chin, the screwing of her nose, a slight frown between the eyebrows and the right eyebrow being subtly raised in inconsistent intervals. The moment itself, was when the voice, which can presume to be the casting director, kept on dismissing her, and she let out o

I learnt the beauty and profound nature of intensely physical and stylised movement and characterisation through voice and physicality. The wonderful Maddie Corman, for example, played a 6 year old girl who cane across extremely timid and shy. Throughout the entire play, the only use of vocals from her, was screaming and moaning slightly. Maddie Corman is 55 years old, and through her physicality, I was utterly engrossed and convinced by her impeccable portrayal of her character.

Workshop 2

The second workshop we took part in was entitled, 'Tools of Action', and focused on mining a script in a way that actually helps with making creative decisions when working with a script.

• As soon as we entered the workshop space, we were relentlessly plunged into a warm up which consisted of balancing the space and, once again, working together to make the space calm, controlled and dynamic as performers. We were paired up and worked on one of two duologues. After only 10 minutes of prep-time, we performed to the entire group. I found it really helpful, not only to see others' initial and different interpretations of the same texts, but also to see how they were then responded to by the person taking our workshop, who highlighted the importance of confidence in fully committing to a character that, yes, may be embarrassing, but also is really special and profound. 
• For those reasons, I really enjoyed thinking about performing scripted pieces using Stanislavsky's techniques and, possibly, in a hyper-naturalistic stye, which can be really effective and impactful. Naturalism is something I would like to explore further among the lovely, but sometimes rather overwhelmingly chaotic world of different styles and practitioners.

An Ark

In my opinion, An Ark is the beginning of a new age of theatre performances.

Going in completely blind as to the non-conventional nature of this piece, we became rather excited when we were told to put on headsets and we could see all the audience members around us through them, as well as four virtual chairs. Enter, Ian McKellen alongside Golda Rosheuvel, Arinzé Kene, and Rosie Sheehy.

Through a series of poetic monologues and conversations between the characters, they told the story that I think couldn't be more relevant to every person living on the planet, the story of life. The biggest thing that I took away from this revolutionising performance, was the diverse variety of reactions and responses to it. There was lots of confusion among lots of my friends who may not have properly understood everything, I didn't properly understand everything for that matter, when others reacted with intense emotion, relating the poetic tellings to their own lives, which we all naturally do when seeing pieces of theatre.

It is for that reason why I loved this piece of theatre. Writing this in my bedroom at home nearly three weeks later, I am still quite affected by it, even if I didn't react and or understand to everything at the time. That is also why I think it one of the most successful piece of theatre I have ever watched.