AQA A Level Drama Contents Introduction 4 What is assessed 4 How to use this book 5 Section 1: How to explore a play for A Level Drama and Theatre 6 How you will be assessed 6 What does a director do? 8 What do performers do? 10 What do designers do? 11 What is context? 13 How to explore a scene 15 Section 2: Set play: Our Country’s Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker 16 Section 3: Writing skills for your exam 126 What to expect in your Component 1 exam 126 Troubleshooting common problems 127 Making a plan 130 Checking your work 134 Sample practice questions 138 Final preparations 139 Bibliography 140 Glossary 142 Acknowledgements 144 Synopsis 17 Character studies 21 Relationships between characters 36 Character revision 37 Twentieth-century context 38 Historical and cultural contexts 40 Social context 46 Genre, form and structure 48 Style, language and conventions 50 Researching context, genre and style 51 Practical rehearsal exercises for exploring context 52 Applying contextual detail to your performance 54 Applying contextual detail to your design 54 Scene studies 58 How to annotate your script 68 Noting your rehearsal discoveries 70 Acting choices 71 Character interpretations 80 Directing 81 The director’s concept or vision 82 Different concepts and interpretations 82 Stage space 86 Blocking 90 Relationships and interactions 93 Using tension in the play 94 Creating mood and atmosphere 96 Symbolism 98 Set design 98 Costume and make-up design 107 Sound and lighting design 113 Two important, but different, interpretations 118 Having an effect on your audience 122 Creating a cohesive concept: acting, directing, design 123 Extending your creativity 124 Checking your preparation 125 Copyright: Sample material
4 AQA A-Level Drama: Section A AQA A Level Drama Introduction This book is designed to guide you through all the elements of your AQA A Level Drama and Theatre Component 1, Section B exam, when your set text is Our Country’s Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker. For this section of the exam, you will answer all sections of a question that will ask you to think practically as a designer, performer or director about Our Country’s Good. The question will be based on a speci ed extract from the play. Topics you might be asked about include: how you would direct performers to achieve a certain effect as a performer, how you would provoke a particular response from the audience as a designer, how you would contribute to the play’s moods or themes. In all cases, you will be expected to make reference to the 20th- or 21st-century social, cultural and/or historical context of the play. Your production and performance choices should be appropriate for the play as a whole. 5 Gary Wood as The Aborigine, Olivier Theatre / National Theatre, 2015 Tip It is important to remember that this is a Drama and Theatre exam, not an English Literature one. You will need to use the vocabulary of drama rather than literature and be thinking of how a production might look and sound on a stage in front of an audience. What is assessed Knowledge and understanding of drama and theatre A set play from List B. In order to prepare fully for this exam, you must have a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of performers, designers and directors and how they might use their practical skills to interpret a text. You should be con dent in using the correct theatre terminology and in being able to analyse the speci c skills needed to achieve your desired effects as a theatre maker. Copyright: Sample material
5 Introduction Introduction How to use this book This book is organised into three key sections: 1 how to explore a text for A level Drama and Theatre, with vocabulary-building elements on acting, directing and design 2 an extended exploration of the play Our Country’s Good, with a synopsis, character and scene studies and contextual and practical explorations 3 targeted exam preparation to improve writing and test-taking skills, including sample questions, candidate-style answers, troubleshooting for common problems and practice at planning an exam response. At the end of the book there is also a bibliography with suggested books, websites and videos for further reading and research, and a glossary to help you develop and revise your drama vocabulary. 5 Sally Rogers, Michele Austin and Stephen Beresford, Out of Joint / the Young Vic, 1998 Additional features of the book Key terms: De nitions of important vocabulary to help you to understand and express how drama works. These are also collected at the back of the book in the glossary. Tasks: Activities to develop your learning, including rehearsal techniques, character and context explorations, writing tasks and research. Why this is important: Explanations of how certain tasks will help to develop your skills and prepare for speci c requirements of the exam. Tips: Notes on productions and advice on how to approach and improve your work and avoid common errors. Theatre maker insights: Comments from professional theatre makers about how they approach their work, to inspire and provide ideas. Downloadable worksheets: Activity sheets, such as grids and mind maps, which can be downloaded from the Illuminate website at www.illuminatepublishing.com/ourcountrysgood. Sample questions and responses: Questions for you to practise with and examples of candidate-style answers. Look here: Other places in the book to nd additional information on a given topic. Copyright: Sample material
6 AQA A Level Drama How to explore a play for A Level Drama and Theatre SECTION 1 How you will be assessed You will be assessed on your analysis of the choices that create meaning when a text is performed. These include the areas of: When approaching a chosen play, you will be aware of its genre – for example if it is a comedy, tragedy, farce or epic theatre – and its style – whether it is naturalistic or highly stylised, for example, and whether it is modern or postmodern. You will know its form and structure, such as the number of scenes or acts and when its climax occurs. The language of the play could be contemporary and informal, or it might be heightened and poetic, or anything in between. You will explore how the language conveys meaning and emotion to the audience. You will interpret the play’s stage directions and think about which staging con guration would be best to create visual impact. You will consider how the characters might be portrayed through the actors’ skills, including their voices and movements. Throughout, you will be arriving at practical solutions for the challenges of the text in order to make it interesting, meaningful and involving for your audience. In order to produce Drama and Theatre work at the appropriate standard for A Level success, you need to have a clear understanding of what directors, performers and designers do, as well as how to explore scenes and their context. Theatre maker insight Jessica Edwards, director ‘For me, form is always as important as content, because we’re making theatre, and physical bodies are important because we’re all in a space together.’ Key terms Genre: A category of drama, such as comedy, kitchen sink drama, musical comedy or tragedy. Style: The way in which something is performed, for example with realistic detail or exaggerated, abstract or unrealistic. Abstract: Art that is not realistic or literally representative of external reality, but is based on shapes, forms, textures and so on. Naturalistic: Lifelike, believable, realistic. Stylised: Not realistic; done in a particular manner that perhaps emphasises one element of a play or production. Postmodern: A late 20th-century philosophical and artistic movement that challenged common assumptions about art and reality. In drama, it emphasises the lack of objective truth and refuses to supply neat answers to the audience. Climax: The most intense moment in a play, for example the greatest danger or complication often shortly before the resolution. Stage directions: Information in a playscript that is not conveyed in the dialogue. This might include descriptions of the characters, their movements, and the setting, sound effects and lighting. Staging con guration: The arrangement of the stage space and audience, such as traverse, thrust or in the round. Genre Form and structure Character construction Language Style Stage directions Copyright: Sample material
7 The terms naturalism and realism are often used interchangeably, and there is some blurring between the two. In terms of theatre, both styles are a rejection of the arti ce of the melodramas and drawing-room plays of the 19th century. One argument about the differences is that realistic drama creates a believable impression of society, including a focus on characters, such as those from the working class, who previously were seldom featured. Naturalistic drama shares the use of realistic dialogue and settings, but is more likely to seek an underlying cause for behaviour or a greater use of symbolism. You will often nd that a play is described as both naturalistic and realistic, as there is not always a common agreement about these de nitions or the distinction between them.. Task Think of a play you have read, studied or seen, and make notes on the headings in ‘How you will be assessed’ on the previous page. Can you identify its genre, for example? Do you know its structure? What do you recall about how the characters were portrayed? Key terms Arti ce: Pretence or trickery; unrealistic. Melodrama: An exaggeratedly dramatic piece that aims to excite the emotions of the audience. Symbolism: When something represents something more important than just itself, such as a character representing all women, the colour green representing nature, or a throne presenting a kingdom or power. Gesture: A movement such as nodding, pointing or shrugging, which suggests a certain meaning. Task Look at each production photograph below and try to identify the style and genre. Consider if the play looks naturalistic or stylised, period or contemporary, comic or dramatic, and so on. What production elements do you think would have a particular impact on the audience, such as the lighting, costume or set design, or the actors’ gestures or expressions? How to explore a play for A Level Drama and Theatre 5Loving v. Virginia 5Living on Love 4A Great Wilderness Copyright: Sample material
AQA A-Level Drama Play Guide: Our Country’s Good 8 What does a director do? Creative choices Directors are at the helm of a production, making decisions about the intentions of the playwright and the production, the casting and how the play will be staged. The director will arrive at a concept for the play, which will take into account its genre and style. They will lead rehearsals, in which they give the actors notes and guide the play’s blocking. The director will collaborate with the designers and actors to establish the atmosphere of the play and create moments of impact, for example provoking laughter, tension or excitement in the audience. Staging One key role of the director is to consider positioning and spatial relationships on stage. This includes how near or far actors are from each other and the audience. Important moments, such as entrances and exits, will need to be determined, as well as signi cant dramatic moments, such as when a character makes a plot-developing decision or receives an important piece of news. Directors will develop their own aesthetic as to what is visually appealing to them. One major choice is whether or not the fourth wall is observed (as it is for most naturalistic drama), or if it will be broken by having, for example, characters speak directly to the audience. The director will also consider how the actors use the set, when they sit or stand, whether they access different levels on stage and how and where they enter and exit. The staging con guration will also affect the actors’ movements and how the audience experiences the play, including how close to the action and intimate it feels to them. The director will also work with the designers to create particular moods and transitions. Theatre maker insight Howard Sherman, executive director of the American Theatre Wing ‘The play begins with the words of the playwright. The production begins with the director.’ Theatre maker insight Harold Clurman in Directors on Directing ‘The function of the stage director is to translate a play text into stage terms: to make the play as written, clear, interesting, enjoyable, by means of living actors, sounds, colours, movement.’ Theatre maker insight Chelsea Walker, director ‘It’s our job to guide the whole audience experience – if it’s an old play, why do it now? What’s an audience’s bridge into it? What do I want to say about the world with this play? What’s at the very heart of this play? It’s also our job to create the entire world of the play and to bring everyone onto the same page.’ Theatre maker insight Joseph Hancock in the Old Vic ‘Introduction to Directing’ workshop ‘Directing is about telling a story… It’s about giving something to the audience and you want them to think something back. Every director is going to make an audience think a different thing.’ Tip For more ideas about directing, visit the Old Vic Schools Club ‘Introduction to Directing’ workshop (oldvictheatre. com/join-in/education-hub/workshops/ introduction-to-directing). Key terms Intention: What is hoped to be achieved by the play and its production, such as a particular message, mood or exploration. Concept: A vision or main idea for a production. Elements such as performances, staging, lighting and costumes should all work towards this united concept. Rehearsal: A session in which a play is learned, explored, practised and made ready for an audience. Notes: Guidance from the director on how to develop or improve a performance, often given during rehearsals or after a run of a scene or play. Blocking: The movements of the actors; when and where they move and in what proximity (how near or far) to each other and the audience. Atmosphere: The tone or mood of a scene, such as eerie, celebratory or tense. Fourth wall: An imaginary wall between the audience and the actors on stage, allowing for the impression that the characters are fully immersed in their own world and unaware of the audience. Aesthetic: Artistic taste. For example, a minimalist or realistic aesthetic. Look here For an in-depth look at blocking, see pages 90–92, and for staging, see pages 86–88. Copyright: Sample material
9 5 In a theatre in the round, the actors enter and exit through the audience. Task Below are some effects a director wants to achieve in a production. Make a list of practical staging choices required for these effects. Consider where on stage the actors might be, their posture, relationship to the audience and any other movements or reactions. Why this is important You must be able to justify the choices you make and understand how your choices will affect the audience. Theatre maker insight Katie Mitchell in The Director’s Craft ‘Remember that you are reading the play in order to come up with concrete tasks for the actors. So you need to practise translating your intellectual understanding of the material into speci c tasks for the actors to execute. If you talk to the actors using the language of literary criticism or abstract ideas they will struggle to respond to your instructions precisely and, as a result, their work will be vague.’ How to explore a play for A Level Drama and Theatre Tip Remember that it is part of the director’s responsibility to coordinate and oversee the work of the actors and designers. If you wish to create a shocking moment on stage, think about how you could direct the actors and work with the designers to create this moment. When X enters the party scene, I want to make it clear that she is the centre of attention and no one can take their eyes off her. A At this key moment, when X goes to break the valuable vase, I want to build the suspense before it is hurled to the ground. D In this argument, which has quickly escalated, I want to emphasise that the husband is shocked by his wife’s admission, but doesn’t want her to know how much it has hurt him. C I need to nd a way of showing that Y feels cut off from their other three family members who are on stage. B When Y interrupts the ght, I want his power and the fear of his presence to be obvious in the actions of everyone in the city square. E Copyright: Sample material
AQA A-Level Drama Play Guide: Our Country’s Good 10 What do performers do? In his book, The Art of the Actor, 19th-century French actor Constant Coquelin describes an actor as an artist, whose materials are the equivalent of a painter’s canvas and brushes or a musician’s musical instrument: ‘his own face, his body, his life is the material of his art; the thing he works and moulds to draw out from it his creation.’ Actors must have an understanding of their own inner life, voice and physicality as well as the play, its context and style. Portraying a role Actors are responsible for inhabiting the roles in which they have been cast. They will research and rehearse their roles, learn their lines and blocking and, using their physical and vocal skills, create and interpret their character. Their character may have motivations that drive their actions and obstacles that block them, which they will attempt to overcome. The actor will know any subtexts that lurk beneath the lines of the play. Through their stage interactions, they may form a rapport with the other actors and the audience, and they will help to create the world of the play. Consider the pace of movements and the use of pause. To surprise an audience, for example, you might use a very sudden action; to create suspense you might have a pause, when the audience has time to wonder about what might occur. Task Think of a performance you have seen in which there was an important interaction, such as a ght or a love scene (for example when Romeo and Juliet rst meet). • How did the actors use physical and vocal skills to establish their relationship and make the interactions clear and interesting? • Try to recall the pace of the scene, the pitch and volume of the actors’ voices and their use of gesture and facial expression. • Were the characters close or far apart? Did they make eye contact or touch? Did their movements mirror each other or were they different? Write a paragraph describing the effect of these choices. Why this is important You might be asked to write about a character’s interactions and spatial relationships and will need to know the correct terminology for analysing these. Theatre maker insight Peter Brook in There Are No Secrets ‘For an actor’s intentions to be perfectly clear, with intellectual alertness, true feeling and a balanced and tuned body, the three elements – thought, emotion, body – must be in perfect harmony. Only then can he ful l the requirement to be more intense within a shorter space of time than when he is at home.’ Theatre maker insight Chelsea Walker, director, on a decision that had a strong impact on the audience ‘At the end of A Streetcar Named Desire, Stanley goes to touch Stella, who is in oods of tears after Blanche has been taken away. In the nal beat of our production, he reached towards her, and she ercely jolted her shoulder away, rejecting him. Tennessee Williams didn’t give Stella a line at the end of the play, but I wanted it to end with her having the nal word: a protest.’ Key terms Motivation: What a character wants, the driving force behind their actions. Obstacle: Something that prevents a character from achieving a goal. This might be external, like an enemy working against them, or circumstances such as poverty or oppression, or internal, such as their own fear or indecision. Subtext: The deeper meaning beneath the lines. Interaction: Reactions and give and take between characters. Rapport: A connection or sympathetic reaction. Pace: The speed at which something is done, such as slowly or quickly. Relationship: How characters are related to another character, such as a family group, romantic pair, colleagues, antagonists or servant and master. Pitch: How high or low a sound is. Tip This insight from Chelsea Walker is an excellent example of how a director’s or performer’s interpretation can go beyond the playwright’s stage directions. Copyright: Sample material
11 What do designers do? Design covers many elements, including: These all contribute to the play’s narrative and atmosphere. A designer makes decisions based on the period and genre, style, staging con guration and the concept and intentions for the play. They may also need to re ect on the practical limitations of their budget and what can realistically be achieved. Together with the director and other designers, they will consider whether the design is to be, for example, naturalistic, with an abundance of realistic detail; stylised, with heightened or unrealistic features; minimalist, with only a few key features; or a combination of some of these. They will be aware of the importance of the scale, colour and texture of a set. When designing a period play, they will probably research authentic details to include or, on the other hand, they may update or transpose their design to another period or location. How to explore a play for A Level Drama and Theatre Theatre maker insight Caitlin Smith Rapoport, lighting designer ‘For me, lighting design begins with dramaturgy; researching the play, and the time and place in which it is set. I’m looking for clues in the script about where we are in time and space, if it’s day or night, are there lighting elements that I know we will need – like a lit re, a lamp or a ashlight. I’m also reading for how the world of the play feels, what is going on, whose perspective the story is told from, and what each scene is about at its core. My rst priority is always to serve the story. Lighting design is a mode of storytelling through composition. It is architectural, musical, pictorial, and emotional. Light can tell you time of day, where you are, how hot or cold it is. Light can direct your eye to what is important in a moment, change the mood, create ease or tension.’ Theatre maker insight Rosanna Vize, theatre designer ‘I think the director–designer relationship is key to any production, but especially so when reviving classics. It is our job to nd new relevance in a well-trodden text; to make it sing to a modern audience. As a designer I like to search for the emotional core of a text and explore ways that we can help draw out these ideas, visually, physically. With the director, I am designing the event of the production.’ PROPS MAKE-UP SETS SOUND COSTUMES LIGHTING Exploring ideas A designer will carefully read a script, determining its practical demands, such as the action, characters and time period. Costume and set designers might make mood boards to collect and develop their ideas, and create early sketches to present to the director. They might begin sourcing fabrics and furniture. Sound designers will discover sound effects that are demanded by the script, including motivated sounds, like doorbells or pistol shots, but will also think about environmental sounds, which establish the location, or musical underscores or abstract sounds. Lighting designers will explore how lighting might enhance the location of the play and the appearance of the characters, create atmosphere and highlight key moments. Key terms Minimalist: A pared-down approach that uses only a few items, colours or shapes. Scale: The size of something, for example, how large a piece of scenery is. Transpose: Move a text originally set in one context to another, usually to make the play more relevant or interesting to the audience. Dramaturgy: The study of a play in order to reveal its context, characters and themes, as well as looking at its dramatic construction and stagecraft. Mood board: A collection of images and materials to inspire and develop ideas. Motivated sound: A sound effect required by the script. Environmental sound: A sound that establishes a location, such as bird song or traf c. Underscore: Music played under a scene. Copyright: Sample material
Look here On page 106 there is more guidance on using sketches to support your set design responses. Theatre maker insight Alison Chitty, So You Want to be a Theatre Designer? ‘Designers work from original material, be it written, composed, devised or improvised. Together with the director we interpret the material and design a physical world that frames the action and holds the performers. We must be artists, sculptors, painters and architects. We must be collaborators and negotiators, practical, determined, always keeping a sense of humour.’ Tip In your notebook, get into the habit of making regular sketches to convey your design ideas. Task A For visual design, it is important to be able to show your ideas in sketch form. Choose one of the images on the right and make a quick sketch of a costume and/or the setting. Write brief annotations of its key features, such as colour or fabrics. B Recall a play you have seen in performance and do the same. AQA A-Level Drama Play Guide: Our Country’s Good 12 Task A Study the production photographs below of three 20th- and 21st-century plays. Write about the set, costume, prop and lighting design elements, describing their colour, shape, size, texture, scale and so on. B Select the design element that appeals to you most and explain why. 4Top Girls, Aldwych Theatre, 2002 6The Bridges of Madison County, Williamstown Festival Theatre, 2013 6The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Gielgud Theatre, 2014 Why this is important Examiners will usually expect to see sketches to support your visual ideas. Copyright: Sample material
13 What is context? The context of a play is what was happening either when the play was written or when it is set. This can involve its location, social conventions, political movements and historical events, as well as the time period. Context is often broken down into: Social contexts, for example: • the role of women and gender issues • religion and beliefs • poverty, health, housing, employment • cases of injustice; social movements • technological developments, such as inventions and transport • education. Cultural contexts, for example: • theatrical conventions • artistic movements, including literature, music, visual art and architecture • popular tastes • production styles • fashions. Historical contexts, for example: • political and civil movements • wars and their effects • ruling classes and power struggles • the effects of past events on the present. How to explore a play for A Level Drama and Theatre Theatre maker insight Rosanna Vize, designer ‘The rst part of my design process is almost always talking. I enjoy long, winding, circular conversations. These usually begin with the text, but quickly veer off into a sharing of our own experiences. This allows us to process the piece through empathy rather than cold analysis. I nd this leads to an unlocking of something more base level, primal or human which will ultimately inform the shape of a design.’ Tip For more understanding and examples of scenic and set design, the ‘Working in Theatre’ videos produced by American Theatre Wing are an excellent resource (americantheatrewing.org/ working-in-the-theatre/scenic-design/). Tip Awareness of the playwright’s intentions for writing the play may be important to your understanding of it, but do not include a lengthy biography of the playwright in your exam answer. Understanding how context influences a play When writing about a play, you need to demonstrate an understanding of how the context in uences your choices of directing, acting or designing. All of the plays in List B are written or set in the 20th or early 21st centuries, so you might be aware of, for example, the typical role of women during the period in which the play is set, how they dress and how they might be expected to move and speak, as well as the theatrical conventions at the time of writing. The context of Our Country’s Good is multilayered: it was written in 1988; is set in Australia in the 1780s and centres on rehearsals for a play that was written in 1706. You will not be expected to list dates or discuss unrelated historical or political events, but your understanding of the context will in uence your practical decisions about the play. Task Imagine that you are exploring the context of a play written in the past year. What were the major contextual features you might look for? What were the main social, cultural and political events that affected people’s lives? Copyright: Sample material
Tip To learn about the connections between Stanislavski’s techniques and method acting – and its misunderstandings – listen to the entertaining Decoder Ring podcast: slate.com/podcasts/decoderring/2022/04/we-dont-really-knowwhat-method-acting-is AQA A-Level Drama Play Guide: Our Country’s Good 14 20th-century UK and US history Task Below is a timeline showing some key 20th-century events. Highlight anything that might affect your understanding of and concept for Our Country’s Good. 1901 Queen Victoria dies, end of the Victorian era 1914–1918 First World War 1926 John Logie Baird demonstrates the rst television 1929 Wall Street crash, Great Depression in USA 1936–1952 Reign of King George VI 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War 1939–1945 Second World War 1947 Indian independence after 200 years of British rule 1948 Start of the Windrush large-scale immigration from the Caribbean 1952 Reign of Elizabeth II begins 1955–1975 Vietnam War 1950s–1960s US civil rights movement 1960s–1970s Women’s rights movement 1979 Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain’s rst female prime minister 1984–1985 UK Miners’ Strike led by Arthur Scargill 1989 Tim Berners-Lee invents the worldwide web Key figures Constantin Stanislavski: 1863–1938, Russian theatre practitioner best known for creating exercises that encourage believable and naturalistic performances. Anton Chekhov: 1860–1904, Russian playwright known for naturalistic plays such as The Seagull and Uncle Vanya. Bertolt Brecht: 1898–1956, German theatre maker known for epic political plays like The Caucasian Chalk Circle and Mother Courage. Antonin Artaud: 1896–1948, French writer and theatre maker known for surreal, challenging, experimental work. Key terms Method acting: A technique that involves an actor deeply identifying with the character they are playing; using exercises to draw out a believable performance. Episodic: With a series of loosely connected scenes. have been popular forms in theatre. In uenced by Constantin Stanislavski, notable for his work in creating believable productions of the plays of Anton Chekhov and others, realism was found in kitchen sink dramas and the socially aware work of 20th-century playwrights like Arthur Miller. Method acting became popular in the 1950s, where actors might put themselves in extreme physical or emotional situations to immerse themselves in and deeply identify with a character. Expressionism This drama uses exaggerated theatrical elements to create heightened feelings and ideas. It began in Germany in the early 20th century and in uenced theatre internationally, particularly US playwrights such as Eugene O’Neill. Expressionistic dramas are often episodic and use lighting and sound in a striking way. Sets may be unrealistic and have distorted or exaggerated features. The goal is often to reveal a truth that realistic representations may disguise. Epic theatre This political theatre uses a variety of techniques to engage an audience’s interest. These include the ‘alienation’ effect, which highlights the arti ciality of the theatre; multi-roling; breaking the fourth wall; and changing scenery in front of Theatrical movements in the 20th and 21st centuries Realism From the late 19th century through to the 21st century, realism and naturalism Copyright: Sample material
15 the audience. Other common features are the use of one or more narrators, storytelling techniques, songs and comedy. The most famous practitioner associated with this form is the German writer and director, Bertolt Brecht. The objective is to make the audience think about a certain issue. Experimental theatre This type of rule-breaking and often challenging theatre began in the late 19th century, with symbolist works like Ubu Roi by Alfred Jarry, and was later in uenced by the writer and director Antonin Artaud. By the mid-20th century, many companies had rejected traditional narrative and dramatic structures, often in favour of a combination of dance, music and video. Experimental theatre pushes the boundaries of conventional theatre spaces, for example by creating promenade or site-speci c works. How to explore a scene In this part of the exam, you will be given an extract from the play and be asked to write about it in three sections: from the perspective of a performer, director and designer. Ideally, you should work in detail on a number of scenes in this way. To avoid answers that are just theoretical, try to engage in as much ‘on your feet’ practical work as you can. Some ideas for exploring a scene include: writing character biographies creating a pre-scene that shows what happened shortly before this scene breaking the scene into ‘beats’ or ‘units’, showing when the mood, situation, setting or intentions change discovering the main actions of the scene choosing key lines to explore for meaning, subtext and emphasis creating a mood board with research and design ideas for the scene charting the characters’ movements taking turns to direct the scene with different objectives and concepts pursuing characters’ objectives and noting other characters’ reactions sketching the set and costumes experimenting with characters’ use of the set trying different staging con gurations. Your research and rehearsal discoveries will enrich your understanding of how the play could be performed. Keep detailed notes about, for example: characters’ movements, vocal changes and facial expressions costume and set changes key lines changes in atmosphere the scene’s relationship to the play’s context and themes the scene’s importance in the structure of the play. Why this is important You need to have an in-depth and coherent interpretation of many scenes. Practical explorations will add depth to the understanding in your written responses. Tip In your exam, you will not write about the rehearsal techniques you have used or the research you have undertaken, but about the nal performance that this work has helped you to discover. Tip It is as important to note how a character reacts when listening as it is how they deliver a line. Key terms Beat: A section of a play that is usually de ned by when a character’s objectives or situation change. Beats are not de ned in the script, but discovered by the actor and director. Unit: A term used to break a play into smaller parts. A new unit is usually introduced when a character changes their actions. It is sometimes used interchangeably with ‘beats’. Look here On page 70, and online, you will nd grids to help you note your rehearsal room discoveries. Look here On pages 58–67 are suggestions of how to explore ve key scenes from Our Country’s Good. Task Thinking either of your set play or another play you know well, consider if and how any of the theatrical movements here might apply to it. Remember that a play could be in uenced by more than one type of theatre. How to explore a play for A Level Drama and Theatre Copyright: Sample material
16 AQA A Level Drama Set play Our Country's Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker SECTION 2 This section of the book will prepare you for an in-depth study of Our Country’s Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker, based on the novel The Playmaker by Thomas Keneally. As well as familiarising you with the play, you will be introduced to its context, and the many practical considerations involved with directing, acting and designing the play. You will be provided with examples from previous productions and insights from professional theatre makers. As you study and explore the play, consider what you think the playwright’s intentions were and what you might wish to convey to a contemporary audience. Note: Page numbers are taken from the Methuen edition of Our Country’s Good (ISBN 978-1-4742-7444-9). 5 Performance of Our Country's Good by the Naval Academy's Masqueraders troupe, 2017 Theatre maker insight Timberlake Wertenbaker, playwright ‘Though it is set in the 18th century, it is a modern play… about how people are treated, what it means to be brutalised… to live without hope, and how theatre can be a humanising force.’ Theatre maker insight Fiona Buf ni, director ‘Timberlake’s written this wonderful play about justice; about not being trapped in the prison of your own mind; about trying to escape from really limiting thoughts of yourself and other people. Sounds all very difficult and very worthy and it isn’t. She’s written the most beautiful character-based drama, which is also, in many scenes, a comedy.’ Copyright: Sample material
17 Set play: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Synopsis Time and place: Sydney, Australia , 1787–1789 Act 1 Scene 1: The Voyage Out In 1787, on the deck of a convict ship bound for Australia from England, Robert Sideway, a convict, is ogged and then dumped with the other prisoners in the hold. They remember England and its comforts. Scene 2: A Lone Aboriginal Australian Describes the Arrival of the First Convict Fleet in Botany Bay on 20 January 1788 The Aborigine describes his wonder and fear at seeing the ships arriving. Scene 3: Punishment In Sydney Cove, Governor Arthur Phillip, Judge David Collins, Captain Watkin Tench and Midshipman Harry Brewer are bird-shooting while debating whether to hang the men convicted of stealing from the colony’s stores. Collins and Tench argue for, while Phillip is against. Eventually, Phillip agrees, telling Harry to organise the hangings and nd a hangman. Scene 4: The Loneliness of Men Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark is writing in his diary, daydreaming of his beloved wife Alicia and re ecting on the hardships of life in Australia. Harry interrupts and comments on how much he has in common with the convicts. Harry imagines that a man he hung a month ago returned and spoke to him. He says that Duckling, one of the convict women, isn’t speaking to him because he hanged Handy Baker, a rival for Duckling’s affections. Wanting to earn the approval of Captain Phillip, Ralph decides to put on a play and asks Harry to talk to Phillip about it. Scene 5: An Audition Meg Long, a lthy old woman, puts herself forward as she understands Ralph is looking for women. He explains that he wants four young women for parts in the play The Recruiting Of cer. Meg is convinced that he wants sex. Robert Sideway, once a London pickpocket, claims to be knowledgeable about the theatre and asks to perform in the play. Dabby Bryant, one of the convict women, brings on another, Mary Brenham. Mary, who is reticent but can read, is cast as Silvia, while Dabby is cast as Rose. Liz Morden, whom Dabby says is ‘going to be hanged’ (page 18), is cast as Melinda. Scene 6: The Authorities Discuss the Merits of the Theatre There is a heated argument among the authority gures of the colony, including Reverend Johnson, about the purpose of putting on a play. Ralph suggests that it is to honour the king’s birthday, while Major Robbie Ross argues strongly against it, saying that the women convicts should be punished, not outing their ‘ itty wares on the stage’ (page 19). Phillip argues that their exile is punishment enough and the theatre could contribute to their reform. The Reverend supports the play if it ‘sanctions Holy Matrimony.’ Ralph passionately defends staging the play, saying that he has already seen the positive effect on women like Mary. Collins sums up that the play can do no harm and may do good. Ross is furious and exits, claiming he will write to the Admiralty. Phillip announces that there ‘will be a play’ (page 27). Tip Scene 3 is helpful for understanding the rest of the play, such as the of cers’ different ideas about punishment, the rst mention of characters like Ketch and the idea of the prisoners having something to watch besides hangings. Tip Approximately a month passes between Scenes 3 and 4, as Ralph says that Handy Baker, mentioned in Scene 3, was hung ‘a month ago.’ Tip The rst three scenes take place in distinctly different locations: onboard ship; Botany Bay (the rst landing place for the Fleet, which was rejected) and then Sydney Cove, where they settled. Tip The historic Ralph Clark was married to Betsy Alicia Trevern. In the play, she is referred to as both ‘Alicia’ and ‘Betsey’. Key terms Hold: An area of a ship beneath the deck used to carry cargo, or prisoners. It is usually accessible from the deck by a hatch. Copyright: Sample material
18 AQA A-Level Drama: Play Guide: Our Country's Good Task Scene 6 introduces us to Ross. Consider what you want the rst impression of this important character to be. Task The stage directions for Scene 6 say that the men have been drinking and it is late at night. Think of at least three ways this might affect how the scene is performed and designed. Tip While reading the play, make a note of when exits and entrances occur and what effects you want to achieve with the staging of them. Scene 7: Harry and Duckling Go Rowing Harry takes a morose Duckling out in a rowing boat and comments on the new buildings and plants. Duckling says she wishes she was in England. She complains that she has no one to talk to and that her friends are in the women’s camp. Harry shows his jealousy, accusing her of going off with men like Handy Baker. He calls her a ‘ lthy whore,’ then apologises. Duckling feels trapped by their relationship. Harry asks if she would like to be in the play, but warns her not to try anything with Ralph. Scene 8: The Women Learn Their Lines Dabby is yearning for Devon when Mary reminds her that they must learn their lines. Dabby tells Mary that Ralph is attracted to her. Mary angrily accuses Dabby of having sold her to a sailor on the voyage for extra rations. Mary wonders how she could play someone so different from her as Silvia. They begin running lines, when they are interrupted by Liz, who demands that Mary helps with her lines. Liz lunges at Dabby when Dabby says she can’t read. When Ketch Freeman arrives, Liz angrily berates him, saying that he has ‘turned’ on his ‘own kind’ by becoming a hangman. Scene 9: Ralph Clark Tries to Kiss His Dear Wife’s Picture At almost midnight, Ralph speaks to his wife’s portrait and reads passages from the Bible. He kisses her picture. Ketch enters and recounts how he came to be a convict. He claims he was only the lookout for a theft and murder. To save himself, he gave evidence against others. Then, at the colony, he was a lookout for the theft of the stores. He became the hangman rather than being hung. He ends by asking to be in the play. Scene 10: Wisehammer and Mary Exchange Words Mary is copying out the scripts of The Recruiting Of cer when John Wisehammer discusses his passion for words. She suggests that he can help to copy out the scripts. Task Scene 10 has a great deal of subtext, with Wisehammer, in particular, meaning more than he is saying. Locate at least three lines where you believe there is a hidden intention behind his lines, and explain how that would in uence how they are performed. Scene 11: The First Rehearsal Ralph welcomes the actor-convicts. He announces the cast, while the women argue. The actors who are to play Captain Plume and Sergeant Kite aren’t there. They begin rehearsing with Ralph reading Plume. Sideway accuses someone of stealing his handkerchief, which he needs for his entrance as Mr Worthy. He attacks Liz, but is coaxed back to rehearsing, where he makes some bold performance choices. Ralph encourages him to just say the lines. Caesar rushes in, declaring that he will play Worthy’s servant. Ralph tries to show Liz how to act like a rich woman. The convicts imagine they have all the food they could eat. Ross arrives, saying that the two actors who didn’t arrive for the rehearsal have stolen food and run away. Ross accuses Wisehammer, Caesar and Liz of being complicit in the escape, thus destroying the rehearsal. Copyright: Sample material
19 Set play: Our Country's Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker Act 2 Scene 1: Visiting Hours Liz, Wisehammer, Arscott and Caesar are in chains. Liz describes her luckless past and how she is bound to be hung. Wisehammer claims he is innocent and plans to return to England after he has served his seven years. Caesar wants to return to Madagascar. Arscott says that there is no escape from the camp. Sideway, Mary and Duckling visit the prisoners to rehearse the play. Scene 2: His Excellency Exhorts Ralph Phillip encourages Ralph to carry on with the play despite the obstacles. He says that he will soon need to cut rations again. Phillip says that Harry is not well. He compares the play to a colony, but, in this case, it is Ralph who is in charge. Ralph vows to carry on. Scene 3: Harry Brewer Sees the Dead As he drinks, Harry speaks to and assumes the voices of the ghostly gures who are tormenting him. Duckling hears his screams and runs to him. She agrees to be with him if it will help him to forget his nightmares. As he goes to her, he accuses her of being with Handy Baker on the beach. Scene 4: The Aborigine Muses on the Nature of Dreams The Aborigine speaks about the impossibility of befriending a dream. Scene 5: The Second Rehearsal Ross and Campbell bring in the imprisoned cast members to join Ralph, Mary and Sideway to rehearse. Ross says Liz must remain in chains for the rehearsal. Ross wants to watch the rehearsals, but Ralph says there is a ‘modesty’ to them (page 65). Ross orders Sideway to take off his shirt and show his lash scars. He orders Dabby onto all fours. He demands that Mary show her thigh tattoo, but Sideway interrupts by beginning to rehearse with Liz. Campbell goes out to punish Arscott. Sideway and Liz try to continue, but Liz stops as they listen to the beating. Scene 6: The Science of Hanging Harry tells Ketch that he must measure Liz. Ketch objects to hanging a woman. Liz won't cooperate, so Harry forces her to stand. As Ketch measures Liz, he explains that he doesn’t want to hang her, and will try not to hurt her. She asks Harry to tell the Lieutenant that she didn’t steal the food. Harry assumes one of his voices, screams and falls down. Scene 7: The Meaning of Plays The Aborgine re ects on ‘a swarm of ancestors’ who must be satis ed. Mary and Ralph rehearse, while other cast members watch. They discuss the will that Silvia requires of Plume. Mary says that ‘love is a contract.’ Wisehammer believes a man should marry the woman he loves, but Ralph counters that ‘sometimes he can’t’ (page 72). Wisehammer hands Ralph a new prologue he has written. He takes Mary to one side and offers to marry her, saying that Ralph would only keep her as his servant and whore. They carry on rehearsing and Wisehammer, as Brazen, kisses Mary, which angers Ralph. Ralph struggles to rehearse Arscott’s scenes without Sideway. Arscott begins one of Kite’s speeches, causing Dabby to say that she wants that role. Ketch enters and they start a scene between Justice Balance and Silvia, but Mary, upset by rehearsing with Liz’s hangman, rushes off. Copyright: Sample material
20 AQA A-Level Drama: Play Guide: Our Country's Good Scene 8: Duckling Makes Vows Duckling vows to an ill Harry that she will behave differently if he lives. She touches him and realises that he has died. She says she hates him, then that she loves him. She crouches down and cries. Scene 9: A Love Scene On the beach, Mary is practising her lines. Ralph joins her and replies in character. In a mixture of lines from The Recruiting Of cer and his own words, he asks Mary to bed him. They begin to undress. Scene 10: The Question of Liz The of cers discuss Liz, who didn’t defend herself at the trial. Collins points to the weaknesses of the case. Ross declares his contempt for the prisoners. Phillip says that, if she won’t speak, there is little they can do. Ralph encourages Liz to tell the truth. She nally says that she didn’t steal the food, but knew Kable was going to. It is decided that the play will go ahead and Liz will play her part. Scene 11: Backstage The Aborgine appears ill. The actors, including the grieving Duckling and freed Liz, prepare to go on stage. They practise their curtain call and Mary places herself in the centre. Dabby imagines that they can escape at the end of the play. Mary threatens to tell Ralph. Wisehammer now wants to remain in Australia where he feels that it won’t matter that he is Jewish. Sideway plans to start a theatre company, which others want to join. Ralph and Mary share a few affectionate words in private. Ralph offers the actors some last words of advice. Ketch threatens to hang Caesar, who has been brought in drunk, if he doesn’t go on stage. Ketch tells Liz he couldn’t have hung her. Wisehammer recites his prologue. Ralph says it is too political. The actors listen backstage to Kite’s rst speech, which is greeted with laughter and applause from the audience. 4Botany Bay, watercolour by Charles Gore, c1789 Task Summarise the play in no more than eight sentences. You will need to select the most signi cant events of the play. Consider what you feel is absolutely necessary and what you could leave out. Task In a small group, perform a threeminute version of the play, trying to capture its key actions. What do you discover about the characters’ relationships, moods and movements? Copyright: Sample material
4 Nick Dunning as Sideway, David Haig as Ralph, Royal Court Theatre, 1988 21 Set play: Our Country's Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker Character studies Our Country’s Good has a large cast, of men and women, from different classes and backgrounds, offering a wealth of acting opportunities. The following pages contain detailed descriptions of the characters, as well as practical activities to support your exploration of them. Why this is important In the exam, you could be asked to describe how a speci c character should be performed, so you should be comfortable discussing any of them. The officers Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark The play is an ensemble piece, but Ralph is the play’s protagonist, as the audience follows his journey in discovering a positive role in directing the play and in nding love with Mary. He is often the only character not to be doublecast. He is based on the real Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark, a young of cer in the marines, who had left behind his wife and young son. Clark kept journals during his time in Sydney, which spoke of his Christianity and his affectionate homesickness for his wife, as well as the dif culties he faced. We rst see him counting, in a ‘slow and monotonous voice’ (page 3), the lashes that Sideway is receiving. This is a very different impression from that in the novel The Playmaker, where he is rst seen holding auditions. So, in Our Country’s Good, we are aware of a ‘before-the-play’ Ralph. He next appears in Scene 4, where his harshness towards the prisoners, his homesickness and his ambition to be First Lieutenant are revealed. When Harry arrives to discuss Duckling, Ralph asks, ‘How can you treat such women with kindness?’ (page 10) and claims never to be tempted by them. During this conversation, the plan to put on the play emerges as an opportunity to impress Captain Phillip. The rst audition is in Scene 5, where Meg Long says that they thought Ralph was a ‘ uter, a mollie’ (page 13) because he hadn’t shown any interest in the women. The second convict to audition is Robert Sideway, who was being ogged in Scene 1, again showing how relationships have rapidly changed. Ralph is intent on nding convicts who can read and write, especially Key terms Protagonist: The lead character in a drama. Look here On page 37 is a downloadable sheet on which you can gather your discoveries. It can also be downloaded here: www.illuminatepublishing.com/ ourcountrysgood Theatre maker insight Max Stafford-Clark, director in, Taking Stock ‘David Haig, as Ralph Clark, the director, was trembling with excitement and emotion as he made Ralph’s nal speech thanking his actors and acknowledging the experience they had been through together.’ Copyright: Sample material
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