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Get feed back from my Monologue was interesting as it gave me a very good insight into how I had constructed my character and how that looked to an audience.

The most common positive feedback back I got for my performance of my monologue was that I had very good facial expression, tone of voice and pass of speech. These things gave me confidence in the fact that I had produced a character that reflected the emotions that I had wanted to show.

The most common negative feedback I received from my peers was over exaggeration. Although making a good connection with the expressive aspects of my character, the audience thought that I was over exaggerating these traits. Since receiving this feedback, I decided to work towards correcting the issues raised. One way I found to try and make my expressions more naturalistic was to perform my monologue in the mirror. While performing it in the mirror I noticed the points in my monologue at which my face was over exaggerating these movements. The hard part about this was trying to relearn the way in which I performed my monologue and not use the expressions that I had learnt with my facial muscle memory

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Critical Analysis of "Things I Know to be True" for Royal Central Interview

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Critical Analysis of "Things I Know to be True" for Royal Central Interview

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The dysfunctional family is not an uncommon topic in drama. We see it dealt to us in soap operas, in comedies and in just about any other style you can think of. What separates Andrew Bovell’s piece “Things I know to be True” is the idea that families everywhere have dirty secrets, and conflict. The entire play is written in a way that people of all ages can relate to at least one section of the play' as there age old problems such as looking for love that you can't receive and more modern issues like trying to speak to an older generation that doesn't understand. Another thing that separates this play from some many other family drama's is that you don't find the character you relate to and cling to them for comfort. While watching the show your emotions are spread wide as you can relate or sympathise with all of the characters even when they are at opposite ends of conflict, you made to think, "What if that was my Mother?". This made the show's twists and turns almost unbearable as you couldn't help but think about your own dysfunctional family at home.

Frantic Assembly were the people to take Bovell's astounding play, produce it in their own style and present it to the British public. As a company, Frantic Assembly are known for their movement based performances, and brought these well known traits to Things I know to be True. The cast of the show gave incredible performances all for different reasons.

Entering the theatre I was met with seats, a dark and empty stage and fairy lights dangled down from the lighting rigs. This minimalist aesthetic set the tone for the rest of the piece and was present all the way through. In the first scene all the actors appeared on stage, with only Ewan Stewart (playing the father) lit up by a bright spotlight. The rest of the talking straight out into the darkness narrating this moment in the father's life reinforced a horrible foreboding feeling that was being delivered verbally. By having these cast members all in the dark with only some reflection of the spotlight leaking onto their faces, they appeared to the audience as Oracle like figures that knew more than we could at this moment. I found that to be very effective in the effort to help the audience take some understanding from this scene that had been presented with very little context as it was a unchronological memory that would be explained later on. After that scene the play commenced from the start right up to when that memory is taken from; the lighting tones for the rest of the play were very light and naturalistic, used only as basic indoor and outdoor lighting. The only exception to this was a scene in the back garden which featured the fairy lighting and dim lighting for a romantic evening scene in which the mother and father share a romantic dance. I really liked this decision to keep the lighting naturalistic as although the set is not naturalistic in the scene that it looks like an actual house, it does have the parameters of a normal house, and with the naturalistic acting to use the standard white lights reminds you of the basic home set up and the fact that the things going on stage are artistic and dramatic, they're just real.

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My New Personal Statement for Applied Theatre

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My New Personal Statement for Applied Theatre

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If I were to pin-point the moment I knew I was in love with the theatre, I'd take you back ten years, and show you a small theatre in Cambridge. I'd been taken there by my Auntie to watch my Uncle in a play called Balmoral. Backstage you would find a little girl who'd been put under a spell; mesmerised by the lights, gigantic props and something that would amaze any eight-year-old, a snow-machine. Walking on to the empty stage was the pinnacle moment, in which I knew this was what I had to pursue, because it felt like heaven. That feeling still lives within me every time I step onto a stage, only now I'm met by an audience.

In the first year on my Performing Arts UAL course, for my final project, I worked as an assistant Director, an Actress and led my peers to create the set design. For this performance I took on an interesting role as I played one of the male leads in Cabaret, "The Emcee". This required hours of research into the show; the time period in which it was set, women playing men, and finally the character and other interpretations of the role. I took all of these elements to create a well-rounded character, and one that was unique to myself and my own acting style. I loved being able to take on this role, it was complete creative freedom as I wasn't limited to social stereotypes. My aim as an actress is not to fulfil a role but to create new theatre from old text.

Outside of my education, I make a big effort to always be part of the local arts community. One of my favourite recent projects was working on a play for the MK International Festival with a company called The Blacksheep Collective. This was a piece that aimed to challenge people's perceptions, what is moral or not and what it means to be content with yourself. This was a great experience for me as it was one of my first opportunities to showcase my acting in an alternative venue, and work with other actors from the community that weren't afraid to highlight my mistakes and help me improve, this was very rewarding.

After this, the Director of the play gave me a job at her arts café with a key role being an events manager. In my time at this job I have facilitated open mic nights, a Rock and Roll history night and many monthly clubs, including crafts and writing sessions. This is a part of my job that I am proud to be a part of, as I love to bring people together and to share their appetites for creativity.

I have seen a wide variety of shows; from the mainstream classics, to new innovative theatre such as works from theatre company Kneehigh. One piece I saw that inspired me to think about theatre addressing current issues, was a show called Failed States; the theme was the effects that 9/11 had on national security laws. This was something that made me want to tackle the real issues our society faces today. I'm addressing these problems within my current project, in "Extremism" for the National Theatre - Connections competition. The piece talks about our friends, our threats, and how far we will go to defend what's ours.

I am committed to getting a degree within theatre and I would relish the opportunity to study with people that take the art form as seriously as I do. This is important for me as I think many people underestimate the level of effort, and strength, that is required to perform. To take my education further is to pursue a career, rather than to indulge a hobby.  What really excites me about the prospect of studying at a higher academic level is the idea of being a creator of theatre, as opposed to just another actress playing a role. Another reason why I'm so keen to continue my studies is that I long to create, instead of being given, material. This is ultimately my career goal, to create theatre for myself and others to perform. As easy as it is to fantasise about what the future may hold, I am never under the illusion that the path will be easy and I feel that my determination to continue, illustrates my commitment.

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St Mary's University Twickenham London - Drama and Applied Theatre

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St Mary's University Twickenham London - Drama and Applied Theatre

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At St Mary's I will be studying as part of a vast University. The Drama and Applied theatre course is very varied for each year. In the first year the course turns it's focus to  Acting, Voice and Movement and Writing for Performance. This is to build up a useful skill set for the rest of the course to makes sure that you are prepared to perform.

In the second year you learn about leadership, responsibility and creative thinking this leads into the side of theatre which is about creating to inform. This year includes a possible 10-14 day trip abroad to help communities through theatre. Previous years have included trips to Malawi, South Africa, Spain and Chile.

The final year is about preparing for future employment. "This is the chance to pursue the ideas that really inspire you" the St Mary's Website claims. This is a round up of all the things that you've studied for the last two years to be put to practice in a personal way.

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London Metropolitan - Theatre and Performance Practice

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London Metropolitan - Theatre and Performance Practice

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This course shows resemblance to the Brunel University course a it is not a Applied Theatre course, yet more of a varied theatre course. It is important to me to study theatre directly instead of acting as I have no interest in Film or TV. While at the London Metropolitan University there are many thing I will study in my time there; these include the following.

Year 1 (Level 4) modules include:
• Performance Skills
• Devising
• Objects and Theatre
• Identity and Performance

Year 2 (Level 5) modules include:
• Excavating the Text
• Performing the Text
• Society in Performance
• Installation and Site
• Directing 1
• Marketing the Arts
• Dramaturgy

Year 3 (Level 6) modules include:
• Production: Practice and Performance
• Production: Research and Realisation
• Engagement and Participation
• Movement for Theatre
• Directing 2
• Business Practice for the Arts
• Writing for Theatre and Performance

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RCSSD: Audition workshop with a written evaluation of a piece of theatre.

Brunel: Audience Workshop

East London: Audition workshop and reading of given text before interview.

St Mary's University: Audition Workshop, and two minute long Monologue

London Metropolitan: Workshop

From what I have been able to find from the Websites of the Universities, I have found that there are only two auditions/interviews that I can prepare for until I receive an a confirmation that I have the auditions. These are Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and St Mary's University.

For my Royal Central audition I need to prepare for a workshop by attending in appropriate clothing, however for that section of the audition that is as much as I can prepare. For the second half of the audition I need to write a critical analysis of a performance that I have seen. For this I will be writing a review of the play from which I have taken my monologue, "Things I Know to be True". I have found that Royal Central are looking for you to present a piece of written work no longer than to A4 sides of paper, and should be marked by your assessor, that being for me either Wyn or Michelle.

The other audition I have found that I need to prepare for is The St Mary's University audition. This audition requires a short monologue. As I had already worked up a repertoire of potential monologues, all I had to do was pick the one that I felt suited the audition scenario and myself best. I chose Pip's monologue from "Things I Know to be True" as I felt that the character was well adapted to me and I had good feedback from that monologue.

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After evaluating my choices further and thinking about what I want to do after University; I realised that I didn't want to do Musical Theatre and that I only wanted to make Theatre for the public and about the public to inspire a change in society. After this realisation I decided to change my course opportunities once again to suit this. I research more Theatre courses and found a Theatre and Performance course as well as a Drama and Applied Theatre course. Since changing these course choices I no longer require any learnt songs to audition with, however I do still require a monologue.

In this process I decided to drop three of my University choices completely. These were the Anglia Ruskin University, The University of East London and The University of West London. I chose to drop these courses as they didn't have the course I was looking for or anything similar. On the other hand I did keep The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and The Brunel University of London. For Brunel I was set. I didn't have to make any changes as I liked the course I had picked and felt comfortable committing to it, however for Royal Central I adapted my choice and changed it to their Drama, Applied Theatre and Education course.

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Pip's Monologue - Opportunities for Challenges and Progression

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Pip's Monologue - Opportunities for Challenges and Progression

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An opportunity for progression within this monologue is harnessing the powerful emotions in the script. As the woman in the monologue has betrayed and hurt many people, the monologue is filled with undertones of guilty and shame for what she has done to her family. Another key emotion within the monologue is the resentment and anger toward her mother. This comes from a distant relationship with her mother when she was growing up. The final key emotion in this monologue is the bitter sweet feeling that comes with her relationship with the man that she is seeing, knowing that it's hurting her family. The emotions here are both love and sorrow. To understand these emotions better I used method acting to think of times I have felt, love, shame, guilt, and heartbreak. I then worked through my monologue finding the points at which these feelings were displayed and used a method called "action verbing" to think about what my character is trying to tell the audience at that point in the monologue.

Pin pointing these emotions is integral for the development of this character, as the monologue has drastic highs and lows through out. By finding these things I can start to think about things such as my tone, facial expressions, proxemics and pace. To do this I need to find the moment in my monologue where there are specific changes in emotional and change my acting to fit with it.

A challenge within this monologue for me is taking on a character with such a significant age difference. Although this may seem like a small difference, however the age of a character determines there outlook on life, the time of experiences they've had and their attitude. To portray a woman in her thirties, whose been married with children and experienced so many milestones in her life that I have yet to achieve, I had to explore the women I know and how they act as mothers, as married women, as divorcees and as people to have grown up.

After learning my Monologue, I had the chance to go away and think about these and start to act my monologue. Once I had done this I presented my monologue to a group of peers for the first time. This gave me the chance to receive some feedback from my peers.

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After evaluating each of my Monologues clearly and thoughtfully and comparing the monologues to the audition research I have done, I have decided that is best for my two Musical Theatre auditions that I perform my contemporary monologue from the play "Things I Know to be True". I decided this is the best monologue for these auditions as musical theatre is an ever growing art form, and most national or international musical theatre is modern; by performing the modern monologue rather than either of the Shakespeare monologues shows that I have an understanding of the musical theatre industry and that I am capable of performing in this style.

After finalising my monologue choice, I followed up my research for the monologue so that I am prepared for any questions about the monologue I may be asked in my audition. As I found this monologue from a play that I actually watch at the theatre I have a good head start.

The play is, as I previously mentioned, called "Things I Know to be True" this is a performance written by Andrew Bovell and performed by the theatre group Frantic Assembly.

The play is a family drama, that talks about the fact that every family is flawed, and more importantly about how much we value the people around us and how we treat them. The play tells the story of a family, with four children that have all grown up and are finding their way through life. The character whom I take my monologue from is Pip. Pip is a woman is a business woman in her forties and starts the show married to Steve with two children. The struggle that Pip faces is being in a loveless marriage, and has found another man in Vancouver whilst on a business trip. In a scene before the monologue Pip's mother accuses her of being unfaithful to her Husband. This monologue is a letter from Pip to her mother once she has moved to Vancouver to be with her new love interest.

To meet the requirements of my audition I had to cut this Monologue down to two minutes as before when I performed it was about four and a half minutes long. The issue with that however was finding an appropriate place to cut the monologue in a way that meant that it would still flow properly and make sense. I decided that these most integral part of the monologue is the confession to her mother about the "other man". I chose to keep this part as it has a real depth that I can connect with and portray to my audience. With that in mind I chose to condense the monologue to the line beginning "I met him at an education conference in Vancouver, on the first trip." and finish with the line "And wondering if tonight he’ll find the excuse to leave his three children, and good wife, and warm home to come and see me.".

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Modern Monologue - Things I Know to be True 

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Modern Monologue - Things I Know to be True 

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Dear Mum. It’s cold in Vancouver, but I like where I’m living. That’s a reference to a Leonard Cohen song, except he was talking about New York. But you know that, don’t you. Famous Blue Raincoat. You used to play it. Over and over.
I never really understood that song when I was a little girl. I still don’t. But I knew enough to know it was about love. And that every time you played it, you wanted to cry. You never did. Not with us around. Only once did I ever see you let yourself go. You thought you were alone. In the back garden, by the old gum tree. Howling and Howling. Bashing your head against the trunk. Why were you crying that day Mum?
I’m sorry I never asked you. Why didn’t we have these conversations? I think that maybe, we were too busy hiding from each other the things that really mattered.
And so I’m sitting in my apartment in Vancouver and it’s threatening to snow. And I hope it does because that’s a good enough reason not to go out. And I’m playing that song and wondering why it meant so much to you. And I can only ask this from a distance, because I’m scared of seeing the truth in your face like you saw it in mine.
I met him at an education conference in Vancouver, on the first trip. I didn’t see it coming. Do you ever see it coming? So yes, your accusation of another man is right, are you ever wrong mum?
I was ready. For him. For love. A public education specialist. A Canadian. A man who spoke with such passion, about something I stopped caring about years ago. It wasn’t hard. I was ready to fall. For someone. Someone who reminded me of what really mattered. And so I fell, mum.  In love. Three days at a conference, 6 months of thrilling E-Mails and Messages and clandestine phone calls and I knew I had to come.
He’s Married. Of course. But you knew that too. Three children. A son and two daughters. To a woman who is good and fine and right and beautiful. But I don’t care. Because I feel loved by him. Like I never felt loved by Steve. My good, sweet husband Steve. Who never done anything other than care for me and the children, but who doesn’t look much further in life than the end of his driveway. And now I’m waiting for his call. My lover. And wondering if tonight he’ll find the excuse to leave his three children, and good wife, and warm home to come and see me.
‘Thanks for taking the trouble from her eyes’. Do you remember that line from the song? That is what this man has done for me. And I’m wondering if maybe, there was someone who could have done the same for you. If you’d let them.
All my love, Pip.

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University of East London - Drama, Applied Theatre and Education

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University of East London - Drama, Applied Theatre and Education

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This course is based at another London University. This course, much like the course at the RCSSD is about creating theatre for the community and approaching modern socio-political issues through theatre, often in new and abstract theatrical methods. This is a perfect course for the career path I plan on following. The topics that are studied at West London are very exciting and interesting. In the first year there you study: World Performance, Reading & Writing Performance, Participatory Performance Practices and Performing the City. In the second year you study: Politics of Performance & Memory, Cultural Entrepreneurship: Staging Events, Urban Interventions, Applied Performance. Finally in the third year you will study: Staging Philosophies, Research Project: dissertation, Professional Practice: placement, Final Practical Project. For this course there is no audition, however there is an interview. Before the interview you need to read some material that has been sent to you prior to the Interview.

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His Name come from Piece the Musical, written by Scott Alan. The musical is about the life of a woman called Katherine. Katherine's life is presented by four different versions of herself at integral moments. These interval are at 17, 26, 35, 44. The song comes from her 17 year old self. In the song she sing about a handsome man that she went on a date with, but she can't remember his name. When the song is almost over and she simply can't remember his name, the guys calls on the telephone and her mum shouts "Katie, Drew's on the phone" and she remembers his name.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEaLnQhm8aU

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This song comes from the Musical "Into the Woods". The stage show is a dark and slightly twisted look into the world of fairy-tale characters. The song is sang by the character of the witch. In the show the witch has planted beans of which create a Beanstalk allowing access for the Giant, this causes many problems for the other characters and even leads to Jack's wife dying. The Witch tries to control the situation and sacrifice Jack to the Giant. In the end all the story characters turn on the Witch in the song "Your Fault" and tell her that all the problems are caused by her planting the beans. Aggravated by these claims that witch fights back and tells them to take responsibility for their actions and finally cursing them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxZUT1-9Wik

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100 Easy Ways to Lose a Man - Wonderful Town

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100 Easy Ways to Lose a Man - Wonderful Town

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This is a comical character song, in which a young woman imagines how her horrible encounters with men could make a "How to" book on losing men. This is a character song, which means that the character can address the audience directly. This allows me in an audition to make good eye contact with the audition panel and connect with them. As the song is very comical it creates a more light-hearted and playful atmosphere. This I hope the audition panel will find endearing. I chose this song as I think it's good reflection on the kind of person I am, and this is something that I think is a quality that they would respect and want for their cast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNDRmCsm3RQ

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Twelfth Night: Act 2, Scene 2 - Modern Interpretation

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Twelfth Night: Act 2, Scene 2 - Modern Interpretation

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I didn’t give her any ring. What’s she trying to say? I hope she doesn’t have a crush on me! It’s true she looked at me a lot, in fact, she looked at me so much that she seemed distracted, and couldn’t really finish her sentences very well. Oh, I really think she loves me! She sent this rude messenger to tell me to come back, instead of coming herself, which would be indiscreet. She doesn’t want Orsino’s ring! Orsino never sent her a ring. I’m the man she wants. If that’s true, which it is, she might as well be in love with a dream, the poor lady. Now I understand why it’s bad to wear disguises. Disguises help the devil do his work. It’s so easy for a good-looking but deceitful man to make women fall in love with him. It’s not our fault—we women are weak. We can’t help what we’re made of. Ah, how will this all turn out? My lord loves her, and. poor me, I love him just as much. And she’s deluded enough to be in love with me. What can possibly fix this situation? I’m pretending to be a man, so my love for the Duke is hopeless. And since I’m a woman—too bad I’m a woman—Olivia’s love for me is hopeless as well! Oh, only time can sort out this mess. I can’t figure it out by myself!

http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/twelfthnight/section4.rhtml

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Twelfth Night: Act 2, Scene 2 - Shakespeare

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Twelfth Night: Act 2, Scene 2 - Shakespeare

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I left no ring with her. What means this lady?

Fortune forbid my outside have not charmed her!

She made good view of me, indeed so much

That sure methought her eyes had lost her tongue,

For she did speak in starts distractedly.

She loves me, sure! The cunning of her passion

Invites me in this churlish messenger.

None of my lord’s ring? Why, he sent her none.

I am the man. If it be so, as ’tis,

Poor lady, she were better love a dream.

Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness,

Wherein the pregnant enemy does much.

How easy is it for the proper false

In women’s waxen hearts to set their forms!

Alas, our frailty is the cause, not we,

For such as we are made of, such we be.

How will this fadge? My master loves her dearly,

And I, poor monster, fond as much on him,

And she, mistaken, seems to dote on me.

What will become of this? As I am man,

My state is desperate for my master’s love.

As I am woman, now, alas the day,

What thriftless sighs shall poor Olivia breathe!

O time, thou must untangle this, not I.

It is too hard a knot for me to untie

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As You Like it: Act 3, Scene 5 - Modern Interpretation

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As You Like it: Act 3, Scene 5 - Modern Interpretation

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When researching my monologue I found a incredible source that gave me a clear modern interpretation of the words that Shakespeare wrote. This has helped me to further understand my character her intent and what the words mean.

And why, please tell me? Is your mother a goddess that you would insult a wretched man, and exult over the injury you’ve caused him, all at the same time? You’re not beautiful—really, you’re not so pretty that you could go to bed with the lights on—so why must you act so proud and pitiless? Wait a minute, what’s going on? Why are you looking at me like that? I don’t see anything in you but nature’s usual handiwork.—Oh, for God’s sake, I think she also wants me to fall in love with her. No, proud woman, don’t hope for that. Not even your black eyebrows, your silky black hair, your beady black eyeballs, or your yellowish-white complexion can make me worship you. You foolish shepherd: why are you following her, raining tears and puffing hot air like a foggy south wind? You are a thousand times better than she. It’s fools like you who, marrying badly, fill the world with ugly children. It’s not her mirror but you who insists she’s beautiful. The image of herself that she gets from you is better than her actual features

http://nfs.sparknotes.com/asyoulikeit/page_156.html

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As You Like it: Act 3, Scene 5 - Shakespeare

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As You Like it: Act 3, Scene 5 - Shakespeare

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And why, I pray you? Who might be your mother,

That you insult, exult, and all at once,

Over the wretched? What though you have no beauty—

As, by my faith, I see no more in you

Than without candle may go dark to bed—

Must you be therefore proud and pitiless?

Why, what means this? Why do you look on me?

I see no more in you than in the ordinary

Of nature’s sale-work.—'Od’s my little life,

I think she means to tangle my eyes, too.

—No, faith, proud mistress, hope not after it.

'Tis not your inky brows, your black silk hair,

Your bugle eyeballs, nor your cheek of cream

That can entame my spirits to your worship.

—You foolish shepherd, wherefore do you follow her,

Like foggy south puffing with wind and rain?

You are a thousand times a properer man

Than she a woman. 'Tis such fools as you

That makes the world full of ill-favored children.

'Tis not her glass but you that flatters her,

And out of you she sees herself more proper

Than any of her lineaments can show her.

—But, mistress, know yourself. Down on your knees

And thank heaven, fasting, for a good man’s love,

For I must tell you friendly in your ear,

Sell when you can; you are not for all markets.

Cry the man mercy, love him, take his offer.

Foul is most foul, being foul to be a scoffer.

—So take her to thee, shepherd. Fare you well

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When researching my Universities, I had to find out what the Universities wanted to see from my audience.

RCSSD: Audition workshop with a written piece of theatre.

Brunel: Audience Workshop

Anglia Ruskin: 2 Contrasting songs, 1 monologue

East London: Audition workshop and reading of given text before interview.

West London: No Audition.

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University of West London - Musical Theatre

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University of West London - Musical Theatre

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The University of West London is another very large University that dates back to the Victorian era. This university has a range of Performing arts based courses. The course I have picked is the Musical Theatre course. The course is more focused toward the constructs of Musical Theatre, acting and movement. In the first year you study things such as acting, improvisation, and movement. In the second year you study text and critical analysis of script. Then in the final you study voice, and performance ending in an end of year show. There is no audition process for this University. A decision will be made on your UCAS Application.

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Anglia Ruskin University - Musical Theatre

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Anglia Ruskin University - Musical Theatre

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Although Anglia Ruskin is one of my least favourite on my list of University Choices, it is still a promising course. To attend this course I would not actually be attending the Anglia Ruskin Campus in Cambridge, but attending the Urdang campus in London, as Anglia Ruskin run the course through Urdang. This course focuses more on the Dance and Singing elements of Musical Theatre and less so on the components that create theatre. This would teach me other more practical skills that will help me to be a better performer. For Anglia Ruskin there is audition process this process require a dance, singing and acting audition. For this I would need to prepare a monologue of my choice and a solo song. The dance part of the audition is lead by one of the school dance teachers.

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Founded in 1966, Brunel is a London based University with a multitude of courses. This is not a Drama school, and therefore houses more than just Performing Arts students. The university has 3 performing arts courses, with only one specialising in Acting. This is the Theatre course. When researching the course, the thing that stood out to me was the wide range of theatre style that are covered' such as Musical Theatre, Physical Theatre and more. I think this course would be good for me to fulfil my career goals, because if I were to be creating theatre I would need to know theatrically style from all across the spectrum of theatre. This will help me to do that. At Brunel they ask they're successful applicant to come to a workshop held at the University in which you perform tasks, and work with each other. This allows the lectures to understand your capabilities and how well you work with other people.

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Royal Central School of Speech and Drama - Drama, Applied Theatre and Education

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Royal Central School of Speech and Drama - Drama, Applied Theatre and Education

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Drama, Applied Theatre and Education, BA. Based in the borough of Camden, in London. Royal Central is a rather prestigious Drama school and has a array of successful previous Alumni. The School offers many courses to facilitate different roles in the Performing Arts industry; these range from Lighting and set design to Musical Theatre and Dance. The course that I have found to be the best for me personally is the "Drama, Applied Theatre and Education" course. I've taken an interest in this course as it is based around creating innovative theatre to inform and inspire. This is the best suited course for me as my career goal is to one day devise my own Theatre company and bring intellectual and thought provoking theatre to the masses. The course is a 3 Year, full time BA Hons course. The course is broken down, so that each year you have a different focus. The first year is about exploring and understanding applied theatre and what it can be used for. The second year is about developing our performing and writing skills. The final year is about taking the knowledge from the previous two year and creating final piece. After applying for the school people whom they believe are good enough to attend will be invited for an interview at the school. This is the equivalent to an audition. For the interview, you need to prepare a short written piece to present and share at the interview.

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Before I began to think closer into my further education choices, I first had to identify what kind of a learner I am and where my strengths and weaknesses lie so I can approach these issues before I can apply to a University. For example once I can identify the things that I'm not as good at, I can avoid applying to a University that focuses on a discipline that I am less capable in.

Strengths: Reliabity and Organisational skill, Creativity, Strong Acting, Diplomacy and leadership. In my field I can pinpoint my strengths. My reliability is very important to me as it means that my cast, and director can always rely on me. For example it's important that for my director to ask me to learn something and be comfortable knowing that I will do it on time, or for my cast to be able to rely on me to always attend rehearsal well prepared. My creativity has a very big impact on me as a performer. This allows me think outside of the box in whatever task I am given; whether that entails writing a piece, making creative choices when developing a character from a text or working on the production elements of theatre. Despite being a musical theatre performer, my main strength is my acting. This gives me an advantage however in the other disciplines as I can develop a strong character and express motion through facial movement and gesture. My diplomacy is crucial to my leadership skills. In previous productions I have been put in positions such as Assistant Director, this has taught me that you can't please everyone however you need to be patient, impartial and come to a decision that is fair and doesn't leave anyone upset. This creates a better environment for a working cast if they all get along and are happy.

Weaknesses: Dancing, singing, confrontation.
Dancing is one of the three disciplines in musical theatre, and is also the one that I struggle with the most. In order to create the Theatre that I enjoy so much I need to apply more hard work and effort into improving my dance skills. This will come from focus in timetabled lessons and practice outside of college; I may need to look into external dance lessons as well to achieve the level of dance that I seek. Despite my confidence in other areas, I lack confidence when it come to singing as I able to sign but I'm not a strong singer. Without intensive singing lessons there is little I can to do improve my voice, however I can improve my confidence when singing by putting myself out into the public. I can do this by going to open mic nights, and singing for people that I don't know. Once I get use to singing openly, my confidence will improve. When creating a piece, there is sometimes different opinions about choices that we make; when these difference in opinion become confrontational I struggle to deal with the situation. This isn't something that I can change however it is something that I can be aware of before a confrontation starts, and even try to defuse the argument.

Objectives: To qualify for a place a university of my choosing, To create theatre of my own, To join or create an abstract theatre company, Tour my theatre across the world. The first part of my plan, to achieve the goals I have set, is to get into one of the 5 Universities that I have applied to. This can only be achieved by working hard to research my opportunities, research the audition processes and what I need to do to get in, and to write a good personal statement. After getting into University or a drama school I will have opportunities to finally create my own pieces of theatre. After going to University or a Drama school my goal is to become a part of a touring innovative theatre company. This is not something that I can control however after University I hope to have cultivated enough skills to attract other to start a company with me or to be accepted to a theatre company.

Threats: Money, experience, being a woman, being young.  The first threat to my plans is my limited funds. This obviously has a huge impact on my abilities to pay for the things I need such as housing, basic necessities and things I need for my studies. One of the solutions to this problem is my student loan which will pay for some of the things and need. While being at University and after I will be needing to look for roles in local productions to build up a portfolio; one thing getting in the way of this is my lack of experience. The only way to over come this issue is to work for free and get my name around by volunteering. Being a woman is not so much an issue in the acting industry, but more of a problem as a woman living in London. This limits my opportunities for work and limits me by making it hard to travel at night. This may seem an extreme, however it does cause a problem. The way to overcome this problem is to choose appropriate roles and times that would mean that I could travel on my own; alternatively I could find other people to attend auditions and showcases with me. Being young poses a threat to my achievements as relating back to one of my previous problems of not being experience enough. This is because people won't put as much faith in a young actress.

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1# Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

2# Brunel University London

3# Anglia Ruskin University

4# University of West London

5# University of East London

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If I were to show you one item to summarize where my enthusiasm for Theatre started, then I would have to present you with a broken VHS of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring my first ever crush, Donny Osmond. This relic was given to me, when it still worked, by my Grandma when I was five in an effort to ease my boredom on a rainy afternoon, but eventually it changed my life. It's that flame that has taken me all the way through my education and years of hard grafting in my field, to this point.

In the first year on my Musical Theatre UAL course, on my final major project alone, I worked as an assistant Director, an Actress and lead my peers to create the set design. For this performance I took on an interesting role as I played one of the male leads in Cabaret, "The Emcee". This required hours of research; into the show; the time period in which it was set, women playing men, and finally the character and other interpretations of the role. I took all of these elements to create a well-rounded character, and one that was unique to myself and my own acting style. I loved being able to take on this role, it was complete creative freedom as I wasn't limited to social stereotypes. My aim as an actress is not to fulfill a role but to create new theatre from old text. I'm a firm believer in the idea that no two pieces of theatre should be the same.

Outside of my education, I make a really big effort to always be present in the local arts community. One of my favourite arts projects that I have done recently was working on a play for the MK International Festival with a company called The Blacksheep Collective. This was a piece that aimed to challenge people's perceptions, what is moral or not and what it means to be content with yourself. This was a great experience for me as it was one of my first opportunities to showcase my acting in an alternative venue, and work with other actors from the community that weren't afraid to highlight my mistakes and help me improve, this was very rewarding as an actress.

After this, the Director of the play gave me a job at her arts café with my most important role being an events manager. In my time at this job I have facilitated open mic nights, a Rock and Roll history night and many monthly clubs, including crafts and writing sessions. This is a part of my job that I am so proud to be a part of, as I love to bring people together and to share their appetites for creativity.

I have seen a wide variety of shows; from the mainstream classics, to new innovative theatre such as works from Theatre company Kneehigh. One musical I saw that inspired me to think about how musicals can address current issues, was a show called Failed States; the theme was the effects that 9/11 had on national security laws. This was something that made me want to tackle the real issues our society faces today.

I am committed to getting a degree within Theatre and I would relish the opportunity to study with people that take the art form as seriously as I do. This is important for me as I think many people underestimate the level of effort, and strength, that is required to perform. To take my education further is to pursue a career, rather than to indulge a hobby.  What really excites me about the prospect of studying at a University level is the idea of being a creator of theatre, as oppose to just another actress playing a role. Another reason why I'm so keen to continue my studies is that I long to create, instead of being given, material. This is ultimately my career goal, to create theatre for myself and others to perform. As easy as it is to fantasise about what the future may hold, I am never under the illusion that the path will be easy and I feel that my desire to carry on my studies illustrates my commitment.

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If I were to show you one item to summarize my passion for Musical Theatre, then I would have to present you with a broken VHS of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, starring my first ever crush Donny Osmond. This relic was given to me, when it still worked, by my Grandma when I was five in an effort to ease my boredom on a rainy afternoon, but eventually changed my life forever. It's that flame that has taken me all the way through my education and years of hard grafting in my field, to this point. In this past year on my Musical Theatre UAL course, on my final major project alone, I worked as an assistant Director, an Actress and lead my other team workers as head of set design. For this performance I took on an interesting role, as I played one of the male leads in Cabaret "The Emcee". This required hours of research into the show, the time period in which it was set, women playing men, and finally the character and other interpretations of the role. I took all of these elements to create a well rounded character, and one which was unique to myself and my own acting style. I loved being able to take on this role as it was complete creative freedom as I wasn't limited to social stereotypes. My aim as an actress is not to fulfill a role but to create new theatre from old text. I'm a firm believer in the idea that no two pieces of theatre should be the same.

Outside of my education, I make a really big effort to always be present in the local arts community. One of my favourite arts projects that I have done recently was working on a play for the International Festival with a company called The Blacksheep Collective. This was a piece that aimed to challenge people's perceptions of their lives, what is moral or not and what is means to be content with yourself. This was a great experience for me as it was one of my first opportunities to showcase my acting to a paying audience of the general public, and work with other actors from the community that weren't afraid to highlight my mistakes and help me improve, which was the most rewarding thing to take away from the experience. From this experience the Director of the play gave me a job at her arts café with my most important role being an events manager. In my time at this job I have helped out on open mic nights, a Rock and Roll history night and many monthly clubs such as crafts and writing sessions. This is the part of my job, that I am so proud to be a part of as I love to bring people together and to share their passions. I spend half of my life at theatres all around the country and have seen a wide variety of shows; From the mainstream classics, to new innovative theatre such as works from Theatre company Kneehigh. One musical I saw in London that inspired me to think about the topics which a musicals confront, was a show called Failed States; the theme was the effects that 9/11 had on national security laws. This was something that made me want to tackle the real issues that our society face today as humanity evolves.

The reason I'm so passionate about getting a degree in Musical Theatre, is that I have a chance to study with people that take the art form as seriously as I do. This is important for me as I think many people underestimate that level of effort, and strength that is required to perform. To take my education further, is to make a career rather than to fulfill a hobby. Studying at a university level means that I can learn about theatre from the position of an actress as opposed to watching others perform and  mimicking their skills. Another reason why I'm so keen to continue my studies is the I long to create, instead of being given material as this is ultimately my career goal, to create theatre for myself and other to perform. As easy as it is to fantasize about what the future may hold, I never am under the illusion that the path may be easy. I feel that my desire to carry on my studies only illustrates further my commitment and passion.