As soon as we found out what our musical was, I carried out research in order to fully understand the context and themes of the piece in prep for auditions. The first thing I did was watch the musical, so I was able to carry out a character analysis and to be able to populate character profiles. This is so I can get an idea of how I am able to portray my character as she is very confident. For example, I will commit to this musical by practicing my lines as often as I can, this is because I want to be able to come off script as soon as possible, as then I can focus more on my American accent and the way I interpretate my character. As I am on the dance team, I will have to know and constantly practice the choreography, so if anyone needs any extra help, they can feel comfortable coming to me and asking for help. In addition to this, I will be recording any piece of choreography that we learn so that I and others can rehearse at home to make this musical more successful.

I will reflect and evaluate my work by constantly making a plan of when and what I want to achieve by a specific date. For example, I want to be able to memorise all my lines in the next 3 weeks. This is so I can go into more detail with my acting when I am off script. And so, I can set targets for myself as I will feel the pressure of needing to complete my goals before their due. I will always be willing to help anyone in rehearsals if they ask me for it as this will help me as well as them. In conclusion, I am going to stick with my student agreement as this will keep everyone happy and organised. This will create a stress-free environment for everyone involved in the musical as we are sticking with the schedule we planned.

Be More Chill uses technology to talk about real stuff we all deal with such as, fitting in, feeling invisible, or wishing we could change who we are for others. The SQUIP might be a sci-fi idea, but it really represents that pressure to be “better” through outside help, whether it’s social media, trends, or trying to be someone we’re not. It shows how easy it is to lose yourself when you’re trying so hard to be liked or noticed, especially in a world where social media is always telling us how we should look or act.

I think this is a perfect example of what school looks like in today’s society. For example, this can also link to the theme ‘technology’ as most of our insecurities come from social media. This musical represents insecurities in so many different ways, such as friendships, relationships, and being scared you’re not popular enough.

Relationships are very important in this musical whether it’s the friendship between Jeremy and Michael (as displayed in the song, “Michael in the bathroom”), or Jeremy’s awkward crush on Christine throughout the musical. Whilst Jeremy is trying to be popular, it makes us realise how quickly we can actually lose track of who actually cares about you. The meaning of being yourself is way more meaningful than trying to be someone you are not.

https://bemorechill.fandom.com/wiki/Christine_Canigula

https://bemorechill.fandom.com/wiki/Michael_Mell

Be More Chill shows how social behavior such as trying to fit in, impress others, or avoid embarrassment, really affects how people can act. Jeremy changes himself just to be liked by others, and it shows how easy it is to lose who you are when you’re chasing popularity. The show reminds us that being real and treating people with kindness matters more than trying to be “cool.”

Christine is an energetic, theatre-loving teen who stands out from the crowd. She’s witty, a little needy, and not afraid to correct teachers or speak her mind. Her quirky fashion sense and over-dramatic personality make her refreshingly different, and she embraces being unique without trying to fit in which is refreshing to see.

Michael is Jeremy’s very loyal best friend he is a geeky, laid-back stoner who’s a master of Dungeons & Dragons. He’s chill, supportive, and always there for Jeremy, bringing humour and heart to every moment they share. His character is very important in the show.

Rich is the school bully he is portrayed as short, aggressive, and always ready to pick a fight. He’s impatient, loud, and seems to be ‘too cocky’ for his size, giving off serious “little man syndrome” energy. His anger often masks deeper insecurities, making him more complex than he first appears as we later find out what really is going on with him.

Chloe is one of the most popular girls at school she is very confident on the outside but deeply insecure underneath. She loves gossip, shopping, and always seems to know everyone’s business. While she puts on a bold front, a lot of her behaviour comes from a need to feel important and in control.

Brooke is popular and always part of the gossip, but she’s a bit air-headed and not the wisest in the group. She acts confident and thinks she’s got it all together, but deep down she’s insecure and often unsure of where she really stands.

Jenna is one of the popular girls who’s always on her phone and always in the know. She loves to gossip and gives off strong mean girl vibes, often stirring the pot just to stay at the centre of attention.

Jake is Christine’s love interest and a major obstacle for Jeremy. While he might seem like just the “cool guy,” he’s actually a pretty genuine person. He’s also Chloe’s ex, which adds some drama, but overall he’s a sweet person.

The SQUIP is a supercomputer with a slick, punk rock vibe that takes control of Jeremy’s mind. He is logical, manipulative, and obsessed with efficiency. The goal is to make people “more chill,” but underneath that, it’s really about control and power, even on a global scale.

Mr Heere is a messy, struggling single parent who’s clearly having a hard time holding things together. He’s known for never wearing trousers and sometimes having beer for breakfast, showing how lost he feels after Jeremy’s mom left. Despite his flaws, he’s trying, just not always in the best way.

Mr. Reyes is the school’s dramatic drama teacher, full of chaotic energy and quirky imagination. He’s passionate about theatre, even if his productions are a bit all over the place. His love for the stage often leads to some hilarious and unpredictable moments.

https://stageagent.com/shows/musical/12801/be-more-chill#characters

Our first week of rehearsals was highly successful as a team as we managed to get seven minutes worth of block, choreography, certain harmonies and singing. As a whole, we all learnt our lines in advance before our rehearsal to make it easier for our director to give out block and helping our first scene be created. We all managed to retain this very well for the second week. I felt like this day was highly successful for the start of our musical journey and definitely made us feel more excited and ready for the weeks ahead! I would say, we need to focus more as a group because if we had 100% concentration throughout, we would have gotten a bit more done.

There were a few times in the first few weeks of rehearsals, that I would hold myself back as I was nervous and not so confident; this feeling pushed me into realising that if I do not show confidence, I'm not being the best version of the character I am playing, which means I would let myself down as well as my team. I still struggle with my confidence occasionally, but I have improved so much as to what I started with. To help gain my confidence, I would practice my singing and harmonies whenever I could. This is because the more confident I can get with knowing what to do, the more I can focus on getting my characterisation to the full potential as I will be more confident with the singing, harmonies, and choreography.

Learning harmonies is the main thing I struggled on hugely throughout my musical journey. To help me practice and create a better understanding of this, I would record the harmonies with my musical director as this meant I could go back and listen to them any time to practice. I did this because I found myself copying the harmony of the person next to me which would be a different singing group to me, so I really had to focus!

I managed to become off script with my lines just before easter holidays. I am quite proud of this as I was able to complete my target that I set myself to become off script. However, there are still times where I confuse some of my lines or harmonies so there is still huge progress to be made. However, I put in the effort at home by reading over my script to know what lines come before I have to speak so I do not skip someone’s line or miss my own lines. This helps hugely as it has made me more confident in the musical and to also know how I should act or behave in certain scenes as this varies throughout.

One major thing that I am working on in my own time to help with the musical is working on my breath control. This is to make sure I sound good when singing and moving and I do not lose the main purpose on the musical, the singing and acting. I discovered I needed to work on this as when we did a run through of act 2 as my character, we have a dance heavy song called, Halloween, and straight after this act, I do a solo song which at the start I was struggling to go from both songs as I was out of breath. This was so helpful to me as it made me realise what I need to work, and I can improve that for the next run throughs.

We successfully did our first full run through. Personally, I thought it was a great run for myself as I went full out with energy and facial expressions. For the first half of the run through, I was ensemble. As ensemble I do not have any lines, so I am focusing on my harmonies and singing. These two things are especially important for ensemble as we need to be in time and know what harmonies to sing so it sounds good. For the second half I was my character, Chloe. Overall, I felt it went so well for myself, but I need to work on projecting my voice and just go for it, as I sometimes hold myself back due to nerves. I have definitely improved on my confidence hugely which I did lack a lot at the start, but I have improved on my singing and acting a lot by practicing which helps me feel more confident when performing.

During rehearsals in preparation for our show, I would like to work on adding more ad-libs between transitions to make them feel smoother and more natural. I want to bring more sass and aggression to some of my lines such as “Ugh, what are you staring at?” to really own the moment. I am also focusing on adding tiny details in the teacher scene such as, applying lipstick, playing with my hair, or subtly checking my phone, to make my character feel more alive. For the SQUIP song, I want to tidy up the harmonies and overall vocal blend. I know I need to push my character to be more “in your face” and bold, especially during moments like “Do You Wanna Ride?” where I can really show that attitude and confidence. Overall, I am excited to keep developing these elements to bring my character and the show to the next level.

Tech and dress rehearsal week is going to be fast-paced, focused, and crucial for bringing everything together. Expect long days as we layer in lights, sound, set changes, costumes, and props—this is where all the design and performance elements finally sync. Everyone should arrive on time, be patient, and stay flexible, as we will be stopping and starting to fix cues and transitions. Costumes and mics will be in full use, so treat each run like a performance with full energy. This week is about polishing details, supporting each other, and making sure we are show-ready for all our performances. What we need to remember is to come prepared, stay energised, and trust the process as it will be a long week, but our performances will pay off for all the challenging work involved.

Our dress rehearsals will be our final chance to run the full show exactly as we intend to perform it, with all costumes, mics, props, lighting, sound, and full transitions included. Everyone should treat it like a real performance, staying fully in character from start to finish even if something goes wrong. This is where we test timing, quick changes, and technical elements under show conditions, so it is important to stay focused, keep professional, and adaptable. Expect some pauses if we need to fix last-minute issues, but overall, our goal is to simulate opening night as closely as possible as this is where it all starts coming together.

As we wrap up Be More Chill, I have been thinking about what this performance has meant to me and how it sets the bar for any future shows I am part of. My aim was not just to perform well in this one moment, but to push myself into trying a musical, to stay in character, hit my cues, and work as part of a team that supports each other on and off stage. It has been a real learning experience, and I have grown so much, not just as a performer, but as someone who can stay focused, adapt quickly, and give my best even when things get stressful. Everything I have learned during this process has helped me raise my own expectations, and I will carry that with me into every production I do next. Before the musical, I have only been in dance shows; I had never sung before or acted in a play. However, doing this musical has made me realise that I can really aim to be anything if I put in the work and stay confident in what I do.