First Rehearsal

Today we worked on the prologue and the first two scenes:

Prologue 
Our setting for this play is in Stanley Halls which is a theatre built in the Victorian era. Therefore we decided to open our play as a group of teenagers breaking in to an abandoned building. This introduces a sense of exploration even before we take on the roles of our other characters based on the island. Exploration is a massive theme in the whole play whether it be Mau discovering he can lead the Nation or Twinkle realising the realistic prospects of life by the end of the play. We all came from different side of the stage (I came from the cafe door) and we need to interact with each other to express to the audience our excitement on discovery of this new, enthralling setting.

Then when Mau enters and strikes the floor with an axe, we turn into birds; birds of paradise. We were asked to pick a bird and look at its movement. This was the bird we found and decided to replicate:

Its hopping action synchronised with its wing action made it an easy move to replicate and an unusual yet practical way of transporting myself across the stage to my exit.

Scene 1
In this scene I am a drowning sailor. I have to mime the actions of a sailor, for example, pulling ropes, being seasick or praying before death. I varied between these actions to create an intense, high energy atmosphere for both the cast and audience to appreciate. We then become the drowned bodies of the sailors, swirling around the space, with the girls ending up on the floor whilst Mau is lifted by the boys. This shows detachment from Mau and all the dead and justifies how alone he is; one boy amongst so many dead. It adds to the eerie tension of the scene.

Scene 2
In this scene we are zombie like creatures who come back to life, to create a gothic atmosphere on the entrance my my character, Locaha. We begin my drumming to the beat of the 'Imo' song. We were not strong vocally or lyrically, but as it is our first rehearsal, we still have time to learn the lines and perfect our timing and strength as an ensemble. When we rip of our masks (which we will be making at a later stage) Locaha stands and the zombies crawl to the side and stand, twitching subtly, maintaining their zombie like stature. When I deliver my lines I am on stage left and walk down the space brushing lightly against the people stood there and they start to do a Mexican wave, representing their loyalty and synchronisation with me as they are meant to be my minions.