Modern theatre essay
Some explicit Polaroid
In this essay I will be discussing research I have found about the play I have been working on and performed at a later date, I will also be discussing the rehearsal process and the final performance.
Research
Some Explicit Polaroids is a searing and disturbing examination of the gulf between the leftist non-conformism of the eighties, and the pleasure-hungry culture of the late nineties.
Nick has been in prison since 1984: the ideals he went to prison for were radical, furious and subversive, but fifteen years later he doesn’t recognise the world he returns to. When he turns up at her door after being released from prison, Nick hardly recognises Helen. She was a fellow militant activist in the eighties, but has now bought a council flat and works in local government. Nick meets Nadia, rescuing her from being beaten up again by her sort-of boyfriend. He meets Tim, Nadia’s best friend, who has AIDS and has to take pills almost constantly. Tim has bought Victor from the internet, where Victor offered his fantastic body to the most exciting bidder. And the reason that Nick went to prison is lurking in the background. Nick finds he doesn’t know how the world works anymore, but he’s still angry with it.
Some Explicit Polaroids was first performed in 1999 at the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds.
http://www.dramaonlinelibrary.com/plays/some-explicit-polaroids-iid-128270
Whilst doing my research I discovered a very interesting artical with an interview with mark ravenhill, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-features/10232821/Mark-Ravenhill-interview-I-feel-much-more-passionate-and-engaged-now.html
In the interview I found out a lot of information about marks natural character, it intrigued me to come to the conclusion that mark writes a lot about controversial stuff and things that are quite hidden in society and brings them 'back to the table' in plays. However he gets a lot of grief from the public, an example would be when he got pushed against the wall and was accused of prompting gay liberation. His work has always prompted extreme reactions but this makes mark more energised, engaged and passionate.
In the play 'some explicit polaroids' I play Helen, the hidden 'causer' who pretends her actions are not what caused the whole problem in this play.
It starts of with Helen getting ready to go to a meeting 10 years in the future but take it back 10 years before and she was apart of an extremist group in her early twenties, Nick her former ex lover/extremist fighter turns up on her door step after being in prison for 10 years and expects to be welcomed with open arms and everything to have remained the same. This completely throws Helen as she has been living a lie herself hiding her thoughts away and pretending everything is normal and her actions were not what caused nick to be imprisined but Time has changed her: She’s now a local politician who wants to make it to Parliament, and ex-con anarchists who want to “Eat the Rich” aren’t her cup of tea anymore.
What I have discovered about Helen working on this play/scene is that she is a very selfish character who is living a dream and pretending not only to the world but to herself that she's something she's not. Even though time has changed her she should still be abit more considerate to her ex lover nick as she is what caused him to go into prison by telling him to beat people up brutally. However I think she still longs and loves nick by the pauses and sexual tension in the scene, I think by her seeing him has taken her back to her early twenties mindset.
When I had first got given the script I was slightly confused on what it was about and the actual structure of the script. ( the '/' and ... And what they symbolised) I had to get up and run through the play before even having an idea on what it was about, after talking to rob and watching other scenes I started to understand what it was about and with further research online.
The rehearsal process was not as tense as what previous shows had been. It was more independent with using our own knowledge from previous performances and independent research then coming together at the end of the day and getting class feedback and some notes from Rob and Josh.
My partner 'in crime' was Kurtis
Who played Nick in the scene. I feel we worked extremely we together as we understood and had brief discussion on what we liked and didn't how we could improve it daily.
The challenges we arosed was the time limit and understanding the characters before the performance giving us a very short time before we had to perform.
However with techniques and skills we pulled it off making a interesting piece of drama. A technique we had used was myself talking to the front of the audience but talking to Kurtis without turning around illminating character status.
I think the performance went well considering we didn't really have much time to rehearse together, but when we did we worked in depth. I think the set looked really nice and realistic with the sofa creating a atmosphere but not taking attention away from the actors.
I think we created an effective piece of drama from the audiences reaction.
Overall I enjoyed working on this play as I thought it was unusual and the characters were pessimistic and included a topic that's hidden in our society. I think the only thing that could have made the piece better was having a little bit more time to understand and add more techniques and rehearsal time.
