Evaluation

Both performances were successful but I feel the one to our peers was most  successful because there was more energy, the audience understood what we were trying to achieve and the comedy I feel was best suited to their age group. The one to the parents was also successful bevcuse we really felt the meaning was clear. I think it was less successful because we experienced  technical difficulties with music, and this was difficult because we relied on music quite heavily through the piece. Another difficulty is that the audience didn't know Brecht as we did, so I think some of it may have confused them or seemed a bit odd to them. The feedback I got from my peers was glowing. They all said how they really understood the message, and that they found it very entertaining and thought provoking. The feedback I got from the parents was that they enjoyed it, but were confused by it. Some said confused by it in a not so negative way (score for the V effect!!)

I think the play achieved what we hoped it would because most people I spoke to said they had a question for themselves from it. Alice said she got a whole lot of meaning from it and she was really moved. I think this shows we achieved what we wanted, because if we can give one person some real meaning from this, then the message is passed.

We used Brechtian in many ways through our piece. We used the placards to show the audience who was each character, giving them non-specific names such as 'boy' so the audience couldn't get the attachment of a name to get into the characters. We also used narration during Sarah's speech so the audience couldn't get into it and start believing in it as it is a powerful one. The characters were very plain, we all wore black. We made all scene changes for them to see, so they know it's a play, and we made furniture with our bodies. We used a projector to get our points across, we used songs and dances to narrate which is also brechtian.

The final performance went very well, the audience were rather a dead one, so we did our best to keep the energy, and they appreciated many of the jokes. I feel my own performance was rather strong, I did  keep energy levels up, I feel I pushed my characters far enough, especially in the Bush scene. Not to mention my stunning performance in the video... cringe. I think universally we could have pushed things a bit more in the 'Blondie' scenes but apart from that it was very good.

One cast member I thought was outstanding was Parris, he worked so hard all the time, never dropped anything and kept his characters firmly pushed to the limit (with a pinch of extreme sassiness.) I think his performance in the Bin Laden part was hilarious and brilliant, it would not have been the same if he hadn't pushed him that far. It made him very humorous but also scary. He was great in the Blondie scenes and hotsteppa, volume could've increased here though. He was still acting at the sides, he was on the ball at all times.

I have come to like political theatre a lot, I think it's great fun. At first I was a little skeptical because I had so much love for Stan last term. However it was enormous fun making this piece and being able to be silly and have a play around with and make a bit wacky. Also by the end of it, I feel like I've still found something really meaningful and serious in it. It's a very nice and satisfying feeling.

Is All Theatre Political?
Well at the beginning of term I thought, yes it is, politics is everywhere, hard not to miss it.
However now I feel that to come to the root of that question, you have to question what are politics. I think it's about the government and the central system and how do we follow rules. That's not what we are. There is theatre about us, as people, individuals and who we are in our minds.