RUN THROUGH IN THEATRE

In today’s session we had our first run through on the sage where we will be performing Our Country’s Good.  This was a really valuable experience to have as actors and for the show in general. It allowed us to experience space in full and to work out the proximities for the characters and the situations as a whole. I felt that it gave the director and us on stage the opportunity to see it as a show, it opened up gaps that are in it such as transitions and scenes that need more drive but also it allowed us to experience the scenes that really worked and started to bring the play to life.

As an actor I thought that this was a really good experience to have before the dress and tech because the tech isn’t focused on the actors and is about the technical side and the dress should be a full finished run. Therefore this run through was really valuable to get to know the space and how to act and work the space. Vocally I found that it showed me that I have to work harder and control and use my voice to project. I also felt that this was supported by my RP accent as I have to work harder on my clarity in such a large space.

I also found that the space made me think about the proximities between the characters in scenes and how this related to their relationships.  I found that in my first scene when the guards are out shooting that I had more space to explore and be my character by him. Also I found that with all the space my character wanted to gravitate towards Phillips, I feel because I am supporting his opinion that as my character I wanted to show my support physically as well as vocally.

I think one of the main problems that came up in this run was as actors being able to fill the place with our characterisation, physicality and voices. I think that this is something that all the actors in our show need to work because it is such a hard place to work and to fill and I think that this experience was very helpful and useful to show us this and to highlight what needs to be worked on and what is working already.