Unit 6 - Performance workshop

Tuesday 20^th September

To begin the lecture, we started with a few warmup activities. The first exercise that we carried out was ‘bungalow’. We learnt this exercise the previous week so all of the members of the group knew the exercise quite well. Then we moved onto a memory and rhythm exercise called ‘shoulder, click, clap’. This exercise consisted of making simple memorable sequences with body language. These sequences consisted of tapping, clicking and clapping different parts of the body to make different sounds. As a group we needed to keep in time with each other. This meant the exercise improves our communication skills and our imagination. We found this quite hard as we were all doing the sequences at different speeds which did not fit together once we tried to do an ensemble performance. We then moved onto our last exercise called ‘giants house’. In this exercise our lecturer, Alys told a story about a giant in a house and every time she paused in the story we had to, as a team, make the object that she last said with our bodies. This exercise improves our understanding of physical theatre in performing arts. I found this exercise quite difficult as we were unable to think quick enough of how to make the objects so the next time that we do this exercise we will hopefully be able to do this faster. 

Once we had finished all of the warmup activates, Alys asked us in pairs to come up with what we thought were the literal, technical and physical elements of a performance. In my group we came up with many ideas including the beginning/middle/end of the story, lighting, choreography, costume, makeup, etc. Once we had conferred our answers with the opposite team we moved onto devising our own play which included the elements which we had just thought of. We all eventually agreed on the story of Cinderella, but decided to make it a modern-day version. 

After a short break, we sat in a circle facing a partner. This exercise was that we had to improvise a short speech with the person opposite us whilst walking towards them to swap seats. We were given subjects such as “under cover” and “telling a massive secret”. This exercise would help us in the future if we were asked to do any improvisation in an audition for an acting job. This exercise is also a good way to slowly introduce improvisation into the course.