How to write decent Character Notes

My Character:  Mickey Johnstone


Key Themes for this character: Love, Loyalty, Honesty and Family

As a Child: Age 7

• Funny (I wish i was our Sammy monologue)
• Excitable - plays gun/horse games
• Voice - High pitched shows age with quickly spoken dialogue to show excitable nature
• use of adult word and language 'pissed off'
• Linda - drops her as his best friend when he becomes Blood Brothers with Eddie ' She's a girl but she's alright'
• Innocent - imaginary horse, rides it like a western cowboy 'rough'.
• Body Language - fidgets and plays with his clothes. Constantly moving around and 'itching' to do something.

As an adult: Age 19/20

• Dark colours to show the change to darker times and themes in the play. Mickey made redundant and Linda pregnant and their struggle for money. Eddie home at Christmas - they argue and Mickey nearly punches Eddie.
• Mood changes quickly as Mickey becomes involved with his brother Sammy and the raid on the bank - gets sent to prison.
• Turns to drugs in prison - becomes a zombie and nothing like the Mickey the audience saw in the first act 'I need my tablets'
• Tension between him and Linda as he wants to return to drugs. Linda looks to Eddie for help making Mickey jealous and suspicious.

BLOOD BROTHERS - Making notes for you working record

Many of you have completed parts of the working record but there are some gaps. You should spend the summer making notes that will help you complete the remaining sections.

1.Your group intentions and aims - this is what you completed as a group at the very start of the Blood Brothers work. You stated the scenes you wanted to include in your performance and why and then linked these to the key themes of the play, you also considered how you would make the playwright's intentions clear in your performance.

2. Scene structure and transistions - Detailed breakdowns of each scene in your performance: What happens in the scene, Your intentions with the scene (what are you going to do), How you will show the location of the scene and finally how you will move from this scene into the next.

3. Directors Notes and Annotated Script - You all took responsibilty for the direction of a particular scene so should make notes on this scene. What did you want the audience to feel when they watched it? Why is this scene of particular importance in communicating the playwright's message? How did you want the characters to come across? You should also annotate the section of the script with stage directions and character notes.

4. Evaluation of Support Set Member/Another group - You should highlight three things that another person and another group did really well in their performance. You must be detailed and specific. You should also give 3 improvements that the group and individual could work on, giving an example of what they could do to improve also.

5. Character Notes - Make a simple mind-map or use bullet points to detail important key points about your character. Age, Background, what sort of person they are, Job, Personality.

6. Staging Notes - We looked at various types of staging at the beginning of the term and considered how they might be suitable for your performance of Blood Brothers. Make notes on how you tried out these different staging types and what worked well about them and what didn't.

7. Costume Notes - What costumes and props you intend to wear for your character (and also changes to this costume if necessary!) Remember the key word here is Semiotics - any piece of costume should be an outward reflection of the characters personality and lifestyle also the time in which the play was set. You may wish to include a diagram/drawing/photo of your costume or examples of costume pieces from the internet.

Homeworks

Here is a Half-Term Homework task  - mainly for the 'Nation' group as most of 'Road' have already done it!

You need to reflect and evaluate on the show before you start your own work on directing and rehearsing the scenes to include in your 10minute performance. Answer the following questions in detail and make references to what you actually saw in the show!

1. Which scenes did you like and why?
2. Which character do you feel had the most on-stage presence and what was it about their performance that made you connect to them as an audience member?
3. Which scenes and/or characters would you like to work on or include in your exam work?

Extra Fabulous Bonus Question - After watching the show, do you think Willy Russell's message was made clear? Give examples of when his overall intention was particularly significant in the show.

Exam Groups!

Here's what you have all been waiting for!!

1.
C Newcombe, C Guerney, A Pearson Smith, O Self
J Freeman, G Gill, S Yam, O Denton, M Nash
R Dupres, C Hewitt, A Hill, J Biggs
B Sadler, G Melson, J Hunter, V Elkin

2.
J Smith Swan, D Carroll, S Thean, K Cook, C Pengilly
J Key, R Finnegan, T Murray, H Labacik, M Qalliaj
W McFadzean, S Nicholls, A Jarvis, Y Akguneyli, L Jillard, Z Butler

Blood Brothers Theatre Trip

You are all aware that the trip has been booked for the Thursday 19th May 2011. The coach will be leaving school at 5.45pm so please make sure you are waiting in front of main reception in good time as the wheels will roll without you if you are late!

Next Term: Blood Brothers!

After Easter we start the examined Unit 'From Page to Stage'. We will focus on the musical/play by Willy Russell 'Blood Brothers' currently running in London's West End at the Phoenix Theatre - a trip is being sorted out so expect letters home soon. In the meantime, watch these videos giving you an insight into the plot and characters. LOOK OUT FOR YOUR EASTER HOMEWORK PROJECT APPEARING ON HERE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS!!

Unit 2 - Task 2 - Costume Design

Now that you have finished the performances and evaluated your own work and the performance of another group, we are moving on to Task 2. This task requires you to take on a role other than a performer and consider the design elements and potential of the piece you have created.

• You will all be working on Costume Design for this task.
• You do not necessarily have to make the costume, the focus is on you being able to clearly show how your design would support and enhance the drama.
• You can draw or collate images from the Inter-net, you can then choose to present this as a portfolio or written document on A4 (2-4 sides) or prepare a presentation or pitch explaining your ideas.
• You only have 2 hours to plan and prepare before the assessed presentations.

WHAT TO DO:

1. Watch the video clips to give you some ideas on how directors and designers collaborate on Costume Design and the importance this has in creating and supporting character image,

The Lion King (Broadway/West End theatre production)



Sweeney Todd (directed by Tim Burton  - designs by Coleen Atwood)



Austrailia (directed by Baz Lurhman)



2. Decide which character in your drama (doesn't have to be your own) you would like to design a costume/series of costumes for and write a short explaination why and what your initial ideas are. (1/2 side of A4)

3. Start researching costume ideas - make sure you consider and explore social, cultural and political connections. e.g. How well off are they? What sort of clothes might they be able to afford? Where do they work? Does this have an impact? How old are they? Are they making a statement with their clothes? What era is your drama set in - 60s, 70s, now, the future?

4. Present your ideas - either as a drawing with annotation or make a small version of the costume. You could also bring in material samples and create a collage using these and image.

5. You must then write or present your design - the purpose, what effect it has on the drama and what it means for the audience as a way of showing something about the character. (almost 2 sides of A4 or a Powerpoint presentation or a 2 minute pitch, you can combine all these together if you wish)