Working as a narrator you can feel set apart or isolated from the rest of the cast. I only ever spoke to Ryan K or Jack P in this play, and this can feel hard. As I wasn't a 'character' I didn't know who to be which is highly challenging!
However, in a sense the narrator holds the story together by propelling the story forward. What the narrator says is true and has/will happen (supposedly! Unless the narrator is an unreliable narrator, which in this case they are not)
At the very end of the play James himself becomes a narrator of his own story. The main character becomes the narrator and the narrators become observers. This in a sense means that, in fact, the narrators are James, are the story.
As a narrator it is very important to be clear in diction and strong in projection as we drive the story. What follows is the bullet points shown in our Assignment Description for U11:2
Strong projection
I have very tight diaphragm and have to work hard on relaxing enough to project my voice. I find watching videos and training myself at home really helps... here are a few videos I found helpful:
Clear articulation
I particularly like the "She stood upon the balcony" one and often use it before a show.
These are excellent to use!
Pace and Use of space
I know I tend to rush my words so I have developing insight into a personal tendency to be rather apologetic in my occupying of space. I am trying to become reflexive in relation to legitimately taking my place within the acting arena and realise that each memeber of the cast has a 'right' to be seen and listened to.
Texture appropriate to the story telling nature of the piece and Appropriate vocal and physical choices for characters portrayed
As I understand this to mean the bring variety and intrest to the piece I could use
Expression (Shock wide mouth, fear trembling, annoyance tapping my foot)
Vocal pace (Surprise! Worriedness. Annoyance!)
Interaction with other narrators (Grabbing someones hand in fear, kneeling down in fear, touching arm to reassure)
Posture (Openness - broad arm movement and open chest, fear - slouched shoulders, closed arms for protection)
Voice tone
Pitch
Tempo (fast for fear or excitment, slow for soothing)
Volume (Telling a story compared quietly)
Use of breath sounds (emotional expression, shouting for joy, breathy for fear)
Use of silence (telling a story, hang on my words! Its important, listen!)
Use of weight and physicalization of characters
Narrator
Me and Ryan K were advised that our posture was too intense and leaning forward like the picture left could be construed as aggressive.
We were told to pull our shoulders back, relax our arms and not lean forward (right). I think we were doing this in a sort of "secret telling" way, but it did look aggressive. Also using the gently index-finger holding hand movement is seen as less aggressive that pointing
Shark
At first us puppetiers were very stiff with the sharks, but we found out movements better if we used out knees and swam through our movements like we were swimming through the sea. I found it particularly helpful to use my knees to bring up and down weight and movement to the sharks.
Ship
Surprisingly similar technique to what i used with the shark. Slow movements were also needed, the ships heavy, its not going to move fast.
To go to beside the glowworm so that I can run to the peach on my line "And all you had to do anyday of the week was to go and knock upon the door"
To remember my cues, or let Becky take them if I am slow (even though I do remember them! Haha! you have to be flexible if this happens and not be annoyed with yourself or the other person)
To jump of the peach carefully, as I do make a lot of noise if I jump off where its too high
To jump off before my cue for speech as I need time to get to the Glowworm
We (sarah, me and ryan K) were told from the beginning we would be using a handheld puppet of the funnel ship, and that we would have 2D puppets of the ships Captain (Ryan K) First officer (Me) and Second officer (Sarah).
We had a some challenges with the ship, which are best described by the following images:
The waves were detached and moved side to side held by Becky and Jack P (the problem with this was the waves often got stuck, and that their were too many people in the area)
The steam shapes also got in the way of us 'on' the ship.
Next the waves were attached
This was the final design
I ended up holding the ship and had to remember to keep the ship moving gently and to use my knees to make the ship movements slowly.
This scene went through quite a lot of changes as we progressed but one of the main parts of this scene which set it apart was the many puppets we had to use. Firstly we had to organize what movements we would do around the Peach.
We were told we would be three sharks and that they would circle on the stage. At first we (Me, Sarah and Becky) were instructed to circle the peach (going fast) in one direction and then the other way. We didn't know what type of puppet we would be using so we just improvised holding the puppet.
The next type we tried was for two of us to go anti-clockwise and the other two to go around clockwise. Again this seemed to confuse the eye and take the attention off the Peach too much.
The third and final movements are demonstrated in this drawing i made to help me remember what to do:
Even up to the day of the show we made a change to this scene. After our final run-through Chris L advised me to keep focused on the shark and not what was going on in the Peach while I was waiting for the cue to leave.
I had a lot of trouble holding my shark for the relatively long period we were one stage. The small sticks we used on the rod puppet quite hurt my hands, I tried to hold the sticks loosely and carry on.
We added a little bit from the original book because the jump from scene 4 to 5 seemed a little disjointed and it would be easier to understand if we did. I found this part from the book which seemed to fit well.
The narrators each took a sentance which we said whilst we were holding our respective puppet
"As the first seagull flew down, James looped the silk around its neck and attached it to the stem".
Ongoing Targets!
To enter at the correct cue
To move down and around the stage slowly
To attack the peach! (this was added after a couple of shows after our directors realized it looked better
To attack the members on the peach
To bend my knees and outurn my wrists whilst holding the shark rods
To exit early enough that I can grab the ship and prepare to enter again at the right cue (which we often got wrong. To enter before the people on the peach speak about the ship as this makes more sense)
