Childrens Theatre

source: sys images

Some things the class has noted as important whilst doing a performance for children, i.e. what a children's theatre actor needs to do (comments in brackets represent how to develop this):

• Children are smart, especially when it comes to sussing' out adults. So, its very important to remember the show is for the audience, not to make ourselves look good. its also important not patronize the kids. (A video recording of our performances might help us to realize how we look from an audiences perspective.)
• Remember that this trip to a show might be the first time the children have ever been in a theatre, and so our performance may influence their future interest in drama. No pressure! (Make every performance we do as fresh as possible, as this will make it more engaging. This can be very hard when you're tired!)
• Children get bored. Easily. This doesn't not mean that the children's shows has to be constant fun and jokes, but it does mean that the actors must be able to 'read' their audiences reactions, and be willing to change according to each audiences needs.
• Children enjoy interaction with the play, so not all noise and wiggling means the children are bored, quite the opposite! As a narrator, I can much more interact with the children and their reactions than the members on the peach could. Actively asking the children what they think and responding could be very effective story-telling technique. 
• Its also important to remember not all kids are the same. Some will be quite happy to sit quietly and listen and won't enjoy interaction, whilst others will be bouncing around. If the audience is quiet, the actor should not (always) consider this as a bad thing. (When not talking, I can study the childrens faces and reactions, and assess from that how well they are enjoying it and respond)
• Acting childish is a no-no. Respect the audience  and present the story in a engaging manner. Acting stupid for the sake of it wont make the children interested.
• Speak clearly. Don't exaggerate or shout, this wont help the children learn good language skills. And it will also make the kids feel patronized. (This point will be developed more in Character Study post)
• The show will change up to the first night, and perhaps even throughout the show depending on how the audience respond. Actors ego's are notoriously fragile, but being willing to be flexible and listen to the audiences response is a good habit to pick up.

The spider-diagram the class created whilst discussing Childrens Theatre for the first time

At the point we created this diagram there was still discussion about which play we would do. However, all the points we wrote are relevant to James and the Giant Peach.

JATGP is not a simple story, but is presented in a way that children can understand. I tried giving a synopsis to one of my friends, and actually realised how complex the story actually is. However, as the characters are so fantasical and humorous it makes the story easier to understand, and the empathy the viewer feels towards the characters help keep their interest.