What did you think about the overall performance?
I think overall our performance went really well as it flowed all the way through. The transitions between al the different scenes were really quick and slick with I thought was very important as the younger audience may loss interest if there is a lot of dead space on stage. I also felt that everyone put in all the energy they had making the piece a very lively and buzzing one which is perfect for a younger audience. I even had really good feedback from some of the other teacher who watched it, saying that even as an adult they found the piece entertaining and enjoyable. This shows that even though the play was aimed at 3 - 4 year olds it still works for an older audience, possible because of the themes about following your dreams that run through the piece and also because it is very refreshing to see such an energetic and creative piece that can be perceived as silly due it being targeted at a younger audience.
I think overall our performance went really well as it flowed all the way through. The transitions between al the different scenes were really quick and slick with I thought was very important as the younger audience may loss interest if there is a lot of dead space on stage. I also felt that everyone put in all the energy they had making the piece a very lively and buzzing one which is perfect for a younger audience. I even had really good feedback from some of the other teacher who watched it, saying that even as an adult they found the piece entertaining and enjoyable. This shows that even though the play was aimed at 3 - 4 year olds it still works for an older audience, possible because of the themes about following your dreams that run through the piece and also because it is very refreshing to see such an energetic and creative piece that can be perceived as silly due it being targeted at a younger audience.
Was it suitable for the target audience?
I have mixed feelings about this question. I think that despite our efforts to make it suitable for the target audience some, yet not all, of the children may have gotten a bit lost within the play. For that age group seeing this play with all the bright colours, music, dancing and energy can be a lot to take in and I feel as if some of the kids may have been a bit overwhelmed. Not all of the kids, it depends on the personality, there are some children that are very outspoken and lively which this play would have been perfect for. However, there are also some kids who are very shy and introverted. For these kids I think it may have been nice to have a moment of contrast within the play where it became very intimate and we drew the audience in by bringing the voice and liveliness down, as if it is just you and that one child to draw out the part of them that is very outspoken and confident. However, having said that that doesn't mean that everything we did wasn't effective and should have been cut. I think on some kids who were more energetic and confident they would have really loved the play and engaged really well with all the music, dancing and bright colours. Also, even if some children feeling overwhemed meant that the message was lost on them, the visuals of the piece alone would have been amazing and hopefully inspiring to watch even if they didn't quite understand.
I have mixed feelings about this question. I think that despite our efforts to make it suitable for the target audience some, yet not all, of the children may have gotten a bit lost within the play. For that age group seeing this play with all the bright colours, music, dancing and energy can be a lot to take in and I feel as if some of the kids may have been a bit overwhelmed. Not all of the kids, it depends on the personality, there are some children that are very outspoken and lively which this play would have been perfect for. However, there are also some kids who are very shy and introverted. For these kids I think it may have been nice to have a moment of contrast within the play where it became very intimate and we drew the audience in by bringing the voice and liveliness down, as if it is just you and that one child to draw out the part of them that is very outspoken and confident. However, having said that that doesn't mean that everything we did wasn't effective and should have been cut. I think on some kids who were more energetic and confident they would have really loved the play and engaged really well with all the music, dancing and bright colours. Also, even if some children feeling overwhemed meant that the message was lost on them, the visuals of the piece alone would have been amazing and hopefully inspiring to watch even if they didn't quite understand.
Which piece of our show worked the best and why?
I think the piaret song done by Eric was really effective as we directly addressed the audience. This meant that the children could directly engage with eric and could feel a part if something. I think this would have made the kids really excited and feel special as they probably believed Eric was a real pirate and to have a real pirate sing a song directly to you as a young children is amazing. I also though the guitar and the fact the speech was in a rythme to a song was really effective First of all it was call and response which already makes it easy to join in as you only have to repeat what Eric says, the language in the song was also very simple such as 'Eye Patch' making it easier to understand, visualise and therefore engage with. I think because this was so effective there should have been more moments like this.
I think the piaret song done by Eric was really effective as we directly addressed the audience. This meant that the children could directly engage with eric and could feel a part if something. I think this would have made the kids really excited and feel special as they probably believed Eric was a real pirate and to have a real pirate sing a song directly to you as a young children is amazing. I also though the guitar and the fact the speech was in a rythme to a song was really effective First of all it was call and response which already makes it easy to join in as you only have to repeat what Eric says, the language in the song was also very simple such as 'Eye Patch' making it easier to understand, visualise and therefore engage with. I think because this was so effective there should have been more moments like this.
Which devising skills were used to make the piece?
I think trial and error and improvisation was a large part of devising. We would start of by bouncing around ideas untill you have a shape and a clear idea of where you want your piece to head. We would then act on these idea by improvising a scene and taking parts you like and then improvising it again, so slowly you start to build up a scene and develop it. Being able to have an open mind while devising is also very important as it means you are not restricted to only one possible outcome. During devising or when improvising a scene you need to let the scene flow and take it where it wants to go. If you are very closed minded and refuse to look at other ideas other than the one you have in your head you block this out and limit yourself. Having said that I do think it is important to have rough idea of what you want the final outcome to be so you don't get lost within the work and go off task. We also used a lot of physical theatre and music when devising, this heled get the flow and create and atmopshere for the play.
What character(s) did you play and how had these been developed?
Through out the play I played many different characters. At the beginning I played a fairy princess that was actually a toy for little kids. This character was developed by really trying to push it as far as it can go and exaggerate all aspects of the character to get it across to the children. It was also developed by looking at the stereotypical type of toys for children such as action men, barbies or soft toys such as a lion. These gave me clear images of what my character would look and act like allowing me to develop my character accordingly. I also played a character in the 'I want to be...' sections, as a group we became things like astronauts, fairies, dinosaurs and racing cars. I think with these characters, in order to develop them you had to let go of your age and become a child. This was quite hard for me because as I was playing these characters thought such as 'You look really stupid right now' kept running through my head. As i developed my characters I had to let go of that voice and just go for the character. I also developed my characters by looking at different ways you could be that one thing as I think if everyone played the same kind of dinosaur or fairy then it wouldn't be very interesting. So i looked at how everyone else played their characters and tried to look at different ways that were completely different to the way they did their character. At the end of the play I played a character that was a part of the dream team. This character I felt that in order to develop it you had to raise how much energy you were putting into the character. I also developed it by looking at how i made my entrance and how i scooted around the stage, looking at how that could be interesting and things I could say while scootering that matched my character. To make this character really work I made everything seem as if it was the best thing in the world, things like scootering were suddenly the most fun thing you could do.
What have you learnt about devising?
I have learnt that in order to devise effectivley you have to work as a team and bounce ideas between you. The devised piece needs to be a collective of ideas so its balanced out and has lots of different takes and themes running through it. However I have also learnt that there is a balance, as well as there being an input from lots of different people there needs to be group desicions so everyone is on the same page. Otherwise it can get a bit messy with people wanting this and someone else wanting something completley different. The group must learn to compromise with each other. I have also learnt that in order to devise you need to think outside the box and come up with may different ideas. Devising doesn't work as well if you come up with one idea and use that straight away, there needs to be a process of discussion and tossing ideas around. As you do this the ideas start to develop and you left with a a lot of ideas that have been well thought out. This allows you to carry onto the next stage of trail and error a lot more easily as theres more ideas to play with.
What could have been developed further and why?
I think we could have spoke more directly to the audience and made it so their a part of the play rather than some one whos watching the play from the outside. Erics pirate song is a really good example of interaction with the audience and i think we should have found different ways to connect with them. Maybe we could have even gone up into the audience and moved though them, speaking to the kids as we go. Interaction like that would have been a lot more effective not only because possible it would have helped them to understand the play better as they now have a more personal connection but also because it makes watching the play that much more special and therefore a lot more enjoyable. This would then lead to the play having a larger impact on the audience and making it a more memorable moment. There was however, the 'hey world guess what im dreaming about' song that interacted with the audience. Yet i felt that it may have seemed slightly intimidating to the younger audience, thus my conclusion for a more softer approch for some parts during the play.
I think we could have spoke more directly to the audience and made it so their a part of the play rather than some one whos watching the play from the outside. Erics pirate song is a really good example of interaction with the audience and i think we should have found different ways to connect with them. Maybe we could have even gone up into the audience and moved though them, speaking to the kids as we go. Interaction like that would have been a lot more effective not only because possible it would have helped them to understand the play better as they now have a more personal connection but also because it makes watching the play that much more special and therefore a lot more enjoyable. This would then lead to the play having a larger impact on the audience and making it a more memorable moment. There was however, the 'hey world guess what im dreaming about' song that interacted with the audience. Yet i felt that it may have seemed slightly intimidating to the younger audience, thus my conclusion for a more softer approch for some parts during the play.
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