22.10.19 Peter and the Wolf - Ms Trono

WARM UP
In this rehearsal we did the warm up game Chinese Whispers but with actions to get our bodies moving.  We had to use movements from the characters from Peter and the Wolf and it would go down the line until we had a movement that should have but didn't look anything like the movement at the start.  For example, I did the duck's waddle, Peter's skip and the hunter's walk.  This then had to go down the line of people in our theatre company and see how the movements turned out at the end.  Some people had a hard time recreating the movements as they required some skill, e.g. I struggled to recreate Amelie's bird motif as it was too difficult.  Some other people had a hard time to remember what movements were done.

PROCESSION
We then looked at the procession and watched some videos online to help us figure out how we want to choreograph this section.  We looked at contact improvisation for ideas on how the characters could interact with each other as there is no dialogue.  We didn't do too much physical work this
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We also looked at some procession videos.
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21.10.19 Peter and the Wolf - Ms Trono

REHEARSAL
In this rehearsal we managed to finish the blocking for our piece from before the procession.  I think that it will be a lot easier to progress with our movements and choreography now we know where we need to be and at what point in the music.  I believe I need to work on my choreography for in the tree when I'm next to the bird.  I think I need to have a more cat like movement and possibly have some interactions with the bird.  Our energy was a lot better than the last rehearsals however, I think that some people weren't in the best mood.

Example of a procession

Bullying Piece Ideas - Mrs Williams

WHY CHARACTER IS BULLIED?

• Single parent, dad
• Bullied about mother (bullies make up stories)
• Has to care for parent at home - always late for school
• Don’t judge because you don’t know what’s going on

TIMELINE1

• Mel goes to teachers (who don’t help)
• Teachers snitch to their child who goes to that school
• That child tells the bullies and then bullying gets worse
• Go into hospital - parent seriously ill
• Bullies realize what they’ve done

TIMELINE2

• Boy moves to new school
• Gets in with wrong crowd
• Gets dared to do things in class
• Gets suspended
• Comes back to school and doesn’t want to do anything
• Bullying gets reported and stops

EXPOSITION

• Start with tragic ending
• Mel in hospital - mum has passed away
• Mel stopped eating - having treatment for anorexia

BEGINNING

• Mel’s first day at new school
• Comes in late - nothing prepared
• Nice students 
• Gets detentions after time
• Detentions turn into suspension because he can’t go to them 

• Gets taken around school by bad person
• Gets into wrong crowd
• Everyone bullies so he feels he has to as well
• Lies about background and family life

MIDDLE

• Keeps bullying because feels he has to stay that way to stay in group
• Gets suspended for bullying (victim tells teacher)
• Friends go to his house - discover he was lying about his wealth and his mum 
• Has argument with mum so goes to park 
• Friends bully him
• Gets phone call that mum is dead
• Goes to hospital

ENDING

• Stops eating - becomes anorexic
• Physically bullied as well for dead mother
• Hospitalized

DEVISING STRATEGIES

• Improvisation
• Physical Theatre
• Writing in role
• Verbatim - direct audience address or dialogue

14.10.19 Peter and the Wolf - Ms Trono

In this rehearsal, we figured out that having a thrust stage would be too difficult to perform in.  I believe if there wasn't a tree we had to "climb", a thrust stage would be possible.  We are now going to perform on the stage of the auditorium rather than the floor with the chairs pushed back.  We carried on choreographing this piece but it was quite difficult to think about the rearrangement of the stage and where the pond, tree and fence will be.  I changed my movements to make it more exaggerated which I think a younger audience will enjoy.  I also payed more attention to my music and now have choreography which works better with it.

A thrust stage

Our auditorium

Children's Theatre Log - Ms Trono

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Chair Duet - Mrs Williams

FRANTIC ASSEMBLY
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We took inspiration and a lot of tips from this video to help us form our chair duets.  There were 9 people in our group so we got into pairs with one group of three.  We each made a chair duet and then found a way to link it all together.  I found this exercise very fun and interesting to find different points of contact and ways to link things together.  I found it difficult at the start to figure out a way to make our movements rapid but smooth however, the video helped with that a lot.

OUR CHAIR DUET
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Children's Theatre - Mrs Williams

Unicorn Theatre

UNICORN THEATRE
Specialises in children's theatre
Shows for ages 4-7:

Anansi the spider - 55 mins
This is an immersive and highly engaging experience. Instead of conventional seating, children and adults will sit together on the floor in the world of Anansi. We will have some seating for people who need it and will be able to accommodate you on the day.
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The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse - 50 mins

One day Mouse is gobbled up by a wolf. ‘Oh woe’ says Mouse, who fears this must be the end. But then we discover Duck, who was, until Mouse arrived, taking a nap.  As it turns out, it’s pretty nice living inside the belly of the beast with a new friend. There’s delicious food, dancing and – better still – no more fear of being eaten!  Meanwhile, outside in the forest, things aren’t quite as rosy for Wolf who is being stalked by a hunter. Realising their fates are intertwined, Duck and Mouse hatch a winning plan…  Join us this Christmas for the stage adaptation of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen’s brilliantly subversive picture book which finds joy and friendship in the darkest and most unusual of places.

Wild - 50 mins

Wild’s home is the forest. Bears teach her how to eat, birds help her to speak, and foxes show her how to play. She is irrepressibly wild.  Then one day, some new animals arrive. They look oddly like her – and they want to take Wild away. But what if she was happy where she was?  Adapted from the glorious picture book by artist Emily Hughes, Wild is brought to life by inventive young company How It Ended (The Little Gardener, UK tour). This energetic story, told with atmospheric sound, movement and puppetry, celebrates the free spirit in all of us.

Little Angel Theatre

LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE
Specialises in puppets
Shows for ages 4-7:

The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussy-Cat - 45 mins

When their beautiful golden ring is stolen, the Owl and the Pussy-cat must travel far from the safety of the Bong-tree glade as their search for the thief leads them across the sea, to the Chankly Bore and beyond.

Find out what these two beloved characters did next and join them on a journey through a nonsensical land full of adventure.

Julia Donaldson and Charlotte Voake’s sequel to Edward Lear’s classic poem is brought to life on stage for the first time with stunning puppetry, enchanting rhyme and original music.

The Pixie and the Pudding - 50 mins

It’s Christmas Eve on the farm, and the chickens, pigs and cows are fast asleep. Inside the farmhouse, the fire is roaring and a delicious, steaming pudding is left out on the windowsill…

When Charlie and her dad move to the farm from the city, everything seems to go wrong. Dolly the cow’s in a grump, there’s not an egg to be found, and even the cockerel has stopped crowing! If only they’d paid attention to the mysterious note left on their windowsill about a curious pixie and the pudding she likes to eat on Christmas Eve…

This brand new musical brings a tale from Scandinavian folklore to life with puppetry, original music and a sprinkling of pixie magic.

Me... - 40 mins

The world is a very big place, especially for a tiny baby penguin who is just finding her feet. The shimmering stars and glistening snow spin around our little hero, while the mountains tower high and the wind rushes to and fro. And although baby penguin may be small, her family know she’s the biggest thing of all.

This early years favourite is a lovely and touching story about a parent and their love for their child by much loved children’s author Emma Dodd.

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Polka Theatre

POLKA THEATRE
First theatre created specifically for children
Shows for ages 4-7:

The Paper Dolls -

When a little girl makes a string of paper dolls, she takes them by the hand on a fantastical adventure. Whirling through the home and garden they fly through the air, until they are confronted with some very sharp scissors…

Adapted from the acclaimed picture book created by former Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson and award-winning illustrator by Rebecca Cobb, The Paper Dolls comes to life with stunning puppetry and original music in Polka Theatre’s much-loved production.

07.10.19 Peter and the Wolf - Ms Trono

In this rehearsal we were beginning to choreograph the show.  We had a few difficulties such as finding ways to make it all visible to the audience as we are using a thrust stage.  We each came up with a set movement for our characters.  As the cat, mine was a stealthy walk in time with the music.  I believe I can improve on this movement to make it more interesting and entertaining for a younger audience.