20th Century TheatrePerformance Analysis

LI• To gain an understanding of how to conduct a critical

analysis of a theatre performance

SC• I can identify the areas I need to discuss• I can justify my opinions• I can offer analytical comment on the effectiveness of

techniques• I can highlight links between the presentation and my

own research/understanding of a theatre practitioner

System for Performance Analysis• Checklist –helps us focus on areas of

performance

• Order –can adapt to suit

• Take notes at the time and develop your findings later

• Choose a focus before viewing

• Avoid too many notes on the same thing e.g. tech

What are we asked to do?

•Present an analysis of aspects of theatre practice in one or two productions

•Productions should, within your interpretation, reflect the theories and/or practices of your chosen practitioner (Stan or Brook)

Focus• Venue• Performance Space• Audience Space/Actors space• Set• Lighting• Sound• Costume•Actor & Performance• Text/Non text• Impact and Audience reception

Questions to consider – Venue•What building? – Purpose built theatre?• History of building• Place in the community?• How does your view affect your

experience?• Can you make reference to another

aspect of the analysis?

Performance Space•Look at the theatre and performance space

separately•How do you enter the space?• What effect does the “feel” of the theatre have?• Colour of the auditorium?• How does it affect your feeling of being there

for performance?• How do actors relate to audience area?• How far/near to actors?• What’s visible?

Actor & Audience Space•No clear-cut conventions for the

performance space•Proxemics?•How does formal/informal space affect

way audience behaves?• Affect the way the actors behave?•Performance space appropriate or not?• Advantages/Disadvantages?

Set• Complete a rough sketch and word list• Research designer/director (a lot of stuff online)

to compare the process of decision making with their end result

• Is it representational i.e. Naturalistic?• More than one set?• Significant elements?• What is shown? What is implied?• What is being communicated?• Texture, colours, form?• What’s the message?

Lighting• Are the lights visible? Types?• How arranged to focus attention?• Are you conscious of changes?• How does LX change mood/atmosphere?• What’s the purpose of particular effects?

(slow fade, blackout)• Effect on perception of performance?

Sound• Source and purpose?• Natural or abstract? From text or comm

mood & atmosphere?• Live or recorded?• What does it communicate?• Music – function?

Costume•Relationship to design concept?•What do they indicate about character?• Formal/Informal?• “In period”? Making comment on period?• Present conventions? (Dame in a panto)• Colour? Texture? How do they aid our

understanding?• Relationships between costumes?• Mixed conventions?

Actor & Performance•Relationship between individual performers

and other cast members?• Playing more than one part? Differences?• Relationship between text and movement• Voice/Movement•Spatial relationships• Relationship to set• “Star” actor? What influence on expectation

and evaluation?•Acting style?

Text/Non-text & Directorial Interp• What choices have been made?• What aspects of perf tell you about these

decisions?• Sub-text?• Genre?• Structure/form?• Translation? How has this affected

interpretation?• Thematic relationship between text and imagery?• Devised? Group led? Actor input? End result?

Overall Impact & Audience Reception•Assistance toward interpretation of

meaning?• Read any critical work? Reviews?• What didn’t make sense? Wasn’t

communicated clearly enough? Was this important?

•Your role as spectator? Passive?•Interested or bored?•Audience reactions•Most important aural and visual

moments?•Long term impact?

Trailerhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W403QQrHPy4&list=PLALSd9rxG97F1oK0o8_E927KXav-6yyWy

Audience Reactionshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzuNFXDp27s

Reviews

• “the vigorous ensemble tells [the story] with drive and authority”The Guardian ★★★★

• “a brilliantly accomplished staging”The Telegraph ★★★★

• “Adam Best is excellent as the alienated student Raskolnikov”The Times ★★★★

• “a fearlessly rich production”The Herald ★★★★

• “It’s both a classic come to life and an urgent new work”The Independent ★★★★

• “magnificent”The Scotsman ★★★★

• “under Hill, the taut script becomes an exciting commentary”The Stage

• “another milestone in the illustrious history of the Citizens”Sunday Herald

• “an accessible insight into one of the most renowned works of all time”What’s On Stage ★★★★

EssayCould you detect a strong directorial imprint in Dominic Hill’s “Crime & Punishment”? If so, how did it manifest itself? You should consider such elements as the status of the text, scenography and visual language, the role of the performer and/or actor/audience relationships. Would the practitioner you have studied have made similar choices?

Some Brookian Key Features• Free improvisations in

rehearsals/Experimentation• Worked with classic plays/pieces of literature• Story that is mythic• Text on stage differs from page• An empty space• Ritual to open and close the show – to focus the

audience’s attention, generate electricity• Story and presentation stripped down to barest

essentials• Use of a well known actor/Trusted actors