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TARGET AUDIENCE 

I created a Facebook group and EVENT for our play.

‘Teechers’ is a play with a very broad target audience. Its a play that not only can connect to many different people, with regards to its underlining message of social class effecting futures and education, but it is a very enjoyable play and is entertaining to a large range of target audience. 

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REHEARSAL SCHEDULE

When being part of any show i always find it extremely beneficial to keep a rehearsal diary.

This is a clever way to keep track of your daily/weekly doings, and also allows you to monitor your weakness’ and strengths, and most importantly, your development in skills and ability throughout the course of your experience.

I find with a large group, keep a rehearsal schedule is a clever way to ensure you are always reaching targets and getting a certain amount of work done a week, this also allows the group to keep on top of attendance as one absence can change the course of progress. 

Here is a link for my Rehearsal Schedule with a notes bar along side also, this was my way of keeping track of how i felt my days and weeks went and what was our next areas of improvements and tasks to complete. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kb6o4ItSWXuWZw_cbBXfIvYAJue2zTd_MsOITefKNUI/edit 

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CAST LIST

ISABELLA MOORE RICHARDSON - GAIL

REMI WILKINSON - HOBBY

MICHAEL STANDISH- KEVIN MEARS, MR NIXON

EMMA TURNER - MRS PARRY, VICKY MARSHAL

DANIEL LATHAM - SALTY

LOUISE DOBBING - TRISHA FORSHAW, MRS PRIME

SHANNON POWER - JOANNE FROGGAT, MRS JONES, BARRY WOBSHALL

CHARLOTTE DAVIES -  SLLY WRENSHAW, MRS WITHAM

JOHN APPLEBY - MR BASFORD, SIMON PATTERSON, DOUG 

 Every cast member represents a child from the class performing the play, but they all (except myself, Daniel latham and remi Wilkinson), multi role to represent the teachers in the school. And a few cast members take turns to piece playing OGGY MOXON.

Gail, Hobby and Salty act a lot like narrators.

 Isabella x

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H0NtUVCQmyemgjQvSky0dX7sfeAT4c8FabIZhCoKV04/edit 

Ball, James - The Thatcher effect: what changed and what stayed the same. The Gaurdian. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/apr/12/thatcher-britain

BBC Bitesize - GCSE Drama - Epic theatre and Brecht - Revision 1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zwmvd2p/revision

Cash, Justin - Realism and Naturalism Theatre Conventions, The Drama Teacher. http://www.thedramateacher.com/realism-and-naturalism-theatre-conventions/

Dean, Malcolm - Margaret Thatcher’s policies hit the poor hardest - and it’s happening again. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/apr/09/margaret-thatcher-policies-poor-society

Drama Online - Godber, John - Dramaonlinelibrary.com http://www.dramaonlinelibrary.com/playwrights/john-godber-iid-12349

Godber, John -John Godber - IMDb - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0323732/bio

Writing As I Please. The World of “1984”: Class System  https://writingasiplease.wordpress.com/2013/03/11/1984-class-system/

Weston, Judith (1996)- Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television.

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GAIL - CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

My character in teachers is Gail Saunders who is one of the original three who create the play.

To succeed in my character development and reach the best possible connection with her i began to research a little on character development.

I came across this website.. http://users.pgtc.com/~slmiller/characterdevelopment.htm 

This gives a few tips and points on how to develop your character.

Godber was very naturalistic in the way in which he wrote his plays, therefore the performances must be naturalistic and look completely real. 

My character development of GAIL SAUNDERS

Gail is from a troubled background, estranged from her father, Gail lives with her mother and older sister, Karen.

When growing up Gail was surrounded by violence and a very unhappy and unstable marriage from her mother and father. Due to an incident hurting her mother very badly, she became estranged from her father. This left Gail’s mother quite unstable, therefore Gail looked to her sister for a stable figure in her life.

Gail is a confident young lady, who is quite distracted by her friends and forlong fantasies. She falls for her tutor and becomes quite smitten. Gail is funny as well as clever, however because of her social status and where she has been brought up, with regards to the academic system, she is not given enough opportunities to show herself in an academic way.

Gail actually reminds me of a girl i went to school with in High school. Someone who is positive and bubbly even though there is a history of sadness, someone who makes the most out of every opportunity in life and appreciates life, being thankful for day to day life. Which is why i am happy to be able to play such character.

I feel I can relate to my character as I myself have been through troubled times, but also because she found her escape through the hope of a teacher, which reminds me of a teacher I had that pushed me and shown me I could reach anything possible. 

I believe Gail gives the impression of being extremely flirtatious, and I did question wether this was due to lack of fatherly attention, however I do feel as though she has this attribute because of her self confidence. 

Isabella x

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RESEARCH

John Godber was born in 1956 into a working class family of miners.

When Godber wrote the piece, it was during ‘Thatcherite Britain’, a time in which we know that social classes took a massive hit in the sense of separation. The time we all know as ‘The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer’.

Thatcher made substantial cuts throughout business and education, especially within the arts departments. Throughout time the arts has been an escape for many people, a tool for people to express their feelings and escape from the ‘troubles of life’. This cut not only affected people who intended on making a career out of the arts, but affected those that did actually use the arts for an escape mechanism from work or other things.

I think this drove many artists, creators and writers, (like Godber) to push the arts, even more for a source of information and realism, like the message ‘Teechers’ enlightens. With schools already being at such a difference for accessibility, after the cuts that thatcher enforced, this was even more so, therefore affecting children across the nations and threatening their futures, which was something Godber wanted to take a stand against.

Godber was known for his innovative pieces, for example “BOUNCERS”,”UP’N’UNDER and “TEECHERS”.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0323732/bio 

Godber set himself apart from his peers by constantly thinking of new ways to portray his pieces and innovative in the creative writing, for example ‘Teechers’ being a play within a play was something brand new and creative.

Godber, i feel, write purely for the people amongst him, he wanted to extend his writing to connect people of the community and tightening the strength amongst society. Godber stood as a catalyst for change, tackling issues in his pieces.

At the time of writing his piece ‘Bouncers’, he was unhappy with how his naturalism plays, and others, where shown, he realised he wanted to create a piece that engaged an audience completely without any sort of distraction from his design elements, for example; Set, lighting, this also fed through for ‘Teechers’.

An article i read in 123 HELPME explored his ability to use realism against non realistic situations.

http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=149216

Everything in the play is reduced to bare essentials, the set and costume are of a simplistic nature, this also represents the lack of funding and accessibility to costume and set the trio putting the play on had.

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RESEARCH

‘Teachers’ is initially created and performed by three children, they have never been so inspired to perform or be involved in anything academic or even been part of a group activity, this play is show their pride of their new found hope in school and the world and also to show the teachers although they’re treated different, they are not as stupid as may seem.

They address issues and actually raise valid points in the play, such as if we are not able to access the same things as the ‘posh schools’ how could we possibly reach the same potential.

MR NIXON voices his thoughts that every school should have the same funds, the same opportunities and the same accessibility to books and other resources, therefore every child has the opportunity to reach their highest ability, not just depending on where they are from and what class in society they are from. All of these factors could in hindsight change the way in which children look to their futures, as it could change their interests and their passions.

This got me really interested in researching the time in which the play was written and the education system at the time.

My research lead to finding out the benefit of the education system at this time was based very much on your social status.

Those families who could afford the best, got the best education, therefore their success in their future careers were benefitted, however this meant those families who could not afford the best therefore were left without “THE BEST”.

Writing As I Please. The World of “1984”: Class System  https://writingasiplease.wordpress.com/2013/03/11/1984-class-system/ 

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RESEARCH

‘Teechers’ is a play written by a writer known for his innovative work in theatre, John Godber.

It was written in 1984, published in 1985 and first performed by ‘Hull Truck Theatre Company’, of which Godber was artistic director, at 1987 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

It is a play within a play, in which three students about to leave school put on a play for their school, about their school. It is a comedic play however has some intense and socially important messages within.  

The three students that create and perform the play are from a quite ‘low in class’ family, and we are given the impression they have not got a lot of family money nor do they go to the best school.

They include their actual teachers in their play, giving them different names ‘to protect the innocent’, but one important teacher mentioned is ‘MR NIXON’, who in real life is called ‘Mr Harrison’ who they address at the beginning of the play to thank him for changing their school lives.

When MR NIXON arrives at the school we are told they were not interested in anything at all and even express they felt like cast offs, even to their teachers. This point is especially hard to hear when they actually compare themselves to the children at other schools, as though they are not equal to them and do not deserve the same opportunities in life. Throughout the play MR NIXON represents hope for the trio, he is the person who comes to the school and ignites passion and for not only the arts but for themselves too.  

MR NIXON actually highlights the whole point of the play as he is the character that stands up to the other teachers and to the ‘system’ to a point, he brings the truth that there is a difference within class when it comes to the way in which children are educated and how fairly (or unfairly) children are treated with regards to the educational system.

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

As a company we researched a lot of aspects of Health and Safety in the work place, with regards to LIVE THEATRE.

We then collectively write a document showing all health and safety considerations and proving they have been eliminated from risk zones.

Our main headers for the sections were:

1. General Policy Statement

2. Appointment and Training of Safety Personnel

3. Fire Safety (Fire Procedure) 

4. First Aid 

5. Attendance Requirements

6. Rehearsal Requirements 

7. Get-in/Get-Out Arrangements

8. Using Sub Contractors

9. Dressing Rooms 

10. Children

11. On stage and In the Wings 

12. Front of House

13. Liaisons

14. Tallescopes, Ladders and Scaffolding

15. Lower Requirements (The Lifting Operations an Lifting equipment regulations 1998)

16. Power Requirements (The Provision and use of work equipment regulations 1998)

17. Risk Assessment

18. New Requits

19. Safe Systems of Working 

20. Sign in - Sign out

21. Accident Book

22. Electrical Safety

23. Annual Audit

24. Safe Methods of working 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CFg8pn31wz3hS71ALf0EbGAr3PU850_FQ4QqwrOF0v8/edit#heading=h.yvr4lhxr72ev

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REHEARSAL PROCESS BEGINS.. 

For our last show we are doing “Teechers” by John Goober , the play is a play within a play, its about three young school pupils who create a play about their school life, however it reflects deeper issues, such 

Before you begin the rehearsal process for any piece, you must create some knowledge for yourself around the piece your doing, to ensure your full understanding. 

This includes the writer - WHY? - because once you have an understanding on the writer, their influences and the time in their life that they write the piece, personally and socially, you have a little more understanding on the piece as you understand the root in which it is from. 

Keep an eye out!