Tuesday 14th October 2014 - Blocking Bugsy Malone

Tuesday 14th October 2014
Blocking Bugsy Malone

My objectives for today's lesson was to keep moving in between scenes.

• Transitions
• In one space
• According to character

Proxemics - The space between everything.

• Props 
• Other actors

Messages are sent to the audience about the proxemics in a performance. For example if two characters are close to each other, the audience presume that there is a close relationship between them.

Using stylised pedestrian movement in rehearsal is hard when blocking, this is because you are trying to pay attention to what is going on, on stage. This is especially because my character is double cast, so i am trying to focus on what Paige is doing so i can use this when blocking my scenes.

Today i was focusing on my character in dandy dans gang. I learned the choreography for when we walk into fat sams grand slam. I found this a strength in my rehearsal, this is because everyone involved in this scene listened to the director and each other. This allowed us to get through this quickly because everyone knew the timing. Because of this we were able to complete blocking this scene in a short amount of time, allowing us more time to complete blocking all of the other scenes.


As well as this we choreographed how we were going to walk off of stage and to where we had to be to get ready for he next scene. As our audience is going to be all around us rather them just sitting in a proscenium stage, this was important so that we do not attract attention to ourselves when other important things are happening on stage, as we don't want to full focus. For example after we walk in to Fat Sams Grand Slam we walk off the same way that we walk on. This works quite well because we have to come off of the stage quickly, this is because our characters have just made a big impact to the atmosphere of the scene by bursting in, that we have to quickly have to rush I so that we don't get caught. Another example of this is when after Bronx Charlie has shot Roxy Robinson, everyone goes off in different directions. Because we go off as if we are fleeing from a crime scene, the next scene can happen quickly, it is easy to do this because no one is held up trying to get off stage at the same place.


Also in this rehearsal we blocked the audition scene, as I was playing my character in Dandy Dans gang I had to be in the queue as if I was waiting for my audition. Me and two others decided that we were going to pretend that we were a dance trio, for this we had to stand there stretching. As we are being a bad act, our stretches consist of a lot of falling and tripping over. This shows the audience that we would be an act that they could potentially laugh at. After the character if Lena comes bursting in we have to all look disappointed, this is because we know that we have no chance of getting to be in the show, this is a result of the original star of the show has returned. We then all walk off together with a low energy level, we have a low energy level because we are all miserable and disappointed that we didn't get the job.


My targets for next lesson are to focus on my stylised pedestrian movements In between scenes. This is important as the audience are all around us, so we have to remain in character throughout the whole performance even if we are not directly in a scene. Another one of my targets is to make sure that I am familiar with my queues, this so that I know when to come on and off stage. This will also help me with my other character, Blousy especially when learning my lines. I can use this to know when to start speaking or singing.


From watching Paige block Blousy in this lesson I noticed a few things about my character, these include:

• Blousy is always nervous
• She walks around slowly
• She always fiddles with her hands and hair - this is perhaps because she is still unfamiliar with the area as she hasn't lived in New York for long, maybe 6 months.
• She doesn't have a lot of money

The show will change when the audience comes in to watch, this is as a result of a number of things that include:

• The performers might be more nervous - this is common because there are people that have come to watch rather than just the other cast members and the director, so there is more pressure for things to go right
• The audience may have their chairs slightly out - this could distract us as if this happened it would mean that our blocking would have not been accurate. By this I mean that we could have estimated that we would have more space than we actually do, this would mean that we have to pay extra attention to our special awareness and proximity during the performance.
• Some parts of the show may require audience interactions and some members of the audience may not be comfortable with it
• The audience may not react the way you think they will - For example if one of the actors told a joke they may pause for space for the audience to laugh, however they may not find it funny. This could make the atmosphere awkward.