Unit 1 - Part C
Due to covid, I unfortunately couldn’t attend a live performance with the team however I streamed and watched Peter Pan from the national theatre and later watched a live performance of Cinderella in London.
There was within the play several art forms such as performing arts, drama, dance and singing. There was also architect of the stage and music to create moods and atmosphere. There was design of the costumes, set and make up.
Peter Pan
The performance was quite unique compared to other versions of Peter Pan. The show helped us to see the serious side of this story whilst keeping the childish fun included. A lot of symbolism is used throughout the play.
The set design was very urban and creative; The set change was very magical so to speak for example when we were travelling to the lost boys’ secret hideout the curtain descended into a small hole in the floor at rapid speed to create the illusion that it disappeared. The orchestra was part of the ensemble and was seen on the set, at all times. Lighting was used to show travel, time, conflict and celebration. The set was not about deceiving the audience, it was about being honest and encouraging the audience to use their imagination. Ribbon was used to create the illusion of water rising as Peter excepts his death.
The props were used very cleverly, for example Peter’s shadow was very imaginative and baffling. The puppeteers used their body parts to bring structure and reality to a simple piece of green cloth. The robe that Wendy wears shows maturity and the fact that she grew up, it is a very powerful statement.
The costumes were very similar, for example the lost boys all wore hats to show that they all part of a tribe. Mr Darlings costume was a waste coat and Pj bottoms re-instating the fact that there are two sides of the story, serious to playful and adult to child. Peter Pan’s costume shows that he is an adult portraying a child.
The acting was very diverse but brilliant. The way that they showed the characters was very different, for example the house dog nana is seen as a human to help us see her perspective whilst in their world she is a dog. The acting mirrors the real world and teaches you that you have to love and grow like Wendy did in the story. The way that the actor’s showed movement was brilliant, for example John swimming underwater. The mermaids dancing felt like showgirls which relates to the time Peter Pan was written. Throughout the play, the adults acted a vulnerability which was both child- like but also said that growing up being an adult offers a vulnerability too.
Captain Hook resents youth as she enjoyed it and now hates adulthood which has resulted in here becoming evil and bitter. Hook gives you the impulse to protect your childhood and keep it safe even though nobody can stay there. Peter had a bad mother that never showed him love therefore he does not understand it leading him to an avoidant attachment style. Wendy changes tone when telling the lost boy’s, a story, this shows that to her it is not a game anymore and she is growing up. By saying that the window will always be open Wendy is saying that no matter what happens she will always be there and love her.
Throughout the play we are shown there is two worlds, one adult and once child and that they may always be entwined and together.
The possible weakness’ s of the play is very miniscule but could affect the audience in response and emotion. The play was very dark in places and could scare younger viewers preventing parents from taking their children to this play. Younger viewers may not understand scenes in the play due to emotional depth and need for empathy.
The event made me feel like I wanted to go back to being a kid. I am 13 years of age and sometimes it hard to be here, especially following covid. I lost my goodbyes at primary school and my last year at primary and now it feels I have to grow up and the adult world is coming. It was nice to remember my “play” and I guess I missed that. It made me feel scared at times of how dark adults can be and that adults carry a lot of pain which then makes them make wrong choices. I think what I took away is that my imagination will always be there whether I am a child or an adult and that’s a great thing to have. It was also nice to see that Wendy chose to grow up and was ready for it. I am looking forward to doing adult things and making those choices too. Both children and adults have a place, they both should be valued and shared.
My review is on my website….
Cinderella
Cinderella was written from the book written by Emerald Fennell; it is very contemporary and mature. Nothing like the Disney version. It was fresh and I feel it was relevant with the audience. It was so refreshing to watch something that wasn’t stereotypical, in fact it was coming away from that. In the original Cinderella it was very clear who was evil and who was good. In this version Cinderella is bold, different and rebels against everyone because she isn’t accepted for who she is and the stepsisters are the way they are as they were raised that way. They didn’t have good role modelling. The prince is unwanted because his older brother is “prince charming” and was loved by everyone because he was masculine and seen as perfect where as the prince is none of those things. A powerful message is that although the prince is not seen as masculine, it makes you question what that means and that masculine may not be just about “alpha, physically fit and being a Man’s Man”. Maybe there is more than just toxic masculinity.
What I preferred about this Cinderella, was that she wasn’t noticed when she was dressed up. The prince liked her the way she was She was noticed just how she was, there was no need for any magic, fairy godmother or a white carriage. A strength of this musical is that it is a play built around acceptance and you being good enough just as you are.
The set design was incredible. It was contemporary and set the mood when needed. It changed to suit the scene. It took you through, with the script your emotions and there were a few surprises. At the start of the second act the stage and stalls moved clockwise, moving the stage “in the round “. It was breath taking and made you feel closer to the actors. You felt part of the performance. It was like you were at the ball.
The costumes were colourful and again relevant. It was something you felt you could easily see on Instagram or in London. It was current so again made it feel you could relate to the characters. The henchman or army of prince charming had very little on and was provoking but it made you uncomfortable which I think was its purpose. It was about toxic masculinity and how much this can be “in your face “. I too have picked up on the need to be masculine and feel its overcompensating. Its ok to be masculine but there is nothing wrong in being vulnerable and emotional. I felt Cinderella communicated this too.
The music and songs were awesome. I felt it freeing and it showed the characters stories and emotions. I feel it encouraged empathy for them and what I loved about this script is that it had everything. Tragedy, humour, love and acceptance.
If I was to say a weakness about this performance it would be that maybe on the advertising, to make it clear It had adult content. There were a few little children dressed in Disney Cinderella costumes and at moments, I was shocked, scared, happy and sad so I worried about the little children not understanding what this was about and maybe questioning “where is the blue dress?”
