Thursday 15th February 2024 – Characters

SIX WORDS ABOUT CONFETTI CANON:

1. Pink
2. Bang
3. Pretty
4. Colourful
5. Noisy
6. Celebration

NOTES ABOUT OBJECT:

• A woman named Daisy, at her gender reveal finding out the gender of her baby. She is excited as this her first baby and it’s all she ever wanted. Confetti goes everywhere and she’s emotional after finally finding out the gender of her baby. Excitement fills the air as the coloured confetti floats through the surroundings.

WHAT IS CHARACTER?

• A character is the glue that holds a story together.
• A character is any instance of a person but you’re not showing the full thing.
• Simon Stephens: “For me, character is so important. We understand ideas through the behaviour and actions of individuals. I hope people can recognise themselves in the characters they’re watching.” – www.list.co.uk/article/10159-pornography-simon-stephens-interview/
• “…By character, we mean much more than the person depicted. It is more to do with the way in which that person is revealed under pressure.” – Greig, 2005: 84.
• “In every scene, remember, a protagonist is presented with a mini crisis, and must make a choice as to how to surmount it.” Yorke. 2013: 124

TYPES OF CHARACTERS:

• ROUNDED CHARACTERS – A character with various traits.
• FLAT CHARACTERS – A character with one trait.
• STATIC CHARACTER – Does not change, grow, mature during the play.
• DYNAMIC CHARACTER – Does change, grows, matures during the play.
• PROTAGONIST – The main character.
• ANTAGONIST – The character or force in conflict with the protagonist.
• SYMPATHETIC CHARACTER – A character whose situation you can understand or relate to.
• MINOR CHARACTER – A character mentioned very briefly – less than flat.

CHARACTERS:

• KING – arrogant, egotistical, powerful, snobby.
• MOTHER – caring, mentor, nurturing, devoted, empathetic, over-bearing.
• HERO – helper, impulsive, righteous, arrogance, resilient, courageous.
• FOOL – chaotic, oblivious, subservient,
• INNOCENT – gentle, vulnerable, naive, forgiving, oblivious, gullible, angelic.
• TRICKSTER –  charismatic, manipulative, ambitious, mischievous, sly, cunning.

QUESTIONS ABOUT CHARACTER :

• WHAT IS THE CHARACTER CALLED? Daisy
• WHAT IS THEIR SURNAME?  Waters
• WHAT IS THEIR MIDDLE NAME? Elizabeth
• HOW OLD IS THIS CHARACTER? 21
• WHAT IS THEIR DOB? 12/02/2003
• WERE THEY BORN IN WINTER, SUMMER, SPRING OR AUTUMN? Winter
• CAN YOU PICTURE THEM 50 YEARS OLDER? Yes, sitting at home surrounded by her grandchildren telling them stories of her growing up.
• WHICH AGE IS MORE APPEALING NOW?  Her younger age.
• WHAT IS THEIR FAVOURITE ITEM OF CLOTHING? Her mums pink scarf.
• WHY? The scarf has been passed to her daughter after birth because her mum had it given to her while she was pregnant with Daisy.  Although she had a bad childhood growing up, it still reminded her of the good times and how far she has came in life.
• HOW OLD IS THE PIECE OF CLOTHING? The piece of clothing is 21 years old. It was made while her mum was pregnant with her.
• DESCRIBE THEIR GENDER: Young, petite, pale woman. Long brown hair, freckles on her face, green eyes. She is 5’3 tall and is size 4 in shoes.
• WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU CHANGED THE GENDER? The roles would be reversed, and we would see the story through the male perspective. What life is like for him, his story growing up, how his life changed etc.
• WHERE WAS THIS PERSON BORN? Daisy was born in Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in 2003. Her mum, dad and Nan were there when she was born. Daisy came from a family who didn’t earn much money and was struggling to get by. Her mum had mental health issues where sometimes she struggled to cope with Daisy. Daisy spent most of her time with her Nan as a baby while her mum recovered.  Daisy didn’t have much family because everyone thought her mum was a danger to life. When Daisy was 6 years old, her nan passed away due to pneumonia. At the age of 10, Daisy’s dad left due to an affair with a younger woman leaving Daisy to care for her mum.
• WHERE DID THE FAMILY GET MONEY FROM? Daisy’s dad was working as a barman when Daisy was born.
• WHERE IS THIS CHARACTER NOW? Daisy is in a high paying job, working in an office, has settled down with her partner and has everything she has ever dreamed of in life.
• THE MOST PROBLEMATIC PERSON IN THE PLAY? Daisy’s mum. She doesn’t want Daisy to succeed in life and so constantly guilt trips her into believing she isn’t good enough, she uses drugs and mentally abuses Daisy.

THINK ABOUT BEING THE PROTAGONIST: (SCENE BY SCENE BREAKDOWN.)

• SETTING: On a boat, a small, rickety, wooden boat, in the middle of the ocean. There is a storm brewing, they’re on their own. How would they behave, say, do to try and work out how to get out of the situation.
• Daisy would always remain calm and think about what her nan would do. Her nan used to go in boats all the time and so she thinks deeply about it. She has a vision of her nan and talks to her asking for guidance. Her nan explains everything will be okay, to close her eyes and breathe.
• REPLACE THE PROTAGONIST WITH THE ANTAGONIST: Meredith has had a mental episode and wakes up on a boat in the middle of the ocean. She believes Daisy has sent her away and so searches the boat for an object to help her get back home. The problem is, she doesn’t know where she is.  
• SETTING: On a park bench at night. A stranger appears and stands nearby, gripping a hammer staring at the character.
• Daisy sits on the bench with her earphones in. She’s had a long day and wants to have 5 minutes to herself before heading home. In the corner of her eye she sees a dark figure standing in the corner holding something. She gets up and begins to walk away but has the sensation she’s being followed. She freezes. In a panic she slowly turns around to see a figure behind her, the face recognisable.
• REPLACE WITH ANTAGONIST: Meredith sits on the bench in the park. She’s relapsed on her drugs and is hallucinating that her daughter wants her gone. Behind her is a figure. The figure gets closer and the face she has seen before. It’s her mum, gripping a hammer. Her mum tells her to take revenge on her daughter to which she agrees.
• SETTING: At the end of a long ticket queue at a train station. The station full of people and the train they want to get is about to depart. There is some kind of civic disturbance.
• Daisy wants to run away from her life in Norfolk. She wants a new beginning. Quickly she hurries to the train station but is held up by a queue. With only a few minutes before her train departs, she begs for people to let her edge forward. To no surprise, members of the public refused. She begins to panic but an announcement plays, her trains delayed due to an emergency. She pulls her phone out to see someone had been hit by a train. She freezes.