Actors Block(ing)

This afternoon I watched the LWW DVD with commentary by Andrew Adamson(Director), William Moseley (Peter), Anna Popplewell (Susan), Skandar Keynes (Edmund) and Georgie Henley (Lucy). It was great fun for the group dynamics alone, not to mention all the filming trivia that you pick up. I'll have to listen to the other commentary sometime (the one with the director, producer, DoP, and production designer), but that'll be interesting on a different level. Not quite so light, I'd imagine.

I've begun the process of 'blocking' my Shakespearean monologue for the July comps. As well as arranging props (ie. which goes where), I made extensive notes on my script as to what's actually behind what my character is saying, and how I'd like to interpret the piece. I also have a rough idea of what I'm going to be doing, when. More work is required there. I'm a bit lazy. :-) (uh yeah, and then he ends up at the table. once he gets around the bed. and he'll be holding the beret by then.) This is going to be an fantastic character to play though. Our dear King Richard III. Funny thing is, it's an extremely non-typical piece for Richard as a character, and myself as an actor. Let me explain: Richard III, throughout the whole play (of the same name) is calm, glib, manipulative and generally a very cool and in control slimeball. But in this piece (for once in the whole play) he is completely out of his depth, insecure, guilty and fearful. Talk about out of character. There's an excellent reason why (when were you last visited by the ghosts of people you'd killed who told you that you'd be joining them tomorrow?), but it does make it more difficult. Which is good; I have to dig a bit deeper. And as an actor, anyone with a passing knowledge of my acting history will know that I tend to pick pieces that are intense and verbally violent. This may be intense but he hardly shouts, and it ends with him slinking, rather than storming, off to eavesdrop on his army "to see if any mean to shrink from me". Actually there are some interesting parallels there between Richard and Shakespeares Henry V. Similar situation, totally different responses. Another challenge is posture. Now some smart mouth is going to say that I shouldn't have a problem in that department, but when your character has people refer to him as a 'bunch backed toad', you know it goes a little bit beyond not sitting up straight at the table. I think I can pull it off without prosthetics (ie. foam hump under shirt) but it will take a lot of concentration. As for the shrivelled arm . . . not hard physically, and even keeping it the same is okay - the main trouble is doing everything with one hand. At an early stage I was going to be tying my bootlaces onstage. Maybe not a great idea at the best of times, but with one hand . . . needless to say, it ended up on the cutting room floor. Putting a beret on with kingly dignity and one hand also takes some work, but I think I've got a system down; now all I have to do is practice. Take 27 . . .

And some good news. 'The Austere Academy' has (finally) arrived at my local library. It's on hold . . . for me! Books 5, 6, 7, and 8, here I come! Oh, but I'll be spending most of my time working. Really. I would never let a book get in the way of practice. Promise. [crossedfingers]