Evaluation of the Performance
The performance of beautiful things was really moving and interesting to watch. The performance began quite slowly with just normal life happening so that the story would have somewhere to go and keep the audience interested throughout the performance.
The Play was set in an estate where the five characters lived, the props and staging set a dark and dirty atmosphere which was realistic and simple. This made the audience recognise that the characters were struggling with money and all were close with one another due to being able to leave there possessions such as chairs, and tricycle outside because they trust one another not to take them. The props outside also gave the characters a purpose to be there such as sorting the washing, brushing her hair and using the chairs. They used the space effectively for example when they would sit on the front of the stage and others were at the back so you could see two different conversations going on.
In this dark and dreary atmosphere sound and music was used to brighten up the life they were living. I found that when Leah started singing it showed hope and light, she was no longer speaking in slang, the words she sung were clear and gave of beauty in a place people would not expect to find it. Music was also played to give the characters time to change the set or mark a change in time. This music was happy music and was based on the theme of love, this gave the audience clues to what would happen in the story and it also gave the audience to recap what had happened in the previous scene and really think about the message the play was trying to give across. Music was also used to create tension in scenes and fights as well as there to be background music and set the scene for the audience. There were also sound affects for example the alarm when Jamie was setting it and the voice of the father which helped the audience understand the relationship between him and his son. All the sound gave the audience another aspect to focus on ad made the performance more relate-able due to the music choices being familiar to me.
The performance was clever because it enabled the audience to relate to the story and the characters. The director cleverly chose to have the more important scenes to be shown in quieter moments in contrast with the big shouting, loud mouth act put on in the more humorous scenes. These made a big contrast because in the quieter moments it allowed me to see what they were really feeling and trying to hide. The Characters were brought to life by the use of voice and also body language. All the characters except Tony put on a very tough and boisterous front. They shouted a lot, sore and insulted each other. This helped the audience understand they were youthful and had grown up with this as there background. Also they changed their accents when talking about a Spanish teacher and spoke some Spanish which allowed me to relate to them because that's what teenagers do and I know because you do put on silly accents with your friends. As I said before the singing was a way Leah could express herself and be who she wanted to truly be but she knew she couldn't because they all had to put on a front. You could see the change in body language with Ste when he was trying to act strong and happy to when he was Jamie and he showed his emotional and softer side. Later I will talk about how we could relate to the characters and the moments I believe had the most impact.
The Costume contributed to the person character and to the set. Throughout most of the play Ste and Jamie were dressed in their school uniform, Ste uniform was baggy and he carried a spots bag to show the audience he was sporty and enjoyed football which was a contrast with Jamie who the audience knew didn't like football from the start and had a neater uniform. The glasses Jamie wore showed us that he didn't want to be bullied and was scared of showing his true self but Ste was there to support him and was a true friend. Leah, Sandra and Tony are also dressed quite relaxed either in casual clothes or a dressing gown. Leah does not wear uniform due to being excluded and carry s a cigarette to show she is relaxed and putting up an act that she doesn't care. By the end of the play we see them going to the pub dressed up nice and looking smart, Jamie and Ste are confident now and Jamie does now wear his glasses in school showing the audience they no longer care what people thing about them and they accept who they are. The Costumes are very realistic, they are set in the 90's and go with the old fashioned set. Having just a vest and underwear at nigh time help the audience recognise what time it is and relate to the characters. We also see Leah dress up as her inspiration when on drugs, this costume is effective because even though it is funny and ridiculous it shows the audience who Leah wants to be and how far she is from being it but she doesn't give up.
The lighting again is very simple, it makes the stage light and the walls look dark giving the impression that the characters are trapped in this estate. Also at night the squares are lit up so there is a yellow glow making it look like it is night-time. Spotlights are used on the bed and on certain characters to get the audience’s attention. When the spotlight is on the bed, it gives the impression that Ste and Jamie are in there own little world where they can do what they want and not be judged - this is their reality. The spotlight has also been used on characters when the scenes are changing even if they are just going inside like Tony did but it draws the audience eyes towards these characters so that they do not see the set being moved around. And when the scenes do change the lighting dims and goes to a blue colour.
There is no double casting or females playing males or vice versa but we do see different characters. We see the different characters of Ste and Jamie when with others and alone and we also see the mum changes when with Jamie in his bedroom. This lets us relate to the characters because we all have things we can share with only a few people and how we want people to see us.
I am now going to talk about the Characters and the moments of impact that were created. Jamie and Ste were the main characters I believe and they were both portrayed very well by Jake Davies and Danny-Boy Hatchard. Ste was shown to be a very masculine character but we later find out he is hurt and upset due to his father being a drunk alcoholic who abuses him and realising he is gay but not wanting anyone to know. Ste unlike the others is mostly open throughout the play. We discover he skips school because he doesn't like football and he is called queer and bullied, Jamie later discovers Ste is a great friend who makes him feel better about himself and he falls in love with him. Sandra is a strong tough mum, she puts on a loud front and uses a lot of comedy, but we later find out she was beaten by one of her boyfriends and never had a proper mother. This helped me understand maybe why she had so many boyfriends because maybe she wanted to be loved and she puts on a hard front to protect Jamie because she doesn't want him getting hurt.
My first impression of Leah was once again she was a very loud rude girl who didn't really know what to do, but we later find out she loves singing and cares for both Jamie and Ste a lot because she doesn't want them to get hurt. Finally Tony is a very free man he speaks posher than the other seems better educated mentioning universal challenge and being an artist, we don’t really discover much about his character other than that he is not great at showing affection toward Jamie.
I found that six moments really stood out to me in the play even though there were many others but these are the ones that were most memorable and had the most impact.
The first moment was when Jamie was talking to Tony about Sandra boyfriend. Before this happened they had been joking around but this is the first moment we see Jamie getting upset and truly caring for his mum. We see speaking quietly about this man called Richard, he is letting out his feelings for the first time in the play and we see the real side of things. This quickly changes back to normal, joking around and having fun which is effective because it has shown us the first glimpse of what is really underneath and what has happened in the past.
The next moment is when we see Ste's bruises. They are in Jamie’s bed and in a spotlight so it shows they are in there own little world. Seeing these bruises and then the connection between the two characters helps us understand the situation they are in, also the fact it takes a while for him to show Jamie shows that Ste is not proud of his bruises and if not confident. We get to see the real side of them when they kiss and comfort each other. Having Jamie to confide in allows Ste to talk about his father and how he doesn't want to be seen as a wimp. Having the body shop lotion and Sandra shouting from downstairs also adds a bit of comedy but this is a great moment because it shows the audience they do have feelings toward each other.
We then find out more about Leah when she tells them she has been lying for them. This is important because it shows the audience she does care and she hates seeing Ste hurt by his father. It shows us how she is not treated right because she does try to help them and doesn't tell them not to be together.
We then see Ste thinking him and Jamie being wrong. I think this is one of the most important moments in the piece because it allows people to relate to him. He thinks it is wrong, he can’t tell his friends or their families, he doesn't want to be judged and he doesn't thing he will be accepted because he father would hate it. Many people today are probably in their situation and have had thoughts like this so it makes his character extremely believable and also someone to look up to because in the end he does just accept who he is.
In addition when Sandra finds out, it again shows us that Jamie didn't want to disappoint her, it shows a close connection between them and her accepting it. However the most important bit is when Ste finds out Sandra knows because we see the pure terror in Ste because he doesn't want his father to know. This is effective because it shows how scared he is of him even though he is family and that he is scared of what everyone will think.
The end of the play is my finale moment of impact. Having them dance with each other outside in view of all shows the audience that they and Sandra and Leah have accepted who they are. We see them not caring who sees them going to the Gloucester pub because they are happy together. The ending shows that love even when young should be accepted and should not be put down.
The story was a story of love and acceptance. In today’s society there are still people who are scared of what their friends and family will think if they are gay. This play shows how Ste and Jamie manage to get through this and gain what they want in life - each other. Many people can relate to this story which shows two close friends falling in love with each other, but having things holding them back. This shows how today’s society has become more accepting and that you should not be embarrassed with who you love, it is not wrong and it does not matter because love is love so it should be accepted.
The only thing I would change was the fighting scene between Sandra and Jamie because it didn't look very realistic but other than that I think the director did really well being able to blend scenes quickly and get the emotion from the actors when performing.
I really loved this sweet heart warming play because it used comedy to up lift some of the more dramatic scenes. The mention of TV programs such as Coronation Street and innuendos made the performance both funny and relate-able letting me connect to the characters and their stories. I believe it will have a big impact on others as well as and I would love to see it live.
Analysis of the Process
The director
The director was Nikolai Foster was born in Copenhagen and grew up in North Yorkshire. He trained at the Drama Centre London and the Crucible, Sheffield. He has directed many production including Beautiful thing. We asked to work on the piece he was really excited to after reading the play, he wanted it to be humorous but also sophisticated and he loved the relationship between the characters and there families. He obviously made lots of decisions when directing the actors and was also in the process of finding the correct cast which turned out very well and created a realistic performance.
Actors
http://sosogay.co.uk/2013/spotlight-on-the-cast-of-beautiful-thing/
Jamie
Jamie was played by Jake Davis who trained at the Brit School and is 19 years old. He found Jamie a very interesting character and loved him when he was reading the play. Jake found that he was very similar to Jamie's character being quite cheeky and loud living in the same sort of area, coming from a working class family and having the same dialect so he could quickly come into character. However there were some differences for example his sexuality and the fact that he didn't like football but other than tat he was perfect for the role. Whenever he had an questions about what option he should chose for the scene Jonathan Harvey. He also said in an interview that like Jamie he could also be sensitive and could identify with being bullied and no fitting in therefore he could relate even more to the character.Ste
Ste was played by Danny-Boy Hatchard, his character was someone who was confident at school and loved football, shy and suffering from domestic violence at home and then feeling Ste with Jamie. Danny-Boy could relate to Ste because at school he was confident and used to show of just trying to fit in to different groups changing his personality to fit. Even though Danny-Boy didn't suffer with Domestic Violence he was able to relate to Ste because he knew people who had suffered from it and had confided in him so he wanted to be able to portray Ste in the right way. He described Ste as a honest, sweet, caring character and said that he could relate with the love of sport and football. Although Danny-Boy has a different sexuality to Ste he said he didn't find it difficult because he believes love is love so it doesn't matter what gender you are.Leah
Leah was played by Zaraah Abraham s who really wanted the part. She said she was similar to Leah because she is very passionate and fights for what is right and what she believes in but she said she didn't get wound up so easily so the confrontation was a difference. She also said the clothing was different and due to playing such a young character she had to work on her slang and try to act like a 15 year old so that her reactions, body language and the way she spoke were truthful. She also said that the writer and director really helped because they gave her a background story and lots of input into the character so she could portray a girl trying to find her identity.Sandra
Sandra was played by Suranne Jones who has been in a lot of different performances. Sandra is a very tough women who is fun and is fighting for herself and son. I could not find out much about the process of getting into her character but she did say she liked Sandra's independence and her sense of humour.
Tony
Writer
Jonathan Harvey wrote beautiful thing in 1993. When younger he went to the local youth theatre and he wanted to be an actor. As a teenager he liked to read plays and go to the local theatre to see plays and then he entered in a writing competition and his play was made. Beautiful thing was set in the area where the school he taught was because he had a better understanding of how the children behaved. He wanted to write this story because the age of consent was being discussed and hid did not agree with it. By writing a play about being gay people was a campaign in itself but it wasn't by being angry it was being sophisticated and comical. Having Jonathan there he was able to change things such as 'Tesco's' and he was also able to help the cast. He was allowed to give the characters back stories and let them know how he saw i would happen when written because it came from his mind therefore his image of how it would be shown was vital to the process.
The process of making the play took a lot of people and a lot of work, they had to cast the character, sort the set out and lighting and staging. They had to make the performance believable so that the audience could understand the characters. The characters were probably the most important part of the process because if they weren't believable or right for the part the play wouldn't have been as good but also the writers and directors vision of what they wanted the play to look like came out as a big success.
