Third Workshop-Creating Battle Scene

Third workshop

Creating a Battle scene

Before i start talking about the session i thought i would share one of my favourite battle scenes from one of my favourite movies which is the one and only GLADIATOR!!!!unfortunately i can't find the ending battle scene however ibelow i have my second favourite.

Initial Thoughts

In honesty i was looking forward to preparing this scene as i thought we would be doing stage combat fighting and it did become a shame to me when i found out none of this would be happening.Thinking realistically though during a war at the time they wouldn't had fought and relied on fighting with their body using punching and kicking. Though at first i was not keen on the idea of no physical contact the end product showed an element of sophisticated theatre and in all honesty i loved it and preferred it.

What did you struggle with and what was i good at?

My favourite part of the battle scene is when we walk down the centre with the guns facing the audience.I was really good at timing my pace down the centre and keep at the same pace as everyone else.Doing this also changed what i did facially.Facially i found myself portraying a serious look by slightly pouting by sucking on my cheeks,squinting my eyes a bit and staring straight into the audience.I think by staring into the audience it will engaged them and make them feel slightly on edge as we stare into their eyes,

At the beginning we are in trenches getting ready to go into no mans land, crouching down hurt my knees because i injured my knee a couple of years ago it can be restricting like when crouching.My knee ached and i couldn't balance myself so instead i ended up standing and slightly bending over which can ruin the effect.My goal till the performance is to strengthen up my knee or wear a knee support.

Is it effective?

I think the piece is effective because even Though we are not using physical contact;it forces the audience to use their imagination which is a good thing as i assume during Elizabethan times when this was performed they would have also had to use their imagination to create the piece.

What can i work on

.Strengthen Knee by doing knee exercises or wear a knee support.

Did you know?

The American President Abraham Lincoln was a great lover of Shakespeare’s plays and frequently recited from them to his friends. His assassin, John Wilkes Booth was a famous Shakespearean actor.

http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/resources/shakespeare-facts/