Mark Ravenhill - Handbag (phil's speech)
Jim Cartwright - Road (skin lad's speech)
Paul Rudnick - I Hate Hamlet (andrew's speech)
Steven Berkoff - Decadence (restaurant scene)
Steven Berkoff - Harry's Christmas (ending scene)
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Nights Dream (puck's soliloquy)
Mark Ravenhill - Handbag
Mark Ravenhill's Handbag is famous as being a different spin on Oscar Wilde's 'The Importance of Being Ernest' using similar characters such as Prism. The monologue I was looking at was Phils speech from when he is living with the victorians and how be crys out for attention.This scene shows In-yer-face theatre but almost shouting at the audience. It uses my strengths of emotive characters and also gives me the option to use my strength of accents because Handbag isn't set in a specific area.
I decided against choosing this piece for my monologue because after reading the examiners report I felt that this involved material which was not easily accessible to me as I could not relate to the emotion of loosing a child or being a drug addict.
Jim Cartwright - Road
Road is a play that I have previously done for my AS module yet the speech from Skin Lad was cut out. Road shows social realism through the 1980s and Skin Lads monologue shows an boy that is obsessed with fighting.
My teacher suggested that if I wanted to perform this monologue that I should research into Bronson starting Tom Hardy. This is based on a real story so I can look into the research Tom Hardy did to get into character for the role
This much like Handbag, this showcases my talent for In-yer-face theatre and expresses my strengths for acccents and emotive character, this monologue also lets me explore another strength of exaggerated gestures.
I decided against choosing this piece for my monologue because I don't feel that I would be able to do as much intense preparation for the role in the amount of time. Also I would need to shave off my hair which would result in me not being in character for my other two performances.
Paul Rudnick - I Hate Hamlet
I Hate Hamlet is comedic play that is set in america. The scene I was looking at was Andrew's speech from the end of the play after he has played Hamlet he is reflecting upon this.
This monologue lets me show all my strengths as in the script it says that 'Andrew is walking home in his costume' therefore he could have a sword letting me use props
I decided against choosing this piece for my monologue because I did not feel it would showcase the best of my ability as I feel I could have a monologue that would involve the audience far more wether this is a sense of catharsis or talking directly to them.
Steven Berkoff - Decadence
Having decided not to perform Decadence for my duologue I felt I should look further into this play for a monologue as I like berkoff's style and I felt I could portray the character of Steve well. I was looking particularly at the restaurant scene as I felt this encompassed Berkoff's style into one monologue.
This monologue showcases my strengths of facial expression, accent and exaggerated characters. I loved how this monologue was so far apart from any other.
I decided against choosing this piece for my monologue because this dose not relate so well to an audience as I would like. I also feel that the performance in the video is done almost to perfection and I don't feel that I could beat it. If I did attempt this monologue then I would simply be trying to reciprocate the style shown above and it would not be my own personal monologue.
Steven Berkoff - Harry's Christmas
My teacher suggested that I look at Harry's Christmas as I liked Berkoff's style yet this had a far more emotional side to his style and creates a great sense of Catharisis with the audience. I chose to look at the ending scene.
'It's Christmas day and Harry has still not seen anybody over christmas. He becomes more deprressed to the point at where he takes an over dose and dies'
This monologue showcases my strengths of;
Facial expressions
Exagerated gestures
Emotive characters
Working with props
Harry's disorder is what makes his character become far more Nitty Gritty much like Larry's character. Harry's disorder is something that can be relatable as everyone has mood swings.
I decided to choose this piece for my monologue because it showcases my strengths within a style as which I have experience from when working on Road (where we chose to take influence from Stephen Berkoff). This is also a monologue that creates a great sense of catharsis with an audience as this is something I was lacking with the other monologues.
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Nights Dream
A Midsummer Nights Dream is one of Shakespeare's most famous comedic plays. I was looking at the character puck and his last soliloquy.
'If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends'
This monologue showcases my strengths of;
Exagerated gestures
Bringing historical to a contemporary audience
Working with props
Puck speaks directly too the audience which neither my duologue or my Berkoff monologue do. Shakespeare is something that I have done in the very first part of the course yet not to a completely high standard doing shakespeare again lets me reflect back on my previous work and improve upon it.
I decided to choose this piece for my monologue because it showcases my strengths it also has a connection to the audience which is what I wanted from my previous monologues. I am doing doing a monologue that is a challenge as I have performed shakespeare before this is simply improving on my abilities and showing the examiner what I can do.
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