Student 5: Low Achieved
Extracts of student evidence: Research and analysis of the text for performance:
Identifying the intention of the playwright
The plays full title is “The Tragedy of Macbeth”. Macbeth’s soliloquy at the end summarises the play, serving as a warning to the spectator, instilling fear
and pity in the audience as Aristotle said all tragedies should.
Identifying the ideas, themes and messages within the chosen text
Clothing: Macbeth asks why he’s being dressed in ‘borrowed robes’. Later in the play Angus says that Macbeth’s kingly title is ill-fitting “like a giants robe
upon a dwarfish thief”. These pieces seem to show Macbeth unable to ‘fit’ into these roles given to him, both that he is not ‘big’ enough to fill these roles
but also, each time they are not his clothes they are stolen clothes, stolen titles. To extend this metaphor further I plan to use costume that is literally illfitting on the actors and have Macbeth uncomfortable in these clothes.
Blood: Constant blood present during the play both literal and imaginary, but this blood comes to symbolise more than just the obvious, but guilt as shown
in Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene. I plan to incorporate this into my piece by having Macbeth with blood on him the entire time, symbolising his lack of
purity and Lady Macbeth will start white but when she leaves to return the daggers, she returns with blood on her costume symbolising her guilt and regret.
Sleep/sleeplessness: In order to incorporate this into my production Lady Macbeth and Macbeths’ costumes will appear reminiscent of night clothes, in
irony of the fact that neither Macbeth of lady Macbeth can sleep.
Establishing the social background of the text
Macbeth takes place in Scotland in the late 11th Century. As the play is based around nobles and royals, the characters are all wealthy and money bears
little significance to the play. All of the language in the play is relatively formal as it is set in court with the lead characters, however the minor characters
such as the Porter and the three witches use informal language, which shows that the witches are exempt from societies normal realism and the Porter’s
drunkenness and lower class.
Considering the development of the characters and action throughout the text
My scenes are very much the weak moments in Macbeths character. The times when he feels most guilty about betraying his own morals in order to get
what he wants. How Macbeth feels and how he appears to lady Macbeth are very similar, yet very different to how he appears to the world. This shows
that he relies on lady Macbeth a lot to be his support. This could be why later in the play after Lady Macbeth kills herself, Macbeth can’t cope without her
and is defeated. The scenes of the play I am doing are times when the most dramatic tension increases. I intend to show this through exhausted looking
characters which I intend to show through tension in actor’s relationships and bodies.
Character profiles and Inner and outer characteristics and drama techniques have been described for the three characters.
Formulating an explanation of the director’s production concept.
One of the main ideas I’m going to try and convey in this production of Macbeth is the idea of subtext and what’s going though a characters head at any
one point in a play that is so familiar to many. I am trying to cast a different light on a classic play. I will also use the Porter to provide comic relief and
comment on the action of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth.
Translating the scripted text to facilitate the enactment of the script from ‘page to stage’:
Communicating a concept to convey the intention of the play
In order to communicate the concept, I plan to use a large sheet/curtain to project images onto from behind, to show the trains of thought of the
characters and compare this to how the characters are acting, in front of the screen where their subtexts are shadowed.
The character of Macbeth I plan to have wearing an oversized white shirt stained with blood. This is to show his purity, symbolised by the white, being
soiled by the red of the blood. I plan to compare him with the character of the porter by having the Porter dressed in greens – the opposite of red and
cutting between the scenes – the dramatic darkness of the bloody dagger scene and the crazy mood swinging drunken Porter. I also plan tio have the
backlight. Lighting up the shadow – screen.
Set: I plan to have a large sheet which will hang from the rafters which I will use to portray subtext through projecting of shadows onto it. This could be
done by the red backlight in Macbeth’s scenes and dimmed light everywhere else, making the primary light source red light through the sheet. The scene
would be dark and this filtered light could increase the ideas of secrecy and hiding Lady Macbeth’s façade that she employs while talking to Macbeth will be
accentuated with the face she shows Macbeth- calm, collected a direct contrast with the shadows representing her subtext – wild and jagged. Her costume
will be simple, similar to Macbeths. A plain white, loose fitting night-time dress, which will get blood on it when she comes in with the line” my hands are of
your colour, but I shame to wear a heart so white”. Lighting: I intend to use basic lighting with split stage lighting and a backlight projecting the shadows
onto a sheet. When Porter and Macbeth swap sides, the light for their side will change. In order to have two different colour backlights I will need two as
changing gels takes too long.
Casting of actors
Brief audition notes are evident
Developing and implementing a rehearsal schedule
Supporting the development of roles and dramatic action
Rehearsal one: Did projection exercises – very difficult to teach people how to project so will look up ways to do so online. Rehearsal two: I have asked cast
members to do some character research and we did hot seating and are working on subtext, walking around room, saying lines with different subtexts.
Told all cast to write subtext on script – need to go through this more later. Rehearsal three: After subtext and character stuff done, work on blocking.
Rehearsal four : Cast to learn lines, need projection practice, role on the wall, continue with blocking.
Guiding the production team
Script has been annotated with lighting cues
Fostering a positive and co-operative working environment to enable the production to be realised.