EDUCATION PACK 1
Contents
Introduc on………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 Synopsis of The Rivals…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………… 4 Theatrical Techniques used in The Rivals & About Richard Brinsley Sheridan…………………………….………….... 7 The Restora on Comedy…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 The Characters…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………10 Meet the Cast………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….11 An Interview with the Script Adapter………………………………………………………………………………………………………12 Crea ng The Rivals, Behind the Scenes Team………………………………………………………………………………………….14 The Design Process………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….16 Costume Designs……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..18 An Example of a Rehearsal Call Sheet………………………………………………………………………………………………………19 An Example of a Rehearsal Report…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..20 Credits…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….21
This educa on pack was wri en by Kezia Buckland Produc on Photographs by Philip Tull
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Introduc on
This behind the scenes pack has been designed to give you an insight into the making of The Rivals at The Watermill. The pack is aimed primarily at teachers or students at Secondary School. Your feedback is most welcome, please email ([email protected]) or call us on 01635 570927.
This is a digital pack; where you see this arrow there is a link that you can click on to
view other material online.
Don’t forget that we offer workshops on most aspects of drama, and visit many schools in the surrounding area to work with students and teachers. For a workshop menu, please visit the Outreach pages on our website, or get in touch.
I hope you find the pack useful.
Kezia Buckland Outreach Placement The Watermill Theatre Bagnor, Newbury, Berks RG20 8AE
www.watermill.org.uk
The Sackler Trust, Principle supporter of The Watermill’s Core Educa on Programme.
Principal Sponsor of The Rivals
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Synopsis
Act 1, Bath 1775‐ Mrs Malaprop’s house the room. Sir Anthony would like his son, Jack Absolute, to marry Lydia. Mrs Malaprop accepts this offer and says she will Julia opens the play with a witty prologue spoken directly to propose it to her niece. Sir Anthony explains his tough love the audience. She informs them on the current political climate approach to parenting and hints that Mrs Malaprop to try the in 1775: King George being on the throne as well as the recent same. general election, and then introduces the characters and their relationships with one another. (See page 10 of this education Mrs Malaprop quickly checks in with her maid Lucy to make pack to find out more about the characters of The Rivals). sure she has not revealed to anyone her secret letter sending to Sir Lucius. Mrs Malaprop is rude to Lucy’s face and calls her a Cousins, Julia and Lydia, are reunited. Lydia updates Julia simpleton. Lucy swears that she has not told anybody about immediately on all of her news. She tells Julia of how her aunt the letters. Mrs Malaprop discovered the letters being sent between Lydia and Ensign Beverley, unbeknown to Lydia as Jack Absolute. The ACT 2 letter was intercepted at the worst timing for the lovers who Fag has returned from Sir Anthony’s house after telling him are in a quarrel. The quarrel began because Lydia purposefully that his son is also in Bath. Fag lied to the other servants and created a circumstance to instigate a fight out of fear that her said Jack is in Bath to recruit, when in fact it is to see Lydia. and Beverley would never argue otherwise. But the plan Faulkland, who is staying with Jack, is an emotional romantic backfired, and Lydia hasn’t seen her love since, and fears that and Jack wants to tease him about Julia, before telling him that she will not ever again. This is all the more problematic for she has arrived in Bath. Lydia as she has also lost her chance of marrying into poverty with Beverley, an action that will lose her full inheritance from Jack, has courted Lydia with the façade of a poor ensign and is Mrs Malaprop and delight Lydia. It is also made known that determined to keep off the elopement between them until Mrs Malaprop is writing love letters under a pseudonym of Lydia is of age. Meaning the couple will receive the inheritance ‘Delia’, a seventeen‐year‐old, to Sir Lucius O’Trigger. Julia then money. Jack explains how Bob Acres, a friend of Jack’s, believes takes her turn in updated Lydia. She talks of her want to marry in Beverley too and is a great rival of him for also going after her betrothed Faulkland. Lydia tries to argue with Julia to say Lydia. Bob also knows Julia. Bob and Jack work together to that she deserves better and shouldn’t feel obliged to marry tease Faulkland of how Julia has been in high spirits in his him out of gratitude for saving her life in a boat accident years absence. Faulkland is enraged to hear this, which amuses the ago. The two young girl’s obsession with their love lives is other men and the audience he leaves out of fury and jealousy. constantly referred by each other as ‘caprice’. They want to Sir Anthony and Jack meet. Jack says to the audience of how his marry for the reason of love, not money, and believe in fate, father will now come and give him a parental chat, which he destiny and love at first sight. neither wants or needs. He also prays that his father still Julia leaves when Sir Anthony and Mrs Malaprop return home. doesn’t know the real reason why he is in Bath. Sir Anthony Lydia hides her books from her aunt and Sir Anthony. sweettalks Jack and explains to him his wants to give him independence, a large estate and make him a figure in the Sir Anthony and Mrs Malaprop enter and immediately bring up world. This all comes with the condition of marriage, but Sir the topic of marriage. They both belittle Lydia by saying a Anthony does not reveal to who. Jack is astounded and young woman should not have an opinion or preference unhappy with this offer as he has already vowed to love regarding who she marries and that her corruption derives another, that his father doesn’t know about. Sir Anthony is from her reading. Which would have been the general opinion enraged and tells Jack that he will love whoever he chooses for in the 1700s. This first scene is when we first hear Mrs him. He leaves, telling him he’ll give Jack six hours to decide Malaprop’s famous malapropisms. (Read more about what he wants to do or he will be disowned. malapropisms on page 7). Lydia has made it known that she rejects Mrs Malaprop’s wishes for her to marry Bob Acres. Mrs Lucy delivers another letter to Lucius. She tells the audience, in Malaprop says that she would be willing to find another suiter an aside, that he believes Delia is Lydia and not in fact Mrs for her, but Lydia is determined to marry Beverley and leaves Malaprop. (Read more about asides on page 7).
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This detail is further shown to the audience through the malapropisms contained in the letter that Lucius reads aloud.
They agree to meet in the evening with Lucius’ reply. Fag overhears this conversation and suspects Lucy is lying to the other servants. To prove she is truthful, Lucy reveals Mrs Mrs Malaprop re‐enters, Lydia continues to call Jack Beverley Malaprop’s secret about the letters and that she overheard Mrs which her aunt is amazed at. She says she is hallucinating with Malaprop and Sir Anthony planning the engagement between love and thinks every man is Beverley. Jack says that he does Lydia and Jack. Fag is delighted to hear this news for his master not mind which makes Mrs Malaprop think he is so patient and and leaves to go and tell him at once. understanding.
ACT 3‐ The North Parade At his lodgings, Bob Acres tells Sir Lucius how he has lost Lydia’s Jack meets his father. Jack explains to the audience of how he love. Lucius suggests that he should fight Beverley in a duel for will now accept his fathers offer of marrying Lydia. Sir Anthony Lydia. Acres drafts a letter to Beverley stating he wants to meet is still in fury about Jack’s disobedience earlier that day. Jack him in Kings Mead Fields. Lucius mentions that a young captain prepares himself to grovel and apologise but Sir Anthony has annoyed him by embarrassing him and he wants to meet to immediately accepts Jack’s apology and is delighted. He address it. Jack enters, and Acres asks him to deliver the letter rewards Jack by telling him who his future wife shall be. Jack to Beverley and place doubt in his mind of how ‘ferocious’ Bob pretends that he has never heard of a Lydia Languish before. is. Sir Anthony enters and tells Jack to go with him to meet But Sir Anthony is astonished and explains of all her beauty. Lydia. But Jack stops him every time from saying her name Jack, hypocritically, states that he would marry anyone his aloud so Bob doesn’t hear and realise that it is Jack who is his father wishes to please him. But goes with his father, real Rival. pretending it’s his first time meeting Lydia. Mrs Malaprop prepares Lydia for meeting Sir Anthony’s son. Julia and Faulkland meet for the first time since Faulkland Lydia insists she will not look or speak to the man her aunt has heard the news through Bob. Their meeting begins frostily and chosen for her. Sir Anthony and Jack arrive. Each of the four gets worse. With Faulkland set on understanding why Julia was characters speak a line to the audience, in asides. Jack knows so happy whilst away from him, it causes Julia to first try and his cover will now be unveiled and chaos will install. Sir convince him otherwise and then disregard him altogether. She Anthony wants Jack to prove himself as a man in front of his leaves angry and confused over what she did to deserve such a future wife. Lydia remains true to her words and does not look rude attitude from her lover. Faulkland, hearing Julia crying, at her suiter. Mrs Malaprop is pleased with herself, unknowing realises how upset he has made her. Again, he falls straight that her plan will be chaotic in a matter of moments. back into his emotional heartbreak, fearful that he has again lost his love forever. INTERVAL At her house, Jack impresses and compliments Mrs Malaprop, unbeknown to her that he already knows Lydia. Mrs Malaprop reads to Jack the last letter she intercepted from Beverley, obviously being from Jack. The letter is insulting towards her, calling her a ‘weather‐beaten she‐dragon’. Jack proposes that he and Mrs Malaprop play a trick on Lydia. To let her continue to arrange an elopement with Beverley and then at last minute, Jack will sweep in and steal Lydia from Beverley. Jack convinces Mrs Malaprop to let him talk to Lydia alone for a few moments, pretending to her it is the first stage of the plan. Lydia immediately recognises him as Beverley. Jack lies to Lydia and says he deceived her aunt to let him meet with Lydia. He then says that he wants to get married quickly so he can be with Lydia in poverty to further prove to her that Beverley is her perfect suiter.
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ACT 4 Mrs Malaprop’s lodgings
Lydia can’t stop thinking about Jack and therefore realises that The scene picks up from where it was stopped before the she does love him. She turns to Julia in the hope of gaining interval. Lydia still wont turn around and look at her suiter, but some advice and assurance. Julia admits that she already knew is confused why her aunt hasn’t recognised ‘Beverley’ again about Jack pretending to be an ensign, but she didn’t tell Lydia after meeting him earlier that day. Jack pleads for them to be because she knew that he would be a perfect suiter for her as left alone together but Sir Anthony insists his son speaks up. he wholeheartedly loves Lydia. Mrs Malaprop enters with David Jack eventually speaks out in a comedic voice to cover his usual and tells the two girls that there is a duel planned and both that Lydia may recognise. Sir Anthony is confused and angry Faulkland and Jack are involved. The two girls plead with Mrs with the way Jack is acting. Jack goes up to Lydia and tells her Malaprop to let them go and stop the duel. Mrs Malaprop does not to be surprised. Lydia immediately recognises the voice and not let them, until she hears that Sir Lucius is also involved and is overjoyed to see Beverley. Mrs Malaprop and Sir Anthony do they all leave to save their respective lovers. not understand and thinks she is imagining seeing Beverley in place of Jack. Lydia stubbornly sticks to her guns and believes Sir Lucius and Bob Acres are preparing for the duel and setting that she is right causing Sir Anthony to question the virtue of his up the field. It is obvious that Bob is scared and doesn’t want to own son. Jack explains himself and apologises to his father and fight but Sir Lucius insists that he finds his valour and spurs him to Mrs Malaprop, as she realises it was him who wrote the on. Jack and Faulkland enter. Sir Lucius assumes that Faulkland unkind words about her in the letters to Lydia. Sir Anthony is Beverley whom Bob shall fight. This causes Jack to come clean protects him by flirting with Mrs Malaprop and whisks her and admit to Bob that he is Beverley and therefore his Rival. away. Lydia and Jack are left alone. Lydia is very angry and feels Bob does not want to try and battle Jack for Lydia so they do betrayed by Jack. She says she will easily lose her love for him. not duel. Sir Lucius and Jack then prepare for their fight but are But Jack says he cannot so easily lose his love for her. Mrs disrupted by Mrs Malaprop, Lydia, Julia and Sir Anthony. Lydia Malaprop and Sir Anthony walk back into the pair arguing and pleads for them to not duel. Sir Lucius says that he will continue Lydia crying. Lydia renounces Beverley and leaves. Mrs to fight for his ‘Delia’. This forces Mrs Malaprop to admit that Malaprop is ecstatic, still not understanding the confusion she, in fact, is Delia. Sir Lucius is disappointed that he has lost between Jack and Beverley, whilst Jack is crushed. Lydia. Sir Anthony consoles Mrs Malaprop and blesses Julia and Faulkland by saying that all the mistakes Faulkland has made are Sir Lucius and Jack meet and Jack agrees to fight Sir Lucius out of love. without even knowing why. The meaning being that Sir Lucius is also in love with Lydia. They agree to meet at the same time Julia closes the play with an epilogue. She rounds up the plot Acres and ‘Beverley’ are scheduled to fight. Faulkland enters and explains that Julia and Faulkland, Jack and Lydia and Mrs and Jack tells him his woes with Lydia and how it has now been Malaprop and Sir Anthony all end up together in their topped off with Sir Lucius wanting to fight him. Fag brings a respective couples. She mentions how the women of the play letter to Faulkland. Julia wants to meet with Faulkland again. are in charge of the plot and that ‘constancy in love’ is one of Faulkland is not happy that Julia is the one to instigate this so the main morals the audience should learn from the play. writes a letter telling Julia to meet him at once as it may be the last time she ever does. When Faulkland’s letter arrives, it causes Julia to question what is going on, Faulkland enters. They profess their true love for one another. But then Julia realises that he lied to her and that there was no real emergency, as said in the letter, at all. Julia is hurt that Faulkland would want to play with her feelings so much and says that he obviously can never be confident in love and their relationship. She leaves saying she will never be his and Faulkland, once again falls into woe that he has lost her forever.
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Theatrical Techniques Used in The Rivals
Malapropisms
A malapropism is where a word is incorrectly used within a context which therefore changes the overall meaning of the sentence or phrase. The incorrect word will usually sound similar, rhyme or be alike in spelling to the word that was first intended. It is thought that Sheridan created the word malaprop and, in turn ,malapropism for the characteris cs he gave Mrs Malaprop. Malaprop can be derived from either ‘malapropos’, meaning inappropriate, or the French phrase ‘mal à propos’, meaning poorly placed. There are many other famous characters in theatre and literature that use malapropisms to create humour. For example, Dogberry in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Asides
Asides are spoken directly towards the audience. By breaking the fourth wall, it explicitly shows the audience that no other character on stage is aware of what is being said. Asides are used to divulge addi onal informa on, through subconscious or unspoken thoughts, about their own character, another character or the plot.
About Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Sheridan was 23 when he wrote The Rivals. He was from a well respected Irish family: his grandfather, father and mother were all either playwrights, authors and actors of separate fields. Although the family were respected, they lacked money.
Throughout Sheridan’s career he wanted to have a large presence within the high society and poli cs of London. He ini ally studied law to set his status, as it was perceived as more valuable than the arts. He married a soprano singer, Elizabeth Ann Linley, and made theatre his livelihood. A few years later The Rivals opened in Covent Garden Theatre. Its wit, caricatures and general mockery won over the audience. In 1776 he bought a share in the ownership of The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He became the manager of the theatre and all of his plays were produced there a er. Throughout his years the lavish lifestyle Sheridan lived got him caught up in gambling and extravagance. Between the years of 1780 and 1812, Sheridan was a Whig MP for the Houses of Commons. Sheridan was a man of many talents: poet, author, poli cian and impresario. He died in 1816 and buried at Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey.
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The Restora on Comedy
The Restora on Comedy genre first appeared in English Theatre in 1660. Warmly welcomed by audiences, this new type of comedy was a breath of fresh air for the theatre and the country a er a period of dras c Poli cal, monarchical and social change. Theatre had been banned across England, Scotland and Ireland for eighteen years: from the beginning of the Civil War in 1642 up un l 1660 when the Stuarts regained power. Theatres were seen as places where dispute and disorder could break out. The Puritans, led by Oliver Cromwell, deemed them as excessive and against the austere lifestyle they wanted to impose upon Britain. Once the Stuarts were back in power, they encouraged theatre and entertainment back into society. The period following the Stuarts returning to power is called The Restora on. Which, in turn, is why comedic plays wri en during this me are called Restora on Comedies.
Le : Ncu Gatwa (Captain Jack Absolute) and Julia St John (Mrs Malaprop). Right: Michael Thomas (Sir Anthony Absolute). Restora on Theatre was revolu onary in some of its elements. The introduc on of detailed scenery and stage machinery made performances more technical and visually exci ng. For the first me, female playwrights such as Aphra Behn were having their work performed and onstage female characters were being played by female actors. There were further changes of conven on within the comedy genre. Restora on Comedies can also be called ‘Comedy of Manners’ plays because their characters are members, or servants, of the elite and ‘mannered’ classes. The plot of a Restora on Comedy focuses closely on social behaviour, especially marriages, love and family lives. The audience watch the seemingly glamorous and privileged classes o en enter into scandal and corrup on. This sa rical and wi y way of looking at the upper classes would have been a new type of humour for the audience of the 1660s.
There are more elements of Restora on Comedies that would have challenged the audience from concepts that they were previously used to and really made the genre unique and iden fiable. Not all Restora on Comedies contain every single one of these following examples. The Rivals was wri en by Sheridan in 1775, or post‐restora on, so he had the luxury of hindsight to include the elements that audiences had enjoyed most about the first comedies in the 1660s. 8
Many Restora on Comedies are made up of mul ple sub‐plots which link the characters via different scenarios and rela onships. By having sub‐plots, it opens up the opportunity for confusion, coincidence and farce which means more opportuni es for hilarity. The majority of scripts were wri en in prose with specific moments in verse to highlight important or informa ve sec ons of the plot. Finally, a trend started to form regarding the names of the characters. Their name would give a hint about the character’s personality traits or perhaps something that related to their contribu on to the play. In another Restora on Comedy, The Country Wife by William Wycherley, the character Jack Pinchwife lives in fear of being cuckolded and in William Congreve’s Love for Love, the character Foresight is a supers ous man. An example from The Rivals is Lydia’s surname of Languish. Languish means to grow weak. This relates to the end of the play when Lydia loses her stubbornness and agrees to her aunt’s wishes regarding who she marries, therefore gaining her full inheritance.
Le : Emma Denly (Lydia Languish). Right: Christopher Logan (Sir Lucius) and Charlo e Bate (Lucy) If you are interested in exploring more Restora on Comedy plays then take a look at the work of John Dryden, William Wycherley, William Congreve and Aphra Behn who were amongst the first Restora on Comedy playwrights. The second revival playwrights included Richard Brinsley Sheridan with more works such as The School for Scandal (1777) and Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer (1773). There were also European writers such as Jean‐Bap ste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière. Finally, Oscar Wild revived the Restora on Comedy for a third me in the 1800s with works such as The Importance of Being Earnest.
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The Characters
Julia Melville: Cousin of Lydia. Julia is in love with Faulkland. In The Watermill’s version she opens and ends the play with a prologue and epilogue, respec vely, spoken to the audience that contain informa on on the characters and the plot. Julia is a gentle young woman who is o en the ra onal advice giver for Lydia and Faulkland.
Lydia Languish: Cousin to Julia and Niece to Mrs Malaprop. A stubborn and well read young 17 year old woman who wishes to marry for love and not money. So much so, that she is intent on marrying into ‘poverty’ to spite her aunt. Lydia believes she is in love with a soldier, Beverley, who in fact is Jack Absolute. She is the last to know about Jack concealing his iden ty and it hurts her pride.
Mrs Malaprop: Aunt of Lydia. A very wealthy woman who holds a high status and high opinion of herself. She is extremely tradi onal and is baffled by her niece, Lydia’s, ac ons and ideas. Mrs Malaprop prides herself on her linguis cal excellence, when in fact she is o en confusing and being laughed at by those she is speaking to.
Jack Absolute: ‘Handsome, and he knows it’. A young captain, son of Sir Anthony and in love with Lydia. His mischief and lying gets him caught up in several s cky situa ons with Lydia, his father, Mrs Malaprop and his friends to name but few.
Sir Anthony Absolute: Father of Jack Absolute and Guardian to Julia. He is a gentleman who likes tradi on and authority. Sir Anthony has come to Bath to arrange for his son to marry Mrs Malaprop’s niece Lydia.
Bob Acres: A gentleman from the countryside. He has travelled to Bath with the hope of cour ng and marrying Lydia and therefore thinks his Rival for her love is Ensign Beverly.
Faulkland: Friends with Jack Absolute and betrothed to Julia. His insa able love for Julia is o en disguised well by his temper and his constant analysing of how much Julia loves him causes him to create arguments between them.
Sir Lucius O’Trigger: An Irish gentleman. He writes love le ers to who he thinks is his poten al future wife, Lydia, but in fact is Mrs Malaprop. Sir Lucius also encourages duels between Bob Acres, Jack Absolute and himself during the play.
Fag: Servant to Jack Absolute. Has a key role in relaying informa on back to his master that he hears about town from the other characters and their servants.
Lucy: Mrs Malaprop’s maid who delivers the le ers between Sir Lucius O’Trigger and Mrs Malaprop.
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Meet the Cast
DANIEL ABELSON CHARLOTTE BATE EMMA DENLY NCUTI GATWA
BOB ACRES JULIA LYDIA LANGUISH JACK ABSOLUTE
CHRISTOPHER LOGAN JAMES MACK JULIA ST JOHN MICHAEL THOMAS
SIR LUCIUS O’ TRIGGER FAULKLAND MRS MALAPROP SIR ANTHONY ABSOLUTE
The cast of The Rivals let us know what to expect from the performance in this video here.
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An Interview with the Script Adapter‐ Beth Flintoff Can you talk me through your process as a script adaptor? What is your favourite line in the show? Star ng from as soon as you know which play you will be I love it when Lydia says ‘I only meant to tease him three and adap ng, up to the first me the cast reads through your a half days’. I love her self‐awareness, and the fact that we script? have a lead female character that is not remotely perfect. First of all, I meet with the Director, Jonathan Humphreys, and we talk about the brief for the produc on. For The How did you choose the parts of the script to update and Rivals we decided to s ck with the original se ng and me modernise for The Rivals? period, but update some of the more obscure language and I normally have a rule for myself when I’m adap ng original try to work on making the story clear. We also only had eight plays, that I don’t add my own voice into the script, I just actors, while The Rivals has twelve main characters plus rearrange and edit out. But with The Rivals this self‐imposed addi onal servants, so I needed to cut down that list. And rule went out of the window. So I have added parts that will the original script is very long: well over three hours. I help the audience out a bit. Some mes I’ve cut big sec ons wanted to cut it back to about two. of the original script then replaced it with one line to make The next thing I do is type the whole script out, line by line. sure the audience have all the facts they need. But with the It gives me a sense of each character’s speech rhythms, how excep on of the Prologue and Epilogue, which are clearly much ‘screen me’ they get and the sorts of ways they my own (the prologue refers to The Watermill and the verbally respond to each other. Once it’s wri en out I begin ducks…), this is a sort of ‘invisible’ adapta on. I don’t think to cut and edit using a word processor called Scrivener, an audience will no ce where Sheridan stops, and I begin. It which is really helpful for mapping out scenes. should be fairly seamless – all the lines I have added are I then send the first dra to Jonny to see what he thinks. hopefully in exactly the same style. He’ll give feedback and some notes and I’ll go back and do the edi ng again. We keep working like this with the last few How did you change the Prologue and Epilogue in the play? li le changes un l it’s ready to take to the first day of Sheridan wrote a prologue and epilogue to be spoken by the rehearsals. So, it’s pre y straight forward and much easier actress who played Julia. I loved that Julia had such control than wri ng a new play from scratch. But it is lovely working over the beginning and end of the play, and I wanted to on a play like The Rivals because everyone has a level of keep that sense of strength and the lightness of touch in confidence about the text before we’ve already started. those original lines. But the prologue itself was incredibly difficult to follow, and straight a erwards was an What are your responsibili es during rehearsals? exposi onal scene involving a character who never appears It varies depending on the type of play really. If it’s a again. So I decided to start afresh with the prologue, and completely new play I would be in rehearsals quite a bit, but make it do the work of Act 1 Scene 1 as well. I kept the because we know The Rivals already ‘works’, I’ve not been in original structuring: rhyming couplets in iambic pentameter, as much. Some mes Jonny will discover a line or two that’s because this is the sort of geeky way I get my thrills.
not working or needs a tweak during the day’s rehearsals, I wanted to make the prologue special to The Watermill – and Sara (the Deputy Stage Manager) will make notes to go for me, it’s like coming back to an old friend, this place. I in the day’s Rehearsal Report, which gets emailed out each worked full me here for seven years, leaving to go evening to all the team (see page 20 to see a Rehearsal freelance a couple of years ago. So this is my way of saying Report from The Rivals). If I’m not there, I might call or email how lovely it is to see the audience again and to spend me him to talk it through. with them. And then, at the end, I gave it a sort of
conclusion, which wasn’t in the original.
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I felt it was important to acknowledge that, to modern eyes, the rela onship between Julia and Faulkland is highly unse ling. So she declares to the audience that she’ll keep trying to help him change, but if he doesn’t, she will ‘traverse the world alone’. She has agency, at the end. And finally, I As a script writer what is your favourite form or method of put Mrs Malaprop and Sir Anthony together as a couple. It research? feels like they suit each other so brilliantly, and watching the I get asked to write a lot of historical pieces, for which I sparkle that Julia St John and Michael Thomas have onstage, I always spend several weeks living in a library, reading. I am am chuffed I did! also wri ng a play about medical science at the moment, and Tell me about the ‘Malapropisms’? have basically installed myself in a lab building in Oxford. I go We laugh at Mrs Malaprop because she is always trying to be along to their mee ngs, informally interview them at cleverer than she is – and aren’t we all? She tries to use lunch me, and I am wri ng the play si ng at an empty desk complicated words where simple ones would do, and in their office. I find it fascina ng. constantly chooses the wrong ones. I have changed quite a Do you think that the poli cal and social changes in 1775 few of these, where we didn’t think they would land with a had an impact upon how much the audience enjoyed The modern audience because the joke relies on a word that isn’t Rivals as a comedy and moreover why an audience of 2018 in our vocabulary any more. Some of them don’t need may enjoy and want this play amidst all the Poli cal changing ‐ for example, ‘it gives me the hydrosta cs’ ‐ we all changes we are experiencing now? know that she means hysterics. But I took a few risks, the You can’t really spot a trend un l it has passed– but I find it biggest being ‘we must do all we can to avoid interes ng what theatre trends come and go. The earlier calamari’ (instead of calamity), just because it’s so modern. I Restora on period was a me where people’s lives had been find it fun to sit with a dic onary, internet programmes and a ripped apart by Civil War– theatre had been banned for thesaurus and choose the word. Again, I don’t get out much! eighteen years, which is a long me to get our of the habit. What else have you cut from the play? So when theatre was allowed again, audiences had a hunger There are some tricky themes in the play that I have chosen for comedy, the needed stories that reassured you that the to take out. The first being Sir Anthony’s crush on Lydia. An world would come good in the end. Romeo and Juliet was re‐ audience in 1775 wouldn’t have found it par cularly odd, but wri en so that they didn’t die, that kind of thing. nowadays it seems incredibly inappropriate. I don’t want to The Rivals is a few years later, but it s cks to the rules of make the audience feel uncomfortable. escapism. The asides, for example, remind you that it isn’t There’s a lot of cruelty towards Mrs Malaprop at the end real. It’s a not a play where you have to con nually search which I have trimmed, because I don’t enjoy seeing a woman for the subtext, the characters will tell you what they’re banded about ‐ it just feels a bit mean. I think it’s fair to say thinking. I think that’s why, in this adapta on, I have that this is a play wri en by a man, in a very different me, subconsciously referred to the cha er of poli cs and social and some mes he gets it wrong with his representa on of media: it can feel as if we’re being shouted at all the me and women. Which is why I am here! Adding an extra layer to it. this play affords a retreat from all that. Some mes the world can feel rather bleak, so for me, it’s What research did you do whilst adap ng The Rivals? lovely to work on comedy. I never wanted to make theatre Luckily I didn’t need to conjure up the world because that’s too intellectual or for just other members of the Sheridan has already done it for me. I don’t have to worry theatre industry to watch ‐ and this isn’t ‘dumbing down’: I about accuracy, I’ve got the best eyewitness researcher want to tell stories to everyone. I want people to come to the available, so I didn’t have to do nearly as much research as I theatre at the end of a long day and be entertained. would for a new play. But in fact I know a reasonable amount Otherwise, as Churchill might say, what are we figh ng for? about this post‐restora on era from studying it during my degree, and working on other plays from a similar period.
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Crea ng The Rivals‐ Behind the Scenes Team
Playwright: The person who writes the script for the the play. This involves drawing a rig plan which play that is performed. The process of wri ng a script has instruc ons for where in the theatre each of can take anywhere between a few months to many the lights should be placed or hung. This plan is years. One script may be redra ed lots of mes very important as the ligh ng designer may not before it is handed to a Director and it may have rig the lights in the theatre themselves. Therefore, further changes made to it throughout the rehearsal the plan needs to be clear to a technician so they process. can rig the theatre exactly how the designer wanted it. Performer: A person who entertains an audience. At Sound designer: a sound designer has to be The Watermill the most common performers are very skilled and able to operate and install actors, musicians and dancers. They have several different types of audio equipment and weeks of rehearsals before the show begins its systems. They follow the crea ve vision performances in a theatre or theatres. All of the made by all the designers and directors to performers in the produc on form a company. research or create the sounds that would work the best for the produc on. Sound Understudy: A member of the company who learns designers can also be the musical another role or roles during rehearsals in case of a composers for the show. performer being unable to perform in a produc on. Set designer: The first job of a set designer For example if a performer is ill, their understudy will is to create a scale model of their vision. step in to cover their role during that performance. This is first made out of white card and then into a more sturdy material. The set design‐ Designer: Responsible for the overall visual er uses this model to pitch their idea to the appearance of the performance. The director and all director and design team (see page 15). The of the designers work together to make sure the team building the set then use this model to produc on has the same themes and coherent design know the measurements and details. The throughout. Designers are o en a freelance posi on, set designer also designs/chooses the props instead of being employed full me by a theatre. This to be used on stage. means they may have several different projects that ‐ Costume designer: The costume designer they are working on at the same me. The number of ini ally draws their ideas for each character’s designers working on one produc on can vary, for costume. These drawings can be shown to the example, a set designer may also design the director and design team. The costume costumes. designer then is responsible for either making Ligh ng designer: Once the ligh ng the costumes, selec ng the right fabrics or designer is aware of the overall crea ve vision for sourcing, buying and hiring costumes. the produc on they first create a ligh ng plot for
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Technician: Usually works for the theatre, not the theatre company. They are responsible for the day‐ to‐day running of the technical aspects of the theatre. They work as part of the technical team to Stage manager (SM): The leader of the stage plan, ‘get in’ maintain and ‘get out’ all of the management team. They are responsible for the equipment used during a produc on. organisa on and communica on between all of the departments working on the show. During
rehearsals the SM ensures produc on elements are Director: Responsible for ar s c control over the in the right place at the right me. During a produc on to make sure the performance is polished performance they are responsible for the backstage in all areas. They oversee the cast in rehearsals as area and scene changes. If the director is not present well as working closely with the design team to for a performance then the SM has overall create a coherent vision across every aspect of the responsibility in making sure the show runs play. smoothly. Theatre manager: Are responsible for personnel, financial and administra ve control of the theatre.
The manager is in charge of the theatre as a business. All heads of department report to the manager. Therefore, the manager oversees, for example staff, poten al projects and performances,
the budget and networks with the local community.
Daniel Abelson (Bob Acres)
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The Design Process
The set is what we put onstage to help re‐create the world of the play. The set designer makes a model box of the set to show the produc on department, director and actors what they want the set to look like. Designer, James Co erill talks to the cast and produc on team about the design on the first day of rehearsals. There are many stages the designer goes through before they get to this point.
Step 1. Research The first step is to research the me period and loca on of the piece. O en the designer will create a scrap book of images, materials and textures that may inspire their design. Ini al ideas are discussed with the director to make sure they fit with the director’s overall vision. These can also be given to the produc on team to help them when bringing the design to life. For example, the designer some mes draws sketches of how they would like the costume to look and this is given to the wardrobe department as a reference.
Step 2. White Card The White Card is an unpainted model of the set which is sent to the produc on team who makes sure it fits the space and the budget that is available.
Step 3. Model Box The designer then creates a model box. This is made on a 1:25 scale to give the crea ve team a clear picture of the set. The produc on team uses the model for the building process, ensuring that the final set replicates exactly the designer’s original model.
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Step 4. Scale Drawings The designer then draws a ground plan of the model box to the scale of the theatre. This gives the carpen‐ ter the exact dimensions to work from.
An example scale drawing from a previous Watermill show
Step 5. Building The Set The carpenter then starts to make the set. At The Watermill the set is built off‐site in a large barn in Coven‐ try and then brought to the theatre and constructed during the weekend before the show opens.
Step 6. The Final Set The final set is fi ed into the thea‐ tre. During the fit‐up the designer will work with the produc on team to ensure that all the final details are perfected on the set before the show opens.
The Rivals set
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Costume Designs
1. The costume designer, James Co erill, begins by researching the me period, trends in fashion and loca on that the play is set in. This gives the designer inspira on for their costumes. They will then create drawings, colour charts and descrip ons to give to the wardrobe department.
The images below are James Co erill’s references for The Rivals.
2. These drawings are given to the wardrobe department at The Watermill. They begin to source, buy, hire and create the costumes.
3. During the rehearsal process the actors will be called for costume fi ngs. These sessions are to check that the costumes fit the actor well and also gives the designer a chance to see their crea ons in a physical form. 4. Throughout the show’s run, costumes come under day‐ to‐day usage and this some mes means that they get dirty or damaged. It is the job of the wardrobe department to maintain, repair and clean all of the costumes.
A costume from The Rivals being embellished.
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An Example of a Rehearsal Call Sheet
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An Example of a Rehearsal Report
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Credits
The Rivals
By Richard Brinsley Sheridan Adapted by Beth Flintoff
Director Jonathan Humphreys Designer James Co erill Ligh ng Designer Katharine Williams Composer & Sound Designer Simon Slater Movement Director Simon Pi man
Cast List in alphabe cal order:
Bob Acres Daniel Abelson Julia Charlo e Bate Lydia Languish Emma Denly Captain Jack Absolute Ncu Gatwa Sir Lucius Christopher Logan Faulkland James Mack Mrs Malaprop Julia St John Sir Anthony Absolute Michael Thomas
Produc on Manager Lawrence T. Doyle Company Stage Manager Kerrie Driscoll Assistant Produc on Manager Harry Armytage Theatre Technician Tim Knight Deputy Stage Manager (Rehearsals) Sara Sandalls Deputy Stage Manager (Performance) Victoria Horn Assistant Stage Managers Alexandra Berridge‐Schuter, Keira Spray Wardrobe Supervisor Amanda Dooley Wardrobe Assistant Louisa Patey Audio Descrip on Lixi Chivas Set Construc on DSH Carpentry and Design Produc on Photographer Philip Tull Na onal Press and Publicity Jan Ferrer
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Principal Sponsor
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