This is my review of "James and the Giant Peach" performed at the Blue Orange Theatre. This review is predicated on the performance which I observed on Tuesday 2nd June 2015. The play consisted of the following characters: Centipede, Lady Bug, James, Earthworm, Miss Spider, Old Green Grasshopper and the two aunts (Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge).
The type of staging used was proscenium staging hence the audience was in front of the performers. The unique performance stage suited the production if you were to judge based on the comedic and pantomime-like features. Subsequently, it was idiosyncratic and the vibrant colours of the stage were adopted to capture the minds of the younger audience to make them more fascinated and regaled. The multi-coloured
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The dark moments were mainly used for a new scene/ the transition of the characters from one scene to another. The sound effect were mainly created by the characters. E.g. When Lady Bud bangs the steel plate and the lid to create the sounds of the fighting. The set was composed of countless colourful planks, some of which formed trap doors. The set was changing throughout the play. The changing of the set was signified by the use of lighting. The set did fit in with the performance as it allowed a swift and smooth run through of the play without any interruptions and benefitted the actors as they had some sort of momentum going into the next scene instead of having no momentum. The object utilised in most of the scenes was the Giant Peach and was a key in the escaping of the characters from a horrible and degrading life therefore, it was in the majority of the scenes. The pantomime-like features took away the realistic feel of the play: however, the lighting used helped restore some sort of the down-to-earthiness in the play. The costumes worn by the characters, especially by the two aunts, added some humour to the play and they were very intriguing and showed innovation in the performance. The characterisation was mainly visible through the costumes worn by the characters. There was an overall theme of comedy and teamwork in the play and would've been …show more content…
Earthworm was a very negative and very straightforward character who had no thirst for adventure and was also constantly challenged by Centipede, who was a very positive character and was very motivated to annoy Earthworm. Miss Spider was a character who played a vital role in saving James and Centipede when James goes after Centipede when Centipede falls into the water, demonstrating teamwork skills. Lady Bug is an extremely enthusiastic character who is perky on all sorts of levels. The main character, James, is an innocent boy who is taken advantage of by his two monstrosities of aunts; nevertheless, he displays great leadership skills, astounding bravery and a daredevil like attitude. The various main characters used unique movement when singing. The Old Green Grasshopper was constantly using his legs to show fluidity in his violin playing whilst the other characters had a differentiating dance every time, which ruined the songs for me. The Earthworm used a very loud voice to make sure he was heard in the little group he was in with the other main characters to stress his importance and to oppose any proposals made by the other characters and used this deafening tone to try to create negativity yet this was made comedic by the other characters. The tempo then decreased when they were in the sea. This was deliberately done by the director to show how the
The beat and resonance of the music is very slow and soothing. It immediately sets up a sad mood. The music also manages to create a lonely and sympathetic atmosphere, which carries on throughout the play. The music only plays at significant times in the monologue as the tone of music needs to fit the mood and subject of which Doris is talking about at that moment, i.e. when Doris reminisces on the good times the music becomes lighter; but when she talks about the death of John the pace of the music slows and becomes duller. The use of music alone can form an overwhelming sympathy if appropriately used.
In this case the participants were not quite as seasoned as those mentioned above. The play itself was quite clever and entertaining. Varying degrees of acting and vocal ability made for a very diverse cast. Meshing an 1879 play with Millennium type humor is no small feat. The scenes were concise; costumes were extrem...
A significant aspect of the play is the acting and wardrobe, because it helps demonstrate the personalities of the characters.
Throughout the play, there is a level of intensity that can be seen. Sound effects, lighting and props help make the story seem intensely realistic. It helped engage the audience's attention and emotions throughout the entire play. It is as though we are living vicariously through these characters. With these characters, there is a life lesson to be learned.
The use of lights throughout the play did not vary often. Throughout most of the play, bright overhead lights portrayed the play’s main set room: a small town beauty salon. The lights created an atmosphere that was not only cheerful, but also warm and inviting. On each side of the stage, warm, more natural lighting was used to make the small outdoor areas more realistic. Lights were also used to convey
created the play as a comedy, showing how the world might be in the times of the
The music and sound effects are in the same pont with what the author nedded to say in that play. In the smok and sword fight on the first act we thought will be a play where every body is confusing and fight each other. The phone ringing all the time and this help the actors to play around in the hury and action come up with rehearsal process. The purposes of the phone is any time we heart that something is going to happen, so we expectin to change the sequence in the play. Ringing the phone open a problem, hanging up the phone close the problem. Opening and shoutting the door of dressing room as a slamming it create for the audience understanding the flow of the show and leaves the flexibility as we see white and black to the performance. Crying with tears make the player dramatic, but afraid of discover which it trying to keep things together laughting and
...tly, the costumes in this production of Wicked were incredible! There were so many beautiful costumes! Many were very elaborate and detailed, while there were also various simple and elegant costumes. This was extremely refreshing to see as an audience member. The costumes always matched the characters’ emotions, which made the plot go along much smoother. I noticed that in numerous scenes the costumes were the same color as the lighting in the scene. I think the director did this on purpose to emphasize certain moods, but in some cases, a variety of colors would have worked better.
The 1996 Disney Pictures movie James and the Giant Peach is based on the 1961 novel by Ronald Gahl (PBworks, 2005). The movie’s characters, plot, and themes deal with child development concepts such as social development, emotional development, family, friendship, relationships, and attachment.
The choreography kept things interesting and the dances in a musical can make or break the performance. Overall, Cherie and Abby did an amazing job directing each person to have a place among a crowded stage. Last but not least, the costumes! This play was set in the 1890s, meaning it is very important to have correlating costumes so the audience can be aware of what time period they are in.
The Hippodrome setting played a big role in the success of the play, because the seats were close to the stage, which made the audience feel more intimate with the actors. The set was filled with everyday electronics and video games that were popular with today’s generation, and it was good way to capture the attention of the younger audience. The costumes worked for the actors because they were outfits that teens and young adults would wear, which made it easier to relate to the characters. The lighting for the production was awesome because it went well with the sound effects. For example, when Ian was doing a simulation for his new job, he set off a missile and when it exploded the lights changed from blue to red to symbolize seriousness of the situation.
From the scene set up to the clothes each actor wore it was all very impressing. The scene set up was a beauty shop and was extremely accurate and realistic. The play had four scenes and each scene was a different season. For each season the “beauty shop” was filled with props. In December it was filled with Christmas trees and ornaments. The clothes each actor wore fit each character’s personality. For example, Annelle was seen as very quirky and always would wear “dorky” clothes. The use of spectacle in this play left no room for imagination because they had everything layer out for
Russell Brown, J. 1995. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Theatre. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lala, Sunny and Peachy are just a few of the characters that were cast in the play. Be assured, however, that all the others were also suitably cast for their roles in the production. Thus, making the character selection only one of the key elements in the production’s success.
The lights helped the audience determine who was speaking, by putting a spotlight over the actor and dimming the rest of the lights. Also, the color of the lights changed according to each scene and the mood for that particular scene. For instance, a musical number about a character’s tragic past would include soft, golden lighting while a scene about dancing in dance class might include purple lights to show the overall mood of the scene. In addition, the costumes used in the musical added even more life to the musical by providing a visual representation of each character and his or her personality. The costumes allowed the audience to determine the character traits of each character while also deciding the type of homes the characters came from. For instance, one of the characters was dressed in pants and a shirt that would normally be seen worn by an older man or a father. This lead the audience to believe that the character might be an older person who has a family of his own. Later, it was revealed that the character actually had a wife and two kids, proving the audience