victorian opera 2015 - remembering sweeney todd education resource vce theatre studies

VICTORIAN OPERA

Author: Education Department, Victorian Opera, October, 2015 | Horti Hall, 31 Victoria Street, Melbourne VIC 03 9001 6400

Remembering Sweeney Todd

July 2015 VCE Theatre Studies Playlist, Unit 4

IN THIS SESSION WE WILL:

• Revisit the production through a series of images

• Discuss acting, direction, design–set, properties, costume, make-up/hair, sound and music

• Discuss theatrical styles

• Discuss expressive skills, characterisation, status, motivation

• Discuss the use of the acting space and establishment of actor/audience relationships

• Consider possible examination questions

ATTEND THE TALE OF SWEENEY TODD

IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDES OBSERVE:

• The stages and changes in the character

• Facial expression and gesture

• Use of costume and other stagecraft to enhance character

• The overall acting style

SWEENEY TODD

SWEENEY TODD

JOHANNA AND ANTHONY

Anthony Hope rescues Sweeney at Sea. On arriving in London, he falls in love with Johanna who is the ward of

Judge Turpin and Sweeney’s daughter from his marriage to Lucy (the beggar woman)

• How do the following images depict these characters?

• What characteristics are evident?

• What expressive skills are used to convey the characters?

SWEENEY TODD

SWEENEY TODD

THE CHORUS

The following images are of the Chorus

Let’s explore these by considering:

• Direction

• Theatrical styles

• Actor/audience relationship

Exam question: How did the chorus establish, maintain and manipulate the actor/audience relationship in

Sweeney Todd?

SWEENEY TODD

SWEENEY TODD

STATUS AND MOTIVATION

• Compare the next few images of Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett

• How do the images convey the shifts in their relationship, their status and what motivates them?

• Consider the use of expressive skills -facial expression, gesture, movement -use of space

• PROPERTIES – also consider the use of properties by these characters

SWEENEY TODD

SWEENEY TODD

EXPLORING A SCENE

The following sequence is the encounter between Mrs Lovett and The Beadle (Judge Turpin’s right hand man).

Look carefully at the images and consider:

• Characteristics of both characters - psychological attributes, such as motivation and/or intention, etc.

• Use of expressive skills - facial expressions, gesture, movement

• Status and motivation - Who has highest status? What is motivating each of them?

• Costume and make-up - how it enhances character iehow it affects movements or gestures or expresses an

idea about status/class

• How the actors are using the space

• EXAM QUESITON: Analyse and evaluate the way one actor used expressive skills to portray their character

in the production

SWEENEY TODD

SWEENEY TODD

TOBY - MOTIVATION

Tobias Raggor Toby, as he is known, works initially for Pirelli. After Sweeney kills Pirelli and hides the body, Mrs.

Lovett take pity on Toby and gives him a job in her new pie shop. As you watch the following images consider:

• What are the key characteristics of the character of Toby?

• What motivates him to work for Pirelli and then for Mrs.Lovett?

• What are his feelings about Sweeney Todd?

• How do these feelings shift his motivation?

EXAM QUESTION: Discuss how one character’s motivation changed throughout the production.

SWEENEY TODD

SWEENEY TODD

CHARACTERS – COSTUME AND MAKEUP

The following images introduce the characters of The Beggar Woman (who we learn is Sweeney’s wife, Lucy,

driven mad) and Signor Pirelli, of Pirelli’s Magical Elixir, (also an imposter who threatens to blackmail Benjamin

Barker)

As you recall these two characters also look closely at:

• How their costumes enhance their characters and roles

• How hair and make-up contribute to conveying their characters

EXAM QUESTION: Analyse and evaluate how one area of stagecraft contributed to the theatrical styles in the

production.

SWEENEY TODD

SWEENEY TODD

SET DESIGN AND DIRECTION

Consider the following images:

• How does the set design create the world of the play?

• How do the actors interact with it in order to tell the story - the direction of the production?

• Which particular spaces belong to or do we identify as being important to a particular character?

Exam Question: Analyse how the design elements in the production reflected the theatrical styles.

SWEENEY TODD

ACTOR / AUDIENCE RELATIONSHIP

Also consider how actor/audience relationship is being explored in these images.

• How would you describe the actor/audience relationships?

• How were they established and what influenced them –the design, the direction, the theatrical styles?

Exam Question: How did the actor/audience relationship convey the theatrical styles inherent in the production?

SWEENEY TODD

SWEENEY TODD

THEATRICAL STYLES

Consider the following images and identify the theatrical style

Gothic Horror, Comedy, Musical Theatre, Romantic Drama

• What do you recall about the scenes?

• How did the music, acting, language, and direction interrelate to create the theatrical style?

EXAM QUESTION: Briefly explain the relationship between the acting and the theatrical styles used in the

performance

SWEENEY TODD

SWEENEY TODD

DRAMATIC TENSION

Sweeney finally has Judge Turpin in his chair but his plans are thwarted.

• How did this scene between the Sweeney Todd and Judge Turpin explore dramatic tension?

Exam Question: How did acting and direction contribute to the development of dramatic tension within the

production?

SWEENEY TODD

SWEENEY TODD

FINAL COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS

• Focus your revision on just a few characters and know them thoroughly

• Make a list of good examples from the production that illustrate each of the Key Knowledge points

• Read the questions thorough and make sure you answer the question

• Take note of the wording – describe, evaluate, explain, discuss, compare, contrast, analyse, identify

• Take note of how many marks are allocated

• Take note of whether you need to write about one or more, or give one or more examples

• Know the difference between the character and the actor and name both eg. Antoinette Halloran who

played the character/role of Mrs Lovett

SWEENEY TODD

victorian opera 2015 - remembering sweeney todd education resource vce theatre studies

Documents