'Of the near-500 performing arts jobs accepted by three-year musical theatre graduates in 2013 (who

left five top drama schools in 2012), only 13 were in West End plays or musicals.' (Merrifield,
2014). I went into my second year knowing this information and entrusting myself with the promise
of making each opportunity count towards ultimately reaching the uniform goal of West End. As a
performer I have taken risk throughout the module whilst working on The Boyfriend and West Side
Story this year, some which have allowed my performance to excell and some which have shown
me where my weaknesses lie or how I can apply myself better to situations.
During the initial rehearsals of The Boyfriend my attitude towards the project was dejected,
I didn't have a huge role in the show and didn't feel the characters and style of the musical suited my
type or performer style, so through feeling overwhelmed at how difficult I found becoming the
character I became dispirited towards the module. I could have done more character research to
combat this issue, as research would have made me more comfortable within the era and style of
piece. I also learnt that no matter what part I play within a show, I still need to perform to my
maximum ability so that the show as a whole isn't affected.
'Remember: there are no small parts, only small actors.' (Konstantin Stanislavski)
I also found that once the choreography was learnt I would come quite complacent within
the steps, and I wouldn't find any new attack or thought process behind my movement. To take a
piece of choreography and rehearse it repetitively at full effort is unrealistic, however next time I
learn a piece of choreography I will work at ensuring I rediscover the connection with the character
through the dance by doing more thorough research on the character so I can find different
inflections each time.
A huge issue I found whilst rehearsing The Boyfriend was when I couldn't remember my
lines for my opening monologue which also cued Hortense. I found it difficult to put the sentences
in order and I panicked every time I went on stage because I felt like I was underprepared. The
reason I was panicked was because I was forcing line memorisation when I should have just
alllowed the lines to assimilate into my memory over the rehearsal period. I took this on board for
West Side Story and found that I knew my lines within the first week of rehearsals. Next time I have
a lot of lines to learn I will try to approach them differently, for example using a technique as
described by Mary Hammond.
'Start by reading the lyrics out loud to yourself and then consider them both by themselves
and with the music. In order to make them stick, you have to make your own detailed analysis of
what the words mean.' (Hammond, 2009)
During rehearsal I could have experimented with my character a lot more. This became
apparent through my feedback with the director, as he said I'd done things in performance that he'd
never seen me do in rehearsal. Luckily for me, the natural characterisation that came out to an
audience worked, but if I'd had of tried them out in rehearsal I could have explore a wider range.
What I could do next time is to feel more comfortable in the working environment and with my
classmates and co-actors. This can be done through building a better rapport with members of the
team and working on trust building exercises within the class. The idea's that I had, and worked on
with Risa I was too nervous to bring into the rehearsal room for fear of looking silly. This then had
an effect on the way I performed during rehearsals.
'Physical characterisation must be precise, exact and founded in reality.' (Benedetti, 1998)
I also felt that the songs within The Boyfriend developed my voice, especially my belt mix.
The songs sat mostly on my break, so I found it difficult to sing with conviction as my voice was
struggling to reach the notes. After discussing the issue with my singing teacher, we talked about a
section of the voice known as belt mix, which is used to 'camouflage the break area'. My belt mix
started to come into play during the end of rehearsals after becoming more confident with the
musical numbers. It is a positive, that the songs sat on difficult part of my voice because it
presented a challenge and allowed me to access weakker parts of my voice. This is now become a
regular part of my singing cirriculum within my private singing lessons with the aim that this part of
my voice with become as strong as my lower register.
'The belt mix is used to camouflage the break area, to blend registers and to sing high,

powerful notes that match the chest register...In order for the belt mix to sound like chest register,
the belt mix must be anchored... the belt mix requires firm and steady support.' (Howard and
Forward, 2006)
After receiving feedback from my director from the production of The Boyfriend, I was
keen to improve on my rehearsal technique during West Side Story, for instance exploring the
character more thoroughly throughout early rehearsal stages rather than just doing the written
background work on finding my character and not allowing myself to become comfortable within
Anita or the number America choreography, which would lead to a stale performance.
My attendance and commitment to the project was professional and I didn't miss a session.
This is an important skill to take with me to the professional world of show rehearsals and through
observance of my peers, I realised the importance of punctuality and a readiness to work. Attending
the sessions with the right mindset also affected me throughout the process and the importance of
leaving personal problems at the door whilst working with other cast members is vital. I will strive
to achieve this throughout our next show rehearsals and continue it into my third year of training
and out into the professional world.
'Actors must be punctual about everything.' (Rosella Olsen, Alterman, G. 2011)
Reflectively thinking, it would have been helpful to rehearse in my character shoes and skirt
every rehearsal, because they would have allowed me to feel Anita every time I stepped onto stage.
I also would have found it easier and became more comfortable dancing if I'd had practised longer,
because the floors were slippier than I'd expected in my character shoes. Before I use my character
shoes again for a show, I will take them to be rubbered, which will make them non-slip therefore
safer and prevent me feeling unsteady, and stop a potential hinderance in my characterisation.
I learnt my lines for West Side Story fairly quickly, and found that once Id learnt my lines I
was able to commit much more action to my character because I wasn't worrying over what I was
saying next. I was concerned that the material would become stagnant and I would lose the
spontaneity and fiestiness of the character by over rehearsal but luckily I'd progressed from The
Boyfriend and worked on finding different connections with Anita each time I performed. By
preparing as much as possible I found I had more confidence in my character choices and was able
to keep adjusting my reactions and working on spontaneity each rehearsal because I knew I had a
strong base to fall back on.
'To get the right sense of spontaneity to your performance, you have to be thinking of the
next line at just the right moment. This thought about the next line is key; it should show you or
your character having a new idea and, because of that, it is central to the way you'll end up
delivering the line.' (Hammond, 2009)
The Puerto Rican accent was challenging, especially at the beginning, and I could have
worked harder to achieve a stronger accent for the show. I struggle to pick up accents anyway, and
this becomes a hinderance in performance as I allow myself to be aware of the inconsistencies I
show. In future, I will aim to spend more time listening to clips and videos of the language I am
trying to learn, so that I become more accurate in my pronouciation. If still struggling, I will also
book a tutorial with my voice teacher and utilise her talent whilst I have access to it.
Moving forward into our contemporary musical, Urinetown and our devised piece of theatre
at the end of the year, I hope to continue to build on my knowledge and learn from our directors
(especially having the chance to work with a new director Alan French) and my classmates but also
take on board the corrections that I see in my own performances and rehearsing techniques, so that I
can self-help my improvement as a performer as well as gaining knowledge from the characters
around me.
References
Benedetti, J. (1998). Stanislavski and the actor. New York: Routledge/Theatre Arts Books.
Hammond, M. (2009). Tips on stage performance when singing. [online] the Guardian. Available at:

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/may/10/tips-stage-performance-singing [Accessed 3 Jan.

2015].
Howard, E. and Forward, G. (2006). Sing!. [Los Angeles]: Vocal Power.
Merrifield, N. (2014). Top musical graduates struggle for West End roles - News - The Stage.
[online] The Stage. Available at: http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2014/08/top-musical-graduatesstruggle-west-end-roles/ [Accessed 3 Jan. 2015].
Alterman, G. (2011). An Actor's Guide--Making It in New York City. New York: Skyhorse
Publishing, Inc.
Bbc.co.uk, (2015). BBC - GCSE Drama - Naturalism and Stanislavski - Revision 1. [online]
Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zxn4mp3/revision [Accessed 3 Jan. 2015].