Evaluation

'13' Mike Bartlett


We've been working on the play '13' by Mike Bartlett for about 5-6 weeks. We performed this play on the 12 and 13 of November 2014 . Our audience were our family members and friends, there were also some students in the audience.The play '13' is about 12 Londoners who have the same terrifying dream which is how they're all connected to each other and a young man name John returns home with a vision for the future. John also connects the 12 because they all listen to his speeches and become his followers in some sense.

I'm so thrilled that we decided to do the play '13' because it is so different to any other play that I have ever done and Mike Bartlett wanted it to be performed in a certain way. He said that "The play should be performed with a circle" so our opening scene was the 12 laying on the floor in the shape of a circle and they all sit up with the sound of the alarm clock to indicate them having the same dream. I think doing this made the performance every effective in a way that it was really exiting and made it more interesting. We also used some other techniques from Physical theatre, contemporary and Greek tragedy.For example we used the chair duet during the park scene in act 4 scene 3 with the four corners as well. I think the pace the play was at made it more better because it flowed into each scene but the only probably was that some people in the audience didn't understand the play or what the role of John was.

Throughout the play we did refer to the themes in order to help the audience understand. For example death, this was shown when Sarah killed her daughter Rudy and we tried to show it in a way that we didn't over do it but that it was still obvious that her mum killed her. Opinions and disagreements were shown in the scene at 10 Downing Street with the Prime Minister and her colleagues.

I think Thursdays performance was our best performance because everyone was fully focused and calm since we had already performed it twice already which made us all more relaxed and able to enjoy it. I was at my best during Thursday's performed as I was fully focused, remembered my ques and where to come on as well as my lines. I might of done bad vocally and physically because I don't think I was loud enough during every scene I was in. I'm also not sure if my character came across to the audience physically and emotionally. I'm happy that the last scene of act 3 before the interval when well because it was very important that everyone knew their lines, when to say them and that it was really snappy which it was. I'm proud of all our group because they put their full effort in throughout the play to make sure it was a hit and that the audience liked it and I think it went marvelously.

If we could do it again I think it would be fun to try and perform the play in more of a circle like Mike Bartlett wanted. It would of also been great if we did direct act 5 because I think that would of helped the audience understand it all much better. I reckon it would of been an even better ending to the play as well because it shows what John meant to the 12 and how he effected them.