| Context | Post Colonial Australia |
| Forces | Thematic -Post colonial Australia Aesthetic -Commedia delirate, butoh, susiki, viewpoints, physical theatre |
| Themes | -Theme supports incredulity towards metanarrative, no theme/metanarrative in adoption to Tempest-Play deconstructed, local, situation, provisional mini narratives -Interpreted as play about colonialism, Prospero as representative of Europeans who seized the land of indigenous Australians and enslaved them, Prospero enforces his culture on Caliban by enslaving him |
| Intentions | -Celebrate fragmentation, subversion of seriousness -Playful, irreverent -Disrupts and deconstructs -Want to create a play that assaults audiences sense -Alterity |
| Form | Post modern, physical theatre |
| Style | -Deconstruction and adaptation of original play -Death of the author: Interpreters of written text creators of meaning, author doesn’t hold ultimate truth about product -Text was starting point, performance itself layered with images, soundscapes, multimedia experience Pastiche: Borrowing, referencing, layering different texts and images, multiple acting styles |
| Genre | -Post modernism, devision between style and genre disappears -Embraces chaos, nonsense, absurdity, creates a sense of fun, playfulness, irony -Diverse styles and genres, multiple meanings co-exist -Switches from spoken performance to songs to movement-Breaks normal perceptions of what dance/theatre is |
| Narrative | -Mini narratives, multiple voices and views of Colonialism, six groups, distinct voice and attitude to truth 1. Prospero, colonizer, right to oppress, his duty to teach primitive people civilized manners, language2. Miranda and Ferdinand, romanticized view, genuine attitude of emotion, feel something, reaction will be sincere response 3. Caliban, revenge, believes colonizers stole and destroy land, culture, identity, need punishment 4. Kings men, authority, objective to rule, desire surpasses morals and ethics 5. Aerial, obedient servant, fear driving force behind her actions, too afraid to revolt against colonizer 6. Clowns, ignorant and spineless, don’t care about impacts of colonization, have a good time |
| Structure | -Doesn’t trust idea of one truth, or one version of story, no absolute truth, ZZZ create six different versions-Adaptation can be read through, multiple viewpoints, no neat solution or ending -Narrative structure not conventional, linear, complete-Broken narratives, overlapping stories, multiple voices-Core narrative and logical unfolding of events deconstructed, put together in new ways-Fragmented, disruptive, like music video jump cuts |
| Language | -Combination of Elizabethan and colloquial -Colloquial in Ariels songs -Bricolage, traditional objects/language given new, often subversive meanings |
| Mood and atmosphere | -Lighting and sound as independent, audio visual effects, enhance theatre experience-Contsant atmospheric music, melodious to percussion to circus music to etherel music -Light used to isolate groups, Miranda=ominous light, patterns and shadows, Ariel=blues, greens, fog, Caliban=red, amber, Kings men=bright, naturalistic-Verfrumdung occurs with songs, spotlight on singers, cabaret style |
| Symbol and Metaphor | -Post modernism, symbols have multiple meanings, interpretations depending on audience perspective, cultural background -Tempest: manifestation of Prosperos anger, desire for revenge -Scrolls/books: Written word as a way to oppress-Magic: People who can’t explain logically because of lack of knowledge, create superstitions e.g. bullets, invisible darts -Alcohol: Use substances to create dependance, those under influence can be manipulated, tricked, abused |
| Dramatic tension | -Two types of suspensePlot-Will Prospero kill the kings men-Will Caliban successfully take revenge-Will Miranda and Ferdinand find love -Will Alonso and Ferdinand be reunited Performance-Audience physically confronted by Caliban and chorus, moved as part of the action, not objective observers, implicated in action |
| Character | -Related to narrative and style |
| Role | -Actors don’t portray naturalistically, psychologically drawn and coherent character, composite of characteristics, might be contrasting-Actors can play more than one characters-Viewpoints techniques used for characterization |
| Relationships | -Related to narrative |
| Values | Illusion of justice -Prospero presents himself as victim of injustice, working to right the wrongs that have been done to come, his idea hypocritical, oppresses Caliban, uses Ariel to achieve endsDifficulty in distinguishing men from monsters -Miranda and Prospero both had contradictory views on Calibans humanity, they think their education of him has lifted him, other hand, see him as inherently brutish, devilishness nature never overcome by nurture |
| Space | -Promenade -Prosperos island in centre, puppet master-Moat surrounded by isolated spaces, different groups, people, audience moves freely around -Focus placed on environmental influences on character -Mirandas space dreamlike, romantic -Caliban cave, fire pit -Kings men surrounded by Prosperos scrolls |
| Time | -Fragmented linear development -Interrupted with songs, dream sequences-Influence of Bretch’s historification, contemporary issue placed in past, audience judge issue objectively |
The Tempest Elements of drama
July 14, 2019