All my Sons - Performers / quotes

M1 - Chris talking to his father about his mothers belief that Larry is alive

"nobody comes back after 3 years - its insane"

• Annoyed tone

• 'its insane' goes lower with pitch, making a voice and using a tone as if stating the obvious.

• Stands facing Joe (Suchet) with shoulders down, regular stance and head leaning forwards by chin in order to look down on the other actor.

• Points towards his head before up to the sky, looking at his pointed finger, as he says 'its insane'.

• Nodding his head gently as he speaks, he is keeping on going.

• Natural response.

M2 argument about Ann’s dad

‘He murdered 21 pilots’ - Chris

• Standing upright, arms crossed in front of him, leaning back into his hip slightly.

• Eyebrows furrowed, creasing his forehead.

• Moderate volume but speaks louder on 'murdered' and 'pilots'.

• Questioning tone, questioning Ann's morals. 

'he's not dead so there's no argument' - Kate

• He's not dead' loud volume. Pause between not and dead. Definitive tone, final, she is making her statement.

• Back towards the rest of them, standing in the stairs, sense of authority.

• 'so there's no argument'

• Quieter but then shouts on no.

• Spoken quickly.

• Remains facing the back.

'in a minute' - Joe

• Shouts, from the throat, raw

• Facing Ann, back to Kate but turns his head and shoulders so that he is somewhat looking at her.

• Frustrated tone, fast pace, loud volume. 

M3 - Talking about being happy and drunk

'I want to see everybody drunk tonight' - Joe

• Standing at the top of the stairs, leaning weight on banister. Hunched forwards laughing.

• Speaking loudly with joking tone, fast pace but slows to say 'drunk' with extra volume on the word.

M4 - Joe and Chris argument

'A father is a father' - Joe

• Shouting once again, frustrated tone and fast pace. Very long pause afterwards.

• Standing between Chris and Ann, hunched forwards slightly (shoulders) raises hands up and down in frustration as he speaks.

• Head is fully forwards lead by his chin, veins and muscles tense, eyebrows knitted and forehead scrunched.

‘I... I’d better shave’.

• Suchet speaks with a low volume, s

• with a low pitch, and a tone that suggests he is searching for a way to escape the environment he is in.

• There is a long pause between ‘I’ and ‘I’d’, further

• He was holding a handkerchief in his right hand, and raises it to his mouth, whilst shaking his head gently from side to side.

• His centre of weight was, once again, forwards as he hunches his shoulders slightly.

• He was swaying from left to right slightly as he spoke, showing Joe to be shocked at himself for such outbursts.

M5 - Joking around with George (Chris speaking)

'looks like a guerrilla' - Chris

• Low rumbling voice, moderate pace. Anamilistic tone, immitating that of a guerrilla.

• Puts hands to armpits pretening to be a monkey. Makes stance wider and bends his knees slightly.

• George, sat on the bench with his arm across the back of it, leans forwards laughing with a wide grin, and a higher pitch .

M6 - Joe trying to explain it to Chris

‘I didn’t kill anybody’

• Suchet was stood directly opposite Campbell Moore facing each other whilst stood centre stage, as he spoke the line.

• He stood up straight with his weight central his shoulders were slightly further back than usual.

• He lifted his right hand and pointed his index finger straight towards the actor playing Chris as he presented Joe to be protecting himself.

• Loud volume and defensive and slightly insulted tone

• Low pitch.

• Fast pace.

'Chris chris I did it for you'

• Tone of desperateness, speaking fast, higher pitch than normal, speaking at a regular volume.

• Leaning forwards with his hands in front of him, open, as though he is begging. Slight bend in the knees and a hunched posture making his status lower than Chris'.

• Chris stands in front of him, shoulder down and back, arms crossed, and laughs

M7 - Joe and Kate talking about money

'you wanted money, I made money. Why must I be forgiven?'

• Fast pace, defensive tone, low(ish) volume, little pause between the two sentences.

• Pacing infront of Kate, who is sat on the bench, arms infront of him and shoulders riased, showing that he doesn’t know what to do, defending himself, sees himself in the correct.

• Facial expressions - inturned eyberows, creased forehead.

'I didn’t want it that way' - Kate

• Leaning forwards slightly on the bench. Closing eyes as she speaks, takes a breath before she speaks - trying to calm herself.

• Holding on to the arm of the bend and gripping it tightly.

• Speaks with a soft tone and low volume and pitch. Fast / moderate pace.

 

M8 - Anne saying Larry is dead

'I'd like you to tell him that Larry is dead and you know it'

• Weak yet authoritative tone.

• Doing it for herself and Chris

M9 - Kate reads the letter

• Kate is standing in front of the chair, knees bent slightly, shoulders forwards, holding the letter.

• Murmurs, making a noise out of her mouth, 'oh my god, my god, my god'.

M10 - Joe reads the letter

• Joe takes the letter, moving his mouth but making not noise.

• Holding letter infront of him, grimicing and crying but making no noise, not breathing properly.

• When asked if he understands 'I think I do'.