Plan

"Actors are Nothing without designers"

Michael Billington the theatre critic said " the audience should not come out of the show humming the scenery" which, arguably was a negative review of Les Miserables and its hydraulic barricades

key moments

· “bonjour mes ami”- were in France. First thing we see in France is a body on a stretcher, lighting change. Cornett used to create battle cry. First experience of battle is death of Major Nickolls. Puppet used for his body once it is lifted off Joey. What’s going to happen to Joey?. Dramatic sequence. Immediately contrasted by Rose bringing on a bicycle for Albert to try to make it up to Albert. Dead bodies still on the stage. Contrast. Telegram dropped off delivering news of Major Nickolls death. Narrators are like a Greek chorus.
· End of act 1- Billy gets his knife out, scared, horses jump into auditorium-back lit, silhouette of horses, dramatic. Cliffhanger. Shaking, shell shock.
· Flashing lights, back to the trenches. David and Albert- friendship. Stuck in a crater. Comradery. Contrast in accent. “I was shitting myself”, trying to be humorous. Gallows humour.

key points

actors and designers need to work collaboratively and both make each other better. for example, the puppet of Joey would be lifeless without the actors, however the actors would not be able to portray a believable horse without the design of the puppet. This symbiotic relationship highlights the importance of collaboration in the creative process, where each elements contributions enhance the overall performance and storytelling.
the more dramatic scenes such as the end of Act 1 required design and technical elements in order to make it effective. for example the portrayal of the death of major Nickolls showed him being shot and then falling off of his horse, this was done using a puppet and strobe lighting to disguise the puppet. without this design, the actor would not have been able to portray this moment without the audience questioning the authenticity of the scene.