SMALL ISLAND
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performed on the RNT's Olivier Theatre in April of 2019
directed by Rufus norris
written by andrea levy
adapted by helen Edmundson
projection by Jon Driscoll
lighting by paul Anderson
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hortense played by leah Harvey
queenie played by aisling loftus
set and costume by Katrina Lindsay
gilbert played by Eustache Jn
naturalistic acting and costume but non-naturalistic for set and lighting
lighting
terminology to use
lighting used in SI
floodlight - gives a wide, soft-edged beam (shape and size cannot be changed) and ideal for lighting backcloths and cycloramas
cyclorama used for projection
fresnel - soft-edged which is eadl for lighting general acting areas
profile - hard-edged, shutters can be used to shpe the beam, gobos can also be inserted to projected images or colours and its very versatile
the lighting designer can control many factors to infleunce the way the light is realsied on stage
intensity - of the lanterns
distribution - shape and direction of light allowing to change how the audience percieves the environment
frontlight - angle of lighting that is used to acheieve the best visibility (for lighting faces)
backlight - it helps to make the picture a dynamic one, creates a silhouette and halo effect around the head (used when an actors face doesn't want to be seen)
movement - sweeps of light across a stage can appear dramatic. fades can be executed at a variety of speeds to make the audience aware of a tempo change in the performance (timings are important to achieve the desired effect. Movement of light can be used to show a room getting darker as night approaches or changing from bright sunshine to fog
colour - shapes the visual appearance of the stage and infleunces mood and atmoshpere by shaping the visual appearnce. it can be used to mimic everyday light conditions such as light filtering through leaves. coulour can as symbolise certian elements and themes in the play.
paul anderson created a moment using lighting (colour) of when queenie and micheal meet they enter a freeze-frame and the lighting turns a rose colour symbolising love, compassion and romance
when hortense is stuck in the classroom in a hurricane
Multi-media – black and white images
Colonial map
Palm trees – remote, provincial, place with a violent storm happening in comparison to the projection of London
Using black and white makes it feel like it could be from that time
The way that this piece of theatre has been visualised in Epic theatre style and design in comparison to the acting which is
Key words – flies (the actual place of where stuff is held)/trap door/gobo/suspended/proxemics/authentic/minimalistic
when micheal kisses the teacher
The betrayal – how does lighting 'mark the moment' when Michael kisses the teacher
The projection of the storm when Michael kisses Ms Roberts starts to become much more violent representing Hortense's feelings for him but also giving us as the audience a sense of location
The white woman is more important than the black woman Infront of Michael – internal racism
Spotlights on them like your looking through Hortense's eyes – even though there is a hurricane she and we are as an audience is focused on them
transition to London
queenie played by Aisling Loftus
queenies character
examples
queenie undoing her corset
queenie interacting with the 5 mirrors spinning around her
meeting micheal vs meeting Bernard
history of the play
ideas of whiteness and blackness developed in the 1940s and who belongs
the relationship between the Carribbean and Britain - when the first world war happens troops are sent over from the carribbean to fight thinking that this would change the relationship of explotation between the countries into something better
cyclical nature - some is repetitve and some is evolving
barry record - 1960s jamaican writer and was astonished how little Britain knew about Jamaica
for this story to be told - epic immense piece of British storytelling that draws all the strands of the empire into this story (working-class white people, upper-class Jamaicans, lower-class Jamaicans, classes of Britain, India and Burma
this play plays a part of the black theatre movements
During World War II, the British required the people in their colonies to contribute to the war effort, this included thousands of men and women from the Caribbean who served in the British Armed Forces. World War II left Britain crippled with a shortage in population, supplies and money, so it was a long rebuilding process for everyone. The war had shown both the best and worst in people and humanity in general, and also in many ways marked the beginning of the end of the British Empire, with a rapid decline in power in its colonies across the globe.
transition to London
background of her character
Queenie's life is a constant struggle to escape the circumstances of her birth.
themes for her character
sexism
isolation
loneliness
symbolism and themes
Many of the Jamaican characters refer to Great Britain as the ‘Motherland’, as Jamaica was a colony under British rule within the British Empire. The Motherland is a symbol of power and opportunity, but also of oppression and control.
Queenie and Bernard’s house in London is a symbol of refuge for the Jamaican soldiers who have travelled to Britain to fight in the war.
Contrastingly, it then becomes a site of conflict and racial tension when Bernard returns from the war effort. Queenie’s baby, being Michael’s son is a symbol of hope but also fear for what the future holds in a society that becomes increasingly culturally diverse.
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Racism pervades the novel in the way it influences characters’ thoughts, behaviours and decisions. Levy demonstrates the presence of racism in both the ‘before’ and ‘1948’ sections of the novel, as well as across the different locations, from Jamaica to England to India. The characters are either victims or perpetrators of racism, sometimes even both, showing the prevalence of prejudice and discrimination in the first half of the 20th century. Racism ultimately forces Queenie to give up her child so it has a better chance at living a life without facing extreme prejudice.
war
co-incidence of micheal knowing both Hortense and Queenie
hope for the future
displacement
hortense played by Leah Harvey
hortense's character
Hortense is propelled through life by a reverence for manners and etiquette which clashes with the harsh reality of life in England.
She is an illegitimate child who is raised by her aunt and uncle. Their cold and emotionally distant treatment of her combines with the education she has at a teaching college to forge a personality that equates good manners with good character.
Hortense does not open herself up to many people for fear of being abandoned or hurt, just as she was by her mother and her cousin Michael Roberts. She uses her interpretation of good manners to keep people at a distance and maintain the appearance of composure to avoid being hurt again.
Hortense is so invested in etiquette that she decides to move to England which she believes to be a society based entirely on the manners she was taught in college.
Hortense imagines that she will be treated well because she respects manners. She is shocked to discover that British people do not care about her manners.
Most English people judge her by the color of her skin. She is mocked, abused, and treated poorly because she is a black woman.
Hortense only begins to be happy once she resolves the conflict between her expectations of England and the reality of the country.
Queenie grows up on a farm run by her father whose primary business is as a butcher. Queenie is repulsed by life on the farm and the bloody business of butchering.
She escapes temporarily to live with her aunt in London, but her aunt's death threatens to send Queenie straight back to the farm. Queenie accepts a proposal from a man she has tried to leave so she will not have to return to the farm.
The marriage between Queenie and Bernard Bligh is built on the foundation of Queenie's desperation not to return to the farm rather than love or affection. The marriage is expectedly hollow and unsatisfying.
Queenie develops a friendship with two Jamaican men named Gilbert Joseph and Michael Roberts. Queenie is proud that she does not judge others based on their skin color, and her friendship with these men is partially motivated by Bernard's racism. She differentiates herself from her husband by learning to love the people he hates.
Her friendship with Michael becomes romantic, and Queenie finds herself in an impossible position. She gives birth to Michael's child but must give up the baby. Queenie's sacrifice reveals her understanding of the reality of the world. .
She wants to ensure that the baby has the best possible life. Queenie has spent her life trying to escape a difficult childhood and makes a huge sacrifice to ensure that her child does not have to face a similar situation
gilbert played by Eustache Jn
background of gilberts character
Gilbert Joseph has big ambitions but lacks the personality to realize his dreams. He is a charming, witty man who delights in making people laugh.
themes for his character
His childhood in Jamaica makes him dream of being a lawyer and respected for his intelligence. He joins the Royal Air Force and travels from Jamaica to the United States and Britain. He realizes that the world is much bigger than just Jamaica.
He becomes focused on moving to England and becoming a lawyer there but makes very slow progress. The random offer of a loan from Hortense to buy a ticket to England shocks Gilbert, and he accepts even though the condition is that he must marry Hortense.
In England Gilbert struggles against the racism he faces in society. Finding a house, a job, and even walking down the street are hindered by racism.
Gilbert's time with Hortense makes him realize that he has not followed through on his ambitions and compels him to confront Bernard. Gilbert's eloquent plea to Bernard to abandon racism is a turning point in Gilbert's life.
Hortense sees him as the intelligent, persuasive man that he could be. Their marriage grows stronger, they find a better home, and they adopt Queenie's baby. Gilbert succeeds in life but not quite in the way he expected.
racism
Prejudice
outcast