Each week, Miss Cordell is setting us targets to meet as actors, that have an individual focus for each member of the cast.
Target from week beginning 3/11/14:
Revise each monologue, making a clear differentiation in the way each one is addressed.
I looked at each monologue that I have as Halmburg, and made notes on each, to revise each time I rehearse the lines. The first monologue is in a news interview, and so I speak formally with no clear target audience, but a general overview of what has happened, and the details I require for my job role. Therefore I will speak clearly and authoritatively, to ensure that the audience (who I address in each monologue) understand that this is a formal interview for the news.
The second monologue addresses the audience as school children. Upon researching the ages of secondary school children in Sweden (which in turn is similar to the system in England), I noted that I am aiming the speech at children aged 11-16, as it is a whole school assembly. Therefore I will speak authoritatively, but will have a relatable tone, as I refer to my own children (which needs to be made clear to the audience as this will assist in their feeling of both sorrow and anger anchored towards my character in his death). This tone needs to be both friendly yet with some formality, as I need to uphold the power of authority as a character.
The last monologue sees Halmburg discussing the murder cases with co-workers. I address the audience much more informally here, and relay the information that I no longer head the case as they have brought in someone else to finish the job. I need to display both hatred for the higher powers that have stripped me of my role and input into this case but also still need to hold the strong outer shell that the character has throughout the production so far. Ultimately, I need to show a character who seems to have been beatn by this baffling and harrowing case, and has a clear lack of sleep from the stress of it all, but with a strong outer shell to still have some form of authority amongst my co-workers.
