drama

• background of refugee

  The play was first performed at the West Yorkshire Playhouse on the 9th March, 2013. It was staged in The Courtyard Theatre, which has 350 seats. It is a twin-galleried rectangle with an end-on stage.

  Staged in expressionistic style (overexaggerated theatre elements and scenery to deliver strong feelings and ideas to audience)
• sound of refugee


  Sound and music were used to create the warzone from which Alem escapes. Lifting musical interludes were used to underscore some of the scenes,
• lighting of RB

  • It was stylistically lit. 
  • A grainy urban video projection used to show the shanty dwellings of Badme. 
  • Other projections and stylised lighting effects were used throughout the performance including transitions to help create a variety of locations and atmosphere e.g. for the stars and when Alem first sees snow. 
  • Dark and dreary lighting 🡪 urban London street
• set of RB

  Furnishings: impressive multi-level house

  Set dressing: Torn wire net fences and  dozens of battered suitcases. The suitcases functioned as a conflicted African border zone, a UK extradition court and steps 🡪 constant visual reminder of Alem’s life as a refugee, living his life out of a suitcase and always ready to run.  Star cloth used to create the effect of drifting snowflakes. 

  Props: Simple e.g.  washing basket was used to show cosy domestic setting.
• design sound checklist

  • Themes/symbols e.g. if power is the central theme then strong and dominant classical music might be played. diegetic non diegetic sound effect
• • negatives of end on proscenium arch
  • Audience can feel removed from the action if they are far back
  • Some end-on stages aren’t tiered/raked so sightlines can be an issue
  • Details in costumes and small props might not be seen clearly
• negatives of areas theatre in the round

  • Lighting is problematic as audience can be dazzled so steep angles needed
  • Costumes and props need to be detailed at the back too
  • Sight lines can be an issue for some audience members
• negatives traverse thrust

  • Sight lines can be an issue so a director should try and see what each angle looks like. 
  • Side lighting can be problematic as the audience can be dazzled so you need steep angles
• intro of live theatre

  On the 16th November 2023 I went to see “The Ocean at The End of The Lane” at the Noel Coward Theatre. It was a physical theatre ensemble styled piece directed by Katy Rudd. The story was about a boy who finds himself engaged in a supernatural battle when an evil ‘Flea’ comes to stay at his house.
• When the boy was travelling

  The lighting didn't fully reflect this journey
• How I would have improved the lighting conclusion

  1. Used rapid white par can flash

  2. Used gobos of trees projected onto the stage

  3. Shifted between warm and cold tones to show the contrast movements of the boy

  4. Communicated his fear of stasis
• Despite the lighting issues, I would defiantly watch it again as it had an impact on me after viewing it both times
• Ursula Monkton


  Key scene where Ursula used her omnipotent gifts to manipulate the natural order and space surrounding the boy
• Ursula Monkton scene


  • Used illusions and optic tricks to create a sense of mystery and magic
  • Emphasised the theme of the supernatural and how Ursula possesses these abilities
• Lighting in Ursula Monkton scene


  1. Low lit dark blue wash to represent night-time and darkness/unknown territory

  2. Entrances and exits in darkness, upstage area in blackout to aid illusion of Ursula's movements

  3. Spotlight on doors with cold white LED strip lights to draw attention to different focal points across stage
• Contained atmosphere created by lighting

  Made the viewer feel claustrophobic and almost suffocating in the focused cold white light
• Key scene that utilised lighting

  • Through the wardrobe where the character of the boy (played by James Bamfgord) escapes from Ursula monkton (played by Laura rogers) by manipulating her into thinking he was reading
• Lighting in the scene

  1. Begins with a low level blue flood lights to symbolise the night time and create a dark atmosphere

  2. Transitions to a green flood light to show the boy has journeyed outside, creating a sense of relief for the audience in his escape

  3. Echoes the boy's emotions and hope he gained in his freedom
• Audience engagement


  Felt invested in the boy's journey, as if the audience were on the journey with him
• Scene structure

  1. Split scene which emphasises the contrast in the writing

  2. Shows the boy's journey while simultaneously presenting the father making love to Ursula
• Lighting used to indicate contrast


  • Pink flickering light used to show the difference in the erratic, chaotic, unplanned actions of Ursula and the calmer, laid out motions of the boy
• Lighting choices


  • Communicated Ursula's destructive nature
  • Created a schism in the boy's life
  • Highlighted the negative impacts of her actions
• As an audience member, I felt intrigued by the choice of lighting
• The emphasis on Ursula and her actions in comparison to the boy


  Furthered my understanding of their true intentions and terrible nature
• As the scene continues key scene 2

  1. Thin cylindrical white beams of light imitate torches and follow the boy across the stage

  2. Symbolises fear and tension felt by the boy

  3. Suggests his anxiety has created vulnerability
• The main focus shifts to the boy


  A white spotlight is centred on him, leaving the rest of the stage in blackout
• The white spotlight on the boy


  • Suggests his isolation
  • Emphasises his solitary position against Ursula
  • Emphasises the fearful atmosphere of the key scene
• At the climax of the scene


  The lights fade into a warm orange light focused on the upstage area in which Ursula enters
• The warm orange light


  • Mirrored the first appearance of the 'flea'
  • Mimics the same dark and ominous atmosphere that was presented previously in the play
• As an audience member, I was enthralled by this reflective meaning and it constantly reminded me of the terrible gut-wrenching feeling that I now associated with the character of Ursula
• additionally this lighting highlighted the production style of physical theatre as it symbolised the location and atmosphere of the scene without using excessive realism in detailed lighting (such as the use go green light to represent the outside instead of using gobos to represent trees) overall, I was inspired by the lighting in "through the wardrobe" as an audience member as it made me invested in the performance
• The flea beginning travelling in forest

  • begins in darkness - ominous foreboding low level fresnels creating atmosphere through shadows make haze that starts of small but eventually engulfs the stage to create sense of entrapment light flood from the back looks like midnight food making objects appear larger and menacing
• key scene 1 middle the flea appear 


  light shifts to ominous red colour when flea appear like mars highlighting on spacecraft looking down on humans slow motion when she attack boy light turns green poisoned marking the moments as a crucial to plot point intesify atmosphere
• key scene 1 end binding of flea 


  lighting link to binding and gesticulation lights turn red profile spot when monster hits or parts of the stage lit up when spell misses this snaps back and forth in time to the music lighting turns blue flood and then fades back to normal when flea is finally bound while I was hopeful I knew that the symbolism in the lighting meant the battle wasn't fully over
• key scene 2 through the wardrobe 


  led strips on side of set low lit blue = night spotlight on each door turn green when out side split scene when Ursula makes love to father = pink flickering lights in contrast where boy is light for torches as people are looking for him light focuses on him and everything else blacked out making him appear isolated vulnerable usrsula orange lights when she confronts him - similar to the flea when she appears for the first time during binding lights change colour
• conclusion for lighting

  overall the performance was very interesting and the sound just added and elevated the production completely. the story and magic that was communicated through there specifics choices Paul constable made created such an impressive result that I loved watching and would love to watch again
• ebi for lighting


  • Slow paced opening to the scene where the flea appears
  • Atmosphere created but almost anti-climactic when the flea appeared
  • Lighting could be improved by adding a spotlight onto the children = isolations and vulnerability before flea appears
  • Simplicity of lighting when boy escaped, could be improved by addition of gobos for example gobos of trees as he goes through the hemp stock farm = make location more explicit and aid the storytelling