Whole show practice part 2 (Day of Performance)

Today we were off our normal time table at school so we could practice this performance as we were performing this at the end of the day. We started by laying out all the items we have for the show and then talking about our plan for the day:

• 9:00-10:00= Polish all numbers and scene we are not confident with
• 10:00-10:40= Make the Tree costumes and other items needed
• 11:00-12:20= Run the whole show with costumes and props while timing it.

We were informed today that we would be unable to perform our Goldilocks piece as the hall in the infants school was to small to set up a silhouette performance so we would only need to practice "Little Red" and "Jack and the beanstalk". We started by practicing the following numbers and scenes first: Little Red opening, Red in the Woods, Grandma house with Wolf and Red, You've got a friend in me, I've got the magic bean, Welcome to the sky, Cutting the beanstalk and "We're a believer". Our objective was to make sure we not only see if we knew these piece but also could put the full of energy. The opening of Little Red went very well so we only ran it once and moved on to Red in the woods which is where Red is on her way to her grandmothers. She is skipping in out of us while we are the trees but as a last minute add we had "Pink Panther" theme tune played in the background as the trees did a step kick and jazz hands in time with the beat of the song. We then skipped to Grandmothers house and speed ran through it to make sure we all knew what we were doing before we moved on to "you've got a friend in me" which was also find so we moved on to "I've got the magic bean". We ended up running this number a few times so that some of us could show more energy and smile more we performed the number, in total we did this number 5 times before we moved on to out next part which was "welcome to the sky". This number like last one, we ran over a few times, as some of us struggled to show enough energy but we sorted it and then moved on to cutting the beanstalk which was the scene where Jack had just come down the beanstalk and the one we weren't sure of our lines on. We managed to run through this though with no problems as we started "we're a believer" which went well but we had to decide weather we'd use backing track or the actual number, we took a vote and decided backing track.

We then spent time making our tree costumes from bin bags and leaves we cut from different shades of green and yellow paper. We also made a shinning gold egg for the goose to us in Jack and the beanstalk.

Whole Show Practice Part 1

Today we started to work on our whole children's theatre piece in order starting with our opening with Freya, Toby, Tom and Meg where Toby and Freya are boring the children as teachers so Meg and Tom enter. we changed this so as they enter saying they have the book we all start saying "They have the book" while scattered across the audience. The rest stayed the same as we got to end of the opening and started Little Red. Little Red was a good run through as we didn't have to stop and go over any of the scenes more than once as I showed we had clearly practice this number but  when we reached the end of the Little Red run we we're told that some of us need to show more energy so that we would have a better chance of getting a reaction out of the children with our performance. We were then suppose to move on to the transition to for Goldilock but we skipped these two as we didn't have time to set up silhouette this lesson so we said we would do it next lesson and as we didn't do Goldilock we skipped the transition. We also skipped the Jack and the beanstalk transition as we wanted to focus on jack as it is the most recent piece we created so we were more likely to be not as familiar with it. We started Jack and the beanstalk which went could until we got to "You've got a friend in me" which we still needed to stage it, so we spent some time deciding what we would in which we changed the song:
Tom:

She's got a friend in me
 She's got a friend in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles
From your nice warm bed
You just remember what your old pal said
Boy, She's got a friend in me
Yeah, She's got a friend in me

 

You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got troubles, and I've got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and can see it through
'Cause you've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me

 

In this number we all walk around except me as I stand there listening to him as I'm his mother and the Co and Jack dance during the second chorus. We then move on through the rest of the show very well until the end after Jack and Goose had just jumped down the beanstalk. The scene that followed had some problems as none of us knew the lines we were saying as it was clear we hadn't gone over this last scene so we were instructed to go over it for next lesson.

Todays lesson went good as we managed to go over half of our production with little problems but it means we will need to go over certain scenes for next lesson like the ending of Jack and "You've got a friend in me" as we are performing our show next Tuesday (23rd June). We were informed today that we would only be performing to Themes view infants school only as we were unable to find a date we could of perform to St. Margret's infants. To improve our whole performance we will need to work on our whole energy out put for the performance as we should be exhausted by the end of the performance if we are putting the right amount of energy in as everything we do must be over the top. At the end of the lesson we had a sit down to talk about what we each needed to collect for the performance, these are the items I need to collect:

• Beak for start of Little Red (Can be made from some paper and cello tape)
• Tree costume for the scene in the woods with Little Red (We are making this at school next lesson)
• Dress for Mother in Jack and the beanstalk (Our teacher is supplying me with this item)
• Tray to sell goods in market scene (I can supply this from home)
• Broom for mother to clean with (I am borrowing this from Carl Tyler another member of the cast)

We're a believer

We continued to make Jack and the beanstalk starting from where we left off which was where the giant had just left. Jack asks the children which way he should go as the goose played by Carl backs on and the two end up bumping into each other.

Goose: Whatchoo doing? Watch wear your going! Who are you antway little giant

Jack: I’m Jack and I’m not a giant I’m a real boy

Goose: Alright Pinocchio! What’s the difference?

Jack: Well I’m smaller and not as mean, (pause) what are you, a duck?

Goose: Excuse me, does it look like I am a duck? Duck are small and stupid (Jack starts backing away); I am not a duck, thank you very much. I’m a goose!

Jack: What’s the difference?

Goose: Excuse me. (add line) Where are you going?

Jack: Home … I hope.

Goose: Home? You mean somewhere not here? Somewhere else? Somewhere beyond these four walls?

Jack: Erm Yes?

Goose: (gasp) Tiny giant, take me with you, please!

Jack: (yelling) I am not a giant!

(Goose covers Jacks mouth)

Goose: Lower your tiny voice! Or the giant will hear us. (Pause to look around the room) Please take me with you, I can’t take it no more, that big dude is mean, rude, ugly; unlike yourself might I add. Pleeease!

Jack: Well … I’m afraid I-

Goose: I can give you gold, lots of it.

(Jack turns to the audience)

Jack: This could solve all my family’s problems. (Looking at the goose) Fine but stay close.

(Jack goes to exit stage left)

Goose: Other way little giant.

(Jack turns around and exits stage right)

Goose: My saviour.

(Goose exits stage right)

Giant: Fe fi fo fum THE ENGLISHMAN HAS TAKEN MY GOOSE!

Narrator: Bellowed the Giant. Jack and The Goose looked at each other with fear as they knew that if they were caught the giant would gobble them up whole for lunch. Their only chance to escape will be to run to the beanstalk and go home.  So that’s what they did.

 

We then decided to add the Benny Hill theme as Jack and the Goose run back to the beanstalk. The two of them run around the hall once as toby walks on on stage, as the two of them reach the stage there is a break in the song in which the two of them do an over exaggerated breath. they then contiue to run but smack into Toby who then joins them as they run around the hall again, they then repeat the other exaggerated breath as the three of them then run into Dan M who also joins them for one last lap of the hall as when they reach the stage last time, Toby and Dan run off as finally Carl and Tom jump down the beanstalk.

 

Jack: Mum I'm home and..

Mum: Where have you been? I have been worried sick!

Jack: I climbed up the beanstalk mum..

Mum: WHAT ?!  What happened?

Jack: Well…(storytelling) I went up the beanstalk and found this land on top of the clouds which had a huge castle in the distance, then I met these people called Munchkins. They welcomed me to the Sky by singing and dancing. Then I snuck off to the castle which they told me not to go to, but I did anyway. I then, snuck under the door which was HUUUUUGE and everything was massive! It belonged to a giant who tried to eat me, so I ran all the way home.

MUM: Well you have been busy … but Jack giants don’t exist.

Jack: But I have proof… (indicating the goose)

Mum: What a duck ?

Goose: EXCUSE ME?

Mum: Oh a talking Duck?

GOOSE: OH MY GOD? Is everyone here so silly.

Jack: Mum this is a goose who can lay golden eggs. Look I have one here ?

Mum : Fantastic where did you get the goose from?

Jack: The Giants castle

Mum: So you stole the Giants goose?

Narrator: Then suddenly a huge voice bellowed from above.

Giant: Fe fi fo fum that Englishman will be my lunch.

Narrator: Jack his mum and the goose all looked at each other in terror confused about what to do. Then Jack realised he only had one choice.

Jack : We are going to have to cut down the stalk.

Goose and Mum: WHAT?!

Jack: it’s the only way. Kids I need your help repeat after me. Cut cut cut the stalk etc.

Narrator: The beanstalk then fell from the sky and crashed to the floor. Jack had saved everyone with the Giant stuck in the sky.

Jack: We did it thank you kids!

Mother: Jack, you were so brave! I am so proud of you, I’m sorry I ever doubted you

Jack: That’s okay mum, I’m just happy we’re safe now, and we’ll never have to starve again!

Mother: now we have so much gold from the castle and the goose, we can have a party!

Jack: YESS

 

We then decided on our finally to be "I’m a believer" from Shrek as its is a fimilar tune to children so they would b able to sing along and dance with the song. We changed some of the words as well as shortening the song

Tom:

I thought love was
Only true in fairy tales
Meant for someone else
But not for me

Tom and Meg:

Love was out to get to me
That's the way it seems
Disappointment haunted
All my dreams

Everyone:

And then we saw your face
Now We're a believer
Not a trace
Of doubt in our mind
We're in love
 We're a believer
we couldn't leave you
If we tried

Freya:

I thought love was
More or less a given thing
But the more I gave the less
I got, oh yeah

Dan M and Freya:

What's the use in trying
All you get is pain
When I wanted sunshine
I got rain

Everyone:

And then we saw your face

Now we're a believer

Not a trace

Of doubt in our mind

We're in love

We're a believer

We couldn't leave your

If we tried

What's the use in trying

All you get is pain

When we wanted sunshine

we got rain

And then we saw your face

Now we're a believer

Not a trace

Of doubt in our mind

We're in love

We're a believer

We couldn't leave your

If we tried

 

 

Todays lesson went very well as have successfully managed finish staging all of Jack and the beanstalk but we all now need to spend our time going over all of Jack to make sure what we have learned will stick with us so that we don't have to spend time on re-learning any scenes from Jack. We also need to go over Little red and Goldilock before next lesson as we are close to our performance date as we are planning to perform at both St. Margret's Infants and Thames view Infants.

Welcome to the sky

Today we continued working on Jack and the beanstalk from where we left off which was jack on his way home to show his mum the beans. In this scene there is just Jack (Tom) and the Mum (Ashley), this starts with mum cleaning the house in a very camp fashion as jack enters. mum asks "have you sold the cow yet?", jack says yes, so mum rushes over but is shocked to find beans in Jacks hand instead of money. Jack's mum then takes the beans and throws then out the window. The next scene is where Jack discovers the beanstalk and decides to climb it with help from the children by teaching them a chant ("Climb the stalk"). Jack reaches the top of the beanstalk and meets a stranger who relies that Jack is a new person so he calls all of us on stage to sing a song. this song was inspired by "Shrek's Duloc" song:

"Welcome to the sky, such a perfect place,

Stay right where you are, we will tie your lace,

Have no fear, its time for fun, come and play with everyone,

This is a perfect place.

Just keep off of the grass, shine your shoes, wipe your…. Face.

The sky is…. The sky is……. The sky is a perfect place."

 

After the song we all then tell jack that he should never go in the castle, then we all march off merrily to the tune of the song we just sung. Narration then takes over the scene as Jack runs into the castle and the narrator describes all the things he sees like giant pieces of rubbish and furnisher. Jack hides which then starts the scene I was given to create at the start of our project.

(The ground shakes with loud bangs to the ground)

Narrator: Then the ground started to shake with a loud bang was moving closer to Jack, in fear Jack hide as he heard a mighty and powerful voice.

Giant: Fe Fi Fo Fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman!

Narrator: Jack shaked with fear as he hide from the Giant

Giant: Fe Fi Fo Fum, I want to taste this Englishman in my tum!

(Jack looks up from behind his cover to gaze at the Giant)

Jack: The Giants going to eat me, I need to get out of here.

Giant: Fe Fi Fo Fum, I think the Englishman wants to run!

Narrator: Jack looked for a way to get out but there was nowhere to go, nowhere to run.

Giant: Fe Fi Fo Fum, I can’t see any Englishman!

Narrator: the Giant walked away. So Jack went to run away but the hears a noise of goose above him.

This was as far as we managed to get with our performance today. we have managed to stage a lot of Jack and the beanstalk so if we can continue with the commitment we are showing towards this production we should finish jack in the next couple of lessons. For my part of Jack's mother I am looking into how to stylize her for the show by looking at similar characters like "Edna Turnblad" from "Hairspray". If I am able to capture the characteristics of this character I believe it will better my performance as Jacks mother.

I've Got the Magic Bean

Today we started our work on Jack and the beanstalk and created our opening scene:

Narrator: Once upon a time there was a boy named Jack who lived with his mother. They didn't have much; in fact all they owned was a milky white cow. Although one day Jack's mum had some bad news.

Mum: Our cow hasnt given us any milk for over a month now. Jack and I are starving, without milk we have no money for food.

(Jack enters from stage left)

Jack: I don't want to give up my cow, I love her. She's my friend and you can't sell a friend

(Jack then starts to sing you've got a friend in me)

Mum: Don't be silly Jack, a cow can't be your friend we don't have any choice.

Jack: But...

Mum: No buts...

Jack: (sighs)... I guess so

This was our opening scene for Jack and the beanstalk, after this we started to work on a market place scen which is when Jack meets the Bean man. We created the market place by making us all muchants trying to sell their iteams. We each create our own murchant who would walk around the stage shouting for attention and then going up to the audience to try and sell there goods until Jack walks on. all of us then charge at Jack so we could sell him our murchandise. Jack backs away into the Bean man who then sends us all away and then buys the cow for the magic beans. We then go into a song "I've got the magic" or as we have called it "I've got the magice beans" which we choreographed a dance for:

"I got the magic in me"= On the three beats of this line in groups we loung forward pushing our arms out
"Every time I touch that track, it turns into gold"= We step cross to left making a rainbow with our hands and then step turn to the left followed a in three groups rasing our hand on 3 seperate beats
"Everybody knows I've got the magic in me"= We do a step, click, bounce. followed by a step out then pivot to the back then to the front.
"When I hit the flow, the girls come snappin' at me"= We then slowly rais our arms then drop into the 'sprinckler' move ment starting right and then one on the left
"Now everybody knows I've got the magic"= We slowly movw into a circle

"Magic, magic, magic
Magic, magic, magic
Magic, magic, magic"= During this chorus we circle around Jack and the cow raising and lowering our arms
I got the magic in me"= We pose on the last beat of this line

Transitions

Intro to Little Red

(Freya and Toby are both life less and boring teachers)

Freya: Hello boys and girls my name is Miss Beck and this is...

Toby: Mr. Saddleton
Freya: ...and today we're going teach you about...
Freya and Toby: Health eating!
Freya: Did you know you have to eat 7 fruits and vegetables... a day
Toby: Yum, Yum
Freya: and did you know you must drink 2 liters of water... a day
Toby: Gargle, Gargle
Freya: now we're going to teach you how to peal an orange

(Meg and Tom run on full of joy and excitement, Tom is carrying a book)

Meg: Boys and Girls. Boys and Girls. We found it! We found the book!
Freya: Excuse me, we're trying to do an assemble here.
Tom: Yeah but you're boring them.
Meg: Are you bored boys and girls

(The children shout yes)

Tom: Do you want to sit here and listen to health eating or do you want to have fun
Meg: If you want to have put your hands in the air and wave them like you just don't care.

Tom: I don't care!

Meg: Boys and girls we are going to need your help in turning these two boring people into fun people like us.
Tom: I'm going to teach you the magic words. "Magica, Magica, Magica me", now your turn.

(The children say the words)

Meg: You can be louder than that!

(They say the words again)

Tom: Now we're going to do it for real, are you ready, Magica, Magica, Magica me.

(Freya and Toby  suddenly become full of energy)

Freya: That is the biggest book I've have ever seen
Toby: That is so cool
Meg: Can you help me open it?

(They all pull the book open)

Now what story should I read... How about Sleeping beauty?

(Freya then pretends to prick the sowing needed and fall asleep) 

Maybe not, what about Rapunzel?

(Toby then goes down on his knee)



Toby: Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair.
Meg: ...No! Little Mermaid?

(Tom jumps to the floor flopping about like a fish)

But we don't have any water, How about...

(Overlapping and loud)

Freya: Oh do that one, I love that one.
Toby: That story is the best
Tom: Please do that one!
Meg: SHHHHH! (To Freya)
Freya: SHHHHHHHHH! (To Toby)
Toby: SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! (To Tom)
Tom: SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! (To Audience)
Meg: Okay boys and girls let begin, Once apon a time..
 

Intro between Little Red too Goldilocks

(Meg closes the book and looks up at Toby, Tom and Freya)

Meg: Now wasn’t that a good story boys and girls? Didn’t we all have loads of fun listening to this story?

Tom: it was the best story I have ever heard in my whole life!

Toby: that story was so amazing, little Red Riding Hood is my favourite story and you told it so well!

Freya: (not full of much energy) it was nice.

Meg: Nice? Did you not enjoy this fairy tale? You said it was your favourite when I started to read it to you.

Freya: yeah I know but then I remembered that I liked another fairy tale EVEN MORE then Little Red Riding Hood!

(Overlapping)

Toby: NO WAY, nothings better than Little Red Riding Hood.

Tom: No story that I know could be better than Little Red Riding Hood, It’s the best story EVER!

Freya: Yeah there is, I told my mum the story a couple of nights ago and it’s SO much better!

(Overlapping and improvise a childish fight)

Tom: Stop lying nothing is better!

Toby: Little Red is Funny, Amazing, Fun, Great…

Freya: My mummy said that my story is the best she had ever heard!

Meg: (To Toby) Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Toby: (To Freya) Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Freya: (To Tom) Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Tom: (To Audience) Shhhhhhhhhhhh!

Meg: Would you like to share your story with all of us then

Freya: Oh can I, Thank you sooooo much!.... (She goes to speak then realises) I don’t remember it.

Meg: Have a look through the big book of Fairy tales and see if you can find it

Freya: Found it!

(Overlapping)

Toby: Oh my god! That is a great story.

Tom: Oh please read us the story.

Meg: Go ahead.

Freya: Thank you so very much.  Once apon a time

  

Intro between Goldilocks too Jack and the Beanstalk

 

Freya: Seeeeeee, wasn’t that the best story you have ever heard.

Meg: Yes that was lovely and I think it’s a good story to end on, we can do more stories tomorrow…

(At the same time)

Toby: (huff of air)

Tom: (huff of air)

Meg: Are you two alright?

Toby: Yeah I guess

Tom: It’s just that, you got to tell a story… She got to tell a story…

Freya: Do you guys want to tell a story to me.

Toby: Oh yes please

Tom: Can we, Can we

Meg: I’m not sure, maybe...

Tom: Please it’s in the Big Book of Fairy Tales, I saw it earlier.

Meg: Well…

(Overlapping and improvised

Toby: Oh please let us

Freya: Can they, can they

Tom: We won’t take long

Meg: (To Toby) Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Toby: (To Freya) Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Freya: (To Tom) Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Tom: (To Audience) Shhhhhhhhhhhh!

Meg: You both can’t tell the story.

Toby: Yes we can, its Jack and the Beanstalk so I will narrate the story with my (Narration voice for Jack and Beanstalk) Narrators voice.

Tom: And I can be Jack

Freya: That sound like loads of fun, please let them tell their story

Meg: Very well you can tell your story

Toby: Thank you, this is going to be loads of fun

Tom: It’s okay Miss you’re in the story as well, you can be the Cow I trade away.

Meg: What!

(Overlapping, Toby’s voice is more powerful then Megs)

Toby: Once apon a time in a place far away

Meg: (Getting over shadowed by Toby’s voice) No wait I don’t want to be a cow

Jack and the Beanstalk plan

Today we started to look at creating our last story, Jack and the beanstalk and the casting of each character needed in the stroy. We did group votes on who we wanted to play each part, this is the casting for Jack and the beanstalk:

Jack: Tom

Giant: Dom

Mother: Ashley

Goose: Carl

Beanman: Dan M

Cow: Meg

Narrator: Toby

We were each then given a scene or 2 scenes from to devise from Jack and beanstalk over the half term. i was given the scene when jack discovers the bean stalk and the giants entrance to the story.

Discovers the Beanstalk

(Jack wakes up and moves from his bed and walks towards his door)

Narrator: Jack woke up the next morning and decided he go for a stroll but when Jack opened his door he was shocked for what he sore.

Jack: what is that thing, is that a beanstalk?

(Jack looked at the beanstalk in amazement)

Jack: it goes high up into the sky, I can’t see the top. Should I climb up to the top and have a look at what I see.

Narrator: So up Jack went, going higher and higher until Jack looked down and couldn’t see the grown but Jack still climbed up to pass through the clouds then discovered something amazing above.

Giants Entrance

(The ground shakes with loud bangs to the ground)

Narrator: Then the ground started to shake with a loud bang was moving closer to Jack, in fear Jack hide as he heard a mighty and powerful voice.

Giant: Fe Fi Fo Fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman!

Narrator: Jack shaked with fear as he hide from the Giant

Giant: Fe Fi Fo Fum, I want to taste this Englishman in my tum!

(Jack looks up from behind his cover to gaze at the Giant)

Jack: The Giants going to eat me, I need to get out of here.

Giant: Fe Fi Fo Fum, I think the Englishman wants to run!

Narrator: Jack looked for a way to get out but there was nowhere to go, nowhere to run.

Giant: Fe Fi Fo Fum, I can’t see any Englishman!

Narrator: the Giant walked away. So Jack went to run away but the hears a noise of goose above him