Frantic assembly notes

"Frantic Assembly creates thrilling, energetic and unforgettable theatre. The company attracts new and young audiences with work that reflects contemporary culture. Vivid and dynamic, Frantic Assembly's unique physical style combines movement, design, music and text.
 
Frantic Assembly is led by Artistic Director Scott Graham. Scott formed the company with Steven Hoggett and Vicki Middleton in 1994 and continues to collaborate with many of today's most inspiring artists. Having toured extensively throughout the UK, Frantic Assembly has built an enviable reputation as one of the most exciting companies in the country. The company has also performed, created and collaborated in 30 different countries across the world.
 
In addition to its productions Frantic Assembly operates an extensive Learn & Train programme introducing 6,000 participants a year to the company's process of creating theatre, in a wide variety of settings. Frantic Assembly also delivers Ignition, an innovative vocational training project for young men, particularly targeting those with little previous experience of the arts."

SWED

SWED

Support Written Evidence Document.

1.   How is the initial material being researched and developed at significant stages during the process of creating drama?

Note on all the crucial developments- things such as changes made, discussions, etc in the use of research to create your play. Give my own opinion and personal reaction to the initial stimulus. 

Track accurately how your groups thinking developed as a result of your own/group research. 

It is important you can show clearly the journey made between initial stimulus and your performance piece (an)d its message)

Address decisions you made as a reaction to the stimulus and how these ideas changed and developed.

2.   How effectively are you personally exploring and developing your role(s)?  

Explain objectively how your role or roles came about.

Explain the function of your roles within the message of the performance. 

Why did you play the role in the way you did?

Talk about HOW/WHY you used the techniques?

What were the biggest changes you made to your role? Explain why you made these changes?

Mention costume, voice and physicality. 

Refer confidently to the practitioner/style of performance

3.   How did you and your group explore the possibilities of form, structure and performance style?

The important part of this question is the word ’Explore’.  Experimentation should be an integral part of your process – to explore possibilities.  Some experiments will be used in the final performance, some discarded.  You need to record this experimentation and discuss it here.

 ‘Form’ refers to theatrical forms like mime, dance, song, physical theatre. 

Structure refers to the shape of the performance – how many scenes, does it follow a normal narrative line, or is the action re-ordered in a different sequence? 

Performance style can refer to the  practitioners you focused on, but can also refer to any other type of performance style you have seen and would like to experiment with. (think of all your drama trips)  Pick 2/3 examples & explain

4.   How did the work of established and recognized theatre practitioners, and/or the work of live theatre (this can include any of the shows you have seen on the course so far) influence the way in which your devised response developed?

It is vital you clearly identify and use techniques that have a named influence - from practitioners, to something you may have seen in a live show or any other place.  Here you must explain how you were influenced by these things and how they pushed forward the making of your final piece.  Find clear examples and explain them well.

55. How successfully did your final performance communicate your aims and intentions for the piece to your audience? 

Look at the intentions you had for your piece evidenced in the previous questions and ensure that you have a clear idea of what you wanted the audience to understand. Explore peer/audience feedback for additional ideas on the success of your piece in communicating your ideas. (Success is not necessarily understanding unless that is what you wanted)

6.   How effectively did the social, cultural, historical/political context of the piece communicate to your audience?

Social, cultural and historical context really refers to how your performance piece fits in to our society, our world, right now or in the time period/s you selected.

What does it say about our culture?

How does it reflect on the way we think now and in the past?

Comment on how your intentions for context came across – what you consciously did to show it on stage. 

This could be how you used costume, music or set, to what you chose to say in character and how you phrased it.