Bronte Evaluation

Bronte Evaluation

On the week beginning the 14th of November, we performed our first show, Bronte. The shows took place on the 15th, 16th and 17th of November and I played the role of Branwell, full name Patrick Branwell Bronte. The younger brother of Charlotte and older brother to Emily and Anne Bronte, as well as son of Patrick Bronte.

During the show I feel as though I remembered my lines very well and performed them with truth to the character. How ever, at the points where my lines slipped, I used the emotion in the scene to portray it as though it was supposed to happen. For example, during the scene in which I believe that I had seen the devils chariot, I stumbled over my lines but used the fact I was in a disorientated mess to cover the fact I was stuttering a lot over that line.

I feel that the pace in which I performed my scenes fit them well and suited the atmosphere too. However, in some of the scenes in part two I believe that I let the pace slip and so the scenes may have become boring or just too slow or fast. In order to improve this next time, I should make sure that I am focused at all times and am paying attention to what the correct atmosphere of the scene is and also the emotions behind my character as that would affect the pace in which the scene moves.

The themes explored in the show of Bronte were mainly that of the rights of women in the time of the Bronte sisters as well as the pressures that fell on male family members and how they could be affected. Women's rights were shown in the performance through a number of ways, particularly through how Branwell sometimes addressed his sisters. For example, after the three sisters request him to do certain things whilst he is London, he refuses by saying "I shall have better things to do with my time than fulfil the lists and wishes of my sisters". Also the way Branwell treats Charlotte in the opening of act 2 when he assaults Charlotte and feels no regret until the following scene. He feels he can treat her as he likes because he is a man and feels that he is more important than his sisters. The theme of the pressures on male family members were represented purely through Branwell and his slow spiral downwards into alcoholism and addiction.

The way I delivered my lines vocally I felt was really clear and I also feel that I performed with the right amount of clarity and diction. The Yorkshire accent in which I had to perform I found that I really struggled to keep it up throughout the show. I think to improve this I need to go over accents more if I get cast as a role with an accent. To do this I should go over the accent using video tutorials and also watch any films or tv shows with the accent so I can then begin to mimic it like I did after watching Wuthering Heights.

In conclusion, I feel that my physical performance as Branwell in Bronte was truthful to the character however, I feel that I could have improved my vocal performance with my accent as the speed of when I spoke at times as I sometimes was unclear.