Character Developing #1 | Auditions

Caricature- "a picture, a description, or imitation of a person in which certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to create a comic or grotesque effect"

Today's lessons in which we had to audition for different character roles by reading lines and improvising, I found quite challenging. I felt I knew the characters well enough to improvise a physicality, voice etc. but I didn't feel I shown my full potential. When reading as characters like Sylvia and Bonnie ( characters that I consider less eccentric) I think I struggle to commit to that character who display the themes of innocence from the play. As I have mentioned before in my 'Stand Up Comedy' blog, the more eccentric, 'berkovian' and exaggerated a character is, the easier I find I can commit to it. Otherwise, I notice I come out of character easier and struggle to create a physicality that is closer to a naturalistic one- like my own.

After reading the play and getting to know the characters initially, I was interested in playing Sir Willoughby, Mrs Brisket and Miss Slighcarp. I think with these principle characters who demonstrate the themes of corruption and mistreatment etc. I could create a real 'caricature' if I had the chance to work on the character development overtime. 

Other smaller roles such as the Doctor and the Inspector I feel can 'make' the production. Although they are not featured in a lot of the scenes, frequent appearances of grotesque characters can compliment the style of the play, especially one such as this (similar to Dickens productions I have previously seen.) Both of these characters can evoke assessment of the justice and symbolize the view of a moral civilization (ther audience aswell as the actual two characters) interrupting this odd series of events in the play which seems to lack justice, fairness and morality.