AQA GCSE Drama sample

SET PLAY 2: ‘Blood Brothers’ by Willy Russell 2 Interpretation of character You will need to show how you can interpret a character. This means that you understand the character’s motivations and goals, and the obstacles they face. Then you must be able to use your vocal and physical skills to portray the character and create particular effects for the audience, such as tension, comedy, surprise, pity or sorrow. Look below at one interpretation of the character of Linda as a 14-year-old in the second act, in the scene in the field with Mickey (your interpretation may differ). FACTS: Background : a working-class, 14-year-old Job : student, attending a secondary modern PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: I imagine Linda to be active and attractive. HAIR: Freshly washed hair, tied up in a high ponytail. BODY LANGUAGE: She is physically confident. She pretends she is helpless in the field scene, but it is an act. She stands her ground and can stick up for herself. She looks for any excuse to touch and flirt with Mickey. MAKE-UP: Emphasises her fresh-faced youth. 1970s make-up often used pink tones with shiny cheeks, aiming for a healthy, natural look. Peach- or berry-coloured lip gloss. Eyeliner, cream eye shadow and mascara, perhaps applied heavily as make-up is a new skill for her. COSTUME: School uniform (white blouse, grey skirt) which she has adjusted to fit her sense of fashion. She has rolled the waistband over to make her skirt very short. Mini-skirts were popular at this time, so she would be imitating people she’d seen in magazines, and would be turning her knee-length skirt into a mini. Her green school tie is knotted and shortened as an act of rebellion. She takes off her grey school jumper and ties it around her waist when trudging up the hill. She is wearing non-school regulation high heels with flesh-coloured tights. EFFECT ON AUDIENCE: The audience should see a startling transformation from the tomboyish seven-year-old to this attractive, confident teenager. She is beginning to be aware of her effect on boys, but still has the outspokenness and protectiveness of Mickey that was apparent when she was a child. VOICE: Speaks with a working-class Liverpool accent. She speaks loudly as doesn’t care who hears her. She sometimes teases Mickey, so has a playful tone and laughs a lot. Interpretation: 59 SECTION B STUDY OF A SET PLAY