AQA GCSE Drama sample

SET PLAY 2: ‘Blood Brothers’ by Willy Russell 2 Design choices If you choose to answer question 5, you will be thinking as a designer and commenting on one aspect of design. For example: You are a designer working on one aspect of design for this extract. Describe how you would use your design skills to create effects that support the action of this extract and explain why your ideas are appropriate for this extract and the play as a whole . You may choose to focus on set design, costume design, lighting design, sound design or puppet design. Whichever you choose, you must explain why your ideas are appropriate to the play as a whole. You might refer to: how your design helps to show the action of the play and the nature of the characters how your design for the extract is consistent with the design requirements of the rest of the play (for example, don’t suddenly change the style of the production) how you have used design methods that fit in with the mood or atmosphere of the play props, anything that the actors may carry on stage. ‘ Blood Brothers ’ is usually performed and designed with a combination of naturalistic and stylised musical theatre features. The presence of the Narrator and the use of song tell the audience that this won’t be an entirely naturalistic production. There are rapid, fluid transitions from one scene to another. Many productions move various pieces of scenery on and off a basic set. Some productions use scaffolding in the set to provide extra levels, such as a platform from which the Narrator may watch and comment on the action. Some use the ensemble to change the set, which is presented in a minimalistic and symbolic way using just a few key props and set pieces. Others create highly realistic interiors for both the Johnstone and Lyons households in order to highlight the differences in their social classes. Most productions employ multi-roling (Willy Russell even has a joke in the script about the milkman giving up his job to become a gynaecologist), so the costume designer must create costumes that can quickly be changed into in order to indicate the new role an actor is playing. Music is central to the play, but additional sound effects to create comedy or tension can be added. Lighting effects can be used to pick out key moments or to emphasise the passing of time. Whatever design choices you make, you must make sure that they show your understanding of the play and its needs. Costume design For the costume design, you might consider: style, cut and fit colour, fabric, decorative features condition (worn or new; neat or wrinkled; clean or stained, etc.) footwear/headgear accessories status or social role of character make-up and hairstyle. The choice of fabric, including colour, texture and pattern, is important. 65 SECTION B  STUDY OF A SET PLAY