Performing Arts Business - Funding Report

In order to get funding for my production of a new musical which I have created, I had to go through many different stages.

Firstly I decided that public funding would be the best way to request funding first as it is an easier process to complete, however since the recent cuts to the arts funding since the olympics, arts funding is a lot harder to come by so it was always going to be very improbable. I thought that I would need to do some research on public funding so that I knew what to expect and how to approach application;

Public funding is where a publicly funded organisation invests in projects within the arts when the organisation cannot fund it themselves. They support a range of artistic activities such as digital art, dance, music, literature, crafts, collections, museums, libraries etc. However, as the funding does come from the public and comes through the government, the funding is prone to frequent cuts which makes it much more of a challenge to get a production funded.

“Two weeks ago it was announced that £675m of lottery funding would be diverted from the arts in order to pay for the Olympics, but nobody realised quite how quickly and painfully the cuts would start to bite. Now we do, and it hurts a great deal. As of Sunday April 1st the Arts Council's Grants for the Arts scheme will suffer a whopping 35% cut. This means that during the funding year 2007/2008 only £54m will be awarded, down from £83m in the current financial year.” - Sourced From: The Guardian Newspaper 2007

I found that the main way to apply for public funding is through the Art's Council. The Arts Council invest in “artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people's lives”. http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/who-we-are/

Between 2011 and 2015, The arts council will invest £1.4 Billion of public money from the government and around £0.85 Billion from the National into artistic programs/activities for as many people as possible over the entire country. The arts council receive application forms from artists who are in need of financial support of their art related projects depending on a large number of questions. Public funding is very hard to receive due to the large cuts the Art's Council have been subjected to as a result of the Olympics.

I really think that the cuts to the Arts funding really suggests that the government have a very low opinion of the arts and do not see it as important enough to fund. As the arts is a great way to confront social issues and are a place of freedom of expression, the fact that the government are happy to take such huge chunk of funding away from the arts, could be way of the government subtly controlling how the public think and/or complain.

The Next thing that I did was fill out the application form and sent it off to the arts council to get assessed.

I received a letter in the post telling me that my application for the funding of my project had been declined. This has caused a serious problem for me as I feel that as someone who pays taxes and who's family pays taxes, I really deserve to get some help where it really counts. I also feel that as the theatre is an old English Past time in many ways, that the government are slowly cutting away a part of true English history which I am a part of and I am very passionate about by not encouraging productions like mine through funding.

However, I mustn't let my rejection stop me. I have heard of something called private funding where people with lots of money will invest in productions which they think will leave them with a large profit. These people are nicknamed 'Angels' in the industry (Executive producers) and will listen to or watch shows and choose whether or not it is worth their money and they will make a good enough profit.

However, in order to make a high profit, producers may require that parts of productions are changed or edited in order to suit a different audiences, such as a family audience, as they are likely to buy more tickets and send more money whilst out too. Some artist's would not be happy to do this as it is in a way jeopardising their art whereas others are just happy to know that their work is being opened up to the public. I think that I would be angry that I would have to change around a piece of art that I had created just to suit someone else as art is freedom of expression, however, I think that I would be open to some small changes as long as my production still put the same message across and I felt that it made the impact on the audience which I had first intended.

Producers are the people who keep the books and are in charge of the money. They are there to make sure that the production does not go over budget in order for him to get a fair slice of the profits too. The producer is the most important part of a production, some are close to accountants and negotiate contracts and deal with the finances of a production.

One of the most famous executive producers is Cameron Mackintosh;

“Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh was born on 17 October 1946 and is a British Theatrical Producer notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York Times. He is the producer of shows such as Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, Mary Poppins, Martin Gruerre and Cats.”

Sourced From: http://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/09/magazine/the-musical-is-money-to-his-ears.html 

Mackintosh began working in the theatre royal as a stage hand until he soon became stage manager on several touring productions. He soon began producing his own small scale tours before becoming a London Based Producer in 1970. Some of the shows which Mackintosh has produced and are still running are; Mary Poppins, Phantom of the opera, Avenue Q, Witches of Eastwick, Cats, Hair, My fair Lady, Oliver and Miss Saigon.

I was curious to find out how much money Mackintosh would have made (roughly) over the 25 years that Phantom of the opera had been running. I estimated that Phantom of the opera would have made around £3,161,812,500  over the 25 years and that as Mackintosh would receive at the least a 10% cut, he would have made £316181250.

Performing Arts Business - Budgit Report

Capital Costs - 1 Week:

Director's Fees - £2,300.00

Designer's Fees - £2,300.00

Lighting Designer's Fees - £1,000.00

Production Manager (£400 per week) - £400.00

Producer (£500 per week) - £500.00

26 x Actors (£300 per week) - £7,800.00

4 x Stage Managers (£300 per week) - £1,200.00

Set/Props - £10,000.00

Costumes - £6,000.00

Theatre Hire for Rehearsals (per week) - £12,000.00

Leaflets (£40,000 x DLs) - £800.00

Posters (200 x A3) - £300.00

General Administration - £400.00
Total: £45,000.00

Running Costs - 4 Weeks

Production Manager (£400 per week) - £1,600.00

Producer (£500 per week) - £2,000.00

26 x Actors (£300 per week each)  - £31,200.00

4 x Stage Managers (£300 per week each) - £4,800.00

Theatre Hire of Performances - £48,000.00

Wardrobe Running Costs - £400.00

Props Running Costs - £200.00

Lighting Running Costs - £1,200.00

Sound Running Costs - £1,200.00

Marketing & Advertising - £1,000.00

Total: £91,600.00

Income:

Ticket Sales (8 x 800 per show x 28 shows) - £179,200.00

Balance Sheet:

Income - £179,200.00

Capital & Running Costs - £136,600.00

Balance: £42,600.00

Capital Costs:

I plan to have one week of rehearsals for which the Director will get a set fee to direct and create the show with the actors and designers. The Designer (Set & Costume) and Lighting Designer also has a set fee for their work.The production manager is paid £400 per week as I thought they should get more than the actors, and the Producer is £500 a week because they should get more than anyone, because their in charge.

The actors and stage managers are £300 per week which is a sum in an example budget on the Arts Council website.

I thought the set and costumes would cost a lot to make for materials, I looked on the B & Q website but it was really difficult to know exactly how much it would cost as I didn't really know what it would look like and how it would be made.

I have budgeted for hiring the theatre for the rehearsal week.

I decided to have DL sized leaflets printed and some posters. I got the price from a website for a printer nearby. I also thought that I might need some money for everyday things like photocopying, paper.. etc.

Running Costs:

Production Manager, Producer, Actors and Stage Managers paid the same as rehearsal week but for the 4 performance weeks.

Theatre Hire stays the same but it multiplied by 4 weeks.

I budgeted for £100 a week for Wardrobe and £50 a week for Props, maybe if things get broken or ripped. If I needed to hire any extra lighting or sound I budgeted £300 a week for both.

I thought I would do some advertising in newspapers and on radio or even TV and therefore have £1000 for this.

Income:

I thought I would charge £10 for adults and £6 for children, I therefore calculated my income on the average ticket price of £8. As The Palace Theatre is huge I never thought I would be able to fill it so I estimated that I would sell 800 seats rather than 1200 for each performance. I reckoned that I would get my cast to do 28 shows over the four weeks.

Balance:

I am hoping if I sell enough tickets that will have income of £179,200 and costs of £136,600 so I would make a profit of £42,600 which I think is great!

Websites: Arts Council,The Palace Theatre and Misc Printers

Performing Arts Business - Training to be a Professional Performer

What is a Professional Performer?

Performers need to be talented and very well skilled. They need self discipline and lots of dedication. Nearly all professional performers have had training either at a drama or dance school, or at a university. There are BTEC National Diplomas in performing arts, which many colleges teach. These are equivalent to A levels. These can be a platform to move onto a higher level such as BTEC Higher National Diplomas, or specialist courses that are taught at drama schools.

What is the different between an Amateur and a Professional Performer?

The relationship between amateurs and professionals in a theatrical context is the subject of debate in many countries. Professionals argue that the amateur community devalues the art form and damages the industry, through the promotion of unskilled performers, directors and crew. By drawing an audience that would otherwise pay for high-quality, professional theatre it has been argued that amateurs hurt the industry as a whole. Their inability to attract new writers and new work highlights this. 

On the other hand, amateurs continue to argue that they perform a community service,and many practitioners accrue considerable experience and skills, which may be transferred to the professional industry, if they are lucky. There are a considerable number of "jobbing" actors who had their start in amateur theatre, and amateur companies provide a more-constant source of income for less active playwrights. Amateur theatre is a convenient way for lay people to gain acting and stage experience, for pleasure and amusement. Other examples of amateur theatre are school Christmas plays, low-budget plays, and musical staged in local venues in much of the Western World. Amateur theatre actors are not typically members of Actor Equity Association or other actors' unions as these organizations exist to protect the professional industry and discourage their members from working with companies which are not signatories to union contracts.

CV:

What are the most professional ways to represent yourself?

When it comes to auditions you always need to be prepared and look and feel confident. You msut make sure you are the best you can be. Make sure you are dressed in an appropriate manner. You should have your hair out of your face and nothing bright coloured or any big jewellery. You must stand out from the rest and have a positive happy attitude. 

CV Research: 

Example of An Effective CV: http://www.bretjones.com/cv_mtheatre.htm 

This is a very effective CV as it is very detailed and very easy to understand. The layout is also very good and well structured.

Standard CV - http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/actorcv.htm

This is a standard CV as it doesn't have a lot of detail and its not very professional as there is only a drawing of the person, there isn't a proper picture.

Poor CV - http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/raiseyourgame/images/poor_cv.pdf

This is a very poor CV because it isn't detailed at all and and the structure is really bad. Also it has no picture of the person and we don't hardly anything about them. 

My Own CV:

Personal Details: 

Maisie Sheppard

D.O.B - 30.08.95

Email Address - maisiemoo1123@hotmail.co.uk

Hair - Brown

Eye Colour - Green

Height: 5'8"

Training:

GCSE Drama - Worthing High School 2009 - 2011

Musical Theatre BTEC - Worthing College 2011 - Present

Theatre:

In Middle School I was in various different plays: 

- Bugsy Malone, Robin Hood, Olivier. 

In High School:

- blood brothers

Worthing College:

- Cabaret

- Threepenny Opera

- Chicago

- Don't Feed The Animals

- We Will Rock You

- TIE performance

Dance: Been dancing since I was 4, but stopped. Have then had experience Street Dance. Through school I danced in the productions I did.

- Disco Dancing - Got certificates and all the medals - competitions and shows

- Jazz 

- Street - festivals and shows

- Street Jazz

As I did 2 years of musical theatre at college, dancing is part of it, so I've experienced new types of dance, and I've learnt contemporary and jazz.

(taking up Dance AS/A2 in third year at college)

Singing: no vocal training, but always sung.

In First School: 

- put on a show at the assembly hall in Worthing

- Sung in front of a large crowd, putting on a musical concert.

In Middle School: 

- I auditioned for a singing solo.

- was in a school band for a little while, singing and playing the guitar.

- played the violin

- in the school choir 

In High School:

- volunteered to be in musical concerts that the school put on for the first 2 years.

I did 2 years of musical theatre at college, and did a singing unit.

Other Skills:

- able to play guitar and violin

- was in a samba band in middle school.

Accents/Dialects: American(good range), Australian, British Standard, Cockney.

Drama Schools:

Guildhall School of Music:
BA Honours in Acting:

In Years 1 and 2:

The first two years are training years, when you concentrate on acquiring the skills you need as professional actors. The time is divided between classwork and rehearsal projects.. During the first two terms you spend most of your time in classes but, as you proceed, you spend more time on projects. Both classwork and rehearsal projects focus on developing and integrating four main areas of study: acting, voice, movement and playtexts.

The training is based on working both individually and as an ensemble. For much of the work, the year group is divided into half or quarter groups, allowing each student the maximum individual attention. There are also some individual tutorials and many opportunities for one-to-one meetings and feedback. The groups are rearranged, usually each term, so that by the end of the second year you have worked closely with every other member of the year. From time to time, elements of the curriculum change as the teaching staff continuously assess the content of the course to judge whether it remains appropriate to those who are training.

For several years now, second-year acting students have participated in an international summer school in Italy, with teachers and students from Italy, Spain, Russia, France, Denmark, Germany and the UK.

Acting studies include stagecraft, improvisation, games and storytelling, mime, circus and physical theatre. As the training progresses, classes in radio and television work are added, using the School’s own equipment and radio studio. There are also classes in stage makeup. 

Voice studies cover voice and speech classes, poetry and prose, singing, phonetics, dialects and a great deal of work on language, including Shakespeare.

Movement studies cover pure movement, movement improvisation, including animal studies and mask work, period dance and 20th-century dance, showdance, acrobatics and stage combat.

Theatre background introduces a wide range of plays in their historical context.

Methods of rehearsal and preparation include research into the world and characters of the play, analysis of the text and different approaches to it, building on, and developing from, many of the principles formulated by major practitioners such as Stanislavski. The programme also embraces other cultural traditions and more innovative approaches.

Year 3

By the third year, you should be technically proficient vocally and physically, and have developed your own working processes. You should know how to approach a part and do the research and preparation necessary. 

Most of your time is spent rehearsing and performing to the public and to potential employers. There are also sessions to prepare you for the acting profession. It is still, however, a learning year, with classes in voice and movement and an independent study leading to either a solo performance or to a research project.

Productions and casting

In the final year the entire year group forms a company which performs in about eight public productions in the School’s theatres and in other professional theatres, in a TV project and in audition showcases, regularly attended by agents, theatre and casting directors.

Sometimes you all take part in the same production; sometimes the company is split, so as to rehearse more than one production simultaneously. You usually work with six directors, some of whom will be staff directors, others visitors.

You play a wide variety of roles in plays of varying styles. The particular qualities of the group help to determine the choice of plays, but the repertoire usually includes: a major classical play, usually one by Shakespeare; a musical; a contemporary play, often recently written and where possible with the involvement of the author; translations; adaptations. 

You play as cast in public performances. Where your progress justifies it in the view of the senior staff, you may be given a role central to the development of a play, but the School does not guarantee major protagonist casting to any student.

A selected team of students enters the competition for the BBC Radio Carleton Hobbs Award. Students also perform in occasional outside events, such as the Wanamaker Festival at Shakespeare's Globe.

The entry requirements:
Qualification Level: BTEC National Extended Diploma 
Grade: PPP

Fees and Funding:
Studying at the Guildhall is affordable and the school does not want people to be put of my the fees of tuition and not apply. There a loads of different ways for people to pay: 
- UK government tuition loan - you wont have to pay it off until you are out of education and earning £21,000 or more a year.
- pay in three instalments.
- Scholarship funds via the National Scholarship Program.

Study Costs:
- Tuition - no upfront tuition fees costs for new UK/EU students eligible for a student loan and nothing to pay until earnings reach at least £21,000. After 30 years any remaining debt is cancelled.
- Course related costs - costs range from £130 - £1,500
- Living costs - accommodation, food and travel - costs range between £1,050 - £1,200

Audition process: 

It is not necessary to have any previous experience in acting. You have to be 18 years and there is no upper age limit. The BA & MA Acting Programmes involves a three stage audition process: The Preliminary Audition, The Second Round Audition and The Final Recall Audition. You have to pass each stage to proceed to the next. 

You should prepare three contrasting dramatic pieces of your own choice:
- one must be in verse(blank or rhymed) from a play by Shakespeare or another Jacobean playwright.
- one from a modern play written after 1956.
- one should be a contrasting piece from any period.

NO piece should last longer then 2 minutes. 

In addition you should prepared to sing a short unaccompanied song of your choice.

You will be emailed if you get an audition and it can take up to 8 weeks to hear if you get an audition.


New York Film Academy:

Acting For Film:

Designed equally for beginning actors as well as those with experience, our Acting for Film School programs provide actors with modern on-camera acting techniques plus a foundation of acting training rooted in time-honored theatrical traditions. Our instructors are all professional, working actors, writers, directors, and producers - veterans of Hollywood, independent film, television, Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theatre - and they give each student the personal focus and rigorous discipline necessary for launching a career in film and television.

These are some of the things why The NYFA is so cutting edge:

- Practical On-Camera Experience
- Original Work 
- Dynamic Faculty
- Filmmaking Resources
- Reel Materials
- Short Intensive Programs
- Auditions Vs. No Auditions

Many Of There Acting Students Are:
• People with little or no acting experience 
• People who have some theatre experience but little or no film experience 
• An eclectic group of people with diverse backgrounds, from all over
the world 

What To Expect:
• An intense learning experience 
• Total immersion in the craft of acting 
• On-camera training within the first few days 
• A professional working atmosphere 
• A complete spectrum of acting classes 
• Access to veterans of stage and screen 
• Opportunities to work on actual film scenes and productions

Audition process:

An audition is not required for admission at the NYFA , however it is highly recommend. The audition serves as a process to ensure proper class placement. If someone does not decide to audition, a formal interview with an academic advisor is required. All admitted students will follow an intensive curriculum designed to launch a career in film and television. 

Audition Students have 3 Choices:

- attend an audition at one of our Audition Tours around the country.

- make an appointment for a specific audition time at our New York or Los Angeles campus.

- submit a DVD or Tape or your audition to:

New York Film Academy
Attn: Audition Track
100 E. 17th Street
New York, NY 10003

New York Film Academy-LA
Attn: Audition Track
100 Universal City Plaza Dr.
Bldg. 9128
Universal City, CA 91608

Audition Requirements: 

Acting for Film: Prepare and memorize and present a two one-minute contrasting monologues from either a published play or screenplay. 

Musical Theatre: One minute monologue from a published play or screenplay and a 32 bar song. Please bring your own sheet music, in your own key, marked with 32 bars.

When choosing monologues it is very important to choose roles that are age and type appropriate. Its also very important to read the whole play prior to your audition.  

Fees and Funding: 

The average costs and very demanding for living arrangements. These are some estimated numbers.

Tuition Fees - $30,000
Room and Board - $18,000
Books/Supplies - $4,000
Travel - $1,248
Personal - $8,800
TOTAL - $62,048

(off campus housing)

Comparing and Contrasting Demands of DFTA AND WWRY

Don't Feed The Animals and We Will Rock You are very contrasting pieces in terms of location, characters and synopsis. However there are a few similarities that you can identify:

Character Demands:
The character that I played in DFTA was one of the Gang members. I was Gang number 4. Her and the gang were leaders, excusing 'Angel'. They lead everyone into the circus. They occasionally speak, but were more the rebels of the group. Not going by the school code of conduct, dressing smartly, wearing the correct clothing, and smoking. My We Will Rock You character is Brit. She is a leader of her people, the Bohemians and plays a significant part in the play. Leading Galieo to the Bohemians and helping him become the one to bring back rock 'n' roll music. The obvious difference between my two characters is the age. So the levels of maturity are a lot different. My character in DFTA is a young very immature giggly character, whereas Brit is mature and does things by herself and isn't influenced by others. The similarity is that I play a leader and a rebellious character in both plays. They both have some sort of leadership at one point. Although Gang 4 doesn't seem to say much as follows the rest of the gang when Angel appears, where Brit does things her own way and has people following her. Brit is clear and devoted to what she wants but Gang 4, doesn't really know what she wants and doesn't care about her ambitions in life, as she bunks off school and follows the crowd. Both of my characters have similar voices. They both speak quite cockney and loud mouthed. From previous experiences as a child and now an adult, I'am more entitled to my own thoughts and know what I want in life, so I will apply this to my characterisation. 

A big difference between the characters I am playing and the circumstances I am playing the characters is the context of the production. One being a play which is set in the modern day, in which singing doesn't feature and a small part of dancing, and the other within a musical which I sing and dance quite a lot and over exaggerate my character. I feel a huge difference between performing in a play and in a musical. Its quite challenging as you need to be prepared to begin a musical number during you're dialogue. It requires a lot more movement and choreography.Also the use of a backing track and a strong vocal ability. This adds a lot more pressure, as you don't just have to learn the script.

WWRY RESEARCH - The Story, Social and Politcal Context

The Story:

The time is future, in a place that was once called Earth. 
Globalization is completed!

Everywhere, the kids watch the same movies and wear the same clothes and think the same thoughts. It is a safe and happy environment - Ga Ga world. If you were a rebel. If you wanted to play rock and roll music. On Planet Mall all the musical instruments were banned. The computers generate tunes and everybody downloads them. It's in an age of Girl bands, Boy bands, Girl and Boy bands and a couple of bands with boys and girls which looked like boys anyway. Nothing left to chance - the greatest hits were scheduled years in advanced.

Caught in a landside, no escape from reality
Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see.

The resistance is growing. Underneath the cities, down in the lower depths live the bohemians. The rebels the misfits who believe that somewhere on Planet Mall there are instruments waiting to be found and played. They call the time, The Rhapsody.The Bohemians need a hero to find this axe and draw it from stone. Is the one who calls himself Galileo the man?


He's just a poor boy. From a poor family.


But the Ga Ga cops are also looking for Galileo and if they get him first they will surely drag him before the Killer Queen and consign him to Oblivion across the seven seas of Rhye. Who is Galileo? Where is the Hairy one's lost axe? Where is the place of living rock?
Anyway the wind blows.

We Will Rock You first opened 14th May 2002 at the London Dominion Theatre and it's the longest running show at the London Dominion Theatre and the 9th longest running show in London's West End. On average there are 600,000 thousand tickets sold a year and there's been over 15,000,000 tickets sold worldwide.

The play It's based on the songs that Queen sung.

"hes just a poor boy from a poor family" 
- this indicates poverty and wanting more, and this is exactly what my character wants, more. The song is indicating the levels of opportunity given. 

Who is Queen?
Queen were a very popular rock band, who are formed of 4 men. John Deacon, Roger Taylor, Brian May and Freddie Mercury. EMI Record and Elektra Records signed the band and in 1973 their debut album 'Queen' was released and hailed as one of the most exciting developments ever in rock music. All four members are equally responsible for their success and getting number of singles.This massive writing strength combined with spectacular lights, the faultless sounds and Freddie's crazy movements, made up Queen on stage and on film. Bohemian Rhapsody was released in 1975 and went straight to number one for 9 weeks. It almost didn't get played, because how unusual it was and the length of it, but Freddie insisted. By this time Freddie's unique talents were becoming very clear, a voice with a remarkable range, and a stage presence that gave Queen it colourful and unpredictable personality. 


Through Freddie's ability to project himself and the bands music and image to the four corners of 70,000 seater venues they became known as the prime developers of stadium rock. They also became the key innovators of pop videos as their catalogue of 3 minute clips became more and more adventurous in style, length, size and content.

Their phenomenal success continued around the globe throughout the 80s and highlighted in 1985 by their show-stealing unforgettable performance on stage at Live Aid. While most publicly recognised as the front man to one of the most progressive rock bands of the 70’s, Freddie defied the stereotype.  A taste for venturing into new territories – a trait that was to have a marked influence on the direction Queen would take – took Freddie to explore his interests in a wide spectrum of the arts, particularly in the areas of ballet, opera and theatre, even taking a participating role: in October 1977 the sell-out audience of a charity gala at the London Coliseum organised by Royal Ballet Principal dance Wayne Eagling received the surprise of an unannounced appearance by a silver-sequinned leotard-clad Freddie performing an intricate routine choreographed for him by Eagling.  In 1987 he made a one-night appearance in Dave Clarke’s Time at the Dominion Theatre, although legend has it Freddie occasionally turned up at the theatre to support friend Clarke’s musical, one night selling ice-creams in the stalls!  Freddie would have loved the fact that The Dominion now plays host to the band’s phenomenally successful musical We Will Rock You which has now held the Dominion stage nearly seven years longer than Time’s two year run.

This just indicates how big he was. With his performance and big light. He was such a show man. He carried on until his last few days, as he got AIDS. He really proves that Freddie never gave up and was a fighter until the end. My character can really relate to Freddie, as they both wanted a chance to be different. My character can relate to his personality as Freddie was strong and powerful and never gave up. 

Brian May:
Queens leading guitarist and has been with his band to the present day. He played at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert and also toured with the other members of Queen, Roger Taylor, and Paul Rogers. He is well known for his curly hair and playing his guitar with a sixpence coin. He built his own guitar with his father and has used it for his entire career. He also lent his skills to the band in his songwriting and vocal ability. He wrote and partly sung the song, 'Who Wants to Live Forever'.

Roger Taylor:
The bands drummer and final member along with May. He is a multi instrumentalist, quite like Freddie. He can play, bass, guitar, and keyboards. He has released four solo albums over the years. In 1981, there was 'Fun In Space', following 1984s 'Strange Frontier'. After Freddie Mercurys death he made 'Happiness', a very strong album. He most recent album, 'Electric Fire' , was released in 1998.

John Deacon:
The last member to join the band. He auditioned and was liked by all 3 members of the band. He became their bass player and wrote the song 'You're My Best Friend' in dedication to his wife. He was also the only member who didn't contribute to lead vocals. He last appeared on the 17th September 1997, at the Theatre National De Chaillot, in Pairs. The last time the three remaining band members performed together.

More about the story:
 It is set into the future, (roughly 300 hundred years) on Earth which is now called I Planet or in old productions or school productions, it's now called Planet Mall. When the musical was produced and opened in 2002 there was a new form of music appearing. Music was changing and government was changing. The story line of we will rock you has a lot to do with being a controlled society. Also the musical takes a pop at auto tuned musicians and song contests. This was around the time pop idol first came to Britain  It was on in 2001-2003. Music then changed and it was now about looking and living how society wants you too. Wicked is a similar style of music with the rock edge. It was shown on Broadway in 2003 making the rockier edge to the musical theatre worked a lot more open to exception. We also saw other shows based on rock and pop artists also become a musical the juke box musicals.

JukeBox Musicals:
A jukebox musical is a stage of film musical that uses previously released popular songs as its musical score. Usually the songs have in common a connection with a particular popular musician or group. The songs are put into a dramatic plot, which is often the biographical story of the performer(s) whose music is featured, although in some cases the plot doesn't always revolved around the particular group or artist. For instance Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, the musical about the life of Buddy Holly which ran in the west end from 1989-2003.Their recent downfall in popularity lead by a success in Mama Mia, built around the music of ABBA. There have been other successful jukebox musicals such as, Movin'Out(2002, based on the tunes of Billy Joel), Jersey Boys(2006, The Four Seasons), Rock of Ages(2009, featuring classic rock from the 1980s) and Our House(2002, based on the songs of Madness). 

We Will Rock You mentions Freddie Mercury as a dream and a fantasy and with the lyrics Ben Elton has hinted that is this the real life, is this just fantasy, caught in a landslide no escape from reality. It gives the lyrics a new meaning and opens up the idea of what we see and what we listen to isn't really what has happened to peoples beliefs. The musical really makes you ask your self what is happening.

Ben Elton:
Ben Elton wrote the We Will Rock You script. He is a very common English playwright, author actor, comedian and director. His musical credits include collaborating with Andrew Lloyd Webber on The Beautiful Game(2000), writing the book and lyrics. The Beautiful Game won the London Critics Circle Award for best new musical. Elton went on to write a number of compilation shows featuring popular songs taken from pop/rock artists. The first one was We Will Rock You and despite the critical reaction to it, it was extremely successful in London and went on to win Theatregoers Choice Award for Best New Musical. It has since opened in Australia, Japan, Germany, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, US(Las Vegas),and throughout Asia. Elton most recently worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber on the sequel to his 1986 blockbuster  The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies. As it was so successful Elton made the script available to schools. So it's thanks to Elton really. 

Historical Context:
The script represents what music used to be like. It gives us an idea of what of how people live and what has happened to the world due to it being a futuristic setting, as it is set 300 years into the future. What the script offers an actress/actor, is that the references it makes to the music and what life was like. Some of the knowledge of the Bohemians is partially incorrect and that is also key to understanding the play e.g. referring to 'Elvis' as 'pelvis' when studying the rock 'n' roll culture is crucial to remember that you shouldn't specifically apply all of your research to your character. Some of the uncertainty and how eager they are to seek new knowledge and discover is real. Ben Elton chose a futuristic setting for the play because Queen as very dramatic for its time, what with the music nowadays, keeping up with the dramatic fashion. Its now even more so times have changed. CDS are no more. Its all about downloading. Queen is less recognised and talked about nowadays, and has sparked controversy in the world of music. and it hints that these greats should not be forgotten. The song 'no one but you', there is the lyric, 'we'll remember forever'. This indicates that we should never forget. I think this is what Elton wanted to imply with the narrative, that his great should or wont be forgotten in 300 years or so forget cultural pop. He has also implied that modernisation isn't always a good a thing. 

My Character:
As my character is actually played by a man in the musical, I have play a little more masculine. We changed it to be a lesbian character. Brit is a powerful fierce character. Society views him as a villain  in contrast to the globalsoft cooperation. I looked at Guy Fawkes for instance. He plotted against his own government, by blowing the houses of parliament and was hanged for what he did. Although he was meant to look like a villain, he was in theory trying to break out of a structured regime that he was forced upon. Much like the Bohemians, Brit was forced to rebel because he felt something was wrong with the world around him, so he wanted to make a difference. The Bohemians weren't looking for violence and they are very much peaceful with wanting their goals. I looked at Brit and took this into account and took away some of his pain anger and putting that more to an ambition of his. There is a line in the song, 'I Want It All', which is, 'with the pain and anger, can't see a way out'. In other words if he carries on being angry and vicious he's not going to get anywhere and be able to follow his dreams. So by making Brit a bit less angry at times, it shows he's trying to strip away the old him and try to pursue his dreams. There is another line in the song which is, 'Adventure seeker'. This shows Brit is seeking for an adventure, for his dream. Showing he's a bit of an adrenaline junkie, who intends to pursue his dreams. He decided he didn't want to fall in line with the Globalsoft regime, instead he wanted to pursue something new, so he's been running fro Globalsoft.

Its almost like he has his own religion, that him and the Bohemians cannot be taken away from what they believe in. He is devoted to his religion and cannot be steered in any other direction. He is suppose to answer to Big Macca, but when Brit tells him he's found the dreamer, BM says he's not, and Brit still believes Galieo is the dreamer and goes against Macca's words. This makes him above his fellow Bohemians, and he's the one in charge and that everyone should follow him. He reminds of a strong leader, who wants it all. Who wants to be worshipped and loved for bringing back the dreamer. All of the Bohemians look up to him with hope and they are inspired by him. 

I made sure that in Scene 10 with all of the Bohemians, that I was in control and they obeyed by my rules. For instance when they tried to touch Galieo and get closer to him, I'd push them away and tell them to get off. I made sure I looked strong and powerful and was always higher than the group. 

I looked at strong female characters as well. I looked at Lara Croft for instance. She goes against the stereotypes of a women. She is very powerful and strong, and shows leadership throughout. Which is exactly what my character is like. Also she wears quite masculine clothing. Vest tops, shorts, trousers. This is wear I also thought of costume ideas for my character. She also has her hair back, which is also very masculine. But as I wanted to look at bit feminine, I decided to have my hair, half up half down but wear more masculine clothing.

My Relationship with Meat:
Meat is the only person who fully understand Brit and is very key to him(in our case,'her'). They have a very strong relationship. It isn't a lovely dovey relationship, but a relationship where they understand each other and stick by each other no matter what. I think we first see how good their relationship is in Scene 10, where Galiep says to Brit, 'I wouldn't know where to start' and Brit goes, 'You start with your baby of course'. Where she is referring to Meat. This really shows how long they've been by each others sides and just how close they are. Brit puts Meat before herself, 'I cant do the things I have to do, if all i'm thinking about is  you'. When Brit tells Meat to stay, as she doesn't want her to get hurt. This is where you can really see that they have a special close relationship. It also shows that Brit would put his quest on hold, just for Meat. 

The costume:

- holes in the trousers to show a rougher side to Brit and poor - linking to the poverty and how Brit wants it all - linking to the song, 'I Want It All'

- hair half up, half down, showing some sides of femininity, but still showing masculinity 

- denim waistcoat - showing masculinity, by showing off the arms, by indicating Brit's strong and powerful.

- lacy gloves and red lacy glove, the colour red indicating Brit is dangerous, and fierce, but maybe symbolising her love for Meat.

- the boots show she's travelled and it also adds some status to the character.

07.06.13 - Final Show!!!!!

Today was our last show, so we had to really give it our all! Before we came on I made sure I warmed up my vocals. We did this as a group and Ben was on the piano leading the warm up. We did some arpeggios and worked on our range. I did a few breathing techniques - breath in and out for 10.This really helped as it kept me calm.

What went well:

It was a complete success and so happy with the complete outcome. We took our feedback from Rachel and did our best to not make any mistakes. I remembered all of my cues and lines again. I felt like it went really well, and I was really confident throughout. In I Want It All, both me and Megan were loud and engaged with the audience again. I felt like I was powerful and fierce. The fall went really well this time and it went in time with the music. Crazy Little Thing Called Love went really well too. I felt like I was loud enough, and again connect well with the audience. This was the chance for Brit to express his feelings towards Meat and I felt like I showed this much better in this performance. 

What didn't go well:

When me and Megan did I Want It All, I felt like it was better the first time. It didn't feel like we were bouncing off each other as much as we did in the first show. Also we had a technical issue with the mic. Also the music didn't start when I started my dialogue. I finished all of the dialogue, just before the music came on and THEN when the music starts, I start the dialogue. It was ashame, but I carried on. Maybe this blew my confidence a little, which is why this performance didn't feel as good as the first.

What I would do different:

I would learn my lines a little bit more earlier, then I could focus on the practical stuff more. I would also make sure I have all of the props ready and practised with a lot more earlier. Even though we only rehearsed with our prop on the first show day, it still went well as there was not a lot of movement with it.

What I have learnt with this experience:

I have learnt to be very patient when it comes to rehearsals and not everything goes to according to plan, and you have to deal with that. I've also learnt that timing is everything with acting, dancing and singing. I've learnt  to work better as a team and independently, but more as a team, as this show really needed a lot of teamwork to pull through and it really did pull through. I've had the best 2 years working with such an amazing cast. I really feel like I've gone out on a high and performed really well and I'm very proud of myself for really pulling through and being the most confident I've ever been! I will miss everyone and I'd love to do the show over and over again!

06.06.13 - Off Cast Show!

Today we had our offcast show, so I'm only a Bohemian in this. I don't play a very big part, so I can't comment on a lot. For one of the dances, I did nearly fall over and take a tumble, but I overcome this by carrying on and smiling through it like nothing had happened. I had two lines that I remembered(which would be silly if I didn't remember them as there's only two) One of the lines is 'Justin Trousersnake'. I thought this was a really funny line, so I said in a funny way and added a sexual innuendo to it. Overall their performance went really well and I'm proud of them all. Especially Josh and Milly who I knew were very worried about singing, but they did a fantastic job and gave it there all.

Note to self:
For tomorrow night me and Megan need to go over interacting with each other and be a bit more relaxed with each other.

05.06.13 - First Show!

Today we had our first show, which was in the evening. Me and Megan spent ages beforehand on marking I Want It All and adding some extra choreography to the scene we first appear in, as today was the first time we worked with a prop that we hadn't used before. The prop was a bin bag full of junk. This didn't change things around too much, we just needed to make sure we were comfortable with the prop and knew how to use it in what bits of the scene. I lead the first bit of I Want It All as I start off the song, so I need to make a big powerful start to the song.

What went well in the performance:
I felt it went really well and it was an overall good strong performance. I felt the energy throughout my performance was really good. This really helped me and Maisie bounce off each other with our interaction and dialogue. The atmosphere was great! I Want It All was amazing and had so much energy. It was that good we got everyone in the audience clapping and joining in and this lead me to put even more into the performance. Interacting with the audience was a new experience and I'm very confident with how it went and I feel like it improved my performance. I stayed in tune with all of the songs and I felt I carried the song really well and stayed in character. Megan really boost my confidence up a lot throughout the process of rehearsing and coming to performing. She supported me a lot and helped me with the singing and I helped her too. I also remembered all of my cues and lines. Crazy Little Thing Called Love went really well. I was worried about this one, as it has dancing and singing involved, at the same time. But I was wrong and didn't need to be worried as it was still good! I also throughly enjoyed performing it, as it's where Brit can let go with Meat and this where you can really see their relationship together. I felt like me and Megan did this really well.

What didn't go well:
When I die, I wasn't in time with the music on the 3 thuds. So when I got to the top block, I turned around and looked back at everyone and waited for the 3 thuds, then fell over. So I was in time with the bit after the 3 thuds.

What I need to do for the next show:
I need to relax a bit more with Megan and look less uncomfortable at times. I will do this by thinking less about what I'm doing and more on the performing and I need to forget about the sexual part of the relationship and think of it more as a friendly happy relationship. Also rehearse the scene where I die again to get it perfect.

04.06.13 - Last Rehearsal

This is our final rehearsal and unfortunately I had an exam, so I wasn't there for most of the day. After my exam I went back to the studio and Josh told me they made a big change to the scene where I die. Basically after Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Lauren comes on and says her bit and then some music comes on and we all run around trying to escape when the guards are closing in on us. Then I say my line and then Lauren's then I say my last line and escape the laser cage. Then there is a certain 3 loud thumps in the music where I run up onto the level and then get shot. So its crucial that I get the lines in time with the music. Josh showed me how its done a few times, so I can get the hang of it.This was really helpful and I understood it a bit better, than him just telling me. I tried it myself and I was a bit out of time the first time, but we did it a few more times and it worked well in time with the music. I was a bit worried about falling and hurting myself, but I thought I will just go for it on the night, and make it look as dramatic and real as I can.

We also got to see the laser machine for the first time.We looked at some of the issues with it. Its on the stage where all of the Bohemians sit most of the time and where Amy does her scene, so we had to be really careful as there was a lot of wires. But we knew that the lasers were going to look brilliant.

What to do tomorrow:
I have to give it my all. Be really fierce and show lots of power and have lots of energy.

03.06.13 - Full Run Through

Today was the day we we're going to be doing a run through. My cast weren't going to be running until 4, so in the meantime me and Megan decided to run over our lines and key things that needed looking at that were weak. First we run the scene where we are with Dylan and Mel.We decided to run the whole scene properly, as we only had done it a few times and we thought it needed a bit more work. Plus its the only way we can work out the full blocking with the new adjustment to the stage. I tried playing Britney a bit more fierce with more confrontation as this shows my level of control in the scene. It proves that I can be strong and come up into Dylans personal space when I push him to the ground and that Dylan should feel threatened. After we practised it Dylan said he felt alot more threatened and I seemed a lot more fierce and in charge.

After we did that scene a few times, me and Megan went over I Want It All with the new staging. We used the new levels a bit and incorporated some new movements and tried to make our relationship more believable and we felt it worked really well. After doing this we were getting really excited and more confident for the show.

When the other cast did a run through I thought it would be a good idea to see how Josh plays Brit. This really helped because I saw that he was a lot more fierce with his character and interacted with the other characters on stage and it looked really good. I figured that this would be a good idea for my character too. Whilst we had some free time, I helped Josh with the songs, and sung them along with him, so he would get the hang of it. I also wanted to build up his confidence a lot more, as I knew he was a bit worried about singing.

At the end of Bohemian Rhapsody we made sure it was all cleaned up and perfected as that's what needed most work on. Me and Megan stand right at the front, next to Galieo and Scaramouche and lead the rest of the Bohemians. I think it's important that we do this as we are the leaders of the Bohemians and we need to show that we are fierce and powerful, especially when we sing we will rock you.

Strengths of the Rehearsal:
We were all really focused and patient throughout the day. We were all very motivated and really went for it with the songs and acting.

My Personl Achievement in Rehearsal:
I did a full run through in costume and remembered all of my lines. I performed the song very well.

What I Need To Do:
I need to keep my energy up and have a lot more energy in I Want It All. I also need to stay relaxed and make sure I warm up my voice before I perform.

29.05.13 - Extra Rehearsals In Half Term

Today we came into college to do extra rehearsals before our shows next week. The first thing we had to do when we got there was put the staging back up, as due to exams we had to take it down before half term. We also made a few rearrangements to the staging. Instead of having a slope down the middle of the stage, we decided to just use blocks as its a lot easier to walk up and it was very slippery with the slope and there were a few hazards in rehearsal. We also changed the levels on the other side, where the Heartbreak Hotel is. We changed the left hand side staging(for the hospital scene) because it works a lot more when Galieo and Scaramouche have to sit up. There's a higher block in the middle to show that they are laying in two separate beds. This scene is key, as it's when they both first meet, so it has to look like they don't know each other. We didn't change the right hand side, but we made it clearer that it was the Heartbreak Hotel. We established concepts for Heartbreak Hotel. We found various different relevant props/set pieces and fabrics to arrange the area having a character. We had things like tyres, bottles, signs, ragged fabric etc.

As we had changed the staging for the hospital scene, we had to go over that scene and some other scenes, so we could reblock bits of the scene to fit to the new staging. Also one of the main songs, I Want It All, that me and Megan sing was on that side of the staging. Originally we were on the staging where the Heartbreak Hotel is clearly labelled, as it has high levels and shows that we have lots of power as we are high up and the song is a very powerful song. Unfortunately, now that its clearly marked as the hotel, we can't sing on that side because in the scene where we sing I Want It All, we aren't at the Heartbreak Hotel yet. So we said we need to have a re think about blocking on Monday, when we have rehearsals next.

As today we were focusing on tech/lighting runs. We introduced Max and Harvey to operating tech for the show and to record the cues in the script.  It was key that us guys were patient whilst they get everything perfect. There were a few more lights to be readjusted as they weren't in the right place. The tech team found the follow spot and set that up. As they needed to know the cues, for each scene, we had to go through the song cues as well, because in some songs there is dialogue as the music comes on. It was key that we run through it with them and they knew the cues. Unfortunately we had a missing track on the disc, which was the full length of 'Headlong'. We only had the reprise, which was only a verse long. We explored various options, but couldn't find anything. Fortunately we came up with an idea and ended up singing the reprise version. It still worked well in rehearsal. The 'car' was made from two old seats pulled from out a car and strapped to a large stage block on wheels. We used this for headlong as we had to look like we were in a car. Brit and Meat sat in the front, with Meat driving and Galieo and Scaramouche knelt on the back of it behind Brit and Meat. We stuck an old stirring wheel onto a mic stand. We came up with the idea of just dragging it on whilst there is along instrumental at the beginning of the song, and even not having the long versions it still worked well.

Whilst the tech team were sorting out lights and cues, everyone else sorted out the costume cupboard and the dressing room area, as it was a complete mess. We made sure the costume cupboard was clean and everyone could access there costumes on the rails and the props without trouble.Everyone put their costumes on hangers, clearly labelled with their names on. We also found lots of old/torn spare bits from the costume cupboard, that would be useful for the Bohemians. On that note, Rachel made sure we all had our Bohemian outfits done. We then all rearranaged both of changing rooms to establish the usage during shows. To make it less hectic and busy, we had the Year 13's (main cast) changing in one room and the Year 12's (extras - bohemians, yappees, teen queens) changing in the other room.

As I didn't have a full Bohemian costume, I did some research online and looked at Bohemian costumes. In these pictures I saw that they are wearing lots of colours and have crazy hair styles. There is lots of lace and cut up clothing. As I die in the first Act as Brit, I come back as a Bohemian in Act 2, so i had to have a different outfit/image. I decided to buy some lacy clothing and wear some old camouflage leggings I have and wear a denim jacket. I don't really know what to do for my hair for Brit, but I know that I want to have it down, with lots of colour in. So for a Bohemian, I came thought I should have it up as they will change my image quite a bit, from Brit to a Bohemian. Plus I want my Brit outfit to be much better than my Bohemian one, as Brit is one of the main characters.

For my Brit outfit I've been finding it hard what to wear. In the proper musical Brit is played buy a man. So we decided to make Brit a lesbian in our version. I thought it wouldn't be a good idea wearing a corsetor a skirt as I'm not very girly. As a girl, I'm supposed to be a bit feminine. So i thought it would be a good idea to have my hair down, and really messy as in some of the pictures above, that's how the girls have there hair. Also I thought I should put different colours in my hair, so I put clip in strands of purple in. This shows me more as a feminine character. As for clothing, I thought I'd rip up a pair of old leggings and a lacy top and where lots of fish net stuff, to show my rock chic side. In a lot of the pictures I've seen lots of denim too, so I thought of denim things I have at home and found a denim waistcoat that would look perfect with the rest of the outfit. 

In these pictures you can see Brit wears a lot of dark colours and its very simple(trousers and vest tops) and things to wear on his hands, so that's where I got my ideas from.

Whilst these things were happening through the day, I made sure I kept myself busy by going over scenes and songs with Megan, as we were together in all of each others scenes. We carried on building our relationship and making it more and more believable. We made sure we stuck together in the scenes and not drift apart, as we are very close. We also made sure we made a lot of eye contact with each other,but not too much as we aren't one of these lovey dovey couples. Throughout the day, we practised these scenes, our relationship started to look more and more believable.

The last thing we did was start the cue to cues. Rachel said to us all that we are going to have to be really patient as it takes a while. We only did the first scene for cue to cues, as we had spent a lot of the day doing other productive things. Rachel then told us that we will be rehearsing all day on Monday and Tuesday. So on Monday in the morning we can finish the cue to cues. As me, Emily and Megan are absent for the whole of Tuesday, due to exams, Rachel has scheduled for us to do one run through on Monday for each cast.