Diploma in Performing &

Production Arts
Project Proposal
Candidate Name Gabriella Rayner
Candidate Number 544863
Pathway Performing and Production Arts Level 3:
Acting
Project Title Final Major Project – Variations – written by
Katie Hims
Section 1: Review
Before starting this project I had little knowledge on how to develop a character and how to sustain myself in the
rehearsal room. Throughout these 6 weeks I have learnt how to bring not only a fully formed character to life but an
entire play concept. For me, this means I can now have a deeper understanding of the structure of the way in which a
play is produced. It is important that I deepen my knowledge as it enriches the work I make. I have also learned how to
keep concentration throughout a rehearsal, which I have struggled with previously, I did this by managing my time
more productively. For me this means I am able to produce better work as I am able to put my whole thought process
not it as I am now able to concentrate on the task fully.
Section 2: Project Concept
I would like to create a piece of thought-provoking theatre due to characterisation and zoning in on important topics
such as identity and family. On first reading the script I could envision this to be a surreal and exciting piece of theatre
that is adventurous, this could be done by creating a bizarre reality for the characters to inhabit and use this as a
metaphor for growing up and the struggles that come with finding yourself. I believe it is important to push the limits
of theatre and the script that was chosen has the perfect blank slate in terms of how we cast and characterise, but has
all the morals we need to create a new aspect of life for the audience to watch. To achieve this goal I will be doing
research into a wide range of topics to not only ensure I can portray my role on stage as accurately as possible, but also
to give informed suggestions throughout the rehearsal process. I will also be using peer feedback to grow my
knowledge of theatre and this play I will use their opinions to influence my thoughts on the play, using their ideas to
influence what I research and what steps I take to ensure my performance is done to the best of my ability.
Section 3: Evaluation
I will be constantly striving to improve my knowledge and skills through peer and tutorial feedback, I will do this by
seeking out feedback after I have performed in front of my peers and asking my tutor what I can do to improve my
work, I will then make the improvements following their guidance to ensure my work is to the highest standard I can
make it. I will also make sure I give myself feedback by constantly looking back on my work and editing it to ensure I am
doing everything I can to improve my skills and my work. Each week I will be filling out this for to keep a track of what
work has been done by making a research bibliography, helping me see what I am yet to complete, also helping my
time management skills and allowing me to meet all deadlines I have been set. I will also be undertaking the task of
making reflective videos once a week so I can look back an what was a success and what was a challenge, this will help
me improve my processes in the creative space as I am able to learn from past mistakes.

Proposed Research Sources and Bibliography (Harvard Format)

Bell, B. (2016). Taken from life: The unsettling art of death photography. BBC News. [online] 4 Jun. Available
at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36389581 [Accessed 9 Mar. 2023].

Better help editorial team (2023). What Can We Learn From The Me Too Movement? | BetterHelp. [online]
www.betterhelp.com. Available at: https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/abuse/what-can-we-learn-from-the-me-
too-movement/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20biggest%20and [Accessed 24 Mar. 2023].

Betts, E.-J. (2019). Connections Festival 2019: Variations and Flesh at the National Theatre | Theatre review.
[online] The Upcoming. Available at: https://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2019/06/26/connections-festival-2019-
variations-and-flesh-at-the-national-theatre-theatre-review/ [Accessed 26 Feb. 2023].

Bowen, E. (2019). Sibling Loss: Experiencing Grief Through a Child’s Eyes. [online] www.aap.org. Available
at: https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/aap-voices/sibling-loss/#:~:text=When%20a%20child%20dies%2C
%20siblings [Accessed 4 Mar. 2023].

Clark, D. (2023). UK infant mortality rate 2020. [online] Statista. Available at:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/281501/infant-mortality-rate-in-the-united-kingdom/#:~:text=Infant
%20mortality%20has%20fallen%20considerably. [Accessed

Cottle, S. (2023). Sophie Cottle / News. [online] www.sophiecottle.com. Available at:

http://www.sophiecottle.com/newsSophie2022.htm [Accessed 26 Feb. 2023].

Curtis Brown (2019a). Curtis Brown. [online] www.curtisbrown.co.uk. Available at:

https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/news/katie-hims-new-play-variations-opens-at-the-national-theatre [Accessed
26 Feb. 2023].

Curtis Brown (2019b). Curtis Brown. [online] www.curtisbrown.co.uk. Available at:

https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/news/katie-hims-new-play-variations-opens-at-the-national-theatre [Accessed
26 Feb. 2023].

Edvard Munch (n.d.). Death in the Sickroom, 1895 by Edvard Munch. [online] www.edvardmunch.org.
Available at: https://www.edvardmunch.org/death-in-the-sickroom.jsp [Accessed 4 Mar. 2023].

Ellis, J., Dowrick, C. and Lloyd-Williams, M. (2013). The long-term impact of early parental death: Lessons
from a narrative study. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, [online] 106(2), pp.57–67.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0141076812472623

Featherly, K. (2019). ARPANET | Definition & History. In: Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/ARPANET.

Funeral Guide (2017). Should Children Go To Funerals? [online] Funeral Guide. Available at:
https://www.funeralguide.com/blog/should-children-go-to-funerals [Accessed 5 Mar. 2023].

History.com Editors (2018). 2018: The Year in Events. [online] HISTORY. Available at:
https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/2018-events [Accessed 24 Mar. 2023].

Hunter, D.L. (2000). 04.05.00 - A Victorian Obsession With Death. [online] newsarchive.berkeley.edu.
Available at: https://newsarchive.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/2000/04/05/death.html#:~:text=%22In
%20London%2C%20in%201830%2C [Accessed 10 Mar. 2023].

MBA, P.L., MS (2022). Formative Years - Why Are They Important In Child Development. [online] Parenting
For Brain. Available at: https://www.parentingforbrain.com/formative-years/#:~:text=The%20formative
%20years%20are%20the [Accessed 5 Mar. 2023].

Munch (n.d.). The Sick Child. [online] www.munchmuseet.no. Available at:

https://www.munchmuseet.no/en/our-collection/the-sick-child/ .

Nast, C. (2017). Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick: A Brief, White-Hot, and Totally Doomed Romance. [online]
Vanity Fair. Available at: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/12/andy-warhol-and-edie-sedgwick-a-brief-
white-hot-and-totally-doomed-romance.

Nordheimer, J. and Times, S.T. the N.Y. (1983). 5 KILLED IN LONDON AS BOMB EXPLODES OUTSIDE
HARRODS. The New York Times. [online] 18 Dec. Available at:
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/18/world/5-killed-in-london-as-bomb-explodes-outside-harrods.html
[Accessed 18 Mar. 2023].

Study Smarter (n.d.). 1983 General Election: Results & Demographics | StudySmarter. [online]
studysmarter.co.uk. Available at: https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/history/modern-britain/1983-
general-election/ [Accessed 27 Mar. 2023].

World Health Organisation (2022). Child mortality (under 5 years). [online] www.who.int. Available at:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/levels-and-trends-in-child-under-5-mortality-in-
2020#:~:text=Globally%2C%20infectious%20diseases%2C%20including%20pneumonia [Accessed 5 Mar.
2023].
Project Action Plan and Timetable

Week Week Activity / What you are intending to do - including independent Resources / What
Beginning study you will need to do
it - including
access to
workshops
1 20/02/23 Monday My Script.
 Met with director. Notes that I made
 Learnt our weekly movement warm up to increase teamwork during and after
and to have set routine to heighten concentration. the rehearsal.
 Played the space to listen to one another and brainstorm Teams resources.
movement ideas.
 Read the script and had a group discussion on impressions of
characters and themes and structure.
 Ensemble lead movement of morning routine done to on
theme 80s music, feedback impressions of juxtaposition of
music.
Independent
 Reread script and researched into the play to get some
context. This helped me have a deeper level of understanding
of both intention of the characters and the writer.
2 27/02/23 Monday My Script.
 Weekly check-ins and warm up to regulate concentration and Notes I made
projection. during and after
 Group exercises to practice how to support each other in a the rehearsal.
performance situation.
 Devised around scenes from the play to see how everyone
else interprets the play. Exhibiting acting styles form a range
of practitioners, namely surrealist practitioners such as
Antonin Artaud.
 In groups of 2 we analysed a character to share with the
group, from this we all collectively had a deeper
understanding of the play.
Independent
 I researched on a topic given to understand deeper into the
emotions and motives of the play this gave a new complexity
of the characters to me, making them more real for me.
3 06/03/23 Monday Script.
 Lead a cardio and stretch warm up, helped build familiarity Loose-fitting
with warming up. This is important in helping how to lead clothing to be able
effectively. to move around
 Group shoaling workshop in which I experimented with effectively.
movement – gave me a wider range of possibilities to work
 with. Watched candid performances of the shoaling and gave
feedback on parts we liked – juxtaposition of movement with
music.
 Self-exploration of movement based on glitching and identity
– got into groups and made a piece based on this then added
another layer of having narration of repeated stage directions
throughout the movement. We decided the narrator’s tone
should glitch when the movement does.
Wednesday
 Movement class on learning the process of free
choreographing, I struggle with choreographing, so this
helped me with the process as it was more experimental.
Independent
 Interviewed someone of an older generation to understand
our audience better, this will impact how the rest of our
rehearsals go as we now know more about our audience.
4 13/03/23 Monday Script.
 Ensemble lead warmups to increase team work and respect. Notes I made
 Created freeze fames based on key moments in the play, during n after the
director asked us to add levels to make our frames more session.
exciting for the audience to look at.
 Had a conversation on style of acting as well as what our
vision for the show – lots of colliding ideas – we were asked to
back up our ideas with specific reason – how can in push the
narrative?
 Created a poster sheet on these thoughts, to have something
tangible for our ideas. I asked rhetorical questions such as,
who does Alice think she is? To grasp better understanding of
the characters.
 Got into groups to make a song based on what we had said on
our poster sheet. Music will play a pivotal role in this play –
voicing own visions will impact what music is made.
 Made a poster on our vision of a transition between 2 scenes
as we were all interested in this based on past conversations.

Independent
 Tasked with making research posters on historical, social, and
political events in both 2018 and 1983. This is so we get an
idea what is going on in the characters world outside of one
set the audience see them on.
5 20/03/23 Monday Script.
 Group lead movement and vocal warm up to gain trust within Notes I made
the group in practical situations. during and after
 Started with the concept for the start of the show. Director the session.
explained her concept for us to work with in groups to create
our own interpretations.
 Watched others in a performance-based scenario so we are
comfortable performing at any point and with each other. I
found it interesting to see everyone’s interpretations and how
they differed but centred around the significance of the
parcel.
  Did the same process with the end of the play to a song our
director wants to use, this helped us create the atmosphere
our director was looking for.
 Had a general conversation and feedback session on what we
thought worked, what we wanted to keep and what we
wanted to work on.
Independent
 Worked on making a personalised playlist following the
emotional journey the show brings you through to grasp a
better concept of the journey the characters are taken on.
6 27/03/23 Monday Script.
 Physical and vocal warmup lead by our newly appointed Notes I’ve made
dance captain, it was a lot easier to focus as we knew we only throughout the
had to focus on one person’s voice. past couple
 This week we got our casting, we did the first readthrough as sessions.
a casted group, got acquainted with the new dynamics
everyone brought to the play and its characters.
 Had a conversation on our first impressions of the play with
its casting and how we would like to move it forward.
 Got with scene partners, talked through our interpretations of
the characters and the relationships they have with each-
other, as well as their back stories and why they have their
personalities.

Independent
 Did some creative writing to give a physical context to the
characters for me, making their relationships more alive.

7 17/04/23 Monday Script

Intensive  Made a dance using 80s theme and using the song that will be Notes I made
rehearsals. played throughout the play to get a sense of what our play during and after
will look like. the session.
 Started blocking scenes with a vague construct to start off the Clothes I can easily
rehearsal process. Had to read in as some cast members were move around in.
not in the rehearsal room.
 Worked on transitions 1, 2 and 3 t build around scenes.
Tuesday
 Learned more of our theme dance (named safety dance).
 Scene 3 blocking – I read in for Lucas – helped me gain
perspective as my character has a crush on Lucas.
 Worked on scene 4 with props – using a non-naturalism form
to create a more interesting scene for the audience and for us
to play with.
 Liminal transitions – practicing how we can move the
furniture during the transitional scenes.
Wednesday
 Worked on scene 7 which involves the entire company;
readthrough the scene then added movement and blocking.
This is the main scene where we use our “safety dance”.
 Worked on lines and put more intention behind them as well-
as the blocking over the past three days.
 Thursday
 Scene run-through, focusing on gaps in lines and blocking, as-
well-as how others vocalise the lines we share.
 Got notes back to help improve characters.
Friday
 Ran through transitions slowly to make adaptations and to
make it slicker.
 Ran through stunts to make them safer and better
choreographed.
 Did a stagger-through to find gaps in knowledge. I found that I
did not know scene 7’s blocking well enough so I worked on it
during the weekend from looking at my notes.
 Prop check – had designer come in and talk us through some
new props as well as pointing out gaps in props.
Independent
 Did a read thorough with scene partners to work on our
characters relationships.
 Read through notes and script notes to reinforce my
knowledge.
8 24/04/23 Monday Script
Intensive  Adapted characters relationships and dug deeper into their Notes I made
rehearsals. backstories and what the significance of some lines means to during and after
the characters so we can grasp the reactions we need to play the session.
simpler. Clothes I can easily
 Recorded lines for the scene 7 transition with our sound move around in.
designer. This meant we had to put the definitive intention
behind the lines.
 Ran scene 1 all the way through with transitions and the
opening of the show.
Tuesday
 Run-through of the first 3 scenes, I made notes on other
characters behaviour / mannerisms to influence the way my
character acts around these characters.
 Costume fitting – got to partially see what my character truly
looks like for the first time. Influenced the way I will stand and
sit on stage.
 Worked on my main scene (scene 5) adding the ensemble on
the sides to give more meaning to our lines.
Wednesday
 Movement director came in to clean up our movement
sections – mainly transitions – as well as our liminal spacers.
 Worked on scene 7 as it is very movement based also adding
a new transition from scene 7 to 8.
Thursday
 Worked our way through scenes to track all our new props –
timing when things need to come on and off stage as well as
who can move them.
 Run through with stage manager and designer watching so
they can work on building more into the play.
 Adapted the transition from scene 7 to 8 as we got the music
for it – which partly included what we recorded on Monday.
 Friday
 Ran through transitions slowly to touch them up, as well as
adding new props – this meant we needed to adapt some
cues.
 Worked on the ending – added in exact timing queues.
 Ran transition 7 to 8 with our lighting designer watching to
get ahead of tech next week.
 Had a stunt coordinator come in to adapt stunts and make
sure they are safe and effective.
Independent
 Had a tutor session to check in with how rehearsals are going
as well as what I can improve on in my work.
 Finish my character analysis to ensure my character is where
it needs to be for performing.
9 02/05/23 Tuesday Script
Tech week  Rehearsed transitions to clean up the liminal spacing and Notes I made
added exact timings to make them clearer. during and after
 Tech rehearsal, ran through scenes 1 to 5, got to wear our the session.
costumes to practice how to move in them and finalising our
character.
 Leant queues better and where I need to stand in the wings.
Wednesday
 Verbatim theatre practice, by myself then build up the scene
around it.
 Spent time running through scenes independently to really
know them.
Thursday
 Added more of our characters characteristics to the safety
dance – focusing on how they interact with others.
 Rehearsed our ‘mega mix’ transition from scene 7 to 8
adapted to fit better with associated scenes.
 Adapted our liminal spacing for the transition between scene
7 and 8, as some props were not getting put on stage.
 Finished our tech rehearsal – found some parts I need to work
on in my own time.
Friday
 Polished safety dance – made it more stylised.
 Watched the other groups dress run – saw the importance of
projecting our voices as we could not hear some of the actors
voices.
 Did our own dress run, lines were said wrong, and props were
in the wrong places at times, but we worked well as a team to
fix it, unbeknown to the audience.
 First show – went smoothly and I am happy with my
performance – got feedback saying how well I played my
character.
Saturday
 Fight call and warm up, got ready for our last show together.
 Second and last performance.
Independent
 Re-read script to know the structure well, adding and
adapting my notes.