BLUE REMEMBERED

HILLS by Dennis Pol fer

Don Gorb u tt discusses his proshyd ueUo n for the Caxton lay rS G n msby Cast Seven-year-old hildrcn

- (5 boys 2 girls) shy

To be p layed by a dul ts Location The long su m me r

hol iday - W st Co nLry J 40

TransItion from tdcYislon to the

tagc s ally the r crse le pIa providlCi m el f and cast a wo ndc rrul opportuni ty to ex shy

plore new territory a rn rl ly for a mateu rs No inh ibilions of s tage d ir cUons no doors fur shymlu rc a nd other Impcd lme n we fel l -u nfe (ered al mos t to tal frel om r expression We ven lllr d lpprch n ive yet cx shycited a nd our fc lin were co mpletely just ified the reshy

hearsals blca me a wonderful world o f improvisa o n Ncvlt r have I tood at schoo l rail ings s mu h I received some odd looks howevcr Two weeks then the school holidays began As Denshynis Pottcr comments being chil shydren thlty are not allowed c1oshyqu nee rhdo n e and rar y conshysCeu Live th ughl Th rc Is a lso no hind lt l o f a l y secondary plo t Chi r l rt dive rt very quic Iy from o ne thought to anothe r affec ted more by mood atm()sp here rlta c ti ng ve ry quiltkly into remorse escape fear laug hter and lean thdr energy is boundlcs~ vc r moU shyvati ng charging their mo tions and fed ing of the moment

Exci lt 1ltn l is gathered from con nie t desLrult tio n and some shytimes persecu tion As one in c ident fo llowed anothltr

wlt quic k ly rltalizltd the fallacy of childlik innocence C heru shybic darli ng face s arc somdimcs not wha l they selt rn I had a n insti nct fo r the playa few years ago and I am g lcful to the Caxtons that they fl nally rckn Lcd and E(aVl me the opporshyLu n ity I a lso rea lized during rc shy

Imateur SIage Pebruaty 19 0

Play Produced hearsals how lmpor1an L it is fo amateurs to Indulge in 0PP rtushynlUes such a th is The p lay

ro ughL out the bCSL in a ll of us h oning our creative faeuille playing children perhaps

Plot No actual plot Jusl a seriLOS of events happ nings that encomshypass that day The scenario =

fields woods undergrowth and an old barn ConDieL bl kerlng are the order of lhe clay Ris a nd fall of leader h ip the

the poor squirrel and how well illu s tr led is that thin line beshytween comedy and tragedy

Character Willie wonderfu l lovable scat ty lad Peter a probable psycho shypath aware of his physical prowess Raymond stuLLcrer a harmless mothers boy John for Lhrigh t boy-scoutish Donald Duc k much abuscd creepy - sympathies arlt torn Ang l a a darling s p()ilt Audrey shi fty and vindictive A

hounding a nd LVen tua l k illingof on lt poo r squirrel An es a ped p ri one r of war from a nearby camp t riggers pH ni a nd fear Finally the dreadful pltrsccu Uon of one named poor abused lth fld Donald Duck whose burning to deaLh In Lhc o ld barn o n the final c li maC w r ak$ te r shyrible rcmorlgtC lt nd gUi ld on the remaining children C heerfui tuff you may Sily IloVevcr

Lhcrlt j eOIl](Jy among all t hlo mayhem I ligh co medy aqd Illmost improbab l farce b 1u shy

lifu lly wrl llc n Thc optning scene be tween Wllie and I ler ilgt high comlCIy Indeed a won shyderfu l prelude l() the subseshyquenl hounding and ki [[ ing of

gallan t c rew

Casting he cas ti llg in our case was asy five mltn induding myself

a nd two lad ies only II ()bsons t hai e 1owltver gloves could not have fittltd bettcr The re was contrast in shapc sizlt and atLi shyLudcs Also w wltrlt all practi shy(ally wi thin a n aglt group and this I found to be important To ta l age ()f cast fell just s ho rt o f 400 years - think about it I lost s ix pounds in wClgh tduri rlg pershyfonnancc Also John who had it figh t scenlt was a liLtle asthshymatic - m asochists a ll Denllis PoLL r rem rks q uite ltxplieitly that adults must piny thlt parts

so as to truthfully measun quakes and tremors of eh hood emotions [also found tr the ltomk qualities s prang Into

vividly to life from advan years

Rehearsals Wc seemed to work harder on a conventional three act pl _

Improvising experimenting discussion An ensembk p duction everyone contributed it worked extremely well 1 a some of the rehltarsals were r so prolonged because of llshyphyskal a sped The theatre be lta me our oy~ [(

we endeavoured to use eve bull facet of it and as our nueli n

looks down on the staglt wen able t() encircle thefT through dress ing rooms aP _

around behind them throu gh shy

mezzanine This gave a varie of exits and entrances cnnbli r ~ us to link each sltene togethc without h iatus sustaining th pace and with it the intcres t Ealth charader sltemed to dl vdop thdr own mannerism idiosyncrac ics J ohn belta n tltnse emphatic - Raymond tal kept his arms dosely stretlthe down his sides Pe ter Iikltd h Igt hands in his pockets I ga~ Willie a scatlinltss restlessnes Donald Duck seemed to tip to Audrey went into hcrsdf - dos and Angda fingers in kniek r s wift to change vith authOrity We nltver rltally drew ouLline wdrd at times We rehearsed the sqUirrel a bdng in a larglt tree abovlt the audience alloving Willie a nd Peter to venture a mong - a litllt shoc k treatme nt The killing 0

the sqUirrel developed into ritual an African War dancc chanting and stompi ng anc then suddlt l1 stop - remorSl gUi lt tltars fGiy rnonds s tUller middot ing obse rvatio ns hHd La blt carl fully rchltarsltd to avoid break middot ing the traumatilt ltCfccl IL was the many varied lthang of mood and at titudes we had work on - Uming them to pltrfte lio n to avoid ma ki ng them sltelT disjoin ted There wa the g irls friendln cso

PAG E I

middotwith Donald Duck tuming sudshydenly Into almost vile persecu shytion Peters scene with him ever changing from abrasiv~

ness to a cajoling wheedling and almost confiding friendshyship In these clrcumstances it would have been very easy to overact and irritate The fight scenes had their probshy

they laugh at giving them time to settle Length 0 sllences It would have been very easy to clown and react to them Inshystinct plays such a part Little boys crying Is no t an easy matter to apply with conviction from adults We had aU to achJeve sincertty of pUf1lose and charshyacters

lems mainly of age overweight and general un-fitness - and had to be carefully choreographed Comic yet piLiful Finally the climatic horrenshydous fire in the barn fue lled with almost farce like b havshyiour instantly [oliowed by reshymorse and gUi1t or evasion o f such The backlighting of fi re shyglow silhouetted bent pi t iless figures of childrcn - stunned No music just the haunting verse of Housemans ]Joem Dennis Potter uses as a curtain Re shyhearsals were so enjoyable be shycause they were so diflcrcn t - so free Wonderful cxercise In morc ways than onc I reme mbe r how early rehears shyals were somewhat undisci shyplined wandering about willy nilly and at times feeling rather foolish and self-conscious cnshyactin f seven year old kids Fashycia l expressions and general inshyhibitions encouraged el-eativity and confidence There was also the suggesLion of open improvisation however I

thought there was sufficient opportunity within the general framework of rehearsals springing from thc dialogue and discussion Th e dialogue secmcd ideally suited for the stage as well Conde nSing the action from outsidc into an area of 20 x 18

didnt secm to crcatc any major problems imaginatio n has no boundaries We tried to mlke ourselves aware of how the a udicn ~ would react How muc h wou ld

mateur Stage PebnlQry 1990

Bwin middotmiddots had to be worked out It bee mt very easy to upstage and defer continuity - a plckJng of nose in a self Indulgent moshyment could cause tota distracshyLion and puncture tension of the moment ud ie nee reacUon fortu n ately was whal we exshypec t d Willies fir t CII tranec eaUng a large appl the expected reacshytion 0 f au fhing at was lhere shy

a large a d ult s pi ll ing scratch middot ing pulli ng fae middots a luna tic in disgu ise Then the sound of an aeropla ne Will ics amlS ~pread

imi tation and the play begins An ideal in troci ucLion to break the icc a nd the remaining crazy gang behaving alm ost demen ted in their a t titudes Very quickly the first con fli t tak 5 place and when Willie spal a fusillade of chewed app le at Peter the a u dience became inmiddot

volvcd They laugh With the lincs and obcy the silence of th night The sweat was worth the effort and applause

Props Vc few - battermiddoted pram - adu lt not easy to find Brl -a-brae from local stalls for nstde of barn IJl( ide n tally the pram h~ls Lo squeak - ours d id so we had no usc for the squ cakly LOy wc bought Asquirrcl middot made out offur and SUitably bloodi d G eh night

Costumes A s tudy of t he evacuees dUring the war gave u s a pieLure Braces - short baggy trousers

and boots Costume depanshyment took It in their stride Angela - summer short dress ankle socks curls and ribbon wLth Audrey co ntrasting shydowdy ill fiWng

Ughting This becomes individual aecordshyLng to dlslgn of set Atmosshyp h eric highlighting mood~

menace and mayhcID Main problem Is the nre in the bam

which has to be cffeCUve and Ue In vith the horrific sound We used altemate lamps of red and amber Also use of revolving disc with alternate red and amber gels reflecting garnst crumpLed kitchen (oi l A lot here depen ds on your available equipment and expertise

Sound A fIeld day for the sound middotchnishyc iano The counLrysid is [ull of wonderfu I varying sounds p u nctuating the quiet ness WhI~t1fng of w1nd rumblin of thunder La highlight tht murder seenc- Lwitlerlng of birds rustl shying of u ndergrowth Very help shyfu l in the POW escape scene where the pact seems to flag Also the crackle or llt fire a nd the final crescendo of bummg timshy

ocr fil li ng the auditorium

Design I firs t visualised the set as seen through the eyes of ch lldren almost surrealistic linked to their virile lmagatnatfons Local arts department cou ld have had a ball however school holidays intervenc-d so I had to comproshymise A c ut -away barn angled so you cou ld scC inside the b ric-a-brac o f yesterday dusly and cobweby (angel hair) Tnen [ obrnmed fi s h -nelLin g fr om Gri msby docks (se n t of e North Sea)

This J had suspended and swept around the stage Into which we inserted evergreen branches and leaves of varying shades of green Evergreen keeps their colc)ur- longer life Floor co vering was mo tlled Jlreen u nd lrfC t eovercci with strewn leaves twigs cones etc A small hummock covered in branches p vided n hJdc(nll during the POW episode

Music As the pla y is only 1 hour 10

minutes a prologue was re o

qUlred We proVided mushll items to commemorate the tfUshy

e th anvcrsary r the War 193 shy

8 Housmans hau nting poem whieh Dennis Po Lcr uses at th

Effects A mall inj ellon of moke th rough the bam would hlt ve accenluated the dramatic conshyLen t Donald Duck has lO strike mlt tches we d id thb in semishydarkncss ( vc r a bucke t of sand I kept mv) Jrom the stra w baks alld anYlhl ng highly in fl a m shymable L In o n with the firc authorities is essen tial - I fou nd

them v ry helpful

end of tht play In to my heart a n air that kil ls From yon far co untry blows What arc those Blue Rembcred I Iil ls What s pires what farrns are those That IS the land f losl content I sec IL shimll r plai n The happy highways where went An d (annot co m a ga in U

PAGE 1

middotwith Donald Duck tuming sudshydenly Into almost vile persecu shytion Peters scene with him ever changing from abrasiv~

ness to a cajoling wheedling and almost confiding friendshyship In these clrcumstances it would have been very easy to overact and irritate The fight scenes had their probshy

they laugh at giving them time to settle Length 0 sllences It would have been very easy to clown and react to them Inshystinct plays such a part Little boys crying Is no t an easy matter to apply with conviction from adults We had aU to achJeve sincertty of pUf1lose and charshyacters

lems mainly of age overweight and general un-fitness - and had to be carefully choreographed Comic yet piLiful Finally the climatic horrenshydous fire in the barn fue lled with almost farce like b havshyiour instantly [oliowed by reshymorse and gUi1t or evasion o f such The backlighting of fi re shyglow silhouetted bent pi t iless figures of childrcn - stunned No music just the haunting verse of Housemans ]Joem Dennis Potter uses as a curtain Re shyhearsals were so enjoyable be shycause they were so diflcrcn t - so free Wonderful cxercise In morc ways than onc I reme mbe r how early rehears shyals were somewhat undisci shyplined wandering about willy nilly and at times feeling rather foolish and self-conscious cnshyactin f seven year old kids Fashycia l expressions and general inshyhibitions encouraged el-eativity and confidence There was also the suggesLion of open improvisation however I

thought there was sufficient opportunity within the general framework of rehearsals springing from thc dialogue and discussion Th e dialogue secmcd ideally suited for the stage as well Conde nSing the action from outsidc into an area of 20 x 18

didnt secm to crcatc any major problems imaginatio n has no boundaries We tried to mlke ourselves aware of how the a udicn ~ would react How muc h wou ld

mateur Stage PebnlQry 1990

Bwin middotmiddots had to be worked out It bee mt very easy to upstage and defer continuity - a plckJng of nose in a self Indulgent moshyment could cause tota distracshyLion and puncture tension of the moment ud ie nee reacUon fortu n ately was whal we exshypec t d Willies fir t CII tranec eaUng a large appl the expected reacshytion 0 f au fhing at was lhere shy

a large a d ult s pi ll ing scratch middot ing pulli ng fae middots a luna tic in disgu ise Then the sound of an aeropla ne Will ics amlS ~pread

imi tation and the play begins An ideal in troci ucLion to break the icc a nd the remaining crazy gang behaving alm ost demen ted in their a t titudes Very quickly the first con fli t tak 5 place and when Willie spal a fusillade of chewed app le at Peter the a u dience became inmiddot

volvcd They laugh With the lincs and obcy the silence of th night The sweat was worth the effort and applause

Props Vc few - battermiddoted pram - adu lt not easy to find Brl -a-brae from local stalls for nstde of barn IJl( ide n tally the pram h~ls Lo squeak - ours d id so we had no usc for the squ cakly LOy wc bought Asquirrcl middot made out offur and SUitably bloodi d G eh night

Costumes A s tudy of t he evacuees dUring the war gave u s a pieLure Braces - short baggy trousers

and boots Costume depanshyment took It in their stride Angela - summer short dress ankle socks curls and ribbon wLth Audrey co ntrasting shydowdy ill fiWng

Ughting This becomes individual aecordshyLng to dlslgn of set Atmosshyp h eric highlighting mood~

menace and mayhcID Main problem Is the nre in the bam

which has to be cffeCUve and Ue In vith the horrific sound We used altemate lamps of red and amber Also use of revolving disc with alternate red and amber gels reflecting garnst crumpLed kitchen (oi l A lot here depen ds on your available equipment and expertise

Sound A fIeld day for the sound middotchnishyc iano The counLrysid is [ull of wonderfu I varying sounds p u nctuating the quiet ness WhI~t1fng of w1nd rumblin of thunder La highlight tht murder seenc- Lwitlerlng of birds rustl shying of u ndergrowth Very help shyfu l in the POW escape scene where the pact seems to flag Also the crackle or llt fire a nd the final crescendo of bummg timshy

ocr fil li ng the auditorium

Design I firs t visualised the set as seen through the eyes of ch lldren almost surrealistic linked to their virile lmagatnatfons Local arts department cou ld have had a ball however school holidays intervenc-d so I had to comproshymise A c ut -away barn angled so you cou ld scC inside the b ric-a-brac o f yesterday dusly and cobweby (angel hair) Tnen [ obrnmed fi s h -nelLin g fr om Gri msby docks (se n t of e North Sea)

This J had suspended and swept around the stage Into which we inserted evergreen branches and leaves of varying shades of green Evergreen keeps their colc)ur- longer life Floor co vering was mo tlled Jlreen u nd lrfC t eovercci with strewn leaves twigs cones etc A small hummock covered in branches p vided n hJdc(nll during the POW episode

Music As the pla y is only 1 hour 10

minutes a prologue was re o

qUlred We proVided mushll items to commemorate the tfUshy

e th anvcrsary r the War 193 shy

8 Housmans hau nting poem whieh Dennis Po Lcr uses at th

Effects A mall inj ellon of moke th rough the bam would hlt ve accenluated the dramatic conshyLen t Donald Duck has lO strike mlt tches we d id thb in semishydarkncss ( vc r a bucke t of sand I kept mv) Jrom the stra w baks alld anYlhl ng highly in fl a m shymable L In o n with the firc authorities is essen tial - I fou nd

them v ry helpful

end of tht play In to my heart a n air that kil ls From yon far co untry blows What arc those Blue Rembcred I Iil ls What s pires what farrns are those That IS the land f losl content I sec IL shimll r plai n The happy highways where went An d (annot co m a ga in U

PAGE 1