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Module Date: October - December 2021
Director: Amy Shaw
Play: An Image of an Unknown Young Woman by Elinor Cook
Institute: Academy of Music and Theatre Arts (AMATA), Falmouth University
The theatrical production of Elinor Cook's "An Image of an Unknown Young Woman" marked a significant milestone for me as an actor. Prior to this, my experience had been limited to small scenes, division work, and musical theatre. However, under the direction of Amy Shaw, the play took on a fresh and modern quality, despite its political nature. Set in an unknown country, the production explores the impact of protests on the community, with a focus on individual stories and their interconnectedness.
In the play, I played the role of Jasmin, a character who has lost her mother amidst the crowds of protesters, but who speaks a language that the media cannot understand. Tackling this role required me to train and develop a new skill, which pushed me beyond my limits. Specifically, I had to deliver a monologue speech in reverse, to replicate a foreign language, while avoiding prejudiced approaches.
To achieve this, I had to work closely with vocal coach Gemma Wright, receiving one-on-one support and training. Additionally, I had to rewrite the speech while listening to each word's individual pronunciation using a reverse-speech app. I had to perfect the exact pitches, tones, and pronunciations while committing them to memory and acting on top of them. Despite the difficulty of the task, I persevered, and the speech that I delivered on stage was successful in sounding perfectly normal when played in reverse. I am incredibly proud of this achievement.
Aside from my own performance, the play itself was emotionally and visually impactful, making it a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
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