Character Observation

I was asked to observe one of the actors in my class thinking about their characterisation skills et cetera. I chose to observe Razaq who was playing the role of Conrade.  This was because of the fact that his character was the closest to mine as he was of a high status and was evil and so this could give me the most indication of what I could change to make my characterisation even better.

The first thing I noticed was that he had a clear embodiment of the role and a very clear choice of characterisation. I could straightaway see that he was a high-ranking gentleman who was quite snobbish and egotistical. However, I think his characterisation was slightly held back by the fact that his articulation needed some improvement and his natural accent came through at times. Also sometimes he said his lines too fast. However he still managed to have very good projection as I could hear him very clearly from where I was sitting and he was very confident with his lines.

His physical interpretation of the role was strong but could do with some improvement. I could see that he had clearly thought about his animal instincts. He stood in a clear posture with his head stuck out in his face scrunched up. He also looked around a lot, and looked as if he was on edge when partaking in something mischievous. However, sometimes this causes him to be quite stiff and tended to inhibit his freedom of movement. 

His ensemble work was very good and I could see that he was constantly acting and reacting to what was going on around him. He also kept his characterisation throughout without breaking role. I noticed this because I was watching him even when his character was not involved in the dialogue, however he was still very energetic and focused and seemed to be involved in the conversation. This is because he was always reacting and thus I would notice him laugh or cringe at what was going on etc. I also notice that he talked quite sharply to the other character apart from me, and talked very freely to Borachio, which showed that he had the most respect for me and that I was of a higher status than him.

Overall, I thought that his characterisation was very strong and there was a lot that I could learn from him. For example I will now be aware of the fact that my physical embodiment should be always present without being stiff or inhibiting me in any way, and I should remain focused and energised throughout and constantly react to what is going on around me.