Nick's Rehearsal Commentary

Physical movements

The physical movements that the actors will need to show in this play need to be convincing in order for the audience to trust and believe in the piece. One particular sequence is where Rochester falls off his horse (with one of the actors playing a horse). Jeremy(Rochester) and Pete (Rochester’s Horse) worked on  this scene to find movement with which they were both comfortable. With the help of Daniele (Mrs Fairfax), Dan (Pilot) and Alice (Adele), various sequences were mapped out.  Should it be done slowly or quickly? This came down to whether we wanted to show it as a realistic action or a more stylised approach. Jeremy was concerned that both he and Pete could be injured if this is not done correctly. After a few attempts, the actors decided to go back to basics. They tried out balancing against each other in order to understand their relative strengths but also to learn to trust each other. By experimenting in this way, both actors managed to find a way to play this scene naturally. Once again, it shows a lot of hard work is required just to create a short moment in the play.

Meanwhile the West Indies scene is moving on a pace. As the actors’ movements were blocked out, we discussed the motives of the main characters, Rochester and Bertha. Was Bertha really mad? Or did she act as a wild spirited woman unhabituated by manners and morals? And if she was mad, did she inherit this or did it develop over time? Jeremy was keen to show Rochester’s helplessness in this situation and wanted to make sure that the audience didn’t lose faith in his character. As a young man in a foreign country, he would have found it difficult to comprehend what was happening to him.  In some ways, it was a very callous action to imprison her. But perhaps he knew no other way. In demonstrating this descent into madness, the actors’ movements become even more imaginative and stylised. This is the most elaborate of all the physical sequences in the play and the one that shifts it further away from a typical costume drama into something more fascinating.