Play deals with heavy material, so make sure that cast
understands that- possibly do some research with them[1]
Setting/Staging
·
Present time, all characters have smartphones
·
Stage split into two to allow for facilitation
between scene changes
·
Black curtains as background, but no wall
between the two separations
·
Three homes, Tim’s(T), Edward/Kitty’s(E/K),
Jake/Rachel’s(J/R)
o
Left side of stage is Edward/Kitty’s house,
change between kitchen and sitting room ( might change depending on the ease at
which the sets can be changed
o
Right side is everything else, but most
importantly, right side is court scenes
o
E/K has a bit of an unlived in look
§
Sitting Room
·
At beginning: used sofa, with boxes on and
around it
·
Middle: boxes are gone, sofa still looks used,
and the room is very sparse
·
End: same as the beginning with a dust sheet
over the couch
§
Kitchen
·
A table in the middle with a checkered
tablecloth, four chairs around it
o
No food on the table, everything is a bit dusty
o
Little dresser in the back, vase with dead
flowers on it
o
Wine rack on the dresser, a few bottles missing
o
Door into the house is clearly in the kitchen
o
T looks old
§
Dust sheets cover everything
·
Rearrangement of the furniture from the first
scene
o
J/K
§
Again, rearrangement of furniture from the first
two house
§
More lived in than both T and E/K
·
Court/Café
o
Court very minimalistic
§
Single chair for witness and a podium for the prosecutor/defense
§
In background, table with the three magistrates
§
Defendant is unseen and audience is in position
of the audience of the trial.
o
Café has three tables with some chairs
§
Only one table is occupied,
§
Drinks are set in front of the characters on the
table, just see the edge of the door in the background
§
Characters can take sips while talking
Emphasis
·
Build the play around scene nine in act 1
o
Big tipping point, both sides of the stage, as
court and home mix
o
Gayle is in front, but not center, approaches
Edward and Tim, but not too close
§
Has a space around her, like a bubble to make
sure she is not touching anyone
§
She looks a bit dirty, as though she has not
showered in the last three days
·
Also draw comparison between scene 2, act 1 and
scene 2, act 2
o
Different/similarities between Tim and Laura?
Costuming/Make-up
·
Changes depending on scene
·
Edward
o
Black or navy trousers with a button-up and a
tie
o
Add vest and suit jacket as needed
o
Black gown and wig for court scenes
·
Tim
o
Same as Edward with glasses
o
Add vest, jacket and tie as needed
o
Black gown and wig for court scenes
·
Jake
o
Same as Edward but with no tie
o
Add vest, jacket, and tie as needed
·
Kitty
o
Pants and blouse, but no jacket
o
Frazzled, especially in the first scene
o
Wears flats
·
Zara
o
Flowery dress, heels, white sweater
o
Full make-up, but not overly crazy
o
Hair should be done, and styled
·
Rachel
o
Pant suit
o
Heels also, very high
·
Gayle/Laura
o
G: has a rougher look, blouse with a long skirt
§
Not dirty when in court, but has some dirt spots
in other scenes
§
Long hair, somewhat bedraggled, pulled back
o
L: pencil or pants with nice blouse
§
Hair pulled back into a bun
§
Soft make-up, but professional
Act One, Scene One – left side
·
Scene should begin with less lighting, just
enough to see by, with the setting described earlier
o
Gayle should walk out through the background
curtains, light focused on her should increase, then fade to black as she
leaves.
o
Rest of actors come on, set in positions around
the room, lights come back on
§
Party/house-warming atmosphere
§
Bottle of wine and glasses on a side table, with
a nice tablecloth (to be used later)
§
Rachel and Edward are avoiding each other
Act One, Scene Two – right side
·
Gayle sitting in a plastic chair (possibly on a
bench) playing with her hands or skirt
o
Pause when needed, after certain lines maybe –
to be decided
o
Gayle can be getting frustrated, Tim is
flustered
Act One, Scene Three – left side
·
Again, a party atmosphere, laughing
o
Somewhat loud
o
Zara should be somewhat quiet, but speaking up
louder and louder to be hears
Act One, Scene Four- right side
·
Just Edward and Gayle for the scene where she is
in the witness box
o
Light centered on the two of them, not much
furniture
Act One, Scene Five – left side
·
Jake is sniffling and sitting at the table,
Edward and Kitty look confused
Act One, Scene Six – right side
·
All have drinks in front of them, take sips
periodically while talking
o
Seems to be going well between friends
o
Tim starts to get angry and there seems to be
something between Zara and Edward
Act One, Scene Seven – right side
·
Setting is dusty, and furniture is arranged to
create a large area in the center
o
Tim and Kitty stand in the middle talking
Act One, Scene Eight – left side
·
Kitty is stewing, she clearly is frustrated and
possibly angry with Edward
o
Edward tosses the box on the table and sits down
Act One, Scene Nine – left side
·
Party scene again, Kitty and Edward avoid each
other, Jake and Rachel are happy
o
When door rings Rachel walks to right side of
stage, light on her and Gayle talking
o
When Gayle comes on stage she shoves past Rachel
to enter
o
Light follows Gayle as she yells
o
Gayle is clearly dirty and her hair unwashed,
she has tear tracks on her cheeks and starts drying at the end of the scene
§
THIS SCENE IS THE TURNING POINT
Act Two, Scene One – left side
·
Edward acts aloof, but actually turns up
frustrated during the discussion
Act Two, Scene Two – right side
·
Similar to Jake when he went to Kitty/Edward
(Act One, Scene Five)
o
Edward crying
o
When sound comes up, it seems as though he is in
the middle of explaining something,
Act Two, Scene Three – right side
·
Laura is the same person as Gayle
o
Acts kind, speaks straight forward
o
Edward is more f mess, but both Edward and Kitty
get frustrated
Act Two, Scene Four – right side
·
Kitty and Edward are clearly angry with each
other, and Jake has calming body language
o
When Tim appears, Edward gets visibly annoyed
o
Can be yelling
Act Two, Scene Five- left side
·
Zara and Kitty are both tense, same with Tim and
Edward
Act Two, Scene Six – left side
·
Similar to first scene, but not with the party,
just Edward and Kitty are there, so more like the beginning of the first scene
·
Folding of the sheet again, shows how the
relationship has changed
o
At the end of the scene both are kneeling, not
quite embracing, but not fighting either
Sources
Trueman, Matt.
“London Theater Review: 'Consent' by Nina Raine.” Variety, Variety, 8 Apr. 2017,
variety.com/2017/legit/reviews/consent-review-nina-raine-1202026413/.
Baksi,
Catherine. “Consent – A Play by Nina Raine.” Legal Hackette's Brief, 7 May 2017, legalhackette.com/2017/04/10/consent-a-play-by-nina-raine/.
A set of videos
created by the National Theatre that introduced background, director ideas, and
the actors for the first time the play was performed
[1]
Actual director did take the cast to some cases in order to better understand
better what happens in the situations that are discussed in the play
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