Character Exercises: Walking home in character

I walked home in character. My character was Tom from my monologue which I'm doing and which is from the play "Fat Pig". He works in Canary Wharf so he is business type of person who wears a suit and has a brief case all the time and would usually ride a barclays bike everywhere but because I had to walk in character I imagined a business man walking which I still see sometimes.



They walk like they have purpose and know exactly where there going and feel confident because they are always in suits and just look like important people so I tried doing that, but at the same time I imagine business men to walk different in different places like in a place like Leyton I don't think  business men would walk with such a high status as its not really a place to want to be noticed but in the city where it is more populated and important he would want to be known as important and also central London is a place where he would feel more at home and he would be used to that area.

My character Tom is a shy sort of person and is not very confident at all so in a situation where he would be walking in Leyton he would feel awkward and not himself and feel very reserved and in a rush to just get to where ever he is going to.

So I walked as if I was carrying a brief case and I was trying not to get to much attention as I would have been wearing a suit and so I was looking down and awkwardly walking with wide fast paces. I didnt imagine this walk to be his daily walk to work though as I said what his walk would normaly be like but I imagined him to be going to visit a reletive after work that lives in the area of Leyton. It was hard doing this character exercise as it dosent feel natural to me but I guess thats the whole point but also I got so into what I was doing with my body I didnt see the road and nearly got hit by a car twice.

Character exersize: spying on people

In this character exersize we were on the streets of Leyton, looking at different people and seeing the little habits that people do and how they carry themselves and what stuck out with different people. Hopefully helping us collect a bank of different kind of walks in our head that we can relate to different characters.

I went outside Leytonstone station because thats where alot of different kind of people are because everyone takes the bus or the train, exept being here, everyone was rushing so we couldnt see what people were like calmly exept there were a couple of calmy walking people but most of them we in a hurry.
<<<This is where we sat




<<<This is where we saw.

These ar our results

-Midlle age lady with bad leg.
she was the kind of person who we could relate to maybe a creepy tramp or witch as she was walking with a limp

-Young adult ginger model looking.
She looked like Amy Pond from doctor who. She could relate to a bitchy popular high school student/ cheerleader type person.

-2 builders. Walks heavily, heavy steps.
They looked like the clumsy type of people and reminded me of the mechanicals in midsummers nights dream.

-Old woman. Walks with no purpose. Walks slowly (lost)
She looked like she might of been a bit high or crazy, so i think a character like a crazy cat woman would be like her.

-Young man walks with hands in his pockets, walks with criss crossy legs, fast looking down.
He looks like the kind of person who is shy and just trying to get to where ever he is without any trouble. He is the kind of charactre like a nerdy shy quite boy who has just finished school

Monologue questions

Tom: Fat Pig Character Questions

What makes an engaging or compelling character?

In my opinion an interesting character is one that has flaws and strengths and a good interesting backstory and not a typical character who is bland and always does the right thing etc.

 How do you create one?

By thinking of scenarios to put people in and think about a character as much as any other character and writing just enough about them without making people bored.

List the contents of your character's purse, pockets, shopping trolley, brief case or car

In his pockets he has his wallet which he keeps his credit cards and reward cards and also a picture of his girlfriend Helen. He only keeps a couple of pound coins in his wallet as he usually pays everything with his card

 Name and age?

Tom Finagon Brown aged 23

What is most noticeable about your character’s appearance/physical presence?

A bit awkward

Describe his or her voice, verbal ticks, pet phrases etc

His voice gets a stutter when he’s nervous and I think his voice changes slightly depending on what situation he’s in like at work with everyone he knows he is abit more confident then when he is with Helen. 

 Describe a gesture your character makes.

I think he shrugs his shoulders a lot and positions his arms in a manor a lot in a way to seem like he is asking ‘why’ but when he is just saying things normally. He isn’t very confident in himself.

 Where does he or she now live?

He lives in a flat on his own in Woodford

 Describe the city, town or village, the house itself.

 He lives in a posh flat in Repton park in Woodford. Its an area where lots of rich people can buy houses but Tom bought a flat there but its still nice. Theres and gold place right next to where he lives and its very nice.

 Has he lived elsewhere?

Only his mums house and he lived in university with some flat mates before but he didn’t like that much and likes living alone with his dog, Dorris.

 What does he remember of these places?

He lived with his mum and his dad living up but his parents split at the age of 10 and he doesn’t remember much about it but he ended up living with his mum the most but still visits his dad time to time.

 What part of his home is his favourite? Least favourite?

He’s worst part of his flat is a little corner that Dorris always urinates in and every day when he comes back from work that corner is always the cause of his smelly house and his favorite part is his couch where he sits and relaxes in front of the Tv.

 What does your character’s bedroom/sleeping place look like?

He has quite a big bedroom and a big double bed with wardrobes to the left of it and a dog basket in the corner for Dorris.

 What does he or she wear to sleep in?

He wears normal blue and white striped pajamas.

 What does your character dream of at night?

He often has nightmares about scary films he saw as a child.

 Who are/were his parents?

His mum is called Penelope Cher Smith

And his dads called George Tomlinson Brown

 Rest of the family?

He has an older brother who is currently in University studying forensic science and he lives with his Dorris

 What does he feel for them?

He used to be close with his brother and he still is but they haven’t seen each other in a long time due to them following their carriers and it’s the same story for his parents but he sees them abit more than his brother and he lives with Dorris so he sees him everyday.

 Class

He used to be from a working class family but now he has got a job for himself and lived a higher class lifestyle he seems more higher class than before.

 Ethnic group

White, His family were all born in England but has Irish ancestors.

 Religious background?

Brought up in a Christian background but is not really that religious

 Who does he love, or has he loved

He is madly in love with this girl called Helen who he met at the library once and who was in a relationship with but broke up with her because he is too embarrassed to be seen with her because his friends tease him about her and even though he loves her, is too shallow of a person but was influenced mostly by his friend Carter to break up with her as Tom got told that he has he shouldn’t waste his young fun life on a fat girl and enjoy life.

 Who loves him or her?

Helen

 Married/ in relationship/single?

Single

 How does your character feel about sex/intimacy?

He is not a very sexual person at all but he is more of a person who likes to spend time with his girlfriends and cuddle and he likes to takes things slowly and not rush.

 Exactly what does your character do to make a living

He works in a city bank in canary wharf as an accountant.

 What is the best part of the job, the worst

He loves the feeling of being by himself and getting work done and also the pay is good, and the worst thing is working with a crazy psychopath stalker who he used to go out with that is annoying him and keeps popping up in his life.

 Who or what does he fear?

He fears getting taken the mic out of as he cares a lot about what people think but tries not to but in the end he realizes that he is just a shallow person and no matter how much he tries to ignore what people think its constantly haunting him.

 What about his or her life would he or she change if s/he could? 

He would change people’s opinion on Helen and also he would get rid of Jeannie who is a crazy mad stalker.

 Does the character have a hobby?

His hobby used to be, being with Helen any chance he could get but apart from that his life is too busy to have a real hobby but he has a dog who he looks after and walks and plays with.

 What would be his or her favorite smell ( why)?

His favorite smell is the smell of doughnuts being fried at a doughnut stall. He likes the sweet smell of something cooking in the air and also it reminds him of Helen too, even if that is a bit mean.

 What kind of shoes does he or she wear,

He wears Black smart shoes which is mainly the only nice pair of shoes he has and he has a pair of old nike trainers that he uses to go jogging and physical activities.

 Favourite meal?

He loves spaghetti bolognas and loves pizza second and so loves Italian restaurants.

 Favourite clothes?

He loves wearing his suit secretly and is not amazing at fashion so any excuse he has to wear his suit he takes and feels important in it and wish he could use it everywhere.

 What is the worst thing that could happen to him or her right now?

The worst thing that could happen is him not being able to get over Helen and regrets breaking up with her but he hopes to find another girl soon to get over Helen or if Helen manages to find someone better than him.

 What vehicles does your character use/own?). What are his/her feelings towards it/them?

Tom uses the Barclays bikes to get around London or else he will use the train but prefers the Barclays bikes and hates using the busses because of the people and how the bus system works with traffic etc.

Autoylcus: Winters tale Character questions

Title and Author

Winter’s Tale by Shakespeare

Brief Synopsis

There were two kings, Leontes of Sicilia and King Polixenes of Bohemia who were both childhood friends. One day when Polixenes comes to visit his friend and its time for him to leave, Leontes’s wife convinces him to stay longer which makes Leontes thinks Polixenes is having an affair with his wife and tries to get his servant to poison him but instead Polixenes and the servant (Camilo) run away from Sicilia.

Furious, Leontes accuses his wife of having an affair and an illegitimate child, throwing her in prison despite the protests of his noblemen. He goes to the Oracle of Delphi (a Seer) to confirm that he is right.

Meanwhile, the queen gives birth to a girl and her friend Paulina brings the baby to the king, hoping it will soften his heart. Instead, he gets angry and orders Paulina's husband Lord Antigonus to take the child and abandon it somewhere.

Antigonus leaves to do this and while he's gone, the Delphi answers that Hermione is innocent and Leontes will have no heir until his abandoned child is found.

Mamillius, Leontes's son, dies of a wasting sickness brought on by the accusations against his mother. The queen then dies after losing consciousness.

Now Antigonus has abandoned the baby somewhere on the Bohemian coast. The queen comes to him in a dream and tells him to name the child Perdita, and to leave gold and tokens to her future guardian. Antigonus is then killed by a bear and Perdita is raised by a shepherd.

Sixteen years pass.

Prince Florizel, son of King Polixenes, falls in love with Perdita. King Polixenes and Camillo disguise themselves and watch the enamored couple. They tear off the disguise and intervene, the king telling his son never to see Perdita again.

However, Camillo wishes to return to his homeland of Sicilia and takes ship there with Florizel and Perdita. He uses the clothes of a local rogue named Autolycus as a disguise to do this. They are joined in their voyage by the Shepherd and his son, a Clown.

Leontes, still in mourning from the death of his son, wife and losing his daughter, greets Prince Florizel. The Prince pretends to be on a diplomatic mission from his father, but his cover is blown when Polixenes and Camillo arrive.

What happens next is told by the gentlemen of the court: the Shepherd tells everyone his story of how Perdita was found, and Leontes realizes she is his long-lost daughter. Everyone rejoices and go to Paulina's house in the country, where a statue of Queen Hermione was recently made. The sight of his wife's statue makes Leontes sad, but then the statue comes to life - Hermione returns in life form.

As the play ends, Paulina and Camillo are engaged and the whole company celebrates this miracle.

Genre and style of the play.

I think the genre is dramatic and is about honouir in families and status within royalty

    Character you have chosen

Autolycus

What appeals to you about this play?

It dosent involve too much love like other Shakespeare stories usually do and it has a lot of characters which I like and the story spands over a length of time which is nice.

What appeals to you about this character?

He is a cheeky mischievous character and that interests me

What similarities are there?

I can be a bit mischievous sometimes.

What differences are there?

He does bad things were as I don’t think I have the guts to pick pocket people unless I had to.

What is going to be the biggest challenge in playing this role?

The biggest role is going to be portraying the feeling that Autolycus thinks he is so cool and he is abit of a cocky show off and I cant imagine myself being like that in real life.

What will you need to work on vocally?

Make my voice sound more full of myself and cocky but not too much because my character needs to seem lovable too.

What will you need to work on emotionally?

Back to learning about how people can think there so cool and learning what thoughts must be going through his head to think this and to steal from people.

What background research will you need to do?

I will need to research the safety of people’s money in their pockets in the Victorian times and how Autolycus stole stuff and what people thought about autolycus.

What impact should this piece have upon an audience?

It should make people get to know my character and see that’s im the sort of mischievous lovable character.

Monologues

Modern Monologue 1

Little Victories is about a boy who lives with his mum and his dad is dead. With his new step dad, all three go on a trip to France where he meets a girl.Tony has a difficult life. His father has died recently and his mother, Debs has taken up with a "plonker" called Gordon. When Gordon arrives with presents in hand, Tony expects the worst, but he finds that Gordon is not so bad after all-he is given Death-Dealer, level one hundred, a game that takes the player to strange and exiting places and challenges him to do battle with the evil skullmort the reaper and find the basket of light . And Gordon also take them to France, where they meet Josie, a no-nonsense girl who is a whizz at Death Dealer. But Josie is dying of cancer and in the end in a touching scene in the hospital while there paying death dealer together she dies in the game and in real life at the same time.

In my monologue Tony has a moment with the audience near the beginning of the play and starts explaing how his dad just died and all the boyfriends his mum has had since. Its a light hearted fun little speech and has some funny bits.

I like this monologue as its just stripped back me talking to the audience and its not something the audience need to know the backstory for and the character is chidish and child like and that would be fun to play.

Shakespeare Monologue 1

Winters tale is a story of two kings who were the best of friends, (Polixenes and Leontes) but when Leontes gets convinced that Polixenes is having an affair with his wife that's where the story starts. Polixenes goes back to his castle and a pregnant Leontes' wife gets sent to the dungeon.

When she gives birth to a girl called Perdita in the dungeon and the child is sent to a far away land near Polixines' home land and the story goes to 16 years in the future and then Perdita falls in love with Leontes's son Prince Florizel.

The two go back to King Polixenes' home land and the king takes in her daughter and her mother comes back and they all live happily ever after and the kings become friends again.

My character is a theif that helps the prince and princess get to King leontes' land but before that he has just finished tricking the village people in a festival and selling rubbish goods for a good amount of money and in this monologue he is showing off to the audience about how stupid the village people were and how proud of himself he is and boasting.

I like this monologue because its fun and not something to be taken too seriously and it would be fun playing a sneaky devious character.

Winter’s Tale

Autolycus. Ha, ha! what a fool Honesty is! and Trust, his 
sworn brother, a very simple gentleman! I have sold 
all my trumpery; not a counterfeit stone, not a 
ribbon, glass, pomander, brooch, table-book, ballad, 
knife, tape, glove, shoe-tie, bracelet, horn-ring,

2560


to keep my pack from fasting: they throng who 
should buy first, as if my trinkets had been 
hallowed and brought a benediction to the buyer: 
by which means I saw whose purse was best in 
picture; and what I saw, to my good use I

2565


remembered. My clown, who wants but something to 
be a reasonable man, grew so in love with the 
wenches' song, that he would not stir his pettitoes 
till he had both tune and words; which so drew the 
rest of the herd to me that all their other senses

2570


stuck in ears: you might have pinched a placket, it 
was senseless; 'twas nothing to geld a codpiece of a 
purse; I could have filed keys off that hung in 
chains: no hearing, no feeling, but my sir's song, 
and admiring the nothing of it. So that in this

2575


time of lethargy I picked and cut most of their 
festival purses; and had not the old man come in 
with a whoo-bub against his daughter and the king's 
son and scared my choughs from the chaff, I had not 
left a purse alive in the whole army.

Modern Monologue 2

My second modern is from the book "Fat Pig" by Niel Labute. The story is of a man called Tom who is in love with a woman who happens to be "plus sized" and in the end of the story Tom gets convinced to break up with her on the accounts that he is young and should spend his youth living his life to the fullest and also he didn't like people talking about him and he did feel a bit embarrassed about her too.

In my monologue Tom is confessing his love to her and is a awkward and shy scene. He is babbling  a lot and starts to go off on a tangent slightly.

I feel this is a good monologue for me as the character is dopey and shy and that is what im like, and I know what its like to be in an awkward position like this.