Beggar Opera

[Jambo_UK]

Hi there,

 

Has anyone ever done the play, beggar's Opera has I have it for an A2 project and just want to find out how people plays were set. If they were brought up to date or kept in the original time period.

 

Also any special technical effects that you used?

 

Thanks for the help in advance

 

from

 

Jamie

[Just Some Bloke]

Yes, I've done the Beggar's Opera before, but with a different director, different set designer, different costume designer, different venue, different cast, different facilities, different budget, different get-in period, different target audience ... etc. etc. etc.

 

Not quite sure how I can help?

If they were brought up to date or kept in the original time period.

Any play can be performed either way. Surely it's up to you what works best for you?

 

Now you're studying at A2 level, you really need to have ideas of your own. No offence intended, just a gentle push to read the script and see what comes to mind. :)

[Jambo_UK]

I've read the script and the way I see it, It could be difficult to set it in a modern time just due to the attitudes of the characters,

 

I was just really looking for reviews of performance that have been staged as the ones I kept finding on Google is the American version where they change the script and add in bits, I can't find many reviews of UK staged ones,

 

Have you any linsk to reviews o the one you have done?

[Bryson]

I've done it a few times. The last time was staged as a promenade performance (and, in fact one of the times before that as well) and featured a cast of over-60s only. (The whorehouse scene wasn't pretty.)

 

Effects? None really. I did the lighting design that was (by neccessity) lit primarily from a long way above (10m+) or by birdies concealed within the set.

 

Any use?

[Just Some Bloke]

I've read the script and the way I see it, It could be difficult to set it in a modern time just due to the attitudes of the characters,

Excellent. Well reasoned opinion. I'm sure it would be possible to have another opinion but yours is a good one and works for you.

Have you any linsk to reviews o the one you have done?

No, sorry. The version I did was about 20 years ago.

Heavens, I feel old! :)

[marky]

One of the biggest factor's about putting on any play is whether it's relevant to a modern day audience. While Beggar's Opera uses different language and appears to be very different from today, the issue's it deals with are still relevant to a modern audience; greed, loyalty, betrayal, love...

 

I studied the Beggar's Opera a few years ago for my A2 and we were encouraged to come up with a theme that could be applied to the text, a theme where the relationships between the character's might be similar. What if the play was set in a Circus and Peachum was a ring leader? It's probably not the best example, but try to be open minded if you're going to come up with an idea to modernise the play. There is no wrong answer, as long as you can justify your reasoning with extract's from the text, you're winning - only some scenario's will work better than other's but for your exam you wont have to actually put the play on just show your thinking behind it.

 

Sorry if I didnt provide any firm answers, but hopefully provided some food for thought!

[Cruiser]

We did the play at my old college some years back...was set on a two story scaffolding design resembling an abandoned building site. Decorated by sheets of galvonised (?) steel. Set looked really harsh and I complimented that by lighting it really softly in lots of pinks and peacock blues. I kept everything on show, lots of Parcans and fresnels very obviously in sight but kept unobstructive to the performance. It really worked a treat and was definitely one of the best designs I've ever done with a budget of around 300 quid. Worked a treat, it was staged deliberately so that it was not necessarily set in the past, present or future...

 

An interesting background to the concept the director had...

The director had his ideas from when he was asked to "design a staging of Brechts' 'Threepenny Opera' suitable for performance in a secondary school" when he was doing his A level equivilents (a long time ago). His teacher failed him on his final hand in as she believed that no secondry school would ever find the resources to construct such an elaborate set.

Well we proved her wrong and I believe he cheekily sent her a free ticket for the show!

 

I doubt she came!