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Fearless Play Analysis

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Fearless Play Analysis
Through precise staging and performance styles, contemporary Australian theatre combines the elements of drama as well as the conventions and traditions of many theatre movements to illustrate the struggles of the characters in an agreeable and interesting way for both the audience and performers.

This is shown in Mirra Todd’s play “Fearless” which portrays the world wide struggle of loneliness as well as bringing up many contemporary Australian issues within the cast of 10, who each flinch at a point in their lives, such as sleeping rough, addiction, violence, mental illness, coping with grief, social isolation, PTSD and suicide. The play draws on a number of theatrical styles such as naturalism, classical and epic theatre to explore these
…show more content…
This is shown in scene 8 when Carlotta is at one of her lowest points and feels belittled; the use of tension and rhythm in this scene creates an unnerving and challenging setting. Another issue is of people talking but not actually hearing or understanding each other, this issue is addressed in scene 16, this scene highlights how even when the characters are together and interacting they are still dwelling in this box of isolation and loneliness. In this scene Clipper and Gizmo are conversing at a bar, but it is just small talk and chitchat, it doesn’t even seem like they are actually hearing what each other are saying. In class we divided up into characters and performed monumental scenes that showed daily struggles of these peoples …show more content…
Harrison’s stage directions gives the performers room to powerfully use the props and sets to symbolize the true feelings of each character. I experienced this from watching a production of “Stolen” by the Sydney Theatre Company. The five actors were always repositioning their beds in the institution across the stage to highlight how stability and security were unavailable to them in the ‘homes’, this also showed the emotional impact on each character of always feeling like they are hiding or on the run from authority figures. As an audience member I really felt each characters pain through the directors use of the elements of drama within the performance, it added a perception of realism and deepness to each characters aura.
In one scene ‘Jimmy’s been naughty’ I felt that their use of focused white lighting helped express the pain and suffering of the

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