Cloud 9
Cloud 9 Actors Response
“Come one and all for England, rally to the flag... From North and South and East and West Come one and all for England!” (Cloud 9) Act one of Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill is set in a British African colony in the nineteenth century. The first scene takes place on the verandah of a house. The scene also opens with an opening song introducing all the characters in the show. Before the show even starts, the actors come out, not fully dressed, and warm up. I think that this was a director’s choice to show the audience which characters are female and which ones are male. Evelyn Gaynor was one of the actresses who came out before the show in a wig cap to show she was playing a boy in the first act. Evelyn does an excellent job with transitioning from a male in act one to playing a female in the second act.
In the opening scene you see Evelyn play the role of young Edward. You see Edward tending after Victoria’s doll, which annoys his father because he thinks this is unmanly. You also question Edwards sexuality during this scene because of Evelyn’s character choices with the doll. Evelyn embraces the doll like it is her prized possession as well as talking to it. All of these interactions with this prop gives the audience a sense that Edward has some feminine qualities. You also sense the feminine qualities in Edward through his interactions with his uncle Harry. You see the the love Edward has for his uncle in the opening scene and throughout the rest of the first act. At first it looks as if Edward is just longing for that loving father figure that Clive doesn’t provide to his son, but as act one proceeds, you See Evelyn make very strong character choices to show that it’s more than that.
You see Evelyn draw nearer and nearer to Harry each time they are together in a scene. You also see the innocence shine though Evelyn when she asks her uncle to “do that thing” again that they did during Harry’s last visit. Evelyn beams with happiness
“Come one and all for England, rally to the flag... From North and South and East and West Come one and all for England!” (Cloud 9) Act one of Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill is set in a British African colony in the nineteenth century. The first scene takes place on the verandah of a house. The scene also opens with an opening song introducing all the characters in the show. Before the show even starts, the actors come out, not fully dressed, and warm up. I think that this was a director’s choice to show the audience which characters are female and which ones are male. Evelyn Gaynor was one of the actresses who came out before the show in a wig cap to show she was playing a boy in the first act. Evelyn does an excellent job with transitioning from a male in act one to playing a female in the second act.
In the opening scene you see Evelyn play the role of young Edward. You see Edward tending after Victoria’s doll, which annoys his father because he thinks this is unmanly. You also question Edwards sexuality during this scene because of Evelyn’s character choices with the doll. Evelyn embraces the doll like it is her prized possession as well as talking to it. All of these interactions with this prop gives the audience a sense that Edward has some feminine qualities. You also sense the feminine qualities in Edward through his interactions with his uncle Harry. You see the the love Edward has for his uncle in the opening scene and throughout the rest of the first act. At first it looks as if Edward is just longing for that loving father figure that Clive doesn’t provide to his son, but as act one proceeds, you See Evelyn make very strong character choices to show that it’s more than that.
You see Evelyn draw nearer and nearer to Harry each time they are together in a scene. You also see the innocence shine though Evelyn when she asks her uncle to “do that thing” again that they did during Harry’s last visit. Evelyn beams with happiness