Edmond

by David Mamet

‘…and if there is a god, he may love

the weak, Glenna…but he respects
the strong.’

Submissions pack
 Autumn Term 2007
Warwick Arts Centre Studio

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 CONTENTS

The Play 3
Overview 3
The Plot 3
Mamet’s Writing 4
Characters 4
Why Edmond? Why the Studio? Why now? 7
Controversy 9
The Rights 9

The Production 10
The Team 10
Staging Edmond 15
The Locations 16
Costumes 19
Sound

The Budget 21
Budget Notes 22

Casting 23
Auditions / Rehearsals 24
Week 5 Plan 25
Week 8 Plan 26
The Rehearsal Process 27
Why two directors? 28

Marketing and Publicity 30

Health and Safety and General Conduct 32

Summary 33

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 The Play

Overview

Edmond is a play that pulls no punches. It depicts the startling, visceral

journey of one man, Edmond Burke, through the hellish underworld of 1980s
New York. In 23 short, dazzling scenes, we follow the protagonist on a journey
out of domestic safety, and into his own, devilish mind.

Told by a fortune teller, ‘you are not where you belong’, Edmond leaves his
wife:

Edmond: I’m going.

Wife: Will you bring me back some cigarettes?
Edmond: I’m not coming back

He descends into the dark city in search of sexual fulfilment, experience, and
ultimately redemption. Edmond is the very antithesis of the theatrical hero. He
is flawed, he is pathetic, he is a monster. We follow him not out of empathy,
but out of morbid curiosity. Whilst at first we may identify with his social
displacement, we soon see the extremes to which he is prepared to go to find
himself.

The Plot

In the space of an hour and ten minutes, Edmond, spurred on by the fortune
teller’s rumination, leaves his wife. He goes to a bar, where his notions of
escape are affirmed. Moving on to a pole dancing club, the gloss of a New
York peep show is reduced to no more than a series of embarrassing and
pathetic exchanges. He is disgusted by the impersonality. Edmond attempts
to solicit a prostitute for sex, where his innately naive inability to complete the
sexual transaction further establishes his pathetic desperation.

After loosing all his money and being assaulted by a card-sharp, he is refused
help in a hotel, pawns his wedding ring and buys a survival knife. After
another attempt to procure sex, this time in a more squalid and depraved
environment – the street behind a club - Edmond is threatened by the pimp
who he thinks will solve all of his problems. In a fit of shocking rage, all of the
tensions that we have seen build up in Edmond through the play are expelled
in a torrent of violent, racist abuse which results in the murder of the pimp.

Feeling alive for the first time, Edmond celebrates in a coffee house. Meeting
a waitress, and aspiring actress, Glenna, Edmond thinks he finds a soul mate.
Glenna, however does not want to go on this journey with him; so he kills her.

Drawn into a mission by the rhetoric of a preacher, finding his last hope of
salvation in religion, Edmond is arrested and charged with the murder of
Glenna. Taken to prison, he mediates on his fate. We follow Edmond through
his time in prison, being raped by his cellmate, and rejecting the simplicity of

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the chaplain’s pious explanation. He does, however, finally find hope, and
what he feels to be redemption with his cell-mate.

Mamet’s Writing

Mamet finds poetry in the rhythms and syntax of American language, but he is
never constricted by the confines of realism. His dialogue is spare: not a
single word is wasted, and every line comes with its own relevance,
importance, and variations of meaning, dependant on the direction and acting
of the piece. Whilst the clarity of Mamet’s vision reflects the world in which we
live, his reconstruction of it is intensely theatrical. The play itself could be seen
to mirror a medieval morality play, where the protagonist’s journey is
determined by fate. Mamet’s great achievement with this play is to update this
idea into a contemporary, urban setting with contemporary and urban
concerns.

However, despite these concerns, Mamet never falls into the trap of preaching
to the audience. Our reactions to the play are determined solely by our own
prejudices, and whatever may lurk deep within us. The play articulates and
dramatises the recess to which humanity has sunk, but never becomes
explicitly political, or an ‘issue’ play.

Characters (in order of appearance)

Fortune Teller
It is the fortune teller’s reading that sends Edmond on his journey. She is the
catalyst for the action and her prophesy looms over the entire play.

Edmond Burke
Edmond is the protagonist of the play. The audience follow him on his journey
of feeling throughout New York, from quiet domesticity, through a murderous
rampage, to eventually prison. Obviously the casting of Edmond is a major
aspect in the success of the play, and so we will take care to employ an actor
who can get the right balance of the pathetic, the mock-heroism and the
violence but who can also handle the fleeting moments of tenderness and the
dark humour.

His Wife
Edmond’s wife is a complex character in the sense that the actor must portray
anger and confusion at Edmond’s sudden departure whilst still being distant
and detached from him. It needs to be believable that her distance has
caused Edmond to leave, and that she is more concerned not with the loss of
her husband, but with the loss of the stability that this relationship brings.
When she returns towards the end of the play we see the full extent of her
lack of compassion.

Man In The Bar

The man in the bar seems to be on the same level as Edmond, able to
articulate the things that he had thought about but never voiced. That
articulation is, however, fragmented and confused, but convinces Edmond. He

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is racist and misogynistic: Edmond feels liberated by this. He seems to aspire
to be the man, and it is the man who sends Edmond to the Allegro is search of
sex.

A B-Girl
She works at the Allegro, a place recommended to Edmond by the man in the
bar. She tries to get Edmond to buy her a drink, but he is suspicious as to the
amount of commission he is being charged. Her job is to make as much
money from Edmond as possible, and is surprised at his reluctance to part
with his cash.

A Bartender
The bartender of the Allegro.

A Manager
He is the manager of the Allegro. He throws Edmond out into the street after
he complains about the price of drinks.

A Peep-Show Girl
The girl in the peep-show is indicative of Edmonds inability to feel anything.
She entices him, but he is forced to watch her through a Plexiglass booth.
This reinforces the idea of the distance between Edmond and where he wants
to be. She has a disregard for contact and uses her body as a tool to earn
money. We must make sure that the actress playing this role is comfortable
with what she is required to do: there will be no nudity, but her movement will
be highly sexual and alluring.

Three Gamblers
People who have also been enticed by the card sharp and the shills. Another
suggestion of the outside world.

A Card Sharp
The card sharp is a streetwise hustler, who cons Edmond out of fifty dollars in
a game of three card monte. When Edmond asks to see the cards, the sharp
beats him up. Here Edmond is a victim to a scam the audience can see
coming, again showing how Edmond is out of his depth.

A Bystander
Warns Edmond about the shills. Despite this advice, Edmond goes ahead and
gambles.

Two Shills
On the side of the card sharp, they draw prospective customers in by
pretending to beat the sharp, before the sharp beats the customer.

A Leafleteer
He points Edmond towards the whorehouse, promising him an experience.

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A Female Manager
The manager of the whorehouse clinically explains the process of prostitution,
and serves as an introduction into the seedy underworld of New York.

A Whore
The whore at first seems sympathetic towards Edmond, but this is just a front
to attempt to complete the transaction. She seems quite taken aback by
Edmond’s gaucheness, such as his request to pay by credit card and by
asking ‘would it offend you if I wore a rubber?’ but is ultimately driven by her
desire to earn money. Her purpose is to identify how out of place Edmond
really is.

A Hotel Clerk
The hotel clerk is totally unsympathetic and unhelpful to Edmond after he had
been beaten up by the card sharp. An utter jobsworth; for a fleeting moment
we sympathise with Edmond’s frustration with the modern world and the way
that it is prepared, like the woman on the train, to turn its back on the things
that matter.

A Pawnshop Owner.
This character sells, and encourages Edmond to buy, the knife that he will use
to stab Glenna. He is yet another character whose purpose is to try and make
as much money from Edmond as possible.

A Customer
A minor character, a customer in the pawnshop. The character represents a
suggestion of a world outside Edmond’s, and draws attention towards the
knife.

The Man in Back

The man in the back of the pawn shop is responsible for pawning Edmond’s
wedding ring, another landmark in his downfall. Similarly with the whore,
Edmond is confused as to the financial aspects of the transaction, and his
naivety is shown by the character explaining this to him.

A Woman in the Subway

The woman in the subway is the recipient of the first sign of Edmond’s rage.
Although she does not say a lot, her silence for Edmond is typical of society
turning its back on courtesy. She eventually condemns Edmond by identifying
him to the police. She appears stand-offish and uninterested in
communication; recognisable to anyone who has attempted to talk to a
stranger in a public place.

A Pimp
He appears to be an enticing salesman, who claims to know exactly what
Edmond wants. However, he attempts to mug him, and as a result, feels the
full force of Edmond’s wrath. When he is left unable to defend himself, the
audience are confused as to who should receive their sympathy.

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Glenna
Glenna is the waitress and out of work actress who Edmond meets in the
coffee shop after he has murdered the pimp. He is exultant, and finds in
Glenna someone to share this with. She takes Edmond back to her apartment
and they have sex. Edmond murders her because of what he perceives to be
weakness: she calls herself an actress instead of a waitress. This again, is
another challenging role for the actor involved, who will need to portray
naivety, a certain shyness, suppressed prejudice, and fear. She will also have
to be comfortable with a very physical role; both in terms of violence and sex
(although they will not have sex on stage, they are post-coital).

A Mission Preacher
His rhetoric is enticing to Edmond, and a caricature of a certain type of
American religious fundamentalism.

A Policeman
Acting on the claims of the woman on the Subway, the policeman arrests
Edmond.

An Interrogator
The interrogator lures Edmond into confessing his crimes. He questions
Edmond’s sexuality. He is a slippery character who is able to use Edmond’s
insecurities against him.

A Prisoner
The prisoner is the character in which Edmond eventually finds solace. While
at first his interest in Edmond is purely sexual, it develops into something
profoundly, inarticulately, philosophical.

A Chaplain
The prison chaplain’s piety is of a more traditional kind, an idea that Edmond
rejects wholly. He does, however, get Edmond to admit remorse for what he
has done.

A Guard
The guard appears briefly to inform Edmond he has a visitor.

Why Edmond? Why the Studio? Why now?

‘Edmond’ is a play of shattering, yet exhilarating ferocity. Its savagery, which

summons up the demons in all of us, is cleansing. And, for all its brutality, it is
ultimately a most humane and compassionate work
-Chicago Tribune, 1982

Edmond is a compelling piece of contemporary theatre. Since arriving as

students at Warwick, many have noticed a lack of American drama at
Warwick; but this is not to say that we have chosen this play simply to fill a
gap in the market. It is a play we passionately believe needs to be seen, one

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that will excite frequent theatre-goers, and bring new audiences to the Arts
Centre.

It may be short, but not a minute is wasted. Running at just over an hour long,
it commands attention. The quick, flowing scenes could be seen as filmic, but
they translate fantastically well to the stage, and especially, we feel, in our
staging of them, which will utilise the fluidity of the text. The spare stage
directions will allow us to place our own artistic interpretations on the piece: as
directors, as designers, and as actors.

The subject matter is thought-provoking and challenging, and we feel that we

can really bring this out of the play in our production. Although it was written in
the 1980s, the themes are universal, especially the use of racism, religion,
and violence, but the play is never didactic. It remains accessible.

The central character of Edmond is complex and stunning, one of the great
creations of modern drama. The audience’s journey mirrors his: full of ups and
downs, empathy and horror, extremes of frustration and joy. It is this journey
that is central to the audience’s experience of the play, and it is this journey
that we feel, will make a success of the play at Warwick Arts Centre.

We feel, as the production team, that we can bring something exciting and
original to the studio space. We have considered other locations around
campus, but have come to the conclusion that the studio is the only space in
which we will be able to achieve our vision of the play. Firstly, as a neutral
space, we think that we will best be able to impose our promenade style of
staging, and create most effectively the urban, New York atmosphere. Whilst
other spaces impose their own limitations, and connotations on staging, the
studio will allow us to push our own ideas further. It is perfect for the contained
claustrophobic feel of the play, and the intimacy of the venue will allow us to
create a great rapport with the audience.

We are fortunate enough to have experienced members of Tech Crew on

board this project with us, who are extremely familiar with the space, and
have so far been a great help to us as we formulated ideas, and examined the
possibilities of what is achievable within the space. We hope to use lighting to
establish different atmospheres around the studio, vital to the promenade
style. It will mean that each area is clearly defined, but allowing us the space
to move freely and fluidly between the. From a sound perspective as well, we
feel the studio creates possibilities that other spaces simply do not, including
dissonant mood music, and sound effects. Whilst much of the actual set
dressing will be minimalist, we aim to use these effects to create atmosphere
and suggestions of environment, rather than attempting naturalism. It is a
perfectly crafted space for what we want to achieve.

There are also a number of reasons why we feel that now would be the
perfect time to produce this play at Warwick. Firstly, we are looking to submit
the play for the National Student Drama Festival, which would be quite a
prestigious achievement. We also feel that being put on in Term One of a new
academic year, we would be able to involve Freshers into the process of

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Warwick drama in a number of roles. Firstly, our Tech Crew have expressed
an interest in having first years shadow them on the production. Secondly we
are keen to get Freshers involved in performing the piece, by attracting them
to audition at the Freshers Fair. Finally, from an audience perspective, we feel
the piece would be a great introduction to the quality of drama here at
Warwick, and would inspire first years to get involved in WUDS and the drama
collective.

Although if we were fortunate enough to attain the Week 8 slot, we feel that
the extra time that this would allow would be particularly useful, we are also
flexible, and fully prepared to accept the Week 5 slot. We feel that we are
sufficiently prepared for either, and that even with the time constraints that the
week 5 slot would impose, we would be able to craft a truly exciting piece of
theatre.

Controversy

We are fully aware that there are issues and themes in the play which will
need to be dealt with sensitively. Most importantly, we shall go to great lengths
to make sure that the actors are comfortable with these elements in their
performance. We will not skirt around the issues raised. Indeed, we intend to
encourage and prompt discourse during the rehearsal process, and will create
an environment in which the actors feel happy and safe within their
performance. We will of course inform the actors of the content of the play
during auditions, and inform them of what they may or may not be required to
do. As a further precaution, if it is deemed necessary, we are happy to provide
a disclaimer on our publicity, and to warn the audience before entering the
space.

Things that may cause particular concern within the play are the presentation
of the themes of violence and racism. To claim that such atrocities are
‘justified’ is ridiculous. However, within the context of the play it is vital to our
understanding that these messages are suitably portrayed. The audience
never sympathises with Edmond, and the violence and racist remarks that he
purports are never sympathised with. Instead, they serve to illustrate further
how pathetic Edmond is, and to examine the degeneration of society.

We feel that to cut the text to exclude such issues is to take away the essence
of what makes it such a striking and relevant piece of theatre. The scenes
may seem shocking, but are entirely relevant when seen in the context of the
play. Nothing is gratuitous or unnecessary, and as such we intend to perform
the play very much as it was written.

The Rights

We have applied to Samuel French for the rights to perform the play. This has
been accepted by them and they have been sent. They has not arrived yet but
they will have by the time of the submissions meeting. It will cost £80 per
night.

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 The Production
The Team

James McPhun (Director)

James is a first year English and Theatre Studies student. He has a wide
variety of experience in the performing arts, both as a performer, and behind
the scenes. As an actor, he has performed as Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, Yermolai Lophakin in The Cherry Orchard, Danny Zucco in Grease,
Harry Brewer in Our Country’s Good, and various roles in Oh! What A Lovely
War! He also played the role of Dickie Winslow in the 2007 WUDS production
of The Winslow Boy. James also has experience of professional theatre,
performing a show at Croydon’s Fairfield Halls, and as part of an ensemble at
the Royal Albert Hall. James has also been involved with theatre
administration, heading an enterprise scheme bringing professional theatre
companies to his school.

James also performed and helped devise a physical theatre performance in

collaboration with Frantic Assembly. He has experience of directing both for
theatre and film, having directed a self-written play called Two Too Few, and
Tissue by Louise Page for the theatre, and a drugs awareness film for
Bromley Council. He also wrote and directed a 60 second animated film using
new media technologies. He designed pyrotechnics and lit The Wizard of Oz.
James has also worked across the country as a stand up comedian.

Matthew Cooper (Director)

As a Theatre and Performance Studies student, Matthew has a serious

interest in all elements of the performing arts. He has performed many roles in
school productions, including Oh! What a Lovely War, which was performed at
the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2003 and Equus in 2005. He also played the
character of Arthur Winslow on the 2007 WUDS production of The Winslow
Boy.

Outside of acting, Matthew has had experience in other areas of theatre. He

designed and operated the lighting for Terry Pratchett’s The Wyrd Sisters,
worked backstage for a production of Cabaret and also helped with the
building of the set for A Midsummer Nights Dream. In the Summer, he worked
as labourer for a The New Wolsey Theatre’s touring company. He also
directed a production of Melons at the Parsonage. He is passionate about
theatre and is very excited at the prospect of directing Edmond.

Adam Wilbourn (Stage Manager)

Adam is a first-year Theatre & Performance Studies student and has been
involved in the theatre on and off the stage for many years. He has both
practical acting experience and technical knowledge of the theatre which
means he is familiar with the production process. As an actor, Adam has
attended the National Youth Theatre last summer and performed in Trafalgar
Square as a culmination of the work, he has also performed with his local

11
youth theatre with major roles in Animal Farm, Our Day Out and in school
productions of Scrooge and Bugsy Malone.

In terms of technical knowledge, he produced and executed a lighting plan for

his local theatre’s performance of A Midsummer Nights Dream. Whilst at
Warwick, Adam organised the lighting and sound for the Codpiece production
of Ovid in the Cooler, he has aided in the set-up and lighting of the One World
Week Fashion Show in Butterworth Hall and has had numerous experiences
of working in the theatre studio of the Humanities block; creating lighting plans
for a 3rd year final performance project and managing the lighting and sound
of many 1st year practical pieces in the studio. Adam has aided in the creation
of the lighting plans and allocation of props for Edmond and feels that this
transitional performance can be extremely effective in the studio space.

Rose Biggin (Set Designer)

Rose is an English and Theatre Studies student, and in her first year at
Warwick has acted in variety of roles, including starring in My Name is Rachel
Corrie. She is currently rehearsing The Intruder to be performed in the Studio.
As well as acting, she is also very interested in the artistic aspects of theatre
and has designed sets for several performances during her time at sixth form
and as a member of her local Youth Theatre.

These experiences have given her a good understanding of the nature of set
design and its importance to the success of a performance, whether a shoe-
string One World Week show or a larger production. The role of set in this
performance is intrinsic to the dark mood of the play, and it will be impossible
to create a successful set without working closely alongside the actors,
technical crew and design team. Rose is passionate about working on
Edmond and looks forward to the challenge of evoking the claustrophobic and
intense atmosphere the play requires.

Paul Brown (Technical Manager)

Paul has been interested in the technical aspects of theatre from an early age,
and has stage managed and lit both school and amateur shows back at home
in North Wales since the age of about 12!

Experience while at Warwick includes operating lighting for Lysistrata, WSAF

Edinburgh Preview and Bat Boy in the Arts Centre Studio, where he was also
technical manager for Illustrations of Madness and The Love of the
Nightingale, and he is currently Deputy President of Tech Crew. Main Theatre
experience includes ASM for The Wild Party, and followspot operator for
Copacabana and Pizzazz.

Outside of the Warwick bubble he is a technician at the Royal International

Pavilion arts centre in Llangollen, North Wales, and has just worked on the
inaugural Llangollen Jazz Festival. He has volunteered at the International
Eisteddfod, a huge world music festival, for 9 years in a variety of roles, and

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this summer will be producing videos to be shown on a huge outdoor screen
and streamed on the festival’s website, which he designs and maintains.

In his spare time he is a second year Maths student.

Rhys Thomas (Lighting Design)

Rhys is a second year Engineering student and currently President of the

Tech Crew. He has a wide background in technical theatre, backed up by a
keen interest and strong enthusiasm, although he keeps his focus mainly on
lighting. In his first year he was a part of many productions, including Joseph
and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, ‘The It Girls’, Happy Jack and
notably Chorus Line in the theatre. In his second year included such shows as
The Love of The Nightingale, Illustrations of Madness, Pizzazz, Bat Boy and
Copacabana, his favourite production to date.

Outside of Warwick life he works at the Northcott Theatre, Exeter, and has
recently been involved in an outdoor production of Twelfth Night. He was also
fortunate enough to spend a few days at the Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, with
their hilarious production of The Curse of the Werewolf, and follow-spotted for
the Christmas pantomime. He looks forward to the challenge of creating and
managing what promises to be an exciting production and hopes that all the
black t-shirt wearing doesn’t corrupt his love of a social life!

Richard Potter (Sound Designer)

Richard is a 2nd Year Maths Student, he started his work on the technical
side of shows while sill at high school, lighting shows such as Grease and
Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. He cut his teeth in the
world of sound while working for TSG in the Student Union, and has, during
his time, mixed monitors for bands such as Ash and Reel Big Fish. He also
co-coordinated Metamophosis 12, and oversaw the transformation of the
cooler.

Outside of Warwick he has worked on sound for The Sunday Sessions, and
as a member of crew at the National Student Drama Festival, and will be
spending this summer working as a support technician for C venues at the
Edinburgh fringe Festival.

Richard is the current Tech Crew training manager, and has worked on a
broad range of shows, including lighting design for the MTW Revue, and for
the NSDF production of Night Herron, working on the lighting for SWAG and
The Love of the Nightingale, and mixing radio mics for Batboy. This is
Richard's first show as a Sound Designer in the Studio, and he is very much
looking forward to the new challenge.

Kai Skinner (Costume Designer)

I have done extensive work in costume with most of the major theatre
societies at this university. I was head of costume for the February production

13
of Illustrations of Madness in which I was in charge of not only the designers
but the constructions of the outfits as well. I have also been costume assistant
for the production of The Love of the Nightingale in which I proved to be able
to work under stress. I also took over some of the costume responsibilities for
Batboy a production by Warwick’s’ Musical Theatre Department.

Before University I was costume assistant for a production of Antigone in

2006. I was also an assistant for the Harrogate Theatre’s production of Alan
Bennett’s Talking Heads. In 2006, I was head of costume for the historical
piece Playhouse Creatures. I have worked with both organic and sourced
costumes and have an A* at GCSE level for textiles and extensive
knowledge of fabrics and sewing techniques.

Ben Anderson (Head of Marketing and Publicity)

Ben is a first year Theatre and Performance Studies student who is not a
newcomer to a role of this sort. In Birmingham, Ben used to run a company
called manicMEDIA, in which he produced live music events. This role
involved booking the venue, organising the performers, overseeing the
marketing and publicity efforts, getting show sponsorship, printing the tickets
and running the performances on the night. On the first event Ben made
£700 and continued to be very successful.

Having performed in every production at school and having an active role in

the organisation of the Sixth Form play, Ben has experience in working on
stage and behind the scenes in a production role. He is highly motivated and
enthusiastic about any project he is involved with which can be seen in his
success on RaW; he has a Primetime Show on a Friday and holds the Head
of Arts Executive position. For this reason he has very good links to the
Warwick Media societies. Ben is extremely passionate about Edmond and
will work very hard to make the production a success.

Kimberley Atkins (Marketing)

Kimberley has just finished the first year of her degree as an English
Literature student. This will be the second WUDS production that she has
been involved with at Warwick, having been Marketing Manager of The
Winslow Boy which was performed in the Chaplaincy in Term 3, Week 4. She
has also had experience in marketing and advertising through her work on
the Media Collections Team for One World Week 2007. Prior to coming to
Warwick, she had been actively involved in amateur dramatic productions,
in both a performing and technical capacity.

She also has previous skills in marketing from her role as Marketing Manager
in Young Enterprise in 2005, and during her gap year, where she worked at a
leisure centre. Here, in addition to her other job responsibilities, she undertook
the task of publicising the centre locally, liaising with newspapers and local
businesses for sponsorship, and producing posters and fliers for the
centre and the classes held there.

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Grace Turner (Publicity)

Grace is currently completing her first year as a History of Art student. As a

member of the ArtSoc here at Warwick and a commissioned painter at home,
she has a strong passion for creative art and design. She feels will be able
bring her experience and creativity to the Edmond publicity campaign. Grace
is an experienced artist who has also spent time working in PR and
advertising companies over the years such as Talk PR and M & C Saatchi,
often directly helping with advertising campaigns of their own.

Although she has some theatre experience, playing main parts in several
school productions, she has never been a publicity designer for a play before.
However, she feels her advertising work experience will be very helpful to the
publicity campaign. She is extremely excited about working on the Marketing
and Publicity team as she feels Edmond is an innovative project for WUDS;
the play is enthralling and she feels she has what it takes creatively to make
the publicity equally engaging and a great success.

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Staging Edmond

Our intention to stage the production in a promenade style will allow us to

physicalise the movement of Edmond throughout the play. It means that we
will be able to take the audience both on a theatrical journey through the
emotions of the play, and a physical journey around the space. It will also
enhance the claustrophobic feel of the piece, and emphasise the oppressive
nature of the urban environment in which it is set. For instance, when the
mission preacher invites the crowd to ‘come up and testify’ from the balcony,
the audience and Edmond will both be below experiencing his passionate
speech rather that witnessing it in a passive and distanced way. Also, during
the peep show, the B-Girl will be dancing in a garishly lit neon corner, divided
from Edmond by a sheet of Plexiglass (measuring 6 and half feet by 9 feet).
The audience will be on Edmonds side of the frame separating him from the
dancer, and we will see only his silhouette, making the audience a part of the
seedily voyeuristic process.

We shall place several versatile acting areas around the studio, with each one
representing a different stage in Edmonds journey. The audience will be free
to move around the space with Edmond, informed of this by the stewards.
Each location will have its own atmosphere, lighting, and unique set, so there
will be a clear division between each space. However, the emphasis will be on
a fluidity in the changes between scenes, so rather than a traditional blackout
to end a scene, we will instead see Edmond move from one area to the other.
An example of this is when Edmond leaves the Peep Show; before the lights
dim on the cubicle, the lights will come up on the street and the card sharp will
spring into life. Edmond will then make his way through the space, and
through the crowd to the street.

Some sets will double up as different locations. This has not been done
merely for ease and practicality, but instead we want to emphasise a symbolic
link and the duality of locations. For example, scenes in Glenna’s apartment
and the coffee shop in which she works, will be played in the same location,
representing how her menial work has invaded her personal life. This notion
will be clearly established with subtle changes of set, props, and costume; the
sofa in the coffee shop will be folded out into a bed, and the table in the coffee
shop will be turned around and a telephone will be put on it to become a
bedside table. These scene changes will be imbued in the dialogue as to
maintain the fluidity.

16
The Locations

This diagram is not to scale. It is intended to give an idea of how the space
will be used. A scale drawing, using the studio floor plan, a long with a lighting
plan, will be presented at the meeting.

1. The Street

Edmond is mugged by the pimp. We shall create this location by using two
lanterns on stands which will represent streetlights, creating two dim pools of
light. There will also be a grey and red wash, and the location will be dressed
with mess and empty boxes, creating an atmosphere of squalor and depravity.

2. The Peep Show/ Prison visiting room

Positioned in the corner of the studio, this set is used twice, once for the peep
show and once for the scene where Edmond’s wife visits him in prison. For
the peep show scene, the lighting will be bright and unpleasant, indicative of
the nature of the location. Edmond and the audience’s side will not be lit, so
we are essentially viewing the scene through the glass, emphasising the
impersonality that Edmond detests. There is a pole on the dancer’s side which
will be secured into a circular base, as to ensure its stability. Our set designer
is a member of the executive committee for the Exotic Dance society, and so
we should hopefully be able to obtain this for no cost.

The pole will be far back from the glass, so it is not noticeable during the
visiting scene. The frame itself will be approximately 3ft/6ft (the Health and
Safety section has more information about this) and will serve as both the
glass separating Edmond and the dancer, and Edmond and his wife. The

17
lighting for the visiting scene will be cold and formal, an extension of the static
dialogue between them.

3. The Station

This is a simple location, only used for one scene, which takes place on the
platform of a subway station. The platform will be represented with a slightly
raised rostrum, and the rest will be created with lighting, which will flicker on
and off subtly. The actual setting will be established with a loud train sound
effect, panning from the left to the right speakers. This will not only startle the
audience, but will also punctuate the scene change.

4. The Bar/The Hotel Reception/The Pawnshop/The Prison

This will be the most multi-functional piece of set that we will have, but will be
deceptively simple. Essentially, there will be a long bar that stretches almost
the entire length of the back of the studio, which could be created in several
ways. The most likely is a series of tables on a raised platform to create bar
height, covered in black cloth.

For the bar scene, Edmond and the man

will be seated on bar stools at opposite
ends, and will be lit in separate
spotlights to create a distance between
them, alluding to Edmonds own social
and personal displacement. This also
enables good viewing for everyone in
the audience. The bartender will be
positioned behind the tables, thus able
to move into the light when necessary.

There is a similar bar scene which

follows, however, Edmond will stay
seated, and the change will be signified through a the lighting and music. This
is not a lazy idea, because both bars serve a perfunctory purpose as
landmarks in Edmonds journey: The man leaves, and the B-Girl enters. There
will also be a change in bartender. During the scene, Edmond will leave his
stool and enter the girl’s spotlight.

For the hotel reception there will be one spotlight in the middle of the bar, and
the action will take place here with a few simple props indicating the location,
such as a bell. However, much of the scene setting is implicit within the
dialogue.

The final use for this location will be the prison cell, where Edmond and his
cellmate lie on their bunks. We will use the same two spotlights as in the bar
scene, but the two characters will lie on the bar, one looking upwards
indicating he is on the bottom bunk, one looking downwards indicating the top
bunk. The use of this dual focus has the potential to be very effective, and will
allow us at the end of the play to break the convention that we have set when

18
Edmond leaves his spotlight and goes to the other prisoner’s so they can
share a kiss, a final indication in the change of Edmonds mindset.

5. Fortune Teller’s booth/Kitchen/Interrogation room/Chaplaincy

As the audience enter, Edmond and the fortune teller will be sat around a
table. Informed by the steward on the door, the audience will be able to fill the
expanse of the studio, and surround Edmond and the fortune teller. There will
be strange, eerie, flickering lighting, which will glow off of the metallic table;
this strange and spiritual atmosphere will be added to by the use of subtle and
uncomfortable music. Edmond will be in his
suit opposite the fortune teller, who will have
her head bowed, and covered with a large
veil. The fortune teller’s speech will be
recorded, allowing us to place some discreet
effects on the voice (including using reverb
and cutting out the low frequencies), and
also, for practical reasons in relation the
actors projection. This scene will serve a
great purpose is establishing the interactive
style of performance.

The next scene, between Edmond and his wife, will take place in the same
location. As the fortune tellers speech draws to a close, she will lean forward
and Edmond will pull the veil off of her head; and covering the table as if it
were a table cloth. This will also be accompanied by a gradual lighting
change, to establish a domestic, but still distant atmosphere. The actress
playing the fortune teller becomes the wife.

For the interrogation scene, the table cloth will be removed and the metallic
table, which appeared mystical in the fortune teller’s scene, will become
clinical and oppressive. There will be only the table and two chairs here. The
set up for the interrogation scene and the scene with the chaplain will be
exactly the same, which will allude on the interrogative nature of religion.

6. The Coffee Shop/Glenna’s apartment

As mentioned before, we are aiming to draw a link between Glenna’s place of

work intruding upon her domestic life, and the further intrusion of Edmond into
this, by placing these two scenes in the same location. This set, as a whole,
will be very versatile. There will be a sofa, with a table in front of it
representing the coffee shop. As the lighting changes from the general light of

19
the coffee shop, the sofa will be folded out to make a bed, the table will be
moved to make a bedside table, and the scene will be lit with only a bedside
lamp. This establishes a change in atmosphere as well as a change in
location. After Glenna has been killed, she will be placed in the bed, and
Edmond will turn the bedside light off. She will remain there in the darkness
for the rest of the production.

7. Balcony

The preacher’s speech will take place on one of the balconies to the side of
the studio. He will be brightly lit, representing hope of salvation for Edmond.
While the audience will be on the studio floor looking up at him, Edmond will
be standing on the table, looking like he wants to be lifted out of the space.
However, this will be disrupted when the woman from the subway scene
appears on the balcony on the other side, identifying him as a criminal to the
police, and he is arrested. Edmond will then be taken down from the table, sat
down, and the scene will become the interrogation room.

As we have attempted to get convey throughout the pack, we want to

emphasise the fluidity of our staging, to compliment the journey and sense of
progression throughout the play. Our set is minimalist, and also extremely
versatile, which will allow the overt theatricality of the piece to come across.
Our vision of the play is entwined within the promenade stage setting, and is
based on the progression. Our staging will allow the audience to become a
physical part of the journey, rather than being a passive audience on raked
seating.

Despite this, we are fully aware that ideas will spring forward during the
rehearsal process. In fact, we are committed to creating a rehearsal
environment that actively encourages this. For this reason, although we have
strong ideas for the staging and style of the piece, we are absolutely flexible,
and willing to adapt our vision to suit the needs of the play, the performers and
the audience.

Costume

Our use of costume will work in a similar way to our use of set, in that we plan
to maintain a sense of versatility and adaptability. This is vital, especially for
the actors doubling up. The bystander, for example, can wear a black shirt
and tie. When the same actor plays the pawnshop customer he can simply
remove his tie, and when he plays the chaplain, he can put on a clerical collar.
Glenna does not need to have a full waitress uniform – instead we can convey
this by having her wearing an apron. We want our ensemble cast to have the
same base costume, onto which we can place elements that suggest
character. This will be effective as it fits with the stylised nature of the
production, it will make the changes more practical, and it will greatly reduce
costs. Also, because of the modern nature of the piece we anticipate that the
cast and production team will be able to supply much of the costume
themselves. We understand the importance of making the changes in

20
character clear. Our use of costume will help to achieve this, along with
changes of posture, gait and voice.

The only full costume that we will need will be Edmond’s. We plan to have him
wearing a suit, which becomes more and more tatty as he progresses through
the play, loosening his tie and loosing his jacket for example. By the end of
the play he will be simply in a vest and trousers. Seen as though Edmond is
the central character, the one we follow throughout the play, it is important that
he has a fixed costume.

Sound

We plan on using the studio's standard PA. To accommodate the promenade

style of the show we intend to place one speaker in each corner of the studio
to provide a well balanced sound throughout the venue. This will also give us
the versatility to use effect such as a train travelling from one side of the
studio to the other. Depending on the final layout of the venue we may also
add 2 JBL subs to give stronger bass for both the rumbling train, and a club
scene.
All of the sound will be run through the existing setup in the studio control
room, using Sound Cue System, a versatile piece of software for managing
sound cues and effects.

21
THE BUDGET

INCOME
TICKET SALES 125 CAPACITY X 4 NIGHTS X £5.50
= £2750
10% commission for Box Office
100% TOTAL INCOME £2475

60% TOTAL INCOME £1485

EXPENDITURE

HIRE OF ARTS CENTRE STUDIO £660

SET DESIGN: £140

Metallic Table Obtainable
Chairs Obtainable
Street Lights The effect will be created by fixing
some stage lights onto tripods
standing 10ft high alluding to street
lights.
Sofa bed From as little as £30 on Ebay.
Lamp Obtainable
Long desks Obtainable
Pole Obtainable (from Pole Dancing
Society)
Frame Obtainable
Bedside Table Obtainable
Platform Will be manufactured using small
rostra.
Barstools Obtainable
Plexiglass For a sheet 80” by 59” (6½ feet by
nearly 5 feet) it costs £60, with VAT
and postage it costs £90.
Miscellaneous £20

PROPS: £50
Pint Glasses x2 Obtainable
Cocktail Glasses x2 Obtainable
Leaflets Obtainable
Wallet Obtainable
Credit Card Obtainable
Gold ring Obtainable
Beer mats x2 Obtainable
Dollar notes Obtainable
Box Obtainable
Cards Obtainable

22
Tablecloth Obtainable

23
Woman’s Hat Obtainable
Notepad Obtainable
Handcuffs Obtainable
Cigarettes Obtainable
Pen & paper Obtainable
Lamp Obtainable
Telephone Obtainable
Retractable Knife A realistic, well-sized, retractable knife
can be bought from sillyjokes.co.uk for
£2.50 including P&P.
Fake knife Also available from sillyjokes.co.uk for
£2.50 including P&P.
Tarot Cards Easily purchased from sites such as
Ebay and Amazon for less than £5.
Fake blood Can be made ourselves through the
combination of glycerine (available
from the local chemist for less than
£10) and red food dye/paste with
coffee added to darken.
Miscellaneous £30

LIGHTING £40
Lantern gels £30
Miscellaneous £10

SOUND £10
To purchase any sound effects £10

COSTUME: £70
Edmond’s Suit Obtainable
Apron Obtainable
Vests Obtainable
Black shirts Obtainable
Miscellaneous (e.g. clerical collar) £15
Other costumes £45

MARKETING: £137.21

2500 glossy full colour double sided £61.71 (www.flyer24.co.uk)

A6 flyers

40 full colour A3 posters £30.00 plus £15 delivery

(www.urbanposters.co.uk)

24
250 black and white photocopies of £20.50 (from The Copy Shop)
A3 posters

50 audition posters (photocopied) £2.50

30,000 Facebook flyers £7.50

PRODUCTION RIGHTS £320

ADMINISTRATION / £50
MISCELLANIOUS
Photocopying audition scripts £10
Photocopying scripts £20
Miscellaneous £20

TOTAL EXPENDITURE £1477.21

Break even output Expenditure / lowest income

£1477 / 300 tickets
300 tickets / 500 (total capacity) x 100

BREAK EVEN OUTPUT= 60%

Budget Notes

As is hopefully clear throughout our pack, Edmond is a play of versatility and

adaptability, which will be reflected in our set. There are several elements
here that work to our advantage. Whilst some of the allowed expenditure may
seem low it is important to remember that Edmond is in a contemporary
setting, and much of the costume can be obtained from cast and production
members. Likewise, many of the objects in the different parts of the set are
objects that are found in everyday life, such as a lamp and a telephone, thus
they can easily be obtained, again from the cast and crew.

We are also looking to get sponsorship from local companies if we get

through submissions. Obviously, we have accounted, in this budget, for no
sponsorship, however we are confident that gaining financial support is
possible. This would allow us to add certain props to the set, which would
enhance the experience.

25
 Casting

As you will have seen, there are a large number of characters in the play.
However, during the casting process, we will look for versatile actors who will
be able to play a number of roles. The reasons for doubling up are twofold.
Firstly, on a practical level, because otherwise we would need to cast over
thirty actors. Secondly, because it’s clear that this is a play designed for actors
doubling up. There are strong and significant links that can be drawn between
characters, and we are keen to draw the audience’s attention towards these
parallels. Also, the doubling up will emphasise the overtly theatrical nature of
the piece.

We have drawn up a provisional list of the various roles that could be doubled,
but this is by no means definitive. As with our staging, we want to emphasise
our flexibility with regards to ideas, and through the casting and rehearsal
process we are fully aware that this may change. The list is drawn with a cast
of fifteen in mind:

Edmond
Glenna
Fortune Teller/Wife
B-Girl
Woman on Train/Manager
Whore
Peep Show Girl
Card Sharp
Pimp/Preacher/Prisoner
Man in the Bar/Leafleteer/Hotel Clerk
Gambler/Pawnshop Owner/Interrogator
Bystander/Customer/Chaplain
Manager/Shill/Policeman
Bartender/Shill/Guard
Gambler/Man in Back

Being in the first term of a new year, we are keen to involve Freshers in every
aspect of the production process. We intend to advertise auditions at the
Freshers fair so as to give them the opportunity to get involved in Warwick
drama straight away, and it would be a fantastic experience with a relatively
large ensemble cast for them to have a chance to mix with some of the more
established members of Warwick drama. We are extremely keen to involve
Freshers on the production team. Our tech crew have expressed an interest in
training new faces with the equipment, and having them shadow them during
their work on the production.

We would also like to run an open rehearsal/workshop where Freshers would

be able to walk in and see how the rehearsal process works in University
drama, and perhaps take part in some Edmond based work. This would be
fantastic on a number of levels – firstly it would be a great opportunity to
encourage Freshers to get involved in drama at Warwick, and secondly it

26
would be a great publicity exercise: the people who get involved with the
workshop would hopefully be likely to come and see the show in production.

As a final note on casting, we felt it was important to address the issue of the
black actor required for the piece, and are fully aware that productions in the
past have faced difficulties in finding black actors. The part of the Afro-
American pimp and priest would need to be played by a black actor. With the
influx of so many Freshers, we feel that it is highly likely that we will find an
actor capable of taking on the role. However, if this is not achievable, we will
contact local youth theatre and theatre companies, including the Warwick Arts
Centre Youth Theatre, and the Priory Theatre in Kenilworth.

Auditions/Rehearsals

Again, we are flexible with regards to the slot that we are submitting for. We
have made plans for both the Week 5 and Week 8 slots. Although we feel that
the Week 8 slot will allow us the time to really create a fantastic production,
we strongly believe that with focus and hard work, we will be able to create a
piece of drama on the same level for the week 5 slot.

On the subject of auditions and casting, we are looking to cast a number of

main roles before the summer break, and to cast the rest of the ensemble in
the first week of term 1. This will allow us to begin to work on the text with
some of the central characters, such as Edmond and Glenna, and begin to
work on our blocking and staging to them, before they can spend the summer
learning their lines and thinking about their performances.

In the auditions, we plan to first warm the candidates up with some drama
games and give them a brief synopsis of the play. It is important to stress at
this stage that we will make them aware of the difficult subject matter of the
play, and inform them exactly of what may be required from them as
performers if they are successful. We will in the initial auditions ask the
candidates to perform two monologues, one more generic piece to gauge
their acting ability, and secondly a piece from the play itself to asses their
suitability for it, and especially how they get to grips with Mamet’s stilted,
poetic rhythms of dialogue. We will, of course, select the pieces carefully, and
there will be one set for the males, and a second set for the females. In the
recalls, we will again warm the candidates up, but in this audition get them to
perform entire scenes from the play in groups. This will give us a sense of
how well the actors work with each other, their versatility, and their suitability
for different roles.

Here then, are our provisional rehearsal schedules for both the Week 5 and
Week 8 slots.

27
 WEEK 5 PLAN

Week 10, Term 3

Friday 22nd June Auditions for main characters.

Saturday 23rd Recalls and more auditions.
Tuesday 26th Emails sent to those who auditioned, and meeting
with cast to hand out scripts
Thursday 30th First read-through. Discussion of the play with cast.
Cast to learn script over summer.

Week 1, Term 1

Tuesday 4th Advertise auditions at Freshers Fair. First rehearsal:

September begin blocking.
Wednesday 5th Auditions for ensemble parts.
Thursday 6th More auditions and recalls.
Friday 7th Final auditions and recalls. Emails sent to cast.
Saturday 8th Read through with whole cast and discussion. Social.
Sunday 9th Team building and continue blocking.

Week 2, Term 1

Tuesday 11th Continue blocking.

Thursday 13th Continue blocking.
Friday 14th Character analysis and general discussion.
Workshop.
Saturday 15th Production team meeting, and tech discussion.
Sunday 16th Introduction of actors to the space.

Week 3, Term 1

Tuesday 18th Run of blocking so far. Continue blocking.

Thursday 20th More blocking. Detailed look at scenes.
Friday 21st Focus on problem areas thus far. More detailed work.
Saturday 22nd Production team meeting. Talk with marketing team,
begin publicity.

Week 4, Term 1

Tuesday 25th Run of blocking so far. Continue blocking.

Thursday 27th More blocking. Detailed look at scenes.
Friday 28th Focus on problem areas thus far. More detailed work.
Saturday 29th Production team meeting. Talk with marketing team,
begin publicity. Full run in rehearsal.

28
Sunday 30th Look at problems arising from run. Social.

Week 5, Term 1

Monday 1st October Get into the studio and tech. Familiarisation with set.
Rehearsal in the space. Publicity stunts.
Tuesday 2nd Morning tech run. Dress rehearsal for WUDS exec.
Wednesday 3rd Second dress run in the morning. First performance,
7.30.
Thursday 4th Second performance, 7.30
Friday 5th Third performance, 7.30
Saturday 6th Final performance, 7.30. Social!

WEEK 8 PLAN

Week 1, Term 1

Tuesday 4th Advertise auditions and production at Freshers Fair.

September
Wednesday 5th Advertise at Freshers Fair.
Thursday 6th Advertise at Freshers Fair.

Week 2, Term 1

Tuesday 11th Auditions for ensemble parts.

Thursday 13th Recalls and further auditions.
Friday 14th Any final auditions
Sunday 16th E-mails sent out. Scripts to be handed out to decided
cast.

Week 3, Term 1

Tuesday 18th Start blocking with ensemble cast.

Thursday 20th Continue blocking.
Friday 21st Continue blocking.
Saturday 22nd Production team meeting. Talks with tech crew about
ideas.

Week 4, Term 1

Tuesday 25th Stage fighting workshop.

Thursday 27th Continue blocking.
Saturday 29th Production team meeting.
Sunday 30th Continue blocking. Character workshop.

Week 5, Term 1

29
Tuesday 2nd October Continue blocking, and some close text work.
Thursday 4th Continue blocking, and some close text work.
Friday 5th Focus on problem areas. Workshop if needed.
Saturday 6th Production team meeting. Publicity and marketing
discussion.

Week 6, Term 1

Tuesday 9th Introduce actors to the space. Tech meeting.

Thursday 11th Continue blocking and close text work.
Friday 12th Finish any blocking. Continue close text work.
Saturday 13th Production team meeting. Begin publicity.
Sunday 14th Run through.

Week 7, Term 1

Tuesday 16th Any final issues addressed.

Thursday 18th Run through of all scenes in rough space.
Friday 19th Tech meeting. Watching run through
Saturday 20th Production team meeting. Talk about marketing and
publicity.
Sunday 21st Run through in space. Social in the evening.

Week 8, Term 1

Monday 22nd Get into the studio and tech. Familiarisation with set.
Rehearsal in the space.
Tuesday 23rd Morning tech run. Dress rehearsal for WUDS exec.
Wednesday 24th Second dress run in the morning. First performance,
7.30.
Thursday 25th Second performance, 7.30
Friday 26th Third performance, 7.30
Saturday 27th Final performance, 7.30. Social!

The Rehearsal Process

Obviously, the rehearsal process is absolutely vital in achieving our vision of

the play. We are committed to creating an open rehearsal environment, and
making the cast feel that their contribution is valuable and important. We also
want to create a sense of unity with the cast. We plan to do this using
workshops, games, socials, and discussions. As we have mentioned before,
there are elements within the play that might make the cast uncomfortable,
and so we will aim to encourage discussion, and we will have already
mentioned these elements in the audition process. We want to be proactive
with regard to these elements of the play, rather than ignore them.

30
We also feel that the set design and the environment that it creates is central
to the rehearsal process. We want to rehearse with the set as much as
possible, to get the actors totally involved and comfortable with their
surroundings. This will obviously be very difficult during the first weeks of
rehearsal, but we will endeavour to recreate as much of the set in rehearsal
rooms as possible. This is achievable because of the versatility of our set.

Both of the directors, and many members of the production team, have been
involved in acting in plays before, and so are all aware of the importance of
working off of the script as soon as possible in order to make the most of time
in rehearsal. We will encourage, and expect, the members of the cast that we
decide before the end of term to learn all of their lines over the summer break
so that we can really begin the intense textual work as soon as term one
begins. With regards to those we cast in the first week of term one, we will ask
them to learn their scripts as soon as possible (although the dialogue for
these smaller characters will be much easier to remember).

Why two directors?

Although Matt and James come from very different theatrical backgrounds,
their vision of the play is strikingly similar. However, we feel that with the
ensemble nature of the piece that it is fitting for two directors to take the helm
of this production, and we feel that they can both bring different,
complimentary qualities to it. Within this, their different experiences and
different areas of interest will allow them to each focus on particular elements.
As is with the nature of the whole production, if there are ever conflicting
ideas, then we will try them both and decide which serves production better.
Matt and James have worked together on Warwick drama productions before,
and so are well aware of the way that each other work. However, they are
driven to put this production on not by notions of egotism, but a shared
passion for the play and what they feel they can bring to it. This is where the
opinions of the performers and production team are vital. It is important to
stress our awareness of the need for a sense of authority and structure within
rehearsals, and each rehearsal will be planned out in detail before the
performers are brought in.

As an English and Theatre student, James brings a strong textual

understanding, and knowledge of Mamet’s work, and so he feels extremely
capable of bringing out the poeticism of the language, and an understanding
of the symbols. James will focus on these elements with the performers, as
well as partaking in directing the action. This is a clearly defined role, however
this is not exclusive, and his role will cross over into other areas, as will
Matt’s.

Matt, a Theatre and Performance Studies student, will be focusing on the

performers and their roles, looking closely at characterisation, and the
physicality of the performance. Matt will also work closely with Adam, the
stage manager, to create a strong link between the performers, and the
performance space.

31
By breaking the two directors ambitions into roles, different elements of the
production will be focussed on, and in their co-operation, aim to bring these
elements together to create the final product.

32
 Marketing and Publicity

Edmond is a very intriguing and engaging play. Through creating a

promenade performance it will also be a piece that demands audience
interaction and participation. For these reasons our marketing and publicity
efforts will be in the same vein; we will engage and intrigue our potential
audiences through interaction and participation in the publicity efforts.

We feel that the play will have a broad appeal across campus. Of course it will
appeal to students of Theatre, and English Literature (particularly those taking
modules on American Literature), and members of the Warwick drama
societies, but we also feel that there are other societies which, if we advertise
correctly, could take something from the play. These include the politics
society who may find the play particularly interesting within the context of
American politics, or the debating society who may like to debate some of the
issues in the play. Religious societies may be interested with the presentation
of religion in the play. We intend to inform these societies of the play and it’s
relevance to them in our publicity campaign.

Having spoken to Pam Walker in Union North, we understand that the Union
want to see the amount of money spent on publicity dramatically decreased.
This will not be a problem for the Edmond publicity as we intend to dedicate
our efforts on not only producing posters and fliers, but also by staging public
events before the production run starts in order to interest potential audience
members and ultimately to increase ticket sales.

The way in which we intend to do this is

through utilising our actors for publicity
purposes, for example in one publicity
event we would like to place the actor
playing Edmond on a box in the centre of
the piazza costumed in a suit and tie, with
‘Every fear hides a wish.’
his eyes closed. While he stands,
members of the publicity team will be
handing out fliers to passing members of
the public. This will enable potential audience members to associate the
visual image of Edmond with the performance and to engage with, what is
essentially, a piece of street theatre. In another event we will use the actor
playing the card sharp to actively engage potential
audiences by allowing them to participate in card tricks,
such as those that will be used in the performance. This
level of personal interaction will help to draw audiences
into the play and will be far more interesting and effective
in helping to sell tickets than postering alone.

The preliminary ideas for the poster campaign are based

around the images of tarot cards, as we are capitalising on
the opening scene of the performance and Edmond’s
encounter with the fortune teller, as this is integral to his
subsequent downfall within the play. We have chosen the

33
tarot cards as they are striking images of intrigue and suspense and notably
different to previous publicity used in WUDS productions. The poster
campaign will begin very simply some weeks prior to the performances with
just the word ‘Edmond’ and a quotation from the play being used on the early
posters, in order to capture the attention of the public. This will develop into
more detailed posters with images and information regarding the
performances closer to the show dates.

In addition to the poster campaign we also intend to order fliers, which can be
handed out in the piazza and other public venues. As this production will be
one of, if not the, first WUDS shows of the academic year it is important that
the marketing and publicity for Edmond sets a high standard for future
productions to follow. This entails targeting the first year students in
particular, as we wish to enthuse new students to see and become actively
involved with Warwick drama. We will do this by leafleting campus
accommodation and having a presence at the Freshers Fair in the lead up to
the production.

We intend to set up a website for the production as this will help greatly with
our publicity campaign; instead of having to remember a number of details
about the production from a poster or flier a potential audience member
simply has to remember the website address. Full information about the
production including show dates and times, how to purchase tickets and
information about the cast and crew will be provided. The cast and crew will
also be asked to wear Edmond clothing in order to further publicise the
production, although they will cover the cost themselves.

The production team also have very strong links with the Warwick media
societies, in particular RaW, where Ben Anderson holds the executive position
of Head of Arts. We therefore will be able to dedicate air time to advertising
and discussing the performance on the weekly art show Spotlight on Campus,
and can also encourage other DJs to plug the performance on their various
shows. We intend to contact the Warwick Boar in relation to reviewing the
show before the run starts, as well as contacting them in the weeks prior
regarding our publicity events. We will also contact other local press in
Coventry, Kenilworth and Leamington including local radio stations and
newspapers.

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 Health and Safety & General Conduct

Edmond is a highly technical, transitional performance and health & safety

needs to be carefully considered due to the promenade style. Many issues
arose in relation to the audience and the general safety of all involved in this
production.

Total blackouts cannot occur but to demonstrate a scene change we will

reduce the light substantially whilst retaining a blue wash throughout to
ensure safe negotiation of the space.

Knives play an essential role in adding to the drama of the piece and the
menacing nature of characters. Obviously, real knives cannot be used so we
have researched and will purchase a blunt, fake knife for use in the scene
where Edmond is accosted and threatened by a pimp and proceeds to assault
him and when Edmond stabs Glenna we will use a realistic, retractable knife.
In terms of the other violent elements, both Adam and James have had
training in choreographing stage fights and these will be introduced as early
on in rehearsals to ensure the actors perform accurately but safely.

The screen of Plexiglass which will be used in the pole dancing scene and the
visiting room scene will have its edges smoothed and will be secured in place
by chains attached to the lighting rig. The use of Plexiglass means it is both
cheaper and safer, despite it’s dimensions (80” by 59” – 6½ feet by nearly 5
feet) it can easily be negotiated and manoeuvred.

The Plexiglass also presents an issue with regards to the emergency exits as
where it will be placed is near to one of the said exits. However, following our
discussion with Howard Potts about regulations we aim to have at least a 3
metre gap between the screen and the makeshift bar to allow easy access to
this way out. The exits will be clear and permanently lit throughout our
performance.

Our maximum capacity of 125 ensures that not only do the audience have an
optimum view of the performance throughout but that we have catered for any
emergency which may occur in the promenade space.

The table which occupies the central position in our performance and is used
by Edmond in order to speak to the preacher will be secured to the ground to
prevent any risk of falling to the actor. The tables which are used as the bar
and double as the prison beds will be checked to see how much weight they
can support and be reinforced as is necessary.

The lights symbolising street lamps which are on stage stand 10 feet high and
will be fastened in place at both the base and at the top (again via chains
connected to the lighting rig) in order to protect the audience from accidentally
knocking them over or risking burning themselves on an overheated light.

In conclusion, all members of the Edmond team will be briefed on fire

regulations and how to ensure the space is safe to perform in, rehearsal

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rooms will be left as found and the set will be removed of any dangerous
edges. Finally, this performance aims to be as safety-conscious as possible
due to the nature of the performance and space.

Summary

In summary, we as a production team are extremely excited with the prospect

of being able to put Edmond on in this space, and confident that we can
accomplish our artistic vision. It is a short, challenging play that will have a
broad appeal, and will confront the audience with contemporary concerns and
issues. We also feel that our overall vision for the production is original and in
a style that we have not seen at Warwick before. We hope that you share our
vision.

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