The Wonderful Wizard of Oz- Week Six: 'All Tin, No Heart.'

Half-way there! It's hard to believe that we are officially over half way into the term. This week however we have begun to introduce costume and props into the show (and we will continue to do so as we get further and further along- and more things turn up in the post). The Chameleons are working hard to bring the pieces of the show together and have done some outstanding work. Our team, meanwhile, was finally all back together again so, with the exception of a few sick Chameleons, it was great to have the gang all assembled again.

This week kicked off with 'The Curious Case of Inspector McClue,' a new spin on the classic 'wink murder' game. One person is selected to be the Inspector, while another is secret chosen to be the 'sleep winker.' The latter must walk around the room with the group and put everyone to sleep by winking at them. It is the Inspector's role to catch them out and stop them before everyone falls asleep. It's a fun game and the group were plenty energised by the time we had caught the villain.

Next we played a group shape game- following on from last week's 'what's in the box?' exercise. The Chameleons had to work in teams to create an object using only their bodies. We had to be able to see what they had created without being told. Everyone came up with some very artistic and creative ideas, ranging from a cannon, a working piano and a sofa (see above).

Next we focused in on the theme of the week; 'good vs evil.' We asked the Chameleons to create a superhero and a super villain and see how being both made them move around the room. We talked about how there are good and evil characters in the Wizard of Oz, and what ways the cast could move to show everyone which side they are on, without having to tell the audience. It is a nice, subverted approach to getting the group to consider characterisation and how they can physically portray their characters in the show.

We split up then to work on the next scenes. In the absence of the Scarecrow we had to adjust our plans and instead looked at the meeting between Dorothy and the Tinman. This term especially it seems that the Chameleons are working hard at putting themselves in the scene; everyone has a good understanding of what happens and their own ideas to put forward. We had some great interactions between the Tinman and Toto which made us laugh lots.

Also being visited was the Wicked Witch's castle. After summoning her crows to deal with Dorothy, she is understandably frustrated that she is still without her red shoes. Ever determined not to be beaten, she hatches another scheme to complete her mission, much to the dismay of the Monkey King and Captain Oreo. These three have a really nice dynamic which is getting stronger and stronger each week. The Wicked Witch is both scary and funny to watch and there is some lovely work going on there. Everyone seems to be really enjoying their roles this term and it's great fun all around.

Finally we looked at the first meeting between Dorothy's group and the Cowardly Lion; one of our  favourite characters, and the attack by the Wicked Witch's evil trees. The scene is great fun because we got to explore a lot of levels with the characters, from the Lion's grand entrance (featuring some lovely chorus work from our ensemble) to the softer moments between him and Dorothy. Having the trees come to life was also fun and, though we were short on time, we're excited to work on them some more once the cast are back together next week.

Another week gone and the show moves closer yet again. The cast are working so hard this term and it's showing! Things are looking better and better and we're super excited for some of the scenes in the upcoming weeks- including the meeting with the famous Wizard himself. That's all for now but as usual we shall leave you with some rehearsal pics for your enjoyment. Adios!

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz- Week Five: 'The Flying Monkeys, The Crows & The Witch.'

It's half term! Well, the end of it anyway; and what better way to see it finish than with our wonderful Chameleons? This week we were down on adults, as between the University open day and the holidays our team was stretched thin- we won't be beaten, however and so the show carried on anyways! This week we were working on the Wicked Witch of the West's scenes and working with the chorus to bring the flying monkeys and evil crows to life!

To kick things off we did some stretches and played some physical warm ups. Top choices this week were Boal's 'go, stop, jump, clap' game- where the Chameleons have to do the opposite of what they are told. This week they also had to contend with the 'space' rule, using only their bodies to fill as much of the room as possible. It's a great way to get the group thinking about the space they're in and who is around them.

Then we played 'the mirror game' where the Chameleons are put into pairs and have to copy the movements of one another. These can be the smallest or biggest of movements and it is wonderful watching how everyone responds to the game. There was a lot of laughter. It helps people to get into the mindset of chorus work, as the chorus need to move together and often copy each other's movements.

Afterwards we set to work on building up the fly monkey movements. The Chameleons were asked to move as monkeys and then greet each other. The one rule was that they weren't allowed to speak, only make animal noises. This got everyone thinking about how their monkey might move and behave. At the same time we worked on integrating the Monkey King and Captain Oreo, the witch's henchmen- one being played by a cast member and the other being a puppet. Both had to move different to the rest of the chorus.

When we'd worked out the movements we got stuck into the scene, figuring out with the chorus where they were going to be and what role they would have to play. It was great seeing the Wicked Witch in her castle with her henchmen for the first time and everyone worked to make the scene funny and engaging.

Following the break we learned how the crows were going to be handled. Given that we already have loads of puppets and movement sequences we opted for a minimalist approach to the winged beasts. The Chameleons were show a simple way in which they could transform their hands into birds; a technique often using within shadow puppetry. Once everyone had the movements learned we explored how they could move and interact. The chorus were fantastic this week, adapting to each and every task they were given.

Once all of the elements were established we put them all together in the scene. For such a short scene there were a lot of things to do. It is all of these things, though, that make it such a good scene; for there is some brilliant back and forths between the Witch, Monkey King and Oreo mixed together with some fantastic movement work from the chorus which brings the castle to life.

To conclude we played a game called 'object in a box.' In this game the group have to take it in turns to take an object out of an imaginary box that they can use. They must then perform an action that tells everyone what their object is. We always have a great range of objects in the box and it is a lot of fun trying to guess what everyone finds inside it.

And so another week passes and we are now halfway through the term! Madness. These guys continue to impress and amaze us however and they produced some incredible work today! Next week we will return to Dorothy as she and Toto meet the first of their magical companions. Until then, as usual, pictures. See you next week!