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 Resource Pack for Teachers BLACK WATCH Photo by Manuel Harlan (facing front, left to right) Gavin Jon Wright, Cameron Barnes Since its very first performances, Black Watch has received standing ovations and enjoyed sold‐out performances everywhere it has appeared, nationally and internationally. Hurtling from a pool room in Fife to an armoured wagon in Iraq, Black Watch is based on interviews conducted by Gregory Burke with former soldiers who served in Iraq. Viewed through the eyes of those on the ground, Black Watch reveals what it means to be part of the legendary Scottish regiment, what it means to be part of the war on terror and what it means to make the journey home again. John Tiffany’s production makes powerful and inventive use of movement, music and song to create a visceral, complex and urgent piece of theatre that is as relevant now as ever. To date Black Watch has played to tens of thousands of people across three continents and has garnered 22 awards, including four Laurence Olivier Awards ‐ Best Director, Best Theatre Choreography, Best Play and Best Sound Design ‐ and the National Theatre of Scotland won its first US award with the New York Drama Circle naming Black Watch Best Foreign Play. Images from past productions of Black Watch can be found at http://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/content/default.asp?page=s218 1 LINKING BLACK WATCH TO THE CURRICULUM Note for teachers – linking Black Watch to the Higher and Advanced Higher Drama curriculum. Black Watch may be successfully referred to in Higher Drama essay questions, in particular linking the play to questions regarding gender, stereotypes and contemporary Scottish theatre. As the understanding of language and text is an important element in the course, Black Watch is an excellent example of a piece of contemporary theatre. The play is an ideal tool to examine the use of language and where it came from, and to begin to look at different forms of theatre. The play ties in with the following knowledge and understanding components: - Black Watch uses forms of verbatim and documentary theatre. Both verbatim and documentary theatre may be discussed in Unit 2 – within the Advanced Higher Drama course. - It represents an interesting link to theatre director and practitioner Bertolt Brecht. Here are some suggestions for tasks and essays through which to explore Black Watch and its theatrical apparatus.
Photo by Manuel Harlan (front row, left to right) Adam McNamara, Stuart Martin, Richard Rankin, Scott Fletcher (back row, left to right) Benjamin Davies, Andrew Fraser, Gavin Jon Wright, Robert Jack 2 PRACTICAL EXERCISES TASK 1: Split the class into 4 or 5 smaller groups. Using recent newspaper headlines, ask the group to read and express opinion on the newspaper text. The students must do further research into the event or events linking to the headlines. The students will then structure a plan for creating a piece of verbatim theatre. This must include the sourcing of appropriate interviewees, planning the questions, conducting interviews and generating text. This can be used as an introduction to verbatim theatre or developed into a lesson over a period of time. ~ TASK 2: Ask the students to work in pairs, A and B. A expresses an opinion on a topic. A then writes a short monologue detailing their opinion on this matter. The monologue is recorded. B is given the task of listening to the text through headphones, and must react directly and mimic what they hear. It is important that B has not seen the monologue before hearing it. Watch and give feedback. Discuss using the following questions; • What was interesting about watching the piece? • Did B change as a performer? If so, why? • What does it feel like to speak another’s words verbatim? • A, what did it feel like as the creator, to hear your words performed verbatim? ~ TASK 3: The students work individually. Remind them of the letter reading section in the play. Ask them to think about how the soldiers may have spent their day. Give the students a series of tasks in order to develop the soldiers’ daily activities into gesture. As a whole class, put these together into a gesture choreography. This can then be further developed by adding text to describe the movements or words to describe the emotions felt by the soldiers as they read their letters. Black Watch is physical theatre. Use the following as an introduction to developing physical theatre. ~ 3 TASK 4: Students work in pairs, A and B. A holds one palm facing out. B follows the movement keeping his or her face as close to the palm as possible. Person A must lead person B slowly around the room. Swap over. This can be used as a movement technique or can be used to process the themes in the play. Discuss with the following questions: • How did it feel to lead? • How did it feel to follow? • Who leads in Black Watch? • How does the theme of leadership control or link to the play? ~ TASK 5(a): Working as a whole group, use this exercise to explore status. Use three objects: a cup, a table and a chair. Place them in the room while the students create an audience. The task is to arrange the objects in order of status highest to lowest. For example the cup may be placed on top of the chair giving height and perhaps then more power. TASK 5(b): Using the characters in Black Watch, ask the students to work in groups to put the characters in order of status. Once the group has decided, ask them to develop the findings into three frozen images of tableaux. Image one could be the start of the play, two the middle and three the conclusion. • Who had the highest status? • Did this shift through the play? • If so what was the reason? ~ ESSAY QUESTIONS 1. Verbatim can be used as a tool in creating political theatre. Describe this process, referring to two pieces of theatre that you have seen or read. 2. Documentary and verbatim theatre can allow catharsis for the director and the performers. What are the flaws with this type of theatre? 3. How does Bertolt Brecht’s ‘epic theatre’ link to contemporary documentary theatre? 4. In Black Watch the audience witnesses some factual accuracy. This accuracy was decided by the writer Gregory Burke. Is Black Watch verbatim, documentary theatrical journalism? Give clear evidence to support your answer. 4 5. Many contemporary theatre practitioners have relied on verbatim theatre techniques to make a political point through personalising the drama. Please give an example of piece of non‐political verbatim theatre. Back up your answer with evidence of practical work you have seen or read about. SUGGESTED FURTHER READING The Theatre of Bertolt Brecht by John Willett On Theatre by Bertolt Brecht and John Willett Verbatim Verbatim – Techniques in Contemporary Documentary Theatre by Will Hammond Talking to Terrorists by Robin Sloans Documentary Theatre in the USA by Gary Fisher Davis The Theatre of the Oppressed by Augusto Boal Games for Actors and Non Actors by Augusto Boal, translated by Adrian Jackson Links to useful information online • Information on the original 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe run at University of Edinburgh Drill Hall between the 1st to the 27th of August. Includes the trailer, cast interviews, reviews and audience feedback videos ‐ http://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/content/default.asp?page=home_BlackW
atchEdinburgh2006 • For all the dates and locations of the 2007 Scottish tour (14th of March to the 18th of May), as well as a trailer, music credits and reviews ‐ http://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/content/default.asp?page=home_BlackW
atchScottishTour2007 • For all the dates and locations of the 2007 US tour (18TH of September to the 11th of November), including a video documenting the US premier and reviews – http://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/content/default.asp?page=home_BlackW
atchUSTour2007 • For all the dates and locations of the 2008 UK and International tour (10th of January to the 21st of December), including a photo gallery, trailer, reviews and cast and crew credits ‐ http://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/content/default.asp?page=home_showBl
ackWatch • For all the dates and locations of the 2010/11 UK and International tour (15th of September 2010 to the 8th of May 2011), including cast interviews, reviews, trailer, videos documenting the creative process of Black Watch, and a video documenting the tour itself ‐ http://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/content/default.asp?page=home_Black%2
0Watch%202010 5 •
For all the dates and locations of the 2012/13 UK and International tour (19th of September 2012 to the 16th of June 2013), including a trailer, video tour of the set and interview with John Tiffany and Steven Hoggett – http://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/content/default.asp?page=home_BlackW
atch2012 Also, search #BlackWatch on Twitter in order to look back on the latest tour as it happened, and follow @NTSOnline for updates and information. The National Theatre of Scotland is core funded by the Scottish Government. The National Theatre of Scotland, a company limited by guarantee and registered in Scotland (SC234270), is a registered Scottish charity (SC033377). 6