Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Royal Exchange Theatre Activities Resource & Programme £1.00 by Amanda Dalton Inside • stories & factfiles • activities & jokes • quizzes June 2004 Resource Pack sponsored by Royal Exchange Theatre Fact Files Which of these jobs would you like to do? Turn to the back page to find out more about what goes on behind the scenes at the Royal Exchange Theatre. Name: Amanda Dalton Role: Writer of DOG BOY What is your favourite animal and why? I love all animals. My favourite is the elephant because it is beautiful and has a fantastic personality. DOG BOY is based in Manchester. What is your favourite city and why? se I love My favourite city is probably Venice in Italy, becau water. on built is e Venic and water love I and ngs the buildi Who was your best friend at school? wasn’t Debbie Jackson. She was a vicar’s daughter but she well behaved. Do you believe in ghosts? Yes - but I’ve never seen one. d on? What is your favourite theatre project that you’ve worke This one! It’s great to be given the freedom to write one every whatever I want but with the support of Jacob and in the theatre. What are you scared of? I am I’m not scared of anything like spiders or the dark but don’t I where ry count a in own my on lost being of scared . That speak the language and no-one knows what I’m on about ing! terrify it’s that think I & once mine of friend a happened to Name: Rachel Brogan Role: Bendy Describe your role in one sentence: Bendy is a lonely, kind-hearted girl who becomes Dan’s best friend. What is your favourite animal and why? My favourite animals are dogs. I have always had dogs from being very small. They are loyal & give lots of love back to you. DOG BOY is based in Manchester. What is your favou rite city and why? I have lived in Manchester all my life, so I would say my favourite city. It feels like home. Also, my favou Manchester is rite Manchester City, are another reason I love Mancheste football team, r. Do you believe in ghosts? I think it’s strange enough that we are floating in mid-a earth & water, and not falling off. Anything is possi ir, on a ball of ble. What is your favourite theatre project that you’ve worked on? My favourite theatre project was a play I was in called SANCTUARY LAMP for the Royal Exchange. I really enjoyTHE ed playing my character and learnt a lot during rehearsal. What are you scared of? I am scared of fear itself. I don’t like to feel as thoug h situation and feeling afraid is probably the worst type I don’t control a of vulnerability. Name: Jacob Murray Role: Director Describe your role in one sentence: Looking after the play and actors. What is your favourite animal and why? Dogs for their warmth, loyalty and love. DOG BOY is based in Manchester. What is your favou rite city and why? Vienna, because that was where I proposed to my future wife. What is your favourite theatre project that you’ve worke d on? THE DEAD WAIT which I directed in The Studio in 2002. Do you like being at the Royal Exchange? Why? Yes because I’m allowed to work on the kind of play I’m interested in. What are you scared of? Losing everything. Name: Nick Figgis Role: Dan Describe your role in one sentence: Dan is a troubled, very intelligent & imaginative boy who loves animals because they’re easier to get on with than people. rite DOG BOY is based in Manchester. What is your favou why? and city se it’s Don’t really like cities but I suppose Newcastle becau got lots of memories. Who was your best friend at school? of Robbie Carlton. He had a massive ‘fro and millions cool. but odd freckles. He was very Do you believe in ghosts? I’ve never seen one, but I’d love to. Do you like being at the Royal Exchange? Why? Yes. It’s a great space & a brilliant play. What are you scared of? e Wild rats. There are millions of them. Apparently you’r ry, slithe their and one from away never more than a metre slimy bodies make me want to puke! Name: Romy Baskerville Role: Gran Describe your role in one sentence: I’m Dan’s grandmother who comes to look after him while his mother’s in hospital. What is you favourite animal and why? A pied wagtail (a bird) - they cheer me up! DOG BOY is based in Manchester. What is your favourite city and why? r and there’s Manchester, because I’ve watched it get better & bette so much to do. Do you believe in ghosts? I would if one poked me in the eye with a sharp stick! worked on? What is your favourite theatre project that you’ve EN at M6 GARD ’S A play with 2 actors & 2 puppets called SONIA al. magic is ts puppe with ng Theatre Company. Worki What are you scared of? on. No problem Bolton Wanderers being relegated to the First Divisi this season! Also working on DOG BOY... Richard Owen Gerry Marsden Shobna Gulati Keith Broom Julia Wade Lyn Howard Ben Donoghue Tracy Dunk Jerry Knight-Smith Camilla Evans Lighting Designer Sound Designer Choreographer Technical Stage Manager Stage Manager Deputy Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager Wardrobe Supervisor Casting Department Casting Department Set, Props & Costumes by The Royal Exchange Theatre Company Acting Head of Props & Settings Phil Costello. Name: Luke Hunt Role: Designer Describe your role in one sentence: I design the set and the costumes. What is your favourite animal and why? Tulip our hamster who died recently. Who was your best friend at school? I didn’t have one best friend for very long. Do you believe in ghosts? No. Ghosts are rubbish anyway. Whenever someone tells ‘ghost’ story, all the ghosts ever seem to do is move me a household objects whenever nobody is looking. What is your favourite theatre project that you’ve worked on? This one because it has the most imaginative settin gs to design. What are you scared of? Nuclear war and the ‘Teacher’ from the Pink Floyd video ‘Another Brick in the Wall.’ Name: Malcolm Raeburn Role: Middle-aged Dan/The Professor Describe you role in one sentence: Dan as he hopes he will be when he’s older, and perhaps as he fears he will be. What is your favourite animal and why? Dogs - of course! Other people’s dogs, that is - I’m not all that keen on looking after animals. But I’m sure dogs have a sense of humour: they make me laugh, anyway! DOG BOY is based in Manchester. What is your favourite city and why? New York. Scary but exciting. And Rome - great ruins. Great pizzas. Much nicer than at home (ruined pizzas.) Do you believe in ghosts? Just a minute, did you hear that? That creaking? Could it be? Er...no. Do you like being at the Royal Exchange? Why? Yes! Such an honour to be in the same space as so many theatrical greats. And so convenient for the shops! What are you scared of? What have you got? Basically, any creature that seems to have more legs than are necessary for getting about! With thanks to... Iceland Foods plc Phone City, Withington Lyon’s Cakes Pets at Home Ltd. Manchester Dogs Home Addis Houseware Ltd. B & Q Warehouse (Ashton) Tesco Somerfield Sainsbury’s Rosewood (for dog crates) A big thank you to all the schools who have contributed to the DOG BOY exhibition in The Studio foyer. WHAT’S MY PET? Can you guess which pet belongs to who? Grappa and Lola Rough Collie & Ridgeback/Pointer cross Like: Scooby Snacks & rolling in poo Amanda DOG BOY writer Likes: seasides in winter Boadicea goldfish (deceased) Likes: swimming Katie Company Manager Likes: Earl Grey tea Jerry Casting Director Likes: real ale Mr Bernard Jones King of the Cats Likes: plenty of dinner Jacob Director Likes: Lasagne Redcat & Mouse 2 fine cats Like: sleeping & eating melon A. A watch dog Patient: Doctor, doctor, I feel like a dog. Doctor: Sit Q. What’s the first thing a werewolf eats after having a tooth out? A. The dentist. Q. Why do vampires drink blood? A. Because lemonade makes them burp. Q. What do werewolves write at the end of their letters? A. BEST VICIOUS Answers Q. What goes ‘tick tick woof woof’? - What kind of dog is that? - A Chihuaha - A what? - A chihuaha. A chihuaha! - Bless you! Mr Bernard Jones Redcat & Mouse Grappa & Lola Goldie Q. What does a dog do that a person steps into? A. Pants Man: Have you any dogs going cheap? Petshop owner: No Sir, all our dogs go “woof” Amanda: Katie: Jerry: Jacob: ARE YOU JOKIN G? Q. Why did the teacher send Dracula’s son home from school? A. He was coffin. Q. What do you say before you start a meeting with ghosts? A. Please be sheeted. ANAGRAMS, NICKNAMES and NAMES that CHANGE over TIME... bly not special names that are proba In DOG BOY all of the characters have nicknames, or the characters introduce themselves by of Some those they were given when they were born. their nickname. Can you remember who does this? . Why do you think we are never told Some of the characters never tell us their real name the Professor’s real name? at the end of the play....Neither Gran nor The real names of two of the characters are told to us right insists on being called Bendy and Bendy like their real name, so they use different ones. Bendy Gran’s stage name was Elva Rie. him Dog Boy. He tells her “my name is Dan”. Dan, on the other hand, doesn’t like it when Bendy calls Why do you think Dan doesn’t like his nickname? Why does Bendy call him this? can “ bend round corners and under Bendy tells Dan that she is called Bendy because she proud of her nickname, and probably things, and in through little dog-flaps.” She seems made it up herself. up your own nickname or someone Do you think it makes a difference whether you make else gives it to you? some that are not? One of the bad Are there some kinds of nicknames that are cool and make fun of a person and bully them. things about nicknames is that they can be used to Boy”? What do you think is going on when Bendy calls Dan “Dog Why Not? • When Dan’s Gran was a dancer her stage name was Elva Rie - an anagram of her real name, Valerie. An anagram is a word which is made by rearranging the letters of another word. Make anagrams of your first name and surname, if you can. Compare your anagrams with those of a friend and other members of your family. • Make a list of any famous people you can think of who have nicknames. See if you know their real names, and why they were given nicknames in the first place. You could start your list with Posh n Becks. • Think a bit more about nicknames and the ways in which some people change their names. What are all the reasons they do this? Do you think people sometimes want to change the name they’re known as, as they get older or as their life changes? Do you think Bendy will still want to be called “Bendy” when she is Gran’s age? • Make up a new name or a nickname for yourself. Try to think of a quality or interest that you have and build that into the name. For example, some people who are fast runners have somet imes been given names with “speedy” in them. In Louis Sachar’s novel, HOLES, all the characters have nicknames. Why not borrow the book from the library and check out why X-Ray, Caveman, Zero and the other boys have these particular names? Make a name for yourself that says something about who you are or who you would like to be. Dog Boy Wordsearch Quiz The answers to all these clues are hidden in the wordsearch. Can you find them? 1. Anagram of Valerie: Gran’s stage name. 2. The name of Dan’s dog. 3. What Dan wants to be when he grows up. 4. Where is Dan’s mum? 5. What Dan leaves in the spooky house. 6. The surname of Gran’s late husband. 7. The nickname of the girl who wears Gran’s slippers. 8. The first name of the DOG BOY Sound Designer. 9. The microwave meal Gran gives Dan for his tea. 10. What Gran and Bendy do at the end of the play. Sirius a swimming stroke a shrubby kind of plant the damaged or worn pages of a book urants a parcel of leftover food to take home from resta dogs less home and lost up s someone who round collar some vicars wear instead of a tie. as well as a collar for a dog to wear, it’s the white e else wants to do a person who does the unpleasant or dull jobs no-on Answers A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. 1C, 2H, 3E, 4D, 5B, 6A, 7F, 8G. 1. dog-wood? 2. a dogsbody? 3. a doggy bag? 4. dog-eared? 5. the doggy paddle? 6. the Dog Star? 7. a dog warden? 8. a dog collar ? 1. Elva Rie 2. Digger 3. Vet 4. Hospital 5. Lead 6. Phelps 7. Bendy 8. Gerry 9. Lasagne 10. Dance CAN YOU MATCH THESE DOGS WITH THEIR MEANINGS? TRUTH OR FICTION ? ? N IO IT T S R E P U S R O FACT LEGEND OR LIE? Here are 6 dog stories. 3 are true, 1 is a legend, 1 is supernatural and 1 is fiction.Can you guess which is which? A clue: ce or natural things supernatural means can’t be explained by scien . - some people believe in the supernatural; others don’t , probably told A legend is a story handed down from earlier times years. We’re not (rather than written down) by many people over the is usually some there but not or ned always sure if a legend really happe we can story a like feel it s make that kind of message in the story today. lives our live we how about thing believe in and that tells us some (But that doesn’t Fiction is a story that is made up. It is not true. mean it’s bad - most of the best stories are fiction) G 1. RALPH THE CLEVERsuddeDO nly ran away one day. Ralph Daniel Hutchins was taking his dog, Ralph, for a walk and Daniel was very worried. He was and was lost for hours and hours. It was getting dark his home he saw Ralph, pulling what looking everywhere. Suddenly, in a back street near Ralph had found an old manhole, looked like a snake from a hole in the ground. In fact, under the street. Ralph was pulling at with no cover on. It was going down into the sewer and helped his dog to tug at the a rope that seemed to be stuck. Daniel hurried to Ralph t, wrapped in a plastic bag, were a rope. Tied to its end was a bucket. And in the bucke ht to the police and the Daily pair of tap-dancing shoes. Daniel took the shoes straig one’s surprise, an elderly lady called Mirror printed a photograph of them. Much to every ged to the famous film star, Fred Valerie Phelps recognised the shoes. They had belon 1965 and they had been stolen in a Astaire. She had bought the shoes in an auction in delighted to get them back after all burglary at her house on June 4th 1982. She was so to sleep on and a year’s supply of his these years that she gave Ralph a cosy new blanket favourite dog food. 2. DOGS OF WAR to beat the advancing German armies During the Second World War, the Russian Army hoped biscuits and other titbits as bait, they with their new secret weapon, the exploding dog. Using of tanks. The cruel plan was to tie taught the dogs to expect to find food on the underneath d under enemy vehicles in crawle bombs to the dogs, who would then explode when they it all went wrong for the test the to search of a snack. But - when the nasty plan was put d to expect to find food learne had they Russian Army. The dogs ignored the German tanks, as , the army had to tanks n Russia the ds only under their own tanks. As the dogs raced towar tried such a never they and off.... went quickly catch them and stop them before the bombs . cruel plan again 4. DOG IN SPACE Laika was a stray dog living in Moscow. One day she was caught in the street and put in a cage in the back of a van. She was taken to a kind of to laboratory. Laika didn’t know it but she was going For 2. ik Sputn called t be sent into space in a rocke months she was trained for her mission and on November 3 1957 she was sent into space. She was sent nearly 2,000 miles into orbit and she survived this. Sadly, though, the life support system in her capsule ran out and Laika died before she got back to Earth. A monument to Laika stands at Star City outside Moscow, and many people have written about her including Mathew Sweeney who wrote this sad poem: Dog In Space The barking in space has died out now, though dogbones rattle. And the marks of teeth on the sputnik’s hull are proof of a battle impossible to win. And asteroid-dents were no help at all. Did the dog see, through the window, earth’s blue ball? Did the dog know that no other dog had made the circle around the earth her historic spin that turned eternal? 3. GREYFRIARS’ BOBBdYin Old Bobby, was burie In 1858, John Gray, the owner of a Skye Terrier called his master’s death, Bobby after years en fourte For Greyfriars Churchyard, Edinburgh. to his master that he only left the kept watch over the grave. So devoted was Bobby Greyfriars’ Bobby into a film. In Churchyard for food. Walt Disney made the story of Greyfriars Churchyard to 1873, after Bobby had died, a statue was erected in commemorate the famous terrier. Time Travel...future, past, present... DOG BOY isn’t really a play about time travel but some rather strange things happen to time in the play. Remember the begin ning and end of the play? Dan imagines his future self and what will have become of him... What does he think he’ll be? Also , in the house, Dan asks the Professor if he is who Dan will become... “Are you me?” says Dan. Weird. What’s all that about, then? (Didn’t you think the Professor looked a bit like the older Dan we meet at the start and end of the play...think about it). 5. GELERT out hunting from his home One day, hundreds of years ago, Prince Llewellyn went son. When he got home, baby in the woods and left his dog, Gelert, to guard his that the dog’s mouth saw Gelert looked worried and tired, and Prince Llewellyn he was not in his but son, was covered in blood. The Prince rushed to his baby floor. Llewellyn the to fallen cradle. Spots of blood lay on a bed cover that had . He knew that sword his with went crazy with grief and anger and killed Gelert for his son and grief with wept the dog must have killed the baby child. Llewellyn Suddenly, he him. yed betra for the dog he had trusted and loved, but had so found his baby and sound the heard another person crying - a baby. He followed y was the Nearb tree. a e son, alive and well, lying under a pile of leaves besid ke. The mista le terrib his ed bloodstained body of a wolf. Prince Llewellyn realis protect to it killed and wolf wolf had tried to kill the child. Gelert had fought the trees. the under place safe a the baby, and had carried the baby in his mouth to of Grave the for h (Wels t Geler Llewellyn buried Gelert and named the place Bedd dog. loyal Gelert) in honour of his brave and NGE 6. THE MAJOR’S REVE time he died he had Scotland. At the In 1876 Major Stewart died in his big, old country house in that he had often said if he returned so much so , 14 dogs and he loved them very much indeed ite black spaniel. Sadly, after he to Earth after his death he would want to come as his favour died his family had all 14 dogs put to sleep. soon they started to hear and see The Major’s nephew and his wife moved into the house and imes fill a room and the Major’s strange things. A strange smell, like wet dogs, would somet scampering up and down the stairs. nephew would sometimes hear what sounded like animals d and broke, for no reason at all. groun the to d One day, a vase on a low table suddenly crashe s over the summer - he was keen The Major’s nephew decided to rent the house out to visitor days they left, complaining of to get away for a while. People moved in, but within a few e thumping noises against the something invisible pressing against their legs, and of strang invisible tails?) doors and furniture (could this have been the wagging of to rent it for two paid had they gh althou , After one week the people left the house her a group of toget got He thing. last one try months. The Major’s nephew decided to house to see what happened.... 20 friends who were willing to spend one night in the noises and strange feelings in For the first few hours the guests tried to explain the the wind was blowing, the ordinary ways. They said the water pipes were rusty, them refused to go to bed, of many e, bedtim servants were making a noise....but by bottles and pokers as they sat in they were so afraid, and some armed themselves with the drawing room. the room. It raced around the Suddenly, a black spaniel appeared in the middle of from and just as soon as it tables and chairs. No-one knew where it had come owned a spaniel. The only spaniel appeared it was gone, melting into thin air. No-one had belonged to Major Stewart. any of the guests could remember was the one that ges and left the house. NoIn the middle of the night, the guests called for carria one ever returned there. Also, the Professor tells Dan to look into Bendy’s eyes. He seems to be saying that Bendy looks a lot like Dan’s dog, Digge r... Why Not? 1. Think about who you want to be in twenty years time. Dan imagines he’ll be a vet, living in the countryside. Do you know what you want to be? Try making two versions of yourself in a story or as a drawing. First, think about your likely future - really based on the kind of perso n you think you are now, and all the things you enjoy doing, what might you be up to when you are older? Then think about your wildest dreams - if you could be anything you wanted, what would it be? Why not aim for the goal of your dreams? 2. Imagine that you are Bendy and Dan’s teachers. Write end of year reports for their progress in different subjects (Think about the things we learn in the play - for example, we know Dan hates PE). Include in the report suggestions for ways in which they can both attempt to make new friends, and possib ly to improve on behaviour. 3. Take photographs of either your own pet or one that belongs to a relative or friend. Use these to make a picture collage. Ask family members and friends to write down on coloured cards memories of their own pets and use these with your own written comments to decorate your pet collag e. 4. Imagine you have been asked to set up an advic e website at school. Pupils will be able to access the website to download advice and information on a wide range of topics including bullying and the death of a family pet. With a small group, decide what topics you will feature on the websi te and the advice you will offer to those who visit it. 5. With friends or others in your class, make freeze -frames of the pictures you imagine would appear in Dan’s family photo album for when he is aged 10, 15, 20, 30 and 45. In the pictures, show if Dan keeps in touch with Bendy and if he ever revisits the Professor’s House. Does he becom e a vet, as he hopes? Invite all the 5 Dans to take part in a special TV programme called THIS IS MY LIFE! Interview the older Dan about what it was like growi ng up and in particular ask him to recall memories of Digger, Bendy and Gran. 6. Speak to members of your family including grand parents, aunties, etc., and ask each person to choose a favourite piece of music. Compile a CD / tape containing all the chosen tracks. Design a cover and write some background notes about the music and artistes featured on your compilation. 7. Divide a sheet of paper into 12 squares. Use these squares to create a comic strip version of DOG BOY or of any of the other storie s in this booklet. This is harder than you think. You need to decide on the 12 most important moments in the story - and write a caption, or speech bubbles for each of the ‘frames’.. This kind of comic strip is very like a storyboard. Film make rs make story boards to help them plan out their films. Maybe you could turn yours into a movie. Answers 1. Fiction 2. True 3. True 4. True 5. Legend 6. Superstition Here’s a few more dogs who . .. Y O B G O D in n o ti n e m a t ge ES! WEREWOLVthey? ) All around Werewolves are imaginary creatures (or are into the world there are ancient stories of men turning the roam who s wolves, and of half- human, half-wolf beast e chang who ns huma land. Werewolves are often thought to be form ike wolf-l their into wolves when there is a full moon. In , and they grow thick hair on their skin, howl at the moon ls. attack humans and other anima SIRIUS Also known as the Dog Star, Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Sirius is 51 million trillion miles away and is one of the closest stars to Earth. It can be seen from all over the world. The Ancient Egyptians believed that sighting Sirius was a good omen as it represented the rising of the River Nile and was a sign that there would be a good harvest. Egyptian temples were built so that the light of Sirius entered the inner chambers. In mythology, the Dog Star represents the faithful dog of Orion, the Hunter, also depicted as a constellation of stars in the night sky. PERITAS Alexander the Great (born in 356 B.C.) became King of Macedonia. At his death aged 33, he was ruler of almost the entire world. Alexander loved animals and when his beloved dog, Peritas, died he made a law that the dog must be honoured with the same grand funeral as a King or Queen would be given. Each year, on the anniversary of the dog’s death, there was a special ceremony to remember him. ANUBIS , one of The Ancient Egyptians worshiped many Gods. Of these of a head the with God the most important was Anubis, the tery). ceme (the polis dog. Anubis was guardian of the Necro souls of In Egyptian mythology, Anubis was said to guide the world. Under the of those who had just died to Osiris, ruler happen d shoul what e Osiris would then judge them and decid . to their souls WRITING DOG BOY... and some tips for writing a play of your own, from... Amanda Dalton. Are the characters in DOG BOY based on real people? in both Dan and Bendy, and quite a lot of Yes and no. They’re all made up, but there’s a lot of me good tip for writing to use bits of real my mum in Gran. Writers often do this, I think, and it’s a e partly made up, new people. people and situations but also to let your characters becom but also fresh and true to themselves. Hopefully, this mixture makes your characters seem real ironing, just like Gran - but she My mum was a dancer, and was rubbish at cooking and bly thinking of her when I wrote that. didn’t drink gin and tonic. My nanna did - I was proba school. I hated and was scared of For five years I, like Bendy, didn’t go to an ordinary (Mind you, I loved it later on. I school when I was little, and ended up refusing to go. y and fidgety like Bendy - but I think I was cured by then). I was also noisy and cheek animals (still do) and always wanted didn’t break into people’s houses. Like Dan, I loved to be a vet. If I want to write a play, what should I do? You should write it! And when you’ve written it, get some friends to read it out loud with you and, better still, act it out. The words on the page are not all there is of a play. Plays come to life when they’re performed. Here’s a few things to think about if you are writing a play rather than a story..... • In a play your characters can be seen, they can do things and they can speak and react to other characters. That sounds obvious, but it’s different from a story where we can’t see (although we can imagine) and where you can write descr iptions and thoughts. You can’t do that in a play. • Dialogue (speaking) is the main thing you write down in a play. Each of your characters will have their own particular way of talking. People don’t all talk the same; they don’t use the same words and they don’t all talk the same amount. Remember this when you write your dialogue. It needs to sound realistic - the way your character would really talk. •Each scene in your play needs to tell a bit more of the story and show us new things about your characters. It sometimes helps to plan out your play before you write it. Decide what will be in each scene. •Think about where your play takes place. Different scenes can happen in different places (In DOG BOY the three places are Dan’s kitche n, the Spooky House, and the Wasteland - rough land where Bendy plays). Don’t have too many different places or this will be hard to follow. Think about why your scene s will be set where they are and use simple stage directions (instructions for the Direc tor and the Actors) to explain where scenes happen and a few details like how you want the characters to be dressed (in theatre this is called costume). Did You Know... FRED and GINGER are not two dogs or cats! They were Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, two famous film stars. In the 1950s, Dan’s Gran and Grandad performed a song and dance act in Theatres and Music Halls. Their act included a tribute to Fred and Ginger. Fred and Ginger appeared in a number of musical films made during the 1930s. Their good looks, stylish clothes, singing and FANTASTIC dancing - especially tap-dancing - made them hugely popular. As a solo singer, Fred Astaire recorded many albums and had songs especially written for him by leading composers of the time including George Gershwin and Cole Porter. By the way, Fred and Ginger’s real names were Frederick Austerlitz and Virginia Katherine McMath. Ask your Grandparents if they remember any of Fred and Ginger’s best known films: FLYING DOWN TO RIO (1933) TOP HAT (1935) SWING TIME (1936) SHALL WE DANCE? (1937) THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY (1949) death? What made you write about a sad thing like about real things that happen to us I wanted to write a play for young people that was young people about something as all..I think adults sometimes find it hard to talk to face in different ways at different difficult as death, but it’s something we all have to talk about it and think about what times in our lives, and I think it’s good to sometimes be SO upset when any of my pets we each believe. I remember when I was little I would whole ceremony of burying them, died (I had a dog, cats, guinea pigs and mice). The s, and it being OK to be sad and then making a grave in the garden, keeping photograph tant. In the play, Dan hasn’t to remember them happily - all of that was really impor can’t face up to what has really done that grieving so I think he’s got stuck and Spooky House makes Dan think happened to his dog. What happens in the Professor’s s it wrong to try to bring an animal about his beliefs and he is very clear that he think ted Digger’s death. That’s really back to life. By the end of the play I think he has accep important, and a kind of happy ending, I hope. Good luck, and enjoy yourself. Writing plays is great fun. The Professor and the story of Frankenstein a great writer called Mary Shelley. Since then, FRANKENSTEIN was first written as book in 1818, by similar to the book; others which aren’t. it has been made into lots of films, some of which are ntly clever. He decides he will do Frankenstein is a student studying science. He is brillia by making a human creature out of something no-one has done before: he will cheat Death He works on his experiment in secret, and corpses (dead bodies) and try to bring it back to life. he succeeds in making a monster. in’s laboratory. It longs for friendship and The monster comes to life and escapes from Frankenste Soon, the monster turns to evil........ understanding but everyone it meets is scared of it. of dog. His reasons are a bit different from In DOG BOY, the Professor is trying to make a kind by bringing back to life something that has Frankenstein’s, but he is still trying to cheat Death he is doing is very wrong “probably the died. Dan is horrified and tells the Professor that what evilmost thing anyone could ever do”. Ghosts Ghosts and haunted houses appear in books and films as different as HARRY POTTER and SCOOBY DOO. The whole subje ct of ghosts and spirits is sometimes called the PARANORMAL. Peopl e who study the paranormal have gathered evidence on video and audiotape to help try and prove the existence of ghost s. Some people have not seen ghosts but instead have experienced objects mysteriously being moved off tables and books helves without any obvious explanation. This type of ghost is known as a POLTERGEIST. Like UFOs, ghosts remain a phenomenon, which scien tists have been unable to explain. Ghost stories such as the one Dan’s Gran tells in DOG BOY have been passed down from gener ation to generation. As long as people are still scared by stran ge buildings and noises, ghost stories will continue to entertain and frighten for many years to come. Why Not? Why Not? , from 1. Write a ghost story about visiting a spooky house s at sound e strang heard have e peopl which it is rumoured ns happe t g.Wha barkin dogs and howls night including wolf igate? invest to house the when you go inside stories 2. Write a poem, story or play based on one of these the g) ovisin (impr up g makin story, or try acting out the to go music some e Choos . along go you dialogue (words) as e.... rmanc with your perfo Try to 3. Stories and storytelling are important in DOG BOY. by told are that s storie other remember some of the tells different characters. Can you remember the story Gran ing dress the in ghost a saw ad Grand about the time Dan’s at room at the Hippodrome? And Bendy’s story of a boy Dan gives ssor Profe The ire? vamp a was he said school who and , a long account of what he does in the spooky house why the dogs are there. Take one of these stories from see if memory and either re-write it in your own words or you can perform it. or ghosts. 4. Make some masks - of werewolves, dogs, ghouls shapes, You will need to draw the outline and features (eye right the nose or snout and mouth) onto a sheet of card make and mask size to fit your face. Paint or colour in the cut Also go. would two holes round about where your ears piece a d Threa ils. nostr out the eye shapes and maybe some . mask the wear can you of elastic through the side holes so head - make some lists of all the ‘fors’ and ‘againsts’ and think of some of the situations where deciding what you believe might be difficult. 4. Mime the Professor’s dog-monster machine (and decide who will be the dog!). In groups of about 6, decide what are the main parts of the Professor’s machine: wheels, cogs, flashing lights etc. Stay completely still at the beginning then gradually build up your own “electricity.” End the presentation at the point where Dan smashes the machine. 1. Discuss whether or not you agree with Dan? Why do you think Dan believes that what the Professor is doing is “evil”? After all, Dan wants his dog back more than anything in the world - so why isn’t he prepared to give this experiment a try? 2. Put the Professor - or Frankenstein - on trial. Decide whether you want to speak FOR or AGAINST the idea of using scientific knowledge to create a living creature or human being out of corpses. Now argue the case. 3. Think about some modern scientific 5. Instead of acting the machine, design experiments and research. For example: and draw it onto paper. Remember to • Cloning label all the parts. • Transplanting animal’s hearts (usually 6. Imagine that like Doctor Frankenstein pigs) into human beings and the Professor you are able to bring • Cosmetic surgery scary monsters and mysterious How are these different to what the creatures to life. Draw a picture of the Professor or Frankenstein are doing? Are monster you make in your laboratory. In they different at all? These are difficult the new SCOOBY-DOO films some of the and complicated ideas about right and monsters are based on Zombies, Black wrong - sometimes called ETHICS. Whole Knights and Evil masked figures. You books have been written discussing some may want to use a head and limbs from of these ideas, and people will often have some of these monsters to make your very strong views about the rights and own creature! When you have drawn the wrongs of some kinds of scientific and monster draw another one and write a medical research. These views might be short story about what happens when based on many things including religious the monsters escape from your beliefs, or morals, or about using animals laboratory. Don’t forget to include lots for experimentation, What do you think? of green slime in your pictures! Try not to just say the first thing in your SO YOU WANT TO BE... Interested in becoming an actor, director or working behind the scenes? If you are then read the following advice from people who have worked on DOG BOY and who knows one day it may be your name appearing in a Royal Exchange Theatre programme! An Actor A Sound Designer A Director Direct a lot of plays and Use your ears and listen to lots of learn everything that you can about the different sounds and work out how theatre. It’s also you could recreate them on stage. To be a good sound designer you important to learn from other people, being a really have to understand how theatre works and how plays are put good director is all JERRY KNIGHT SMITH & about keeping an open together. CAMILLA EVANS - Casting mind and being GERRY MARSDEN interested in what is A Set Designer going on in the world around you. There are a lot of obstacles to Go to the theatre a lot and have fun! If you becoming a theatre director and it’s love the theatre and have a lot of enthusiasm, important to keep going on and not then you already have the best building to become too disheartened. blocks for beginning a career as a Designer. If you want to be a stage actor, start now by watching as many plays as you possibly can. Ultimately the best way of becoming an actor is going to a drama school. LUKE HUNT JACOB MURRAY The Wardrobe Supervisor A Stage Manager Obtain as many qualifications as you It’s a very specialist area of the can and work backstage on school plays Theatre to work in and you really and youth theatre productions. The need to go to College to study more experience you have the more costume design. If at all possible likely it is that one day you will get a try and gain some experience of job in the theatre. working in the Theatre both fitting and making costumes. You will also KEITH BROOM - Technical Stage Manager need good sewing skills and a detailed knowledge of fashion and The Lighting Designer what clothes are See as much theatre as you can, including plays, ballet, currently available musicals and opera and look at the different lighting effects on the High Street. that have been used. A good way of learning about lighting is TRACY DUNK to study the natural world. The sun is the source of the biggest lighting effects ever produced! If you study the sun you can learn about using different colours and how light bounces off clouds, buildings and objects. RICHARD OWEN WHO DOES WHAT? - Behind the scenes with DOG BOY. As well as the actors who have spent weeks rehearsing the play, another group of people have been very busy working behind the scenes at the Royal Exchange Theatre to get DOG BOY ready for opening night. Read the following job descriptions and then match them up with the quotes from some of the people who have been working behind the scenes on DOG BOY. JOB DESCRIPTIONS A Director is responsible for working with the actors and everyone backstage to bring a production to life in front of an audience. The Stage Manager A Set and Costume Designer is responsible for everything that happens on stage including the actors and the people who work behind the scenes and also finds furniture and props that are used in the production. creates the world of the play using scenery and props and also designs the costumes for the actors to wear on stage. The Wardrobe Supervisor creates costumes based on the Designer’s ideas and original drawings. They also work with the actors to make sure that they are comfortable wearing their costumes on stage. QUOTES ‘One of my first jobs will to be mark out on the rehearsal room floor, the outline of the DOG BOY set. In rehearsals this will help the actors and the Director work out how they will move around on the stage during the performance. I will also be making wonky cakes, which will be eaten during the play!’ spend a lot of time watching actors in TV programmes and performing in plays in theatres all over the country. They suggest to a Director the names of actors who they think are suitable to play particular roles in a play The Sound Designer records all the music and sound which is used in the production and makes sure that all the speakers and sound equipment are properly positioned on stage. ‘I will read through the play with the actors and discuss their relationship with the other characters. I will also work out with them where and how they will move around the stage.’ ‘Before we started thinking about casting DOG BOY we read the play and discussed it with the Director. We started casting for the production about four weeks before the play went into rehearsal.’ JACOB MURRAY JERRY KNIGHT SMITH & CAMILLA EVANS ‘In the first stages of the design process, I discussed with the Director where the audience would sit. I then built a rough model of the set using card. This enabled myself and the Director to decide where we should put the main pieces of the set.’ ‘I will be looking to create sounds, which provide a lot of atmosphere for the audience. In particular, I want to use a lot of strange noises and low hums for the scenes in the Haunted House. I’m going to record dogs barking and then by using a computer will change them so that they sound more unnatural. I will also be recording other effects for DOG BOY including the sounds of birds singing and a radio playing.’ ‘After deciding on the basic idea for the set, I then made a more detailed set model and added some colour to it.’ GERRY MARSDEN LUKE HUNT RICHARD OWEN Box Office 0161 833 9833 Written and researched by Royal Exchange Theatre Education and Marketing Departments. For further information call the Education Department on 0161 615 6780 REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 255424 looks after all the lighting requirements for a production and works closely with the Director to create the right atmosphere for the play on stage Casting Directors ‘I’ll try and make the lighting dark and mysterious and will be using gobos to achieve lots of different effects. (Gobos are thin, small pieces of metal, which have patterns, cut out of them. They are put behind the lens of a stage light to create specific lighting effects, such as light coming through a window). In the play I want to give the impression that the lighting will be coming through windows, shutters and broken floors.’ JULIA WADE The Lighting Designer Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann’s Square, Manchester M2 7DH ‘I won’t have to make any costumes for DOG BOY, as we will be using costumes, which will either be bought especially for the show or will be selected from items that we already have in our wardrobe store.’ TRACY DUNK The Dog Boy Resource Pack is kindly sponsored by Barclays. In 2003 Barclays global commitment to the community amounted to £32.8 million, which includes 1% of UK pre-tax profits. As one of the UK’s largest corporate community contributors, the bank aims to achieve real and lasting benefit for both the community and Barclays, supporting arts, education, social inclusion, people with disabilities and the environment.