Download A Clockwork Orange Proposal

A Proposal by Josh Finan, Tamar Saphra and
Thalia Caddy
“What’s it going to be then eh?”
The Play
A Clockwork Orange, penned by Anthony Burgess in 1962, chronicles the hedonistic ‘ultraviolence’ of Alex and his ‘droogs’ who, in a dystopian, futuristic setting satirizing Western
society, wage a constant battle against the adult world. The gang, energised by drink,
drugs and Beethoven, roam the streets with an aggressive sense of entitlement, fighting
and raping as they go. However, when his cronies betray him and an old lady is left dead
at his feet, fourteen-year-old Alex is locked up and subjected to a brutal, governmental
brainwashing regime which eliminates his desire to commit violence. The novella closely
studies violence in the human condition, with Burgess concluding that violence in young
people is due to an inherent, unavoidable conflict between them and the adult world that
controls them. The content and themes of Burgess’s novel transpire into the stage version
which he adapted himself.
The Team
Josh Finan- Director
Since my first week in Sheffield, SuTCo has been the most important and enjoyable aspect
of my university life. I have acted in King Lear, Peter Pan, Punk Rock and Frankenstein,
along with several radio plays, including Intimate Exchanges and Cinderella: Reloaded. I
also played Willmore in The Rover; a collaborative project between Sheffield Theatres and
The School of English, where I worked closely with a professional director and learnt a great
deal about bringing a professional rehearsal process. During the summer I was invited to
attend the International Student Drama Festival where I benefitted from workshops by
many esteemed industry professionals. I also completed a National Youth Theatre course in
acting. I learnt invaluable skills throughout my experiences with ISDF and NYT, which I feel
has put me in excellent stead to direct a play myself.
Tamar Saphra- Stage Manager
I’m a second year English Literature and Theatre student. I have been on the production
teams for two SuTCo shows so far: I was Producer for ‘Peter Pan’ in my first year and have
recently Directed ‘Rope’. In terms of my stage management experience, I was DSM for The
School of English/Sheffield Theatre’s production of ‘The Rover’ and also stage-managed for
a community Theatre and Dance company. I have varied technical and acting experience
within the Drama Studio owing to my degree and working for the School of English. These
include lighting and sound operating as well as light programming and set design. Due to
my varied experience in the Drama Studio, I believe I know the space well and am
therefore capable of ensuring the technical aspects of this piece run smoothly.
Thalia Caddy- Producer
I am a first year student here in Sheffield and was eager to find out about theatre at the
University straight away. I was cast in Frankenstein as a member of the Ensemble and
played the drowning girl and Agatha Delacy. This was great fun, I met loads of really great
people and I really enjoyed getting involved with SuTCo. I have done productions with a
couple of theatre companies but some of my favorite work is the productions we did at
school at A Level, such as our reinvention of Lisa McGee's Girls and Dolls. I have taken part
in directing and taken on ASM roles in the past but I am eager to challenge myself and
undertake the role of producer for this play. A Clockwork Orange has always fascinated
me and it will be exciting to come up with original ways to entice an audience and put on
some exciting socials!
Characters
Because of the sheer number of characters Burgess has created for this play it would be
unfeasible for them to be played by only one actor each. Instead, actors will multi-role,
some taking on up to three characters. Below is a possible actor/character combination to
give an idea of the plentiful range of roles, but ultimately parts will be decided in auditions
depending on suitability. The total number of actors will be at least fifteen, and they will
not be gender specific.
Alex- The anti-hero of the piece, ecstatically and erotically charged by engaging in
violence. A fantastic character who oozes fierce aggression, but also a charming likeability.
He drives the narrative and will be played by a male or female. Arguably the most
challenging character.
Georgie/ Jojohn/ Rick- Member of Alex’s gang, prisoner, and a younger gang member,
respectively.
Pete/ Zophar/ Len- Member of Alex’s gang, prisoner, younger gang member, respectively.
Dim/ Big Jew/ Bully- Member of Alex’s gang, prisoner, younger gang member, respectively
*Man/ Doctor/ ComedianBilly Boy/ Pedofil/ Joe- Alex’s nemesis, prisoner, adopted son of Alex’s parents, respectively
*Girl/ Woman/ Marty- Beautiful singer, rape victim, girlfriend of Alex, respectively
F. Alexander- Middle-aged gentleman and victim of Alex’s violent debauchery. Later in
the play, Alexander turns Alex’s aggression upon him and almost kills him.
*Wife/ Mum
P. Deltoid/ Dad- Alex’s probation worker/ Alex’s father
Chaplain- Prison chaplain who stands for morality, yet spends most of the play inebriated
Governor/ Dolin- Prison Governor, political figure
Minister/ Rubenstein- Prison minister, political figure
Gang members/ Policemen/ Prison Wardens
*It must be specified that, whilst these character combinations appear to be categorised
according to gender, it is strictly hypothetical. The casting of Alex has a large impact on the
casting of the other characters. Should Alex be cast as a female, the love interest at the end
of the play, Marty, will be cast a male. Similarly, the Man who wanders on drunk at the
beginning, need not be played by a man.
Artistic Intention
This is a play which lends itself to experimentation and exploration. Physical theatre is an
element that has been explored in other productions, and we will implement specifically
choreographed, stylized elements in our piece. The gang brawl, rape scene and
brainwashing scene will be choreographed alongside Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
Burgess’s intention was that classical music and violence should contrast with each other,
adding an element of discomfort for the audience. However, this will not be an objectively
physical piece of theatre. The rape scene will be dealt with implicitly, with the young girl
being placed in to our skip/industrial bin and the gang jumping in after her. The effect of
the rape will be achieved by the sound of the music and her screaming, rather than a
graphic, physical stage rape. In some ways, violence that is unseen is much more effective.
Another artistic aim removes any gender specification. This decision was made because of the
central theme of play; youth vs. adulthood. We want to create the idea of uniformity
within the young gangs, moving beyond typical gender constructions, to hammer home the
inherent struggle between the young and old. It also maximises potential for inclusions and
gives actors an opportunity to explore characters they might not have had a chance to
play before. A female actor adopting the role of a violent, masochistic droog would have a
profound effect on both audience and actor.
One theme of the play is the idea of the transience of youthful interests. One will notice the
difference in teenage slang from the beginning to the end of the play. Indeed when Burgess wrote
the novel, he used then-current Teddy Boy terminology, which was dated by the time of
publication. Teen fashion similarly flits in and out of style; a feature our costume design will evoke.
The costumes of the droogs will include elements of previous era’s fashions which would look
ridiculous to the youth of today but quite possible feasible for this dystopian future. We will
combine a Tudor cravat, thick “horrorshow” metal studded boots, black tights, braces, and blue
lipstick. The lipstick and braces, symbols of gender, will be worn by both sexes to make the point
that gender is irrelevant in the war against adulthood.
In terms of my directorial approach I feel confident structuring and guiding a rehearsal process
that will encourage actors to focus on three aspects: voice, physicality, and imagination. I
believe these skills have a profound relevance to my dramatic aims for A Clockwork
Orange. Actors will be dealing with unfamiliar language, engaging with intensive physical
routines, whilst portraying characters who exist in a society quite dissimilar to our own.
Technical Ideas
Set-
The Drama Studio’s stage will be stripped of curtains, tabs and wings to maximise
the use of space. We stage it in the thrust, however the audience will only be seated at the
stage right and centre section. Stage left will be reserved for the band who will move
around and integrate with the action at specific points.
We want our piece to visually evoke a strong image of urban decay to emphasize the
degeneration of society at the hands of these violent youths. We will use objects such as a
large industrial bin or skip, piles of rubbish, an old mattress, a broken chair, pieces of
scaffolding and traffic cones. The beautiful pillars of the Drama Studio will be papered
with juxtaposing political propaganda and pornography, to symbolise the ever-waging
battle between the government and disrespectful teens. To avoid messy scene changes, the
set will remain on the stage throughout the piece and serve multiple functions. For
example, an old upside down chair will be turned over, covered with a sheet that has been
thrown into the wheelie bins, and this will function as the chair for Alex’s brainwashing
scene.
We want to make full use of the stage, and will therefore also be using the baptistery. For
the duration of the play, it will symbolise the Korova Milk Bar. Actors, when not at the
forefront of the action will remain, in view of the audience, at tables and chairs in the bar.
To prevent distractions from the main action, they will be cast in gloom, but we feel a
perpetual, lurking, shadowy presence of these actors will be very effective to the piece.
Lighting-
We require a lighting designer to create a system of lights that convey the
dystopian setting. This design will be required to focus on different part of the stage at
different points in the plot. For example, in the scene where Alex breaks in to the house of
the old lady, a square of light will needed to be focused on the action. In this way, the light
will represent the walls of her home.
Sound-
Classical music, mostly in the form of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, is included
by Burgess in the text. We will have a live band who will participate in the action on stage,
as the music fuels the action of the story. One scene in which this would work is where the
wife of F. Alexander gets raped. The band would stand and encircle the action, adding a
very real, threatening presence.
Admin
Week Preference- This play requires the Week Seven slot for the following reasons:
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Actors will be multi-rolling and must be confident with their distinguishable
characterisations. The rehearsal process will be carefully devised to cater for the
needs of each actor, but we need ample time to make this process as fruitful as
possible (for a further discussion on what the rehearsal process will focus on, please
see the ‘Artistic Intention’ section).
Our piece will use elements of physical theatre choreographed specifically to a
musical score that Burgess provides in the script. Obviously, this is quite demanding,
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and we will need time to work with a musical director and movement coach to
ensure the look of the piece is aesthetically pleasing.
We will have a live band, who will need time to rehearse Burgess’ preffered music.
We want the set to be very visually stunning, and we intend to use the space in
quite a different way to previous SuTCo shows. Potentially difficult props such as
an industrial bin or skip will need to be found and we intend to use scaffolding.
A Clockwork Orange promises to be a very visual, visceral production which will
make a powerful finale to a SuTCo season.
Rights- Artellus Limited has been contacted concerning the rights for the play but have
so far not had a response.
Publicity and Sponsorship-
The story of A Clockwork Orange is well known and
has always been considered controversial; the intrigue surrounding it is sure to attract a big
audience. This year is the 50th anniversary of the book and so it is a perfect time to
celebrate Anthony Burgess’s work and put this play on. The notoriety of A Clockwork
Orange will make companies more likely to sponsor the production, and, as the text is used
on school syllabuses, we will invite local schools to the show. In terms of other publicity, the
theme of urban decay will be used for the trailer and posters. The interior of the disused
church on Crookesmoor road is crumbling and covered in graffiti; an ideal film location!
Why SuTCo should do this play
A Clockwork Orange is a seminal piece of English literature, and its poignancy and
relevance has lost none of its potency over the years. Indeed, time has made it more
relevant. The London riots of 2010 showed us a society that was in danger of sliding into
the dystopia etched into the mantra on A Clockwork Orange. It is worrying to consider the
notion that, had the riots been left to evolve and spread, our social landscape may now be
categorised by the violence that plagues Burgess’s fictional streets. In many ways this play
makes a political point, and student theatre is the perfect conduit to exemplify it. It would
also be incredibly lucrative for SuTCo members. The cast is large, offering an exciting array
of challenging parts for actors, and the specificities of the script require a larger extended
production team, including a musical director and movement coach. Inclusivity is extended
through our requirements for a band, along with set, sound and lighting designers. Finally,
this play offers so much to an audience, who will undoubtedly be attracted due to the
infamy of the name.