“Darkness.We hear the sound of a woman moaning as she regains consciousness. As she opens her eyes, there is bright, afternoon garden sunlight. Throughout the play, we will hear what she hears; see what she sees. A subjective viewpoint therefore and one that may at times be somewhat less than accurate.”
And with this stage direction, Alan Ayckbourn begins his play Woman in Mind. All of Ayckbourn's plays are a challenge to stage but deeply rewarding with their decidedly British sense of farce. In Woman in Mind, Ayckbourn sets out to detail Susan's descent into madness in a very clever and funny way. Mental illness is never something to laugh about, but with Ayckbourn writing it, the play becomes a bittersweet journey of discovery for the characters and the audience as well.
Ayckbourn once observed about the production: "I think the women in the audience stop laughing long before the men. I don't stand there gleefully watching but there does seem a quite concerted rush to the Ladies at the end. There's a line in Woman in Mind, `When I think what we could have done with our lives if we hadn't decided to talk abouteverything first,' and there is a universal groan of recognition from the audience - especially from women and children."
Let's see how IB students react as you will be called upon to do some production work on scenery, costumes, or lighting and sound for this play. You will also be designing a new playbill. You may not use the design for the current show in London (see picture above) or any of the past designs used.
For further information, you try wikipedia (not too much there), or a review of the show, or, better yet, Alan Ayckbourn's website where he details so much about the play (click around this one for help on your project). If it helps, I have also included a link to the way a woman's mind works. Enjoy!
And with this stage direction, Alan Ayckbourn begins his play Woman in Mind. All of Ayckbourn's plays are a challenge to stage but deeply rewarding with their decidedly British sense of farce. In Woman in Mind, Ayckbourn sets out to detail Susan's descent into madness in a very clever and funny way. Mental illness is never something to laugh about, but with Ayckbourn writing it, the play becomes a bittersweet journey of discovery for the characters and the audience as well.
Ayckbourn once observed about the production: "I think the women in the audience stop laughing long before the men. I don't stand there gleefully watching but there does seem a quite concerted rush to the Ladies at the end. There's a line in Woman in Mind, `When I think what we could have done with our lives if we hadn't decided to talk abouteverything first,' and there is a universal groan of recognition from the audience - especially from women and children."
Let's see how IB students react as you will be called upon to do some production work on scenery, costumes, or lighting and sound for this play. You will also be designing a new playbill. You may not use the design for the current show in London (see picture above) or any of the past designs used.
For further information, you try wikipedia (not too much there), or a review of the show, or, better yet, Alan Ayckbourn's website where he details so much about the play (click around this one for help on your project). If it helps, I have also included a link to the way a woman's mind works. Enjoy!
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