Characters & Relationships
A wide range of fascinating characters and interesting relationships can be found in all of the Ludus Dance productions, but how and why particular characters may be used can vary greatly across the shows. When we see clear characters on the stage that we can get to know, relate to and empathise with, or, be surprised and intrigued by, the themes being explored can be communicated all the more powerfully, and more memorably.
The kinds of characters that we see can help us understand what’s happening in a particular scene and in the performance as a whole. Are they everyday people, animals or fantastical creatures, or perhaps a mixture of all of these? What particular qualities do they have and why? Do the characters surprise us in any way?
How are the characters appearing? Are the dancers playing the same characters throughout the show, or do they keep changing into different characters for different scenes, or at times play no characters at all? Why?
Where do the characters appear? Are they on the film, in the soundtrack or live on stage or all of these?
How are the characters interacting with each other or the audience? Why is this important, what is it telling us about the story or theme? What moods and emotions are they evoking?
Lets look at some characters from a selection of the shows and see how they are helping to communicate the storylines and themes.
Clip 1: Perfecting Eugene
Bagheads
In PERFECTING EUGENE, about human genetics, advancing science and the search for perfection, we follow the story of Mr and Mrs Baghead, their unborn son Eugene and Gerry the Geneticist .The characters appear throughout the show in a series of episodes on a flickering black and white film, in the style of an old fashioned instructional television programme. Mr and Mrs Baghead are human in form, but have brown paper bags for heads, the dancers wearing them like masks. Eugene is shown as a large egg.
Why do you think the characters are presented like this?
The characters are very important in the show as they are used to convey certain information and a message. Tests have shown that baby Eugene is going to have a Boxhead, not a Baghead and we see the parents struggling with the dilemma of what to do when they discover that he won’t be as perfect as they hoped.
Finally, Mr and Mrs Baghead appear live on stage, which is a real surprise for the audience and a dramatic twist in the story. They dance a duet where we see the characters struggling with the decision of what to do. The fact that we are now seeing them in the flesh and in full colour, not black and white, brings them to life and into the present day. This makes their situation and dilemma all the more moving and poignant.
The Baghead characters are rather strange and surreal, but still recognisable as people. They are deliberately like this as they and their story could represent anybody, anywhere and not just a particular type of person. Through seeing them, we can reflect upon our own thoughts and feelings about the issue. What would we do?
Clip 2: Zygote and Trapped
In ZYGOTE and TRAPPED, there are similarities in the way in which some characters are presented. In both shows, certain characters play the role of manipulating the different scenes, the action, and the other characters, as if they are in control of the way the story is going to be told. They can also be a link between the audience and the action on stage by having more direct communication with the audience, directing their focus or encouraging particular responses from them.
ZYGOTE is a show about teenage pregnancy and parenting and the issue is explored through the format of a game show. The character of Malcolm, the game show host is first introduced through a voiceover. This is used to introduce the show and let the audience know what is about to happen on stage. Malcolm appears on stage.
What sort of character is he? What is he doing that shows us this? Look at his movement, gestures, focus and costume.
In this sequence, we see Malcolm interacting with the other characters. He brings the three contestants onto stage one by one. The way he lifts, spins and leads each confused contestant and places them where he wants them really shows that he is in control here. He has a magical quality and we see early on in the scene that he is controlling the action and has the power to change anything at anytime.
Trapped
In TRAPPED, which explores the importance of emotions and emotional literacy, we are introduced to two very strange and important characters – the 'Tricksters'. They appear right at the beginning of the show, and, like the game show host in Zygote, they are there to create and manipulate the scenes and characters. Here, they are creating the Mother and the Daughter, and scenes of growing up and life at home. They move and mould the Mother and Daughter, give them props, and join in to create each scene or idea.
The Daughter is worried about her Mother not returning home. On another deeper level, the Tricksters are used to represent the emotions of the Daughter. How do they show this here? Look at their relationship with the daughter, their text and movement.
Throughout the show, the Tricksters transform themselves into a variety of weird and wonderful characters who help and hinder the Daughter on her quest to find her Mother. They appear as bossy receptionists intent on preventing the Daughter from speaking to the Boss.
The story of Trapped is like a magical fairytale, how do the Trickster characters help to portray this style?
Clip 3: SOLD and Perfecting Eugene
Many of the Ludus shows involve a section where we suddenly see completely different, often larger than life and fantastical characters appearing. This can add humour, be an attention grabbing contrast to other sections and effectively get across certain information or aspect of the issue.
SOLD looks at the issue of Child Labour, and for this section of the show we are introduced to some particularly sinister characters. The scene is about how some large companies choose poor and developing countries and use children as their workforce. It highlights the greed, manipulation and exploitation involved in operating in this way. The characters are depicted as crows. Why do you think this is?
In PERFECTING EUGENE, it was important to get across a lot of scientific information and facts. The ‘Super Salsa Science Show’ is a humorous but informative section where the characters are giant cells and chromosomes that dance their way through an animated explanation of the basic workings of genes and DNA. Why do you think the scene was created in such a way? Is it effective?
Clip 4: ID:me
In ID:ME, which looks at issues of identity and diversity, we follow the same four characters throughout the show. They are all very different from each other, with diverse backgrounds and personal stories. We experience their lives together in the same community, involving suspicion, rejection and conflict, and then acceptance and learning to work together.
This clip shows the characters first entrances. Notice how each character enters, any greeting gestures and interactions with the other characters. Who are they? What do you learn about these characters from the moment that they enter?
