Cloud Nine: Performers’ physical interpretation of character (build, age, height, facial features, movement, posture, gesture, facial expression)

Character Interpretation in Cloud Nine

The actors in ‘Cloud Nine’ must play characters that differ significantly in physical attributes (age, height, build). The success of this performance relies on the actors’ ability to adopt the mannerisms, postures, and expressions appropriate to their characters.
The actor playing Betty in Act 1, for instance, needs to convey a subservient and repressed Victorian wife despite being male, while the same character in Act 2 is performed by a woman, representing Betty’s growth and exploration of her own desires.
Joshua, enacted by a white actor, requires the performer to embody the complex traits of a colonised African servant compliant with the dominating white perspective.

Subtle changes in movement and posture can indicate character growth or changes in power dynamics. Attentive viewers can discern a notable shift in Betty’s movement style between Acts 1 and 2, indicating her progression towards self-assertion.
Clive, the Victorian patriarch, should have a commanding posture that reflects his control and power. Conversely, when the same actor plays Cathy in Act 2, the actor should adopt the uninhibited movements typical of a child.

Gestures and facial expressions are crucial in communicating unsaid emotions and thoughts. For instance, the male actor playing Betty in Act 1 should often use facial expressions depicting discomfort or struggle to highlight Betty’s inner conflict.
Similarly, the performer playing Joshua should use rigid, restrained gestures to simulate Joshua’s internalisation of the white supremacy imposed on him.
Facial expression becomes particularly significant with characters like Betty and Edward who battle with their feelings and societal expectations.