Earthquakes in London: Performers' vocal interpretation of character (accent, volume, pitch, timing, pace, intonation, phrasing, emotional range, delivery of lines)

Earthquakes in London: Performers’ vocal interpretation of character (accent, volume, pitch, timing, pace, intonation, phrasing, emotional range, delivery of lines)

Accent Usage in Characterisation

  • Accents in Earthquakes in London are important for distinguishing between the multi-roled characters and indicating socio-economic status or geographic background, effectively aiding the audience’s understanding of the unfolding narrative.
  • Accents should remain consistent to maintain credibility of individual roles.

Importance of Volume, Pitch and Pace

  • Volume may be manipulated to underscore the emotional intensity of a situation, or to emphasise key lines and dramatic moments. Lower volume can indicate intimacy or secrecy, whilst high volume can connote anger, fear or panic.
  • Pitch and pace are useful vocal tools to communicate character’s emotional state and urgency of the situation. Increasing pitch may signal heightened tension, while a faster pace may suggest panic, urgency, or excitement.

Timing and Phrasing for Delivery

  • Timing is crucial in maintaining the rhythm of the dialogue and achieving comic or dramatic effects. A well-timed pause can increase tension or highlight the importance of what is to be said next.
  • Phrasing, the way sentences and words are grouped together when speaking, can reveal a lot about a character’s emotional state or thought process. Deliberately broken or rushed phrases could suggest a distressed or agitated state of mind.

Emotional Range and Intonation

  • Performers’ vocal emotional range is vital in effectively communicating their character’s emotional journey, and engaging audience’s empathy.
  • Intonation plays an essential role in conveying character’s feelings, attitudes, and intentions. For instance, a rising intonation can definitely question, while a falling intonation suggests conclusion or certainty.

Delivery of Lines

  • The way performers deliver their lines can have great impact on the audience’s understanding and perception of the play’s themes, mood, and character relationships.
  • The delivery should serve the purpose of the scene and the character’s intentions, spelled out in the lines. Whether the lines are whispered, shouted, sung or calmly stated, each delivery choice should be justified within the context of the play.