The Long and the Short and the Tall: relationships between performers and audience

Character-Audience Relationship

In ‘The Long and the Short and the Tall’, the characters’ moral dilemmas provide an intricate character-audience relationship. The audience gets a chance to step into the shoes of the characters, question their decisions, and empathise with their predicaments.
The playwright Willis Hall uses direct address sparingly, maintaining the distance and the fourth wall. When used, however, it impacts the audience directly by breaking the safe barrier, drawing them into the reality of war.
The character of the Japanese prisoner is a significant tool in manipulating audience’s reactions. He is a silent figure, unable to communicate with the rest of the characters. This lack of verbal communication stirs empathy within the audience for an individual who is branded as ‘the enemy’.

Action-Audience Relationship

The naturalistic staging of the play creates an immersive action-audience relationship. The realistic setting enhances the audience’s understanding of the characters’ heightened situation – trapped in a hut amid a war zone.
Hall’s use of dramatic irony in the narrative constructs a direct relationship with the audience. The audience are often aware of the characters’ fate before the characters themselves. This heightens the tension and emotional investment of the audience.
The play’s use of silence is also a powerful tool to convey emotional intensity, thus engaging the audience further. The thoughtful placement of silence enhances the dramatic effect, leading the audience to anticipate the coming scenes.

Theme-Audience Relationship

Using war as the central theme, the play engages the audience on a topic of universal relevance. The audience are asked to consider the moral complexities of war, thereby interact more deeply with the overarching theme.
The theme of survival is another significant element that resonates with the audience. Character actions, driven by fear and survival instinct, pique audience interest.
Finally, the question of humanity in war makes a direct connection between the characters and the audience. As the play progresses, this theme becomes more pronounced, prompting self-reflection in the viewers.