Australian
Screen

Teacher’s notes

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This clip from the television play Seven Deadly Sins – Pride shows a rehearsal for the play The Stronger by August Strindberg. The action takes place in a darkened theatre as Roger Pascoe (Colin Friels) directs his wife Jill (Elizabeth Alexander) and impatiently tries to motivate their actor friend in a scene that is not going well. As Jill quietly encourages the friend Roger leans in closely over his assistant. The rehearsal continues intently observed by Roger. Later, Roger complains to Jill about the other actor and Jill comments on his obsessiveness.

Educational value points

• The first scene shows how framing directs audience attention and helps to give meaning to a scene. The camera follows Roger (Colin Friels, 1952–) throughout, even when the focus of the action or script is on the other players – as when the two female actors discuss difficulties with the play they are rehearsing. The camera’s focus on Roger emphasises his dominating presence in the action.

• The choice of camera shots points the viewer to wider or more subtle readings of the script. As the rehearsal recommences Jill delivers lines that describe a character in the play who ‘women are always falling in love with’. At this point the camera very slowly zooms in on Roger, thus alerting the viewer to a potential connection between him and the lines spoken by Jill.

• The lighting palette is different in the two scenes in the clip, reflecting not only a change of scene, but also of mood. The almost monochrome lighting, set and clothes of the first scene may be read as underscoring the atmosphere of restrained frustration depicted by the characters. The second scene, set backstage, is lit with a red filtered light, suggesting the warmer and more intense relationship of the couple while emphasising Roger’s anger.

• The script being rehearsed in the clip is The Stronger by August Strindberg (1849–1912), a ten-minute play featuring two actresses (Miss Y and Mrs X) who are rivals in the theatre and for the affections of Mrs X’s husband with whom Miss Y is having an affair. The play is in the form of a monologue: only Mrs X (in the clip played by Jill, in turn played by Elizabeth Alexander, 1952–) has spoken lines. Miss Y (Linden Wilkinson) contributes only with gesture, laughter and surprise.

• In the clip gesture is used to convey tension and indicate the unspoken undercurrents between the three main characters. Roger is almost praying in supplication as he explains motivation to the actress playing Miss Y, and his gestures emphasise his frustration with her. The actress holds her face in her hands and Jill literally reaches out to comfort her. In the second scene Roger gesticulates dramatically and slams the table to express his anger.

• This clip shows part of the director’s role in a play – directors guide actors by explaining characters’ motivations, providing context for characters’ responses and giving direction during rehearsal. In the clip Roger is emotive in his attempt to provide an explanation of the character’s motivation to assist the actress playing Miss Y. However, his directorial response to Miss Y’s question about how much she should play the subtext – ‘Not too much, not too little’ – is ambiguous in the context of the play within the play.