One of the most effective rehearsal tasks we did was exploring the scenes without any text, but simply playing our objectives. By removing the dialogue we were really able to focus on what our characters were trying to achieve throughout the scene and the means in which they attempt this. This was really useful in the 2013 scenes with all four of us in as those scenes can get quite mixed up and confused, so it was really useful just to drop the dialogue and do it physically.

This exercise also really interrogated us on how well we knew the scene, whether or not we could play it without the dialogue. The first scene we explored - Part 2 Scene 4 worked really well, we were definitely able to play it without the dialogue, just working with our objectives. However, Part 3 Scene 1 was less so successful, we all got a little lost with scene without the dialogue - this is because there are a lot more units in this scene, various things happen and are discussed. This caused us to go quicker or slower than each other, it was much harder to follow. We caught it by the end, as I chose a definitive moment to leave the scene with the daddy long legs, which enabled my other cast members to identify the part of the scene we were at if they were lost, but I still found it particularly challenging.

However, once we played back the scene with the dialogue again - the benefits from doing it without the dialogue was definitely beneficial. The objectives were heightened as we had singled them out and played with them previously, I felt that everyone interacted with their objectives a lot more effectively and successfully then we all have in the past which allowed the scene to flow more dynamically and smoothly.

I will definitely do this exercise in later development when looking at scenes as I believe it really pushes the actor's attention to detail and how well they know the scene and the character - the fact it's so simple, by just removing the dialogue, means it will be a task that's accessible in any rehearsal without any preparation except knowing the scene relatively well. It's definitely one to do later on in the rehearsal period.

Developing the ending

I really like how we chose to end the show - paralleling with the opening - as it really allows the entire production to come in full circle. Having the entire cast on at the very end really allows us to push the idea that the play is about one family through generations and how something so simple like a table can be the anchor of the family.

One of the biggest challenges for the ending for my performance is the singing. In particular, the singing with Will. He sometimes throws me off by singing the incorrect version of the song which means rather than me singing the actual version I've learnt from the lines in the play I usually repeat the ones he sang - for some reason the version and tune I have learnt, goes right out of my head. Though this is more so my problem then it is Will's, I really need to push myself to ensure that I sing the correct one. However, I think it also works in some respects as it really highlights the relationship between Su-Lin and Gideon as it shows Gideon really trying to connect with his Granddaughter.

I definitely feel like this ending is a lot more effective than us trying to recreate the one in the script - everyone singing the canto-pop song. This is due to us developing the music aspect of the piece quite late on in rehearsals - it would've been very hard for everyone in the cast to have learnt it well enough by the first performance.

I really like the ending with Su-Lin and David, I think it's a really powerful moment that presents the entire journey the audience have been on. From the youngest Best family member to the oldest, spanning over 100 years. It really brought light to the fact that this one family, that every single character, are related through the table.

Actioning and Objectives

This is an example of one of my scenes which I actioned. Though I don't particularly find actioning right for me when I am performing, it is quite a useful rehearsal task to carry out when first given a scene and you are exploring what your character is really trying to say.

I find working and focusing on your character's objectives for that particular scene as lot more beneficial for informing my performance than actioning. This is because I don't find myself remembering or looking for my actions when I am performing but I find myself focused on getting my objectives and then the actions to get my objective flow naturally.

This entire scene is really Su-Li  interrogating Michelle about her relationship with Gideon and who this mysterious Grandfather figure really is. She obviously doesn't know too much about him otherwise she wouldn't be asking so many questions. During this scene I'm really playing with Su-Lin's quality of being super curious and constantly asking questions - this is extremely evident in other scenes where she's asking Gideon about the table marks or about his father at the dinner table. She always wants to know more. This is what I am really playing towards as my objective throughout this scene - her need to know as much as possible.

Something else I found quite useful when interrogating my text, was looking and the underlying statement behind the lines - what are the characters really trying to say? This enables me to have a clear approach to my lines without giving an incorrect delivery with the wrong intention. What is my character trying to achieve by saying this? - is a question I asked myself quite often.

It was very useful preparing my text this way in rehearsals as it meant I was ready and focused on my character's objectives and my lines' intentions when we physically started blocking it and adding detail.

2013 notes

• EAT OUT OF THE PINK BOWLS
• EXITS AND ENTRANCES
• TALKING AND EATING AND THE SAME TIME

These are generally the most common notes we get about the 2013 scenes, they're not too complicated but at least one of us forgets to do them each time we run the scenes. The hardest is probably our entrances and exits - particularly the transitions from Part 2 Scene 4 to Part 3 Scene 1 as we have props to carry off, bring back on and place in the exact same space. The system we've sorted out with the whole 'three breaths' really allows us to have a routine that enables the transition to run a lot more smoothly, however, as evident our rehearsals, it doesn't always work out that way. It's very important for us to move out of Part 2 Scene 4 without error as it is the penultimate scene before the interval so any mishap would definitely be remembered by the audience. 

Though it's not particularly difficult on paper, for some reason remembering to eat and talk at the same time is something I'm finding quite challenging. It's important I work on this as not only will it aid the scene's realism, but if I am not eating then a few of the lines wouldn't make sense - "Su-Lin, don't talk with your mouth full." This is something I have to really push myself to remember whilst running the scene as I am more focused on my interaction with Will as he is telling the story to Su-Lin than I am with the eating. 

Mike Alfreds & Meisner

I found Mike Alfred's techniques of using improvisation to help inform and explore different scenes and characters really beneficial. We were able to look at moments from our character's lives that weren't necessarily in the actual play which allowed us to develop in more detail our own understanding of our character's background and additional context to the scenes.

Working with Jack and Lauren on a moment when Su-Lin is told how she was born & what surrogacy was, gave me a chance to both explore a scene with Lauren - who though plays my Grandmother, I don't have a scene with and further look at Su-Lin and her characterisation. It was really interesting to see what her natural instincts were and how I felt she would respond to this. Su-Lin's origins and birth mother aren't really a secret, I feel, in the Hillier-Best family - this is evident when Anthony talks about it at the lunch table. Therefore, I definitely don't feel like Su-Lin would take it too seriously to heart - she accepts it for what it is and loves her two dads either way.

I feel that mine and Skye's workshop on Mike Alfreds really allowed the entire cast to explore their character's in ways that hadn't before. We erased all barriers and had every character - from all time periods - interact in some way. Not only did this provide a chance for people to interrogate their character's instincts and reactions to other characters that they may not get to interact with in the play - it also highlighted the fact that every single character in Table are related in some way, whether it be through marriage or mutual friends.

Meisner's repetition technique would be particularly useful in developing and fleshing out some of the scenes with only two characters - for example, Su-Lin and Gideon, Margaret and Finley, and Gideon and Michelle. Though we've explored Meisner's techniques in our acting technique classes, I think going through the repetition exercise with these groups and really focusing on getting as much benefit from it as possible it would really aid the scene's developments.

As the first scene of the show is between myself and Will, the religion exercise would definitely be useful for the development of our character's relationship. Su-Lin and Gideon of bounce off of one another, Su-Lin in particular repeats the word "that" over and over to prompt a reaction from Gideon. Meisner's repetition technique would definitely allow that scene to retain some freshness as not only do we have to repeat it 3 times for the performances but it's also repeated as the last scene of the show - this gives both me and Will a major challenge to work around to ensure that the scene is as effective and believable both times. 

I took a few photos during our dress/technical rehearsal. The best thing about this rehearsal was how we were really able to see the entire show come together - how the costumes and set really help to tell the story.

The tree is obviously symbolic for the entire play - it revolving around one family's family tree. So having that in the background of every single scene allows the audience to constantly be reminded that it is about one family, it is one story being told here.

These two scenes are two of my favourites in the play - they're both moments of climax between two characters that haven't seen each other in years yet have a lot of complicated history. They're moments in the play that really tie the rest together, you realise that the Gideon is Jack Holman's child - you realise that the Gideon in the commune scene is the same person from the very beginning with Su-Lin. They're pivotal scenes for the play.

Though there's many layers and it is extremely hot, I love Su-Lin's costume. It definitely feels like a child who doesn't really care what people think and just wears what she wants to wear.

The traditional Chinese top allows the link back to her birth mother (which is assumed to be Chinese though it is not outright confirmed), whilst the tutu and the pink leg warmers, I feel, show how she's a naturally confident performer. She's always singing, dancing and dressing up - this is definitely shown in her costume.

It shows how creative and fun she is, she definitely doesn't take herself too seriously at 9 years old and it shows that her parent's Anthony and Ben have given her a space to grow up into whoever she wants to be without any barriers.