DEVISING LOG NO.1 [79/80]
DEVISING LOG SECTION 1: RESPONSE TO A STIMULUS
The initial response to the stimuli:
We were immediately drawn to the French folktale “Bluebeard,” published in the 1600s. The concept
of gender inequality in the relationship dynamic between Bluebeard and his wife intrigued us.
Therefore we picked this stimuli as it had the potential to be developed into a captivating and dramatic
piece, using storytelling and anti-illusionary theatre styles.
Research findings
During my research, I discovered that the folktale was sourced from the 15th century convicted Breton
serial killer, Gilles de Rais, a nobleman who fought with Joan of Arc, before being hanged and
murdered for his crimes. Both Rais and Bluebeard were rich, powerful men who killed women. When
researching their motives I found a French council held in 586, on whether a woman is a human.
Alongside Bluebeard and Josephine’s characters (his wife), we added Dolores’s character (his first
wife) as a vengeful spirit and key to the mystery. Dolores’s presence would highlight the deceiving
nature of appearances, as her unique narrative voice, as an outsider, engages the audience and
foreshadows the ominous future. We also decided to make the friendship of the two wives convey the
consequences of relationships built on lies and deceit, through a didactic and anti-illusionary style.
Initial ideas for chosen stimuli
We initially wanted to explore the question of whether women are human, through juxtaposition to
switch between the court debate setting and the interaction between the characters. However we
realised that too many transitions would create a jarring effect as our fairytale style would conflict with
the realism of the court setting. After discussing, we rethought our ideas by sticking to a fairytale
setting, whilst rethinking the aim of our piece to focus on the theme of gender inequality through the
interaction of the characters. Next we decided on a linear structure from the engagement of Bluebeard
and Josephine, to Bluebeard killing Jospehine.To convey the story’s cyclical nature, we decided to set
it all in Bluebeard's castle thus relying on an anti-illusionary style as the audience can focus on the
lives of the characters whilst the fairytale backdrop reminds them that this is a piece of fiction.The
piece is aimed at older audiences as we tackle how twisted lies can become to preserve
appearances, thus engaging the audience and allowing them to reflect on the spiralling chaos.
My dramatic aims and intentions
When playing Dolores, I will act in a serious but apprehensive manner to highlight her extreme distrust
towards others due to being killed by her lover. However, I will also walk slowly and carefully to show
her calculated nature, causing the audience to become terrified of her ruthless desire for revenge. To
portray her vengeful character I will speak in low, soothing tones to mask my true intentions and earn
Josephine’s trust. My stiff posture makes the audience view Dolores suspiciously as her guarded
stance alludes to a hidden secret, making them view her as an unreliable narrator. This is reiterated
through her character mannerism of touching her neck whenever she is nervous or uncertain,
embodying the cause of her death and strengthening her conviction in ensuring that Josephine meets
the same destiny.
The group’s dramatic aims and intentions
As a group, we plan to create an anti-illusionary piece of drama conforming to the conventions of
storytelling by using techniques such as ‘demonstrating’ rather than ‘becoming’ the role. This
highlights the actors' storytelling role as we freely interpret the characters we are playing, allowing the
audience to engage with the story of Bluebeard on a deeper level. We aim to illustrate the impacts of
misogyny in history and the present day, while creating a captivating and thrilling piece where the
audience is immersed in the stories of the characters while being able to piece for themselves the
truth in this web of conflict and deceit.
© 2024 Grades Express
DEVISING LOG SECTION 1: RESPONSE TO A STIMULUS
The initial response to the stimuli:
We were immediately drawn to the French folktale “Bluebeard,” published in the 1600s. The concept
of gender inequality in the relationship dynamic between Bluebeard and his wife intrigued us.
Therefore we picked this stimuli as it had the potential to be developed into a captivating and dramatic
piece, using storytelling and anti-illusionary theatre styles.
Research findings
During my research, I discovered that the folktale was sourced from the 15th century convicted Breton
serial killer, Gilles de Rais, a nobleman who fought with Joan of Arc, before being hanged and
murdered for his crimes. Both Rais and Bluebeard were rich, powerful men who killed women. When
researching their motives I found a French council held in 586, on whether a woman is a human.
Alongside Bluebeard and Josephine’s characters (his wife), we added Dolores’s character (his first
wife) as a vengeful spirit and key to the mystery. Dolores’s presence would highlight the deceiving
nature of appearances, as her unique narrative voice, as an outsider, engages the audience and
foreshadows the ominous future. We also decided to make the friendship of the two wives convey the
consequences of relationships built on lies and deceit, through a didactic and anti-illusionary style.
Initial ideas for chosen stimuli
We initially wanted to explore the question of whether women are human, through juxtaposition to
switch between the court debate setting and the interaction between the characters. However we
realised that too many transitions would create a jarring effect as our fairytale style would conflict with
the realism of the court setting. After discussing, we rethought our ideas by sticking to a fairytale
setting, whilst rethinking the aim of our piece to focus on the theme of gender inequality through the
interaction of the characters. Next we decided on a linear structure from the engagement of Bluebeard
and Josephine, to Bluebeard killing Jospehine.To convey the story’s cyclical nature, we decided to set
it all in Bluebeard's castle thus relying on an anti-illusionary style as the audience can focus on the
lives of the characters whilst the fairytale backdrop reminds them that this is a piece of fiction.The
piece is aimed at older audiences as we tackle how twisted lies can become to preserve
appearances, thus engaging the audience and allowing them to reflect on the spiralling chaos.
My dramatic aims and intentions
When playing Dolores, I will act in a serious but apprehensive manner to highlight her extreme distrust
towards others due to being killed by her lover. However, I will also walk slowly and carefully to show
her calculated nature, causing the audience to become terrified of her ruthless desire for revenge. To
portray her vengeful character I will speak in low, soothing tones to mask my true intentions and earn
Josephine’s trust. My stiff posture makes the audience view Dolores suspiciously as her guarded
stance alludes to a hidden secret, making them view her as an unreliable narrator. This is reiterated
through her character mannerism of touching her neck whenever she is nervous or uncertain,
embodying the cause of her death and strengthening her conviction in ensuring that Josephine meets
the same destiny.
The group’s dramatic aims and intentions
As a group, we plan to create an anti-illusionary piece of drama conforming to the conventions of
storytelling by using techniques such as ‘demonstrating’ rather than ‘becoming’ the role. This
highlights the actors' storytelling role as we freely interpret the characters we are playing, allowing the
audience to engage with the story of Bluebeard on a deeper level. We aim to illustrate the impacts of
misogyny in history and the present day, while creating a captivating and thrilling piece where the
audience is immersed in the stories of the characters while being able to piece for themselves the
truth in this web of conflict and deceit.
© 2024 Grades Express
