She Stoops to Conquer Essay Example

She Stoops to Conquer Essay Along the way, there is an abundance of merry mix-ups, bawdy dialogue, much sly satire of the times and one of the great characters of the stage, Tony Lumpkin. She Stoops to Conquer is an hilarious comedy of errors; the marvellous humour and humanity of Goldsmiths play have made it one of the most read, performed and studied of all English comedies. Leading the cast is one of the countrys most accomplished comedy actresses. Lisa Goddard came to public attention in the hugely successful series, Take Three Girls. Since then she has worked on many of our best-known series including Pig In The Middle, The Brothers andBergerac. This pack contains information relating to the play and ideas for further exploration of the themes. It also contains an interview with Jonathan Munby (Director), Liza Goddard (Mrs. Hardcastle) Matthew Douglas (Marlow). We hope you find it useful. Helen Blackmore Education Associate Birmingham Repertory Theatre REP Insight produced by The Birmingham Repertory Thea tre Learning Participation Department, September 2007 The Birmingham Repertory Theatre Centenary Square Broad Street Birmingham B1 2EP (0121) 245 2000 www. birmingham-rep. co. k Learning Participation Department: (0121) 245 2092 [emailprotected] co. uk 3 SYNOPSIS OF THE PLAY Act One opens with Squire Hardcastle and his second wife Mrs. Hardcastle bickering. Mr. Hardcastle teases his wife about her age and her son, Tony Lumpkin, whom she had with her first husband. Tony is a mischievous man, with a love for drink and trickery, but not much else. Mrs. Hardcastle is quite determined that her spoiled and rather stupid son shall marry her niece, Constance Neville. If they marry she will be able to keep in the family Miss Nevilles fortune a casket of valuable jewels.Miss Neville and Tony Lumpkin, however, can only agree on one thing; their hatred of each other. Miss Neville is secretly pledged to another young man, Mr. Hastings, who is friends with Mr. Marlow, the son of Mr. Hardcastle ’s good friend Sir Charles. Hardcastle wants Marlow to marry his charming daughter Kate, but Marlow suffers from extreme anxiety when in the presence of young ladies of equal social standing and is barely able to speak. He suffers no such fear when in the presence of women of lower status, however, and successfully flirts with bar maids, servants and the like.The Hardcastle family are expecting the arrival of Marlow and his friend, Hastings. However, Hastings ; Marlow have lost their way and stop at the village inn to get their bearings. Tony Lumpkin is drinking within and hears of the men’s plight. Being the mischievous fellow that he is he seizes the opportunity, along with his friends, of misguiding Hastings ; Marlow and causing much merriment. He tells the men that they are so lost that they must spend the night at a local inn and directs them to the Hardcastle house which he highly recommends if they will excuse the eccentricities of the owner and his family.Neith er young Marlow nor Squire Hardcastle senses that both are victims of a hoax and duly make their way to the Hardcastle house, believing it to be an inn. When they arrive, they treat Hardcastle as the innkeeper while the squire (knowing who they are) is much incensed at the bold and impudent behaviour of his friends son. Young Hastings, as soon as he sees Constance, puts two and two together. Constance and Hastings agree to keep Marlow in ignorance and pretend that Constance and Kate, completely by coincidence, happen to be stopping the night at the inn.When introduced to Kate, Marlow can find little to say and stumbles through a half conversation. In his embarrassment he never once looks at her face. It is not surprising, therefore, that later in the evening when he sees her going about the house in the plain house dress her father insists on, he takes her for the bar maid. She encourages the deception in order to find out if he is really as witless as he seems. In her bar maids gui se she is pleasantly surprised to find him not dumb but, indeed, possessed of a graceful and ready wit.When she reveals herself as a well born but poor relation of the Hardcastle family he acknowledges his love for her. It is not until Marlow’s father Sir Charles arrives that the truth is revealed. Marlow, unaware of the bar maid’s true identity, claims he feels no love for Kate Hardcastle and dismisses any possibility of a union between them. Kate, however, claims that he has declared his love for her. She then sets about 4 revealing the truth by instructing her father and Sir Charles to hide in the room where she is about to meet with Marlow.Dressed in her plain clothes, Marlow (thinking her the bar maid) makes no secret of his feelings for her and all is revealed. Whilst all this is going on, Miss Neville and Hastings are plotting to elope. However, they cannot leave without Constance’s rightful fortune of jewels and they enlist the help of Tony Lumpkin to ac hieve this. Tony is only to happy to help, since the disappearance of Constance will put an end to his mothers meddling in his love life. All does not go according to plan though. Having successfully retrieved the jewels from his mother, Tony Lumpkin gives the jewels to Hastings, who sends them to Marlow for safe keeping.Marlow (not understanding the significance of the casket) then gives the jewels to a servant to stow away securely. The jewels end up back with their keeper, Mrs. Hardcastle. In the end, Hastings and Miss Neville are forced to come clean and declare their love. It isn’t until Tony Lumpkin refuses her hand that she is free to marry however, he doesn’t believe he can do this until he is come of age. Mr. Hardcastle then reveals that he is already of age, a fact that Mrs. Hardcastle has been keeping from him, and the play ends with two sets of lovers rightfully betrothed to one another.Illustration for She Stoops to Conquer Edwin Austin Abbey, 1885 5 CAST ; CHARACTERS MR. HARDCASTLE (Colin Baker) Hardcastle is an old fashioned man, who thinks his wife rather foolish for her love of the fashions and fancies of London. He is very fond of his daughter Kate and is keen for her to marry Marlow. MRS. HARDCASTLE (Liza Goddard) Mrs. Hardcastle is a somewhat ridiculous character who enjoys meddling in the affairs of others. Desperate to marry off her son to her niece, in order to keep the family jewels, she is selfish and foolish. KATE HARDCASTLE (Dorothea Myer-Bennett)Kate is a smart, charming woman, who uses her intelligence and cunning to win the heart of Marlow. 6 TONY LUMPKIN (Jonathan Broadbent) Tony Lumpkin is the rather spoilt son of Mrs. Hardcastle from her previous marriage. Fond of drinking and making mischief, Lumpkin amuses himself by causing havoc for others. CONSTANCE HARDCASTLE (Annie Hemingway) Constance is in love with Mr Hastings but her aunt, Mrs. Hardcastle wants her to marry her cousin Tony Lumpkin. In the end, Constance wins. SIR CHARLES MARLOW (GLYNN SWEET) An old friend of Mr. Hardcastle, Sir Charles is as keen as his friend for his son and Kate to be married. 7MARLOW (Matthew Douglas) Mr. Marlow is struck dumb when in the company of ladies of social standing. Kate’s clever tactics unite them as a couple in the end. HASTINGS (Matthew Burgess) Hastings is in love with Constance Neville and tries to elope with her so that they may escape the marriage plans of Constance’s aunt Mrs. Hardcastle who wants Constance to marry her son Tony. 8 OLIVER GOLDSMITH 1728/30-1774 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Nov 10 1728 0r 1730 – Born in Ireland (exact year and location unknown) 1747 – His father (Rector of Kilkenny West) dies. 1749 – He gains a Bachelor of Arts in Theology ; Law from Trinity College, Dublin.He later studies Medicine at University of Edinburgh and University of Leiden, before travelling around Europe living on his wits. 1755 ; 1757 â €“ He studies at University of Padua, then later moves to London and works as an apothecary’s assistant. Addicted to gambling, Goldsmith makes some money from being a ‘hack writer’ – paid to write low quality, quickly put together articles or books. Meets Samuel Johnson (Essayist) and becomes a member of ‘The Club’ (dining and conversation club founded in 1764) of which Joshua Reynolds (Artist) is also a member. 774 – Goldsmith dies from a kidney infection Most famous works – The Deserted Village (1770 Poem), The Hermit (1765 Ballad), She Stoops to Conquer (1771 Play – first performed 1773). †¢ †¢ Oliver Goldsmith 9 18TH CENTURY ENGLAND SOCIAL CLASS During the eighteenth century, the people of England were largely divided by social class. The class that a person belonged to was decided by their wealth, the upper classes were the richest whilst the lower classes were the poorest. The middle and upper classes e njoyed the finest food, liquor and fashion available while the lower classes struggled to survive.DISEASE Disease in the cities was rife due to overcrowding, poor sanitation and living conditions. Smallpox was one of the most common illnesses. During the eighteenth century it killed an estimated 60 million Europeans. A contagious disease, it was easily passed from person to person in cramped houses and streets. When a sick person from the lower class went to hospital to seek medical help, they were often met with prejudice and ignored in favour or patients with higher social standing. Prisoners in Newgate Prison William Hogarth POVERTY The lower classes (the poor people) struggled to survive.They would often go hungry and in very low times bread was all they could get their hands on to eat. In the cities the poor people lived on the streets or in small, dirty houses with many children sharing a bed. In the countryside, farmers and their families were forced to share shelters with th eir livestock. Their homes were often made of soil, dirt or pieces of wood lashed together. 10 Gin Lane William Hogarth, 1751 EMPLOYMENT The men were largely responsible for going out to work and bringing an income into the home. Amongst the poor however, women too sought employment.Generally though, women were kept busy with the housework and other jobs cooking, brewing ale, knitting, washing, teaching their young, gardening and making butter. Some women chose to set up shops in the market and sell different products. This helped the income a lot in the lower class families. In the countryside, men were employed in physical work on farms – ploughing, planting and harvesting. During the harvest, women would assist if they didn’t have any children to mind. A Georgian market 11 EDUCATION During the eighteenth century, schools were constantly opening and closing.Fees were charged to students, to cover the teacher’s wage and books etc. The likelihood of a school sta ying open was greatly increased if the school was attended by children from wealthy families. If the majority of children were from poorer families then the school’s life was likely to be in constant jeopardy. In this way, education was only readily available to those who could afford it and the poor, unable to become educated and increase their chances of a better working life, were kept at the bottom of the social classes. University was only open to men. CLOTHINGThe clothing of the time was very decorative. The women of the upper class wore nothing but the best material and the finest crafted outfits. First they put on their linen shirts. These shirts hung down below their knees. They then tied a string around their waist fastening the shirt. The corset was next. A corset was a tightly fastened body suit made of cloth and either metal or whalebone strips. This device was used to shape the body into any figure desired. The figure of the time was comparable to an hourglass. Big on the top and bottom, but skinny in the middle.Most women are not naturally shaped like this so much strain was put on the body when a corset was worn. Women did a lot of damage to their bodies like tearing skin, and even bruising internal organs. It has also been noted that one woman actually died because her corset was tied too tight. Men usually shaved their heads and then wore wigs, as wigs were much easier to manage than a real head of hair. Men were rarely seen without their wigs on if they owned one. Also many wore three point cocked hats. Three piece suits were definitely the most common attire for men. The pants were cut really high and didn’t go past the knees.Some even carried canes. 12 Interview with Jonathan Munby (Director), Liza Goddard (playing the character of Mrs Hardcastle) and Matthew Douglas (playing the character of Marlow) Q: What are the challenges that you face in directing this play? JM: One of the first things is making sure the play reaches ou t to a contemporary audience and feels fresh and alive. The play was written in 1771 with the first performance in 1773 and it’s important to make sure that we deliver a production of this play that honours where the play has come from, that acknowledges what the play is, and that reaches out to a contemporary audience.The language is a couple of hundred years old; it’s closer to that of the Restoration period than modern English. It’s a more heightened prose than contemporary writing, so there’s the challenge of getting our mouths and our minds round the text to release it for a modern audience. We also need to make sure that we understand the period and where the play has come from well enough to do it justice – the manners, the etiquette and the protocol of the time. We’re doing the production in period, so it’s about understanding the period well enough in order to release the play.Q: In your opinion, what is this play really abou t? JM: The thing that feels most potent to me and that I know that Goldsmith was interested in is the tension between town and country and class difference. Also the snobbery that is born out of that tension – the difference between country living and town living and also the aspiration of wanting to transcend a barrier and become something other. For example a country dweller who wants to be a townie, or the tension of a town dweller arriving in the country and feeling that they’re like a fish out of water.Or, someone wishing to transcend class and discovering the tension as a result of that desire is brought brilliantly to light by the play and feels very resonant now. We still live in a London-centric country where the provinces feel second best to the capital and I think that there is a snobbery that’s born out of that. I know that this play goes to the heart of that current feeling. The other thing, which comes absolutely from Goldsmith – he was an i ndividual who found it difficult to operate in public – is shyness and fear.The expectation that we put on young people to find matches, and the expectation that we put on a young man specifically in this instance to woo and court and find a perfect match (to woo his Kate) and what happens as a result of those expectations. There’s a high stake situation and that’s a fascinating thing in the play and something that we all have an emotional connection with. Q: What do you think is the central question at the heart of the play? JM: There isn’t one global question at the heart of the play, although what is clear are the individual needs and desires of the characters.For example, Mrs. Hardcastle wants refined pleasures; she wants to transcend the rambling mansion that she lives in and to refine it, and she wants her husband to be more refined. She wants the world she lives in to be more fashionable. Marlow wants to find a peace in his life, and to find a matc h and the pressure that he’s put under is one of the obstacles to his achieving this. They’re all after something – Mr. Hardcastle wants peace as well. He wants people to stop making demands on him. 13LG: The title of course is that it’s all about Kate having to dissemble to get the man that she wants. Q: So is it a question of compromise? JM: Or a question of â€Å"what do I need to do to achieve the thing I want? † The title of the play changed – it was originally called ‘The Mistakes of a Night’ (and we intend to use that as a subtitle because the play is a series of mistakes and misunderstandings) but it was changed a day before the first performance because Goldsmith felt that it was this girl’s [Kate’s] choice to do this thing in order to get what she wants (i. . the man) and also it helps him [Marlow]. To release him. LG: So had he [Goldsmith] taken that from A Midsummer Night’s Dream? Was that his or iginal thought do you suppose – star crossed lovers and people pretending to be other than they are? JM: When it was ‘Mistakes of a Night? ’ Yes, and it was very much part of the vogue of sentimental comedy; the middle classes getting terribly worked up about their dilemmas. The original title suggests that it was just that – this middle class pursuit and it was just these little mistakes that they would get over.He wanted to defeat that idea and align us with Kate and to understand that she feels it’s a choice, a choice she is conscious of making to tame her man. Kate is no accident or arbitrary choice in terms of character name. Goldsmith wants us to see the echo of Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, and possible to view this play as a counterpoint – the tamer being tamed. Q: What does Mrs. Hardcastle represent in the world of the play? LG: Mrs. Hardcastle represents the country, and in fact it’s exactly the same today.I don’t t hink there’s ever been such a void between town and country probably since the 18th Century. People who live in towns have no idea what it’s like to live in the country – I live in the country and it’s so much alike. There’s people in the village I live in who’ve never been to London – â€Å"I’ve been to Norwich, but I’ve never been to London, I don’t know how you manage it! † And so there’s this extraordinary thing about London to someone like Mrs. Hardcastle who longs to be in London.She longs to wear the latest fashions she has to get hold of the fashions from people writing to her and getting magazines so she’s always behind – she reads last year’s Vogue and tries to make her dresses and her hair look like that. She longs to go to London and have this fine life but she’s married to this man who lives in a rambling old house in the country and never sees anybody. And s he wants for her beloved son to marry her niece who has a good fortune (although her son eventually comes into a fortune himself), so she can then live vicariously through them.Q: What would you like a young audience to identify with in the character of Mrs. Hardcastle? LG: I think a young audience will identify with this interfering old busybody of a mother, wanting her son and daughter to do one thing, while they are fully set on doing something completely different, (which I have great experience of, having children! ). I think that mothers are still the same today as they ever were, wanting their children to make a good match, wanting them to live a particular sort of life when of course they want to live their own life, which is as it should be. 4 Q: What comparisons can you draw between Mrs. Hardcastle’s view of the younger characters in the play and society’s view of the younger generation today? LG: Well I don’t think much has changed quite frankly! All the older generation still think the young are up to no good, going off with the wrong people and living a life of high licentiousness. For example Tony Lumpkin is always in the pub, always out larking around with the lads, going too fast on his horse, (driving fast cars! ), getting drunk, not attending to his lessons. I don’t think there’s any difference at all.Q: Do you find it hard to make Marlow a likeable character? The way that he behaves towards Kate when he thinks that she’s a barmaid is quite different to his behaviour in other scenes. MD: Yes, he’s quite naughty in a cheeky way but I think you’ve got to start with perspective that you really do like your character, irrespective of who they are or how bad or evil they can be. I think as an actor I have to find a way of understanding why he behaves as he does. His behaviour with Kate in the bar is perhaps not how you and I would behave, but that’s how they did and could behave at tha t time. Men still do, and so do women!I think by that point in the play we are sympathetic enough to not be alienated by that behaviour. It’s very clear by that point what drives him and what his problems are. I think that moment of release that he’s going to feel by seducing that barmaid will be key to how audiences feel. Also what’s important about that scene (and what’s my responsibility I suppose) is that he sees Kate at that point and falls in love with her, he physically falls in love with her. JM: It’s not so much an act of lust as an act of love. LG: He also behaves very morally; he doesn’t seduce the barmaid in the way that we would think.Because he’s usually so shy he feels free to enjoy female company which he can’t normally. MD: He’s not predatory I don’t think, he’s seductive. LG: He’s relaxed and able to talk; I don’t think he behaves badly. Q: If they were alive today, what do y ou think the characters of the play would find most difficult to cope with in modern day society? LG: Well Mrs. Hardcastle would love it! She’d just get fashion straight off the plate! JM: All the characters are so different. They want such different things and they ask such different things. I think they would each find a different part of society difficult.I think society is as false and hypocritical as it was in the 18th Century, and the characters would find it as problematic as it was in the 1800’s. Mr. Hardcastle would be as grumpy as he was then, he’d be exactly the same now. LG: He’d be shouting at the television now! Nowadays the upper classes have become much like the upper middle classes of the play, they’ve become completely cut off from society, and in fact some people who live in Islington and so forth and most of the people who run the country have no idea what real life is like at all so I don’t think there’s any chang e. 15FOLLOW UP IDEAS Working with the Story ‘I think that†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Use the following as starting points for discussion and debate †¢ †¢ She Stoops to Conquer is also known as The Mistakes of a Night. Which is the better title and why? The casket of jewels belonging to Constance Neville were kept by her aunt Mrs. Hardcastle. Should Constance have just taken them when she wanted them? Why didn’t she? Mr. Hardcastle is strict about the way in which Kate dresses. Why is he so? What do you think about his opinion? Marlow is unable to converse with women of equal social standing, yet he has no problem with women of a lower class.What does this suggest about him and his view/respect of women? Does Kate lower her standards in order to get her man? What do you think? Mrs Hardcastle is adamant that Constance and Tony will marry according to her arrangements. What do you think of arranged marriages? What are the pros and cons? Is Kate and Marlow’s marriage a rranged? Mrs Hardcastle has no control over her son Tony. Why is this? Hastings and Constance collude in deceiving Marlow. Why do they do this? †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 16 FOLLOW UP IDEAS Working with the Story ‘Media Exposure’ Choose one of the events in the story to focus on and then choose a media format to work with.Create something that could be released to the media for public viewing in 2007. Use the suggestions below, or pick your own starting point. TV – The Hotel Inspector Write the script and storyboard a TV show based on The Hotel Inspector in which the characters Marlow and Hastings give their opinion on Mr. Hardcastle’s home which they believe to be an inn. TV – Blind Date Write the script and if possible film a version of Blind Date in which Hastings and Marlow pose questions to potential lovers. What questions do they ask? Include Kate and Constance in the line up of potential lovers – How do Constance a nd Kate get their men?What do they say? Swap over the roles and create a version where Kate ; Constance get to choose – How do Hastings ; Marlow ensure they are picked? TV – Panorama Write and storyboard a documentary about one of the events of the story – from what perspective will you write it? What aspect of the story will you concentrate on? Where will you set it? Which character will you focus on? It may help you to choose a question to base your programme around – What lengths would you go to to get your man? Are women cleverer than men? Does money buy you happiness? What are upper class men really like? Magazine – OK!Create a magazine article in the style of OK! Magazine which follows the wedding of Kate Hardcastle ; Marlow. Write interviews with the bride and groom and their parents. What questions would you ask them? What would their responses be? What photographs would you include? Where would they be taken? Think about the slant you migh t like to put on the article – what would the headline be? Newspaper – The Daily Mail Write an article about Mrs. Hardcastle, her marriage and her life in the country. What would she say about these things? Would the newspaper put a slant on her comments? What would the headline be?Choose a focus for the article to help you. ‘Town versus Country’ what do the wives of two respected society gentlemen think? Would Mrs. Hardcastle speak of her former husband? 17 Magazine – Heat – ‘Man of the Month’ Write an article about Tony Lumpkin which focuses on trying to get him a wife. How would you describe him as a potential suitor? What sort of woman might suit him best? What aspects of his life would you include and are there any you might think it best to leave out?! Radio – Desert Island Discs Write a radio programme which has one of the characters from the play as a special guest.What questions would the interviewer ask them and what would they talk about? What songs (from modern day) would the character choose to take with them to a deserted island and why? Radio – Jeremy Vine Write a slot for Jeremy Vine’s radio show on BBC Radio 2, which focuses on parent and child relationships. Mrs. Hardcastle could be a caller, who calls in to the show to discuss her difficulties with her son Tony. What advice might she be given? What other guests might be in the show to advise her – child psychologist? Counsellor? Doctor? Police Officer? Should Tony receive an ASBO for his behaviour at the local inn?!Radio – Quick Quiz Write a quiz for radio about the events and characters of She Stoops to Conquer. Record a slot for radio in which the quiz features and get your peers to compete to win. Think about varying the type of quiz questions, you might like to include – Who said this..? Questions about quotes, Which character did this†¦? Questions about events, What are the two names by which the play is known†¦? Questions about the play. 18 FOLLOW UP IDEAS Working with the Text ‘In my own words†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Look at the following scripts extracts, discuss the meaning and put the words into modern day language.Act I Scene I Hardcastle: (Talking about Mrs. H ; Tony) Ay, there goes a pair that only spoil each other. But is not the whole age in a combination to drive sense and discretion out of doors? There’s my pretty darling Kate! The fashions of the times have almost infected her too. By living a year or two in town, she’s as fond of gauze and French frippery as the best of them. Act I – Scene I Miss. Hardcastle: (Talking after her father has told her about Mr. Marlow) Lud, this news of papa’s puts me all in a flutter. Young, handsome; these he put last; but I put them foremost. Sensible, good-natured; I like all that.But then reserved, and sheepish, that’s much against him. Yet can’t he be cured of his timidit y, by being taught to be proud of his wife? Yes, and can’t I – but I vow I’m disposing of the husband before I have secured the lover. Act I – Scene II Miss. Hardcastle: (After her first meeting with Marlow) Ha! Ha! Ha! Was there ever such a sober sentimental interview? I’m certain he scarce looked in my face the whole time. Yet the fellow, but for his unaccountable bashfulness, is pretty well, too. He has good sense, but then so buried in his fears, that it fatigues one more than ignorance.If I could teach him a little confidence, it would be doing somebody that I know of a piece of service. But who is that somebody? – that, faith, is a question I can scarce answer. Act I – Scene II Mrs. Hardcastle: (Talking about her husband to Mr. Hastings) Yet, what signifies my dressing when I have such a piece of antiquity y my side as Mr Hardcastle: all I can say will never argue down a single button from his clothes. I 19 have often wanted him to throw off his great flaxen wig, and where he was bald to plaster it over like my Lord Pately, with powder.Hastings: You are right, madam; for, as among the ladies there are none ugly, so among the men there are none old. Mrs. Hardcastle: But what do you think his answer was? Why, with his usual Gothic vivacity, he said I only wanted him to throw off his wig to convert it into a tete for my own wearing! Act III – Scene I Mrs. Hardcastle: (Talking to Constance Neville) Indeed, Constance, you amaze me. Such a girl as you want jewels? It will be time enough for jewels, my dear, twenty years hence, when your beauty begins to want repairs. Miss Neville: But what will repair beauty at forty, will certainly improve it at twenty, madam.Act III – Scene I Maid: (Speaking to Miss Hardcastle about Miss Hardcastle’s plan to disguise herself) But what do you hope from keeping him in his mistake? Miss Hardcastle: In the first place, I shall be seen, and that is no small adv antage to a girl who brings her face to market. Then I shall perhaps make an acquaintance, and that’s no small victory gained over one who never addresses any but the idlest of her sex. But my chief aim is to take my gentleman off his guard, and like an invisible champion of romance, examine the qiant’s force before I offer to combat.There are many more sections of the text that would be interesting to use for translation into modern day language, choose the ones you think would work well. 20 FOLLOW UP IDEAS Working with the Text ‘Soap Opera’ Using the original text or a modern re-written version of your own, to create a soap opera for either radio or television. Things to consider†¦. †¢ How long will each episode be? †¢ What budget do you have for each episode, the actors, the camera †¢ What part of the country do you want the story be set in? Why? Which famous actors could you use to play the various different †¢ Would you want t he actors to use a particular accent? Why that one? †¢ What filming style would you use? Consider the various styles used by soap operas – Hollyoaks uses a very different style to Coronation Street. Things to do†¦. †¢ †¢ Create a storyboard for each episode – are there any difficulties you need to overcome in order to film/record the scenes? Write a list of all the sound effects you will need for each scene for the radio version. How will you make the sounds? characters? crew/radio studio technicians, costumes etc? 1 FOLLOW UP IDEAS Working away from the Text ; the Story ‘Before, During ; After ’ Using the text and the events of the story as stimulus, consider what else could have been written or included in the play, or write a sequel. Use the suggestions below or pick your own. Letters †¢ Write a love letter from Hastings to Constance before his arrival at the Hardcastle house. †¢ †¢ Write a letter from Hardcastle to Ma rlow, inviting his son to meet his daughter Kate. Write a letter from Mrs Hardcastle to Constance explaining the disappearance of the family jewels.Diary Entries †¢ Write a diary extract for Kate on the day that she and Marlow become betrothed. †¢ †¢ Write a diary extract for Tony Lumpkin on the day he discovers he is ‘of age’. Write a diary extract for Mr Hardcastle on the day he sees his daughter marry Marlow. Play Scripts †¢ Write a script for a scene between Mr. And Mrs. Hardcastle before the weddings of Constance ; Kate. Mr. ; Mrs. Hardcastle are shopping for clothes in London! †¢ Write a script for a scene in the local inn where Tony Lumpkin tells the story of all that has happened and tells all his friends of his future plans now that he is ‘of age’!Write a scene for the servants in which they give their opinion of what is going on in the house when Marlow and Hastings arrive. †¢ 22 USEFUL WEBSITES http://www. noelcollec tion. org Photo of Oliver Goldsmith http://en. wikipedia. org Encyclopaedia entry for She Stoops to Conquer http://www. enotes. com/she-stoops/ Notes on the play, characters, themes etc http://www. nwe. ufl. edu/~pcradd