Blocking Electra (Act 1)

The chorus will start the show by roming through the audience, singing 'Lamb's Glory Box' directly to faces of the audience.

'Just...Give me a reason to love you
Give me a reason to be a woman
I just wanna be a woman'

The lyrics of the song show Electra's desire to be a woman, which is significant because nor her or her sister can have children, due to their stepfather. This song essentially tells the audience there is a female figure who desparately wants her freedom.

At the end of song, Electra approaches the chorus who are downstage centre. The chorus bring Electra down to the floor with them. Together, we sit together in a semi-circle.The action is performed as if it's in slow motion; we whisper and joke.

In the opening dialogue between Old Man and Orestes, the chorus act as protectors for Electra - distracting her from what is going on behind her. Electra shouts 'Woe for my hapless lot!' - this leads us (chorus) to taming her, such as placing a comforting hand on the shoulder and instructing her to quiet down.

On Electra's first speech, starting 'O purest light', the chorus will be doing a shoal of fish. The shoal of fish needs to be in rhythm with the dialogue, which Electra will join and re-join throughout. After this speech comes to an end, we flood around Electra. My line is 'Most impiously was quelled long years ago? Perish the cause! If I may lawfully pray so' - my character is reflecting and justifying Electra's feelings and actions. Electra responds to the friends well, making contact with us, holding our hands. We comfort Electra further, performing it again in a shoal of fish, which ends on the line 'To this land with happy omen brought?' After that, the 'Friends' cicrle Electra, delivering our individual lines whilst doing so. When Electra begins to speak once again, the Friends are at Electra's feet, and go on to gossip to one another. I start the next Friends section ('Take thought to keep thy crying within bound...') and follow wherever Electra goes. After my dialogue is over, I will sit down with the other friends and push the next Friend up to go do the same as I have done.

Electra and the Friends remain sat down together for a while, until Electra becomes angry, and aims certain lines at each one of us. This leads her to stand above us, and so we intently watch her. Suddenly, the mood becomes quite optimistic for the next lot of lines. Chrysothemis (played by 2 people) enters, and the four Friends hide away in separate corners of the stage. The next time we talk is in a loud whisper in unison, kneeling up to Electra and hiding again afterwards. We come out of our corners, running up and between Electra and the Sisters, acting as a metaphorical wall. Sisters exit, and the Friends pair up; Ellie and Lauren (listener and nurturing) hug Electra, whilst Me and Sax patrol the stage. We spy Clytemnestra, and get the attention of the other friends by clapping and miming. During Electra and her Mother's conversation, the Friends scuttily move to steps - upstage centre. Electra verbally attacks her Mother, and I as the vengeful friend am proud.