Hey guys, I went online to search on the play, and I found some comments by some random person, on Johnson Over Jordan featuring Patrick Stewart. I thought these ideas of the costumes, music, setting and lightings may give us even more ideas.. Bolded words are the points that I think we should take note! :)
"When I ignored the contemporary allusions and put myself in 1939 the play made more sense. It also made Stewart's appearance appropriate. With
old fashioned stripped pyjamas, a
greying moustache (real),
a few extra strands of long white hair stuck, Bobby Charlton style, across the top of his bald head and a
timid manner, Johnson looked much older than any current day 50 year old. However, for someone living in the thirties, who had survived the First World War,
Johnson's appearance was believable. Stewart also managed to
maintain the movements of an ageing man throughout the play even when climbing onto bar-tops and performing mock fights. The only time he deliberately dropped this act was in the first act. After Johnson dies at the start of the play he goes to the Insurance Company to claim his money. There two female examiners grill him to see if he has caused his own death by self-neglect.
JOHNSON : I've always enjoyed taking exercise. Tennis and golf -
EXAMINER : (Severely) Too many middle-aged men, sedentary workers, imagine they can improve their physical condition by rushing into games at the weekend and only succeed in straining their hearts.
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(this part is removed from our script)JOHNSON : (Desperately) I've tried not to overdo it and every morning, if I wasn't too late, I did a few exercises in my bedroom -
At this point the EXAMINER looks shocked as she along, with the audience, think he means sex. To explain Johnson/Stewart starts doing jack jumps like a fit 20 year old and then press-ups before reverting to old man mode and slowly collapsing onto the floor. It was a bit of slapstick but beautifully done and deserved the laughter it received.
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When the audience is allowed into the theatre, 15 minutes before the start,
Stewart is already on the stage lying on top of a bed in pyjamas with his feet towards the audience. He
lies on his back perfectly still with his eyes closed and his
hands by his sides. This part of the stage projected into the space left by the
curved arrangement of the seats, At the back of the stage on a white brick wall is a projection of a recording of Stewart's head as he lies on his back. This Stewart
twitches occasionally and makes loud breathing noises. 15 minutes is a long time to lie still and I couldn't help wondering what Patrick thought about during these periods - rehearsed his lines, dozed, listened to the people in the front rows. Five minutes before the play started a woman climbed onto the stage and moved hesitantly towards him. I thought she was a member of the audience who was worried whether Patrick was all right. She turned out to be the actress playing his wife! Full marks for realism.
On either side of the front part of the stage and below the height of the front row of seats were two grand pianos. During some scenes in the play there was a musical accompaniment. The music wasn't memorable and I was only aware of it being intrusively loud on one occasion. Given
the complex and fast movements required by the 10 actors during many scenes the music probably helped them to get their timing right. This frantic movement was one of the irritating aspects of the play. That and gimmicks such as actors appearing by punching their way through the foam brick wall at the back of the stage."
by Catherine Ellis
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Signing off,
Sleepy Rui Shan :)
