The Jacobeans
Ahoy down there! Anyone alive? We’ve had
an opening above deck. Come with me...
SYNOPSIS
‘The Jacobeans’ follows the lives of Sooty and Bert, two unconditional peasant lovers, on a ship hopeful for ‘The New World’. We start immersed in the damp and dingy darkness of the bilge hold and are taken on the wild journey to the upper decks of the ship by a chance of whim! Sooty and Bert find themselves among the rich and wealthy result of an absurd mistaken identity. Will they ever reach the ‘New World’? And will it be everything they imagined?
CAST & CREW
Performed by Jemma Frisina, Austin Agathogleous, Hayley Tidd, Caryss McCulloch, and Heather Nickeas.
Playwright: Jack Richardson & Hannah Malarski
Director: Jemma Frisina
Sound Designer: Austin Agathogleous
Prop and Foley Sound Designer: Hayley Tidd
Set Designer: Caryss McCulloch
Character Costume Designer: Heather Nickeas
CONTENT WARNING
Recommended for ages 12+
Trigger warnings: Loud noises and crashing sounds that could be distressing for some viewers, as well as vomiting, coughing and groaning/moaning.
Listen to the audio play below.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
‘The Jacobeans’ is set in 1600s British society and gives insight into the great migrations of colonisation that were happening around that time. It explores the timeless theme of the reality of class divisions, something still as relevant today as the Jacobean 1600s. ‘The Jacobeans’ looks at the idea of identity, hypocrisy and the desire to belong. We touch on ideas of how one can make their way up in society from the depths of a bilge hold, whether it be by chance or fate. The iconic journey of Sooty and Bert shows how everything good and bad eventually comes to an end. Even the perfect world can come crashing down in an instant.
FOLEY DESIGNER'S STATEMENT
Foley sound design is the process of creating sound effects from everyday items, intended to enhance the performance. This type of sound design was named after the artist, Jack Foley. He pioneered in the art form of Foley Design, and shaped the technique. Some challenges I endured throughout our production process would be coming up with ideas on how to implement Foley throughout our play, without relying on online sounds. Another challenge was ensuring the house was silent to allow for sound effects with no unnecessary background noises. My creative process consisted of initially researching previous examples of Foley sound effect, then going around my house to look for creative sound possibilities. I trialed many different sound possibilities to get the most realistic and best sounds. For example, I tried many different ways to make a vomit sound effect, I tried things like releasing thick water from a sponge, pouring baked beans into a bowel, pouring water on top of squashed fruit and pouring yogurt into a bowl.
EXAMPLES OF FOLEY DESIGN
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I created a vomit sound effect by pouring baked beans and water into a plastic bowl.
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To creating a ‘sludging through water’ sound. I used my fingers to ‘walk’ across a very damp collection of toilet paper.
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I also created a ’bodies being crushed’ sound effect by putting little bits of spaghetti in grapes and squashed them with a chopping board.
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I created a ‘dead bodies falling’ sound effect by dropping heavy books on to the floor at varied times.
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I created a boat sinking sound effect by draining out a full bath.