GET INTO A MOOD

This title is chosen deliberately to express the fact that we cannot adequately convey a character’s mood without experiencing it as we write. We can either start ‘cold’ and let the mood take us over as the words come together, or we can develop the mood within ourselves first and let the words flow from there. Many actors favour the latter approach, drawing on specific personal memories to help them portray emotion on stage. It is this approach that we will be using here, with the aid of guided visualisations.

Before starting, there is an important question to be considered. What do you do with this mood and these emotions afterwards? If the mood is a positive one, you may want to stay with it. If not, you will need to de-role. Sometimes you can do this by firmly stating your name (in other words stating that you are not the character you have been portraying). Turning to some familiar household task or talking to a friend can also help. If the mood has taken over, you may need to repeat the visualisation that took you into it, substituting positive memories for oppressive ones. Revisiting difficult times takes courage. It should be avoided if currently under emotional stress.

Assuming you are not feeling fragile or that the mood you wish to explore is a positive one, the following visualisations should be taped and worked with in the usual way (see Chapter 2).