a new play by Alecky Blythe

Rehearsal Diaries
Contents
The National Theatre’s production 3

Rehearsal diary: week one 4

Rehearsal diary: week two 6

Rehearsal diary: week three 7

Rehearsal diary: week four 8

Rehearsal diary: week five 9

Rehearsal diary: week six 10

Rehearsal diary: week seven 12

Rehearsal diary: week eight 13

Theatre glossary 15

This background pack is published

by and copyright The Royal National
Welcome to the National Theatre’s rehearsal diaries Theatre Board

for Our Generation Reg. No. 1247285

Registered Charity No. 224223
Views expressed in this background
These rehearsal diaries, written by Stephen Bailey, staff director pack are not necessarily those of the
on Our Generation, introduce the unique process of rehearsing National Theatre
and staging this play. At the end of these rehearsal diaries, you’ll find a Author
glossary of some of the common theatre terms which come up as part of Stephen Bailey
a rehearsal process.
Editor
Sarah Corke
Through imaginative and innovative in-school, on-site and online activities,
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Learning activities, please contact us on [email protected] London SE1 9PX
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Jane Ball
Education Manager (National Theatre Collection), The rehearsal and production
National Theatre Learning photographs in this pack were
taken by Johan Persson
August 2022
Cover image by Simon Sorted

Further production details:

nationaltheatre.org.uk

National Theatre: Rehearsal Diaries 2

The National Theatre’s production
The Company

Cast, in alphabetical order Director

Daniel Evans
Teenagers
Zac Set Designer
Dee Ahluwalia Vicki Mortimer

Lucas Costume Designer

Joe Bollland Kinnetia Isidore

Robyn Lighting Designer

Anna Burnett Zoe Spurr

Ayesha Movement Director

Anushka Chakravarti Carrie-Anne Ingrouille

Ali Music Composition, Production and Direction

Gavi Singh Chera D.J. Walde

Ierum Sound Designer

Rachelle Diedericks Paul Arditti

Luan Video Designer

Hélder Fernandes Akhila Krishnan

Mia Dramaturg
Sarita Gabony Sebastian Born

Callum Creative Producer

Cornor Gormally Pádraig Cusack

Annabella Casting
Alex Jarrett Charlotte Sutton CDG

Taylor Dialect Coaches

Callum Mardy Charmian Hoare and Shereen Ibrahim

Emily Company Voice Work

Poppy Shepherd Jeannette Nelson

Staff Director
Adults Stephen Bailey
Alberta
Debbie Chazen Collectors
Alecky Blythe, Izzy Dougill, Leah Gaffey,
Agron Dan Murphy, Ruth Tebby and Olivia Wilkes
Hasan Dixon
This production had its press night on
Luljeta 1 March 2022, in the National’s Dorfman Theatre.
Stephanie Street
Production Photographer
Johan Persson

National Theatre: Rehearsal Diaries 3

 Rehearsal diary: week one

Staff Director Stephen Bailey’s diary tracks the eight-week

rehearsal period for Our Generation, beginning 6 December 2021

The first day of rehearsals feels like it has been a long

time coming. Alecky Blythe began collecting verbatim
testimony for the project which would eventually become
Our Generation in 2015. Over five years, she and her
fellow collectors followed 12 young people from across
Britain – from London, Cambridgeshire, Birmingham,
Glasgow, North Wales and Belfast – through their
teenage years and the accompanying changes in
their lives. Alongside that, there have been multiple
workshops where the material has been tested to see if
it could become a show.

I first joined the project in February of 2020, as

assistant to director Daniel Evans, but multiple cast
and production team members were already attached,
even at that stage. The length of the creation process
is something that could only be done by the National
Theatre. That the production’s premiere has been further
delayed by Covid-19 and lockdowns is only part of a
long, meticulous development process.
In the rehearsal room, Daniel works through part
Some of our 15 cast members and many creative and one, scene one, which covers the initial time with our
technical team members are engaging with the project subjects (roughly up to 2016). He merges classical acting
for the first time. Others have been here much longer techniques with the fact that we are working from real
– indeed, Sarita Gabony has managed to apply to recordings and can draw background material from the
Mountview, train for three years and graduate during her real people due to our long connection with them.
involvement with the project.
Working with Alecky’s recorded delivery technique, the
I spend most of my week in a sound studio with actors listen to the audio and repeat it back. Daniel
Gurjit Dhinsa [verbatim audio support] working on the then steers the discussion to consider the participants’
pseudonymisation process. Though the cast will be intentions in each scene: what does each character
learning every line, explanation and utterance (observing want? What are they trying to achieve? In every case,
intonation, volume, pace, etc.), we will be working with he is keen to stress the circumstances of the recording
Alecky’s standard headphone method in rehearsal – someone else is there listening and saving the audio
(the actors listen to the audio as they are saying the – and how that affects how people behave. Constantly,
lines) and then the actors will learn the text from their they are performing in their own way. Alongside this, he
audio. Therefore, especially given the young age of our has the cast doing Stanislavskian character exercises –
subjects, we need to redact and replace every piece of extracting facts and questions (what they know and do
potentially identifying data. not know about their character) from their entire audio.
We are creating hybrids: derived from the words that real
Each actor comes into the studio, listens to the audio people have said but always in a public context and also
and says a replacement name or location in mimicry distilled from five years of audio down to approximately
of the original, which Gurjit then seamlessly slots into 25 minutes for each character. With access to extensive
the original audio. Where this gets really tricky is when detail of the interviewees’ histories, we can make
overlaps happen with more than one person speaking judgements about why they might express certain
when the name is said. Then we need to get every opinions or make choices, but we are also bringing our
actor that is speaking at that moment into the booth own interpretations of who these teenagers are from the
to recreate the entire moment. We’ve done over 160 of choices in the recordings we use and the work we do in
these in this past week – this means we have completed the room.
part one (of three). Gurjit is taking a well-deserved
holiday next week, so I’ll get to be in the rehearsal room Alongside this character work, we begin working on
more, but we will be venturing back into the sound some ensemble moments where we bring the 12 young
studio the week after to try and polish this off before the people together – though they’ve barely ever met in
end of the year. real life. We bleed actual moments from the recorded
testimony into platforms to give the young people a

Alecky Blythe
Rehearsal photograph: Johan Persson National Theatre: Rehearsal Diaries 4
 Rehearsal diary: week one (continued)

Our Generation solve problems more than adults do. The amygdala is
Friday 10th call associated with emotions, impulses, aggression and
Gorvy Rehearsal Room . instinctive behaviour. We begin to think about how this
information explains the sudden, abrupt and drastic
NB There will be a camera in Rehearsals for a while at the end of the
morning. changes we saw in our interviewees over the ten years
The costume hair and make up will be in Rehearsal Room 5 and why they are so open to growth.
9:00 Creatives meeting RR2
09:30-09:40 - Interview filming: Collector – Izzy Dougill (Duffield Studio)
Professor Byron explains various reasons why traumas
09:45-09:55 – Interview filming: Collector – Dan Murphy (Duffield Studio) and problem behaviours develop. Hyper-pressurising
10:00-10:10 – Interview filming: Collector – Ruth Tebby (Duffield Studio) parents, abuse, isolation, immigrant trauma, bullying
10:00 Visitor Tanya Byron. The 12
or poverty can all drastically affect how young people’s
The Teenage Brain brains develop. It is fascinating to see how several
11:00 Gavi and Anushka costume for trailer in RR5 of the archetypes she sketches could be applied to
11:20 Filming in rehearsal Room 2 our subjects’ development, how they might adjust to
11:30 Anna Costume for trailer in RR5
1:00 Hasan Lunch
a change in circumstances or what they might find
1:15 Debbie and Sarita Lunch particularly challenging.
1:20 Lunch Alecky and Daniel interview
2:00 Hasan Costume in RR5 Professor Byron also highlights the uptick in teenagers
2:15 Debbie and Sarita costume in RR5
2:30 Learning time Daniel Board meeting presenting with severe mental health issues, how they
2:30 Rachelle Dialect work with Shereen London in 007 increasingly seem to occur in teenagers irrespective of
2:55 Steph and Rachelle Costume in RR5 background and privilege, and the need to differentiate
3:00 Dee Dialect work with Shereen Glasgow in 007 from ‘normal’ anxiety, which can be awful enough, and
3:30 Poppy Costume In RR5
3:50 Helder Costume In RR5 something much more severe, which can be a danger
3;30 Audio work Full Company to their health. With several of our subjects experiencing
3:30 Anushka Dialect work Birmingham/Pakistani in 007 therapy or taking medications, her words provide much
4:00 Gavi. Dialect work Birmingham/Pakistani in 007
needed context to help us handle the telling of their
4:10 Joe Costume in RR5
4:30 Alex costume in RR5 stories with compassion and truth.
4:55 Callum Costume in RR5
5:15 Dee Costume in RR5 After that emotional morning, I am called on to help
6:00 Wrap and Call ends
film our trailer. The wonderful National Theatre team
have mocked up school sets around the building and
chance to express their views about the tumultuous last we whizz around to film 12 vignettes in a few hours.
five years. An example would be the part song which These will be chained together in a TikTok-inspired
closes out part one, scene one. Lucas is a member of montage that should be released towards the end of
an a cappella group at his school and we have recording next week. For the first time, the actors speak the words
of his group practising their version of ‘Some Nights’ without direct headphone support, though I listen on
by fun. Over the refrain of ‘What do I stand for’, the headphones to ensure perfect accuracy. The actors
actors change from Lucas’ classmates into their own are, generally speaking, slightly faster than the original
characters, offering their views on Brexit, Trump and material – not speeding up words but cutting down on
other political matters. D.J. Walde [music composition, the pauses and dead space created by the editing. As
production and direction] has picked out the harmonies the show looks to be substantial in length, this is much
that exist in the recording and then creates and teaches appreciated news!
our own version – keeping that authenticity alongside
performance polish. Another group moment comes
when Annabella performs in her hip-hop troupe. Carrie-
Anne [Ingrouille, movement director] choreographs
an impressive routine which will be a highlight of the
opening 30 minutes.

A real highlight of the week is a visit from teenage

psychologist, Professor Tanya Byron. She gives us a
crash course in the development of the teenage brain.
Of particular note, we find out that the front part of the
brain, the prefrontal cortex, is last to develop fully in
the maturing brain. It isn’t fully developed until we are
in our mid-20s. The prefrontal cortex is the decision-
making part of the brain, responsible for our ability to
plan and think about the consequences of actions, solve
problems and control impulses. Because the prefrontal
cortex is still developing, teenagers might rely on a part
of the brain called the amygdala to make decisions and

Above: Rehearsal call for Our Generation, sent by stage manager, Jane Suffling
Right: Sarita Gabony and Joe Balland National Theatre: Rehearsal Diaries 5
Rehearsal photograph: Johan Persson
 Rehearsal diary: week two
We begin week two down two actors and a member of Alongside this, we work into part two’s audio with the
the crew. In the face of rising closures across London’s intention of being able to push through part one, scene
theatres, we push on determined to get through as two and into part two during staging next week. Here
much of the play as we can. By the end of the week, we are beginning to have conversations around how
we have covered all the audio for the first part (the the teenagers change over time and how we need to
longest) which covers the majority of our cast up to map five-year journeys for each over the course of
their GCSEs in 2017/18. We also stage the entirety the play. The evolution of their voice is a good starting
of the first scene, which is half the first part, and are point, and we continue to use the collectors (the people
able to run it on Friday afternoon. who carried out the original interviews) for additional
background information.
A large amount of our time is focused on working out
the performance rules and helping the actors navigate We are facing major dilemma around music. Multiple
the performance space. We’re working on a thrust times throughout the play, the teenagers cite lyrics,
stage in the Dorfman, which places audience on three sing snatches or interact with music playing. Some,
sides of the stage. Given that so much of the text has those out of copyright, have flown through in terms of
been generated by the subjects speaking directly to clearance. Others are more challenging. With the desire
the interviewer, there is a lot of direct address and we to eventually make the production accessible to a wider
work on sharing that text around the auditorium and audience via National Theatre at Home and the National
finding moments for audience interaction. Our Friday Theatre Collection, the expense rapidly increases and
run generally has the stage held only by the speaking we are moving away from using contemporary music
actor but we are unsure if that is the correct choice. for our movement sequences in favour of our own,
We need to deal with how the pace drops across the similar compositions. More challenging is interacting
multitude of short scenes. with certain estates. We want to end our first half with
our part song – a mash up between fun.’s ‘Some Nights’
We also discover a problem around how it is sometimes and Hanson’s ‘MMMBop’ – and need clearance from
unclear as to who is playing who, and who is the both. I have spent a lot of time writing context and scene
interview subject. We benefit from having people in summaries to explain how we came to the decision to
rehearsal who are less familiar with the stories and use these tracks. We keep our fingers crossed.
narratives and are quickly able to point out where
clarity is currently lacking and where we can tighten. More worrying is music in an early class scene, where
It’s exciting to be this far along after two weeks, but this the class is hijacked by some practical jokers shouting
is a play with six scenes, so we have a way to go. A lot out part of a song after a Spanish teacher attempts to
of our choices are building on the workshop showings teach them a concept. Apparently the original artist’s
we did over the last two years as a framework, moving representatives refuse all requests. And without that
characters through the space and leaving the detail to be refrain the scene doesn’t work.
worked out as they feel comfortable with the material.
It is, as Daniel has frequently said, ‘a rough sketch’. And finally, it’s worth noting our conversations around
access in performance. We are fortunate to have the
advice of the National Theatre’s new Head of Access,
David Bellwood, around this. We had very lofty access
goals and an immediate discovery has been how long
the lead-times are for access and how some of our
ambitions may not be realised. There was a desire to
caption all performances, but there isn’t the technical
capacity to support this whilst providing captioned
performances in the other auditoriums at the National
Theatre. There is also concern over the amount of
fragmentary, overlapping text in the show and how that
might be challenging to parse (find each sentence’s
component parts) if presented in its entirety. In
consultation with our video designer, Akhila [Krishnan],
we are now considering captioning for clarity and
understanding – picking out key lines, words and themes
to shape the meaning of the play around the text said
on stage.

Rachelle Diedricks
National Theatre: Rehearsal Diaries 6
Rehearsal photograph: Johan Persson
 Rehearsal diary: week three
On Sunday last week, we received the unfortunate
news that we need to move rehearsals to online. With
record number of Covid cases in London, and the
National Theatre making the decision to cancel all their
performances for the remainder of the year, the building
itself is also going to close.

We are fortunate to be given one day in the building on

Monday to do some extra work on staging part one,
scene one, before working remotely for the remainder of
the year. This gives Daniel and Carrie-Anne a chance to
respond to our findings from last Friday’s run.

The key shift we make is to embrace a more ensemble

form of storytelling. To combat the confusion, pacing
issues and isolation we found in Friday’s run, the 12
younger performers now remain on stage throughout,
fluidly slipping in and out of scenes as the text demands.
We would also like to use captioning to pinpoint the
subjects of scenes to improve the clarity. The three senior However, we are fortunate that we can continue to work
actors may come and go as they represent a plethora of online. Our sound engineer, Dylan DeBuitlear [verbatim
characters that rotate around the lives of the 12 subjects. audio support], sets up a feed of the audio on
cleanfeed.net which the cast can connect to. We can then
Daniel also decides to pull action downstage onto the use Alecky’s headphone technique without worrying too
thrust and to leave characters sitting in the front half of the much about delay.
stage when inactive – sightlines depending. Along with a
handful of light cuts, we find the Monday afternoon run While rehearsing online means we can really only work
to be more fluid and coherent; transitions are shorter and on text, we aim to get through all the material by the new
having all young people on stage makes tracking their year and focus on character work and familiarity. In the
journeys easier. two and a half days before Christmas, we are able to
finish part one, scene two and part two, scene three and
Additional goals will be to expand and detail the group move on to part two, scene four.
sequences – extend the hip-hop dance, add a second
verse to the national anthem, etc. The opening is also Though the pandemic is wreaking havoc on our
worked on physically, with a greater degree of choral work production process, I am grateful that this is happening in
using flocking techniques, where the speaker is the leader 2021. What we have been able to achieve through Zoom
and the rest pick up and mirror a mannerism in support of rehearsals, live streaming to isolating company members,
them. There is a lot still to do, but it proves an incredibly recording and sharing files would not have been feasible
productive Monday, in the face of losing the possibility of five or even three years ago and gives us the flexibility to
in-person work for the better part of a fortnight. cope with adversity.

Daniel is keen to be back in the rehearsal room at the

National Theatre in the first week of January so we can
block and stage the scenes – and once we have gone
through all the material on audio, that lack of in-person
access will begin to seriously impact our timeline.

Left: Alex Jarrett

Right: Vicki Mortimer and Daniel Evans National Theatre: Rehearsal Diaries 7
Rehearsal photographs: Johan Persson
 Rehearsal diary: week four
A short working week following a break for Christmas,
during which we mostly continue with online work. Rehearsal Call
Friday 31st December.
In summary, we power through (almost) all the audio for ON ZOOM
a first pass, continuing with our actioning and character All calls subject to change

work. We work online with cleanfeed, though progress is Location

not as swift as it had been in person due to lag, technical 10:00 Full Company say hello
issues, etc. We estimate we have lost two to three days
of effective working time due to the decision to move 10:05 Audio work finishing Scene 5
Starting with Debbies scenes,
online. However, we have at least managed to continue Then working though chronologically from Heavy Metal

with necessary work.

12:00- Tea break. approx
12:15
A key discussion arises when we reach the point in the 13:30 – 14:30 Lunch

narrative where Covid begins. Exactly how art can speak 14:30 Continue to work through

to or reflect back the experience of the last two years, 4:00- Tea Break. approx
4:15
or the loss of life (having just passed 150,000 UK deaths End of day If time… Social Media without audio.
at time of writing) is a challenge. The advantage Our 6:00 Call to End

Generation has is that it touches on Covid not by choice

but by circumstance. We did not begin relationships
with our subjects during the pandemic, but instead were
able to see how their lives were disrupted or shifted from
what they thought they knew to our ‘new normal’. In that
sense, we hope we will give an honest and reflective
account of the lived experience of the first lockdown
(as our text ends in September 2020). However, through
discussion, we also become aware of how the wider
experience will be implied by the presentation – though
no deaths occur in the narrative, the company’s
experience is of losing family members.

Andrew Reed ‫ ׀‬Deputy Stage Manager DOUBLE CLICK TO EDIT

07980 560259 ‫ ׀‬[email protected] Page 1 of 1

Top: Rehearsal call send by deputy stage manager, Andrew Reed

Bottom: Members of the company National Theatre: Rehearsal Diaries 8
Rehearsal photographs: Johan Persson
 Rehearsal diary: week five
Back in the rehearsal room, our focus is on speed. We
finish the audio by the end of Tuesday and then part one,
scene two and the majority of part two, scene three by
Friday. This is just a sketch of the piece – rough shapes,
transitions, how we get people on and off stage.

We have some slightly more developed sections, such

as parents’ evening, exams and the part song – these
are generally the ensemble moments where stories
overlap and blend, or where we use the entire cast. With
movement director Carrie-Anne, Daniel explores staging
other ensemble sections where Alecky has cut together
short thoughts from across the 12 subjects on various
matters, such as social media, fear or relationships.
We particularly explore how movement might interface
here, whether we stage it to imply actual conversations
between the 12 (as all were recorded individually) and
how much to separate them from the conventions we are
using for staging the actual scenes.

Some of these discussions are left unresolved, as are our

perceptions on rules as a whole running throughout the
piece. Generally, a director would want to create a sense continuity of the subjects in the name of theme and
of consistency in staging decisions to forge a coherent narrative. I can put timelines together chronologically,
language of significance and symbolism. However, given but this does not match up with where characters
how driven by the text (and within that volume, pace are in the play. In part, this is because subjects were
and diction) this production is, Daniel is holding off on interviewed for different periods of time – Ierum was
making final decisions until we have a basic shape for only interviewed for three years, while others were
the entire play. Indeed, given how the piece traverses interviewed across five years.
four hours, three acts, 200+ scenes and five years of
interviews, rules may need to shift or change, while We have an internal sense of timeline which is roughly
the text and characters remain as the constant. This accurate for each character (though Alecky is happy
openness is particularly pushed by our dramaturg, Bash to sometimes switch order of conversations to draw
[Sebastian Born], and means we can stay receptive to out thematic resonance), but the narrative chronology
possibility, only limited by time. seen on stage suggests all subjects journey through
the world at the same time. This also informs some
Time is always a worry, despite Daniel’s herculean efforts discussions around using surtitles for structure. Though
in staging over one third of the play in approximately we are keen to use them to convey nominal and
three days. To make up the time lost by going online, locational information, Daniel doesn’t want to bind us to
we will be working Saturdays from now on and doing distinct timelines because of the likelihood of confusing
individual monologue sessions in evenings. The first the audience needlessly. Instead, we consider using
preview is now cancelled, to ensure we have sufficient chronological markers that are not bound to a date but
tech time due to the complexity of the show. We also a period – exams, parents’ evening, first day of school
encourage the cast to learn their text for when we come – drawing out the parallels between the characters and
back to sections to speed up that development. emphasising a consistent and solid meta-structure which
we can then play loosely within with the scenes.
On that note, we try the opening (with additional refining
of movement) without headphones and it makes a
difference in connection, a sense of ensemble and
clarity for audience members. Actors are pulled out
of their heads and into physical space. Giving up the
headphones is a newer feature of Alecky’s work, but one
can see the dividends it pays here, though it requires a
much more detailed learning job from the actors than a
conventional script.

I have been collating the timelines created by the

cast. What this has thrown up for me is how Alecky’s
play structure blurs away from exact adherence to the

Carrie-Anne Ingrouille
National Theatre: Rehearsal Diaries 9
Rehearsal photograph: Johan Persson
 Rehearsal diary: week six
Over the course of this week, Daniel stages the entire punctuate the show. Secondly, we have extended the
show. Though there will be plenty of retooling and preview period in order to ensure due diligence is done
adjusting, we now have a base shape for all scenes from to the storytelling whilst achieving the show’s ambitious
which to work. This has also clarified a lot of his thinking technical goals.
around the theatrical rules of the piece. In particular,
we are now heavily committed to keeping the 12 young The individual sessions result in the most detailed work
people on stage throughout, but then pulling them out at on characters. The cast have been amazing in coming
the beginning of the pandemic – reducing a populated off the audio whilst retaining huge accuracy to not just
stage to an isolated one. The effect of this will hopefully the words spoken but also the intonation, stutters, other
be amplified as we are increasingly looking at scenes mouths sounds and even the pace of delivery. Listening
and actions overlapping and actors moving to respond along on with the track has become a key part of my job
to stories relayed by other participants in the first two and the resemblance is uncanny.
parts. Therefore, as the play experiences a ‘twist in
the plot’, to quote an interviewee, so do our staging Daniel mostly focuses on channelling the physical
methods shift to encapsulate the shifting experiences choices being made into those that will best suit the
of the 12. production. This includes trimming back physical
gesture and lessening the tension carried in the body
This effect will also be enhanced by decisions we make while focusing on support, grounding and placing. By
this week regarding projection and video. Though there emphasising this simplicity – in Daniel’s own words a
are some moments where video will come into play ‘relaxed alertness’ – the truth of the characters sings
earlier, the largest use of video is in part three, opening through, with the ease of the performances giving
the pandemic section with a series of filmed scenes, striking power to their stories. Alongside this, we start
then returning to that medium when we come back to to pull the group scenes from audio and can focus
our ensemble moments. Filming will to take up all of more on smaller details – listening and how stories are
Friday next week and Monday the week after, and will told between characters in the space – to create larger
comprise a mixture of stylistic and realistic treatments experiences on stage rather than just showcasing a
evoking everything from TikToks to Zoom calls. Again, series of individuals.
the idea is to emphasise the shift in living conditions that
began in March 2020 but also evoke the increased use A final note for this week should go to some choices
of videos and screens experienced during this period as which have been come to with regarding disabled
all interviews took place remotely. representation. The character Taylor is a wheelchair user,
as is the subject he is based on. A prolonged casting
Time has been a recurrent thought in terms of process, which reached out to over 100 organisations
scheduling. With such a complex show and losing due to lack of disabled representation in our industry,
in-person time from remote rehearsals in December, resulted in the casting of Callum Mardy – performing on
Daniel asks for two alterations to our scheduling. Firstly, a major stage for the first time in his career, where he’s
we are now running two weekly evening sessions to doing excellent work.
focus on individual actors, leaving the days more free
for ensemble work, where can D.J. finalise the ‘part Daniel and the National Theatre both understood that
song’ while composing additional musical moments and the lived experience of using a chair was needed for the
Carrie-Anne can develop several complex routines which character and to give a truthful account of movement.
I should note, Callum’s reasons for using a wheelchair
are different to those of Taylor – there is still acting
and imagination used, but it comes from a basis of an
understanding which could not be achieved by a non-
wheelchair user.

However, it has proved more difficult to realise George,

Taylor’s father. George is also a wheelchair user, but the
only ‘adult’ male actor we have is Hasan Dixon, who is
not a wheelchair user or disabled in any way.

Daniel decides the best way to proceed is to engage

with wheelchair users in the artistic community and
be led by them. I feel it is useful to record some of the
general feedback for consideration should any similar
issues ever arise in the future:

• Across the board, there was an appreciation

that the production has prioritised authenticity in its main

D.J. Walde
National Theatre: Rehearsal Diaries 10
Rehearsal photograph: Johan Persson
 Rehearsal diary: week six (continued)
disabled role and not compromised in truthful reflection
and uplifting disabled talent.
• There was also an understanding of the limits
of the production. Budget-wise, we can only afford one
‘adult’ male actor. This makes an argument that he must
be a wheelchair user less obvious. Firstly, that would be
mandating casting based on one of over a dozen roles
Hasan plays – and several of them are more prominent
than George and are not based on real-life wheelchair
users. In addition, the three senior actors frequently play
against age, ethnicity (though this manifests through
only non-white actors playing white characters) and
other factors. There has been an attempt to manage
representation across the cast, realising that, particularly
the older actors, cannot match every character they
play in background. In an ideal world, a larger budget
might have allowed a second wheelchair-using actor.
But the key point is that Hasan’s portrayal of a disabled
character is in a theatrical language that is used across
the production, within a diverse cast often playing
against type – and not just for disabled characters.

• Furthermore, Callum plays non-disabled roles

at other points in the play, thus balancing this theatrical
language rather than erasing disabled actors from
the project.
This may be quite a long explanation, but in a
• There was an understanding that, where discussion which is very much still happening across the
attention is being paid to disability across the production industry, clear principles have come from the disabled
and genuinely extensive lengths have been taken to community:
ensure good disabled representation, a non-disabled – genuinely try to represent us; sometimes this
actor playing a disabled character was permissible may not be entirely possible and that is understood;
due to the circumstances of this production and the – if you wish to have non-disabled actors play
efforts made. disability there must be significant disabled presence
elsewhere;
• There was a universal pushback on any – the actor is not embodying or realising disability
suggestion of erasing George’s disability – including – that is something that should be left to the
having him sit in a chair as opposed to a wheelchair. disabled actor – but no-one is saying no non-disabled
Feedback stressed the necessity of representing person can never play any injury, disability or access
disability if the production truly aspired to encapsulate need if the choice is made with dignity, integrity and,
Britain. Indeed, George and Taylor are unfortunately crucially, real disabled input.
outliers in depictions of disability on stage. They are
happy, self- confident, in active sexual relationships, As a disabled person and someone who works with
raising families and succeeding in their careers – all roles disabled creatives regularly, I’ve been really heartened
often withheld from the tragic stereotype portrayals of by the attitudes in this process, and the courage of the
disability in drama. team to learn and be led.

• But the realisation of George as a character In short, Hasan plays George and will be in a wheelchair.
is also important. In a less stylistic, minimalistic Our work, with some external consultation, is now to
production, having Hasan play George would be far make that execution clean and honourable.
more problematic. We will not suggest Hasan is disabled
or acts as a disabled person. Instead he represents
the truth that George, Taylor’s father, is disabled. The
wheelchair is brought into scenes, Hasan sits in it and
he leaves it at the end of a scene. He is not embodying
disability. The truthful representation is done by Callum.
Hasan’s chair is part of the set and production – not an
acting device to achieve any method-acting quality. It
is respected but considered an integral piece of staging
rather than a character in itself.

Stephen Bailey
Rehearsal photograph: Johan Persson National Theatre: Rehearsal Diaries 11
 Rehearsal diary: week seven
Monday sees our call get more complex as we balance to have been no further spread among the cast and,
costume calls, dialect calls, main sessions and individual under new rules, the cast member can be back in the
sessions across the cast. In particular, Carrie-Anne is room from next Tuesday, though they cannot be in close
now working individually with cast members, particularly contact until the end of the week. We press on without
those who play many roles, in order to show the them, passing through part two and moving into a recap
physicality with as precise difference as is achieved in of part three.
voice through the recordings.
Tracking cast positioning across our hundreds of
Beyond this, we continue to revisit scenes, now moving scenes remains a key part of my job and that of stage
into part two and scenes three and four. Here, we see management. With the persistence of Covid, we discuss
the reflection of the individual work coming to the fore what contingency planning can be enacted in the event
and increased detailing to improve clarity. This process that a cast member needs to isolate during the run. We
is matched with continued script amendments – all cannot be provided with understudies, but our writer
removals and cuts. Given the four-hour running time, we and director are both experienced actors, and the hope
can’t afford to have deadweight in the script, even if it is that with a complete show ‘bible’ (a breakdown of
might be interesting or compelling material. Reiterations movements, blocking etc) for each of the 15 parts, it
in scenes have been stripped down. A charming should be possible for them to navigate the show should
interaction with a young Welsh girl before meeting Mia the worst come to the worst.
has been removed – while it is funny, it complicates our
ability to work out, as an audience, who is important and A piece of bright news is the confirmation that the vast
whose story we are following. majority of our music clearances have come through. We
have increasingly used D.J.’s compositions for longer
This also results in the removal of a wonderful scene moments and non-diegetic sound (music used within the
with a Kosovan family, where they discuss the pressures context of the story) but the dance music for the ‘Born to
placed on immigrants to succeed, the pride the sons Perform’ section and both songs for the part song have
feel in their parents and systemic inequality. There is, been given the go-ahead, which secures several of our
understandably, some cast resistance to the loss of larger ensemble moments.
this compelling moment. However, regrettably, Luan
(our subject) says little in the scene as it is focuses on On Friday, we have our first of two days of filming. The
his brother. Moreover, the issues raised are reflected day involves the TikToks and a series of clips for our
elsewhere and through other characters. The brother NHS clap ensemble. We will be filming more footage on
may say it with great conviction and precision, but Monday, but today’s work of recreating three TikToks is
when exam results are opened and the private school much more time consuming than that will be, particularly
students each achieve more A/A* grades than over half in the recording of Carrie-Anne’s new dance sequence
the other subjects combined, the point about systemic which the cast have been practising in any free moment.
advantages is still made. The actual end capture proves surprisingly painless, and
we are able to wrap 30 minutes early. Let us hope that
On Tuesday, unfortunately, we have news of a positive continues next week.
Covid case in the company. Thankfully, there appears
Saturday rehearsal is ‘just’ a run of part one. This should
have been a significant event as our intention was
to present to an audience of invited young people to
gauge their feedback and let that influence the show.
However, with a cast member out due to Covid, it is felt
the presentation would be sincerely lacking and given
how much of our focus/attention is being given to the
clarity of the storytelling, having someone reading in a
character would make the exercise redundant. That said,
we finish at 1.30pm having solidified all transitions in
the most stage-business heavy part of the show and
with a very tight, off-audio run. Part one feels at the
point where repetition is what is most needed – all
elements work well, we need to give the cast the time,
experience and confidence to link their tracks together. It
is fortunate that we have additional time in the room. It is
unfortunate that we need to press on with parts two and
three – though we will find time to spend a session on
transitions next week.

Callum Mardy
National Theatre: Rehearsal Diaries 12
Rehearsal photograph: Johan Persson
 Rehearsal diary: week eight
Besides a further filming session on Monday, most of
this week is focused on refining parts one and two. Part
two undergoes major rewrites. For the most part, this
means reordering, some cuts and combining scenes.
Credit to the cast for dealing with shifting running orders
and blocking. Key priorities include minimising repetition,
ensuring a balance of tone and content that keeps the
audience engaged and streamlining the play wherever
possible. We make a key dramaturgical discovery
that combining a character’s sections together, so we
meet them fewer times but for longer each time, is
better than trying to juggle all 12 characters’ narratives
simultaneously. This is particularly useful in the context
of Mia’s domestic abuse plot, which is now focused
much more in the final third of part two, scene three
rather than spread across the entire scene.

This frequent rejigging also makes clear the necessity of

sometimes just going through scenes to track everything
in the cast’s minds. This proves more time-consuming
than anticipated. Daniel sets out to cover part one on
Friday morning and it ends up taking more than the
whole day. However, this is time well-spent, both to
refine the choreography in the staging but also to ensure
the actors feel comfortable and able to flip between
parts while retaining an active energy while on stage. It is
also going to make technical rehearsals less focused on
stage ‘business’ as we track mobile phone plots, hijab
plots and where costumes can and should be changed.

Costumes are a point of discussion as, in this

penultimate week, we start to have production team This will likely have a shift in lighting state for every one
members feeding more into the work we do. Paul of our 200+ scenes, but they will be gradual shifts and
Arditti (sound designer) works out where atmosphere focus on emphasis and gentle transition rather than
is useful for setting the scene (though we are keen not snaps. We will deploy more vigorous lighting in the
to overdo this) and he also picks out key sounds from ensemble moments which break our commitment to
the recordings, which we can carry through into the naturalism and focus on using those bursts of colour and
production. With D.J., he pitches where underscoring is sound as palate cleansers.
useful to carry sections or emphasise thematic links.
Part of our decision to potentially strip back costume
Akhila Krishnan (video designer) is planning a large comes from the Saturday presentation. The entirety of
animated element which will shift from light sketches part one is played to an invited audience of teenagers
projected on the back wall in part one, to more realistic from Chichester, the Orange Tree, Theatre Royal
drawings by part three as the characters become Stratford East and Theatre Peckham. It is followed by a
more developed and realised. This trend is contrasted feedback session which will inform our thinking going
by Kinnetia Isadore’s costumes which begin packed forward. Thankfully – and we can only hope this was
full of colour but become washed out in part three as not politeness, but watching them we feel we held their
the characters experience the draining effects of the focus for the 95 minutes – feedback was very positive.
pandemic.
Daniel begins by asking them about themes they
We also consider where we should pare back and not recognised and the focus moves around fear, anxiety,
over-emphasise things (putting a hat on a hat, to quote exam pressure, parental pressure, lack of identity and
Daniel) and costume is a key focus here. The three the challenges of trying to find one, and balancing
senior actors multi-role the most intensely and we do not school and social pressures. A key takeaway is that
want costume changes to detract or to create slowness different stories and characters will pop at different
at any point. Sometimes, some vagueness is going to moments and be engaging to different audience
be preferable to a full change of costume when Steph members. It is heartening to hear different specific lines
[Stephanie Street], Debbie [Chazen] or Hasan switch on being cited by different audience members as moments
a sixpence to a different character. of where they empathise or identify with characters,
suggesting we are doing a solid job of trying to
This minimalism is also planned for Zoe Spurr’s lighting. encapsulate the experiences of a generation.

Stephanie Street
National Theatre: Rehearsal Diaries 13
Rehearsal photograph: Johan Persson
 Rehearsal diary: week eight (continued)
Our Generation is clearly a watch that requires – such as the first year of GCSEs – which allows the
investment from the audience. There is definitely an audience to track how old characters are at certain
enthusiasm for the ensemble moments, where the style points. Again, we will encourage the cast to stress those
of watching changes, and of moments that link the piece bits of detail and test if it is sufficient in previews.
together – particular praise is given to the opening lines
that then recur through each character’s narrative. For the cast, it also leads to several discoveries. In
particular, that reactions cannot be taken for granted
By and large, despite having to substitute our video and they have to be prepared for not getting the reaction
captions for a flipchart and lacking most of our they might expect from a line. Instead, they need to
costuming, the multi-roling proves manageable. Accents, imagine the interview collector is there and encouraging
vocalisation and physicality are all cited as clear, which them to continue talking, and play that reality.
means we don’t have to do that job with tech and
slow down the running of the show. Some moments We note that masks are challenging here as they
of confusion are noted and we will adjust blocking and obscure so much of the face and make building those
the script as needed. It is remarkable how small some relationships difficult unless imagination is brought
of those moments are: Hasan still wearing a teacher’s to bear. It also highlights the challenges of stamina
whistle while being Agron, or Zac sitting at a table with and focus as we don’t present even half the complete
the same tablecloth as Drin, Luan’s brother, (both played piece to the test group. We plan to do three runs next
by Dee) – both stand out where a detail told a much week before entering tech to continue working on this.
larger story. However, we finish the week in an elated mood, proud of
what we are achieving.
Time and its passage are also on our minds. We can’t
caption with years as the characters’ timelines are so
jumbled and some characters were followed for longer
than others. At the same time, we need to make it clear
that we start in approximately 2016 and end in about
2020. Music, though mostly original compositions by
D.J., is identified as already working strongly by the test
group, so are small contemporary details – Trump, Kim
Kardashian being robbed, etc. It underlines that we need
to ping out those lines to allow the audience to do that
connecting work.

The same goes for ages of the characters. There

is resistance to putting ages for each character’s
introduction caption because that might tie us
into chronicling the progression, which has the
aforementioned problems. However, many of Alecky’s
selections leave an age, or a birthday, or a reference

Anushka Chakravarti
National Theatre: Rehearsal Diaries 14
Rehearsal photograph: Johan Persson
 Theatre glossary
Meet and greet on behalf of the director. Once a production has had its
Usually held on the first day of rehearsals, the meet press night, the director steps away from the production
and greet is a chance for the company and production and the staff director takes over. The staff director
team to meet everyone who is involved in the production rehearses the company at ‘bring back calls’ and also
as well as staff from marketing, learning, fundraising, etc. rehearses the understudies.
The director – and sometimes the writer – may take
this opportunity to explain a bit about their vision for Bring back call
the production. The National Theatre operates a ‘rep’ system, meaning
that a production will not be playing every day and a
Round the table / table work company may have a break every other week or so.
Some directors like to start rehearsals by reading A bring back call is a short rehearsal on the day when
through the script, and getting an understanding the company return from having a break. The staff
of the play, characters and setting without adding director normally holds a line run with the company, and
movement or blocking. rehearses in more detail complicated scenes, movement
sequences or fights.
Blocking
Working out where actors should stand or move on Rehearsal call
stage, and at what point. The stage manager will work out a day-by-day rehearsal
schedule for a production, in consultation with the
Put on its feet director. The rehearsal call sets out the scenes that are
The point in rehearsals where the company start to add being worked on that day, and the actors or production
in blocking and try out movement for scenes. Some team who are needed, and when.
directors like to put a play ‘on its feet’ from the very start,
and work out the intention of the play and the characters Ensemble
at the same time as the movement. A company of actors or performers where the emphasis
is on collaborative group work.
A run
Rehearsing each scene of the play in chronological Company
order, without interruption. Runs help directors and The cast, production team and other staff associated
actors to see which parts of the production may need with the show.
more attention or reworking. The first run-through of a
play is often referred to as a ‘stagger-through’, as there Understudy
are usually delays and mistakes. An actor who learns the role of another member of the
company so that they can perform that part in the event
Off book of injury, illness or scheduled absence.
Once an actor has learnt their part, they no longer need
to use their script in rehearsals and are described as Actioning / intentions
being ‘off book’. A way of approaching a text, which some actors and
directors like to use. Each line is assigned a transitive
The book verb, which may help the actor to explore ways of
This is another name for the script. A stage manager delivering that line and uncover the meaning behind
who is ‘on the book’ will be in the wings of the stage, what their character is saying or trying to achieve.
ready to help any actor who may have forgotten a line –
they are also known as the ‘prompt’. Stanislavskian
Relating to Constantin Stanislavski, a Russian theatre
Act practitioner usually associated with method acting.
The separation of a play into different sections, which
in turn are sometimes sub-divided into scenes. Beckettian
Relating to playwright Samuel Beckett, whose work is
The space associated with minimalism.
The area in which the work is taking place. This term can
refer to both the rehearsal room and the theatre’s stage. Alexander technique
A system designed to promote healthy movement
Staff director and posture. Named after its creator Frederick
The National Theatre uses staff directors rather than Matthias Alexander.
assistant directors. Staff directors have a variety of jobs,
depending on the production and the director they are
working with. They can help with background research
for rehearsals, lead improvisations and act as a liaison

National Theatre: Rehearsal Diaries 15

 Theatre glossary (continued)
Upstage
The area at the back of the stage furthest from
the audience.

Downstage
The area at the front of the stage closest to
the audience.

Improvisation
Action taken by an actor(s) that is unprepared
or unrehearsed. During the rehearsal process
this is often led by suggestions from the director
for the purposes of exploration and discovery.
During performance improvisation is often used
by actors to cover a mistake or accident on stage.
Sometimes a script is written in a way which allows
actors space to improvise the occasional line or two –
normally in reponse to the audience’s reaction to
an event.

Beat
In the script a playwright may use the term ‘beat’ Dress run / dress rehearsal
to denote a pause or a shift in pace or intention in A dress rehearsal is a chance to pull together all
the play. In rehearsal, the term is often used to describe elements of a production, including sound, lighting
a particular moment or event on stage. It can also be and costume, and work through the play as though
used to describe a unit of time. it is a performance.

Line run Previews

The company say their lines without adding movements. Before a production has its press night, it normally
Line runs help actors to feel confident that they know has a couple of preview performances. Productions
their words before going on stage. Sometimes line runs can still change right up to press night, and it is during
are done at speed, which can really test how well actors previews that the company and director get to see how
know their roles. audiences respond to the production, and they may
rework sections accordingly.
Model box
A scale model of the set, used by the director and Press night
designer to work out how each scene could look. The night the critics see the production before
For the acting company, model boxes help them reviewing it.
to visualise where they will be standing on stage
and the world their character is living in. Carpenters,
production managers, scenic artists and prop-makers
will also study the model box, to get an idea of textures
and finish on the set, as well as the overall look. Model
boxes can also help to flag any issues with elements
of staging before they are made.

Fit up
The set is assembled on the stage.

Get in
The set, props and costumes are brought to the stage,
ready for technical rehearsals.

Technical run
Running through the play setting all technical cues,
including lighting, sound, set changes and automation.
This is an opportunity to practice scene changes,
characters’ entrances and exits, costume changes,
and for actors to get used to being on the set.

The company in Our Generation

National Theatre: Rehearsal Diaries 16
Production photograph: Johan Persson