Billy Liar: How to play Rita in her first scene

I have been victimisation the Nelson Thornes Dramascripts edition of he-goat Liar. I will discuss how I would die hard Rita in the selected scene. In this particular scene, I think it is important to salute how aggravating the character of Rita is to every oneness else on stage, and man I want the audience to understand this too, it is also a scene rich in moments with amusing potential. For or so of the section, Rita is pushy and aggressive however there are insouciant moments when she almost permits her guard down. I wish to explore the subtextual side of Ritas character including the motives for her wanting the day of the month echo from Billy.I view Rita as to a greater extent complex than she may appear on first impressions, and instead of merely wanting the ring to commemorate off, she may desire the ring to pass water her a feeling of belonging, to prove to herself and those around her that she can be loved, as in places, she could be feeln as a profoundly in secure character. At the beginning of the selected section, when Rita first pull ins her entrance, I want the audience to see how Rita does anything to bewilder what she wants, even if it entails storming into a strangers house.I would also want the audience to see that she is a formidable character, who will stop at nothing to f every last(predicate) upon her goal. I would enter onto the stage by striding from the back of the room, through the disruption in the middle of the seating, walking chop-chop with clenched fists to show aggression. I would pause at the entrance to the stage at the destruction of the walkway, to cease time for the audience and other characters to take in what has happened. During this pause I would narrow my eyes, as if locking in on a target, and put on a posture with one hip jutted to the left with my strain dictated on it, and one knee meagrely bent.I would have a menacing, and almost snarling facial expression, and my breathing would be heavi er and much exaggerated to show that Rita is angry, but is nerve-racking to instruction herself. afterwards this, I would strut cursorily and purposefully down to the main area of the stage, where I would pause again centre-stage, bandage scanning the room. This would concord an intimidating impression to the audience as well as the rest of the cast. During the 1950s, the Domestic Revolution took place and plenty began taking more pride in their homes, as they had more bills to spend on new appliances for the house.By storming into someones house at this period of time in time, it extravagantlylights the rudeness Rita displays in this section. As the scene progresses, Ritas anger is exacerbated by other peoples reactions to her entrance. Billy tries to guide Rita towards the door which would aggravate her, as she is trying to appear as assertive in front of people which she wants to unnerve. temporary hookup I want to let the audience realize who is in control at this point in the scene, I unchanging want to support the fast-paced and chaotic atmosphere which prevails through most of this act.I am interpreting Ritas stage direction shrugging him away as something more violent, and when Billy tries to lead her away, I would respond by grabbing Billys outstretched hand by the wrist and firmly pushing it back to his side. I would then lay off the line take your mucky hands private get scratch line on a high inflection to show Ritas indignation at be dragged around the room. I would let the inflection fall towards the end of the line, and practically spit out the last haggling rotten toffee-nosed get, everywhere-pronouncing each consonant.During the next part of the line, you didnt think Id come in, did you? I would slowly saunter over towards Billy, as if teasing him for not foreseeing my reaction. I would say the last two words did you? in a sponsor tone of express, almost mocking him. In the 1950s, when this play is set, it was not the average for a woman to be superior to a man in any way, such as in the home or at work. By showing how Rita is overpowering Billy, it conveys the rebellion and self-confidence Rita possesses.The moment in which Rita notices Barbara for the first time is full of dramatic potential. At this point, Rita has been dominating the assertion and when Barbara tells her that she is also engaged to Billy, Rita is taken aback and possibly even astonied into silence for a moment. I would want the audience to register this jerky change in the atmosphere. Barbara would say the line Billys grandma ill in bed, at which point Rita first turns to Barbara and, after a nifty flick of her head in Barbaras direction, says Oooh, look what the cats brought in in a rotten iron lung.This would be state in a high pitched voice, to sound like I am imitating Barbara and with a change intonation to add to the childish connotations of imitating someone. Barbaras line for your information, I happen to be Bill ys fianci is the one thing during this scene which alters Ritas otherwise constant mocking tone. After her line is said, I would initially begin as I said the previous line, saying the words Oooh, for your information in the same mischievous tone as before, and the realisation of what Barbara really said would hit me after this part of the line.I would pause after these words, and slightly furrow my frontal bone in a confused manner and purse my lips plaintively. I would slightly stutter on the next part of the line, as if I couldnt take what I had just heard. Through the rest of the line, my intonation would rise high and higher, and I would begin to accelerate my speech as Rita loses control and becomes more agitated, at universe lied to by Billy, active someone which she would conceive less desirable than her.This also reveals that Rita might care more intimately the engagement than she outwardly shows, and she might really be hurt that she couldnt confound her relations hip work. At the end of the line, I would straighten out my frock as if ashamed of myself for letting my control on this situation momently slip. As this section goes on, the audience learns that Billy has given Barbara the engagement ring which was meant for Rita. This induces Ritas short monologue on the subject of the ring.Barbaras one-word line of Billy would be sharply cut into by Rita curtly scoffing, and then beginning her line, by saying, Yeah, well youve got another think coming if you think Im as dotty as she is. This would be said with a heavy inflection on the word she to indicate that she places herself above Barbara. The next words of You gave that ring to me would be said much slower, with pauses in between each 2 words to highlight her licking. In each group of three words, I would point firstly at Billy, next to Barbara, and then finally to myself.This would include most of the people onstage in her rage to show that no one is immune to her outbursts. As Rita la unches into an anecdote about Shirley Mitchem seeing Billy give her the ring, I would pace up and down the centre of the stage, with dramatic hand gestures on key words such as witness or Ive got two to make her point clear to everyone watching. Again, as Rita is kinda irate and despairing over Billy at this point, she would have an ascending intonation, but would sound quite flustered. This could be achieved by making her voice slightly breathy, and by sighing deeply at the end of her line.Rita, by this point in the section is ache for control again, and to come back to her usual cheeky self. She sees this opportunity when Alice tells her you know as well as I do hes under-age. After this line, I would pause slightly, turn my head to the audience and raise my eyebrows, in a sceptical fashion, as if letting the audience know that something interesting is about to happen. Leading with a turn of my head, I would begin to sashay gleefully over to Alice, and say the line ask him over- age more like with a relatively quiet voice, and edge ever closer to Alice, as if jeering her with this information.I think that Rita would be enjoying this particular moment, and so I would let a half-smile play across my face, almost as if I couldnt assistance but have fun with torturing Alice. I feel this would be a good way to act this line as this is Rita existence able to be aggressive in a much more underhand manner, which shows her being a much more intelligent and astute person than is often outwardly shown. This is in contrast to what a linguistic rule 1950s young woman would act like, as in this period, women were still pass judgment to stay at home, look after children and not be as intelligent as men supposedly were.By Rita exercising a clever, sneaky side of her personality, she is opposing the norm in the 1950s, and even taking on the role which was seen as more masculine. At the end of this section, Rita has asseverate herself again in the pole position in thi s dispute. I still want the audience to see the predominant, pushy side of her. As she rudely cuts into Billys tired explanation, I would hold up my hand in an outstretched stop sign, almost pushing it into his face, to show just how sick of his voluminous excuses she is.After this I would return my hands to my hips and strut downstage while saying well she can have you very much distrust and during these lines, I would have a smug expression on my face. However, this would quickly change to a scowl with a furrowed forehead, as I begin to reel off the list of insults which Rita throws at Billy. These successive slurs would core in me repeatedly prodding Billy on his chest while quickly walking in his direction, almost chasing him. The volume in my voice would increase, and end in me shouting in Billys face as I would be closer to him by now.This will end the section with Rita being the leader in the argument, and she has had the satisfying last word, which suits her firm and agg ressive nature. In conclusion, I hope I have created a picture of Rita being a forthright and belligerent character, full of determination to achieve what she wants with smaller or no consideration for anybody else in the situation. However, I feel that her frustration and, at times, slight desolation over the fact that she couldnt make her engagement work with Billy, or she was in some way not all that he wanted, was also displayed in some sections.