| to_kill_a_mocking_bird_programme_notes.docx |
Welcome to The Grand Opera House Belfast for this performance of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.
On its UK and Ireland tour for the first time, Aaron Sorkin’s riveting, award-winning stage adaptation of the seminal American novel about racial injustice and childhood innocence has come to the Grand Opera House.
Set in 1934 Alabama, Atticus Finch, a successful lawyer, encourages kindness and empathy in his children, but is pushed to the limits of these qualities himself when he resolves to uncover the truth in a town that seems determined to hide it.
Sets
The fire curtain that is lowered to the front of the stage at the beginning of the performance has an aged appearance. It is cream but down at the bottom it is very dirty. It says Fire Curtain in red lettering in the centre.
Jem, Scout and Dill begin the play hanging out in an old abandoned, shabby space. The space is industrial and is used as the background throughout. There are cracked windows high on the left and right and there are two steel girders that are lowered down into the space. The back wall has brick at the bottom and plaster at the top. It is very old and the paint is peeling and grey in places. There are pipes running along the wall, a large fan unit is high on the wall on the left and there is a door at the bottom on the right. On the left and right sides of the stage there are large sliding steel doors that are moved back to allow set pieces to be slid in and out.
Between the girders in the centre of the stage there is a small table and one chair, it is spot lit. There’s some paper on the table - the characters do not interact with this table until the court reporter comes to record the testimony in the court.
Scene changes involve the characters, generally if they are exiting a scene, they will assist with the scene change before they leave. When Jem and Scout are talking about things that have happened in court, the court set is brought in around them as they continue to speak.
The courtroom
The courtroom opens out to the audience with the judge in the centre. Four lights are lowered down from the ceiling. There is a table on the front left of the space with a jug of water and two glasses on it. In front of the table there are two chairs. There’s a matching table on the right side of the courtroom. The defendant (Finch and Robinson) sit on the left and the prosecution (The Ewells and their counsel) sit on the right.
In the centre back of the courtroom space there’s a large judge’s desk. It’s made of wood, has a panelled front and sits up higher than all the other tables in the space. To the left of the table, there’s a door that stands beside the judge’s desk. Behind the judge’s table there are two flags draped from poles. On the left the American flag and on the right, the flag that represents the state of Alabama. On the judge’s desk there is a stack of books, an open book, a gavel and some paperwork. To the left and right of the judge’s desk there are wooden framed railings that partition the courtroom. On the left is the space for the jury though they never actually occupy the space, there are no seats here either. On the right the white townsfolk sit in 8 chairs in two rows facing the centre of the room. The balcony is mentioned but is not a part of the set, though it is represented by three chairs behind the defendant’s table on the left. Directly in front of the judge’s desk is the small desk where the court reporter is sitting.
In the centre of the room there’s a chair into which the witnesses are called to sit. The chair is on a platform that has the same railings as the partitions. There are two steps incorporated into the platform and the witness faces directly out to the audience.
The front porch of the Finch house
The porch deck is sitting up on stacks of red bricks, about 6 bricks tall. There are four stacks. The front porch of the Finch’s house features a single window on the left, and a wooden screen door on the right. The porch is about 6 meters wide and it is four steps up from the ground. The steps are on the right hand side facing the front door and there are two steps down on the far left side of the porch. On the front left and right of the porch there are white wooden posts that hold up the small tiled awning above.
There is a large leafy green tree branch that is lowered in above the left side of the porch, there is no trunk beneath it.
On the porch there are some little green pot plants, two wooden slingback chairs, a wooden bench and a small wooden table. There is a light above the door.
When the porch is removed, the slate roof lifts up, the steps are slid under the porch deck and the porch itself is split in the middle and is slid out to the left and right sides of the stage.
There are another set of windows behind those on the porch that suggest they are on the other side of the house. When anyone enters the house and moves through it, they are not hidden.
Inside the Finch house.
There’s a round dining table in the centre of the room. The table is draped with a white floral table cloth and there are four chairs around the table. At the back of the room there’s a window frame, suggesting this is the back of the house. To the left of the table there’s a small wooden sideboard with some glasses and a jug on the top of it. On the right of the table there’s a large welsh dresser with two deep cupboards on the bottom and a display unit at the top of it.
Jem’s bedroom
In Jem’s bedroom. There’s a door on the left hand side that’s at a right angle to the audience. There are four steps up to the floor of Jem’s room. There’s a writing desk with a chair. There’s a little stool and a chest of drawers. On the left side of the room there’s an iron framed single bed. The bed is covered in a multicoloured patchwork quilt. There’s another door on the right hand side of the room that’s at the same level as the bed and other furniture.
The Town and other houses
The town and other houses are represented only briefly and by way of some windows, a wall and some bench pews. All of these elements are wheeled in, free standing to give the impression of the space.
The church is presented with three long, low wooden benches that are on the right hand side of the space. There’s a 2 meter wide partition wall with a window in it that stands next to the benches.
A house is depicted by a single window frame that’s stood on two legs.
Mrs Dubose’s house is represented by one of the window frames and her garden is depicted with a low flower bed that has a white wooden scalloped border. There are many colourful blooms in the bed.
The porch of the jail
The porch of the jail uses the same decking as the Finch house. In the background there’s a wall with a singular metal door. At the top of the door there’s a grille. In front of the door there’s a single long, low bench and a tall lamp on the right hand side of the bench.
Inside the jail
The space in the jail is a sparse meeting or interview room. There is a table with two chairs facing each other and there are two doors. One directly behind the table and the other at a right angle, facing the audience.
Costumes
Atticus Finch wears a cream suit with a tie, a waistcoat and brown shoes. He has short dark brown wavy hair and wears glasses.
Scout wears dark blue denim dungarees over the top of a pale blue floral shirt. She has brown shoes on her feet and her hair is curly, fair and styled in a short bob.
Jem is wearing a blue and white short sleeved checked shirt with tan trousers and brown boots. He has dark hair.
Dill wears a pair of dark blue trousers, a stripy t-shirt and braces that come up over the top of it. He wears white and blue trainers on his feet.
Calpurnia when she is working, wears a button up calf length grey dress with white capped short sleeves. She wears a long dark blue rain coat and a round straw hat with a bow when she is not at work at the Finch’s house.
Tom Robinson wears a dark brown suit when he is in court. When Tom is in the jail he wears a plain white long sleeved shirt and blue denim dungarees.
Bob Ewell wears a rust coloured shirt with a white vest underneath, he has cream coloured trousers and brown boots. He wears a straw boater hat and his clothes are dirty and dishevelled. When Bob is in the courtroom he is wearing a blue suit with a matching waistcoat.
Mayella Ewell wears a pale patterned calf length floral tea dress. Her dress seems a little shabby and her hair is greasy.
Judge Taylor wears a black suit and a black stetson hat when he is not in court. He has a gold chain from a pocket watch in his waistcoat pocket. He wears a black robe over his clothes when he is residing as judge.
Sheriff Heck Tate wears a cream jacket with a shirt and tie underneath. He has tan trousers and wears a large wide brimmed stetson on his head. He has a sheriff’s badge on the left side of his jacket.
Horace Gilmer wears a dark blue suit with a white shirt underneath. His hair is short, fair and gelled into a side parting.
Mrs Dubose has grey hair that she wears pinned up on the top of her head. She wears a floral silk dress and a cream coloured shawl.
Mr Cunningham wears a pale blue shirt, blue jeans and a grey waistcoat.
Boo Radley wears a blue shirt with tan trousers that are held with blue suspenders over his shoulders.
Link Deas wears a grey suit that appears to be a little large on him.
When Atticus is visited outside the jail by the men, they are wearing brown sack masks over their heads with eye holes in them. They are all wearing workmen’s clothing such as jeans, heavy trousers, boots and shirts with the sleeves rolled up.
Cast
Richard Coyle Atticus Finch
Harry Attwell Mr Cunningham / Boo Radley
Anna Munden Scout Finch
Gabriel Scott Jem Finch
Aaron Shosanya Tom Robinson
Oscar Pearce Bob Ewell
Dylan Malyn Dill Harris
Evie Hargreaves Mayella Ewell
Stephen Boxer Judge Taylor
Colin R Campbell Sheriff Heck Tate
Andrea Davy Calpurnia
Richard Dempsey Horace Gilmer
Sarah Finigan Mrs Dubose
Phillipa Flynn Miss Stephanie/Dill's Mother
Simon Hepworth Link Deas
On its UK and Ireland tour for the first time, Aaron Sorkin’s riveting, award-winning stage adaptation of the seminal American novel about racial injustice and childhood innocence has come to the Grand Opera House.
Set in 1934 Alabama, Atticus Finch, a successful lawyer, encourages kindness and empathy in his children, but is pushed to the limits of these qualities himself when he resolves to uncover the truth in a town that seems determined to hide it.
Sets
The fire curtain that is lowered to the front of the stage at the beginning of the performance has an aged appearance. It is cream but down at the bottom it is very dirty. It says Fire Curtain in red lettering in the centre.
Jem, Scout and Dill begin the play hanging out in an old abandoned, shabby space. The space is industrial and is used as the background throughout. There are cracked windows high on the left and right and there are two steel girders that are lowered down into the space. The back wall has brick at the bottom and plaster at the top. It is very old and the paint is peeling and grey in places. There are pipes running along the wall, a large fan unit is high on the wall on the left and there is a door at the bottom on the right. On the left and right sides of the stage there are large sliding steel doors that are moved back to allow set pieces to be slid in and out.
Between the girders in the centre of the stage there is a small table and one chair, it is spot lit. There’s some paper on the table - the characters do not interact with this table until the court reporter comes to record the testimony in the court.
Scene changes involve the characters, generally if they are exiting a scene, they will assist with the scene change before they leave. When Jem and Scout are talking about things that have happened in court, the court set is brought in around them as they continue to speak.
The courtroom
The courtroom opens out to the audience with the judge in the centre. Four lights are lowered down from the ceiling. There is a table on the front left of the space with a jug of water and two glasses on it. In front of the table there are two chairs. There’s a matching table on the right side of the courtroom. The defendant (Finch and Robinson) sit on the left and the prosecution (The Ewells and their counsel) sit on the right.
In the centre back of the courtroom space there’s a large judge’s desk. It’s made of wood, has a panelled front and sits up higher than all the other tables in the space. To the left of the table, there’s a door that stands beside the judge’s desk. Behind the judge’s table there are two flags draped from poles. On the left the American flag and on the right, the flag that represents the state of Alabama. On the judge’s desk there is a stack of books, an open book, a gavel and some paperwork. To the left and right of the judge’s desk there are wooden framed railings that partition the courtroom. On the left is the space for the jury though they never actually occupy the space, there are no seats here either. On the right the white townsfolk sit in 8 chairs in two rows facing the centre of the room. The balcony is mentioned but is not a part of the set, though it is represented by three chairs behind the defendant’s table on the left. Directly in front of the judge’s desk is the small desk where the court reporter is sitting.
In the centre of the room there’s a chair into which the witnesses are called to sit. The chair is on a platform that has the same railings as the partitions. There are two steps incorporated into the platform and the witness faces directly out to the audience.
The front porch of the Finch house
The porch deck is sitting up on stacks of red bricks, about 6 bricks tall. There are four stacks. The front porch of the Finch’s house features a single window on the left, and a wooden screen door on the right. The porch is about 6 meters wide and it is four steps up from the ground. The steps are on the right hand side facing the front door and there are two steps down on the far left side of the porch. On the front left and right of the porch there are white wooden posts that hold up the small tiled awning above.
There is a large leafy green tree branch that is lowered in above the left side of the porch, there is no trunk beneath it.
On the porch there are some little green pot plants, two wooden slingback chairs, a wooden bench and a small wooden table. There is a light above the door.
When the porch is removed, the slate roof lifts up, the steps are slid under the porch deck and the porch itself is split in the middle and is slid out to the left and right sides of the stage.
There are another set of windows behind those on the porch that suggest they are on the other side of the house. When anyone enters the house and moves through it, they are not hidden.
Inside the Finch house.
There’s a round dining table in the centre of the room. The table is draped with a white floral table cloth and there are four chairs around the table. At the back of the room there’s a window frame, suggesting this is the back of the house. To the left of the table there’s a small wooden sideboard with some glasses and a jug on the top of it. On the right of the table there’s a large welsh dresser with two deep cupboards on the bottom and a display unit at the top of it.
Jem’s bedroom
In Jem’s bedroom. There’s a door on the left hand side that’s at a right angle to the audience. There are four steps up to the floor of Jem’s room. There’s a writing desk with a chair. There’s a little stool and a chest of drawers. On the left side of the room there’s an iron framed single bed. The bed is covered in a multicoloured patchwork quilt. There’s another door on the right hand side of the room that’s at the same level as the bed and other furniture.
The Town and other houses
The town and other houses are represented only briefly and by way of some windows, a wall and some bench pews. All of these elements are wheeled in, free standing to give the impression of the space.
The church is presented with three long, low wooden benches that are on the right hand side of the space. There’s a 2 meter wide partition wall with a window in it that stands next to the benches.
A house is depicted by a single window frame that’s stood on two legs.
Mrs Dubose’s house is represented by one of the window frames and her garden is depicted with a low flower bed that has a white wooden scalloped border. There are many colourful blooms in the bed.
The porch of the jail
The porch of the jail uses the same decking as the Finch house. In the background there’s a wall with a singular metal door. At the top of the door there’s a grille. In front of the door there’s a single long, low bench and a tall lamp on the right hand side of the bench.
Inside the jail
The space in the jail is a sparse meeting or interview room. There is a table with two chairs facing each other and there are two doors. One directly behind the table and the other at a right angle, facing the audience.
Costumes
Atticus Finch wears a cream suit with a tie, a waistcoat and brown shoes. He has short dark brown wavy hair and wears glasses.
Scout wears dark blue denim dungarees over the top of a pale blue floral shirt. She has brown shoes on her feet and her hair is curly, fair and styled in a short bob.
Jem is wearing a blue and white short sleeved checked shirt with tan trousers and brown boots. He has dark hair.
Dill wears a pair of dark blue trousers, a stripy t-shirt and braces that come up over the top of it. He wears white and blue trainers on his feet.
Calpurnia when she is working, wears a button up calf length grey dress with white capped short sleeves. She wears a long dark blue rain coat and a round straw hat with a bow when she is not at work at the Finch’s house.
Tom Robinson wears a dark brown suit when he is in court. When Tom is in the jail he wears a plain white long sleeved shirt and blue denim dungarees.
Bob Ewell wears a rust coloured shirt with a white vest underneath, he has cream coloured trousers and brown boots. He wears a straw boater hat and his clothes are dirty and dishevelled. When Bob is in the courtroom he is wearing a blue suit with a matching waistcoat.
Mayella Ewell wears a pale patterned calf length floral tea dress. Her dress seems a little shabby and her hair is greasy.
Judge Taylor wears a black suit and a black stetson hat when he is not in court. He has a gold chain from a pocket watch in his waistcoat pocket. He wears a black robe over his clothes when he is residing as judge.
Sheriff Heck Tate wears a cream jacket with a shirt and tie underneath. He has tan trousers and wears a large wide brimmed stetson on his head. He has a sheriff’s badge on the left side of his jacket.
Horace Gilmer wears a dark blue suit with a white shirt underneath. His hair is short, fair and gelled into a side parting.
Mrs Dubose has grey hair that she wears pinned up on the top of her head. She wears a floral silk dress and a cream coloured shawl.
Mr Cunningham wears a pale blue shirt, blue jeans and a grey waistcoat.
Boo Radley wears a blue shirt with tan trousers that are held with blue suspenders over his shoulders.
Link Deas wears a grey suit that appears to be a little large on him.
When Atticus is visited outside the jail by the men, they are wearing brown sack masks over their heads with eye holes in them. They are all wearing workmen’s clothing such as jeans, heavy trousers, boots and shirts with the sleeves rolled up.
Cast
Richard Coyle Atticus Finch
Harry Attwell Mr Cunningham / Boo Radley
Anna Munden Scout Finch
Gabriel Scott Jem Finch
Aaron Shosanya Tom Robinson
Oscar Pearce Bob Ewell
Dylan Malyn Dill Harris
Evie Hargreaves Mayella Ewell
Stephen Boxer Judge Taylor
Colin R Campbell Sheriff Heck Tate
Andrea Davy Calpurnia
Richard Dempsey Horace Gilmer
Sarah Finigan Mrs Dubose
Phillipa Flynn Miss Stephanie/Dill's Mother
Simon Hepworth Link Deas
