The blood

The Blood 




\The picture above is the blood we during the performance, in the beginning when Torkel gets killed this is the type of fake blood that squirts out from his neck. The blood comes from a mixture of paint, coffee and other dark substances. I believe the blood allows us to significantly improve the realness of the play and improves the audience experience.

Some more pictures of the blood is shown below:

Sweden + Alcohol + Culture

Sweden and its culture

Sweden and alcohol

Swedes have different follow different patterns when it comes consumption of alcohol than, say, Germans have. During the week, or the days before work, it is rather uncommon in Sweden to drink a glass of wine or bottle of beer in the evening. From Monday to Thursday two-third of the population are completely abstinent from any alcohol. If you drink alcohol during these days, even if it is just a glass of wine, you might get critical looks from your friends. Some might even assume that you are in danger of becoming an alcoholic. But the amounts of drinks that the Swedes stay away from during the week is quickly compensated by drinking higher quantities during the weekend. To see very drunk people on Friday and Saturdays nights on the streets of the inner cities and in front of the pubs is very common. Particularly at closing hour – around 2 a.m. at night – when most pubs have to close, people stumble out of the pubs on their way to the nearest bus stop or taxi. Party = drinking Many Swedes feel the pressure of having to drink alcohol to be able to go out, be social and party. They consider party = drinking. Going to a Swedish night club without being at least a little tipsy is almost unimaginable for many Swedes. If you stand at a bar and order a soda on a weekend you might get comments from people around you asking “Are you going by car?“. To get in the right mood Swedes meet at pre-parties with friends, also because it is much cheaper way to get drunk than buying the expensive drinks in the Swedish bars and clubs. The concept of having a “white week” or “-month”, which means being abstinent from alcohol for certain period of time, is widely spread in Sweden.

Information extracted from: http://hejsweden.com/en/the-swedes-and-alcohol-about-drinking-in-sweden/

The Culture of Sweden

One of the key characteristics of Swedish culture is that Swedes are egalitarian in nature, humble and find boasting absolutely unacceptable. In many ways, Swedes prefer to listen to others as opposed to ensuring that their own voice is heard.

When speaking, Swedes speak softly and calmly. It is rare that you were witness a Swede demonstrating anger or strong emotion in public.

In terms, Swedes rarely take hospitality or kindness for granted and as such, they will give often give thanks. Failing to say thank you for something is perceived negatively in Sweden.

Behaviours in Sweden are strongly balanced towards ‘lagom’ or, ‘everything in moderation’. Excess, flashiness and boasting are abhorred in Sweden and individuals strive towards the middle way. As an example, work hard and play hard are not common concepts in Sweden. People work hard but not too hard, they go out and enjoy themselves, but without participating in anything extreme.

Due to the strong leaning towards egalitarianism in Sweden, competition is not encouraged and children are not raised to believe that they are any more special than any other child.

Information extracted from: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/sweden.html

Some information on the play

Some information about Let the right one in

Let the right one in film

The production

The film project started in late 2004 when John Nordling, a producer at the production company EFTI, contacted Ajvide Lindqvist's publisher Ordfront to acquire the rights for a film adaption of Ajvide Lindqvist's novel.

The budget for the film was around 29 million SEK which converted to British pound sterling is around 2.5 million. Most of the support for the film came from the Swedish film institute and Nordisk Film- & TV Fond.

The screenplay

Lindqvist wrote the screenplay as Thomas Alfredson who was the director for the play had no initial familiarity with vampires in depth. Many of the minor characters and events from the book were removed, and focus directed primarily on the love story between Oskar and Eli. Aspects of Hakan being a pedophile are really toned within the film and his relationship with Eli is vaguely interpreted. The director Thomas Alfredson believed that the subject of pedophilia was too much of a sensitive subject.

The difference from the play to the film

The film initially is different in terms of portrayal of characters, within the play there are some characters which are added such as the police officer - Halmberg and the shop keeper – Kurt. The relationship between Janne and Dad is not thoroughly depicted within both the play and leaves question for the audience to decide what their relationship is. The audience grasps more of the feelings from the play than they do from the film as naturally with the play, the characters relation and connection between one another is clearer for example in the film the current terms on which the mum and dad stand is not mentioned nor shown, while in the play we can see that the father and mother are distant but still communicate with one another for the sake of their son Oskar.

My interpretation of the movement pieces

Short analysis of the movement pieces (My interpretation)

Knife dance

The knife dance is the movement piece which includes Oskar and some extras that perform a specific movement in accordance with Oskar’s movements. The knife dance symbolises Oskar’s desire to become stronger since he is not the strongest person around, I believe the fact that he repeatedly stabs at the tree is to do with his frustration of not being able to become stronger which as a result causes him to have a loss of self-confidence. As we know that Oskar is unable to actually use them movements against another person in fear of hurting them, he instead tries them out against the tree itself. The knife dance in short is an interpretation of the violence which happens when involving the use of knifes and Oskar's desire to be strong.

The link below is dated a while back but is still valid proof of our knife dance:
https://plus.google.com/118034811758100365131/posts/64MJZASVtYr

The sleeping movement

The movement which takes place after Oskar goes to sleep is a dream sequence which Oskar experiences while sleep which highlights the most important part of his life such as the bullying and the fact that Hakan is hiding in the shadows slowly watching and monitoring Oskar’s movements. The whole sequence itself shows both the current tragedies he is dealing with and the future problems he is going to have to face i.e. Hakan. The importance of this whole sequence is to highlight Oskar’s current state of mind which can be seen to be in conflictions, confusion and fear.

The link below is proof of our 'sleeping movement' piece:
https://plus.google.com/118034811758100365131/posts/PawPwqXsQGW

The Eli killing sequence

This sequence is shown after Eli kills Jocke and she is chastised by Hakan. The sequence begins with different individual characters which have been seen before earlier in the play and the other characters which are to be seen in the future, the significance of this is to highlight the individual problems which each character faces. An example is of Joony’s problems with his brother who doesn’t live up to his brotherly duties and abuses Joony. The whole sequence creates an element of sympathy for some of the characters i.e. Joony but also creates an element of resentment for other characters i.e. Jimmy. The second part of the movement piece is similar to the knife dance as the characters mimic the exact movements which Eli does. The whole sequence illustrates Eli’s tendencies to kill in order to fill her unending desire for human blood. The sequence not just depicts Eli’s suffering from always having to kill but also Oskar’s abuse that he receives from the bullies as a result from his inability to defend himself.

The video below is proof of the snow fight movement piece:
https://plus.google.com/118034811758100365131/posts/Z6gdjxJ7Xcf

The Gym movement piece:

This movement shows Oskar during his gym sessions with Mr Avila and his other peers including Joony and Micke. The significance of this movement is to depict Oskar as a weak and vulnerable character as he is unable to keep up with the class, showing his lack of strength and athleticism. But at the same time shows his determination for when he actually tries and succeeds, though still being unable to keep up with his more athletically built classmates. The moevement piece is very short but still plays a key role in showing the gap of strength between Oskar and others.

The link below is proof of our gym movement piece:
https://plus.google.com/118034811758100365131/posts/H8fUq1dvHXw

The Snow ball fight movement piece

The snowball fight movement piece is a movement piece in which individual characters which are meant to be children playing happily in the snow and throwing snowballs at each other, the movement piece is mean to be a lighter side of the play which shows the joyous nature of the play. However, also depicts the lack of joy in Oskar’s life as at the end of the sequence he is bullied for joining in. The significance allows the audience to gain a sense of sympathy for Oskar and to see the fact that he is not only bullied by Joony and Micke but also ostracised by his own peers.

The killing scene at the end (Death of Joony, Micke and Jimmy)

The ending killing scene shows Eli killing Joony, Micke and Jimmy so that Oskar could be saved. The whole scene in itself is very important in showing the lengths at which Eli herself will go to in order to keep Oskar out of harm’s way. Throughout the whole sequence Eli’s ferocious nature and swift assassination skills can be clearly seen as she easily disposes of all the other characters without actually having to struggle against any form of resistance. The death of Joony, Micke and Jimmy is significant in showing that Oskar’s life of bullying is ending and that he is about to begin another part of his life with Eli forever.

The video below is proof of our 'Ending killing' movement piece:
https://plus.google.com/118034811758100365131/posts/W1efJumvTFZ

Comparison and Relation Essay

Let the right one compared to Within Temptation - Hand of Sorrow

Within Temptation is a Dutch symphonic metal/rock band founded in 1996 by vocalist Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerhol. Their music is described by many as symphonic metal and Gothic metal

I have decided to compare the song 'Hand of Sorrow' with the play 'Let the right one in' as I believe there is a good relation between the two. The song 'Hand of Sorrow' is about a man who without a name that both swore love and also sworn allegiance to some higher hierarchical figure, possibly a king and had only the orders to kill without mercy. As a result the man is tortured by his honor and his love, he could not choose between both because he was denied it by the hand of fate. The man regrets what he has done but cannot go back to undo what he has done. The lyrics themselves hold different meanings and interpretations which can be seen in many ways. I believe the main meaning is that a person cannot have both but most always come to a point where he or she must choose between two paths. The relation of the song to the play is the fact that Oskar must choose between his life or Eli; Oskar is in love with Eli but at the same he knows that Eli is a vampire that kills people in order to live and this makes him reconsider his feelings for her and also makes him reconsider what she truly is - he doesn't know if she is even a bit human or a complete monster. The song closely relates to the play as at the beginning it says 'The child without a name grew up to be the hand'. This relates to Eli being a vampire as initially she was not a vampire to begin with but was turned into one and as a result she has had to come to terms with it and grow up. The part that says 'without a name' could possibly relate to Eli having a different name from when she was born as in the play she mentions that her name was short for Elias and the fact that Oskar is confused because the name would be commonly associated with the male gender - It makes a person consider if Eli is probably secretly a boy at birth but changed his or her's identity because of her being a vampire. The 'hand' is the hand of sorrow which I believe would relate to Eli as she is causing sorrow for any person she meets - she makes Hakan continuously kill for her and since Hakan complies with this we can understand that he has given up on his humanity as humanity would mean that he feels pain for what he does. It is unknown if Eli has been with many men like Hakan and has caused them sorrow too by making them give up their life. The line that says 'kill on demand' I believe relates to Eli because as Eli is a vampire, she has all the characteristics of a vampire including the urge to drink blood therefore she has to 'kill on demand', the 'demand' bit refers to her urge meaning that when she has the urge to kill, it means that her body is demanding blood and as a result she has to kill in order to obtain the blood needed, this is exemplified by when she kills Jocke while he was carrying her because she was in need of blood in act 1 scene 11.
The main part which I believe relates to Oskar is the part in the song where the vocalist Sharon Den Adel says 'He's torn between his honor and the true love of his life. He prayed for both but was denied'. Oskar, which within the play is exemplified by the different scenes in which they spend time together and by the kiss, is in love with Eli and would do anything for her however as seen in act 2 scene 4 and his conversation in Act 2 Scene 7 , Oskar becomes somewhat fearful of Eli as he finds out she is a vampire and has to think about what will happen to him and his mum and everyone else (If they will be killed as well by Eli). The honor is Oskar's life like his school, family, friends and so on. Anybody in Oskar's situation would be torn apart by the decision that has to be made. If Oskar was to choose Eli he will not be able to live a normal life meaning he gives up his honor and if he chooses his honor he will not be able to be with Eli and will have to completely separate from her. Ultimately, he does choose Eli in the end. The part in the song that says 'He prayed for both but was denied' relates to Oskar wanting to be with Eli and live a normal life but cannot because she is a vampire, Oskar would probably have to become the new Hakan meaning that he would have to kill people in order to ensure Eli's survival, he is denied from having both by the hand of fate (The hand that determines a person's outcomes and events - fate caused Oskar to choose between either Eli or his own normal life, fate makes it impossible for him to have both). In the song it says 'The curse of his power tormented his life' I believe this relates to Eli as being a vampire can be closely similar to being cursed as being cursed means you can't escape what has been placed on you, Eli cannot escape her vampire characteristics like the urge to drink blood and kill people, the curse of being doomed to die if she steps in sunlight and the fact that she cannot go inside a building without being invited in first - this to me seems like a curse as she can't escape what she is.
Finally, the last verses -
'Please forgive me for the sorrow, for leaving you in fear
For the dreams we had to silence, that's all they'll ever be
Still I'll be the hand that serves you
Though you'll not see that it is me'
The final verse I believe can in the point of Eli and Hakan seem like Eli asking Hakan for forgiveness for what she has made him to do, she has made him kill so many times that Hakan cannot redeem his humanity in the face of God. The 'please forgive me for the sorrow, for leaving you in fear' relates to when Eli becomes more closer with Oskar than Hakan and Hakan becomes repeatedly fearful of losing her since he knows that he cannot fulfill her needs anymore. (He has been caught by the police and therefore he won't be able to kill inconspicuously anymore which means he won't be able to get blood for Eli)
Overall, The song is essentially and entirely about sorrow and having to choose between two very important and needed pathways even if both paths lead to a path of misery and sadness, Oskar has to choose between Eli and his own life (honor), in the play he picks Eli, which is seen to happen in act 2 scene 18 where they are both on the train traveling away so that they can be together again. To Oskar this may seem as a joyous thing however we, the audience, saw what happened to Hakan, he died at the hands of Eli , this makes us think what if Eli does the exact same thing to Oskar when he grows old and is not needed by her anymore, he would have to live a life of killing and misery because of his love for Eli and in the end be disposed of. This just reiterates the fact that Eli is (In relation to the song) the 'hand of sorrow'.
Steve Bodumde

Rehearsal update 25/11/14 - 28/11/14

On Tuesday we set up the climbing frame which Oskar and Eli use within most of the scenes, the presence of the climbing frame helps us understand the scenes better which focus mainly on Eli and Oskar. We also marked the spaces of where the trees are going to be, the reason for setting up the trees in that way is so that we can have spacial awareness of where the characters are able to move within and where the characters are not allowed to move within. Accuracy is a key factor for when perfecting plays therefore by knowing the space in which our movements can happen, we can attain accuracy in the positions of the characters during the various movement pieces. after fully setting up the scene, we continued with normal rehearsals, we continue rehearsing scene one and finished at around scene 10.

What went well: I am confident that I know my lines for my characters and the rehearsals have allowed me to gain a more thorough understanding of my lines and what is expected of my characters.

Improvements: An improvement would be to work on the scenes in which the dialogue is not well known and to finish all props and things needed for the performance.

On Wednesday: We started the run through for act 2 and managed to succeed up until around act 6, same as before - gave me more understanding of the play itself. During the second part of the lesson we were given the liberty to do our on individual work and I decided to continue further work on my coursework and research into my target.

What went well: We were able to further rehearse act 2 which gives us good time to see where we need to improve on and whether or not we are ready to perform.

Improvements: To learn my lines more thoroughly to the point in which I have no further use for the script.

On Friday: We spent time on this day doing coursework within the computer room and I conducted research into the play, though the findings that I have attained are very limited and is only very minimal in detail. The understanding however I have gained is of tremendous assistance to my character development, the use of the information I have found allows me to analyse the characters in different perspective especially Janne and his relationship with Erik. For the second part of the lesson we continued with rehearsals starting from act one, we managed to get up to scene 9, the rehearsal periods are really helping me to learn my lines as well help the other actors around learn their lines too. Knowing our lines is the final important stage in mastering the play as mastering our lines will allows us to perform the play with fluency and accuracy. As I have stated before accuracy is a key to making a successful and good play.

What went well: I am still confident in my lines and I feel as though I know them very well, I believe I am able to now perform a full run through without having to stop and ask for my current line. Furthermore our movement pieces are becoming very fluent and detailed.

Improvements: My improvements would be to be look over my lines for Jimmy - to make sure that I have my lines fully memorised in my head. More research to be conducted on the play.

Writing in role - 3 for each character

Janne feelings towards Oskar

I swear that kid Oskar is nothing but trouble for Erik, he constantly does nothing but cause trouble. It would be a blessing if he could just stay with his mum, at least that way he won't annoy me and Erik. I try to get along with him but he doesn't seem to try and make the effort. I even tried playing droughts with him but he just rejected me. Well if he does not like me then I don't like him and I couldn't care less if he thinks i'm a nuisance. Erik would be much better of without Oskar in his life. All Erik needs is me, we could go out and do stuff together like we used to, all the fun stuff and all the drinking, those were the good times before Oskar came and interfered in it for no reason.
I don't see why Erik won't just leave him with his mother, he stays there most of the time anyway, he might as well just stay there forever and stay out of Erik's life.
I also think he should cut his hair, its grown way too long.


Jimmy's thoughts on Oskar hurting Jonny

So Jonny went to school and got himself hurt, he's such a weakling, how can he let some kid hurt him like that, I never knew I have such a weakling of a brother. That kid, i'm gonna get him, nobody hurts family and disrespects us. when I see him i'm gonna fucking cut him in the face and leave a fucking scar on his cheek and eye, maybe i'll cut of his ear that way him and Jonny will be even. Tomorrow i'm gonna cut his face but first i'm gonna toy with him and make him pee his pants. Jonny needs to grow some balls, that little **** keeps on going on about only wanting to hurt him a little bit. Why is he acting like such a ****, does he not know what that kid did to him, i'm gonna make that kid regret he ever did what he did. Hope that stupid teacher Mr Avila is not there though, if he is there then I won't be able to do anything.
Jonny needs to man up or else i'm gonna hit it myself and cause him more than just ear damage.


Torkel's terrified thoughts during the Hakan killing scene

Before:

Damn, i must have had too much to drink, I can barely walk straight. The wife is gonna be so angry that I have had so much to drink, she's probably gonna kill me. Damn, I can't walk straight. To be honest, I needed that drink with the baby and the whole unemployment thing, I don't think I can cope much longer. What the hell there's some guy looking at me strangely, I wonder what he wants, he just keeps on staring at me. Oh he just wants to know the time, wait, what the fuc............

During:

Ahh ahh damn my head hurts so much, where the hell am I? Whoah what the fuck, why am I upside down and why the hell does he have a sharp knife. Oh my God Oh my God, he wants to kill me, someone please help me before this lunatic kills me, no why why, I have a baby at home, I can't die now. Please God Please God I don't wanna die now. NO! NO! NO! Fuck Fuck ahhhh........