Chapter Text
FOREWORD
Notes on scenic, lighting and sound design have been included, to be interpreted to the extent that the individual designer desires. Similarly, stage directions (both with regards to blocking and acting beats) are to be interpreted at the discretion of the director/s and actors respectively. This being said, the play is served by these aspects being maintained, to the extent that budget allows. All scenes are to be kept in.
Magical effects are referenced with some frequency. While the original production used magic, puppets or projection or props are equally valid solutions.
Throughout this play, the acting style should hew as close to naturalism as possible. Though the issues faced by characters are magical in nature, their effects are human and real, and should be treated as such. In particular, more abstract characters (THE TREE, THE STAR, etc.) should be given a sense of motivation, purpose and humanity.
QIFREY should have a standard southern British accent (close to Received Pronunciation). OLRUGGIO should have a Yorkshire accent.
While the script occasionally explicitly calls for overlapping of lines, em-dashes on the end of lines are used to indicate an overlap or one character cutting off another. In Act 2, slashes will often indicate characters talking over one another in a less direct way.
Em-dashes within a character's line can indicate a beat or a breath; whichever the actor prefers.