PERFORMANCE PERSPECTIVES

"Tea with Mussolini"

PREDICTING AN AUDIENCE RESPONSE

Sitting in the darkened cinema the audience searches for the first clues that will provide them access to the story. That is, of course, why they have come - to be engaged in the unfolding events of the story.

In the intensely focused arena of the cinema Franco Zeffirelli's "Tea With Mussolini" actively engaged this member of the audience through a delightful opening which appeared to indicate that this would be the story of a young boy. But soon it became unclear whose story was in fact being told. And this sort of reaction seemed to be the perception of many critics who generally reviewed Zeffirelli's reminiscence as an affectionate, rambling, inoffensive and unexciting work.

As I disengaged from the story I started examining the detail of the performances and came to the conclusion that this wonderful cast was only providing satisfactory performances. This lead to speculation as to how much rehearsal time was allocated prior to the shoot. As a number of performances started out rather 'raw' and a

little unsettled I wondered whether the film had been shot largely in sequence. And so I became more and more disengaged from the story.

In the early part of the story there were many moments of surprise for a number of the characters. Some of these are played very successfully while others I judged quite harshly. My mind wandered to the possible reasons for this fluctuating success. It was possible, in fact probable, that the circumstances which made these moments difficult were beyond the control of the actor. I reflected on the fact that it didn't matter what the external circumstances were, the final result is that the audience watches and assesses the outcome of the actor's efforts. It can be tough being an actor. And so by now I had placed quite a distance between myself and the unfolding story.

I did select a favorite performance. It was from Michael Williams. Its uncluttered simplicity was always engaging, entertaining and truthful. Good work in a cameo role.

Different Medium Different Venue
If in the intensely focused forum of the cinema this film appeared poorly structured and rather aimless, a later viewing on television evoked a much more sympathetic response. Some films are significantly diminished by the television format and presentation - this one seemed to gather a gentle conviviality when being viewed in the less formal setting of the family living room.

The Rights and Wrongs
It is interesting to discover that different circumstances and venue (with the same audience member) can produce two entirely different responses. So, which response was right? Of course they both were.

So, what can the actor do about this?

The answer is…. to accept it. It is a given in the world of entertainment and performance that everyone feels qualified and in fact is qualified to judge the qualities of performance and story. The performance reflects the truthfulness of a people's existence and story encompasses a universally recognised way of exploring related events. The only ruler any audience has to measure these by is their own life experience and consequent view of the world.

The actor is also informed by the same elements and all the actor can do is use these ingredients (life experience and view of the world) to inform and prepare their performance choices. The rest is in the hands of fate. There is no point in trying to second-guess the outcome.

But, next time you read or hear a critic's views of your production or performance do remember to take into account that the remarks will reveal more about the critic than they reveal about you.

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