1920S HISTORY

DESTINY AND FAYE

1920

• Academic halls for women in oxford and could now receive degrees
-Beginning of more women's rights ( still pretty bad though)
• David Lloyd George promised a ‘land for the hero’s’ who fraught in ww1 but the government couldn’t
pay for the planned reforms
-War heroes left in the dust (sometimes) with no money, home or family
• 1st League of Nations meeting (US never joined, but it had 58 members none the less)
• End of the Russian Civil War
-Caused mainly because of the enemies of the Bolsheviks & resulted in 13 million lives lost and
immense damage to property
1921

• Treaty ended the war between England and Ireland

• Unemployment reached a high of 2.5 million
- Many families had debt, cost of simple necessities exploded
• Anglo-Irish Peace Treaty is signed, resulting in partition of the island
• Poland was reconstructed under the treaties
-Poland still remained under threat Russia and Germany
• Lenin introduces ‘new economic policy’
-The economy started doing well again
1922

• Irish civil war breaks out

-Tax money going to fighting effort so more poverty
• Prime Minister David Lloyd George resigns as his wartime coalition breaks up
• Conservative Andrew Bonar Law becomes prime minister
• Mussolini becomes Prime Minister of Italy
1923

• The British Mandate of Transjordan becomes a semi-independent state

• Conservative Stanley Baldwin becomes prime minister
• Treaty of Lausanne settles conflict between Turkey, Greece and the Allies
• Hyperinflation in Germany
-Heavy poverty and unemployment triggered
1924

• Ramsay Macdonald becomes the first Labour prime minister

-People are beginning care more about equality (still not that much though)
• Conservatives win a landslide election following the ‘Zinoviev Letter’
• Vladimir Lenin died
1925

• Chancellor Winston Churchill returns Britain to the ‘Gold Standard’

-Currency was high and the economy was beginning to get better after WW1
• ‘Plaid Cymru’ is formed to spread knowledge of the Welsh language
• John Logie Baird gives the first public demonstration of television
-New discoveries, money going towards research and scientific breakthoughs
• Treaty of Locarno brings France and Germany together
1926

• General strike is declared after miners reject the Samuel Report

-Most were forced back to work, many became unemployed
• Irish politician Éamon de Valera establishes the Fianna Fáil party
• Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa are recognized as autonomous
1927

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is created

1928

• All women over the age of 21 get the vote

• The first ‘talkie’ (film with dialogue) is shown in Britain
• Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
-Less disease & better quality of life
• Stalin (Lenin’s successor) starts first 5 year plan
-Forced cultivation of agriculture (it was a bad idea), not enough machinery and
poorly organized
1929

• Labour wins the general election with Ramsay Macdonald as prime minister
• Wall Street Crash sparks the Great Depression
-Reinforced the authoritarian regimes in Europe and allowed dictators to
dominate politics
LIGHTING IDEAS
FAYE AND DESTINY
GLOSSARY

• Wash – general colour of light across an area

• Floodlight – bright, harsh light that covers a large area
• Gauze – sheet of fabric which is completely opaque until a light is shone from the back (silhouettes can
be seen)
• Gobo – a metal plate that’s is placed in front of a light in order to block some of it and make a shape
• Birdie – miniature lantern that creates a small, soft pool of light
• ParCan –similar to a Floodlight but less harsh and with a softer edge
• Gel – piece of coloured plastic places in front of a light to change the colour of the wash
• Spotlight –harsh-edged fairly small wash to highlight one or two characters on stage
IDEAS FOR BAPTISTA’S HOUSE
 ACT 1 SCENE 1 BAPTISTA'S HOUSE EXTERIOR
Gauze upstage with a light behind- represents
Warm, pale general wash Baptista’s house- a short movement piece could be
(floodlight): sets the scene of performed by Katherine and Bianca while Luciento
Italy since its warm and speaks, or could be a direct storytelling of what
symbolises bright future and Luciento wants as he speaks.
new beginnings for Luciento Silouhettes show & exaggerate character

Gobo of the house pointing at a back

flat (light would be much brighter
than that of the flood)

Several birdies downstage to retain

naturalism (prevents spill of colour
on actors faces & draws attention to
them)
 ACT 1 SCENE 1 BAPTISTA'S HOUSE INTERIOR
Gobo of renaissance window with warm gel in a
profile spot- sets scene & time period – spill
projected onto backstage left flat placed
diagonally
Flood with light, ugly, green gel angles
from a raised bar downstage left-
jealousy, annoyance between the
sisters, lightens up a little when
Katherine leaves but is still present

Several birdies downstage to retain

naturalism (prevents spill of colour on
actors faces & draws attention to
them); same as exterior
Electric Chandelier with yellow bulbs (naturalism), paired with ParCan with a yellow
gel pointing directly down which creates a general wash. Could flicker when Katherine
gets shirty with Bianca
Made of Plastic/ Sugar glass->
Possibility of Chandelier falling down if applicable
IDEAS FOR THE WEDDING
A cacophony of electric LED
chandeliers above the stage-> LIGHTING IDEAS
Symbolic of happy mood (of
Petruchio, Baptista & Bianca) & Singular bright white light from behind Katherine when she enters->
creates whimsical atmosphere, attention on her, highlights change in her life/ different to earlier (change
could also create shadows on from green light to white- purity, blank canvas for Petruchio to change
Katherine’s face to show how her
mood differs to that of everyone
else
Possibility of Chandelier falling
LED light up bouquet (white), turns off
down if applicable
when Katherine runs off in tears, again
symbolises innocence, great changes in
Katherine’s life

Several birdies downstage to retain naturalism

(the one on Katherine would be off so that you
can see the shadows on her face)(prevents spill of
colour on actors faces & draws attention to them);
same act 1 scene 1
IDEAS FOR PETRUCHIO HOUSE
 LIGHTING IDEAS Several birdies
downstage to
Dimmer lights than in the previous scenes (secretive retain naturalism
gossip from the servants & shows contrast between (prevents spill of
Petruchio’s house and Baptista’s)-> dimmer murky colour on actors
yellow (represents instability and Petruchio is faces & draws
‘boisterous, eccentric’) par can pointing directly down attention to
onto centre stage to create a general wash. them); same act 1
scene 1

Spotlight above and slightly behind Petruchio when

he enters, Katherine will be in the darker, murkier
light -same as the servants- (shows how
unimportant Katherine is compared to Petruchio
and his attitude to wards her), also creates a tall
shadow for Petruchio which gives an impression of
his importance and intimidation, and the fear of the
other characters.
Could be a follow spot because Petruchio is
established to be incredibly active and hyper.
ANY QUESTIONS?