rehearsal for performance - research

we started our research looking for fact and statistics on the social, economic and political problems in london, however i knew for sure there is a issue with homelessness in london so i went to do further research on homelessness since the play was based on creating awareness on such issues in london, during my research i found these;







i think this articles were really important because it tells you the statistical facts about the problems regarding homelessness and this helped me with the written task class work given in lesson about writing a monologue in the perspective of a homeless person and this was what i wrote;

Last night I slept under the subway near the McDonalds in canning town, I like to stick around places where there are chances of me getting food or getting warmed up a bit. Sometimes people stop to buy me food or donate their unwanted piece of clothing or duvet covers in order to keep me warm.

Its horrible seeping there sometimes, especially when it get really cold or when it rains. I was having a nap one day because I had a feverish cold and I couldn’t see the GP because I didn’t have a fixed address so I had to just wait until my body cures the virus, and then suddenly a group of secondary school students thought it would be funny to take the piss out of me and pick on me.one of them called me a tramp and spat on me and the other one spilled his drink on the floor and asked if I wanted some and told me to drink it off the floor like I was some type of animal because he believed I deserved it and it makes me realise all of my mistakes and it just gives me suicidal thoughts but I just like to pretend everything was fine  just to keep myself going.

this was then improved and re-written with the help of my teacher (katy) in a different way in order to have more effective impact on the audience;

No fixed address. Homeless, rough sleeper. That’s my identity these days. Last night I slept under the subway near the McDonalds in canning town, I like to stick around places where there are chances of me getting food, or where theres a bit of shelter.  The door way outside Argos is pretty good, you don’t get the wind blowing there.  It wasn’t always like this, I used to manage a coffee shop, my girlfriend and I rented a flat in town, but then we split up, I was made redundant, I really struggled to find work, I couldn’t keep up with the rent and… things just spiralled fast, out of control, and before I knew it I found myself here.

Sometimes people stop and buy me a cup of tea or give me some gloves, some people are kind. Most people just walk by.  London is the city of walk away, everyone’s important and everyone’s busy I’m invisible to them, Its not easy., I’m numb most of the time, numb to the cold, numb to the reality. I know what they think of me, sometimes they tell me, go get a job, why should I fund your addiction , well you try sleeping rough on a cardboard box in the month of November. I bet you couldn’t do it sober! Someone spat on me and the other day, he  dropped his drink on the floor, it went all over my sleeping bag and the floor.  He asked if I wanted some, and told me to drink it off the floor if I was desperate, he walked away laughing. Sometimes I get dark thoughts, sometimes, I wonder how I could do it. End it. But I cant let myself go there, I’ve got to just hope things will get better.

this was then merged into the play with other monologues written by the other students.