The symbolism of the song What A Friend We Have In Jesus

The symbolism of the song 'What A Friend We Have In Jesus', in the context of Born Bad. This song is scripted to be sung in the beginning of a confrontational scene between a mother and daughter. The fact that it is a gospel song displays what kind of household it should be - one with upliftment and higher morals and normally a loving home. So it becomes a shock to the audience when the daughter begins swearing at her mum and uses what appears to be aggressive language because we would think she would have a respectable manner about herself even in a disagreement.

Also people often use gospel music as an outlet for there pain and as a way to seek God and feel connected to him. It’s used as a way to ask God for help and the soulful energy of the music emotionally reveals some feelings for people. I feel as though my character was seeking the lord to help her deal with this pain and burden she’s carried with her for so many years. She carries so much hatred in her heart and I feel like she just wants to learn how to let it go, because she can’t do it by herself. I feel like she uses the lord to help her try to compose herself and have the confidence to say everything she feels she needs to, to her mum. Lastly I feel like she seeks the lord to help her understand why and how this has happened to her, to help her understand why her own mother didn’t speak up and protect her.

What A Friend We Have In Jesus - Aretha Franklin

Tech Planning

Staging and Set.	Props	Sound/Lighting/visuals
Minimalistic Staging and Set: Two Black Chairs, one chair downstage and one chair upstage.	No props required.	Intercut images of child running and hiding with an atmospheric music as underscore.   The song ‘What A Friend We Have In Jesus’ by Aretha Franklin to be played at the beginning of My monologue and then lowered down till there is no music.   Dark Lighting Silhouettes

Born Bad - Research

Born Bad - debbie tucker green.


First Performance at the Hampstead theatre April 25th 2003

 A summary of the play - Research from backstage.com

As we begin, Dawta, the eldest child of four, is in a rage at her mother, delivering a scalding tongue-lashing. As Green's incantatory, jabb
ingly repetitive language spews forth, we start to suspect that Dawta is furious with her mother for facilitating Dawta's sexual abuse at the hands of her father. In finely wrought scenes of varying length, from fleeting to substantial, Green charts the effect of the revelation on Mum, who righteously defends herself; prim Sister #1, whose memory can best be described as convenient; aggressive Sister #2, in ferocious denial; and withdrawn Brother, who reveals his own abuse, heretofore unknown to anyone, to Dawta, while refusing to tell anyone else. But the lid is off the boiling pot, and attempts to restore it only lead to the inevitable explosion and devastating result.





Research from the guardian by Lyn Gardner

Her first sister tries to piece together bits of the story. But is her memory selective? Unreliable? Or straight as a die? Sister number two provides an entirely different perspective, her hostility to Dawta crackling across the room like electricity. Is she telling the truth when she says her childhood was all peaches and cream? If so, how and why? Who is she protecting? 

It is only gradually that the pieces start to fit together like some terrible jigsaw, culminating in an exquisitely torturous scene towards the end of a family game of musical chairs in which the unspeakable truth is finally revealed.

Review from Charles Isherwood

Unit 8 Colllabortative Show Running Order Draft

Unit 8 Colllabortative Show Running Order Draft

Act 1 (30 minutes)

1. Edward intro/magic (3 minute) 

2. Opening Ensemble (5 minutes) - Invocation And Instructions To The Audience

3. Born Bad - Myself, performing a monologue and maybe a short solo song arguing with my mother. This links to Andre and Erin's duologue piece about their abusive upbringing.

4. Grenfell Duet - Ruth and Felicia (3-4) Contemporary and Physical Theatre piece.
5. Carousel - Matas and Ryane (10 minutes)

Interval including interaction with the audience using magic tricks.

Act 2 (35-40 mins approx)
6. Charlie Chaplin (3-4 mins) monologue using Physical  Theatre.
8. Magic Act - Edward (5 minutes) Final Trick
9. Comedy Duologue - Remel and Sian (3-4 minutes) Saving a Marriage
10. Sondheim- Blaize,Zaynab, Leigham (15 minutes) Short Musical
11. Chorus Line - Ensemble (5 minutes) Dance using props.