Find Me

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In the following scene Mark is on a school trip and Verity is, in fact, the only child from the family at the bonfire. During this scene the audience is able to see the hope that both Edward and Jean have for Verity’s recovery. They discuss that Verity has started a new school and has written a poem about bonfire night. Verity recites the poem and is congratulated by the friends and neighbours who are attending the party. There is a reference in the scene to Verity’s interest in swimming, this builds up to the ‘swimming gala’ scene which is the climax of the play and precedes the optional interval. Improvise a scene at a school coffee morning at Verity’s school. The parents at the meeting are discussing the events in the playground the day of the Wellington boot incident. Students should be able to identify the social, cultural and historical influences on the writing of ‘Find Me’. They should be able to give examples of how these influences are apparent within the text or can be realised in a performance.

In pairs label yourself A and B. A will play Edward, Verity’s father, and B is the Interviewer. The Interviewer asks Edward questions about his daughter Verity and the impact her condition has had on the rest of the family. Spotlight performances to the rest of the class.Her most successful play was Find Me (1977), [3] about mental illness, which is still used as a set text for drama qualifications in UK schools. [4] Others included Gymnasium (1972), Loved (1980), Best Friends (1984), Strike Up The Banns (1990), and Mirror Mirror (1992). [5] She also wrote dozens of BBC radio play adaptations, [6] including her 2001 version of Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain; one of her last works, it starred Paul Scofield in one of his greatest radio roles. [1] Personal life [ edit ]

Find Me’ was written whilst she was working as a Gulbenkian Writer in Residence at Kingston Polytechnic in Surrey in 1977. It was then performed at both Kingston Polytechnic and later at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1977. She is survived by her four children – Jane and Tristram (both actors); Rowan, a dramaturg in France; and Dominic, who works in film in Hollywood – and by her grandchildren. In small groups or as a whole class discuss why you think Verity was so upset by not being able to compete in the gala? Decide who you think was to blame for Verity’s breakdown following the swimming gala. In groups, get students to justify their choice using quotes from the text.The play involves a great deal of ensemble work and offers many challenging roles. Using a technique of multiple characterization, the part of Verity Taylor is played by five different actresses as the personality of the young girl is investigated in depth in an attempt to "find" her. Find Me During the exposition of the play Edward is asked questions by the Interviewer about his daughter Verity. He explains that the birth was a little premature and that her mother wasn’t allowed to have her for the first week. He goes on to explain that he found Verity to be a difficult child who was always a little distant. He describes times when she would wander off from home, flare up very suddenly and have tantrums. Verity’s mother and father decided that physical punishment was wrong for Verity as she was a very sensitive child. When she was diagnosed with a mild epileptic condition they hoped that the treatment would help to settle her down, but it didn’t. Verity was a solitary child who was always happier playing in her own private world. Preparation: As a class or in small groups read the scene that is set in the playground at Verity’s school. If you do not currently offer this OCR qualification but would like to do so, please complete the Expression of Interest Form which can be found here: www.ocr.org.uk/expression-of-interest

Best Friends (1981), also at the Orange Tree, was an elegiac exercise in Hampstead gothic; part of an interesting collaboration between the Arts Council and BBC radio drama, the season of plays was given on stage as well as on radio. Wymark explored the compromises involved in writing fiction and living a life, the characters existing in two conflicting versions of themselves. One critic found the headiness of it all too much, suggesting that she was defeated by her own verbal flair.Because of my swift pace of speech when talking about Jean and Verity, it was clear that Edward was under a lot of pressure from his family. I think he feels that, although Jean is trying hard, she can be "a little short tempered." Through my tone of voice when speaking about Jean, I understand that their relationship was very strained. This contrasted with my tone used when talking about Verity; "I just want her to be happy". This gives the impression that he cares more about Verity than about his wife. When I was asked what would happen when Verity grew up, I replied that “the boys will move on, but Verity will always be Verity“ I realised then, that Edward knows that he ‘has’ Verity for the rest of her life; she will not move on, she will not be given a better home than what he can offer her. Edward understands that he is one of the few things constant in Verity’s life, and he feels that by asking for help, he is abandoning …show more content… Hot seat one student in role as Verity (or allocate a Verity and get the students into groups). Ask her a series of questions that enable her to explain her actions both during and in the aftermath of the swimming gala. OCR is part of Cambridge Assessment, a department of the University of Cambridge. For staff training purposes and as part of our quality assurance programme your call may be recorded or monitored. urn:lcp:findmeplay0000wyma:epub:370381ac-2e4c-47a5-8312-816ddf475457 Foldoutcount 0 Identifier findmeplay0000wyma Identifier-ark ark:/13960/s2fmhh1hhsc Invoice 1652 Isbn 0573114315 During the play, the relationship between Verity and her mother is brought into focus. It is suggested by Edward that because Verity was premature her mother may have suffered from post-natal depression. This is reinforced in Jeans monologue: she expresses her guilt surrounding her relationship with her daughter and her jealousy of Verity’s trips with Edward.