Explanation of Contrast

I settled with these two monologues after careful consideration of the plays and their respective characters. The part that caught my eye more than any other by a long shot was William Cain. Although he is on stage relatively little compared to the protagonists of 'Her Naked Skin', I saw in his scenes a diversity and depth of character that was unparalleled across all three works. His background and heritage as well as his place in society puts him at odds with his gut and his heart, and he is visibly torn throughout the play. This pulls emotion to the forefront of the character, and while reading his scenes I felt excited at the prospect of trying to encapsulate this on stage. Although a select few other rolls across the three plays also offered similar explorations, such as Chris' father in The Laramie Project, I decided after some thought that Cain was the part that I was set on playing.

This was important when making final decisions on monologues for a number of reasons, most importantly it meant making the choice to play two characters that are very similar in many social and economical standpoints, as they are both similar to William Cain in these regards. However, I decided that I would use this to my advantage, portraying these two similar characters in emotionally contrasting styles.

Heath's monologue falls at a difficult time in his life. He has just lost his mother, and is now in the public eye enough to be feeling the strain of a lack of privacy and freedom to form relationships with who he pleases. As such, he is withdrawn, inarticulate, and tortured by his inability to escape the anguish and loneliness that has crept up and trapped him as he has slowly grown up. Although he still has whiffs of arrogance that hang around establishment figures, it is easy to empathise with him.

Alastair, on the other hand, is setting himself free. Like Heath, he is socially awkward and resentful of his ineptitude when it comes to forming new relationships. However, his acceptance into the Riot Club and the volumes of alcohol that comes hand in hand allows him to finally untangle himself from the restraints of his quiet, uneasy nature and finally let loose the filthy, snobbish hatred that has been building up inside him. He truly encapsulates the utter lack of connection with the real world that many aristocratic characters carry with them, and as such comes across as an unlikeable, pompous arse who at times can verge onto scary as he comes dangerously close to smashing up his environment.