Character Research

In this production I have been cast as "Mau". In my opinion he is a very complex character who is going to be quite a challenge to play however I am looking forward to playing him for the middle section of the play. He has scenes in the dream world, underwater, in the cave of grandfather's to a name a few. When it transitions into my time as Mau he goes through a change from being just a half boy/ half man who isn't quite sure of himself into a strong confident chief of this new titular Nation. In order to Accurately portray this character I need to go through the text and analysis key information about him and then do some of my own research on the word he lives in:

What do people say about Mau?

• "You have no soul (...) you are between boy-soul and man-soul" - This shows that Mau is not mature yet but he is not a child. He is (in western culture) considered to be adolescent. This is good because he is of the same age as me making him easier to relate to however he has grown up in another societal system where masculinity and coming of age ceremonies exists. In my performance I must portray the importance on masculinity and power in my leadership and attitudes to other males in the Nation.  
• "Some of them laugh at (...) your trouser man clothes" - We see that Mau is now wearing traditionally western clothes like trousers. This means that he is trying to state his superiority over others through the way he dresses albeit subconsciously. This shows that within the Nation there is some doubt and insubordination, This motivates Mau to try and prove himself and assuage people's fear in his leadership qualities. 
•  "You're a great Chief" Mau is capable of making good decisions that (even if he doesn't believe in himself) will bring happiness to his people. This means that throughout the piece I must show the evolution of Mau and portray his growth in confidence as a leader and a man.

 What does Mau say about himself?

• "I'm not ready, I can't carry the burden" He is referring to Pilu volunteering him to be chief. (This is from a section of text where I am not playing Mau however in order to give 3 dimensional performance I must know what thought processes my character has previously had and carry them with me). Mau is reluctant to become and is worried about having such responsibility. This means I must show his insecurities and hesitations when it comes to making decisions. 
• "I'm Chief. I should watch out for raiders" Mau has now acknowledged his responsibility as Chief and is now actively doing duties. In my performance I must now show the audience that there has been a change in Mau's mentality. It also states in the stage directions; " He now wears Robert's hat and trousers". This shows that he is assimilating the advancements that Daphne has brought with her". I believe now has a slight superiority complex and I must demonstrate this in the way he treats the other Islanders" 
• "I am strong, The strongest." Mau is defending himself and his own identity. As an actor I need to make a judgement on whether I want to play this line seriously or unsure. At this point in the play I don't believe me is that self assured and is just saying this line to protect his own ego so I shall play slightly unsure but deliver it with strength. 
• "I am sorry for the angry words I shared with him. I respect and love him as if he were my father. I will take revenge" This is my final line playing Mau so I need to deliver it with passion and emotional depth, Mau has now grown and can recognise his own mistakes. I must show this self-realisation to the audience in the way I phrase the line e.g. putting emphasis on the words "Love" and "Respect". 

Five stages of grief 

On a character analysis I found here: http://www.shmoop.com/nation-pratchett/mau.html, It suggests Mau could be going through the five stages of grief because of the loss of his people. So I did some research on this;

Source: http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-5-stages-of-loss-and-grief/000617

1. Denial: When he returns from the boy island and discovers everyones dead. 

2. Anger: Mau's anger at the God's, Daphne and Ataba.

3. Bargaining: Saving others lives to make up for the loss of his own peoples.

4. Depression: Before Daphne arrives and is isolated. 

5. Acceptance: End of play, Mau becomes a competent chief and leads a new nation.

In conclusion I must use this depth research to shape and characterise Mau as an unsure adolescent and demonstrate his coming of age. I must also successfully show the audience how he copes with the death of his people and how this changes him.