Transformed

"Will you look at that! Look how she moves! It's like Jell-O on springs. Must have some sort of built-in motor or something. I tell you it's a whole different sex!"
Jerry / Daphne, 'Some Like it Hot'

One of our old tutors from drama school, recently surfaced on Facebook which reminded me of an acting exercise we did with him.

The brief was that during a break from the school we were to observe someone well known to us so that we could become them as a character. Unfortunately for me I went into hospital at that time for a minor op which meant I had very little time to observe much more than the shocking state of the ward. I therefore had to make a very quick observation of the only person I was in close contact with between operation / recuperation and returning to school - namely my father.

On returning after the break the exercise began in earnest. As my school was very big on Stanislaski and Method Acting this meant a great deal of wandering around in character as much as possible or even taking it further and walking into the local town. As I moved down the street with the slow measured pace of my father I could see other students hobbling with crunches, fidgeting uncontrollably and generally making a fool of themselves as only acting students can. I gradually became aware that everyone else was dealing with very extreme characters or at least characters very different from themselves. I, on the other hand, was discovering that my father and I were much closer in personality then I had previously realised. However, this hadn't escaped my tutor who also thought this character wasn't stretching me enough.

The final part of the exercise was to 'perform' the characters to the rest of our fellow students. Each person would enter the room, introduce themselves and then take questions from the floor staying in the role the whole time. So before this final exercise my tutor set me a challenge.

"Make your father a transvestite"

This was in 1990 and although society still had some way to go before reaching the level of understanding towards homosexuality that we have today is was becoming less of an issue, particularly within the world of theatre and acting. I was to witness one or two 'spectacular' closet departures by friends during my time at  the school. However, those of a trans-gender persuasion had yet to find their voice in the world. Even Eddie Izzard had yet to publicly find his 'high heeled' feet by then. I wanted to to do the character justice and not resort to a stereotype or, even worst, something out of Monty Python ("Oh, fornicate the Penguin!"). After all, this was my father I was dealing with here, all be it in an alternative reality style scenario.

My tutor very much left it up to me to find my father's new 'voice' as it were. The only thing he did insist on was secrecy. In theatre nothing beats getting one over on the audience so my transformation soon became the biggest secret going. Only the two main tutors for my year plus one friend, whom I called on to lend me some of her clothes and help with my make-up, were in on the 'twist'. So on the performance day with the additional aid of a hair clip, a clutch bag, some strappy-sandals and some strategically placed balled-up socks (possibly the only time you can wear socks with sandals) I was ready. For obvious reasons (to those in the know at least) I was kept until last and on entering the room everyone was shocked into silence as I sat and introduced myself as Barbara.

Some thought it was a joke, possibly in either good or bad taste. Some believed I was playing with fire and that the tutors would drag me (pardon the pun) over the coals for pulling such a stunt. As a result the questions were very slow on coming as no one, especially those who thought my character was based on my father. Finally one student, who was often critical of other people's work and no doubt wanted to be the one to point out the Emperor's lack of clothes, said,

"You have a very deep voice for a woman."

To which I smoothly replied,

"That's because I'm a man."

The room seemed to suddenly relax but also lean forward at the same time. Questions now quickly came to people, not only to find out more about Barbara but also about the man behind her (or inside her or outside or which ever way you want to see it). I confidently explained my life and the reasons I did what I did and was what I was, mixing fact with fiction so that my father and Barbara flowed together. Fianlly the session ended and Barabra slipped away.

But if the questions had came think and fast during the exercise then it was nothing to the barrage I received after. Or rather the same question over and over,

"Is your dad really a tranny?"

It took quite a while to explain the whole plot and reasons behind the birth of Barbara. But I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the effect it had on everyone. However, I did feel a little bad for my Dad. Partly because I'd had to 'enhance' his character for the performance. But mostly because when he next met some of my friends he was relentlessly ribbed about the day he'd been turned into a women. And the name Barbara also stuck for a while. (Sorry Babs)...

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