Been So Long by Che Walker

Been So Long by Che Walker

Justification 250

After reading through the play I knew I wanted to do Yvonnes monologue as her character is so different to anything that I have done before. She is a really outgoing to the point of appearing rude. She has strange thoughts and fantasies and is obsessed with sex. She is not shy to share her fantasy with her friend. Looking at her character and this speech, I thought it would be an interesting and big challenge for me, to be able to get over the sexual aggression for the speech and portray her character as it is in the rest of the book.

I think this monologue will really develop me as an actor. I believe that after doing something so outgoing and unusual, it will give me confidence to try to do more monologues and plays that are unusual. I would like to take this monologue that Yvonne does and use the same skill when looking at doing other pieces. The fact that this monologue is set in a fantasy but is very close to Yvonnes real personality, as I perceive it, is one of the main things that attracted me to do this particular monologue.

Doing Yvonne's monologue will build up my confidence as an actor as I will be overcoming barriers. This is a very sexual and aggressive monologue and quite different to anything I have done before. This piece will challenge me immensely, which make me a stronger and more confident actor.

Synopsis 250

"Been so Long" is set in a bar in London. Act 1 opens in Bar Phoenix with Barney the owner. Gil comes in for a drink. He is in a foul mood and looking for Raymond. Yvonne and Simone are best friends on a night out. They go to Bar Phoenix. Gil leaves. Yvonne wants one night stand but Simone doesn't. Raymond walks in and Yvonne is attracted to him. However, Raymond fancies Simone and asks Yvonne about her. Yvonne storms out in a huff. Raymond and Simone hit it off. Later Yvonne returns and they go to Jakes bar after Simone gives Raymond her number.

Act 2 is in Barneys bar a week later. Simone storms in, drunk, and wants to know if Raymond has been in. Yvonne enters the bar and presumes Simone has been dumped. It turns out that Simone is upset because Raymond WANTS to see her again. She has a big mistrust of men after her daughter's dad dumped her. Yvonne and Simone have a fallout and leave the bar, not together.

Raymond overhears the conversation and has a discussion with Barney about it. Raymond is then left in Bar Phoenix and is confronted by Gil, who tries to kill Raymond for taking his girl.Raymond reforms his character and does not want play around any more. Gil eventually falls asleep but seems to be over his hatred of Raymond. Raymond and Simone are friends again as are Yvonne and Simone. Barney closes the bar for the last time.

Emotional Journey in the monologue 300

The selected extract I have chosen is a piece by Yvonne when she is in Bar Phoenix talking to Simone. The build-up is Yvonne saying how desperate she is for sexual fulfilment. The extract is Yvonne telling Simone one of her sexual fantasies. A strong emotion that runs through out the whole extract is power and the power that Yvonne has over this 'creature'.

The fantasy is set during a huge storm and starts with Yvonne already on top of this