Ensemble.

You have to work together, as a team, to create the purpose of the play. You need to realise that what you're doing is important and whatever it is, it needs full concentration and dedication. If you're committed for 5 hours and 59 minutes out of a 6 hour rehearsal... it's not enough. You have to believe that every second you're performing, whether you're centre stage or an extra, is critical.

The transitions are the hardest thing for an actor to stay engaged with. Don't lose focus, it's imperative you do not lose focus. Keep the engine on at all times okay, don't stop it and fall out of character as your walking to your new spot on the stage and then try rev it back up when you're finished, keep it running smoothly the whole time from beginning to end. You can easily collapse the entire play or drop the audiences' engagement if the transition of two characters isn't done with focus and in role.

Another thing you have to be sure to do is to listen to other people. It may sound obvious and just basic mannerism but once you lose focus anything can happen. It's not an intention to be rude when you talk over someone, it just happens, but when it does it's distracting and can tip a whole cast off balance. Also, if you're talking over your director or someone with an idea that they choose to use, how will you know what to do because you weren't listening! With our performance, we're all near enough playing the same character so it's impossible not to learn something from someone else if you just listen.

Brecht emphasised the use of consonants. The consonants in a word carry the meaning and help articulate a message if you take great care to emphasise them when speaking in unison with other actors, like we did. Without the use of consonants, the line delivered is just a mess of words together and the audience may not be able to understand.

Never leave the play in the theatre. When you stop playing your character for the day, you need to understand that nothing just drops there. Your character should always stay with you during the audition/rehearsal/performance process. When you go to a meal with your family as your normal self and something kicks off on the table opposite, think about what you would do in that position.... then think about what your character would do. Always be on the look out for potential inspiration for your character or props. Let the play and your character live on way after the curtain has dropped.