Interrogation

After realising that we were lucky enough o have a Frantic Assembly workshop in less than 2 weeks we left the Fairy-tale scene and moved onto the next one. This is where the research really played it's part. After looking at our last interrogation scene we realised how much of an importance staging is and we decided to lay it out by using stools. We started with the Detective, Jon and Robert, and an attorney for the both of them. We asked questions such as "How often do you attend school" and when Robert didn't answer to get the attorney to reveal the details to try and engage the audience with the boy's personality. However looking back on this scene we realised it was flat and the reason this was, was because it lacked revealing information to shock the audience much like we had been shocked when looking at verbatim.

Therefore we went away and researched further. This lead to the finding of the novel: which revealed so many detailing's about the murder and the interrogation process that we were able to create a much more realistic scene. Learning that until Jon's mother reassured Jon she would love him no matter what he refused to reveal any information and that in the end it was Jon that admitted the murder "I killed him. What about his mum will you tell her I'm sorry." Throughout the whole novel you understand the importance of the mothers and we decided instead of an attorney this was an important character we needed to work in.

"After more hours of Robert's denials and eventual admissions, his mother Ann tells her son that it will be easier if he just tells the truth. Robert has been sobbing.
Robert Thompson:Jon threw a brick in his face.
Ann Thompson: Why?
Robert Thompson: I don't know.
Detective Roberts: Right, try to think. Right, let's see what we've got, we're getting there, aren't we? We're getting to the truth now.
Robert Thompson: Yeah, well, I'm going to end up getting all the blame 'cause I've got blood on me.
Robert goes on to describe Jon in an out-of-control killing frenzy. He claimed Jon threw more bricks at the baby, and then hit him with a "big metal thing with holes in it." Then Jon hit James with a stick. James was lying there, still, eyes open, across the tracks. Jon had the batteries and threw one of them at James's face. All the time Robert said he was trying to pull Jon away, screaming at him to stop.
Astounded, the detectives asked, "Why did Jon do all this?" Robert didn't know. "I only pinched," he said. When investigators tell Robert they think he hit James too, he replied, "Well, that's what you think"


The link to the novel can be found below:

http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/young/bulger/1.html