The following demonstrates a piece of FTIE conducted for 50 young people who were about to leave a programme of alternative education.
‘The Job Interview:
There were two actors: an interviewer and interviewee (protagonist). A general interview script had been rehearsed. The Director introduced the FTIE piece to the audience. The audience could choose the setting for the interview. They chose a McDonalds fast food restaurant. The scene was played out. The protagonist did not impress. He was very nervous, untidy, inappropriately dressed with hooded top covering his head, displayed poor eye-contact, mumbled, was un-enthusiastic, did not know why he wanted the job etc. There was plenty for the audience to pick up on and it was a chance to apply the advice that had been given from previous careers events.
The actors were careful to replay the interview as close to the original as possible. Tentatively some brave audience members began to stop the action and offered their ideas. The director carefully negotiates the ideas with the actors so that they are in a form that can indeed be adopted ‘in character’. The whole audience soon became animated and involved. They laughed their way through the FTIE process, empowered by the visual transformations which were a result of their own ideas. The protagonist smartened up, did his homework for the post, engaged positive non-verbal communications etc. At the end, the actors commented upon the impact of the changes and the audience described their own processes and learning.’