Page 25 - Bloxhamist 2017-2018

CREATIVE ARTS

for lighting the piece. and Sammy from John Morgan’s Kids.
The group proved extremely proficient
The group then went on to perform a in the technique of playing-down-an-
series of monologues: Ashleigh gave age and provided the audiences with
a heartfelt performance as Laura some beautifully observed moments.
from The Arcata Promise; Amelia, an
extremely moving portrayal of Libby Arthur Kemp, Jamie Jeffrey and
from Blue Window; Holly, a devastating George Urquhart gave some sublime
performance as the terminally ill performances as Salty, Hobby and
Angela from Like A Virgin; Harris, Gail in John Godber’s Teechers,
a wonderfully understated and moving expertly between a series of
moving portrayal of Raymond from delightfully exaggerated and over-the-
Nil By Mouth; and Samuel gave an top characters to create a fast-paced
inspirational performance as Draycott performance brim-full of comedy
from The Winterling, again ably and fun. They were ably supported by
supported by George on lights. JS Cordelia Gao who provided the group
with some wonderfully designed,
Lower Sixth Devised handmade costumes.

Performances India Buckland, Emily Clarke, Emma
Davies and Pia Wywiol astounded in
their ensemble performance of Evan
Lower Sixth drama students performed Placey’s play Girls Like That. This was
their devised pieces in response to a highly polished performance which
Jim Cartwright’s Road, drawing on the totally absorbed, holding the audience’s
methodologies of the theatre group attention from start to finish, and
Frantic Assembly. making excellent use of both music
and movement to help bring the play’s
Same Old, Same Old, performed by Imi events to life. Charlie Ford provided
Thomas, Georgie Palmer, Tim Rowe, the group with a very sophisticated
Johnnie Hand and Harry Denison- and atmospheric lighting design which
Smith, offered a window into the lives he executed to maximum effect on the
of an ordinary family coping with night.
the pressures of everyday life. The
play explored the impact of a marital Finally, Zoe Oehlers, James Barker,
breakdown; while their children’s lives Tom Hill, Joshua Chandler and Joshua
fell into tailspin. Johnson performed their interpretation
of Mark Ravenhill’s Pool, No Water.
Unnatural? performed by Sienna This was another ensemble piece,
Callen-Franklin, Indigo Hill, Cecily one that required the group to move
Brookshaw, Tom Griffiths and Eva between moments of realism and
Whitworth, explored the difficulties more surreal movement sections. All
experienced by two young people were entirely believable as a group of
trying to come to terms with their malevolent artists and all managed
sexuality in the face of denial, to convey the play’s more visceral
recrimination and bigotry expressed by qualities.
one girl’s family.
This inventive double bill of gritty 21st The Musicians

century dramas bore the collaborative
approach and unique physical style Lower School students enjoyed
synonymous with their chosen performing The Musicians, Patrick
practioner’s style (Frantic Assembly). Marber’s contemporary ensemble piece,
written as part of the National Theatre’s
from reality, to explore a world of Fantastic Fifth Form programme for teenagers, which was
psychological disconnection. Ashleigh produced and directed by professional
Durham was amazing as the ‘everyman’ Talent actor and director Tristan Pate.
character Lisa Montgomery-Jones and
provided the perfect foil for the other ratz
wackier members of the ensemble: the The Fifth Form GCSE drama groups
astonishing Holly Killick, the superbly provided some truly fantastic
comic Harris MacPherson, the sublime performances earlier in the year. Specially adapted from the legend of
Amelia Hagan and magnificent Samuel The Pied Piper of Hamelin, the First
Deeley. All were admirably supported Oliver Baker, Talia Coleman and Aimee Form’s performance of Ratz, was a big
by George Lewis, who was responsible Duncombe delighted as Johnny, Ellie hit.
25