Writes Peter B. (L6th)
On Monday the 19th of March, members of the Lower Sixth journeyed on the tube to the Old Vic in London to watch Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia.
The play is set in a country house across two different time periods – the 1800s and the 1990s. Same location, different characters. A teenage prodigy, called Thomasina, discovers the mathematics of the universe, whilst older characters grapple with their own desires. In the present day, characters chase the discoveries of those who came before them, seeking truth, evidence and even each other. Stoppard successfully combines themes of maths, science, love and education, to create a play that is complex and undoubtedly a masterpiece that challenges audiences to think beyond the norm.
This particular production was set in the round, which allowed Director Carrie Cracknell the nuanced opportunity to have actors set in the middle of the audience. This conveyed a sense of raw emotion and interactivity, because we were part of this play as much as the characters were. Additionally, the show utilised a turn table which rotated to signify the change of scene between each time period. Seamus Dillane’s Septimus Hodge and Isis Hainsworth’s Thomasina Coverly, shared the emotional heart of the play. Under Cracknell’s direction, the pace of the production made it mostly accessible for all to understand. The emphasis on the plot was clear and direct, which is especially important for students, like ourselves, who are going to be studying the play for our A Level English Literature coursework.
In the latter half of the play, the turn table was endlessly spinning, as time collided and characters from both periods appeared in the same scenes. I found this particularly effective, as the play itself shifted alongside the storyline. The immaculate lighting design by Guy Hoare, was composed of celestial fixtures. During the scene changes he made it look like there was a shooting star in the theatre. In addition, there were also lanterns which were raised up at the start of the show, and towards the end of the show came down to be within reach of Thomasina’s hands. This symbolised the legacy and discovery within her learning, which had simultaneously been uncovered in the modern time period of the play.
This trip proved to be another successful venture into the world of drama, seeing a play brought to life from page to stage. Thank you to Ms Trafford and Mr Hilton-Dennis for organising this very enjoyable trip to The Old Vic!
