Writes Jack Talboys, Head of Chemistry
Wednesday evening saw the final presentation of five weeks of hard work. Pupils have been working on original pieces of theatre within their houses since the beginning of the term and our six finalist houses had the chance to demonstrate their efforts.
The audience was eagerly awaiting the start; the adjudicator (Mr Spencer Hinton, Prep) waiting patiently, pen in hand. The evening began with a perfectly timed comic piece from Walter House. They whisked us through the woes of various unfortunatel teachers with great use of complex theatrical techniques, such as slow-motion lifts and high energy transitions. This highly enjoyable, laugh out loud piece featured an original song from David A and superb ensemble acting from the whole cast.
Hilles House were next and the mood changed. Led by Monty H, this precisely directed piece illustrated carefully the goodwill of a village community towards one of their own and brought tears to a few eyes in the audience. Peter B’s Spenser House then succeeded in questioning our faith in the advancement of human civilisation with a tale through the ages. Peter’s cleverly written and directed piece was heightened by multi-rolling and good use of symbolism.
Andrewes were next, delivering a brutal tale of gambling addition, unsecured loans and murder with flashbacks and strong character development. Absurdist comedy and plays in power dynamics were next as the Ashton B performed ‘best every King of England’ tried to get one over on an energetic detective Mr Hugh Dunnit (Jayron S). Jayron’s performance as the detective helped tied together a piece of bizarre hilarity.
Our final piece (from White House) was a slick, and thought-provoking insight into how at first glance minor events can have large impacts. Owen S wrote and directed an impressive piece that seamlessly wove the past and present together with deftness. The characterisations in the performance were very effective and left the audience with an unnerving feeling of disquiet.
Awards:
Best Play (Winners of House Drama): Walter House
Best Director: Peter B (Spenser House). Peter produced a superb piece and pulled his team together with great vision and maturity. Peter had considered every aspect of the performance, from staging and acting to lighting and sound. A truly well-rounded director.
Individual Actor Performance: Rishi K (Andrewes). Rishi’s performance captivated and developed strongly as his character descended into madness and despair.
Special Recognition to: Owen S for Writing (White House). Owen produced a very clever piece that kept us guessing as to the connections between the characters until the very end.
With thanks to Mr S Hinton, Taylors’ Prep, for adjudicating the evening’s performances.
