Thurrock Courts Players - Christmas Presence by David Hampshire.
A sick, absent father visits his daughter on Christmas Eve. She thinks he's coming home; but is he?
Sorry, but I'm afraid I found this play quite tiresome. Not the best material. Saw the 'twist' ending coming from too far off.
And the bloke playing the philandering father - a doctor who's been cheating on his wife for the past 30 years - sorry, but the casting wasn't right. He was just too camp!
And the annoying little girl. Only 3 lines to deliver and she nearly forgot 2 of them. Argh!
Nice setting though.
Runnymede Drama Group Youth Workshop - Interview by Jean-Claude van Italie.
This was much better. A very imaginitive piece about communication and dehumanization, ostensibly in 1960s America.
Well directed by Jane Walters with effective use of simple props (four door frames and four wooden blocks - all white).
A young cast who snapped into myriad characters quickly and effectively. Superb use of mime.
I'd pay to see this one again.
Salesian College Theatre Company - Romeo and Juliet Go To Essex by Vicki Grace.
Shakespeare's tale, translated to modern day "Essex" (supposedly).
Again - a duff one for me, I'm afraid. OK, many of the cast got into character alright. But as the characters were modern 'chav' types, I'm not 100% sure if it was that much of a stretch!
The author is only 17, so kudos to her for that. And the cast (and a big chunk of the audience) were having great fun. But the whole play was more suited to a revue or end-of-term concert than a drama festival.
Disclaimer: I'm not a professional theatre critic or a qualified drama adjudicator. I'm biased in favour of stuff that isn't dull. Sorry if my opinions offend you - it's nothing personal.
1 comment:
"He was just too camp!"
to be fair tho' Pete, he is a "theatrical" isnt he
PS:This is a good thread....
Post a Comment