Performing Arts

Following their highly successful opening production of Steve Gooch's Female Transport, Figuratively Speaking returned to The Studio in May with three challenging and physically demanding pieces of theatre. The three performances were of a really high standard and again the students showed what talented individuals that they are.

Each of the pieces of theatre were not only challenging for the actors in terms of the physical and emotional demand but also for the audience. Road, performed as a promenade piece, originally written in 1986 as a reflection of the nation at the height of Margaret Thatcher charts the night of a group of individuals in a Lancashire town. We laughed at the drunken goings on of Dor and Lane whilst we remorse over the fate of Joey and Clare. The use of mask in the opening coupled with the haunting but equally delightful 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' was a creative way in to this episodic and fast paced piece of theatre.

Crave focuses on the stages of a relationship which develops through contact, spark, intimacy, maturity, support, heartbreak, reflection and end. The universal relationship seen on the space represented the cycle of love between men and women. Similarly to ''Attempts' we witnessed an ensemble approach to the text. Kane's approach view of relationships seems to explore the heartache of love ending, set against a dramatisation of the themes of identify and isolation. However, the ending reminds us that nothing is final.

Attempts on Her Life takes the form of 17 scenarios for theatre. Essentially the narrative is non-linear taking various implied forms such as adverts, pop lyrics and monologues through to numerous negotiations between unnamed speakers in unspecified locations all trying to pin down the nature of the unseen central character 'Anne'.

Mrs Rubbo and myself thoroughly enjoyed working with this talented group on these pieces of theatre. It is always a pleasure to direct A-Level students and I look forward to their next project which is to be an adaptation of the original Hamlet by William Shakespeare, to be performed in The studio in late October.

Blayne Cooper

Head of Performing Arts