The Salopian no. 160 - Summer 2017

SCHOOL NEWS 17
Theatre Review 2017
A RESPECTABLE WEDDING
Tackling Brecht is a weighty task at the best of times, and
so Severn Hill’s offering of A Respectable Wedding was a
brave one.
Director Ben Higgins, ably assisted by Ed Plaut, kicked off
the House play season with real gusto, with an interesting
take on a play that is reliant on witty repartee. We were
quickly involved in the wedding breakfast of the bride and
groom, deftly played by Ella Davies-Jones (on loan from
EDH) and Angus Moore. Instantly, we were given the idea
that the two were not the model picture of married bliss,
two hours into the rest of their lives. Their tension was
palpable throughout the performance, until the final and
honest reconciliation at the climax.
As with any wedding, hilarity ensued with the rival for the
bride’s affection, whom Max Morris endowed with a sense
of one-upmanship and putdowns that drew inspirations from
the greatest of rivalries – the Inbetweeners.
The bride’s bombastic father wants to hold court and dominate
conversation, which Seb Hervas-Jones managed to develop as
the play went on. Esther McLaughlin was his counterfoil as the
groom’s mother, adding a frisson of a ‘will they, won’t they’ to
proceedings; the rest was left to our imagination.
Not left to our imagination was the blossoming relationship of
the bride’s brother, played in sardonic style by Ben Oswald,
and Jasper Mitchell as the porter’s son, whose inclusion on
the guest list leaves us guessing until a fateful scene half way
through the play.
Ending the table plan was Cameron Bates, who brought
a Captain Haddock quality to his drunken putdowns and
sartorial elegance, though I had never known Tintin’s
companion was so musical. His long-suffering spouse,
played with alacritous zeal by Sebastian Ingram, brought the
house down with barbed invective launched at anyone who
got in his way.
Toby Percival
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (abridged)
From the sublime to the cor blimey: the next house to take to the stage was Rigg’s Hall, cramming thirty two plays, fifty actors
and more characters than I could count into the Ashton. The premise is simple – take all of Shakespeare’s plays, cut the boring
bits and get straight to the murders, marriages and mutilations. It’s fast, frenetic and hilarious – particularly as directors Chris
Cook and Paddy Graham seemed to have corralled every boy in the house onto the stage, complete with ridiculous trousers,
comedy wigs and enormous fake knockers. (Am more than a little disturbed by how many of the Riggs boys can fit into my
shoes. Even more disturbed by how much they appeared to enjoy it…)
The jokes are groan-worthy – the line “Lend me your ears” results in Anthony being pelted with plasticine ears, Macbeth is
playing golf in Birnam woods and the production of The Comedy of Two Well-Measured Gentlemen Lost up the Merry Wives of
Venice on a Midsummer’s Twelfth Night in Winter would have the bard spinning in his grave. However, the pace and humour
of the piece is infectious, and the enthusiasm of the cast spilled off the stage. The audience response was hugely positive, and
many set off for coach weekend still chuckling. With such a vast cast, it is impossible to single out individuals: rather, I would
congratulate the whole house on such a fantastic group effort.
HAPPILY EVER AFTER? –
DANCE SHOWCASE 2017
My one and only ballet report read: “Helen tries hard, but lands
heavily.” It was therefore with unalloyed envy that I watched
the extraordinary performances in this year’s inaugural dance
showcase, directed by resident choreographer Sian Archer. The
students had been given the stimulus of ‘fairy tales with a twist’,
and each piece responded to a well-known story, narrated like a
sinister episode of Jackanory by Ella Niblett. Fiona Lim and Angel
Chan opened the programme with their interpretation of Snow
White. Including elements of ballet and hip-hop, their performance
was notable for the level of synchronicity the girls achieved and the
attack and energy they brought to the stage.
They were followed by Anya Tonks, whose performance of
Cinderella was accompanied by Jessie Inglis Jones’ haunting vocals.
Coming from a background of classical ballet, Anya set herself
the challenge of creating a more expressive contemporary piece,
and her work proved that she is developing into a talented and
sensitive choreographer.
The show was, however, stolen by Niamh Thomas, whose
interpretation of Pinocchio provided a powerful finale to the
evening. Niamh was inspired by the famous line, “I want to be
a real boy!” which she reimagined in the context of a dancer’s
training. Her piece told the story of a girl at war with herself: both
desperate to be perfect – like a doll on a music box – and drawn
to normal adolescence. Her performance was profoundly moving,
demonstrating both the sophistication of her technique and her
ability to communicate feeling through movement.
Niamh Thomas