Room 13

My visit to Nantwich Player’s youth production of Room 13 was my first at the Players Theatre. Upon entering, I was immediately thrown by how small it is, wondering how shows would work in this space. However, the space proved perfect for this production. The only set used during the show was the painted walls around the perimeter of the stage and a small number of blocks – used for seating, beds and much more. There were several moments throughout the show when projections were used on the back wall, alongside pre-recorded dialogue. Unfortunately, I don’t feel these landed very well. The impression I got was that they were supposed to act as carriers of the narrative, but the sounds levels were far too low for the audience to hear what was being said. An element I really appreciated was the painted “Room 13” on one of the walls, which only became visible under UV light. This was a lovely touch.

The lighting used in this production was very effective. I particularly liked the use of a red light being shone from off stage through the doorway to “Room 13”. This really helped to add to the sinister atmosphere that came with the rumours (and truths) behind the door. The low lighting used during the scene where the students enter a Haunted House was also a great touch. It was just light enough for the audience to see what was happening, but dark enough to make you feel like you were in the Haunted House with them.

Music was used to underscore some of the scenes, but the sounds levels just weren’t quite right for this. During scenes when Ellie-May was “sleepwalking”, the music was far too quiet to have the impact of it being dark and mysterious or sinister. There were no microphones used during the production from any of the cast, and they were all able to project very well in the space, meaning mostly every line was heard perfectly. The added sound effects and music just needed to be louder to have the intended effects as the cast were spot on in terms of volume. With the performance space being so small, I felt the use of the whistle from Mrs Marriott was slightly overdone. The loud, high-pitched noise in the small space made it become quite uncomfortable for the audience. Just one use as a “shock factor” would have worked much better in my opinion.

There were very simple costumes throughout the show, with all students starting off in school uniforms then followed by “every day” clothes that would be seen on an average school trip. There was a point during the scenes set at night where nightgowns were worn. These seemed to be quite old fashioned, yet the students in the daytime were dressed in modern clothing with iPhones so there was a slight mismatch.

The show opened with the students boarding the bus for their school trip, a scene that we performed in total silence. The intent behind this was not clear, and the silence was broken by sounds of the cast shuffling around or the occasional chuckle. This came across quite awkward from an audience perspective. Having said that, I did very much enjoy the use of sequential black outs and the scene moving on between them, with Mr Hepworth falling over. This was a lovely comedic touch in an otherwise dark play. Throughout the show, there were several moments where members of the cast appeared to be looking to each other a little lost, seeming like cues or entrances had been missed, and other times when they were not fully committed to their roles if they were acting in the background. There were also some members of the cast who delivered most of their lines straight out to the audience rather than acting towards their cast mates, but as this wasn’t the same for everyone it did make the scenes feel disjointed and not flow as well. I think some clearer direction could have been given to the young performers.

The role of Felicity was taken on by Imogen Lee. This was a stunning performance filled with raw emotion. This was a big part within the play and Imogen did this with ease, getting the audience on side and rooting for her to solve the mystery behind Room 13. Alongside Imogen was Lottie Nicholls in the role of Lisa who gave a great performance with some great timing of insults thrown at the lads. Lottie’s performance really showed the headstrong and caring character who won’t take nonsense from anyone. Lottie and Imogen worked really well together, building a believable relationship as friends.

Another great pairing was Maureen and Joanne, played by Daisy Phillips and Isabelle Maumy. The pair were a hilarious duo with perfect comedy timing, and they just made the audience feel like they were everyone’s best friends. Kallum Hodgeson also gave a great comedic performance at Waseem. All facial expressions were spot on, even when not the centre of attention in a scene. Kallum performed with heaps of confidence and had the audience in stitches at times. In the role of Ellie-May was Bonnie Lawler. This was a good performance from Bonnie and she was fully committed to the role, especially during the “sleepwalking” scenes.

Tobias Cherry played Mr Hepworth very well and had great stage presence, giving a believable performance as a teacher who just wants to be left alone. The intense and strict Mrs Marriott was played brilliantly by Kyra Mellor who even scared me with her performance! I felt like I was back in school and in trouble with the headteacher. This was a great performance by Kyra.

Overall, this production was carried very well by the cast, who all delivered their lines well and had great energy throughout. I did find the story to be a little hard to follow at times, and I wonder if this would have been better if the pre recorded sections could be heard between scenes. The visual effects were brilliant throughout the show and it was an enjoyable evening at a lovely, intimate theatre. Many thanks go to Nantwich Players for their invite and hospitality, and I wish them the best of luck with their upcoming productions.

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