Youth Play Duo

 How great to see the encouragement of this younger talent and an extension of their thespian activities beyond pantomime and into drama (many years ago the youth plays were regular).

Congratulations to Neil Ellson for undertaking Direction of both plays, but no doubt he must feel pride in what has been achieved and what this might lead to for the future.

‘Bad Reception’, I have seen this play before, think at HDFA, and it offers two very demanding and wordy roles for the two students on reception, played by Cassidy Stevens and Georgie Ellson. They have to interact as there is competition and dislike between them but which moderates into a truce as the situation deteriorates and they need to resolve, certainly these two sparked off each other as an excellent duo. Add in a pushy and bothersome parent from Georgia Pearce who will not take no for an answer and causes some problems; and then the Miss Hitchins of Alice Eacock who is not amused, plus sporting Ole Francis and student Jack Evans.  A good piece.

‘And then there were three’ (Lazy Bee Scripts) was a totally different type of play and how thought provoking and intense in many aspects: following a biological weapon attack which killed adults but left children surviving and trying to cope with a totally changed life, this was a play of relationships and interactions and how well the six realised and brought home the problems. Gareth Evans and Ole Francis as the two boys, and Georgia Pearce with Alice Eacock, and Jac Gatfield with Marie Evans, formed the three pairs of friends. Each had developed a very strong character base and thoughts as they tried to resolve the problems of safety and food and shelter and relationships with other unknown people and how to survive without any parental guidance, excellent in their strength and worrying in their weaknesses, this really brought home what life entails. And how they worked to form a team so that they could survive in spite of what actually overtook them, this was a very strong piece of theatre and left us thinking hard in the audience, well done to all. Must also comment on the set which certainly enhanced and showed off the action.

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