Josip Martincic, Author at The Orbital

2Jun

By Josip MartincicNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

There’s nothing tame about this!

Shakespeare Society’s always highly anticipated Summer Term production was a true triumph this year. The remarkable thing about this particular show is that it is entirely done by 1st years. This fact fills me with hope for the society’s future, as the already stellar work and passion by everyone in the whole cast and crew can only grow from this point onwards. The performance was held in the Boilerhouse Lecture Theatre, a vast space which is challenging to perform in due to lots of seating - which I was pleased to see very pleasantly filled. Stage manager Emma Currie set the space with a golden fringed backdrop and a small carpet of an art-deco design. The soundtrack of the roaring 20s was playing as the audience took their seats and during scene changes, which, alongside the costu...

2Apr

By Josip MartincicNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

An UnScene History

Fresh off their win for Society of the Year at this year’s Socs Ball, Drama Society puts on their termly inclusion event demonstrating creative works in progress. Drama Society markets this event as an opportunity to celebrate new writing by bringing together creatives from all over campus. This UnScene, more than any other, truly illustrated just how varied the mediums in which budding artists of our campus work in are. The theme of history, conceived by the 1st Year Representative and co-organiser Sorel Wilson, was explored in the festival through a variety of genres. The audience was treated to a full visual and aural experience. Although I personally feel that last term’s overall execution showed more of a commitment to the theme of ‘Apocalypse’ through the aesthetic, including...

25Feb

By Josip MartincicNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Playing War: A Review of Pink Mist

Putting on this show was a bold choice, but one that most certainly paid off. The cast and crew need to be congratulated because putting on a relatively unknown play that deals with the subject of war in Afghanistan is difficult but they managed to strongly resonate with the audience and keep everyone engaged and entertained. Issues of psychological and physical effects of warfare on lives of young soldiers, written so well by Owen Sheers, were staged in a powerful but respectful way. Incorporating physical movement with the verse was a triumphant achievement by director Emil Rousseau, and the lighting designed by Matt Fry added another level to this fascinating and complex production. It runs at about an hour and forty five minutes without an interval, but it honestly didn’t feel long ...

MTS Weekend Show ‘Musical Moments Through Time’

29Jan

By Josip MartincicNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

MTS Weekend Show ‘Musical Moments Through Time’

The now already traditional showcase of talent within the Musical Theatre Society took place in Jane Holloway Hall this Sunday. What differentiates this show to other performances seen on campus is explained in the name - the entire show is put together in one weekend. All of the songs and choreography are learned and rehearsed on Friday night, all day Saturday and Sunday, and finally performed on Sunday evening. The performance from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat started the tour-de-force through history, which included performances from such hits as Chicago, Annie, Oliver!, 9 to 5 and many others. Though the numbers differed in style and tone, what was consistent was the high level of quality and execution by the stellar ensemble. The amount of hard...

The Importance of Being an Ideal Oscar Wilde Fan

25Jan

By Josip MartincicNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

The Importance of Being an Ideal Oscar Wilde Fan

Dominic Dromgoole, having been artistic director of The Globe 2005 – 2008, founded his own company, Classic Spring Theatre Company, and decided for its inaugural season to pay respect and honour to the great playwright and public figure Oscar Wilde. For a whole year, the public is treated to performances of four of his plays, A Woman of No Importance, Lady Windemere’s Fan, An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest, several shorter runs of a dramatized versions of his children’s fairy-tales, including The Selfish Giant, as well as several talks by, amongst others, Stephen Fry. Truly something for everyone, for all ages and all levels of knowing and loving Wilde. Watching any performance as part of the season in the stunning and intimate Vaudeville Theatre feels like watching a...

‘boys wear their hats backwards so they can kiss other boys’ – Representation through verbatim, poetry and dance.

4Nov

By Josip MartincicNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

‘boys wear their hats backwards so they can kiss other boys’ – Representation through verbatim, poetry and dance.

This collaborative ensemble piece explores queer relationships through verbatim testimonies, poetry and dance. The atmosphere in the rehearsal room is exciting, exploratory, engaging and overall positive. The directors, Michael Greenwood, who also choreographed the piece, and Austin Seddon, who wrote the poetry and gathered the verbatim, joined in with the intense physical warm up led by Deputy Stage Manager Eden Tinsey. This involves cardio and stretching, meaning the performers will be warmed up and ready to create a performance safely. Cast member Rebecca Emmerson-Gold says that ‘the process has been very collaborative and ensemble based, where pieces are devised together as a team. Everyone has their individual input so it really feels like we’ve created the show together.’ Talking ...

31Oct

By Josip MartincicNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

The Nether – Review

Bethany Wilkinson set herself a very difficult challenge – to direct a complicated, dark play in a very limited rehearsal period and present it in the, frankly, bare setting of the rehearsal room in the Drama department. She succeeded in completing this challenge and this can be vouched by the audience members who were lucky enough to witness this show (only 30 tickets per show for 2 performances were available). The Nether by Jennifer Haley is a look at a dystopian not-too-distant future where the internet grew into what is referred to as The Nether, a virtual reality system where users can live a consequence free existence and they can choose to transition into Shadows, living out a fantasy while their actual bodies wither away. The lead character, Detective Morris, is after a specifi...

25Sep

By Josip MartincicNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

A Dark Season

A theatre will usually create a season of shows with a shared concept, and an example of this is the upcoming season of Oscar Wilde at the Vaudeville Theatre in the West End. It is often the case with Shakespeare’s Globe, especially during Emma Rice’s time as the artistic director, with seasons called ‘Summer of Love’, for example, or ‘The Wonder Season’. Therefore, it is very interesting to see that, unintentionally, the Performing Arts Societies on campus are all putting on some very dark shows, while The Student Workshop, the extension of the Drama department not affiliated with the SU, instead chose an intentionally light show. Drama Society is putting on Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Musical Theatre Society (MTS) is doing Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret, Savoy Opera Society is offering Br...

Flood of tears from laughing and an actual flood – wetting ourselves for the sake of comedy

6Jun

By Josip MartincicNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Flood of tears from laughing and an actual flood – wetting ourselves for the sake of comedy

Read Arts Editor, Josip's, review of Drama Society’s production of Noël Coward’s ‘Hay Fever’. As part of the Drama Society’s 130th anniversary of Quad Productions, Amber Lickerish directs this light-hearted classic 1920’s farce focusing on family values, age and class issues and seduction, something us students can all resonate with. The first thing that an audience member experiences is the immersive improvised interaction between the actors on stage, with music from the era serving as a soundscape which transports the audience back in time. This is heavily aided by the immaculately executed costume by Molly Stapleton and set design by Cassie Boyce, which is both simple and effective. The wacky Bliss family are at the same time bizarrely distant and irresistib...