Theatre & Performance – Page 5 of 12

19Nov

By Michele TheilNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

The Devil is loose in Royal Holloway

The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller in the 1950s as a comment on mass hysteria and the dangers of false accusation and is based on true events. Drama Society attempted to transport us to the small and suffocating town of Salem, Massachusetts where Miller’s plot of witchery and paranoia takes place - and it did not disappoint. Before it even begins, Tom Williams’ direction sets the erie tone with Tituba, played by Anna Tamela, on stage as the audience file in singing a quiet tune and mixing what we can only assume is a witch’s brew. Act One begins with ‘the girls’ emotive interpretive movement piece to Hozier’s Arsonist’s Lullaby setting the scene perfectly. The hysteria and screams start early and continually make several appearances, intensifying as they go on and effective in s...

18Nov

By Jordan ThorneNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Worth Every Penny

Last night saw the opening performance of the Savoy Opera Society’s ‘The Threepenny Opera.’ The show took on a unique and thought-provoking perspective, brilliantly interpreted and directed by Rafael Aptroot. Aptroot set the show in a Post-Brexit world, moving away from Bertholt Brecht’s original Victorian setting. This modernised form was used to deliberately convey how our values have returned to those exercised by the Victorians. The story follows the anti-heroic actions of the notorious gang-leader Macheath (Mack the Knife) and his relationship with naive and determined Polly Peachum, played by Abi Smith. The wrath of her father, Mr Peachum, leads to the imprisonment of Mack. Peachum’s attempts to have him hanged are stalled by chief of police Tiger Brown, played by Barney Nunn and ...

“boys wear their hats backwards so they can kiss other boys” – Review

14Nov

By Rachel McDermottNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

“boys wear their hats backwards so they can kiss other boys” – Review

I did not know what to expect going into “boys wear their hats backwards so they can kiss other boys”. A theatre piece based around the collective ideas and experiences of the LGBTQ+ community; it was so perfectly shown in the selected music and pieces of writing on the strengths and pitfalls of emotional relationships. It was a wonderful and emotional piece and all the more impressive for how quickly it was put together. The slightly scattered quality of the performance only added to the overall feeling, embodying the idea of how no form of love is quite a straight road. The setting, though sparse, took a backseat in comparison to the clear amount of effort from the actors, chosen music, and writing. Intersecting with dance was an interesting way to show different emotions. In particu...

12Nov

By Michele TheilNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Life is a Cabaret, Old Chum

Saturday 11 November saw the opening night of Musical Theatre Society’s (MTS) show, Cabaret. It was held in the SU Main Hall and despite a slightly delayed start to the evening, it opened with pomp, circumstance and a bang. The hall was set up with a thrust stage, meaning the cast performed in the centre of the room, with the audience settled in three sections around the stage area. The 26-piece band was placed up on the stage, in full view of the audience, conducted by Musical Director Flynn Sturgeon. Tom Holmes was the ‘Master of Ceremonies’, or Emcee, who provided an entertaining commentary throughout, peppered with nuanced jokes and cheeky double entendres. Because of the way the staging area was set up, there were many opportunities for the cast to interact with the audience throug...

7Nov

By Oli RushbyNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Comedy Virgins – Review

The performance featured a variety of acts, with comedians new to performing stand up gigs and veteran performers with experience from previous performances. The evening was expertly hosted by Philipp Carl Kostelecky, whose charisma and stand up comedy captivated the audience from the moment he stepped onto the stage. His material, focusing on topics such as pornography and relationships, was expertly delivered, and his interaction with members of the audience made the evening one filled with (occasionally embarrassed) laughter. Two performers stood out as true comedic talents – one being an experienced comic, and the other being totally new to stand up performances. Veteran Ewan Boissinot’s first-half performance dealt with the potentially controversial topics of recreational drug use ...

‘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...

Theatre Tickets at a Price You Can’t Afford to Miss

31Oct

By Rebecca OwenNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Theatre Tickets at a Price You Can’t Afford to Miss

When you’re 40 minutes from central London, with a return ticket for as little as £7, studying at Royal Holloway is a drama student’s dream. But being a regular theatre-goer comes at a hefty price if you’re not savvy about how to nab the most reasonably priced tickets. Student life is expensive enough as it is, so I’ve compiled a list of the best ways to maintain your theatre addiction and save your pennies. Mousetrap Theatre Projects has a scheme called westend4£10 if you’re 19-25 (or theatrelive4£5 if you’re 18!) where they organise trips to the biggest shows currently in the West End, often accompanied with a backstage tour or Q&A to make the experience even better. You can sign up for free on their website. PROMPT offers students great deals from £16 to some of the best West ...

22Oct

By Paula Manuela Reyes SantosNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

A Night At The Theatre

'A Night at the Theatre' was a collaborative show for Royal Holloway's Creative Arts societies and included performances from Absolute Harmony, Ballroom and Latin, Dance, Drama, Fashion, Gospel, Musical Theatre, Saavoy Opera, Shakespeare and Voices of Holloway. The show began with a performance from MTS of ‘Nicest Kids in Town’ from the musical Hairspray. I believe the audience enjoyed the uplifting vibe of the song but the melodies would have worked better without a microphone, as each individual solo singer had a different approach to it. At times, it was difficult to hear the individual performer’s voices, unfortunately. This happened throughout the course of the majority of the singing acts. Having individual microphones, like some other singing acts had, would have helped. Gospe...

28Sep

By Amber ChoudharyNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Matilda the Musical, a Review

The vibrantly lit stage of the Cambridge Theatre is littered with colourful wooden blocks spelling out words like “shiny”, “joy” and “escape”, a nod to Matilda Wormwood’s love for books and the escapism reading provides. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, Matilda the Musical is based on the 1988 children’s novel Matilda, written by Roald Dahl. The premise follows a similar narrative to the novel. A young girl discovers her magical powers as she navigates parents who’d rather she were a boy, and a headmistress who uses any opportunity to throw her in the much-feared chokey, a narrow cupboard with nails and sharp, pointy pieces of glass sticking outwards from every corner. With an army of schoolchildren dancing and singing atop classroom desks and chairs, Matilda the Musical o...