The Student Workshop – The Orbital

31Oct

By Isobel ClarkeNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Junk Junk Junk: A Review

Junk Junk Junk, the latest Student Workshop production, featured a quirky ensemble of cardboard box millennials in a gloriously abstract performance. The cast were extremely entertaining to watch, with their personalities shining through with each turn in the performance, particularly with their wildly personal conversations and stories. The production set out with a mission statement, ‘In a time of ecological crisis, what role can theatre practices play in sustainability?’ The production process certainly achieved this, as the company scavenged for any materials they could get to create this piece of theatre. The use of the cardboard box as their focal point, combined with the performers bodies created a visually aesthetic performance that adhered to their goal of sustainable pr...

Mind the Gap: Good Enough to Make Even a Londoner Smile

19Nov

By George WhiteNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Mind the Gap: Good Enough to Make Even a Londoner Smile

It's easy for an abstract drama production, while aiming for a profound, almost philosophical execution, to slip unwittingly into turgid verses of stilted disarray. Entering the Student Workshop’s latest production, Mind the Gap, whose social commentary, I had heard, bubbled at the surface of the show, I was convinced it would follow the same conceited creed. While watching the opening scene, I chuckled sombrely to myself, having found another esoteric piece to lambaste relentlessly. However, come the dropping of the figurative curtains, I had come to the resolute conclusion that my initial interpretation was entirely and profoundly incorrect. Anton Ego had his taste of ratatouille. The cast radiate a comforting exuberance throughout the show, allowing it to narrowly avoid the classic t...

20Oct

By Michele TheilNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Student Productions: One to Watch

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: theatre is a gift. The dedication and hard work that goes into producing a high-quality show for the audience to enjoy is unparalleled and should be appreciated - even at the student level. University students juggle degrees, part-time jobs and socialising with hours and hours of rehearsals almost every night so that, in just a couple of months, they can stand in the Student’s Union or Jane Holloway Hall performing their hearts out for the students who attend. However, while these shows do attract quite a lot of people, there are scores of RHUL students who will graduate without ever seeing a student production. My only question is why? Student productions are an opportunity to watch a high-quality show for a relatively low cost. Most show...

21Nov

By Susanna clarkNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Never Swim Alone – Review

Image by Sophie Morgan Susanna Clark reviews The Student Workshop's production of Never Swim Alone. The Student Workshop’s production of Never Swim Alone is, simply put, a triumph. Frank (played by Jack Read) and Bill (played by Azan Ahmed) are two adult men who were once childhood friends and maintain a façade of the continuation of this friendship, despite their destructive rivalry. The play is structured as a competition with 13 rounds, each of which is judged by the referee (played by Tabatha Gregg). In each round the men attempt to prove their superiority over each other: whichever man argues his case best is awarded a point by the referee. The points are recorded on a whiteboard in a prime position for all to see: a reminder of the constant struggle amongst men to prove the...

24Nov

By Beth CarrNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Di and Viv and Rose

Beth Carr reviews The Student Workshop's first production of the term. Upon reading the synopsis for Di and Viv and Rose, it became impossible to resist buying a ticket and heading to see it. Following three girls from the beginning of their friendship at university into adulthood and the changes it brings, the Student Workshop's rehearsal room production brought the story to life intimately. With only 35 seats at each performance, the audience is sucked into the drama and humour of the lives of the three characters, and it is hard to imagine the play being performed in any other way. Putting three unknown first years in the spotlight was a risk that paid off and each reflected the different personalities of the characters with ease. To the women watching, as well as I hope the men, ...

The Student Workshop Presents: ‘Di and Viv and Rose’.

21Oct

By George SomersNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

The Student Workshop Presents: ‘Di and Viv and Rose’.

‘A big and warm-hearted piece about female friendship’. This is how The Evening Standard describes Amelia Bullmore’s laugh out loud West End comedy 'Di and Viv and Rose', which completely captivated the London theatre scene earlier this year over a sadly limited five-month stint. Now, Holloway are trying their hand at bringing the easefully witty piece to life, with Lizzy Fretwell taking the directorial helm as part of The Student Workshop’s first term season. From Wednesday 28th to Friday 30th October, the script critics praised as ‘unforcedly funny’ (The Times) is being rejuvenated by RHUL’s dramatic talent, taking over Rehearsal Studio 1 in the Caryl Churchill Theatre for three nights only. First meeting in their university halls, gutsy Di, corset-loathing feminist Viv and eccentric ...