6.1 Devised Performances - An enthralling evening of entertainment

By Olive, 6.1 (Year 12)

The first piece of the night, The Glass Menagerie, was performed as a beautiful combination of movement, colour and images, conveying the protagonist’s anxieties and relationships in a wonderfully abstract way using the techniques of Complicité. The doublings and multi-rolling of characters allowed for striking images that conveyed layered meanings about the relationships presented – furthermore, the use of silhouette created an unnerving and impactful effect. I was impressed by the range of acting I saw from this group (Grace, Seb, Martha, Holly and Grey), nuanced performances from the cast allowed the audience to gain a real sense of each character. The group ensured that Laura’s painfully sad story sat at the core of the piece, making it a moving portrayal of the isolation of severe shyness particularly when set against the backdrop of the restrictive and judgemental societal expectations of the 1920s.

By Nadia, 6.1 (Year 12)

The second performance of the night was a production of The Birthday Party in the style of Complicité – Harold Pinter’s ambiguous and haunting comedy of menace, transformed by the group (Olive, Olivia, Iggy, Izz) into an immersive display of movement, music and film. The actors took to the stage with such striking presence, perfectly balancing moments of light-hearted comedy with hair-raising terror. They utilised strong characterisation, synchrony and charged interactions- all while managing multiple-roles and intense physical theatre. A consistently visually and intellectually engaging piece; a delight to watch!

By Leo, 6.1 (Year 12)

The reinterpretation of The Doll’s House was, as one audience member said, “a really witty exegesis of the play- and of Brecht.” The cast use Brechtian techniques to shine a light on the complex relationship of Nora and Torvald in Ibsen’s classic play. The audience were forced to question how much Nora could really control her own fate in a male dominated world. This piece was funny and moving in equal measure and I was impressed by the casts’ nuanced abilities to move with such ease from a naturalistic and sensitive portrayal of characters in the original text, to hilarious asides directed at the audience. Well done to Nadia, Jada, Valeriia and Louis.

By Olivia, 6.1 (Year 12)

We watched The Maids in the style of Forced Entertainment, performed by Ava, Charlotte, Adam and Bibi. The actors told the realistic and truthful story of prostitution in the 1940’s through a humorous and creative exploration. The group used improvisation to connect the audience with the actors, therefore making the stories of power, exploitation and murder impact us in a powerful way. The switching between comedy and naturalism provided comedic relief for these more sombre themes and kept the audience engaged, clearly communicating their artistic intention as well as providing an entertaining piece of theatre.

By Iggy, 6.1 (Year 12)

We watched Mother Courage in the style of Punchdrunk, performed by Saskia, Zibs, Kitty and Oriana in the Bedales Library. It was exciting to watch a play performed in an unconventional space and the actors worked tirelessly to immerse us in their world. I enjoyed their frenzied and heightened acting style, and all four used vocal and physical skills to portray a troubled world. I especially loved the final still image of Oriana’s hair hanging still over the library balcony, with Kitty looking up sorrowfully.  An excellent performance!