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By Tara (Block 5), Drama Scholar
The Block 5 BAC final Scripted Piece this year was a fascinating and hypnotic production of Mark Ravenhill’s ‘Pool (no water)’.
It was directed and performed in the style of the practitioners Frantic Assembly, a Physical Theatre group focused on storytelling through movement, proxemics, and physical nuance. ‘Pool (no water)’ explores themes of the resentment and envy of success within friendships, leading to a reality of hatred, emptiness and guilt. Instead of a cast of specific characters, an ensemble represents the collective experience of a group of artists and the challenges of their creative lives.
The Block 5 students, divided into two casts, acted as a graceful ensemble, creating a range of movement that was diverse yet unifying.
The Frantic Assembly-inspired movement sequences had a profoundly visceral effect, heightening moments of tension as well as the fragile beauty of human flaws presented. The lighting varied from drastic switches of cold and warm washes to a dramatic array of chasers, intensifying the atmosphere. Overall, a highly engaging performance and a thrilling final production from the BAC students.
Our BAC moderator, Craig Pullen (Head of Drama, Clifton High School) watched the performance and shared his thoughts:
"The text is one of my personal favourites, it's incredibly challenging, fast paced and requires incredible maturity to understand the complex themes and narrative. The pupils were simply fantastic.
I came away from the theatre rather emotional, the performance created was of an extremely high standard, where the entire ensemble worked together so seamlessly that I became completely engrossed in the words and the interplay on stage, desperately not wanting to miss a second. The true power of Theatre.
Congratulations to everyone involved, it was a triumph. I have been moderating at Bedales for many years now and I believe that was the highest set of results I have given across the board. Very well done."
You can see the full gallery of Victoria Davies' stunning photographs from the performance of 'Pool no water' HERE (and order copies)
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