'Gormenghast'
Hull University Drama Department
March 09
Mervyn Peake’s 1946 work Gormenghast proved an interesting choice for a Drama Department production.
The story followed the life of one Titus Groan, from his birth until his desertion of Castle Gormenghast. Titus’ fortunate life is paralleled by an ambitious ‘kitchen boy’ Steerpike, who chooses to break his mould and claw his way to power in the corrupt and largely insane household, leaving behind him a trail of destruction. I think perhaps the script relied too heavily on the audience having some prior knowledge of the story, as many of the resolutions, plot turns and even an incongruent character remained unexplained. It was distracting that the sound effects often drowned the actors, but at a push it might be supposed that this added to the chaotic and hectic spirit.
The set and costume for the show were exceptional, and the hidden on-stage orchestra contributed brilliantly to the eerie gothic element of the play. Several students made a great impression on the audience – in particular, Zoe Tempest-Jones’ portrayal of the erratic Fushia and Samuel Lannacombe Oliver’s disgruntled Barquentine captured one’s wandering interest, and Ian Farnell’s capital performance as Prunesquallor could only be faulted in that the character did not have more stage time. In the most part the cast worked well as a unit, though it does persistently disappoint in Drama Department productions that an otherwise talented cast must be punctured by the limitations of one or two oddly cast actors.
The professionalism of the Drama Department at their Mainhouse productions, particularly in Front of House and publicity continues to be impressive. Gormenghast was an interesting evening – a certain lingering air of confusion only mildly affected the entertainment.
Showing posts with label Hull University Drama Department. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hull University Drama Department. Show all posts
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Saturday, 3 January 2009
Drama Dept Panto: An exhilirating tour-de-force!
'Jack and the Beanstalk'
Hull University Drama Department
December 2008
The Drama Department Christmas show this year was ambitious. Pantomimes, though always popular with children, often find dual appeal a difficult task. ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ combated this well by using traditional pantomime clichés, but raising its theatrical eyebrows suggestively to tailor to the student filled audience.
From the traditional throwing of sweets to the golden “he/she/its behind you!” the audience revelled in the ridiculous atmosphere. The fantastical (and no doubt painfully expensive) set and brilliant costuming served to add that sparkling element to the magical spectacle, which even Jack’s questionable lack of trousers only slightly compressed.
Pantomime Dame Joel Redgrave eased his way effortlessly through a timeless performance, which was complimented nicely by the token stupid-yet-loveable character of Ned, played by James Townsend, and the exultant classic villainy of Ryan Govin’s Lord Lame. Jess Bannister was, as the Giant’s wife, perfectly Disney, in pleasant voice and good natured rhyme, and those in charge of scene changes and technical cues are to be commended for an almost seamless production.
Due to the exemplary quality of a lot of the show, the discrepancies marring the glossy production were few. A curious audience member might well wonder why the Town Crier worked in the Dairy, why the entire cast attended their own weddings dressed as pirates, and why, for some unknown reason every single person in the cast and band needed to have a ‘funny’ nickname in the programme. In the acting ability of the cast, any complaints the audience might find were trivial, though it seemed ‘Silly Billy’ (Samuel Lannacombe Oliver) took rather a long time to settle into his role, and ‘Jill’, though picturesque, was slightly below the calibre of the rest of the buoyant cast – perhaps more due to the limitations of the ‘typical useless pretty girl’ part than any fault of Claire Greenwell’s.
Musically, the band excelled, and cannily even managed to wend their way onto the stage, in one of the show’s quirkier moments. There was only one horrifyingly chilling episode, when Jack and Jill vocally tortured classic Pogues tune ‘Fairytale of New York’.
Overall, Director Paul Smith’s pantomime experiment was a success, happily encompassing tradition, the customary drama department enthusiasm, and a good working script. A satisfied audience might even call it ‘an exhilarating tour-de-force’.
Hull University Drama Department
December 2008
The Drama Department Christmas show this year was ambitious. Pantomimes, though always popular with children, often find dual appeal a difficult task. ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ combated this well by using traditional pantomime clichés, but raising its theatrical eyebrows suggestively to tailor to the student filled audience.
From the traditional throwing of sweets to the golden “he/she/its behind you!” the audience revelled in the ridiculous atmosphere. The fantastical (and no doubt painfully expensive) set and brilliant costuming served to add that sparkling element to the magical spectacle, which even Jack’s questionable lack of trousers only slightly compressed.
Pantomime Dame Joel Redgrave eased his way effortlessly through a timeless performance, which was complimented nicely by the token stupid-yet-loveable character of Ned, played by James Townsend, and the exultant classic villainy of Ryan Govin’s Lord Lame. Jess Bannister was, as the Giant’s wife, perfectly Disney, in pleasant voice and good natured rhyme, and those in charge of scene changes and technical cues are to be commended for an almost seamless production.
Due to the exemplary quality of a lot of the show, the discrepancies marring the glossy production were few. A curious audience member might well wonder why the Town Crier worked in the Dairy, why the entire cast attended their own weddings dressed as pirates, and why, for some unknown reason every single person in the cast and band needed to have a ‘funny’ nickname in the programme. In the acting ability of the cast, any complaints the audience might find were trivial, though it seemed ‘Silly Billy’ (Samuel Lannacombe Oliver) took rather a long time to settle into his role, and ‘Jill’, though picturesque, was slightly below the calibre of the rest of the buoyant cast – perhaps more due to the limitations of the ‘typical useless pretty girl’ part than any fault of Claire Greenwell’s.
Musically, the band excelled, and cannily even managed to wend their way onto the stage, in one of the show’s quirkier moments. There was only one horrifyingly chilling episode, when Jack and Jill vocally tortured classic Pogues tune ‘Fairytale of New York’.
Overall, Director Paul Smith’s pantomime experiment was a success, happily encompassing tradition, the customary drama department enthusiasm, and a good working script. A satisfied audience might even call it ‘an exhilarating tour-de-force’.
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