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Reviews - Thursday
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For 45 minutes, improvisation was the word in the Rugby School Dance Studio. A workshop took place developing one of the fundamental skills of acting - improvisation. The session was hosted by Will Kenning. Will is an OR from Whitelaw who has been a professional actor since 2001.
The course was well structured with various challenging activities inspiring out-of-the-box imagination and provocative thought. The first point established was that with improvisation there is no right or wrong answer: the challenge of improvisation lies in the response.
Attendees were able to see first-hand the foundations of improvisation. Which responses will work better for others onstage? How can I surpass a mental block? What will develop the plot further?
All of these are critical skills in both the acting and improvisation arenas and it was ideal for attendees who could take a glimpse into building character, what to do if stuck on lines and how bizarre the world of drama can be! Personally I feel my skills really have broadened from this crash-course regardless of the short time and, I know for a fact, everybody left smiling!
"Sketches in the Sun" is a delightfully funny compilation of short pieces, superbly directed by the LXX team of Russell Fancourt, Lily Armstrong, Ollie Imray and Jack Sardeson, with musical entertainment, supplied by Jez Gibb and Annah Morrish. The audience travel from a flamboyant Swedish hair dressing salon (written by Sardeson and Badwan), to the Monty Python Argument Clinic. And of course, no comedy sketch would be complete without a balcony rendition of War by Olly Cockman, and the odd lone horse rider followed by a pair of excited coconuts. A few last-minute alterations resulted in a rogue suitcase being wheeled onto the stage, and beginning to fidget; this astonished the actors as much as the audience. But nothing is for certain in this brilliantly haphazard production! The characters have had much fun rehearsing and performing these pieces, and their hard work has paid off, in a perfectly put-together collection of sketches performed under the sun, with some subsequent patchy sunburn.
-- Chicky Whiteley
A slapstick version of three of "The Canterbury Tales" masterminded by the English Department finest, Lizzie Beesley and Adam Naylor. Having worked with Mrs Beesley on a similar production last year (Shakespeare on the Close), I knew of her talents and my expectations were high; needless to say I was not disappointed.
The scenes were tied together by the rendezvous of the ever so comical Augusta Matthews, Ben Weigman, Gaby Ford and Tillie Lloyd-Thomas. Particular mention goes to Ben and his renowned tongue-in-cheek humour.
The initial scene was the Pardoner's Tale: three 'women in Nike' on the hunt for 'a geezer called death'. One of the more comical factors of this sketch was the irony of scholar Eva VandenBelt leaving behind her well-spoken manner and replacing it with hooligan jargon with phrases including "mate", "oh my god", "do you want a fight?" How terrifying!
Then on a more romantic note, there was the Wife of Bath (played by Izzy Ormiston) in whose tale we saw a stereotypically pompous knight (Jan Westad) on the hunt to find what women truly desire. All involved in this sketch played their parts brilliantly with good audience involvement.
Continuing the theme of romance, the Miller's Tale was a rather more crudely humoured piece. One of the more humorous aspects of this for me was the demeanour of the hopeless romantic knight (Kaamil Walilay).
A fine piece in the latter stages of the arts festival... we have gone from Shakespeare on the Close to Chaucer in the Chapel. Who knows what could be next... Walter Raleigh in the Science Foyer?
-- Harry Maxwell
Unfortunately, the Macready foyer has not got the added advantage of air conditioning; however, this did not stop the production from being amazing and the actors from pulling off some very feeling performances.
The first piece started with Abi Ribbans and Hugh Johnson-Gilbert doing a complex dance that was brilliantly executed. I thought the way they used the two interlocking circles on the floor was really great and the movement and expressions were realistic.
The second performance involved swings and I thought the way the actors aged from conversation to conversation was really well done. Anyone who manages to keep an American accent going all through a sketch is a good actor by me, and Emily Wilson and Alesha Sethia carried it off with ease.
The whole production was highly enjoyable and I particularly like the simplicity of the set. I would strongly recommend this to anyone of any age.
-- Eleanor Robertson
The Festival Big Band was the perfect finale to this year's successful Arts Festival. It skilfully combined Rugby School's musical talent with ballroom dancing to recreate the popular television show "Strictly Come Dancing". Although this was an ambitious idea it was pulled off superbly, adding a unique Rugby School twist to the concept.
The show, hosted by Lottie Sole and Titus English, both Lxx students, gave the audience the opportunity to enjoy and vote for a skill not customarily performed within the School. The dancers ranged in age but not in skill, and although Miss Gammons and Mr Maguire were crowned the winners, the other competitors gave equally high performances. The judges, Dr Beesley, Mrs Hampton and head girl, Jess Hastings, provided well-rounded opinions of the dancers' performances and their scores accurately reflected each pair. The live music displayed Rugby School's range of talent and the singers particuarly complemented the dancers and their routines.
There was no better way to end this year's Arts Festival than with this unique idea, displaying the wide range of talents Rugby School has to offer. The show was stunningly put together and each performance was delightful to watch.
-- Jameela Akhtar and Sophie Sheach
