As Thyself

February 18, 2012 | ONLINE ONLY

Venue: The Drama Barn
Runs: 17-19th February
Director: Isla van Tricht
Producer: Beth Sherburn
Choreographer: Gabrielle Holcroft
Star rating: ****

‘As Thyself’ was a powerful production, bringing us to the realisation that we all half swim, half sink in idealistic fantasies that conceal the inner turmoil beneath the surface. This is perhaps why, after coming away from the intimate atmosphere of the drama barn, into the cold February evening; I found myself questioning my own notions of purpose and identity, with the unsettling words “swimming through the same romantic delusions” resonating in my mind.

The audience was taken on this revelatory journey by the leading anonymous characters, A, B, and C; played by Lily Cooper, Roseanna Brear and Ryan Hall respectively. The quality of acting in this performance must be the first point of call for this review, which in one word; was outstanding. Cooper delivered a convincing self-confessed tom boy, haunted by previous pubescent longings. ‘A’ rambled on in shallow, optimistic tones; when all the while, a scarred and neglected mentality is hinted at by the more sinister undertones of ‘history repeating itself.’ This concept of being trapped in one’s past, was one represented by all three of our speakers, but truly embodied by ‘B’ played by Rosanna Brear. As the ‘lost girl’ we are drip fed the circumstances of B’s alienation from the world; making for a heartbreakingly tragic portrayal of grief from Brear, a depiction that was exceptionally moving. The bleak lighting accentuated this effect of loss and disorientation, promising little chance of illumination. Combined with the nostalgic setting of what appeared to be a child’s bedroom, the characters were severed from owning their sense of identity in the present, and confined to relive their own, and each other’s most painful memories. Hall’s performance must receive individual praise. Injecting light-heartedness into the play as he harassed members of the audience for caresses and kisses; Hall mastered a difficult feat, in playing an eccentric hiding in the shadows of academia, whilst at the same time attempting to repress the outbursts of a tormented soul, doomed to externalise the anguish of others.

The leading actors’ stage chemistry cannot go unmentioned. In a goose-pimple inducing scene, A, B and C ‘trap the anger and pain’ in their writing, as we see a convergence in their sense of confusion and suffering; intensified by the flawless employment of unison and canon interchangeably. The emotion of the moment reached intense peaks, as we were kept in suspense as to which character, or indeed which of us, would explode first. Additionally, one of the most beautiful moments of the play was to be found in the deliciously choreographed scene enacted by 1 and 2, played by Lorrel Chakelium and Qaisar Siddiqui. At one point, Cooper’s ramblings are interrupted by a horribly vicious scene of domestic abuse played out by the aforementioned pair. The abuse scene was later reiterated, but reversed our expectations of more brutality; and instead was followed by a seamlessly fluid transformation into graceful dance movements, accompanied by music with a pure acoustic voice. The lighting changed to complement the sexualisation of this scene, bowing into a kind of twilight; again rekindling the idea of romance and its duplicity. The roles played by Edd Riley and Harriet Cox must also be commended, as they proved malleable for the purposes of A, B and C, in the conveyance of their pasts.

My only foible was that the production wasn’t longer. Whilst the constant fluctuation of one’s emotions is not entirely comfortable, the sensation of being entirely on edge and not in control, was a surprisingly empowering one. I personally would have seen this feeling exploited further by the performance, as it had already laid a strong foundation for overturning the audience’s sense of security. In all however, the bold success of this highly concentrated mental exploration, brought to life by the sterling performances of its cast; must be applauded and recommended to all those wishing to be permeated by such a potent conceptual production.

5 responses below. Comments are open.

  1. Narcissus says:
    February 18, 2012 at 11:45 am

    *Isla van Tricht

  2. Narcissus says:
    February 18, 2012 at 11:49 am

    Also, could you give credit to our choreographer, Gabrielle Holcroft, who “deliciously choreographed” the dance sequences. Thank you! =]

  3. Peter B. Marshall says:
    February 18, 2012 at 4:37 pm

    A review that, in my opinion, is well deserved – I enjoyed a wonderful forty minutes that brought back many memories and sensational imprints, at times very strongly.

    I strongly recommend anyone who’s in two minds to go for it.

  4. Alex says:
    February 18, 2012 at 7:35 pm

    Personally I find your last paragraph to be a desperate grasp for a criticism. This was not a flawless production but it wasn’t one that really led, for me, to seriously question any aspect of it. The length to me seemed ideal, it was precisely timed for the necessary contents of the play and if it had gone on much longer it was in danger of falling into over-repetition (some of the play’s motifs coming very close to the line, though none went over it).

    A thoroughly enjoyable play, as commendable if it were a classic as it was a student play. Go and see it.

  5. Ben Huckle says:
    February 20, 2012 at 9:36 am

    I love drama!

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