Lost Property is one of four plays selected to show at the Burton Taylor this week, as part of the Oxford University Dramatic Society’s New Writing Festival. It is written by student Nick Bowling, who also plays the role of Mr. Neeves in the production.
The action unrolls in the P.E. office, and follows the interactions between two students and their P.E. teacher, Mr. Neeves. Ed Cunningham plays a convincing Adam, a rather eccentric loner, and Tom Cartlidge easily plays Will, a gregarious football player. Adam and Mr. Neeves grapple with their friendships, both with each other and with Will. Adam is drawn towards socialising at the urging of Will (the consensus in the schoolyard is that Adam is either dead or David Bowie), while Mr. Neeves encourages him to stay with him and retain his individuality.
The main quirkiness of the play is drawn from the box of lost property stored in Mr. Neeves’ office. In it Adam finds a pair of shorts to wear when his trousers are stolen, a ploughman’s sandwich that initiates a trip to the pub for lunch and Will is introduced when he wanders in looking for his missing shorts. A fluorescent green keyboard is the real treasure, first inspiring Adam, and then Mr. Neeves. One might suppose that the box of lost property is symbolic of Adam, and Mr. Neeves resistance to Adam’s choice to seek acceptance with his peers is mirrored in his hoarding of lost property from all over the school.
Lost property is not quite a comedy, though the production is sprinkled with witty banter between the characters, particularly from the rather sardonic Mr. Neeves. Adam throws in enough absurdity to keep it entertaining without being too over the top. Overall, the characters are well written and played. However, their interactions sometimes don’t ring quite true; for example, one imagines the football star probably wouldn’t invite the loner for a night out at Destiny’s cocktail bar. This is slightly distracting as no explanation is offered for this unusual behaviour; however it does not detract significantly from the production.
It is a short play at around 45 minutes (no interval), is mildly entertaining and enjoyable to watch.
The action unrolls in the P.E. office, and follows the interactions between two students and their P.E. teacher, Mr. Neeves. Ed Cunningham plays a convincing Adam, a rather eccentric loner, and Tom Cartlidge easily plays Will, a gregarious football player. Adam and Mr. Neeves grapple with their friendships, both with each other and with Will. Adam is drawn towards socialising at the urging of Will (the consensus in the schoolyard is that Adam is either dead or David Bowie), while Mr. Neeves encourages him to stay with him and retain his individuality.
The main quirkiness of the play is drawn from the box of lost property stored in Mr. Neeves’ office. In it Adam finds a pair of shorts to wear when his trousers are stolen, a ploughman’s sandwich that initiates a trip to the pub for lunch and Will is introduced when he wanders in looking for his missing shorts. A fluorescent green keyboard is the real treasure, first inspiring Adam, and then Mr. Neeves. One might suppose that the box of lost property is symbolic of Adam, and Mr. Neeves resistance to Adam’s choice to seek acceptance with his peers is mirrored in his hoarding of lost property from all over the school.
Lost property is not quite a comedy, though the production is sprinkled with witty banter between the characters, particularly from the rather sardonic Mr. Neeves. Adam throws in enough absurdity to keep it entertaining without being too over the top. Overall, the characters are well written and played. However, their interactions sometimes don’t ring quite true; for example, one imagines the football star probably wouldn’t invite the loner for a night out at Destiny’s cocktail bar. This is slightly distracting as no explanation is offered for this unusual behaviour; however it does not detract significantly from the production.
It is a short play at around 45 minutes (no interval), is mildly entertaining and enjoyable to watch.