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In Play, the disembodied heads, eerily protruding from large earthenware urns, may only speak when the interrogator shines a light in their face. The power of the interrogator is brought home as he forces the heads to break off mid-sentence, mid-word, only to resume where they left off when the light returns. In Rough for theatre I the blind man can move the wheelchair, its occupant can see where they go. Footfalls sees a daughter confined to pacing up and down a strip of light while her mother counts her steps, leaving you wondering whether it is the child or parent who decides the number of strides. Catastrophe is the least complex in its power relations. The director directs, the assistant obeys and the man/statue (ironically billed as the protagonist) is manipulated. The separateness of each play is emphasised by the almost total change of cast for each piece. It was refreshing to see such a large and varied cast of students and ex-students from a number of different universities perform so well together. The biographies at the back of the programme are an unusually entertaining read. Special mention ought to go to Ben Johnson for his performance as wheelchair-bound A, in Rough for theatre I. I found his body language particularly impressive and the excellent co-performance of Graham Topping as B made this play a favourite for my friend and I. Also impressive was the effort that had been expended on the details staging, lighting and sound. Each play is preceded by a clear announcement of its title done in a different way for every piece. For example, Play is announced by a stack of black cubes at the edge of the stage each containing a single, illuminated letter, whereas Catastrophe appears above the stage, the word formed by a string of fairy lights. With each piece so short your mind is constantly engaged in trying to grasp the sense of it before it ends making for a concentrated, but enjoyable evening. If you are a Beckett fan, or even if you are not, this is a rare airing for these particular works that is well done and well worth seeing. Emily Wood |
