DDF Mount Oswald programme review
‘Vibrant, shocking and rippling with fun’
The DDF Mount Oswald programme brings student story-telling to life in vivid, varied bursts of talent. At times gothic, sharp, funny and touching, these stories are a total joy to behold, and proudly showcase the originality of the Durham theatrical scene.
The accomplished cast each gets their moment to shine in Blood Upon The Dry Land – a fast-paced, chilling tale of religion and suspicion in an eerie American town, written and directed by Emilia Lewis, alongside co-director Annie Collier. The cast and production crew work together to build a profound sense of place. Ambient rain and music cues occupy the performance space with a slow-building, sinister tension, with coloured lighting suggesting strange and supernatural terrors.
As the well-constructed mystery unfolds, moments of nervous humour sit alongside sudden flares of madness, setting the stage ablaze with unpredictable, exciting intensity. Ambitious story-telling for its relatively short run-time, the plot felt at times a little bit rushed, if only because I would have loved to see more of it, but it is skilfully written in all other respects.
Noah Benson (Frank) and Harry Threapleton (George) stood out; both inhabited the American accent very comfortably and carried the father-son relationship with remarkable realism. Benson’s stoic, paternal energy is masterfully converted into madness and horror, his particularly memorable guttural yell in a key moment stunning the audience into complete silence. Threapleton’s portrayal of the shy, vulnerable George is brilliantly worked to elicit audience sympathy, but never overdone or obvious.
Horatio Holloway’s range is impressive, characterising his multiple, demanding roles with exemplary physicality. I particularly like the shaky, unreliable doctor, but every role was played with an explosive, menacing grace.
The ominous remarks of Caroline, played by Khaliun Mark, form the hidden backbone of the story, and her evocative delivery should be commended. Maariya Khalid (Kitty) delivered a spine-tingling address to the audience which underlined her character’s pain, and the exhaustion and desperation of Angie, tonight understudied by Emilia Lewis, was very powerfully portrayed throughout.
Up next, in a complete change of pace, is police drama Soror. Tender, intriguing, and conversational, this story walks a line between the tension of a whodunit and the emotion of an interpersonal drama, convincing us of the power of connection.
Acting and staging alike are largely naturalistic. Following an investigation to find Lauren’s missing brother, the plot plays out over the course of a series of cleverly structured police interview scenes, simmering with buried resentments and obsessions of the past.
Elle McCloskey (Ingrid) had me entirely gripped from the moment she walked on stage. Her tone and bearing begin beautifully viciously, and end warm and likeable, and her expert depiction of Ingrid’s change of heart truly elevates the piece. Her chalk-and-cheese, buddy-comedy chemistry with fellow good-cop Walker (Oli Butler) is sincerely charming and funny. I longed for a sequel to their investigative exploits. Butler excels throughout, playing the kindly constable converted to suspicion. I only wished we saw more of him; he did not put a foot wrong.
Katherine Thompson played the lead suspect, Lauren, with a command of emotion that shines through in moments of subtle passive aggression and intense emotion alike. Her frustration with Ingrid is apparent. Together as a cast, they conjure the power plays of the interrogation room convincingly, navigating believable conflicts.
Much of the credit for this polished piece of drama should go to the writer Olivia Riches, who co-directed alongside Maia Tollner, and AD Milly Lovering. The story built up, bit by bit, to a meaningful emotional climax as frustrations boiled over and doubts shifted, reminding us that the important part of the story all along is not the solution to the mystery, but the resolution of the relationships at play.
The minimal use of lighting changes contributed to the sense of grittiness, making changes all the more impactful when they did occur. At times, I found myself wishing more of the stage space was utilised, as one-third was reserved for a brief flashback scene, but this did not detract from the engaging dialogue, and in fact amplified the sense of Lauren’s entrapment, and the impending sense that she was hiding some part of her story.
Intimate and hilarious, Katie Procter’s Aftertaste finished off the evening on a sugary sweet note. Poking fun at the student dating scene and the intricacies of love, this story is told in a series of neat little vignettes, following Juniper’s attempts to get over her ex and weather the effects of the break-up by meeting other guys.
The clever use of projection to show Juniper’s phone screen, along with artful lighting changes, give the story the glowing, relatable atmosphere of a bedroom conversation. Special mention must be given to the absolutely beautiful set, the cluttered, girlish vibe of which produced an easy authenticity to the familiar student setting.
A subtle plot twist dawns on the audience over the course of the story, thanks to its gentle, gradual execution, and it serves to entirely rewrite our understanding of the emotional content of the relationships. As the bubbly Mads, Robyn Bradbury gives 100% of her energy and commitment from the outset. Never a dull moment while she is on stage, her creative interpretation of the lines communicates care and concern under a layer of positivity, and she navigated the demands of the role proficiently. Her counterpart, Izzy Bainbridge (Juniper) appears utterly relaxed on stage, striking a balance between episodes of laid-back irony and intense emotion.
The beauty of the concept is given scope by the performances of Juniper’s dates. Toby Walker (Tom) plays awkwardness with a charismatic warmth, Andrew Mullins (Michael) gives a masterclass in the art of the self-satisfied feminist, but still uses moments of banter to endear his character to the audience. As the smug, swaggering Max, Rowan Sutton gives a noteworthy performance whose humour is not lost on the reactive audience, and as Juniper’s ex Henry, Allister Cummins seethes with quietly controlled anger. All are adept, with each of the dates providing a new type of laugh-out-loud comedy that it was a pleasure to discover.
Though I would perhaps have enjoyed seeing the story pushed to a more definite resolution or confrontation, the writing is otherwise flawless, with witty dialogue (“Don’t look at me for too long, I might catch the male gaze”) illustrating the fond and funny elbows of intimacy and connection in the modern world. All in all, a piece full of heart and soul, which made a successful end to a successful night of theatre.
Vibrant, shocking and rippling with fun, this imaginative DDF programme offers up ghosts, detectives and Scrabble. What more could a theatre-goer ask for?
By Tabitha Lanyon.
The Mount Oswald programme is performing on Thursday 20th and Friday 21st February at 19:00.