DUCT Classical Acting Showcase review

'Everyone involved in this production should be incredibly proud.’

Durham University Classical Theatre’s annual Classical Acting Showcase never fails to impress. In this showcase we see actors going between comedy monologues and duologues from plays such as The Importance of Being Earnest or Much Ado About Nothing to tackling tragedies such as Medea or Othello, all of which is expertly done by the actors in this showcase.

There were many standouts from this production but firstly credit must go to the three co-directors, Sam Bentley, Estelle Pollard-Cox, and Ollie Cochran, who made sure each of their actors had fantastic use of the limited space with smooth entrances and exits. Furthermore, the extracts chosen for each actor were in equal measure hilarious and heartbreaking, and each was done expertly. On the whole, the minimal use of props meant that every time a prop was introduced it allowed us to see further into the character, such as with Salomé.

One such standout was the duologue between Iqra Khadiza and Isobel Willis, playing Cecily and Gwendolen’s first meeting from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. This performance showed such impressive comedic know-how, with both actors creating a slightly tense atmosphere while delivering their comedic lines perfectly. These characters do not know that they are being funny which is something made clear by the two actors. Khadiza should also be commended for her monologue as Salomé, where she portrayed a sense of innocence and menace in equal parts while holding the head of Jokanaan (John the Baptist), using the space highly effectively, leaving the audience absolutely hooked.

Tristan Betts excelled in each of the characters he portrays. In his monologue from Richard II, we saw Betts have absolute command of the stage, exuding an energy and confidence that kept the audience engrossed. Significant credit should also be given to both Betts and Mopsy Peel for their duologue of Jason and Medea from Medea. Taken from the section where Jason laments the loss of his children to Medea, both showed fantastic control in this duologue. They were skilful at depicting this dynamic to such an extent that it felt as if we were truly in a room with the both of them. Credit must also go to Peel for her monologue as Desdemona (Othello) which perfectly portrayed her desperation, leaving the audience in awe.

Emi Sharples was an expert in each of the roles she plays, however, a particular standout was her performance as Adriana from A Comedy of Errors (William Shakespeare). In this performance particularly she showed a perfect knowledge of how to use her voice to keep an audience entirely engaged.

Sophie Green delighted every time we saw her on stage. She showed a wonderful range and versatility in her acting, first coming on as Mrs Chevely (An Ideal Husband), returning as Isabella (Measure for Measure) and finally as Queen Margaret from Henry IV. Her Queen Margaret was done with such effective conviction and voice control as to put us in the room with Queen Margaret herself.

Another standout duologue was that of Beatrice and Benedict from Much Ado About Nothing (William Shakespeare), acted by Martha Buttle and Edward Clark respectively. Each actor successfully used the space in its entirety with the use of levels with the chairs. They maintained a constant energy and pace in this duologue which left the audience longing for more of them as these characters. Clark’s later monologue as Dido captured the audience’s unfailing attention through his body language on stage.

Aside from this, there were three chairs and a table which were used sparingly and effectively to aid in conveying the emotions and desires of the characters. For example, the Beatrice and Benedict duologue used the chairs so Beatrice could sit far away from Benedict but move closer through the duologue. In the monologue from Richard II, the chair was used to effectively convey the deposed king’s imprisonment and his subsequent musings, making the king appear nigh on insanity and very small where he once used to be king.

There are twenty-one extracts in this production, each delighting in its own right and leaving the audience desperate for more. Everyone involved in this production should be incredibly proud. This was a fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable production and shows a very bright future for the classical acting scene in Durham.

By Olivia Higgins-Darby.