‘St. Mary’s College 125th Anniversary Play’
‘a community feeling that extends towards the audience and lead alike’
A familiar scene of a bed, desk, and many boxes kicks off Foot of the Hill Theatre Company’s St. Mary’s College 125th Anniversary Play, bringing one back to the first day of university with all its exhaustion, anxieties, and quiet optimism. Production and Deputy Stage Managed by Carlos Davies and sourced by Tilly Horsfield, the stripped-down set is clever in its quiet storytelling, underscoring a sense of futurity whilst steeped in the stories of the past. The weird paradoxical emptiness and rich history of a college dorm carry forward perfectly the themes of history, womanhood, and identity tackled by writers Katie Procter, Natasha Ranawake, and Horsfield.
Orlin Todorov plays a convincing frep; all friendly charm, embodying an ease and experience that juxtaposes the aptly named new student, Mary (Eloise Robinson). His presence in St. Mary’s subtly marks a change in the history of the college which at one point, as the play goes on to depict, only accepted women. Robinson captures the freshers' experience well, impressively balancing the self-consciousness and genuine hopeful excitement – the recognisability of the character places her as audience surrogate, especially as it begins to move through time periods.
She finds a trunk of old papers left by previous generations of students living in the dorm; their tactile nature is a notable prop choice by the director (Horsfield) and production team, as it physically links past and present, moving fluidly between the characters in the scenes despite being of different time periods. Past and present are delineated nicely by George Murray’s lighting, the scenes of old bathed in a nostalgic warm yellow glow, encouraging a community feeling that extends towards the audience and lead alike. Composed by Dana Al Tajer and operated by Kiera Bourgeois, the music that scores the scenes and scene transitions cements this warmth, breezy and reminiscent.
The link between past and present is exacerbated by the small cast. Alex McNeice, Emile Bell and Daisy Martin portray different characters in the same room throughout the ages of the college, their chemistry as a trio making the play shine, touching on a sense that they find a connection in each other again and again in a way that transcends the individual. It’s an interesting metatheatrical choice, highlighting the struggle, joy, and perseverance that connects each generation of students, emphasising also the ways St. Mary’s has developed. A collective discovery that “we can just be here” pokes at the fluid temporality of the play, the sentiment made poignant by the way Mary stands beside them on the stage, just as “here” as them.
The play, forged from the actual St. Mary’s archives, also contains interesting specific facts about the college. From an exciting visit by Queen (then princess) Elizabeth to details of the more mundane rules and student society shenanigans (including an anti-Valentine’s bar night), you feel that much closer to the Mary's College of the past. Particularly fascinating was the dramatically ironic protest against opening up the college to men.
A 50-minute play comes with constraints though, and I found the trio’s ending lacking some closure, making the ending a little abrupt. However, the scene it ends on is strong as – anticipatory and hopeful – Mary calls her mum and tells her she’d be alright, going then to join freshers’ activities. Ending on the horizon of new beginnings, the start of the new cycle, is a great place to finish a commemorative anniversary piece. An appreciation for the college runs through the entire show, and the team (including Producer Saachi Bajaj and Assistant Producers Em Merchant, Isabella Cable, and Tabitha Lanyon) should be proud of their play, embodying themselves the character of acknowledging.
By Ashley Zhou.