A Review of the Fresher's Drama Festival
As a new year begins for us all, we were delighted to experience the beginning of the most important part of our lives – St. Andrews theatre. The Fresher’s Drama Festival as ever did not disappoint, there was a range of brilliant performance, of behind the scenes labour, and of unimaginable stress for everyone involved. The shows on offer reflect the passion and the skill of everyone involved in Mermaids, and just show what a promising new group of Mermaids there are.
Accidental Death of an Anarchist
Reviewed by Callisto Lodwick
Accidental Death of an Anarchist's Maniac (Buster Van der Geest) spends the ten minutes of pre-show in a fur scarf and ridiculously fluffy hat, eating crisps and drawing devil horns on pictures of Rishi Sunak. The play doesn't get saner from there, as an Italian police station becomes the hub for the investigation into police procedures that is equal parts satirical and scathing.
Several weeks ago, an anarchist was taken in for questioning in suspicion of several bombings. A few hours later, he falls out a window to his death. The official statement claims his death was a tragic accident caused by an unexpected “raptus”--but not everyone is convinced. Van der Geest's madcap Anarchist is required to get to the bottom of the story--an investigation that will require roughly two hours of cutting absurdity. The play was written in response to the death of a real-life anarchist in police custody, and so despite a setting deeply saturated by the Italy of the 1970s, the relevance to contemporary Britain is very real. A picture of a zip-lining Boris Johnson proudly adorns the police station wall, the Anarchist flinches when he reads about David Cameron's actions towards innocent pigs, and the jabs at the obfuscation of the justice system remain just as cutting in 2024.
The message is heightened by a charismatic cast that play nicely off each other: the Maniac is unequivocally the star, frolicking around the stage in jellyfish-printed socks, threatening, cajoling, joking, and revealing. Other standouts include Callum Wardman-Brown's suavely corrupt Superintendent and Heather Tiernan's long-suffering Inspector Bertozzo, though the rest of the cast are also hilarious. Meanwhile, some of the Maniac’s disguises might as well be separate characters of their own, which come to a head at the play's frenzied, slapstick ending. Such an ending is an oddly positive one that reassures the audience of the potential lessening of corruption--though left in the hands of a madman, how secure can that message really be?
Trojan Women
Reviewed by Jadzia Allright
Trojan Women, based on Euripedes’ play of the same name, reflects the female experience of war’s aftermath. It has been credited as the first anti-war play, and Haynes’ adaptation does the source material justice.
Walking into the Barron Theatre at the Byre, I was immediately immersed in the storytelling. The decision to have the chairs surrounding the main stage from all sides allowed the audience to feel involved and almost voyeuristic when watching the grief of these women. The show started with a tribute to Ukraine, highlighting the many perils and devastation the Ukrainian people have experienced since the start of the war. This gave way to a telephone conversation between Athena (Heather Tiernan) and Poseidon (Felix Da Silva Champ), as they spoke over rotary phones. While the attempts at modernisation were tenuous at points, the overall message underlined that war and destruction continue even in this age and that individual suffering should not be overlooked.
The story focuses on the plight of four women from the royal houses of Troy after the Trojan War has concluded. Hecuba (Emily Speed)- widow of King Priam, Cassandra (Mary Kalinski) - the daughter of Hecuba cursed with foresight but with no one to believe her, Andromache (Anna-Marie Regner) - widow of Hector and mother to Astyanax, and Helen of Sparta (Iha Jha) - who has to plead for her life from Menelaus (Rupert Carter). The Chorus was used to represent the other women captured and forced into slavery or prostitution post-war. They provided an eerie backing to the pain at the play’s forefront.
I would like to draw particular attention to Emily Speed, who added so much emotion to her character’s story, throughout the play, her grief entrapped her, leaving her sobbing even when attention was focused on the other women. The madness of Mary Kalinski was embodied through ramblings and her physicality in the space. I particularly enjoyed the costuming decision to have everyone else in sturdy shoes but Kalinski, who remains barefoot. Anna-Marie Regner sent chills down my spine during her gut-wrenching pleas for the survival of her child. Iha Jha had a tremendous monologue considering whether she was the hero or villain and whether she could be blamed for any of it.
Overall, it was a colossal undertaking for Haynes, which I feel privileged to have seen. Given the modern-day media, the consequences of war are all too clearly shown to us, but Trojan Women returns the discussion to the plight of the individual. The Trojan Women shows us that in war, given the suffering every individual must survive, there are no winners in war, only losers.
The Prognostications of Mikey Noyce
Reviewed by Iain Lynn
Walking into the Barron at the Byre, you are confronted with a mess. The kind of mess that can only be cultivated after years of isolation – the kind of mess I recognised from my years of involuntary hermitage during the pandemic. The Prognostications of Mikey Noyce brings us all back to that fugue state of post-lockdown life – it is a tightly compacted look at our contemporary life, and our soon to come apocalypse in the climate crisis, brought to life by an excellent ensemble (Jack Dams, Maddie Byrne, Lousie Windsor). The play itself follows Mikey Noyce (Jack Dams), a latter day Nostradamus, as he attempts to convince his closest friend (Maddie Byrne) of his prescience, and their combined efforts in convincing a Green MSP (Louise Windsor) that the world will end in just a few short weeks. Jack Dams shines especially in his moments of prophecy-utterance, reviling in the absurdity, whilst Maddie Byrne is his perfect foil, reining in his rambles, and providing an emotional root. Louise Windsor provides a sharp, confident, if existentially horrific, break to the bantering of Jack Dams and Maddie Byrne, delivering her monologue illustrating that Mikey’s great prophecy is simply foretelling the horror that awaits all of us in the climate collapse, as well as the horror that the British government are currently executing. The team behind Prognostications must be praised (Maddie Byrne, Emaan Naem, Rosie Wood, and David Cantor), you couldn’t achieve a more contemporary play if you streamed BBC news in the background. All too often in a play that verges on the supernatural, the plot and action get caught up in itself, especially in a show just an hour long, however Prognostications neatly weaves through social issues, the supernatural, and a grounding relationship drama at the heart of the show. One of the true joys of the show is that, once it’s over, you have a plethora of ways to interpret what you’ve seen; an uplifting romance; a stark warning; a supernatural caper; a satire of the current state of the news; a reflection on the impact of isolation – like any great prophecy, The Prognostications of Mikey Noyce can be interpreted and re-interpretated, but it definitely won’t leave your mind.
Di and Viv and Roses
Reviewed by Lara Thain
Di and Viv and Rose by Amelia Bullmore was staged at the Barron Theatre on the top floor of the Byre. With a small cast in a small black box theatre, the show felt especially intimate when hard subjects around death and sexual assault were broached. These topics were handled with grace and respect, leaving the audience feeling emotional and sympathetic for the characters.
Di and Viv and Rose follows three women from their time in university to adulthood in a series of short scenes. Centering around the friendship of Di (Tabby D’cunha), Viv (Lila Ahnger) and Rose (Clara Curtis), we see these characters develop, under the careful direction of Ami Melville, and grapple with extreme tragedies. The acting of the three titular characters was heart-wrenchingly believable. D’cunha plays the athletic Di with a friendly and energetic demeanor, which meant that Di’s change after following a tragedy is even more devastating. The severe Viv is played by Ahnger who witnesses her friends’ tragedies and gives an especially moving performance at (spoiler warning) Rose’s funeral. Curtis’s performance is not hindered by a late casting and as an audience, we see Rose mature and grapple with the difficulties of being a single mother.
A simple but effective set is used with elements such as a rotary phone being used in several scenes throughout the show. Space is an especially important theme throughout the show as the girls share a house during university where they truly become close, and the space becomes a home to them. Nearly the entire first half of the play is set in this house. Other technical elements of the performance are important such as the ‘80s pop music that is used for transitions helps to locate the show and spotlight that is used during emotional phone calls. The costumes of the three characters also accurately represent the women and their personalities. This is essential as in one scene their characters discuss their outfits and what they reflect about themselves, with Viv wearing “wartime-esque” dresses, Rose in simple jeans and a bow in her hair, and Di seeing her outfit as an opportunity to express her sexuality as a lesbian.
Di and Viv and Rose is not overly conceptual, but the themes are still shown in the everyday interactions of the women causing the show’s naturalism to feel authentic. Despite the heavy topics that are touched upon, there is still many light-hearted moments where the characters just seem to have fun, which helps to keep the audience engaged and relate to the characters. Overall, Di and Viv and Rose was a very successful piece of student theatre with heart-wrenching performances by the actresses and impressive technical elements by the crew.
Dragon Fever
Reviewed by Mariana Razina
Dragon Fever is a dark and original story with memorable characters based on traditional tropes. It combines familiar plot lines with unexpected twists, with the audience so invested they audibly gasp at every reveal.
However, Dragon Fever the production is so much more than just a poetic telling of a fantasy story. It is a result of the work of more than 30 people, most of whom worked behind the scenes. If you do not get to see the play, at least visit their instagram page @dragonfever.sta to see how some of the costumes and props were made. The tiger, Ruku, is a product of careful crafting, painting, papier-mâché and construction. It is by far the most impressive costume/prop I have seen in student theatre.
Despite the play’s dark themes, it is impossible not to watch most of it with a smile. It does not take itself too seriously, one of the best qualities of the show. Tech is intentionally out of control, the characters laugh with the audience and very little about the first part of the play is overly serious. Music, lighting and smoke are used up to their maximum potential doing exactly what amateur theatre strives to do: achieving a lot with relatively little.
Nilvana the sorceress (Lousie Windsor) is terrifying and beautiful. The play has multiple strong female characters, but while she is aware of her power, Nilvana grapples with responsibility that comes with it as well as deal with prejudice from other characters. Louise portrays this conflicted character extremely well.
Rigeon (Callum Wardman-Browne) is the epitome of coolness. He is the funniest character in the play in his combination of all the cliche macho-assassin features.
Nero (Luke Robinson) builds a special relationship with the audience who try to guess if Nero is a mad man, a genius or just a poser. Mr. Owl (Rupert Carter) is an old man, which is a difficult role to play, but Rupert Carter does a fantastic job. Lady Xao (Iha Jha) is a fantastic fantasy girlboss, who is always exciting to observe. Especially powerful is her tender relationship with the tiger, Ruku, puppeteered by Cailean Robertson.
Knight Van Lyke (Matthew Colquhoun) and his squire Grant (Felix Da Silva Champ) and are a duo that combines the least and the most likeable characters in the play. Matthew embodies the trope of an arrogant and greedy knight, who would have Nilvana burned alive if he could, while Grant is a source of constant comic relief and is a very endearing character.
As for magical creatures, their costumes and acting are truly what makes this a fantasy play. Freyr (Taylor Colbeth), Gnome (Ellen Rowlett), and Urk (anonymous) do not just rely on their carefully crafted costumes and makeup: they have distinct personalities which both embody and subvert their fantasy tropes. The actor who played Urk remains anonymous (the team claim they do not know who that is either) but is certainly perfect for the role.
The best thing is that I know I was not the only one who felt that way. Despite the play being over 2 hours long, the audience was beyond engaged throughout. I am sure it was rewarding for the cast and the crew but also made my experience of the play even more special.
Dragon Fever transcends the boundaries of a typical fantasy play, blending darkness with humour and showcasing a remarkable ensemble of characters, each skilfully brought to life by a talented cast and crew.