Cranford Review 2019

“The group worked very well as an ensemble. This was
evident in the sharp pace of the piece, where they all clearly
trusted and relied on each other as a team player to ensure
that they all played their individual ‘part’ to make the piece
as dynamic as it was. I was engaged throughout, as it was
fast paced and punchy, exploring some very relevant issues
that we are faced with today in our modern day context. I
was impressed that they had taken an extract from Medea
and made it their own and relevant to today. I have to say
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Truly an experience at the theatre.
Well done”.
Seema Sethi (Drama teacher)
“Thank you so much for such an electric piece of theatre. I found
it extremely intriguing and felt captivated from the start. The
characterisation was brilliant as I completely forgot that I was
watching students from school, you were all totally believable.
I particularly enjoyed seeing how you used chants, rhythms and the physical side (in
terms of the lifts and holds and steps and seats) as this is something quite different and
I felt that it worked so well. I was also really taken by how everyone was involved in
some way, all of the time. The scene with the use of the string to represent the wellto-do
couple dining and the hierarchy in their household were particularly clever and
extremely effective.
The costumes were not only completely authentic but the use of colour, in terms of who
was in the red and the grey and the black gave a very powerful message too.
I feel very privileged to have watched such an amazing production that was so well
written and thought through and so well executed. I would have gladly paid for a ticket
as it could have easily been a piece that the general public would pay to see”.
Maria Bramhall (Assistant Head of School)
“The whole performance was engaging and well thought out. Scenes had good transition
and they seemed to flow effortlessly. The influence of Complicité can clearly be felt
through the use of sounds, the bombardment of voices and whispers. The movement
within the stage and around the audience creates the atmospheric all immersive
experience. The language used really helped to set the scene and was appropriate to
the chosen time period. The costume also helped to authenticate this.
The costumes were well thought out especially providing contrast between the foreigner
who was dressed in red and the others in the village. The use of red also suggests
something more sinister. The movement pieces were effective in constraining, enhancing
and strengthening movements that have been created by the actors. In particular, the
movement pieces show the interaction between the different characters well, for example
Elizabeth and Samuel and the use of rope shows how they are all tied in together.
The characters show equal strength in delivering the story which includes universal
issues in society through the ages”.
Pam Hunt (Creative Arts –Art)
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