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3 weeks ago
Friday, 2 April 2010
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Loving April
‘Loving April’ by Melvin Burgess, was published in September 1996. It is currently available at Amazon from £0.01 upwards. Giles Croft adapted the novel for the Oxfordshire Theatre Company who are currently on tour. I saw the 2 hour play at Chipping Norton Theatre on March 23rd.
‘Loving April’ stars Sarah Thomas-Lane (Outside Edge, Cat and No Mouse, The Emperors Clothes) as April, a deaf and dumb girl who is mistreated by boys in her village. This ‘mistreatment’ includes sexual abuse (including rape). It doesn’t matter that April can just about make noise – no-one is listening. Brilliantly played by Sarah, the pathos, the humiliation, the sadness is conveyed to the audience. In the final few seconds we even suspect that the tears shown by April are also the tears of the actress playing her, such is her commitment to the role.
To counter-balance April we have Tony, the rich boy. Admirably played by Daniel Naddafy (Snow Dragon, A Tourists Guide to Terrorism) we meet someone else who needs a friend.
But a friend from the same class, not the daughter of a char-lady.
As their relationship deepens so do prejudices surface until finally……no, I’ll not say any more.
Go and see the play – wherever and whenever you can. Read the book, immerse yourself in the story. Experience the strict social setting, imagine the beauty of April’s swan and feel repulsed by the attitude of some of the characters played by Jack Hughes (Stovepipe, Easy Virtue) and Tracey-Anne Liles (Und, Hanako, 4:48 Psychosis.)
Special praise too, to Helen Barford (Salome, ad campaigns for Tesco and Actimel) as Mrs Piggott.
Using this play as a yardstick, also go and watch Vertigo and Handful of Henna.
‘Loving April’ stars Sarah Thomas-Lane (Outside Edge, Cat and No Mouse, The Emperors Clothes) as April, a deaf and dumb girl who is mistreated by boys in her village. This ‘mistreatment’ includes sexual abuse (including rape). It doesn’t matter that April can just about make noise – no-one is listening. Brilliantly played by Sarah, the pathos, the humiliation, the sadness is conveyed to the audience. In the final few seconds we even suspect that the tears shown by April are also the tears of the actress playing her, such is her commitment to the role.To counter-balance April we have Tony, the rich boy. Admirably played by Daniel Naddafy (Snow Dragon, A Tourists Guide to Terrorism) we meet someone else who needs a friend.
But a friend from the same class, not the daughter of a char-lady.
As their relationship deepens so do prejudices surface until finally……no, I’ll not say any more.
Go and see the play – wherever and whenever you can. Read the book, immerse yourself in the story. Experience the strict social setting, imagine the beauty of April’s swan and feel repulsed by the attitude of some of the characters played by Jack Hughes (Stovepipe, Easy Virtue) and Tracey-Anne Liles (Und, Hanako, 4:48 Psychosis.)
Special praise too, to Helen Barford (Salome, ad campaigns for Tesco and Actimel) as Mrs Piggott.Using this play as a yardstick, also go and watch Vertigo and Handful of Henna.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Go to the Oxford Fringe!
Here is the site.....
These are the plays I am going to:
The Big Bite-Size Soirée
The Big Bite-Size Soirée
Reflections in a Distorting Mirror
Thursday, 11 March 2010
Life is fair after all
What have these three got in common?
TWO OF THEM did extra essays for me - which I marked.
The other one did a daily blog.
So what did they all do?
WHAT THEY WERE TOLD TO DO.
And they all got grade A !
Only one other person got grade A - and he taught Economics!
Sunday, 7 March 2010
Monday, 1 March 2010
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