One of the most difficult aspects of acting for aspiring young thespians is to convince the audience that the character they are portraying is real. How amazing, therefore, was the performance by Collinson House in the House Drama final yesterday evening where every single character was truly believable.
The play took place at a senior school during a ‘lockdown’ and the audience, along with the characters in the play, were unaware whether it was a drill or the real thing. The heightened suspension was maintained throughout the thirty minute performance and the complex relationships between the pupils in the class and their teacher were gradually revealed to a chilling conclusion. Pupils whom I know as being mild-mannered and polite were able to play characters who were full of rage and fears.
It was an interesting choice of play, perhaps reflecting the conscious or subconscious concerns of our pupils. The cathartic nature of drama offers us a way to purge those fears; something that Greek tragedy has being doing for centuries.
