In current language
Lynn Freeman
Young and Hungry Festival, Flash directed by David Lawrence, Game Plan directed by Melanie Camp, Deadlines directed by Leo Gene Peters, Bats Theatre, July 6, Reviewed by Lynn Freeman.
The Young and Hungry season always offers some insights into the pre-occupations of teenagers. From the current language – tots – to issues like cyber bullying, body image, social networking, and the gulf between the cool kids and the outsiders. This year’s crop of three plays written for young actors and back of house practitioners is up there with the best years of this now long running season.
In Flash, Kate Morris puts forward the argument that these days “the whole world is a movie set”, something one of the teenage girls in the play says people just have to get used to. With mobile phones and digital cameras proliferating, you have a very good chance of being caught and Youtubed if you do something embarrassing. Morris packs a lot into her actors’ hour upon the stage, with some nifty twists and turns, as a teacher tries to ascertain which of several suspects is behind taking and distributing a hurtful photograph of one of their schoolmates. Such a topical theme with ever more young people suffering at the hands of cyber bullies and viral humiliation. We don’t meet the victim, but Morris helps us get to know her through her friends and tormenters. David Lawrence and his young cast do justice to a thought provoking script.
With Gameplan Dan Bain takes us into the sphere of gaming and the dangers of players losing sight of the difference between the virtual and real worlds. Here four friends, struggling to keep afloat financially and emotionally, are chosen for the Cyber World Games – a chance for excitement and of course the prize money. Problem is finding the plane fares to South Korea to compete. What they come up with is fraught with danger and they can’t start the game over if it goes horribly wrong. The computer sequences are particularly well choreographed by Melanie Camp and her great cast. Jen Eccles set design worked brilliantly.
You have to keep your wits about you watching Deadlines by Adam Goodall. This complex story is told at breakneck speed, and is broken down into very short sequences. It is a dark parody/multi murder mystery where a stream of students at a school die in strange circumstances. A student reporter and photographer both try to find out what is going on, placing themselves in danger. The trouble is that it is a real struggle to understand both what is being said (slow down guys!) and what is happening on stage.
Leo Gene Peters is an exciting director and his cast are always on the go. Perhaps we need different nights for the under and over 20s though, because to be honest I left feeling I needed to see it again to really get a grip on all that was going on.
Seeing all three plays on one night makes for a big mind-bending and intriguing time, that is worth it, tots.
The Young and Hungry season always offers some insights into the pre-occupations of teenagers. From the current language – tots – to issues like cyber bullying, body image, social networking, and the gulf between the cool kids and the outsiders. This year’s crop of three plays written for young actors and back of house practitioners is up there with the best years of this now long running season.
In Flash, Kate Morris puts forward the argument that these days “the whole world is a movie set”, something one of the teenage girls in the play says people just have to get used to. With mobile phones and digital cameras proliferating, you have a very good chance of being caught and Youtubed if you do something embarrassing. Morris packs a lot into her actors’ hour upon the stage, with some nifty twists and turns, as a teacher tries to ascertain which of several suspects is behind taking and distributing a hurtful photograph of one of their schoolmates. Such a topical theme with ever more young people suffering at the hands of cyber bullies and viral humiliation. We don’t meet the victim, but Morris helps us get to know her through her friends and tormenters. David Lawrence and his young cast do justice to a thought provoking script.
With Gameplan Dan Bain takes us into the sphere of gaming and the dangers of players losing sight of the difference between the virtual and real worlds. Here four friends, struggling to keep afloat financially and emotionally, are chosen for the Cyber World Games – a chance for excitement and of course the prize money. Problem is finding the plane fares to South Korea to compete. What they come up with is fraught with danger and they can’t start the game over if it goes horribly wrong. The computer sequences are particularly well choreographed by Melanie Camp and her great cast. Jen Eccles set design worked brilliantly.
You have to keep your wits about you watching Deadlines by Adam Goodall. This complex story is told at breakneck speed, and is broken down into very short sequences. It is a dark parody/multi murder mystery where a stream of students at a school die in strange circumstances. A student reporter and photographer both try to find out what is going on, placing themselves in danger. The trouble is that it is a real struggle to understand both what is being said (slow down guys!) and what is happening on stage.
Leo Gene Peters is an exciting director and his cast are always on the go. Perhaps we need different nights for the under and over 20s though, because to be honest I left feeling I needed to see it again to really get a grip on all that was going on.
Seeing all three plays on one night makes for a big mind-bending and intriguing time, that is worth it, tots.
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