Festivals

Leatherhead Drama Festival - May 2007

Congratulations to Years 10 and 11 Drama Group - Winners of the following awards:

Best Junior Actor (Joe Newton),

Junior Production Award,

Nomination for Best Actress (Ella Sims)

Nomination for Best Direction (Mrs. C. Hudson)

Graham - World's Fastest Blindman

Review by Mark Wheeller - May 2007

Readers of my news pages will know well that I regard this as probably my best play (along with Missing Dan Nolan). You will also know that my own Youth Theatre are to present this play as our finale in March 2008. So imagine my interest when I was invited to see what transpired to be the best production of it I have seen… I include my own previous attempts. Directed by Cathy Hudson it was performed by Year 10 & 11 classes at the Therfield School in Surrey. The bar was set very high as I met my new cast for a read through the day after.

So what was so good about it? So good that afterwards Sir Michael Caine (the patron of the Festival) said:

'It wasn't an ordinary play was it? It was extraordinary!'

Well to start at the beginning… the opening impression was 'quality'.

All the actors were dressed (execpt Graham who was in white) from head to foot in black with contrasting white gloves. All were knelt in two lines opposite each other facing the audience casting the beams of slimline torches along the floor to mark out a running track. Immediately some magnificent symbolism and an arresting visual image of darkness brioken by small beams of light. From that moment on I knew it ws going to be both highly imaginative and of a VERY high standard.

The only props they used were two white sticks. An excellent example of how they were used was in the scene where Harry is testing baby Graham's sight. Two people knelt facing one another just infront of Harry and held the two sticks at head height (when knelt) and Harry peered between them to see the (invisible) baby.

They used body props imaginatively… a tricycle which morphed effortlessly into a two wheeler brought a spontaneous round of applause from the packed (House full signs up at the front) 500 strong audience.

 They intermingled contemporary dance sequences into the edited script (running time about 40 minutes) to tremendous effect. These sequences reminded me of the work Danny Sturrock does (most recently in his new SUICIDE.COM production). The highlight of this was the re-telling of the incident where Graham is the only witness to a hit and run accident. Fantastic.

Graham played by Joe Newton won the award for Best Youth Actor. It was easy to see why. By the way Cathy Hudson was nominated for an award for her direction as was Ella Simms for her sensitive portrayal of Marie). Joe's timing was impeccable. He 'sold' Graham's one liners with skill illiciting laughter from the packed audience every time. People empathised with him fast and were from the beginning rooting for him bog time! I thought his was a perfect documentary/reality play performance where you could see the shadow of the real person across his presentation… but there was a clear brechtian-ness in his presentation… I learnt at the end of the performance that he was only in Year 11 at school… I thought he was at least college age if not University!

 Cathy Hudson and her troupe had discovered much in the presentation that I'd never found (e.g. and I could have chosen many e.g. moments(!) the Rolling Stones section really liftd the performance).

I know the group have plans to take this to Edinburgh… lucky Edinburgh… and that as winners of the Leatherhead Festival they may be invited to the NDFA finals in Wales (July).

It was a truly remarkable production and I am really glad I was there to witness it. It is always fantastic to see a supremely talented director work with a fantastic cast to make more of moments in my play than I have ever managed to achieve! The audience obviously appreciated it hugely as they gave it a standing ovation!