Wow. I figured my outing last night merited its own special update today. In honour of my brief trip home from South Wales and the availability of all my siblings, a 'family evening' was organised to the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. Having studied To Kill a Mockingbird for my GCSE's at school, I vividly remembered my teacher rabbiting on about the importance of the novel and author Harper Lee's imprint in history. Revisiting this story having just completed my English literature degree afforded me a better insight into the collaboration between text and performance, flawlessly composed by director Timothy Sheader. The most daunting aspect to overcome at the beginning was the prospect of freezing on a fresh British summer evening outdoors! This was soon forgotten however as I was drawn into the sultry heat of the American South by Calpurnia, Atticus and the children. The basic scenery, lighting and musical background (just a lone man with a guitar and ukelele), added to my imagination as I was transported back to a time of icy political conflict ironically forced through the sweltering communal haze. As the English evening got chillier, the actors' emotional investment into this production intensified. 10 year-old Eleanor Worthington-Cox gave an amazing performance as Scout, working seamlessly into the cast with a performance far surpassing her years. The use of narrators interspersed with their acting, and the bare involvement with the entire cast throughout the play, provided an awareness and metafiction of the action for the audience, engaging us to become part of this artistic creation as a member of Maycomb County both in and out of the courtroom. The ability of the actors and actresses to move between narrator and character was presented fantastically by Guildhall School graduate Rona Morison as Mayella Ewell. When her inconspicuous contemporary denim jacket and beany hat were removed, an amazing young actress appeared with emotional intensity to move even the most stoic English gent. I could go on forever about the chalk drawing on the stage, the poignancy of the silences, and the atmospheric rustling of the oak trees around the stage. But I will finish by simply saying that this performance was astounding and certainly not one to be missed, especially in the epic and green surroundings of Regent's Park.
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About meI enjoy writing and have had experience from my degree and through working on news posts. I hope to use this blog as a summary of extraordinary things I've discovered or witnessed in everyday life. Archives
March 2020
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