Stepping through drapes we entered a tent within which the thrust seating and Essendine's flat were cosily contained. I have reviewed many a show at The Pilch and never has one succeeded in escaping the feel of that underground room... until now.
student theatre
The Side Where it Doesn’t Necessarily go Right
Week Five of this term has become characterised in my mind as something of an autistic theatre week, with audiences being presented with more than just one depiction of neurodivergence. In the case of Oakeshott's Best of Five, this was the depiction of the challenges navigating the subtext of relationships.
No Longer Will I be the Fool
Ultimately, there are two types of student theatre, the sort that seeks to be professional and that which entertains while the cast and crew have fun, treating putting on a show as a break from the stress of Oxford. With finalists at the helm, this play was the latter.
Your Brother isn’t Supposed to Die
Woven in with sibling teasing and intense moments of truth and love, both the writing and the acting struck the balance perfectly. It was a compelling piece of theatre that drew audiences into the rollercoaster of the story and left your heartbroken at the end.
This Madness Dionysus has Inspired
A show is ultimately a reflection of not only the director's vision but also their personality. When it comes to Freyja Harrison-Wood's depiction of the wild and undeniably unhinged Maenads it is by far the highest compliment I can give to say that this play really did reflect its director.
We Make, in Our Hoarding, Our Own Remembrance
What happens to us after we die? What do we become? Perhaps one day someone will remember us and try to piece these fractured things back together to create a person. This is the topic of Noah Wild's most recent play With All My Fondest Love.
Going Dark
On Bold Choices within Theatre Directing and Staging
Dearest Brother
With haze and soft furnishings, this show situated audiences into a cosy environment and gently drew us into a heart-breaking story that left many slightly shellshocked. The talented duo worked magic beneath the fairy lights, telling the tale of a second chance, working past grief and begin to reconstruct life.
If You Dream a Little Harder
As Christmas (or Oxmas) rolls around there are certain things that begin to appear in Britain: festoons of decorative foliage, stormy weather and, of course, panto. While Starkid’s Twisted is arguably a musical not a pantomime, it was undeniable that this show was an end of term bundle of fun.
Man is Liable to Error
With every production there is an element that stands out, a motif that characterises the play in your mind. For Faust this was undeniably the use of lighting.
Wild Rose and Pearls 