Last week’s production of Alan Ayckbourn’s Confusions was by common consent of those who attended one of the best productions seen at the school. It is a combination of five loosely connected one act plays, perfectly suited for multiple directors, which is exactly how Mr Brighton played it, so that pupils not only acted in it, but they directed each piece and the producer was a pupil too. This is my first full length review of a school play, I cannot promise the same in the future, it was the product of a long train journey!
As the audience took their seats the cast of one of the plays was already on the floor of the theatre in set, in preparation for the second act as it happened. A waitress was chatting with a customer at a bar, two other customers were playing pool and having a drink. Emboldened by the drink the man of the pair persuaded the pianist (Mr Staveley) to go into karaoke mode, the lyrics appeared on the screen and the now seated audience was treated to the worst kind of semi-drunk karaoke that must have been played out so many times in so many bars all over the western world. Inevitably the female voice (Rachelle McLachlan’s) was somewhat steadier than the male’s (Brandon Holloway)! It was hilarious and the other members of the Lower Sixth in the audience loved Brandon’s performance. What a way to start a show!
Alan Ayckbourn’s website give a short synopsis of the play, so I won’t try to better it, just look here for details: http://confusions.alanayckbourn.net/styled-4/index.html
In Mother Figure Chloe Ogilvie-Coe played the role of a tired mother, virtually ignored by her husband, so used to being with the children that she treats her neighbours who pop round as children themselves. Melissa Williams and Nathan Alcock played the couple from next door and Chloe quickly befriends Melissa, taking sides with her against her stroppy husband Nathan. Nathan leaves, discovers he has locked himself out and can only retrieve his front door key, now held by Chloe, by apologising for being rude – unfortunately he has to empty a glass of milk first, something he claims to detest. A hilarious scene, Nathan’s northern, boorish character humbled by the housebound Chloe treating him just like a naughty nine year old.
In the second act we caught up with Brandon and Rachelle, Brandon now trying very hard to chat Rachelle up and by now considerably the worse for wear. Their acting was superb and it took the audience right into the story, the bulk of them, like me I am sure, willing Rachelle to either slap Brandon or at the very least abandon the bar and leave Brandon to his cups. When Mirren Worsdale entered the scene as Rachelle’s friend Brandon tried to chat her up too. In the state he was in he had no chance and I was amazed the girls’ characters were so patient with him. In this act more than any of the others the 1970s origins of the plays came out very strongly. The hotel in which it was set was clearly past its best, if not rather seedy, and Brandon’s character the worst kind of womanising travelling salesman. And all of that conveyed with a minimalist set, but super acting.
The third scene played out in a restaurant and focused on two couples at nearby tables. The audience hearing conversations in turn. It was a very difficult evening for the two couples and rather more came out of the conversations than some of the participants expected. Inevitably one of each pair was having an affair and it all came out over the course of the meal. Charlotte Crowther gave a great performance as the spurned wife, all pent up fury and resentment. Matthew King was the dominant boss, neglecting his wife and having an affair with Anna Schoon, the wife of his employee Josh Seaton. Josh played the blissfully ignorant husband to a tee and even when he found out the news he remained behind with his boss after both wives had left, and wrapped his arm around his boss’s shoulder, desperate to remain on good terms and preserve his job in the company.
The fourth act was set at a village fete and started with the characters bringing on props to the Benny Hill theme tune. Slapstick ensued and it was a dream for the physical comedy specialists. Sam Kitson’s wolf pack leader character was superb: when he found out, via the comedy classic means of the microphone that was working when everyone thought it wasn’t, that his fiancée was pregnant by the middle aged fete organiser, Brandon in his second role of the night, he drowned his sorrows in a couple of beers and hilarity ensued as he leapt around on park benches, quite unable to cope with the alcohol, and amazingly managing to look very drunk without falling off the benches and breaking something. Charlotte Crowther featured as the spurned wife, this time present to deliver an address at the fete. By that point in proceedings there was lightning and thunder and the microphone she was holding became live with electricity and she gave an excellent cartoon style impression of someone literally being shocked.
In the final act a group of characters were sitting on park benches minding their own businesses, but bench sharing led to a number of awkward conversations where the person sitting there originally tired of the conversation of the new arrival and moved to the next bench, starting the sequence again. It was effectively circular bench swapping, caused by a series of conversations one person found bizarre or awkward. Picture someone taking the seat next to you on the train and then rambling on about something you have no interest in whatsoever. Very funny for the audience, purgatory for the original seat holders who are forced to move to another seat to escape the weird ramblings.
Brilliant acting drew the audience in, all five acts contributed to the success of the evening and huge congratulations to all concerned.
Directors
Chloe Ogilve-Coe
Rachelle Maclachlan
Charlotte Crowther
Brandon Holloway
Charlotte Allison
Producer
Rachelle McLachlan
Cast
Chloe Ogilve-Coe
Rachelle Maclachlan
Charlotte Crowther
Brandon Holloway
Melissa Williams
Nathan Alcock
Mirren Worsdale
Amy Sergeant
Matthew King
Josh Tinkler
Anna Schoon
Richard Hart
Alfreya Bell
Maxine Baillie-Harland
Sam Kitson
Olivia Forster
Yeva Creegan
Polam Hall School and Sixth Form 