THE VERDICT JAMIE REES
Sebastian Orozco as Doc O’Connor in The Laramie Project
Everyone’s talking about…theatre Give a warm Bristol welcome (or maybe a standing ovation might be more appropriate?) to our new columnist…
T
here comes a point in everybody’s life when they need a new perspective. Once you hit your forties, you can feel the clock is ticking a little faster, the body moving a little slower, yet the mind seems stronger than ever. Having lived in Cardiff for 25 years or so, following 17 formative years in the wonderful wilds of Pembrokeshire, I felt ready for a new adventure in 2020. But where? The list, which needed a strong cultural offering, ranked as follows: Manchester to Birmingham in the joint top spot, with Brighton and Newcastle in second and third respectively. Until, that is, I swiped right on a Bristolian who was going to turn my life upside down. Coming from Cardiff, Bristol was always ‘just down the road’,
and so never felt like a destination like London, Liverpool or Edinburgh. It had always passed me by, or I had always passed it by, en route to other places. I knew I was looking for love on Tinder, but who knew I would fall in love with the city as well as the man? Bristol possesses a cultural confidence that I’m finding most empowering, and since moving to the city last month, my theatre tour has taken me from the Hippodrome to Bristol Old Vic and Tobacco Factory Theatres, to a school hall in Bedminster, and I’ve loved every second of it. I live for theatre, having worked in professional theatre my entire adult life, minus a stint in rugby. (I am Welsh, after all). In fact, when I talk about ‘cultural-confidence’ I consider sport to be a huge factor in that. To me, stadiums are among the
“Bristol possesses a cultural confidence that I’m finding most empowering”
greatest theatres of all, so in the coming weeks I’ll be heading to Ashton Gate to see what drama unfolds on that lush, green stage. But for now, to the wooden boards of Bristol… What better way to kick off this column than at two of Bristol’s most famous theatrical institutions. First off, a serious treat, watching the outrageously talented acting students of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in The Laramie Project. Reliving the harrowing true story of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shephard in Laramie, Wyoming and with frequent references to hate crime, being kind, human rights and press intrusion, this production felt incredibly pertinent in the aftermath of Caroline Flack’s death. Never before have I seen versatility like this from actors in training; I’ve seen a lot of student drama at the country’s top acting conservatoires, but this was nextlevel stuff. The characterisation, as each performer took on several roles, was breathtaking in a sublimely directed piece by Nancy Medina. Not a single missed beat in the delivery, and special mention to movement director Michelle Gaskell and voice coach Carol Fairlamb. The performances they achieve, alongside Medina, from this young cast is nothing
short of astounding. Standing ovation well and truly deserved. From a cast in training to one in its professional prime, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Tobacco Factory Theatres. A gift of a script for any actor, these performers devour every drop of pathos and comedy in this classic play by Edward Albee, in a round setting with no corners to hide in. Everything is laid bare in this toxic drama about love and vengeance in relationships. Again, the precision in the storytelling and execution of these performances through expert direction from David Mercatali is remarkable. While Pooky Quesnel is delightfully vitriolic as Martha, Mark Meadows as her conflicted husband George provides a masterclass in how to pitch a most difficult ‘supporting’ player to a famous character. He was dry and sublime. A big shout out, too, to the wonderful productions of Book of Mormon and Beautiful: The Carole King Story at the Hippodrome – and my final word goes to the cast of Bristol South Gang Show, who showed at Bedminster Down Secondary School that, young or old, Bristol has talent. Follow Jamie on Twitter @JamRees www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 67
