Last week saw the debut of some brilliant work from Not So Nice! Theatre. ‘In Bloom’ is the latest scratch night of theirs to provide a platform to emerging actors, playwrights and directors amongst many other creatives. For those who may not know; a scratch night is a chance for creatives to develop work, usually under a similar theme, in its early stages in front of a live audience and promote further development of their work. This particular collection of performances focused on the personal development of the characters and their emotional relationships, both with themselves and with others as they ‘bloom’.
‘No. 88’ by Grace Baker was the first of five performances. Edward (Jeremy Fraser) and Her (Alyssa Munro) meet at a bus stop one day as strangers, and engage in a meaningful conversation about life and death and the role it has on our lives. They discuss the weather with the undertone of the season’s change being pertinent to the constant move of the world. In this piece, the most important things are what is left unsaid between the two characters. Director Matthew Atwood says that rehearsals included experimenting with silence as a form of communication and it is clear he has used this well in the final performance. The performance was incredibly moving and touching to see two characters bond so well in the short space of time we are given as an audience member. Both Fraser and Munro seemingly understood the purpose of their characters in relation to one another, and although it would have been heart-warming to see these characters further develop – for the audience to see Munro’s character as a mother to a young boy and the lasting effects of her conversation with Edward- it is bittersweet that the audience is left wanting more. As the performance teaches us, we do not always get more. A thought-provoking piece of work that deserves to a chance at being fully developed for its wanting audience.
‘Y’awrite pal!’ by Ben Ramsay was the second performance of the night. Set in a pub, the piece explores the dynamic between two old school friends and how it has changed in the last 14 years. Elliot (Dylan Mooney) is somewhat…odd. He says things he maybe shouldn’t and creates such awkward situations for himself that as an audience member, he is the comic relief of the piece, and initially hard to feel sorry for. Enter Mark (Jordan Monks), a normal bloke, just meeting for a pint under false pretenses. The first part of the performance is cringey, but with great intention. When Elliot confronts Mark about how he treated him back at school, the performances twist as the power in the relationship transforms from Mark to Elliot. As more information is released about their past, the audience begin to change their alliances and reflect on their own experience of adolescence. The whole work is very nostalgic and every audience member can probably relate to its difficult, self-reflecting nature if they have had any negative experience in high school. Overall, the work is purposefully uncomfortable. At first glance, it may seem this performance does not fit into the theme in the same way as the others but with critical analysis it is clear that both the writer and director (Caden Scott) have excelled in meeting the theme, as Elliot stays true to himself as a bit of a “weirdo’ while also becoming a better version of himself, in confronting his past, and finally making peace with it. The casting of this work is truly a job well done. Mooney and Monks play their respective parts incredibly, realistically portraying themselves as a “weirdo” and the “jock”, and then surprising the audience, revealing deeper and darker aspects of their characters.
Most of the work in this Scratch Night is deep and requires a level of introspection from the audience to meet its purpose. However, ‘Crumbs’ by Poppy Smith is the light-hearted comedic relief that this night needed to give the audience a break from the pulling of their heartstrings. Directed by Lisa Mcdonald, the performance is equally provocative and hilariously inappropriate, as the characters engage in a one-night stand, So rarely we can see the embarrassing nature of these circumstances portrayed with sensitivity; childhood stuffed animals on the bed of a 20 something-year-old woman, the fumble of the bra clasps or even finding the right position. Molly (Grace Baker) and Gav (Aric Hanscomb-Ryrie explore the inherent gracelessness of a sexual and romantic relationship in its earliest stages, with prickly comments about each other to protect their own hearts, they eventually open up to each other with a sweetness that could be the key to their relationship. The piece is funny, and any audience member with their own cringe-worthy stories of a first date will suffer from second-hand embarrassment, which is of course, the entire point of Smith’s writing. The audience responds to the characters and the work has a very promising future with further development. The setting of an inflatable mattress with bedsheets is perfect for a show at the Fringe and I do hope we get to see more of Molly and Gav in the future, maybe on their second date.
‘When I Heard It On The Wind’ is a gorgeous story from James Stedman about grief, and how it reshapes us as people, and how those who have left us continue to impact our lives. Brendan (Chris Veteri) and Dylan (Jamie Cowan) meet whilst visiting the graves of their late partners and bond as they help each other through the pain of their losses. Being such a poignant piece of work, it is clear the creative team have approached the topic with a level of sympathy and knowledge to create feelings of grief that anyone could relate to. My only criticism of the performance would be in how the script had not been developed or adapted for the actors. It is clear that Stedman’s original dialogue for Brendan had been planned for a British accent, perhaps even Scottish with the use of the words “poof” and other colloquialisms, however, Veteri does not perform in this accent. I cannot speak on behalf of the director’s creative choice for the actors’ accent and/or not adapting the script to it, nonetheless, it should be noted that it did slightly remove this audience member from the internal reality of the performance. Critical pedantry aside, Stedman’s script was beautifully directed by Phoebe Wiseman whose aim of engaging the audience of the concept of love and loss co-existing was achieved spectacularly.
‘Aquilegia’ by Drew Gill is a spoken word piece, so different from the other performances in style but equally thought-provoking. Kit Laverli plays Acquilegia, the spiritual character who investigates their purpose on the earth and how they bloom when the world feels against them. As a less traditional style of performance, spoken word can be hard to follow for those who feel less engaged with it as opposed to more realistic performances. However, it is important to understand that art is subjective and not all work is created the same way for the same people. The rhythm of Gill’s writing flows with an elegance that one cannot help but be drawn into Laverli’s performance, which only increases one ability to engage with the content of her words. The performances ask profound questions about our existence as individuals on earth and about the opportunities we are given to bloom. Whilst the answers to these questions are yet to be answered, i think it is perhaps the writer and director’s objective to leave their audience in a state of wandering, rather than providing them with the answers.
The combination of the work in one performance is wonderfully composed to give the audience space to think about themselves upon reflection, with sadness and humour sprinkled in for our entertainment and emotional response. Each individual performance shows great promise for their future on any stage and whilst some work will require more development and thought than others, they meet on the theme of ‘In Bloom’ with their own unique vigour and take on it.
For more information on Not So Nice! Theatre check out their website below –
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