T
he 3rd and 4th form production of
Terry Pratchett's The Truth was set
in Discworld, a flat metropolis
carried on the back of four elephants
suspended in space. Yes, this may sound
a little far-fetched, and I agree that I felt
apprehensive, but with an eccentric
combination of wizards, vampires, comic
timing and imagination, it can safely be
said that Mr Wood and the team pulled it
off!
Discworld was set for political upheaval as
an influx of immigrants (mostly zombies,
werewolves and dwarves) threatened the
longstanding rule of the lenient dictator,
Lord Vetinari, played with a clever
suggestion of authoritative naïvety by Josh
Stickland. To control the city's unusual
mix of inhabitants, Vetinari employed the
City Watch, led by Commander Vimes,
played by Ed Keeling, and his top-dog
werewolf, Sergeant Angua, played by Leea
Dod. Both parts were played to great
effect, with Ed showing in his character a
keen determination to avert the course of
justice and Leea in hers a keen sense of
smell!
Lord Vetinari and the City Watch felt
threatened for good reason, as the
ancient aristocracy of the city had
become tired of his rule and hired Mr Pin
and Mr Tulip, played by Alicia Mileham and
Imogen Segrave, to kidnap the dictator.
The employer of these two criminals, Lord
De Word, was played by a stony-faced
Olivia Murray, who remained consistently
unamused by Mr Pin and Mr Tulip following
the habits of every stereotypical bad guy,
down to the white spats. Alicia and
Imogen played their roles brilliantly,
boasting a range of accents, including
Scottish, and a natural rapport of constant
amusement to the audience.
Benevolently trying to expose the truth via
a new form of printing, William de Word,
Sacharisa Crisplock and their team of
dwarves endeavoured to inform the public
of the scandal surrounding Lord Vetinari's
disappearance. In the face of evil (Mr Pin
and Mr Tulip), the team searched and
questioned tirelessly until answers were
found and published in the daily
newspaper, which had fast become a
hotline to the public ear. Sam Underdown,
who showed an understanding and
empathy with his character in the search
for the truth, played William de Word. His
innocent yet quick-witted sidekick,
Sacharisa, was played by Tory Greenland,
who obviously connected with the part and
managed to involve considerable comedy
in the role. The printing team of Gunilla
Goodmountain and Boddony, played by
Emma Smith and Dahlia Penna, showed
enthusiasm and a tireless work ethic in the
face of bigotry against dwarves, and both
girls acted with a subtle strength of
character. The newspaper's photographer
was played by Daniel Bidgood, who used
to full effect the comic genius of his part:
a vampire with a genetic abhorrence to
light but who insisted on being a flash
photographer. His Transylvanian accent
and dramatic reaction whenever the
camera flashed gave the play an
unforgettable comic edge.
Despite the work of a rival news firm, run
by a fantastically creepy Joe Cooke as Mr
Slant, to keep the truth out of public ears,
eventually Lord Vetinari's kidnapping was
discovered and pieced together by William
de Word. After speaking to a hilarious
bunch of homeless misfits, including Guy
Fenton as Gaspode and Lillie Grant as Foul
Old Ron, de Word was given a tip-off that
Lord Vetinari's dog Wuffles had seen it all.
The dog, played by Patrick Mason, was
found after a long hunt and could indeed
reveal the truth, thus restoring the ruler to
his rightful place and defeating all the evil
forces at work in the city.
The Truthwas a funny, insightful play,
acted and directed by many talented
performers. It told an imaginative story
but carried a warning on the effects of
journalism and the need for truth to
outweigh lies in the media. As we were
frequently reminded throughout the story,
"a lie can be halfway around the world
before the truth has got its boots on."
The Truth
by Gussy Hydleman
56