Drama
There were a few knowing glances that Monday morning
at the end of the summer term. An excited spring in
several sets of steps leading away from the crowd of
lesson-goers. These were not simple skivers. No, these
happy few were on their way to the theatre for the definitive
experience of the term: the 24-hour play. And I, lucky enough to
have been one of them, am going to share what it was like for me
to be part of the project.
The idea was to produce a play, from devising the story to
performance, within 24 hours. From the beginning there was
a sense of cohesiveness. Everyone was aware of time moving
inexorably forward, and that we needed to make the most of
every second. Everyone's role was equally crucial - from the
contribution of ideas to prop-making, make-up, set design and
performing; it was everybody's triumph.
Working from a box of props to come up with a story was a
challenge. However, just as meter helps discipline poetry, so
were our ideas collectively organised and co-ordinated by the
props, as it helped everyone to think along the same lines for
themes. In fact, the brain-storming was probably my favourite
part of the process, as, with each new thought, one could see
the characters and the plot taking shape into something exciting
and rounded. The plot we settled on was a story of love and
separation at the time of the First World War.
But it wasn't just hard work. Miss Agg-Manning kept the mood
light throughout, and this helped relieve the constant timerelated pressures. The inclusion of Blackadder-esque
relief in the
middle of the play was a stroke of particular brilliance, as Tyler
Dodd and Co.'s renditions of classic war songs were hilarious
enough in rehearsal, let alone on the night.
With eight hours to go before our allotted 24 were up, I can
honestly say that we pulled off a piece of theatre better than
many productions I have seen that were created in twenty-four
months. And when I came off the stage that night, and saw my
Grandfather, tears in his eyes, I knew then that we had achieved
what we set out to do: this was not just a good play to have done
over two days - this was a good play.
The Twenty-Four-Hour Play
Lorcan Cudlip-Cook relives the play-in-a-day experience of Third and
Fourth Formers
Flora Davies singing in the 24-hour play
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