Dominic and Arthur recently staged their Independent Play ‘Abigail’s Party’ in the Empty Space theatre. The play features a couple whose dinner party turns increasingly tense as the evening progresses. After a successful three-night run, the boys told us what it was like to work on this boy-led production.
Why did you choose ‘Abigail’s Party’?
D: In Year 11, we performed it in the House Duologue Competition and we thought it was really funny.
A: We found a lot of comedy in the script. It’s a really awkward play and it’s meant to be really cringe to watch. We could draw a lot of the comedy through that and amplify everything because it’s theatre.
What was it like during the run of the play?
A: On the second dress rehearsal everything seemed to go wrong! But we’re so happy with how it all turned out and I’m really proud of the show we created. Our cast really got into it, Alfonso especially embodied his character.
On the night, Harry and Anthony were so funny and we saw them making small choices in their interactions with each other that made the performance so genuine.
D: Our cast were incredible! We couldn’t be more grateful for the cast we got; they had their characters down and worked so well together.
What were your responsibilities as Directors?
D: We did auditions to begin with which was really exciting. We saw about 30 people, then we picked our cast and started rehearsals, bringing everyone together and spending a few hours going through scenes.
A: There’s also so much to do behind-the-scenes: organising the props, set and costumes, and on show week itself we had to make sure our tech team and actors were all sorted. There are also things like sound and lighting plots, and prop spots. Last term, I spent hours noting down everything that needed to be included so we’d have an easier process when we did the tech.
Did anyone else get involved in the play?
A: Dr Cooper was our Master-in-Charge and he was really helpful in show week. We also had meetings with Mrs Farley (Director of Drama) throughout the process to talk about deadlines.
D: Dr Osborne came in a lot because she really liked the play as she once played the main character. She came to a few rehearsals and we got her input which was really helpful.
A: Our lead actor Harry, who played Beverly, had around 30 friends and family come to see the play across the three shows. Our House Master helped out with the interval and behind-the-scenes things in show week. He had also seen our duologue and said that it was nice to see it in its full form.
Do you plan to continue with drama in the future?
D: Yes, we’d like to do it together; I’m determined to make it work. I’m going to study at Columbia University in New York, maybe to do film studies.
A: We’d both like to be in the theatre, film, or creative industries. We’ve done quite a lot of comedy over the years at School and the more we do, the more we’re improving our skills and would like to go into that. At university, I’m going to study English to improve my writing and understanding of texts, and I’m also going to the Fringe this summer.
