Skip to main content

Flash Festival 2018: Screw You by Sonder Ensemble at Hazelrigg House, Northampton

So, I return once again for the annual Flash Festival, the moment where the graduating BA Actors get their moment to show in their dissertation piece, what they have learnt over their three years at the University of Northampton.

Opening my fifth year of shows was Sonder Ensemble's topical offering, and interestingly titled, Screw You, This group of three performers created a snappy (just 25 minutes) piece influenced by Harvey Weinstein and the fallout from those revelations. Delving into a mixture of stories based upon real cases (some more obvious, about who they refer, than others) to create a brief piece exploring what has been one of the biggest stories of the last year.

The three performers in this show are Ceara Coveney, Gemma Leigh and Katie Lawson, and the first two already have already proven themselves to be extremely talented from past shows, and here they perhaps show themselves at their best. Lawson though had lurked a little more in the background in the main ensemble shows, but with Flash, as is often the case, there is a greater opportunity to show their skills, and here she brings her  A-game to the stage.

All three actors have a number of characters during this play, and often are challenged with some very specific accents to accomplish, and here they are all strong, from the clear and impressive drawl of Leigh, though to the antipodean skills of Coveney, all accents delivered here are very impressive, and more importantly crystal clear to the listener.

Many of the sequences of dialogue are also greatly enhanced by some nice physical theatre, moving potentially boring dialogue into a much more interesting affair. It didn't detract from your understanding of how strong the pieces were, and actually, by maintaining the interest with movement, I feel it enhanced all the stories they told.

It's tough material to enjoy, so as ever at this point, I use the caveat that this is a piece to admire instead. It was gloriously performed, with three talented performers and in the intimacy of the space at Hazelrigg, it gained a much more powerful impact as well. An excellent piece to start Flash for 2018.

Performance viewed: Monday 23rd April 2018

The Flash Festival 2018 ran between Monday 23rd and Friday 27th April 2018 at three venues across the town.


Photos: Looking Glass Theatre

Popular posts from this blog

Review of Footloose (N.M.T.C.) at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

I have to confess that apart from hearing Kenny Loggins' monstrously catchy title tune many times, both the original 1984 film and this 1998 stage adaptation of Footloose have passed me by. Therefore, finally, I get to tick it off the list thanks to this production from the Northampton Musical Theatre Company on stage at Royal & Derngate. So, was it worth the wait? Footloose tells the story of Ren McCormack and his mother, Ethel's move to the town of Bomot, Utah with his aunt and uncle following the walking out of Ren's father from the family home. What the confident and rebellious Ren finds within the boundary of Bomot and its illegal dance stance puts him on a path of conflict with the local Reverend Shaw Moore. In many ways the story of Ren and his attitude sits with the delightful selection of Footloose for the N.M.T.C. It is not an obvious fit for the group, leaving fewer roles for the old guard and a movement towards the "next generation" of the group.

Review of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Looking Glass Theatre, Northampton

A few months ago I got myself embroiled in a little verbal fracas (no cold meat involved) on Twitter with those that I now call my Irish friends. It concerned their production of Jesus Christ Superstar ( details here ) and in my opinion being slightly below par. They got quite uppity about my criticism and even suggested the likes of me could effect its success. The tour continues merrily despite me and its actually at Milton Keynes Theatre next week. I suggest you save your money. Oops naughty me. However this convoluted intro brings me to the glorious stage school production of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor [ sic ] Dreamcoat at Looking Glass Theatre. In the absence of knowing whether this is a musical or a rock opera (sorry another in joke), I shall just call it an "absolute joy" instead. What this lacked in production values and budget over JCS it made up in on in earnest joy, enthusiasm and a sheer thrill of performance over making money. I mentioned to local the

Review of Kinky Boots (N.M.T.C.) at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

The musical Kinky Boots is perhaps the perfect show for the homegrown theatre group Northampton Musical Theatre Company to perform with the very core of the story bred within this very county. The tale of of Charlie Price and his encounter and unlikely partnership with a certain Lola is based on a true story of factory W. G. Brooks Ltd and the owner Steve Pateman. Back in 1999 his story of men and their wearing of shoes for women featured on a BBC documentary and this in turn inspired the 2005 film, Kinky Boots . Finally, in 2012, this musical adaptation of the story hit the stage, with a book by Harvey Fierstein and songs written by Cyndi Lauper. Longtime readers of my blog with good memories may remember that five years ago I reviewed the opening of the UK professional tour of Kinky Boots , also at the Royal & Derngate. While I enjoyed the show, I didn't give it the most favourable review. Five years on, and a second viewing, have I warmed to the charms of Charlie and Lola&#