The Stage

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Final Year Acting Showcase

Published Wednesday 13 July 2011 at 12:41 by Jennifer Reischel

A very professionally managed showcase presents this year’s Bristol Old Vic acting graduates well, displaying some of the strongest drama school performances of 2011. In addition to the running order, programmes also sum up each scene and speech - a welcome assistance to keeping track of the continual, speedy progression of talent. A clever touch includes a screen, showing of a selection of the students’ television work during the pre-showcase theatre bar mingling. Pictures in the graduation booklet include a welcome “in character” photo, to accompany the standard acting headshot.

Sir John Gielgud 2010 Bursary winner Emma Lisi opens the afternoon with a memorable monologue from Shakers, exuding an extremely positive and stage capturing presence. Pressing all the right comedy buttons lamenting about her first audition, her scene from Stitching is then the perfect dramatic contrast as pregnant and confused Abby, displaying a more vulnerable side. Her scene partner Bart Edwards has piercing eyes, an eye-catching chiselled jaw and plenty of character - he later convinces in a monologue from Suburbia which is perfectly suited to the darker side of his acting skills. Peta Cornish has a lovely coquettish quality and beautifully statuesque appearance in a scene from Love Love Love, canoodling with two brothers rivalling for her affections.

Jack Holden stands out in a monologue from An Experienced Woman Gives Advice as a ladies man in a nightclub, consequently proving he is also perfectly at ease with more juvenile casting in a scene from On the Shore of the Wide World. John Winchester successfully storms a scene from Bad Jazz as a dissatisfied rent boy to a theatre director, swaying beautifully between anger, disappointment, inferiority and past demons. As with his monologue from Happy Families, Winchester has the gift to let us know the state of his characters without requiring text. Freddie Hutchins gives a very believable account of John’s sexuality in a monologue from Cock, his scene from Truly, Madly, Deeply then giving him a more subdued character to get his teeth into, which he handles with equal aplomb.

Dilek Sengul holds herself as a true leading lady with a bitingly funny and very relevant performance of a monologue, lamenting her choice of wedding outfit from Completely Fucking See-Through. Continuing with a powerhouse dramatic scene from Artefacts, Sengul totally commands the stage while having the ability to make each moment intimate and very personal. Staying true to her ethnic roots also proves a wise choice, emphasising her specific niche casting. Mia Keadell displays a very watchable vulnerability in a scene from Scenes from a Marriage, giving a stellar dramatic performance - she then also whole-heartedly convinces in a Bridget Jones-style comedy monologue from Grace.

Ed Birch and Joshua Manning perform one of the best scenes of the group with an excellent rapport, covering all possible emotional plateaus as Michael and Edward from Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me. Manning later bears a striking resemblance to Alan Rickman in a spellbinding monologue from Amadeus. Harry Livingstone is perfectly suited to period casting as dashing Young Courtly in a scene from London Assurance, while Jenny Johns handles a complicated monologue from Quartermaine’s Terms with commendable ease. She is equally striking in a scene from Harper Regan and a natural eye catcher in the group songs, where Ali Watt stands out with a lovely solo in Bohemian Rhapsody.

Hannah Edwards is wonderfully feisty in a monologue from Bunny and suitably withdrawn in a scene from Virgins. It is her scene partner Luke Newberry, however, who steals the focus, in complete command of every nuance and moment of his performance. With a fantastically innocent look yet quiet maturity, he naturally draws our attention, utterly comfortable in committing completely to all of his choices. Expertly making use of pauses and timing, Newberry already has some impressive professional credits to his name but certainly continues to be a young actor to watch for the future.

Expert’s choice (Hamza Syed, Daniel Browne Street Media): Luke Newberry and Dilek Sengul

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