The Saxon Shore
Wed, 2 Apr 2008, 08:02 amGordon the Optom2 posts in thread
The Saxon Shore
Wed, 2 Apr 2008, 08:02 amIt is the year 410 AD next to Hadrian’s Wall, on the border between Scotland and England. A group of scruffy naked villagers, a step above cave dwellers, are starting to prepare for the winter. Their leader Cambyses (Nathan Hitchins) is respected and manages to keep this group of Celts, Scots and Welsh stock living in unity despite their different accents and languages.
Into their area arrives a Roman NCO (Alex Littlewood) who has been given the task of befriending the locals, to make the task of the invading Roman armies easier to take power. The roman has brought some Saxons – from Germany – to help blend in. Despite not speaking a word of Latin or German, Arthdark (Tristan Pearcy) signs up to fight with the Romans. His mother (Kate Hart) is distraught. Even the local Monk (Simeon Brudeneil) is in the employ of the invading forces. Arthdark finds that he doesn’t really fit in with the new army and that their primitive heartless ways are not his. He kills a caring local girl (Jess De Gouw) in a gruesome manner. He decides to return home, only to find that he has drifted from his fellowmen and is no longer accepted by them either.
This is a play written on a few levels. There is the surface story, into which is woven a dense text of suppression and cunning infiltration. It is thought that this was the first method used recently by the Chinese in Tibet. Befriend and then conquer.
This is a very challenging play for the cast. First with a fair amount of nudity, a tricky script which is written in many accents and languages. You really felt the pain and discomforts suffered by these primitive people through the bleak winter. Kat Shaw and Ailish Lydon were part of this hard working and most successful cast.
Beautiful lighting (Mischa Resnick), well thought-out costumes (Josh Walker) and a practical primitive set Fredric Amoroso). The Northumbrian pipes and excellent sound effects added to the atmosphere (Claire Lacy). The cast used the whole theatre which helped make the audience feel part of the suffering. Great directing by Duncan Sharp and Cassandra Vagliviello (Stirling Players). Congratulations, a difficult challenge which paid off.
It is the year 410 AD next to Hadrian’s Wall, on the border between Scotland and England. A group of scruffy naked villagers, a step above cave dwellers, are starting to prepare for the winter. Their leader Cambyses (Nathan Hitchins) is respected and manages to keep this group of Celts, Scots and Welsh stock living in unity despite their different accents and languages.
Into their area arrives a Roman NCO (Alex Littlewood) who has been given the task of befriending the locals, to make the task of the invading Roman armies easier to take power. The roman has brought some Saxons – from Germany – to help blend in. Despite not speaking a word of Latin or German, Arthdark (Tristan Pearcy) signs up to fight with the Romans. His mother (Kate Hart) is distraught. Even the local Monk (Simeon Brudeneil) is in the employ of the invading forces. Arthdark finds that he doesn’t really fit in with the new army and that their primitive heartless ways are not his. He kills a caring local girl (Jess De Gouw) in a gruesome manner. He decides to return home, only to find that he has drifted from his fellowmen and is no longer accepted by them either.
This is a play written on a few levels. There is the surface story, into which is woven a dense text of suppression and cunning infiltration. It is thought that this was the first method used recently by the Chinese in Tibet. Befriend and then conquer.
This is a very challenging play for the cast. First with a fair amount of nudity, a tricky script which is written in many accents and languages. You really felt the pain and discomforts suffered by these primitive people through the bleak winter. Kat Shaw and Ailish Lydon were part of this hard working and most successful cast.
Beautiful lighting (Mischa Resnick), well thought-out costumes (Josh Walker) and a practical primitive set Fredric Amoroso). The Northumbrian pipes and excellent sound effects added to the atmosphere (Claire Lacy). The cast used the whole theatre which helped make the audience feel part of the suffering. Great directing by Duncan Sharp and Cassandra Vagliviello (Stirling Players). Congratulations, a difficult challenge which paid off.
Saxon Shore