Johnny and the Dead is Full of Life Lower School Production both First and Second Formers proved to be an inspired choice as it gave the opportunity for the wealth of talent on offer to shine through. The boys taking on the titular role all brought something different to the performance with George Penny showing Johnny’s earnest side, Luca Stubbs his thoughtfulness, Freddie Houlahan his considerate nature and Louie Burns giving him the enthusiasm needed to save the day.
Terry Pratchett is a master of comic fantasy; his Discworld series stands as a testament to that. The wit and whimsy with which he created his universe has earned him legions of diehard fans the world over. What most may not realise, however, is that his lesser known Johnny Maxwell trilogy takes Pratchett’s trademark wry sense of humour and philosophical musings and removes it from the slightly silly High Fantasy realms of the Disc and places it in the slightly silly High Street of Modern(ish) Britain. Johnny Maxwell is a, seemingly, very normal boy who happens to have rather abnormal things happen to him and in Johnny and the Dead this just so happens to be an ability to communicate with the deceased occupants of the local graveyard. A chance encounter with one of these ‘post senior citizens’ sends Johnny on a quest to save the cemetery from almost total destruction by the faceless United Amalgamated Consolidated Holdings, teaching the dead a thing or two about what it means to be alive in the process. If this all sounds incredibly silly then you are, of course, right, but silly is what the Lower School Drama Club does best and this was another sterling production that brought to life the warmth and humour of this sharp script for an adoring audience. The decision to role-share the larger parts between
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A good hero is nothing without his friends and Johnny has some of the best friends around. Bigmac (Jack Friar and Robert Delaney), Wobbler (Connor Robinson and Bob Guy) and Yo-Less (Nathan Jones and Dervish Hilmi) were all played with exceptional skill, creating a believable sense of camaraderie and banter. Credit must also go to Thomas Gates and Matthew Annis who had several fantastic character moments in the role of Johnny’s Grandad, another great example of these young actors really grasping the humour and nailing the delivery.
I should also mention the terrific ensemble of ghosts, a curious collection of oddball characters and nearly famous figures. From the Houdini-esque Antonio Vicenti (played superbly by Zev Stewart Harris and Torin Felton) to the brilliantly barmy Solomon Einstein (a fantastically be-wigged Eliot Blackmore), these spirits add that element of Pratchett insanity. They also allowed each actor to be at their best whether it was Sylvia Liberty (Joe Scragg and Jacob Hougie) handing out ‘votes for women’ leaflets or William Stickers (Aman Shergil and Jack Lake) flying the flag, quite literally, for Communism. Whilst most of the ghosts are figures of fun, there is a great deal of pathos in the character of Eric Grimm, the lingering spirit of a man pushed to suicide. Both Eddie Gray and Liam Selwyn played this sad, fearful character very well, conveying his pain and anguish with sensitivity and maturity. Rounding out our gang of ghouls were Josh Thompson and Arthur Roberts as the wonderfully officious Alderman Bowler as well as Albert Martin Flaven and Ashley Garnai-Davies, who both played the inventor AV Fletcher with great enthusiasm and thoughtful delivery respectively. This was an excellent ensemble cast and true credit must go to each and every one of them for really making each part their own. If I have appeared enthused by the quality of this show then it is for good reason. It has been a pleasure to have worked with so many talented young actors during my time at St Albans and to witness them all put on such a compelling performance was a delight. It was a production that had everything from assured sound design to slick transitions, not to mention the simple but effective set. I leave the school safe in the knowledge that the future of these budding actors could not be in better hands than those of Mr Swanson and Miss Bruton. I can’t wait to hear about their continued success. JRB
The Albanian 2016