1984 Programme - St Edmund's College Senior Drama Production

ON #REDWEDNESDAY WE PRESENT

1984

Nineteen-eighty-four SENIOR DRAMA PRODUCTION

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1984 ‘1984’ is a gripping story of one man’s struggle to maintain his grasp on objective reality, in the face of a shadowy authoritarian regime. Winston Smith is a lowranking member of the ruling Party of Airstrip One, once called London. He lives under constant surveillance, with the knowledge that any wrong move could betray him to the Thought Police. Nonetheless, Winston cannot shake his troubled thoughts: his concerns over the Party’s manipulation and control of language, history and individual freedom. He engages in an illicit love affair with a co-worker, Julia, and his hatred for the Party grows ever-more intense. As the story moves inexorably towards its only possible conclusion, Winston and Julia become embroiled in an ever more dangerous world of subterfuge and rebellion. Will Winston hold on to his ideals and remain loyal to Julia?

Words By Jilly Colbran

Trailer

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Director's Note A note from Director Nikkie Schiff on adapting the novel for the stage: In adapting Orwell’s ‘Nineteen Eighty Four’ I knew that our version clearly had to take a considerable degree of artistic licence. I have agonised, as someone who loves the novel, over which sections to keep in and heard myriad voices in my head that shout ‘You forgot that line! You missed that section! How dare you!’. It is the nature of cutting and adapting a text for the stage that you will inevitably lose much of the pure material. For us, the challenge was to create a narrative that told Winston’s story yet did not give someone who is essentially a quiet, thoughtful individual too much of a ‘voice’. The use of a narrator reading Winston’s diary, possibly from the time after he arrives in the Ministry of Love, allowed us to share his thoughts and feelings without changing the character too dramatically.

As we did not want the production to run for days, it may be that certain characters, concepts and storylines are simplified. I hope that questions still remain over some – for example, does Julia truly love Winston? Why does O’Brian lure Winston in as a traitor?

Aside from taking on a challenging, mature storyline, my main objective with Nineteen Eighty Four was to create cross-curricular links within the College and offer our older students a chance to create an annual Senior production. The link with our English GCSE students who study the text is clear, but more fortuitous was the timing of the production on #RedWednesday. Having approached Mr Mostyn at the outset of rehearsals, I wondered if the play was really the ‘right’ thing for the College. The takeaway message could be said to be that ‘of a human boot stamping on a face….forever’. Is this really the case? Is this the message we want to share with our young people? I reflected upon the nature of #RedWednesday, the importance of standing up for our own beliefs and those of others. There is chance for reflection in Winston and Julia’s stories. Perhaps the very act of standing up to a dictatorship, a controlling regime, is a battle that may not be won the first time. Perhaps the act of engaging in that battle, of finding a way to show courage in the face of persecution, can be our message tonight.

CAST WINSTON OLIVER WELSBY JULIA HONEYSUCKLE PLUMMER O’BRIAN GRACE KING CHARRINGTON ESTHER BURTON SYME/GUARD RUAIRI MULLAN PARSONS FIONN O’TOOLE NARRATOR KATIE SCOTT SINGER ELLISSE ALEXANDER PUB PROLE CAITLIN BRETT AMPLEFORTH ALEXANDER CHOTIROS WHITESHIRT EMMA CHURCH PHYSICAL WOMAN NICOLE ENGLISHBY PROLE SIENNA FREEMAN GUARD ABIGAIL HALLAM PRISONER ELOISE LUKE WHITESHIRT NANCY MCEWAN PRISONER VALENTINA MONCASTER PROLE MICHELLE NICHOLSON PROLE/SERVER RAE-LEI PRINCE PROLE JACK SHERLOCK PRISONER DAREEN TUNGUSHBAEVA MRS PARSONS GRACE WARBURTON BARMAN JAN WROBEL COMPUTER BETHANY CURTIS-COPELAND PROLE/PRISONER LINDSEY NEASTER WHITESHIRT JAKE BERRY GUARD MATTHIAS KREUTER CHILD BENJAMIN KEOGH CHILD REID FOLEY CHILD LUCIA COBOS PARDINA CHILD GEORGINA CHURCH

CREW SOUND COMPOSITION & DIRECTION MARLEY COOPER TECHNICAL DIRECTOR JOSHUA CROOK STAGE MANAGER JAKE MACKAILL ARTISTIC SET DESIGN OLIVER WELSBY, JODIE BAILEY-HO TECHNICAL SUPPORT JASON HOUNSELL DIRECTON AND ADAPTATION NICOLA SCHIFF

SUPPORT CREW/BACKSTAGE NEIL BASIN BERTRAND AUDIBERT MARCUS SILVA-KIRSAKYE ALEXANDRA DEGANI FRENEL

COSTUME AND MAKEUP SOPHIA GARDEZI YASMIN ANDREWS MUINGA GINGA HEZIL KARA POPPY BURGES MAISIE CHAPMAN

AGGIE CARR RAE FOLEY DIAZ DURAND GEORGIA SUMMERS MAHA CHOUDHARY

FILM AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT ELLIS KONTKOWSKI FOH AND FILM JOSEPH BURKE, SHYANNE ASANTE, MARTINA GIORDANO

RED WEDNESDAY On Wednesday 24th November, we mark #RedWednesday.

As a result of targeted violence, around the world millions of Christians are now displaced or refugees. Countless numbers have been driven from their homes, lost their livelihoods and even their liberty and their lives because of their faith.

#RedWednesday is your chance to say 'NO' to Christian persecution and ‘NO’ to religious persecution and to use your voice to call for change.

Please watch the video below created by Ellis Kontkowski for Red Wednesday.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

THANK YOU There are numerous members of staff and students who have supported our new ‘Senior Drama Production’. If I have forgotten anyone, then please count yourselves among the following ‘Thank yous!’

To the Porters, Cleaners and Sandra. My everlasting thanks for bending over backwards for us day after day, week after week. I am so grateful for everything that you do to help us in Drama…

To Jamie in Reprographics, who agonized how to get the ‘correct’ eyes on the banners...

To Jenny for her patience and support with communications home...

To Mel and Patsy for being such an exciting marketing team to work with, offering ideas and vision to our growing department...

To Tom and James for giving up some rehearsal space and students and for doing what you could when you could to help the music and vocal skills of our performers...

To Jason for always being there whenever we need that technical support, in your own time and so graciously...

To Cathy and SLT for being so understanding and supportive...

To Paula and Ellis for embracing the links with #RedWednesday and making us feel like we were doing this for a reason...

To Josh and Jodie for being my sounding board, my support and for making the production happen...

To Katie, Esther, Fionn, Ruairi and Marley for showing up every time you were needed and doing whatever you could to help others make it happen...

To Honeysuckle, Grace, Olly and Sophia for carrying the bulk of the characters and the inspiration for our version of Nineteen Eighty Four...

To all the Poets for your outstanding dedication, on and off stage, for coming through with such commitment and (I hope) enjoying what we made together...

To our Elements and Grammar students who showed up and patiently waited for their chances to take part...

To Sarah, for being such an incredible support to everything we do in Drama...

To Anne-Marie (DT) for helping with the banners...

To all our supportive parents, family, friends and staff for being so understanding...

To the Estates Team for helping to create our dystopian universe...

A special thanks to thank Jack Linaker of JLLighting LTD for his involvement in the lighting for the Senior Drama Production.

Jack, once taught by Mrs Schiff, and his team were instrumental in supporting the vision of 1984 and helping to bring this entire production to life...

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THANK YOU