Students from 5th Year attended a performance of the Play 'Othello' by William Shakespeare. It was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.
Student Review:
Performances of classical plays can often be difficult to pull off due to the bar that is set by how frequently they are performed,but today's performance of Shakespeare's Othello by The Marino Institute of Education managed to make it a good one,despite the low-key venue of the play.
The three things I found most commendable were the costumes,the use of props,and the new light that the acting shed upon several characters.
The costumes were well-chosen,as each suited the characters very well.Desdemona's pretty but modest dress was a good symbol of her own purity and innocence,while the famously cunning Iago's cloak matched with his own ability to hide the truth.They fitted the surroundings well,and added to each character's identity in a fitting way.
The minimal use of props also worked;overly ostentatious surroundings could potentially distract the audience,but here it allowed more focus onto the characters themselves,helping to add depth to characters that beforehand had appeared as nothing but empty marks on paper,the change in scenery primarily being shown through a change of lighting that worked well.
Depth was also added by the acting itself;although the actors of Iago,Cassio and Roderigo all did a good job,Othello himself was portrayed brilliantly,perfectly capturing the range of emotions that spill from his torment throughout the play.The female counterpart to his level of acting was Emilia,who displayed such emotion and projected such passion that she invoked a new kind of appreciation and sympathy for her character.The improvisation of Bianca's role provided light comic relief,and it was interesting to see Iago as less evil and more sneaky.
One recommendation I would give to the cast of this play is this;slow down.In Iago's haste to finish soliloquies,he failed to always project his voice,and Cassio's speech was occasionally slurred as words got jumbled up.The sound effects and music were slightly out of place,but apart from these timing issues,I found the play to be a thoroughly pleasant experience.
Student Review:
Performances of classical plays can often be difficult to pull off due to the bar that is set by how frequently they are performed,but today's performance of Shakespeare's Othello by The Marino Institute of Education managed to make it a good one,despite the low-key venue of the play.
The three things I found most commendable were the costumes,the use of props,and the new light that the acting shed upon several characters.
The costumes were well-chosen,as each suited the characters very well.Desdemona's pretty but modest dress was a good symbol of her own purity and innocence,while the famously cunning Iago's cloak matched with his own ability to hide the truth.They fitted the surroundings well,and added to each character's identity in a fitting way.
The minimal use of props also worked;overly ostentatious surroundings could potentially distract the audience,but here it allowed more focus onto the characters themselves,helping to add depth to characters that beforehand had appeared as nothing but empty marks on paper,the change in scenery primarily being shown through a change of lighting that worked well.
Depth was also added by the acting itself;although the actors of Iago,Cassio and Roderigo all did a good job,Othello himself was portrayed brilliantly,perfectly capturing the range of emotions that spill from his torment throughout the play.The female counterpart to his level of acting was Emilia,who displayed such emotion and projected such passion that she invoked a new kind of appreciation and sympathy for her character.The improvisation of Bianca's role provided light comic relief,and it was interesting to see Iago as less evil and more sneaky.
One recommendation I would give to the cast of this play is this;slow down.In Iago's haste to finish soliloquies,he failed to always project his voice,and Cassio's speech was occasionally slurred as words got jumbled up.The sound effects and music were slightly out of place,but apart from these timing issues,I found the play to be a thoroughly pleasant experience.
Spring Exchange.
As part of the Comparative Study for 2014 5th Year students are studying 'Never Let Me Go' by Kazuo Ishiguro. Drawing on events from the novel Senior 5 students took part in a Spring Exchange. Students were asked to create a piece of work to be displayed in the library, they earned tokens for their work and were then able to buy pieces created by other students. We would like to thank all who took part for sharing their enthusiasm and creativity!