When I was offered to go see the opening night of the NUTS’ production “Whose Play is It Anyways?”, my high school theatre kid spark was reignited. Although spending a random Tuesday night in a studio with strangers didn’t sound so appealing, I am extremely glad I had the opportunity to experience this fascinating anthology of a production! I honestly walked in with no expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised with the four plays I did get to watch, and I would go another night just to see the two I missed!!
Each night, four out of six plays were shown. The four standalone short plays I got to watch on Tuesday night were: The Disease of Anger, Jinx, Homo Homini Lupus and Lead, which were all incredibly performed and well-rehearsed. The two I did not get to see were: the Fine Art of Persuasion and Royal Blood Stains the Bowl, which was very unfortunate. It was clear the cast, crew and everyone involved in the production were passionate about their work and really honed their skills in all areas. Each play was a joint team effort, and whilst watching them, I was able to appreciate the amount of hard work all the NUTS cast and crew had put in!
My night began with “The Disease of Anger”, written and directed by Jasmin Schofield, an astonishing exploration into human complexity, trauma and nature. The plot revolves around the character Jane, who is dealing with family trauma and suddenly hears bad news concerning her father’s health. The show’s overarching themes on mental health, striving for change and introspection into emotions were felt throughout the entirety of its runtime, and so I must give a big hand to Schofield for her brilliance in writing and directing this touching production. The cast all deserve a huge round of applause, as they portrayed their characters so well! I especially enjoyed the character of Jane, who was played by Charlotte Krautz. Her excellent delivery of lines and raw emotions consistently sent shivers down my spine and my arms had goosebumps the whole time! Also, the humour that Ella McGuire brought through her portrayal of Misty was such a refreshing contrast to the deep, dark undertones of the whole play. Watching Misty being oblivious and missing the stark contrast between her and Jane’s situation play out in real-time was so hilarious. This play deserves all the flowers and more!!
A short while later, the second production began. Written and directed by Lily Carter, “Jinx” is a clever, motivating and unexpected play that caught me off guard. It revolves around two characters, Bruce and Jayce, finding out that they are in the middle of a complicated love square. The play explores the irony behind superstition and how humans can induce their own prophecies. Carter’s direction of lighting was extremely well-thought-out and symbolic of the direction of the play’s mood. Both Jack Batchelor and Beatrice Upton-Oettel embodied their characters, Bruce and Jayce, respectively, in full spirit. This was evident with the tactical silences between dialogue, which built up the environment’s tension. Furthermore, their body language demonstrated just how well they harnessed their character’s potential. A huge hat’s off to Batchelor and Upton-Oettel on their skilful rendition of the characters! Nothing could’ve prepared me for the sudden twist that spawned out of nowhere as it was so left field and unexpected; it genuinely startled me!! The whole crew must be commended for their amazing production. The cliff hanger I was left on has been eating away at me since; if I wish for a sequel, would I be jinxing it?
