College students wow the crowd with delicious dark comedy

It was a full house at Abingdon & Witney College on Tuesday night, as students from the Creative Academy put on an unforgettable performance in front of staff, parents, and the public.

With the help of professional director Rhys Lawton, a previous winner of the coveted Les Enfants Terribles (LET) Award, and only £20 to get anything which would help their play, a mix of returning and new students had just 24 hours to create a unique script and fill an empty stage with exciting props.

Mr Lawton clearly left a positive impact on the students. Level 3 Performing Arts student Oscar Pratley said: “The director was incredible and really challenged me. I’m used to doing musical theatre and being over-the-top on stage, but the director showed me how to pause and act in a different way.”

Opting for a dark comedy titled ‘A Dark and Stormy Night’, the actors portrayed a range of bizarre and charismatic characters in the setting of an old hotel, with those backstage working tirelessly to set up props and costume changes.

Joshua Ramli-Daniels, who is studying Backstage Production at the college, said: “The staff were absolutely incredible. They didn’t let up once, allowing us to achieve so much in a short space of time.”

Head of the Creative Academy, Hannah James, already has the next big test in mind: “The whole experience couldn’t have been better. This industry isn’t 9-5, and by putting on this show they’ve learnt how to start from nothing and perform something brilliant in just a day. The skills they’ve developed will help with their children’s show project for the Christmas Panto.”