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Arcadia
is acknowledged by many as Stoppard's masterpiece. It draws the
audience into an entertaining evening of comedy with witty dialogue
performed by charming colourful characters.
But
as the classical title suggests, there is a more profound subtext
underneath all these jokes and witty remarks.
Characters
search for the truth, through the theory of relativity, iterated
algorithms and chaos theory.
If
this is not enough substantial material, then why not also add a
good dose of classical and romantic thought?
Truth
with a capital T
Truth,
Science and Art all acknowledged in one play! This may sound complex,
but this play is slick, polished and moves fast and furiously to
give the audience an enjoyable rollercoaster of an evening.
The
play is set in Sidley Park a large country house in Derbyshire and
moves effortlessly between two time frames - 1809 and the 1990s.
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| Modern
day and 19th century characters inhabit the same set. |
In
the opening scene Thomasina Coverly (Hannah Almond) a teenage algebraic
genius engages Septimus Hodge (Adam Jackson-Smith) her tutor and
also fictional friend of Lord Byron, in a conversation about carnal
embrace.
The
excellent rapport between the two actors creates a witty exchange
of words.
The
arrival of the modern day literary historian Bernard Nightingale
(Tom Szekeres) at Sidley Park trying to uncover the truth regarding
Lord Bryon's sudden disappearance from England, is a captivating
performance.
Bitchy
put-downs
Watch
out for the scathing put-downs when he encounters a rival historian
played by Lucy Mall.
Valentine
Coverly (Charles Atkey) provides an admirable performance as the
inarticulate genius explaining iterated algorithms and the second
law of thermodynamics to the appreciative Hannah. "Your tea
gets cold by itself, it doesn't get hot by itself." He advises.
Finally
everything comes down to sexual attraction and the biggest laughs
of the evening are at the expense of cuckolded Ezra Chater, played
by Joseph Crook.
Stoppard's
fine writing requires excellent delivery of and all members all
the cast work hard and diligently to attain this.
This
was a vibrant performance and the student cast kept up the pace
to hold the audience's attention span through a tale of two centuries.
-
Sue South
Arcadia
is at Sheffield University Drama Studio until 15 November 2003.
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