You’d be hard pressed to find five short plays shown together that are as diverse as this. Subject matter, style, and genre all are so different from each other; not so much as apples and pears as apples and gorillas. Which means that there should be something that appeals to everyone in the mix, however, listening to the audience discussions, it’s interesting how much everyone agrees on what has landed well and what hasn’t.
First is Auto-Da-Fe by Tennessee Williams which is pure class, directed with aplomb by Ayshen Irfan featuring the always brilliant Patti Griffiths and equally brilliant Bertie Purchese. If you can get a ticket, it’s worth going just to see this beautifully realised microcosm of claustrophobia and neurosis in the Deep South, between a matriarch mother and her not altogether well son. By the end we are all feeling the claustrophobic worrying heat. The way they flow with each other and speak over each other, showing years of familiarity with the tension and ease they embody is a thing of sheer gorgeousness. It’s a happy reminder of why we go to the theatre.
Fade to Black follows quickly incorporating philosophy, symbolism and more than a little weirdness which is a harsh juxtaposition against the reality we’ve just been in. This asks questions about the afterlife and sets an unlikeable character in the lead which is always challenging for any audience. It’s unsettling and disconcerting, and the movement pieces are very well done: it’s well envisioned by director Greg Donaldson. Justine Smith particularly shines as the stage manager, owning the room with delicious power and presence. It does however have the feel of a student written play, despite the quality with which it’s presented.
The Fifteen Minute Hamlet is likely to divide audiences the most. Not everyone finds watching drunk students at a party pleasant, regardless of whether they are trying to put on Hamlet in 15 minutes or not. When we see theatre, we want the characters to care about being there and be invested in what they are doing, but when all the characters are played as not caring and larking about, it’s off putting. It’s like watching Sh*t Faced Shakespeare where every single actor is drunk, not just one person. It’s also not clear what the Director and Co-director add by being in it as Shakespeare, sitting on a sofa as part of the play looking very bored. The fast beat music continuously throughout the play also becomes a distraction. The review version of Hamlet even faster in a couple of minutes is an interesting idea however this is not the funny and clever Reduced Shakespeare Company version, and does not live up to its high hopes.
The Pen of My Aunt is an interesting play and Denise Evans effortlessly shines as Madame, a woman of some community standing in the town in occupied France. Her decision to help the young man before her: Cody Thacker, is understandable in the circumstances and their unfolding dynamic, combined with the servant Simone, played with feistiness and presence by Fatma Hammad, is really interesting to watch. This play could however have done with tighter direction, there are times when the actors seem a little lost not through acting ability but through the absence of an overall vision and journey. This is partly shown through the size of a piece of paper which is supposed to be too big to swallow, yet is shown as being the size of a postage stamp.
The final play, Red Peppers: a music hall duo we see at the end of their first act then bickering in the dressing room before their next set. Ben Pritchard is convincing and fun to watch at one half of the duo, and while the dynamic in the dressing room between him and his wife played by Sarah Donnelly is authentic and makes us believe they have known each other for years, the actual performance of their act is less persuasive as it appears under rehearsed rather than a tired old fashioned act. The balance of sound makes the words of the songs hard to decipher, and a clearer vocal projection Sarah Donnelly would help. The moment of Ben looking into the audience as a reflection of a fake mirror to talk to his wife is lovely. It would however be understandable to reflect on what the play is trying to say, as it has no obvious travel and if it’s just about backstage bickering then it’s more a soap than a play. A clearer vision from the director would also help.
An evening of Five Short Plays is always a lovely idea, giving directors the chance to work with New Venture Theatre, and it’s always good to support new directors coming through. Some of these of course have directed elsewhere before, or directed other types of theatre before and so many of NVTs cast and crew are professionals from stage or screen. This interesting evening shows huge diversity in material and style, and results in an eager anticipation of what they each do next, particularly directors Ayshen Irfan and Greg Donaldson.
New Venture Theatre, 31 July 2025
Short Plays 2025 runs until 2 Aug 2025
Photo Credit: Elysa Hyde
