The Bush Young Company presented this new play dealing with the struggles of former students sharing a haunting past. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know more about this piece where loss is the path to win.
Nothing builds a stronger bond than shedding the same tears… I think I’m finally getting what people mean what they say I’m a joy to be around. Putting the drama away for one, two… (alright – record, broken!), I must say it’s always exciting to see new productions supporting the work of young artists (can I still pass for one?… Please!!!) and allowing to develop, experiment and, ultimately, learn about the craftmanship while getting to know their own
An innocent school friend trip. A smooth bus ride full of laughter and fun. A sudden turn. An unexpected twist. A terrible death. A harrowing memory that will haunt all of them forever. As We Face The Sun is a story of many stories – lives which took their own separate path, but still come together every year to pay homage to the only one that would never go on. Written by Kit Withington, the play explores the evolution of a group of teenagers through their transition into adulthood – as their strings slowly detach except for the only one they can’t ever sever. However, that intended progress does not translate to the piece’s own development.
Despite using a yearly reunion party as the guiding thread to move the plot along, the narrative seems to be stuck on a permanent spot – unable to show any progress as for what the characters are or the situations they are going through. Conceived as a choral recount, the use of a massive ensemble (their performance, though, brilliant) compromises its effectiveness, as a smaller company playing different roles would have resulted in a more efficient and entertaining delivery.
In addition, the pacing is wistfully affected due to a considerable lack of structure. There’s very little confrontation apart from a few minor clashes – and the sense of purpose and conflict (more than the weak vibe of needing to let go) is generally missing. It’s very difficult to follow through as there’s hardly any room for the characters to properly express themselves, let alone connect with an audience that only gets to see very short snippets of them. By the moment we may start to care, they have been gone.
Featuring some appealing staging and occasionally interesting lighting design, As We Face The Sun still requires some extra homework before setting for graduation. The premise is sound, but its delivery still shambles. An acceptable first draft, this could serve as the basis for something that, if correctly revised, could turn into quite a moving (even memorable) piece of art. It takes more than fire to make a heart melt.
As We Face The Sun was performed last week at London’s Bush Theatre for a strictly limited 5-day run. Upcoming shows at the venue are available on the following link.