Why don’t we have more devised theatre at university? While most of us would associate it with memories of secondary school, we seem to have forgotten is how joyful it can be to get together with a bunch of people and create theatre together, and it’s that spirit which shone through in the Bristol Devised Ensemble’s The After.
The play, about a girl who loses her mother and journeys into the Underworld to bring her back with the help of her magical, nymph-like guardians, focused on how we deal with grief and our uncertainties about what comes “after”. The piece was short, just shy of 40 minutes, and brimming with physical theatre. Far from making one cringe, this style worked well for the abstract nature of the story, swiftly moving the audience through the child’s journey. One of the most memorable of scenes saw the entire ensemble show the early life of a child by puppeting a bobble hat. Occasional moments lost pace, particularly when dialogue was introduced, but did not detract from the overall enjoyment.
The devisers drew on material from Greek mythology, featuring a scene set on the mythic River Lethe, as well as incorporating their own fears about death and the afterlife. Speaking to the cast afterwards, I was told that they had discussed in rehearsals that one of the most chilling aspects of the Underworld would be the possibility of not being able to communicate with anyone. Building on this, the impressively multilingual cast explored this idea in one scene with six actors speaking French, German, Czech, Spanish, Sign Language and English. Since moments like this felt, and no-doubt were, so actor-driven, they felt totally engrossing.
The set was breath-taking. From the light rig in the Pegg Studio hung small, white fairy lights while the front of the stage was lit by lanterns ringed with pages torn from books. Like children at story time, the audience sat on cushions on the floor. Straight away the mood was ambient and magical, albeit a little uncomfortable if you didn’t nab a cushion. The design demonstrated a keen intelligence about how best to use an intimate space like the Pegg. The black curtains that shrouded the space were used beautifully during the performance, to conceal and reveal action taking place backstage. The tech was not wholly seamless, however. Some moments were plunged suddenly into darkness for reasons which seemed uncertain and not entirely deliberate.
Despite this it was an endearing and highly engaging piece showing a huge amount of creativity within the cast. My friends and I all had to hold back tears at some point, and it was definitely an emotionally cathartic Friday night’s entertainment. Most of all I’d applaud what was a truly refreshing piece of theatre.
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