Blitzed

The Seagull Theatre hosted new play Blitzed

Blitzed at the Seagull Theatre, Lowestoft

Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 8 August 2015 and The Lowestoft Journal, 14 August 2015

Katie Smith’s writing and directorial debut was brought to life at the Seagull, in an all-age study of life’s choices and what ‘just happens.’

From the drugs and free-love hippie times of the 1960s it moved across selected years to the present. We followed the trials and youthful indiscretions of three friends, the excellent Sharni Macdonald, Abigail Watson and Nina Woodcock to their what-has-life-all-been-about phase.

Attention to detail with slides and music snippets enhanced scenes as fashions and attitudes evolved. The immense youthful enthusiasm and talent was infectious as they worked as an ensemble and as individuals in cameos of honesty, anger, humour and regret.

Avoiding over-reliance on stereotypes, characters drew the audience into their journeys.

Isabelle Smith was the central female as a child; Sophie Scannell her as a teenager and young adult. Ginnie Jones, Alan Bolton, Toni Penson and Darryl Jones realised the older characters while Richard Boakes got the uncomfortable social worker spot on.

Katie developed Blitzed as her university playwriting module with the cast experimenting through improvisation with language and ideas as she honed the script.

The result is quite outstanding.

Image: Flickruserbert211