Freshblood Festival Review

Freshblood festival is back for another year! This bold and exciting showcase of original student writing is testament to the creative talent Warwick has to offer. This year’s festival consisted of four completely new plays, ranging from a dystopian reality where eugenics are normalised, to a contemporary piece set in the countryside. The audience was packed and buzzing, the lights dimmed, it was showtime.

The first play of the night was Not Quite written by Vienna Padmsee, an exploration into the human condition forcing the audience to question whether memory is a gift or a curse. Gripping the audience with a quiet intensity; the set is deliberately ambiguous, complied of only three chairs, a whiteboard, and an assortment of mundane objects filling the space. However, a sinister undertone lingers as two scientists sit in the background, taking notes and fervently watching the subjects. The performance is interspersed with humour which breaks the tension as the characters struggle to speak, as if they are learning to speak again for the first time.

A focal point of the performance was the whiteboard at the back of the stage which read “LETHOLOGICA” (the inability to remember a particular word or name). This term encapsulates the plot as the three main characters struggle, not only to remember one another, but themselves. Anoushay Dar, Rhea Pereira, and Anna Barracco deliver exceptional performances, truly embodying their characters and, despite the elusive narrative thread, allowing the audience to empathise with their confusion, vulnerability, and even potential danger.  The play ends with the characters stepping out of the confines of their carefully constructed reality to find answers. The audience is left suspended between hope and uncertainty, mirroring the feelings of the women who we have watched search for their identities throughout the play. Overall, Not Quite is an extremely enjoyable watch, I look forward to seeing what both the writer and actors bring to the stage in the future!

All the actors within Zenith Man give a superb performance with Chucky (Ariana Bird) and Wynn (Hugo Clarke) embodying the regime’s philosophy, their cold yet sympathetic performance adding a subtle tension underpinning the performance.

The second play of the night was Zenith Man, written by Joseph Sampson, a humorous, interactive, yet poignant commentary on evolution and the human determination for greatness at all costs. The actors smoothly re-make ‘The March of Progress’, a clear allusion to the theme of human development that runs throughout the performance. The characters Evo, Lou, and Tion (played by Georgia Harrison, Esme Jones, and Deneb Marden-Rull) are put through a multitude of trials and challenges to prove genetic superiority, this torturous experience acts as testament to the reckless importance humanity puts on perfection. Georgia Harrison (Evo) keeps the audience gripped, her physicality and comedic timing emotionally implicating the audience with the characters, whilst simultaneously inviting them to recognise their own evolutionary position. The constant ticking in the background illuminates the urgency the new regime feels to ‘save’ humans. However, this is not without its consequence as those who are deemed not worthy are disallowed from having children; they are punished for their genetics, their very existence being labelled an affront to nature.

All the actors within Zenith Man give a superb performance with Chucky (Ariana Bird) and Wynn (Hugo Clarke) embodying the regime’s philosophy, their cold yet sympathetic performance adding a subtle tension underpinning the performance. Sampson’s Zenith Man is thus a timely performance, powerfully displaying humanity grappling for survival. Zenith Man’s cast and crew should be extremely proud of the art they created, it is a piece which will inevitably make you reflect on your own place within the society!

The penultimate performance of the night was A Chapter in Alabaster (written by Caleb Tan), a riveting performance set within the protagonist Rue’s (Cata Petith) dream where she encounters various characters who guide her throughout the performance. The semiotics of the performance were a particular standout, with the lighting corresponding to each character on stage. The breaking of the fourth wall allows the audience to embody another character within the play, becoming stuck in the dream with Rue, unable to escape and unknowing of when her entrapment will end. The tension reaches its climax at the end of the performance as Rue believes her friend Indigo (played by Katie Pankhurst) to have died. Rue exclaims “why does this keep on happening to me”, questioning whether this a recurrent dream or a mirror of her reality as a surgeon, where she must watch patients die daily, a feat which has now infiltrated her psyche. Although the conclusion of A Chapter in Alabaster assures the audience that the dream remains fictional, the dynamics of the dream between Indigo and Rue is revealed to be a manifestation of her real-life partner. This performance was extremely captivating, expertly highlighting the liminal space between reality and fiction, actioned by the use of a universally relatable experience of dreams to explore this.

Overall, Counting Bodies is a show that deserves to be seen by all …. (it) transcends its simple premise and reveals something far deeper.

The last performance, Counting Bodies written by Freya Carey-Wood, is a brilliantly directed and written piece, focusing on the female experience and what it is like to be “bored and horny” in the countryside. This was a standout piece, it’s dynamic direction paired with the comedic, yet serious undertone, kept the audience absolutely entranced throughout its duration. Avery’s (Clemmie Mayhew) encounter with her grandma whilst attempting to buy the morning-after pill was an uncomfortable yet hilarious addition projecting a rural life where sex remains a taboo subject. The story is expertly portrayed by Rosie Lock, Clemmie Mayhew, Zoe Holloway, and George Jasper and is an ode to girlhood, the power of female friendships, and the importance of destigmatising sex for the happiness, but also, the safety of young women everywhere . Utilising relatable mediums, such as projecting TikToks on the back screen, the audience was invited into the play with the intrigue of another member of the friend group at the sleepover. The intimate atmosphere is retained throughout as Avery (Clemmie Mayhew) delivers a poignant monologue exploring the desire to be wanted and loved, but not allowing oneself to become attached for the fear of being hurt; an experience, no doubt, members of audience could relate to.

Zoe Holloway and Rosie Lock deliver outstanding performances as they command the space, their confidence and acting prowess showcased with this performance. Indeed, we must not forget George, whose multi-rolling was a feat to watch, as his ability to swiftly change characters was extremely impressive, proving great support to the other three actors. Overall, Counting Bodies is a show that deserves to be seen by all. Carey-Wood’s writing and Mesi Johnson’s direction of the seemingly simple circumstance of three young women at a sleepover allows Counting Bodies to transcend its simple premise and reveal something far deeper. The message of the piece is both powerful and essential – “as long as you’re happy and safe you’re doing it right”. An impeccable performance – one I’d gladly watch again!

It is inspiring to see a space filled with so much talent and creativity, this celebration of the arts was undoubtedly a night to remember!

All four performances were delivered with such intent and passion, it is clear how much dedication and hard work went into each one. All directors, producers, and production teams should be proud of the sets they showcased, Moreover, the Festival’s coordinator, Harry Molloy, and Social Media Manager, Libby Evans, deserve recognition for their success in putting on an incredible night of performance. I hope the Freshblood Festival continues in years to come, as it illustrates just how talented our young writers and actors at Warwick are. It is inspiring to see a space filled with so much talent and creativity, this celebration of the arts was undoubtedly a night to remember!