 |
| Amy Cameron - photo Pamela Raith |
A Song for Ella Grey
By David Almond
Northern Stage
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tuesday 5 – Saturday 16 September 2017
A Song for Ella Grey is an adaption of the award-winning
novel by David Almond. The plot is based around the Orpheus myth, set in
teenage Tyneside, travelling from the beaches of Bamburgh to the bridges of the
River Ouseburn.
Amy Cameron plays Claire, the only actor on stage who, at
first reluctantly tells the story of Ella. Over 30 members of Northern Stage’s
Young Company, provided the cast on the projections as well as the voices of
the Chorus.
The set consists of over 40 cardboard boxes, which are imaginatively
used to create various scenes. At times it looks like a random mix across the
stage, but long after a scene you can still make out the sand dunes and castle
at Bamburgh.
 |
| Amy Cameron - photo Pamela Raith |
Amy is an incredibly captivating performer. She immediately connects
with the audience and shows a range of intensity of moods and physicality. One
of my favourite scenes was when she used the audience to become the class mates
in school.
The story is driven by the incredibly poetic script, but at
times I wondered if the creative element was just using the story as a vehicle
to experiment. From the projection, which included live mobile phone footage of
the audience to the continued soundscape. The most dramatic moment of the
production was when we were plunged into a blackout for around 15 minutes. This
unnerving journey into the underworld was genuinely frightening, with the terrifying
soundscape adding to the this, it was a relief for even the briefest glimpse of
light.
 |
| Amy Cameron - photo Pamela Raith |
This is certainly a play for the senses, an extremely enthralling
performance by Amy Cameron with outstanding creative techniques.
No comments:
Post a Comment