In 2006, NTU Drama Society didn’t exist. Now, in 2011, it’s a vibrant society that attracts dozens of students every year, with interests in acting, costume, and even set design.
“Shakespeare was only known as the bard ‘cos he was barred from every pub!” So the joke goes. All right, it’s not a brilliant joke. But it is quite an appropriate joke for a society that has performed Shakespeare twice since its inception, and has regular socials.
The story of the society reads almost like the script of play or a film itself. Founded in 2007, only a handful of students showed enough interest in drama to turn up to the meetings. In spite of this, they put on a showcase of scenes from the popular Shakespearian comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The following year, the members list swelled, and the committee booked the Nottingham Arts Theatre for their first full-scale production: Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. The production was a huge success, playing to a full house, and the group immediately began planning their 2010 production – a return to Mr Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, again at the Nottingham Arts Theatre. This time, the society had grown enough to supply a full cast of dedicated actors, costume and set designers for a full production that ran for two performances, one of which was once again entirely sold out. The evening only narrowly missed out on being voted Event of the Year in the NTSU Awards 2010.
Cast members (l-r) Grace Quinn, Anisha Hathi, Olivia Kingsley and Scarlett San Martin in The Rivals photoshoot
This year, the society is putting on a production of The Rivals, a comedy written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, to be performed once again at the Nottingham Arts Theatre on the 21st April. It is a reflection on the popularity of drama that the committee members had to audition around thirty people to whittle down to the final thirteen that make up the principle cast. And why shouldn’t drama be popular? In a country where, for each pound invested, it returns at least two, encouraging the arts should be at the top of the government’s agenda. Shouldn’t it? Sadly, this doesn’t seem to be the case – in fact, the government is cutting arts funding by up to 30%. Talk about slitting your own throat.
But my own political scruples aside, rehearsals for The Rivals look promising. It is certainly a collaborative piece, with ideas thrown from all of the cast members, as well as two directors. The original three hour piece had to be mercilessly cut down to make up a length more suitable for a student audience. And with the performance date looming, work has also begun on the set, costumes and publicity for the event. It’s an incredible effort, coordinated by the society’s current president Will Buttery, assisted by the other committee members.
It’s not all hard work, though. Social secretary Laura Ward ensures that there are regular socials and opportunities for members of the society to meet up outside of rehearsals. The society even visited London in December for a viewing of the popular long-running musical Blood Brothers. Nights out usually take the form of a bar crawl, followed by an evening of increasingly-drunken dancing at Ocean or Rock City.
All societies require enthusiastic, hard-working students for them to function. But what really stands out about the members of the drama society is how different they are from one another. It caters for those on any course, from law to psychology, whatever their previous experience in drama, demonstrated by the fact that, for several cast members in the 2010 production, it was their first time onstage in front of an audience.
So what does the future hold for NTU drama? The society recently held elections for its 2011 – 2012 committee, and future president Nick Collins has big plans. “I’d really like to do a musical next year,” he said, something that was apparently considered this year, but rejected on account of all the extra work involved. Collins is also interested in running multiple projects simultaneously, further expanding the society’s output, so that it caters for an even wider variety of tastes. He also plans to implement a greater level of fundraising to support the society, enabling it to attain greater heights next year.
NTU’s production of The Rivals will take place on the 21st April, with performances at 3pm and 7:30pm. Tickets can be purchased from any cast member, online at the Nottingham Arts Theatre Website, or direct from the box office.
Alexander Page
Photo: Andrew D Rankin and Will R Buttery
Tags: midsummer nights dream, ntsu, NTU drama, the rivals
