Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Dominic Davies, Jacob Lowman, Iona Campbell, Madeline Smart, Charlotte Parson, Bryony Holloway.
It can be argued that it takes immense courage or character of spirit to take on the writing of Mark Ravenhill, especially his play Pool (No Water) which speaks volumes of how art and artists are a breed that need constant nurturing. The work though leaves so much to the interpretation of the brave director who has made it their life’s mission to try and go through the entangled genius and come up with something that tears at the mind and catches the emotions of the audience at their peak.
Mark Ravenhill’s work is not a stranger to Liverpool; The Playhouse was host to the dystopian play The Cut which starred the great Sir Ian McKellen in recent years but Pool (No Water) is a production that needs careful planning, guidance and in many ways not a play for the faint hearted or even perhaps University students, some of whom may have been cutting their teeth in a theatre for the first time.
Where others may fear to tread, L.U.D.S, (Liverpool University Drama Society) will step in and plant several flags brimming with pride and promise. Under the direction of Danny Partington, no stranger to the rigours and demands of L.U.D.S productions, this version of Pool (No Water) gave so much, took the heart of the matter of artistic jealousy and made it even more claustrophobic without losing any of the confining nature that a group of friends bound up in creative spontaneity feel. By placing the action in the middle of the audience rather than the normal stage of the Stanley Theatre, the audience were given more of an insight into how these dynamics sometimes work as the actors were not just in the faces of crowd, they bought the crowd into the group and the pain and bitterness they felt, a masterstroke.
It is always a privilege to see a young actor making their way through many a University production and in Iona Campbell, L.U.D.S has had one of the finest in its ranks for quite a while. This young woman has given an array of superb performances in her time and it will be a shame to see her leave this incredible company when the time comes. As with all L.U.D.S. productions though the entire cast benefits from the courage to take on plays that others would steer well away from. Such was the force, the anger that was on show by all the actors it to give extra plaudits to Dominic Davies, Jacob Lowman, Madeline Smart, Charlotte Parson, Bryony Holloway as they all gave brilliant and seemingly effortless endeavour.
L.U.D.S might not get the full attention in a city bursting with great talent but like so many performances the society has put on in the last few years, Pool (No Water) deserves a hefty round of applause and the recognition of a job well done.
Ian D. Hall