The audience’s exited chatter quietened to a murmur as the lights went down and everyone waited in anticipation of the performance of 'Are there more of you?' written and performed by Alison Skilbeck.
Alison has worked with Allan Ayckbourn and teaches at RADA, just two items on an extensive CV. Her observational skills both as writer and performer ensure that the characters live and breathe.
The play 'Are there more of you?' consisted of four different and very individual characters and the audience were shown a snippet of each of their lives. Four women who have already lived full lives but are not about to submit to anonymity: Claire, ex-wife of an ex-diplomat; Sofia, Italian cafe owner; Sara, New Age-y therapist; Sam, hard-nosed business woman. The first character, Claire, finds new purpose and possibly romance at an art class. Secondly, Sofia an Italian woman widens her catering horizons in London and attempts to live a freer life having always been under the suffocating presence of her aged mother. The third character, Sara, a spirit weaver, is wounded and seeking to heal herself as much as her clients, and is betrayed and reveals a possibly witchy side to her character. The fourth, Sam, who ‘always got on with men’ regains her self-belief from an unlikely source. The range of characters made for an interesting and lively performance which exhibited a variety of emotions, keeping the audience engaged throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed Alison’s performance of ‘Are there more of you’ and would love to see more of her work.
The next day in our drama A Level lesson, Alison took time out to talk to my class, telling us how she became an actor herself and the journey she went thorough to be where she is today. She gave us an insight into RADA and other options and paths relating to a career in acting. Alison emphasised the importance of the voice and the evolvement of her characters to create a play with depth. She also emphasised the importance of the connection to everyday life. I found what Alison had to say very interesting, useful and inspirational and it made me think about different options within the acting world and what important issues to consider when devising our own A Level plays.
