Theatre / Bristol School of Acting
Review: Youth’s the Season…?, Tobacco Factory Theatres – ‘An impressive coming-of-age satire’
In Youth’s the Season…?, graduating Bristol School of Acting (BSA) students portray a disillusioned generation, pulling the audience into their “narrow circle” which is trapped in the stuffy confines of middle-class 1930s Dublin.
Adapted by Breman Rajkumar and Evan Lordan, this takedown of the bored and privileged feels all the more vital in a world where reality TV shows parade idle excess.
Like Made in Chelsea, you piece together the group’s politics through snippets of gossip referred to as “endless chatter”, with every anecdote revealing a new snag in the group dynamics.
is needed now More than ever
Youth’s the Season… (Bristol School of Acting, 2022) – photo: Craig Fuller
Simple yet effective set design allows the cast to transform the space from a pompous family living room to a liberal art studio in the blink of an eye, furthering a sense of claustrophobia in an environment that never truly changes.
Each character’s flaws and insecurities pour out of them as they variously unravel, and the narrative descends into brilliantly staged chaos, which reaches its pinnacle in the alcoholic haze of a party.
Photo: Craig Fuller
This disorienting depiction of a messy night, punctured by strobe lighting and the seminal sound of Underworld’s Born Slippy, does not – as our ensemble hopes – “drown out the chatter”, but instead serves to loosen their lips.
There is a deviance afoot which is best shown through Gerald, played by Daniel Wicks, the bumbling buffoon with a surprisingly nasty bite. Wicks brilliantly delivers the production’s big laugh out loud moments as he throws himself into desperately awkward scenarios.
Photo: Craig Fuller
Owen Ellis gives a standout performance as Desmond Millington, the host of this debauchery, as he expertly walks the line between a zest and cynicism for life.
Together with Sofia Victoria who plays Toots, they give a convincing rendition of friends hanging in the sweet, tormented uncertainty of graduate life.
Photo: Craig Fuller
This coming-of-age satire mirrors the experience of the cast who step out on the stage as graduates, with the question ‘what next?’ echoing throughout.
Though, as they take their final bow it is clear that the future for BSA’s Bright Young Things shines brighter than that of the characters they leave behind.
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Bristol School of Acting: Youth’s the Season…? (age recommendation 13+) Is at Tobacco Factory Theatres on November 24-26 at 7.30pm, with an additional 2.30pm matinee show on Saturday. Tickets are available at www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com.
All photos: Chelsey Cliff
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