Coram Boy
H ou s e o f B l ood
A complex tale, confidently told, of the dark underbelly of Georgian England.
When presented with a Lower School show about a choirboy, one
may have expected a simple story about the chorister’s rise to fame.
Instead, the combined Year 7 and 8 cast presented a gripping and
chilling story centred on survival in the dark underbelly of
Georgian England.
Coram Boy, adapted from Jamila Gavin’s prize-winning novel by
Helen Edmundson, follows the cross-generational adventures of the
Ashbrook family and how the lives of all around them have been
twisted by the unscrupulous Coram Man, Otis Gardner, who makes a
living promising a home to unwanted children at a price.
Despite the scale of the script, the reworking of the adaptation by
director Lucy Dollman moved at a fast pace, skipping through the
years with ease whilst losing none of the impact. The ensemble
worked as an incredibly tight chorus, seamlessly moving from one
varied setting to the next, and powering the play along. The blending
of naturalism and highly stylised elements worked beautifully,
supporting the action without ever overtaking the core of the story.
It worked best in both the seemingly innocuous moments, such
as the preparations for the Ashbrooks’ ball as well as the key story
moments, particularly the climatic drowning scene.
Scarlett Robinson was a triumph in the lead role of Alexander
Armstrong, crafting out a fulfilling and interesting character whose
struggle with his ego was perfectly realised. Jonjo Hodson’s bubbly
Thomas Ledbury provided a much-needed antithesis to Robinson’s
serious nature as well as necessary comic relief. As the sinister Otis
Gardner, Max Sabin created a very likeable yet rather unsettling
presence throughout, commanding the stage with an iron fist. Tabby
Bolter provided a wonderfully intense and frustrated Mrs Lynch to
support Sabin’s Gardner, and hearts were surely broken when Katia
Avanesov’s Mrs Milcote discovered the child’s grave.
With an underscoring of sinister music and some strong solo pieces
sung live, Coram Boy was a complex tale confidently told. Anyone
who thought that younger students cannot handle big concepts will
have had their minds changed upon seeing this show.
Karl Niklas
It is rare in the world of student drama to see such
a bold, articulate and hilarious take on Greek
mythology, but House of Blood gave us this theatrical
experience in bucketloads. Devised by the cast,
and skilfully facilitated by Jim Grant, this retelling
of the myth of the House of Atreus synthesised
a heavy Brechtian element; everything from the
presentational style to self-knowing storytelling (huge
congratulations to six young ladies driving the story),
to the cheeky nod to Brecht’s ‘white sheet backdrops’.
Like any good piece of epic theatre, the show took
heavy political swipes at everyone from bleeding-
hearted liberals to the overly righteous Brexiteer.
Ultimately, the show’s brilliance lay in the fast-paced
storytelling, moving seamlessly from generation to
generation, and never letting the audience pause.
The comedy woven throughout created an excellent
juxtaposition to the dark subject matters.
The enduring image of this play surely has to be the
Blood-o-meter, a clear vessel in the shape of a house
that over the course of the play is slowly filled up with
blood, one bottle for each death. The sight of young
women gleefully filling up this onstage butchery
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ACADEMIC REVIEW
gauge is etched forever into mind, reminding us all
(as this production beautifully displayed) that life is
sometimes too serious to be taken seriously.
Karl Niklas
Behind the scenes
I have been lucky enough to be in a lot of plays
at Sevenoaks, but I have to say House of Blood
definitely ranks as one of my favourites. The story
follows the house of Atreus in an ancient Greek
myth involving murder, incest, human sacrifice and
other forms of depravity, and is a dark comedy.
The creation of the play was very inclusive; it
was written as we were working on it and edited
by us, so as we were rehearsing scenes we were
modifying them as well.
My character, along with five others, was on stage
for the entirety of the play, so I didn’t really get
the ‘backstage’ experience, but I got to know the
audiences very well! Everyone, whether they had a
large or a small part, was equally committed to the
play, and we received a lot of brilliant feedback.
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2017-2018
Bella Munday, Year 9
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