E veryman
The Year 10 production of Everyman took a modern
spin on the classic medieval morality play. The play
followed the character of Everyman (Ollie Chugg)
through his moral and spiritual journey, exploring
the consequences of his materialistic, self-centred
lifestyle.
The story details his encounters with a string of
allegorical characters, including Knowledge (Becky
Caiger), Good-Deeds (Eloise Simpson), and Death
(Nour Abdallah), leading the protagonist to learn
lessons about himself and his way of life. These
elliptical figures provided a balance to the strong
moral presence of God (played by Bella Munday)
whose simple yet nuanced performance held our
focus totally, encapsulating both the personality and
mentality of an unfathomable being.
Everyman began with the introduction of Seven
Deadly Sins, describing their influences on modern
people and their lives. They then proceeded to
pluck Everyman out from his seat in the audience,
demonstrating that the character of Everyman was
indeed a representation of everyone.
The contemporary setting highlighted the relevance
of the play in the modern world, regardless of the fact
that it was written hundreds of years ago. It asked
the audience to question their own lives through
its central concepts and the fate of Everyman. The
contemporary, secular Seven Deadly Sins served to
remind the audience that a person’s weaknesses
remain, whatever their beliefs and whatever age
they live in.
The production also gave a modern twist to the
ending, where the allegorical characters of Agnostic
(Sheela Vimalanathan) and Atheist (Tom Jago)
appeared from the audience, questioning the angel’s
binary moral views and ultimately the message of the
play itself. This provided an interesting contrast to the
typical content of a morality play written to teach
a religious moral message; showing how ideologies
have evolved and questioning the authority of these
theistic principles and laws.
Sophie Rayment, Year 11
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PERFORMING ARTS