Energetic acting, exciting staging and perceptive direction combined to deliver an outstanding 2017 Quad Play.
Produced and directed by Ms Sharon Mulready, Head of Literature, students from Melbourne Grammar School and Melbourne Girls Grammar School (MGGS) came together to perform King Lear. All the actors delivered top-line performances revealing a great depth of understanding of the nuances of the play.
“I thoroughly enjoyed playing the role of Edgar,” says Tom Garratt, Year 12. “Acting from one role to the next provides the opportunity to inhibit distinct characters, who can be extreme, but also overlap with the familiar. Edgar and other characters in the production are very complex. It was a pleasant and rewarding challenge performing this role alongside friends from Melbourne Grammar and MGGS.”
Cloaked in Victorian steampunk, the production enthralled audiences. The magical atmosphere naturally generated by the historic Quad buildings was overlaid with imaginative lighting. (Imagine the change in emotion when shifting green light presaged King Lear’s descent into madness or when ominous red light provided a setting for the blinding of Gloucester.) The unexpected but engaging costumes and make-up added to the visual feast.
“It was a delight to work with the cast and crew on this difficult play which presented many challenges, not the least of which was the requirement for teenagers to play characters in their 60s and 70s,” says Ms Mulready. “I am very grateful for the backstage assistance from OMs, in particular, Richard Burman, who has supervised make-up for the Quad Play since its inception.”
About the Quad Play
The Quad Play has been an integral part of the School’s annual performing arts calendar since 1974. Originally conceived by Headmaster Mr Nigel Creese, it was intended to provide a counterpoint to existing indoor productions.
Always based on a strong foundation of excellence, the Quad Play has evolved over the years. Unlike the effective use of Melbourne Grammar buildings which characterise current productions, early sets comprised a ‘black box’ stage. The introduction of scaffolding for audience seating in 1991 enabled a more flexible use of the space.
The Quad Play has predominantly presented productions of Shakespeare, though other renaissance plays and Greek tragedies have occasionally been performed.