On Tuesday the 2nd of February, I watched The Devils, directed by Mr Rennison. This was the second Common Ground show I saw and I was most impressed with this show compared to the others. I felt that I got the most out of this play in terms of statements asked and how affected I was as an audience member.
Personally, my interpretation from this play was that it is hugely about corruption in society and it asks if as a society, we are naive. Grandier, a well respected priest in the area (not by everyone though) secretly has affairs with young girls, which heavily juxtaposes his reputation of being a priest who doesn't commit sins. This asked me personally if as a society we are naive to what is happening right in front of us.
I was also really impressed with how the actor's offered themselves during the play. Firstly, I think that people that had to appear on the stage with only underwear on demonstrated great acting because this would have taken a great deal of bravery. It exposed them and made them vulnerable on stage but nevertheless, they turned off their inner emotions and pulled of a very impressive performance. I also thought that the head nun was amazing to watch during the course of the play because I believe she really committed to her objective in every way, even if it meant that she had to yell really loudly or do abnormal actions to get to her objective. In my opinion, the surgeon and the chemist were excellent too because I knew they had developed their characters. Their physical presence and postures reflected non stereotypical versions of their characters and they were enjoyable to watch.
Furthermore, I thought that the minimalistic set of white stairs were great because they helped me focus on the action and weren't too excessive or unnecessary. Therefore, actors could experiment more within the space they were given. The idea of having black curtains was effective too because it ensured smooth transitions and the set of black and white coordinated with the nuns' costumes. The hanging person from the ceiling also added to the mood and minimalism of the set and it gave me something to think about when I first sat down in my seat, before the play had even begun. I also enjoyed the lighting and music because I felt that it reflected the mood of the piece at different points as they changed. For example, at the end of the play, there was red lighting which I felt represented the tense and anguished atmosphere as Grandier was killed and his flesh was ripped apart. Having music also added a mood too. I particularly liked the eerie and suspense like noises that played during some scenes and also the music that played during the interval.
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