This weekend, Bloomsbury Theatre staged a student production of The Welkin, a 2020 period drama, set in the 18th century.
The performance takes on important discussions of justice, friendship, women’s bodies, and women’s suffering which are as relevant today as in the era the play was originally set.
All of this is packed into a tight performance, which takes place in one room. The set and the costumes are simple, and sympathetic to the 18th century setting, but work well to direct attention to the performances on stage.
Likewise, there are few props except for several chairs which are used to draw attention to prominent moments of soliloquy, where one woman would monologue almost as if taking the stand. However, this feature could have been exploited more.
The play is filled with moments of genuine comedy as well as heartfelt scenes, particularly between Liberty Blackwood (playing Elizabeth Luke) and Avesta Maqsudi (playing Sally Poppy), who take on their leading roles effortlessly.
There are a number of powerful and unforgettable moments throughout, one being the scene where the women sing a segment of Kate Bush’s ‘Running up that Hill’, which again serves as a reminder of the play’s relevance to a modern audience.
The moving ending, in which all the women characters return to the stage wearing modern-day clothes, and completing domestic tasks like folding laundry, echoes this choral scene.
Unsurprisingly, the performance was met with cheers and several standing ovations from members of the audience, anticipating more good things to come from the cast and theatre.
This article appeared in the Digestive 5
