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I watched Journey’s End this term and was thoroughly impressed with the acting skills on display; it did R C Sherriff proud.
Every scene was executed extremely well with just the right pauses to underline strong emotions such as anguish and fear. Stanhope was performed to a tee as his tone of voice was perfect in every situation, especially during his anger outburst which stunned the audience as well as his fellow officers. He eventually became understanding and kind to his fellow officers, which brought a warmth to him. Omar M A superbly captured the complexity and damaged nature of the character.
Osborne, winningly portrayed by Oliver P, came across as the perfect avuncular figure that you would expect him to be. You could see the audience warm to him, and be comforted by him, just like the officers did throughout the play.
Raleigh’s naivety, in Marnix H’s characterisation, stood out as the outstanding feature of his personality; he seemed so ‘keen’ at first, in stark contrast to the aftermath of the raid where he seemed so shaken it was like the innocence had been drained from his system.
Mason and Trotter (Sebastian D and Bradley H) are indeed the funnier characters in the story who help lighten the audience’s mood. With their jokes and light-hearted chatter, they brought the emotions that would otherwise have been missing from the play, and offered a relief from its sombre mood.
I thought Hibbert was the most relatable character as his fear of being in any kind of action reflected exactly how I would have felt in a similar situation. I feel other members of the audience may have felt the same way. His fear was captured very well by Luke H; he convinced me he was a soldier fearing for his very own life.
The accurate detail of the set and the crepuscular lighting designed by Mr Chandler, shadowy shades of khaki and brown, captured the atmosphere memorably. This was in all ways a standout production.
Matty B, Fifth Form
Published in Nov 2021