Cults, Suicide, and Sex under the Spotlight

The Tab: Let’s begin with telling us a bit about what Spotlight is.

Chris White (writer/director): Basically, we wanted to create a night of theatre which could include as many people as possible, especially those who don’t tend to get the chance to write for performance. There’s lots of people involved because there are 8 small plays, which are like 8 tiny productions within themselves… there’s an opportunity to direct, produce, design, act, and stage manage!

There’s no curtain in the LCR so set changes will be a speedy process but hopefully in that one evening you’ll be transported to 8 very different settings.

The Tab: Sounds interesting! Could you tell us roughly what some of the pieces are about?

Caterina Incisa (writer/director): My piece is titled ‘Saturday Night’ – John and Kate are trying to have a one night stand. Yes, trying. They’re hoping one night of drunken debauchery will heal their wounds from past relationships but the ghosts of exes past are never far away…

Samuel Masters (writer): I wrote Smokey and the Jumper. It’s about a smarmy smoker who happens to be going for a cigarette break on the top of his office building when he’s interrupted by a man about to jump off the same building. Naturally, hilarity and smoking ensues. We’ve got a very entertaining two man cast that should make the simple short show swell.

Alex Dalgleish (writer): I wrote ‘Meta’. It’s a play about some actors putting on a play (I know-mindbending, isn’t it?!), with a director who’s quite possibly mad. We’re doing a lot of improvisation, and we’ve got lots of little film parodies and brilliantly clever (we think) references in there.

Chris: There’s such a big range of stuff… One is about a cult of people who worship a magical rock… one is a comedy about suicide… And mine and Cat’s are both about sex.

Caterina: Yeah, clearly Chris and I have got our minds in the gutter! I’ve been working really close with the actors in editing the script and devising their characters and new bits to the script so that’s been really fun so far!

The Tab: Has the amount of people involved been challenging at all?

Chris: Not really, the productions are completely separate from each other. The only time we’ll see each other’s pieces is on the night.

The Tab: You mentioned earlier that there isn’t a curtain – could you expand on how the set will work?

Chris: The sets have to be really simple. We’re going to get some stage hands and play really loud music so hopefully no one notices the transitions!

The Tab: And the all important question – why should UEA students come along?

Gwen Hanauer (co-director): I think it’s going to be a really exciting production, there are musicians and live music too and of course the bar will be very open. So it’s a great chance to see some fantastic plays and meet up with people in the LCR without getting vomit on your shoes.

Also, the great thing about these performances is they are so varied- you’ve got farce, Philosophy, the classic awkward Romcom, Action, Black Comedy and a guy pretending to be a tree. There’s something for everyone.

Tickets are £3.50 for students and are available online at the box office this week or on the door at the LCR on March 4 (doors open at 7.30).