“You need to be a little bit vulnerable—
Be confident.”
Currently running at the Yard Theatre, Company Three have created an energetic, joyful and intimate exploration into how it feels to be a teenager. The Act is the sex education lesson you never had at school, imaginative in its approach it feels as if it is being created right there in the moment. It’s a wonderfully unpredictable play that is in constant motion- bodies, costumes and props changing every second, reflecting the ever-evolving landscape of your teenage years.
The company is made up of a group of teenagers, a label which may create preconceived judgements about the groups acting ability. However, Company three’s level of professionalism is astounding. Their natural delivery and playful manner adds a new level of believability to the production, and as the play progresses you realise that adults could never deliver the lines with the same subtly and humour. From the first word they utter it is clear these young actors are devoted to theatre, and their company. They are completely unafraid to be vulnerable with the audience, to trust each other and deliver raw and honest performances.
In just seventy minutes it feels as if they are exploring hundreds of moments, each scene blending seamlessly into the next. They are dancing, running, and delivering dialogue that has the audience howling with laughter. In one scene the actors sit in groups on stage, their quiet conversations barely audible to the audience. As a microphone is passed around, and we listen in on snippets of their conversations. They are making these private moments incredibly public, creating a space to discuss sex, intimacy and the awkwardness of young love. It sparks important conversations and more than anything, it is adults that should be encouraged to see this production-especially parents.
Charlie Damigos’ Set Design consists of multiple rails of colourful clothes, which become walls and rooms, as well as a constant revolving wardrobe. As the actors dress up and down, it adds to a ongoing feeling of improvisation that makes this production so interesting. It is as if they are exploring this world alongside the audience, and when they cut the dialogue to run and dance together, you truly have to hold back the urge to get up and dance with them.
Olivia Mackrill
