This weekend saw another contribution to the 28th Annual Festival of Plays, put on by the UCCB Dramagroup. The play, Arcadia, written by Tom Stoppard and directed by Rod Nicholls, happens in the same place. but at two different times. Scenes alternate from early 19th century to the present day. In a place called Sidley Park, in Derbyshire, England in 1809, a young girl, an undiscovered genius, looks at the life of adults through naive and eager eyes; she knows and understands scientific theories more than "carnal knowledge," although Thomasina Coverly is full of questions about both. Life around her swirls like a bawdy Victorian novel, with a cast of characters that include her beloved tutor, her parent, and their houseguests with none other than the poet Lord Byron himself. When we are transported to the present day, we encounter a strange mix of people thrown together in the same house at Sidley Park. A pompous academic and member of the Byron Society is working on a theory that goes from showing the poet as the writer of previously undiscovered reviews, to portraying him as taking a man's life in a gun duel over a woman's honour. Hannah Jarvis is there to go through the estate records to help with a new book. Then there are the members of the family, the young scientist, passionate about numbers, his sister, passionate about the pompous academic, and Gus, the boy who doesn't speak and is uncomfortable with passionate displays and raised voices.

In 1993, Arcadia won London's Olivier Award for best play and the New York Drama Critics Award in 1995. This play is a wonderful example of Stoppard's intelligence, comic talent, and word play. The themes are so diverse it's amazing how they tie together: art, sex, poetry, tied with landscaping, chaos theory, and book reviews. It was because of the various themes that director Rod Nicholls chose the piece, as it was being performed at a University, and the subjects were all timely to students there.

The cast, as in all of the Dramagroup's productions, was made up of students as well as members of the community. At times there were problems in hearing dialogue, sometimes because lines were spoken too quickly, sometimes due to low projection and volume. But some very memorable performances took place on the stage at the Boardmore Playhouse with this play. As Thomasina Coverly, Colleen MacIsaac was pure delight. Her tiny stature allowed her to play such a young girl. but it was her grace and ease on stage that made her shine. Playing her tutor, Septimus Hodge, Mike Sidney, gave not only a believable account, but also one that was confident with an understanding of lines, and touched with a sense of humour. Robin McKittrick and Mike McPhee were comedic bookends, and obviously enjoying themselves as the cuckolded Ezra Chater and less than courageous Captain Brice, respectively. One of the hardest roles in any production is that of a speechless character. Playing Gus, the idiot savante, gave Phonse Walsh the wonderful opportunity to use his facial expressions. and he did so without taking focus away from the important action. It is said that children and aminals can upstage anyone, so special note should go to all actors who had to share the stage with Cosmo the Turtle. Far and away the greatest gem of this production came in the form of actor Ken MacLeod. His performance of Valentine was subtle and so natural, that he was riveting. From his delivery to his reaction, MacLeod was bang on; his humour and charm permeated the role with proof in this case that less was indeed more.

It is clear that so much thought, work and attention to detail went into this production. The set designed by Burland Murphy was skeletal, which allowed it to serve as a timeless common denominator between periods. The lighting allowed the trip through time and back, as the changing photographs and pictures projected on the back scrim served as a portal to transformation.

Kelly Edwards for the Chronicle Herald

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