Welcome to Downstage Drama!

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Hi! My name is Tilly. I'm 17, in Year 12, and studying for my A Levels. This blog is where I'll share my thoughts on everything theatre and Drama. You'll find reviews for scripts and shows, as well as articles on theatre-going culture. I hope to go to University to study Theatre/Performance Studies and start my career in the industry. My dream is to be a director but I aim to dabble in as much of the theatre world as possible, including acting, producing and writing. 
Location: London, UK

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The Price of Fame: A Review of John, Paul, George, Ringo...& Bert

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So we all know that a four-movie biopic about the Beatles is currently in the works, but did you know that 50 years ago, Willy Russell wrote an award-winning play about the famous foursome? And I read it! The only other Willy Russell play I’ve seen is Blood Brothers and I was able to spot large parallels between the two Liverpool-set shows. John Paul George Ringo…& Bert , written in 1974, features a clever, quick witted voice, strongly developed characters - each with their own idiolects and sound, and most noticeably for me, a striking thematic distinction between Act One and Act Two. All very Blood Brothers -esque.  The play is narrated by Bert McGhee, a fictional singular representation of the band’s hoard of loyal fans. He’s energetic, warm and a little bit weird - a bit hopeless but sweet all the same. He acts as the reminder of who the Beatles once were before the money, fame and drugs. Simple Scouse lads with a dream. And so, when he’s paired next to the argument-stric...
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A Jukebox Musical That Makes Sense: Just For One Day, The Live Aid Musical Review

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J ukebox musicals remain an infuriatingly confusing topic for me as I find the idea of them marketable, fun and usually in line with musical theatre’s campy reputation. However, I also maintain that they seem to be incredibly easy to get wrong. Moulin Rouge! took one of my favourite films and added some questionable songs like Chandelier and Firework to an otherwise inspired arrangement. I believe that Mamma Mia is able to largely avoid the famed Jukebox Discourse due to it only using ABBA songs, allowing the musical to follow one thread of style and storytelling, instead of relying on a huge multitude of artists, genres and decades. &Juliet fell into this trap and, whilst it had good intentions, ended up barely scratching the surface in terms of lyrical storytelling. And perhaps that is why Just For One Day’s musical decisions worked.  Firstly, this is the first Jukebox musical I’ve seen that is heavily based on a true story and so the choice to use already well-known music he...
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What The Hell Am I Reading?: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf Review

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Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, by Edward Albee, is a startling commentary on the pitfalls of marital life and the compressing, suffocating effects of gender roles and competition. In fact, the word “suffocating” encapsulates much of the essence of this play and, in my opinion, summarises its messages. Physically, it is set in one kitchen for the entire three acts, with the same four characters simply entering and re-entering. From just reading it, the atmosphere feels constricted and tight. And then there’s the characters. Each one slowly being suffocated in their respective marriages, their careers and their own perceptions of themselves and the world around them. They, (explicitly Martha and George) allow damage and hurt to infiltrate their lives in every way possible, and in a sense, are suffocating themselves in doing so. It is a very interesting way of writing - how at first Albee implies that someone else has their hands around the characters’ necks, when in fact, as it is reve...
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