S.O.S (part two)

This week's blog post comes from Joe Steele, director of S.O.S
 

I must admit, there was a moment - after we had casted the play - in which I suddenly felt very apprehensive. Apprehensive, as I realised that I was now in charge of the execution of a new piece of theatre: trying to get inside the mind of writer Tom Straszewski, and directing two actors with far more experience of theatre than me. Being a music student who has directed only one play (Nöel Coward’s ‘Hay Fever’ - a far cry from Tom’s atmospheric psychological thriller-meets-ghost story), what right did I have to be doing any of this?

Perhaps none at all, but here I am. And, as it turns out, my musical background is not as useless here as one might think. I have always felt that dramatic writing - or rather, good dramatic writing - demands a lot of the same qualities as a piece of music. A strong sense of rhythm is required: rhythm that builds, breaks, re-forms; pauses, rests, and beats; dynamic variation: crescendos and diminuendos. Luckily, Tom’s script for ‘S.O.S.’ has all the above in abundance, and our two actors - Richard Easterbrook and Ian Giles - show a flair for interpreting the lines as such. The fact that their vocal qualities stand in stark contrast to each other - Ian’s insistent staccato against Richard’s bassy growl - is an added bonus.

In addition to all of this, it is perhaps something of a blessing for me that the main motif of the piece is an aural one. I am referring to the use of morse code, which permeates and even affects the action throughout, tapping away like someone constantly knocking at a door. This serves to help create the dark, foreboding atmosphere of ‘S.O.S.’, as Henry, our anti-protagonist, comes face-to-face with Spargo, a mysterious figure from his past. The events gradually become stranger until we reach the play’s eerie, quasi-supernatural climax.

‘Quasi-’ is perhaps the important part of that sentence; this is no straightforward run-of-the-mill ghost story, blending with it thriller and mystery, whilst also tackling questions surrounding communication (and miscommunication) in contemporary society. So far we have found that discussion is as an essential part of the process as actual ‘rehearsal’, which highlights the strength of the writing. Want to know what we’ve been talking about? The only way is to come and found out for yourself. 

Tickets for The Envelope Project are on sale and can be purchased by calling 01904 613000 or visiting www.ridinglights.org/envelope