High school drama meets heartfelt humour in The Company of Trees, as Hamilton District Youth Theatre lights up the Dorfman for NT’s 30th Connections Festival.
A single tree crafted ironically out of carved wooden pieces puzzled together greets us as we re-enter the Dorfamn Theatre for the second performance of the second night of the the National Theatre’s Connections Festival. Celebrating its 30th Anniversary, this annual youth theatre festival engages over 6,000 young people from around the UK. They then invite 10 companies to perform at the National for friends, family, and a curious public with pieces specifically curated for them by up and coming UK playwrights.
The Company of Trees, written by Jane Bodie, digs into the harsh realities of high school drama. Art imitates life with the Hamilton District Youth Theatre presenting a story of unlikely friendship. The new girl Willow, who would rather spend her time in nature than on her phone, is ostracized by the ‘popular gang’ at her new school. When the popular girl, Tay, injures herself after attempting a dangerous gymnastic stunt, Willow extends a branch of friendship (literally bringing her a branch from her favorite tree). At first Tay maintains her ‘mean girl’ facade, but as her ‘real friends’ and ex-boyfriend, Ash, stop visiting her at her house while she recovers, she begins to embrace Willow’s outlook on connecting with nature rather than Insta followers.
There are definite standout performances in this young ensemble- particularly ‘sexually confused’ Towan who hits every comedic beat he can grasp. The group, overall, have a smattering of chuckle-worthy moments throughout, to the delight of the young audience. Particular crowd pleasers were Tay asking Willow ‘How do you know anything without a phone,’ and Tay’s ex getting into a ‘your mum’ fight with the school bully. Say what you will about cliches, but they stuck the landing for this audience filled with fellow Connections Festival participants.
Although energetic and charged with youthful enthusiasm, the young performers struggled in projecting and articulating so the audience could clearly follow the action. However, the added surtitle screens allowed everyone to pick up on muttered or forgotten bits.
The clever sections of direction, such as moving Tay’s accident offstage and discovering multiple uses for a wheeled platform, were overshadowed by much of the action being swallowed on the large stage. The awkward spacing, such having the tree planted upstage left, and placing Tay’s recovery bed permanently onstage right once it was brought in, left the actors looking simultaneously lost and overcrowded.
Sound design for the piece, while occasionally effective in providing ambient noise and atmospheric music, threw in some slightly jarring bits with Calvin Harris’ ‘Feel So Close to You’ blasting between a scene transition , and a rogue fly buzzing nature track on an uncomfortably leveled loop for the final scene.
Although this was a one-night only performance it proved to be an incredible opportunity for these young people to perform on a historic stage, and interact with their theatrical peers in London. Seeing the benefit of these performances, not just for the kids on stage, but also those engaging with the pieces in the audience was heartwarming, providing a bit of optimism for the future of the next generation of theatremakers.