As an NSTA representative, I had the pleasure of attending Westcliff High School for Boys’ Christmas productions, an ambitious double bill that offered two sharply contrasting yet equally engaging pieces of theatre. Comprising Harold Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter alongside the inventive AI Christmas Carol, the evening demonstrated both thoughtful artistic choices and a high level of performance skill.
The first play, The Dumb Waiter, is a 1957 one-act play by Harold Pinter that follows two hired gunmen, Ben and Gus, as they wait in the basement of a building for instructions about their next job. It becomes increasingly apparent that the men have been here before, and that the “job” they await may be both illegal and morally troubling. Set in what appears to be the basement of a commercial building – perhaps a café, though this is only ever implied – the production relied heavily on the dynamic between its two characters.
Ben, played by Sam, was very much in control of himself and the situation. Sam’s portrayal was notably restrained and controlled, reflecting a clear understanding of the character as conceived in the playwright’s original script notes. Calm and assured on the surface, Sam’s portrayal gradually revealed an underlying menace as the stakes of the situation became clearer.
Conor’s Gus was a younger, more volatile, and far less controlled presence, characterised by nervous energy and an underlying sense of unease. He approached the role with a restless physicality and an increasingly urgent delivery that effectively conveyed Gus’s confusion and moral anxiety. He was constantly questioning their situation and trying to make sense of it. This performance provided a compelling counterpoint to Ben’s restraint, and the contrast between the two characters was particularly effective in drawing the audience deep into Pinter’s unsettling and ambiguous world.
True to Pinter’s style, ambiguity is central to this play, and the cast handled this with confidence, trusting the text and allowing the tension to speak for itself. Performed in the round, the production created moments of striking intimacy. The denouement delivered a powerful and effective twist, and the piece as a whole was deftly directed by the school’s Director of Drama, Mr Jeffreys, whose control of pace and tension was evident throughout.
The second production, AI Christmas Carol, offered a complete tonal shift and immediately intrigued with its title alone. In his programme notes, Mr Jeffreys explained his decision to use Artificial Intelligence to rewrite Charles Dickens’s text in a style faithful to its original period, responding to the proliferation of adaptations of A Christmas Carol that dilute the story’s central message of redemption.
At the heart of the production was Oliver’s Ebenezer Scrooge, a beautifully judged performance that combined authority, emotional depth and sensitivity. He commanded the stage whenever he appeared, anchoring the production with confidence. Oliver’s performance was, quite simply, outstanding throughout.
This supporting cast was no less impressive, and several notable performances cannot go unmentioned here. Noah’s ghostly Jacob Marley, while appearing only briefly as Scrooge’s former business partner, was clearly defined and consistent, providing a strong spectral counterpoint to the protagonist. Particular praise must also go to Alexander as the narrator, whose assured delivery and ability to address all four sides of the stage drew the audience fully into the story from the outset. The Ghosts of Christmas Past (played by William) and Christmas Present (played by Gabriel) both possessed strong stage presences, enhanced by the excellent physical theatre representations of their voices by the puppeteers. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come was especially effective: a complex and commanding presence. Connor’s Bob Cratchit and Max’s Tiny Tim were especially touching, contributing emotional resonance to their scenes, adding warmth and humanity to complement and contrast with Oliver’s central performance. Indeed, the entire ensemble demonstrated impressive versatility and commitment, creating clear characterisations and maintaining a strong sense of storytelling throughout. This is undoubtedly a very talented group of young performers.
These strong performances were supported by strong design choices. The costumes were excellent and entirely appropriate to the period, as was the overall production design by Ms Cleave; this was a real strength of the piece. The rapidly changing scenes were handled smoothly using simple props and the cast themselves, maintaining momentum and clarity. Overall, AI Christmas Carol struck an effective balance between festive celebration and social history.
The Dumb Waiter and AI Christmas Carol formed a thought-provoking and accomplished double bill, showcasing ambition, skill, and originality from Westcliff High School for Boys. The two productions both demonstrated a clear artistic vision and a confident understanding of their respective texts. Strong performances, thoughtful direction, and effective design choices combined to create an evening of theatre that was both intellectually engaging and emotionally resonant. Taken together, the productions highlighted not only the versatility of the performers, but also the school’s commitment to high-quality, imaginative drama.
National School Theatre Awards
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