Chester high school students see play ahead of sell-out run

With the theatre company into their final week of rehearsals for the Ira Levin comedy thriller Deathtrap, cast member Simon Phillips, Head of Music and Performing Arts at Christleton High School arranged for A Level and GCSE students to be given a preview of the play with a full rehearsal. The play would go on to enjoy a highly acclaimed sell-out run at The Salisbury Studio at Chester Little Theatre.

Students were able to see how a full rehearsal works, experience the play first hand and were also given the opportunity to ask questions about the play, its themes and the rehearsal process itself, providing them with a valuable insight in to the work that goes in to staging a theatre production.

Speaking about staging the special rehearsal, the play's Director Stuart Evans said: "Working on a play that involves so much precise detail as to movement on stage and the location of props on set can be really full on. As a Director, I tend to ignore most stage directions, due to many of them being laid down for the purposes of a play's original production and the stage on which it was first performed.

"Deathtrap was different, every stage direction had to be studied and whilst some were discarded, others had to be followed to the letter due to the complex nature of some of the action. After such an intense rehearsal period during which the cast and crew perfected every detail, we needed to see how an audience would react to the performances ahead of the run and luckily, my good friend and cast member Simon Phillips offered us that opportunity.

The cast and crew of theatre company Against The Grain's sell out production of Deathtrap which was staged recently at Chester Little Theatre. (Image: Paul Crofts)

"Year 10 through to year 13 Students at Christleton High School were invited to watch a rehearsal, just one week before we moved from the rehearsal room to actually staging the play at Chester Little Theatre. It was great to see such a good turn out with all the seats in the School's lecture theatre full and all the students watching every move made by the actors.

"It was lovely for us at Against the Grain to offer this opportunity to students who are studying the art of theatre, whether it be acting or stage production. Both myself and the cast and crew were delighted for them to join us and we couldn’t have been happier with the response. We wish them all the best of luck in their studies and who knows, we may see them taking part in future Against the Grain productions."

Described as 'a play within a play' and full of plot twists and turns, Deathtrap was first staged in 1978 and holds the record for the longest running comedy-thriller on Broadway. It was nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Play.

In 1982, it was adapted in to a successful film starring Michael Caine, Dyan Cannon and Christopher Reeve. The play tells the story of American playwright Sidney Bruhl who despite his previous successes, has hit writer's block following a series of box office flops. Desperate to get back in the game, he hears of an up-and-coming playwright, Clifford Anderson who has written a new play called ‘Deathtrap’. Sidney tells his wife, Myra that Clifford’s play could be a success and invites him round for dinner to 'discuss' the new piece of writing, but events are about to take a distinctly sinister turn.

Joining Simon Phillips on stage were cast members Haluk Saglam, Marian Newman, Sally Anglesea and Mark Newman with the production team including director Stuart Evans, and stage managers Paul Crofts and Charlotte Offley.

Against The Grain is currently planning its productions for 2023 with further details to be announced in the New Year. Supporters can keep up to date on the company's social media pages.