Spring 10 - Theatre

Discovering British Culture through Art and the Theatre

By Kathryn Cesarz

Harlaxton Theatre Classes broke the tedium of the unusually long five-day school week last week with a Wednesday evening trip to London. The destination was the world-renowned National Theatre's production of "The Pitmen Painters" by Lee Hall.

A 3-stage theatre complex that hosts 20 Theatre productions and various presentations and speakers throughout the year, the National Theatre makes an excellent destination for anyone looking to get a taste of the London stage. It is located on the West Bank of the Thames river right near the London Eye and the Tate Modern art museum, so it is at the center of London's excitement.

The Harlaxton coach arrived in London a little after 4:00pm. This early evening arrival allowed students lots of time to grab dinner somewhere before the 7:30 curtain. Students enjoyed getting another chance to wander London (as many had been to London already with the first weekend school trip) and explored the exciting, complex city even deeper.

As show time neared, we reassembled in the lobby of the Theatre. After splitting up from when the coach had first arrived, it was a warm little comfort to happen upon other students we'd not seen for a couple of hours.

We were seated (everyone was entranced by the colorful, well-designed ticket stubs,) and after the house filled up (and it was FULL!) the house lights dimmed and the play began.

The play was a true story about a group of miners from Ashington, Northumberland who, although not formally trained in the visual arts, created paintings that advanced British art of the 1930's and 1940's. They are historically referred to as The Ashington Group. The play was less about the historical men themselves, though, and more of a forum to discuss the changing definition of art in the 20th century.

Professor Bruce Woodruff, in charge of organizing the trip, said he wanted his students to see this play for the insight it gives into British cultural identity. The themes of class tensions and regional disparities made it easy for students to get a glimpse into English and British identity through this play.

One Harlaxton student commented that he liked the play because it was "unpretentious" - the curiosity and earthiness of the miners while going through their art classes invited the audience to lose any inhibitions toward the hefty discussion on art. Other students were interested in the rapid pace of the play: dialogue moved quickly and the scenes ended and began abruptly.

I was particularly interested in the play's discussion on the changes in art in the 20th Century because I am taking a class on 20th century literature, with a focus on works from Great Britain. The play illustrated how English people of the thirties might really have been reacting to the changes that surrounded them. It helped me get a sense of how the people we take for granted today, like Picasso and Cezanne, really were revolutionary in their ideas, as were smaller contributors like the Ashington group, who I'd never heard of before this play.

Since I am a Theatre Performance major working towards a career in the art, it is inspiring and encouraging to experience a piece of Theatre that energizes and enlightens the audience (in this case, myself,) in some way. I was grateful to have had this opportunity to see an essentially British play that tied right into my studies here this semester.