Bringing together new talent from the world of film and theatre, Time Warner works with Old Vic New Voices, to create four short films from four short plays.
How do you write a short play with the hope of it being turned into a short film? That was the task given to young writers who staged their work at Time Warner Ignite 2: Old Vic New Voices last Friday afternoon at Waterloo East Theatre. Taking The Old Vic's current show A Flea in Her Ear as inspiration, four writers explored four themes and the results were hugely varied and undeniably impressive.
Hollywood, written by Kieran Lynn, was a happy farce about an opportunistic actor and four other wannabe performers seeking their fifteen minutes of fame. The Wind Doesn't Sing, by Corinne Salisbury, a much darker look at superficial relationships, explored manipulation and what goes on behind closed doors. The Spies In Room 502 by Jonathan Brittain won the showcase with fifteen minutes of hilariously bad eavesdropping and the trials and tribulations of espionage.
For me, the most memorable show of the afternoon was Country Feedback by Kenneth Emson. Looking at the theme of infidelity, Emson presents a family dealing with honour, honesty and intimacy. Four brothers confront their sister's alleged affair with very different attitudes. The tension was unexpected and inescapable and the guilt, anger and rebellion very stirring.
There are more showcases to follow, more plays to be selected and four eventual winners will have their short plays made into films. From last week's offerings it's clear Time Warner Ignite: Old Vic New Voices is a programme that's definitely doing its job in highlighting new talent from the world of theatre. If they can bring them together with hot shots from the world of film, then all the better.
Image credit: Daniel Godding
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