31st May 2023
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s Summer Festival runs at The Wardrobe Theatre from 25 May to 17 Jun. The season is comprised of 8 sizzling contemporary plays – ranging from apocalyptic comedies to psychological thrillers – presented by the School’s graduating directors, designers, actors and technical theatre students.
We spoke to the student creatives at the helm of Brad Birch’s The Brink – director Daniel Preciado and designer Marta Sitarz – about what audiences can expect at curtain up on Thu 8 June. They also told us how training at BOVTS has helped to shape their artistic approach.
Substitute teacher Nick is struggling. Working at an overstretched and under-resourced comprehensive, the teacher is plagued by a recurring nightmare which would have catastrophic consequences for the school. Can he find somebody to confide in before it’s too late? Brad Birch’s provocative, psychological thriller will leave you teetering on the edge of reality.
What should audiences most look forward to in the play?
DP: Audiences should look forward to a thrilling story that puts them right in the shoes of the characters. It’s a story that asks questions and invites the audience to make their own conclusions. They should also look forward to a story told beyond just the text, as the design itself becomes a character in an excitingly different production fuelled by wonderful talent both on and off-stage.
MS: The Brink is a psychological thriller in which the character’s surroundings seem to reflect his emotional state, and so in our production everything from costume to set transforms responding to the story.
How did your training enable you to bring this play to life?
DP: BOVTS training pushed me to think outside the box, to re-examine what I know of theatre-making in order to find the most creative and fulfilling way into the story. My training gave me many tools I use in rehearsals, but the most important is that it gave me confidence in what I can do as an artist, something which I tap into every day of working on this play.
MS: The MA Performance Design programme at BOVTS puts a strong emphasis on collaboration while at the same time cherishing each person’s creative individuality, which truly brings the best out of us.
Book your tickets for The Brink at thewardrobetheatre.com.
For more information about training at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School please see our course finder.
Rehearsal photography by Ed Felton; designs by Marta Sitarz
