Final year performing arts students gave a rehearsed reading of Medway Town – a self-penned script examining life within the local community.
The students, who are all studying acting at MidKent College’s Medway Campus, had been asked to write one monologue and one duologue each. Lecturer Carole Bowles explained: “Having generated a lot of work individually, the students then edited a final script according to which of their characters complemented and contrasted with one another.”
A number of different characters were brought to life within the piece, including a kind vicar, a prejudiced pub landlord, a passionate teacher and an insecure teenager.
Students read their script in front of an invited audience of family and friends. The collaborative final piece, a hard-hitting exploration of youth culture, prejudice and unemployment, focused on various parts of the Medway Towns.
The project provided first-hand experience of script editing processes, said student Andrew Day. “Conducting a rehearsed reading is sort of like testing a script,” he explained. “It allows you to find out which jokes work and which lines aren’t really needed.
“It’s been fun and has provided a nice ending to our course. Now we’re all set to begin performing of our end of year production of My Fair Lady, which starts in our Medway Campus theatre at the end of this week.”
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