Bexhill College play review

The most frightening thing about it was the talent of the young people involved.

The drama students could quite easily act the majority of the town's amateur performers off the stage and many of them would not look out of place in a professional cast.

Such a well performed piece actually deserved a better stage than the college drama studios, although the intimate surroundings did add to the feel of the play.

Luckily, those involved hope to act in larger surroundings with a performance at the Pavilion Theatre in June.

As part of the National Theatre Connections Experience, the play also stands a chance of being chosen to perform at the National Theatre.

Each year the National Theatre commissions ten of the best contemporary writers to create a play for colleges.

And Bexhill College certainly chose the right one with A Vampire Story - an ambiguous tale which, in the words of cast member Tasha Holt, "Is about a girl writing a story about a girl who's writing a story about the first girl ...' Tasha meant that in a good way, and I'd have to agree it certainly kept the audience thinking.

It is to the cast's credit the play could swing so effortlessly from clever, verbal sparring, to slapstick, via uncomfortable scenes of rape and murder.

The stand-out set piece of a birthday 'quiz' held for a socially awkward seventeen-year-old by his overbearing parents was very, very funny.

The entire cast were good throughout, but special praise should go the leads Lucy Sangster, Zoe Barber, Natasha Holt, Alex Ward, Anna Davies, Sacha Burrows, Tom Roche and Luke Verrall.

Others will be just as happy with their solid displays. Clearly director Chris King had a lot of talent at his disposal and some of the young actors could be destined for big things.