A farcical black comedy revolving around the Brewster family.

Mortimer always knew that his family had a bit of a mad gene, but his world is turned upside down when he realises that his dear aunts have been poisoning lonely old men for years! When Mortimer’s maniacal brother, Jonathan, (who strangely now resembles Boris Karloff) returns on the night that the aunts were planning to bury the newest victim, Mortimer must rally to help his aunts and protect his fiancé -- all while trying to keep his own sanity!

With the restrictions imposed upon rehearsals and mixing of year groups, it was decided that a Sixth Form play would replace the annual whole school production. However, approximately 8 weeks into the rehearsal process, further lockdown restrictions meant that theatres were, again, to close. I was adamant that the work the cast had done would not go to waste, and we approached Dolphin Productions and the recording studio with the aim of making a radio play. The Sixth Form Radio Play was an exciting new project, particularly for the cast, and one that will be remembered for some time to come. The cast met twice a week and slowly progressed through the script, remembering relationships and characterisation that had been developed in the Fitzjames Theatre, focusing on communicating solely through their vocal skills. It was certainly a challenge but the cast rose to it immediately and were such a joy to work with.

When we had finished recording, there was approximately 7 hours of material, which needed to be cut down and edited down to the running time of 1 hour 45 minutes. An incredible task, but one Mr Tupman took as a challenge. In February, however, it soon became clear that there were some lines missing and some that needed to be changed in order to fit the context of the scene. The process of “pick-ups” lasted almost until the end of the Easter Term but was essential to the continuity and quality of the finished play. I am incredibly proud of the finished article. It demonstrates the flexibility and talent of our pupils, and I hope that it is something they look back on fondly in years to come.

The cast and crew worked incredibly hard to produce this and I am incredibly proud of their work ethic and adaptability. My thanks go to Maggie King for her direction and to Lluc Tupman for the many, many hours of post-production.

Click below to listen to our radio play.

Will Stainton - Head of Performing Arts

Listen to Act 1

Listen to Act 2

Listen to Act 3