STUDENTS tackled the issue of the body beautiful with a hard-hitting play which will count towards their A Levels.
Northallerton College Year 13 drama students performed before an audience of friends, family and assessors after writing and producing their own play Innocence.
They began working on the piece last September based around the theme of body image.
The 30 minute production was based around a birthday party which featured a plastic surgery game show, catwalks, job interview, a bar scene, media perception, beauty and the perfect body and the effects of the paparazzi.
Performing were Chloe Boocock, 18, Keighley Marston, 18, Sarah Howarth, 17, Katy Fowler, 18, Arran Wedderburn, 18, and Ben Spence, 18, all of Northallerton. The production was directed by Grace Fox, 17, of Northallerton.
She said: “It was designed to be a critique of the current attitudes towards body image and we used a montage of seven episodes rather than one continuous theme. In the end it leaves the various questions hanging for the audience to make up their own minds.”
For Arran the play was particularly poignant as he competes in body-building competitions and was placed fourth in last year’s national championships, staged in Harrogate.
“I’m not sure how I got into it but I do enjoy training in the gym and body-building gives this more purpose,” he said. “I love the element of preparation and competition.
“I’m also considering acting as a career and hope my physique might help me secure TV and film roles.”
Head of drama Neil Stimson said: “The play was really effective and communicated its message extremely well. It was funny in parts and dark in others, with the use of some gruesome images of plastic surgery gone wrong. With its contrasting messages it was powerful and thought provoking.”
