THE BISCUIT TIN

Salisbury Studio Theatre

THE young stars of Studio Youth Theatre failed to disappoint in their latest production, The Biscuit Tin.

Written by one of its own, 14-year-old Bishop Wordsworth student Benedict Barrett, it tells the story of two lives that have been intertwined as a result of the First World War.

After a chance meeting, young boy Harry (Ellie Webber) and veteran Reg (Aaron Abbott-Myercroft) are united by a humble biscuit tin and Reg’s story unfolds.

The play itself delves into the horrors of war and the impact left in its wake, not just on the soldiers who fought in the trenches but also the families of those who did not make it home.

The cast take on a variety of roles from soldiers to suffragettes – bringing to life a whole host of colourful characters.

I particularly liked the scenes of the soldiers in the trenches, the camaraderie between the characters was brilliant. One of my favourite characters was Major Brackenhurst (Fraser Adams), who brought some comedy to the show with some fantastic lines and shared some great banter with the soldiers under his command.

The timeline of the play is not static and keeps the audience on its toes as it switches through time periods during the war and after.

This helps illustrate the impact of the war in a more rounded way and gives more depth to the character of Reg, especially as we switch from older Reg to young Reg (Vincent Elvin).

The amazing war time sets and costumes added to the experience and certainly helped transport audiences back to the First World War.

All in all the cast did a brilliant job and delivered confident performances, commanding the stage and the attention of the audience. Benedict Barrett’s first play in my eyes was a success.

The future is definitely bright for Salisbury’s Studio Theatre.