February 2012

Holes was adapted for the stage by Louis Sachar from his award winning novel, and follows the story of Stanley Yelnats, who is sent to Camp Green Lake, where he has to dig holes every day. The show included inventive physical sequences which brought to life the fantastical machines of Mr Yelnats, and throughout the play, the narrators created an excellent rapport with the audience.

There was an outstanding performance from Jules Boobyer, with a feisty and spirited portrayal of ‘Kissin’ Kate Barlow’. As well as this, the comic depiction of Mr Pendanski by Eden Brimicombe provided moments of light relief from the power struggle between Mr Sir, convincingly played by Hamish Thomas, and Martha Tipper, whose determined Warden propelled the storyline along. During the play, a touching friendship could be seen between Charlie Robertson and Ollie Banks as Stanley and Zero. The other inmates superbly played by Julia Morris, Arthur Sackville-West, Tiffiny Griffiths, and Elise Van der Hoek all became proficient at digging imaginary holes.

The ensemble cast were a cohesive acting machine throughout the performance, creating imaginative scenes from past and present. It seems invidious to mention only one, but Ross MacAskill’s performance as Taffaty Bob stole the hearts of the audience. Congratulations should go to the directors Mrs Hargreaves and Mr Richards, the assistant director Polly Young, and the Sixth Form crew who managed the cast backstage, and to Kathryn Dodds and her technical team for skilfully running the show.

James Broad

Click to view the Holes programme