H for History

In the opening of Jean Anouilh’s re-imagining of Antigone, the Chorus declares that “From the moment the curtain went up, she began to feel that inhuman forces were whirling her out of this world.” It could be argued that for the past decade, Head of English Jason Golding has been doing just this to his audiences, taking them out of their comfort zones and their immediate reality and into often stormy, tempestuous settings.

Ancient Greece; an uninhabited tropical island in the Pacific; a dimly-lit courtroom in 17^th-century Salem, Massachusetts; the seemingly stately, but somewhat spooky, Burlings’ Brumley abode at the turn of last century – all are settings painstakingly recreated through the artistic vision of Jason and his cast and crew. Audience members have arrived each year, knowing they will experience a challenging, polished and largely unforgettable senior drama production, especially with Jason Golding in the Director’s chair.

“Always!” is the immediate response, when I ask Mr Golding how long he has loved the theatre. Having performed and directed in amateur theatre companies during his teens, it must be quite a nostalgic journey for him as he now directs young people, year in and year out, as they make a powerful dramatic statement in the TB Millar Hall each October. (Cast and crew have traditionally sacrificed a significant chunk of their Term 3 holidays to get the show off the ground.). “I started directing and then completed a Major in Theatre Studies as part of my BA at UNSW,” recalls Mr Golding. “I then studied Drama Teaching as one of my teaching methods in my DipEd. I taught Drama in Australia and the UK.”

But what has sustained him to produce classic theatre in this manner for 10 years? This is surely a huge co-curricular commitment, even for the most ardent of theatre lovers? “The challenge and the creative process,” he replied. “Working with talented young people on the verge of adulthood and helping them realise what powerful things they can achieve. By the time I finish a production, I have just decided what will be next.” As Tom Stoppard, Arthur Miller and Harold Pinter are amongst Mr Golding’s favourite playwrights, could we perhaps expect some of the latter’s sinister scenarios and idiosyncratic/infamous pauses on the Radford stage in 2019 – especially given that Pinter is the only name of that list yet to be given the Golding treatment?

Perhaps unfairly, I asked Mr Golding if he had a favourite performer from the past decade – or a production that he felt was closest to how he wished it to be? “I’ve worked with some amazing performers. A few that floored me with their versatility were Nicola Grear, Aram Geleris and Lainie and Abbey Morgan. Some talented Tech Crew have certainly made my vision more attainable too. People like Rodney Quiggin, Sorrel Fuller and Ryan Stocks.” As for the play? “Many people still talk about The Crucible and how powerful it was. That was a special production because I was forced to view it from the inside when I had to take on a role myself at the last minute. That certainly made the experience rich.”

I asked some of the students he’s mentioned, what working with Mr Golding was really like. Actor Aram Geleris replied, “Working with Mr Golding in the Senior Drama productions of 2011 and 2012 was my first time performing in theatre that was something approaching professional theatre. It was these experiences that caused me to experiment more with theatre in university, and almost certainly played a part in my decision to turn my passion of performing into my profession. Working with a director as exciting, patient, and kind as Mr Golding has set a high standard for the other directors I have and will work with in the industry.”

Techie Rodney Quiggin adds, “I worked with Mr Golding on his first Senior Drama Production, Antigone, in 2008. Throughout the planning and rehearsal period, Mr Golding put in 120%. I worked closely with Mr Golding in the design of the production and experienced first-hand his kind and enthusiastic style of mentoring. Antigone is one of my fondest and proudest memories of my college years at Radford, and it wouldn’t have been the same without Mr Golding. I am delighted to see that he’s continued to support and mentor students in the senior drama productions for the 10 years since and I can’t wait to see what this year has in store.”

And so that brings us to 2018 and The Burial At Thebes, appropriately a modern version of Sophocles’ Antigone – the play which was in fact Mr Golding’s first cab off the rank back in 2009 – and which was translated by Seamus Heaney, winner of the 1995 Nobel Prize for Literature. But for those who may fear Mr Golding is looking to repeat his former glory, they need not be overly concerned. “It’s a reprise of the first senior drama I directed, Antigone, but a modern translation that I have also brought forward into the 21^st Century to a war-torn Middle East.”

With the Radford Collegians having invited the 2009 cast back to view this performance, the show’s run should be a special one for all concerned. But one person who will have to hold off celebrations is an original cast member, Year 12 student Oli Golding who just so happens to also be in the cast for the 2018 reboot. Having played “the boy” 10 years ago, Oli has graduated to a role with an actual name and will appear as King Creon himself. “Directing my own son?” pre-empts Jason. “Yes, that’s pretty special too.”

I asked Mr Golding if he had any final advice for aspiring directors who may be reading this article, hoping for a pearl of wisdom from a man who has lived and breathed the theatre. “Be willing to do everything you ask your actors to do,” he advises. And how best to thrive in adversity whenever there is creative tension? “Problems lead to creative solutions,” assures this wise and seasoned director. “Always be willing to back someone in every production that others don’t believe you should.”

One thing is certain, from the moment the curtain comes down on closing night, Jason Golding will surely have a good idea about what the 2019 production will be. I asked him if he was willing to continue doing this for another 10 years?

“Will they let me?” he asks. Well, based on the praise above and the evidence below, the job is his.

The Golding Decade of Senior Drama

2009 Antigone (Sophocles)

2010 The Real Inspector Hound (Tom Stoppard)

2011 The Crucible (Arthur Miller)

2012 Dead White Males (David Williamson)

2013 The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Bertolt Brecht)

2014 Away (Michael Gow)

2015 An Ideal Husband (Oscar Wilde)

2016 The Lord of the Flies (William Golding)

2017 An Inspector Calls (J.B. Priestley)

2018 Burial at Thebes (Sophocles/Seamus Heaney)

2019 ???

Burial at Thebes can be seen in the TB Millar Hall at 7 pm on October 18, 19 and 20. Tickets at: https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=426111& or at the door ($15/$10).

Promo Video:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1sPgBJdSBEpvmCNN6ky1T5xqNagEBzZDv