The girl on the platform is the story of Brenda Norfield's journey to Wales as an evacuee during the second world war. The show is narrated by her and acted out by only two actors who never speak.
The actors used masks and different costumes to show which character they were playing. A lot of mime and gestures were used to show personality and intentions. There was a lot of interaction with the audience, which at times seemed to slow the whole thing down but did add an extra level of detail.
The props, costumes and music used seemed authentic for the period and the well known WWII propaganda posters at the back of the stage gave a good idea of the concerns, attitudes and opinions of the characters.
The acting was very distinct and maybe the extra focus on movement was what made the characters so believable and individual. The masks too seemed to project a personality that would be hard to get from gesture alone.
The plot was simple and interesting and the characters were well formed. I felt the story didn't have much of an arc, but then it was drawn from real events.
Overall it was a good production and a good way to spend half an hour in Kingston. The masks, characters, props and costumes were brilliant and a real emphasis has to be put on the effort and skill of the two actors.
