Our Doorstep groups had the opportunity to go on another Theatre Buddies trip this October. This time to see Exe Men at the Exeter Northcott Theatre.
The show tells the story of the local team, Exeter Chiefs and their rise through the rugby ranks. It’s about teamwork and community and it really captured the spirit of working through hard times and preserving.
We weren’t quite sure what to expect but from the moment it started, we were all hooked! It was funny, fast paced and full of heart, with moments that made us laugh and others that really made us teary (well the adults anyway!). The community cast were brilliant, the whole performance felt slick and had a warmth that made it special.
One of the most interesting parts was how the stage was set up. The audience faced each other (traverse staging) which made it feel like we were right in the middle of the story. For many of our young people, it was their first time seeing a show staged like that and it definitely got them thinking about how theatre can be performed in different ways.
Here’s what some of the group had to say afterwards:
“It was so funny!”
“I loved how they used the rugby moves to move the set.”
“I thought it was great seeing the real players on the screen. I didn’t know much about rugby before.”
“It made me feel happy.”
“I liked the way we were sitting in the show, it was different and that felt interesting to me.”
It was such a brilliant afternoon out and we highly recommend watching this show in future!
A big thank you to the team at Exeter Northcott Theatre and everyone involved in Exe Men for putting on such an uplifting and heartfelt show. We look forward to visiting the Northcott again in future.
