Wednesday 3rd September 2025
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Trinity Hall Cambridge embroiled in sexual misconduct allegations

Rachel Cordery
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Trinity Hall Cambridge embroiled in sexual misconduct allegations

TW: Sexual Assault

Dr Jeremy Morris, the head of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, has stepped back from his duties after accusations of mishandling sexual misconduct allegations came to light.

The Rev Canon Morris “voluntarily stepped back from duties as Master of Trinity Hall, pending the Col- lege’s further consideration of recent events,” according to a statement on the college’s website.

Alongside Morris, Dr William O’Reilly has also withdrawn from his college duties pending further investigation. Dr O’Reilly is a University Senior Lecturer in Early Modern His- tory and a Fellow at Trinity Hall.

An investigation by Tortoise Media revealed that O’Reilly oversaw a disciplinary process involving multiple reports of sexual assault by a male student, who O’Reilly allegedly had a “close relationship” with during his time as Acting Senior Tutor at Trinity Hall, according to Varsity, Cambridge University’s student newspaper.

Published last week, the investigation also detailed an allegation against O’Reilly of sexually assaulting another male student. Dr O’Reilly declined to comment.

Ella Hill, a reporter at Tortoise, told Cherwell: “We’ve been concerned about campus safety for a while. At a Tortoise ThinkIn last year, we heard several stories of people who had experienced sexual violence on campus and been failed by their university. In part, those discussions led us to the Trinity Hall story.”

“Trinity Hall is a case study – not an exception. There are serious concerns about how universities across the sector address such allegations.”

Trinity Hall announced further resignations on Tuesday. The college announced that Vice-Master, Nick Bampos, will offer his resignation to the Governing Body next week.

Bampos’ resignation comes one day after the women, who brought forward the cases of misconduct, released a statement.

In a statement, the women said: “We have been moved and encouraged by the response from the student and alumni community. Thank you for fighting on our behalf, and for continuing to work so hard to make Trinity Hall a safer place.”

The women go on to offer four guidelines for what should happen next, including the resignation of Dr Jeremy Morris, the implementation of new leadership that “can command confidence of the student body”, and a disciplinary inquiry into Dr O’Reilly.

The women also called for the college to seek external investigation into the handling of sexual misconduct cases.

They added: “Our experience is not exceptional, and we stand in solidarity with all survivors of sexual misconduct – including those whose cases have been mishandled by institutions they trusted to treat them fairly and sensitively.”

The resignations follow mounting pressure from students and alumni.

In an open letter to the Heads of Houses of the constituent colleges of Cambridge University, the University’s Women’s Campaign wrote: “An investigation published in Tortoise this week has revealed that senior leadership at Trinity Hall made a series of decisions amounting to a complete failure to adequately deal with complaints of sexual misconduct and support survivors. The allegations that have been made reveal that the college leadership closed ranks to protect senior members of staff, and attempted to stifle student complaints and staff who supported them.

“We believe that the Trinity Hall case shines a light on a broader issue in the collegiate university, and forces us to seriously question the ability of any college to adequately handle sexual misconduct cases. Even if a college has a policy which represents good practice on paper, when complaints are administered by untrained individuals embedded in a close knit community, there is no guarantee that the policy will be properly followed. Individuals at Trinity Hall continuously prioritised collegiate relationships and college reputation over their duty of care to students. Senior members of staff had too much discretionary power and made a series of indefensible decisions which betrayed a complete disregard for the welfare of students. There has now been a breakdown of trust between Trinity Hall students and college leadership and welfare services.

“There is no reason to believe that Trinity Hall is worse equipped than any other college to handle these cases. We only know an unusual amount about the series of events at Trinity Hall because the college has come under focused scrutiny and has been the subject of investigative journalism. The reality is that cases such as these are not limited to Trinity Hall. Every college will struggle with conflicts of interest within a relatively small environment, as well as a lack of proper training and expertise. Every year, the Women’s Campaign hears from students who found their case quietly dropped or came up against members of college staff who lacked the knowledge or inclination to support them.

“It is clear that colleges are inadequately equipped to handle cases of sexual misconduct. We call on colleges to recognise this fact and commit to one centralised disciplinary procedure for cases of sexual misconduct.”

“The Women’s Campaign will continue to hold the University to account for its handling of sexual misconduct, and to call for further reform from the university disciplinary procedure. Ultimately we hope for one system that students can have faith in, and that the colleges will demonstrate their commitment to student safety over collegiate autonomy.”

The open letter has been signed by 44 groups and organisations, as well as over 830 students, staff and alumni.

A spokesperson for Trinity Hall told Cherwell: “As has been reported, the College has set up a panel of unconflicted Fellows to co-ordinate its response to the issues raised in recent media coverage. The panel will be submitting an interim report to an additional meeting of the Col- lege’s Governing Body in the week commencing 2nd March.”

Trinity Hall has previously come under pressure after an academic was accused of sexually harassing ten students last year.

Dr Peter Hutchinson later resigned from Trinity Hall in November 2019 after over 1,300 staff and students protested that he had been allowed to keep his post.

In response to the Tortoise investigation, the Master of Trinity Hall released a statement on the college’s website before his decision to step back.

The statement said: “We understand that any allegations of this kind at our College will be a matter of deep concern to everyone in our community, and we take them extremely seriously. There is no place for misconduct or inappropriate behaviour of any kind at Trinity Hall, and we are highly aware how important it is to deal with any issues which may arise in a clear and appropriate manner. The safety and welfare of students and staff at the College is a priority for us, and a natural expectation of anyone who comes to study and work here.”

“We will do everything we can to ensure people raising such issues feel safe and supported. The College has its own mental health team, and significant pastoral and tutorial support, in addition to the provision made by the University of Cambridge for all its students and staff.”

“We are aware that many of our students, staff and alumni have expressed important views on these topics in recent times, for which we are grateful, and hope that they will continue to engage with us in the future. We in turn are committed to listening and learning from previous instances of dealing with often challenging matters in the most rigorous manner possible.”

In light of this, Cambridge’s Office for Students is holding a consultation on sexual misconduct and harassment.

Dr Jeremy Morris has been Master of Trinity Hall since 2014.

Calls for Oxford University to scrap £75 postgraduate application fee

Matthew Schaffel
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Calls for Oxford University to scrap £75 postgraduate application fee

There have been calls for Oxford University to scrap the £75 application fee currently charged to students applying for postgraduate courses.

In a resolution now set to be debated on 10th March at the Sheldonian Theatre, PhD student Benjamin Fernando and researcher Mike Cassidy have outlined their plans to scrap the fee.

The University has so far stood firm in opposing the move and maintaining the benefits provided from bringing in over £2 million per year from the fee.

Benjamin Fernando told Cherwell: “The University requiring candidates to pay this fee is clearly elitist and exclusionary, and serves to work against the University’s commitment to advancing access at a graduate level.”

The researcher Mike Cassidy, who worked alongside Fernando in bring- ing this motion to the University congregation, said: “The other motivation for our resolution is that we fear Oxford will raise the fees…and that soon charging for postgraduate applications in other universities will be the norm, looking to Oxbridge for justification. If Oxford votes to abolish these fees, it sets a great example to those other [application fee-charging] universities.”

These views are also shared by Chris Lintott, a Professor of Astrophysics, who said: “I would hear every year from people who couldn’t find the £75. I certainly couldn’t have found that sort of money when I was applying! It also adds to the perception that Oxford is a place for the rich.”

Mr Lintott also warned that “Unless they [the reforms to the application fee] are as liberal as possible (Harvard offers a fee waiver more or less to anyone who asks) there will still be people who are prevented from applying because of the fee”.

The Oxford Student Union has also supported the move, with Ray Williams, current Vice-President for Access and Academic Affairs, saying: “Our position is that the University should do away with the application fee or, at minimum, vastly expand the fee waiver program.”

This was following a vote in support of the resolution during 3rd Week at the Student Council, in which 90% of those in attendance backed it.

A spokesperson for the University said: “Oxford is one of a growing number of institutions that charges a fee at the point of application for graduate study, towards the cost of the systems, staff and other resources that support its admissions process for over 30,000 prospective applicants every year”.

They added: “The University has agreed a Strategic Plan priority to increase the number of graduate scholarships it will offer over the next five years, and is committed to meeting this target.”

The spokesperson also made reference to the expansion of its UNIQ+ postgraduate application programme, which is “a paid research internship programme for students from under-represented backgrounds who might not otherwise consider postgraduate study at Oxford,” and includes an application fee waiver as part of the programme.

Essi Kessler, the HCR (Hulme Common Room) President at Brase- nose College, added that “the money collected from the Application fee for postgraduates is invested in access schemes such as the UNIQ summer school.”

Kessler also made reference to how it would be “highly desirable to reduce the amount of the application fee to bring it down to a more moderate amount”.

Keen Oxford launch #Share One World campaign

Aishah Wilson
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Keen Oxford launch #Share One World campaign

The Charity Keen, based at the St Clements Centre in Oxford, has introduced their #Share One World campaign in which they are pledging for inclusion and spreading the message that everyone has a responsibility to make society fully inclusive.

Founded in 1984, Keen is a charity that provides sessions and projects that incorporates their fundamental belief that everyone should have an equal opportunity to be included in community based social and recreational activities, for example those who are disabled or those with other needs not catered for. 

They run a range of sessions ranging from Allsorts (a session full of sports games), to Zig Zag (a creative play, arts and drama workshop), to Keen Teens (a project club for young people aged 10-19).

Their #Share One World campaign asks people to pledge their promise to make society more inclusive, and includes numerous ways on their website to make a difference, listing activities such as learning more about inclusion and encouraging school children to organise inclusive events in collaboration with special schools.

On their website, they said: “Inclusion isn’t something that one person is responsible for or can achieve on their own. Everyone has a responsibility to help make our society fully inclusive!” 

You can get involved by making the pledge to make your society more inclusive at: https://www.keenuk.org/sow

Dinah Rose QC appointed as new Magdalen president

Imogen Duke
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Dinah Rose QC appointed as new Magdalen president

Dinah Rose QC has been appointed the new President of Magdalen College. She will succeed Professor Sir David Clary FRS in September 2020.

She will be the first woman to hold this position, and the 43rd President of Magdalen College since its foundation in 1458.

Dinah Rose is a barrister and member of Blackstone Chambers. She has been involved in many of the leading cases in public law, human rights, employment law, and competition law.

Rose studied Modern History at Magdalen College, graduating in 1987. She was called to the bar in 1989 and appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 2006.

She was named Barrister of the Year in The Lawyer Awards 2009 and was appointed a Deputy Judge of the High Court in 2016. Rose has represented Julian Assange in front of the supreme court, and Rupert Murdoch’s News International in phone hacking trials.

Dinah Rose said in a statement from Magdalen College: “It is a great pleasure and privilege to be returning to Magdalen, where I spent three happy and unforgettable years as a student. I look forward to fostering a diverse and welcoming community of scholars, where lively debate, and mutual respect and support encourage our students to fulfil their enormous potential, personally as well as academically. Magdalen has in recent years made very substantial progress in broadening access to the unmatched opportunities which it offers. I am determined to do all in my power to ensure that Magdalen is as accessible and inclusive as it is exceptional.”

Magdalen College said: “Magdalen College is delighted to announce the appointment of Dinah Rose QC as its next President. She will take up office in September 2020 as successor to Professor Sir David Clary FRS, who will have completed 15 years of distinguished service as President of the College.”

Growing number of visitors to Covered Market

David Alexander
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Growing number of visitors to Covered Market

The numbers visiting Oxford’s Covered Market have continued to grow, even staying strong during the January lull.

New data from Oxford City Council shows that Oxford Covered Market had almost one million visits in 2019 and there was an increase in year-on-year footfall in the run-up to Christmas. 

Footfall was up 4.22 per cent in the run-up to Christmas, with 115,941 visits in the six weeks to the end of 2019, compared to 111,248 visits over the same period in 2018.

During 2019, there were a total of 997,760 visits. These statistics come from footfall counters installed by the city council, which manages the market, in late 2018, to measure the effectiveness of promotional and advertising activities.

All of the 61 available units in the market were also occupied during December, with a waiting list of would-be tenants. The council is now talking to businesses and organisations about taking on the small number of units that have become vacant since Christmas.

The news follows a number of measures taken to promote and improve the historic building. In the run-up to Christmas, the council, working with local creative agency Monchu and filmmaker Adam Hale, produced an advert to promote the market.

Then, earlier this month, award-winning social enterprise Tap Social announced it would open a bar and events space in the Covered Market this summer. Moreover, the city council is also investing £3.1m into the Covered Market, which is Grade II-listed and dates from 1774, to try and secure its longevity.

The investment includes £1.8m to make sure the roof lasts another 60 to 80 years, as well as £1.3m for internal refurbishment. A new masterplan is being drawn up for the future of the market – it should be ready by the end of the year.

Oxford prepares to celebrate fairtrade fortnight

Florine Lips
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Oxford prepares to celebrate fairtrade fortnight

Oxford is set to host a series of events over the next two weeks in celebration of Fairtrade Fortnight, a campaign which takes place every year to raise awareness of Fairtrade practices.

This year, Fairtrade Fortnight will take place from February 24th to March 8th. Its central aim is to continue the fight for cocoa farmers to earn a living income, and the campaign will include stories showing the foundation’s positive influence on the farmers whose rights it seeks to protect. 

The events will be held by the Oxford Fairtrade Coalition, which is supported by the Oxford City Council.

Events will include the Fairtrade Business Breakfast on Wednesday 25th February, from 7.45am – 9.15am, held in Oxford University Club, as well as a panel discussion entitled ‘She Deserves Chocolate’, held on Tuesday 3rd March from 7pm-9pm in Lady Margaret Hall.

Oxford Town Hall’s café, run by Lemon Zest, will be offering customers a discount of 10% on Fairtrade hot chocolate throughout the Fortnight. The café already offers a variety of Fairtrade products.

Other events include a lecture on Thursday 27th February at the Museum of Natural History entitled ‘Climate Resilience, Social Justice and Sustainability’, which will involve a talk from Palestine Fair Trade Association (PFTSA)’s Mohammed Ruzzi, Conservation Hierarchy’s Henry Grub, and a panel discussion on how small-scale farmers can deal with the climate crisis.

On Sunday 1st March, the Student Union will host a Great Fairtrade Bake Off, organised in collaboration with colleges’ environmental representatives. 

Several colleges have already announced their plans to support the campaign. Wadham, one of the colleges to take part, will provide Fairtrade products such as chocolate brownies, cookies, and Divine chocolate bars in their New Refectory.

The Oxford City Council has pledged its commitment to the use of Fairtrade products and encourages local residents to buy from businesses that stock Fairtrade products. Oxford has been a Fairtrade City since 2004, meaning that the Council has passed a resolution supporting Fairtrade, and has agreed to serve Fair Trade tea and coffee at meetings.

A range of Fairtrade products is also available at local establishments, and Fairtrade products are used by local workplaces and community organisations. 

Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council, said: “We are delighted that Oxford continues to be a Fairtrade City, having first been awarded this in 2004. We are a member of the Oxford Fair Trade Coalition and contribute funds to support the promotion of fair trade activities, goods and events such as the One World Fair. We work hard to ensure workers in our city are paid the Oxford Living Wage, but it is just as important to tackle poverty away from home where we can. Simple changes such as selling Fairtrade drinks (try some at our Town Hall café) and goods can make a difference to those who need it. Producers all around the world deserve to be fairly paid for their work.”

Ben Ashton, Chair of the Oxford Fairtrade Coalition, said: “Imagine a world in which the person who grows the cocoa could set a fair price for it. If everyone in Oxford chose to buy a Fairtrade option whenever they could and the small difference in price we pay made its way back to the producers at the beginning of the chain we could change their lives and their communities forever.

“The Fairtrade logo you can see on some food packaging means that the product includes certified Fairtrade ingredients which have been produced by farmers, organisations or co-operatives in a way that meets agreed social, economic and environmental standards. They will have been paid a fair price and will also receive a premium to spend in their community as they choose. There are over 4500 Fairtrade products from coffee and tea to flowers, chocolate, bananas, beauty products, and much more. So when you shop, look for the Fairtrade logo.”

Oxford University has been a recipient of the Fairtrade University and College Award since 2018, something that requires a commitment to supporting Fairtrade practices in departmental cafes and sites.

Firefighters called to help flood victims despite current law

Amelia Wood
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Firefighters called to help flood victims despite current law

Unlike the rest of the country, firefighters in Oxfordshire do not have a legal obligation to help flooding victims, according to current rules.

Despite this, firefighters have been called to assist in hundreds of rescues in Oxfordshire following Storm Ciara and Dennis.

As a result, the county branch of the Fire Brigades Union, who have been campaigning for a rule change since 2016, argued that the rules as they stand could prevent money and other vital resources being available to residents of Oxfordshire when they are most needed.

A spokesperson from the group said: “We need government ministers and Chief Fire Officers to get around the table with the Fire Brigades Union and look at resources that are needed, what investment is required and look at a long term plan to deal with flooding incidents. Flooding is nothing new, and will only get worse with climate change, but our ability to tackle its consequences has been utterly undermined by a lack of long-term planning from this government.”

He further criticised the flooding response from the conservative government as a “shambles.”

Following a request for comment, Chris Dyson, Press Officer for Oxfordshire County Council, wrote: “Although the fire and rescue service has no statutory responsibility to deal with flooding or water rescue, Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service has invested in equipment and training so we can provide assistance during flooding.

“The service provides support and carries out rescues following accidents on or in the water, and for people and animals stuck on ice or in mud.Each frontline appliance carries a water rescue capability, including floating lines to throw to people and inflation equipment for our hose to allow us to deliver it to people in need of rescue.

“Each appliance also carries dry suits and associated equipment to allow us to enter water, and life jackets to allow us to operate safely in and around bodies of water. This capability is enhanced by our specialist water rescue crew, based at Kidlington. They are trained to the highest level and are capable of swimming to casualties or accessing them via boat in order to rescue them.

“During times of mass flooding, we can also call upon a resilience stock of equipment held at Abingdon Fire Station. This equipment is delivered by the station to wherever it is needed and can include, extra life jackets and dry suits, inflatable rescue sleds, used to ferry people to safety.”

Lord Mayor visits twin cities in wake of Brexit

Christina Kirk
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Lord Mayor visits twin cities in wake of Brexit

Lord Mayor of Oxford Craig Simmons will travel across Europe from February 26th to March 3rd in order to coordinate carbon emission reduction initiatives and address post-Brexit relationships with Oxford’s twin cities. 

This trip was scheduled as part of the Mayor’s commitment to a year of low-carbon initiatives, according to the Oxford City Council. During the trip, he will coordinate with these nations to synchronise plans to combat climate change within each of their cities and to spread messages of friendship and commitment to the international community in the wake of Brexit. 

Originally scheduled to occur during 2019, the trip was rescheduled to follow the Brexit decision. The new date will allow the Mayor to talk to representatives from each city about how to foster long-term relationships as the UK leaves the European Union.

The Mayor released a statement that affirmed the city’s commitment to invigorating Oxford’s connections in Europe, which emphasised that Oxford is a deeply international city.

Simmons said: “We’ve enjoyed cultural exchanges as well as exchange of knowledge and expertise with our twin cities, and my message is that we value that more than ever as we leave the EU and build a new international status.” 

Oxford’s twin cities include Bonn, Germany; Grenoble, France; Leiden, Netherlands; Padua, Italy; and Wroclaw, Poland. Links to these European cities provide Oxford international economic and cultural connection and enrichment from diverse regions across the continent. 

In the wake of the three tumultuous years leading up to the Brexit decision, the Oxford city council launched a social media campaign, #WeAreOxford, last week. This campaign’s purpose is to reinforce Oxford’s ties to the rest of Europe and to solidify Oxford’s commitment to building a strong, diverse, and optimistic international community. 

The campaign has been allotted £35,000, which will be invested in activities and initiatives that invigorate Oxford’s diverse community.

As part of #WeAreOxford, the city council has plans to host a celebratory event focused on Oxford’s relationship with its twin cities later this year, with aims to further community and business links between cities.

The Mayor emphasised that he seeks to enhance the relationships between Oxford and its twin cities with messages of friendship. 

In his public statement, he encouraged Oxford residents interested in sending their own messages to email [email protected] with messages of support and requests to build business links in the twin cities.

Lady Pat R. Honising: Tutor crush

Lady Pat R. Honising
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Lady Pat R. Honising: Tutor crush

Dear Lady Pat,

I’ve got a bit of a crush if I’m honest, and I know that they say love is blind, love has no age etc etc but this is someone I most definitely should not have a crush on.

He’s funny, super intelligent, we have a great chat on the most intellectual and banal of topics, he oozes sexy powerful vibes. Sounds perfect right, well apart from the 20 year age difference and the fact that he is my tutor you would be correct.

The problem is college has all these oppressive rules against such a relationship, they think it’s “inappropriate” and an “abuse of power” and society would be super judgy and just tell me I have “daddy issues”, but I’ve read the Freud and done some self analysis and can tell you this is categorically not true though.

From an academic standpoint and it affecting my grades I do reluctantly kinda see their point, but by God he is one sexy man. If he pushed aside his beautiful successful wife and adorable child I would be waiting to ride off into the sunset with him in an instant but sadly this is a distant hope and wild fantasy. He may be an office hermit and barely see his perfect family but I highly doubt he’d ever throw his stable home life from his ivory tower in favour of a whirlwind romance with some small insignificant little undergraduate. I can always hope though.

If it helps me get through an arduous tute or gives me strength through a soul destroying translation that didn’t even make sense in its original language, then it’s harmless, right?

Please advise me how to get over this crush, I’m flailing in tutes and my concentration is at times elsewhere…

-Juliet

My dear Juliet,

Get a grip. Making advances at your tutor is very dubious, and making advances at your married tutor, who has a child is a resounding and definite no. Stop it. Right now. No entertaining this.

I am a strong believer that we have a degree of control over who we’re into. Even if you can’t help but be attracted to him, you can definitely tell yourself very firmly that you would not go there, and refuse to let yourself daydream or fantasise about it.

Age may just be a number, but being a homewrecker is more than slightly frowned upon (trust me darling, I went to prep school with Camilla, so I’d know). More than that, if you actually had feelings for this man, trying to be romantically involved with him would be at the bottom of your list – at least until you graduate. Although you might both be adults, if it became public knowledge that he was having an affair with his student, the least that would happen is that he would gain a terrible reputation, and with the way the press are these days (I hate journalists), there’s more than a slight chance that it could hit the pages of the Daily Mail as some sensationalist sex scandal. Also the fact he could lose his job, which, as an Oxford tutor, would be pretty hard to beat.

Juliet, darling, we’ve all been there. At the ripe old age of one hundred and seven I, of course, have had the odd crush on someone terribly unsuitable (can I just clarify that despite the raw chemistry between Clinton and I nothing ever happened – she was too focused on her presidential campaign). But the difference is that I have learnt to pick my battles. You’re at Oxford darling – this place is practically dripping with attractive, charismatic, intelligent people – just come to the Cherwell offices on a Thursday afternoon and you’ll see.

Turn on some Lizzo, get yourself on Tinder, and forget about this man. The excellent sconces are not worth all the trouble it would cause.

Live, laugh, love,

-Lady P xxxxx

Translating nature into the theatre

Abigail Howe
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Translating nature into the theatre

Audition season for Trinity plays is beginning. Prepare your monologues and get ready to neglect your studies. More importantly though, get shopping for a raincoat. Garden plays don’t mix well with the British summer. So, for those who don’t fancy shaking with cold while doing Shakespeare under umbrellas and perhaps want to take a more interpretive approach, how can we depict the natural world in theatre?

Let’s deal with the obvious first – outside performances can be immersive and fantastic. The success of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre indicates this. The Globe is similarly popular and features the threat of rain for groundlings – with the warning that they won’t cancel productions based on weather conditions. Sure, £5 tickets are great but standing in the pouring rain to watch Hamlet for three hours is less so (although I can now relate to Hamlet’s misery on a far deeper level). A midnight matinee (one of the Globe’s most popular performance types) results in moments of amusement – as you struggle to keep your eyes open, Romeo and Juliet pulls you through morning, noon, twilight, night and dawn again. Reliance on natural light and seasonal changes can also create issues. So, if you want to skip the authentic – what are your options?

Inua Ellams’ Three Sisters (yes, it’s based on Chekhov) has just closed at the National Theatre. We are taken to 1960s Nigeria – more specifically, Owerri in Biafra. As civil war breaks out, nature seems to take over. We begin on the porch of a house built by the father of Lolo, Nne Chukwu and Odo, framed by hanging fronds which recall a proscenium arch. War leads us to a curtain of greenery; this is used to show distance and intimacy between characters as well as providing a victim to be evocatively attacked by Nigerian soldiers before the interval. 
We end with the house off-stage. Abosede, its new mistress, plans to cut down the greenery, showing her ascendancy and new-found power. The Igbo sisters, previously part of the educated elite, are instead relegated to the forest, a key zone within the atrocities of the civil war. Here, it’s set that leads us into the natural world, showing the collapse of Biafran idealism in the face of harsh economic and imperial reality. 


Rob Drummond’s one man show The Majority utilises layered hexagons which then show films of beehives. In contrast to the minimalist, metallic and modern set, this large-scale set piece shoves the natural world in the audience’s face. This clash exemplifies the discord explored in The Majority, which was written as a one-man show in the wake of the Scottish Independence vote and the Brexit Referendum, looking at issues of fragmentation – the cultural clashes are highlighted through the material clash of bees and metal. However, just as quickly as the bees come, they flash away. The stage returns to blankness, a canvas for Drummond (and his audience) to paint their opinions upon. Nature, here, is a trifle to be used, rather than a consistent embodiment of status or a reminder of setting, as it is in Three Sisters.


The 2017 Globe production of King Lear begins with homeless itinerants piling onto a sheet-covered, dully graffiti-ed stage – much like in The Majority, this is an urban and delocalised scene.It’s almost post-apocalyptic with the barren staging. There is no place for the natural world here. This jars uncomfortably with the natural focus of Shakespeare’s writing as Lear, the Fool and Gloucester wander the heath after entering exile. Lear, after his mental collapse, scatters the stage with (notably fake – pragmatism or symbolism?) flowers, tossing them over the audience. He is attempting to bring the natural world into this empty environment, creating comfort. Flowers remain scattered on stage, trampled by the cast, as Lear cradles Cordelia’s corpse. This, similarly to Three Sisters, shows the relation between character and nature.


The Prince of Egypt has been playing at the Dominion Theatre for the last month. The ensemble become the Nile, rolling over each other in an astounding act of physical theatre to carry baby Moses to safety. This is aided by nude-toned costumes and bold lighting choices – washing the entire stage blue, for example. The ensemble also become the desert and a burning bush; when the Nile turns to blood, the ensemble roll to rip the costumes of guards to reveal the red, blood-stained ones underneath. The Dominion seems to lend itself to large-scale choreography; it previously hosted An American in Paris, with beautiful balletic sequences. 


At the climax of The Prince of Egypt, ensemble members are hoisted up, spinning in mid-air while fringed costumes signify the Red Sea. They create a parting through which the Hebrews can escape to (a struggle for) liberty. The raised section of the stage – the only significant static piece of staging – tips to throw the Egyptian soldiers into the orchestra pit. The natural world is figured through human physicality – it’s familiar to any of us who played a tree (or a bush, or a sheep) in the school play. 

There’s also the question of immersion itself – placing the audience in a world which they can explore and discover, seeming more real and authentic than the standard, potentially archaic, model of theatre. For We Can’t Reach You, Hartford (The Assembly), the audience stand in the centre of a burnt down circus tent while the cast move around them. Iris Theatre’s Hamlet last summer was in the grounds of St Paul’s Church in the heart of Covent Garden – playing a play about corruption and capital in the capital of a perhaps corrupt institution. Sleep No More, an immersive theatre experience in New York since 2011, features more than ninety different spaces – from candy shops to cemeteries – while Then She Fell (riffing off Alice in Wonderland) takes place in an old church, transforming it into an interactive psych-ward for the audience to move around.

So, why can’t we create an immersive world featuring nature? It would be far easier than a garden play, less reliant on the weather and more suitable for tech work. But the majority of us haven’t been to psych-wards or candy shops or circuses enough to truly judge their authenticity. We simply don’t have that knowledge so rely on tropes and creative choices to inform us. It’s far easier to create an immersive, authentic world within the urban sphere. When attempting to portray the natural world, though, the audience can typically tell, especially when given the freedom to move and investigate the space – in Three Sisters, the fake vines and fronds are only possible because of the separating proscenium arch. Sarah Kane famously demanded that flowers on stage in her play be real, planted in soil and tended to between performances. Authenticity at all costs.


So, the natural world can be constructed through staging, as in Three Sisters and The Majority, ensemble and cast (through The Prince of Egypt), props (as in King Lear) or indicated through the play text itself, with a requirement for audience belief. All of these are inauthentic – but then so is theatre. Fundamentally, it is a medium of falsehood and omission, with inauthentic performativity being central. Sibyl Vane, a failed actress, in The Picture of Dorian Gray claims that “the painted scenes were my world” in the “empty pageant” of the theatre. While in the theatre, these painted scenes can become our world, from the urban to the rural or natural. While it is an “empty pageant”, it is our choice to believe that makes the environment real. 
No matter how the natural world is constructed in theatre, it is its impact – whether it is compelling enough to make us believe – that is truly important.

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