by Marina Carnwath

This year’s DRA/FP Ball was the first to charge its residents for the privilege of attending. Traditionally the ticket price is included in the accommodation costs, meaning that charging extra left the committee in a position of having to prove the value of their event. Fortunately the weight of opinion came down in favour of the ball, ending up as a hugely enjoyable night.

Entering the venue though, was not the high point. It took a fair while. For reasons not quite apparent, as the numbers attending were decent, not excessive, guests were made to walk around three sides of the quad, before entering the tent on a red carpet. With FS this had made sense, as a way of staggering arrivals. With DRA ball, it just seemed a little unnecessary. Anyway, the marquee itself was wonderfully decorated. The Casino Royale theme was thoroughly committed to, with a chaise-lounge for the frankly intimidatingly well-dressed guests to be photographed on, complete with toy guns. A classic car stood in the middle of the tent, for some pretty sensual posing for the more tipsy of the attendees.

That was probably the real strength of the Casino Royale inspiration; the simplicity of it. DRA balls of the past have included Arabian Nights and A Midsummer Night’s Dream among their themes, which, particularly in the case of the former, actually meant the committee were doing more of the heavy lifting to make up for the guests not being dressed to theme. Casino Royale, while maybe not being the most original theme, really brought out the best in its guests, contributing massively to the overall atmosphere of decadence.

A further justification of the ticket price came in the form of the energetic live music, first from The Other Guys, then from a three-man band called Franco, bringing out the more enthusiastic dancing in the attendees. Slightly odd DJ choices included repeated playing of Smells Like Teen Spirit, and Seven Nation Army, but at least it was something different. Freebies offered to the guests as a result of the increase in price, included a glass of fizz, popcorn, ice cream, and a hefty quantity of Blackhorn wraps, burgers, and chips. Honestly I would imagine that most people would have preferred to choose to pay for the Blackhorn, rather than have free food included in the amped up ticket price, but it was a fancier type of freebie than is usual.

Ultimately, the DRA ball committee really went all out with the theme. There’s a reason why DRA/FP ball appeals to more than just the residents. It was a glamourous and unassuming affair, without the ‘seen and being seen’ of many other St Andrews events. The new ticket price certainly puts more pressure on the committee to deliver something of value, but they honestly seemed up to the task, pulling off a definite success.