Keepers - Pulse Fringe Festival, New Wolsey Studio

Located about 21 miles of St Davids Head in West Wales is The Smalls Lighthouse. This remote outpost was to cause a change in policy that impacted all lighthouses until the recent remote operation made lighthouse keepers redundant. After events here, lighthouses would now require at least three staff.


The reason for this rule change is the background to Keepers, a new play by The Plasticine Men. We meet the two keepers of The Smalls lighthouse Thomas Howell and Thomas Griffith. Day in, day out the two Toms keep the light burning, the lighthouse maintained and battle to stave off the boredom of this isolated life. When Griffiths dies in an accident the other Tom lashes the corpse to the railing and is slowly driven mad by the spirit of his colleague.

Thankfully there is plenty of humor in this piece to balance the grisly aspects of the tale and Martin Bonger and Fionn Gill ensure they wring every ounce of comic potential out of the situation. From mime through to physical theatre the two keepers are brought to vivid life. Although technically a two man show there is a third performer who ensures the show works; onstage performed music and sound effects by Lawrence Williams adds both the comic and emotional backdrop to the action.

Simply staged with just two chairs and a ladder, Keepers shows that you don’t need a huge budget to make effective theatre.

Reykjavik - Pulse Fringe Festival, Town Hall Galleries

Arriving at the Ipswich Council Chamber audience members are handed a white forensic suit to wear and a pair of paint covered goggles. So Reykjavik isn’t going to be your traditional theatre experience. Nor is it a play about the banking crisis or Eyjafjallajokull, but a powerful and emotional exploration of love and memory.


This is totally immersive theatre, the white clad audience are led into the performance area to watch a series of images on a white sheet before the sheet is partially lifted and the audience feed through into a larger white space. This is a promenade performance that sees the audience led through a variety of scenes, no passive viewing here, the audience are totally absorbed into the production and encouraged to reflect on their own thoughts and memory.

It is a moving and emotional event as we follow one mans journey through love, hope and despair in the Icelandic capital.

Lighting, multimedia and an evocative soundscape create a unique multi sensory experience that totally grips throughout. Props are cleverly produced to create a multitude of locations and a series of powerful tableaux.

Conceived and led by Jonathan Young assisted by Sinikka Kyllönen and Steve Loader for Shams Theatre this theatre at is absolute best. Powerful, groundbreaking, emotional and thought provoking. Like the acclaimed Kursk this is a show that redefines theatre boundaries and shows the potential of theatre to explore raw human emotion.

Reykjavik will be touring to the Edinburgh Fringe in August and if you get the chance to catch this stunning work jump at the chance.

London Assurance - National Theatre - Olivier

Sitting in the lofty height of the back of the Olivier Circle for London Assurance a Sondheim song kept running though my head. ‘A weekend in the country’ could have easily been written about this period romp.

In its first major revival for many a year, Nick Hytner has called on some of the National Theatre acting royalty to ham it up gloriously in Dion Boucicault's 1841 comedy.

The money has obviously been well spent here with sumptuous staging - a Regency London street façade giving way to a magnificent detailed replica of a Gloucestershire country mansion that revolves to display an equally detailed interior.

The script is a humorous tale of mistaken identities, cads, unrequited love and the differences between city and country life. In many respects however the script is a mere backdrop for an acting masterclass from some of our finest stage actors. Leading the company as flamboyant Sir Harcourt Courtly, Simon Russell Beale preens around the stage in a glorious over the top performance. As his counterpoint the feisty and domineering Lady Gay Spanker (surely winning any award for the best named character in a play) is brought to bugle-blowing, whip-cracking life by an on form Fiona Shaw.

Although dominated by these two titans of the stage, Richard Briers, Mark Addy, Matt Cross and Michelle Terry all give strong performances in support.

Some of the jokes may be corny and some of the script creaky but this is more than made up for by the performances. Perhaps not as hysterical as I’d been lead to believe but an evening to leave the cares behind.

Spring Storm - National Theatre Cottesloe

If you think you’ve seen all of Tennessee Williams’ work think again. 27 years after the author’s death the National Theatre stages the London transfer of Northampton Royal & Derngate’s European Premiere of Spring Storm.


The play, written in 1937 lay forgotten in papers until its rediscovery in the 1990s but this is the first opportunity to see a UK staging of this early work.

And what an accomplished work it is. Despite being rejected at the time, Spring Storm clearly demonstrates a writer who had already found his voice and we see trends and characters that would shape his later, more familiar works. The familiar themes of unrequited love, betrayal, exclusion and sense of not belonging all evident in this and later plays. The ghost of Blanche from Streetcar in particular seems to haunt this production.

Laurie Sansom directs a top-notch cast who mange to combine both the pathos and the humour that has become Williams’ trademark style. Some of the Southern accents do occasionally wander (apart from a spot on Liz White as Heavenly Critchfield) but it’s only a minor criticism.

Designers Sarah Perks (set), Chris Davey (lighting) and Christopher Shutt (sound) create a total immersive atmosphere that moves effortlessly from locale to locale, without resorting to the staple ceiling fan.

Tennessee Williams’ is not always easy viewing and the emotions are typically fraught in this production, however the show is still as relevant and fresh today as it was when written over 70 years ago.

Currently a sell out, if you can obtain a ticket do for one of the theatrical events of the year.

Sex Idiot - Pulse Fringe Festival, New Wolsey Theatre

Well after a few hours sleep I haven’t calmed down. Where to start? Well just because you can doesn’t mean you should. This offensive, obscene and badly conceived piece ranks as the worst show I’ve ever endured.

 Last night’s second Pulse Fringe offering was the excruciating debacle  Sex Idiot by Bryony Kimmings, billed as a piece examining her reaction to discovering she had contracted an STI. So it was always likely to be risqué but where humour can help tackle some of the most difficult subjects this appalling piece fails on every level.

 

So what do you get for your money?

 

• A song with the delightful refrain of ‘I will rape and mutilate you’
• Another song consisting of a list of words for vagina 
• The audience passing round scissors to donate their pubic hair 
• Ms Kimmings then using said pubic hair as a moustache 
• Dissecting two (animal we hope) hearts on stage and sewing them together 
• Singing through her arse 
• Urinating into a glass onstage 
• Pouring contents of said glass over herself

 Now I’m sure it’s meant to be shocking and offensive but for shock to work as a performance piece it needs the material to be clever, Sex Idiot fails as the material behind the shock is so weak and juvenile. Compare Sex Idiot with one of last year’s Pulse Festival late night offerings Horse by Flick Ferdinando. Horse was just as smutty, just as shocking but underpinned by strong performance, a clever and witty script and a clear understanding of how performance theatre can work – all woefully lacking in this ‘performance’.

 

Some of the audience loved it but sadly I have to chalk this one up as the worst hour in a theatre in 20 years (and I sat through Out Westgate and Guernica). While a passionate supporter for increased arts funding, if this is the level of ‘talent’ the Arts Council are funding perhaps the proposed £19million funding cut may force a radical review of funding such dross. New Wolsey Theatre and Pulse Fringe – hang your heads in shame

 

Come To Where I'm From - Pulse Fringe Festival, Sir John Mills Theatre

Now under new management, champions of new writing Paines Plough are presenting a series of shows around the country asking local writers to examine their local environment.


For the Ipswich leg of Come To Where I’m From we are treated to four short views on life in East Anglia. Perhaps worryingly for the East of England Tourist board the central theme running through all four pieces seems to be a desire to escape.

We start in Colchester (Niki Werenowska) and a tale of departure and return both modern and roman. It’s a clever concept but one that like the previous nights offering (The Siege) would work better on paper than as a performance.

From Colchester to Gt Yarmouth (Ian McHugh) and tales of growing up, lost love and sexual identity. There is a strong narrative here and one that could be developed into a longer piece.

Next a tale of how caring for a sick relative turns to witchcraft (Molly Davies). This is a comical tale but underpinned with some real pathos.

The final piece (Joel Horwood) the influx of creative types into Suffolk but again the comic tale is underpinned by tragedy. Again this is a piece that could be developed into a longer piece, either as a published text or as a monologue.

The concept is interesting and the writing diverse. Authors reading their own work perhaps didn’t work and some background to each piece (again no programme or notes) would help understand where the author was coming from. Like the previous nights offering perhaps some of this more suited to the page rather than stage.

Orpheus and Eurydice - Pulse Fringe Festival, New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich

A mad dash across town for the second show in this year’s Pulse Fringe Festival. The New Wolsey Theatre has been exploring the fusion of Circus and Theatre to create a new physical theatre style.

Using the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice the team have created a multimedia 30 minute spectacle that holds attention throughout. The myth has been updated, Eurydice is now a supermodel and her lover a Robbie Williams inspired rocker.

Using highly effective lighting, soundscape, video and aerial work the team have created an impressive show, even more remarkable considering the short development time the team have had.

Although a work in progress, this is an assured production by all involved, performers and technical crew – unfortunately they will have to remain un-named as the Theatre hasn’t produced a programme or cast list for the show.

Perhaps the show doesn’t quite fit comfortably into the New Wolsey Theatre main house but it is an impressive example of how the two genres can work together. The post show discussion shows that the opening night audience see a future for this piece and so it will be interesting to see what direction it takes post Pulse.

The Siege/Bunny - Pulse Fringe Festival, Sir John Mills Theatre

Well I’m confused. When is a play not a play? For me a basic requirement is some form of dramatic progression or tension. For the opening show in this year’s Pulse Fringe Festival we are offered a rehearsed reading of The Siege (although we are told in the introduction that it is now called Bunny).


Skins and Shameless writer Jack Thorne has created a 75 minute monologue about life in Luton. Now rehearsed readings are notoriously difficult to pull off, however hard the actor tries the mind is always thinking about potential staging. In this piece however you wonder how this material would work at all in a staged production.

The problem in Siege/Bunny is that the material is just not theatrical. Words hit you like a machine gun at 100mph and therefore you miss much of the nuances of the script. There are some witty one-liners but this are few and far between. It seems more like a literary reading of a novel. The overuse of description; ‘he said’, ‘she said’, ‘they did’ suggests this piece is one better read than watched.

The other big problem with the piece is that there seems to be no dramatic tension in the piece, it may be a tale of domestic life in Luton but we just don’t care about the character or any of the other thinly drawn characters she encounters. Perhaps with more development Siege/Bunny could work (by the way, neither title serve the play well) but I would suggest this is one for print rather than stage. A disappointing start to Pulse 2010.

Let the fringe festival fun commence

The weather may be telling a different story, but with festival season upon us summer must be finally here. Here in (what will hopefully remain) sunny Suffolk we are gaining a reputation for our festivals. The long established Aldeburgh Festival has been joined by the Bury St Edmunds, High Tide, Latitude, Harvest at Jimmy's and Pulse Festivals among others.


A few weeks back High Tide offered us some first class debut plays that would grace any stage and demonstrated that the arts are alive and well here in the sticks.

Tonight see's the 10th Pulse Fringe Festival kick off here in Ipswich. Much expanded since the original back in 2001 (God I feel old!) the festival now features over 50 performances over three weeks and multiple venues.

After a few years of manically criss-crossing town to catch multiple performances a night, this year it’s a relatively relaxing 18 show schedule for me this year - though a few manic dashes will still be in order (staring tonight with two shows in quick succession.)

What am I hoping for?
Good writing, good direction and some imagination.

What am I hoping to avoid?
Pretentious, absurd for the sake of it, pieces that shouldn’t have left the drawing board.

Some will be good, some will be bad but it's with an open mind that I head to Pulse waiting (and wanting) to be impressed. Watch this space for the verdicts....

Spine cracking in the stalls

So should I stop going to the theatre? If I do go should I limit myself to booking a restricted view seat at the back of the theatre?


Why am I asking?

Well I’m 6’2 tall and from the comments I’ve started receiving from fellow audience members it seems this is far too tall to go to the theatre.

Now when I book at ticket I weigh up the options over price versus view and then try and book the best seats available. For a few of my fellow audience members recently though it seems I am committing some heinous crime and should only be allowed in the theatre if relegated to the back row.

Two examples recently, the first being prodded constantly in the back during the first act while being asked to slump in my seat, the second being told by the lady behind that I should be more considerate when booking seats. I’ve even been asked by front of house staff if I would consider moving to seats further back.

Now 6’2 while tall isn’t exactly giant proportions. Would the same people ask an overweight person or someone with Amy Winehouse –esque hair to move? No, so why is it acceptable for ‘heightist’ comments to be made in the stalls?

I do try to scoot down in my seat as much as is humanly possible in the spine crushing confines of most theatre seats but given the continued abuse I am now thinking of sitting bolt upright tall and proud!

Rant over

Between The Cracks - Guildhall Bury St Edmunds

One of the joys of drama is that it can be both therapeutic and educational. In Between The Cracks elements of both are there; a collaboration between The Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds and Suffolk Mind and shaped by those with experience of Borderline Personality Disorder. Given the potential it is therefore a shame that both elements never fully work.

We follow the tale of Linda, who suffers from the disorder and the characters, both real and in her mind, that shape her life.

It’s not easy viewing and, although it is a worthy introduction to those unfamiliar with the condition, is not wholly successful as a piece of theatre.

Part of the problem lies with writer and director Danusia Iwaszko’s script. The piece was shaped by the experiences of those living with the condition but Iwasko’s dialogue often fails to inspire. There is realism in the script but the mundane needs some balance of drama to truly bring the piece to life. As a result while we learn something about the condition, the play never quite hits all the education marks and it is left to the post show discussion to fill in some of the detail.

There are some nice touches – Linda’s inner torment portrayed by two larger-than-life masked figures and some nice interaction between Linda, her partner, her social worker and her inner conscience. This is a small scale production and while the intimacy adds to the tension of the uncomfortable subject matter some of the staging seemed cramped at The Guildhall Bury St Edmunds.

It’s a worthy attempt at highlighting a little known condition but one that unfortunately doesn’t quite hit the mark. The project should be congratulated for the work they have carried out but some work on the script could vastly improve this production.

Up On The Roof - New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich

Theatre is in many ways like cooking; bring a range of disparate ingredients together to create something sublime. Miss one ingredient out or use an inferior ingredient and the result suffers.

It’s a analogy that holds true for Up On The Roof, the 1987 ‘musical’ currently being revived at The New Wolsey.

The recipe looks, on paper, good. Some classic songs from the 70s, nostalgia, comedy and a chance to see how time impacts on a group of university friends over a period of a decade.

Now the songs are there, the nostalgia is there but the mixture never really comes together.

There are several reasons for this. The show gets of to a painfully slow start, a group of five university friends are celebrating their graduation ‘up on the roof’ and they just happen to be members of an a cappella group. Queue for a series of nostalgic numbers.

That leads to the second problem – for an effective musical to work the songs need to drive the plot along, but here it seems more of an excuse to burst into song for no dramatic purpose. There are only some moments you watch a group stand in a line, grab a harmonica and burst into song, however well performed.

The second and third acts pick up pace slightly as time marches on five and then ten years but it’s a plot that has been done before and frankly better. Writers Simon Moore and Jane Prowse do deliver some witty lines but overall you never really engage with the quintet or care what will happen to them over the decade.

Performances do redeem the show partially however and make the show enjoyable. Director Peter Rowe needs to look at injecting some pace and energy, especially into the static first act and also try to avoid the numerous scenes that see his cast standing in lines.

Up On The Roof turns out to be a cake that hasn’t fully risen and needs a bit more work in the kitchen to be a truly tasty treat. The question has to be raised on why revive this creaking piece?

Moscow Live - HighTide Festival, The Cut Halesworth

With the televised leader’s debates currently generating huge public interest, it is an interesting time to examine the relationship between the state and television news.


How is journalistic freedom compromised if you find yourself working for a state controlled television station?

That’s the starting premise of Serge Cartwright’s debut play at the HighTide Festival. Drawing on his own experiences of working in a Moscow news room, Moscow Live is set in an English Speaking 24 hour news channel in the Russian Capital.

It’s March 2006 and English journalists Richard, Neil and Helen have signed up for a lucrative contract to work in Moscow but in return have to cope with cross cultural misunderstandings with their Russian colleagues Anna and Oleg. Meanwhile news anchor Jonathan is trying to battle through a 16 hour shift.

Tensions are therefore already running high when news of the death of former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic while awaiting trial for war crimes breaks and causes panic in the newsroom.

While the English journalist’s spring into action to report the news, their Russian colleagues point out that a Russian audience, and more importantly the State, will expect a very different take on the story. Who has the correct version of the truth and what version will get broadcast.

Cartwright uses his insider knowledge to craft a thought provoking piece that explores not only the workings of a high pressure newsroom but also the pressure of work interrelationships. It’s an accomplished piece of writing exploring complex themes of censorship and cultural differences without ever judging or taking sides.

Strong performances from the ensemble grip from the outset aided by punchy direction from Jonathan Humphreys. Kieran Bew’s harassed stand in Editor Richard and his Russian Deputy Anna (Jeany Spark) in particular stand out but there is not a weak link in the cast.

Moscow Live deserves a long and successful future and together with Ditch shows that HighTide has hit the mark with new writing once again.

Ditch - HighTide Festival, The Cut Halesworth

Post apocalyptic drama has been a staple for many writers over the years but Beth Steel’s stunning debut play Ditch can claim space among the best of them.


Some never explained catastrophe (global warming?) has befallen civilisation with most of the country left under water. The Government has collapsed and a group of surviors have taken to a remote outpost to protect their land. The conveniences of modern life have run out and they must resort to their own ingenuity to survive.

It’s a basic premise, what happens when the organised state collapses and civilisation breaks down, but one that Steel explores in vivid detail. Here is a world full of humour but also full of fear, populated by a group of characters that know little about each other but who are forced to rely on each other to survive.

Her writing sees these characters develop into totally believable characters on an unstoppable journey towards a gripping climax.

Director Richard Twyman elicits perfect performances from his cast; Gethin Anthony, Sam Hazeldine, Matti Houghton, Dearbhla Molloy, Paul Rattray and Danny Webb. The atmosphere of the piece is aided in no small way by exquisite and atmospheric set and lighting design by takis and Matt Prentice.

This may be a debut play but it is an assured piece of writing, many others have covered similar topics but few match the powerful punch that Ditch delivers.

Premiering at the HighTide festival, the show has already secured a London transfer to the Old Vic Tunnels later in May and looks destined for further plaudits. Catch it at any cost. HighTide once again proves to be a leading light in producing thrilling new writing.