So we’ve had the look back at the 2010 theatrical year and, as we move in to 2011, what are our hopes for the New Year? Here’s a list of resolutions that one can only hope venues, producers and fellow theatregoers stick to in 2011.
In no particular order here are the pet hates from 2010 and hopes for 2011:
10) Booking fees
Now that over 50% of theatre tickets are booked online, perhaps it's time for some venues to be more open and transparent with their booking fee policy. As the consumer is now effectively using self service, can booking fees, service charge, handling charges, postage and packing and - as one venue puts it - convenience fees be justified or are they just a revenue boosting stream?
9) Premium Seating
A trend that started a few years ago that, at the time, offered best seats, a programme and a glass of cheap plonk for a premium. The programme and plonk have now vanished and large chunks of the auditorium are now classed as premium seating with prices to make a dent in the platinum credit cards. Again time for some transparency; if your top price is £90, have the bravery to say so rather than publish £60 and then charge extra for ‘premium’ seating. And is the end seat in the back rows of the stalls really ‘premium’?
8) Late-comers
We’ve all seen the phrase on the back of tickets ‘late-comers will not be admitted to a suitable break in the performance’. Unfortunately many theatres seem to ignore their own warning, letting in a constant stream of people after curtain up. And, yes, Sod's Law prescribes that these people will of course be sat in the middle of the front row. Time for front of house staff to start managing late-comers effectively.
7) Sweets and food in the auditorium
It may be the influence of cinema, but sitting in many theatres now resembles being in the middle of an all-you-can-eat buffet. Alongside the sweets (for some reason theatres seem happy to sell all manner of cellophane wrapped confectionary), crisps, sandwiches, popcorn and drinks. This year, fellow audience members have been partaking in more extreme culinary delights. This year saw (and smelt) theatre goers munching though a McDonalds, chips and a flask of soup in the auditorium.
6) Mobile Phones
Much like the late comer warning we’ve all seen or heard the announcements asking us to check mobile phones are turned off. Its not just ringtones going off mid show that causes problems today it’s the blue glow of screens in a darkened auditorium as people check their texts, twitter and other apps mid show. Are we that sad that we can’t live without outside communication for a couple of hours?
5) Actors, directors, venues etc who only want positive reviews
Let’s face it, we all want praise and nobody really likes criticism, however constructive it is. However, let’s also face reality. Not everything that makes it onto a stage can be a five star rave. Some things work and some, while they may have the best of intentions, just don’t quite hit the spot. Yes it is subjective but if you stage a show you need to take the risk that some people, critics and bloggers included, may not like it. The fact that it’s a) a work in progress, b) amateurs, c) children, d) a preview or any other variation should be reflected in the review but isn’t an automatic upgrade to a rave review. Read the comments on what does and doesn’t work and learn from them to make your next show better. Just sending abusive messages to the critic over why your show was better than reviewed suggests isn’t going to help grow your audience.
4) Membership schemes
In these times of arts funding cuts it’s great to be able to support your favourite venue. Perhaps membership schemes are not purely altruistic. The attraction of many schemes is the benefits they offer. Priority booking, ticket discounts, regular newsletters etc all appeal but if you offer perks make sure your infrastructure can cope. How many times this year have online bookings crashed during priority booking, phone lines jammed or staff not sure of how to apply benefits. Sadly it’s a competitive marketplace as venues compete for loyal customers and, if you annoy your loyal ‘friend’, this year will they renew their membership in 2011?
3) Theatre Staff
There are many theatres whose staff makes visiting an absolute pleasure. The Young Vic, Sheffield Crucible and Trafalgar Studios, for example, all have welcoming staff who are great ambassadors for their venues. Sadly many other theatres this year seem to have lost their customer focus. Box Office staff who grunt at you, front of house staff who don’t direct you to your seat and bar staff who seem more intent on chatting to each other than serving customers. In these cash-strapped times many venues are turning to volunteer front of house staff and, while its great to encourage community involvement, the venues do need to provide basic customer care training before unleashing the volunteers on the public. Having worked in various front of house roles I know that it’s a thankless task, dealing with a large amount of people in a short amount of time but lets bring some pride back into our venues and give a genuinely warm welcome to patrons.
2) Talking
Perhaps the influence of DVDs with director’s commentaries but 2010 seems to have seen a growing trend for audiences to loudly discuss every plot device during the show or ask what TV show the actor has been in. That’s just for plays - for musicals, it's even worse. As the overture starts, talking becomes almost shouting as they struggle to hear each other over the orchestra. As soon as a familiar song appears, the talking turns into karaoke as they think we would rather hear the off key, out of time wailing rendition than the trained actor we’ve paid to see. Please, for 2011 leave the talking (and singing) for the way home.
1) Restricted views
Yes, many of our theatres may have been built in a different era of audience expectation, but the continuing trend in 2010 for venues and producers to omit to mention restricted views when booking is a worrying one. Production costs may have risen and runs become shorter, leaving less time to recoup outlay, but charging £40+ for a seat with a limited view of the action is nothing short of daylight robbery.
Sites such as Theatremonkey help those booking for West End productions to avoid some of the pitfalls but, for those on a budget, the three-way battle between cost, comfort and view has become more of a juggling act than ever. Though Victorian theatre buildings may shoulder some of the blame it is not purely older venues that suffer. Move away from traditional proscenium theatres into thrust or in the round staging and the issue of restricted views also causes issue. Now if customers are informed of restrictions before booking, and costs adjusted to reflect the obstruction, that’s a matter of consumer choice but charging high prices without that information is self defeating.
I Value the arts
Friday, 31 December 2010
Thursday, 30 December 2010
The best and worst of 2010 theatre
So as is traditional this time of year it is time to sit down over a glass of festive sherry and a warm mince pie to reflect on the hits of the year and shiver at the memory of the turkeys.
On reflection, it’s been a mainly positive year with plenty of contenders for praise and, thankfully, only a few shows that made one wonder how they ever reached the stage. In total it was 149 shows seen in 41 different venues during 2010. Shows ranging from classics to new work in progress, venues ranging from the Albert Hall and the open air through to a cold war aircraft hanger.
Let me get the duds out of the way first - those that made me rue the fact that I'd wasted a couple of hours of my life on such dross.
Ten Biggest Turkeys of 2010
10) Tell Me On A Sunday - Ipswich Regent (On Tour)
Rewritten for Claire Sweeney but destroying any soul it had
9) Jekyll & Hyde – New Wolsey Theatre (On Tour)
Lacking any charisma or suspense, a vital ingredient in melodrama
8) Ghost Stories – Duke of Yorks Theatre
There are more thrills on a cheap fairground ghost train than on this limp horror
7) Danton’s Death – National Theatre
Danton just couldn’t die quick enough in this deathly dull production
6) Terror 2010 Death & Resurrection – Southwark Playhouse
When an audience is laughing at horror you know something is seriously wrong
5) The Madness of George III - New Wolsey Theatre (On Tour)
Wigs by Halfords, set by Ikea and acting from panto land
4) Dracula – Greenwich Playhouse
More ‘Carry On Count’ than Bram Stoker
3) Love Never Dies – Adelphi Theatre
Nice score, pity nobody bothered to write a book that engaged an audience
2) Paradise Found – Menier Chocolate Factory
How so much legendary Broadway talent created such dross is one of theatre’s biggest mysteries
1) Sex Idiot – New Wolsey Theatre Pulse Fringe
A ‘show’ where performer gets audience to donate their pubic hair before urinating on stage and pouring it over herself – need I say more!
So, after the flops, on to the more worthy. A drum-roll, please, a rustling of golden envelope, and the results in reverse order are:
Top Ten Best Plays of 2010
10) Spring Storm – National Theatre
A powerful re-discovery of Tennessee Williams’ early work.
9) Joe Turner’s Come And Gone – Young Vic
A demonstration that a staging of the whole Pittsburgh Cycle is way overdue in the UK
8) Catcher – Pilot Theatre Company
In the 30th anniversary year of the assassination, a timely look into the dark, disturbed mind of John Lennon’s killer.
7) Arabian Nights – RSC Courtyard Stratford
Inventive and engaging retelling of fables that work for all ages
6) The Beauty Queen of Leenane - Young Vic
Dark, dark comedy in a landmark production
5) Kursk – Young Vic
Totally immersive theatre with the audience at the heart of the action
4) Earthquakes In London – National Theatre
Putting the epic back into theatre
3) Enron – Noel Coward Theatre
Totally theatrical but also an immensely relevant look at the financial meltdown
2) Dunsinane – RSC at Hampstead Theatre
Inspired sequel to the Scottish play that gives a deeper insight into Lady M’s motives
1) Black Watch – National Theatre of Scotland at Barbican Theatre
Emotionally devastating look at the impact of war
Top Ten Best Musicals of 2010
10) Remains of The Day – Union Theatre
Shows that small is often better
9) Kristina – Royal Albert Hall
Symphonic rendition of Bjorn and Benny’s Swedish opus
8) Les Miserables – Barbican Theatre
Given a birthday makeover of real power and emotion
7) Sunshine on Leith – Orchard Dartford
Who’d have ever thought that a Proclaimers jukebox musical could work
6) Merrily We Roll Along – Queens
A concert that shows this is one of Sondheim’s greatest scores
5) Aspects of Love – Menier Chocolate Factory
Lloyd Webber’s overblown operetta rejunivated in miniature form
4) Hair – Gielgud
A masterclass in Broadway showmanship
3) State Fair – Trafalgar Studios
Micro musical full of infectious melodies and humour that shows small can be better
2) Into The Woods – Open Air Theatre
In his 80th birthday year, a definitive alfresco rediscovery of one of Sondheim’s most magical masterpieces
1) The Human Comedy – Young Vic
Hair may be better known but this community Southern jazz opera soars and deserves a much longer run
On reflection, it’s been a mainly positive year with plenty of contenders for praise and, thankfully, only a few shows that made one wonder how they ever reached the stage. In total it was 149 shows seen in 41 different venues during 2010. Shows ranging from classics to new work in progress, venues ranging from the Albert Hall and the open air through to a cold war aircraft hanger.
Let me get the duds out of the way first - those that made me rue the fact that I'd wasted a couple of hours of my life on such dross.
Ten Biggest Turkeys of 2010
10) Tell Me On A Sunday - Ipswich Regent (On Tour)
Rewritten for Claire Sweeney but destroying any soul it had
9) Jekyll & Hyde – New Wolsey Theatre (On Tour)
Lacking any charisma or suspense, a vital ingredient in melodrama
8) Ghost Stories – Duke of Yorks Theatre
There are more thrills on a cheap fairground ghost train than on this limp horror
7) Danton’s Death – National Theatre
Danton just couldn’t die quick enough in this deathly dull production
6) Terror 2010 Death & Resurrection – Southwark Playhouse
When an audience is laughing at horror you know something is seriously wrong
5) The Madness of George III - New Wolsey Theatre (On Tour)
Wigs by Halfords, set by Ikea and acting from panto land
4) Dracula – Greenwich Playhouse
More ‘Carry On Count’ than Bram Stoker
3) Love Never Dies – Adelphi Theatre
Nice score, pity nobody bothered to write a book that engaged an audience
2) Paradise Found – Menier Chocolate Factory
How so much legendary Broadway talent created such dross is one of theatre’s biggest mysteries
1) Sex Idiot – New Wolsey Theatre Pulse Fringe
A ‘show’ where performer gets audience to donate their pubic hair before urinating on stage and pouring it over herself – need I say more!
So, after the flops, on to the more worthy. A drum-roll, please, a rustling of golden envelope, and the results in reverse order are:
Top Ten Best Plays of 2010
10) Spring Storm – National Theatre
A powerful re-discovery of Tennessee Williams’ early work.
9) Joe Turner’s Come And Gone – Young Vic
A demonstration that a staging of the whole Pittsburgh Cycle is way overdue in the UK
8) Catcher – Pilot Theatre Company
In the 30th anniversary year of the assassination, a timely look into the dark, disturbed mind of John Lennon’s killer.
7) Arabian Nights – RSC Courtyard Stratford
Inventive and engaging retelling of fables that work for all ages
6) The Beauty Queen of Leenane - Young Vic
Dark, dark comedy in a landmark production
5) Kursk – Young Vic
Totally immersive theatre with the audience at the heart of the action
4) Earthquakes In London – National Theatre
Putting the epic back into theatre
3) Enron – Noel Coward Theatre
Totally theatrical but also an immensely relevant look at the financial meltdown
2) Dunsinane – RSC at Hampstead Theatre
Inspired sequel to the Scottish play that gives a deeper insight into Lady M’s motives
1) Black Watch – National Theatre of Scotland at Barbican Theatre
Emotionally devastating look at the impact of war
Top Ten Best Musicals of 2010
10) Remains of The Day – Union Theatre
Shows that small is often better
9) Kristina – Royal Albert Hall
Symphonic rendition of Bjorn and Benny’s Swedish opus
8) Les Miserables – Barbican Theatre
Given a birthday makeover of real power and emotion
7) Sunshine on Leith – Orchard Dartford
Who’d have ever thought that a Proclaimers jukebox musical could work
6) Merrily We Roll Along – Queens
A concert that shows this is one of Sondheim’s greatest scores
5) Aspects of Love – Menier Chocolate Factory
Lloyd Webber’s overblown operetta rejunivated in miniature form
4) Hair – Gielgud
A masterclass in Broadway showmanship
3) State Fair – Trafalgar Studios
Micro musical full of infectious melodies and humour that shows small can be better
2) Into The Woods – Open Air Theatre
In his 80th birthday year, a definitive alfresco rediscovery of one of Sondheim’s most magical masterpieces
1) The Human Comedy – Young Vic
Hair may be better known but this community Southern jazz opera soars and deserves a much longer run
2010 Theatre v Social Media
Well that’s another theatrical year done and dusted - 149 shows seen in 41 different venues during 2010. Shows ranging from classics to new work in progress, venues ranging from the Albert Hall and the open air through to a cold war aircraft hanger.
2010 has been an interesting year theatrically. While the spectre of arts cuts loomed over the industry and financial pressures tightened audience spending, new technology continued to change the way venues interact with the public.
Research shows that online bookings now account for nearly 50% of box office sales but for many venues a website with online booking is their only foray into using IT to engage with potential and existing customers. Some venues have embraced this new technology, e-newsletters, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and a wealth of other innovative uses of IT designed to raise the profile of their venue. For these venues the days of a twice yearly season brochure in the post are long gone. Others have dabbled less successfully.
Perhaps in these financially strained times for the arts electronic channels are seen as a more cost effective PR tool – the cost of sending a tweet compare with the cost of a second class stamp makes a real difference on the end of year balance sheet.
While the Arts Council funding was not quite as bad as everyone feared, local council funding to the arts is still uncertain with more competition needed for a much reduced funding pot.
While the major companies have the expertise and resources to fight for this new funding pot, smaller companies may struggle in this ever increasing competitive market. Perhaps the funding case wasn’t helped by revelations of organisations such as the Royal Opera House paying six figure salaries for some of its management team.
The Royal Opera House also found itself at the centre of a debate on the rise of social media within the theatre community. The Royal Opera House seemed to be caught unprepared for social media in a well publicised, and PR damaging, dispute with Opera Blogger Intermezzo. A very public U-turn and apology later caused the ROH to review their social media policy but by that time the damage was done.
What the case did demonstrate to not just the ROH but venues across the country was the need for a clear Social Media policy. Social Media is a two way communication channel but some venues still see it as purely an advertising medium.
When your online box office system shows live seating plans is it wise to tweet that your show is ‘Sold Out’ when you have a third of your seats unsold and on view? The instant nature of this form of communication means that such PR Spin is soon seen through and diminishes any brand trust your venue may have.
The very fact that opinion, both positive and negative can now be broadcast worldwide at the push of the button requires a much more responsive approach to PR. In this information age, it now takes little for the reputation of an organisation to be tarnished by a spur of the moment email of tweet.
The relationship between venues and bloggers is an interesting one and one that is still developing; at the moment with a few notable exceptions it’s an area that many venues are one step behind on. While until recently reviewing was the preserve of print media, the growth of social media has seen an explosion of critical opinion on the web. Some venues have wisely recognised the potential of this new medium to reach a wide audience and have engaged with the online community. Hampstead Theatre, Seabright Productions, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Eastern Angles and National Theatre of Scotland for example have all included the online community in their marketing mix.
2011 will be an interesting year to see how this relationship develops. As arts coverage in traditional media reduces, especially in the regions, the potential of new media to reach a large audience is an opportunity theatres need to recognise rather than fight.
If the relationship between venues and new media is in its infancy then the relationship between new media and traditional media has already progressed along a rockier path. Perhaps 2011 is also an opportunity for ‘traditional’ media and new media to work more closely. We often hear that it’s impossible for the limited critical resource of print media to cover the multitude of opening nights on any given day. Move outside of London and that pressure becomes even more acute, yet on any given day an army of bloggers attend a huge variety of shows across the country and perhaps instead of being seen as rivals could be utilised as a valuable resource.
A quick count online shows for example if you take just four national theatre critics (picked for no reason other than an ease of counting their review output)Michael Billington, Lynn Gardner, Charles Spencer and Michael Coveney have generated a total of 680 reviews during 2010. All an impressive dedication to the arts but if you add in the blogging community it proves to be an even more comprehensive tally. Take an equal number of bloggers, Ian Foster, Gareth James, Webcowgirl and this very blog and between us we’ve reviewed 662 shows.
Given that these bloggers manage this comprehensive tally while also holding down a day job is even more impressive. This breadth of coverage is something that even the most arts friendly publications can only hope to match and is may be an untapped source of bolstering their own arts coverage.
The theatrical blogsphere has received more media attention this year than ever before. From the West End Whingers' now infamous ‘Paint Never Dries’ epitaph (and their subsequent inclusion on The Times 50 most influential luvvies list), through debate on the Guardian on the rise of regional bloggers and countering an attack on the credibility of ‘unqualified’ bloggers by Guardian contributor Bella Todd, the media is divided over the blogger issue.
There is of course a question of quality and theatrical knowledge and Ms Todd in her Guardian blog ‘can we trust unpaid theatre critics’ casts doubt on a non print journalist’s credentials to review. Her premise seems to equate paid with knowledge. It is an interesting point but does the fact that a review appears on paper rather than online diminish its credibility? In regional media, at least, the fact that a show is reviewed carries no guarantee that the review has been written by a qualified journalist and, even if it is, there is nothing to say that the journalist in question has any theatrical knowledge or experience, with a trip to the theatre sandwiched in between the latest football match, a court hearing and the monthly meeting of the local Chamber of Commerce.
With traditional print media suffering from falling circulation and arts coverage fighting for increasingly limited column space, it is perhaps understandable that in some quarters the media see the internet as a threat. Others such as Lynn Gardner and Mark Shenton have embraced new media and realised its potential for generating debate and discussion. Perhaps it is this power to allow online comment and debate that adds that extra element to online reviews missing from printed versions. It’s comment and debate though that can bite, with even new media savvy critics sometimes finding themselves on the receiving end of hostile comment, as Mark Shenton discovered with an unintentional slight on bloggers (ironically on his own blog).
So it will be interesting to see what 2011 holds for the arts embryonic relationship with the social media. At times there seems to be a battle bubbling just beneath the surface between tweeters, bloggers, venues and traditional media but perhaps 2011 is time to work together and realise that there is space for a variety of media in covering the arts. Instead of the fighting should we not instead be celebrating the fact that more than at any time in the past we now have a strong, diverse and expanding arts coverage?
2010 has been an interesting year theatrically. While the spectre of arts cuts loomed over the industry and financial pressures tightened audience spending, new technology continued to change the way venues interact with the public.
Research shows that online bookings now account for nearly 50% of box office sales but for many venues a website with online booking is their only foray into using IT to engage with potential and existing customers. Some venues have embraced this new technology, e-newsletters, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and a wealth of other innovative uses of IT designed to raise the profile of their venue. For these venues the days of a twice yearly season brochure in the post are long gone. Others have dabbled less successfully.
Perhaps in these financially strained times for the arts electronic channels are seen as a more cost effective PR tool – the cost of sending a tweet compare with the cost of a second class stamp makes a real difference on the end of year balance sheet.
While the Arts Council funding was not quite as bad as everyone feared, local council funding to the arts is still uncertain with more competition needed for a much reduced funding pot.
While the major companies have the expertise and resources to fight for this new funding pot, smaller companies may struggle in this ever increasing competitive market. Perhaps the funding case wasn’t helped by revelations of organisations such as the Royal Opera House paying six figure salaries for some of its management team.
The Royal Opera House also found itself at the centre of a debate on the rise of social media within the theatre community. The Royal Opera House seemed to be caught unprepared for social media in a well publicised, and PR damaging, dispute with Opera Blogger Intermezzo. A very public U-turn and apology later caused the ROH to review their social media policy but by that time the damage was done.
What the case did demonstrate to not just the ROH but venues across the country was the need for a clear Social Media policy. Social Media is a two way communication channel but some venues still see it as purely an advertising medium.
When your online box office system shows live seating plans is it wise to tweet that your show is ‘Sold Out’ when you have a third of your seats unsold and on view? The instant nature of this form of communication means that such PR Spin is soon seen through and diminishes any brand trust your venue may have.
The very fact that opinion, both positive and negative can now be broadcast worldwide at the push of the button requires a much more responsive approach to PR. In this information age, it now takes little for the reputation of an organisation to be tarnished by a spur of the moment email of tweet.
The relationship between venues and bloggers is an interesting one and one that is still developing; at the moment with a few notable exceptions it’s an area that many venues are one step behind on. While until recently reviewing was the preserve of print media, the growth of social media has seen an explosion of critical opinion on the web. Some venues have wisely recognised the potential of this new medium to reach a wide audience and have engaged with the online community. Hampstead Theatre, Seabright Productions, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Eastern Angles and National Theatre of Scotland for example have all included the online community in their marketing mix.
2011 will be an interesting year to see how this relationship develops. As arts coverage in traditional media reduces, especially in the regions, the potential of new media to reach a large audience is an opportunity theatres need to recognise rather than fight.
If the relationship between venues and new media is in its infancy then the relationship between new media and traditional media has already progressed along a rockier path. Perhaps 2011 is also an opportunity for ‘traditional’ media and new media to work more closely. We often hear that it’s impossible for the limited critical resource of print media to cover the multitude of opening nights on any given day. Move outside of London and that pressure becomes even more acute, yet on any given day an army of bloggers attend a huge variety of shows across the country and perhaps instead of being seen as rivals could be utilised as a valuable resource.
A quick count online shows for example if you take just four national theatre critics (picked for no reason other than an ease of counting their review output)Michael Billington, Lynn Gardner, Charles Spencer and Michael Coveney have generated a total of 680 reviews during 2010. All an impressive dedication to the arts but if you add in the blogging community it proves to be an even more comprehensive tally. Take an equal number of bloggers, Ian Foster, Gareth James, Webcowgirl and this very blog and between us we’ve reviewed 662 shows.
Given that these bloggers manage this comprehensive tally while also holding down a day job is even more impressive. This breadth of coverage is something that even the most arts friendly publications can only hope to match and is may be an untapped source of bolstering their own arts coverage.
The theatrical blogsphere has received more media attention this year than ever before. From the West End Whingers' now infamous ‘Paint Never Dries’ epitaph (and their subsequent inclusion on The Times 50 most influential luvvies list), through debate on the Guardian on the rise of regional bloggers and countering an attack on the credibility of ‘unqualified’ bloggers by Guardian contributor Bella Todd, the media is divided over the blogger issue.
There is of course a question of quality and theatrical knowledge and Ms Todd in her Guardian blog ‘can we trust unpaid theatre critics’ casts doubt on a non print journalist’s credentials to review. Her premise seems to equate paid with knowledge. It is an interesting point but does the fact that a review appears on paper rather than online diminish its credibility? In regional media, at least, the fact that a show is reviewed carries no guarantee that the review has been written by a qualified journalist and, even if it is, there is nothing to say that the journalist in question has any theatrical knowledge or experience, with a trip to the theatre sandwiched in between the latest football match, a court hearing and the monthly meeting of the local Chamber of Commerce.
With traditional print media suffering from falling circulation and arts coverage fighting for increasingly limited column space, it is perhaps understandable that in some quarters the media see the internet as a threat. Others such as Lynn Gardner and Mark Shenton have embraced new media and realised its potential for generating debate and discussion. Perhaps it is this power to allow online comment and debate that adds that extra element to online reviews missing from printed versions. It’s comment and debate though that can bite, with even new media savvy critics sometimes finding themselves on the receiving end of hostile comment, as Mark Shenton discovered with an unintentional slight on bloggers (ironically on his own blog).
So it will be interesting to see what 2011 holds for the arts embryonic relationship with the social media. At times there seems to be a battle bubbling just beneath the surface between tweeters, bloggers, venues and traditional media but perhaps 2011 is time to work together and realise that there is space for a variety of media in covering the arts. Instead of the fighting should we not instead be celebrating the fact that more than at any time in the past we now have a strong, diverse and expanding arts coverage?
Sunday, 19 December 2010
Peter Pan On Ice - Ipswich Regent
Peter Pan On Ice is a strange hybrid of ballet, drama, circus and, of course, ice dance. It's miles away from the traditional pantomime but, as arctic conditions sweep the country, it seems remarkably appropriate.
JM Barrie’s classic tale of the boy who never grew up is turned into an ice ballet by a troupe of amazingly talented Russian skaters. An ice rink has replaced the Ipswich Regent stage and the first couple of rows of the stalls but it’s a tight fit. At times it seems there is a real danger that they will career into the front row.
The story is told through a series of scenes, as Barrie writes them, an outside figure observing Victorian London but occasionally taking to the ice himself to steer events. There is a small amount of voice over narration but, on the whole, it’s left to the music to drive the narrative forward. For those that know the Peter Pan story well it works but for younger members of the audience for whom the tale is not yet familiar, it may prove to be a bit confusing, perhaps explaining some of the younger members of the audience.
For older audience members, however, there is much to admire. The skating is, as you would expect from the cast’s pedigree, first class and inventive. Much use is made of the limited space and the odd inevitable slip and fall is instantly recovered.
Of course any production of Peter Pan involves flying and Peter’s entrance is suitably traditional; however, the truly impressive flying of the production revolves around some incredibly ambitious aerial rope work. The stunts these aerialists perform would be impressive on a standard stage but add in the challenge of the ice and the skill and bravery of the cast just has to be admired.
Some scenes do seem overlong and, perhaps, for wider appeal more narration would aid but. as a demonstration of world class skating, Peter Pan On Ice works well.
It may not be your traditional pantomime version of Peter Pan but there is enough spectacle and skill here to warm the most frozen heart.
JM Barrie’s classic tale of the boy who never grew up is turned into an ice ballet by a troupe of amazingly talented Russian skaters. An ice rink has replaced the Ipswich Regent stage and the first couple of rows of the stalls but it’s a tight fit. At times it seems there is a real danger that they will career into the front row.
The story is told through a series of scenes, as Barrie writes them, an outside figure observing Victorian London but occasionally taking to the ice himself to steer events. There is a small amount of voice over narration but, on the whole, it’s left to the music to drive the narrative forward. For those that know the Peter Pan story well it works but for younger members of the audience for whom the tale is not yet familiar, it may prove to be a bit confusing, perhaps explaining some of the younger members of the audience.
For older audience members, however, there is much to admire. The skating is, as you would expect from the cast’s pedigree, first class and inventive. Much use is made of the limited space and the odd inevitable slip and fall is instantly recovered.
Of course any production of Peter Pan involves flying and Peter’s entrance is suitably traditional; however, the truly impressive flying of the production revolves around some incredibly ambitious aerial rope work. The stunts these aerialists perform would be impressive on a standard stage but add in the challenge of the ice and the skill and bravery of the cast just has to be admired.
Some scenes do seem overlong and, perhaps, for wider appeal more narration would aid but. as a demonstration of world class skating, Peter Pan On Ice works well.
It may not be your traditional pantomime version of Peter Pan but there is enough spectacle and skill here to warm the most frozen heart.
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Potted Panto - Vaudeville Theatre
Pantomime is a uniquely British phenomenon that often confuses tourists. You can see why, men dressed as women, principle ‘boys’ and audience heckles all contrary to usual theatrical etiquette.
Perhaps Potted Panto should be compulsory viewing for all tourists in this festive season as within its jam packed 95 minutes of manic mayhem it also manages to introduce audiences to the wonders of this historic art form.
CBBC’s Dan and Jeff (Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner) move their attention from condensing Harry Potter to give the Potted treatment to Pantomime. Jeff claims there are six classic panto’s, though Dan insists there are 12. Jeff’s aim is to run through these six plots in an hour and a half; Dan has other ideas and plans to include other well known pantomimes. The problem being Dan thinks Das Boot, The Queen's Speech and A Christmas Carol are all traditional pantos.
It’s all wonderfully irreverent but also a warm and affectionate look at the genre. The jokes come quick as you’d expect and though marketed as a family show there is enough grown-up humour here to please all ages.
To spill too many details would spoil the fun but with appearances by Dame Barabara Cartland, Dick ‘Boris Johnson’ Whittington and a giant hen playing the fairy godmother it's slapstick humour at its very best. There’s also a hint at the darker side of these fairytales and the grisly demise of the baddies. Panto may be rooted in theatrical tradition but modern rival 3D cinema doesn’t escape the parody either with an ingenious 3D Act One finale – just mind the giant spiders and the water pistols!
After breakneck renditions of Jack And The Beanstalk, Dick Whittington, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Snow White, proceedings come to a manic close with a surreal yet wonderfully observed merging of Jeff’s favourite panto Aladdin with Dan’s beloved Christmas Carol- the result a Dickensian world complete with ghosts meeting Abanaza Scrooge. The preceding events are so well observed that this fusion seems perfectly normal and Aladdin will never be the same again.
Potted Panto is a wonderful start to the festive season; if you don’t have a small child to take just take yourself and release your inner child – panto fan or not you’ll be hard pushed to find a funnier 90mins in the theatre this year.
Photo: Jefferson Turner and Daniel Clarkson in Potted Panto. Photo by Gabrielle Motola
Perhaps Potted Panto should be compulsory viewing for all tourists in this festive season as within its jam packed 95 minutes of manic mayhem it also manages to introduce audiences to the wonders of this historic art form.
CBBC’s Dan and Jeff (Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner) move their attention from condensing Harry Potter to give the Potted treatment to Pantomime. Jeff claims there are six classic panto’s, though Dan insists there are 12. Jeff’s aim is to run through these six plots in an hour and a half; Dan has other ideas and plans to include other well known pantomimes. The problem being Dan thinks Das Boot, The Queen's Speech and A Christmas Carol are all traditional pantos.
It’s all wonderfully irreverent but also a warm and affectionate look at the genre. The jokes come quick as you’d expect and though marketed as a family show there is enough grown-up humour here to please all ages.
To spill too many details would spoil the fun but with appearances by Dame Barabara Cartland, Dick ‘Boris Johnson’ Whittington and a giant hen playing the fairy godmother it's slapstick humour at its very best. There’s also a hint at the darker side of these fairytales and the grisly demise of the baddies. Panto may be rooted in theatrical tradition but modern rival 3D cinema doesn’t escape the parody either with an ingenious 3D Act One finale – just mind the giant spiders and the water pistols!
After breakneck renditions of Jack And The Beanstalk, Dick Whittington, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Snow White, proceedings come to a manic close with a surreal yet wonderfully observed merging of Jeff’s favourite panto Aladdin with Dan’s beloved Christmas Carol- the result a Dickensian world complete with ghosts meeting Abanaza Scrooge. The preceding events are so well observed that this fusion seems perfectly normal and Aladdin will never be the same again.
Potted Panto is a wonderful start to the festive season; if you don’t have a small child to take just take yourself and release your inner child – panto fan or not you’ll be hard pushed to find a funnier 90mins in the theatre this year.
Photo: Jefferson Turner and Daniel Clarkson in Potted Panto. Photo by Gabrielle Motola
Monday, 13 December 2010
Christmas Spectacular - Snape Maltings
Reviewing a show by young people is always a potential minefield. If you go for the ‘aaahh factor’ you run the risk of being accused of being patronising and if you review as a professional adult show you risk getting accused of being hard-nosed and unsympathetic. So it is something of a tightrope walk reviewing the Coop Juniors Theatre Company in their latest Christmas Spectacular at Snape Maltings.
One has to admire the Juniors for their ambition. Mounting a large-scale lavish show in the run up to Christmas with a cast of over 100, mainly children, is no mean feat. It’s also commendable that the company manage to give young people the encouragement and opportunity to appear on stage, especially young lads who, despite the Billy Elliott effect, are still often under-represented.
Despite the sheer scale of the event, the concept itself is simple. A medley of numbers showcasing the dance skills of the area’s youth fill two and a half hours. There is a mix of ballet, tap and modern against a backdrop of musical styles. There’s undoubtedly a lot of talent, energy and enthusiasm here but the sheer variety actually proves to be something of a drawback. The show lacks a clear narrative to drive the evening, each scene being self-contained with not a segue in sight. The variety of musical styles, while perhaps deliberate to allow for as wide a range of dance as possible, also detracts from the sense of cohesion. Some of these diverse musical styles work better than others. The festive numbers do instil the required Christmas cheer but some of the other musical choices don’t fit as comfortably into the format.
There are some highlights during the evening, the big band inspired In the Mood, an evocative mock-Romany number, and the Mary Poppins classic Step In Time all work well, as does the seasonal Christmas Finale. Others, such as the Cheryl Cole tribute, are danced well but seem an uncomfortable fit with the remainder of the evening.
The staging is, as we have come to expect, spectacular, although the multilevel set seemed to be under-utilised at times, resulting in less than fluid scene transitions. Some sound issues do mar, with over-amplification causing some individual performances to be lost in the vast Maltings concert hall.
Overall one is left in admiration of the logistical achievements and individual numbers, rather than celebrating the whole event. Perhaps it’s a case of less is more and the temptation to include every conceivable genre isn’t always the best option.
The talent is there and should be admired but inevitably let down by the adult steer.
One has to admire the Juniors for their ambition. Mounting a large-scale lavish show in the run up to Christmas with a cast of over 100, mainly children, is no mean feat. It’s also commendable that the company manage to give young people the encouragement and opportunity to appear on stage, especially young lads who, despite the Billy Elliott effect, are still often under-represented.
Despite the sheer scale of the event, the concept itself is simple. A medley of numbers showcasing the dance skills of the area’s youth fill two and a half hours. There is a mix of ballet, tap and modern against a backdrop of musical styles. There’s undoubtedly a lot of talent, energy and enthusiasm here but the sheer variety actually proves to be something of a drawback. The show lacks a clear narrative to drive the evening, each scene being self-contained with not a segue in sight. The variety of musical styles, while perhaps deliberate to allow for as wide a range of dance as possible, also detracts from the sense of cohesion. Some of these diverse musical styles work better than others. The festive numbers do instil the required Christmas cheer but some of the other musical choices don’t fit as comfortably into the format.
There are some highlights during the evening, the big band inspired In the Mood, an evocative mock-Romany number, and the Mary Poppins classic Step In Time all work well, as does the seasonal Christmas Finale. Others, such as the Cheryl Cole tribute, are danced well but seem an uncomfortable fit with the remainder of the evening.
The staging is, as we have come to expect, spectacular, although the multilevel set seemed to be under-utilised at times, resulting in less than fluid scene transitions. Some sound issues do mar, with over-amplification causing some individual performances to be lost in the vast Maltings concert hall.
Overall one is left in admiration of the logistical achievements and individual numbers, rather than celebrating the whole event. Perhaps it’s a case of less is more and the temptation to include every conceivable genre isn’t always the best option.
The talent is there and should be admired but inevitably let down by the adult steer.
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Romeo And Juliet - The Roundhouse
From a director who is know for his hi-tech productions, Rupert Goold’s RSC production of Romeo and Juliet is strangely traditional. Well traditional with a twist. For this is a Romeo and Juliet for our times, while the ensemble are in period dress our lead protaganists are in modern dress, Romeo on a guided tour to fair Verona and Juliet clad in jeans and Converse trainers.
It’s a concept that works on the whole, although extending the concept to a modern dress ending does loose some of the emotional potential of the piece.
Sam Troughton’s Romeo and Mariah Gale’s Juliet genuinely convince that they have fallen deeply in love; Troughton giving a masterclass in Shakespearean delivery, while Gale convinces as the adolescent torn between her first love and her sense of duty to her parents.
Given the RSC pedigree, supporting roles are surprisingly more of a hit and miss affair. Noma Dumezweni’s Nurse and JonJo O’Neill’s Mercutio work well but others such as Forbes Masson’s Friar have projection issues that renders many of their lines lost in the recreation of Stratford Courtyard auditorium in the Roundhouse.
Perhaps some of the problem lays in Goold’s staging, which despite the thrust staging plays large sections of the action to the front of the stage, leaving two thirds of the audience watching the back of the actors.
When the action makes full use of the stage it is thrilling, complete with smoke and jets of flame but again sightline issues from the sides makes this a production never fully at home in the thrust stage format.
It’s a shame the blocking detracts as overall this is a thrilling Romeo and Juliet, balancing tragedy and comedy and showcasing two outstanding central performances.
Now that the RSC has adopted the Courtyard format into it’s sparkling new Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford here’s hoping that directors come to grip with the challenges of an audience on three sides and block future shows with all sides in mind and not just those ‘head on’.
Photo: Oliver Ryan and Sam Troughton in Romeo And Juliet. Photo by Ellie Kurttz
It’s a concept that works on the whole, although extending the concept to a modern dress ending does loose some of the emotional potential of the piece.
Sam Troughton’s Romeo and Mariah Gale’s Juliet genuinely convince that they have fallen deeply in love; Troughton giving a masterclass in Shakespearean delivery, while Gale convinces as the adolescent torn between her first love and her sense of duty to her parents.
Perhaps some of the problem lays in Goold’s staging, which despite the thrust staging plays large sections of the action to the front of the stage, leaving two thirds of the audience watching the back of the actors.
When the action makes full use of the stage it is thrilling, complete with smoke and jets of flame but again sightline issues from the sides makes this a production never fully at home in the thrust stage format.
It’s a shame the blocking detracts as overall this is a thrilling Romeo and Juliet, balancing tragedy and comedy and showcasing two outstanding central performances.
Now that the RSC has adopted the Courtyard format into it’s sparkling new Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford here’s hoping that directors come to grip with the challenges of an audience on three sides and block future shows with all sides in mind and not just those ‘head on’.
Photo: Oliver Ryan and Sam Troughton in Romeo And Juliet. Photo by Ellie Kurttz
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Jack And The Beanstalk - New Wolsey Theatre
What was once seen as the young upstart of panto land is now 10 years old. The New Wolsey Theatre’s Rock ‘n’ Roll panto takes traditional panto tales and adds in a group of versatile actor musicians and a smattering of classic rock and pop numbers.
This year it’s the turn of Jack And The Beanstalk to get the treatment. Well to be technically correct it is a revival of their 2003 show, given a makeover with a new set, some new material and some new songs.
It’s all good fun. Dame Dolly Durden and her wayward son Jack are about to be made homless if they can’t come up with the rent. Jack faces a double dilemma in that unless a roaming giant gets the gold that their rent will supply his girlfriend Jill will end up as the giant’s lunch. All set then for plenty of corny jokes, over the top costumes and general tomfoolery.
The cast are obviously having great fun with the material, Will Kenning’s Dame Dolly a delight of over the top slapstick and innuendo. As the good and evil spirits Shirley Darroch’s Fairy Aubergine and Sean Kingsley’s Fleshcreep give the audience plenty to cheer and boo and, in what must be a panto first, we get not a magic wand but a magic leek to guide the good fairy.
Mark Walters' sparkling new set frames the piece nicely and contains a few surprise elements along the way. Ben Goddard’s musical direction makes full use of the versatile cast, who swap from instrument to instrument with deceptive ease.
So it all sounds and looks good but there is something lacking. While 10 years ago the format looked fresh and innovative, some spark now seems missing. Perhaps it’s a bit like that 20lb turkey that seemed such a good idea for Christmas dinner. After a while you just run out of new and interesting things to do with it. For Jack And The Beanstalk there is a sense we’ve been here before. This time around the musical numbers seem to slow the critical panto pace down. It is always part of the fun to see how numbers are fitted into the plot, but here a couple of numbers seem to have been shoehorned into the script for no apparent purpose.
The show is certainly enjoyable and will send thousands out with a smile on their faces over the length of the run but for this critic at least it’s perhaps time to look beyond just a sparkly new set and come up with something new for Christmas 2011.
Photo: Shirley Darroch (Fairy Aubergine) and David Hunter (Jack) in Jack And The Beanstalk. Photo Mike Kwasniak
This year it’s the turn of Jack And The Beanstalk to get the treatment. Well to be technically correct it is a revival of their 2003 show, given a makeover with a new set, some new material and some new songs.
It’s all good fun. Dame Dolly Durden and her wayward son Jack are about to be made homless if they can’t come up with the rent. Jack faces a double dilemma in that unless a roaming giant gets the gold that their rent will supply his girlfriend Jill will end up as the giant’s lunch. All set then for plenty of corny jokes, over the top costumes and general tomfoolery.
The cast are obviously having great fun with the material, Will Kenning’s Dame Dolly a delight of over the top slapstick and innuendo. As the good and evil spirits Shirley Darroch’s Fairy Aubergine and Sean Kingsley’s Fleshcreep give the audience plenty to cheer and boo and, in what must be a panto first, we get not a magic wand but a magic leek to guide the good fairy.
Mark Walters' sparkling new set frames the piece nicely and contains a few surprise elements along the way. Ben Goddard’s musical direction makes full use of the versatile cast, who swap from instrument to instrument with deceptive ease.
So it all sounds and looks good but there is something lacking. While 10 years ago the format looked fresh and innovative, some spark now seems missing. Perhaps it’s a bit like that 20lb turkey that seemed such a good idea for Christmas dinner. After a while you just run out of new and interesting things to do with it. For Jack And The Beanstalk there is a sense we’ve been here before. This time around the musical numbers seem to slow the critical panto pace down. It is always part of the fun to see how numbers are fitted into the plot, but here a couple of numbers seem to have been shoehorned into the script for no apparent purpose.
The show is certainly enjoyable and will send thousands out with a smile on their faces over the length of the run but for this critic at least it’s perhaps time to look beyond just a sparkly new set and come up with something new for Christmas 2011.
Photo: Shirley Darroch (Fairy Aubergine) and David Hunter (Jack) in Jack And The Beanstalk. Photo Mike Kwasniak
Saturday, 4 December 2010
Mother Goose - Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
In these times of fiscal prudence and a national obsession with glamour and celebrity, a tale of temptation by the twin evils of gold and glamour is strangely topical.
Mother Goose is the panto for our times and, in the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds production, it’s never been better.
Fairy Fortuna and Demon Discordo place a wager and poor Mother Goose finds herself the unwilling protagonist in a supernatural game of one-upmanship. Will Mother Goose succumb to greed once Priscilla the Goose starts to lay golden eggs? And how will her life change if she succumbs to the allure of the mystical Pool of Beauty? Not of course that it pays to over-analyse the plot; what really matters is the fun, and Mother Goose packs this in by the bucket load.
From the moment the show starts, the audience are gripped, with young - and not so young - loudly cheering the heroes, booing the villains and singing along with the obligatory songs. It’s all good traditional fun and shows that you don’t need a C list soap star to make a panto work.
Panto is notoriously hard work for its cast and it’s a credit to the company that they make it all look so easy. Dennis Herdman’s Mother Goose is a masterclass in how to perform Panto Dame, suitably over the top but also, perhaps scarily, utterly convincing.
Simon Nock and Emma Thornett battle wonderfully as good versus evil, while Eleanor Brown shines as German tutor Gretchen, seconded to Goosleand from an unpronounceable Germanic town to improve her English. Special mention must, of course, go to Priscilla herself, with the diminutive Claire Baldry managing to make a 7 feet high tap-dancing goose seem utterly believable. This is, however, a company on top form without a weak link.
Daniel O’Brien’s script packs in enough egg-related gags to keep audiences laughing until Easter and Abigail Anderson’s slick direction keeps the action flying thick and fast.
Much like Priscilla’s eggs, Mother Goose is pure gold; a stupendous, sublime, superb seasonal offering.
There is as always a wide variety of pantos filling the region’s stages; however, you will need to a long way to find a more ‘eggcellent’ pantomime than this.
Photo: Gareth Bennett-Ryan and Goslings in Mother Goose. Photo Keith Mindham
Mother Goose is the panto for our times and, in the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds production, it’s never been better.
Fairy Fortuna and Demon Discordo place a wager and poor Mother Goose finds herself the unwilling protagonist in a supernatural game of one-upmanship. Will Mother Goose succumb to greed once Priscilla the Goose starts to lay golden eggs? And how will her life change if she succumbs to the allure of the mystical Pool of Beauty? Not of course that it pays to over-analyse the plot; what really matters is the fun, and Mother Goose packs this in by the bucket load.
From the moment the show starts, the audience are gripped, with young - and not so young - loudly cheering the heroes, booing the villains and singing along with the obligatory songs. It’s all good traditional fun and shows that you don’t need a C list soap star to make a panto work.
Panto is notoriously hard work for its cast and it’s a credit to the company that they make it all look so easy. Dennis Herdman’s Mother Goose is a masterclass in how to perform Panto Dame, suitably over the top but also, perhaps scarily, utterly convincing.
Simon Nock and Emma Thornett battle wonderfully as good versus evil, while Eleanor Brown shines as German tutor Gretchen, seconded to Goosleand from an unpronounceable Germanic town to improve her English. Special mention must, of course, go to Priscilla herself, with the diminutive Claire Baldry managing to make a 7 feet high tap-dancing goose seem utterly believable. This is, however, a company on top form without a weak link.
Daniel O’Brien’s script packs in enough egg-related gags to keep audiences laughing until Easter and Abigail Anderson’s slick direction keeps the action flying thick and fast.
Much like Priscilla’s eggs, Mother Goose is pure gold; a stupendous, sublime, superb seasonal offering.
There is as always a wide variety of pantos filling the region’s stages; however, you will need to a long way to find a more ‘eggcellent’ pantomime than this.
Photo: Gareth Bennett-Ryan and Goslings in Mother Goose. Photo Keith Mindham
Thursday, 2 December 2010
The Railway Children - Spa Pavilion Felixstowe
It is now 40 years since Jenny Agutter waved her red bloomers on screen to stop a rail disaster. As well as the classic film, Edith Nesbit’s novel has been immortalised on TV and stage but now we get offered the stage musical version of The Railway Children.
It seems a natural choice, Nesbit’s tale of a bygone age fitting well in musical form. It’s a departure from traditional panto fare this time of year for Felixstowe Musical Theatre but a departure that works well. There is enough feelgood spirit here to warm even a sub-Arctic Felixstowe evening,
Julian Woolford and Richard John’s musical adaptation runs the full spectrum of musical genres from upbeat dance numbers to genuinely moving arias but it is perhaps in those solo moments that the score works its best, although the rousing anthemic One Voice stirs many a tear.
The story is of course well known, a mother and her three children are forced from London to the countryside while Father is imprisoned on espionage charges. The children soon take refuge in the workings of the railway and its community. It is a rich vein of characters for a stage show and with a large cast of over 40, a vein that Felixstowe Musical Theatre makes full use of.
However, despite the large company, at its heart The Railway Children focuses on the relationship between a Mother and her three children. It is here that we also find the strongest performances of the evening. Jacki Williamson as the heartbroken mother sings with real emotion and power while Harriet Bacon as eldest daughter Bobby throws off any comparison with Ms Agutter with a note perfect performance that belies her young age. There are also strong performances from Nathan Howland and Ellena Bacon as Peter and Phyllis, the other two Railway Children.
Staging is kept simple to allow scenes to move swiftly between London, the countryside and of course the railway and yes, a steam train does make its entrance for the crucial climax of Act One.
There are a couple of moments that could do with some work to tighten up proceedings. The pivotal landslide caused a few unintentional giggles, while at times the orchestra seems to be steaming ahead of the company, but hopefully these slight niggles will be ironed out during the run.
A stage musical of The Railway Children may seem a strange choice for a Christmas show, but this heart-warming and exuberant look at the very best of human spirit couldn’t be more apt at this time of year. Despite the cold, here is a show to warm the heart and by the emotional climax defies even the most frozen eye to shed a tear.
It seems a natural choice, Nesbit’s tale of a bygone age fitting well in musical form. It’s a departure from traditional panto fare this time of year for Felixstowe Musical Theatre but a departure that works well. There is enough feelgood spirit here to warm even a sub-Arctic Felixstowe evening,
Julian Woolford and Richard John’s musical adaptation runs the full spectrum of musical genres from upbeat dance numbers to genuinely moving arias but it is perhaps in those solo moments that the score works its best, although the rousing anthemic One Voice stirs many a tear.
The story is of course well known, a mother and her three children are forced from London to the countryside while Father is imprisoned on espionage charges. The children soon take refuge in the workings of the railway and its community. It is a rich vein of characters for a stage show and with a large cast of over 40, a vein that Felixstowe Musical Theatre makes full use of.
Staging is kept simple to allow scenes to move swiftly between London, the countryside and of course the railway and yes, a steam train does make its entrance for the crucial climax of Act One.
There are a couple of moments that could do with some work to tighten up proceedings. The pivotal landslide caused a few unintentional giggles, while at times the orchestra seems to be steaming ahead of the company, but hopefully these slight niggles will be ironed out during the run.
A stage musical of The Railway Children may seem a strange choice for a Christmas show, but this heart-warming and exuberant look at the very best of human spirit couldn’t be more apt at this time of year. Despite the cold, here is a show to warm the heart and by the emotional climax defies even the most frozen eye to shed a tear.
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Gills Around The Green - Sir John Mills Theatre
Eastern Angles can always be relied on to turn the traditional Christmas show on its head and, on this occasion, it’s a case of ‘In Cod We Trust’. Gills Around The Green, Julian Harries' and Pat Whymark’s 12th festive offering for Eastern Angles is a fishy affair.
It’s the usual surreal offering so any attempt to summarise the plot is predictably difficult. Suffice to say a young sales rep dreams of becoming super hero Aqua Boy, a mad scientist has plans for human/fish hybrids and, given the current wintery blast, a highly topical story line about being stuck in a snow drift all combine to give a vision of 30,000 years in the future. Add in some knowing references to a plethora of sci-fi films, local references, audience participation and some over the top characters and it descends into comedic chaos.
Madcap doesn’t quite cover it. Jokes come thick and fast and, yes, they may stink as badly as the fish of the plot, but this is a show with its tongue planted firmly in its cheek.
At times it does seem like it's trying too hard to cram in the required amount of jokes per minute and some look at structure may aid the flow at times. Perhaps that is intentional; after all, Gills Around The Green is meant to be rough around the edges and chaotic – a bit like the enfant terrible of Pantoland.
Playing a multitude of ridiculous characters, the company - Julian Harries (also directing), Nicholas Agnew, Kai Simmons, Holly Ashton, and Rose Van Hooff work well together although, at times, they do seem unsure of the piece.
Given the small space of the Sir John Mills there are, surprisingly, some projection issues that lose some of the fast-paced script and a couple of first night issues should hopefully be ironed out during the run.
With more time to settle into the roles and some tightening of some scene transitions, Gills Around The Green provides an antidote to the saccharin sweetness of traditional panto.
Picture: Nicholas Agnew in Gills Around The Green.Photo Mike Kwasniak
It’s the usual surreal offering so any attempt to summarise the plot is predictably difficult. Suffice to say a young sales rep dreams of becoming super hero Aqua Boy, a mad scientist has plans for human/fish hybrids and, given the current wintery blast, a highly topical story line about being stuck in a snow drift all combine to give a vision of 30,000 years in the future. Add in some knowing references to a plethora of sci-fi films, local references, audience participation and some over the top characters and it descends into comedic chaos.
Madcap doesn’t quite cover it. Jokes come thick and fast and, yes, they may stink as badly as the fish of the plot, but this is a show with its tongue planted firmly in its cheek.
Playing a multitude of ridiculous characters, the company - Julian Harries (also directing), Nicholas Agnew, Kai Simmons, Holly Ashton, and Rose Van Hooff work well together although, at times, they do seem unsure of the piece.
Given the small space of the Sir John Mills there are, surprisingly, some projection issues that lose some of the fast-paced script and a couple of first night issues should hopefully be ironed out during the run.
With more time to settle into the roles and some tightening of some scene transitions, Gills Around The Green provides an antidote to the saccharin sweetness of traditional panto.
Picture: Nicholas Agnew in Gills Around The Green.Photo Mike Kwasniak
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