Review: Our House - New Wolsey Theatre

A simple split-second decision can alter our lives irrevocably; what may seem the most innocuous of life choices can have major repercussions.

For Joe Casey, growing up in Camden prospects seem bleak but the choice he makes on the night he turns 16 will shape both his and his girlfriend’s future. It all seems such a simple choice – flee or fight - but the consequences are quiet unexpected.

In Our House, Tim Firth’s musical based on the songs of Madness, we get to see the paths both options take as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Joe journey into adulthood.

This dual view is an inspired plot device, raising Our House way above your standard jukebox musical into a fully-fledged piece of musical drama with a strong plot and a real emotional punch.

Of course, the dramatic narrative of the Madness songs adds much, but the musical numbers are integrated so well into the script that it is easy to forget these were crafted as individual numbers rather than for the musical score. Baggy Trousers, Driving In My Car, Night Boat to Cairo, The Sun and The Rain – all weaved seamlessly into a strong and convincing plot.

Director Sally Scurrell has moved the original contemporary setting to the early 1980s and it certainly adds some period colour to the piece, although perhaps sits a bit too early for the supposed property redevelopment boom in Camden.

Our House is an immensely challenging show for a company to stage, quick-fire costume changes, doubling, and the complex rhythmic structure of the Madness songs themselves. On opening night it’s not a challenge that the company always pull off, a few sound and lighting issues detracted from the performances, and the sharpness of one of two scenes needs tightening. These issues should easily be resolved, though, as the show’s run continues.

The cast are obviously having great fun with this infectious musical and there are several impressive performances. Sam Horsfield and Simon Bowen are vocally strong as Joe’s parents and Tom Mayhew, Mike Cook, Rachel Lucock and Charlotte Mitchell provide some wonderfully observed comic creations as the warring friends of Joe and his girlfriend, Sarah.

As the young lovers, Joe Leat and Vicky Jam create the real emotional heart of the evening, singing beautifully but also giving the characters a real depth. Leat has an especially tough ask, rapid changes to move from good and bad Joe mean his is an incredibly physical performance.

After their success with Rent last year, Gallery Players have shown that there is a rich catalogue of contemporary musicals out here for companies to tackle, in preference to the much trod path of 1950s musicals.

Our House has sold out for the week’s run already but, if you manage to find a return, dig out those baggy trousers, don your pork pie hat and head down the street for a night of drama in NW1.

Review: Music of The Spheres - Ip-Art Festival

The opening event of an arts festival is the one vital show to launch an event with flair and sets the tone for the whole event. A tough gig but pull it off and there’s that much-valued ‘WOW’ factor.

This year’s Ip-Art festival, Ipswich Borough Council’s multi-disciplinary arts festival kicked off tonight with Music of The Spheres, and ambitious mix of music and aerial performance taking place in two giant transparent spheres, floating on Ipswich’s historic marina.

The advertising blurb sounded promising:

"Two giant spheres - the largest the size of a four-storey building - floating on the water at Ipswich Marina. Inside one, suspended in the centre six metres above the water, an aerial dancer weaves up and down on a silk trapeze.

The second Sphere weaves a ballet on the water with a flute player suspended inside. The music, created live by the flautist, is transmitted by radio microphone to the public on the quayside. Computers and surround sound PA create a whole orchestra of flutes. Searchlights and smoke effects complete the scene to create a unique theatrical event."

So does it work? It is impossible to say.

In their wisdom, organisers had chosen to stage the performance on a crowded part of the Ipswich Waterfront. While the waterfront has undergone something of a regeneration recently, at its heart it is still a busy marina with only a small section of open water in front of the old custom house. The marina is even busier this weekend with one of the largest assemblies of Thames Barges seen in many years for the annual Pin Mill Barge Race. Unless you are lucky enough to live in one of the waterfront apartments, or dining in one of the many restaurants, your viewing options are restricted to a stretch of narrow quayside.

A flat quayside, low water and crowds with umbrellas to combat the typical British weather not conducive for viewing. In fact, the only comments one could hear from fellow viewers was that of disappointment for not being able to see.

Ok, so restricted views are nothing new in theatre – surely the ‘orchestra of flutes’ and lighting effects would compensate? If you are planning an orchestral based musical performance you need to think carefully about the sound system – what do organisers do? Place a large part of the audience in front of one of Ipswich’s most popular live music pubs with its sound system drowning out any chance of hearing the performance.

After 10 minutes struggling to catch a glimpse or hear a snippet of the performance large sections of the audience began to depart. Given their experience of the launch of the festival what’s the likelihood of their return to future events? A home goal for Ipswich Borough Council.

Review: Doctor Faustus - Shakespeare's Globe

The Devil has all the best tunes and, in Shakespeare’s Globe's first staging of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, he also has a cracking play.

Arguably Marlowe’s most famous play also holds a unique place in theatrical history, the only play of the period to explicitly cover religion, a surprising move given Marlowe’s atheist credentials.

Wittenberg scholar Faustus rejects conventional teaching and turns to magic to conjure up Mephistopheles. In a pact with Mephistopheles’ master Lucifer, Faustus trades twenty four years of service from the devils lieutenant in return for his soul. Sealing the dark deed in blood Faustus looks forward to the wealth his dark arts will reap. The notoriety and wealth blind the scholar to the retribution that awaits him but Mephistopheles is on hand to remind him of his eternal damnation.

Matthew Dunster’s production for The Globe is a work that balances clarity and spectacle to provide a clear and gripping rendition. Using music, comedy and spectacle to create a vivid backdrop to Faustus’ downfall, Dunster creates and evening of lavish spectacle. Flames appear from mid air, giant monstrous apparitions taunt the audience and there’s enough gore to satisfy the most blood thirsty observer. This conjuring and spectacle never distracts though, instead reinforcing the magical elements of the piece.

At the heart of the success is a remarkable double act. Paul Hilton and Arthur Darvill as Faustus and Mephistopheles have a real chemistry. Hilton gives his Faustus a restless intensity, overwhelmed by the possibilities his alliance with the devil provides and blissfully unaware of the ultimate price he must pay. By the time he realises the consequences of his actions and attempts to renege on his pledge, it is a performance of pure fear.

Darvill’s Mephistopheles in counterpoint is a much more subtle, and as a result a deeply chilling performance. Darvill is a spectral figure, quietly observing and guiding proceedings but behind the quiet exterior is an ice cold heart within the fires of hell. When the benign turns into the avenging devil it is truly terrifying.

Alongside the central duo there are fine performances throughout the company. Felix Scott’s Wagner, Pearce Quigley’s Robin and Beatriz Romilly’s and Charlotte Broom’s Good and Bad angels all provide memorable moments.

There’s also much atmosphere added by Genevieve Wilkins’ band, providing an effective musical backdrop to the unfolding action.

Some may find Marlowe’s mix of the grotesque horror with manic farce an unsatisfying combination but it does serve to reinforce the normality that Faustus is forsaking in his dark dealings with Lucifer.

As the night sky darkens over the Globe and the wind rattles around the wooden O, a chill runs down the spine, and for once it has little to do with the vagaries of the British weather. As one heads back along the Southbank one can’t help but feel Shakespeare’s Globe have served up a devilish delight.

Picture: Arthur Darvill, Paul Hilton and company in Doctor Faustus at Shakespeare’s Globe. Photo Keith Patterson

Review: Richard III - Old Vic

The Shakespearian equivalent of the joke about waiting for a bus then two coming along continues. After the raft of Hamlets and King Lear’s playing concurrently recently it’s now the turn of Richard III to invade our stages. Propeller bringing their widely acclaimed, all male version, to Hampstead, and Kevin Spacey starring in the final offering of the transatlantic Bridge Project at the Old Vic.

While Propeller go for inventiveness, Spacey’s offering is much more traditional. That’s not to say this is some museum piece, mixing projection with an effective yet minimalist staging to convey an almost timeless setting despite its contemporary allusions.

While Propeller have taken the cutting knife to the text, here its only the odd minor tweak, though, despite the three hour fifteen running time, it’s a production full of pace and fluidity.

Director Sam Mendes has wisely avoid theatrical gimmicks and focuses very much on textual delivery, showing Richard not as some pantomime villain but a tortured soul, with as much self loathing for himself as the wider population have for the much reviled monarch.

Kevin Spacey’s performance is nothing short of mesmerising, from the first glimpse commanding attention without overpowering the piece. There is always a danger in turning Richard’s physical deformities into a grotesque caricature but here the physical imperfections are seamlessly integrated into the characterisation. Spacey has somewhat corned the screen market in malevolence over the years and on this showing its easy to see why, his Richard exudes evil but it’s a shockingly human evil, despicable yes but one that is readily understandable given the character.

Of course Richard III is more than a one man show and Mendes has assembled a strong cross-Atlantic ensemble to frame the central performance.
Maureen Anderman delivers an impressive rendition of Richards Mother the Duchess of York, pivotal in the physiological demise of her son. It is actually a strong female element to the cast with equally impressive performances from Gemma Jones as Margaret and Hadyn Gwynne as Elizabeth. Alongside Spacey there are though also good male performances. Chandler Williams as Chuk Iwuji’s Clarence and Buckingham both give beautifully drawn three dimensional portrayals that give clarity and understanding to the roles.

This may lack the quirkiness of Propeller’s Richard III but it proves to be a gripping, insightful look into the disturbed mind of one of Shakespeare’s most maligned characters and a fitting curtain call for the Bridge Project.

Review: A Grand Night for Singing - New Wolsey Theatre

With a collaboration producing some of the world’s most popular musicals, a retrospective of the works of Rodgers and Hammerstein was never going to be short of source material.

Walter Bobbie’s 1993 Broadway musical review A Grand Night for Singing takes a two-hour journey through some of the duo’s extensive back catalogue. Originally staged in cabaret format in New York, before transferring to the stage, the show never quite shakes off its cabaret roots and, therefore, at times seems uncomfortable on stage.

Appeal Theatre Group’s staging reinforces the cabaret nature, performed on an almost bare stage with performers in evening dress it’s more of a song recital than a musical.

Bobbie’s concept provides no linking narrative or theme, the show being a frame for the individual songs of R&H.

The concept does make for a slightly sterile evening, while one can admire the skill of the composer and lyricist, ripped out from their dramatic backgrounds it is difficult to emotionally engage with the numbers. This distancing isn’t helped by Fred Well’s musical arrangements. Some numbers Well has kept in their original show arrangements but others are bizarrely modified, often to damaging effect. The King And I’s classic waltz Shall We Dance transforms into a surreal tango while Oh What a Beautiful Morning from Oklahoma! ditches one of the simplest yet most effective orchestrations for an up-tempo mishmash of styles and rhythms. As the saying goes – if it aint broke…

Given the pedigree of the source material, sadly the production never matches the illustrious nature of the composers. There is often a misconception that the songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein are simple melodies, easy to sing. Far from it, the songs have caught many professional actors out over the years with their soaring melodies and octave spanning range. It may have been a case of first night nerves but unfortunately the company often seemed off key during the performance. There were one or two notable exceptions; Jo Whelton’s It’s Me, a comedic gem, and Helen Waller’s Something Wonderful soars impressively but, overall, the onstage enthusiasm never overcomes the vocal wobbles.

Stripped of their dramatic concept, direction needs to be inventive to overcome that feeling of disconnection; however David Crane’s direction is too static to inject drama into the piece and the few moments of choreographic interlude seem half-hearted at best.

Appeal have shown their potential for staging top quality musicals earlier this year with their impressive performance of Songs For A New World and it’s therefore disappointing that this production falls flat.

Review: Emperor and Galilean - Olivier Theatre

Church and State, two institutions that have shaped and divided nations for centuries; forces that dominate history. Epic subjects for an epic play and they don’t come much more epic than Ibsen’s Emperor and Galilean. Receiving its English stage premiere, this pared down version from Ben Power still runs for 3 hours 30 minutes – the full version would run to nearly 8 hours.

Christianity is beginning to take hold in ancient Constantinople, although Paganism is still a dominant force in the Empire. For Julian, nephew of the Roman Emperor, the Christian faith has been the cornerstone of his upbringing. All seems set fair for the rise of Christianity as the established religion until Julian faces a crisis of faith and turns to paganism. As Julian manoeuvres himself for the Roman crown, he also sets course on a collision force between the ancient and new religions with bloody consequence.

State and faith clash, not only for control of the Empire but on a personal level also for Julian’s increasingly fragile mind. In the end one gets the feeling that far from being a decisive leader, Julian was in fact little more than a puppet being used for religious reasons.

The programme highlights the recent religious clashes in Egypt and indeed the production does seem both timely and relevant, despite its historical context.

This is an epic that sweeps across the years and across the countries from Constantinople, to Greece, France and Persia, it’s a constantly moving production and even in this heavily edited text is a marathon effort for both cast and audience.

The lengthy first half requires considerable expository set up, however, it does provide a solid backbone onto which one can overlay the historical.

Director Jonathan Kent relishes the epic nature of the piece, utilising the full scope of the Olivier stage and Paul Brown’s evocative and fluid set. Kent also manages to balance the large scale 50-strong cast with the small and intimate duo or trio scenes. Mark Henderson’s atmospheric lighting and Jonathan Dove’s percussive score also helps focus and direct attention across the vast stage.

In such a large scale piece, some of the dialogue is lost in the vastness at times and indeed, Andrew Scott’s Julian seemed strangely under-performed for the initial 20 minutes; after that, however, the transformation was noticeable with Scott turning in a remarkable maturing performance as the ambitious politician moves from innocent student to cold calculating despot.

There are other strong performances from the company including Nabil Shaban’s Constantinus, John Hefferman’s voice of reason Peter and Ian McDiarmid’s manipulative Maximus.

While one has to admire the ambition and sweep of the production its not always clear what the final message one should take away is. As a historical epic that looks at the struggle for the Empire’s religious soul it works but as something deeper and more profound the jury is still out. Despite the edited text from Power, the script still suffers from overblown passages that make this a show to admire rather than fully love.

Photo: Emperor and Galilean at the National Theatre. Photo by Catherine Ashmore

Naming Names

You have you actors, you have your script, the costumes and set are ready, and the props are all sorted. All systems go then for your first performance? Forgotten anything?

It may seem a simple thing but what about a cast list? How will people know what your show is about and, more importantly, who you are?

So what’s prompted this seemingly innocuous question?

It may seem an elemental requirement of putting on a show but judging from experience at the recent Pulse Fringe Festival at the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, one that many emerging companies overlook.

Out of 36 shows seen (out of the 48 on offer during the festival) only four companies produced any form of cast list for audiences. It should be said the venues press officer did a sterling job of chasing companies and providing casting details to the press but what about the wider audience?

Surely one key part of showing your work at a festival promoting new work is that off chance you might be discovered and your work could be taken on by another venue. If potential agents, directors, programmers or venues are in the audience, what chance do you have if they have no idea who is whom?

We’re not talking big glossy publications here; especially considering most of these types of production are in the very embryonic stages of development and play for normally one performance; however is a one page cast and creative list beyond expectations?

Some companies rely on the fact they have an intranet page, but given the number of shows competing for attention; critics and promoters don’t have the time to go searching for the information across the net. And it is a competitive market. Regardless of the artistic merit of the show, if you are seeing three or four individual shows on any given day you are unlikely to go trawling around the internet hunting for details of the production.

While it is, of course, easy to be caught up with the excitement of the creative process, take a step back and put on your business/salesman head and think ‘what can I do to help those who may be interested in taking my project further?’.

This article was originally written for Arts Professional Magazine

Preview: Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds Autumn season

We may still be waiting for summer to arrive but in theatre land, thoughts are already turning to autumn and winter.

It is a challenging time for venues as they come to terms with a shifting funding landscape while trying to ensure their programme will meet increasing audience expectations.

The topic is one Simon Daykin, Executive Director of the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds recognises at the launch of the theatre’s new season.

“Our work is vital, in times of hardship the creative spirit shines through and we are committed to producing theatre that punches above its weight.”

The theatre will become an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation from April 2012 but Simon also recognises the huge role that the audiences, friends of the theatre and donors themselves contribute to the theatre funds. It is a income stream the theatre is keen, and indeed must, develop. This year’s season highlights two of the ways that support can help fund the programme, a legacy donation from the family of John and Molly Cheston and perhaps more conventional corporate sponsorship by Marriott Motor Group.

Ian Woodward of Marriott Motor Group is delighted to be in a position to return to sponsorship. “Three and a half years ago we had to leave sponsorship as the recession hit but we are a Bury St Edmunds based company and love giving something back to the town. Long may it continue.”

Artistic director Colin Blumenau is immensely proud of the new season, particularly the focus on Drama. Dick Turpin’s Last Ride is a particular highlight for Colin “I’m fascinated by Dick Turpin, but it’s not what everyone expects it to be, it’s not some jolly romp but a play about the character of Turpin rather than the romanticised nature we are more familiar with.”

The show itself comes with a 10+ age recommendation, in part due to the addressing the darker side of Turpin.

Other highlights for Blumenau includes visits from Shakespeare’s Globe with their touring production of As You Like It and the return of John Godber in a new partnership with the Theatre Royal Wakefield.

There is also the return visit by New Perspectives Theatre Company with their new production looking at the history of flight, Those Magnificent Men and of course no autumn season would be complete without Panto.

The annual pantomime has long been a cornerstone of many venues yearly financial balance sheets and the Theatre Royal is no different. This one production alone brings in around 30% of the annual audience income and there is no reason to suspect this year’s production of Dick Whittington will be any less successful.

A browse through the season brochure shows that there is no major staged Georgian production this season. Partly driven by financial pressures it has also been driven by a move to take a step back to three plays from the theatre’s back catalogue of Georgian plays and the opportunity to delve deeper into the text. The three plays will now be recorded as ‘radio’ plays in front of an audience. While there are still at the moment some issues barring the commercial release of these recordings, the theatre see’s this development as an exciting opportunity to not only bring in new income but also provide a valuable resource for researchers and schools.

Education is perhaps the unsung backbone of the theatre’s work, as Lynn Whitehead, head of Creative Learning explains; “the work we do in Creative Learning is often carried out in publicity silence, away from the season brochure.” It’s a growing area of work for the theatre however, with currently 17 different participatory groups across West Suffolk with members aged 5 to 68.

Audiences will get the opportunity to view three pieces of work from the Creative Learning team this season. In an ambitious project, participants at the theatre’s Summer School will create a new play based on the Apothecary from Romeo and Juliet, rehearsing and staging it to the public in just two weeks.

The youth theatre will bring rims tales to life on stage in October and the Creative learning team have received Heritage Lottery Funding to help the Unitarian’s mark the 300th anniversary of their meeting house.

Although the theatre receives around 90,000 visitors a year, the team are not resting on their laurels and are keen to both encourage new visitors and improve the experience for existing customers. One welcome addition to the services on offer this season is the introduction of captioned, signed performances and touch tours for hearing and visually impaired visitors, enabled through sponsorship from the Cambridge University Press.

Despite the challenging times ahead for all arts venues there’s a positive feeling from the team at the theatre royal. The challenges have encouraged them to look at how they utilise their historic venue and at ways of extending the life of the productions they produce. The Arts Council has made much of partnership working and for the Theatre Royal team partnership is more than the latest buzz word. Colin explains that he is noticing an increase in the number of phone calls and emails from companies wanting to explore new ways of working with the Theatre Royal and that can only be a positive move and something to look forward to in future seasons.

The theatre’s new season goes on sale to Friends of the theatre on 20th June and on general sale on the 27th.

Preview: Latitude Festival - It's more than just a music festival

It’s more than just a music festival the advertising material proudly proclaims. Now in its sixth year at Henham Park, the Latitude Festival most certainly is. Music, comedy, literature, theatre and children’s entertainment all combine to create a unique festival.

Speaking at this year’s media launch, Melvin Benn, founder of Latitude is undeniable excited about, not just this year’s festival, but, the long term plans for the event. Contracts have just been signed to host the Latitude Festival for a further 15 years, seeing the festival up to and hopefully beyond its 21st Birthday.

The festival has grown so much in both scope and reputation over the last 6 years it’s hard to imagine what that 21st anniversary festival would look like, however, based on this year’s line up it’s a prospect to savour.

Organisers are investing heavily in the site and are about to open a new bridge onsite to try and ease congestion ahead of this years festival. Its just one example of how organisers are keen to improves facilities for festival goers. Another key development this year is an introduction of a Teen Zone at the festival. Named after the TV series, the Inbetweeners Zone will be teenage dedicated area that will provide some thrilling opportunities.

Sharon Reuben  programmer for the area is proud of the line up she has assembled;

“Working with Culture Works and Access to Music we are able to offer high quality, professional opportunities for teenagers, its not about dumbing down but providing real opportunity. For example, for budding writers there will be the opportunity to be paired up with a writer from Dazed and Confused, review a performance and then come back and edit and publish.”

Sharon is also excited about the opportunity to work with Greenpeace, celebrating their 40th Anniversary this year and adventure play company Monkey Do to tap into the natural beauty of the Henham estate while providing some exhilarating experiences for visitors.

Young budding music artists will also have their opportunity to perform in a fully functioning professional recording studio, housed in a classic Airstream caravan. Limited to those aged 12 and above, for the first time the facility will also be providing taster sessions on the Thursday evening.

Theatre has always been a strong component of Latitude and it’s an area that companies are increasingly clamouring to attend.

For theatre programmer Tania Harrison it’s a vital component of festival life.

“Theatre tells us what’s important in society and this festival is about engaging both mind and body.”

Tania is passionate about bringing high quality theatre to Henham and not as she describes it “not just theatre in a field”. That dedication to quality shows in the standard of company that she manages to attract to Suffolk each year.

Some of Tania’s ‘don’t miss’ recommendations include Lost Dog’s It Needs Horses, a show that won the UK’s largest Choreography prize this year and the latest show by rising stars of the theatre world 1927, renowned for their breathtaking use of projection and dark comedy.

Tania isn’t content to make things easy for her production team, transforming stages with trapezes, projectors and turning one stage into a 1960s East End pub.

Of course music is the cornerstone of Latitude and Melvin Benn was keen to stress the ethos of the festival to develop new talent;

“Latitude is really a festival that puts acts on that other festivals then follow.”

This development of talent is seen with one of this year’s Headline Acts Paolo Nutini, one of whose first performances was at the 2006 Latitude Festival and now returns to headline the 2011 Festival.

One name to watch for future Headline stardom is local lad Ed Sheeran. Ed has been inspired by the success of Latitude to pursue his musical career and this year will be opening the main stage on the Saturday.

That is one of the areas that separate Latitude from the rest of the festival circuit, the sense of local connection.As Sharon Reuben describes it

“Although people come from all over the country to Latitude, it still retains that local feel”

The 14th – 17th July will see thousands of festival-goers descend on the Henham estate and, if the sun is shining on the park like it was today, they are in for a glorious four days in the beautiful Suffolk Countryside.

The full line up can be found on the Latitude website

This article was originally written in assocation with Ipswich24 Magazine

Review: The Flying Karamazov Brothers - Vaudeville Theatre

Any theatrical event is a bit of a juggling act, coordinating a plethora of diverse skills to make a whole entertainment. The latest arrival into the West End takes the notion one step further, literally keeping multiple items in the air at any one time.

The Flying Karamazov Brothers, a quartet of American comedians, musicians and jugglers, have had huge success in the states over the last 38 years and, although the line up may have changed over that time - no they aren’t really brothers - their skill is something to marvel.

The show itself is an eclectic mix of madcap slapstick, music, ballet and, of course, a virtuoso display of juggling. It alls sounds rather old fashioned variety, and perhaps it’s appropriate to be playing at the Vaudeville theatre, but the anarchic edge gives it a uniquely contemporary feel.

You know this is no traditional show from the moment the house lights dim and a sardonic voice runs through a half-hearted pre show announcement warning the audience that the use of mobile phone, recording equipment and firearms are not allowed.

Once the curtain rises we get to meet the Karamazovs themselves, four kilted Americans with a maniacal streak. Over the course of 90minutes, their juggling skills take centre stage with precision routines, jazz juggling (you have to be there to get the explanation), and a flame-filled finale.

There’s more to this show than flying clubs (and torches, eggs, cream and jelly) though. Interspersed with the circustry is wacky slapstick reminisant of the Marx Brothers, an analogy the foursome acknowledge onstage, and surreal musical montages.

Paul Magid, Mark Erringer, Roderick Kimball and Stephen Bent work well together, a trait vital given the split second timing and trust required for many of their routines. The show itself has an improvised feel about it, however one suspects the archaic nature is carefully rehearsed and not as random as it seems.

This is a show that relies heavily on a pumped up audience to provide the necessary encouragement and, with the traditional British reserve; it may be something of a struggle for the Brothers to whip up that vital support. Indeed, on this particular grey Monday evening, that vital audience spark seemed somewhat lacking.

One feels that this is a show that really comes alive with a late night, alcohol-fuelled audience and that a large West End theatre is perhaps not the natural territory for this show.

There is certainly nothing else like The Flying Karamazov Brothers in the West End but, despite the skill and the talent on stage, there is something lacking to make this a truly unmissable evening.

Enjoyable? Yes. Clever? Yes. Breathtaking? Not quite.

Review: Shrek The Musical - Theatre Royal Drury Lane

A monster of a musical, yes the headline for Shrek The Musical almost writes itself and, while the producers may be hoping for a monster hit, sadly this green beast is a monster for all the wrong reasons.

Ok, so perhaps the target demographic is slightly out of my age range but it’s hard to take more than fleeting moments of enjoyment from this latest event musical.

The Shrek franchise has become one of the most successful animated films of all time and the fairytale theatricality seems a natural choice for a stage transfer. The original films provided genuine cross-generational appeal, plenty to entertain the youngsters but also providing enough humour for adults. Somewhere along the way, though, the magic and anarchic comedy has been lost. What is left is a pantomime-like confection that is bereft of the original’s substance and charm.

When the musical opened on Broadway in 2008 it was a lavish multi-dollar production full of spectacle. The West End production is based, however, on the American touring production and it’s a much simpler affair. And that is the first of the problems. For a show that cost several million pounds, it looks surprisingly cheap. Painted cloths dominate and, apart from a woefully briefly used bridge, it is strangely static and two dimensional. While shows such as Lend Me a Tenor play to their nostalgic feel, this just seems low budget.

There are a couple of redeeming design coup de’theatre, both involving a wonderful dragon. Surprise is a key element but, safe to say, they do add some much needed magic to the evening.

The second problem is Jeannine Tesori’s score. While the imported numbers provide a sense of the familiar, many of the other numbers fail to stick in the memory.

The third issue and perhaps the biggest barrier to the success of the show is the performances. While the two Nigels, Lyndsay and Harman as Shrek and diminutive Lord Farquaad, deliver strong performances, others seem weak. Amanda Holden’s Princess Fiona is played with inner steel but vocally it’s an unimpressive outing, seeming strained and thin.

Richard Blackwood’s Donkey is more problematic. The role in the stage show is little more than a shadow of the Eddie Murphy vehicle of the film, but Blackwood seems desperately uncomfortable with the role. The comedic elements seem mechanical while his vocal range is limited at best.

There are stronger performances from the ensemble. Landi Oshinowo’s duel roles as Dragon and Humpty Dumpty are sung with ferocity while Alice Fearn’s Gingy also sings up a storm.

In many ways, one suspects Shrek is critic-proof, the brand has such a strong following and the opportunity for a big scale family show is bound to draw audiences. It will be interesting to see, though, how this show sells outside of the holiday periods but it was telling that more than a few children commented on the way out of the auditorium that they found the show boring.

And you can’t get a more damning and damaging verdict than that.

Review: Standpoint - Pulse Fringe Festival

In a central Peterborough park people come and go. A man offering children sweets, children playing, a bride on her wedding day, fathers, daughters, joggers – all human life is here.

Nicola Werenowska’s latest play, Standpoint, looks at the impact a chance encounter between two of these transient visitors to the park has on each other.

Julia was born in Peterborough but now runs jewellers in Hampstead. Marek is from Poland, building a new career as a carer in the town. Though both have strong links to the town, both feel outsiders. Julia unable to come to terms with the memories the town holds and Marek is treated with hostility by his fellow workers. As their chance encounter is followed up by more meetings, it seems that perceived racism is a two-way journey and both newcomers and old have their own prejudices and pre-conceptions.

Jumped Theatre’s production is still a work in development and, for parts, the actors are still script in hand. There has though obviously been considerable work with the actors as characters are, on the whole, already well-formed.

Lisa Grant and Stephen Sobal work well together and deliver characters that, although initially wary of each other, build a mutual trust and understanding.

Director Kate Hall uses a projected backdrop of images (by Dan Donovan) to create a visual connection to the park, without drawing attention away from the performances.

Werenowska’s script provides an effective look at the suspicions between communities and the tension that lies on both sides. At times, however, the script does suffer from an over-descriptive nature and would benefit from some editing to focus on plot progression and more character development.

While set in Peterborough, the issues faced here are universal and while it may be hard for non-Peterborough audiences to connect with all the local detail, there is enough commonality to make this a wider appeal.

Perhaps the opening montage of characters in the park could be shorter and some more though given on fleshing out the character of Julia, who seems undeveloped in comparison with that of Marek, would prove beneficial.

Overall, though, this is a promising early development of a work that shows much potential.

Review: Young Pretender - Pulse Fringe Festival

The road to freedom is never easy; despite the best of intentions, there is always going to be setbacks. When you’re just 24, trying to follow in your father’s illustrious footsteps, and have the expectations of a nation on your shoulders, the road is going to be even more difficult.

For Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Maria Stuart, better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, the weight of expectations weighs heavy on his young shoulders. In Young Pretender, E V Crowe’s look at the how his life changed in the space of one pivotal year, from leading the Jacobite uprising of 1745 to fleeing for his life disguised as a woman.

Nabokov’s production is still in the development stage but, even at this early stage, this script in hand performance shows much promise.

On the eve of his 25th birthday, Charlie is reflecting on his role and the pressures he faces in trying to secure a free Scotland. There’s a huge amount of expectation on the young prince and a responsibility with which he does not always feel comfortable. Paradoxically, for a man expected to lead them into freedom, there is also an expectation from the Scots for Charles to be one of the people, a conundrum he sums up well himself ‘Everyone expects me to be normal, but I’m not fighting for normal things’.

The play also looks at what made the army follow this young leader. Despite his self doubt, this was a man who inspired unconditional loyalty, a strong salesman in the belief of a free Scotland, regardless of the price.

The Young Pretender itself never looks at the pivotal battle of Culloden, focusing instead on the run up and the aftermath. It is perhaps in this aftermath that we get to come to understand the real emotions of the man as he comes to terms with defeat. As Flora MacDonald prepares to smuggle him to Skye dressed as her Irish maid she quizzes him on the death of her own father in battle but, at this stage, the orphaned daughter seems more of a warrior than the battlefield scarred Charlie. Her lust for bloody detailed at odds with his calm reflections. For her it is something of a disappointment meeting her hero but Charlie’s charisma still commands loyalty.

Director Joe Murphy draws out fine performances from his three strong cast. Sensibly, he allows the relationships between the trio to develop naturally, allowing a strong focus on character and emotion.

It will be interesting to see how the piece develops into a fully staged production and one hopes that the intimacy of the language and performance isn’t lost once movement is added.

The Young Pretender provides a fascinating insight into one of the pivotal characters in UK history and inspires you to go off and do more research into this often romanticized character.

Review: Exterminating Angel - Pulse Fringe Festival

Five dinner guests, hidden agendas, brutal honesty and what could easily be the dinner party from hell – no, not TVs Come Dine With Me but Future Ruins’ Exterminating Angel.

It is difficult to write a definitive review for this piece as, within a pre-defined structure, the actors are free to improvise the dialogue. It makes each performance unique and brutally naturalistic.

As five friends gather around the dirty plates and empty wineglasses, remnants of their dinner party, it is a good job the knives have been cleared away, otherwise who knows what carnage would be inflicted.

What starts as a seemingly innocuous dinner party turns progressively darker and sinister as secrets that perhaps, in the cold light of day, would best remain hidden, are forced out into the open.

To give too much more away would spoil the suspense; however, despite the feeling of catharsis the friends may feel, one suspect the friendships will never be the same again.

Dialogue often overlaps in a cacophony of sound, multiple conversations take place around the table and audiences tune into fragments to give a unique viewpoint. Exterminating Angel also uses that most powerful, yet often underused, theatrical device, silence, to heighten the atmosphere and build a palpable tension. It’s a technique that works well in this dinner party setting, where the flow of conversation often runs dry and there is that uncomfortable pause waiting for a fellow guest to take the lead and break the ice.

The company work well together and in this improvised environment bounce lines of each other with apparent ease. Anna Bolton, Noeleen Comiskey, Gerry Howell, Tom McHugh and James Rigby all create realistic characters, all with a hidden darker side and a sense that there is something more going on beneath the surface that we are only just glimpsing.

Jack McNamara’s direction never provides all the answers, allowing the audience to take their own interpretation away. He does provide the framework for a look into the human psyche and what friendship actually means. There are plenty of comic moments that we can all identify with but, as the behaviour becomes more erratic and bizarre, there are moments that genuinely elicit gasps from a shocked audience.

There is potential for the piece to become even darker than it currently is but, in its current form, it is a deeply layered and darkly disturbing play that will stimulate thought long after the lights dim.

Review: Cabaret Whore - Pulse Fringe Festival

Life is a Cabaret old chum, come to the Cabaret. Sally Bowles has never been to a Cabaret quite like Cabaret Whore though.

Four of Cabaret’s most celebrated divas have been brought together on one bill to celebrate the splendours of the art form.

Each has their own unique take on Cabaret, each desperately trying to cling to a rapidly dimming spotlight and career.

Welcoming audiences to the show is star of off, off, off, off Broadway, Bernie St Claire who bears more than a passing resemblance to Judy Garland. She chats to her audience; signs autograph for a critic and scours the auditorium for alcohol.

She is, as she freely admits, ‘a Diva of a certain age’ who sings of her jealousy of Elaine Paige, her unfortunate name and her ‘love’ for her daughter. This is of course the world of Cabaret so it’s not a traditional ode to love with lyrics thanking her daughter for ‘making my life a write-off’ and ‘if you hadn’t been born my life would have been better.’

Second Diva of the evening is Kasha – the gem in the rusty crown of communism. Clad in a bright pink lycra jumpsuit she mangles both English and music to provide a parody of performance artists.

Third to enter the spotlight is a faded star of children’s classic Rainbow Creek. Despite being 33 years since her heyday, Babydoll is still clad in her blonde ringlets and bright yellow dress, a spooky aged version of the plastic doll she lives her life with. Despite the outward chirpy nature there’s something sinister about this child/adult hybrid and her relationship with ‘Daddy’.

Headline act of the evening is French Chanteuse La Poule Plombée. Former singing partner to Edith Piaf ‘The Little Sparrow’, this is ‘The Frumpy Pigeon.’ It may not be wise to mention Piaf’s name though to the knife wielding manic French woman – she blames Piaf for dumping her and exiling her to the cultural wilderness of London.

Four wonderful creations all by one talented actress Sarah-Louise Young.

Each character is beautifully observed and sung with real passion. Her lyrics (with music by Michael Roulston) capture the pain of these tortured women but also reduce the audience to tears with their acidic comedy. There’s a deceptively simple feel to this show but, although the quartet of Diva’s are by nature grotesque parodies, there is something chillingly recognisable in all of them.

Young’s vocal range is impressive and her comic timing spot on but she also encompasses the passion and sadness in these four unique women. Life may be a Cabaret but you’ll have never seen such a lively cabaret as this. Vive la Frumpy Pigeon!

Review: Passing Wind - Pulse Fringe Festival

Lights, camera, action. Everyone loves the movie business but what happens when you have over run your budget and schedule, a rival producer is poaching your cast, the actors are fighting and/or drunk and the neighbours are shooting at you.

For director Okafor, this is all part of daily life working in Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry.

Passing Wind, the working title for Oladipo Agboluaje’s latest play for Talawa Theatre Company, is still very much a work in progress. It’s an ambitious project, looking at multiple themes and mixing drama with comedy against a backdrop some in the audience may be unfamiliar with.

Okafor is trying to film Rebirth, an epic looking at his country’s heritage. It’s a struggle as Colin, his sole English actor is a down-at-heel alcoholic, his leading lady is only taking part in the film to rebuild her standing in the church community, and his leading man, Nollywood’s answer to Leonardo De Caprio, is slowly turning Glaswegian in a futile attempt to gain a role in a British crime drama.

There’s much promise here but in this early draft there is still much work to do. For those not overtly familiar with the Nigerian film industry, the context isn’t always apparent. The comedy does transcend cultural barriers; however, at the moment it’s not always enough to maintain interest.

Compared with its Hollywood inspiration, the Nollywood film industry manages on a mere fraction of a budget and this does provide much potential for dramatic intrigue. This current draft of Agboluaje’s script, however, seems lacklustre in comparison with his earlier work; dialogue seems strained and running at just over two hours overlong.

There are some nice performances from the cast in this script-in-hand reading. Jocelyn Jee Esien’s Christiana engulfed in religious fervour, Wale Ojo’s preening Heston and Anthony Ofoegbu’s under pressure Okafor all work well.

Talawa Theatre Company intends to spend another year working on this before coming up with the finished product and it will be interesting to see what that end result looks like.

If they can tighten the action, focus on defining the characters and look at the dialogue, Passing Wind offers the potential for a comic look at perhaps one of the world’s overlooked film industries.

Review: Made Up - Pulse Fringe Festival

A show that is improvised from scratch each night is virtually impossible to review. The show on any given night will be so different that comparative notes seem irrelevant. One can, however, look at the concept, construction and ability of such a piece to entertain.


Made Up, to mis-use the catchphrase of a well know television advert, does exactly what it says on the tin: three performers ask for suggestions for a film title from the audience and, after an audience vote, proceed to create an evening’s entertainment accompanied by a live band.

The concept isn’t new and various companies have tried the format both on stage and on television. Cartoon De Salvo now step up to the mark with live improvised music from four-piece band The Adventurists.

For this evening the choice of films was between ‘The Spanner Thief’ and ‘The Orange Assassin’ – the latter winning the audience vote.

What follows is an over-the-top, historically inaccurate and cross gendered period romp that sees an 83-year-old-King Henry VIII married to a bearded Anne Boleyn who, in turn, is having an illicit affair with a clog dancing William of Orange.

Performers Neil Haigh, Brian Logan and Alex Murdoch switch between this mixed bag of characters without the aid of costumes or props, relying on a couple of chairs and themselves to carry the story. They are impressive performances, bouncing ideas off each other and reacting to the numerous plot twists imposed by their fellow performers.

The Adventurists provide suitable musical underscoring, including a couple of comic musical song and dance numbers.

All sounds promising and, indeed, there are many comic gems in the evening; however, running at just over one hour thirty minutes it seems way too long. What starts out as a mad cap concept slowly runs out of steam and, as the pace slows, audience attention begins to wander. Similar shows run to half this length and it’s a lesson that would benefit this show - either drastically cut the running time or, if Cartoon De Salvo wants to stick to the 90 minute format, perhaps consider two different stories.

There is certainly great skill on stage but one can’t help feeling it’s a structure seen before and, sadly on this permutation, one that has held attention better.

Review: Running On Air - Pulse Fringe Festival

Some of the most surprising journeys turn out to be the most fulfilling, and although the yellow VW camper van parked in front of the New Wolsey Theatre doesn’t leave the site, in Laura Mugride’s Running On Air audiences are taken on a journey of self discovery and immense charm.

The camper van is both a character in the show and also the venue, five people at a time are seated inside for a journey into Mugridge’s life and the fraternity of camper van enthusiasts on the open road. Each of the ‘passengers’ are assigned tasks, time keeper, map reader, DJ in charge of the vans tape deck and even Laura’s husband Tom.

The camper van was a wedding present to the couple and christened Joni and is the real co-star of the production. We hear how Joni’s fan belt broke down on a journey from Edinburgh, how she safely conveyed Laura and Tom to the Scottish highlands for Laura’s 30th birthday and then we passengers are all transported to a Cornish bay. Along the journey there are communal sing songs, a jam season with toothbrushes, wooden spoons and a biscuit jar bongo and a real engagement for all involved.

The close proximity to both performer and fellow audience obviously creates an intimate atmosphere but Mugridge carefully draws her audience into the story, treating strangers as long lost friends. It’s all so engaging that one is completely taken along for the ride.

As well as a celebration of the wonder of Joni herself, it’s also a deeply personal recollection of Laura and Toms love, a love of comedy and performing and, in a moving and deeply honest look at the terror of stage fright a fascinating insight into the courage it takes to stand up and perform. While Laura may say that she is building her confidence up by performing to just five people at a time, the close proximity takes a performer of real skill, and her warm personality can’t help but win over even the most cynical audience member.

Sometimes its not the final destination that is important and you learn more on the actual journey but Running On Air should be on everyone’s theatrical itinerary.

Review: Party Piece - Pulse Fringe Festival

The morning after the night before. That moment when you try to remember who you are, where you are and, more worryingly, what exactly did you get up to the previous night?


Party Piece, a first work by the New Wolsey Theatre Young Associates, a group of young people actively seeking a career in the arts, takes a tongue firmly in cheek look at teenage party antics. For any parents of teenagers in the audience it may be a frightening experience, while they may suspect what their offspring get up to on a night out, the reality is even scarier.

A mix of monologues, stand up and physical theatre the piece looks wider than the four performers on stage, an amalgam of various character traits that provide us with an insight into the outwardly carefree attitude of young people. In many ways it seems like a stage adaptation of the teen television series Skins.

There’s the lad who drinks and parties to boost his confidence, the girl who ends up singing out of tune to karaoke then worries about her friends trashing her house, the jack-the-lad boasting of his sexual conquests, and the easily led youth who is always up for his mates’ dares and normally ends the night naked.

Beneath the bravado and drink fuelled confidence, though, there is a level of self doubt and desperation. The need to feel part of the group, to conform and the looming fear of having to leave home and head off to University all making these seem, to those teenagers, like the last ever chance to party.

Devisers and performers Keisha-Paris Banya, Joe Reed, Tom Turner and Chris Yarnell have drawn on both their experiences and those of their peers to create a series of vivid scenes that flow with an almost cinematic fluidity. The quartet work well together and deliver strong performances combining both the overtly comic with an underpinning of vulnerability. It would be easy for these characters to slip into stereotype and caricature but while the characters are necessarily larger than life creations they never cross the line into unbelievability.

The brief for this group was to create a piece that would appeal to young people who don’t identify with theatre and this contemporary look at teenage life certainly hit a chord with the large number of young people in the audience.

The challenge now is to think how to convert that audience into the wider field of theatre.

Review: Epic - Pulse Fringe Festival

In an age when family tree research has become a hobby of choice for thousands, are we able to connect all those names and dates for our ancestors with the historical context of the time?


The past is never dead. It's not even past – so quoted poet William Faulkner but, for many people, researching their family’s past it is often with a sense of regret that they didn’t talk to their grandparents while they had the chance.

The performers in Foster and Dechery’s Epic have seized that opportunity to interview their grandparents and relate their experiences to the major events of the 20th Century. Links to the Second World War, the overthrow of Portugal’s dictator, António de Oliveira Salazar, and the Parisian student riots of the 1960s all provide milestones for these genealogical travels.

What happens, though, if your family history doesn’t contain any major historical tie-in? What if you’ve left it too late to talk to your grandparents?

Devised and performed by Chloé Dechéry, Lucy Foster, Edward Rapley and Pedro Innes, the show uses Brectian principles to reinforce the message that we are only observers into these historical events, taking our own interpretation from the events rather than witnessing them first hand.

While this does add a layer of depth to the piece and lifts it from being a purely anecdotal oral history lesson, it does sometimes sit uncomfortably (perhaps intentionally) with the personal nature of the narrative.

Epic makes effective use of multiple projection screens (video designed by Ian William Galloway), wheeled around the stage in choreographed unison. Onto these screens are projected the real life interviews with the performers’ grandparents, an often moving experience. There is a touching scene when Ed Rapley’s grandfather forgets his name. Rapley informs us this is not down to dementia but the fact that they barely know each other.

The company combines these projections with monologues, dance and folk songs to create a multi-discipline approach to history. There’s a real sense of the need to record these stories and pass this vital information onto next generation.

Despite the intimate nature of the reconciliations and the evocative staging, it is somewhat difficult to fully emotionally connect with the entire evening. Perhaps it’s the Bertolt Brecht influence but, at times, the evening seems oddly clinical. What the show does manage, and manage well, though, is to bring relevance to major world events to the individual level and show that it is often the most seemingly ordinary of people that can make the biggest impact.

Perhaps a quote from the end of the show says it all: ‘What connection can you have with history apart from through family stories, and even then they are only borrowed.’

Review: High Speed Impact Test Number One - Pulse Fringe Festival

One man, a table, a chair and an audience gathered round to hear to separate stories, loosely linked by a theme of air crashes. Part literary reading, part performance poetry, Chris Thorpe’s High Speed Impact Test Number One, may just put you off flying for life.

The intimate setting makes for a real connection between reader and audience and the stories themselves benefit from this arrangement. Both tales are multi-threaded and require real concentration from the listener to follow ever nuance.

Comprehension is aided by Thorpe’s genial approach, treating his audience as long lost friends, and also his skill as a performer. Although read from a script, a fact explained by Thorpe because he adapts the material so much, each tale is delivered with pace and emotion that makes the layered tales vividly drawn.

The first tale of the double bill is set in a hotel room where the narrator is in discussion with an unseen person that we eventually discover is likely to be a prostitute. There’s a confessional feeling in the air as the narrator begins to unravel his dual role in a near air disaster. It becomes a multi character experience as we not only follow the narrator’s tale but also look at the wider dilemmas people face in the face of disaster.

The second tale also has an air disaster as a backdrop, this time looking at the impact of two separate men. An air traffic controller whose mind wanders with severe impact at work and a second whose house is destroyed by air crash wreckage. This second tale is perhaps more complex than the first with multiple themes overlapping. It is also more poetic with a strong sense of use of rhythm and repetition to create a strong vocal cadence.

High Speed Impact Test Number One is hard to categorise, part script reading, part poetry, part performance, whatever the category it is a strong showcase for Chris Thorpe’s clear writing skills. He is also an engaging performer that makes the material come alive off the page. Perhaps the first tale would benefit from some slight careful editing but it’s a minor niggle in a demonstration of a exciting literary talent.

Review: Leaving Only A Trace - Pulse Fringe Festival

Leaving Only A Trace is a vivid performance that combines traditional Southern-Indian dance and music with a powerful premise. A young British Asian man, portrayed by Shane Shambhu, must leave behind his home and cultural heritage to seek a new life. In a world where cultures increasingly combine, it's certainly topical ground.


Bringing traditional dance and music to a new audience can prove difficult; how do you keep the performance authentic but also ensure it delivers a clear message? Leaving Only A Trace does not struggle here. The music and dance entwine well with the story, and enhance rather than detract from the main themes.

The performance focuses on the man's memories, providing plenty of opportunity for expression. A washing line, draped with blurred sheets, represents Shambhu's memories and is the main catalyst for action. Through vibrant music and dance, the performance shows us that while some memories are easy to process, others can cause immense pain.

While a minority of scenes feel a little laboured and drawn out, most hit the nail on the head. In one, Shambhu performs a passionate dance of joy and sorrow around a shapely mannequin. Leaving this romantic relationship for pastures new is clearly one of his toughest challenges. In another scene, Shambhu stretches a torturous memory across his face and the paper masks him. The message is clear as he struggles to throw off the suffocating weight.

The music feels deep and rich, and integrates well with the action. The musicians are participants, seated informally a few feet from the performer, occasionally leaving their posts and merging with the action. Seeing their skills up close – both vocalisation and playing traditional instruments – adds an enjoyable extra dimension.

As Shambhu travels deeper into his life, the pulse of the play quickens. The ending is a rich cathartic payoff, as Shambhu – emotionally drained – makes the bold decision to leave his current life. It is an appealing and tender end to a performance that symbolises a journey we all must face: softly closing the doors to the past and moving into the future. Using striking visuals and music, Leaving Only A Trace brings this emotional journey to life.

Review by Jamie Lawrence

Review: Sense Of Freedom - Pulse Fringe Festival

The senses are powerful and infinite: that is the message given by Deaf Men Dancing's latest performance, Sense of Freedom. This is apparent from the moment the performance begins. Without a prop in sight, we are hit with a quick succession of fluid routines set to the Pet Shop Boys version of 'You Were Always On My Mind.' Suddenly, there's a feast of information to absorb.

One smash cut later and there's wildly different music alongside wildly different routines. Even the outfits are from another planet. This is the performance's biggest triumph: its ability to wholly shift the sensory experience, and the accompanying emotions, through dramatic and considered changes to visual and aural elements.

The inclusion of poetry – read by a female performer - is a nice touch, and challenges the audience to reflect on its meaning alongside the music and dance. Seamless interaction between the dancers and the poet, a mixture of dance and sign language, is visually impressive, and reminds us that speaking is not the juggernaut of communication we often think it is.

The performance is raw, and the choreography unpolished. This seems deliberate and although some may find it off-putting, it genuinely suits the piece. The tight constraints that come with more polished choreography would limit the dancers' ability to evoke the sense of expression that characterises the play.

Their passion and skill shine through when they're working together and also as individuals. The passion of each performer projects a unique personality that becomes apparent despite the length of the performance.

Perhaps the most profound moment is the realisation that the visual and aural information being projected is not shared with the dancers, who are all deaf. To see them connect so completely with the music, the poet and the audience is truly wonderful to watch.

Overall, Sense of Freedom is an evocative performance piece that explores the depth of the senses and human communication in an enjoyable half hour. The performers wear beaming smiles throughout: combined with the upbeat music and impressive visuals, these become quickly contagious.

Review by Jamie Lawrence

Review: Lend Me A Tenor - Gielgud Theatre

In an era when we covet the latest technological advances, the West End musical is going all retro. First Betty Blues Eyes took us back to austerity Britain and now Lend Me A Tenor arrives into town from Plymouth with a glorious homage to the golden age of MGM musicals.

The show itself, with book and lyrics by Peter Sham and music by Brad Carroll may be new but in tone it feels very traditional, with nods to both classic musicals and opera.

The Cleveland Opera House is pinning its hopes, and ailing finances, on an appearance of star Tenor Tito Mirelli. Mirelli has a reputation as one of opera’s biggest stars but also one of opera’s biggest womanisers, something wife Maria isn’t too happy about.

Opera manager Henry Saunders is pinning all his hopes on Tito but long suffering aide, opera prompter Max has dreams himself about taking to the opera stage, if only he can cure his chronic nerves and shyness. When the opera supremo is disposed who could step into the limelight and save the show.

In honour of its operatic backdrop Carrol’s score is lavish and melodic, a delightful mix of comic numbers and pathos filled arias. There are plenty of nods to the classic MGM musicals of the 1940s and even a wry knowing wink to Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera. This is no tribute clip show, though, numbers work well to serve the action and give a sense of period charm. Maria’s lament over her husbands philandering The Last Time is an instant classic while duet between Tito and Max – Be Yourself will surely become a standard for musical theatre performers.

The rich variety in range in the score places real demands of the vocal abilities of the company but director Ian Talbot has assembled a strong cast who deliver with gusto.

Joanna Riding joins the original Plymouth company fresh from her role in previous Gielgud occupant The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Although Maria only appears briefly in the show, the rendition of the aforementioned Last Time proves to be one of the highlights of the evening. As her sparring partner and husband, Michael Matus turns in a fine performance as opera star Tito.Riding; Matus’s duet Facciamo L’Amour, complete with surtitles, is a wonderful pastiche of both grand opera and also the bygone age of silent film.

Matthew Kelly’s performance as manager Saunders is a fine example of madcap comic timing, although, in the sung vocal numbers he is perhaps underplayed.

Performance of the evening, however is Damian Humbley’s Max. His transformation from mild mannered Max into an operatic star is impressive, vocally rousing as he discovers his powerful voice. It is a mesmerising performance as Max transformed, Clark Kent-like from wimp to master of all he surveys.

Ian Talbot directs with pace and flair, building up the characters nicely in Act One before the show takes a turn toward farce in the madcap second act. He also makes great use of Paul Farnsworth’s lavish, gilt laden set. Much has been made of the fact the production used every scrap of gold leaf in the country and it shows. What in many ways resembles a traditional touring box set turns and unfolds to provide a sumptuous backdrop full of elegance and grace.

Lend Me a Tenor may have a bygone feel to it but it’s a homage that isn’t afraid to poke fun at its classical predecessors. Opera buffs will revel in the reference to Puccini, Wagner and Bizet; musical theatre fans will delight in nods to such classics as 42nd Street and Kiss Me Kate, while newcomers will just enjoy the well-conceived comedy, lavish staging and evocative score.

Whether such an unashamedly old-fashioned show can work in the harsh realties of modern day Shaftesbury Avenue remains to be seen but one would be surprised if Lend Me A Tenor isn’t among the front runners when the musical of the year awards are fought over this year.

Disclaimer - this review is of a preview performance (June 4th). Press Night is June 15th.

Photo: Original Plymouth Company of Lend Me A Tenor - photo by James Bullimore

Soho Shorts - Pulse Fringe Festival

Four writers, four plays, eight actors, four directors all in less than an hour. Authors have been challenged to create a play than runs shorter than most intervals in an average play. Not an easy task but the premise of Soho Shorts, collaboration between the Pulse Fringe Festival and the Soho Theatre.


The teams have only been working together for two days, a mix of professionals from various theatrical disciplines to give each playlet a unique feel.

By the very nature of the time limitations there is a real challenge to set up character and plot without the luxury of long exploratory scenes that full length pieces allow. The shortness though does have its benefits; it focuses attention on character and language, stripping out extraneous detail in favour of dramatic drivers.

Of the four pieces some work better in this mini format.

The evening opens with Titian Blue by Rebecca Lenkiewicz. Lloyd (Michael Cox) and Clara (Katie Lyons) are two artists and ex-lovers who meet and tentatively reignite their past love. It’s a relationship shaped by art, feelings expressed as tones from the Grand Masters, a sky of Titian Blue and grass of Botticelli sea green. There’s also a darker sexual obsession in their past, an obsession with menstrual blood and death. Directed by Pulse Festival director Emma Bettridge, Titian Blue is full of evocative imagery but as a short play it leaves lots unanswered. We never really understand the motive behind this couple and their meeting and in many ways it seems like an excerpt from a longer play rather than a stand alone piece. There are so many questions we want answers to that it needs more than 10 minutes to resolve.

Second play of the night is Pamela Carter’s Oh. A man and a woman (a psychiatrist and patient?) examine the nature of the pain the woman is experiencing. She can’t verbalise the feelings she is experiencing, he seems to be revelling in suggesting various sensations to her. Gecko’s Amit Lahav directs the piece with a heightened theatricality but sadly it is the least fulfilling piece of the evening. While well performed by Philip Benjamin and Chloe Gilgallon, the play ultimately seems little more than word association and a long list of adjectives.

Andrew Muir’s Blind Permission is the most successful piece of the quartet. A confident PR professional (Georgina Roberts) is on a first date with a shy, quiet almost reclusive man (Richard Henders). Over a meal she tries to discover more about her new date but, despite being able to talk in great depth over the entire evening’s proceedings, they are initially unable to talk about what they really want to discuss. As the dominant party she takes the initiative and reveals her real motive for meeting him but he has dark secrets of his own to bring to the table. Within ten short minutes Muir creates two wonderfully drawn characters brought to life in an instantly recognisable setting by director Mimi Poskitt. Although self contained within this short space of time, Blind Permission has potential to become a longer piece.

The final piece of the evening, Cartography is a one woman monologue, written by Tim Cowbury and performed by Charlotte Melia. Here the cartography in question are the bodily scars left by a series of mishaps, disasters and self harm. There is an ambiguity of who the woman represents. Are the tales she tells a sign of her own troubled mind or a combination of people’s shared experiences. Certainly no one person would have experienced the Asian Tsunami, 9/11, conflicts in Palestine, Bagdad and Africa and a fiery plane crash. It’s performed with skill and cleverly directed by Clare Dunn but ultimately leaves many questions unanswered. This is one of those plays where one would benefit from some programme notes.

Soho Shorts demonstrates that there is a wealth of writing talent out there. Much like Summer Shorts at Pulse a few years ago, hopefully it will encourage local writers to try the challenge of conveying a convincing, self-contained, tale within just ten minutes.

Pulse Fringe Festival - Week One Roundup

The 11th annual Pulse Fringe Festival is now well underway and, as we approach the middle weekend, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on the first week. During week one, 24 different productions encompassing dance, drama, comedy, and film took place across the Ipswich in a multitude of locations. Some were polished, finished work, others in the very embryonic stages of development.

Although all individual pieces, there does seem to be a few emerging trends this year. Themes of memory, isolation and identity seem to be the subject of choice for many works. There is also less focus on the multi-media this year compared with last, where nearly every other show seemed to come complete with an animated projected backdrop.

As with any festival promoting new works and experimentation, some productions are more successful than others. Artists are able to try new work and learn from audience feedback what works well and what still needs attention or cutting.

Out of the 18 shows seen from those initial 24, those pieces still needing some development includes:

 

• 30 Cecil Street, a dance piece that promises an insight into a run-down theatre but never fully brings the ghosts alive
• Captain KO and the Planet of Rice, a trio of short stories around memory loss, the middle of which is the only one really to engage an audience 
• Escape Velocity, a confusing look at the isolation of space travel that needs a much more defined structure
• Downtown, reliant on stereotype and shock tactics to cover up a paper thin script.

Other pieces are far more developed and will surely go onto a bright future.

 

• Babyboxes, managing to take theatre to the streets in a uniquely intimate film noir whodunit 
• Josh’s Monsters, a moving look at the impact of war on the families of serving soldiers 
• You’re Not Like Other Girls Chrissy, a beautifully detailed and engaging look at wartime love and loss in Nazi-occupied Paris 
• A Dream From A Bombshell, Dreams and reality blur in a look at the impact of war on a young girl.

Week two gets underway tonight and, with eight more days of festival fun, there is still much to be seen.

Review: Much Ado About Nothing - Wyndhams Theatre

In many ways it seemed inevitable; David Tennant and Catherine Tate’s onscreen double act in Dr Who bore more than a passing resemblance to Benedict and Beatrice that a production of Much Ado About Nothing could never be far behind. The star pairing has, of course, garnered a media storm and is set to be one of the hottest tickets of the year. In many ways it is a shame because, although the pair work well together, this is a production full of inventiveness even without the stellar casting.


Director Josie Rourke has transposed the show to 1980s Gibraltar, with a mix of white Naval uniforms and a post-Falklands conflict party atmosphere. There’s a feeling of end of term release as the Naval officers let off steam, a perfect reasoning for the cupid like mischief they deploy on the unsuspecting Beatrice and Benedict.

This sun and alcohol-fuelled hedonistic atmosphere also provides an effective backdrop for the wronging of Hero, falsely accused of infidelity after a carefully constructed ruse in a darkened nightclub. Certainly not your traditional staging but one that seems oddly naturalistic.

Against the revolving sun-kissed set and plethora of staging tricks, Rourke has assembled a fine ensemble. Tom Bateman and Sarah MacRae work well as Claudio and Hero, although a structural change to Claudio’s repentance slightly jars with the rest of the tone. There is also pure comic delight in the gentleman of the watch with fine performance from John Ramm as bungling Dogberry and a dignified restraint from Elliot Levey’s Don Juan.

So that just leaves Tennant and Tate. The pair has real chemistry and are clearly enjoying the reunion. In this battle perhaps Tennant comes out slightly on top, though given his Shakespeare pedigree that is not surprising. His is a Benedict full of childish high sprits, given to large gestures and a mischievous air. There’s more here though than the jester hinted at by one of Beatrice’s put-downs. This is a Benedict that grows up and leaves the childhood behind to enter the grown-up and scary world of love.

Catherine Tate, in her first professional Shakespearian stage production more than holds her own. Beatrice’s witty wordplay and feisty acid delivery seems almost tailor made for Tate’s sardonic trademark style and she imbibes her Beatrice with a formidability that shows she is no mere trophy wife for an upcoming sailor.

Tate’s comic pedigree and timing ads much to the character but if there is one minor reservation it would be that occasionally a bit more light and shade and less vocal acrobatics would give Beatrice a more rounded character. This is a minor gripe though in a fine performance that more than lives up to the pre-show hype.

There have been more romantic Much Ado’s and certainly more scholarly looks at this ultimate battle of the sexes, but few can match the sheer exuberance of this production. Yes, at times it may seem totally over the top but, as an accessible production that will hopefully see many of its first time Shakespeare audience return to future productions, it’s a great recruiting tool.

Doris Day Can F*ck Off - Pulse Fringe Festival

A shock title for a play can is usually a portent of unsatisfying things to come. It’s often as though the writer is over-compensating for a lack of substance within by packaging the piece in attention-robbing expletives.

Is this the case for Greg McLaren’s Doris Day Can F*ck Off? Perhaps not – it’s clear that much work has gone into McLaren’s one-man show midway through this year’s Pulse Fringe Festival. However, it’s not an easily digestible feast. Greg McLaren explores in this what would happen if every instance of communication with fellow humans were sung rather than spoken. The results, recorded over the space of a week and played over his live performance, are indeed fascinating in parts.

Greg McLaren is not without skill but his exploration of the complexities of communication seems to have been one that might have looked viable on paper but which, ultimately, fails to translate fully to the stage.

As Doris Day kicks off, within moments the oddly engaging McLaren is singing at the audience. And he continues to sing – or dip into a range of instruments – for the next hour. While always mildly entertaining, at times, the technology threatens to swamp the performance and, when your show is comprised of a loosely stitched patchwork of ideas, the moments of charm and brilliance can easily get lost under an avalanche of self-indulgence.

In saying that, there are indeed unexpected titbits of genuine delight. The man who performs an impromptu Asian love song, the mash-up of sampled traffic wardens that comprises the Car Park Song are competent enough. It’s just a show that never really gets going to a sustainable level.

True to form, attempts at audience participation feel flat and awkward. In the ultra-extrovert US, this kind of engagement goes down a storm but a small, unresponsive audience at a rural British fringe venue brings the attempt down to a painful crawl.

Doris Day Can F*ck off is not traditional theatre but rather performance art and should be viewed as such. However, it’s not a new piece, having already done the rounds as a work-in-progress this time last year. It’s quirky and broadly likeable but it still feels unfinished and it’s difficult to ascertain where McLaren would take it from here.

Whatever her perceived faults, Doris Day deserves a slightly more cohesive and substantial send-off.

PAUL COUCH

Roy's Wallet - Pulse Fringe Festival

There’s an ethical problem posed at the start of Matt Ball’s one man show, Roy’s Wallet. Although the show looks at his grandfather’s life and memory. At 89, Roy’s memories are beginning to fade and he doesn’t know his grandson is doing this show. Ball plants the question in the audience’s mind asking is it right for them to hear memories that Roy himself can no longer remember?

What actually is memory and can we trust it? As we get older our memories shift and sometimes vanish but they do form an integral part of our make up.

As we learn more about Roy’s life we also begin to learn more about Matt and more generally how we deal with old age, and eventually death. Even after death the memories still linger, Roy’s deceased wife’s chair remains un-sat in as she left it.

Although there’s potential for morbidity here, the show is surprisingly celebratory. The audience are offered tots of rum during a break in the show in memory of Roy’s Naval past and there’s a communal sing along of Roy’s favourite song at the end.

Ball informs us at the start that he’s not a performer and that he won’t be drawing on deep emotional connections to tell his story but perhaps that is a bluff. Although told with honesty, there is obviously a deep emotional connection here and a structure that has been carefully considered and constructed. Although he may claim not to be a performer, there is warmth around Ball’s delivery that engages and makes you want to know more.

The structure isn’t entirely perfect; some sections seem under-developed and with an overt theatricality at odds with the direct nature of the whole. While there is a sense of communal involvement with a direct address to the audience throughout, and the collection of first memories, it’s unclear how this sharing will develop.

If Ball can tighten up the structure and reign back some of the distracting theatricality, Roy’s Wallet has the potential to offer a real insight not only into memory but also the impact it has on our everyday lives.