Review: Silent: Hotbed Festival - The Junction, Cambridge

A 75 minute one man show about homelessness. Not a topic that seems destined to provide many laughs but in Pat Kinevane’s mesmerising one-man show for Fishamble, we get laughs and tears in equal measure.

Life is tough on the streets of Dublin if you are homeless. Tino McGoldrig (short for Valentino) emerges from under his blanket to tell us his life story and how he became homeless. It’s been a tough life even before he takes to the streets. His brother has committed suicide, a grievous stigma in a staunchly Catholic family. In a less tolerant age his brother’s homosexuality the subject of persecution and violence and Tino feels powerless to protect his brother.

This isn’t a family familiar with the concept of care though. A careless mother, an ex-wife and an ongoing battle with addiction, not conducive to Tino’s mental health.

Part monologue, part dance, part physical theatre, part film noir, Kinevane fuses styles to create a unique world to explore a man’s decline. It’s deliberately unsettling and provocative – while we can sympathise with his situation we should never be accepting of it and the shifting styles do keep audiences engaged throughout.

Kinevane’s powerful script takes us on a journey deep into McGoldrig’s tortured mind. It’s a script packed full of wry observations of a community’s response to homelessness, addition, suicide and mental health issues, but also a deeply personal and brutally honest look at self. There’s something both poetic and brutally frank about the language that it becomes instantly accessible.

Kinevane’s performance is key to the success of the piece. Performed with a precision and total conviction it commands attention from the outset. Every movement, every inflection, every line delivered with pin-point accuracy. It is also testament to Kinevane’s skills as both a writer and performer that the piece, despite its bleak situation, remains ultimately life affirming. Tino may have fallen on hard times but he retains his optimism and outlook and dares the world to laugh with him and not at him.

Simple staging, effective lighting and an atmospheric underscored soundscape by Denis Clohessy provides just the right level of setting and context to what is otherwise an abstract world.

Silent is one of those productions that lingers long in the mind, long after the lights fade. The issues it raises often sit unspoken in our communities so productions such as this that give those issues a voice are vital. Truly mesmerising and inspiring.

Originally written for The Public Reviews:

Review: Ellen: Hotbed Festival - The Junction, Cambridge

Renowned for her portrayal of Shakespeare’s most famous female roles, Dame Ellen Terry’s own life had more than its own fair share of drama. Married three times and involved in several other relationships, she was a woman who lived life to the full. Now as her stage career has come to the end she embarks on a lecture tour. It’s a prospect that fills her with fear. She readily admits she’s not a scholar and is more used to speaking other people’s words rather than her own. What she is able to do, however, is link her life to the Shakespearian women she has played. Beatrice, Rosalind and her favourite, the impassioned Lady Macbeth.

As she prepares a shadow from her past joins her, whether a figment of her imagination, a spectre or a genuine acquaintance is never clear but taking the role of the Dream’s Robin Goodfellow he provides enough mischief to trick Terry into revealing some of her darkest memories.

Ros Connelly’s script marries Terry’s often unhappy personal life with her success on the stage. It reveals some intriguing details. The incident where Terry goes missing and her father identifies a body found in the river as her, the time when researching Ophelia in an asylum she finds the patients ‘too theatrical’ and the advice from her lawyer that her third, alcoholic , abusive husband could claim all her earnings if she divorced him.

As a rehearsed reading it is difficult to judge the piece in its entirety however, it does show real potential and a well-researched story that manages to convey much detail without seeming to be overly academic. Some work to define the role of ‘Robin’ would pay dividends, though as an extract this reading rightly focuses on Terry herself.

Helen Cartwright’s reading of Ellen Terry works well – a woman wanting to take control of her career yet still desperate to be loved and looked after. As Terry herself explains there was nobody to take her out of the Forest of Arden and back to the real world. Alan Mooney provides ample support in a multitude of roles and there is a real chemistry between the two.

A promising reading and one that bodes well for a full production.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Piglet: Hotbed Festival - The Junction, Cambridge

How much is art really worth? Do the Grand Masters justify their price tag?

In a darkerned flat hangs a recently purchased Gainsborough, bought for a snip at over $5million. The owner though doesn’t intend to admire the painting for long – in the morning he intends to destroy the painting for the media notoriety it will buy him.

Nothing here though is clear cut. Is the painting real or a fake, why does a man who can afford a multi-million dollar purchase live in a flat supplied buy a coin fed electricity meter and live off microwaved apple pies? What is the relationship with his girlfriend, nicknamed piglet ,and more disturbingly the relationship with her mother?

Therein lays the problem with Ed Harris’ one act play. While there are some intriguing story threads weaving in and out of the piece and some nice dialogue it doesn’t seem to be a coherent, finished artwork. The central premise of a media stunt to destroy a masterpiece for notoriety and to drive the public to appreciate the art they have is intriguing but Piglet never fully develops the story. We don’t really get to understand the motives behind the plan, the backstory that has occurred to this point or the real drivers of the destruction.

Harris also mixes in some intriguing hints of domestic issues with his two protagonists. Piglet who seems to have a dark violent past hidden deep in her psyche, a complex relationship with her mother and issues with her current lover. All hint at a much longer play hiding in this one act offering, though this means that in its current form Piglet is somewhat unsatisfying.

Pieter Lawman and Kate Malyon work well together and provide some nicely observed performances of a couple both deeply in love but also slightly apart. Tension is built and there is some dialogue and dark humour in the piece but the key message that the audience is meant to take away from the piece is somewhat lost.

Originally written for The Public Reviews 

Review: Roaring Voices(part2): Hotbed Festival - The Junction, Cambridge

As part of Menagerie’s Hotbed Festival, eight authors were invited to create eight new monologues especially for the festival. The brief was open but with a suggestion of a ‘looking back and looking forward’ theme. The monologues are presented in two batches during the festival.

Death Of A Cyclist
Writer: Steve Waters
Performer: Emma Beattie
Director: Patrick Morris

Anyone that has experienced driving around Cambridge will find resonance in this piece looking at the aftermath of a cyclist colliding with a bus. Steve Waters’ piece sees a woman having an out of body experience and finding herself dying on the street. She panics that her death will cause all sorts of logistical problems at work and at home, before slowly realising that those aren’t her problems anymore. As her life fades she recognises she is just one of countless tragedies that will barely cause a ripple in the wider world – her hopes and regrets and unsaid wishes soon forgotten. Emma Beattie gives the cyclist just the correct amount of rage and shock, tempered with genuine regret and sadness.

The Talented Mister…
Writer: Janice Okoh
Performer: Jon Bonnici
Director: Paul Bourne

The perfect job requires the perfect CV. It also requires a bit of assistance to even land the interview for that dream job. That’s where this wide-boy Mr fix-it comes in. Offering career advice with a difference he can advise where to lie on your CV and even provide the fake certificates to go back up the lies. Only in Janice Okoh’s monologue he sees them as embellishments that polish the existing rather than outright lies. It’s a fast flowing character study that, among the comedy, delivers an uncomfortably accurate truth. Jon Bonnici’s portrayal is spot on, delivered at full throttle. A sub plot around a wrong number adds little to the structure but otherwise a well observed character study.

The Odyssey Of Dimitri Amiras
Writer: Kit Lambert
Performer: Jay Villiers
Director: Jacqui Honess-Martin

Does a man ever truly desert his country or does his heart always belong in his homeland? For a Greek man looking back over his life in the UK the mythical merges with memory as he recalls lost loves, and shattered dreams smashed on rocks just as his clifftop home is also likely to do. Kit Lambert paints a rich and vivid landscape of past memory, both personal and poetic – a series of strong visual images lodge in the mind. Jay Villiers brings these images to life with passion and feeling but overall it’s hard to engage with the character or, sad as his tale is, really feel the same passion that he obviously does. In many ways it feels like it needs a longer piece to fully explore the backstory and motives of the character

Andromarche
Writer: Katy Walker
Performer: Bethan Walker
Director: Jacqui Honess-Martin

While the chronicles of war focus on the warriors, often little thought is given to those left behind. Andromache, wife of Trojan War hero Hector, is inner turmoil. A woman who abhors conflict is required to publically support her warrior husbands bloody conflict. Katy Walker examines the impact on an outwardly strong woman who is forced by society convention to condone what her heart tells her she should condemn. Despite the historical figures, the impact on conflict on the families left behind is timeless. Bethan Walker imbibes Andromache with a dignity and poise, voicing her doubts inwardly but never betraying her husband. The piece does perhaps assume some understanding of the historical characters but even without that it’s a promising debut from Walker

The Surprising Germination of Andrea Fitzgerald
Writer: Alison Carr
Performer: Kate Maylon
Director: Paul Bourne

How many people were told as a child that if they swallowed an apple seed, a tree would grow in their stomach? For Andrea Fitzgerald that story has stuck in her mind. Andrea has a large whole in her life, her husband has left her and she is yearning for a child. Her troubled mind though has confused gardening with conception and its clear this is a young woman in desperate need of help. Alison Carr’s monologue cleverly reveals the layers so we’re never entirely sure what is real or what is a figment of Andrea disturbed mind. Kate Maylon is a chilling Andrea. A childlike innocence barely concealing the hurt and darkness that shapes her world.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Roaring Voices(part1): Hotbed Festival - The Junction, Cambridge

As part of Menagerie’s Hotbed Festival, eight authors were invited to create eight new monologues especially for the festival. The brief was open but with a suggestion of a ‘looking back and looking forward’ theme. The monologues are presented in two batches during the festival.

Mind Detox
Writer: Esther Shanson
Performer: Laura Pyper
Director: Patrick Morris

Desperate to overcome her anxiety issues, Nicola sees a ‘mind detox’ therapist who has ‘had a lot of success with people sweating on You Tube’. What Nicola discovers though is that her perceived issues may actually be exacerbated by her therapist. Esther Shanson’s script combines both humour and pathos that pokes fun at the self-help movement but also shows that will power can overcome many issues. Laura Pyper’s performance captures the insecurity of Nicola but also balances this with a slow realisation of her own strengths. There is perhaps scope to explore the absurdity of so called ‘experts’ who play on fears in more depth but it’s an entertaining and engaging ten minutes.

The Apologist
Writer: Craig Baxter
Performer: Pieter Lawman
Director: Paul Bourne

Behind the PR spin, the expression of regret and the public penance, do we really believe public figures when they are wheeled out in front of the cameras to atone for some transgression. When a banker is involved in a fatal car crash his words on the surface seem authentic but is it all just image? Craig Baxter’s The Apologist follows the banker over three years. Immediately after the crash, a year later meeting the parents of his victim and a further year on in counselling. It is a well observed reflection on the current obsession with public image but also the deeper, perhaps more subtle personal impact. While the conversion from arrogant exploiter to apparent remorse is not entirely convincing it is a timely look at the requirement of a media savvy community to have a public display of remorse, gripping portrayed by Pieter Lawman.

Kitchen Sink
Writer: Tamsin Astbury
Performer: Caroline Rippin
Director: Mhari Gallagher

Katie faces an inner conflict – the need to be the perfect mother, wife, Conservative Counsellor and also live up to her heritage all take a toll. As she struggles to come to terms with what it means to be an independent woman she realises that the challenges her Suffragette Grandmother faced are still relevant today. Tasmin Astbury weaves multiple threads in a well-crafted piece that mixes both humour and real dark pathos into a totally believable character (brought beautifully to life by Caroline Rippin). Political ideals, the challenges of motherhood and a loveless marriage all painted with vivid imagery in a piece that reveals its plot twists layer by layer.

Ascension
Writer: Danusia Iwaszko
Performer: Richard Bremmer
Director: Patrick Morris

On Primrose Hill, Henry Denton carries out his daily task – pushing a boulder up the hill only to see it roll again to the bottom. Life for Henry is certainly an uphill struggle. He’s lost his job, his wife and his son want’s nothing to do with him. All Henry has is his rock, the passing dog walkers and jeering youths and the drivers of the passing Number 31 bus. Danusia Iwaszko’s study of loneliness and determination is both moving and at the same time oddly inspiring. Richard Bremmer’s Henry is a masterclass in observation, full of subtle detail. Iwaszko’s poignant script resonates with a clear understanding of the human spirit and the challenges that we all have to overcome in life.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Alfie Boe: Bring Him Home - Regent Theatre, Ipswich

For many aspiring musical theatre actors, Les Miserables’ Bring Him Home is often sung with the alternative lyrics ‘God It’s High’, reference to the vocal dexterity required for any tenor who has to master the anthem. For Alfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe, thankfully better known as Alfie, the song however has become something of his calling card.

Following an acclaimed performance in the 25th Anniversary concert and an equally acclaimed run in the West End, Mr Boe now takes to the road with an eclectic mix of musical theatre and rock and pop classics that showcase why he’s become the country’s favourite tenor.

There’s an air of expectation in the air the onstage 40 piece orchestra (under the direction of Steve Higgins) strikes up and Boe’s voice soars from offstage. From there on in Boe has the audience in the palm of his hand, barely offstage in a set spanning two and a half hours.

Boe explains early on in the evening that this will be a collection based on his album material and so operatic arias are unlikely to feature but as he explains it’s his show so if the mood takes him who knows what could be included.

As it happens there is plenty of material to satisfy all tastes. Powerful renditions of Sondheim’s Being Alive and Sunset Boulevard’s As If We Never Said Goodbye sit comfortably against material from The Beatles and even Led Zeppelin. Soaring ballads such as a virtuoso Tell Me It’s Not True showcases Boe’s immense vocal power but there are also quieter, more intimate moments such as a moving interpretation of country star Martina McBride’s In My Daughter’s Eyes, dedicated to Boe’s daughter.

Boe also demonstrates an easy repartee with his audience, engaging in plenty of witty banter and even inviting a member of the audience on stage to duet with him during The Impossible Dream.

For Boe’s special guest, Laura Wright it is something of a homecoming concert, having grown up locally. With a soaring soprano, Wright’s clear, crisp vocals soar through the auditorium. Joining Boe in a final duet of Moulin Rouge’s Come What May, the two voices combine to nearly lift the roof off the auditorium.

Bob Dylan’s Rank Strangers To Me comes close to stealing the title of most impressive vocal of the evening, in a chilling acoustic version but it is Boe’s rendition of Bring Him Home that brings the audience to their feet in rapturous appreciation. It’s clear that Boe has a strong emotional connection with the song and delivers wit deceptive ease.

Its perhaps telling though of his sense of fun that following Bring Him Home, Boe turns up the tempo with a jazz infused rendition of spiritual Jacob’s Ladder that sees him not only provide the vocals but take to the drums.

After two and a half hours, several standing ovations and encores, the audience finally let Boe leave the stage. Having seen a singer at the top of his game deliver a master class in how to deliver songs it is likely that the audience will all be back for more for many years to come. Sheer musical virtuosity, matched with an infectiously warm personality, this is one performer the audience would happily bring home.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Necessary Evil: Hotbed Festival - The Junction, Cambridge

Good and evil. In a dark prison cell the boundaries are blurred. Not for young Lizzy Malkin though. Tortured and charged with being a witch, she finds herself imprisoned with the source of her torment, Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins.

Both face a crisis of faith. Malkin can’t believe that a God would allow her innocent soul to be put through such suffering, while Hopkins needs to reconcile the possibility that those he has sent to their deaths may have in fact been innocent.

Benjamin Askew’s visceral two hander weaves historical fact of Hopkins’ zealous crusades against perceived witchcraft in 17th Century East Anglia and infuses it with a modern vernacular that brings the tale to vivid life.

Hopkins’ brutal crusade seems totally justified in his mind, sending 300 souls to hell to save the wider community from Satan’s curse. In Malkin’s eyes, though, it is Hopkins himself that is the Devil personified, a man set upon destroying what he sees as cunning women. As Hopkins finds himself on trial for his life accused of sorcery, the balance of power shifts between the two.

Askew’s script is a masterpiece of historical epic, balanced with an intimate look at faith, doubt and the conviction of one’s beliefs. Askew mixes rhyming verse with contemporary language that may initially seem a strange choice but serves to make the sheer futility and horror that any belief taken to extremes can cause.

There is real chemistry between Richard Bremmer and Laura Pyper – sparring back and forth, both unshakeable of their respective beliefs. Bremmer evokes the fire and brimstone conviction of Hopkins, shaken when his trial cast doubts on his own methods. Pyper builds on the inner strength of Malkin, more than able to match Hopkins’ status and, ultimately, triumphing and finding her true faith.

Perfectly pitched, Necessary Evil is a remarkable play that gives an insight into one of East Anglia’s darkest hours but also brings a timeless relevancy to the piece. While there are arguments about faith and belief, there will always be those who are convinced their beliefs justify inhumanity to others. Necessary Evil acts as a salutary reminder of the futility such inhumanity ultimately brings.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Forgive Our Paranoia: Hotbed Festival - The Junction, Cambridge

The wide open spaces, the fresh air, the big skies of the countryside, equally as unsettling to city dwellers as the confines and busy-ness unsettle rural visits to urban life. For city dwellers Ash, his girlfriend, Joy, and her sister, Beth though, the unsettling nature of a deserted coastline is nothing compared to the waves past events are having on their lives.

Chris O’Connell’s one act play for Menagerie’s Hotbed Festival is a taught, twisting saga of escalating darkness. Beth is clearly a troubled soul – a washed-up deck chair on the isolated beach enough to trigger a violent panic attack. As the mood darkens, we get to understand some of the demons that torment her – a violent past that threatens an equally violent future. Do two wrongs make a right and is Beth the only victim or is there a wider impact on her family.

O’Connell’s script is full of vivid imagery and some powerfully drawn characters. A one act play is a challenging environment in which to tackle such vivid emotional impacts and to a certain extent it does feel at times that we are only scratching the surface and there is more of a story to unfold here. O’Connell includes a fourth character, David, alongside the trio of urban escapees, though his inclusion seems little more than a catalyst for Beth’s confrontation of her inner rage. Perhaps in a longer piece the character could be developed further but in its current form it is little more than an enigma.

This shouldn’t detract from a powerful script that delivers much in a mere 45 minutes. Layers are slowly revealed to maintain suspense and interest throughout and there is a genuine interest in the central trio’s interrelationships.

There are fine performances from Jon Bonnici (Ash), Emma Beattie (Joy) and Jay Villiers (David). Especially impressive is Bethan Walker’s Beth – a finally observed study of the impact of violence and the inner conflict between the desire to forget and to exact a brutal revenge.

A gripping and moving study into the impact of crime on a family and one that promises much for future drafts.


Originally written for The Public Reviews

Preview: Hotbed Festival - The Junction, Cambridge

One of the trials for any writer is getting their new work from page to stage. Until you take the written word and hear it spoken it’s difficult for any playwright to really know if their idea works or not.

Although writing is something of a solitary craft it needs the input of others to help shape the creative process, and that’s where Menagerie’s Hotbed festival comes in. Celebrating its 10th Anniversary in 2012, Hotbed will be filling Cambridge’s The  Junction with events to inspire both writers and audiences.

A jam-packed programme of play readings, monologues, debates and workshops over four days, Hotbed is celebrating its first decade in real style.

For Menagerie’s Co Artistic Director Patrick Morris, the idea behind Hotbed is simple: to produce and showcase excellent new writing talent from the East of England and beyond.  
“We seek out writers who are willing to take a risk in their work and who value the energy and commitment which we bring to producing that work.”

Menagerie uses Hotbed to source all its main productions – many of which go onto national tours, London and Edinburgh.
“Hotbed is the spark for all of Menagerie's main productions, eg. Four For Jericho (Hotbed 2009), went on to regional touring, Edinburgh Festival 2011 and international touring to India (Thinkfest 2011).”

At the heart of the festival are new commissions.  With the ink hardly dry, the festival features world premieres by some writers including Chris O'Connell Ed Harris, Janice Okoh and Steve Waters .  
“The air of excitement is palpable for both audience and performers and it's this kind of energy which drives Hotbed.”

Alongside the premieres is a series of workshops, talks and opportunities to network. Guardian theatre critic Lynn Gardner will be chairing a discussion on the future of new writing, while award winning playwright Mike Bartlett will be leading a workshop for budding writers.

Morris is also enthused about the visit by Irish company Fishamble and their production of Silent. “It won a heap of awards at this year's Edinburgh Festival, including a Fringe First and a Herald Angel. Having seen the show, we can vouch for it being an incredible experience for an audience.”

With so much happening it is perhaps unfair to ask Patrick to pick his highlights.
“There's so much going on at the festival that it's hard to say what's the most exciting, and there really is something for everyone.  A Hotbed favourite is the One-Page Play Comp-Athon.  The concept is simple - anyone can enter a one page play and audience members get to vote on their favourite, with the grand final finishing off the festival on the closing night.”

The Hotbed Festival runs at The Junction, Cambridge, from Thursday 26th – Sunday 29th January. For more information visit http://www.menagerietheatre.co.uk

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Balletboyz: The Talent - Arts Theatre, Cambridge

Real Mean Wear Tights – so proclaims the tour tshirts on sale in the foyer but, for the eight strong group of dancers in Balletboyz The Talent, tights are nowhere to be seen. Instead jeans, hoodies and silken breeches form the dress code in a production determined to shake up dance’s traditional image.

The Talent proves to be an apt title – a company of young dancers assembled after open auditions, not all classically trained but all displaying an abundance of dance skills that makes the impressive choreography seem deceptively easy. If the pedigree of dance on display here is anything to go by, the future of dance is in very strong feet.

The Talent itself comprises a trio of pieces, designed to demonstrate the strengths and agility of the company. It’s an evening that interweaves traditional ballet with modern and even elements of street dance and boxing in an impressive fusion from an on-fire company.

Kicking off the evening is Russell Maliphant’s Torsion – a study in balance, strength and powerplay. When Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, the original Balletboyz, broke away from the Royal Ballet to form their own company, Torsion soon became the duos’ signature piece. Now expanded from a duet into a larger company piece, it loses none of its energy. Duos segue into a synchronised sextet and solo sections highlight the skills of the dancers, including an impressive series of kneeling pirouettes from Miguel Esteves.

The centre piece of the programme is possibly the strongest piece of the evening. Paul Robert’s Alpha sees the entire company coming together to create a piece of incredible beauty and grace yet still showing real power and strength. A symphony of silk and muscle, there is a constant motion here as the dancers throw each other around the stage with breath-taking energy. There are real jaw dropping moments as a dancer is thrown high into the air before being caught and re-integrated into the company. Accompanied by an evocative score by singer-songwriter Keaton Henson, Alpha is the perfect showcase for this young company.

The final piece of the evening juxtaposes the beauty of Alpha with the gritty, monochrome reality of inner city street life. Janek Cemerek’s Void was created especially for the company and looks at gang culture and street crime as a group of hoodie clad dancer’s battle against a video backdrop of inner city life, accompanied by a pulsating score from Ondrej Dedecek, Yoav, Ismael De Garay. The piece, while full of frenetic energy, seems slightly repetitive and while you can admire the skill it is hard to maintain attention.

For dance fans, the three pieces will give much encouragement that the future of Balletboyz is assured with a highly skilled new generation. For those new to the genre, the excitement, accessibility and energy will thrill and shatter many preconceived ideas.

Some attention to the blocking of the pieces for the varying sightlines while touring would benefit as some scenes were lost from the sides of the stalls in Cambridge but, overall, this is a pulsating, thrilling evening of dance that frequently leaves one breathless in admiration of the skills on display.

Forget the artificiality of TV open audition shows – The Talent is the real deal, a synchronised showcase of the very best in male dancing. On this showing, the Balletboyz future is very strong indeed.

Review originally written for The Public Reviews

Feature: State Of The New Writing Nation - Hotbed Festival, The Junction Cambridge

In the middle of a weekend celebrating the power of new theatre writing, what actually is the situation for new writing across the county?

In a lively debate chaired by Guardian theatre critic Lyn Gardner, a panel of playwright Mike Bartlett, Paines Plough’s Artistic Director James Grieve, and Liverpool Everyman’s Literary Manager, Suzanne Bell, together with an enthusiastic audience, discussed both the successes and challenges facing new writing today.

Gardner opened the session by asking what actually is new writing? Are we clear on what the definition is? For Mike Bartlett new writing has changed considerably in the last 10 years and he believes writers are now coming from a creative background rather than the traditional academic route. Bartlett believes that audiences don’t care how a piece was made or the background of the creator – all they really want is quality.

Quality, agrees Suzanne Bell, is vital but she questions how quality is actually measured. Is a writer who is successful in engaging audiences and telling stories in regional theatre recognised in the same way as a writer who has work staged at the Royal Court in London? A playwright in the regions can have a piece that plays to over 7000 audience and receive only one review but a play seen by 200 people in a fringe venue in London could get coverage from eight national publications.

As a national theatre critic, Gardner believes that regional audiences are more open to new work than London audiences who are traditional more fragmented and loyal to one particular venue or genre.

Paines Plough’s James Grieve explains that they made a conscious decision not to play London for 2 years, instead concentrating on regional touring. It is a policy that conversely came in for criticism from some quarters, being accused of elitism and inverse snobbery. For Grieve, though, it is fantastically exciting to premiere new work outside of London. Bartlett agrees that regional audiences are receptive to new work. He wants an audience to be impacted by his work and believes there is more chance of that happening if this is the one new play an audience sees in a season instead of say the third play of the month at the Royal Court.

There seems to be an assumption from some London venues that a playwright has only made it when their work is staged in London. For Grieve it is the ‘cult of the new’. A playwright is seen as the next big thing despite having been working consistently outside London for the previous 10 years.

There is a need for the industry to look beyond that fascination with youth. While there are massive opportunities for the under 26s, Grieve believes that opportunities say a 38-year- old living in Cambridge are few and far between. This sustainability of writers is something the panel feels strongly the industry needs to consider and work out how to develop writers throughout their careers.

In times of economic cuts, the pressure on venues to maximise income while reducing risk is immense and a healthy debate ensued about the need for venues to trust in an audience wanting to experience good storytelling including new work. Bartlett believes the model of staging old favourites is slowly changing. For Grieve his challenge is competing with other entertainment outlets such as HBO and he firmly believes that if his shows can’t match the entertainment values of TV series such as Mad Men, audiences will stay at home.

According to Grieve there is also a need for agents to encourage Actors on their books to recognise the importance of touring new work. He recounts tales of agents turning down offers of work for their clients on national tours in favour of the hope that a walk on part will turn up in a TV drama series such as Downton Abbey.

Despite the challenges there is a sense of optimism from the panel. A recognition that the role of writers has developed and they are now seen much more as part of the creative process, rather than just handing over a script to a director. There is also the recognition that writers need to become more of an integral part of the management of arts organisations. Grieve explained that Paines Plough already has a writer on the board and it’s vital to avoid a company becoming a ‘directors theatre’.

So despite what some may fear, the consensus is that audiences will always welcome new work, regardless of the author, as long as it engages, has a strong story, and is of high enough quality. As Suzanne Bell summed up – it is all about finding that right play for the right audience.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

News: Ipswich group scores Love Story musical coup

Ipswich based Amateur company Gallery Players have staged something of a theatrical coup, obtaining the first UK rights to stage Howard Goodall’s musical Love Story after it’s critically acclaimed run at both the Chichester Festival Theatre and its subsequent transfer to the Duchess Theatre in London’s West End.

The show was nominated for three Olivier Awards in 2011 and the American premiere is in preparation. Gallery Players have been granted an exclusive licence to stage the tear-jerking musical in Ipswich during the summer of 2012 at the town’s New Wolsey Theatre.

Inspired by Erich Seagal’s novel, Love Story transferred to the big screen in one of the most romantic films of all time. Composer Howard Goodall turned the story in a musical with book and lyrics by Stephen Clark.

Critics were unanimous in praise for the show will Georgina Brown in The Mail On Sunday summing up opinion

 “Everything the film does but much better. Anyone with a heart will laugh louder, cry harder and come out singing”

Gallery Players production will be directed by Steve Wooldridge with Musical Staging from Sally Scurrell and Musical Direction from Richard Healey.

Auditions for the roles of Jenny and Oliver will be held on 22^nd January in Ipswich. More information can be found on Facebook under ‘Love Story Workshop Audition’.

Feature: Are East Anglian theatre makers missing from The Stage 100 ?

This week The Stage newspaper published its annual Stage100, a list of those seen as the most influential people in theatre this year. The list is compiled by a panel of judges but, this year, their list has caused some comment with its focus on London and the West End in particular. Lyn Gardner in The Guardian says:

"Inevitably this list has a London bias because of the Stage's emphasis on the West End, but you do seriously  wonder if there weren't a regional section how many non-metropolitan artistic directors and producers would get a look-in"

While the Stage100 does feature the odd entry from the regions, it’s a limited number and East Anglia seem strangely absent, odd when you look at the amount of work being created in the region. So should East Anglia have had more representation in the Stage 100? 

No panel here, and a slightly unscientific process, but here are a selection (in no particular order) of ten of those who perhaps deserve to be included in a more geographically diverse list that incorporates the movers and shakers in Eastern region’s arts.

Steven Atkinson – Artistic Director, HighTide

Halesworth, a small rural market town in North Suffolk would not normally be the first place to spring to mind when thinking of a testbed for new theatre.  Over the last five years, the HighTide festival has seen work developed that has gone on to the West End and beyond. The annual festival in Halesworth draws theatrical names from across the country and under the direction of Steven Atkinson now holds a key place in the UK theatre scene.

Assis Carrerio  - Artistic Director & Chief Executive, Dance East

Perhaps best described as a force of nature, Assis Carrerio  has fought hard for the recognition of Dance across East Anglia and has spearheaded the creation of the Jerwood DanceHouse on Ipswich Waterfront.

Joanna Carrick – Artistic Director, Red Rose Chain Film & Theatre Company

Passionate about creating accessible productions that reach as wide an audience as possible, Red Rose Chain’s Joanna Carrick writes and directs many of the company’s work. From staging a play about Anne Boleyn and her brother in a Mongolian Yurt tent to an annual open-air production in the middle of Rendlesham Forest, Carrick’s work has introduced thousands of people to theatre.

Patricia Whymark – Common Ground Theatre Company

Audiences across East Anglia will instantly recognise Pat Whymark’s music, having supplied the musical accompaniment to countless plays and musicals as well as the scripts for many others. Pat (together with partner Julian Harries) is also passionate about nurturing the next generation of theatre practitioners and with their Common Ground Theatre Company combine music, drama and physical theatre to create visually stunning and inventive performances.

Alex Byrne – Artistic Director, New International Encounters

A theatre company with a base in both Cambridge and Oslo sounds a logistical nightmare but New International Encounters don’t see geographic borders as a barrier to work but a positive creative tool. Artistic Director Alex Byrne is passionate about storytelling and creativity, leading an inventive company that isn't afraid to take risks on the route to giving their audiences a unique theatrical experience.

Peter Wilson – Chief Executive Theatre Royal Norwich

As well as being a successful producer, Peter Wilson heads up the Theatre Royal in Norwich, one of the most successful touring venues in the country. From major musicals to drama productions, in tough economic times the Theatre Royal has operated with a financial surplus in 17 of the last 19 years. Wilson has led refurbishments and modernisations at a venue that offers a leading programme yet still manages to keep its lowest ticket price at just £6.50.

Ivan Cutting – Artistic Director Eastern Angles

A couple of years ago, East Angles was staring closure in the face after the threatened withdrawal of key funding. After a spirited campaign the company redrew its borders and, as it enters its 30^th anniversary year, is leading the way in producing new writing in East Anglia. Led by founder Ivan Cutting, the company presents an impressive amount of work – from touring their Spring show to over 50 village halls, schools and theatres across the region, nurturing new writing, acting and directorial talent – all the while reflecting East Anglian communities.

Joe Murphy – Artistic Director  Nabokov

Dedicated to producing new work that relates to audiences, Nabokov nurtures new talent to create work across the country.  From touring work to Edinburgh and even currently represented in New York – Nabokov’s work, led by Artistic Director Joe Murphy is creating a strong new British theatrical voice.

Tania Harrison – Arts Curator Latitude Festival

The UK music festival isn’t normally associated with theatre but then Suffolk’s Latitude Festival has always billed itself as ‘more than a music festival’. Tania Harrison, Arts Curator for the festival has established a strong record of integrating theatre and arts into the festival. The sight of a packed theatre tent at midnight testament to the eclectic programming that offers festival goers a mix of up and coming artists alongside established names such as Sadler’s Wells, Soho Theatre and the Lyric Hammersmith.

Amit Lahav – Artistic Director, Gecko Theatre

In just 10 years, Gecko has redefined the shape of physical theatre – touring four award-winning production to over 20 countries.  Highly visual but always with a strong dramatic thread, Amit Lahav’s productions have gained critical acclaim wherever presented and each new work pushes the boundaries of physical theatre further.

Preview: London 2012 Theatre Highlights

I’ve already put pen to paper (keyboard to screen?) looking at some of my ‘must sees’ for 2012 but those shows have been outside the West End. 


With increasing prices, ‘premium’ seating, restoration fees, booking fees, handling fees etc. before you even start to think about transport, programmes and a second mortgage to buy an interval drink, the West End has somewhat dropped down my theatre going agenda.  There are a few shows however that are likely to tempt me back onto Shaftesbury Avenue and the surrounding environs.

Sweeney Todd – Adelphi Theatre

Having seen this remarkable revival of Sondheim’s gothic opera at Chichester, it was clear the show was destined for a West End berth. Clearly designed for a prosc theatre rather than Chichester’s thrust, and with the star casting of Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton, it was always London bound. The updated setting may upset some but the sheer power of the production overcomes any niggles.

Top Hat – Aldwych Theatre

The regions have been enjoying this unashamedly retro musical for much of 2011 and it’s a sheer delight. A good old fashioned musical spectacular that now taps its way into London.

The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe – Kensington Gardens

Ok, so not officially West End but the combination of C.S.Lewis, theatrical magic and Rupert Goold make this a must see.

Long Days Journey Into Night – Apollo

It is indeed a long journey so take a cushion but Eugene O’Neil’s American classic sees David Suchet return to the Apollo after his triumph in All My Sons.

Cymbeline – Barbican Theatre

Yukio Ninagawa returns to the Barbican with his trademark, groundbreaking, visually stunning productions. His Japanese Hamlet remains one of the clearest productions of the piece I have ever seen.

And though nothing is announced yet lets hope that Sheffield’s Company and West Yorkshire Playhouse/Derby Live/Royal & Derngate’s The Go Between find a London home this season.

Feature: Time to include a £ declaration alongside the star rating?

Openness. Honesty. Transparency. It sounds like a political manifesto mantra but as the industry increasingly comes under public scrutiny for value for money how open and honest should we be?

I’m not talking about dodgy deals here or financial mismanagement but wonder how honest, open and transparent our arts coverage is?

There have been many debates over the years on the subject of objectivity versus subjectivity from theatre critics but is it always down to the critic to make those decisions or are other factors at play behind the scenes?

When a reader logs on to a site or opens a publication they expect an impartial view but are commercial decisions impacting that review? Although many altruistic reasons may be given around news gathering and reporting, for many organisations the bottom line is sadly financial, driven by circulation and advertising revenue.

A disclaimer before we go any further. Accurate information on the subject is difficult to get– deemed as ‘commercially sensitive’ or based on anecdotal or ‘off the record’ conversations that are hard to corroborate but it seems that there is some cause for concern.

There are some alarming stories circulating out there about pressure from the commercial sector to influence the editorial direction of reviews:

• A theatre company told that a publication couldn’t send anyone to review their show unless they bought advertising in the publication
• A theatre critic who talks of instructions from their editor only to write glowing reviews for ‘commercial considerations’
• A separate critic who recounts negative reviews not being published for fear of upsetting advertisers
• A venue who threatened to withdraw their advertising unless a less than glowing review was removed 

These of course may be isolated incidents and I’m not suggesting that the majority of arts coverage is anything but impartial but if we lose the trust of our readership what is the value in covering the arts? 

This is a subject with no easy answers – publications need a constant feed of stories and articles to survive and arts organisations need the exposure that arts coverage brings but for the consumer is it always clear that the words in front of them is nearer an ‘advertorial’ rather than a purely objective review.

With some publications publishing glowing reviews for every single production they cover, can these be called reviews or just another form of advert? Paid for features carry the wording ‘Advertising Feature’ should reviews also declare any advertising spend the production has with the organisation concerned?

As pressures on advertising revenue grows there is more of a temptation to allow commercial to influence the editorial, but as those same pressures also tighten consumer spending what are the long term impacts on both ticket sales and publication sales if audiences begin to feel they can't rely on a review to aide their ticket buying choices? Do we need a £ advertising income rating alongside the star ratings

Originally written for Arts Professional Magazine

Preview: 2012 Theatre Highlights

2011 is all done and dusted so what does the 2012 theatrical year offer. Andrew Lloyd Webber may be predicting a ‘bloodbath’ for London theatre during the Olympics but, while the ‘greatest show on earth’ may or may not have an impact on London theatre attendance, there is much to look forward to in 2012 alongside the sporting events.

In no particular order here are ten of my 'must sees' for 2012:

Roots - Colchester then touring

The centrepiece of Wesker's trilogy, Roots has become a modern classic. Cultures and beliefs clash in rural Norfolk in a revolutionary play that is still relevant today. After Colchester the show tours to Hull, Stoke, Oxford and Nottingham.

The Crash of The Elysium - Ipswich

After universal praise in Manchester in 2011, Punchdrunk’s interactive Dr Who adventure comes to Ipswich as part of the London 2012 Cultural Festival.

The World Shakespeare Festival - Nationwide

Across the country a range of Shakespeare productions offer a unique insight into the world’s greatest playwright. Major UK Theatre Companies are joined by international companies to present the Bards work.

York Mystery Plays - York

For centuries the people have York have performed the medieval cycle of mystery plays. Now a cast of over 1000 local people perform the biggest staging of the cycle in the city for nearly a quarter of a century.

Copenhagen - Sheffield Lyceum

A play about the meeting of two nuclear quantum physicists may not sound like a thrilling evening but Michael Fryan’s powerful piece is given a rare revival as part of Sheffield’s Michael Fryan season.

King Lear - Theatre In The Forest

Red Rose Chain can always be relied upon to give an inventive twist to Shakespeare and it will be interesting to see how they adapt one of Shakespeare’s darkest plays to their forest setting.

Private Resistance -Eastern Angles

What if Germany had invaded Britain in 1940? How would Churchill's secret guerilla army disrupt the invasion? Forget Dads's Army, this is the true story of wartime resistance.

Going Dark - Young Vic

From Sound And Fury the creators of Kursk, one of the most inventive and immersive shows of recent years, comes Going Dark a multi sensory look at the wonder of the cosmos.

Romeo And Juliet - Touring

A year after Headlong’s  Artistic Director Rupert Goold directed R&J for the RSC, their associate director Robert Icke tackles the tale of star-crossed lovers. Expect Headlong’s usual inventive, theatrical magic.

Anne Boleyn - Touring

English Touring Theatre teams up with Shakespeare’s Globe to tour Howard Brenton’s critically acclaimed play about the doomed Queen.