Glen's Theatre Reviews

Review: Mogadishu - Arts Theatre, Cambridge

2012-02-10T11:50:00.000Z

Not everything is always black and white. Facts about an event can be manipulated to suit personal agendas and racism can flow in many directions.

In an inner city secondary school, teacher Amanda steps in to break up a fight between students. In the process, she is assaulted though is reluctant to report perpetrator Jason as his exclusion would harm his future prospects.

Jason also recognises the impact of his actions but strikes first by fabricating a counter claim of assault and racial abuse against his teacher. Amanda initially thinks the fuss will soon blow over but the ensuing drama is like watching a pile of dominoes crash one after the other – each move causing further layers of hurt, hate and destruction.

As things progress from the school through the layers of local authority bureaucracy, the allegation has grave consequences for both sides.

Vivienne Franzmann’s debut full length play is an assured work, drawing heavily on her extensive teaching career for an insight into the challenges of trying to balance support and encouragement with discipline in education. Franzmann’s script carefully unveils layers of detail, building for a horrifying yet compulsive viewing. Much is helped by the gritty realism of the dialogue and the carefully drawn characters, each totally believable and recognisable.

Franzmann could have easily turned Jason into a villain; however, while his attempts to intimidate and control his gang to make increasingly overblown accusations to support him are abhorrent, there is a backstory, carefully revealed that, while not condoning his actions, make them comprehensible. It is his father who perhaps describes it best – a little boy desperately trying to play at being a man.

There are strong performances throughout the company, giving each character a well observed depth. Ryan Calais Cameron is impressive as the troubled Jason – full of pent-up aggression and frustration. Jackie Clune’s Amanda also develops nicely, from the easy going teacher always seeing the best in her pupils to a woman whose hopes and dreams have been destroyed by the system.

Matthew Dunster’s production flows seamlessly from scene to scene, building up tension throughout, making great use of Tom Scutt’s multipurpose caged set. Using the ensemble to carry out swift scene changes maintains pace and Ian Dickinson’s subtle yet effective underscore builds on the palpable sense of conflict.

It is an impressive and relevant piece that manages to keep the wide age range in the audience totally enthralled throughout. The ending, while dramatic, does seem somewhat out of kilter with the rest of the production and some of the teenagers’ performances need dialling back a couple of notches away from Catherine Tate’s ‘am I bovverred’ angst. These are minor points, however, as overall this is a production that can’t fail to impress. It may prove uncomfortable viewing at times, and the language is certainly not for the faint hearted, but it is a compelling and powerful drama told with skill and flair.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: The House Of Bernarda Alba - Almeida Theatre

2012-02-09T14:38:00.001Z

A woman’s place is in the home. Well it is when your father has just died and your mother expects you to spend eight years mourning his death. Relocated from Catholic Spain to Iran, Emily Mann’s new translation of Lorca’s final play helps build an overbearing feel of repression and tension.

Bernada Alba is determined to rule her household with absolute authority; this is a matriarch that firmly believes that locking her daughters away is for the best. It’s not a decision borne out of vindictiveness, however, but a cast iron belief that it is the right thing to do to protect the family honour and reputation.
One daughter, though, has a chink of light in the darkness of mourning, a prospective husband to whisk her away from confinement. For Asieh it’s not clear if she is being married for love or as part of a financial transaction. Her sisters also have ideas of escape though realising their love is for the same man, it is a dream that can only end in tragedy.

This is a remarkable and intense look into familial relationships, class and oppression. Condensed into 90 uninterrupted minutes, it is impossible to tear your eyes away from the brewing storm unfolding on stage. Once the storm finally breaks, it provides no relief, just a shattering sense of loss and waste.
This is a beautifully layered and textured House of Bernarda Alba, capturing great intensity in the smallest of inflections. Much of the atmosphere is aided by Bunny Christie’s stunning design, a house hinting at class but also a mausoleum, the sunlight streaming into the hallway an ever-present reminder of a life outside of the shuttered walls. Jon Clark’s lighting also aids the almost painting-like quality of key images, with key light and shadow balanced in tableaux.

Bijan Sheibani has an eye of an artist in his direction, with a strong sense of the power of the visual – from the breathtaking opening image, through the effective use of a group of black burka clad mourners, to the striking images of the matriarch and her family.

Shohreh Aghdashloo shines as Bernarda, a woman of bearing and self-control. There’s something almost regal about her portrayal, considered movements and inflection and just enough acid to keep the servants, and her daughters, in line. Despite the ice cool exterior, though, there is a sense of pain and loss threatening to break through if not controlled.

In contrast to the immaculately presented Bernarda, Jane Bertish’s pinny-clad housekeeper Darya proves to know more than her status would suggest and there’s an uneasy balance of power between the two women.
There is impressive work from the daughters with Hara Yannas giving a beautifully observed portrayal of heartbreak as Adela and from Amanda Hale as the equally in love but more restrained Elmira.

There may be purists who miss the original Andalucían backdrop but this visually stunning, intense and well observed House of Bernarda Alba grabs the attention from the start and doesn’t let the energy drop throughout. Images from this production will stay in the mind for a long time.

Photo: Johan Persson

News: 18 Premières for sixth HighTide Festival

2012-02-07T12:12:00.000Z

When a theatre new writing festival was first announced, based in Halesworth, a small Suffolk market town, some outside the region thought it was doomed to fail. Suffolk and East Anglia as a whole, though, have a strong tradition of creating art and now the HighTide Festival has grown to become one of the country’s major events on the theatrical calendar. Organisers have just announced the programme for the sixth Festival, taking place in Halesworth this May.

It’s an impressive programme, including 18 World or European premieres alongside a range of support events. The organisation has a history of taking productions onto a further life after their Halesworth showing and this year is no exception, with productions touring to the Latitude and Edinburgh Festivals and the Soho Theatre.

Announcing the festival line up, Artistic Director Steven Akinson highlights the expansion of the season:
“These eighteen plays are a huge expansion from our historical four. They present a wide range of new writing, from full production to work in progress, and experimentations in form including promenade performances and audio headset productions.”

Highlights of the Festival include the European premiere of Mike Daisey’s The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs and the world premiere of Ella Hickson’s new play, Boys.

There is also a strong cross Atlantic element to the Festival with HighTide working with New York’s Public Theater Emerging Writers Group to present a series of new American plays. Local writers, though, are also represented at the Festival with readings of new plays from East Anglian writers over coffee and brunch.

This year, HighTide is also hosting an all-day symposium on the state of new writing in the UK, a partnership with the University of East Anglia, the British Theatre Consortium and the Central School of Speech And Drama. Looking at the changing way new writers are developed, this looks to be a vital discussion for anyone interested in championing new writing.

Post-show talks and a series of talks from industry experts supplement the Festival with a full line up of speakers still to be announced.

The sixth HighTide Festival will take place in Halesworth from 5-13 May and full details can be found online at www.issuu.com/hightidefestivaltheatre/docs/hightide_festival_2012

News: Theatre cancels major fundraising initiative

2012-02-06T15:41:00.000Z

Plans for a major fundraising initiative for the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds have been shelved, it has just been announced.

Colin Blumenau, the venue’s Artistic Director, had planned an ambitious challenge of riding from Land’s End to John O’Groats, via Bury St Edmunds. En-route Blumenau was due to visit famous Georgian sites along the 1,200 mile journey to reflect the theatre’s own Georgian history.

The theatre had hoped to have raised around £150,000 from the event and, at the launch, Bluemenau said:
“I have had the privilege of being Artistic Director of this extraordinary theatre for 14 years and, throughout that time, we have struggled to make exciting artistic choices against a backdrop of reducing finances.
Whilst I may not be able to change Government policy, or magic a tax incentive for giving, I can ride horses. And so I am bringing that skill and a passion for seeing the length of the UK from the saddle, as my offer to the long-term support of this theatre.”

The fundraiser was scheduled to take place this spring but, in a statement released by the theatre, the venue has decided not to go ahead with the challenge, citing difficulties in finding major sponsorship for the project.
Despite nine months of planning, the venue felt that the pressures on donations posed to great a risk to continue.

Simon Daykin, Chief Executive of the venue explains:
“It has been Colin’s long held ambition to ride this endurance route, and both he and his horses were primed and ready for the challenge. However, our strong sense is that the country’s financial health is not robust enough to provide the level of funds envisaged; we just cannot take on additional risk when we have to concentrate all our resources on trying to thrive in these straightened times. “

The venue is the only surviving working Regency Playhouse in the UK and the only theatre in the National Trust’s portfolio. The theatre currently raises around £200,000 towards its work a year through other fundraising and sponsorship schemes but faces a £7,590 a year reduction in its Arts Council funding from 2012.

It’s facing up to these challenges that Daykin now believes the theatre needs to concentrate:
“We are very saddened that we have to ask Colin to unsaddle his steeds and bring the project to a close, but we have to be realistic. It’s now essential that we redouble our attentions on our core work as a quality producing theatre.”

Review: Beating Berlusconi - New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich

2012-02-05T21:51:00.000Z

“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that.” For many, Bill Shankly’s quote could sum up Liverpool. A city of intense football passion and rivalry, loyalty to one of the city’s two football teams are instilled from birth.

Football has brought the city success but also tragedy. Tragedies at Heysel and Hillsborough still cast a dark shadow over the community. It is, though, one of Liverpool FC’s finest hours that provides the spark of inspiration for John Graham Davies’ play.

In May 2005, Liverpool are playing AC Milan in the Champions League Final at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul. At half time things aren’t going well, with Liverpool losing 3-0. Liverpool Fan Kenny has risked his finances and his marriage to be here and he’s in desperate need of alcohol to lift his spirits. As he wanders the labyrinth stadium he somehow finds himself in the VIP area, quaffing champagne with Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi.

Like many of the seemingly most absurd tales, this story is based on real life but while forming the centre piece of the play there is more here than this anecdote. Alongside the tale of Kenny’s remarkable journey to Turkey we also get to explore Liverpudlian social development, prejudice, loyalty, and a sense of almost tribal belonging. Politics come in for much scorn but it turns out to be a cross party drubbing – Thatcher may be described as a Nazi in a dress but Blair and New Labour fare little better.

Paul Duckworth switches from character to character with consummate ease. It’s a huge array of personalities to portray but the delineation is always clear. There is plenty of colourful humour (and language) here but also moments of deep poignancy. With just a table, two chairs and some video highlights Duckworth delivers a personable and engaging performance.

Like the beautiful game itself, this is a play of two halves and while it’s played at pace it does seem slightly overlong. There is so much detail here that sometimes it is lost in the overall ambition of the story.

That said though this is a fascinating and engaging look at how an entire community are influenced by a weekly 90 minute game between two teams. While some of the football references may pass non-football fans by, there is enough human observation here to please all – well maybe not Mr Berlusconi.

Written originally for The Public Reviews

Review: American Anthems - Corn Exchange, Cambridge

2012-02-05T11:42:00.002Z

Route 66, the fabled American highway immortalised on film and in song – a fitting backdrop for a new rock musical, especially one produced in association with legendary motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson. Sadly this is one show that arrives with two flat tyres, a stalled engine, and turns out to be the stage equivalent of watching a multi-car pile-up.

There are so many elements that don’t work here; it is difficult to know where to start. Fundamentally the question needs to be asked if this is actually a musical. Ross Mills, Ged Graham (who also stars) and Ryan Mills have created a paper-thin central story about a legendary rock star, Rocky Rhodes, who walked out of a concert in Madison Square Garden in the 90s and hasn’t been seen since. Twenty-odd years later and radio station Route 66 FM teams up with his former roadie to head out on a trip across the USA to find him. The plot, such as it is, serves nothing more as an excuse to play nearly 50 American classic songs. Apart from a couple of half-hearted efforts (a comedy vicar joins the search for Rocky as an excuse to sing Son Of A Preacher Man and Living On A Prayer), songs are not integrated into the action and long sections pass without any narrative as we hurtle through the music catalogue.

When there is dialogue it is of questionable quality. There are echoes of both We Will Rock You and Rock Of Ages but those seem almost works of Tolstoy compared to this. Of course a rock musical shouldn’t be serious but it does need a story and here it seems to be a tribute show that is occasionally interrupted by some weak dialogue. When a character has to turn to the audience once to ask if they are getting it and a second time to explain a line was a joke you know you’re in trouble. When actors forget lines or have to ask for their notes to introduce the next scene, things descend from the comical into the ridiculous.

Ok, so the script doesn’t work but many in the audience will have come to hear the music. Therein lies the second major problem. These anthems have stood the test of time as they were performed by artists who knew how to deliver a song. Here it often seems that the cast are struggling with the sheer range of many of these power ballads. Lyrics are lost with only the ends of lines being sung with conviction. There is also a tendency to confuse vocal power with shouting, further distorting clarity.

Performances aren’t helped by the sound design that leaves even spoken lines struggling to be heard. Alongside sound, lighting often leaves performers in semi-darkness and the billed spectacular staging is little more than a Harley parked stage right, a bar stage left, two American Flags, a neon sign and a star cloth.

Midway through the second act, the ‘plot’ is stopped for 20 minutes to introduce 80s rock star John Parr, who abandons any pretence of being integrated into a musical and performs a set of his material. No reason, no plot device, just a straightforward guest appearance.

It all adds up for a muddled and confusing evening, not particularly well executed. The overwhelming feeling is of embarrassment for the company, desperately trying to encourage the audience to put their hands in the air and clap, but after the countless and out-of-context cries of ‘come on, Cambridge’, even the cast gives up.

American Anthems needs to decide what it is and fast. If it wants to be a rock musical, it needs to find the strong story that it so badly lacks. If it just wants to be a celebration of classic American road anthems, fine - just cut back the 2 hour 45 minute running time, improve the production values and focus on performance and delivery.

As it is, this is one road trip that needs the urgent attention of a breakdown service - that’s if the show isn’t already a total write-off.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Top Girls - Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds

2012-02-03T15:11:00.009Z

Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls is widely regarded as a classic of 20th Century theatre, an examination of the sacrifices women over the centuries have had to make to become successful in a male dominated environment. However despite this status and the critical plaudits this revival has achieved it is hard, on this showing, to see why.

Churchill never makes things easy for her audiences and Top Girls is no exception. A reverse chronology, fragmented vignettes of plot, and harshly overlapping dialogue are all used to separate it from conventional drama. That’s fine and an audience should be make to work at a drama but here the techniques are used with such relentless fervour that it’s hard to take much away from the piece apart from a sense of frustration and ringing ears.

Things begin with confusion. Successful career woman Marlene is holding a dinner party for women from across history. Whether this is a dream, an allegory, or a manifestation of Marlene’s disturbed mind isn’t clear. It’s also often not clear what is being said with several characters speaking at once in a weird fist-fight of dialogue. Yes, it may be naturalistic but it makes for a tiresome start to the play and things don’t much improve.

Clarity isn’t bettered in subsequent scenes. A sketch set in the Top Girls recruitment agency does give some poignantly accurate observations on the recruitment process of bygone days, but it’s all too little to save the evening. And while a sub plot involving Marlene’s hurriedly fostered daughter does provide some dramatic tension, any real suspense is lost in the quality of the acting and accents in this horribly dated and irrelevant piece.

Touring a play to Suffolk with key scenes set in the county will always test the authenticity of the accents but here the accents veer from Devon and Cornwall via America’s Deep South. It’s not only the East Anglian dialect that comes in for a beating – a Japanese concubine at times sounds like she hails from the shadow of the Berlin Wall.

Director Max Stafford-Clark is seen as the authority of the piece, having directed the original production 30 years ago. Sadly this production does little to justify the revival. Stafford-Clark needs to look at reigning in some of the melodrama in the performances, find a way of presenting the somewhat weak central plot more clearly and work at some of the vocal performances. All too often here the audience are sniggering at the characters when they should be empathising with them.

There are some nice performances among the cacophony; Caroline Catz gives a nicely observed caricature as 80s business woman Marlene and Esther Ruth Elliott’s portrayal of Pope Joan gives a quirky insight into devotion and faith. Victoria Gee, as the Pieter Brueghel the Elder folk character Dull Gret, steals the first act with some beautifully drawn nuances.

Tim Shortall’s design does work well and provides the transition between locales effectively, but a set alone can’t make a production and, while fans of Churchill’s work may revel in the opportunity to see a revival of her most famous piece, it remains hard to understand why this confused muddle receives such acclaim. A case of the Empress’ New (Old) Clothes, perhaps?

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Silent: Hotbed Festival - The Junction, Cambridge

2012-01-30T15:06:00.001Z

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

2012-01-29T14:57:00.002Z

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

2012-01-28T14:53:00.000Z

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

2012-01-28T14:45:00.000Z

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

2012-01-28T14:36:00.013Z

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

2012-01-27T23:53:00.009Z

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

2012-01-27T14:29:00.001Z

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

2012-01-27T14:19:00.002Z

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

2012-01-26T20:39:00.001Z

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

2012-01-23T17:21:00.000Z

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

2012-01-20T15:01:00.003Z

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

2012-01-09T20:54:00.000Z

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 ?

2012-01-08T21:10:00.000Z

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

2012-01-05T12:05:00.000Z

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?

2012-01-04T16:58:00.000Z

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

2012-01-01T12:37:00.000Z

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.

Feature: 2011 Theatre Trends - Musings from the stalls

2011-12-31T16:02:00.000Z

“Statistics can be made to prove anything - even the truth.” ~Author Unknown

Ok, so statistics may be unreliable but what end of year round up is complete without them.

1 reviewer

189 productions

59 venues

127 Plays

31 Musicals

20 Shakespeare Productions

11 Pantomimes

3 Festivals

1 tent, 1 Camper Van, 1 water polo changing room …..

Can though a look at a years’ statistics provide any clue to the state of our theatres? Not really – this is but a small sample – but there are a few trends evident from theatres across the country. Some things that seem driven by the changing face of arts funding and some areas that venues need to look at to keep audiences satisfied in the coming year.

In no particular order here are a dozen areas that seem to have developed during 2011:

There’s a perceptible shift for programming to move to the smaller scale. While the mega-event productions will still garner the headlines there’s been a marked move to smaller shows. If this is a sign of a new direction or just budgetary constraints remains to be seen.

There has been much talk in 2011 about an audience’s reluctance to risk their hard earned cash on anything new, preferring to stick with well tested products and familiar brands – a long running musical, a revival of an old favourite play or a show based on an already known film franchise. However, step outside of the commercial West End and there’s an explosion of companies taking bold and brave steps with their work.

Audience expectations continue to grow. With the steady creep of ‘premium’ seating, theatregoers are expecting something more than a cramped, barely padded seat for their investment. Have venues kept up with audience expectation though?

Investment is still needed in that all important customer interface. How many times this year have venues been forced to apologise to customers when booking systems crashed? In an increasing online age does your box office system offer what your customers want?

Membership schemes have come in for criticism again this year, with the sheer volume of some membership schemes causing supply and demand problems that they were supposed to overcome. Antagonise your loyal customers and they will soon cancel memberships-time to review if your scheme meets actual expectations?

Social Media continues to change the way news is broken, shows reviewed and venues interact with their audiences – though some venues still have far to go in embracing the digital age.

The regions continue to provide the heartbeat of theatre, despite what some of our national newspapers would suggest (but that’s another story) providing genuinely high quality productions.

Despite the tough economic outlook and the ever increasing challenges of funding, theatre remains inventive and resourceful.

The thorny question of internships continues. While unpaid staff may seem the only option in cash-strapped times what is the long term impact on the arts? Can those vital elements of contacts and knowledge be maintained with a sting of short term appointments? Do we risk only reaching those who can afford to work with no or expense only income?

On the subject of volunteers and interns, while a workforce made up of low/non paid staff may look good on the balance sheet, what is the impact on your brand reputation if the service levels slip?

Collaboration and partnerships became the latest key words but it still remains to be seen how venues will put aside traditional rivalry and work together.

Customer service is often the unforgotten element in theatres. While some venues excel in making audiences feel welcome from the initial booking enquiry to the moment they leave after the show, others still seem to see audiences as an inconvenience to be tolerated at best. Venues that don’t have the customer at the heart of their operations will struggle in these competitive economic times.

Review: A Christmas Carol - Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich

2011-12-23T20:50:00.001Z

Surely if some research is carried out A Christmas Carol would take the crown for the most adapted festive novel of all time. Countless films, stage plays and musicals have been inspired by Dickens’ ultimate Christmas tale.

It’s a story that remains timeless and a classic tale not only of the festive season but also of the human spirit.

As a choice for a venue’s Christmas show it is a safe bet, an audience favourite and with plenty of scope for imaginative direction, great characterisation and some theatrical magic.

The Maddermarket Theatre has chosen to mount the piece in a traditional form. No radical retelling here, no modernisation and no gimmicks. To be fair the piece doesn’t need gimmicks, just a good honest production.

The theatre has assembled a large company on a split level set that evokes the Victorian setting well. It all looks promising but sadly Tim Seely’s direction fails to conjure up the festive spirit; past, present or future.

We are offered a chorus narration, with exposition shared among the company; it’s a nice idea but does seem somewhat plot by committee and slows down the action as lines are delivered around the group.

Overall the general lack of pace is the main hindrance to dramatic tension, with cast entering and standing around for a few moments before delivering their lines. Add in some issues with lighting that leaves many performing in a semi gloom and it’s difficult to engage with the characters.

There are however, some nice performances from the large company; Luke Owen’s Bob Cratchitt and Paul Woodhouse’s genial Mr Fezziwig among them. Noel Jones’ Ebenezer Scrooge is performed with energy but the journey of redemption is never really fully realised –Jones’ comes across as slightly grumpy rather than the terrible miser lacking in all human faith that the story requires to give meaning to his ultimate salvation. The three pivotal spirits (here played by Carol Hunt, John Halstead and Paul Woodhouse) are always something of a challenge for a director to devise a suitable magical device and here again the spark seems missing.

Virginia Bain’s set does provide an atmospheric backdrop while Amanda Greenway provides period detail in the costume design but sadly Katherine Lowry’s lighting design is less effective.

The Maddermarket’s A Christmas Carol is a valiant effort and it is encouraging to see so many performers taking part but overall it’s a carol that is slightly out of tune and in need of a bit more tempo from the conductor.

Review: The Wizard Of Oz - Regent Theatre, Ipswich

2011-12-21T20:45:00.002Z

People often, wrongly, believe pantomime is simple. The staging, slapstick, anarchy and apparent ease in which things go wrong give the impression that it is an easy, end of term genre that can be thrown together. In fact it is the complete opposite. To create a world in which characters have the space to be outrageously over-the-top while still providing an evening jam-packed full of fun and festivity is a real skill and takes hard work.

When that spark is missing, what should be a joyous evening out for all the family, and a great introduction into the magic of theatre for young audiences can so easily become derailed.

Sadly, Enchanted Entertainment’s The Wizard Of Oz, this year’s panto offering at the Ipswich Regent, turns out to be one of the largest turkeys of the festive season.

Things don’t get off to a promising start. As the curtain rises, the problems begin, the opening number, a country barn dance of Cotton Eye Joe is inaudible through the crackle and hiss of the sound system. Such technical issues continue throughout. The lighting often leaves the cast valiantly trying to perform in semi-darkness while, for some unfathomable reason, creating a recreation of the Aurora Borealis on the backdrop.

The sets and staging look cheap. For pantomime to work it needs an element of magic but this can be achieved on a small budget with some imagination; here it looks flat and uninspired. It’s almost Acorn Antiques meets Crossroads with unintentional laughs (the Wizard’s hot air balloon lowered in too far to show it’s only half a prop and on wires providing one of the largest unplanned laughs of the evening).

Ok so the technical aspects don’t work but surely you can’t go wrong with a panto script? Guy Pascall’s adaption of L. Frank Baum’s classic tale fails on several levels. Corny jokes are a cornerstone of panto but here Pascall resorts to a non-stop barrage of toilet jokes, with most of the humour centering around flatulence and defecation. It makes for tedious dialogue that may amuse small children for a couple of jokes but which, after 2hrs 45, become tiresome. While panto should never become overly Politically Correct, referring to a mainstream homosexual celebrity as a fairy and sections of the audience as pansies seems somewhat out of place in the 21st Century.

There are many archaic references that will have gone over the head of adults, let alone the young ones. This is a clunky and strained script that that only comes alive when the cast start improvising around it.

Baum’s story really doesn’t fit the panto genre anyway. There’s no panto dame, the wicked witch is too much of an obvious target as villain and the audience participation is shoehorned and strained within the confines of the plot.

For those expecting the well-known songs from the MGM screen musical will be disappointed. Aside from a short refrain of Follow The Yellow Brick Road, the score comprises a mix of pop songs from the last 40 years and a couple of musical theatre numbers from Hairspray and Wicked.

One feels sorry for the clearly talented cast who valiantly try to whip up some audience cheer with the limited material they are given. Tracy Beaker star Dani Harmer’s Dorothy has an innocent charm while her Oz companions, Matthew McVarish and Andrew Fleming do try and inject some depth to their thinly written characters. Britain’s Got Talent’s Gareth Oliver works overtime trying to build audience repartee but again is hampered by the material he has been provided with.

There are fine singing performances from Kate Richards and Jessica Robinson as the good and evil witches but it’s all too little to redeem the evening. Coronation Street’s Ken Morley isn’t given much stage time as a headline act to work with.

You can always judge the success of a pantomime from the interaction with the audience and here there were large sections of the audience sitting in bemused silence, resulting in more than one adlib from the cast about lack of response.

Sadly for those experiencing theatre for the first time, this production is unlikely to cement a lifelong theatregoing habit. What should have been a magical journey along the yellow brick road turns out to be broken down and in urgent need of attendance by the breakdown services.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Sleeping Beauty - Theatre Royal, Norwich

2011-12-20T20:42:00.000Z

It’s not often that The Rocky Horror Show anthem ‘The Time Warp’ features in a pantomime but, for Norwich Theatre Royal’s Sleeping Beauty, its inclusion is just one sign of a production packed with inventiveness.

In these tough economic times for the arts it’s heartening to see a festive show packed to the rafters with spectacle. From the moment the show starts, complete with a flying narrator and impressive illusions, the bar is set high and the staging never misses a beat.

Here the traditional tale of the the infant princess cursed by an evil Queen is given a contemporary make over while still retaining the key elements. The young princess is still cursed but add in some time travelling a la Back To The Future and you have a very modern Sleeping Beauty. There also a feel of a modern monarchy at work with echoes of William and Kate – reflected with a knowing costume nod in the finale.

Richard Gauntlett’s witty script keep all the obligatory panto elements but injects plenty of local references and topical jokes, alongside the aforementioned Rocky Horror number the score also includes a singalong Abba medley and an opportunity for young audience members to shine in the panto song of choice this year ‘I Am The Music Man’.

Scenic Projects impressive set provides plenty of magic including a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang-esque time travelling sequence with impressive laser effects. Its one of several moments of jaw-dropping theatricality that make this a contender for the most spectacular panto of the year.

Author Gauntlett proves to be multi-skilled, taking on the directorial reigns as well as giving us his Dame, Nurse Peggy Pickle. Nurse Peggy is perhaps less of a monstrous creation than some other Dames, more of a protective mother figure for her two adopted children. Though considering Peggy’s outrageous dress sense, the children are perhaps in danger of a visit from the fashion police.

Emerdale and Dancing on Ice star Haley Tamaddon charms as Hope, the adopted princess who is unaware of her true heritage. Whether singing beautifully or flying across the stage to thrwart a dragon, Tamaddon is very much the modern princess, happy to fall in love with her prince but not one to stand by and let him take all the glory. Tamaddon did provide an unexpected comic opportunity on press night by making an entrance early and giving her co-stars ammunition for plenty of in-jokes.

Kevin Sacre’s Prince Valient has more than a passing resemblance to the Duke of Cambridge and has real chemistry with Tamaddon.

There’s also strong performances from Helen Fraser as the evil plotting Queen Bracken, Tom Beard as her henchman/dog Rumbole and a genial comic masterpiece from Andre Vincent as Muddles.

Sleeping Beauty demonstrates that you can stage a traditional pantomime but still include new material to appeal to all age groups without losing that panto heritage.

This is one spectacular and inventive panto that it would be a crime to sleep through.

Review originally written for The Public Reviews

2011 Theatre In Review

2011-12-19T17:58:00.002Z

The sets have been packed away, the lights de-rigged, costumes washed and the actors moved on to learning their next set of lines (or scouring The Stage for that elusive next audition).

Unlike some award ceremonies that drag on for days with awards for best use of vegetables, outstanding performance by a second trombone and most authentic Shakespearian codpiece; this list has just two categories – my top ten and bottom ten shows of the year.

So in no particular order, let’s start on a positive note with the Top Ten ‘hits’ of 2011 and a celebration of some superlative work

• The Go Between – West Yorkshire Playhouse and tour

For those who say that new British Musicals are dead, The Go Between blows their argument clear out of the water. If there is a stronger musical this year I would be very surprised.

• Parade – Southwark Playhouse
Showing that small-scale isn’t a dirty word, Southwark Playhouse’s production of Jason Robert Brown's musical proved a musical powerhouse.

• The Animals And Children Took To The Streets – 1927 Productions (BAC, Latitude, National Theatre)

Created before this summer’s riots, 1927’s multimedia tale of repression suddenly became highly topical.

• Company – Crucible Sheffield
Southwark Playhouse’s production was good but Sheffield’s production of Sondheim’s relationship musical was simply faultless

• Decade – St Katherine’s Dock
Multi-authored response to the tenth anniversary of 9/11 performed in a chillingly accurate recreation of The Windows On The World restaurant

• London Road – National Theatre
For those of us who lived through the horrors of the Ipswich murders it may be painful but this look at impact on the community redefines musical theatre.

• King Lear – West Yorkshire Playhouse
A year that saw multiple Lear’s but West Yorkshire playhouse’s production steals the crown in a production of pagan clarity.

• The Lady In The Van – Hull Truck (Tour)
Hull Truck’s revival of Bennett’s autobiographical play about his unorthodox lodger surpasses the original West End production

• Romeo & Juliet – Night Light Theatre (Tour)
A reduced 70 minute version of the classic love story set against an imaginative space age setting. Reduced maybe but loses none of the power or story

• The Time Out – Latitude, Edinburgh and tour
Theatre that turns its audience into a crack water polo team? Audience participation taken to the extreme but with skill and ingenuity that never feels forced or pressured.

To balance the universe there also has to be some less than successful work…The Ten ‘misses’ of 2011

• Wastwater – The Royal Court
An ‘elliptical triptych’ and the play has as much meaning as its subtitle. An impressive set and some strong performances couldn’t hide the feeling of ‘why’

• Terrible Advice - Menier Chocolate Factory
With a title like that it is somewhat hostage to fortune but while the cast do their best the script is little more than a pedestrian sit com try-out.

• Rhinestone Mondays – Colchester Mercury and tour
A line dancing, country music, karaoke musical featuring half of Steps – what could possibly go wrong? A musical that would work better without the songs.

• Rock Of Ages – Shaftesbury Theatre
You know you are in trouble when the musac being played in the gents is stronger than that onstage. Loud and brash doesn’t hide the desperation of this tribute to Poodle Rock.

• I Am The Wind – Young Vic
All at sea with nowhere to go. Despite a impressive flooded set this European drama sinks with an impenetrable script.

• Hamlet:1603 – White Bear
The so called bad quarto lives up to its name in a production that does little to convince that it should be performed more often.

• 20th Century Boy – New Wolsey Theatre
The march of jukebox musicals continues with a tribute to the music of Marc Bolan that, despite strong musical performances, is hindered by a leaden book and script.

• Nicked – HiTide Festival

Though it scores marks for topicality and braveness, this musical about Nick Clegg’s rise to power and his referendum on electoral reform fails to win many votes.

• Ex – Soho Theatre
A one act sketch stretched too thinly to make a two act musical. Unpleasant characters and instantly forgettable songs make it hard to love this show.

• Greenland – National Theatre

Ok, if there was an award for best polar bear on stage, the outcome would be different but as there’s not this multi-authored look at global warming skates on thin ice.

Review: Jack And The Beanstalk - Marina Theatre, Lowestoft

2011-12-17T15:41:00.001Z

Forget us critics, for a true barometer of a productions success you should always watch the reactions of the children in the audience. At 10.15am on a chilly Wednesday morning the Marina Theatre Lowestoft is full of expectant faces of school children as the Jack And The Beanstalk company give their all at a frankly unsociable hour to be in a theatre.

With a flash and a bang, Fairy Organic appears to tell us all is not well in Sunnyvale. While young Jack is madly in love with Princess Amelia the King is unlikely to let her marry a poor peasant. The king has other things on his mind though with a terrible giant terrorising his kingdom and Jack’s mother, Dame Trott, lusting after his Majesty.

The story is of course familiar but Keith Simmons and Paul Holman’s script treats the well trod tale with a lightness of touch, keeping the key elements but allowing plenty of room for the requisite panto slapstick. After Jack is forced to sell the family cow, events are put in place for a confrontation with the giant and an outcome that will change everyone’s future.

Despite the earliness of the hour the company don’t hold back with their performance. While some of the more adult jokes may escape the younger audience they are still delivered with total conviction.

Sue Hodge’s fairy is a modern, environmentally-friendly sprite, no gossamer wings here, just a witty repartee and a quick put down. While Hodge’s ‘Allo ‘Allo pedigree may have evaded many of the youngsters, it doesn’t stop them cheering in all the right places. The same problem faces Bobby Crush as the outlandish Dame Trott, the piano maestro may be unfamiliar to the children but the comedy delivery overcomes and recognition issues. Crush thrills in a variety of increasingly over the top fashion creations and for older members of the audience shows that he can still tickle the ivories. Despite valiantly battling a cold, this is a delightful dame.

More easily recognisable for younger viewers, Hi-5’s Chris Edgerley gives a charming Jack, singing beautifully and sharing a real chemistry with Sophie Bloom’s Princess Amelia.

There is also an engaging Simple Simon from Adam Kelly, make his pitch for most impressive panto entrance of the season as he arrives on stage unicycling and juggling cats. Demonstrating a real flare for magic and comic timing, Kelly instantly warms to the young audience, bringing them onside and knowing just when to push the interactive button.

Debbie Flitcroft’s production does occasionally lose pace in scene transitions and could benefit from a few minutes being trimmed off its running time but, overall, the production impresses. This is a traditional pantomime that serves as a good introduction to the genre for a new generation. A talking toucan, plenty of slapstick, audience participation, song and dance ensure everyone leaves with a smile – well perhaps apart from those soaked by Dame Trott’s supersoaker (she has a good aim for critics!) and the poor picked on teacher (as Woods Loke Primary School’s Mr Graham will surely attest).

It may not be the largest or most lavish panto in the land but what Jack And The Beanstalk lacks in size it more than adds up for with enthusiasm, energy and charm. And what about that young critical audience? Judging by the sheer volume of cheers, boos and hissing and the rapt attention this panto is just the beans.

Review originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs - Orchard Theatre, Dartford

2011-12-16T15:33:00.000Z

There are those that believe the House of Commons is just like a pantomime and so perhaps it’s not surprising to find the honourable former Member for Maidstone making her stage debut in Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs.

In what has perhaps been the headline grabbing casting of the panto season, Ann Widdecombe follows her Strictly Come Dancing appearance to join the show’s acid tongued judge Craig Revel Horwood at Dartford’s Orchard Theatre.

What may initially seem stunt casting to boost ticket sales actually turns out to be a move of pure inspiration as the Widdecombe/Revel Horwood double act provides a real heart to the piece.

Evil Queen Lucretia, determined to cling on to her fantasy of being the fairest in the land. Her beautiful niece, Snow White, though may scupper that claim and the evil Queen sets about to thwart any plans the dashing Prince David may have of marrying Snow White. While Widdy-In-Waiting, the Queen’s put-upon lady in waiting has her own plot twist to reveal at the very last moment.

Revel Horwood dons a series of outrageous sparkling frocks and revels in the Queen’s acerbic put-downs. It’s a performance of impeccable detail and Revel Horwood makes a disturbingly convincing woman. While Revel Horwood’s skills as a dancer and choreographer are well known, he also possesses an impressive vocal range, belting out numbers with deceptive ease. It is, though, when his lady in waiting appears that the magic really begins, Miss Widdecombe makes her entrance, tottering around in a parody of her Strictly dance routine but, while she is clearly no formally trained actress, she never puts a foot out of place with a flair for comic timing and deadpan delivery. Never afraid to send herself up, Widdecombe flashes her footwork with the rest of the company, peppers the evening with off the cuff remarks about political figures and proves to be more than a match for Revel Horwood’s put-downs. There’s real chemistry between the duo and a potential for a new comedy duo with Widdecombe acting as foil to Revel Horwood’s outrageous commentary.

While the duo steal the limelight, there is plenty more to enjoy here. Jonathan Kiely and Tudor Davies’ script provides all the expected panto fare, mixed with plenty of topical references and, of course, plenty of in-jokes for Strictly fans. References to Arlene Phillips and Bruno Tonioli may be less than kind but fellow judge Len Goodman fares better as he makes an uncredited cameo appearance.

Gregor Stewart and Shinead Byrne sing beautifully as the lovestruck Prince David and Snow White, while Nick Wier has endless charm and energy as court clown Muddles. Add in the obligatory dwarves, plenty of dancing animals and plenty of upbeat musical numbers and there’s enough energy here to light up a small town.

The show looks beautiful and there’s enough slapstick and visual humour to keep even the youngest audience members gripped, while more mature members of the audience will savour the more adult double entendres and in jokes to the dance series.

This is traditional panto at its best but given a contemporary twist without losing any of the magic. Purists may bemoan the invasion of celebrity casting in pantomime but, while Ann Widdecombe and Craig Revel Horwood may grab the media attention, it is the performances and production that earn the casting.

This is one strictly fab-u-lous pantomime that deserves anyone’s vote.

Review originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: The Ladykillers - Gielgud Theatre

2011-12-16T14:43:00.000Z

‘When I am old I shall wear purple’ It’s the little old ladies you should watch out for beneath that frail, mauve-clad exterior lies an inner steel as a group of thieves soon discover in Graham Linehan’s thrilling adaptation of The Ladykillers.

The classic Ealing comedy now transfers to the stage though, rather than trying to recreate the classic film, Linehan has used it as the solid foundation for a thoroughbred stage comedy that stands on its own two feet.

It’s 1956 in Kings Cross and elderly widow Mrs Wilberforce has just let her spare room to Professor Marcus. Professor Marcus seems the ideal tenant, educated, well-mannered and a conductor for a chamber quartet. Or so it seems on the surface. In fact, the ‘professor’ is in fact the ringleader of a criminal gang intent on robbing a security van and using Mrs Wilberforce’s home as their safe house, the musicians nothing more than a band of career criminals. As Mrs Wilberforce is drawn unawares into the plot, things begin to go wrong and, as they say, crime never pays. Is frail Mrs Wilberforce about to be the gang’s next victim or is she stronger than they assume?

This is good old-fashioned comedy – and that’s not a derogatory observation. Linehan’s script is packed with witty one-liners, carefully constructed to build up the comic mayhem but keeping it just the right side of total absurdity. Director Sean Foley’s production conducts all the elements much like the assembled orchestral quartet, increasing tempo and counter harmony to create a medley that grows to a thrilling crescendo. It’s testament to the production that the farce seems wholly believable rather than the absurdity it really is.

A universally strong company gives each of these larger than life characters a detailed and well-drawn depth, led by Peter Capaldi’s Professor Marcus. Capaldi’s performance is captivating, easily convincing as a man who can draw disparate elements together through charm and just the hint of inner darkness and menace. There is also fine work from the rest of the gang. James Fleet’s ineffectual Major with a secret passion for dresses, Stephen Wight’s OCD, pill-popping neurotic Harry, Clive Rowe’s simple, blundering One-Shot and Ben Miller’s trigger happy hitman Louis.

Standing up for the moral majority, Marcia Warren’s Mrs Wilberforce is beautifully detailed creation; outwardly frail and confused she can’t quite come to terms with the fact that her charming lodger is a master criminal.

Ben and Max Ringham’s musical score adds a cinematic period feel and Scott Penrose’s special effects provide many gasps of delight and surprise.

Alongside the cast though, Michael Taylor’s spectacular set is the true star of this show. Packed full of surprises and effects, this multi level set provides plenty of visual treats and frames the action perfectly. It adds spectacle but in total context of the show without seeming gratuitous.

A good old-fashioned farce, with a strong storyline driving the humour, The Ladykillers is a classic comedy but one that, in this staging, seems fresh. So does the little old lady overcome the master criminals? That would be telling, just go see for yourself – and mind out for the freight train to Newcastle.

Felixstowe's Spa Pavilion faces potential closure

2011-12-12T12:18:00.001Z

Theatre goers on the Suffolk coast are facing up to the chance that their local seaside theatre may be closing next year.

Suffolk Coastal District Council, owners of the Spa Pavilion in Felixstowe, are asking for companies for proposals for the 892 seat venue after the council agreed it can no longer afford to fund the theatre. Consultants brought in to look at the future of the venue have revealed that the council is subsidising each ticket sold at the venue by £7 after audience attendance dropped dramatically at the theatre.

Currently the venue is managed on the council’s behalf by Openwide International but with falling attendance and an estimated £3million pounds of work needed on the building in the next few years the council feels it can no longer subsidise the venue.

“We really cannot afford to make that type of investment, and so we have had little choice but to inform Openwide Coastal that we intend to exercise our option to give notice to end our contract with them. They and any other leisure or entertainment company can come forward with new proposals on what to do with the Spa in the future” explains Cllr Geoff Holdcroft, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Leisure at Suffolk Coastal Council.

“We are already spending in the region of £250,000 a year for the existing private theatre company to operate the venue on our behalf. At a time when we are having to bridge a £2.8 million budget gap, this spending along with all our other services has had to be put under the microscope to decide if it really is good value for money and still a priority during these tough times.”

The seaside venue opened in 1909, with the present building dating from the 1930s and the current layout follows rebuilding after suffering bomb damage in the Second World War. In recent years the venue has been operated by Apollo Leisure and Clear Channel Entertainment before current managers Openwide took over the management in 2006 for what was intended to be a ten year contract. Recently the theatre has been forced to cancel a number of performances due to falling sales.

For Openwide the news is a stark reminder of the pressures on local government funding, as Rory Holburn of Openwide recognises;

“This is disappointing news but we recognise the financial pressures facing the Council, and it has become increasingly clear that the Spa does need a significant and urgent investment to help make it an attractive venue for customers and indeed performers.”

The decision to withdraw funding still needs to be ratified by the council but if approved the intention is to withdraw funding for the theatre at the end of June. In the meantime the venue remains open and its programme of events will continue to run as scheduled until then. Both the Council and Openwide will be working with local groups who regularly use the venue to update them.

The Council are looking to the possibility that an outside organisation will come forward to secure the venue’s future

“We will investigate whether a theatre trust like that which has taken over the running of Lowestoft’s Marina Theatre is a way forward. However, we have no choice other than to open up the prospect of running the Spa in the future to the market, to find out what leisure or entertainment proposals and potential investment outside companies and organisations may come up with. We hope to begin the process in January so we can make a firm decision on the Spa's future by June,” added Cllr Holdcroft.

Alongside a programme of touring shows, the venue is the home theatre of several local amateur companies including Stage Door Theatre Company and Felixstowe Musical Theatre who have just finished a week’s run of The Sound Of Music at the venue. The Spa Pavilion also stages the Felixstowe Drama Festival as well as its popular Summer Youth Project that sees over 200 young people rehearse and perform a show in just two weeks.

Review: Company - Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

2011-12-11T10:11:00.000Z

We are gathered here today to celebrate the 35th birthday of Bobby the eternal bachelor. Or his he? Does he really want to get married or is being single his default state? While his friends are all married, to various degrees of unhappiness, Bobby remains resolutely single.

Sondheim’s Company has always given directors a quandary of what to do with Bobby. Is he a serial cad, a desperate loner, or just your average 30-something battling through the minefield of relationships. Sondheim’s non-linear structure also adds to the dilemma but Jonathan Munby’s energetic revival at Sheffield Crucible provides a tantalising interpretation.

Here Bobby is a man tormented, trying to cope with the constant social expectations and pressures, in such a state that, while we suspect the montage of couples trying to run his life are horribly real, there is the real possibility that they are in fact a figment of his troubled mind.

It’s an interpretation that works well and given the constant barrage of so-called good intentions from his circle of friends it’s no wonder that Bobby is desperate to avoid his ‘surprise’ birthday party.

Some find Company’s lack of linear plot problematic but the piece stands testament to Sondheim’s skill in fusing music and lyrical styles to drive dramatic narrative and the Crucible’s production ranks among the finest stagings of the production.

Munby’s direction gives ample space for each character competing for Bobby’s attention to develop while, at the same time, rewarding close viewing with some minutely drawn detail.

Munby has also assembled a company of first rate musical performers, each delivering multi-layered characters that are both monstrous yet sadly identifiable. In a universally strong ensemble there are show-stealing performances from Samantha Spiro as the reluctant bride to be, Amy, a manic performance culminating in the breathless ‘Getting Married Today’, and a glorious, gin-soaked, venomous Joanne from Francesca Annis virtually spitting out each line of ‘Ladies Who Lunch’.

Leading the Company is the Crucible’s own Artistic Director Daniel Evans. Evans is mesmerising as Bobby, only briefly off stage throughout the entire evening. A study in loneliness and desperation, this is a Bobby that is only all to painfully real. From the plaintive ‘Marry Me A Little’ to the rousing anthemic ‘Being Alive’ Evans sings some of Sondheim’s most emotive numbers with real passion and power.

Christopher Oram’s Manhattan loft setting provides an ample playground for the company while Lynne Page’s choreography has just enough nods to Broadway classics to provide the required razzmatazz.

There may be those that find the choice of Company as a festive musical offering strange but for those seeking a witty, thought-provoking and ultimately uplifting evening of musical theatre, you would be harder pressed to find a finer production. It may not have chorus lines tap dancing but it offers some of the finest music, cleverest script and certainly the finest performances to be found on any stage.

As another Sondheim (Sweeney Todd) heads into the West End this is another show that could easily keep it company.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: The Importance Of Being Earnest, A Musical - Riverside Studios

2011-12-11T10:05:00.001Z

Some plays are so constrained by one immortal line that it becomes virtually impossible to do anything new with the piece. Directors can either play safe and deliver that showstopper dialogue in the traditional manner or risk the wrath of an audience who will feel cheated by doing something radical.

For The Importance Of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde’s script is perhaps handcuffed by two simple words: ‘A handbag?’. For any actress the indomitable tone of Dame Edith Evans hangs over the phrase. The latest staging at the Riverside studios takes one extra step in overcoming the challenge by turning not only the phrase, but the whole show into a musical.

Traditionalists may throw their cucumber sandwiches down in disgust but Wilde’s eccentric comedy of class manners seems perfectly suited to the musical genre. The absurdity of the plot and the thin central premise that one chooses love purely on the forename of your partner provides ample material for tongue in cheek music and Douglas Livingstone’s book takes Wilde’s original as a strong foundation but adds a whole new dimension.

Adam McGuiness and Zia Moranne’s score has echoes of Gilbert and Sullivan but also embodies Wilde’s comedic spirit in what turns out to be a charming small scale chamber musical comedy.

Iqbal Khan’s production has moved the setting to the 1920s, a time where, though the social conventions are still very much in force, women are beginning to take a more dominant role. It initially seems an odd choice but it works in context. What in a straight reading of the play now seems somewhat dated, the musical numbers add an extra dimension, giving an insight into the characters as well as ample opportunity for comedy.

Not only is the immortal handbag turned into song we also get a delightful explanation of why young Cecily falls for the cunning Algernon (“Wicked”), a lustful explanation of the birds and the bees from Miss Prism and Dr Chasuble (“It All Began In A Garden”) and a lyrically dextrous plot resolution (“It Was My Muse”). A mix of duets, patter songs and even Rex Harrison-esque talking along to music provide a musical framework to the piece.

There are strong performance all round from the nine-strong ensemble. Colin Ryan and Mark Edel-Hunt provide the requisite stiff upper lips as Algernon and Jack while there is feisty independence from Anya Murphy and Flora Spencer-Longhurst and Gwendolen and Cecily.

Susue Blake’s Miss Prism almost steals the show with her barely repressed love for Edward Petherbridge’s Dr Chausuble and is a sheer delight when revealing Jack’s providence.

As is often the case though, it is the formidable Lady Bracknell that takes centre stage, despite being on stage for only a fraction of the evening. Here Gyles Brandreth takes on the regal majesty, an uncanny amalgam of Hinge and Bracket and Queen Mary. Brandreth’s cast iron Bracknell easily overcomes any doubt over gender.

Samal Blak’s simple but effective set provides an ingenious setting in the small Riverside Studio and it’s a pleasure to hear an acoustic, un-mic’d performance.

As Lady B herself may say, to miss one chance to see this inventive show would be a misfortune, to miss two would be carelessness.

Review: Hansel And Gretel - The Junction, Cambridge

2011-12-10T22:30:00.002Z

If you go down to the woods today… you may find two abandoned children, a psychotic stepmother and a cannibalistic witch. Not, then, your usual festive fare but in New International Encounter’s adaptation Hansel and Gretel, one that complements the festive season perfectly.

A long time ago, in a land far, far away (or Central Europe as we are told) famine strikes Hansel and Gretel’s family. As their poor woodcutter father struggles to feed the family the children’s stepmother coerces her husband into abandoning his children in the forest. That the stepmother speaks in rapid Norwegian, Hansel in a strong Spanish accent, and the rest of the cast slip in and out of various European languages seems totally normal and natural for this pan-European continent.

Children are of course smarter than parents often give them credit for and young Hansel has a plan to find his way home. It’s a trick that works once but, on the second trip to the forest, nature intervenes and the young children have to face the brutal truth that within a candy-covered house lays a dark horror.

Alex Byrne’s vivid production has great fun with the Brothers Grimm source material and gives it a uniquely inventive theatrical treatment. Here, the whole theatre becomes a winter playground, the ensemble addresses the audience, go on a journey through the audience and aren’t afraid to irreverently mock each other, the source material, national stereotypes and theatrical convention. It’s a beautiful confection as wondrous as the gingerbread house itself – a mix of music, narrative, comedy and a deeply dark and terrible tale that somehow, despite the darkness and horror, evokes a warmness that seems perfect for the Christmas season. It’s testament to the honesty of the performances that we totally follow the progression of two dolls alongside their human counterparts as the young abandoned duo.

Set against a wintery woodland setting there are several moments of visual delight. The discovery of the gingerbread house, the demise of the witch, and the journey into the forest all conjured up with real care and creativity.

This is a true ensemble performance from a company clearly enjoying the material. Unai Lopez de Armentia and Stefanie Mueller’s Hansel and Gretel (Mueller also designs the production), Rew Lowe’s father, Mia Hawk’s Norwegian stepmother, and Carly Davis’ witch all played with total conviction. Davis is also responsible for a musical score that provides much joy, from eastern European folk inspired choral numbers to a gloriously un-PC anthem about the pleasures of eating children.

This Hansel and Gretel is truly a treat for all the family. Younger members of the audience will be spellbound by the music, the magic and the story; older ones revel in the knowing references, the mocking of theatrical convention and the sheer exuberant fun of it all.

Those who think a theatrical festive outing consists of a soap star, a dame and some lame jokes should head to the Junction in Cambridge to discover the real power of festive theatre. Hansel and Gretel may have been abandoned in the cold, dark forest but this is one magical journey worth making in all weathers and will warm the heart on even the coldest December night.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Feature: Have you talked to your critics?

2011-12-09T18:38:00.000Z

As a venue or production company you most probably spend a lot of time trying to find out what your audiences want and expect from you. Well I’d hope you do. But what about that odd minority group who regularly visit your venue, see perhaps more productions than the majority of your audience and who may have some impact on future sales - theatre critics?

Have you asked them what they’d like to see from your press office or PR agent, and what sort of service they need to be able to be of value to your venue and conversely what can make their jobs harder?

There’s been an explosion in PR companies and productions all vying for precious coverage, yet as the sector expands the basics often seem to be overlooked.

So what do critics and arts correspondents want? Really you need to talk to your respective contacts and see what works for them; however, a quick canvas around critics from across the industry reveals some common trends. In no particular order then the top ten issues for critics:

Don’t expect us to be mind readers - You know about your production but unless you tell us we won’t!
If you do tell us about it, let us know in time -An email invite 24 hours before your press night is unlikely to get a review
If you arrange tickets for us make sure they are there – It is embarrassing for both your box office and us if they’re not there
If you want us to review a show we need a programme (or at least a cast list) - Otherwise how do we know who we are seeing
Please have suitable photos for use – Print and online have differing requirements
Think about deadlines and have photos and material ready in advance – A week later is no use to us
Know your locality and media – Different outlets have differing requirements, one size does not always fit all
Reply to emails/phone messages – For a communication sector its surprising how many no reply we get
Integrate your Social Media and press strategies – While it’s great to give loyal customers breaking news online, can you really expect a news organisation to run the story two weeks later?
Talk to us – We’re not here to catch you out and are (normally!) very approachable people

Yes it’s an unscientific list but its surprising how the same concerns crop up time and time again and from all quarters – national critics, regional critics, online and broadcast – all mentioning the same frustrations. We may appear a fierce bunch, huddled in the dark scribbling furiously in our notebooks but on the whole we are nice approachable people who are passionate about the arts. On your next press night why not ask us what works well and what needs improving? And in the interests of balance tell us what doesn’t work for you. Collaboration and communication is the key – see the Arts Council would be proud of me!

Originally written for Arts Professional

Interview: Alex Byrne - New International Encounters

2011-12-08T18:55:00.001Z

In a rehearsal studio at the Junction in Cambridge a group of actors are rehearsing their Christmas show; nothing unusual there, and a scene that is being repeated in theatres up and down the country, but suddenly there is a snatch of Norwegian, a couple of lines in Spanish and a smattering of German. This isn’t going to be your standard Christmas show, then. Given access to the rehearsal room, there’s much more than gingerbread lurking in the woods.

New International Encounters (NIE) are a theatre company based in both Cambridge and Norway, founded ten years ago when six international artists wanted to work together. For Artistic Director Alex Byrne the multi-national approach is also its appeal: “I think there’s something lovely about hearing different languages, people playing and messing around with misunderstandings. That’s a reality of the contemporary world - you hear different languages all the time. There’s something lovely about working with actors from different training and backgrounds. That was a part of how we started out.”

With an office in Cambridge and an office in Oslo, the logistical problems take some consideration with planning taking perhaps longer than a single location operation. Despite the challenges Byrne doesn’t see the distance as an issue. “I don’t see the boundaries of a country as my boundaries to be honest – I think that’s a mistake, I think you see the continent or the world, its people who you want to work with, not necessarily places.”

The company is just embarking on its second week of rehearsal for its Christmas show, Hansel & Gretel, which opens at the Junction on December 7. In the rehearsal room, the actors are exploring the story, combining props, dolls and musical instruments as well as the multi-language text. For Byrne, the choice of Hansel and Gretel seems a perfect choice for this project. “We wanted to do something that was clearly a fairytale. Those Brothers Grimm fairytales have a real European feel, which works really well for us as we’ve got three non-English actors and two English actors.”

The darkness of the tale appeals to Byrne and he hopes it will to his audience: “There’s a lot of danger; it’s a terrible story of famine, starvation, cannibalism and murder. I’m aware that kids love the extremeness of it, the horrors as well as the joys of it.”

Watching the start of the second week of rehearsals, it is clear that the company are shaping the show together. It’s a process of improvisation, almost playing with the piece to see what works. “We develop the script as we go; the bits of script we were trying to remember today were bits we wrote down at the end of last week,” says Byrne. ”Next we’ll crash into the next bit of story, make a mess of it, pull it apart and try it lots of ways. Then at the end of the day tomorrow will try to write the next two scenes.”

It is also clear that music plays a big part with the cast incorporating accordions, guitars, trombones and a double base into their movement. Byrne’s love of old European folk music plays an important part in shaping the atmosphere to the show and a starting point for creating the show.

For him, though, music is not an additional element to the show but a key part of the storytelling. “I tend to use music as underscore. I think it’s really satisfying if you watch a scene with a bit of underscore, suddenly it grows into a song and then collapses away again. You’re not just watching some acting; everything onstage is delivering a moment, a detail or a feeling.”

With its focus on inventive story-telling, NIE’s Hansel and Gretel is far removed from the traditional pantomimes that fill theatres at this time of year. It’s not a comparison Byrne encourages. “I don’t see this as panto at all, though there are some things in panto I really like. I like when theatre interacts with its audience and wants to play with them. I genuinely try to make theatre where actors look at the audience, acknowledge their presence and talk to them.”

“Hansel and Gretel won’t be that broad, brash panto but it will be great fun and engaging. There’s good panto and bad panto, I think the only distinction in theatre is is it good or not? It’s about who is doing it, how’s it’s done.”

The commercial pressure of a Christmas show to supply vital revenue for many venues is one Byrne is acutely aware of and he recognises that many venues make their key budget at this time of the year. “It becomes a very pressured environment in which to make something but the Junction has been great,” he explains. ”They’ve been very clear that it’s our show. It’s a very supportive atmosphere rather than a big producer but I guess big venues that need to fill over Christmas would think they have to go for a mainstream straight-up panto.”

Although opening night for Hansel and Gretel is still in the distance, thoughts are already being given to a future life for the show. Discussions are beginning to be held with other venues both in the UK and international but there are challenges in taking a family Christmas show to another country “In England, there is a particular propensity to go to the theatre to see a family show around Christmas time but in other countries it’s different. In Norway, there is a tradition of doing family Christmas shows but they tend to be more biblical and religious so this market is quite specific.”

Beyond Christmas, Byrne and the NIE team are already making plans for 2012, and it looks a typically international affair. “We’re developing a project starting early next year called North, North, North, which will be a project about the journeys to and discovery of the North Pole. In January, four of us are heading to Longyearbyen, which is the most northerly town in the world, well inside the Arctic Circle, for a week’s development work for that project,” he outlines.

“In the summer we are working on a site-specific project that will be co-written by 300 schoolchildren from London called Tales from the River Thames. Then, in the autumn of next year, we are hopefully co-producing Hunger, by famous Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun, with a Danish theatre. So that’s probably the next year mapped out.”

Despite the challenges facing all arts companies at the moment, there is a positive feeling in the rehearsal room. The last round of Arts Council funding was kind to them, and for Byrne it’s about keeping your nerve: “While we’ve got a really good plan at the moment, it’s sobering to think this time last year we didn’t know if we would still be running. It’s tough, tough times,” he says.

“We should be really optimistic as well; we’ve just done a week of rehearsals with fantastic people. I’ve got colleagues in Italy and arts funding there is a nightmare, it’s almost no money. If you go to Denmark it’s much more than here but I think we’re not in a bad state with theatre in the UK, there’s some great stuff being made here.”

And with that positive talk of creating great theatre, it’s back to rehearsals for Alex Byrne, and decisions over the stepmother playing the trombone while terrorising the children, an actor carry the accordionist, and if father should hide under the bed. It’s all in a day’s work for this inventive, international company.

Feature originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Passion and Demo - New Wolsey Studio, Ipswich

2011-12-02T21:03:00.001Z

Freedom. One simple word but a minefield of opinion and consequences. A driver for human rights but conversely often the excuse given for war, Freedom is not easy to definitively define. This emotive word provides the link for two pieces of work by the New Wolsey Theatre’s Young Company. The first half a staging of Edward Bond’s look at the futility of war, Freedom; the second act a devised response from the Young Company to the themes of the first.

It proves to be an inspired combination, full of poignant emotion and reflection.

Bond’s Passion was originally written for CND in 1971, a bleak examination of Governmental escalation of weaponry played against the human loss of life.

Bond’s script is absurd in tone but, beneath the comedy is a dark heart. Rob Salmon’s production stages the piece as a surreal cabaret and the detachment of the action highlights the futility of the situation. As a grieving mother comes to terms with the loss of her soldier son, a politician and monarch plan how they can annihilate an unseen enemy.

An all-male ensemble deliver performances of exceptional maturity with particularly impressive performances from an intense Liam Cadzow Webb as the dead soldier, Sam Hume as his grief-stricken mother and Calum Bateman as a Cameron-eqsue Prime Minister. Highlight of the first half, however, has to be Jack Brett’s cross-dressed Queen – a performance of immense physicality matched by a precise vocal delivery that makes this mad monarch totally believable.

Demo, the second act devised response to the themes of Passion, turns out to be a deeply personal and beautifully articulated look at the hopes and dreams of today’s youth. Laura Norman's direction allows the voices of the company to come to the fore.

Through a mix of monologues, movement and group work we learn what freedom means to this company of young actors, the opportunities it offers them but also the fear it instils.

There are some deeply moving moments as one by one the company tell us of their moments of freedom but perhaps more poignantly the tales of their perceived failings; fears about looks, loneliness, expectation and belonging, all painting a picture of a group of teenagers uncertain of their future.

It’s an uncertainty that, based on this performance, is perhaps unfounded – the group turn out to be a coherent and strong voice for the future.

If there’s one small criticism over the piece is that the hopes and fears could perhaps look at a wider socio-economic group, with the reflections seeming overwhelmingly middle class tales; an opportunity missed to contrast the challenges of those in more deprived areas. It’s a small gripe, however, in an impressive piece of work that demonstrates the skill of these young performers.

While there may be an element of self-doubt in the performers, Demo is a performance that demonstrates these fledgling performers have much to be proud of.

Photo by Mike Kwasniak

Review: Dick Whittington - Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds

2011-12-02T16:00:00.002Z

It’s not over until the fat lady sings, or in this case a man, dressed as a lady, dressed as a cooking range – it can only be one thing, panto time and far from heralding the end, Dick Whittington proves to be deliciously devilish start to the festive season.

Young Richard Whittington has heard the legend of streets paved with gold in London and so sets out to find his fortune. He soon discovers, though, that instead of gold the streets are overrun with vermin, led by Queen Rat, in a plot worthy of a Bond movie, intent on spreading the plague as a method to wipe out the human race and see stinky subjects take over the world.

Fortunately, Dick’s cat, Tommy, has a taste for dismembering rats and so soon becomes public enemy number one for the evil Queen. Can Dick save London, get his girl and claim his fortune?

The script offers a remarkably strong central plot for a panto – yes, all the must-have elements are there, the slapstick, the audience participation, and the obligatory sing-along but, underneath all, the tomfoolery there is a simple boy meets girl (and cat) story that adds a sense of realism in all the clowning.

That’s not to say that its’ not all very silly and great fun and the gags and routines will have audiences of all ages laughing and groaning in equal measure. There are enough double-entendres around young Richard’s name to make the adults blush and enough visual humour to keep the younger, more innocent, members of the audience amused.

Colin Blumenau directs his own script (under his pen-name Daniel O’Brien) with pace and flair, allowing room for the absurdity but never letting it get totally out of control. There are moments when the pace slips slightly but that is easily remedied during the run. Will Hargreaves’ simple but effective set allows swift transformations between scenes, while Sarina Hosking has great fun with some impressive costume designs.

The company demonstrates once again that you don’t need to rely on TV soap stars to stage an effective panto and the small cast works well together and is obviously having great fun with the material.

Gareth Bennett-Ryan as the affable Dick charms and Hannah Blake makes an assured professional debut as love interest Alice. Lizzie Franks gives an impressive physicality to feline Tommy, while Victoria Butler gives her Fairy Bowbells (one of three parts she plays) a nicely dark sardonic air.

Corinna Powlesland’s vile vermin Queen Rat is delightfully dark, managing to turn the normally saccharine-sweet My Favourite Things from The Sound Of Music into a comical rodent recruiting regime.

No panto is complete without its Dame and here we are offered Sarah The Cook, an opera singing diva resigned to having to whip up culinary creations for Alderman Fitzwarren. Just as likely to burst into an aria from Carmen as to provide lunch, Stephen Weller not only gives this Diva a roof rattling operatic voice but also makes ‘her’ a believable woman in a series of show-stealing frocks. Think Maria Callas meets Lady GaGa and you get the idea.

There are some nice musical touches from musical director Grant Martin, a suite of operatic numbers, comedy songs and even a feline nod to Lloyd Webber’s Cats.

Dick Whittington is a return to the more gentle art of panto, relying on performance and script to provide the belly laughs rather than the all-out stupidity that some festive offering rely on. It may be highly traditional but it’s still full of topical references. With an opera singing diva dame and tap dancing rats spoofing The Sound of Music what’s not to like?

Review originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Robin Hood And The Babes In The Wood - New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich

2011-11-29T22:30:00.009Z

Guitars, saxophones and drum kits aren’t normally the first thing that spring to mind when you think of pantomime but, for Ipswich audiences, the New Wolsey’s Rock ‘n’ Roll panto has become something of a tradition over the last 10 years. Over that past decade the format has occasionally seemed to run out of steam, with the need to shoehorn a plethora of rock and roll classics into the script becoming somewhat formulaic. However, this year’s offering of Robin Hood and The Babes In The Wood is a welcome return to form for the format, integrating the music into the production rather than the afterthought it has sometimes seemed in the past. The jokes may be as corny as ever, the plot as convoluted as you would expect and the characters as absurd as they can be but its all delivered with wit and fun that excuses the sheer absurdity of it all.

Of course if you sit and try and analyse a panto plot you’re probably in the wrong show. It’s not Shakespeare but there again it doesn’t pretend to be. The evil Sherriff of Nottingham not only has plans to wed his ward, Maid Marian, he’s got his eyes on the wealth of his niece’s fortune. Robin Hood has other ideas, wanting to wed Marion when she comes of age and rid the country of the evil Sherriff. Add in an assortment of incompetent henchman and a deliciously over the top nanny and you have a recipe for comedic mayhem.

Peter Rowe’s script packs in the comedy thick and fast, and though a handful of the jokes, unlike Robin’s arrows, miss their mark, there’s enough that find their target to keep all ages laughing. Rob Salmon’s direction keeps up the frenetic pace and allows the comedy to shine through. Musical numbers ranging from Meatloaf through Cyndi Lauper to Sheryl Crow ensure there’s enough familiarity for all ages and often add a surreal commentary on the action.

The multi-instrumentalist company have great fun with the material but there are a couple of performances that stand out from the crowd. Shirley Darroch ditches her traditional New Wolsey fairy wings to give her Maid Marian a feisty independence, while Tim Jackson goes for the sympathy vote with put-upon servant Numbskull.

It is, however, the show-stealing performance from Will Kenning as the gloriously over the top Nanny Nellie Nightnurse that takes the acting honours. Although a grotesque creation, Kenning’s Nellie is conversely strangely believable, whether chasing every available man or berating children leaving their seats to visit the toilet this is a ‘woman’ you wouldn’t want to mess with.

There are some small issues that would benefit from attention. The structure does seem slightly like two self-contained acts that, although they share the same characters seem like independent stories. For a family-friendly show the production would also benefit from shaving perhaps 15 minutes from its running time but, as the run progresses, it’s likely to tighten up anyway.

Okay it’s nothing new or radical, and those who have seen previous Rock n Roll will recognise elements from past productions, but it’s a successful format so why change it? For those young children in the audience watching, it’s a thrilling and enticing introduction to theatre and a fun start to the festive season.

Photo: Will Kenning as Nellie Nightnurse, picture by Mike Kwasniak

Review: Round The Twist - Sir John Mills Theatre, Ipswich

2011-11-24T12:54:00.000Z

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, carollers singing, snow falling and Charles Dickens. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without any of this traditional festive images but Dickens will never quite be the same again after Eastern Angles irreverent alternative to conventional panto fare.

Budding author Oliver Nicklefield has engaged a troupe of travelling actors to stage a play based loosely on his life. For any lawyers reading connected with the Dickens estate we should state that any resemblance to characters and plots of those familiar Dickensian tales is purely coincidental.

For non-lawyers, the pure joy of spotting those references to Dickens classics make this a literary feast, full of humour, wit and, of course, more than its fair share of cheesy jokes.

Nicklefield’s tale (penned in fact by Brendan Murray) follows the tale of Tiny Tom (named apparently after his less than sizeable assets) - a strapping lad with an inexplicably posh accent and superior teeth - on his journey to find his benefactor and the much-vaunted set of glowing testimonials. En route from the Old Curiosity Shop to Creek House and Australia to seek out the mythical Bah Humbugs that could make his fortune, he meets a wealth of oddly familiar characters, the cobweb festooned Miss Haversack, her uppity ward, Dorabella, the Jammy Dodger – all the time missing his one true love Little Mel, always one step behind the dastardly Obadiah Snoop.

Can Tiny Tom find his testimonials? Will Little Mel get her man? And will it all live up to the pair’s great expectations? In the end, Oliver Nicklefield has in fact got himself in a bit of a twist and it seems old mutual friends may not be all they seem. As Tom flits between London and Ipswich, this tale of two cities becomes every more complex.

In these hard times, it is impressive to see Eastern Angles coming up with such an inventive show. Nicklefield/Murray’s script is packed full of madcap humour that manages to send up the festive conventions without losing plot or character. Yes, the situation may have an irreverent quirkiness to it but it’s played with total conviction by a compact but on-form company.

There are delightful performances throughout; Sally Ann Burnett’s lusty Dorabella, Gabriella Douglas’s more coquettish Dorabella, Greg Wagland’s monstrous vision of Miss Haversack who turns out to be the perfect Christmas Carol in her bleak house and Zach Lee’s creepy Wolverhampton Obadiah threatens to be the ultimate Scrooge. Joel Sams holds the whole madcap caper together as both Nickefield and Tiny Tom, ultimately revealing his glowing testimonials to all and sundry.

Ivan Cutting’s snappy direction matches the fast and frenetic pace of the script, making full use of Ian Teague’s imaginative and impressive staging. Richard Taylor’s music gives echoes of G&S parody while also providing a touching duet for young Tom and Mel.

Eastern Angles can always be relied upon to provide a counterpoint to the saccharine-laden and formulaic traditional festive theatrical offerings and, in Round The Twist, Oliver Nicklefield’s Bleak Little Tale of Two Mutual Expectations. And Son, they not only claim the reward for potentially the longest title of the season but also set the bar extremely high for other festive shows that follow. Always anarchic, this year they meld this anarchic comedy with a strong tale that is surely one of their finest Christmas creations and will surely live long after this (lengthy) three-location run.

A perfect start to the festive season and a demonstration that you don’t need huge sets, C-list soap stars and ancient panto jokes to create theatrical Christmas magic. God bless us, every one!

Picture: Round The Twist Company, Photo by Mike Kwasniak

Review: EX - Soho Theatre

2011-11-12T17:24:00.000Z

Love is a many splendid thing, love lifts us up where we belong or love hurts – take your pick. For while some dream of the perfect life with the tall, dark, handsome, successful man, others are drawn to the sleazy bad boy who treats them badly and yet they still come back from more.

In a bar Ruby waits for a last meeting with her ex boyfriend Jack, after a couple of years apart they are meeting for one last time. She’s about to head off for a better life with her new boyfriend, he has finally settled down with the girl of his dreams. Or has he?

Despite the hurt there’s still a spark there and neither can quite let go of the past. It seems an unlikely attraction. He’s the archetypical bad boy. His informs Ruby he doesn’t like her new look, preferring her ‘fat and gappy-toothed’. He’s got a string of women phoning him and a real fear of commitment. She seems to have finally found Mr Right. A chisel-jawed dentist that will whisk her away to a new life. Will Mr Right or Mr Wrong win over at the end of the day? As both Ruby’s new man and Jack’s latest girl turn up at the bar, things are destined to get complicated.

Rob Young’s script is billed as a play with songs, with music by Ross Lorraine, but it seems a relationship as unsteady as Ruby and Jack’s. It is one of those odd musicals that would probably work better without the songs. Lorraine’s score adds little to piece and apart from a quartet in the second act rarely provides any memorable musical attraction.

Alongside the uncertainty in the romantic stakes there also seems to be uncertainty of what the production is trying to be. Is it a pastiche of musical theatre convention or a genuine musical theatre comedy? Several numbers are played direct to the audience with a knowing tongue in cheek but others seem to be played with an earnest seriousness. A gloriously camp tap routine butts against a plaintive torch song and it all makes for a slightly unbalanced evening.

Rob Young’s script on its own does contain some sparkling dialogue, full of well-observed put downs and one liners and the characters of Jack and Ruby are too painfully real and recognisable. In comparison, Keith and Claire seem underdrawn and more of a work in progress.

There are some strong performances from the company, who try their best with the material. Siobhan Dillon sings beautifully and stirs the emotion as Claire, the woman who has been a revolving door with men and Simon Thomas charms as Keith, though some of his vocal performance is lost.

Amy Booth-Steel impresses as the love-torn Ruby – a convincing tormented portrayal of the conflict between stability and excitement. Gerald Carey provides the strongest performance of the night as Jack, though, the lothario who uses sleaze to compensate for his lack of endowment in the trouser department. It’s an even more impressive performance considering he only stepped into the role a week ago following the indisposition of original cast member Gabriel Vick.

Tricia Thorn’s direction is somewhat unbalanced. The first act played as a two hander, the second with all four characters provides some unevenness and odd touches such as having members of the audience on stage prior to show as bar customers before being shepherded back to their seats seem gimmicky. There are moments that stand out in the piece but overall it feels like a work in progress with songs shoehorned into a play with no discernable benefit. In a way it may be a stronger production as a two-hander, leaving Keith and Claire out of the equation and raising the question of their reality or point scoring by the warring ex’s.

The marriage of play and music is one that would benefit from being referred to relationship counselling.

Caveat: This is a review of the second preview performance and therefore details may change as the run develops.

Review: Incoming - Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh

2011-11-12T14:04:00.000Z

While in the course of reviewing one often ends up seeing plays seen before, it is less common to see a new piece of work twice in 6 months. All dramatic works, even established plays, go through a period of development during their lives but for new writing this development work is often carried out behind closed doors.

Not so Andrew Motion’s debut stage play Incoming. Premiered at the HighTide festival in May, presented again at the Latitude Festival in July, it now gets its third airing as part of Co-Producers The Poetry Trust’s Aldeburgh Poetry Festival.

Motion’s play looking at the impact of those trying to cope with the death of a loved one in Afghanistan showed considerable promise at its premiere. The tale of a grief-stricken widow slowly trying to make sense of her loss and to rebuild a life for both herself and her son genuinely moving. Through conversations she has with her dead husband, those conversations that often remain unsaid finally get resolved.

In a simple staging of packing cases and dust sheets in a small, hot studio in Halesworth, the sheer emotion was palpable – a draining experience.

Sadly, despite some work on both structure and script, on a second viewing, this time in a rehearsed reading format, it seems the production has moved backwards instead of forwards.

Stripped of a full dramatic presentation, Motion’s script is more exposed to examination. Where before the strong performances carried the audience with them, here we get more time to concentrate on the construction and it is more problematic. Motion’s script still manages to paint vivid pictures in the audience’s mind but without the supporting performances, the characterisation comes across as weak. For a couple desperately in love and torn apart in the most brutal of circumstances, there is little actual depth to that relationship – it is as if two artists are describing scenarios and backdrops rather than any deep insight into their motives, hopes and fears.

The deceased Danny in particular seems underwritten and his intellectual speech patterns at odds with a battle hardened soldier. His widow, Steph, is more drawn with more detail but somehow seems less emotionally devastated in this reading.

Motion has moved an encounter between father and son (Jack) to the middle of the piece rather than the previous somewhat false coda but, while it does seem more integrated, this move does destroy any ambiguity of the realness or imaginary state of Steph’s conversation with her husband. The piece is strong enough as a two-hander that the role of Jack could easily be cut without any great dramatic loss.

Penny Layden is still impressive as the distraught widow, despite the restraints of the reading format. Timon Greaves does as much as he can with the limited role of Jack but Christian Bradley’s Danny seems woefully staid with many lines lost even relatively close to the stage.

This is by no means a bad play and, as the premiere production showed, there is real potential here. Sometime first thoughts are best and the resulting changes have done little to drive the creative process forward.

Review originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Calendar Girls - Regent Theatre, Ipswich

2011-11-11T17:00:00.000Z

‘And did those feet in ancient time. Walk upon England’s mountains green’. Well on the green hills of Yorkshire it’s not feet that concern a group of courageous women but more revealing parts of the anatomy.

Baring (nearly) all for a calendar isn’t the normal perceived behavior for a WI group but when one members husband dies from leukemia it provides a catalyst for a fundraising campaign that would grab, not only Yorkshire but the world’s attention. The resulting calendar and follow up merchandise raising over £3million (and rising) for Leukemia and lymphoma research.

Tim Firth’s stage adaptation of his screenplay has in itself become a key fundraising raising tool in the Calendar Girls brand, with a proportion of each ticket sale boosting the funds.

On the big screen Calendar Girls turned the story into a tale of celebrity driving friends apart but on stage it is the personalities of the WI ladies comes to the fore.

As is repeated in village halls up and down the country a diverse group of women are brought together, often with surprising results. There’s dynamo Chris, who only joined the WI to please her mother in law, but, who has little time for the traditions of the organisation. Cora the church organist and vicars daughter balances her sense of duty with the challenges of being a single mother. Ruth the desperately shy lady who wants so much to belong to avoid her falling apart home life and Celia the glamorous outsider who smuggles vodka in her country club golf bag.

As they say ‘all human life is here’ but when Annie’s husband John loses his battle with leukemia the group become closer than ever.

Jack Ryder’s direction, based on Hamish McColl’s original direction, makes great use of Tim Firth’s light and shade. There are moments here of all out laughter suddenly quelled into silence by the realities of illness but despite the loss and grief this is a surprisingly life-affirming and uplifting evening.

Often touring theatre productions don’t quite match the original casting, but for Calendar Girls the producers have continually refreshed the cast with strong casting and here is no exception.

Leading the company is an on-form Lynda Bellingham, her feisty Chris a non stop whirlwind who leads the women into casting aside their bras in the name of charity, however, underneath the bravado she is using the charity as an escape from the grim reality of her own business failing.

Contrasting the bravado of Chris Jan Harvey’s Annie is more reserved, consumed by a quiet dignified grief. It is a strong central pairing and there is real chemistry between the two women.

Much like the original Calendar Girls themselves though this is a group effort, with a true ensemble feeling and impressive performances throughout. A musical Jennifer Ellison as Cora, a beautiful comic turn from Debbie Chazen as Ruth and well observed character work from June Watson and Rula Lenska as Jessie and Celia all bring the WI ladies to life.

The men here certainly play second fiddle but there is a nice nervous performance from Bruno Langley as amateur photographer Lawrence, having to manage both Belgian Buns and a group of vodka fuelled nude models. His return in the second act as advertising executive Liam though is less successful, not markedly different enough from Lawrence. Joe McGann gives a dignified portrayal of John, a man resigned to his fate but one that will face that darkness with courage.

There are moments of delightful stage craft here, the sheer exuberance of the calendar shoot drawing the whole audience into a world of conspiracy and support, but it never detracts from what is at its heart a deeply emotional and inspiring story. The second half does seem slightly anti-climatic after the bravado of the first act but one gets the feeling that these ladies may need ‘considerably bigger buns’ for some time yet.

Preview: New Wolsey springs towards 1millionth ticket

2011-11-10T15:03:00.000Z

As they bring their tenth birthday season to a close, and rehearsals begin for their annual ‘rock n roll’ panto, Robin Hood, Ipswich’s New Wolsey Theatre has just announced details of their new Spring Season.

After the tenth birthday season, the spring season marks another major milestone for the 400-seat venue. At some point during the season, the theatre will sell its one millionth ticket since the theatre re-opened; a remarkable success story in challenging times for regional theatre.

As has become usual for the New Wolsey, the season contains an eclectic mix of drama, new writing, physical theatre and comedy.

The venue has steadily established a name for nurturing new musicals and the first main production of the season is a return of Reasons To Be Cheerful, a co-production with Graeae Theatre that ran to packed houses in Ipswich during 2010. The show, centred around the music of Ian Dury and the Blockheads, plays in Ipswich ahead of a national tour.

The venue itself will be staging a brand new production of Alan Ayckborn’s classic comedy Bedroom Farce while New Wolsey associate company Gecko will be bringing its latest work, Missing, to the Ipswich venue ahead of a national tour.

Alongside the in-house programme, there is a strong programme of visiting productions on offer. Out of Joint and Chichester Festival Theatre’s hit production of Carol Churchill’s Top Girls arrives in Ipswich direct from the West End, while perennial favourites Hull Truck bring their new production of DNA to Ipswich.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens to actors once the work dries up, Nottingham Playhouse may have the answer as they turn the New Wolsey Theatre into a rest home for retired actors in their musical play Forever Young.

For those looking for the more surreal, madcap comedy theatre company Spymonkey bring their anarchic take on Greek tragedy with their unique Oedipussy.

There is another twist on a well-known tale with Talawa Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse’s version of Beckett’s Waiting for Godot with an all-black cast.

A line-up of short runs, children’s shows and comedy completes a busy season for the New Wolsey but it’s a season that excites Sarah Holmes, the venue’s Chief Executive.

“We are thrilled to bring back the Graeae and New Wolsey co-production Reasons to be Cheerful at the start of its national tour. This is going to be a great way to kick off the season.”

Asking a venue’s Chief Executive to pick highlights from the programme is like asking a parent to pick a favourite child but there are a couple of shows that Holmes can’t help enthusing over.

“I’m very pleased that Spymonkey is back with their new show. I think it’s an extremely balanced season with something for everyone. I’m also particularly looking forward to Top Girls and also to Tiddler by Scamp, our family Easter show.”

Like any venue the New Wolsey is looking at ways to encourage new audiences to get into the theatre habit and, for Holmes, the programming offers something for all age groups,

"My hope for the new season would be to see more family groups coming to see us. So much of what we present is perfect family entertainment and, in my experience, theatre is a great way to spend time with young people."

The New Wolsey Theatre’s spring season goes on general sale on November 11 and full details can be found at http://www.wolseytheatre.co.uk/

Review: The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde - Queens Theatre, Hornchurch

2011-11-05T19:01:00.000Z

Two sides to every story, two sides of a coin and for Dr Jekyll two personalities residing in one body. The man of research and science and the inner beast driven by lust, fury and passion.

Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella is surprising brief, a mere collection of short stories, but it has provided the inspiration for numerous stage and screen adaptations over the years. From gothic monochrome silent movies, to all singing and dancing musical adaptations, this story of a man divided has resonated throughout the years.

Chris Bond’s latest adaptation of the classic frames the piece as a Victorian music hall melodrama, complete a chairman warning the audience of the horrors they are about to witness.

It is an evocative setting; a guilt proscenium arch sits centre stage while musicians sit stage right in the midst of a good old fashioned traditional East End sing-along. Songs and sketches provide an authentic music hall experience with knowing parodies of Burlington Bertie, Edgar Allan Poe and G&S on the bill alongside comedy and even a ventriloquist.

All frame and comment on the central story of Jekyll himself and his attempts to control his alter ego Edward Hyde.

As you would expect from the Hornchurch resident company music plays a central role here; providing not only commentary on the unfolding drama, but also some light comedy relief.

Fitting the duality of the subject matter the production, while effectively staged, never fully seems sure of what it is trying to be. As a gothic horror it seems somewhat underplayed and strangely devoid of real shock; as a comedy it perhaps takes itself a little too seriously.

Some of this confusion is down to Matt Devitt’s direction which chooses to play much of Jekyll and Hyde’s conflicts at the back of the stage, distancing any real audience connection. While the exuberance of the music hall provides plenty of laughs it also looses some of the darkness essential to show the inner conflict tearing the man apart.

There are however some delightful performances from the company of actor musicians. Simon Jessop’s Chairman holds the evening’s proceedings together with a nicely sardonic air, instilling a sense of foreboding into the audience and yet providing enough gallows humour to keep the evening light. There is a nicely dark and brooding performance from Tom Jude as Dr Henry Jekyll, portraying the duality of the role well, despite the restrictions of the production.

Carol Sloman’s Burlington Bertie-esque toff gives a nice link to current distrust of bankers, while her musical direction adds period charm mixed with plenty of in jokes around music hall repertoire. From doctor’s study to Victorian tavern, Norman Coates adaptable set transforms into a multitude of locations.

Which brings us full circle to the indecisiveness of the piece. As a music hall variety it works well, providing plenty of laughs and musical interludes along the way. As a comedy thriller it works less successfully – the comedy is there certainly, but at the expense of any real chill. Despite the Chairman’s warnings of dark dastardly deeds that may be unsuitable for the feint hearted, it proves to be an oddly anaemic evening.

Review originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: The Go Between - Royal & Derngate, Northampton

2011-11-04T22:48:00.002Z

Every so often the rumour circulates that the British Musical is dead, however, it’s rare that one comes across a new musical so well-crafted that it leaves one struggling for enough suitable superlatives.

If Richard Taylor and David Wood’s adaptation of The Go Between are any marker, fears for the future of British musical theatre appear to be ill-founded.

Based on LP Hartley’s 1953 novel, life in 1900s rural Norfolk seems idyllic; well it does if you are the landed gentry of Brandham Hall. In a stifling summer heat, there’s not a care in the world for the Maudsley family, apart from deciding what social event to attend. Or so it would seem on the surface; however there is more than the summer sun raising the temperature as illicit passions bubble away beneath the surface and the traditional class divides begin to break down.

Fifty years later and, for Leo Colston, the ghosts of half a century ago still haunt him as he replays two life changing weeks he spent as a child at the hall.

The intricate web of social conventions and class boundaries are hard enough for an adult to comprehend at times but, for a 12 year old boy, it’s a mind blowing life of glamour, privilege and ultimately deceit.

Forced to confront his demons from all those years ago, the adult Leo follows his younger self through the Norfolk countryside as he becomes an unwilling conspirator in a love triangle.

These two brief weeks have left an indelible mark on Colston and the ghosts from the past still shape his life. A tale of yearning, passion and betrayal, this is an at times almost too painful tale to watch but, much like a moth drawn to the flame, it is mesmerizingly gripping. Strands of story intertwine fusing dialogue with music to provide a beautiful, evocative narrative.

Roger Haines spot on direction draws out the detail in the drama with closely observed mannerisms and customs of the period adding to the brutal escalation of doomed love. It is a sense of detail mirrored in Michael Pavelka’s impressive design of decaying country house contrasted by pristine period costume, the dark and shattered house a stark contrast to the light and glamorous past.

Taylor’s lush expansive score delivers a rich, almost orchestral sound from a solitary grand piano (played with virtuosity by Musical Director Jonathan Gill), combining complex overlapping choral melodies with achingly beautiful and soaring solos. Melodies intertwine and refrain to create a piece of constantly subtle shifting motifs. There’s a real sense here of a world on the brink of change, not only from the gathering storm to bring relief from the oppressive heat but also a much darker cloud with the onset of the Boar War and the vanishing of a bygone age.

There’s a real sense of yearning in the score, from Marian’s desire for her true love to Leo’s yearning to belong and break into this more privileged lifestyle. By the time the score builds to its climax there’s an almost palpable emotional release from the audience and many a damp eye.

This is an ensemble that doesn’t put a step wrong or miss a beat of the complex score. It’s all drilled to military precision but without loosing the strong characters that have been developed.

There are especially fine performances from Sophie Bould as Marian, Gemma Page as Mrs Maudsley and James Staddon as the elder Colston. It is also impressive to see the company have risen to the challenge of rehearsing a new set of boys for each stop on the tour with William Miles, Richard Linnell, Guy Amos and Adam Bradbury sharing the two young roles and showing impressive stage craft way beyond their tender years.

The Go Between has toured to Leeds, Derby and now Northampton but given its strength must surely go onto a much longer life. If there is a better new British musical this year I’d be very surprised. Let nothing get between you and this remarkable show.

Feature: Awards for All (if you’re in London)

2011-11-04T14:10:00.000Z

What is regional theatre? In some quarters it is seen as somewhat of a derogatory term with the focus on London based theatre seen as much more important. Others see the wealth of work taking place outside of the M25 as a vital breeding ground for theatrical creation.

Yet despite the huge amount of work taking place in venues up and down the country on any given night it is still London and especially the West End that garners the most attention. This is especially true when it comes to the award season. The Oliver awards are often described as ‘the Oscars’ of the theatre industry but only recognise achievements in London (and major commercial central London theatre at that). Could you imagine the reaction if the real Oscars only allowed awards to those films made in Hollywood?

Other awards have of course sprung up over the years to try and recognise the wider theatre scene; The Offies for fringe theatre in London, numerous awards for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the former Manchester Evening News awards (now rescued after threat of closure with support among others from Sir Cameron Mackintosh).

Outside of these major metropolitan centres where is the singing the praises of the regions? Even in the publicly selected awards for What’s On Stage only three out of their 26 categories are open to non London shows.

There is hope on the horizon though. This week saw the inaugural presentation of the re-launched and renamed Theatre UK Awards. Formerly the Theatrical Management Association (TMA) Awards, the awards are publicised as celebrating ‘creative excellence and the outstanding work seen on stages throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland’.

In reality however, do the awards really reflect regional theatres?
Big wins for the Donmar Warehouse, The RSC and Shakespeare’s Globe while all deserving of recognition are hardly representative the wider regional theatres scene.

There is also the question of the awards ceremony itself.

Does holding the awards ceremony in the centre of London send out the right message of support to regional theatre?
Does the choice of judges from the national press – while certainly knowledgeable and as well travelled as their diaries and editors budgets allow – reflect the voice of regional critical opinion?
Should the major companies be included in the eligibility criteria? Can the Donmar Warehouse and The RSC really be classed as regional theatre?
Is it possible to compare the work produced by a large organisation with a multi million pound subsidy to the work produced by a small regional touring company on a shoe string budget?

The sheer scale of regional theatre makes the organisation of any awards a logistical nightmare but that sheer scale is also the very reason we need to be celebrating and trumpeting the value of regional theatre. Regional isn’t a dirty word and it’s time to start showcasing the sheer vitality of work taking place across the whole country and not just a small, though well populated and influential, corner.

Article originally written for Arts Professional Magazine

Review: Sweeney Todd - Festival Theatre, Chichester

2011-10-31T13:19:00.000Z

Beware the quiet ones. The most chilling and dark murderers tend to be those you would never suspect and, in Jonathan Kent’s sublime revival of Sondheim’s Gothic opera, Sweeney Todd, the demon barber journeys from the everyday to maniacal with alarming quiet.

Sondheim’s darkest musical takes a look at a wronged barber who quietly plots revenge on corrupt Judge Turpin for the loss of his family and as a by-product manages to supply his landlady, Mrs Lovett, with a plentiful supply of fresh, if somewhat unorthodox, meat for her ailing pie shop.

This is a Sweeney who lets revenge bubble and simmer just below the surface until his desire for revenge and retribution results in a feast of blood letting and gore. Cool calm and calculating, Sweeney seems to the outside world the model businessman but inside the rage is burning.

Alongside the anger there are also raging passions. Todd still passionately in love with his lost wife and daughter, and Mrs Lovett is willing to go along with the most heinous of crimes just to be close to the man for whom she bears unrequited love.

Kent’s suitable shadowy monochrome production lifts the piece from its traditional Victorian setting to the 1930s. It is a transposition not fully free from problems with some anachronistic references but it does add an air of timeless quality to the piece, moving away from melodrama to a contemporary, if chilling, realism.

Anthony Ward’s slick industrial staging adds a sense of decay to the piece, while Nicholas Skilbeck’s musical direction draws out both the grand operatic and intimate.

Michael Ball in the title role proves to be a revelation; virtually unrecognisable and at a polar opposite of the more loveable roles he normally plays, Ball delivers a performance of chilling intensity, a brooding presence that shifts from the almost whisper to the operatic. There is malevolence in his eye but also a sparkle of fun and charm that engenders trust in his victims and makes this coiled spring a danger that could explode at any moment. It is a hypnotic performance that commands the stage.

There is also a delightful return to her musical theatre roots by Imelda Staunton as Mrs Lovett, commanding the audience from her initial entrance and proud proclamation of selling ‘The worst pies in London’. Staunton’s comic pedigree is in no doubt, relishing the gore with unashamed glee but here is a women driven by her passions, barely repressing her infatuation with Todd and an inner yearning to be loved. There’s also a sense of poignancy and despair here, a loneliness that drives her to seek escape in any form. Here is a woman who has an abundance of love to share, an outlet that when it finds no response from Todd diverts itself towards an adoptive son, Toby (an impressive James McConville)

It would be easy for these towering performances to overwhelm a production, but the grandness of scale allows plenty of space for the supporting ensemble. There are strong performances from Luke Brady as Anthony and Peter Polycarpou as Beadle Bamford but John Bowe’s Judge Turpin and Lucy May Barker’s Johanna seem oddly undersung.

Although close, this isn’t quite a faultless production. Jonathan Kent’s direction never gets to grips with the Chichester thrust stage, resulting many in the side seats looking at the back of the actors for most of the show. Given the pedigree of the show, one suspects this has been designed with a London transfer in mind, and it will be a worthy addition to the London stage; it is just a shame that the blocking has been compromised for its current location.

Despite the niggles this remains a dark, chilling and soaring Sweeney Todd and a reaffirmation of the power of this dark gothic opera.

Review: Wretch - Mercury Theatre Studio, Colchester

2011-10-30T21:39:00.001Z

Better the devil you know. But when that devil is in ourselves, and a dark inner demon that leads us down a tortured road, is it wise to listen to that voice?

Gari Jones’ solo show is a dark, abrasive examination of the inner voice of a deeply disturbed individual. How much is real, how much is fantasy – a product of the disturbed mind – is subject to question.

Peering into this mind is never a clear view, a view reflected in the opening scene of Jones taunting his audience through a wall of plastic, distorted and partially hidden. The plastic is soon ripped apart, slashed with a knife to reveal a squalid room and an equally squalid man. It is a confrontational start to a relentlessly confrontational play that never lets its audience relax. Drug abuse, self harm, cross dressing, auto-erotic asphyxiation, and physical violence all feature heavily.

Is this one man, a montage of men, or indeed is the man even real at all? Wretch doesn’t provide easy answers and in many ways that is how theatre should be, but here while you admire the strength of the performance the end result is as hollow as the dark eyes that stare out at the audience.

The ability of theatre to shock and offend is a powerful tool and can be wielded with real impact. In Wretch however, one often feels that it is shock for shock’s sake and the relentless brutality would have been better served with more light and shade rather than the continual onslaught. There are attempts at comedy interjected; surreal karaoke interludes, but these only serve to drive the narrative down a darker, twisted route.

The relentless depravity could work if the writing was stronger to support it; however Jones’ script lurches from subject to subject so much that it’s difficult to ascertain what we are supposed to take from it. The combined role of writer, director and performer needs a ruthless editorial streak but here it looks like Jones’ hasn’t had the courage to step back from his monster creation to question the choices made.

Vanja Sheremetkoski’s projections onto Amy Yardley’s filthy set add some depth to the piece and are well executed but, ultimately, they serve to highlight the fragmentary nature of the rest of the piece.

Jones does deliver a performance of chilling intensity, a man both held together and torn apart from the voices in his mind, but we never really get to understand the man behind the barrage of words. The promotional material gives two definitions of Wretch; a despicable person or a person pitied for his misfortune. Sadly we never really get to examine this duality in a production that offers much but ultimately is as obscured as the filthy windows the protagonist peers through.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Passion Of Trojan Women - Mercury Theatre, Colchester

2011-10-30T21:34:00.001Z

The most chilling tales in the aftermath of war and conflict often come from the civilian population. Across the centuries we hear repeated anecdotes of suffering from the women and families far away from the front line. Euripides captured the suffering of Cassandra, Hecuba, Clytemnestra, Polyxena, Helen and the rest of the unfortunate Women of Troy, but it’s a tale that has been retold, revised and revisited across the generations.

Now Italy’s Cantieri Teatrali Koreja has taken an international ensemble to explore these tragic themes through movement, percussion, music and drama. Multiple languages merge and fuse to create a work full of rhythm and ritual, a feeling that this is a timeless tale repeated through the ages.

There’s a strong sense of ritual but, alongside the controlled and processional precision, there is also a Bacchic frenzy, whipped up by passion and frustration. The two are intricately balanced with a sense that, despite the desire to conform and maintain normality in the face of horror, the primal urge to scream and fight is just below the surface.

There is also a strong sense of the power of women when united. Despite the oppression of individuals, there is a resilience and strength when acting as a whole.

There are strong performances across the multi-national ensemble of Gina Isaac, Vladimir Tuliev, Tanya Gigova, Alina Czyewska, Antonella Lallrenzi, Vito De Lorenzi and Mariarosaria Ponzetta. Giorgia Maddamma’s movement creates a rich, multi-layered visual feast while De Lorenzi’s percussive underscoring is integrated into the drama seamlessly.

The ensemble staging does make it difficult to fully engage with individual characters at times and the comedy climax slightly detracts from the power of the piece but, overall, this is an engaging piece of physical theatre that transcends language barriers.

Orginally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Eve Ryman - Mercury Theatre, Colchester

2011-10-30T21:25:00.000Z

The one journey we all face is that inevitable journey towards our final moments. It’s a journey that every man must take, or here that Eve Ryman (think about it!) takes. A woman who finds the sum of her life’s work being examined and tested as she faces death.

A collaboration between six women and six languages, Eve Ryman takes the familiar tale and gives it a contemporary twist. Regardless of our culture or beliefs, this is the final confrontation we all take, giving a shared understanding of the piece.

Devised and written by Janice Dunn, in collaboration with performers from Poland, Italy, Bulgaria, Denmark, Macedonia and England, this female ensemble guides an audience both physically and metaphorically through this fateful journey.

This is a journey of discovery as the audience are led through areas of the Mercury Theatre not normally associated with performances. We meet Eve first as a strolling balladeer in outside the main building and, as we progress through the building, we discover more of the characters in her life and indeed Death herself. The studio theatre, the foyer, the box office counter, the main auditorium, backstage and the exterior, all utilised to give a sense of progress and journey.

There are moments of breathtaking beauty around the building, strong uses of imagery, movement and sound climaxing in Eve’s eventual death in the theatre’s garden. Surrounded by burning tapers and draped in crimson silk, the audience are invited to pay homage with a plethora of white roses. It’s a moving climax to the hour we’ve grown to know Eve. This though is a celebration of life, rather than a dark journey into death – as the show ends we are urged to make the most of our lives and as the cast enter into a euphoric Eastern European folk dance its an oddly life affirming moment, despite the chill damp air.

Dunn’s direction copes well with the constantly shifting locations, shepherding the audience and performers along with pace without ever feeling rushed. The ensemble cast of Clare Humphrey, Maria Lohmann, Emanuela Pisicchio, Aleksandra Gronowska, Iva Ognianova and Sanja Arsovska overcome any language barrier with performances full of conviction and fun.

There are moments where the ad-hoc locations cause some sight line issues and there are moments that leave you confused as to the message being portrayed. In many ways, though, that just reflects our everyday lives, often an obscured view and a confused path.

A strong start to the Mercury Theatre’s International Festival and a clear demonstration that drama can easily cross national boundaries to create a tale that resonates with every man and woman.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Top Hat - Theatre Royal, Norwich

2011-10-27T20:48:00.002+01:00

There may be trouble ahead, but while there’s moonlight and music and love and romance, let’s face the music and dance. And dance away any troubles they certainly do in a spectacular that doesn’t put a foot out of place.

Irving Berlin’s musical first aired as the 1935 movie vehicle for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers but now makes its overdue stage premiere. Unlike many film to stage adaptations, however, this one fits well, perhaps aided by the sheer showbiz theatricality of the original.

American song and dance man Jerry Travers heads to London to star in his first West End musical but, on arrival, in the UK his head is distracted by an infatuation with the woman of his dreams, Dale Tremont. Travers’ seduction technique is somewhat unorthodox – tap dancing in the room above Miss Tremont’s through the night, terrorising her on a horse and carriage, and swamping her with an entire florist’s stock.

It’s hardly surprising then that Tremont’s stock reaction is to slap Travers.

The course of true love is further frustrated by a misunderstanding of Travers’ true identity but, despite the hurdles placed before him, he’s determined to fly across Europe to get his girl, whether she likes it or not.

This is a gloriously unashamedly old fashioned musical, though here that’s not a derogatory term; a celebration of bygone style with Hildegard Bechtler’s Art Deco sleek set and Jon Morrell’s opulent costumes evoking the period perfectly.

Matthew White’s direction makes great use of the fluid set, whisking from location to location and mixing show stopping spectacle with the intimate love story. As befits the Astaire/Rogers heritage, Bill Deamer’s choreography literally taps up a storm with enough references to that golden age of film choreography but still kept fresh and relevant. From the lavish tap precision extravaganza of Top Hat, White Tie and Tails through to the sweeping romantic Let’s Face The Music And Dance, Deamer’s spot-on routines perfectly complement Irving Berlin’s classic score.

The Astaire and Rogers shoes are daunting steps to follow, however Tom Chambers and Summer Strallen more than rise to the challenges.

Chambers may not be the strongest singer on the stage but it works with the character. He oozes charm and masters those Astaire steps with flair. Summer Strallen’s West End pedigree shines through with soaring vocals but there is also an inner torment here of a woman torn between her affections and her perceived barriers to love. There’s a nice chemistry between Chambers and Strallen and both manage to stamp their own identity on the roles to avoid comparison with their famous predecessors.

Top Hat, however, is more than a two-person show and the entire company shines. There are strong supporting performances from Vivien Parry and Martin Ball as the warring Hardwicks and a show stealing comic turn from Stephen Boswell as Hardwick’s put upon valet, Bates.

In true ‘the show must go on fashion’, a technical issue with the set didn’t faze the company on the first night in Norwich but, apart from this slip up, this is a smooth, slick and sumptuous production.

The 1930s and 40s were seen as the golden age for glamorous movie musicals and this lavish production brings that glamour and spectacle to stage with panache. Here is a show that isn’t afraid to be traditional and wear its heart on its sleeve. It is lush, lavish and doesn’t put a foot out of place. As one of the characters says in the show ‘everyone loves it, even the critics are laughing’ and this critic, along with the rest of the capacity audience are likely to be taping their feet for days.

Review originally written for The Public Reviews

Top Hat Trailer from TOP HAT on Vimeo.

Review: Jack Sheppard - New Wolsey Studio, Ipswich

2011-10-26T16:15:00.001+01:00

Rogues, vagabonds and thieves, and that’s just the legal profession in 18th Century London town. Allegedly based on a true story, Ken Campbell’s Jack Sheppard is full of larger than life characters that inhabit the shady corners of a crime-ridden London.

Carpenter Jack Sheppard (not to be confused with the lead in TV series Lost) turns to a life of petty crime. Soon he is mixing with such colourful characters as Wozzy Fields, Dribbling Wilf, Porty McFigg and Edgeworth Bess. In the Black Stallion dastardly deeds are afoot with double crossing leading all too easily to the hangman’s noose.

Such colourful characters are an actors dream and for young actors such as the New Wolsey Youth Theatre the opportunity is one to relish.

Campbell’s anarchic style, however, comes with the temptation to overplay the surreal, when to be really effective the trick is to play the absurdness straight, letting the humour come from the characters. Sadly the production this time falls into that trap, overplaying the mania and turning the comedy into pantomime.

It is a real shame as there are some nice performances amid the madness. There’s nice character detail from Ben Horrex as innkeeper Joseph Hinds and Matt Styles as simpleton sidekick Wozzy Fields, while Morgan Evans’ Dribbling Wilf certainly lives up to the name.

There’s also strong performances from Jordan Harrington as Jonathan Wild, a foppish Thief Taker General and a scene-stealing James Adams as the urchin narrator.

George Harvison as Sheppard exudes a cheeky charm but perhaps needs a darker edge to convince as the chancer criminal.

Elsewhere the tendency to turn to pastiche detracts and the exuberance sometimes comes at the expense of character development and dramatic clarity. This energetic style also results in some lack of vocal diction, which in a space as small as the New Wolsey Studio becomes all too noticeable.

Rob Salmon’s direction would benefit from dialling back the anarchy a few notches and allowing the chaos to develop more organically.

Salmon also designs the production and it’s an impressive themepark setting that makes great use of the space to conjure up an authentic tavern and courtroom.

The New Wolsey Youth Theatre can always be relied on to come up with the unexpected and that bravery and ambition in programming is to be commended but, sadly, the choice of Jack Sheppard proves not to be their finest hour.

Campbell’s anarchic style may echo with the young cast but the final result is less than the sum of its parts; you admire the spirit and effort but not the overall whole.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: One Monkey Don't Stop No Show - New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich

2011-10-21T11:51:00.000+01:00

The phrase ‘lost classic’ is often enough to strike fear into any theatre critic. Often there is a reason these plays have been sitting on the shelf but just occasionally that cynicism is unfounded and the discovery turns out to be a true gem.
Such is the case with Eclipse Theatre Company’s vivid reclaiming of Don Evans’ 1980 comedy One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show.

One the face of it this is your typical run-of-the-mill comedy of manners, a preacher and his wife try to climb the social ladder in middle-class Philadelphia – a situation found in countless comedies across the centuries. Where Evans’ script plays the trump card, however, is the twisting of the expected norms.

The Averys are a black family in a predominantly white suburb, though the culture clash is with other sectors of the black community. The Reverend, though outwardly preaching fire and brimstone, is tormented by sexual frustration, and the women are not as naïve as first appear. Sparks fly as repressed emotions are finally unleashed to great comic effect.

Evans’ script works well and deserves revisiting on its own merit but what makes this production truly fly is Dawn Walton’s inspired decision to stage the entire production as an episode of a sitcom. Think The Cosby Show meets Sheridan’s The Rivals and you get the idea. The staging, complete with TV pantograph lighting, on-air signs and canned laughter creates a perfect environment for the comedy to unfold. The concept somehow makes the over-the-top heightened comedy seem conversely real and allows room for the on-form cast to create some wonderfully vivid characters.

Jocelyn Jee Esien’s upwardly aspiring Myra is a pure delight, awfully snobbish despite her tendency to drop in inappropriate Malapropisms and cod French, each movement and inflection a masterclass in how to create a believable comedy creation. There is also fine work from Roger Griffiths’ repressed Avery, Issac Ssebandeke as wayward son, Felix, and Daniel Francis as rebel of the family, Caleb.

Despite the men’s best intentions it is, however, the women who hold the upper hand. Alongside Esien’s tour de force performance there are strong performances from Jacqueline Boatswain in the dual roles of Mozelle and Mrs Caldwell, and Michelle Asante as Felix’s love interest, L’il Bits. Rivalling Esien’s claim on top honours, however, is Ayesha Antoine’ Beverley, transforming from not so innocent country girl into a strong independent woman, able to steer her own fortune.

Watson’s direction plays the comedy hard and fast and it suits the piece well, building up the energy but counterpointing this with well-observed monologues that give a more rounded view of these vivid characters.

Libby Watson’s set is a visual treat, highly detailed and contrasting the ostentatious opulence of the Averys with the slightly more practical, if run-down, home of Caleb.

A true test of any radical staging of a work is the consideration if it seems radical when watching or perfectly normal and it’s testament to Eclipse’s attention to detail that it is difficult now to imagine One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show being staged in any other manner. Sparkling dialogue, well drawn characters, spirited direction and some of the finest comedy performances you will see this year make this show one that you’d want to see repeated and repeated.

It is hard to see anything stopping this fine show.

Review originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Dracula - Claydon and Brantham Village Hall (Touring)

2011-10-18T18:29:00.001+01:00

Horror and comedy are inexorably linked. How often in a supposed gothic horror do you find yourself sniggering at the absurdity of the situation? Laughter is of course also an outlet for nervous tension and in The Keeper’s Daughter’s new adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, laughter plays a key role.

Part Victorian melodrama, part gothic horror, part farce this is the tale of the Transylvanian Count as never told before.

As young Lucy Westenra receives marriage proposals from three potential suitors, a strange puncture mark on her neck begins to cause strange side effects. Despite numerous blood transfusions Lucy dies but doesn’t stay in her grave for long. Queue a mad dash across Europe, gun-totting Texans, creaking doors, gender swapping narrators and plenty of blood.

Mark Finbow’s adaptation has great fun with the source material. Though played for laughs, there are still moments of chills in true Hammer Horror style. It’s a highly inventive production that takes this highly familiar tale and turns it on its head. The Count himself only makes a fleeting appearance; instead we focus on those impacted by the Transylvanian blood lust.

Played against an almost bare stage with minimal lighting, this inventive production shows that you don’t need huge budgets to create memorable theatre. With good use of shadows there is an atmosphere here of spooky tales being told around a camp fire. There is also great use of that most underused of theatrical tricks darkness, disembodied voices echo out from around the audience building tension nicely. It is a shame more use isn’t made of this building menace to really disorient the audience.

Holly James, Stephen Drury, Alice Motram, Benjamin Willmott and Finbow himself create this hotchpotch of madcap characters, swapping roles throughout to keep the action flowing. With exaggerated gothic make up and a lose grip on reality there’s more than the lunatic Renfield in this asylum.

There are moments when the pace does drop and the ending does seem slightly rushed but at this early stage of the tour these are easily rectified. The performances also seem slightly cramped on this stage; however, that is one of the drawbacks of touring to village halls and non traditional performance spaces.

Although based on Stoker’s classic novel, this is very much a new show, while those expecting a traditional retelling may be disappointed, there’s enough tongue in cheek humour here to please all ages. For those willing to go along with the fun it’s an enjoyable, madcap and even at times spooky ride.

Review originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Invisible - New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich

2011-10-17T09:11:00.000+01:00

Our society is an ever shifting medley of characters shaped by the influence of cultures from around the world. In the past this influence has come from the countries historical roots as a major seafaring and trading nation, but now it’s just as likely to be shaped by economic migration. Despite centuries of migration communities are perhaps more isolated than ever before, unaware of those around them.

Tena Štivičić’s play looks at two distinct sectors of the community, both interacting but never fully recognising each other until a fateful event throws them violently together. They are indeed, as the title suggests invisible to each other.

There is though another level of obscurity here, the faceless voice of authority – here never seen, portrayed as a disembodied voice behind a frosted screen. Frustrating and rigid, never comprehending the human impact of the procedure.

Two sectors of society, ‘Fortress Europe’ and ‘The Others’ go about their daily lives virtually isolated. Migrants struggle to integrate and comprehend the workings of their new home while longer term residents struggle with the prospect of understanding new cultural opportunities.

This is an epic, weighty piece with interwoven threads never fully unravelling until the final moments and running at two hours without an interval it is often gruelling viewing.

Štivičić’s script is impressive in its breadth but it feels like it is attempting to cover too much, with the result that some scenes resemble little more than sketchy outlines than fully fledged drama. As such the script could easily be trimmed making for a much tighter narrative and greater impact.

There is some powerful dialogue in the piece and the end confrontation between the two communities is beautifully written but other scenes, such as the comic look at American immigration interviews, though nicely performed, add little to the narrative drive.

The scale of ambition also means that we only ever get fleeting glances of many of the characters. Perhaps this is intentional; to represent the constant see of human traffic, but it makes for fragmentary viewing.

The international company provide an impressive ensemble performance with Anna Elijasz and Jon Foster’s final duet being particularly memorable.

Douglas Rintoul’s direction, together with Darren Johnston’s choreography plays up the ebb and flow motion of migration, though at times the stylised movement does detract the eye from what is essentially the intimate.

Invisible is an epic attempt to capture epic themes and is impressive in its scale and performance, ultimately though the attempt to cover so much results in a weakening of the whole. With some judicious cutting there is potential for a gripping play here. In the current form however, it still seems a work in transit.

Review: Those Magnificent Men - Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds

2011-10-16T16:25:00.002+01:00

Fame is fleeting. Ask most people who was first to fly across the Atlantic and they’ll probably say Charles Lindberg. He was in fact only the 104th person to fly the Atlantic. Eight years earlier, two Englishmen made the maiden nonstop flight from Newfoundland to Ireland.

Their names may now be remembered only by ‘weirdoes, bores and Airfix kit freaks’ but, at the time, these aviation pioneers were international superstars.

History also has the tendency to be rewritten, both by those involved in monumental events to boost their appeal, and more common by later generations looking for added glamour and sparkle.

Both this historical tale and the resulting airbrushing of historical fact form the base for Brian Mitchell and Joseph Nixon’s warm and witty comedy.

In June 1919 John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown find themselves thrown together in a partnership that sees them cross the Atlantic together with their flimsy canvassed covered Vickers Vimy converted twin engine bomber. As the pair race against other competing teams to claim the £10,000 prize for the first non-stop crossing the English gentlemanly spirit seems at odds with more polished efforts of their competitors.

All seems a fairly straightforward retelling of this forgotten tale, but the problem is our actors can’t quite agree on the story. Alcock believes passionately in historical accuracy while Brown is keen to spice things up to entice a Hollywood action bio pic.

There’s precedence in Alcock and Brown’s own accounts of the flight, both of which contain small, subtle difference.

The tale itself, though, really needs no enhancements; the men’s tale from World War One prison camps, to their historic triumphant 16½-hour flight in a flimsy open cockpit plane is the stuff of pure action adventure but with the twist that this actually happened.

Although Mitchell and Nixon’s script is packed full of comedy it also manages to be deeply poignant and touching, looking at a partnership that only lasted a year but shaped not only aviation history but also had a deep impact on a personal level. It is also a production that remains timeless, dealing with the 1919 flight as well as taking pot shot at the current trend of Hollywood to gloss over historical inaccuracies.

This is a lovingly crafted production, full of beautiful touches, from the news-sheet ‘lavish souvenir brochure’ through to the RP accents – every detail evokes the sense of a golden age in endeavour.

Ian Shaw and Richard Earl deliver faultless performances as the aviators, perfectly balancing the historical facts with spot on comedy. Daniel Buckroyd’s direction moves the piece along at great pace while still allowing time to emotionally connect with the duo.

There is ingenious staging from Helen Fownes-Davies and her packing case strewn set that transforms into a recreation of the Vickers Vimy plane in front of our very eyes. Tragically these aviation pioneers soon faded into historical obscurity and six months after the record breaking flight one was dead and the other would never fly again.

Lindberg may have had his Spirit of St Louis but in Those Magnificent Men it is the Spirit of Alcock and Brown that soars. A first class flight.

Review originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Abigail's Party - Sir John Mills Theatre, Ipswich

2011-10-15T16:22:00.000+01:00

Long before Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me threw five mis-matched party guests together, Mike Leigh had beaten them to it, creating the cocktail party from Hell.

Abigail’s Party may now be over 30 years old but, in Two Rivers Theatre Company’s production, Leigh’s brutally dark comedy remains as fresh as ever.

In late 1970s suburbia, the dresses are nearly as loud as the wallpaper and, for hostess Beverly, her guests are little more than flies caught in her spider’s web.

There’s little to bind these five together apart from living on the same street and, fuelled by Beverly’s incessant pouring of alcohol, it’s not surprising that tensions are high and sparks begin to fly.

New neighbours Angela and Tony may initially seem happily married but there’s something missing in their relationship. She, the slightly dizzy nurse eager to impress, he, the target of Beverly’s predatory advances. Long term neighbour Susan is taking refuge while her rebellious daughter, Abigail, holds a wild party next door but would rather be anywhere else and Beverly’s long suffering husband, Lawrence, would rather be anywhere else.

It is all too easy to play these characters as monstrous caricatures but the real success of this production is to play the characters as totally believable, over the top and unlikeable yes but characters that the audience can painfully identify with.

Brian England and Jon Pettman’s Lawrence and Tony may think they wear the trousers in their respective marriages but it’s the women who have the strongest hand here.

Petra Risbridger’s dizzy Angela is delightful comic creation, easily led and gullible but with an openness to say what perhaps the others are only thinking. Val Eldridge’s Susan would rather be anywhere else than here, uncomfortable and out of place, it is a beautifully subtle observation.

Then there’s Georgy Jamieson’s Beverly, a turquoise eye-shadowed horror. Casting away any shadow of Alison Steadman’s iconic original, Jamieson is mesmerising, it is like watching an accident unfold, appalling yet gripping. Predatory, aggressive and shocking – this is a woman used to getting her own way. Yet, on the other hand, there is a sadness and vulnerability about her, unloved and insecure, her bullying is perhaps compensation for an inner sadness.

Dennis Bowron’s direction keeps the action, as well as the drink, flowing playing the action straight and allowing the laughs to come from the characters rather than gimmicks. There are moments in the second act where the pace drops slightly but this is easily rectified during the run.

Barry Eldridge’s design is full of spot on period detail, from the compulsory fibre optic light to the gaudy large print wallpaper.

Though audiences are unlikely to ever willingly admit it, there are many character traits on display that we can all recognise and, unlike the ubiquitous cheese and pineapple sticks, as long as people are hosting neighbourly gatherings, Abigail’s Party is unlikely to go out of fashion.

Review originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Sherlock Holmes..The Last Act, New Wolsey Theatre

2011-10-15T16:14:00.000+01:00

For an address that doesn’t actually exist, 221b Baker Street is one of the most recognisable addresses in London. Recent films and TV adaptations have of course added to the allure, but in truth the appeal of one of literatures most famous fictional detectives has never really gone away.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original novels have also spawned a number of sequels, plays, and adaptations and David Stuart Davies’ Sherlock Holmes.. The Last Act looks at a fading Holmes at the end of his life.

Part biography, part flashback, this one man show sees Holmes return to that famous Baker Street address one last time for the funeral of long term friend and assistant Watson. It is an address filled with ghosts and memories as Holmes recounts the long history the duo had and the challenges they faced fighting fiendish crimes.

For those expected the trademark Sherlock Holmes mystery though, they may be in for a surprise. This is a much more personal look at the character of Holmes and a man struggling to come to terms with a loss of sharpness. For a man used to relying on his razor sharp intellect, the decline into old age, accelerated by years of cocaine abuse, is hard to take.

There are flashbacks to Holmes’ past glories including the notorious Hound of The Baskervilles and an appearance from arch nemesis Moriarty, but at its heart this is the tale of the sometimes strained, but always admirable relationship between Holmes and Watson.

As a renowned Sherlock Holmes expert Davies’ script does, at times, assume that the audience are familiar with the Conan Doyle cannon. For those not familiar with the work there are moments that confuse and, while the monologue format does suit the vocalisation of Holmes’ internal thoughts, it is hard to sustain attention over two 45 minute acts.

Roger Llewellyn’s performance however does impress, switching between multiple characters, yet always maintaining the dignity of Holmes. With minimal set and props Llewellyn moves us from his very first encounter with Watson to their final meeting. Never leaving the stage it’s an impressive solo performance that manages to shake of any pre-conceptions from previous adaptations.

The ending would benefit from some work as the emotional climax is lost by a somewhat cheesy final few moments and there are sections that could be cut without any great detriment to the whole. Sherlock Holmes fans will find much to enjoy here but for those less familiar with the source material, while they may enjoy the skill of the performance, the overall impact may leave them feeling slightly cold.

A case of unanswered questions never being fully explained.

Review originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: The Debt Collectors - Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds

2011-10-10T21:11:00.000+01:00

There are certain constants in theatre. Latecomers will always have tickets in the middle of a row, the person behind you will always have the noisiest of sweets to unwrap, and a glance at the cast biographies in the programme will reveal several ex-cast members from The Bill.

Now that esteemed TV drama has come to an end, have you ever wondered what all those actors are now doing when not on stage?
John Godber’s latest comedy, The Debt Collectors, looks at two out-of-work actors – one a former star of The Bill – who resort to becoming door knockers for a backstreet debt collection agency.

It’s a topical subject and one that offers much potential for a wry look at both the credit crunch and also the fragility of the acting industry. Sadly Godber’s script is one of his weakest and can’t decide on what it is – political commentary or slapstick farce.

This two-hander is inherently theatrical; a set of discarded scenery flats and props providing a playground for the actors and the structure of a play within a play adds to the theatricality, though ultimately it’s as flat as the stacked up scenery.

Loz is, at least it seems, the more stable of the two new collectors, a soft heart not really cut out for the hard-nosed world of money collection. His oppo, Spud, is more hot-headed, still living on his past glories from The Bill and waiting for that call that will whisk him away to new stardom.

It all sounds promising and the trademark Godber machine-gun-fire dialogue initially sounds promising but it’s all paper thin, the lines could easily belong in his earlier work, Bouncers. While Bouncers successfully mixed the comedy with a darker edge, here the two sides are less successfully married. Scenes that shed light on the human impact of debt and the pressure of collectors are thrown away in favour of quick laughs and, by the time lights come down on Act One, it is difficult to see where the plot can head.

In fairness, the second half is slightly more accomplished, finally revealing a glimpse of what drives these two actors but it is all too little, too late and, ultimately, the dramatic climax, though impressively performed, makes for an unbalanced evening.

Rob Hudson and William Ilkley do try their best with the material and there is some nice chemistry between the two but the characters are drafted as little more than stereotypes rather than fully-rounded characters.

Over the years John Godber has created some of really inventive comedies that reflect our current times; sadly, this debut of his own producing company is likely to leave audiences feeling short-changed.

Review originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: Driving Miss Daisy - Wyndhams Theatre

2011-10-10T20:49:00.000+01:00

It is the moment theatre-goers dread, those ominous slips of paper in the programme and the announcement of ‘due to the indisposition of...’. When the show in question is only a three-hander and has an acclaimed international cast, the sense of foreboding is only heightened.

One also feels sorry for the understudy, doubtless nervous already but also facing an audience disappointed about the non-appearance of one of the leads, and also possibly depleted in numbers as some seek redress and exchange.

For Jenny Lee, stepping into the daunting shoes of an indisposed Vanessa Redgrave in the transfer of the Broadway production of Driving Miss Daisy in the very first week of previews, the weight of expectation must be immense. It turns out however that for those who queued at the Box Office for exchanges missed a performance that made Ms Redgrave’s absence immaterial.

Alfred Uhry’s 1987 play is perhaps best known for the 1989 film adaptation but this piece works well in its original stage setting, a touching and poignant three-hander charting the relationship between elderly Southern Jewish woman, Daisy Werthan, and her African-American chauffeur, Hoke. Set in Atlanta and spanning 30 turbulent years of changing attitudes to race and class, Driving Miss Daisy manages both the epic political and social themes while also becoming deeply personal and intimate.

David Esbjornson’s production sensibly focuses on the relationship between Daisy and Hoke, with the tense relationship between Daisy and her son, Boolie, providing the catalyst for change.

It is in many ways a subtle play, looking at the shifting balance of power that age brings. To reach the far reaches of the cheaper seats it does however need big characters and while the play itself may be slight, the characters do manage to fill the space.

James Earl Jones’ Hoke is a masterclass in repression, hunched and head bowed as his boss would expect only to grow in stature and confidence as the social situation changes and his relationship develops with initially hostile Miss Daisy. Boyd Gaines as Daisy’s son is the voice of reason in the play, perhaps less fully drawn than the two other characters.

It is of course Miss Daisy herself that draws attention – a chillingly accurate look at the ravages of aging. While Ms Redgrave won plaudits for her restrained and detailed performance on Broadway, Jenny Lee more than hold her own here, a performance of immense care and thought – every motion, ever inflection showing a woman in her advancing years imbued with great pride and decorum. As her faculties fail, the sense of frustration and confusion is palpable.

With star names comes star demand for tickets and it’s understandable that producers have gone for a 4 tier theatre but, in many ways, this is a production that would be better served by a more intimate venue. In the cheaper seats, some of the more subtle moments are lost and some of the staging choices result in large sections looking at the tops of the leads’ headwear rather than facial expressions.