THE CHERRY ORCHARD

The Cherry Orchard

Acting Gymnasium

Theatro Technis, London

Monday 18th August 2014

Chekhov's final work is given a contemporary twist in James O'Donnell's thought-provoking adaptation for the Acting Gymnasium's short rep season at Theatro Technis.

Tracing the decline of a wealthy landowner's fall into poverty and the auction of her estate, which includes a famed cherry orchard, the play is a political and social comment on a Russia that is going through a significant change in its class system and wealth hierarchy.  This adaptation brings the piece into a modern setting, in a society where the class system has a very different impact on society, giving a fresh look at this classic story.

The adaptation brings out the many comic qualities of the script, with references to modern culture - including the use of mobile phones and references to Twitter - included alongside the original text.  The performances work to maintain the humour throughout, embellishing the piece's tragi-comic intention without losing sight of the tragic juxtaposition of the protagonist's financial and emotional plight.  The shining performance in this production came from Shane Noone's energetic portrayal of the wealthy ex-surf Ermolai.  He achieved a layered depth to this complex and naturally unlikable character that drove the plot forward.  His intelligent characterisation showed an empathic side to the ambitious young man to which a modern audience could entirely relate.

Some intelligent choices of lighting, designed by Luis Alvares, and considered use of sound especially in the pre-show and interval, add another level of interest and comedy for the engrossed audience.  An unusual and enthusiastic take on this classic piece, performed with energy and flair. 

GREASE

Grease

CYGAMS

Civic Theatre, Chelmsford

Friday 11th April 2014

Grease is the original "High School Musical" and the bright, retro design of Jeremy Tustin's production for CYGAMS this week escorts us warmly back to its 1950s setting.  Such a familiar story, this classic musical is brought to life with some excellent touches - the full scale 'Greased Lightning' car being a delightful addition for Kenickie's big number.  

Although the pace has a tendency to drop during the spoken scenes, this current CYGAMS incumbent definitely thrives on music and there are some stand-out numbers throughout the evening.  'Those Magic Changes' is given a confident rendition by Charlie Toland as the charming Doody, complete with golden backing girls.  'It's Raining on Prom Night' is styled as a powerful split scene duet between the Prom's vocalist, beautifully sung by Kathryn Peacock, and the lovestruck heroine Sandy, a doe-eyed characterisation by a talented Natasha Newton.  The group numbers are also sung with style and enthusiasm, particularly the big Prom dance contest number 'Born to Hand Jive', led by Elliott Elder as Johnny Casino.

Henri de Lausun leads the cast as the charismatic Danny Zuko, singing with power and excelling in the dance numbers.  Ben Wilton gives attitude as bad boy Kenickie, and Edward Bonney is an endearing Roger.  The Pink Ladies include the dreamy Frenchy played with a cute grin by Monique Crisell, and Sophie Walker's intelligently characterised Marty, thoughtfully and confidently acted.  A wonderfully funny dance break for geeky Eugene wins a deserved cheer for Jack Toland, maintaining his character with consistency.  

It is very difficult to teach stage presence.  It is the X-Factor, that extra something, and if a performer has it naturally it will draw the audience in completely.  Tamara Anderson is ideally cast as the tough, confident Rizzo, and she shows a depth of feeling and understanding during her 'There Are Worse Things I Could Do' number that is a rare moment of genuine emotion in this otherwise frivolous show.  She doesn't have the purest voice of the group and she isn't the best dancer, but the maturity she brings to her perfectly pitched characterisation is the highlight of the production.

Another unfailingly entertaining evening from this committed group of youngsters.  Excelling musically as an ensemble, their next production - the sung-through Andrew Lloyd Webber dance show Cats - will suit them perfectly, playing at the Cramphorn in April.

BETTY BLUE EYES

Betty Blue Eyes

Made in Colchester

Mercury Theatre, Colchester

Saturday 29th March 2014

 

Betty Blue Eyes began life in the West End in 2011, starring Sarah Lancashire and Reece Sheersmith, in a short lived but dazzling production that won over the critics.  Arguably not suiting a West End audience, this very British story follows the fate of one chiropodist and his wife in a small North of England town in 1947 - while rationing was still in force and the young Princess Elizabeth planned her wedding to Philip Mountbatten.  Based on the film A Private Function, the musical version by Stiles and Drewe concentrates on the illegally reared pig that is to be the subject of the town council's celebration banquet for the royal wedding. 

 

With leading cast members straight out of the West End themselves, Haydn Oakley and Amy Booth-Steel are exemplary in their performances.  Beautiful voices and gently comic characterisations make their two characters, Gilbert and Joyce Chilvers, warm and lovable.  Joined by an ensemble filled with triple-threats, there is a surprising and very entertaining amount of dancing for the size of the production, which was all executed with excellence. 

 

The Made in Colchester team have built a reputation for their production values, and the set, costume and technical aspects of this production are ideal examples of this.  The lighting design is particularly effective, with some lovely use of colour and a beautifully lit "dream" sequence during "Nobody". 

 

Where the West End failed to maintain audiences for this charming celebration of Britishness, perhaps with its large percentage of tourist-based audiences, on a more local scale the show works brilliantly.  Set to embark upon a UK tour after this initial run in Colchester, the wit and style of this clever production will charm audiences around the country.

DIAL M FOR MURDER

Dial M for Murder

Made in Colchester

Mercury Theatre, Colchester

Saturday 15th February 2014

The first play of 2014's Made in Colchester season tells the story of Tony, who is convinced his wife Sheila is having an affair. He decides to kill her in what he believes is the perfect murder....that is until it all goes terribly wrong.

The play is a murder mystery that asks more of a 'why' than a 'who' and with its twists and turns has audience members gasping.

It is hard to pick out any single performance when every cast member contributed towards a flawless production.  The struggle between Kelly Hotten's Sheila and Robert Perkins' Captain Lesgate was a particular highlight bringing Act 1 to a dramatic close.

The set, designed by Mike Britton, captures your attention as soon as you enter the auditorium, with red cloths draped from the rig and stairs leading far past the audience's sight lines to add a further dimension and realism to the space.

I always have faith in the Mercury Theatre to put on a good show.  This production did not disappoint.  A brilliant start to the season and I look forward to Betty Blue Eyes in March.

Review by Nicola Myers

NOT I, FOOTFALLS, ROCKABY...

Not I, Footfalls, Rockaby

Royal Court Theatre Production

Duchess Theatre, London

Friday 7th February 2014

Starting with a front of house warning - the theatre is about to go dark, really dark, and if this makes you uncomfortable please make yourself known now - a strange tension is built before the show begins.  Then the theatre really does go as dark as the warning suggests, with just the lips of the wonderfully talented Lisa Dwan lit from up close so as not to leak any unnecessary extra light.  Not I is the first and most famous of this trilogy of Samuel Beckett mini-plays, and in a way is the most affecting.  Rattling through the random thoughts and feelings of one woman through her life of loneliness and fear, this stream of consciousness piece can less be listened to than absorbed.  Allowing the words to wash over the audience, one begins to pick out certain phrases and even stories deep with significance of the character's unhappiness, exemplified with the frequent use of "she" rather than "I", distancing herself from herself.  

A short break leads into the second piece, Footfalls, which sees the same actress pacing up and down outside her mother's sickroom.  With careful choices in both costuming and lighting the lonely woman resembles an unhappy ghost.  As she pauses between paces she reveals small details of her sad life, and we also hear excerpts from the unseen mother who pities her child, commiserating the many years of misery she has ahead of her.

Rockaby sees the final minutes of a woman, rocking herself constantly in a rocking chair until her eventual and welcomed death.  She is another sad and lonely character, seeking "another living soul" and seeming to have never been satisfied with her lot.  She finally rocks herself to death, leaving us with a phrase that seems to sum up the feeling she has been describing; "Fuck Life".  

The evening is lifted from this seemingly horrific gloom however, by the beauty of Liz Dwan's powerhouse performance.  Such concentration in this one-woman show, exploring these frustratingly fragmented characters and bringing them to spooky, gloomy life, must be an exhausting challenge which this excellent actress lives up to with flair.  Rather than leaving the theatre depressed, ones thoughts are provoked and interest is piqued.  An exhilarating evening.  

OCEAN OF LONELINESS

Ocean of Loneliness

Etcetera Theatre, Camden

Friday 31st January 2014

Aaron Anthony Wallace's sharply paced exploration of the differing effects of loneliness is revived in an intimate new production, directed by James O'Donnell at Camden's Etcetera Theatre this weekend. Told through three intertwined monologues, each of the neighbouring characters addresses the audience as though answering interview questions, gradually revealing the idiosyncrasies of their personalities and the effects of their isolation.  

The volley of short, choppy, overlapping lines that make up the opening scene start to introduce the traits of each character.  Requiring a daunting pace to maintain the flow of the piece, the feeling of emptiness and solitude that is later suggested in the lives of the three individuals is compromised a little in this bustling opening scene, instead perhaps suggesting the hubbub of the city they live above.  It isn't until further into the piece, when longer portions of monologue are revealed at once, that the three characters' individual threads start to take shape.

The style of the piece requires a real team approach from the small cast, whose concentration levels must be acutely focused in the close, intimidating space.  Listening to one another, ensuring an awareness and generosity with fellow performers, is essential to allow each of the stories the space they need to grow.  Tightly directed, the success of this was impressive for an opening night, although further familiarisation with the environment will only improve the smoothness across the weekend.

An intimidatingly small space in which to perform any piece, especially one in which the entire discourse is conducted towards the very nearby audience, performances were generally well achieved.  Alex Barclay's poet, with both delusions of grandeur and crippling writer's block, proves the inaccuracy of his comparisons to Shakespeare and Milton when beginning to write about his neighbour.  The character with the most depth, the affects of his solitary situation are clear in this darkly comic interpretation.  The comparative insanity portrayed by Helen Bang sits as an uncomfortable juxtaposition, with the initial humour of her eccentricity making way for genuine flashes of mental illness.  The distractions of Shian Denovan's character, body image concerns familiar to so many in our appearance obsessed society, have become irrational obsessions through her seclusion.  

The space of the Etcetera Theatre allows for limited staging options, yet the staging was designed with smart creativity.  Each character's space was kept personal and separate with a careful choice of furniture complimenting each individual.  Encounters in the lift - the only communal space in which the neighbours share periods of socially awkward discomfort - are tightly staged, with the imagined liaisons between Man and Woman 2 thoughtfully lit (Lighting Design by Luis Alvarez) to suggest a dreamlike quality.  The use of original music, by Damon Burrows and Orpheus Papafilippou, is also an important choice in generating the required atmosphere.

A thought-provoking evening of exploratory theatre, that proves the value of London's fringe venues to the development of new and experimental writing.

THE WEIR

The Weir

Donmar Warehouse Production

Wyndham's Theatre, London

Wednesday 29th January 2015

Conor McPherson's lauded Irish drama won widespread critical acclaim when it first premiered in 1997. Josie Rourke's new production for the Donmar has brought together a stellar cast in a stunning revival, now beginning a twelve week West End transfer.

Set in a rural pub in Ireland's quiet countryside, the play on the surface is very simple - a small group of locals drinking heavily and telling one another ghost stories. It is McPherson's captivating writing talent however, to explore the minutiae of a situation and extract an enthralling dramatic tension, that elevates this play to an exciting piece of must-see theatre. Each of the small group of characters are individually developed as stories are gradually revealed, maintaining a dramatically steady pace throughout.  Tiny, carefully chosen phrases are richly steeped with meaning, and pregnant pauses sing out with dramatic significance.

This production brings together a wealth of Irish acting talent, but it is Brian Cox as Jack who most enthrals the audience with his effortless charm and intelligent wit. His final speech of lost love is heartbreakingly delivered, offering a beautiful emotional intensity while retaining a relaxed realism. Ardal O'Hanlan is also delightful as the simple Jim and Risteard Cooper's Finbar is ideally pitched as the local-boy-made-good entrepreneur.

Is this production commenting on Ireland's collective distraction by the supernatural? Or merely using the ghost stories to examine the loss and loneliness displayed by each of the intricately characterised locals? Delicately directed, it is left open for to the audience to decide, and made all the more intriguing for the open ended resolution.

A thought provoking piece with some superb performances - a must-see for lovers of tension-filled, character-based drama. Booking at the Wyndham's Theatre until 19th April.

TWELVE ANGRY MEN

 

Twelve Angry Men

New West End Production

Garrick Theatre, London

Tuesday 21st January 2014

Reginald Rose's 1950s drama depicting the deliberations of an all-male jury on a murder case was most famously brought to audiences via the 1957 Henry Fonda film.  Originally written for television, the stage version was first seen in 1954 and has been faithfully revived in this new production at the Garrick, starring Martin Shaw. 

The jury room set is intricately realised with the open walls to the bathrooms allowing constant view of the tense hours of decision making.  With little other furniture, the twelve-seater table clearly dominates the space, but an ingenious revolve - rotating so slowly the eye can barely see the movement - gives both a practical solution to the potential blocking hazard and a creative visual interest for the audience. 

One of the joys of this piece for the audience are the deliberate gaps in detail about the twelve jurors.  Gradually we get to know their professions, some very minor details are revealed regarding home life, but we don't even find out their names.  It is a testament to the quality of the writing therefore, that each of these men are given individual, distinct and absorbing opportunities to develop, allowing the audience to discover each personality.  The success of this style however depends upon the skill of the actors to convey this gradual character development with enough control to maintain a consistent tension throughout.  This cast, led by Martin Shaw, has no weak link, with each actor portraying a true and intricate understanding of his own character in a plethora of intelligent performances.

As deliberations descend into arguments, facts about the trial are slowly revealed, and interpretations and opinions debated, each juror comes to understand more and more about himself as much as the importance of the term "reasonable doubt" which underpins the entire judicial system.  A fascinating piece that delves into the depths of human nature and displays both the power of the legal system and in doing so its inevitable weaknesses.  Tense, exciting theatre with some captivating performances - well worth catching.

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Original West End Production

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London

Wednesday 15th January 2014

 

A second Golden Ticket to Sam Mendes' triumphant production of the Roald Dahl classic after my original visit to the final preview back in June. 

 

I stand by that original review, with the only exception that the show is now slicker, more confident and even more sugary-sweet than in those early days.

 

Worth a visit for the spectacular sets alone, Douglas Hodge is also fantastically charming as the creepy Wonka. 

 

A hot ticket to a fabulous show that can be enjoyed by the entire family.  Tickets booking until November 2014... 

HENRY V

 

Henry V

Michael Grandage Company

Noel Coward Theatre, London

Monday 13th January 2014

This final jewel in the richly laden crown of the inestimable Grandage season at the Noël Coward sees the run of five productions play out with a bang. Having been privileged enough to see all five star-studded shows over the last year, it is clear that Grandage's directorial vision and careful choices of clarity and design have matched up to the expectations delivered by his A-lister leads.

There is little doubt that the majority of the audience have been drawn to this production not for the opportunity to see a play by the world's most celebrated playwright, acted in the city in which he worked, about one of the country's most successful soldier-monarchs. Instead the draw for this sell-out winter production is Hollywood heartthrob Jude Law, playing the war-hungry and charismatic King Harry. Law's Shakespearean credits most notably include his 2009 Hamlet at the Donmar, transferring to the West End and then for a week in Denmark's Elsinore Castle itself before enjoying an additional Broadway run. His characterisation of Henry V is compelling, drawing out the proclaimed ordinariness of the soldier, a monarch more accustomed to the battleground than to courtly splendour. His passionate "Once more unto the breach" speech makes convincing work of rousing the troops, bettered only by the carefully directed "Band of Brothers" scene bringing a patriotic lump to the throat on the eve of St Crispin's day. His playful wooing of the French Princess in Act 2, regally played by a beautiful and poised Jessie Buckley, adds another dimension to the grounded King and Law once more achieves a convincingly charismatic performance.

The supporting cast hold some equally captivating characterisations, with several of note, although none achieving less than an entertaining and convincing portrayal. Ashley Zhangazha as the explanatory Chorus maintains immaculate clarity that displays a true depth of understanding, and his impassioned delivery is absorbing and extremely entertaining to watch. Matt Ryan's Fluellen is also excellently played, displaying a careful comic timing without the need to play for laughs, relishing his leek scene with the deliciously unpleasant Pistol, played by Ron Cook.

This is a Henry V well-pitched for first timers; there are cuts aplenty to which the relatively early finish time will attest, and which may not satisfy the Shakespeare purists, but it helps to keep the pace and intensity manageable for all.  No prior knowledge of the true history of the period is assumed, this was generations earlier than Shakespeare's original audience would have known too, yet the precision and understanding of the entire cast gives an easy clarity to this historical piece. Grandage's ability to make the potential challenges of the Bard's verse easily accessible to a modern, unaccustomed audience is absolutely key to this production's success and his hand can be strongly felt throughout.

A wonderfully entertaining and successful finale to what has been an exciting season from Michael Grandage.  He seems to have achieved his aim, to attract new, younger audiences to West End plays through both head-turning casting and affordable ticket pricing.  Long may this attitude remain.