Theatre

Our Country’s Good

02/10/15

National Theatre, London

Our Country’s Good is undoubtedly a wonderful play; the text is intense, thought-provoking, heartbreaking and funny. Based on Thomas Keneally’s novel The Playmaker, it tells the tale of the first convicts deported from Britain to Botany Bay, and how they put on a production of The Recruiting Officer in honour of the king. Even on the page, it has the power to make the reader question the very nature of humanity, and to consider how theatre can aid the civilisation of the most troubled soul.

A shame, then, that the National Theatre’s production, directed by Nadia Fall, should play up the comedic aspects at the expense of everything truly important in the play. We laughed, yes – but we didn’t cry.

The set is magnificent, and the opening moments genuinely awesome, the rotating wooden stage splitting and rising to reveal the ship’s hold, an unfortunate convict lifted through the hatch to be whipped. But the ensuing cacophony of singing and shouting from below means that we hear neither the convict’s cries nor the subsequent silence, and the unbearable sight of seeing a man so maltreated has barely any effect at all.

In truth, it’s just not grimy enough: the prisoners’ plights not desperate enough to make me yearn for their redemption in the way I have in other productions I’ve seen. By foregrounding the comedy, Fall has sacrificed a key ingredient of the play: the abject misery and desperation which marks the convicts’ lives. Nor do we get a sense of what the officers suffer: they too are far from home, cut off from everything they know. But it’s hard to feel much empathy here, when their brutality is rendered so superficially.

But it’s the music that really undermines this piece. Cerys Matthews’ score is clearly thoughtful and well-intentioned, but – for me, at least – it really doesn’t work. It undercuts the tension instead of heightening it, impeding the audience’s emotional response. The scene where Harry attacks Duckling, for example, is rendered absurd by his sudden bursting into song.

There are good things too: Lee Ross skewers Sideway’s pretensions with deft precision, and Matthew Cottle’s Wisehammer is nuanced and complex. But they’re not enough to save this production, and that’s a crying shame. It could so easily have been a triumph.

2.6 stars

Susan Singfield

The Crucible

23/09/15

Royal Exchange, Manchester

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is, undoubtedly, one of the great plays of the twentieth century. Written in the early 1950s, it was based around actual events that unfolded in the Puritan community of Salem Massachusetts in 1689; it was also Miller’s opportunity to openly air his feelings about a current event, Senator Joseph McCarthy’s Communist ‘witch’ hunt, without fear of retribution. The similarities were there for all to interpret, but Miller was above reproach, as he could argue that he was simply retelling a slice of history – even though, on closer examination, it appears that he took considerable liberties with the facts. Luckily, nobody bothered to check.

The Royal Exchange’s latest reinterpretation, directed by Caroline Steinbeis, is fascinating. It takes place on a stripped, circular dais across which the sizeable cast act and interact with considerable skill, so much so that when they take their final bow, you’re amazed to realise how many people are actually involved in the proceedings. It’s no longer a period piece – there’s not a stovepipe hat or lace collar in sight. The male actors wear clothing that could easily fit into any rural community of the past thirty years, while the women are dressed in frumpy, near identical dresses, emphasising how much they are made to conform to the expectations of the God-fearing men who surround them.

We’ve seen many versions of The Crucible, but few that delineate the various strands of the tale as clearly and powerfully as this one does, and, in an age where political and sociological witch hunts have become an everyday occurrence, the story seems more prescient than ever. As John Proctor, Jonjo O’ Neill gives a dynamic performance, his strident Northern Irish accent lending his final scenes added power, while Ria Zmitrowicz’s portrayal of the hapless Mary Warren is also a highlight; who knew that there was so much comedy to be mined from her role?

But it’s perhaps unfair to single out individual performances, when this is so undeniably an ensemble piece; there are, frankly, no false notes here.

The Exchange is famed for its ‘wow’ moments and, in the final stretches of the play, that slightly inverted dais is suddenly transformed into a gathering pool of water under a jaw-dropping rainstorm – through which the protagonists are obliged to wade. Coming as it does during Proctor’s final confession, this seems to us to symbolise the way in which a truth can irresistibly spread, to engulf all those who would seek to adapt it to suit their own ends. It is also, perhaps, an allusion to ideas of rebirth and baptism. Others will undoubtedly have their own interpretations; whatever, it will certainly stimulate much after-show conversation as you head for home.

This is a superior production, beautifully staged and expertly acted. Don’t miss it.

4.6 stars

Philip Caveney and Susan Singfield

The Tree of War

18/09/15

St Nicholas Church, Burnage, Manchester

The First World War is a tremendously emotive subject and Oliver Mills’ and Rachel Mann’s The Tree of War, receiving its World premiere in this suburban Burnage church, explores the theme with a depth of sophistication not usually associated with an amateur production. It’s a tremendously ambitious project, utilising an ensemble cast, a live band, an ingenious set and some startling pyrotechnics (at one point clods of earth actually rain down into the audience!).

The story begins in 1986 with the declaration of war in the Falklands. Anna (Lucy Smith), a young girl living in Burnage, is upset that her favourite ‘story tree’ is about to be cut down and asks her Grandfather, Bert (Mike Law), to tell her about his experiences in the First World War, something he has never spoken of before. We then go back in time to witness young Bert (Alex Cosgriff) and his best friend, Greville (Sam Gilliat) enlisting to fight for their country. They soon find themselves in France biding their time until they go ‘over the top,’ and exchanging letters with their loved ones back home. But the tragedy of the Somme, when 20,000 young men died in one day of fighting, looms ever closer…

“Serious’ musicals are notoriously hard to pull off, so it’s to the company’s credit that they do an exemplary job here. There’s a wide range of styles on offer, from wistful, plaintive ballads to lusty, marching songs. In the first half, a section of knockabout comedy in the trenches falls a little flat and feels like a temporary misstep, but the momentum is soon regained with a series of soldier songs exuberantly led by Harry Cooper (Will Spence), that have the audience clapping along, while the expertly paced second half never flags for a moment. There are some delightful set pieces here: a sequence set at a Women’s Fellowship meeting is beautifully choreographed and the delightful harmonising gives the female actors a real chance to shine; Scottish hard man Dougie (Jamie Rahman) gives a sweet rendition of ‘Being A Lad,’ and it’s a stony individual indeed who won’t be moved to tears (as I was) by the heartbreaking climax.

Those who’d like to catch this show need to act quickly; it comes to the end of its five night run on the 19th of September.

4 stars

Philip Caveney

Dead Dog in a Suitcase (and other love songs)

15/09/15

Home, Manchester

Kneehigh’s reputation precedes them: we know before the show begins that we are in for an energetic, multi-disciplined, high-octane experience, and are well-prepared to be dazzled by what we see.

We’re not disappointed. With Dead Dog in a Suitcase, Kneehigh have successfully reinterpreted The Beggar’s Opera, restoring its original status as an anarchic polemic, using theatre as a means to rage against the machine, revelling in – as well as reviling – the writhing underbelly of our messed-up world.

There’s a veritable roll-call of notorious baddies: a corrupt politician, a ruthless businessman, a manipulative wastrel, a charming gangster. They’re all here, gloriously exaggerated and strutting their stuff. There’s a whole host of victims too, and they’re just as vociferous as the scum in charge. This is, as you might expect, as much a celebration of the underclass, as a vilification of those who oppress. It’s a radical reworking, but its roots in John Gay’s “low-born mucky people doing low-born mucky things to each other” original are clear for all to see.

And it’s relentless: at times, there is so much happening on stage that I don’t know where to look. This is disorienting, yes, but it’s also oddly exciting, and I spend the whole performance sitting forward in my seat, determined not to miss a thing.

In a show with this much going on, it’s hard to single out particular ideas, but the puppet show is certainly worth a mention, especially the cradle full of illegitimate babies. The meta-theatrical linking of Punch with Macheath underlines the heartless, senseless nature of the crimes Macheath commits. The scenes in the strip-club, The Slammerkin, have a similar effect, with grotesque, dilated bodies revealing the nasty truth about the venal punters who go there. It’s a frantic, furious and fabulous ensemble piece, and the story builds and builds until it’s almost unbearable.

And the music! Oh. It’s so riotous and infectious that it’s impossible not to get involved. It assaults and envelops the audience, encompassing a whole range of styles and working in an almost primal way. The violin, played by Patrycja Kujawska, is breathtaking in itself, and the cataclysmic, all-stops-out ending leaves me genuinely awe-struck.

If there’a quibble it’s a minor one: this play is actually quite exhausting to watch. A little tightening here and there to bring down the running time, would benefit both players and audience, I think.

But this is a mesmerising slice of theatre, and definitely one that you should catch before it heads off on tour.

4.7 stars

Susan Singfield

Sneak Peek at: Dead Dog In A Suitcase (and Other Love Songs)

It’s an exciting opportunity… not to mention a real privilege, to be allowed a sneak preview of a theatre company rehearsing for their latest production. But that’s exactly what I get from Kneehigh who are currently prepping their production of Dead Dog In A Suitcase (and Other Love Songs) at Home, Manchester. The show opens there officially on the 11^th of September and then heads out on tour around the UK.

As I settle into a front row seat I’m presented with a view of the entire thirteen strong company. To my left, there’s a band, featuring guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and a whole plethora of assorted instruments. To my right stands a traditional Punch and Judy theatre and a veritable menagerie of creepy looking puppets (always a good sign) including a row of rosy faced babies in a cot, who, we’re assured, are the ‘bastard offspring of Macheath.’

Director Mike Shepherd and musical director Charles Hazlewood stand up and say a few words. The show is, of course, an adaptation of The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay, (1728) itself radically reworked by Bertholt Brecht as The Threepenny Opera in 1928. ‘This version,’ says Shepherd, ’gives the Beggar’s Opera back its teeth.’ He tells us that the story is a musical satire, prescient for our times, and that it’s a perfect reflection of an age of austerity and outrage – ‘a cathartic production in every sense of the word.’

Hazlewood adds that it’s been a wonderful privilege working with Cornwall-based Kneehigh Theatre Company, and says that their marvellous generosity of spirit has injected a sense of humanity into what is, at heart, a bleak and harrowing storyline.

‘The play begins with the contract killing of the city Mayor,’ says Shepherd. ‘Which will give you some idea of how dark the story is.’

Then without further ado, we’re treated to a ten minute selection. The band punch out a lively reggae rhythm, the cast leap into action, there is singing and dancing and movement and puppets – and I sit there mesmerised by the way the show is coming together, after only a relatively short rehearsal time.

Afterwards I ask if I might have a quick chat with MacHeath (Dominic Marsh) and Polly Peachum (Angela Hardie), so we seek out a quiet space where I can record their answers without too much background noise. I begin by pointing out that the pair are about to take on one of the most infamous duos in theatrical history. How do they feel about that challenge?

Angela: It’s very exciting to be able to take on these characters, because there are so many dimensions to them. They’re not just good or bad, weak or strong, they have the full run of humanity with all its glory and ugliness and for young actors that’s just an exceptional opportunity.

Did they have any qualms about taking on the roles?

Dominic: No, I think that one of the healthiest things about the rehearsal process is that deference is left outside the door. The Beggar’s Opera is called the longest running musical and all those juke box musicals in the West End that we’re so familiar with these days probably stem from it. But there were no qualms at all.

I point out that there are a lot of different disciplines to master in this show – acting, singing, dancing, musicianship, puppetry. It must be a tall order trying to perform so many of them to the best of their abilities. Exhausting too, I shouldn’t wonder.

Dominic: It is an incredibly tiring, but very rewarding way to work, but a lot of Kneehigh projects are like that, they’re these big, chaotic shows that create a whole world on the stage. Everything’s so visceral and powerful, there’s light and shade, dark humour, wonderful romantic moments, everything you could possibly want.

What qualities, I wonder, do the actors think they share with their onstage personas? Does Angela identify with Polly?

Angela: Oh yes, I hope so! I get to do such a great journey with this piece, I start out naïve and find out about life the hard way. I think anyone who’s ever had their heart broken… and I have… will identify with her. Mind you, I haven’t quite graduated to running a gang yet, but I suppose there’s still time…

And Dominic? MacHeath is surely nobody’s idea of a positive role model?

Dominic: He is rather dark. I’m not sure I identify with him on many levels, but we all have within us the kernel of good and evil, we’re all capable of being misunderstood and I think that MacHeath has his own valid reasons for going down the route he goes down. He’s almost like a Robin Hood figure, shining a light on the corporate conspiracies that are going on all around him, which we all know are happening all the time. When we started rehearsing this there was that stuff about MP’s expenses and… well, you just have to look at what’s happening now…

For both of them it’s their first appearance at Home, Manchester’s hub for the performing arts. What do they make of the place?

Angela: It’s lovely, it’s such an exciting place to work, it’s all brand new. We’ve been bowled over by how friendly and accommodating everyone is.

Dominic: There’s such an exciting buzz about this piece and also about the venue. I think the two of them will slot together really well.

So they’re both looking forward to opening night?

They tell me that they can’t wait.

Well, I assure them, that makes three of us.

(Our review of Dead Dog In A Suitcase will follow soon.)

Edfest Bouquets 2015

It’s been an amazing August for us at Bouquets & Brickbats. We’ve spent the entire month running from show to show, and have seen some truly brilliant performances. Here’s our pick of the best we’ve seen at this year’s Fringe:

Drama Bouquets

Phantom Owl Productions – Filthy Talk for Troubled Times by Neil La Bute
Phantom Owl Productions – Fault Lines by Stephen Belber
Paines Plough – Lungs by Duncan McMillan

Monologue Bouquets

Noni Stapleton – Charolais by Noni Stapleton
Thom Tuck – Scaramouche Jones by Justin Butcher
Tom Neenan – The Andromeda Paradox by Tom Neenan

Stand-up Comedy Bouquets

Stewart Lee – A Room With A Stew
Sarah Kendall – A Day In October
Garrick Millerick – A Selection of Things I’ve Said to Taxi Drivers

‘Ones to Watch Out For’ Bouquets

Alfie Brown – Isms
Morro and Jasp – Morro and Jasp Do Puberty
Master of None Productions – Foxfinder by Dawn King

Philip Caveney and Susan Singfield

Derby Day

28/08/15

Gilded Balloon, Teviot, Edinburgh

The Ballard brothers have just attended the funeral of their father. What better way to celebrate the old man’s life than to head to the Oaklawn Park race track and lay down a few bets? Eldest brother, Frank (Robert M. Foster) is over from Chicago and has booked a luxury box for their private use. He’s soon joined by loose-canon middle brother Ned (Malcolm Madera) and youngest sibling, Johnny (Jake Silbermann), newly released from prison and looking to pick up the pieces of his shattered life. The trio begin to gamble, they drink alcohol and as their inhibitions break down, so the realities of their troubled upbringing start to manifest themselves. It’s no great surprise to discover that Ballard Senior wasn’t a very nice man at all. Little wonder his sons still carry the scars of unresolved issues. Meanwhile, waitress Becky (Teresa Stephenson) is charged with the thankless task of dealing with the Ballards as they hurtle towards alcohol-fuelled oblivion.

Samuel Brett Williams has written a gritty melodrama about familial love and hate and the three male leads of Camisade Theatre Company throw themselves into this powerful drama with gusto, delivering strong performances with the accent on physicality. A scene where Frank throws Johnny onto (and through) a table is shocking in its impact, though ultimately maybe there’s a little too much fighting in there for comfort – these guys seem ready to punch each other at the drop of a hat. We’re even warned as we come in to avoid sitting in the front row, in case we get caught up in the affray!

I particularly liked Silbermann’s portrayal of the not-very-bright Johnny, a man who may as well walk around with the word ‘doomed’ tattooed on his forehead, but the play doesn’t always convince us that these are real characters in a real situation. Too many of the lines seem to be addressed directly to the audience and there are places where the pre-recorded race commentary overpowers the characters’ dialogue.

However, this is a credible production that’s worth catching before it’s gone. As the story gallops into the final furlong, it’s clear this is not going to end well… and all bets are off.

3.5 stars

Philip Caveney

Charolais

27/08/15

Spotlites, Hanover Street, Edinburgh

With such a variety of shows on offer at the Fringe, there’s inevitably a range of quality here too. Now and again, though, it’s possible to see something really rather special.

And Charolais is one such thing.

Written and performed by Noni Stapleton, this is an unlikely comedy about a young Irish woman and the jealousy she feels towards a beautiful heifer. The cow, a Charolais belonging to her farmer boyfriend, takes up far too much of his attention, and his mother, Brede, demands what’s left. Siobhan, it seems, must fight to win his love.

It’s an unusual tale, as beautifully written as it is acted. This is truly an object lesson in characterisation: a one-woman performance that not only makes us laugh and cry, but also brings to life a horny cow. Really, the episodes where Stapleton embodies ‘Charolais’ are extraordinary: she drops her jaw, lowers her stance, sticks out her backside, and becomes the cow. The lowing-singing is a lovely touch, and the French accent an added delight.

As this year’s festival heads towards its end, there are only three more chances left to see this show. Don’t miss out: get a ticket now.

5 stars

Susan Singfield

It Started With Jason Donovan

26/08/15

New Town Theatre, George Street, Edinburgh

It started with Jason Donovan is an odd little show – amusing, sweet, ridiculous and fun. It’s essentially a monologue, interspersed with dance and song, where ‘shaker, movement-maker’ Sarah Blanc reveals the story of her troubled love life.

The premise is this: an early crush on Jason Donovan meant that Blanc formed an unrealistic view of what to expect from relationships, based on JD’s cheesy song lyrics and the “perfect” Scott-Charlene marriage.

Blanc presents this as a self-help lecture, illustrated with tales from her own dating disasters, all charmingly and self-deprecatingly told.

She’s an engaging performer, and the audience tonight is most definitely on her side, willingly participating in a range of scenes. It’s a little ramshackle, but Blanc works this to her advantage, and the show certainly succeeds in making us laugh.

OK, so there’s not a lot of substance here. Most of the humour comes from deliberately dodgy dancing (though there’s clearly a ‘proper’ dancer behind those funny moves) and over- frequent costume changes; it’s a bit like a Cosmo article: ‘Seven Ways to Keep Your Man.’ It’s fluffy, whimsical stuff – but, you know what, Kylie? I liked it.

3.2 stars

Susan Singfield

Acts of Redemption

26/08/15

Underbelly, Cowgate, Edinburgh

Ken Jaworowski’s Acts of Redemption is a series of six disparate monologues, presented with pleasing simplicity by director James Wren.

First, in Never Smile, Never Wave, we meet a spoilt little rich girl: self-satisfied, judgemental and very privileged indeed. But, when a stranger in a bar tells her she looks sad, her vulnerability is revealed, and we are left wishing that we could find out more. This is, I think, the strongest of the set, exquisitely performed by Akila Cristiano, who manages to make us root for someone quite unlikeable.

Next comes Pulse, where three separate stories are interwoven. They’re loosely linked, each dealing with familial love, and this is another success. A young man (James Huntington) comes out to his father; a man (Dan Lees) teaches his little boy to fight the bullies who are hurting him; a young woman (Amee Smith) sacrifices her dreams to care for her ailing dad. All three pieces are well-crafted, and the acting powerful.

The last two monologues are perhaps the weakest. In Luck of the Draw, Rachel Parris plays a miserable woman, who dreams of winning the lottery and leaving home. The character is interesting, and there are a few nice twists, but it feels a little under-developed, and perhaps a tad cliched. Timberwood Drive, performed by Joe Wreddon, is the slightest of all, telling the rather far-fetched tale of a hapless womaniser whose wife and mistress co-own the same dog. It’s a little bit silly, and doesn’t connect with the audience in the way the others do.

All in all, this is a decent production, and I certainly enjoyed the hour spent watching it. I couldn’t help but wish, however, that the pieces were more unified, and that there were something more to hold them together than the tenuous idea of ‘redemption’ (especially as they’re not all redeemed).

An interesting – if mixed – show, with some genuine talent on display.

3.3 stars

Susan Singfield