A Government Inspector Review

A Government Inspector

Theatre Royal Winchester, Winchester

When I saw YPS King Lear I thought it was an adaptation that forgot about any potential idea it had and lacked the heart of the play. Here is an adaptation that produces a recognisable setting and manages to produce the hilarity of The Government Inspector.

The play was adapted for this production by Deborah McAndrew, whose father once worked as a civil servant or the equivalent of a government inspector. With her knowledge, she brought Gogol’s satire on a group of corrupt officials within a small Russian town to the Yorkshire Pennines. In this setting, the production follows a local council under the robust yet gullible leader, Tony Belcher (Howard Chadwick). The council included a judge dressed in tweeds, who enjoys poaching in his spare time.The schoolmaster councillor was a nervous wreck, and the hospital manager used her looks to get what she wanted. From there the audience was treated to Northern accents and lively banter, complete with a brass band in tow.

The comedy of mistaken identity ensues once Jonathan Alexander Snapper Esquire (Jon Trenchard) arrives, and the council confuses him with the visiting government inspector. Jon appears as a dandy in matching purple suit and trousers, and acts flamboyantly throughout his stay in the town. It is hilarious to watch the council follow him everywhere he goes in Belcher's house, repeating, and expanding through movement and sound, every word he says. It even got to a point, as he got increasingly drunk and confident, that he could make outrageous, and perhaps powerful threats, without anybody realising that he could not possibly be a government inspector

It is clear how mad-cap the town is. Overflowing cabinets open suddenly like cash tills, characters sneak around whilst listening in on conversations, the postman delivers letters on bicycles, scooters, and roller-skates, and the doctor speaks using rattles. The darker side to the play is boldly shown, by the use of the band to represent the voices of the townspeople. Whilst it does help get the point across by such a small cast, it possibly takes away some of the bleakness of the situation

The satire is such a pleasure to watch and it is worth seeing Gogol’s work updated to a world of Yorkshire folk and brass bands. This is worth a low Top Price.

Stepping Out Review

Stepping Out

Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury

The Autumn season at the Salisbury Playhouse began with a production of Richard Harris' play, Stepping Out. With the promise of some tap-dancing it was irresistible for me to go and see.

The play follows eight individuals who meet together in a church hall and take part in a tap-dancing class. During each session, the audience gradually learn about each person's background, whilst watching the group gradually improve their dancing skills. Eventually the class have to prepare a dance routine for a charity evening, but as the performance nears tensions begin to rise among the members.

It is clear from the beginning that the play is looking at a couple of broadly written characters. It reminds me of the last production the Salisbury Playhouse put on in the Main House, which was Epsom Downs. The difference between these two productions however is that whilst Epsom Downs wants the audience to observe a day at the Derby, Stepping Out wants them to empathise with these individuals and their situations.

On the whole the characters were quaint. The most sympathetic character was Mavis (Rachel Stanley), an ex-chorus dancer who still had the spirit in her to do what she loves. Adrian Grove was a cute Geoffrey, the only man in the group. Imagine a Matthew Broderick with a nervous disposition and an easily influenced personality. Louise Plowright was a headstrong Maxine, who always had a mirthful attitude especially when  things got bad. However, some of the characters' personalities became tiresome. Claire Redcliffe was lovely as Dorothy, but her character's nervousness and insecurity was too much. Elsewhere it did take a long time before Vera's (Kelly Price) uppity and abrasive character was addressed.

As ever the Salisbury Playhouse production team had put together a detailed set. The church hall included a small stage, jammed windows, cluttered walls, a piano, and a large number of stacked chairs dotted around the place. Scene changes were shown by putting a spotlight on certain characters as they prepared for the lessons, which gave the sense of the passing of time. The only set change came at the end, when the whole church hall was replaced by a simple, but effective set for the final dance sequence. The highlights of the play were the dance numbers, as this disorderly dance group gradually got into full swing in preparation for the charity event.

This is worthy of a good day out. There are some charming characters and the dance sequences are excellent. See this at a Bargain

Antony and Cleopatra Review

Antony and Cleopatra

Festival Theatre, Chichester

The Chichester 50th Anniversary Festival is coming to an end, and one of its final offerings is William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Having seen Michael Boyd's 2009 production, I was interested in seeing this production, which originally performed in Liverpool back in 2010, with Kim Catrell returning as Cleopatra.

Kim Catrell was a fine Cleopatra. She was both alluring and regally commanding, and she listened to  the messenger's description of Octavia with dignity. She did though shout a bit and her voice sounded slightly strained when I saw her. What is more I thought she lacked range in her interpretation of this complex character. When the play focuses on her at the end I was impatient for the production to end. It says something when it is Michael Pennington as Antony who stands out in comparison to Catrell. He gave the character with depth, and was quite the firm and proud commander who was weary with age and compassion. With Catrell their relationship was mature and on the whole touching, though with Catrell's performance it did not stand out.

What really stood out was Antony's relationship with Octavius Caesar, who was played by Martin Hutson. Both produced a heated Act 2 Scene 2, and showed both Antony's calmness and pride, and Octavius' impatience and reason. Later on Martin also showed Octavius' brotherly side as he remorsefully held his heartbroken sister, a sad end to the first act. Elsewhere Ian Hogg carried off a heart-breaking moment during the second act as Enobarbus. Oliver Hoare was a gallant yet insubstantial Pompey, who wept at the mention of his father's death. Charman and Iras (Aicha Kossoko and Pepter Lunkuse) were ever the playful servants under Cleopatra, played by Aicha Kossoko and Pepter Lunkuse, whilst Harmage Singh Kalirai was at times present on the stage as the Soothsayer; a reminder of the coming tragedy.

The set basically consisted of a walkway above an empty stage, and sometimes a chaise-lounge or table would appear from  below the stage. The Egyptian scenes were dimly lit with warm lighting, whilst lamps were dotted around the stage. The vibrant Egyptian music was played between scenes, and including the opening scene, when Cleopatra appeared from below the stage in ceremonial clothing, like some goddess. When the Romans came on, the stage would be plainly lit and brick arches would be revealed at the back, whilst military music was played. The Romans wore uniforms and suits whilst the Eqyptions wore dresses and robes.

There were some good moments, particularly between Michael Pennington and Martin Hutson. Yet the focus of the production, the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra, was let down by Kim Catrell and by the end the production was becoming tiring. This is worth a Bargain.

YPS King Lear Review

King Lear (Young People's Shakespeare)

Tour - The Nuffield Theatre, Southampton

Although the autumn season is just around the corner, the RSC's latest production has a festive feel to it. I was therefore interested in seeing this adaptation of King Lear, which is being aimed towards youngsters as an introduction to Shakespeare. This is also the first time I have seen a production produced under the RSC's Young People's Shakespeare scheme.

The idea of setting the story of an old king’s struggle against his daughters in a modern Christmas should have provoked a number interesting and radical aesthetic translations for the children. I imagined that Lear would see himself as Santa Claus as he gives out his lands to his daughters, or perhaps cursing Santa in a snowstorm. Indeed the jolly old Lear gives out his lands in the form of presents, whilst wearing a Santa hat, and later would be seen charging along in an imaginary sleigh with the Fool in a reindeer costume. However it soon becomes clear that the company is using a shortened version of the text, and the Christmas setting begins to feel like an after-thought. The Dover Cliff scene for instance, does not gel well in this setting.

Now even an abridged version for kids needs to show the full emotion of the characters in order for the story to be completely understood. Unfortunately, as Lear Paul Copley lacks the character’s range of emotions that drive his downfall. For example his tantrum when disowning Cordelia felt less than convincing. A number of the cast members were rather dull. One would assume the Fool would entertain the youngsters, yet Matt Sutton did not get any laughter. Some did stand out though. Tyrone Huggins played a kind Gloucester, whilst Dharmesh Patel was a modern Edgar who sported a hoodie while begging as Poor Tom.

There were some interesting ideas. Matt Sutton for one, played the Duke of Kent and the Fool combined. Whilst it avoids explaining the disappearance of the Fool by the second half of the play, it combined the two character's views on King Lear's decision to divide his kingdom. Basically these ideas were used to help downsize a rather large text.

The set is a basic one, comprising of some Christmas lights lining the edges of the acting space. Outside this space were two sets of coat-hangers and benches, where the cast changed and sat ready for their next appearance. Occasionally props, such as a Christmas tree and a calender, were adjusted in order to show the change of scenery and progression of time. Christmas tunes were used, some of which represented the events of the story, such as I saw mummy kissing Santa Claus used during the affair between Edmund, Goneril and Reagan.

After the production the audience was asked to think up a moment that stood out to them for a discussion with the cast. Silence emanated from a group of teenagers near me whilst I too struggled to think of a moment that stood out. The company had some interesting ideas, but they did not do a lot with them and the production boiled down to a shortened version of the text. Neither was the production engaging, since it lacked the pathos that motivates the play. Apart from helping them understand the story, I cannot see this production persuading young people to see more Shakespeare plays. This is worth a Restricted View.

Blood Brothers Review

Blood Brothers

Tour - The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton

This is the fifth time I have seen Blood Brothers, which should demonstrate show how much I like this musical. It was also a chance to find out how pop singer, Marti Pellow, would perform in musical theatre.

The musical opens on a crime scene. Two bodies are carried off whilst a grieving mother (Niki Evans) looks on. A narrator (Marti Pellow) stands forward and says "So, did you hear the story of the Johnstone twins". From here the audience learns the story of the two brothers, who were separated at birth and died as a consequence of their mother told them the truth. 

For the most part, this is a production I am not going to forget in a hurry. The musical is built on the premise that the ending is revealed at the beginning, so whilst the audience learn the story that leads up to this, they also need to connect with the main characters in order to fully empathize with the impending and heartbreaking tragedy. This was easily achieved because a number of the actors had performed in this musical a number of times.

Sean Jones was certainly the highlight of the production. He had played Mickey during the last few tours, and it is clear how far he has come since then. He was such a bundle of joy during Mickey's childhood that it is the first time I have heard him receive some "aw"s from the audience. He then brilliantly went through the rest of the character's life from innocence to hatred. Jorden Bird was playing Eddie for the first time and it did show, but with Sean he was able to show Eddie's relationship with Mickey wonderfully.

Nikki Evans was a superb as Mrs Johnstone. She was clear and did well in producing her strong willed, yet grief stricken character. Also returning were Olivia Sloyan and Daniel Taylor as the playful Linda and bullying Sammy. Marti Pellow however was not a very omni-present and threatening narrator, and he did struggle to hit the high notes. With other superior actors he did seem to disappeared into the background.

The touring set is very detailed, though personally I prefer the smaller set in London. This was minimalistic which could provoke one's imagination to run rife. It is such a shame that the London production is finishing and that the touring set would most likely be the favored version to use for any future productions. The music was still excellent though it was spoilt by an average sound system.

This musical will be greatly missed when it leaves the West End. With a mainly strong cast, this production proved how heartbreaking the musical can be. This should be seen at a low Top Price

Sweeney Todd Review

Sweeney Todd

Adelphi Theatre, London

I had seen this production this time last year at Chichester and I enjoyed  it so much that I wanted to see it again. I am becoming increasingly interested in Stephen Sondheim's work and in addition it was an opportunity to see Michael Ball again.

A barber, Benjamin Barker (Michael Ball), returns to London under the name of Sweeney Todd, after being wrongly deported as a convict years ago by the corrupt Judge Turpin (John Bowe). He meets Mrs Lovett (Imelda Staunton), who owns a pie shop below his barber shop, through whom he learns that he wife is dead and that Judge Turpin has adopted his daughter, Joanna (Lucy May Barker). Sweeney plans to take revenge and kill the judge, as well as help a sailor, Anthony (Luke Brady), rescue Joanna, whom Anthony has fallen in love with. In preparation Sweeney goes on a killing spree and slit the throats of his customers with his razors. The bodies are then used as fillings in Mrs Lovett's pies.

You have to hand it to Stephen Sondheim. He can compose some detailed pieces of music, which as a result are catchy and memorable. Do not expect a plot driven musical because his songs are based around the characters. The upside to this though is that the songs are written using some interesting and witty quirks. Best example of this would be A Little Priest, where Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett use rhyming couplets when commenting on the different pie fillings, from priest, poet, politician, and so on, with such humorous panache. It is like being at a pie tasting event.

I did find that the cast delivered less than they did a year ago. Michael Ball is still an outstanding, though he sounded better when he sang on his own. I still like his Sweeney Todd. When I saw this the first time I was worried that he would not be able to pull it off. However he uses his light tone of voice to effectively present an unstable and menacing Todd. The star of the show is still Imelda Staunton as Mrs Lovett. She was consistently clear when singing the lyrics. She perfected the role of a coarse middle-aged woman, and she brought her own ideas to the role.

The supporting actors were on the whole competent in their roles. Luke Brady and Lucy May Barker made a lovely couple as Anthony and Joanna, but they occasionally struggled to sing clearly and to perfect the high notes. Lucy could be too high pitched at times. James McConville was difficult to hear clearly as Toby during Pirelli's Miracle Elixir, which was disappointing. John Bowe though stood out as Judge Turpin, who was quite the righteous yet sexually neurotic fiend.

Whilst the musical was originally set in Victorian times, this version has set it in the era of the Great Depression. This mean it loses the original's exaggerated caricatures, and whilst this era fits with Mrs Lovett's line that "times is hard", it does not explain Sweeney's deportation long after this had been abolished. On the other hand, the sight of a dingy factory adds to the musical's dark tone. The factory whistle in this production does not produce enough velocity to create the sound that is like an ear-piercing scream, though to me it was a relief.

I think it is good that this production is now coming to the end of its run, but Sweeney Todd has had a great run. Well done to Michael Ball for taking on a serious role with aplomb. Imelda Staunton was truly outstanding as Mrs Lovett, though the same could not be said for the supporting cast overall. Although it did have its problems, the set did well in establishing the atmosphere of the musical. I would have given the Chichester production a High Full Price, but this is worth a low Top Price

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (NT Live) Review

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

The Cottesloe Theatre, National Theatre, London - National Theatre Live Screening

The new season of National Theatre Live starts with an adaptation of Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The story follows a fifteen year old, Christopher Boone (Luke Treadaway), who has a huge interest in mathematics, but has difficulties in socializing. One night he discovers that his next door neighbor's dog has been killed with a garden fork. He therefore decides to investigate the death of the dog, and discover who killed him. Through this he begins to learn more about his family and soon old tensions come back to haunt them.

Before seeing this production I listened to an audio recording of the book. I learnt beforehand that although the text never mentions it, the blurb classified Christopher's condition as asperger's syndrome. I myself have high functioning autism, which to many is similar to asperger's. On some level I did relate to the character, but I felt that as I was reading the book many of the attributes associated with autism were coming at me thick-and-fast. For someone who has a similar condition to mine, I thought that Christopher was doing things that I had never done or had grown out of by his age. Even my mum, who had read the book some time ago, thought the same thing. I liked the character but wondered whether Christopher was an accurate representation of asperger's, or whether he had been given every characteristic of autism

That being said I did enjoy this production and would even say it is better than the book. When reading the book I kept wondering whether it would have been informative to have seen Christopher from another perspective than his. In this production, not only is the character seen from the audience's (or camera's) perspective, but a lot of the narrative from the book he wrote was read and commented upon by his tutor, Siobhan (Niamh Cusack). It looked as if it was all going on in his mind. It reminded me of the way the first person narrative from Great Expectations was spoken by a chorus observing the main action during the RSC's 2006 production, which I loved.

Also, whilst I liked the detailed narrative in the book, the production went at a quick and energetic pace. The audience was seated in the round and this allowed Christopher's mathematical and detailed mind to be shown as a series of maths equations, drawings and diagrams projected onto the floor of the stage. Many imaginative theatrical techniques were used to create Christopher's imaginations, from floating in outer space to recreations of computer games. The members of the cast also helped Christopher act out his story as though he was in charge of his own little world. When he was forced out of his comfort zone in the second act, his increasing confusion was expressed through a multitude of projections as he was confined to a rapidly decreasing space on the stage. There was one silent part that seemed to drag, but for the most part the production never slowed down, and it eventually helped me forget my reservations about Christopher's condition.

Luke Treadaway did well in recreating the Christopher's character in the book, and he was very engaging to follow. Another person who did stand out in this production was Nicola Walker, who produced a lengthy monologue (it did feel as though no one else was onstage with her) at one point as a certain character, and it was very moving to hear her frustration and despair. Paul Ritter played Christopher's father as a rough, short tempered and impatient man, who was becoming increasingly stressed because of Christopher. Additionally Una Stubbs was lovely as the kind and thoughtful neighbour, Mrs Alexander. It was nice to see these characters from outside Christopher's perspective.

Despite what I think about the book, I had a great time watching this production. It moved at a good pace and was acted out with tonnes of energy. The cast also did well in presenting the characters from the book. This production is worth a low Top Price

Cabaret Review

Cabaret

(Tour - The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton)

After having a break during August, I return to reviewing with the revival tour of Cabaret. This is the first time I have seen this musical. I had only seen the film which I heard was dissimilar to the stage version. It was worrying though to see this musical being headed by two celebrities who are not entirely experienced in musical theatre. 

American writer, Clifford Bradshaw (Matt Rawle), goes to stay in Berlin to find inspiration for his new novel.  He meets a British singer at a cabaret called the Kit Kat Club, Sally Bowles (Michelle Ryan), and the pair begin to develop a relationship. Meanwhile Clifford's landlady, Fraulein Schneider (Sian Phillips), falls in love with a Jewish fruit-seller, Herr Schultz (Linal Haft), and the two announce their engagement. However their lives are beginning to be disrupted by the rise of the Nazi party to power. Meanwhile, the events of the musical are addressed by The Kit Kat Club's Master of Ceremonies, Emcee (Will Young), and dancers.

Having listened to several previous cast recordings, the songs in Cabaret throb with sensuous music and lyrics, and it is no different here. There was an odd moment when the song Don't tell Mama formed part of  the background for a short period and the lyrics could be heard in the distance. Looking at photos from the last tour I got the feeling that the song has been cut down, which was a shame. The story itself was interesting to follow and the impending threat of the Nazi party provided a sinister side to the musical.

With a pop star starring in a well known role, one would think that this celebrity casting would not work. Surprisingly however it is Will Young as Emcee who carries the show. It is clear that he is having so much fun  acting as the Kit Kat Club's odd-ball, manic, and unpredictable Master of Ceremonies that his performance was immensely enjoyable.

Michelle Ryan was lovely as Sally Bowles but she did not seem as edgy as the actresses that can be heard on the cast recordings. She acted as a playful and alluring Sally, though at times she did come off as too innocent which did not really fit the Sally who was living the pleasures of Cabaret. Matt Rawle meanwhile did well in playing a smart yet weary Clifford Bradshaw. Otherwise, the supporting romantic plot was the second best part of the production. Sian Phillips and Linal Haft displayed a tender relationship between the dignified Fraulein Schneider and tender-hearted Herr Schultz.

The world of Cabaret was minimalist in terms of sets. Rooms were basically comprised of some doorways and the occasional piece of furniture, and a number of songs were centered around one object. The stage was colored in black sheets of metal and brick in order to show the underworld of Berlin, which was strikingly being torn away by the increasing influence of the Nazis. The glamour of the Kit Kat Club came from the provocative costumes and light bulbs that adorned the wings of the stage, which combined with the singing and dancing was spectacular to watch.

I am surprised that I am saying that Will Young is the main reason why this production should be seen. The musical itself was great whilst the Cabaret songs and supporting characters created the best moments of the production. Michelle Ryan though was not as engaging in comparison to Will and I found that I preferred his scenes over hers. I would say that this production is worth seeing at a low Top Price