The Spire Review

The Spire

Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury

The next production I saw at the Salisbury Playhouse was a new play called The Spire, an adaptation of William Golding's novel of the same name. Although it is never referenced, the book makes allusions to Salisbury and the Cathedral with the tallest spire in the United Kingdom. It therefore seems natural for the city's playhouse to adapt the book to put on their stage.

This production is rather hard to describe in detail because the biggest problem is that the playwright had taken so much from the book in telling the story of the spire being built, that he had forgotten to make the play emotionally engaging. It was split into three acts, and it was plain to see that each act ended with the only dramatic moments in the play, though they themselves lacked drama. The end of the first act for instance shows an uprising by the workers who were building the spire. Weirdly the production team decided to show the event in freeze frames, which took away any tension it may have had. Even the end of the second act was building up to a conflict that went by so quickly, with the climax happening offstage, which left me slightly confused. Yet, for the most part the play is telling the audience 'this happened and this happened, and he did this and she did that'. Whether or not it is actually based on the Salisbury Spire, it felt like a history lesson. It is however an interesting history lesson to follow.

The two main characters, Dean Jocelin (Mark Meadows) and Roger Mason (Vincenzo Pellegrino), are the only interesting characters in the play, since they are given the most attention to by the story. Dean Jocelin decided to have the spire built after receiving what he believed was a sign from God. From the start Mark Meadows displays the character's ecstatic enthusiasm for such a daring project. The story tells how Jocelin's faith is put to the test against reason, which is voiced by Roger Mason. Vincenzo Pellegrino plays the pessimistic builder as he tells the reasons why it is impossible to build the spire on swampy grounds without strong foundations. The audience gets to see the ideas and theories he puts into use in order to accomplish the impossible. Again the audience was not engaged emotionally with the play, yet it still showed how Jocelin's life spiraled out of control as he made every effort to complete the project, to the point where he was a broken man by the end.

Once again the Salisbury Theatre has done wonders with the set design. It is bare at first, comprising of towering grey stone walls. But as the building commences parts of the stage is removed, whilst the walls reveal the construction work of the spire. This and the story were worth seeing alone, but the story and the characters were not engaging. This play was average at best and if you are interested in history then it would have been worth a Low Bargain.

The Sacred Flame Review

The Sacred Flame

Tour - The Nuffield Theatre, Southampton

The Sacred Flame is an unfamiliar play to me and Director Matthew Dunster has decided to “strip away ‘the chintz and the chaises-longues’” to bring this to the stage. I was interested in seeing this being done by the company that produced a great production of The Hypochondriac.

The play is a whodunit story with a twist, where the mystery is solved before 'Poirot' or 'Miss Marple' turns up. The play discusses the consequences that would follow a murder investigation. Even the innocent are dragged in, culminating in revelations that make for an emotionally overwhelming ending. However at times the play felt convoluted as so many themes were brought up in a short space of time.

The cast is on the whole very good. For the short amount of time he has, Jamie de Courcey was a lively, but pained, Maurice Tabret. Sarah Churm also gives a fine performance as the frank and obedient, yet kind and faithful Nurse Wayland. Robert Demeger was a jovial Major Liconda, but he gradually takes a sincere and scrutinizing role in the mystery. Margot Leicester played a caring mother as Mrs Tabret, who was slightly in a world of her own and was therefore not as shocked by events as others.

Al Nedjari was a calm and firm Doctor Harvester, but as doubts are made as to whether Maurice died of natural causes he became strained with impatience and frustration.  Beatriz Romilly was an energetic and bright Stella Tabret, who gradually breaks down and becomes terribly distressed as the plot thickens. Yet her pronunciation was rather stilted as she attempted to project a received pronunciation accent.  

With all that happens the white and sterile set of an art deco house becomes an travesty of itself. At times of tension, the overall color scheme changes strikingly. Also to ratchet up the tension a humming sound can be heard during moments when the characters reveal events from the past.

The revelations that lead up to the end is worth seeing alone, and the cast is also very good on the whole. Just expect a few convoluted moments along the way. This is worth a high Bargain

The Mousetrap Review

The Mousetrap

Tour - The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton

This is a play that has broken records during its tenure in London. One of its latest records is that it has become the most successful play at the Mayflower. It has sold an estimated 17,800 seats, with two extra matinees added to its run at the theatre. Now though, after it has lasted 60 years in London, I was looking forward to adding The Mousetrap under my belt.

A couple called Mollie and Giles Ralston (Bruno Langley and Jemma Walker) convert Monkswell Manor into a guest house, and soon the guests begin to arrive. Later they take a phone call from the police and this is followed up by the arrival of Detective Sergeant Trotter (Thomas Howes). He announces that a murder in London is connected to someone in the Manor, and the murderer is on his way. He therefore starts to interrogate the guests to find out who is connected. Eventually the guests realise that the murderer is already there and is one of them.

It was engaging to watch these different characters arrive to the house during the first act, before Detective Sergeant Trotter starts searching for a murderer. The second half however did slow down as each character took time to confess to something in their background. My companions, who did not know the plot, also thought the play slowed down.

I also felt the script was talking down to the audience by putting in the play very un-supple false leads. At the start, when the London murder announcement is made on the radio, the description of the suspect's clothing matches that of a character who comes onstage in similar clothing. I have seen moments like these before in other mysteries like the Poirot TV episodes, but it felt a bit forced in this play. I am perhaps a bit surprised that this play has lasted so long, despite the fact that this is written by the greatest whodunit writer of all time.

However this is worth seeing for the cast alone. Bruno Langley and Jemma Walker were a cheery couple of lovebirds as Giles and Mollie Ralston. Karl Howman was an eccentric Frenchman (or Belgian), whilst Steven France was quite the camp, jolly Christopher Wren, and Thomas Howes was a firm and at times forceful Sargent Trotter. I was worried that Jan Waters would overact the fuss-pot Mrs Boyle but she did well as a weary old woman who cant stand things going amiss, to the point where she was likable. Graham Seed however felt insignificant for the most part as Major Metcalf, whilst the play did not give Clare Wilkie much to do as the tom-boy, Miss Caswell.

The set was nicely detailed as the Great Hall of Monkswell Manor, with wooden paneling, medieval-esque walls, a stained window and a lit fireplace to boot. Shadows would gradually grow as nighttime fell, whilst the howling of the wind could be heard outside, adding to the atmosphere. A nice addition was the falling snow that was seen outside the window, whilst the characters would arrive with snow coated on their clothes. Also, whilst the cast of The Ladykillers struggled to make themselves heard, this cast did well to project their voices.

It was great to see this for the first time. The set was atmospheric and the cast was strong. This should be seen at a low Top Price, though one has to wonder why this production has lasted so long in the West End.

Timon of Athens Review

Timon of Athens

NT Live - Olivier Theatre, London

For me, 2012 has been quite a year in terms of Shakespeare plays. Thanks to the World Shakespeare Festival I have been able to see three of the Bard's plays for the first time. I then added a fourth at the RSC which I saw outside the festival. They have varied, one being one of my favorite productions of the year, and another being one of my least favourite productions. One of the final productions of the festival was the National Theatre's Timon of Athens, one of Shakespeare's lesser plays that is considered to be two plays in one. But how did it fare for me.

The title character is a wealthy and generous Athenian. He gives money to his patrons, who want to please him so that he will give them more. Eventually Timon discovers that he is heavily in debt, so he sends his servants to his closest friends to ask for money. When they all decline, he invites them to a feast where all he offers are disgusting substances before he flees from his house. He becomes a vagrant and curses world for what it has done to him. He soon discovers a trove of gold, which he gives away when people ask for it

The play certainly feels like it is split into two plays. What I liked about the first half of this production was its almost episodic structure, in which the audience observes different encounters between Timon and his suitors, between the suitors themselves and between other characters. Each encounter seems to become a discrete scene on its own. This allows the audience to ponder whether money buys friendship. A particular highlight occurred at the beginning when a poet, a painter, a jeweler and a merchant shows off their gifts, which they confidently expected Timon to buy, thus showing him as the patron with a bottomless purse. Timon's decline was compelling to watch as everything falls apart for both him and his followers.

The second half mostly comprises of one long scene in which Timon becomes the vagrant. Now I would like to apologise in advance that I have not being sending out my reviews sooner but the last few months have been busy. This is also affecting my opinion on this play because I had no time to read up on it beforehand and therefore had mixed feelings about the messages being conveyed. I understood the message about Timon's charitable character and whether friendship can be bought. I could see that as Timon handed out the gold during the second act, he knew that people will ask for more with nothing to give in return. Indeed when Flavia returns with the leaders of Athens, who want the gold in order to deal with the economy, one can see the sense of betrayal etched on Timon's face. However I felt that this theme of charity and friendship was over-emphasised. Other issues including the rioting and the economy were merely background issues and very underwritten whilst the issues of charity and friendship were stretched out in the second act.

This production was really relying upon the acting itself which was top-notch. Simon Russell Beale, as Timon, basked in the supposed infatuation of Timon's supporters. During the 'nasty' banquet scene he gradually transformed into a malicious lunatic. However, the second act was where Simon really shines as he becomes the dejected and embittered vagrant cursing humanity. Hilton McRae stood out as a sour Apemantus who mirrors what Timon becomes in the second act. Deborah Findlay played the faithful servant, Flavia, and it was interesting to watch her play the mother figure as she reveals her growing concerns for Timon. Timon's friends are really stereotypes of people who are hungry for money and the cast did well to present these characters.

Nicholas Hytner made every effort to make the play relevant by setting it in the present, making references to the state of the economy, the Occupy London encampment, and the London Riots. All of these issues were constantly in the background whilst Timon holds dinner parties with his friends, after opening the 'Timon Room' in the equivalent of the National Portrait Gallery. The sets were on the whole simple, which allowed objects like a large dinning table and chairs to move on and off using the Olivier Theatre's revolving stage.

This was a well acted and firm production, with great performances from Simon Russell Beale, Hilton McRae and Deborah Findlay. However I would like to see this play again and gain a better understanding which sadly I did not get from this production. Once again the production was screened on the last performance, but for newcomers to the play this would have been worth a high Bargain.

Radio Times Review

Radio Times

Tour - Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury

This was a production I was looking forward to this Autumn. With so many jukebox musicals out there, it is nice to hear some old wartime songs for a change in this Noel Gay musical, Radio Times.

The story basically follows a London wartime radio show, Variety Bandwagon, as the cast prepares a special broadcast to America. The new producer, Heathcliffe Bultitude (John Conroy), views the lax character of the show's star, Sammy Shaw (Gary Wilmot), with disdain. It does not even help that Sammy has forgotten to send in the script and security clearance to the Home Office, which could threaten to cancel the show. Despite script cuts and and the loss of the ventriloquist act, the show must go on. Sammy meanwhile must deal with Olive Carter (Vivien Carter), whom he loves, and her relationship with an old friend, Gary Strong (Michael Hobbs).

Gary Wilmot was a charming Sammy Shaw, who cheekily produces puns where ever he goes. One cannot help but enjoy the flood of jokes that come out of his mouth, some of which are older than the pyramids. John Conroy played the shows scrupulous producer, Heathcliffe Bultitude, with a calmness that rivaled Sammy's bravado well. He also does the impersonations quite well, including a moment when he told his son over the telephone the three little pigs story, which was met with a round of applause.

The cast pulls out all the stops when performing a number of familiar wartime songs, including “Run Rabbit Run”, “Hey Little Hen”, and “There’s something about a solider”. The band however was also onstage and when it was in full swing it did become difficult to hear the cast sing. Plaudits though must go to Christian Edwards as the sound technician, Jeeps, who provided the farm yard sound effects for the broadcast, even when they were not needed to the annoyance of Sammy.

Yet, the problem with this musical is that although it emphasised the "Keep calm and carry on" attitude of the cast, which kept it lively, a number of the characters and their stories felt a bit underwritten. Sara Crowe  as Sammy's lover, Olive Carter, was absent when I saw this production but her understudy, Vivien Carter, performed well in the role. However, her character's relationship with Hollywood star Gary Strong, played by Michael Hobbs, was not given enough time to develop. As a consequence both characters felt a bit bland, despite Gary Strong's gravitas as the guest star of the show. 

Elsewhere, once Heathcliffe Bultitude took over the impersonations, the rivalry between him and Sammy did not go anywhere, which was a shame because it was one of the highlights of the musical. Jeeps also had a sub-plot in which he secretly loved cast member, Amy Chapman, played by Vivien Carter's understudy, Sarah Scowen. He only gets one song at the beginning, and his dilemma is forgotten completely until the storyline re-emerges near the end.

Despite this it is quite enjoyable to watch this cast with a “Keep calm and carry on” attitude strive to put on the show with aplomb. Go and see it at a High Bargain.

Our Country's Good Review

Our Country's Good

Tour - The Nuffield Theatre, Southampton

This is a play that I studied at college but I had yet to see a production. I was excited to see this because it is produced by the original director, Max Stafford Clark, and the company, Out of Joint.

The play follows the first convicts to be transported to Australia to set up a penal colony. The Governor, Arthur Philip (John Hollingworth), wants to civilise them by putting on the first play in Australia, The Recruiting Officer. Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark (Dominic Thorburn) is made the director of the production, but he struggles to work with the troublesome convicts, as well as coping with the menacing Major Ross (Claran Owens). During the play the audience learn about the convicts background whilst seeing the effects the play has upon them

Under Max Stafford Clark's direction is a stellar cast. Dominic Thorburn made for a scrupulous Ralph Clark and as the play progressed he and Laura Dos Santos, as the reserved convict Mary Brenham, made for a lovely couple. Joining the play-within-a-play is Robert Sideway (Matthew Needham) who provides the funniest moments during the rehearsal scenes as he acts with grandiose theatrical postures. Helen Bradbury was a haughty Dabby Bryant, and her rivalry with the demented Liz Morden (Kathryn O’Reilly) is impassioned.

I was looking forward to seeing how Max Stafford Clark approaches the sub-plot between Harry Brewer (Ian Redford) and Ducking Smith (Lisa Kerr) this time. Indeed, it was interesting to watch a complex relationship between an insecure old man and a younger woman. Yet the oppressive world the convicts find themselves in appears to be toned down in this production. The first whipping scene takes place off stage, thereby losing some of the full impact of the treatment of the convicts. Also Claran Owens could have been more threatening as Major Ross.

The timber that framed the stage nicely illustrated the beginnings of a civilization. The rest of the set was  simple, apart from the backdrops that were hung from some rigging above. A temporary curtain for example establishes the setting of the play by showing a faint outline of Australia. Otherwise I did feel it was unnecessary to have the cast calling out the titles of each scene, it just seemed out of place and slightly broke up the pace.

However with a strong cast, together with the redemptive story of Our Country's Good, this is a great production that is worth seeing at a low Top Price

The Ladykillers Review

The Ladykillers

Tour - The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton

I wished that I had seen the original production after hearing some great reviews. I was therefore pleased to discover that it was going on tour and coming to the Mayflower Theatre. I could not wait to see it and for the most part I was not dissapointed.

Mrs Louisa Wilberforce (Michele Doctrice) lives in a lopsided house next to a railway.  Professor Marcus (Paul Brown) arrives to rent a room in her house together with a group of musicians. It is revealed however that the Professor and the group are a bunch of criminals. They use Mrs Wilberforce's house as a hideout and plan a heist. However complications arise after the heist when Mrs Wilberforce discovers the stolen money.

It was quite fascinating to watch Mrs Wilberforce being taken in by this gang as they plan their heist whilst making every effort to cover it up each time the little old lady comes into the room. The heist takes place by the end of the first act, after which the play becomes darker as the gang tries to kill of Mrs Wilberforce whilst killing each other in the process. By the end however it did feel as though the tension had reached it's peak too early. Perhaps the The Liverpool Playhouse and Gielgud Theatre, where the original production was staged, are smaller venues because the action did seemed dwarfed by the Mayflower Theatre, even though I was not sitting far away from the stage. By the end all the characters were doing was to walk around and shout threats into the dark. The comedy too was great, though some of the slapstick were overused.

However, the acting is worth seeing for its own sake. Michele Dotrice played an upstanding Mrs Wilberforce and conveyed the lady's despair and weariness as the tension mounts. Also playing a leading role was Paul Brown, as the eccentric but menacing Professor. The rest of the cast brought a range of characters to the production. Chris McCalphy was the dumb muscle-man, One-Round. William Troughton was the handsome yet sleazy Harry Robinson. Shaun Williamson played the brooding and threatening Louis Harvey. Clive Mantle meanwhile was a rather neurotic Major Courtney and there was a hilarious moment when he fantasises dancing with a woman in the form of one of Mrs Wilberforce's dresses.

The set which consisted of the interior of Mrs Wilberforce's house had a character all of its own,. The curtain showed the exterior of the house in what reminded me of a type of film title card. It was also cleverly used to show the heist. Parts of the main set could also move to reveal a rooftop scene. Situated next to a railway line, there is a sense of precariousness about the house. The whole set is lopsided and occasionally a passing train would send everything rattling and moving all over the place. However I was expecting this effect to increase as the tension built, but it did not happen. The structure of the house also reminds one of a birdcage, giving a sense of entrapment. Yet within a large theatre the actors did not project their voices well during the play, which added to the diminished action at the climax.

This was for the most part a funny and tense production. The cast was top-notch and there were a lot of memorable moments. This is worth seeing at a low Top Price.