BARGAIN THEATRE

AN INCIDENT AT THE BORDER

In the same way that the Finborough Theatre itself punches well above its weight in the size-to-quality ratio, An Incident At The Border successfully tackles rather a lot of humanity’s foibles in quite a short space of time.

Originally a short piece designed to fit into a lunch time, the now extended version of this play by Kieran Lynn is set in an unnamed country on the day of its independence from a neighbouring land.  Olivia (Florence Hall) and Arthur (Tom Bennett) find their romantic afternoon in the park takes an unexpected turn when the disputed new border between these nations is redrawn right through the centre of the bench on which they sit.  The border, which is being delineated in red-and-white striped parcel tape by newly appointed border guard Reiver (Marc Pickering), leaves Arthur stranded on the wrong side of the lines, with no processes for repatriation having yet been put into place by Reiver’s bureaucrat superiors.

The line between Olivia and Arthur - as they stand inches apart, but in separate countries - becomes both a physical and metaphorical border, giving rise to each of them having to decide which of their own lines they are prepared to cross for one another and how much they are prepared to risk in the process.

Tom Bennett delivers character-comedy gold as Arthur, and Bruce Guthrie’s clean and simple direction of Lynn’s script also deliver him some of the finest moments in the show.  His unwittingly frank assessment of Olivia’s conversations about her own “emotional well-being” is delivered with a bewildered and tongue-tied resignation, and his happy-go-lucky, duck-loving creation is a joy to watch throughout.

Florence Hall is a feisty Olivia, who is, at times, rather too forthright to make Arthur’s decision whether or not to cross back over the line all that hard to make.  However, her strength of will and desire to become more “involved” are a great foil to Arthur’s apathy and Reiver’s idiocy and there are some fascinating moments between Olivia and Arthur as the plot develops beyond just the tape line and forces them to consider their feelings for one another and their own ideologies.

Marc Pickering as the newly appointed border guard delivers another strong performance, balancing the vulnerability of Reiver with the newly-found sense of importance that comes with his uniform and radio.  From being the buffoon of the piece early on, there are some genuine and poignant moments of pathos as his character tries to break free and make a stand.

This play is an insightful comment on group-think, the so called political and non-political classes and the ways in which we all draw our own boundaries through life, and it is exceptionally well handled in Bruce Guthrie’s production.

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REVIEWED 23/07/12
By Jamie Read @VoiceTeacherUK
 
Sun, Mon + Tues from 22nd July to 7th Aug 2012
Finborough Theatre, London, SW10. 

VIEUX CARRE

MR KOLPERT

It’s hard to discover what Mr. Kolpert  is all about without a deep delve.  The King’s Head Theatre website is vague and general, with a hint of storyline though void of detail.  The press release likewise and the programme totally barren.  Therefore expect the unexpected must be the caveat and go with an open mind.  A large and locked trunk, placed off-centre, forms the basis of what turns out to be a black comedy translated from German.  Two couples at a dinner party, except there is no party to speak of and definitely no dinner prepared.  Cue a bewildered pizza delivery boy and much talk of a dead body.  Include lots of swearing and more than a little nudity for absolutely no reason whatever.  Throw in a game of Botticelli and you have all the ingredients.
 
This play could be funny, except director Rachel Valentine Smith has made all the characters over-act, presumably to provide emphasis in a quest for laughs.  Regrettably this strategy proves counter-productive and instead quickly becomes tedious.  It’s hard to believe in any of these folks although occasionally that matters not in comedy.  Indeed sometimes that is the very element that makes it work; John Cleese found perfection in Faulty Towers afterall, but here it falls a long way short.  Damian Lynch as the temperance architect Bastian Mole who borders on schizophrenic, for instance, certainly lays on the violence and bad temperament well but chiefly in a shocking manner rather than humorously.  Likewise, Ralf Droht (Edward Fulton), although more engagingly amusing, still somehow misses the mark.  Both try hard, but appear hindered by heavy-handed direction.  They are not helped either by a cumbersome script which relies on recycling the same few gags.  You can only laugh so many times at a misunderstood telephone conversation about a take-away pizza order for example, otherwise the joke wears a bit thin, however much it is reinvented.  Or does it?  Perhaps I’m wrong about the script, for Mr Kolpert was afterall, well received Upstairs at the Royal Court in 2000 with Richard Wilson at the helm.  
 
Violence and murder feature heavily as might be expected, but never with a wholesome sense of subtle macabre to turn this production truly black .  The resulting combination of much projectile vomiting, thrown food and copious stage blood is pretty gruesome however, but makes for a very slippery stage during the second half, causing the cast a few slips but thankfully never a fall.  My advice is not to sit in the front row with good clothes or nice shoes on and don’t even think about asking what’s in the trunk!

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REVIEWED 16/07/12
By Gareth Richardson @BargainTheatre

15th July - 5th August 2012
King’s Head Theatre, London, N1.

GATZ

Open for 23 performances and with rave reviews gushing over its sophistication, Gatz is the latest ‘must-book’ for the flush London theatre-goer.  It is not a conventional play, being an 8-hour word for word reading of the Great Gatsby, set on the stage of the Noel Coward theatre, and performed by 13 actors from the ERS theatre group of New York. Yes, 8 hours; 3 intervals.

‘But you’ve studied American Literature, you must know this?’ - so said my mother as we sat down. I explained that ‘study’ was pushing it for a term of English Literature A Level in which I read the set texts I was told to, and that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic had not come up. So I didn’t sit down to Gatz aware of the writing or the story, unlike the majority of people in that night. If you find yourself in my position, I’m afraid I can’t recommend it.

Hours pass slowly as the narrative crawls by. The pleasure of a book is that you can put it down, and the pleasure of theatre is watching people acting. Here you have a man reading a story out and fairly soon a random set of fellow office workers playing roles for people they are nothing like. To begin with the characters pop in out of the recital, but by act three they are standing about waiting for the adjectives for their behaviour to be read out. So you can’t put the book down or watch anyone acting. Not a happy medium; unless you think of mass as entertainment.

Newspaper reviewers have glowingly commented that Gatz showcases F. Scott Fitzgerald’s prose, but for me it’s more a weakness than a strength. Where the stale narration (‘he said’, ‘she said’) would so obviously be cut in a conventional adaptation, here it is not; conversely there are moments when the actors are being highly distracting on stage, causing irritation that you cannot focus. With the huge visual limitations of the dull office and the unadapted costumes, it’s hard to conjure the scenes in the story without listening accurately to the narration.

Traditonally you’d name drop some actors at this point, but I’m afraid there’s little to say. The narrator deserves praise for reading out the novel without much of a break; although his intonation and tone make concentrating tedious. The rest, well; with no acting in a conventional sense I found none made much impression. I also didn’t understand why such underwhelming acting was chosen for the role of Gatsby, for whom presumably we are supposed to care for.

Seats remained filled more than I expected as the hours passed. I suppose at £75 a throw it’s a bitter pill to swallow to conclude your time could be better spent. I must be honest in saying that after the end of act three and over six hours in, I could take no more. I was now watching people shuffle around the stage but focusing on the behaviour of the breathy man and fat sweet-sucking woman behind me, listening to the story had become a stress-inducing chore and that isn’t what either reading or going to the theatre should be about.

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REVIEWED 15/07/12
By Piero McCarthy

8th June - 15th July 2012
Noel Coward Theatre, London, WC2.

MACK AND MABEL

Is it something they put in the water in Southwark and Lambeth?  These two inner London boroughs certainly punch far greater than their weight when it comes to musical theatre at fringe venues.  A succession of quality and in some cases, award-winning productions, have formed from seeds that germinate here and the latest to join the pedigree is Mack And Mabel at Southwark Playhouse, produced by Danielle Torento.  Director Thom Southerland and choreographer Lee Proud give a feast for the eyes with a hard-working and eager cast keen to deliver.  

Norman Bowman impresses immensely.  His role as movie-maker Mack Sennett is totally believable, I bought into him from the first second and that remained with me until the last.  His strong voice, presence and posture fills the cavernous auditorium and although perhaps the story has no happy ending, he ensures the audience leave with a smile on their faces.  Laura Pitt-Pulford is the cherry on top of the sundae as Mabel Normand, the sandwich delivery girl who makes it big in silent movies after Mack spots that something special in her.  Although affinity with her character takes a short while to mature, by the time Pitt-Pulford gets to her big solo ‘Wherever He Ain’t’, she has the room hanging off every word she sings.  Aptly seeming to come from nowhere, taking everyone by surprise, just like Mabel does herself. 

Jerry Herman’s score is one of his strongest and must be a pleasure for Michael Bradley to work with as Musical Director.  A large, unseen band add to the ‘big production’ atmosphere.  There are many ensemble numbers, freshly delivered by a company that is clearly enjoying every minute, building to a crescendo with the marvellous dance number ‘Tap Your Troubles Away’ gloriously costumed in the favoured art deco gold and black of the 1920s and delightfully choreographed by Proud.  Not an easy task on the uneven and dusty concrete floor, which presents problems even with judicious use of tap boards, but nonetheless the end result is worthy of all the effort. 

This is a busy production on many levels, with a perfectly cluttered design to represent the randomness of a US movie studio.  The decision to use a wheeled step tower is inspired and adds not only height but gravity at key moments in this well-executed drama of love, fame and (lack of) fortune.  Then, of course, there are the Keysone Cops for which this musical is possibly best known.  The build up to their second act arrival is maybe the only point in the show which isn’t quite working as well as it might.  A flurry of slapstick activity immediately before the police enter doesn’t really reach the degree of amusement it could; but just as that becomes apparent in come the cops and suddenly hilarity takes over with the glorious ‘Hit ‘Em On the Head’ routine, with masterful comic timing.  Every element looks so easily delivered but you can be sure it’s taken hours to perfect. 

The combination of great music and lyrics, charming direction and crisp choreography make it a must-see for any musical theatre fan this summer.

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REVIEWED 11/07/2012
by Gareth Richardson @BargainTheatre

5th July - 25th August
Southwark Playhouse, London, SE1.

THE ORESTEIA TRILOGY OF AESCHYLUS

The last time I gave the Trojan War any thought was sat in a year 9 history lesson, so I knew that attending an open air production of The Oresteia Trilogy of Aeschylus would be an educational experience, if nothing else. 

PREVIEW: SEARCH FOR A TWITTER STAR

Who is @WestEndProducer?!

This is the question that has been circling the Twittersphere since last November, when a mysterious user started commenting about the theatrical world on the social networking site.  The anonymous tweeter has enjoyed dropping hints that he is no other than Sir Cameron Mackintosh, but according to sources Sir Cameron is not much for technology…or is this yet another ruse?  Although WEP has not been unmasked, and reportedly won’t be for a long time, Twitter’s very own Phantom has amassed over 18,000 followers in his 8 month reign.

WEP announced the online competition months ago and it has seen hundreds of entries, over 12 hours of footage submitted for the West End talent contest via YouTube.  20 men and 20 women were chosen as quarter finalists who were then voted for on Twitter to reach the semi finals 10/10.  The judges revelled in choosing a Wild Card resulting in 11 men and 11 women in the semi finals who then submitted specifically recorded songs to become 1 of 10 finalists, 5 male and 5 female. All voted for via Twitter.

The 10 finalists will now compete head to head in a live concert at the West End’s Lyric Theatre, currently home to Thriller, with singer, actor and Radio 2 presenter Aled Jones as the evening’s host.  Aled has starred in shows such as Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, he will also join Lorraine Kelly as co-host on ITV’s soon to be relaunched Daybreak.

The competition will be judged Louise Dearman, who will provide the finalists with a demonstration on solo singing, and other respected industry professionals: West End and TV Musical Director Mike Dixon, West End Agent Gemma Lowy-Hamilton and International Theatre Producer and Secret Millionaire David King.

A potential leading man and lady will be chosen by the audience and judges from the evening’s performances, who will then get to duet with West End stars Kerry Ellis and Jon Lee.

The #searchforatwitterstar LIVE finalists have attracted considerable support from the West End community with the generous donation of prizes and good luck video messages being posted daily by leading West End performers and show casts (see separate post for video).

“This is a very serious talent search - to find genuine and new theatre talent,” said @westendproducer. “It will also be a marvellous evening, and a world-first; an entire tweeting show. I’ll drink to that! #dear”

It is produced for @westendproducer by Tony Green, who is reuniting the creative team behind the recently sold-out Children of Eden gala concert - Director Drew Baker, Musical Supervisor James Draisey and Production Designer Ben M Rogers.

West End Producer will also be making an appearance, with tweets projected live throughout the show, sipping Dom accompanied by his Valjean teddy no doubt.

For tickets and more information visit: www.searchforatwitterstarlive.co.uk

 

THE ONLY TRUE HISTORY OF LIZZIE FINN

“It’s 1892. Lizzie Finn is a celebrated dancer. Charmed by a soldier returning from the war, Lizzie becomes entangled in an intense and passionate affair.”

You could have fooled me.

Shereen Martin takes the lead as Lizzie Finn, unfortunately monotone and lacking patriotic passion of the Irish. The only demonstration of her “celebrated” dancing was a few Can Can moments during the first scene. Justin Aroth as her suitable suitor Robert Gibson starts out very much the same but grows throughout to fulfil his role, though this still doesn’t light the passion between the pair.

The relationship between Jelly Jane (Lucy Black) and Finn is delightful. Jane’s departure is touching, especially the defiance to allow her emotions to take control. Penelope Beaumont as lady of the house Lucinda Gibson is accurately stern and discerning, but her curious accent confused me geographically. Andrew Jarvis as Bartholomew Grady was captivating during the second act with his small, entertaining snippets of dialogue.

Karen Grogan was most definitely the shining star here as Tilly and later Teresa. Both parts she played with equal conviction and I remember her striking a similar chord in Playboy of the Western World. From her first entrance she was energetic and engaging, commanding the audience’s attention and I found myself constantly awaiting her return.

Short scenes capture your attention but are equally disjointed, with random blackouts and time lapses. Relationship developments happen over a matter of seconds, not allowing us to invest or care.

Candles encased in jars suspended from the ceiling provide constant flickering light against a black backdrop, a nice touch to the night time scenes but not flexible enough for other scenes. One member of the audience found herself counting them, instead of watching the performance, to see if any had gone out. A set of steps reminiscent of a sea front provide the set, again not allowing much room for movement or imagination.

Don’t get me wrong, the cast are talented but the material leaves a lot to be desired. I couldn’t understand why this story attracted anyone’s attention in the first place to develop it for the stage.

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REVIEWED: 29/06/12
By Frank Butler

27th June - 29th July 2012
Southwark Playhouse, London, SE1.

LITTLE WOMEN

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is not a book I’ve read, though for some it was compulsory classic literature, force-fed by sage school-mistresses or old maiden aunts.  Neither am I overly familiar with the compositional work of Steven Luke Walker.  However, the lure of a cast brimming with West End credits and the interesting prospect of hearing a new musical in the making proved more than ample temptation to venture into town.  There have been two previous musical adaptations of the story with varying degrees of critical success so this would clearly not be an easy nut to crack.
 
Set around 1876 in New England during the American Civil War, the plot centres around the growth of four sisters Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth, into young women.  Their lives and loves, happiness and heartaches provide a wealthy source for the lyricist and composer to pen a total of twenty two contemporary songs over two acts.  The trick though has been to introduce a sympathetically modern musical style to the Victorian tale, while retaining the nostalgic yesteryear appeal of period drama.  This is Walker’s stated objective and he has achieved it charmingly.
 
From the very beginning, an opening Christmas carol ensemble piece, I was won over.  Of course, these are still comparatively early days and the varied score is not perfect but it is hugely enjoyable and was generally well received by an enthusiastic audience.  The first act is perhaps a little long but includes some beautiful songs including a stunning duet ‘Sometimes’ sung by Sarah Lark and Nikki Davis-Jones and the gorgeously buoyant ‘First Impressions’ presented in true Julie Andrews, Mary Poppins style by Helena Blackman to great appreciation.  

The somewhat shorter second act offers more musical delights, particularly in the form of a lullaby, sung with clear and heartfelt emotion by Shona Lindsay, Gina Beck and Nikki Davis-Jones.  The men (Norman Bowman, Daniel Boys and Jon Robins) delight too with the humourous and lyric-rich parody ‘Women’. An ensemble choir of nineteen members from the Guildford School of Acting, competently led by an impressive sounding Maeve Byrne closed the show with ‘Once More’
 
Fittingly, given that the four sisters were raised alone by their mother Marmee, while their father was away at war, the evening raised funds for the Gingerbread Organisation which supports single parent families.

With a score brimming with good melodies and clever lyrics, this is a work crying out for a fully staged production.  With luck and a fair wind, it would be marvellous to see Little Women grow.

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REVIEWED: 24/06/12
By Gareth Richardson

Presented in concert on 24th July 2012 only.
Playhouse Theatre, London, WC2.

THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET

Following on from the successes of Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered and Classic Moments, Hidden Treasures at the same venue, director Tim McArthur’s third summer musical revue at Jermyn Street puts the work of Oscar and Emmy award-winning lyricist Dorothy Fields firmly in the spotlight with an impressive all-female West End cast.  Over thirty of her best songs from a career spanning five decades are loosely tagged to a story set in a pink hairdressing salon, which connects the daily lives of all five girls.  

Rosemary Ashe thrills with solos including ‘Blue Again’, ‘He Had A Refinement’ and the lovely music-hall-esque ‘A Lady Needs A Change’; she very much sets the standard.  Leanne Jones adds flair of her own though, with ‘Lovely To Look At’ and ‘Remind Me’, while Shona White’s ‘Make The Man Love Me’ is a passionately portrayed highlight.  When joined by Helen Hobson and Jane Milligan, the show really chimes as the company assemble for classic numbers such as Sweet Charity’s ‘Something Better Than This’, ‘If They Could See Me Now’ and ‘A Fine Romance’ from the movie Swingtime.  If barber shops had female quintets, I guess this would be among the best sounding.  A top hat and cane finale provides a fitting close to the sung-through presentation and allows the audience a great excuse to release their pent-up applause at curtain call.

Single piano accompaniment is perfect in such a compact venue, played brightly by musical director Sarah Travis who doubles as the salon’s feather-duster waving cleaner and even sings a few lines of her own as the evening progresses, the bubbly starts to flow and the ladies get merry.

This entertaining production both looks and sounds delightful.  If there’s a fault, it’s in relation to the hairdressing concept which is rather weak, and in that regard it’s no shampoo but lots of set (David Shield’s detailed design and costumes have a central theme, everything’s pink and it works well).  However, that is a minor matter which is amply offset by the very talented cast who provide a fitting tribute to the lady who, from very humble beginnings, left a songbook legacy that richly deserves the fresh look that this production affords it.

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REVIEWED: 21/06/12
By Gareth Richardson @BargainTheatre
 
19th June - 7th July 2012
Jermyn Street Theatre, London, SW1.

LITTLE WOMEN: IN CONCERT

Ten West End performers including two witches, one Nancy, an illegitimate French child and the mother of a dirty dancer will transport Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women from Orchard House, Massachusetts to London’s Playhouse Theatre.

Steven Luke Walker’s musical adaption will be hosted by theatre critic Mark Shenton, directed by Nicola Samer, associate director to The Ladykillers and produced by, up and coming director and producer, Paul Taylor-Mills.

The performance is musically directed by Niall Bailey with a cast led by Gina Beck, Nikki Davis-Jones, Sarah Lark, Lisa-Anne Wood and Shona Lindsay with guest appearance from Samantha Barks. The cast will be supported by a specially formed GSA ensemble.

Little Women is a much loved and respected story of domesticity, work and sisterly affection with a score that Nicola Samer believes brings it “into the modern world whilst retaining a classic musical theatre sound…[and] anyone who comes to see this concert will be able to relate with one of the characters”.

The one off performance is in aid of The Gingerbread Charity who support single parent families.

“Everyone has their own Little Women story.”
Nicola Samer

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Book tickets here: http://www.atgtickets.com/Little-Women-Tickets/15/3534/
Or call: 0844 871 7631

June 24th 2012
Playhouse Theatre, London, WC2.

THE HISTORY BOYS

Having seen both the National Theatre UK Tour and the West Yorkshire Playhouse productions of The History Boys, I couldn’t help but have high expectations when I arrived at the Greenwich Theatre Sell a Door’s version. I am sad to say this production did not live up to my high expectations and I felt it made one of Alan Bennett’s greatest works into a very laboured affair. I should probably make no secret of the fact that The History Boys is one of my favourite plays and so I may be more easily disappointed than others. But the fact is, I was disappointed.

The script itself is an actor’s dream with endless witty one liners, fierce debates and above all, wonderfully crafted characters but unfortunately it seemed this cast just did not take advantage of Bennett’s writing and just trundled along at a pace that can only be described as a slow fizzle. As always there are exceptions and today it was Amanda Reed as Mrs Lintott who brought the script to life – although it is interesting to note that she did play the same role in the West End transfer and UK tour.  As a group ‘the history boys’ were charming enough but the majority of the characters lacked personal depth. I spent most of the time willing Chris Aukett in particular to make much more of his role as Timms – the part played by James Corden in the original production. Credit absolutely must be given to Lawrence Murphy who had clearly done the leg work in making his performance as Posner go that extra mile. He created some very touching moments as the gay Jew from Sheffield (Bennett’s words – not mine!)

As eccentric English teacher Hector, Richard Rycroft approached the part with a much harsher tone than I had seen it played before. At times this worked but the role also demands a great sensitivity which allows the audience to see the relationship between teacher and student develop and flourish – a sensitivity that Rycroft didn’t have. It was for this reason that I was left feeling very cold at the end of this production. Rycroft made Hector seem like just any old teacher: something the character certainly is not.

In the play’s second act, Rudge (Alasdair Hankinson) boldly claims that history is “just one fucking thing after another” and despite the line gaining a few laughs from the audience, I couldn’t help but feel it was also reflecting my feelings towards the production as the last few scenes became somewhat monotonous. My guest actually turned to me and asked if it was nearly over.  There was little creativity in the direction and there is only so many times an audience can watch a group of boys troop on and off stage through a door or see the Headmaster trying to squeeze around the edge of the set to sit in one of the two chairs which were meant to represent the staff room.  Despite a few glimmers of life, The History Boys made for a very disappointing evening of theatre.

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REVIEWED: 19/06/12
By David Coverdale

18th - 24th June 2012
Greenwich Theatre, London, SE10. 

SPINACH