All posts by Edward Lukes

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“It Happened in Key West” at the Charing Cross Theatre

If you are going to base a musical on a true story, it makes sense to choose an incredible one. Jill Santoriello, Jason Huza and Jeremiah James, who co-wrote the book for this new show, picked the you-couldn’t-make-it-up story of Count Carl von Casel. Shipwrecked off Cuba, although unqualified he treated a young girl for tuberculosis, dug her up after she died, “married” her, then lived with her body for seven years. At her request. You really can try to make a show out of anything and the result of such bravado here is intriguingly insane and often entertaining.

Santoriello’s score makes us, for the most part, forget how icky the whole thing is. But the unashamed romanticism of the music, while pleasant, makes the love affair a little dull. And very old fashioned. The piece may start in the 1930s but with such an off-beat story you might expect more musical quirks – such a crazy tale needs to be madder overall. When it comes to the comic implications of the scenario, the show gets better (and the lyrics, by Santoriello with Huza, improve immeasurably). There are several jolly moments and even some jazz hands.

It’s an irony that the show doesn’t have enough life. Several subplots appear and are killed off: a scientific rival for the Count and a mercenary sister for his love – throw ‘em a song please. While a tight-knit community is part of the plot, there’s little sense of the titular location. Frustratingly, a device is present – a group of local troubadours – but isn’t exploited enough. The celebrity that Von Casel suffers upon exposure, with locals seeing the chance to make money from the story, is a highlight, until the satire is traded for sentimentality. Efforts to make the show moving are valiant if misguided. But the biggest problem is with our heroine, Elena. To be clear, Alyssa Martyn is great in the part, sounding super, smiling and simpering with the best of them. But this character, who would endanger Alison Bechdel’s health, is dead on arrival and doesn’t get any better in the afterlife.

So, we are left with the story of the Count and, thankfully, that’s an interesting one. Eccentrics can get away with a lot… although maybe not making life-size dolls of dead women. And it’s a great move to make sure Carl never realises how strange he is. Far too much rests on the lead, but the production is blessed with the casting of Wade McCollum. In fine voice, with excellent comic skills, he manages to make you feel for this wannabe Frankenstein, despite everything. McCollum has terrific stage presence and effortlessly propels us over the show’s flaws. Come for the crazy, stay for the star.

Until 18 August 2018

www.charingcrosstheatre.co.uk

Photo by Darren Bell

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“The Unnatural Tragedy” at the White Bear Theatre

As the recovery of lost classics go, director Graham Watts’ new production is a coup. Written by the fascinating Margaret Cavendish in 1662, and only now receiving a première, it should be on a ‘to see’ list for anyone interested in theatrical history as well as writing by women.

The play itself is more than a little mad. There are two tales that create a bizarre mix, presented in short scenes that make the play feel startlingly modern. There are the unhappy marriages of Monsieur Malateste: first to his “good natured wife”, obedient to a fault, then with his viduity ruined by a new free-spirited partner. The latter provides a fascinating part for Madeleine Hutchins in fine comic form, and manages to deflate the rather didactic tones that prevail. Then there is an incestuous affair between a brother and his reluctant sister, with strong performances from Jack Ayres and Alice Welby, as full of argument as angst. So we have a Restoration comedy, of sorts, butting against a spin on Jacobean tragedy (with suicides rather than murders) in a mashed-up fashion that the bravest of post-moderns would quake at.

It gets stranger. A group of “sociable virgins” discourse between scenes, forming a kind of single-sex Decameron, overtly playing with ideas on gender, politics and art. Questions about natural law versus society are never far away throughout the play and it is hard not to view them as heavy-handed. It’s testament to Watts’ skill that these scenes play so light – presenting the virgins as schoolgirls is the most obviously clever move. Hutchins and Phebe Alys cross over into the main stories, but their companions Lily Donovan and Eleanor Nawal also manage to impress in these scenes. Oh, and two narrator characters join the audience to debate, yet further, opinions on marriage and whether a woman can write a play! Again, credit to the performers who see how engaging the scenes should be; Charlotte Monkhouse and James Sanderson do an excellent job here and with the other roles they are called on to perform.

With plenty of peculiar (dare we say flat?) roles, Watts shows his formidable skills. Handling the eccentricities of the text is truly expert. The disturbing passions, so well portrayed by Ayres and Welby, are made chilling. Cavendish’s wit is clear enough, but Watt’s coaxing of the humour still deserves praise: he brings out the drollery not just with well-applied modern touches, and clever framing of scenes, but by engaging with the arguments respectfully. All in all, an intelligent production of a difficult piece so crammed full of incident and intellect it needs to be seen to be believed.

Until 21 July 2018

www.whitebeartheatre.co.uk

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“For King and Country” at the Southwark Playhouse

Dilated Theatre’s production of John Wilson’s 1964 play is timely in two ways. The story of a soldier on trial for desertion, it’s a thought-provoking commemoration of World War I during this anniversary year. And, since hindsight tells us many such cases were surely victims of PTSD, staging the play at a time when awareness of mental health is increasing means that a pretty standard court room drama provides input into a topical concern.

The play stages a conventional legal battle, but one that is well written and that director Paul Tomlinson does justice to, with some flashbacks of fighting to inject energy and well-used music. Extra tension comes as defence lawyer Lieutenant Hargreaves plays the “dangerous game” of defending Private Hamp, who left his post, although he has no explanation of why. Will the case save a life or set a precedent that will damage the Army and the war effort?

The lead roles make excellent showcases. Lloyd Everitt is the perfect English gent as the sensitive advocate with a stiff upper lip. And Adam Lawrence, who plays Hamp, carries off the tricky job of making him believable. There can’t be many people so incapable of lying. There’s a fine ensemble, each of whom Tomlinson gets solid work from, and just enough nuance for each character.

One thing that is different about the piece is the role of religion, with faith a questioning force for good that matches Hargreaves’ more secular viewpoint. Indeed, religion takes over, becoming a genuine moral compass that orientates the play. It’s a lot for Eugene Simon in the role of the Padre to shoulder, but he puts on an impressive show, adding plenty of emotion to the arguments and power to the text’s most original feature.

Until 21 July 2018

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Photo by Alex Brenner

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“Flesh and Bone” at the Soho Theatre

I’ve a soft spot for verse plays, so am predisposed to the “Shakespeare-inspired lyricism” in Elliot Warren’s piece about the poor in contemporary London. Such overt poeticising isn’t to all tastes, which makes it heartening to see audiences love the award-winning Flesh and Bone – making the piece literally exceptional.

Bluntly, Warren plays with syntax, adds choice quotes and puts in a lot of ‘eths. The language is blue, as well as purplish, and the invective needs to be more inventive. But you can tell the technique is well employed as it never gets tired. A gimmick? I guess. But the aim is to make us reconsider poverty and petty crime, class and gentrification, anew and the result is confrontational as well as entertaining.

Warren, with co-director and co-actor Olivia Brady (also credited with the story’s creation) have starred in a production of Steven Berkoff’s East and the influence is clear. Anthony Burgess springs to mind, with Warren’s character of Terrence reminiscent of a droog. And a scene of fighting with rats might have Philip Ridley as a source. All great stuff and well used.

You might want more plot, or at least more original story lines. Instead Flesh and Bone boasts strong monologues that have been shared out with equanimity… maybe to a fault. But all the cast members get a chance to shine.

Warren and Brady star as an onstage couple with terrific chemistry. Her role is the weakest written but the performance compensates. Similarly, strong turns from Michael Jinks and Nick T Frost, as family members, disguise that depth of character comes from skilful sleights of hand: the sex lives of both men shouldn’t really surprise us but, just in case, I won’t be a plot spoiler. The character of their neighbour Jamal is more interesting (his scene, entitled ‘Hellfire’, is one of many that makes this a script to buy) and Alessandro Babalola steals the show in the role, using his remarkable physicality and vocal skills to great effect. When the action itself isn’t original, Warren and Brady’s direction kicks in. There are few props and no scenery. Instead, the cast – working together brilliantly – shape the stage remarkably. This is first-class choreography.

Tackling the topic of inequality unfortunately results in political naivety. A sense of paranoia isn’t hard to spot. It pains me to write so contrary to the author’s intentions, but the characters are cast as victims. And yet, while the aim of giving voice to a class often denied one isn’t overwhelmingly successful, the attempt is more than laudable. These voices are alive, lusty and exciting… as well as thought-provoking. And the result is a show that’s a five star treat.

Until 21 July 2018

www.sohotheatre.com

Photo by Owen Baker

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“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Wilton’s Music Hall

The Faction theatre company wastes no time with its new production of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy. Tamarin McGinley’s brilliant Hippolyta is imprisoned in a ring created by her fellow cast members and snarls at her soon-to-be husband Theseus – he wooed with his sword, after all! The startling depiction of their relationship shows a skill at interpreting the text. And the method of using the actors’ bodies rather than props as a cage shows off a signature physical style. Setting out its stall from the get go, this production excites from the very beginning.

Christopher Hughes as Bottom
Christopher Hughes as Bottom

Director Mark Leipacher is well aware that the course of true love isn’t supposed to run smooth and injects a tension into the romantic turmoil of the play. When it comes to the Athenian workmen, preparing a play of their own for the nuptial celebrations, the company does just as well with the play’s comedy. Led by Christopher Hughes as Bottom, in blissfully funny thespian form, the transformation into an ass has the cast taking turns as his ears and tail. It’s surprisingly effective and shockingly… sexy. Again, there is an attention to the text that shows an underlying intelligence: this is the first time I’ve been interested in the scene when Bottom is introduced to his fairy attendants.

Physicality is pushed to an extreme at times: the four Athenian lovers, interfered with by magic, end up wrestling one another in the woods – it’s brilliantly done, but you do lose some lines. And with only eight in the cast, the normal doubling of roles becomes a tripling and leads to a truncated finale that loses the witty commentary from those usually watching the show (since the same actors are performing it). But it’s a thrill to see every role embraced by each performer, especially Christopher York, who gets full comic potential out of a trio of parts.

It should be pointed out that a knowledge of the play helps, especially when it comes to the scene changes, crafted using sound and light by Ben Jacobs and Yaiza Varona, respectively – they are beautiful, but might not aid comprehension enough. But the production is full of rewards, with Richard James Neale’s direction of movement continually fascinating and Leipacher’s engagement with the text consistently intelligent. Combined, this is a winning offer and I think it’s magic.

Until 30 June 2018

www.wiltons.org.uk

Photo by The Other Richard

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“The Tempest” at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden

Congratulations to Iris Theatre, which celebrates ten years of its summer season at ‘The Actors’ Church’. For 2018 its family show, The Three Musketeers, starts on 2 August, while its annual Shakespeare offering is the story of Prospero wielding his magical powers to reclaim his usurped Dukedom. The production shows the company’s strengths: accessible, solidly crafted, engaging shows that fully exploit this venue’s charms.

It is laudable that a decade on director Daniel Winder still wants a challenge: The Tempest is a tricky text with a lot of ink spilt over it. The play’s oddities aren’t shied away from here; programme notes suggest it’s a response by Shakespeare to court masques, those peculiar entertainments designed by Inigo Jones, who also built St Paul’s. But what seems serendipitous on paper isn’t elevated on to the stage: the masque within the play, performed inside the magnificent church, is too far from the “majestic vision” described.

There are other problems, too. Anna Sances’ costume designs are intelligent but need more budget in execution. Candida Caldicot’s musical compositions are good, the cast’s vocals superb, but background music (and noises) are an odd, sometimes overpowering, mix.
Flashy touches thankfully don’t detract from the production’s strong base. Winder knows what he is doing and gets a huge amount from his small cast. There are only seven performers here – acting their hearts out – and, if there are mixed results a lot of the blame rests with the comedy. There’s a sound effort made by Paul Brendan and Reginald Edwards in the roles of drunken Trinculo and Stephano, but I’ve never seen the scenes get that many laughs. There is strong work from Prince Plockey as Caliban and a particularly impressive Antonio.

Underpinning the show is a classy performance from Jamie Newall as Prospero, who is a joy to hear. But the evening belongs to Charlotte Christensen as Ariel. With her total commitment to the role, alongside a stunning singing voice, Christensen brings out a sense of wonder and sensitive confusion. There is a quality of fragility and questioning, as well as power that is lacking in the rest of the production. Nonetheless, while Winder’s ambition doesn’t always pay off, his confident show safely pulls through.

Until 28 July 2018

www.iristheatre.com

Photo by Nick Rutter

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“Lonely Planet” at the Trafalgar Studios

Steven Dietz’s 1993 play is a moving story of the AIDS crisis that works hard to provide an original perspective into the tragedy. It’s a quiet two-hander, understated to a fault, which focuses on friends rather than lovers, with a strong poetic vein that makes it elegiac and thoughtful.

Carl and Jody use make believe to protect themselves from the world outside the map shop that the play is wholly set in. Carl pretends he has the jobs of friends who have died while he mysteriously collects old chairs. Jody lies about having an HIV test. Both men use fantasy entirely transparently so, when truths escape, they have a haunting quality.

There’s whimsy in Dietz’s script that increases its novelty. Inspiration for the humour is credited to Eugène Ionesco (he wrote Les Chaises, read by both characters) and another similarity comes with an aversion to exposition. Both are factors that can excite but also create frustrations – if you come to the play cold it would take a while to work out what is going on. But Ian Brown’s direction appreciates the show’s delicate tone: his sympathetic approach and control increasing its credibility.

Dietz’s dialogue is nimble. There are plenty of ear-catching moments such as Carl’s “3am thoughts” or his questioning “the worth of me”. But the metaphors are uncomfortable: those chairs again I am afraid, each taken from the house clearance of a departed friend. And Jody’s ruminations on maps, with cartographers deciding on “acceptable distortions”. It’s all far too heavy handed.

Thankfully, the characters prove a saving grace for Lonely Planet. Reprising roles from the production’s première at the Tabard Theatre last year, Alexander McMorran plays Jody and Aaron Vodovoz is Carl. The performers’ close studies do the roles justice, propelling the script through some shaky moments. Just as their relationship is intriguing, both men are personalities you warm to and would like to know better. These are gay men who are proud, if not loud, and given authentic voices with interesting things to say.

Until 7 July 2018

www.atgtickets.com

Photo by Richard Hubert Smith

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“Consent” at the Harold Pinter Theatre

Nina Raine’s play, a hit transfer from the National Theatre, is exciting new writing. The crafted yet uncontrived piece illustrates how much a talented author can juggle, and Consent is a play full of seemingly contradictory qualities that combine into great theatre.

The plot is a too-simple story of infidelities – a pretty tried and tired topic – as a group of friends, mostly lawyers, make a mess of their marriages. But their motivations, and how their lives change, give the story complexity. It’s essentially a talking heads piece, set around drinks parties and a courtroom drama, but it bristles with an unnerving dynamism.

The theatricality of the law is a blunt point, frequently made, but Raine treats it with finesse. Are the characters’ careers a toxic pollutant of their private lives? Or are the successful barristers closer to their clients than they – or we – would like to think? Raine challenges her – let’s face it – middle-class audience in a sophisticated fashion, laying bare some pretty tawdry emotions with sophistication.

The play couldn’t be more topical. The discussions around consensual sex are only a part of it: the work-life balance of these high flyers is in the news, including their drug abuse, while the obsession with property – and sofas – is tiresomely recognisable. Opposed to this, the battles between the sexes and the classes that Raine highlights makes a claim to be universal: Greek theatre is in the background and makes a fascinating parallel to her work.

Consent is a think piece, cerebral to a fault, with discussions about justice, guilt, repentance and atonement. Yet the play is as emotionally intense as you could wish, with broken hearts all around and characters driven to crazed revenge.

As you might expect with so many abstract ideas, this is serious stuff. But (another contradiction) the play is full of great laughs. Not just dark humour, either – some of the jokes are surprisingly childish and it’s a shock to hear laughs so close to such dark subject matter.

Heather Craney and Stephen Campbell Moore 

The strong material is meat and drink to the talented cast. Stephen Campbell Moore and and Claudie Blakley are superb as the leading couple Edward and Kitty. There’s strong support from Adam James and Sian Clifford as their friends, while Heather Craney takes two roles with equal assurance. A final accolade goes to director Roger Michell, who tackles Raine’s superb text with such assurance. He’s bold enough to bring out all the tension and subtle enough to show each complexity.

Until 11 August 2018

www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

Photo by Johan Persson

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“The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives” at the Arcola Theatre

This theatrical trip to Nigeria, via Dalston, comes courtesy of Rotimi Babatunde’s adaptation of Lola Shoneyin’s prize-winning novel. It’s the story of Bolanle, played with precision by Marcy Dolapo Oni, who becomes the titular patriarch’s fourth spouse and inadvertently exposes a conspiracy that has shaped many lives. The story is dramatic but proves surprisingly funny, with a frank sense of humour that makes the show stand out.

Bolale’s “fellow inmates” in Baba Segei’s house are a terrific – in many senses of the word – trio. Taking seniority, there’s an unforgettable performance from Jumoké Fashola as the formidable first wife. Joined by Christine Oshunniyi and Layo-Christina Akinlude, all three define their characters with clarity and make the most of powerful monologues that deserve close study. Doubling roles, they join an ensemble that spoils the audience for talent, including a scene-stealing performance from Diana Yekinni.

Not only do the performers transport us to a very different world – they also sound great. As well as driving the plot with forceful direction, Femi Elufowoju Jr is the production’s musical director, and he infuses the show with sound. I’ve no knowledge of African music but it’s wonderful to hear emotion on stage mirrored with such dramatic efficacy.

But what of Baba Segi himself? The play revolves around him and provides a tremendous role for the appropriately charismatic Patrice Naiambana. A polygamist who is offered wives by desperate families and who values women on whether or not they can provide him with children is not instantly appealing. Using the audience’s incredulity about the character’s ignorance gets some great laughs. And the way he is manipulated by women becomes a source of satisfaction. In my own ignorance of African theatre, one reference point is Restoration Comedy – this show is every bit as funny as the best of them. But there is a more serious approach to character here and, underneath the jokes at his expense, Naiambana still makes you care for the man. As Bolanle says, you may not miss Baba Segi himself when you leave, but you won’t forget him and you will remember this play with fondness.

Until 21 July 2018

www.arcolatheatre.com

Photo by Idil Sukan

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“Flutter” at the Soho Theatre

Unlike plenty of pastimes, arguably including going to the theatre, gambling appeals to all ages and social groups. So a high-street betting shop has great potential as a location for drama, which Justin Hopper’s play utilises fully, if without sufficient focus. Flutter does, inevitably, deal with the topic of compulsive gambling. But its strength lies in showing a cross-section of society drawn to an unusual kind of community centre – which might make you think twice when you walk past a Ladbrokes again.

The play is predictable. Even big twists can be seen coming a long way off. There’s an interesting theme trying to get out, with several characters stuck in habits and in thrall to tradition, while betting on what might happen in the future frightens them. Rather than exploring this, Hopper develops a pedestrian drama, albeit one full of events and comedy. Flutter never quite runs smoothly enough and, regrettably, Gavin Dent’s direction doesn’t make the going any fairer, with fits and starts that are awkward.

Hopper’s crafting of characters is good, though. And Dent has produced strong work from his cast. Nicken Kotak and Abby Cassidy do well as young lovers with a storyline that’s too compressed. Shango Baku captivates as elderly regular Yankee Bob, while Richie Donaldson and Greg Snowden both play troubled characters with winning style. The storylines aren’t well developed but the characters themselves convince. Leading the way, with a modest tale of mature love, are Antonia Kemi Coker as the shop’s manager, and Mark Keegan as her most loyal punter, Dennis. Theirs is a long-standing affection waiting to blossom – admittedly sentimental but believable and moving. With them, the play’s qualities – likeable personalities and effective performances – coalesce, making it odds on you will enjoy the show.

Until 16 June 2018

www.sohotheatre.com

Photo by JMK Productions