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“Dancing at Lughnasa” at the National Theatre

Framed around the childhood of a narrator we take to be the playwright, Brian Friel’s award-winning 1990 play is a powerfully subtle piece about memory. We see the frustrated lives of an unmarried mother and her four spinster sisters in 1930s rural Ireland. Beneath mundane details are suggestions of what these women really felt and glimpses of what they wished for.

Running parallel to events, ruminations on recollection itself are exquisitely delivered by Tom Vauhgan-Lawlor, who plays this all-important narrator. It’s clear that this vision of the past is about emotion rather than action. We shouldn’t trust what we see (although note how tempting it is to do so), not because we are being misled but since so much is unknown. The tone is melancholic, despite many moments of affection and joy. 

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Tom Vaughan-Lawlor

The pace set by director Josie Rourke is appropriately calm. During almost three hours little happens (and ‘big’ events are always off stage). It is the characters who are enthralling with every detail worthy of attention. What we get are snatches remembered from youth – riddles, toys and jokes or arguments that impress themselves on a child – small moments, but vivid.

There are larger themes in Dancing at Lughnasa – big changes in Irish politics and society, with the theme of emigration regularly infringing on life – and Rourke carefully follows Friel’s lead to handle these, mostly, lightly. An exception is Father Jack, a brother who has returned from missionary work having ‘gone native’. The link to the play’s wider pagan themes is stated rather than explored, an unusual misstep, which leaves Ardal O’Hanlon somewhat wasted in the role.

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Siobhan McSweeney Ardal OHanlon and Justine Mitchell

The detail in the writing is captured in a set of strong performances with each actor having to portray frustrations felt as well as a sense of opportunities lost. Our narrator’s mother, played by Alison Oliver, is appropriately to the fore. Her siblings – Justine Mitchell, Louisa Harland, and Bláithín Mac Gabhann – are excellent. These are restrained women, with the weight of the world on their shoulders, which makes any escapism potent. Feel free to pick your favourite although it is hard not to highlight Siobhán McSweeney’s comedy skills as the fifth sister. Her character is described as “light-hearted”, but it is the moments when her smile slips that are most powerful.

There is much unsaid in Dancing at Lughnasa, with plenty of the communication being non-verbal. It turns out that the summer of 1936 was the last time that the family were all together (typically, we don’t see this dramatic split). Is it the time or the memory that comes to be described as “alluring and mesmeric”? Either way, those are responses that the audience comes to share with the narrator. As with time lost and memories themselves, the play lingers in the mind.

Until 27 May 2023

www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

Photos by Johan Persson

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“The Circle” at the Orange Tree Theatre

If Somerset Maugham’s work as a playwright is unfairly neglected, as director Tom Littler suggests, this revival of a play from 1921 should create a lot of interest. The piece is superbly crafted and hugely entertaining – I haven’t laughed so much in a theatre for a long time. And the production is excellent; overflowing with talent, it is a tribute to the text.

The Circle is a relatively simple drawing room drama, albeit expertly explicated. The scandalous Lady Kitty, who eloped with Lord Hughie, returns home to see her abandoned son, Arnold, but has to deal with her husband Clive hanging around. While aristocratic manners downplay the drama, Maugham ups the stakes with the threat that history is about to repeat itself – Arnold’s wife, Elizabeth, has fallen in love with a house guest called Teddie.

The joy of the play comes with the comedy – the script is full of acerbic observations that are funny while creating tension. And every line is delivered to perfection. Much of the bile comes from the cuckolded Clive and taking the role, Clive Francis hides the character’s spite under an air of sophistication that is a twisted pleasure to behold.

After so many years together, Kitty and Hughie have suffered and squabble – which Clive is “excessively amused” by. The scenes of bickering are performed to perfection by Jane Asher and Nicholas Le Prevost. Asher is brilliant at suggesting wounded vanity while even grunts from Le Provost get giggles. The three bring an air of insouciance to the play that makes The Circle delicious and dramatic.

Admittedly, the fun peaks at the interval. The division between Kitty as a Mother or a Woman is made moving by Asher, her character explains she has attended “a bitter school”, but is overstated. And Maugham takes Arnold’s marriage and the predicament of the younger characters a little more seriously than many, nowadays, might. Clive’s plot to help his son isn’t just silly, it is transparent and it jars with what we have seen of young Elizabeth who is a satisfying character. Still, the will-they-won’t-they run away scenario is smartly handled and ambiguous emotions provide depth.

There’s a second trio of performances to enjoy: Pete Ashmore as Arnold, Olivia Vinall as Elizabeth and Chirag Benedict Lobo as Teddie make a love triangle that is convincing with neat comic touches. It is to Littler’s credit that he respects seriousness in these scenes; surely there was the temptation to play looser and carry on the fun? The central idea, that “the tragedy of love is indifference”, is preserved. If The Circle’s conclusion doesn’t quite convince, the revival itself is excellent. And with performances so accomplished, the show left me wanting more Maugham.

Until 17 June 2023

www.orangetreetheatre.com

Photo by Ellie Kurttz

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“We Need New Names” at Brixton House

The first new names in Mufaro Makubika’s adaptation of NoViolet Bulawayo’s acclaimed novel come with children playing – a group of friends take on different identities for their games. The strong theatrical conceit, performed with conviction, elevates this coming-of-age story set in Zimbabwe. And the play gets better and better.

The cast perform as youths with a girl called Darling and her friends singing, laughing, and bickering. Director Monique Touko keeps the energy high and the mood light. The action is swift with lots of movement. But these games make an audience think too as the kids come across a suicide, chase after aid, or witness violence.

Darling has a sense of hope, depicted brilliantly by Lukwesa Mwamba, that pervades the playground scenes. The prospect of a move to America, for “pizza and Rhianna”, make her different. Mwamba brings her character’s charm, petulance, and courage to the stage and is ably accompanied by five other cast members.

The play packs more punch when we see Darling in Detroit. It may be depressingly predictable that her new life is hard. But Bulawayo brings emotional insight that Makubika makes strong drama from. More music, with original compositions from Tendai Humphrey Sitima, aids immeasurably.

A pincer movement punishes Darling who has trouble fitting in with new friends while becoming estranged from life back home. Relationships with an aunt and a grandfather figure are highlights, enhancing the focus on Darling’s experiences as a woman, bringing strong performances from Princess Khumalo and Kalungi Ssebandeke.

There is pressure for Darling to change her name to something “more” American. The dilemma is heart-wrenching, especially as we watch the predicament dawn on the innocent girl. It is Mwamba’s meticulous performance that grounds the show and makes the production special. Embodying a description of the character as “sunshine”, Mwamba makes the show’s strongest moments.

Until 6 May 2023 at Brixton House and then touring until 10 June 2023

Photo by Robert Day

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“Dixon and Daughters” at the National Theatre

Theatre doesn’t get harder hitting than this. Director Róisín McBrinn and playwright Deborah Bruce have worked with the show’s co-producer Clean Break, a women’s theatre company that focuses on the criminal justice system. As a story of how that system impacts on traumatised lives, Dixon and Daughters is intense, provocative and powerful.

The insights gained from in-depth research have led to a script with unquestionable authenticity – which doesn’t make Dixon and Daughters easy to watch. No fewer than six women, five from the same family, show the complexity of abuse. What has happened to them isn’t easy to think about, let alone watch. Bruce charts how past events have shaped lives and endanger futures.

Exploring reactions to abuse proves profound. First, there is denial – we meet Mary, the mother of the family, on her return from prison, incarcerated for perverting the course of justice in a case against her husband. Bríd Brennan’s performance in the role is flawless, with plenty of twisted logic and perverse outrage convincingly depicted. When Mary confronts the truth, Brennan gives a raw performance that is painful to see.

Mary’s daughters Julie and Bernie (further excellent performances from Andrea Lowe and Liz White, respectively) share some of this wish for silence, but their trauma is clearer to see. Julie has become an alcoholic in another abusive relationship. Bernie focuses on her daughter Ella (Yazmin Kayani), who has her own story to tell about the pervasiveness of male power.

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Posy Sterling with Bríd Brennan, Liz White and Andrea Lowe in the background

Ella is joined by a woman called Leigh, who Mary met in prison. This extremely damaged character is vividly portrayed by Posy Sterling – she is frightening and heart-rending. And (of course) Leigh is a victim of abuse herself. In this substitute daughter for Mary, Bruce balances frustration and compassion, which serves as an example of how complex the relationships in her play are.

“Make peace or make trouble”

Mary, Julie, and Bernie juggle with the decision to “make peace or make trouble”, with fear leading to damaging decisions. It’s easy to judge, but the drama gives us a chance to stop and question. It is Mary’s stepdaughter, Briana, who has proved the father’s nemesis – her actions led to the court case that imprisoned Mary. Briana’s self-care, mantras and all, make the character jar – at first. But with the aid of Alison Fitzjohn’s charismatic performance, she becomes an inspirational figure who helps herself and others.

There is a danger that each character in the play represents a response to issues, but this potential flaw is avoided through surprising humour and the strong performances. A motif of the house itself being a witness to events fails to convince or make the most of Kat Heath’s ambitious set – the idea feels tacked on. And it must be admitted that, dramatically, there are alarms but no surprises in Dixon and Daughters – the play is depressingly predictable. Nonetheless, by broadening her concern to misogyny Bruce highlights the systemic and cruel nature of male power with incredible authority.

Until 10 June 2023

www.nationaltheatre.org

Photos by Helen Murray

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“Sweeney Todd – the Victorian melodrama” at Wilton’s Music Hall

Opera della Luna are keen to stress that their new show is not a production of the Stephen Sondheim musical. This demon barber of Fleet Street is based on the original 1847 play, also known as The String of Pearls, and is described as a Victorian melodrama. Given that both the period and the genre are sometimes referred to derogatively, the show could be a tough sell. But the production is funny and well executed and the project interesting.

The script, originally by George Dibdin Pitt, is more than a little silly but it is also exciting – a mix of morality play and thriller. As adaptor and editor, as well as director, Jeff Clarke tackles all his tasks with great skill. And the jobs conflict a little as the action is so crammed it is ludicrous; the coincidences are incredible, never mind adding supernatural touches and a servant pivotal to the plot who never actually appears.

It’s clear treating the show as a comedy is a good idea – and it is well done. If I can’t help wondering what a version of the show that tries to revolt, shock and thrill might be like, the strategy of going for laughs is sound.

The cast know they can’t declaim loudly enough or roll their eyes too often and give admirably energetic performances. Doubling roles is overused for comic effect but adds charm. Matt Kellett and Madeline Robinson embrace their roles as romantic leads. Nick Dwyer has a harder job in the title role and while boos and hisses are encouraged, there were a few too many for my taste. As well as having a fine voice Dwyer makes Todd a smart villain – not mad but motivated by money – and interesting as a result. Stealing the show is another baddie, Paul Featherstone’s Reverend Lupin, who is truly revolting – making your skin crawl while getting a laugh makes for an exceptional performance!

A passionate suspicion of the clergy isn’t the only surprise here – there are also remarkably fearless women, admittedly smaller parts, with Todd’s accomplice Mrs Lovett and a maid both made the most of by Lynsey Docherty. The characters are flat but the cast flesh them out: take the “half-murdered, half-smothered, muffin maker” (what a part) made a satisfying figure with a strong performance from Matthew Siveter.

Despite all this praise, the drama is in danger of dragging at times. The venue itself goes a long way to help the show – the charms of Graces Alley are often a production’s secret weapon – it really is the perfect venue for Sweeney Todd. But it is the music that really makes the night. Appropriate given Opera della Luna’s strengths, the score uses compositions by Michael William Balfe, Julius Benedict and Henry Bishop – all eminent Victorians but now less well known. Skilfully orchestrated by James Widden, the music adds atmosphere, aids the action and comedy, and sounds beautiful. Not Sondheim…but a rarer treat that has appeal.

Until 29 April 2023

www.operaellaluna.org

Photos by Andy Paradise

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“Worth” at the Arcola Theatre

Joanne Lau’s dark comedy is set before the funeral of the mother of four estranged siblings. The unexpected news that the quartet’s inheritance has disappeared starts a frantic search for cash hidden around the home. As family secrets are uncovered, along with currency, the play becomes bleak.

Lau’s idea is tidy, and she sets up the scenario well. But tackling a cycle of abuse, from the mother to her children and then grandchild, ends up rushed. Adding the topic of immigration proves another challenge, and Lau’s considerations end up thin.

Tackling all this with humour is an admirable move but adds further complications. Lau isn’t shy about pushing the play into tastelessness – which is brave. And there’s a strict assessment of the siblings’ competition over how much each suffered. But although the play has laughs, the humour is predictable. Mentions of one character’s offstage wife, or bedwetting, or how the children were beaten with electric cables, all come to play a part. Similarly, the escalation with how crazy everyone starts to become can be seen a long way off. It all ends up very grim. Director Mingyu Lin keeps the action tight so that events are pacey, but the piece needs more surprises.

The script’s strengths come with its closely observed characters, which lead to neat performances. The siblings are distinct and show the effects of their childhood in different ways. Arthur Lee makes a convincing psychopath as Jacob. Sara Chia-Jewell has a tougher job as the highly strung youngest child, May. Having moved to America and found religion, much of the competition over misery rests on her shoulders. Stephen Hoo does well in the play’s most harrowing scene as the insecure yet successful Ted, while the always-apologising Penny makes a great role for Jennifer Lim, who has a firm grasp of the play’s comedy and a strong stage presence.

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Leo Buckley

There’s also an interesting role for Leo Buckley, who plays Penny’s child, Anthony, with skill. Lau writes this young part especially well – taking care to moderate how petulant he is and making him a foil for his elders while still being a rounded role. The characters are written well and make Worth entertaining, but what Lau does with them just isn’t enough.

Until 29 April 2023

www.arcolatheatre.com

Photos by Ikin Yum

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“Sap” at the Soho Theatre

This fringe hit is a remarkably accomplished play from Rafaella Marcus. As a debut, it’s tempting to be inspired by its botanical references and write that there’s potential for growth. But, in truth, Sap is a show in full bloom that easily deserves five-star status.

Beginning with strong comedy that endears its central character, Daphne, to an audience, a gripping plot and intelligent script places mythology in the modern world to examine attitudes towards bisexuality and the effects of sexual violence.

The observational jokes that start the show are strong, with work life and Daphne’s sexuality creating complicity with the audience. Direct addresses prove to be one of the many highlights of Jessica Lazar’s superb direction. There is an undertone of what’s to come – Daphne is sensitive and stressed, a frank overthinker who shares too much – conveyed brilliantly in Jessica Clark’s stunning performance in the role.

It’s always impressive when a playwright changes the mood of their work, but let’s not forget that it’s hard. Marcus moves the tone of Sap with a skill that seems effortless. The plot twist in the play made the whole audience groan on the night I saw it – a fantastic moment of theatre. And what comes after the unusual twist is deeply disturbing, as well as original.

Clark is joined by Rebecca Banatvala, who plays several other characters and provides sterling support. Banatvala is especially good as the play’s male antagonist – a lawyer “spat out” of a cloistered quadrangle (what a phrase! You just know him, don’t you?). The script is marvellous, full of vivid imagery and ideas without being overpowering, and not a word could be pruned. Poetry and myth are used sparingly and to great effect.

The physical reaction to Daphne’s anxiety and a series of attacks that she suffers recalls the metamorphosis of her namesake – she feels bark enclosing her body, trapping but also protecting her. It’s a brilliant idea that is enhanced by Lazar’s use of movement. Just as impressive, the conceit isn’t overused – the idea builds powerfully and culminates in a scene that is another theatrical highlight, however harrowing.

The problem of depicting violence towards women is handled with innovation and intelligent. There is a strong sense that Daphne’s insecurities, as well as the biphobia she is subjected too, have created a woman who feels unworthy of the love offered to her. In fact, despite her faults, we can see that she is a “glorious” character – her girlfriend is right when she calls her this, and glorious is a word that can be applied to whole show.

Until 22 April 2023

www.sohotheatre.com

Photo by David Monteith-Hodge

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“Guys and Dolls” at the Bridge Theatre

Nicholas Hytner brings immersive theatre to a musical in this superb revival of Frank Loesser’s classic Broadway ‘fable’. The Bridge has seen its audience in the thick of the action before (for productions of Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night’s Dream), but a song and dance show is different and Hytner’s approach makes this lives-and-loves story about 1930s gamblers extra special.

If you choose a ticket in the pit, you are standing – and moved around a lot as stages rise and fall and props are brought in from all directions. Characters searching for a craps game push past you and a soul-saving Salvation Army mission parts the crowd. A group of ushers dressed as New York cops handles the audience and deserves a special mention. The atmosphere is fantastic. Get in early and don’t leave during the interval.

Apart from tiny fringe venues, you couldn’t be closer to it all… which is not to say it is for everyone. Although choreographers Arlene Phillips and James Cousins do a brilliant job, considering the space available, and the cast makes every effort, you might miss a big dance number in the show.

Standing is enormous fun, but also distracting, as you have to move during the songs. And this is singing you really don’t want to miss. Because the big thrill with the production isn’t this immersive approach so much as how fantastic it all sounds and how funny it all is.

Andrew Richardson and Celinde Schoenmaker make a swoon-worthy couple as Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown. The production doesn’t hold back with romance, embracing a period feel that would be pointless to ignore (it really is terribly old fashioned!).

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Daniel Mays and Andrew Richardson

Daniel Mays seems born to play Nathan Detroit, making the most out of every gag. The jokes in Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows’ book hold up very well indeed. But, just as impressive, I’ll admit I had a tear in my eye when Mays sang Sue Me.

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Celinde Schoenmaker and Marisha Wallace

As for Detroit’s long-suffering fiancée, Marisha Wallace’s performance cannot be praised enough. Her Adelaide’s Lament is hilarious, and she convinces as the star of the Hot Box Club with a stunning rendition of Take Back Your Mink.

The show’s lovers are sweet. But there are strong supporting performances that open up the performance and reveal how fresh Hytner’s approach is. Cedric Neal’s Nicely-Nicely Johnson’s crowd pleasing Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat is as excellent as ever. But note how many of his scenes are accompanied by the excellent Mark Oxtoby as Benny Southstreet – the characters have a strong relationship. And the friendship between Adelaide and Sarah is also a highlight. Both performers are good stage drunks and Marry The Man Today is turned into a highlight.

Bringing out the strengths of the book is a smart idea. Hytner takes every opportunity to flesh out the characters and, with such a stunning cast, the result is spectacular. Getting up close and personal is great, but seeing this show – full stop – is the important thing.

Until 24 February 2024

www.bridgetheatre.co.uk

Photos by Manuel Harlan

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“Betty Blue Eyes” at the Union Theatre

There’s a big heart and a lot that’s smart behind this 2011 musical from George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The story, based on Alan Bennett’s A Private Function, is full of quirky humour and quaint touches. But the strength of this revival comes from director Sasha Regan allowing space for quiet; Regan makes room for simple pleasures and tender moments.

The story has deliberately silly touches – it’s about a chiropodist and his wife stealing a pig destined to be slaughtered to celebrate a royal marriage…so lots of scope there. Add a mother-in-law, flatulence, and Spam and it’s no wonder there are so many laughs. It all leads to some strong and very funny lyrics. And there’s fun choreography from Kasper Cornish that includes sausages.

Although a period piece the show isn’t trapped in its 1947 setting. The date provides humour, and Reuben Speed’s costume design is good, but concerns about the state of the nation are perennial. Poking fun at patriotism gives the piece some meat.

The score doesn’t quite match the standard of the words but the music is entertaining and well structured. Characterisation is another strength that Regan emphasises. Betty Blue Eyes has a collection of strong parts that the cast work hard with: both Jonny Weston and George Dawes stand out with more than one role. And the show’s villain (a government meat inspector) proves a gift for David Pendlebury.

The leads roles of Joyce and Gilbert Chilvers are ambitious tasks for Amelia Atherton and Sam Kipling who should be proud of their performances. The Chilvers’ marriage is the production’s focus as the couple battle against their own sense of inferiority in the face of class prejudice and rationing. Atherton has strong comedy skills in her matriarchal role and lands a lot of laughs while making sure the Joyce’s snobbery doesn’t alienate an audience.

Joyce has a lesson to learn about the kind of man her husband really is – a topic that is treated tenderly – since Gilbert is an unusual hero. Pushing the character past simply being endearing is the challenge and, with a strong voice and a tear in his eye, Kipling succeeds. This gentle man stands in contrast to brash entitlement and suggests a different view of masculinity and British identity. Big claims and questions might not be what you expect from a show about a roast dinner…and that surprise makes the show crackle.

Until 22 April 2023

www.uniontheatre.biz

Photo by Michaela Walshe

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“A Streetcar Named Desire” at the Phoenix Theatre

The Almeida Theatre’s hit transfer of the Tennessee Williams classic boasts three Olivier Awards. And it could easily have earned another for director Rebecca Frecknall.

As with a previous production of a lesser-known Williams work, Summer and Smoke, Frecknall’s inventive, disciplined approach has startling results. The freshness and vigour are especially noticeable with a famous piece – this Streetcar is fast, loud, and shocking.

Speed first: the delivery here is astonishingly swift, not just the action but the lines. Blanche, played by Patsy Ferran, is especially skilled. The character’s long speeches are delivered as if they belong in a thriller. The production would feel rushed if everything weren’t so clear.

As for loud, there’s the musical accompaniment from Angus MacRae, written mostly for percussion and sure to give you a few jumps. The sound design (Peter Rice) is excellent – nothing is lost, despite a lot of cymbals. And there’s another source of volume – Paul Mescal – the actor who won one of those Olivier Awards.

Mescal’s Stanley shouts every line. It’s a tremendously physical performance with lots of running around. It is possible to feel sorry for Stanley (I’ve seen it in other productions), so you might find this portrayal less subtle than usual. Accusations about the man being an animal are emphasised and the character is very much the villain. When he hits and bullies, he enjoys it.

The violence against women in the play is Frecknall’s target. Stanley isn’t the only animal we see as he is joined by the other male performers who act like a pack. There is even the suggestion that Blanche is raped by this gang.

The trauma of Blanche’s marriage is highlighted from the start, creating immediate sympathy. But this production takes a harsh look at our heroine as well. Blanche doesn’t fool Frecknall, or Ferran, as the character’s wish to create a sense of magic is harshly exposed. You can be enchanted by, or suspicious, of Blanche, but here excuses and plans are blatant. Take the line “I want magic!” – Blanche screams it like a banshee.

To top all this, there’s an excellent Stella and Eunice (the upstairs landlord) who both enforce Frecknall’s focus on women in the play. Anjana Vasan has another well-deserved Olivier award for Stella – her passion for Stanley balanced by a concern for Blanche. And Janet Etuk makes her relatively small role of Eunice stand out. In solidarity with Blanche, the women form a trio in a way I haven’t noticed before. The insight, from an interpretation of the text that has conviction and vision, justifies that third award – for best revival.

Until 6 May 2023

www.almeida.co.uk

Photo by Marc Brenner