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“Charlie’s Dark Angel” at the Drayton Arms Theatre

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A new theatre group, The Company of Strangers, which includes writer and director James Christopher, have made a credible debut with their first piece, Charlie’s Dark Angel. Unafraid to use whatever it takes to try and unsettle the audience, including sexual tension and intimations of the supernatural, the play is a satisfying thriller. Set around a reunion between two school friends, exploring a dark incident in their past, a consistently sinister atmosphere is successfully maintained throughout the play.

Ben Porter is convincing as the congenial, anxious Charlie. Joannah Tincey is superb as his no-nonsense wife Susan. Disrupting their lives comes Ella, with Phoebe Pryce making a professional debut she can be proud of, despite playing a somewhat blandly drawn femme fatale, and the sinister playboy Eric, played by Kieran Gough with predictable psychopathic charm and a talent for injecting suspense.

Christopher’s direction and script might have been trimmed slightly but the plot rattles along nicely. Film noir is said to the inspiration and you can sense an undertow of overblown humour that could have been developed further. More akin to a tale of the unexpected, the play’s twists become satisfyingly odd and there’s enough talent behind the whole show to maintain credibility and entertain.

Until 28 March 2015

www.thedraytonarmstheatre.co.uk

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“Game” at the Almeida Theatre

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The element of surprise in Mike Bartlett’s new work, Game, is a big part of its success. Theatregoers aren’t even allowed to buy the programme before the show – a neat trick that really piqued my interest. The evening is too good to give this Game away, but rest assured that this original and disturbing show isn’t one you will forget in a hurry.

It’s safe to say the play seems inspired by Big Brother and shoot-‘em-up computer games. But Bartlett’s target is neither celebrity nor mankind’s inherent violence; instead, it’s the housing market and our increasingly unequal society.

The scenario involves desperate people in a crazy situation. The plot may have flaws, but that’s not the point. Staged with amazing technical virtuosity by director Sacha Wares, with Miriam Buether’s set having transformed the theatre, the play presents a deliberately distorted and exaggerated view.

The action is literally from multiple perspectives – scenes are hidden from you and exposed to other audience members. And there are televisions to watch while you hear everything through personal headphones. So the show is immersive (if that’s your thing, Game is a must-see) and adds up to a very individual experience that’s uncomfortably intimate and uniquely theatrical.

Game aims to acknowledge too many societal woes. While Jodie McNee and Mike Noble give brilliant performances in the lead roles, minor characters are caricatures in service to blisteringly satirical moments. It’s always powerful, though. To take one key moment, we are presented with a dilemma over whether to watch the action on stage or look away. One character, ably performed by Kevin Harvey, promises not to look. Do we watch the action or watch him via camera to see if he is true to his word? Either way, we become implicit – whether as voyeur or censor.

As with previous works, Bartlett takes his outlandish premise and builds on it marvellously. There is an incredible tension at the start of each scene as the story progresses and becomes more extreme – you know you won’t like what is coming next. I can see it’s kind of brilliant, but I’ll put my hands up and admit it pushed me too far. House hunting is never much fun, but Bartlett’s treatment left me feeling depressed and a little bit sick.

Until 4 April 2015

www.almeida.co.uk

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“Muswell Hill” at the Park Theatre

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A comedy of manners, Torben Betts’ play may strike you as not particularly original. Set at a middle-class dinner party, with more faux pas than food on offer, the action takes place (again predictably) in the kitchen. But fear not, Muswell Hill isn’t as safe as it sounds. In a world where well-connected N10 locals check their mobile phones constantly, this entertaining piece has an assiduously observed and contemporary edge.

Mat and Jess are the hosts, an endearing married couple with problems. Their guests are their oddball friends Karen and Simon, plus Jess’s foster sister and her new fiancé Tony, who throw up even more issues. The observations on class are spot on. Delving deeper proves problematic (a connection with the Haitian earthquake doesn’t do the work it’s supposed to) but Betts’ script is neat and careful, with plenty of plot twists and lots of laughs.

Muswell Hill at Park Theatre. Nicole Abraham (Annie) and Gregory Cox (Tony). Photo credit Boris Mitkov (6)
Nicole Abraham and Gregory Cox

The characters are intriguing and developed with great skill. Jack Johns and Annabel Bates take the leads, giving subtle performances that anchor the show. Charlotte Pyke and Ralph Aiken bring out the dark humour in the grieving Karen and angrily anti-social Simon. Nicole Abraham has the toughest role, as the troubled younger sister, and acquits herself well, while Gregory Cox is great value as the thesp Tony. All combined, Muswell Hill has some fabulous residents – if you want to see some great acting talent, pull a chair up at the table.

Until 14 March 2015

www.parktheatre.co.uk

Photos by Boris Mitkov

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“Man and Superman” at the National Theatre

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Weighing in at three-and-a-half hours, Simon Godwin’s mammoth production of George Bernard Shaw’s Man and Superman is a thrilling achievement. Godwin’s deft direction means not a minute is wasted. He draws out the play’s humour and his unfailing grasp on Shaw’s philosophy and originality makes you think he truly is the Superman of this production.

Or maybe the hero is Ralph Fiennes? He brings remarkable intelligence, technical ability and stamina to the role of John Tanner, making much ado about matrimony. Just as good, Indira Varma gives a mercurial performance as the heroine, Ann Whitefield, who aims to marry confirmed bachelor Tanner. Varma has to deal with Shaw’s turn-of-the-century gender politics (I daren’t use the F word) and ideas about a ‘life force’, which she does with a fresh, mischievous feel. Likewise, Faye Castelow is excellent as the equally powerful Violet, ensuring the play’s subplot remains integral. Nicholas Le Prevost is sheer class as Roebuck Ramsden, the conventional foil to Tanner’s revolutionary ideas. Finally, Tim McMullan gives the performance of his career as a brigand who kidnaps Tanner, then as the devil in a dream sequence, getting wails of laughter from the audience.

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Tim McMullan and Indira Varma

While the production is superb, including go–to video designer Luke Halls’ work, which is refreshingly understated, it is, quite rightly, Shaw and his play that claim your attention. Man And Superman makes you realise why Shaw gets his own adjective. It’s not just the laughs, and there are plenty of them, that are distinctly Shavian. The radical ideas, which still push boundaries, are bold and challenging. Describing your heroine as Lady Methuselah is brave, no matter how tongue-in-cheek. Although it premiered at the Royal Court in 1905, when it comes to form, the play is strikingly modern. Act three’s strange interlude, where Tanner is recast as Don Juan, has characters revelling in the scene’s oddity, highlighting how “extremely abstract and metaphysical” the play is. In short, Shaw’s wit, style and originality surely make him the Superman of the piece.

Until 17 May 2015

www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

Photos by Johan Persson

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“Farinelli And The King” at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

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Any trip to the gorgeous Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is exciting. And it’s commendable that the programming for the venue includes brand new plays. You can see why Claire van Kampen’s work, Farinelli And The King, seemed like a good idea: it’s about the famous castrato who sang for Philippe V of Spain and is perfect for highlighting the venue’s terrific acoustics. The Playhouse doesn’t just look enchanting, the sound here is flawless, unforgiving, actually – you can hear a sweet being unwrapped from any seat. Iestyn Davies and William Purefoy have been drafted in to sing, and are joined by some fine musicians, but unfortunately the play they accompany isn’t strong enough to outshine the venue.

Mark Rylance, Van Kampen’s husband, ensures the play is a hot ticket and gives a masterful performance as Philippe, with a seemingly instinctive grasp of what the space needs. His is a remarkably understated and hugely engaging king, but the role is written far too much for laughs. Philippe’s bipolarity, dramatised as simple lunacy, fails to move emotionally. Sam Crane is wasted as Farinelli, whose the role is grossly underdeveloped – a problem shared with one-dimensional secondary parts. At times, the play is more about Philippe’s relationship with his queen, an impression bolstered by a fine performance from Melody Grove. The opportunity for a triangle of relationships is opened up too late.

John Dove’s direction is swift and forceful but the script is just not good enough, being an inconsistent mix of biography and pretension satisfying neither history nor ideas. The bare bones of Farinelli’s fascinating life are delivered dismissively, particularly at the end when the play really runs out of steam. Far too many highfalutin speculations are made about space, time and morality but none is dealt with in any depth. Throw in some lofty theorising about art and you approach incoherence. The obvious comparison with Alan Bennett’s The Madness of King George III is an unfortunate one for this first attempt at playwriting from Van Kampen, who has contributed so much in her capacity as composer for the theatre. Sadly, this is one production to avoid.

Until 8 March 2015

www.shakespearesglobe.com

Photo by Marc Brenner

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“Little Write Lies” at the Vault Festival

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With its nightclub vibe and efforts at subterranean cool, the Vault is not the most pleasant place to be on a cold, wet Sunday afternoon. But the aims behind the eponymous festival, located underneath Waterloo Station, are commendable, with a youthful feel and eclectic programme offering something for everyone.

Putting aside the comedy and music on offer, I chose three short plays, packaged as Little Write Lies, written in response to a festival highlight, Yve Blake’s Lie Collector. The pieces, all on the theme of deception, are a great opportunity to enjoy new writing and acting talent.

Doug Dunn’s Brixton Sunrise goes straight to the point, imagining a chance encounter in a McDonald’s, to show the lies ambitious Londoners tell themselves and others. The other two works suffer slightly from their aspirations – setting up more than can be delivered in such a short time. Tom Wright’s I, We, Me is the story of an online hook-up, full of disturbing twists, that leaves you wanting more. Victoria Gimby’s, Forget-Me-Not, tackling the subject of mental health, has a creepy edge that makes it cry out for elaboration.

All the acting is of a high standard. Catherine Dunne gives a nuanced performance as a world-weary young woman, developing her character with perfect pace alongside Shane Noone as an appealing road worker with hidden aspirations. Leonie Marzecki and Amy Murray give careful turns as potential lovers in Wright’s play, dealing skilfully with their multiple online personas. Gimby’s work is a good vehicle for the talents of Alex Khanyaghma and Sallyanne Badger, while Aaron Gordon adds a haunting presence.

Another trilogy is to be presented this Sunday, 1 March.

www.vaultfestival.com

Photo by Jack Abraham

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“The Nether” at the Duke of York’s Theatre

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A welcome transfer from the Royal Court, Jennifer Haley’s play The Nether is a taut sci-fi thriller that dissects the power of the internet in the (near) future. In a parallel world of virtual reality ‘realms’, so intoxicating are the dark fantasies acted out that punters threaten to become ‘shadows’ – volunteering to give up their lives to live online instead.

One online realm, catering to paedophiles, is envisioned by Es Devlin’s remarkable design, supported by Luke Halls’ video work. Those tasked with policing the line between the sick fantasy world and reality become caught up in an uncomfortably exciting journey.

Skillfully directed by Jeremy Herrin, The Nether is well performed, with Amanda Hale as Detective Morris, joined by David Calder, Ivanno Jeremiah and Stanley Townsend as troubled participants of the online investigation.

The Nether is a play of big ideas and important questions. What effect do online personas have? And how can fantasies online, between consenting adults, become illegal? Suspicions about technology are defined forcefully by Morris. Yet alternative arguments are presented with a conviction that makes you queasy. There’s the fascinating potential for corporate corruption, as the programming that creates the super sensory realm could prove lucrative for those that host these worlds – is our detective interested in the crime or the code?

Haley takes sci-fi seriously and, as a result, so do we. The Nether is a convincing world with minimal jargon that serves as the perfect base for difficult themes. Even better, the play is a gripping drama: a strong detective story, structured around exciting interrogations, with twists and tensions that leave you unsettled.

Until 25 April 2015

www.royalcourttheatre.com

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“Ruddigore” at the King’s Head Theatre

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A happy birthday to the Charles Court Opera, which celebrates ten years with a cracking production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore. I confess to being a fan of G & S and, while this work is not their best, this excellent company glosses over this. And anyway, Ruddigore has enough silliness, with plenty of tongue-tying lyrics and improbable plots, as well as enough sweet tunes, to still sparkle.

This is a standard G & S story of smart maidens and unusual heroes, full of topsy-turvy and pleasing satire. A witch’s curse on the house of Ruddigore means its baron has to commit a crime everyday. No one is happy about the legacy. The heirs try to abscond, fiancées are driven mad and the local village bridesmaids have a tough time celebrating hymen.

Though the production is a faithful one, director John Savournin is suitably strict, so proceedings are snappy. The musical adaption by David Eaton, who performs on the piano, is admirably sprightly. James Perkins’ design brings a nice touch of the pier postcard to proceedings, while silly supernatural antics from the Ruddigore ancestors enhance the levity.

RUDDIGORE Guiltily Mad - Sir Despard (John Savournin) Photo Bill Knight
John Savournin directs and performs

Best of all are the first-class performances on offer. Matthew Kellett and Savournin both sound great as as the brothers who battle over a baronetcy – whether in hiding, committing crimes or repenting misdeeds – and Savournin steals a couple of scenes with great comic panache. Rebecca Moon plays the virginal Rose with a beautiful voice, while as bridesmaids desperate to fulfil their duties, Susanna Buckle and Andrea Tweedale give astounding value, standing in for a large chorus. A cast this strong means fans and newcomers, both to G & S and this work, are guaranteed to leave happy.

Until 14 March 2015

www.kingsheadtheatre.com

Photos by Bill Knight

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“Gods and Monsters” at the Southwark Playhouse

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Horror film director James Whale, who created many iconic monster movies, had a fascinating life, which inspired the novel Father of Frankenstein by Christopher Bram, filmed in 1988 as Gods And Monsters. Russell Labey now brings the story to the stage in a divine adaptation. Gods And Monsters makes a strong piece of theatre out of a sensitive journey to the end of one man’s life.

Having written sound roles, Labey gets the best from his cast with precise direction. Will Austin, who spends most of the night with his shirt off, has the physique for the part of Whale’s gardener, an object of lust who becomes a model and then confidant. Austin gives an understated performance that shows he has brains as well as brawn. Will Rastall and Joey Phillips take smaller parts but there’s nothing minor about their performances, especially when doubling as Whale during flashbacks to his time as an art student and a soldier. Lachele Carl, who plays a devoted servant, gives depth to a nicely rounded character. But the main accolade has to go to Ian Gelder as Whale. It’s a careful performance of a complex man, full of passion and intelligence, that’s as good as any I’ve seen on stage.

Gods And Monsters takes one life story, a particularly urbane and witty one, and elaborates it richly. It’s a play of gay history, from Hollywood hedonism to the ‘lavender scare’ of McCarthyism, and broader social themes that include Whale’s experience of war and the class system as a Brit. But, above all, it’s a human story of a battle against the brutality of ageing and illness that all can connect too. Gelder presents Whale’s pain vigorously, travelling to dark places while balancing the erotic tension to create a sensitive play full of potent themes.

Until 7 March 2015

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

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“How To Hold Your Breath” at the Royal Court

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Zinnie Harris’ new play, How To Hold Your Breath, may sound like it provides answers but instead is ambitiously determined to raise questions. A future financial apocalypse is envisaged and a woman has an affair with the devil, in a work combining current affairs and questions of worth in a puzzling fashion. A modern morality play, with a Faustian twist, it’s a work that intrigues but doesn’t satisfy.

The set up has the confident liberal Dana, clumsily presented as an arch capitalist, enduring the traumatic breakdown of European civilisation. At the start it seems Dana’s mistake was to have a one night stand with a demon – and refuse payment when he mistakes her for a prostitute. Then we see Dana is naïve about the world and human nature. There’s humour in the play’s ridiculous moments but any message or satire is far too blunt.

Directed in workmanlike fashion by Vicky Featherstone, even strong acting can’t save the night. Maxine Peake takes the lead giving a magnetic performance of fantastic stamina and adding a depth to Dana that holds the whole play together. Michael Shaeffer is charismatic as the demon and Christine Bottomley superb as Dana’s sister, who joins a desperate descent through a disintegrating Europe. There’s also a librarian who pops up along the way, played by Peter Forbes, who offers self help books to Dana. I am not sure why.

When Harris strikes an emotional chord it’s powerful, the language and imagery unforgettable (black semen…thanks Zinnie). Dana’s devotion to her sister is moving and a scene of miscarriage harrowing. There’s almost a nasty edge to the play’s relentlessness. Events get grimmer and grimier and the result too predictable. By the end, one of the librarian’s instructional books is entitled Which Charity You Should Give To To Make You Feel Better, so it’s clear we should be feeling pretty bad about our self indulgent lives. As for How To Get A Good Seat In The Theatre? Ouch. A gamble, that, with the all too obvious answer – pick a good play for a start.

Until 21 March 2015

www.royalcourttheatre.com