2022

“The P Word” at the Bush Theatre

The letter in the title of Waleed Akhtar’s play covers two insults – slurs against people from Pakistan and homosexuals. The play makes important political points with clarity and skill. Still, the best moments come when the writer confounds expectations.

The P Word is a close examination of two very different men. Bilal (or Billy) is British and deliberately written as unlikeable. His life is work, the gym and Grindr. It’s a harsh view of gay culture, and any humour is bitter. It takes time to appreciate the problems the character faces, a journey the author Akhtar, who performs the role, tackles superbly.

Audience sympathy is channelled towards Zafar, who is seeking asylum having fled Pakistan when his homosexuality was discovered. Esh Alladi brings an intense energy to the role, which is agitating to watch. Anxiety surrounding the future and the trauma Zafar is running from are depicted with sensitivity. But it’s moments of joy, despite everything, that add originality and appeal most. What Zafar goes through is a wakeup call, delivered with conviction, that many need to hear – and the theatre has worked with the charity Micro Rainbow during production.

The two stories are told in tandem, woven together in the skilled script and by Anthony Simpson-Pike’s strong direction. Presenting the men in such detail – so they aren’t just cases or examples – leads to examining prejudices and provides insight especially into the characters’ sad self-hatred and questionable behaviour.

'The-P-Word'-inset-at-Bush-Theatre-Photo-credit-Craig-Fuller

The P Word gets even better when the men meet. A friendship that develops with fits and starts acknowledges how complex their lives are. The performances blossom, but will romance?

There’s tension around this love affair, some coming from the fact that the characters see themselves as an unlikely couple. And, of course, there’s Zafar’s potential deportation. To avoid plot spoilers, let’s just say the play becomes both exciting and rousing. What impresses most is Akhtar’s clever handling of the sentimental, which leads to a superb finale.

Until 29 October 2022

www.bushtheatre.co.uk

Photos by Craig Fuller

2022

“Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear” at the Greenwich Theatre

Director and writer Nick Lane has experience when it comes to Arthur Conan Doyle’s work. A previous adaptation of The Sign of Four was entertaining but this new production is even better – harder working and more serious. In addition to a fine mystery story, a “snorter of a case” for Sherlock Holmes, we get romance in America’s Wild West. Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear is great value, high quality theatre.

Lane’s adaptation is smart. Flipping back and forth between crimes in Sussex and Pennsylvania is a sensible change from the source material and is impeccably handled. Tristan Parkes music for the show aids comprehension and creates atmosphere.

The lead performers are experienced, too. Luke Barton is an energetic and sometimes playful Holmes. Joseph Derrington is an affable Watson you can care about. Watson’s narration is a highlight – wonderfully clear – while identifying Holmes as the one with “the true flair for drama” shows both the character and Lane as astute observers, adding insight and theatricality to the master detective. Barton and Derrington have fantastic chemistry and there is a tender moment between them, superbly acted, that is further neat addition on Lane’s part.

Blake-Kubena-and-Alice-Osmanski-in-Sherlock-Holmes-The-Valley-of-Fear-credit-Alex-Harvey-Brown
Blake Kubena and Alice Osmanski

There’s more, namely the valley of fear itself, which we visit a lot. The supporting cast takes on a lot of roles. Blake Kubena makes a fine romantic lead, while Gavin Molloy has a good line in psychopaths (there’s a bold twist in the adaptation here that’s a real delight). Alice Osmanski is particularly hard working with characters that are less well written and a lot of costume changes (well done to designer Naomi Gibbs).

Even Barton and Derrington double up roles. The extra parts they play make clever contrasts and they perform them well. The production does need another body (two more wouldn’t hurt), but the cast gets to impress by bringing so many characters to life. A great job from start to finish with big brains behind it.

On tour until 26 November 2022

www.blackeyedtheatre.co.uk

Photos by Alex Harvey Brown

2022

“Help! We Are Still Alive” at the Seven Dials Playhouse

What a sweet little show Tim Gilvin and Imogen Palmer have made. Imagining a couple after the apocalypse, making a life together that’s a bit like lockdown (but in this case without the baking), this play with songs is entertaining, endearing and obsessed with comfort food.

Palmer’s book takes the cliché about falling in love with the last person on earth and adds extra flavour – think Worcester sauce on your cheese on toast. Because Jass and Finn were a couple in the ‘old world’… yet she has a secret. Even after world catastrophe, true love doesn’t run smooth.

The action relies too much on audio diaries for exposition, going back and forth in time. Director Georgie Rankcom tries hard to keep the action moving and uses the sparse stage well. Gilvin’s music and lyrics are catchy and satisfyingly neat but leave you wanting more.

If this reaction seems lukewarm, like a pizza slice from Gregg’s after five o’clock, then why am I so keen on the show? And I really am. The answer is its humour, its characters and its performers.

Jass and Finn are adorable. For want of a better description, they are as cute as chocolate buttons. Their affection for each other is believable, as are their problems, sensitively examined in the light of their self-proclaimed Queer status. Deep-rooted anxieties and misgivings are intelligently explicated and – surprise – they have little to do with the end of the world.

The glacé cherry on top of the Mr Kipling cake is the show’s humour. This is what makes Help! We’re Still Alive memorable. With songs about canned pineapples and supermarkets, the mix of quirks and down-to-earth concerns is just… lovely. The jokes provide that je ne sais quoi, as Jass might say, that great shows require.

Elijah Ferreira and Jade Johnson play Finn and Jass. The casting and the chemistry are perfect – they are both superb comedians who aid the script enormously. Angst is acknowledged, but Ferreira and Johnson make you care and try to reassure.

The affection and respect the characters share give us a sense that things will be all right in the end. After all, even if your Ginster’s pasty is cold, it is still delicious.

The affection and respect the characters share give us a sense that things will be all right in the end. After all, even if your Ginster’s pasty is cold, it is still delicious. The affection and respect the characters share give us a sense that things will be all right in the end. After all, even if your Ginster’s pasty is cold, it is still delicious.

Until 15 October 2022

www.sevendialsplayhouse.co.uk

Photo by Danny Kaan

2022

“Handbagged” at the Kiln Theatre

It feels odd to watch not one but two versions of Queen Elizabeth on stage so soon after her death. A respectful minute’s silence before last night’s show, lead by director Indhu Rubasingham, indicates careful thought has gone into letting Moira Buffini’s five star play go ahead.  But for all the fun in this hilarious piece, which cheekily imagines the Queen’s private meetings with her Prime Minister Mrs. Thatcher, her Majesty comes off very well.

That public statements were not allowed to our constitutional monarch means Buffini can make the Queen a contrast to the Prime Minister. Turns out the richest woman in the world had a lot of concerns about social inequality. And her passion for the Commonwealth gives a global perspective in contrast to Thatcher’s little Britain. But there’s also tenderness in Buffini’s writing about the Queen – she’s presented as a fun, witty woman and a caring mother.

All the Queen’s admirable qualities are conveyed by the actors taking on what must be a particularly challenging role right now. Both Abigail Cruttenden and Marion Bailey, as younger and older versions respectively, give strong performances and make a lot of the lines even funnier than they already are; you could happily spend the night watching Bailey’s every expert move.

Buffini is harder on Thatcher. The role is written with more anger and is possibly closer to caricature. The performances from Naomi Frederick and Kate Fahy respond appropriately. Frederick, as the younger version, manages to suggest nervousness about dealing with a figure she reveres that generates a little sympathy. Fahy’s line in dignity, as she looks back on her time at the top, is convincing no matter her views. The scorn with which both women can say the word ‘socialist’ or ‘wet’ is tremendous.

The way all four characters interact as they try to take charge of the story about Britain during the Thatcher years is hilarious. The blend of sarcasm and sincerity is perfect – the quartet of perspectives battle to tell and interpret what happened. The subject of Thatcher’s dementia provides a moving moment and yet another layer of consideration about interpreting the past. Buffini’s script is dazzling and you don’t want to miss a word.

There’s more to Handbagged than some fantastic comedy and strong impersonations – although both of these make the show a must-see. Two more characters join the stage – ‘Actors’ played by Romayne Andrews and Richard Cant who also impress as a variety of famous faces with great lines. The main role of these super supernumeraries is to highlight what putting on a play – and a play about history – entails.

Pointing out what Thatcher and the Queen don’t want to discuss, slowing down the show to their frustration or embarrassment, the ‘Actors’ interjections are often funny and make sure that their characters are satisfyingly full. Attempts at directing these powerful women are brilliant moments, aided by the show’s real director too. Rubasingham directed the first production of the play, almost ten years ago, and her knowledge shines through, brimming with joyous confidence about the strength of what’s on stage: the respectful, you might say faithful, approach to this modern classic seems very much in keeping with our times.

Until 29 October 2022

www.kilntheatre.com

Photo by Tristram Kenton

2022

“Frozen” at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Everybody knows what they are getting when Disney puts a show on stage. And that’s not just the story – in this case a fairy tale about a magical queen and her sister – and the songs, but what every scene will be. I’m not sure it’s the best introduction to theatre, but Disney does bring its films to the stage very well.

In the case of Frozen, the book, by the film’s writer Jennifer Lee, is sweet and has some surprises. This fairy tale focuses on two female leads and there’s some complexity in their characters. They make nice roles for Samantha Barks and Stephanie McKeon. And the romantic interest isn’t what you might expect – or maybe it is, Prince Charming has had a bad rep for a quite a while, after all. Regardless, there are strong supporting roles for Obioma Ugoala and Oliver Ormson (the latter very much a cartoon villain) that carry a moral well… if not lightly.

The songs, with music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, are simple but are effective: pleasant rather than memorable (though many younger fans are likely to disagree) but with a good mix of power ballads (which Barks does very well with) and waltzes. The latter are a nice touch. We want some old-fashioned costumes, after all, and Christopher Oram’s work here is lovely. The humour is better than might be expected, the snowman Olaf (Craig Gallivan, with puppet design from Michael Curry) has a good number.

Make no mistake that Frozen is a kids’ show to its core. So, for me, it’s the staging and the special effects, designed by Jeremy Chernick, that are the first highlight. Oram’s scenic design is impressive and Finn Ross’ video work adds immeasurably. The kids really do want to see the film on stage. There’s a superb reveal and, after that, the appearance of Elsa’s pig tail gets its own squeal of delight.

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Rob Ashford’s engaging and inventive choreography

A quick pace is adopted by director Michael Grandage that hides potential dull moments. Rob Ashford’s engaging and inventive choreography is the second high point. Using the ensemble to create atmosphere or even suggest scenery – an especially strong moment – makes a nice contrast to high-tech touches. Frozen looks expensive and is sure to leave (younger) members of the audience breathless. For me, its genuinely theatrical touches are even more exciting.

www.frozenthemusical.co.uk

Photos by Johan Persson

2022

“Antigone” at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Inua Ellams’s adaptation – after Sophocles – is a strong piece full of bold thinking. As a play about democracy, the work feels timely. And there is a passion to both the writing and the production that creates a formidable energy.

Antigone is re-imagined as a youth leader from a Muslim background. One of her brothers becomes a police officer and the other a terrorist. It’s the latter who is denied a burial by Prime Minister Creon, who passes oppressive anti-terrorist laws and gets rid of the bill of human rights.

The changes are though-provoking and benefit from fulsome characterisation: not just Zainab Hasan’s lead role, which she performs with aplomb, but all Antigone’s family, who are depicted with equal care. The result is great roles for her brothers Eteocles and Polyneices, played by Abe Jarman and Nadeem Islam respectively. And her sister Ismene, played by Shazia Nicholls, is far more than the usual foil. Creon, who has been looking after the family, is made a strong study in power and Tony Jayawardena’s performance in the role is superb.

Ellams’s appraisal is full of intelligence, leaving the efficacy of protest an uncomfortably open question. Our heroine is released from prison through public opinion rather than debate – it’s ratings that count for rulers. And Ellams has a strict eye on privilege; it’s made clear that Antigone and her family have power. The roles of Haemon and Eurydice come to the fore, making important parts for Oliver Johnstone and Pandora Colin who bring a great deal of emotion to the show.

Sections of the script in verse are the highlight: Ellams’s language brings force to the stage. But while the choreography from Carrie-Anne Ingrouille is good, the music by Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante is overpowering. Sound is often tricky at Regent’s Park but isn’t the only problem in the production. Ellams’s plotting is great – this Antigone is exciting – but Max Webster’s direction feels rushed. A fast pace doesn’t always make a play more thrilling; the production comes across as nervous.

There are, also, tensions between the original and what Ellams’s has made from it. The contrasts are welcome but cause clucky moments. The remnants of Sophocles’s play, like the characters’ names or concerns for the city state, lead to stumbles. The show needs more change rather than less. Overall, this isn’t a big problem. And the solution seems easy – keep the structure of the source but do away with the ornament – but it does stop good ideas becoming great theatre.

Until 24 September 2022

www.openairtheatre.com

Photos by Helen Murray

2022

“Who Killed My Father” at the Young Vic

One area of director Ivo van Hove’s considerable expertise is monologues. As with a former fantastic production, Song From Far Away, close work with a single performer and an intense script can yield powerful results. This show, starring Hans Kesting, shares potent subjects and fantastic acting that deserves acclaim.

Adapted by van Hove from the book by Édouard Louis, Kesting takes the author’s voice as well as depicting his parents. Growing up gay in rural France, dealing with his father’s homophobia and violence, are exposed in harrowing detail. These sections have undoubted force.

Yet the title tells us this is a work about a father as much as a son.  It’s a memoir and a political lecture. How the father is a victim of violence himself – by the ruling classes – is Louis’ concern. Along with the repercussions on both men in the past and present. How the personal and the political imbricate is the point laboured. But I’m not sure it works here. And it’s not because Louis is incorrect. The source material (and Returning to Rheims by Didier Eribon which covers similar ground, if you’re looking for further recommendations) is worth reading. The problem lies with the adaptation.

The “negative existence” of the father’s life arrives too late. It’s understandable that the author discovered this as an adult. But for the audience, there’s a lot of Louis – and the trauma around a childhood performance of a pop song – to get through first. Dramatically, the impact of life limitations on his father feels rushed. The theatricality of the show is aided by Jan Versweyveld’s sound and lighting design. But van Hove’s adaptation sells his source material short and given the director’s track record, that disappoints.

Until 24 September 2022

www.youngvic.org

Photo by Jan Versweyveld

2022

“Distinguished Villa” at the Finborough Theatre

As fans of London’s fringe theatre know, productions at the Finborough balance new writing with rediscovered classics. The venue hit the jackpot for the former earlier this year with Sophie Swithinbank’s Bacon. Now it’s the turn of the latter: a hit play from 1926 by another female writer, Kate O’Brien, that is thoroughly admirable.

“Refined” is the key word – that’s what proud housewife Mabel wants her home, the property that gives the play its title, to be. But all of O’Brien’s six characters suffer as respectability conflicts with happiness; they are tormented in sophisticated detail by unsuitable relationships and social mores.

O’Brien was breaking ground with her subject matter – looking at suburbanites and “the secret life at home”. The play tackles sex and mental health in what was considered an advanced fashion. Of course, it can’t shock now, but it’s impressively thorough. And there’s a fine sense of rage bubbling under the sophisticated surface.

If someone wrote a period show with this many stiff upper lips (let alone some of the dialogue) today, it would beggar belief. It’s frankly a struggle – you want to shake most of the characters at some point – but O’Brien was there. She is the source material! Her writing makes sure that the repression becomes oppressive.

Brian Martin and Tessa Bonham Jones
Brian Martin and Tessa Bonham Jones

Unfortunately, it is too easy to tell that O’Brien was primarily a novelist. While the plot creates tension, Distinguished Villa is woefully static. Director Hugh Fraser is wise not to try and fight this. The series of scenes, with plodding combinations of characters, is predictable. But the play doesn’t drag and most of what is said is interesting. The scenes themselves are tightly written – there’s an especially strong one for Tessa Bonham Jones, who plays the youngest character and has a stunning moment in the spotlight.

O’Brien seems to miss omniscient narration too much. But it’s easy to enjoy the performances on offer here – again, refined describes them. Mia Austen shows great intelligence as Mabel, combining comic appeal while respecting the character’s arguments and showing her troubles. Matthew Ashforde gives a moving performance as her depressed husband, revealing that the role’s unbelievable timidity stems from deeper problems.

If both leads, and the pivotal role of the ever-observing upper-class lodger Ms Llewellyn (played with great skill by Holly Sumpton), are sometimes flat, the cast makes the most of them. Similarly, Simon Haines and Brian Martin, whose roles are really only about who they may or may not marry, do a great job. Beautifully crafted under Fraser’s tutelage, these are all wonderful studies. But, despite all the detail, I struggled to thoroughly believe in any of characters.

The result of the cast’s fine work is a production full of class. Which is appropriate, as O’Brien’s eye on social status is fascinating. And Carla Evans’ costumes deserve a special mention for accuracy (they are lovely, but this isn’t high fashion as much as home-made derivations). Distinguished Villa is a play more interesting than moving, one to respect more than love. But the chance to see such top-notch craft shouldn’t be missed.

Until 1 October 2022

www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk

Photos by Carla Evans

2022

“Doctor Faustus” at the Southwark Playhouse

Christopher Marlowe’s play is always a fiendish one to stage – with ‘Enter Devils’ as a stage direction, how could it not be? But this new updated production is excellent and confirms that shows from Lazarus Theatre are must-sees.

There may be rough moments and the show is, literally, messy. But, alongside plenty of blood and a paper-strewn stage, the direction and adaptation by Ricky Dukes is as neat and tidy as you could wish. A hugely impressive number of ideas push the play to its limits and preserve it at the same time.

“Mark the show”

Dukes exploits the theatricality of Marlowe’s text – this is a show full of shows. Faustus learns about space in a brilliant scene that mimics a modern Planetarium display. The famous encounter with the Seven Deadly Sins takes on the air of a burlesque. Oh, and the Pope dances the hokey cokey.

It’s all a bit mad and there’s a surprising amount of humour. The spirits that are conjured up have some singularly effective make-up around their mouths (take note of when it appears) and come and go with a curtain reveal. Even the blood Faustus signs his name with is fake, and no attempt is made to hide that. Which raises the question – does Faustus really get what he has traded his soul for? 

That Faustus might be cheated of his wishes is frightening. Is it all just in his head? And that isn’t the only scary thing about the production (that make-up again!). With some fantastic sound and lighting design (bravo, Stuart Glover and Sam Glossop) as the clock ticks down to the devil claiming his bounty, there is considerable tension. The final scene left me, as well as Faustus, gasping.

“Faustus must be damned”

A lot of the production’s success is down to taking the play’s religiosity seriously (no mean feat, nowadays). Faustus’ denial of God, his refusal to repent despite repeated opportunities, builds magnificently. We have a battle of minds and ego that is used to structure the show. And Dukes puts proper emphasis on what really damns the man – his despair.

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David Angland

All this praise and no word yet on a strong cast… sorry about that. Dukes makes this an ensemble show, with the performers mostly playing a variety of small roles and allegorical figures. If Candis Butler Jones stands out as Lucifer, well, the devil always has the best lines. Hamish Somers and Rachel Kelly also impress as particularly hard working: their appearances as Good and Evil Angels is an essential part of providing a framework for the adaptation.

The shows leads are fantastic. David Angland takes the part of Mephistopheles with a fastidiousness that adds chills. There’s a wicked sense of humour and careful reminders of what’s at stake. As Faustus’ sprit servant, he’s never too familiar – Angland shows an effective contempt for the Doctor. But, of course, it’s Faustus’ show and, taking the lead, Jamie O’Neill could be forgiven for the sin of pride.

O’Neill doesn’t leave the stage during the entire 90 minutes. While managing to convey plenty of awe, as well as passion and fear, this is a remarkably restrained performance. Every movement is measured, and Faustus seldom acts without thinking. And that’s important – Faustus is an intellectual and this is a cerebral play. That this aloof doctor can also connect to the audience and show increasing desperation is a fantastic achievement, making O’Neill heavenly casting for an out-of- this-world show.

Until 1 October 2022

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Photos by Charles Flint

2022

“Moulin Rouge!” at the Piccadilly Theatre

This theatrical version of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 movie musical arrived in London with considerable hype (and ten Tony Awards) at the start of this year and is clearly set to be a profitable West End fixture. 

The escapist love story between cabaret courtesan Satine and singer-songwriter Christian has appeal. The book by John Logan may be thin, but it is well crafted – the device of a show-within-a-show is as safe as they come but it is used superbly. And you can literally see what’s drawing in the crowds – the production is as sumptuous as it is entertaining. With wonderful costumes by Catherine Zuber and stunning lighting design from Justin Townsend, Moulin Rouge! looks great. And it sounds, well, it sounds OK.

Luhrmann’s mashed-up soundtrack, taking snatches of songs from very different artists, was innovative and influential at the time. The music supervisor and orchestrator for the show (who has also provided additional lyrics) is Justin Levine and his work is accomplished. But, somehow, the music doesn’t excite as it should. Maybe it just lacks the element of surprise? The new songs utilised are a touch predictable. Or maybe, director Alex Timbers mistakes the wit for humour too often. The technique isn’t just a joke – it’s supposed to reflect Christian’s creativity and is used in serious scenes. Yet too often it becomes a game for the audience… remember the TV show Name That Tune? Frankly, the whole thing is done a little bit better in a much lower key show, &Juliet. Even worse, and more puzzling, the sound itself is underwhelming – and I seldom say that a show isn’t loud enough.

These disappointments are not the fault of the performers (although some of the singing could be tighter). But nearly all the characters have too little to do. The villain and Christian’s friends are woefully one-dimensional: Simon Bailey and Elia Lo Tauro end up wooden as a result. Jason Pennycooke’s Toulouse-Lautrec is better but hampered by a cod French accent. Clive Carter, as the owner of the cabaret, has clearly been directed to give his best impersonation of Jim Broadbent in the film. Carter can whip up a crowd, so it’s shame he isn’t given more freedom. And the character is a car crash – tarts with hearts is one thing but sympathy for the pimp?

The result of poor characters means the show rests on the leads, which isn’t unusual or necessarily a problem but often feels weak or lazy. Thankfully, these leads are good. Liisi LaFontaine uses her powerful voice to the max and really pleases the crowd. Honestly, the consumptive Satine is a bit of a bore, but LaFontaine makes her charisma believable. Jamie Bogyo has the better role as Christian and he can belt out a tune, too. There are moments of pathos as Bogyo sings that show that the musical mash-up can bring about drama as well as comedy. These moments shine, but leave the impression that the source material has been short changed. For once, the film is better than the stage. That’s not something to celebrate.

www.moulinerougemusical.co.uk