2020

“The Pirates of Penzance” at the Palace Theatre

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Sasha Regan’s all male productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas have a loyal following. For full disclosure, I consider myself such a fan so an effort at an impartial blog is tricky. And after such a terrible year for the theatre, seeing one of Regan’s shows is an especial treat. A theatrical highlight of 2020, well, that isn’t saying much… but this show is perfection any year.

The genius behind Regan’s productions (I told you I was biased) is a sense of fun and innocence. The shows are stripped back to basics with fantastic charm. Robyn Wilson-Owen’s design has make do and mend creativity. The brilliant costumes aren’t really drag; they deliberately look like something grabbed from a costume box. And the music comes from just a piano, with Richard Baker’s fantastic musical direction making the most of Sullivan’s tunes. 

That ‘g’ word

A campy sense of humour works with Gilbert’s topsy-turvy scenarios and distinctive satire. We can laugh at the Victoriana… but remember, that’s what Gilbert was doing too. It’s unusual to see a radical version of a classic that will appeal so to traditionalists. I feel like using the ‘g’ word again.

The special treat for this event is seeing the show in such a large venue. Regan’s base is the tiny Union Theatre and although the shows have successfully toured, and found a second home at Wilton’s Music Hall, the majestic Palace Theatre is a much larger venue. There’s a fantastic appeal in seeing a piece that deflates pomposity in such a grand setting. Given that the high tech set for the Harry Potter blockbuster is still visible, the feeling that a troupe have cheekily sneaked on to the stage is enchanting.

A pretence of spontaneity to performances – offside remarks and deliberate gaffes – is, as such things have to be, cleverly rehearsed. The ensemble is enormously hard working, nearly all swapping roles at least once: adding to the fun as they play a pirate one moment and a lady the next.

The show’s leads are the final treat

The show’s leads are the final treat. It is a thrill to see them perform so masterfully on a large stage. Leon Craig as Ruth adds a touch of pantomime dame that is appropriate, while David McKenchie’s patter as the modern major general is spot on. Oliver Savile’s Pirate King is suitably swashbuckling, able to swish his coat tails masterfully.

Tom Senior’s performance as the “slave to duty” Frederic is truly special. Not only does Senior sound wonderful, he brings a sincerity to the role that demonstrates excellent acting skills. Frederick doesn’t think he’s a source of fun, even if the rest of us do. His love at first sight with Mabel ends up deeply moving as a result. As a final triumph for the show, Alan Richardson’s Mabel is breath-taking. Such an extraordinary voice is worth hearing at any opportunity. Richardson’s comic skills are a joy but, again, carefully controlled. We need to fall for Mabel just like Frederic does. That we do just that illustrates Richardson’s star quality; always at home on the West End stage and hopefully to be seen on one frequently in 2021.

Until 13 December 2020

www.nimaxtheatres.com

2020

“The Boss of It All” from the Soho Theatre

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While most of us have surely had enough of Zoom meetings this year, writer and director Jack McNamara uses the format to great effect in updating this show to these coronavirus times. 

Continuing the strong work this year from theatre company New Perspectives, the office-based comedy, originally a Lars von Trier film, is a clear candidate for adaptation. The result is nonetheless impressive.

There’s fun from the start as an actress, Kristina, is recruited into a scam by unscrupulous IT boss, Ravn. The jokes about Kristina’s seriousness and pretensions are solid; that she isn’t very successful is worked in well. It will be her job to take the blame for his decisions – pretending to be titular CEO. Needless to say, Kristina ends up taking the role a little too seriously, helping to make “worlds work”, then worrying about her “moral duty”.

A “visionary” IT webinar and staff appraisals follow and are both terrific. A team building exercise works less well (don’t they always?) and the finale isn’t hard to see coming. Ravn’s plot for the company, and the question of whether or not he will take responsibility, are deliberately deflated by the show’s satirical PoMo tone – but that irony is itself predictable. Likewise, oh-so-knowing narration between the scenes enforces how forced the humour is. Which is not to say that you won’t laugh…just that the script is contrived and heavy-handed here.

“Confusing, incompetent and spineless”

Adding a sense of joy and fun are strong performances that bring some lightness to the show. Josie Lawrence is excellent as Kristina. To see such an accomplished improvisor joke about the format provides an extra edge. Lawrence is joined by Ross Armstrong, as “giggling shitbag” Ravn, who is just as good. A checklist for poor leadership – “confusing, incompetent and spineless” – each is given its due to great effect. 

Those unfortunate enough to work for Ravn also aid the piece. The team has, not surprisingly, a “lot of baggage” – Yuriko Kotani and Angela Bain are especially good with their bizarre backstories. Such eccentrics, traumatised by working from home, get yet more laughs. McNamara is consistently strong with the particular trials of our times so updating The Boss of It All proves a Zoom meeting worth attending.

www.sohotheatre.com/soho-theatre-demand/

2020

“A Christmas Carol” at the Bridge Theatre

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Although Christmas 2020 is sure to be very different, theatres are trying their best for the festival season. There are pantos out there (at the National Theatre, the Palladium and the Hackney Empire) and plenty of other versions of Charles Dickens’ perennial favourite are on offer. But Nicholas Hytner’s venue always promises good value and this neat, concise version, adapted by Hytner himself, does not disappoint.

The production boats an excellent cast. Simon Russell Beale as Ebenezer Scrooge would be a must see at any time – he is excellent and takes the role as seriously as he would any Shakespearean lead. Joining him to narrate and perform all other roles are Patsy Ferran and Eben Figueiredo, both showing a masterful physicality and excellent portfolio of accents. The trio form such a superb ensemble, it’s hard to imagine you need more performers to bring the story to the stage.

The key to the show’s success is good old-fashioned story telling. Aided by Jon Clark’s lighting design and an effective set from Rose Revitt, there’s a cosy feel of the tale unfolding. And suitably spooky touches for each of the ghosts who arrive to teach Scrooge the meaning of Christmas. The almost obligatory video design (from Luke Halls and Zakk Hein) is good but hardly necessary with story tellers this proficient.

There’s fun (and even Christmas jumpers) as Hytner’s adaptation injects plenty of humour. Figueiredo adds some lovely comic touches throughout. But the trick is to take the show seriously; Russell Beale’s Scrooge is carefully distanced from caricature. Seeing Dickens’ complex character sincerely brought to life makes a refreshing change that adds considerable drama. 

Now is the time for comfort theatre and Nicholas Hytner knows it. Injecting just the right amount of nostalgia into proceedings strikes a fine balance of escapism into Christmas pasts just as the present one might not be so great.

Until 16 January 2020

www.bridgetheatre.co.uk

Photo by Manuel Harlan

2020

“GHBoy” at the Charing Cross Theatre

Tackling the topic of drug addiction among gay men, Paul Harvard’s debut play provides the perverse pleasure of seeing a piece about a health issue that has nothing to do with coronavirus. It’s escapism of a sort, I suppose, but GHBoy proves grim without being hard hitting and is, regrettably, rambling.

An impressive sincerity

Capably directed by Jon Pashley, the show is well acted. Very much a vehicle for Jimmy Essex, in the demanding lead role of Robert, there’s an impressive sincerity to the writing and the performance. But understanding or sympathising with Robert is a challenge: a middle-aged man saying he needs to grow up isn’t much of an excuse for so much bizarrely infantile behaviour.

Robert’s problems – self-medication with drugs and sex, driven by low self-esteem, abuse and his father’s death – arrive on stage in a torrent. So quickly, in fact, that there’s little time to really know the character and scant background detail. While what happens sounds dramatic – along with the inclusion of a crime story – too many rapid incidents make GHBoy confusing.

A central scene – where Robert’s conversation with his mother and his friend are interwoven – shows promise. There is a sense of mounting pressure and of a man trapped by his decisions. But this technique only works the once. Most of the time, overlapping dialogue with flashbacks and fantasies, scenes feel truncated and cinematic rather than theatrical.

Strong support

Jimmy Essex and Devesh Kishore in GHBoy at the Charing Cross Theatre
Jimmy Essex and Devesh Kishore

There’s strong support for Essex’s performance to enjoy. Robert’s youthful lover and his therapist, played by Marc Bosch and Devesh Kishore respectively, both do well and Harvard has managed to make these smaller roles effective. There’s also an impressive performance from Sylvester Akinrolabu, who plays different sexual partners for Robert with clarity.

Ultimately the play’s problems mount and prove inescapable. Harvard has taken on too much. So much so that the script seems to resort to two finales. A reprise with characters confronting Robert summarises his problems without adding drama. Then a suggestion that Robert’s art therapy may prove a solution is offered as an unconvincing parting note. Neither conclusion amounts to much despite the considerable effort taken by all involved.

Until 20 December 2020

charingcrosstheatre.co.uk

Photos by Bettina John

2020

“The Fabulist Fox Sister” from the Southwark Playhouse

The life of Kate Fox, the 19th-century “mother of all mediums”, makes a rich subject matter for this very funny monologue with music. Writer and performer Michael Conley imagines Fox’s final audience as she reveals her seances were really just theatre all along.

Always brash, Conley’s version of Fox as a straight-talking New Yorker is liberated by being at the end of her long career. It’s a simple device used effectively to give us a lot of history as well as an air of recklessness that adds a touch of the unexpected. When Kate proclaims,

“Fuck it, I’m retiring”

It means you’re never quite sure what will be revealed next.

Fox’s life, “famous before famous meant disposable”, was remarkable. And, along with playful period detail, the twisted justification for exploiting “rich guys with dead kids” provides some weight to the show that director Adam Lenson does well to highlight. Still, it’s really Conley’s depiction of Fox that adds the spirit to this spiritualist.

Conley’s script is full of good jokes. Fox’s mother being so stupid she couldn’t understand buttons really tickled me. Along with sibling rivalry (hence the title) and Kate’s love of one particular spirit – Jim Beam – word play, repetition and dead pan asides are all expertly delivered. Even Kate’s deliberately bad jokes get laughs: that’s when you know Conley has great comic skills.

The Fabulist Fox Sister is aided by jolly, very catchy tunes from Luke Bateman, who has a clever ear for using period touches. The songs are consistently strong, only once disappointing when a serious tone is attempted. In every other case the music adds considerably to amusement.

“believe in something”

Conley makes Fox funny but more than a figure of fun. An enormous ego, totally devoid of sensitivity toward others, which should make her revolting means her presence fills the stage. That Kate and her sisters sometimes believed their own lies adds a melancholy touch to the show. But there’s a whimsy to both script and music that works superbly. Conley makes you believe that Fox could have pulled off her incredible career. If nothing else, you end up believing in her. And having a lot of fun along the way.

Until 6 December 2020

www.ffsmusical.com

Photos by Jane Hobson

2020

“Magnetic North” from the British Museum

Presented by the multi-disciplinary arts company Border Crossings as part of its Origins Festival, this online event accompanies the British Museum exhibition Arctic: culture and climate.

Dance, poetry and discussions are interspersed with fantastic footage of scenery and wildlife. And there should be plenty of thought provoked by cultures so different from our own.

With music and a soundscape from indigenous Sami band Vassvik running throughout, the storytelling from Ishmael Angaluuk Hope is fascinating and the poetry of Taqralik Partridge poses important challenges.

While it is true you have to sign up for the event, I wonder if more of an introduction might be a good idea? Ignorance is no defence, but this is the first exhibition of its kind in the UK and more context would have been welcome. Even after visiting the museum on the same day, I can’t be alone in being a little puzzled by the Greenlandic mask dancing.

So, attendance of the exhibition is strongly recommended. It’s interesting to see themes the curators have picked out elaborated by the performers, with links between a story told and an artwork seen. There are challenges to colonial assumptions and, of course, an emphasis on the threats posed to these cultures by climate change. This latter concern is especially well handled in a discussion between two young women – Caitlyn Baikie and Mya Rose-Craig – that is inspiring. Linked to the show, the event is excellent. Organisers should be thrilled with the collaboration.

The exhibition runs until 21 February 2021

www.britishmuseum.org/Arctic

2020

“In Search of a White Identity” from The Actors Centre

This well-intentioned piece, written by Cliffordkuju Henry, is hampered by its brevity.

The scenario is simple but effective: two childhood friends, Mikey and Patrick, are reunited in a police cell, arrested after taking part – on opposite sides – in a protest about race.

The subject matter is rich and important. Having middle aged protagonists provides an interesting perspective. And the characters’ demographic – the script was originally part of a Working Class Season – is one that attention must be paid to.

Regrettably, problems arise with the white character of Mikey. While the anger here is convincingly portrayed by Drew Edwards, it is monotonous and depressingly predictable. It is too difficult to have any patience with Mikey or to find him interesting.

Henry does try to explore the root of Mikey’s frustrations. Indeed, both characters share troubled backgrounds. But both are too ready and open with explanations for their life choices. Soul searching arrives too quickly and isn’t given enough time to develop.

The role of Patrick, performed by Henry, is more nuanced. The character’s life-long fear of racially motivated violence is moving. And both performers are aided by Victoria Evaristo’s direction. The camera work is sophisticated, providing variety and rhythm.

Unfortunately, the camera cannot hide that Patrick, dramatically speaking, is a source of frustration. Admittedly, arguing with Mikey would exhaust anyone, and his shouting hurt their ears. But surely presenting a few facts about racism is what the character, and this drama, needs?

Henry has difficulty ending his too-short play. A suggestion of reconciliation is dramatically unprepared and subsequently unconvincing. Although I wouldn’t mind seeing another meeting: more is very much what In Search of a White Identity needs.

Until 6 December

www.actorscentre.co.uk

2020

“The Poltergeist” from the Southwark Playhouse

Tramp Productions continue to thrill fans of Philip Ridley during lockdown. While it’s hoped that the playwright’s cancelled show, The Beast of Blue Yonder, goes ahead one day, The Beast Will Rise web series was fantastic. Now another new monologue has been filmed for an exciting live stream.

The recording benefits from its location, albeit sadly empty, because of the extra space. In an excellent performance, energetically directed by Wiebke Green, Joseph Potter makes his character appropriately expansive. The extra room, after so much filming from homes, suits the energy of this latest creation from Ridley – an artist called Sasha.

The action centres on Sasha at his niece’s birthday party, an event he describes as a “new circle of hell”. But this is hardly the apocalyptic setting for otherworldly events Ridley often specialises in. East London is described with the playwright’s usual skill, detail and beauty. But it’s mundane Ilford that low-key events occur in. Don’t worry though, there’s nothing tame about this play’s spirit.

It’s a marvel to see how Ridley fleshes out characters who never appear; The Poltergeist becomes a family drama despite being a monologue. For Sasha, his family looks like a pretty Monet painting but is really a Damien Hirst installation. Yet it becomes clear a despised sister-in-law is just trying hard to be nice. And niece Robin is a kindred spirit whose “beautiful and scary” artwork could well summarise the feel of the whole play.

“beautiful and scary”

The Poltergeist isn’t scary because of the supernatural but since Sasha is so damaged. Potter conveys the character’s pain wonderfully, with anxiety keeping the audience on edge. Alongside an addiction to painkillers, Sasha’s grip on reality is blurred by his powerful imagination and his paranoia. So much life seems like a film set to him. A brief brush with fame and personal grief have caused profound damage.

Ridley challenges us to retain the sympathy Sasha deserves. It’s a challenge Potter’s performance doesn’t shy away from. Irascible, “sneering at everyone” and potentially violent, it’s easy to see this prodigy as spoilt and literally destructive. But Sasha still wins hearts, how?

A strong romance allows light into the play and a touch of stability in Sasha’s life. The relationship with his partner Chet is a constant presence. This being Ridley, the affair is sharp with sometimes painful truths. But the love is sincere and supportive.  Vividly rendered in Potter’s asides, Chet calls Sasha a “force of nature” – it’s hard to disagree. The outcome is a touch more hope than many of Ridley’s plays offer. Another surprising move from this master playwright, and a welcome one.

Until 21 November 2020

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

2020

“Falling Stars” on stream.theatre

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Peter Polycarpou’s show fell afoul of the second Coronavirus Lockdown earlier this month. Thankfully, this version for streaming, produced by Ginger Quiff Media, is a real treat.

Based on a cache of sheet music – of “glorious forgotten melodies” and massive hits – found in an antique shop, the piece is a fantastic collection of songs from the 1920s.

Polycarpou’s delivery of the stories behind this musical miscellany is a lovely mix of facts and fun; he proves to be a great guide. The musical archaeology, aided by arranger Mark Dickman, is combined with sheer wonder at the talent and artistry of the past. The sense of joie de vivre Polycarpou admires, and brings to the stage, is grounded with details about the composers, some famous, others now obscure.

Sally Ann Triplett, in fine voice, aids the show’s pace. The variety of moods, reflected in the song selection, is also ably handled by director Michael Strassen. Triplett moves effortlessly between ballads and comedy numbers. The couple make a convivial pair; a sense of their friendship making even melancholy numbers strangely welcoming. A shared enthusiasm for the music of Charlie Chaplin is contagious: as Polycarpou suggests, Chaplin’s music for his films could make a show of their own… yes please!

Welcome though the recording is, I’m sure Polycarpou and Triplett would agree this music is best live, with loved ones and maybe a drink… I’m thinking a cocktail. Fingers crossed, two dates are planned 8th and 9th January; so, watch now and book for later.

Streaming until 29 November 2020

www.stream.theatre

Photo by Paul Nicholas Dyke

2020

The Original Theatre Company

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Artistic director Alastair Whatley has had a good lockdown. His Original Theatre Company started by filming its productions, The Croft and The Habit of Art, when denied a live audience back in March. Since then, three online productions, including the acclaimed Birdsong, have been enjoyed on the theatre’s own streaming site. Currently two shorts are generously available for free.

Watching Rosie

For personal reasons, I normally shy away from theatre about dementia. But this short film, first screened in August, is a wonderfully sensitive and inspiring piece with an important purpose.

Highlighting the plight of dementia sufferers, and their careers, during current times, Louise Coulthard’s video call scenario is moving and sweet. It focuses on loneliness as much as failing faculties.

Miriam Margolyes, Amit Shah & Louise Coulthard in Watching Rosie Original Theatre Company
Miriam Margolyes, Amit Shah & Louise Coulthard in Watching Rosie

Coulthard also stars as Rosie, who is calling her nan, and while the pain of the situation is clear there’s also humour. Miriam Margolyes plays the elderly Alice to perfection, showing the frustration and fear that this cruel condition brings.

As the title indicates, it’s Alice who is watching out for Rosie. Matchmaking in lockdown, with a volunteer who is bringing food, a date is arranged for her granddaughter! Reminding us of what Alice can still do manages to suggest possibilities as well as problems.

Mrs Goldie vs The World

A new addition, Nicky Goldie’s piece, which she wrote and performs in, follows similar lines. This time a middle-aged carer recounts looking after her mother during lockdown. Cooking and having a glass of wine as she asks “permission to rant” makes for a sociable and intimate feel that Goldie (pictured top) sustains with ease.

Mrs Goldie may claim to suffer from dementia herself, but she’s as sharp as they come. Sometimes, a little too sharp for her daughter so that, presumably based on real life, the piece has a frank and honest tone. This is a vivid, enjoyable, depiction of great affection. Mrs Goldie is a character you long to hear more about.

Aided by Goldie’s impersonations, a “grumpy old woman” comes to life with her independence and eccentricities. That she’s a touch snobbish is easily excused – anyone who corrects Julian Fellowes is fine with me – and it’s sincerely hoped that she is as “indestructible” as her daughter describes.

Coming next…

Apollo 13: The Dark Side of the Moon is also available to view. This new online play written by Torben Betts boasts strong reviews. And there’s a Christmas treat in store: from 17 December Philip Franks has adapted an MR James ghost story that should be perfect for dark winter nights. Tickets are available at a special pre-order price of £12.50 now.

www.originaltheatreonline.com