2020

“As You Like It” at the New Normal Festival

The disruption the coronavirus has brought to the theatre affects all aspects of the industry. Spare a thought for those trying to enter the business, starting in an uncertain profession, with their training disrupted and even fewer opportunities than usual. Determination and enterprise are needed more than ever and last night I saw plenty of both. Carrying on, against the odds, to present a previously cancelled graduation show makes this work, from students of the London College of Music, especially cheering.

Shakespeare’s ever popular romantic comedy is presented as part of a festival at the Royal Victoria Patriotic Building in Wandsworth. The stage is a courtyard with an imposing yew tree and the cast impress with a clear sense of the space. Further praise for all: the delivery is uniformly clear with hardly a line a lost despite Storm Francis and a flight path overhead. 

Credit is shared with director Rachel Heyburn who has done well by her responsive crew, presenting a no-nonsense version of the show, less edited than most productions. I didn’t sense any nerves either, more a keen sense of enjoying performing – always appealing to an audience. Some lovely musical interludes added to the production’s charm.

It’s in the nature of reviews that not everyone is mentioned – apologies in advance. But the show has a clear leading man with Dominic Hyam’s Orlando, who makes the story very much his own. The youthful petulance the role requires is present alongside heroic touches. The central romance for Orlando could have more humour. Georga de la Cour’s Rosalind, always technically accomplished, is best alongside a charming Celia played by Savannah-Raé Gordon – there’s a great sense the two are friends. 

The other love pageants that make up the play are all “truly play’d”, with unflagging energy. Again, a touch more humour might be expected. But there is fun with a waspish Jacques that allows Miles Griffin to stand out in the role. There’s a similarly impressive performance from Rob Hardie, who makes a socially distanced wrestling match a highlight and then takes on the role of a Lord of the Forest (showing off a lovely voice). In taking every chance to shine, Hardie is a good reminder of how exciting seeing new talent can be. A professional production all round, Heyburn makes sure the production is far more than a showcase and all involved should be proud.

Until 25 August 2020

www.newnormalfest.co.uk

2020

“Jury” from the Park Theatre

Yet another venue missed by many during the lockdown is Jez Bond’s Finsbury Park theatre. But while the stage lights are off, work has still been going on. This entertaining new play from Martin Murphy, part of a creative learning programme forced online, is the result.

Written to be performed as a conference call, the format may be already over-familiar but it works well enough. Jury is distinguished by its ambition and subject matter. If the comedy and drama aren’t as well balanced as they might be, it’s a lot more interesting than its real-life equivalent.

The scenario first: this Zoom call is a serious one. Twelve members of the public are called to a high-profile criminal trial. The pressure social distancing has placed on the justice system, added to by a time limit on deliberations, adds topicality. If the comedy tone, like some of the characters, tackles the problem lightly, the issue is well-worth remembering.

Of the 12 characters we meet, many are too broadly depicted and their prejudices a touch too transparent. Possibly, the wish to distinguish a large number of people quickly preoccupied Murphy. Nonetheless, Sara Odeen-Isbister’s heavily accented Ukranian Anya is naughtily funny. And Stefania Jardim’s Jal is great value, too. It’s all held together nicely by the increasingly exasperated foreperson Mel, played by Jacquie Cassidy. Maria Thomas manages to inject some drama with her character, Keenan, talking the most sense. It’s a shame Eileen Christie’s character of Pat is the only one to have serious moments alongside nice comic touches.

As for the show’s ambition, anyone who has to deal with calls of this kind is sure to be impressed by the rehearsal process, let alone the final outcome. Director Amy Allen, with help from video editor Akeal Iqbal, highlight the flaws and problems of the technology with a natural touch. The action is swift and exciting. This is one conference call that isn’t so frustrating you want it to be over as soon as possible.

Until 2 September

parktheatre.co.uk

2020

“Fanny and Stella” at The Garden Theatre

After 149 days of live theatre lockdown – yes, I have been counting – I was always going to love the first trip back to a show. Thank you, thank you, LAMBCO Productions, for the first fringe production since March. But, sincerely, Glenn Chandler’s play with music is a jolly affair that is well worth seeing. It’s entertaining, interesting and a lot of fun.

Chandler takes on a lot, and admittedly over-reaches. Based on true events, a show-within-a-show format tells the story of performers Ernest Boulton (AKA Stella) and Frederick William Park (Fanny), who dressed as women offstage as well as on and were arrested for doing just that in 1871. The history is light: there’s not enough shock about the men’s “painted faces” and not much peril. It is in questionable taste that the medical examination Boulton and Park had to undergo is played for laughs. And the idea of either man as a transwoman is not explored. Chandler’s decision is to entertain, and this is what he does.

Alex Lodge in Fanny and Stella at The Garden Theatre Vauxhall
Alex Lodge

Going for pleasure makes the setting of The Eagle pub garden in Vauxhall appropriate and the audience were clearly smiling under their face masks. All manner of crudity and old jokes are allowed and the cast camp it up considerably (David Shields’ clever costume designs are useful here). Special mention to the hard-working Mark Pearce, who takes on so many roles and accents. And to Alex Lodge, who plays one of the (many) loves of Fanny’s life, injecting some romantic moments and also doing well as a gutter-press journalist.

The evening’s stars are Jed Berry and Kane Verrall in the inimitable title roles, which both the script and director Steven Dexter balance nicely. The chemistry is great and there’s a convincing sense of sisterhood along with some fine comic timing. Both work the crowd wonderfully. All of this is accompanied by Charles Miller’s clever little songs – all, importantly, performed live. It really is a great night out… the best I’ve had in 149 days, actually.

Until 25 August 2020

www.fannyandstellamusical.com

Photos by Alex Hinson

2020

“Alice, A Virtual Theme Park”

How much you enjoy Creation Theatre’s online show might depend on how many Zoom meetings you attend. I am afraid I go to too many. But since the experience is aimed at families, who don’t have to use it for work, here’s hoping for its success. The kids I saw watching seemed to enjoy it (along with a pet dog, who was very interested at one point).

In a series of meetings (be quick clicking from one to the next) we join the characters from Lewis Carroll’s novel. The performances are committed, I enjoyed Dharmesh Patel’s Mad Hatter and Annabelle Terry’s Cook. And there are inventive touches that Tom Richardson makes the most of – for Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee – that are a lot of fun.

It’s all out for interactivity. There’s the chance to shout and dance, as well as a card trick someone has to help with. And, very cleverly, draw too (you watch on your computer but have a phone ready for this bit). All the cast deal well with drawing in the audience. The narrative is hard to pick out, so it might be difficult to follow without already knowing the story – maybe make it bedtime reading beforehand? And it would be nice, as well as useful, to see more of Leda Douglas’s Alice. But Zoe Seaton’s adaption effectively emphasises the craziness in the original and makes it entertaining.

While it wouldn’t be a Zoom meeting without some glitches, conversations between the characters are clearly well rehearsed and Seaton has done another good job as director. The fact remains that too many people have too many of these meetings and, even if this is a lot more fun than most, it’s an unforgiving format. Credit to Creation Theatre for making so much of the technology… it still seems like a lot of work for little result to grumpy old me.

Until 30 August 2020

www.creationtheatre.co.uk

2020

“Blindness” at the Donmar Warehouse

All hail Michael Longhurst and his Covent Garden venue for staging a show during the lockdown. Not a performance exactly – the description is a ‘sound installation’ – as it is a recording of Juliet Stevenson that the audience listens to through those fancy headsets. It’s still a chance to get back into a theatre. That, alone, is worth applauding.

Simon Stephens’ adaptation of José Saramago’s novel is close to home – it’s about an epidemic, albeit one where the population suddenly goes blind. But there’s still escapism and entertainment in the far-fetched story. It’s exciting at first – a tale of the unexpected with creepy touches that Stevenson narrates exquisitely.

Close your eyes…

…for a bit of plot spoiler. As the disease becomes rife, Stevenson moves from being the storyteller to a doctor’s wife, who joins him in suitably gothic quarantine, pretending to be afflicted herself. Too quickly, Blindness becomes too generic. The script is well constructed and full of strong imagery. As with the last motif of the play, Saramago’s writing has a certain grace. And it is always impeccably directed by Walter Meierjohann. But it is not original. This is a very standard sci-fi societal breakdown: surely such views convince less and less? The only surprises come from not encountering familiar tropes; why isn’t the one woman immune investigated and what about those who are already blind?

You can open them again…

Few would be thrilled to go to the theatre for a radio play. OK, maybe I am desperate enough. But, with sound design from Ben and Max Ringham and the sculptural work from lighting designer Jessica Hung Han Yun, this piece comes closer to immersive than many that aim for that label. 

Along with a sense of excitement from the solicitous staff, there’s also the irreplaceable connection of watching as part of an audience. With the hope that none of this talented team is offended, my highlight came at the end, catching the eye of another theatregoer who, like me, wondered if we should clap. Yes, we can, and yes, we did – deservedly so.

Until 22 August 2020

www.donmarwarehouse.com

2020

“Bare E-ssentials 3: with a Vengeance” from Encompass Productions

This live stream of new writing was back for a third evening with a sense of celebration. Its creators have won an award! And they’re starting a fun competition for viewers to name each night – the next one is on 26 August. With congenial host Liam Fleming creating a kind of community before our eyes, this back-to-basics ‘micro theatre’ company is thriving online.

It’s the material that counts, of course, and the four plays presented are of a high standard: writing, direction and performances. There is a bumpy start. Rules by Lucy Jamieson didn’t excite me: the humour behind two flatmates talking about STDs failed, despite Karina Holness and Esme Cooper trying very hard. But it’s a debut piece and Jamieson can learn a lot from the experience.

Two monologues showed care, cleverness and depth. Emma Dawson’s Stones Around My Neck makes you question who is gaslighting who in a skilful developing scenario. Kayla Feldman’s confident direction of Deborah Garvey is spot on. Listen by Jacquie Penrose is a cracking piece. Masterfully handling its short duration, adding just enough mystery into a vague apocalyptic setting, this phone message about a relationship that has broken down is great stuff. Aided by Fleming’s direction and (for once) the filming, an emotive performance from Amelia Parillon (pictured top) proves gripping.

Impressive as the previous piece is, my highlight was James C Ferguson’s The Chair – a deliciously wicked comedy sketch with teeth. Where the bite actually comes from is the source of surreal humour as we learn “the particulars” of two dinner guests’ disappearance. Ferguson’s language has a distinctive quality. And performers Andrew Gruen and Amy Fleming, under Jonathan Woodhouse’s direction, control their overblown characters very well indeed.

My only problem came at the end of Bare Essentials 3: with a Vengeance. Although bringing all the performers back for a bow was deserved, I still feel uncomfortable clapping a computer screen. Wouldn’t it be great to get back to real-life curtain calls? With Encompass Productions usually based in bars, maybe someone could lend a pub garden? Given what has already been achieved, if anyone can manage this next step it’s this team. Fingers crossed.

www.encompassproductions.co.uk

2020

“Myles Away” from Chronic Insanity

Pushing theatre into the realm of gaming makes sense in a piece to be watched on computer screens. And the scenario behind Nat Henderson and Joe Strickland’s new writing – a utopian computer programme hijacked by investors – tries hard to combine big topics with plenty of questions. Unfortunately, the execution of neither effort impresses.

An audience member’s induction as a new recruit to a tech company is interrupted by Myles, the genius founder now hacking his way into the system. It’s a good enough twist. But the request to aid Myles is hard to swallow. The project you are asked to help sabotage – Away – is a confusing mix of virtual reality and gender reassignment. Furthermore, the options to assist are limited and it’s too clear that refusing to do so ends the show!

Henderson and Stickland have created a complex character with Myles, guaranteed to intrigue by the mythical introduction given. The delivery of the role, by TL Thompson, is stilted but holds attention. Unfortunately, Myles’ unbelievable naivety about business undercuts the script’s effort to connect commerce and life choices. It’s also a shame that the only other role – a former friend and now nemesis, who we see secretly recorded – is underwritten.

There are some nice touches of humour to the show that could clearly be developed (I enjoyed the videos of sloths) but tackling big arguments takes time and Henderson and Strickland don’t allow themselves this. Nor do they manage to build any tension into events that are too vague to care about. It seems safe to assume we are supposed to be rooting for Myles (and even his AI assistant) but there’s too little insight or history to build a connection. Myles Away has to go much further if it wants to really work.

Until 9 August 2020

www.tickettailor.com/events/chronicinsanity

2020

“Songs for a New World”: a lockdown performance

Jason Robert Brown’s song cycle is presented by Lambert Jackson Productions after the success of its lockdown show, The Last Five Years. The collection showcases Brown’s work as a composer and lyricist – there are some great songs – while affording the cast a chance to impress. The major talent recruited here is stunning and the show enjoyable.

Searching for connections in the cycle can prove off-putting. If the idea is a decisive ‘one moment’, the scenarios are too generic (and cryptic) to become satisfyingly thematic. Instead, there’s a mix of hope and struggle and a touch too much sentimentality. For good or ill, it’s hard not to imagine many of the numbers as part of a bigger show.

Cedric Neal, Rachel John, Ramin Karimloo and Rachel Tucker in “Songs for a New World”: a lockdown performance
Cedric Neal and his lovely staircase

The production contains distractions of its own. Director Séimí Campbell’s decision to cut news footage into the performances is a valiant effort to guide the viewer but tails off as the show goes on. On a lighter note, there’s also the views of the homes of those performing in isolation… what a lovely staircase Cedric Neal has!

Yet the music and performances make Songs for a New World worthwhile. Neal and Rachel John have such gorgeous voices that the whole evening has a sense of power. Both can convey outrage and tenderness with such skill that tears were in my eyes more than once.

Rachel Tucker - Songs For A New World
Rachel Tucker and her sofa

Rachel Tucker’s numbers have a more character behind them. With the funniest songs, Tucker shows what a fine actress she is: making the most of her sofa and the excellent Mrs Claus song (the show’s best pun). It might be noted along the way what a lot of ‘demanding’ women Brown writes about.

Ramin Karimloo is also excellent, although it has to be mentioned that his terrific stage presence is out of place on a screen: in a duet, while John conveys a tête-à-tête, Karimloo makes sure the balcony crowd is getting its money’s worth. Of course, he is still fantastic. And, as a final highlight, there’s a nod to new talent with a debut number for Shem Omari James that he should be proud of.

The singing and musical direction from Josh Winstone is so strong that two (maybe three) numbers that might be less than convincing really shine. With writing as strong as Brown’s, praise doesn’t come higher than that.

Until 25 July 2020

www.lwtheatres.co.uk

2020

The Reading Fringe Festival 2020

A weekend at a festival. Online, of course. And if, like a lot of lockdown theatre, this isn’t as good as the real thing, with no chance of conveying the sense of excitement that surrounds a prolonged event, it’s nice to try out a programme you might not visit. And note how resilient the theatre community is proving.

Stage D’or

Two short pieces from the Stage D’Or company proved worthwhile. There’s a monologue not to miss with The Legacy of William Ireland. Charlie Jack impresses as the personable, inventive and increasingly egotistical title character. A piece of theatrical whimsy, about a Shakespearean fraud, Tim Connery’s script and Doug Kirby’s direction are solid. Ireland’s downfall, as his forgery is discovered, increases pace with controlled humour and a good ear for its period setting.

Hitman and Her is a strong comedy, also by Connery and also directed by Kirby. A pub meeting between a hired killer and a spurned wife is smart from start to finish. From laughs about clichés, subtexts and strong observation, there’s a touch of the ridiculous concerning Post-it notes and Blue Peter presenters. The writing makes excellent roles for Alex Dee and Lou Kendon Ross and the clever end is satisfying.

“Sary”

In a serious vein, Sary by Sam Chittenden is an ambitious piece with a power that lingers. The eponymous character is played by two women of different ages as the story, set in 19th-century rural Sussex, unfolds. Sharing the title role, Sharon Drain and Rebecca Jones are both excellent, as we see their characters’ perspectives on love, sex and loneliness ebb and flow through a long and difficult life.

Steeped in folklore and suspicion, the women’s crafts are matched by Chittenden’s skill as a writer: entwined dialogue is well done and not overused, while the characters’ conversations with one another take on a suitably magical quality. It is a shame that the quality of the filming is not better (the lighting causes problems) but, with its mystical edge and evocations of landscape and seasons, this script stands out. 

And there’s more

There are plenty of other plays to check out. Next on my list is a piece about Natalie Barney by Kelly Burke adapted into an audio drama. And there’s a whole web page of 360-degree theatre with plenty of stars from reviews already written. Thankfully, it’s enough for another weekend.

Until 31 August 2020

www.readingfringefestival.co.uk

2020

“Amadeus” from NTLive

Although mediocrity is mentioned many times in Peter Schaffer’s play, it is not a word to describe the playwright’s masterpiece. The battle between the average composer Antonio Salieri and the divinely gifted Mozart makes for a great combination of drama and history with big ideas around posterity and religion.

This production, energetically directed by Michael Longhurst, dates from 2017. It is notable for the inclusion of the Southbank Sinfonia (which you can also donate to). The musicians move around the stage and interact with the cast as a sense of theatrical complicity – an intelligent response to the text – is carefully nurtured. 

There’s a superb leading performance from Lucian Msamati as Salieri, who conveys the character’s sense of arrogance and pain, always keeping the audience on side. Msamati makes the play’s theoretical (and theological) questions emotive. And he has an easy comic touch. There are also strong turns from his ‘Venticelli’ – servants who bring him gossip – played by Sarah Amankwah and Hammed Animashaun. As an aside, the latter has been a lockdown revelation for me, having revisited, or caught up with, shows he has consistently excelled in.

Amadeus at the National Theatre by Marc Brenner
Amadeus at the National Theatre by Marc Brenner

That Longhurst’s achievements aren’t fully conveyed on the screen is something we should be getting used too. It is hard to appreciate just how well he uses the Olivier stage. Close-up filming has a tendency to make the show look chaotic rather than choreographed. And it is a disappointment that Adam Gillen’s performance as Mozart comes across as shrill and oddly accented: I remember being impressed when I saw him on stage. Again, he is playing for an auditorium and not a camera. 

Any quibbles reinforce what theatregoers love and miss about a life experience. With Amadeus being the final show in the season offered by the National Theatre because of Covid-19 shutting its doors, all those involved can be proud. Seeing a body of work, as the whole world has been able to do, of such diversity and quality has been awe-inspiring. NTLive has been more than welcome – it has been a real light during lockdown.

Until 22 July 2020

To support, visit nationaltheatre.org.uk

Photos by Marc Brenner