Tag Archives: Jermyn Street Theatre

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“Farm Hall” at the Jermyn Street Theatre

Playwright Katherine Moar has chosen a fascinating piece of history for an impressive debut. Farm Hall was the real-life location for a group of German physicists held by the Allies at the end of World War II. Great names with Nobel prizes galore were, politely, imprisoned in the country and their recorded conversations make for interesting theatre.

Carefully written and performed and expertly directed, Farm Hall is a traditional affair – there’s no avoiding that it’s a collection of (clever) talking heads. But Moar has done her research and her quest for nuance proves an invaluable asset. There’s also a reminder of Covid lockdown as these brilliant men are so bored! Bickering against a background of having been enemies in Germany, they are far from united in defeat.

Including the group’s amateur dramatics and sing-songs is a smart touch. But what really impresses is how director Stephen Unwin allows the structure of the scenes to flourish. After a surprisingly light start, personal dramas are balanced by abstract questions, and flipping between the two provides dynamism. Moral dilemmas don’t come bigger than those these men faced. Yet the play’s best bits emerge from individual circumstances.

Bringing to the stage six big characters leads to understandable shortcuts from Moar, but the performances smooth over any clunky exposition. I did wonder if the “impenetrable” Werner Heisenberg might be the star of the script? The theoretical physicist has appealed to dramatists before and Alan Cox’s performance in the role is certainly commanding.

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Archie Backhouse

The question of Heisenberg’s role in Germany’s failure to make an atom bomb looms over the play – it isn’t given enough time to become a focus. But the piece benefits as a whole. Heisenberg’s students, Erich Bagge and Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, prove powerful figures. The latter is an odd dandy, made intriguing by Daniel Boyd’s layered performance. Archie Backhouse’s Bagge brings the most overt emotion to the play – excellent work.

There’s a further trio to enjoy. Kurt Diebner is a less apologetic Nazi and full-on oddball that Julius D’Silva manages to make us warm too – how’s that for an achievement? His opponent, Max von Laue, is given great dignity by David Yelland, while Forbes Masson’s placatory Otto Hahn gives a similarly detailed performance. Placing the biggest weight of guilt on this seemingly sweet man is a highlight.

Moar deserves credit for opening up so many themes. Of course, the men discuss their war, but general ideas about cooperation and competition are neatly pulled out alongside plenty of politics. Farm Hall is sure to prompt after-show discussions. And who doesn’t like that? But stripping back the men behind the science is the key to making the play engaging. And it’s the sextet of performers who guarantee the show’s success.

Until 8 April 2022

www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk

Photo by Alex Brenner

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“Something in the Air” at the Jermyn Street Theatre

Peter Gill’s short new play tackles big topics of old age and young love. It’s about the memories that remain with us and not all of them are happy ones. But magic comes despite – or maybe because of – the subject matter. This play is beautiful.

The two main characters, Colin and Alex, live together in a care home. Despite struggling when interacting with others they address the past with startling articulacy. Gill imagines minds that are active despite bodies struggling to communicate (listen out for another example). Examining “the state of memory” this is a depiction of old age that’s dignified. How rare is that? And it leads to strong performances from Ian Gelder and Christopher Godwin in the lead roles.

Claire-Price-in-Something-in-the-Air-at-Jermyn-Street-Theatre-credit-Steve-Gregson
Claire Price

The family that visits Colin and Alex can’t see, or imagine, the real state of their loved ones’ minds. A son and a niece, further fine performances from Andrew Woodall and Claire Price, get on with their lives, unaware that Colin and Alex are doing just the same. The roles provide us with backstory brilliantly. The characters condescend; they see Colin and Alex holding hands as a “small mercy” given the care homes other residents. But the older men aren’t asking for sympathy and are their own harsh critics.

Two younger men join the stage as well. Figures from the past, but not, as you might expect, younger versions of the main characters. These are two past affairs, failed ones at that, brought vividly to life by Sam Thorpe-Spinks and James Schofield. The scenario gives insight into gay life from long ago but doesn’t blame prejudice for everything that happened. The interwoven comments and reflections are romantic but also recriminatory. The delivery is aided by the sure direction of Gill himself alongside the talented Alice Hamilton.

If none of this strikes you as happy stuff…fair enough. Where’s the beauty I mentioned? How about the clarity of thought on offer in a play with two men losing track of so much. Gill doesn’t entertain melancholy or indulgence. Instead, there is detail to transport you into other lives and take you back in time. The descriptions of London of the late 50s and early 60s, with student instigators and hippies, are marvellous.

The precision is incredible, you can see and hear the scenes recounted yet without being overwhelmed by minutiae. And all to build a love story. Not that from the men’s youth but in the here and now. It’s not the kind of romance we usually see (especially between men). But Gelder and Godwin make the affection and support between the Colin and Alex moving and Gill’s play is a beautiful thing.

Until 12 November 2022

www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk

Photos by Steve Gregson

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“Cancelling Socrates” at the Jermyn Street Theatre

Well done to the wag who decided the sign for the toilets should be in both Greek and English at this première of Howard Brenton’s new piece. The bilingualism is indicative of the show’s playfulness and learning – a combination that makes the evening more fun than you might expect.

If you like philosophy in your plays, telling the story of Socrates’ last days is a sure-fire winner. There’s a lot of debate, all of it interesting, and director Tom Littler treats the arguments with swift efficiency. Clarity is appropriate and essential when bringing so much discussion to the stage, and Littler has done a great job.

Socrates’ engagement with future philosophy (more later on how literal this is) provides strong moments for William Reynolds’ lighting design. But, I confess, I found the show increasingly hard work. You’ll spot references to Descartes and Kant and, I think, Deleuze (but don’t hold me to that).

What impresses more is that the constant questioning is given a camp appeal. That Socrates, depicted expertly by Jonathan Hyde, is such a pleasant, genial figure to watch is balanced by the potential threat he poses – combining sincerity with mischievous. It isn’t hard to see why some felt threatened by his famous, continual probing. “But” is said to be a ”lethal” word – and Socrates says it a lot.

When it comes to the famous death, the play lacks an emotional appeal. Again, you could argue that’s appropriate. There is a fine performance from Robert Mountford, who appears as the jailer after having served as Euthyphro, whose eponymous dialogue forms the first scene. The temptation to find contemporary connections, not surprising given the play’s title, pick up pace but raise smiles rather than convince.

Home vs world

The real highlight in Cancelling Socrates comes with Brenton’s focus on women. The characters of Xanthippe (Socrates wife) and Aspasia (who it is suggested was his mistress) make fine roles for Hannah Morrish and Sophie Ward. Both characters feel freer of cliché and fully rounded despite (yet again) presenting two sides to an argument. The scene of them “quarrelling over how to live” is great drama.

The women’s roles take us to the core of an exploration of mysticism and religion within the play, which is a keen reminder of ritual and magic in Ancient Greek culture. Discussion of Socrates “demon” comes with the voice that drives him to argue – the thing that sees him “testing everything to destruction”. This isn’t just a metaphor, but a stage presence, lending some much-needed theatricality to the show. To cram so much into a short piece, with a mostly light touch, is a magical achievement.

Until 2 July 2022

www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk

Photo by Steve Gregson

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“Footfalls & Rockaby” at the Jermyn Street Theatre

Not everyone makes a beeline for Samuel Beckett plays. It sometimes feels as if the legendary modernist is more beloved of theatre-makers than theatregoers. Fans will, of course, jump at the chance to see these seldom performed shorts, but director Richard Beecham’s stylish work and two brilliant performances should also secure appeal for a wide audience.

Footfalls

Charlotte-Emmerson-in-Footfalls-at-Jermyn-Street-Theatre-photo-by-Steve-Gregson
Charlotte Emmerson

A woman having bizarre conversation with an offstage voice might sound almost a cliché of experimental theatre. The woman, May, or maybe Amy, may or may not be talking to her dead mother. The voices address one another and then the audience.

The spectre of poor mental health haunts the piece and the appropriately ghostly character, depicted by Charlotte Emmerson, is mesmerising. Emmerson’s timing – so crucial for this piece – is spot on.

Beckett was specific about staging and instructions for lighting and sound – cleverly elaborated by Beecham and his designers Ben Ormerod and Adrienne Quartly. Within these constrictions, a performance of incredible control notches up the tension marvellously.

Rockaby

Siân-Phillips-in-Rockaby-at-Jermyn-Street-Theatre-by-Steve-Gregson
Siân Phillips

The sense of isolation for the lonely old woman in Rockaby is overwhelming. There’s a lot of philosophy again – what kind of existence does this unperceived character have? But sitting in her chair, looking for any sign of life with “famished eyes”, the piece becomes painful and deeply moving.

A brilliant performance from Siân Phillips brings home the emotion within the play. Phillips never finds it hard to be magisterial. And there is a dignity to the character that makes us take her wish for more life seriously. But there’s a frailty, too, which compounds a sense of sadness.

The rocking chair, with credit to set designer Simon Kenny, also becomes a character. And a very spooky one. Is it fanciful to say it has a life of its own? As with the sound design within Footfalls, there’s a quality far from lulling in the ceaseless, yet cleverly varied, presence of its back and forth.

Footfalls and Rockaby are late works, from 1975 and 1980, respectively. Minimal and experimental, they set the mind spinning. Concerning mortality and memory, we are presented with vivid, mysterious characters. That intrigue drives both shows for me. It may be simplistic, and far from grand intentions, but both pieces work as bizarre ghost stories that are strangely exciting as well as profound.

Until 20 November 2021

www.jermynstreetheatre.co.uk

Photos by Steve Gregson

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“Relatively Speaking” at the Jermyn Street Theatre

Director Robin Herford’s revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s classic is a well-crafted and high-quality affair. Much like the play itself.

Young Greg and Ginny, who we meet first, become rapidly engaged despite his suspicions and her worries. Taking the roles, Christopher Bonwell and Lianne Harvey convince and intrigue as young things in love… if warily so. Random gifts and phone calls cause confusion.

An older married couple, Philip and Sheila, come next. The relationship is equally well observed, with long-standing power struggles exquisitely performed by Rachel Fielding and James Simmons. Philip’s affair with Ginny is the cause of her anxiety and a dilemma: she wants it over with and he doesn’t.

When the couples meet, confusion ensues and the comedy really gets going.

A slow start, then (and a pace Herford doesn’t rush), but one that builds to a farce that is original and quietly subversive. As an early Ayckbourn, from 1967, some social mores need to be recalled: confusion about Ginny’s illegitimacy isn’t going to get many laughs nowadays. But it’s still clear how bracing the satire is intended to be. And it should be noted that the two roles for women are excellent, their empathy for one another moving. Our sympathies firmly lie with the naive Greg and the long-suffering Sheila – a fact Cromwell and Fielding exploit well.

Ginny is complex and Philip a clear villain. With both roles, you might suggest Ayckbourn wants to question how funny a comedy about adultery should be? The dramatic irony, ridiculous coincidences and assumptions mount up. But these laughs have a queasy edge. After all, there are incestuous implications and an attempt at blackmail. There’s more to Relatively Speaking than meets the eye (or the genre), which makes the play fascinating as well as funny.

www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk

Until 9 October 2021

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“Lone Flyer” at the Jermyn Street Theatre

The West End’s smallest stage has big plans now that theatres are open again. Jermyn Street Theatre’s ‘Footprints Festival’ has drama, as well as cabaret and poetry, to enjoy in real life or online. As part of the programme, this visiting production from the Watermill Theatre affords a welcome chance for London audiences to see an already well-received show.

Lone Flyer is a fascinating biographical play about an inspirational woman – the aviation pioneer Amy Johnson. An (almost) rags-to-riches story that takes in escape from a small town, a desire for celebrity and independence, plus a tragic end that could easily move you to tears, Johnson’s life had it all and writer Ade Morris crams in the details. But the truly clever idea is that any life story is really about the people someone loves. Bringing out those other lives makes Johnson’s story bigger, more relatable and ultimately more moving.

So, the story is told well – credit to director Lucy Betts as well as Morris. First, Johnson’s childhood is seen in tandem with the trip that ended her life. Then the same fatal journey is paired with her most famous exploit, flying solo to Australia in 1930. It’s a neat device that provides tension throughout – just like that final flight, Amy’s story and success seem continually precarious.

“risks and rewards”

Adding depth to the action, Morris elaborates on the “risks and rewards” of fame and the sexism Johnson had to fight. Throughout, the pilot’s charisma is clear, and it all makes a fantastic role for Hannah Edwards, who holds attention magnetically. Is Johnson’s desire to be independent really a desire to be alone is a fascinating open question that Morris introduces carefully and balances well. If there is a short fall, the “black moods” Johnson suffered from aren’t explored enough – although they provide highlights in the performance. The scene recounting Johnson’s sister’s suicide is a magnificent one for Edwards, but a question about Johnson’s possible manic depression hangs over the show.

Fantastic as Edwards is, the pleasant surprise in Lone Flyer comes with her co-star Benedict Salter. Performing all the other roles, including some female, Salter excels. From Johnson’s father and early first love (a commitment-shy Swiss man), to the engineer who helped her, each role is a gem. And there’s the fascinating relationship with husband Jim Mollison. Is the fellow pilot a “glamourous shadow” or a man who gets as much publicity out of the affair as Johnson does? The marriage could make a play of its own.

Best of all, Salter is essential to the production’s theatricality – sure to be especially appreciated right now. Betts’ work comes into its own as we travel the world and skip back and forth in time with clarity and concision. Full of neat touches, effective lighting and sound (Johanna Town and Justin Teasdale, respectively) – the numerous scenes are so engrossing that the action (I almost made it to the end without a pun) flies by. With just a few props and a lot of imagination, Lone Flyer is the kind of show that makes you happy to be in the theatre.

Until 3 July 2021

www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk

Photo by Pamela Raith

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"Beckett Triple Bill" at the Jermyn Street Theatre

It’s easy to see why this programme of short plays by Samuel Beckett is already a sell-out hit. A superb cast and direction from none other than Trevor Nunn make it a very special treat. The chance to see a famous piece – and two that deserve to be better known – makes it perfect for Beckett fans and newbies. Check out the theatre’s gala performance on the 30 January if you’re flush, or its 5@5 day tickets if you’re youthful, and here’s hoping for a transfer!

First up, the most famous piece, Krapp’s Last Tape is presented is with taut precision. As its titular hero listens to a recording he made in the past, the idea that we become very different people during the course of our lives is palpable. James Hayes takes the role and gives a performance of remarkable variety – not a nuance of Krapp’s interaction with his past voice is missed. It really is theatrical perfection.

Niall Buggy at the Jermyn Street Theatre credit Robert Workman
Niall Buggy

For me, the big thrill comes next with Eh Joe, which has Niall Buggy listening to another recording, this time an imagined voice from his past. Buggy gives a tremendously focused performance – he doesn’t say a word – but his character disintegrates as his memories haunt him. In a nod to its origin as a piece for television, his face is filmed, adding to a sense of paranoia. The accusing ghost from his past is a voiceover performed by Lisa Dwan. Reminding him of affairs and failings, it becomes truly terrifying. While Joe tries “throttling the dead in his head” he also needs them – when the voices end so will his life – the past defines us and the only escape is death.

Niall Buggy and David Threlfall at the Jermyn Street Theatre credit Robert Workman
Niall Buggy and David Threlfall

It might be a bit of a relief to end the programme on a lighter note. While The Old Tune continues the themes of memory and old age the tone is very different. Buggy makes another appearance, joined by David Threlfall, as two old acquaintances reminisce. Or at least try to… Beckett mixes up stories and dates as the two become confused to surprisingly gentle comic effect. A melancholy is still prevalent, and both performers effectively maintain this.

It’s not in curating the selection that makes this a great offering from Nunn; there’s no overstating connections between the plays and the direction shows a discipline and precision that makes the most of the brevity of each. Working with some long-standing contributors and clearly revelling in the intimacy of the venue, the approach to all three matches Beckett’s own confidence and vision for them.

Until 8 February 2020

www.jermynstreetheatre.co.uk

Photos by Robert Workman

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“Miss Julie” at the Jermyn Street Theatre

Howard Brenton’s long engagement with the master playwright August Strindberg has proved thoughtful and fruitful, with results here that are spectacular. No stranger to controversy in his own plays, Brenton is almost contrarian in his respect for his predecessor. And presenting Strindberg’s tale of a mistress who has an affair with her father’s valet so simply, with no burdening concept or take on the text to push, is a mark of confidence in the original that allows it to both shine and shock.

The direction from Tom Littler is masterful. With some boldly slow pacing that enforces naturalism and an impressive attention to detail, the play is gripping from the start. We first see the aristocratic household’s cook, Kristin, about her chores and waiting on that valet, Jean, who is also her fiancé. Establishing character through mundane actions is one of those things they teach you are drama school isn’t it? But I’ve seldom seen it done with more success that Dorothea Myer-Bennett’s efforts here. Based on the smallest gestures, the character fascinates, carefully becoming a complex and ultimately triumphant figure. Myer-Bennett’s close study pays off marvellously.

Along the way, we have the drama of Jean’s one-night stand with Julie. It is to Brenton’s credit that both get equal focus, aiding the theme of class conflict that powers his version and reflects Strindberg’s troubled relationships with women. The performances from Charlotte Hamblin and James Sheldon are excellent as they take us through Strindberg’s “serious game” of seduction with such precision. Sheldon works magic with his mercurial character, hot with anger and coldly rational by turns. And Hamblin is a true star in the title role, building Miss Julie’s mental instability for the first half, then going all out to become frightening and pitiful in equal measure.

Let’s not forget the importance of sexual chemistry – this is an erotic show and, as a mark of how smoothly Littler handles the twisted kinks, little skin is on show. It is also testament to the exactitude of the production that Kristin and Jean are such a believable couple: the shared cigarette or help with a bow tie become captivating touches. Their relationship raises the stakes and makes Julie’s plans for escape all the more fantastical. The mix of misandry and self-loathing from our heroine becomes increasingly uncomfortable in the small, one-room world Littler brings to life. It’s always an effort for a modern audience to appreciate the shame of a ‘fallen’ woman, so Brenton’s skill lies in showing this a play about more than sexual politics. And his triumph comes in making Miss Julie’s actions seem radical and tragic once more.

Playing in repertory with Howard Brenton’s version of Creditors until 1 June 2019

www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk

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“Mary’s Babies” at the Jermyn Street Theatre

Maud Dromgoole’s play is inspired by the real-life story of ‘Barton’s Brood’, where a fertility clinic run by Mary Barton, with her husband as one of very few sperm donors, resulted in the world’s biggest family. Updating the action to the present day and imagining efforts to reunite a complex network of siblings, some of whom don’t want to know each other, and a couple who have already got too close, provides plenty of plot that this short show manages to explore in surprising depth.

Thirty-one scenes are well-paced, and director Tatty Hennessy does a good job with their variety. Despite the help of Anna Reid’s design, which lights up characters’ names when they are on stage, things are still confusing at times. Sorry to be a bit dim. Some scenes are unnecessarily gnomic, playing with who’s who when the facts are already complicated. And although the play is funny, with Dromgoole handling sensitive issues boldly, not quite enough jokes land. Nonetheless, there’s some excellent characterisation and the dialogue sounds fresh, if not always believable. Two big puzzles come with the only characters not named: a registrar of births, marriages and deaths and, bizarrely, a grieving ventriloquist. The humour here falls flat and the motivation is a real question. Both scenes indicate an overall lack of polish.

While the script is interesting, the performances are superb. This is a play about a large number of people… with only two performers! Emma Fielding and Katy Stephens take on 17 roles each – male and female, of different ages and backgrounds (more credit to Dromgoole for how many issues this raises) and they do so impeccably. The accents do a lot of work, of course, but it’s hugely impressive to see some characters really stand out. Kieran, the “lynchpin” bringing the family together, is skilfully highlighted by Stephens, while Fielding makes a nurse who interacts with several characters a vivid role. In one party scene, nearly everyone appears, providing a heady theatrical moment where the play’s ambition and execution come together in memorable style.

Until 13 April 2019

www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk

Photo by Robert Workman

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“Burke and Hare” at the Jermyn Street Theatre

It’s all out for entertainment with Tom Wentworth’s take on the historic villains, Williams Burke and Hare. While facts from their 1828 trial provide some chills, the overall aim is comedy. A mix of shameless bad jokes and great theatricality, with a few songs thrown in, means the show has something for everyone.

The ‘true’ story of murderers (rather than grave robbers, as is popularly assumed) who provided corpses for the medical profession in Edinburgh piques interest, and a period feel is well conveyed. Events are presented by Dr Alexander Monro, whose rivalry to the anatomist Dr Robert Knox – Burke and Hare’s main customer – is a great source of fun. Monro has hired a couple of actors to help him tell the story and much is made of their limited numbers. In the style of The 39 Steps, they take on all the roles: the murderers, their associates and their victims. The joke is overplayed, contrived, of course… but it works. The show is funny, with some good tasteless touches, while carefully suitable for the whole family.

Wentworth has done his homework, but dissecting what makes an entertaining show with such deliberation makes this one a little cold at times. It’s the production, from director Abigail Pickard Price, that injects life: balancing a sense of improvised chaos with a script that requires great timing in a very small space, and creating a camaraderie amongst the cast that is contagious.

Personalities behind the roles are quickly established, adding real warmth, and the cast look as if they’re enjoying themselves. Alex Parry gets a special round of applause for all his swapping of roles. Hayden Wood has an amiable stage presence that’s a real asset and deals with an episode of audience participation superbly – even if you hate it when people are called on to the stage (and I do), you can’t be annoyed with him. Finally, Katy Daghorn shines playing not only Monro but the love interests for both murderers. Her accents are a hoot, while differentiating the roles shows fantastic skill. This talented trio creates the atmosphere and energises the show, making it a lively treat.

Until 21 December 2018

www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk

Photo by Philip Tull