Tag Archives: New Diorama Theatre

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“The Long Run” at the New Diorama Theatre

You are probably going to cry by the end of Katie Arnstein’s play. After all, it’s about her time in the waiting room of Derby Royal Hospital while her mother undergoes chemotherapy. Arnstein sets out the shock of finding out someone you love is ill, and making sure we admire her mum, swiftly. But the surprise is that The Long Run is “a comedy about cancer”. The thrill and the joy of this fantastic show is how laugh-out-loud funny it is.

Arnstein is a good comedian with her quirky look at life and sharp eye on pop culture making strong foundations for plenty of great gags. And she has a great line in insults. But as Arnstein performs her piece, it’s clear the key is her delivery. Keen to point out that she is not the hero of the show, unafraid of making a fool of herself, she gets grumpy with others in the waiting room and acts like a toddler. With just the right amount of self-deprecation, Arnstein has the kind of charm most of us can only dream about – she is adorable and a pleasure to spend time with.

Working with director Bec Martin, the pacing of the show is impressive – there’s no room for self-indulgence in this race against cancer. Time is taken not just for punchlines but also important lessons. You don’t “beat” cancer; you just get time and treatment… if you are fortunate. And if that sounds grim it’s also a brave admission. Could the idea even be liberating? That time in the waiting room wasn’t wasted – it provides real insight.

There’s another surprise waiting as Arnstein has another story to tell. An old man called George is using the waiting room to train as a runner – his squeaky shoes annoy her! An uneasy friendship leads to his tear-jerking story. Again, the focus moves from Arnstein, and Martin does a great job as George’s London marathon is recounted and gets the whole theatre on side. It’s quite something to leave a play about cancer with a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Catch The Long Run while you can.

Until 13 April 2024

www.newdiorama.com

Photo by Ali Wright

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“Brenda’s Got a Baby” at the New Diorama Theatre

Jessica Hagan’s new play is easy to enjoy, being a bright comedy focusing on Ama and her wish to have a baby before she is 30. Providing insight and sharp dialogue, all aided by strong performances and appreciative direction from Anastasia Osei-Kuffour, it’s a show to sit back and enjoy.

Ama’s goal to become a mother gets harder as the play goes on. Her sister, Jade, and her mother have opinions…and aren’t scared to share them. These are strong characters, talking sense, if not always at sensitive moments, and make great roles for Jahmila Heath and Michelle Asante, who are both fantastic crowdpleasers. Meanwhile, Jordan Duvigneau does well as the dastardly boyfriend, while Edward Kagutuzi makes as endearing partner for Jade.

Ama is our star, though, and Anita-Joy Uwajeh, who takes this big role, is superb. Her initial contempt for the titular off-stage character, a girl who got pregnant at school, doesn’t endear Ama to us. And it gets worse! As well as being a snob, Ama manipulates and uses the therapy she has had as a tool against others, as she “lies and schemes” with increasing desperation, which becomes more and more fun to watch.  

The question of how much of a success Ama is adds some weight to the play. Many would be jealous of a career woman with a good job who buys her own flat (at 28… in London!). But although Ama has done everything “by the book”, she is judged as a failure because she has no children. Uwajeh handles her character’s frustration, anger and sadness with a light touch that is perfectly pitched.

Hagan wants to up the stakes, and the play gets darker. Important facts about medicine are introduced and Ama becomes ill – “spiralling” – through her desperation for a child. As she gets crazier, so does the action… well, a little. A couple of twists aren’t that much of a shock and the play doesn’t quite know how to bring things to a close. But it’s all still funny and the performances consistently strong. You might miss surprises in this show, but its appeal comes from recognising the characters and the dilemmas. It’s comforting rather than confrontational and, since that is surely the aim, Brenda’s Got a Baby is a job well done.

Until 3 December 2023

www.newdiorama.com

Photo by Cesare De Giglio

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“After the Act” at the New Diorama Theatre

We know a musical can be about anything… but the legislation introduced in 1988 to prohibit the promotion of homosexuality in schools? And while verbatim musicals are nothing new, using speeches from parliament and interviews in songs is tough. Thankfully, Breach Theatre, which brings this slightly mad idea to life superbly, knows that crazy can work. After the Act is energetic and emotive. The big surprise comes from making the topic so upbeat and empowering.

There is a lot covered. Key moments in LGBT history are recounted: remember those angry lesbians on the six o’clock news, or angry lesbians abseiling in the House of Lords? Hurrah for angry lesbians! And writers Ellice Stevens and Billy Barrett know it’s smart to present an argument, so supporters of Section 28 are given plenty of time. Their own words condemn them (there’s a lot of offensive language on stage) but, with the exception of Margaret Thatcher’s conference speech, the tone is cool. Offended parents even get the smartest song.

For me, it’s the personal testimony from activists or people who were at school at the time that are best. And extremely powerful. Stevens and Barrett, the latter also directing, structure the material well, with a rhythm of outrage and then the effects of the legislation. Political rhetoric and nasty newspaper headlines contrast with lived experience. And there’s an intelligent approach to the different ages in the audience – the show educates younger members while hitting home for anyone who remembers the time.

Zachary Willis
Ellice Stevens, Tika-Mu’tamir, EM Williams, Zachary Willis

Excellent performances aid this ambitious project. Praise again for Barrett’s clarity in staging, important as the four cast members have to struggle with a lot of tongue’twisting lines and occasionally fussy choreography from Sung Im Her. The performers revel in the variety of roles. The highlights for Tika Mu’tamir and EM Williams come when they play protestors, bringing great sincerity to surprisingly understated performances. Stevens and Zachary Willis take on some of the most contrasting roles. The latter moves from outraged father to bullied schoolboy brilliantly, with forceful commitment and strong humour, too. The quartet is hugely enjoyable.

The show’s score is by Frew. Nobody is going to go away humming the numbers here as the ‘lyrics’ make the songs sometimes tricky to follow. And it is all a little too obviously hard to sing. Combining the songs with speech might be smoother. The score earns respect, though: the music is intelligent, works theatrically and sets the period very well. After all, this is a show about a piece of history… isn’t it?

You’d think the company would have enough to do, setting out and singing about historic homophobia, with the background of the AIDS crisis. The research is fantastic, and the quality and breadth of interviews for the show mean it serves as an important document. But its title is more than alliteration. After the Act looks at the legacy of Section 28, bringing us up to date to address the question of trans rights in schools. The show becomes campaigning in its own right. It’s an appropriate concluding note that important lessons are worth learning.

Until 1 April 2023

www.newdiorama.com

Photos by Alex Brenner

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“Project Dictator” at the New Diorama Theatre

It’s not uncommon for a night at the theatre to combine comedy and tragedy. But Rhum + Clay’s new show moves from laughs to trauma particularly well. So well, it makes Project Dictator difficult to write about. This is one of those shows that knowing too much about might spoil. 

Co-directors and performers Julian Spooner and Matt Wells take their audience on a theatrical journey full of smart surprises. Assisted with direction by Hamish MacDougall, and joined onstage by composer and musician Khaled Kurbeh, Project Dictator has lot to say and plenty of ideas. The show is well executed throughout.

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So, what’s going on? We start with a serious play within the play…but performed as a farce. An earnest writer and performer, Jeremy, is an appealing character. There’s the kind of observation – and panegyric to democracy – we expect. Gently mocking, not least artists like themselves, Spooner and Wells show strong comedy skills. A little slapstick goes a long way.

There are more laughs as Jeremy’s single cast member, a supernumerary who finds his voice, takes over. With a power struggle onstage, and calling on the crowd, we get the dictator the title promises. There’s a lot of audience participation here – be prepared to read out loud, dance in your seat and even draw. Jeremy shares my feelings about a fourth wall, and I can’t say I enjoyed all this. But, unlike a lot of audience participation, it is very well done and has a point.

This dictator wants more fun…but very deliberately the show doesn’t become funnier. At what point do you notice a sinister edge? The satire becomes keener, and that participation has an aim – to highlight how easy complicity with a charismatic figure can be.  The tone is more provocative and, had the show ended here, I’d have still been happy.

There’s a final surprise though, where Project Dictator becomes very dark indeed. It turns out what we’ve seen is the performance of comedians who get into trouble with a real regime. Stripped and hooded, after their anarchy, the curtain rises again on a chillingly controlled mime show. Forced to perform, and showing their fear, will a final act of rebellion occur? Now that I won’t reveal.

Until 30 April 2022

www.newdiorama.com

Photos by Cesare De Giglio

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“Passion Fruit” at the New Diorama Theatre

Dior Clarke’s semi-autobiographical play is full of affirmation. From the start Clarke tells us his tale is a “self-love story” and characters keep positive in the face of difficult circumstances. The script, written with Stephanie Martin, suffers from self help mantras. But growing up gay on a rough estate, with an abused mother and a brother in trouble, needs determination and bravery – Passion Fruit has plenty of both.

Valid as the project of representation is – bringing new voices to the stage is important – the play isn’t innovative dramatically. The story is simple and much of the subject matter predictable, a lot of it depressingly so. There are no surprises: from a child questioning how men “should” behave, a teenager hiding his sexuality, through to the happy drama school ending. Instead, the show’s strengths come by adding energy to the story.

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Hayden Mampasi, Dior Clarke and Charlotte Gosling

First, there is Clarke himself who brings considerable presence and physicality to the stage. Clarke deals subtly with showing a five year old, a school boy and then a petulant teenager: while the character is loud, the depiction is restrained. There are moments when delivery of the lines might be clearer, and direct addresses to the audience occur too often. But the emotions aroused by his family and community are sincere. Strong comic touches are even better.

Clarke is supported by two tremendous performances. Under the tight direction of Melinda Namdar, Charlotte Gosling and Hayden Mampasi perform all the other roles and don’t put a foot wrong. Mampasi is great as an elder brother, then potential boyfriend, as well as having an excellent comic turn as a grandmother. Gosling’s performance as the mother grounds the play from the start. And she impresses as different love interests, both female and male.

Gosling joins Clarke in two of the show’s strongest moments, intimate scenes where sex is depicted with originality. A clubbing scene is another highlight, as Clarke pole dances and explains the importance of wild nights out (albeit with unbelievable sophistication for a 19 year old). The movement in the piece, directed by Kane Husbands with Mateus Daniel, is interesting throughout – fighting or flirting as well as making love, it is the movement in the show that makes it worth watching.

Until 19 March 2020

www.newdiorama.com

Photos by Cesare Di Giglio

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“Deciphering” at the New Diorama Theatre

It’s easy to appreciate that theatre company curious directive’s show is the most technically ambitious staged at this super venue. The New Diorama is tiny and what Zoë Hurwitz’s set achieves is remarkable. Regrettably, for all director Jack Lowe’s efforts at making sure the show actually works, the piece itself achieves little.

Abseiling actors are just the start. With performers above and below a stage full of surprises, as well as projections and headphones to hear the show through, we are taken backwards and forwards through time. The story follows one woman, Elise, at different stages of life and takes us exploring in an Indonesian cave full of prehistoric symbols.

Lowe manages this time travelling well. A clear performance from Stephanie Street anchors the show and there is a particularly challenging role for a child (well done to Asha Sylvestre at the performance I attended). That the personal relations in Elise’s life are slim is a relatively small problem.

What Deciphering does with its ambition – its scope as well as execution – is disappointing. There’s an exploration of creativity and communication (in a classroom as well as a cave). But the thinking is woolly. On top of this, an investigation into time shows us different paths Elise could have taken in life. The ambition to visualize time on stage is impressive. But we end up with Sarita Gabony (our third Elise) dropping down on a rope and asking us what we want to be when we grow up. Identity seems to be all about your job as Elise suggests that instead of being a paleo-archaeologist, different “versions” of herself could be all manner of equally interesting and prestigious professions. Isn’t she lucky.

A very earnest young teacher, which Lewis Mackinnon can do little with but play, well…earnestly, and an irritable academic (great work from Amanda Hadingue) are the professionals who shape Elise’s life. But both characters are forced too close to cliché as they have to help or hinder Elise. There’s a strong sense of wonder when it comes to the symbols in the cave, which I suspect was the inspiration for the show: with Hurwitz’s help, the scene is a highlight. But Deciphering descends into platitudes. The show desperately wants to be profound. Forcing in personal growth for Elise, we conclude with the weak advice that “if you are brave you cannot fail”. I beg to differ.

Until 2 October 2021

www.newdiorama.com

Photo by Alex Brenner

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“It’s true, It’s true, It’s True” from Breach Theatre

It is wise to stress the veracity behind this theatrical rendering of art history’s most famous criminal case. If it wasn’t made clear that the events and dialogue come from the actual court in Rome 1612, during the trail of Agostino Tassi for the rape of fellow painter Artemisia Gentileschi, then it would be hard to believe.

Even if the show, originally commissioned by the New Diorama Theatre, has failings, it is a powerful depiction of awful events: a call for justice, showing how in rape cases it is the victim who is interrogated and made to suffer again, and also showing a spirit that proves indomitable.

For most of the play, there are three performers – all excellent and skilfully directed by Billy Barrett – who double as witnesses and lawyers without confusing the action for a moment.

Kathryn Bond delivers brilliantly as family friend Tuzia, a former companion with a sly edge, who is coerced and frightened. Sophie Steer takes the part of the despicable Tassi, full of arrogance and violence, along with mentions of the pope. In the opinion of one of the judges, this artist was “very impressive”.

Understandably, Ellice Stevens steals the show as Artemisia. With remarkable conviction, dismissing countless accusations of a “wild” disposition and promiscuity, the incredible pressure placed upon her is at once moving and infuriating to watch. Confronted by her rapist, she is questioned by him and – literally – tortured: a cleverly staged moment that enforces the event’s particular cruelty.

All this is great stuff, frequently gripping, but the production stumbles when it tries to add more. Artemisia’s discussions of her art works are fascinating, but recreating them as tableaux injects a humour that feels misplaced. Then there is the show’s music, a collection of misjudged genres that interrupt the action and prove distracting. The soundtrack culminates in a punk rock pastiche that includes a fantastical appearance by the biblical Judith, a repeated subject of Artemisia’s art, that’s out of keeping with the show.

This story is important enough not to need surreal additions and the company talented enough to tell events simply. Maybe the baroque touches were felt to be in honour of Gentileschi’s art? Far better are the moments when Artemisia is allowed to speak for herself – moments when Stevens is magnificent. That Artemisia was questioned “so many times” becomes oppressive, an artistic paralleling of the trial experience. Countered by Artemisia’s heart-breaking repetition of the play’s title, the subject is given a voice as powerful as she deserves.

Until 29 April 2020

Available via https://www.newdiorama.com/whats-on/its-true-its-true-its-true  to donate https://paypal.me/itstrueitstrue

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"The Incident Room" at the New Diorama Theatre

If you are a lover of true crime stories, you’ll lap up this show. An in-depth retelling of the Yorkshire Ripper case that gripped Britain in the late 1970s, the detail is fascinating and the story compelling. But there’s more to Olivia Hirst and David Byrne’s play – an intelligent engagement with history makes their work the very best of its kind by questioning the genre it is part of.

Hirst and Byrne condense events with skill, but their real triumph is in imposing focus on the story by highlighting police work and effectively ignoring the killer. The raw material is fascinating: the lengths the police went to over tyres, bank notes and the sheer number of people interviewed.

Yet what provides the driving force for the show is the tension of working a case that is massive and inventive – apparently changing police procedure – but was ultimately a famous failure. Aided by excellent live video work, designed by Zakk Hein, and a Kafkaesque set from Patrick Connellan, Byrne, along with Beth Flintoff, directs with discipline. The action – in reality slow, boring, work – becomes engrossing and the impact of events powerful.

The Incident Room at the New Diorama Theatre credit The Other Richard

The precision creates characters a long way from your average crime drama, surely aided by the fact that the show is devised by its ensemble. A cracking cast rises to the material with solid performances. As police under pressure Colin R Campbell, Peter Clements, Ben Eagle and Jamie Samuel are all good, creating an impression of a tight team with conflicts big and small managing to inject a surprising amount of humour. But Hirst and Byrne are relentless and focus further.

For The Incident Room has a steely eye on both sexism and the responsibilities of telling stories of this kind. Parallel instances of women in a men’s world reflect both of these concerns. A female journalist, played with winning presence by Natasha Magigi, who sees the chance for a big break, provides commentary while piling on the dramatic pressure. Meanwhile, detective Megan Winterburn, ignored for promotion and doing far too much typing, narrates events in a very special fashion. As Winterburn re-enacts the case in her mind (as if she were rewriting the story, like the playwrights) we see how what she could have done haunts her. Hindsight reveals how traumatic the case was for the police involved. It makes a star role for Charlotte Melia, who gives a magnificent performance.

The Incident Room knows that its subject matter treads a fine line between truth and “titillation” and is careful to address the victims of the Ripper’s crimes. Here the skill is to continue to reflect those concerns about story telling in such a sensitive, honest, fashion. With a woman who survived an attack, Maureen Long, the wish is to be forgotten. Fearing she will be forever defined by her victimhood, an address to the audience, delivered with passion by Katy Brittain, who takes the part, serves as a powerful theatrical moment characteristic of a show marked by both brains and sensitivity.

Until 14 March 2020

www.newdiorama.com

Photos by The Other Richard

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"Antigone" at the New Diorama Theatre

My theatre year is off to a great start with a new company – Holy What – and a challenging version of Sophocles’ tragedy from Lulu Raczka. Interrogating the Greek classic, while using it as a source of inspiration, results in a piece full of ideas and surprises.

The obvious difference is that we see only Antigone – the one who defies the law to bury her brother and is executed as a result – with her sister. In this two-hander, the performers mimic other characters and, in some sense, act as their own chorus. But for me the bigger twist is that both are presented as youthful enough to still be playing games of make-believe. While turning them into wannabe clubbers and throwing in a Beyoncé track might be slightly predictable, making them so vulnerable is emotionally effective and raises plenty of questions about autonomy and responsibility.

Annabel Baldwin takes the title role with a tomboyish streak that makes you wonder about her motivations: how self-conscious is her rebellion? Might it even come close to a tantrum? Yet ‘Tig’ is an appealing figure through Baldwin’s energy, full of passion as well as pondering moral questions. Director Ali Pidsley takes the cue of focusing on the fantasies the sisters act out – imaginary trips to bars and pretend love affairs. These colour the distinctions between words and action that run through the text, as well as the heart-breaking questions of whether or not Antigone should act, and then what she should do next.

Pidsley keeps focus throughout: with Lizzy Leech’s circular stage, part play pit, part burial ground, and lighting from Tim Kelly making the action and ideas consistently guided. And there’s more. Raczka looks just as much at Antigone’s sister – prizes for the remembering the name – Ismene. Creating a brilliant role, in which Rachel Hosker excels, Antigone becomes just as much Ismene’s play, providing a new perspective. And it’s a view Raczka ensures we relate to. A long coda to the piece about Ismene’s future life shows how Sophocles has been used as a springboard to great effect.

Until 1 February 2020

www.newdiorama.com

Photo by Ali Wright

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"Joan of Leeds" at the New Diorama Theatre

Breach Theatre’s successful new musical comedy is a rude and riotous show that could become a cult classic.

If you love a nun in a musical (and why wouldn’t you?), Joan of Leeds has three of them. Brilliantly decked out in safety-orange habits, that they’re mediaeval nuns adds to the fun. And – even better – it turns out they’re all pretty rude. The dramatic dilemma for our titular heroine, played with a suitably feisty attitude by Bryony Davies, is a struggle with her carnal desires. She’s tempted by saints as well as sinners and tries not to succumb… just not for long.

Joan isn’t just a naughty nun, she’s a lesbian one. With her Sapphic sister, a role that allows Rachel Barnes scope for her excellent singing, there are tender moments, considering this is all-out comedy. And we can leave inspired as the couple prompts a sexual revolution for the 14th century that (with a touch of Ken Russell) might be a bit too much for some people even today.

Alex Roberts and Bryony Davies in Breach Theatre's "Joan of Leeds"
Alex Roberts and Bryony Davies

Add in Joan’s escape from the convent (she’s the original nun on the run) and time as a bored housewife, and there’s plenty going on. Aiding all the action is a great Mother Superior, Joan’s psychiatrist and… the devil: all played with fantastic comic skills, and no inhibitions, by Alex Roberts and Laurie Jamieson.

Meanwhile, Joan’s Bishop turns into the villain of the piece. It’s a great role for Olivia Hirst, whose character tries to narrate, in verse, and control the action with increasing frustration. Hirst uses the Yorkshire accent to especially good effect and gets the most of co-writers Elice Stevens and Billy Barrett’s consistently delicious rhymes.

Joan of Leeds is full of funny touches – keep your eyes peeled. But its success really comes from providing takes on not one but two genres. Based on a believe-it-or-not story, Joan did exist, and the show is an effective spoof on documentary theatre, showing us the story’s manipulation as we watch it. Being presented by the Yorkshire Mystery Players, there’s also a twist on am-dram-goes-wrong. So we get all the usual fun of “professional enthusiasts” not quite coping – handled expertly by the real director, Barrett. Such a firm base makes the show double the fun and smart from start to finish.

Until 21 December 2019

www.newdiorama.com

Photos by The Other Richard