Tag Archives: Playhouse Theatre

“Cabaret” at the Kit Kat Club

Still a hot – and pricey – ticket since opening last December, Rebecca Frecknall’s production of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s musical is now on its third set of leading performers. And it has seven Olivier Awards to boast about. There’s a special thrill about seeing a hit – and a sense of success fills the air of the refurbished Playhouse Theatre. This one’s getting better and better.

As for the awards, Frecknall is a deserving recipient for directing such a bold show. But I’m a little surprised choreographer Julia Cheng didn’t get an accolade: her work adds tremendous interest and, with the ensemble at work before the show and during the interval, is a big part of making the evening special. Likewise, the design from Tom Scutt, whose set makes the interior lush while the costumes aid the performers, could easily have picked up a trophy.

It was the performers who gained most of the gongs, so a change of cast could be tricky for the production. But never fear. Taking the roles of Emcee and Sally Bowles are exciting young stars Callum Scott Howells and Madeline Brewer. Sid Sagar brings plenty of intensity to Clifford Bradshaw, while Vivien Parry and Richard Katz play the story’s older romance with sweet and melancholic touches.

Just as important as the famous characters, the whole ensemble have the confidence to support the leads and shine in their own right. There are a lot of eye-catching moves and humour from the Kit Kat Club’s performers. Everyone is given a moment in the spotlight and grabs it, but they work together wonderfully, particularly bringing Cheng’s dance – both gritty and otherworldly – to life.

The show has grown in humour. This was my only reservation from an initial visit. There’s more fun at the start. The number, Two Ladies, is a lot ruder! And there’s a looseness to the performances that works well. Scott Howells seems particularly relaxed and his Emcee is really enjoying himself. It’s not just a question of more fun for all. Less tension at first makes the drama to come more powerful. Cabaret was great to begin with and has now found its feet to becomes something even more special.

www.kitkat.club

Photos by Marc Brenner

“Cabaret” at the Kit Kat Club

Star billing and the refurbishment of the Playhouse Theatre for the production make this revival of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s musical a very expensive hot ticket.

The price of theatre is an issue as complicated as it is frequently discussed. To be fair, few industries care as much about access as the theatre. As sales show, people are willing to pay. And you can get comfortable £30 seats here… if you are lucky. But with cabaret table places (plus a dining option) costing £325, it’s hard not to question if any show could be worth that price.

And the changes to the theatre are pretty underwhelming. If you like the immersive thing, then entering by the stage door into a bar isn’t going to cut it. The table seating, while nice for some, is hardly new. Thankfully, beyond the hype is a strong production of a great musical. That you could see several shows just as good for same money isn’t the fault of the creative team.

Director Rebecca Frecknall handles staging in the round well and keeps the action moving with an impressive attention to detail. The older couple in the story are given their due. Played exceptionally well by Liza Sadovy and Elliot Levey, the doomed affair between Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz becomes the emotional heart of the show. But I’m guessing their performances might not be what you’re interested in?

Cabaret is about two – maybe three – iconic roles. Stepping into big shoes are Eddie Redmayne as the Emcee, Jessie Buckley as Sally Bowles and Omari Douglas as wannabe writer Clifford. If you’ve paid the money, you do get to the see them up close and personal. All three are good, very good. Redmayne’s Emcee is a conductor and a conjuror of events, always in control. Buckley’s impassioned performance is as brave as Douglas’s is cleverly restrained. Both Redmayne and Buckley are a little too keen to differentiate themselves from previous portrayals of their characters – some lines are delivered with odd inflections as a result. But both sound great and have true star quality.

CABARET-The-Company-Photo-Marc-Brenner
The company performing Julia Cheng’s choreography

For surprises, though, it is Tom Scutt’s design that grabs attention (it aids Redmayne enormously) with a gothic feel that’s both effective and original. Meanwhile, Julia Cheng’s choreography is the real star. Movement is aggressive throughout, the performers frequently reduced to frightening and dramatic marionettes.

Credit to Frecknall – Cabaret isn’t fun for your money and there’s no concession to pleasing the well-paying crowd. Remember, Joe Masteroff’s book for the stage is even darker than the famous film, with a keen eye on poverty as well as Nazism. Buckley does particularly well in showing Bowles’ desperation. Frecknall looks at the exploitation behind the fun from the start. But, for at least part of the show, should some of the characters be less aware of how grim things are? When Clifford says that the party is over, it’s jarring that, in this production, the fun never actually begins.

Until 1 October 2022

www.theplayhousetheatre.co.uk

Photos by Marc Brenner

“Fiddler on the Roof” at the Playhouse Theatre

It’s great to see the Menier Chocolate Factory back in the West End. Tickets for this revival of Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s musical sold out quicker than a Brick Lane beigel for its home run near London Bridge, so a bigger venue means a welcome chance to see this excellent show. One word of warning, though – behave as if you were a rich man and treat yourself to a good seat.

Under Paul Bogaev’s musical direction Bock’s music sounds great, Sheldon’s lyrics are always a treat and director Trevor Nunn has a careful appreciation of Joseph Stein’s book: the structure is kept tight, the characters vivid and the jokes are great. Famously recounting the story of Jewish life in a Russian village just before the revolution, the lead role of Tevye has been career defining before and, taking the part here, Andy Nyman does not disappoint. The poverty-stricken patriarch struggles with his wife (a strong performance from Judy Kuhn) and the marriages of his three eldest daughters. Taking these roles Molly Osborne, Nicola Brown and Harriet Bunton do a fabulous job of injecting youth and energy into the show, and their opening number is a real delight. Each of the troubled romances convinces, mixing sweetness and poignancy with strong songs.

It really is worth splashing out on a posh seat, though. While Robert Jones’s set design – evoking Chagall but with a restrained colour palette appropriate to the piece’s surprisingly somber tone – deserves praise, projecting the stage into stalls causes problems. A lot of seats have been sacrificed (hence the ticket price?) but little account taken of the view from the balcony. Nunn should know better than this. Thankfully Matt Cole’s choreography, based on Jerome Robbins’ original work, is still strong enough to thrill; not just the acrobatics but the way dance is used to illustrate the close community and the struggles with modernity that it faces.

Fiddler on the Roof really fascinates. It’s funny, a simple story, well told, that feels solidly old fashioned. But, while focused on tradition, the theme of the show is actually change. New and old are both present in the 1964 piece itself. Much of the first half seems very Broadway – the format is conservative and almost predictable. But, as a concern for history takes over, the show become bravely dark. As the approaching Cossacks move from a threat to a reality, Tevye shows the limits of his own tolerance (Nyman is an excellent here). There’s a combination of pain, incomprehension and dignity in the characters and the story that the production embraces, moving us from high-class entertainment to a questioning and emotionally turbulent finale.

Until 2 November 2019

www.fiddlerwestend.com

Photo by Johan Persson

“Glengarry Glen Ross” at the Playhouse Theatre

The American playwright David Mamet has plenty of fans. This Pulitzer Prize-winning work from 1984, filmed in 1992, has lines so famous this revival’s smart advertising campaign quotes them. Until now, I’ve never been a huge admirer, finding Mamet’s themes blunt and his language, while powerful, too brutal. But here, Sam Yates’ direction exposes the author’s subtlety, making his production a terrific show for all.

Three intense duologues open the play, introducing us to Chicago real estate agents and their cut-throat world. The scenes are close studies on the part of Yates and his superb cast. Kris Marshall plays the office manager, who has power over the lists of leads he distributes, and he does well in distancing his character from the other workers. Due to the unfortunate indisposition of Robert Glenister, Mark Carlisle takes up the role of a particularly desperate salesman, and proves impressively up to speed, working well in his scene with Don Warrington. The plots hatched and bargains struck are funny in their transparency but there’s no doubt the stakes are high. It’s the brevity that impresses with this trio of sketches – so much atmosphere and characterisation so very quickly.

The star of the production is the fictional company’s top salesman, Ricky Roma, played by Christian Slater, who convinces as someone who could sell the proverbial brick to a drowning man. Slater’s charisma makes for perfect casting, and his mischievous, arch delivery brings out the play’s wicked humour. But there’s more: the real focus of the play is veteran salesman Shelley Levene, nicknamed “the machine”, and next to his old mentor Slater shows an impressive restraint.

Stanley Townsend gives a superb performance as Levene. Technically brilliant, his understanding of Mamet’s rhythm is marvellous, he gets great laughs but also makes the play moving. The brief mentions of his daughter, like all the women in the play never actually named, creates a powerful emotional undertow. This is “a world of men”, but look how troubled it is. Yates draws out the desperation and pressure underlying these workers’ lives, with a nod to the tradition of Arthur Miller and Eugene O’Neill. It’s intelligent insight, convincingly delivered, that makes this a revelatory production.

Until 3 February 2018

www.atgtickets.com

Photo by Marc Brenner

“The Kite Runner” at the Playhouse Theatre

The 2003 novel, by Khaled Hosseini, upon which this play is based, is a tear-jerking page-turner that’s enjoyed huge sales. This welcome stage adaptation follows its success with a second outing in the West End. Using its narrator Amir’s life – and getting the first plaudit out quick, this is a role David Ahmad excels in – it’s a family story, with plenty of guilt and a little redemption, combined with the recent history of Afghanistan. It’s full of big themes but, while not belittling any of them, remains a good old-fashioned yarn.

Amir’s friendship with his servant and playmate Hassan is efficiently conveyed. Andrei Costin does well with a character who’s little more than a blank slate – it’s Amir’s memories of him – distorted by remorse – that we see. Even in the peaceful Kabul of the 1970s there are troubles – caused by the teenage psychopath Assef (Bhavin Bhatt). Of equal import is Amir’s relationship with his father, satisfyingly explored and with a sterling performance from Emilio Doorgasingh, who reveals the character with charisma.

Taking the lead from Matthew Spangler’s clever adaptation, director Giles Croft works at a cracking pace. The story grips so much that the play feels like escapism, so that grim moments – and there are plenty – shock. Theatrical touches, and music performed by Hanif Kahn, are restrained and never distracting.

Amir emigrates to America, follows his dream to become a writer and gets married. This isn’t quite as interesting and feels rushed. But there’s good work again from Doorgasingh. Just as Amir’s guilt about being a “disappointing son” starts to seem self-indulgent he gets the chance to “be good again”. Family secrets are revealed on a dangerous return trip to Afghanistan. The pace doesn’t pick up as much as it could, but the story is powerful and Hosseini’s use of coincidence gives his narrative a self-consciously epic feel.

The Kite Runner has the heavy weight of exposing terrorism in action – upon Amir’s return, Assef is revealed as a Taliban leader. Care and bravery are taken over many emotive issues and scenes of sexual violence are carefully depicted (the show isn’t comfortable family viewing). Despite some structural flaws, the power of stories and theatre to take us behind news headlines and show a common humanity feels, regrettably, more important than ever. Any desire for a deeper understanding is consoling in itself.

Until 26 August 2017

www.TheKiteRunnerPlay.com

Photo by Irina Chira

“1984” at the Playhouse Theatre

After a successful tour and sell-out run at the Almeida, Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan’s adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 has arrived in the West End, opening last night at the Playhouse Theatre. It’s a slick affair, all 101 uninterrupted minutes of it, right down to the marketing – rave reviews outside are censored and tickets are on sale for £19.84.

This truly superb adaptation of a classic text is faithful to the original, full of insight and presents a clear interpretation for us to consider. Icke and Macmillan prioritise the appendix to the novel, The Principles of Newspeak, to highlight the text’s status as an historic document read by people in the future.

The show starts with a kind of book club. Anachronistically, our hero (I use the term unreservedly), the ‘author’ Winston Smith, is present and Big Brother looms large. Those discussing the book segue into characters from the story. Orwell has so many ideas, important ones but often abstract, so to extract the drama needed to create a gripping play is an accomplishment. Atmosphere rather than plot is the key and this high-tech production delivers. The set full of surprises, live video work, superb sound and lighting design make this a visceral experience. You’ll want to calm down in a quiet room afterwards.

Not Room 101 of course. The location where the tyrannical regime tortures dissenters is our final destination. From the moment Winston becomes a ‘thought criminal’ to his capture, the play is appropriately, uncomfortably, powerful and not for the squeamish. The way Big Brother manipulates Winston’s fears is both moving and as powerful as Orwell intended it to be. It’s also wonderfully theatrical – cleverly engaging the audience.

The performances are smooth. Sam Crane plays Smith as confused and petrified from the start (well before any mention of rats) and escalates his performance into something remarkable. His love interest is played by Hara Yannas, who perfectly embodies a distinct kind of rebelliousness. And the rest of the ensemble, including a spookily commanding villain in Tim Dutton’s O’Brien, is well drilled. Icke and Macmillan, who shared the direction, evidently make a superb team.

Until 23 August 2014

www.atgticket.com

Photo by Manuel Harlan

Written 9 May 2014 for The London Magazine