Tag Archives: Southwark Playhouse

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“The Devil May Care” at the Southwark Playhouse

Mark Giesser’s adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s 1897 play, The Devil’s Disciple, is interesting, if flawed. The action is moved from Revolutionary America to the Philippine-American War which started at the turn of the 20th century. It’s a period of history I confess is new to me but parallels with the British Empire and American interventionism, which I’d guess Shaw would like, are thought-provoking.

There are moments when Giesser’s treatment is brash. Scenes that show politicians campaigning share a tub-thumping quality the writing is trying to criticise. And a satire on the American press abroad is too shouty to be funny. But Giesser’s own direction makes the action clear. And the cast members get to show their strengths taking on an awful lot of extra roles. Richard Lynson, who performs as a vicar and General MacArthur, deserves highlighting, brilliantly switching characters and bringing out intriguing parallels.

The idea of changing the setting doesn’t detract from Shaw. So, how much you enjoy the show will depend on how you feel about the original. The piece is a family drama, a romance, and a moral conundrum all mashed up. Plenty to enjoy or too much of a mix seem equally valid responses. And it all arrives at speed, with many of the characters’ reactions rushed and plenty of the paradoxes Shaw liked to underscore on offer.

The Conroe family who the action revolves around are a (too) strange bunch, pretty much all unlikeable. The mother and one son, who is in the military, seem happy following a plan from the black sheep of the family, Richard, to take the place of the vicar and be executed for helping local rebels. The fact that motives are vague is partly the point. The dark humour around the situation builds – the scene of Richard’s kangaroo trial is good – but the production isn’t quite witty enough overall.

Giesser has the sensible idea of emphasising the strong female roles so that Jill Greenacre, as a formidable matriarch, has some good lines. And a biracial step-niece is a role managed very well by Izyan Hay, who makes the most of her character’s brief backstory. There are problems for Beth Burrows as the vicar’s wife, though. Making her a lawyer who cannot practice because she’s a woman is a complication too far (bear in mind she is English yet dealing with American martial law).

Burrows is also the show’s love interest – another tricky call. It’s a little odd, or maybe Shavian, that the struggling marriage is more interesting than the new romance we see. Burrows gets more sense of emotional conflict into one short scene with her husband than anyone else manages in the whole play. Her character’s potential affair is with Richard and may – or may not – be a motive for his self-sacrifice.

It’s really only with Richard, who gives the original play its title, that the show comes together. The self-proclaimed Satanist, an arms dealer and general ne’er-do- well, makes a great role for Callum Woodhouse, who brings neat touches of understatement to the part: he is funny, charming but also biting and cynical. Woodhouse carries the show. Shaw’s philosophising villain is fascinating but, regrettably, not quite enough to save the night.

Until 1 February 2025

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

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“[title of show]” at the Southwark Playhouse

Billed as a meta-musical – pretending to depict its writers workshopping and staging the show as we watch it – there is plenty of self-appraisal within Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell’s piece. [title of show] (they are still working out what to call it) states pretty much anything bad you can say about it out loud, and often. I wonder if this makes the piece critic-proof?

It is pointed out that there are lots of obscure Broadway references (one number is based on the titles of flops), so knowledge about the construction of songs and shows really helps to get the jokes. And with self-deprecating satire, Bowen and Bell point out the dangers of all this: the “derivative tricks and the critical undertow” that come with their project. As artists, they want to “ask significant questions” with their songs – there’s a lot about the highs and lows of creativity. But whatever is said comes with the threat of being contrived.

In fact, there’s plenty of skill needed to pull off the concept driving the show. Here’s where the reviewer can address performances and note that the songs are excellent showcase material. Jacob Fowler and Thomas Oxley (I think you can guess their characters’ names) give the roles suitably strong personalities. Abbie Budden and Mary Moore, playing Heidi and Susan, are the “secondary characters” (that’s their description) who have the best numbers. The comedy could be handled less effortfully (it’s good enough) but all four sing wonderfully. And Bowen’s songs aren’t easy. Even if there’s just a piano (props to musical director Tom Chippendale who I’m glad gets to speak), the score is clever and complex.

Most importantly, the cast and director Christopher D Clegg have to make the show feel fresh. Adding the touches of chaos that are demanded from the self-consciously kookie lyrics isn’t easy and the quartet’s energy is fantastic. Nor is it easy giving an improvised air when we all know (don’t we?) the show was a hit back in 2006.

Many have been excited by this long overdue London première. As Bowen and Bell well know, this is a show for the theatre kid and the “Show-mo”. But it is “fun times with friends” with admirable conviction, focusing on the collaborative making of a musical, and the community that comes to watch. [title of show] knows it’s for a clique, but it enjoys that fact… There’s even a song about it.

Until 30 November 2024

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Photo by Danny Kaan

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“The Ungodly” at the Southwark Playhouse

Witches often make good drama and Joanna Carrick’s new play, set in 1645, is part of a trend to intelligently appraise the phenomena. The focus is a family who think of themselves as the victims of witchcraft – parents who have lost their children and a troubled youth who becomes radicalised into a self-appointed ‘witch finder general’.

Carrick also directs, and shows great skill dealing with the period and the play’s basis in fact. The dialogue is treated lightly and convinces as a result. It isn’t easy to show Puritans on stage nowadays, but the cast – Nadia Jackson, Christopher Ashman and Vincent Moisy, who play wife, husband and brother respectively – all bring sincerity to their characters’ religious convictions. Faith is part of the everyday life of the household, and it is easy to see how it comes to influence them.

Time is taken over events. The couple, Susan and Richard, are suspicious about supernatural claims and at first try to calm their younger relation, Matthew. Jackson and Ashman have great chemistry and scenes of their courtship are charming. Moisy endears as a stuttering young man lacking confidence. It’s only when grief overtakes the family, with superb scenes for Jackson, that they become susceptible to superstition. The Ungodly isn’t spooky… it’s sad. And scary because we see what happens to these good people.

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We do get to meet a real victim – a small but smashing part for Rei Mordue as a young girl accused of witchcraft. There are powerful interrogation scenes, and some big themes of justice and revenge tackled with skill. Moisy might hold back more, but the confusion and dynamism of the ‘investigation’ in progress is handled expertly. Jackson shows Susan consumed with anger, while Ashman has Richard struggling to retain his sense of self.

The Ungodly takes a far more ‘traditional’ approach to its subject than the recent Gunter, produced by Dirty Hare. As with another show from earlier this year, Talene Monahon’s The Good John Proctor, the play owes a good deal to Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. But this is all good company to keep. Carrick’s historical drama feels deep and deserves praise.

Until 16 November 204

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Photos by Bernie Totten

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“Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon” at the Garrick Theatre

Rosie Day’s play, which is being adapted for TV and has an accompanying book, is an effective summation of current teenage concerns. The piece is hard-hitting and, appropriately, didactic. Under the direction of Georgie Staight, this limited-run production is impressively slick, and the show is a great vehicle for its star, Charithra Chandran.

We meet Eileen just after her sister, Chloe, has died. Day writes about grief in a sensitive and detailed manner. But the cause of death – anorexia – is given just as much attention. How both affect the whole family and their mental health is explored. And Eileen’s life doesn’t stop because her sibling is dead. She has other problems, including making friends, finding love and earning Scout badges.

It’s a lot, but then so is being a teenager. There are touches of humour, a few impressively dark, but sincerity and authenticity are the order of the day. Thankfully, Day doesn’t make Eileen too mature (an essential key to the play’s success). And the momentum of the show is controlled expertly by Staight. It’s clear from the start that Eileen cares more than she lets on… but it’s still heart-wrenching to realise how tough things are.

With important themes and plenty of drama, the piece is an intense challenge as an 80-minute monologue, but Chandran is superb. She isn’t quite alone. There are also voiceovers and video clips, which prove are the least successful part of the production. Section introductions from Sensible Scout Leader Susan (Maxine Peake, no less) are more than enough to break up the action. And Chandran is heavily miked (although initial feedback was corrected quickly, this is distracting). I’m just not sure any extras are needed. Chandran can hold a stage and tells the story well.

Indeed, for some, the performance will be the most enjoyable part of Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon. To see an actor so in control of material is always a pleasure. For the more jaded, coming-of-age dramas can… lack drama. But the stakes here are high, and Eileen’s encounter with a predatory older man is particularly distressing. Still, there are no surprises, even if it’s all well targeted.

The show’s move to the West End, having started out at Southwark Playhouse, is to be celebrated. It’s great to see a transfer like this, with Day’s and Staight’s skill and hard work rewarded. I’ve no doubt the play will mean a lot to many – it deserves to.

Two performances, every Sunday until 28 April 2024

www.thegarricktheatre.co.uk

Photo by Danny Kaan

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“Dumbledore is So Gay” at the Southwark Playhouse

Robert Holtom’s short play is, undeniably, niche – the audience demographic is specific. It looks at the youthful experiences of three friends who are Harry Potter fans, so it helps to know the franchise. And the show’s origins on the fringe, at the excellent Vault Festival, are clear, with fun had at the limited cast numbers. But within what some might see as constraints, the piece is strong: focused, solidly written, well-performed and with original touches.

Jack, who is gay, deals with bullying and a girlfriend while having a crush on his best friend. The focus is homophobia (the title comes from schoolyard slurs). Holtom writes insightfully about prejudice, highlighting small insults as well as big threats. An older offstage character called Norman is particularly well thought out. The outcome of the aggression experienced is moving. And, impressively, there is a focus into the damage that internalising hatred can cause.

In case this sounds worthy, it should be stressed that Dumbledore is So Gay is funny (particularly if you’re part of the fandom). The cast are strong comics and director Tom Wright knows this is one of the show’s strengths. There are the “drunken kisses” you might expect, which are sweet. When the actors double up as parents or teachers there’s even more fun. Close observations lead to lots of nodding in the audience.

Now for the twist… Jack can travel back in time (again, something from Harry Potter), so Holtom offers different versions of a coming out and coming-of-age story. Taking the lead, Alex Britt shows subtlety in the variations of this – a smart move. The conceit also means that Jack’s friends Gemma and Oli have characters fuller than might be expected, making strong roles for Charlotte Dowding and Martin Sarreal, who are also superb.

The different scenarios are increasingly positive without feeling forced. The fact that all three characters “deserve to be happy” is plenty – rather than prescribing what that happiness should be. Holtom makes a point of being positive, so you’re sure to leave feeling good. It’s a big achievement for a small show.

Until 23 September 2023

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Photo by David Jenson

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“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” at the Southwark Playhouse

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story about a man who ages backwards is brought to the theatre with commendably little fuss. Nothing is unstageable, but the mind-boggling idea here is handled lightly by relying on the great skill of Jamie Parker who takes the title role. And the adaptation has another surprise – the story is now a musical.

The folk music, by Darren Clark, inspired by the Cornish setting of the story, is great. The sound is impressively large, and it isn’t too fanciful to say the sea is the inspiration: the music roars but also comforts, rages and lulls. The tunes have instant appeal and boast moments wistful and toe tapping. The songs do follow a formula that might prove repetitious on a soundtrack but works well live. As for the performances – they are very special.

The show uses a dozen actor musicians who all embrace the chance to show off a variety of characters while sounding fantastic. Such talent often impresses, but I lost count of how many times this lot changes instruments. And the choreography is ambitious too; Chi-San Howard should be proud. Everyone weaves around the stage beautifully in Jethro Compton’s assured direction, working with fluidity and confidence.

The technique of using the cast as narrators is overused, though. And there’s too much detail: telling us the date, or how much time has passed, or highlighting a “chain of events” – each is handled cleverly – but all feature too often. The show’s strong ideas end up tainted by being repeated.

As a contrast, you couldn’t get enough of Parker. Depicting Button getting younger with great skill is never overstated. It’s an emotional performance that aids the show immeasurably. And Parker is helped by his co-stars, especially the strong work from his character’s mother and wife, played by Philippa Hogg and Molly Osborne.

Hopefully it isn’t too much of a plot spoiler to reveal that Button’s mother ends up committing suicide – it’s important to know that the show has dark moments. It could be a problem for Compton’s book that the conclusion is a downer. Button has his unhappy end pointed out to him from the start – defying his father is part of the point. Efforts to show this “little life” as a kind of triumph don’t quite convince, the show’s energy runs down. After such strong work, with so much to recommend it, it is odd to leave the theatre deflated. But the piece is undoubtedly moving and the work here top notch.

Until 1 July 2023

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Photo by Juan Coolio

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“Macbeth” at the Southwark Playhouse

Flabbergast Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s tragedy is a brave failure. The show is full of arresting imagery and committed performances – it is bold from start to finish. But a central conceit is hard to pin down and uncomfortably constraining… Macbeth in a madhouse seems close to describing what’s going on. That the idea turns out less interesting than it sounds is a shame, given the tremendous effort of all involved.

Linking Macbeth to insanity isn’t a bad idea. Fits are mentioned, there are famous hallucinations, and the banqueting scene is ripe for such an interpretation. Can the witches be mad? Of course, they’ve been everything else in various productions. And the suggestion that Banquo’s murderer is schizophrenic is a good touch. But the whole idea does, forgive me, straitjacket the play. It’s scary and unpredictable (an achievement of sorts) but it is hard to take the drama seriously as connections between the characters are severed. While the ensemble work together well, the characters seem isolated in individual trauma.

Henry Maynard’s direction is aided by work with movement from Matej Majeka which is often interesting.  The whole ensemble impress, not least with some of their backbends. Everyone is on stage a lot and never loses focus. The musical arrangements from Adam Clifford make great use of percussion and the ensemble are a good choir. The small amount of puppetry that features is worth noting. But every aspect of the show is exaggerated and that turns into a serious flaw.

There are technical problems too. The production fails to consider the venue’s thrust stage so that two thirds of the audience are ignored too often. Above all, hearing what anyone is saying is very difficult. Taking the lead role, Maynard tries hard but it is really only Kyll Thomas-Cole’s Malcolm we get to hear properly. There’s no way you’d know what was going on without a thorough knowledge of the play and while the company can be proud of its energy, that makes the effort here wasted.

Until 8 April 2023

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Photo by Picturegrafix

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“The Walworth Farce” at the Southwark Playhouse

Enda Walsh’s crazed and brilliant work has a suitably high energy revival at the hands of director Nicky Allpress. The piece is a great choice for the first show at Southwark Playhouse’s new venue – close to Elephant and Castle and the play’s setting on the Walworth Road.

It’s hard to claim that The Walworth Farce is an evening out for everyone. A family of isolated misfits enacting a story about why they left Ireland, the play has a mad sense of humour that’s deliberately puerile and could easily offend. And the action is confusing, again deliberately, with characters taking multiple roles in therapeutic amateur theatricals while repeating actions in a ritualistic fashion.

“Wonderful work, impressive detail”

As the play within the play happens, there’s fun to be had from Walsh’s script and Allpress shares the playwright’s audacity. The Walworth Farce is a very funny play filled with great insults and colourful language. And it is clear from the start that you can admire the performers here. Their characters are bad actors; performing like automatons, complete with comedy wigs. It takes skill, and courage, to mess around like this. Taking the parts of two brothers, Emmet Byrne and Killian Coyle work at an incredible pace, all the while establishing the affection between their characters that leads to the play’s emotional impact.

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Dan Skinner, Rachelle Diedericks & Killian Coyle

Byrne and Coyle show their characters are damaged and full of fear. Dan Skinner plays their father, Dinny, who terrorizes them, with appropriate menace. And just how scary Dinny is, comes into focus with a fourth role, another commendable performance from Rachelle Diedericks, whose character is accidentally drawn into the father’s dramas.

As the story develops – don’t worry, you do work out what it’s all ‘about’ – Dinny becomes a figure to pity. While it becomes clear the family’s problems start with the patriarch, Skinner has taken care to give the role a kind of charm. Walsh is challenging us as the man is surely a monster? So it isn’t just the story that twists… does our own sense of morality too?

“This story we play is everything”

The Walworth Farce turns into a tragedy. There are grand overtones to the piece as the threat of violence increases. The danger is sure to enthrall theatergoers as it stems from the power of stories and performances: how theatricality can shape our reality, can protect but also trap us. It’s a potent theme for a play and the effect is powerful. After a lot of laughs, and some scratching of heads, the strange world the audience is drawn into comes into conflict with reality in dramatic fashion. The bleak and bloody play is full of tension. Will anyone escape from Walworth? It’s worth a trip to Elephant and Castle to find out.

Until 18 March 2023

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

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“Hamlet” at the Southwark Playhouse

Ricky Dukes and the excellent Lazarus Theatre Company have taken inspiration for their new Shakespearean adaptation from work with acting students. The much-edited play (95 minutes long) is seen only from the perspective of younger characters. The result is surprising, shocking and exciting.

Elsinore becomes a mix of rehearsal room and therapy session. Sorcha Corcoran’s design is constantly rewarding. Alongside Stuart Glover’s lighting, the set is the key to investing such a well-known play with a fresh feel. Given the stripped-back props, and costumes that are sports gear or made of paper, the imagery is fantastic. Lazarus has a knack of creating scenes that burn themselves into the memory. As for including incense, I want some in every production of Hamlet from now on, please.

Remember, the ‘adults’ don’t appear in the flesh. While roles that are of indeterminate age are included (leading to a lovely performance from Kalifa Taylor as one of the players), authority figures are a disembodied voice from above. It’s creepy. Having Micha Colombo issuing sinister instructions and doing such a great job as both Claudius and Gertrude adds a dystopian atmosphere that’s in keeping with Jovana Backovic’s strong sound design.

So, what does this focus result in? The clear generational divide in the source material is highlighted. You need to know the idea and the play well before you go, something I’d normally criticise. But it is evident that the kids are not all right. Mental health – in particular suicide – is the main concern. This might be predictable, but you can’t say it isn’t present in the original. An effort is made to highlight all nine cast members in turn – we sense each deliberating over every action. You are left wanting more (from Alex Zur’s beautifully voiced Horatio, for instance), but the ensemble-led approach brings many thought-provoking moments.

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Michael Hawkey

Appropriately, Michael Hawkey, who takes the title role, embodies the production’s fresh approach and gives a remarkable professional debut. An angry young man who is also petulant, Hawkey’s delivery of the lines is confident and fluid. As a strong foil. Lexine Lee’s restrained Ophelia (I’ll admit this is to my taste) grounds the show. Director Dukes has firm ideas about her death that add to the production’s determined, confrontational approach.

This is radical stuff and, of course, it doesn’t all work. The Mousetrap scene tries too hard to inject humour (although Juan Hernandez and Kiera Murray do a brilliant job). I’m not sure why Yorick’s skull is taken from a fridge? To fit with the clinical feel? The duel is disappointing. Maybe Hamlet’s final action is a touch too far? And it’s a puzzle why Fortinbras isn’t mentioned. But the show raises questions in a prodigious fashion.

It turns out that the “safe space” promised is not delivered. This is Hamlet on a loop – like the circle performers sit in, we can go around again. It’s a chilling nod to the play’s versatility and reinvention. That Lazarus has given us a Hamlet unlike any other is an achievement. That the piece raises so many questions about the play and playmaking itself is astounding.

Until 4 February 2023

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Photos by Charles Flint

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“Doctor Faustus” at the Southwark Playhouse

Christopher Marlowe’s play is always a fiendish one to stage – with ‘Enter Devils’ as a stage direction, how could it not be? But this new updated production is excellent and confirms that shows from Lazarus Theatre are must-sees.

There may be rough moments and the show is, literally, messy. But, alongside plenty of blood and a paper-strewn stage, the direction and adaptation by Ricky Dukes is as neat and tidy as you could wish. A hugely impressive number of ideas push the play to its limits and preserve it at the same time.

“Mark the show”

Dukes exploits the theatricality of Marlowe’s text – this is a show full of shows. Faustus learns about space in a brilliant scene that mimics a modern Planetarium display. The famous encounter with the Seven Deadly Sins takes on the air of a burlesque. Oh, and the Pope dances the hokey cokey.

It’s all a bit mad and there’s a surprising amount of humour. The spirits that are conjured up have some singularly effective make-up around their mouths (take note of when it appears) and come and go with a curtain reveal. Even the blood Faustus signs his name with is fake, and no attempt is made to hide that. Which raises the question – does Faustus really get what he has traded his soul for? 

That Faustus might be cheated of his wishes is frightening. Is it all just in his head? And that isn’t the only scary thing about the production (that make-up again!). With some fantastic sound and lighting design (bravo, Stuart Glover and Sam Glossop) as the clock ticks down to the devil claiming his bounty, there is considerable tension. The final scene left me, as well as Faustus, gasping.

“Faustus must be damned”

A lot of the production’s success is down to taking the play’s religiosity seriously (no mean feat, nowadays). Faustus’ denial of God, his refusal to repent despite repeated opportunities, builds magnificently. We have a battle of minds and ego that is used to structure the show. And Dukes puts proper emphasis on what really damns the man – his despair.

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David Angland

All this praise and no word yet on a strong cast… sorry about that. Dukes makes this an ensemble show, with the performers mostly playing a variety of small roles and allegorical figures. If Candis Butler Jones stands out as Lucifer, well, the devil always has the best lines. Hamish Somers and Rachel Kelly also impress as particularly hard working: their appearances as Good and Evil Angels is an essential part of providing a framework for the adaptation.

The shows leads are fantastic. David Angland takes the part of Mephistopheles with a fastidiousness that adds chills. There’s a wicked sense of humour and careful reminders of what’s at stake. As Faustus’ sprit servant, he’s never too familiar – Angland shows an effective contempt for the Doctor. But, of course, it’s Faustus’ show and, taking the lead, Jamie O’Neill could be forgiven for the sin of pride.

O’Neill doesn’t leave the stage during the entire 90 minutes. While managing to convey plenty of awe, as well as passion and fear, this is a remarkably restrained performance. Every movement is measured, and Faustus seldom acts without thinking. And that’s important – Faustus is an intellectual and this is a cerebral play. That this aloof doctor can also connect to the audience and show increasing desperation is a fantastic achievement, making O’Neill heavenly casting for an out-of- this-world show.

Until 1 October 2022

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Photos by Charles Flint