NICKED!

PLAY REVIEW: NICKED at the High Tide Festival, The Cut, Halesworth

Getting home from the theatre and sticking the news on I was thrown for several seconds by the familiarity of Nick Clegg’s dulcet tones. Then I realised I’d just spent the evening with him in Nick Clegg the musical, also known as Nicked. This hilarious new show takes a satirical look at the Coalition Government, creating a bold, up-to-the-minute snapshot of Britain’s political landscape. In fact it’s so current that the first weekend of the High Tide Festival saw only the first Act performed, with the second being reliant on the outcome of the AV referendum of May 5^th.

Nicked, based on a book and lyrics by Richard Marsh, tells the story of the Coalition, from a difficult conception of back-room deals and back-stabbing, to its fragility today, though a chaotic whirl of singing and dancing politicians. But it is also the story of one man; Jason Langley gives a fantastic performance as Nick Clegg, foolhardy and easily-led, yet somehow demanding real sympathy from us. Sam Hodges makes a slickly believable Cameron, while the rest of the cast take multiple roles, switching with the help of partisan ties and party-specific lighting. A personified Britannia, Amy Booth-Steel wears a punk-feathered helmet in a symbol of disillusioned national spirit worn down by politicians’ lies and fiscal misery.

The urban beats provided by Rogue Nouveau (Natalie Shepherd) give Nicked a fast-paced, exciting energy. Music and dance power the show, fuelling Marsh’s hilariously incongruous scenes. A glittery-collared David Cameron raps to the Tory right wingers over Osbourne’s beat-boxing. The passionate duet between Cameron and Clegg reminds of a bull-fight or a courtship dance of advance and retreat, step and side-step as each vies to impress his political opponent, and to claim the advantage. This is “politics you can dance too”, and it works wonderfully as satire, a good balance of wit and cruelty, brought to life with the energy of the urban score and slick dance moves.

Nicked has some great one-liners from Clegg’s “I colour inside David’s lines” to Ed Milliband’s assessment of the Labour leadership contest, “Our hearts are slightly differently on the Left”. Cameron jeers at the winner “You’re going home in a Tory ambulance”. Nicked mocks the Coalition, but also has a more serious side. Cameron’s “one man, one vote; you don’t get two because you’re racist”, and Clegg’s desperate attempts to get Proportional Representation, followed by the poor compromise that is Alternative Vote, feed into the final scene in which we are exhorted to stand up for what we believe in. As the lights dim Clegg pleads with us to protest, not simply to observe, to sit and calmly watch, but to get involved.

The performance was a little unpolished, understandable at such an early stage, but nevertheless full of promise. My only concern is that such a current show will date quickly once the issue of AV fades in the fickle public memory. It is hard to see how the issues it raises would be as relevant, as moving, several months or a year from now. I fear that elements of Nicked may have a short shelf-life, but then we always enjoy laughing at our leaders, whether they be dead or alive, politically speaking.

Nicked premiered at the High Tide Festival in Halesworth.

Reviewed for "A Younger Theatre".

A first for poet laureate

PLAY REVIEW: INCOMING at the High Tide Festival, The Cut, Halesworth

 A highlight of this year’s High Tide Festival, held in the pretty Suffolk town of Halesworth, is the eagerly-awaited first play by former Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion. The result of an exciting collaboration between High Tide and the Poetry Trust, Incoming is loosely based on the powerful poem Home Front by Motion about Sally Thorneloe who was widowed in 2009 by the war in Afghanistan. Motion’s work has swung towards themes of war and loss in recent years with Regime change, a 2003 poem protesting against the Invasion of Iraq, and his work on the last of the First World War veterans, Harry Patch. Incoming reflects well Motion’s commitment to modern issues, providing a well-tempered, thought-provoking criticism of British involvement in foreign conflicts.

Incoming is the story of a ghost, Danny, a soldier killed in Helmand, who returns to his wife and son. The acting is exquisite; sensitive, yet realistically emotional enough to add authenticity to Motion’s uncomfortable home truths. Timon Greaves particularly shines for such a young actor, providing a powerful and convincing portrayal of Danny’s idolizing son, Jack, while Christian Bradley and Penny Layden give strong performances as Danny and Steph.

Incoming is a cleverly written play, a subtle protest against the horrors and wastes of unnecessary conflicts which takes a “pro-soldier” approach. In this Motion has neatly captured the contradictions of the Afghan war, and by extension the problem that faces the people of any country at war; how to oppose conflict without opposing those who are fighting and dying in it, without neglecting our basic humanity and regard for others. Incoming pushes us to remember the plight of soldiers at the same time as questioning our involvement in Afghanistan, or indeed any war. Danny embodies these complexities; in death he is disillusioned, running from the “glorious sadness” of the hero-worshippers, while in life, convinced of the need for British intervention. Motion brilliantly draws out the human side of war, yet does not allow us to forget the full picture. He criticises war but makes it clear that the people of Afghanistan cannot just be left to “manage their own shit”.

Motion’s play demonstrates a very natural transition from poetry to playwriting, reflecting the similarities between the two arts. In both Incoming and Motion’s poetry we see the careful creation of a world from words, each line fitting into place, each crucial, repeating, echoing, and foreshadowing to create new meanings and refer back to old ones. The play’s lines have their own kind of poetic rhythm, building their own momentum as the play progresses and driving forward the narrative and our understanding. The lightness of poetry is also something that is common to both forms. Theatre also weaves its magic through hints and suggestion, leaving much of the work to our imaginations. Motion plants his seeds in our minds and allows them to develop as the play unfolds. The second conversation between Danny and Steph is set against a backdrop of falling rain, which both muffles the powerful emotions of the pair, and echoes the rain of the funeral and the aridity of Helmand, subtly knitting together the diverging experiences of the couple.

A cracking debut play, Incoming has clearly demonstrated Motion’s ability to transfer from poet to playwright. This transition felt very natural; at the heart of both forms is a feel for humanity, and Motion seems to capture us as a species so well that he can glide easily between the two. He weaves together the dynamic truths of war, presenting us with a complex, multi-coloured view of modern warfare. We simultaneously understand the proud widow, the hero-worshipping son, and the defeated, disillusioned soldier, and in allowing this, Motion elucidates the delusions and contradictions of war. Motion’s Incoming is not so much a protest against the dodgy politics of the Afghan war, but more a moving and finely-drawn reminder of the humanity that lies behind every conflict, the toll on the often-forgotten victims, the soldiers, their wives and children.

After previewing at the High Tide Festival, Incoming will be presented at the Latitude Festival, 15^th – 17^th July, and then at the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, 4^th – 6^th November.

Reviewed for "A Younger Theatre".

Metamorphoses, Greek-style

PLAY REVIEW: METAMORPHOSES at York Theatre Royal

After Pants on Fire’s all-singing, all dancing Ovid’s Metamorphoses in March, it crossed my mind a classic retelling would seem a little staid. The initial indications of Hugh Lupton and Daniel Morden’s performance did suggest this; two actors seated by a table of assorted bells and bowls with only the power of their voices and eerie musical noises to drive the show. I need not have worried, though, for as the tales began the skilful oratory of the pair soon lulled and captivated, pulling us deeply and convincingly into the world of the gods.

The tales covered well-trodden ground for the most part, Orpheus, Demeter and Persephone, Echo and Narcissus, and King Midas, of course. There was something authentic about this familiarity, though, as if we were closer to the ancient Greeks with their close knowledge, learnt at the mother’s knee, of their myths and hero tales. It felt as if the audience were in some way part of the performance, involved in the stories themselves through our previous encounters, building them in our minds as the plots progressed.

Commissioned by the Hay Festival, this is a masterful retelling of Greek myths, simple yet effective. Perhaps one fault that could be identified was the use of the bowls and bells to create strange noises to indicate the beginning and ending of tales, and to add tension at relevant moments. While it leant an air of New Ageism and mystery, I found the hums and ringing a little off-putting, distracting from the wonder of the tales. And what tales they are to be told. In sum Morden and Lupton showed off the power of oral story-telling to its best effect, providing a glimpse of the tradition shared by so many long lost cultures, including our own.

Chekhov's Shorts

PLAY REVIEW: CHEKHOV'S SHORTS at York Theatre Royal

Few things in this world match, or indeed even come close, to my love of Chekhov. What started out as a teenage crushed has blossomed and grown into an obsession with nineteenth century literature, notably that of Russia and France. My interest began in the world of Chekov’s masterfully witty short stories, and so you can imagine my excitement on hearing that the European Arts Company were presenting of five of his early dramatic pieces; “The Dimwit”, “The Bear”, “Swan Song” and “The Proposal”. These are somewhere between his short stories, with their fresh, light humour, and the darkly comic full length plays for which he is best known. Fascinating, then, for what they reveal of the progression of the writer. We can see Chekhov developing, changing his mind and views on how to make the best use of theatre, in these transition pieces.

The European Arts Company’s performance certainly did not disappoint. Although mid-way through a lengthy tour, the trio of actors were on top form, not noticeably tired or complacent, but able to bring a convincing freshness to the roles. Richard Lantham shone as the ageing actor Svetlovidov in “Swan Song”, with its darkly comic Chekhovian take exploration of how the old view death, and amused as the hard-done-by servant Luka in “The Bear”. Vivienne Rowdon and John O’Connor provided excellent romantic fodder in “The Bear”, “The Dimwit”, and “The Proposal”. This repetition was fascinating, giving us the same actors coupled in different situations, a kind of distorted mirror-effect, reflections echoing through the three as the performance progressed and subtly suggesting comparisons between the three situations. It almost seemed as if we were watching the same couple playing out alternative scenarios, other lives they could have led. In this respect the show was cleverly structured, with a clear emphasis on the issues of marital tension and challenging of gender stereotypes linking the individual plays, and giving the indication of a continuous whole, broken only by “Swan Song”, a brief interlude in the boy meets girl repetition. I did think this play was a little overdone in terms of acting, with the comedy of lines being thrust upon the audience. Admittedly it was a farce, but I think more naturalistic acting might have paid its dividends.

Overall, though, the acting was well received, and rewarded. The atmosphere in the studio was fantastic, bubbling up into raucous laughter by the final pieces. It was clear that all present left with the impression of an evening well spent. The European Arts Company bill this show as giving an introduction to the world of Chekhov. I’d say they’ve done a pretty good job. This is the real Chekhov, the Chekhov of light humour broken only by a scattering of darker shadows, not the deeply tragic playwright which performances of “The Seagull” and “The Cherry Orchard” would have us believe. Chekhov consciously wrote comedy, even in those dark, longer pieces, and this humorous edge is a fundamental part of his legacy. So in some ways “Chekhov’s Shorts” redresses the balance, putting the comedy back into Chekhov’s reputation for a new generation.