Centaur Loses Backside in Thunderstorm

Edinburgh Review: Confused in Syracuse (C venue C until 26th August)

4 stars

How could you not love a play in which a giant white centaur becomes separated from its backside after its umbrella is struck by lightning? Ridiculous and absurd from beginning to end, “Confused in Syracuse” is a physical theatre piece by St Petersburg-based OPS Theatre. The performance is structured around two loose narratives; a love triangle between a blue-skinned god and his two competing lovers who stumble on a Pandora’s Box, and the unfortunate afore-mentioned centaur. Blending mime, slapstick, frolics in a tin bathtub, and occasional outbursts into arias (in Greek), the company does an impressive job of wordlessly communicating the plot basics and creating interesting characters.

The five-strong cast all pull their weight in keeping us fixed on the action (even the back end of the centaur gets his chance) with their ironic contorted facial expressions and funny little gestures. There is so much energy on stage your mind rarely has the opportunity to wonder what exactly is going on here. This is probably a good thing. To be honest, there’s little (if any) intellectual substance to this play, but that is one of the things which makes it great. “Confused in Syracuse” deliberately doesn’t explore weighty issues or make clever points, but it is an hour of hysterically funny entertainment and pure escapism. What a welcome relief after nearly two weeks of mentally-exhausting classic play revivals and student drama cleverness.

You could describe “Confused in Syracuse” as a Marmite show. If you like pantomime and are comfortable with things not always making sense, you’ll probably love it. If you like your theatre a bit more clear-cut, this probably isn’t the show for you. Either way, there are some absolutely hilarious moments, and some which are just plain bonkers. 

Have you ever been to the state of Georgia? I certainly hadn’t before I met J. Fergus Evans, but during his intimate performance at the PULSE Festival I could swear I was there, being taken around by a resident, shown all the sights, and given privileged access to the local gossip. We are made to feel welcome in Evans’ homeland, given peaches and a taste of Southern Comfort while Evans instructs us on how to escape from dangerous wildlife (apparently alligators struggle to zigzag thanks to their short legs) and spins compelling yarns which may or may not be true. 

We learn about high school mean girls with names like ‘Most Likely to Succeed’ and ‘Homecoming Queen’, the seedy bars of the South, and the nail bombs set off in the 1990s in Georgia’s gay clubs. The effect is heady, intoxicating and disorientatingly convincing; Evans is a charismatic storyteller, drawing us into his Georgia, a place which is both real and imagined, with his vivid imagination and eager, soft voice. He eats pecans from a rustic patchwork tablecloth, savouring the memories associated with the taste of home, and entrusts us with boxes which encapsulate his stories. We’re no longer an audience watching a performer: we’re friends visiting Evans’ American home for the first time, handling his possessions and listening to him share his anecdotes and insights. 

This home, set up in a small dark room in the New Wolsey Theatre, is inviting and cosy; there are flickering electric candles on the floor, little paper birds decorating the wall, and an illuminated globe which shows the state of Georgia with its principal towns picked out. A screen beside Evans shows animated scenes of trees and trains which nicely complement and illustrate his stories. Several stacks of old leather suitcases remind us of what it is like to come back to the place you call home, and what it’s like to leave that comfort zone. 

Home is at the heart of Evans’ show. Creating a slice of Georgia in a theatre in another country is Evans’ way of asking what home means when we are far away from it — what things we remember and what things we miss. The result is a bittersweet nostalgia in which homesickness and a longing for the familiar is moderated by facts about homophobia in Georgia (homosexuality was illegal in the state until 1998). Evans doesn’t try to romanticise his homeland, but his performance is so strong you feel like you’re actually there, walking down Peachtree Street and wiping sticky fruit juice from your chin in the company of new friends. Almost like a holiday complete with personal tour guide, all for the price of a theatre ticket.

My Heart is Hitchhiking Down Peachtree Street was at the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich on June 4 as part of the PULSE Festival. For more information about the festival, please visit the New Wolsey Theatre website. The show continues its tour over the summer in Harrogate, Leeds and Reading.

Originally published on www.ayoungertheatre.com

PULSE Festival 2013 at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich

It may be small in scale and a little obscure, but the ten-day PULSE Festival at Ipswich’s New Wolsey Theatre has a rich, eclectic range of shows which bring its loyal, almost cult-like audiences back every year. This year the focus is on works in progress and scratches from unfinished shows, with the second day of the festival featuring the awarding of the inaugural Suitcase Prize for the best performance which could be carried by public transport. PULSE producer Laura Norman explained, “We were looking for inspiring, bold and adventurous ideas – just ones that you can take with you on the bus.”

This focus on creating work which is both environmentally and economically sustainable produces some innovative and strikingly diverse responses. Out of Chaos borrows a table and chair from the venue for The Flying Roast Goose, and relies on physical theatre and puppetry to tell the story of a Cantonese chef and her goose trying to survive the 1941 Japanese invasion of Hong Kong. The hilarious Figs in Wigs’ Leftovers attempts to break the world record for eating peas with a cocktail stick in three minutes against a backdrop of an unfinished dance routine. The company initially envisioned using a fridge-freezer on stage, but downsized to a more portable blue cool box to transport their vegetable props. Keeping things simple, Hannah Nicklin’s A Conversation with My Father uses the contents of the rucksack she takes on protests to explore modern policing and standing up for what you believe in. 

The greatest strength of PULSE is that the old cliché “there’s something for everyone” rings absolutely true. Saturday 1 June featured a series of scratch sessions and works in progress, with audience members strongly encouraged to give feedback on new work: for example, Toot’s interactive Be Here Now which reminisces about Oasis and “music you can hold”, and an extract from Snuff Box Theatre’s compelling The Altitude Brothers, which gives the Russian perspective of the Space Race through vodka, comradeship and courage in the face of the unknown. Angry buzzing hoovers and a bicycle illustrate the struggle between domestic life and feminism in Iran and Europe in the surreal Domestic Labour: A Study in Love, while Francesca Millican-Slater’s warm, engaging personality shone through in her solo show about a beloved 70s flat, The Forensics Of A Flat And Other Stories. Next up was Family Day, packed with imaginative children’s shows such as the dark fairytale of a girl in love with a bear, The Girl With The Iron Claws, Daniel Bye’s The Six O’Clock News which responds to the big news issues of the day, and Talking Birds’s intimate three minute performances experienced inside a giant metal whale. 

The line-up for the rest of the festival includes a performance of Victoria Melody’s Major Tom which considers our obsession with fame and looks through beauty pageants and dog shows, and The Forest and the Field, an immersive, intriguing invitation to reflect on the nature of theatre and how it might respond to the social and cultural challenges of the future. The festival closes with Ursula Martinez’s My Stories, Your Emails which promises to combine stand-up comedy, live art and character comedy to explore what happens when your striptease act ends up online and strangers start sending you extraordinary emails. If these don’t appeal there’s still plenty more PULSE performances left to see, with shows running until June 8, and with so much variety I guarantee you’ll find something you like. 

The PULSE Festival runs from Thursday 30 May until Saturday 8 June at the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich. For more information and to book tickets, visit the New Wolsey Theatre website.

Originially published on www.ayoungertheatre.com 

Fallen in Love, in the Tower

Review: Fallen in Love (Tower of London/Red Rose Chain)

The moody overcast sky and the anniversary of the execution of George Boleyn in 1536 seemed fittingly portentous for the opening night of Fallen in Love in the Tower of London. The Suffolk-based Red Rose Chain are probably best known for their child-friendly summertime Shakespearean romps in the forest, which explode with energy, enthusiasm, and humour. In contrast, this controversial play about the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, the feisty queen executed by Henry VIII at the age of just 35, is turbulent and dark, almost a gothic prelude to the summer we’re still waiting for.

Written by Joanna Carrick, the play is a series of snapshots of crucial moments in Anne’s life, charting her early adulthood, the fateful attentions of the king, and her constant struggle to bear a male heir and to make Henry love her, which ultimately leads to death. There’s a real sense of growing tension as the scenes become shorter and faster, with the contrast of delightful and poignant moments where Anne and her brother George seek escape in regression to childhood, fooling around with silly voices and singing ballads.

This brings us to the controversy: Carrick’s play centres not on the relationship between Anne and Henry, but on that between Anne and George. We all know of the vivacious, daring woman who captured the heart of a king and had him turn the country upside down so they could marry. Fallen in Love takes us deeper, presenting Anne and George as physical and emotional personalities with desires and ambitions, and leaving the audience to decide the truth of the charge of incest brought against them. The production feels like a historical novel brought to life on the stage, and it is no coincidence that Tudor historian and author Alison Weir has lent her support.

Fallen in Love, like much historical fiction, presents the often ignored side of history: the female version of the story. Carrick makes clear Anne’s purpose as a political tool at a time when women were generally regarded as mere chattels, and the devastating birth of a second princess in a society ruled by men. Anne could only exercise her power through men, and this frustration is skilfully presented by Emma Connell as the leading lady. Connell is particularly convincing as the young favourite of the king, exasperated after six years of holding off Henry’s sexual advances until the legitimation of the affair by marriage. Scott Ellis’s portrayal of George is also thoroughly enjoyable, contrasting the boisterousness of youth and his deep affection for his sister Anne.

The play ends with a moving speech from each sibling before their executions. Unfortunately, this tragic atmosphere is spoiled by the final image of Anne and George reunited in heaven as white petals fall from above; it seems Carrick decided she had to add an imaginary happy ending to this sad tale, and it feels rather tacky. This is soon forgotten, though, when you walk out through the Tower and remember that Anne was imprisoned, executed and buried right here. What could be better than a powerful production staged where the action actually happened all those years ago?

Fallen in Love is at the Tower of London on selected dates in May and June until June 16. It is also being performed at Gippeswyk Hall in Ipswich. For more information and to book tickets, please visit the Fallen in Love website.

Originally published on A Younger Theatre: http://www.ayoungertheatre.com/tag/fallen-in-love/

Review:The Sacred Flame

In the world of literature love often seems to lead to murder, but what happens when the victim is a bed-bound war veteran? In many ways Somerset Maugham’s “The Sacred Flame” is a classic murder mystery, leading us through a series of dramatic scenes as the evidence stacks against the main suspect before the shocking truth is revealed in the final, not-so surprising twist. It’s also a play that raises puzzling, deep ethical questions about the sacrifices that a permanently disabled person and their friends and family have to make. Maugham’s play premiered in New York in 1928 and then came to London in 1929, before returning in 1967 with Gladys Cooper playing the matriarchal Mrs Tabret. Since then the play has slipped into the background until Director Mathew Dunster’s decision to stage a revival with English Touring Theatre. Having recently worked with the Pet Shop Boys and choreographer Javier de Frutos at Sadler’s Wells, directed “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning”, based on Sillitoe’s novel, and staged his own play “Children’s Children” at the Almeida, Dunster’s versatility is striking, and a characteristic which perhaps makes his choice of Maugham’s 1920s murder mystery a little less surprising.

It’s easy to spot the challenges facing Dunster in updating “The Sacred Flame” to suit the palate of a modern audience. Dunster has kept occasional archaic-sounding lines to add humour, and although initially these sound strained it doesn’t take long for us to fully accept that this is the 1920s. What has been completely altered, though, is the set. We are presented with a modernist construction of crossing metal bars, large transparent plastic doors and large off-white walls which look like concrete. It is an interesting decision, but the clash of eras between language and set confuses and disconcerts more than it provides a clean, uncluttered background on which to present the play for today’s audience.

There can be little doubt, though, that Dunster’s bold decision to revive “The Sacred Flame” has paid off. Maugham’s play is packed with heady emotional impact and incisive empathy which leaves our loyalties and ethics torn. We want to sympathise with the young, beautiful wife, Stella, and her impossible situation, while at the same time understanding the awfulness of taking another human life and the need for justice. This tension is well delivered, with particularly moving performances from Sarah Churm, as the Nurse Wayland who obstinately seeks justice and the truth, and Beatriz Romilly as Stella, the young wife struggling to deal with the changes to her marriage brought by her husband’s accident. Mrs Tabret, the matriarch of the play, is played by Margot Leicester, who also gives a strong performance, although some lines sounded strained and unnatural.

Dunster’s staging of “The Sacred Flame” proves that old, almost forgotten works can be successfully revived and hold their strong emotional impact. Maugham is better known today for his novels, particularly “The Painted Veil”, recently transformed into a popular film, but the power of English Touring Theatre’s production proves that treasures can still be found in the back catalogue of English drama.

The Sacred Flame is at the Rose Theatre in Kingston until Saturday 22^nd of September and then continues its national tour until the 24^th of November, visiting the Northern Stage in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the Oxford Playhouse, The New Wolsey in Ipswich, the Liverpool Playhouse, Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, The Theatre Royal in Brighton, The Nuffield in Southampton and the Cambridge Arts Theatre. For more information and to book tickets, visit the English Touring Theatre website.

WELCOME TO BA: The Ultimate Spanish Crash Course

LANGUAGE SCHOOL REVIEW: Expanish, Buenos Aires

Having spent a month travelling in Europe I arrived in Latin America with the foolish notion that I could get by anywhere with a big smile and slow, carefully pronounced English. Arriving at Buenos Aires airport it quickly became apparent that this approach stood no chance. It was like being a baby again, adrift in a world full of strange but familar-sounding words, with new places to explore and a whole new set of social and cultural rules to learn. There was but one solution; I was going back to school.

Realising the urgency of my situation, having landed in a country where I now had virtually no ability to communicate with people, I sought a course which would immediately equip me to survive here. One good option is the "The Ultimate Spanish Crash Course" offered by Expanish language school, located right in the heart of the city. The concept behind the week-long course is to arm travellers with the basic phrases they will need to get by in Latin America. The structure is extremely flexible; you may choose to take all five of the 2 hour daily sessions, or just select those which most appeal. Sessions are from 4 to 6 pm, giving you time to spend the morning exploring, and each day covers a different topic, beginning with Eat and Drink, then Shopping, Travelling in Latin America, Everyday Fundamentals, and finally Making Friends and Socialising.

I decided to go for two, starting with Travel, since my ability to get lost was improving daily, and this was only exacerbated by the fact I still had no idea how to ask for directions. Signing up is really simple and can be done right up until half an hour before the lesson; the incredibly enthusiastic admissions staff give you a full tour of the building and facilities, explaining in depth the structure of the course and teaching methods. This encounter was actually extremely enjoyable, given my limited contact with English speakers, so I was already pretty content by class time. My class was actually fairly large, with eight of us, which created good opportunities to meet like-minded people from Europe and America, and it soon became apparent as our tutor bounded in and introduced herself that this was going to be fun.

The sessions are short, but packed with information, exercises, and plenty of opportunities to test out what you have learnt. Particularly useful was being made to watch a video of a conversation on the street, featuring Expanish staff members, and repeat what was said in the conversation. For the most part, though, the focus is on learning a few key phrases to help you get around, the likes of "How do I get to ..." and "Go straight ahead". I must point out that the course is basic, and thus it is all about equiping yourself with the bare minimum you will need to survive out here. It´s particularly good for those who are new to the city and language; I felt the afternoon acted as a kind of orientation to the city, with good introductions to the tourist sights in the city and one of the clearest explanations I have heard of Buenos Aires´ bewildering grid pattern and avenue layout. I´d been here a few days by this point, and so had seen the most of the sights mentioned, but I did enjoy our tutor´s personal recommendations, with photos, of places to go to within Argentina.

The whole experience was enjoyable, learning a bit of lingo, meeting fellow travellers, and getting some decent tourist information, and it works out at fairly good value at 80 pesos, or around US$20, per two hour class. The teaching is good, although I did feel the class size made learning more difficult, and our tutor´s tendency to forget the English meaning of a word was ocassionally problematic. Overall, though, her bubbly porteño personality and enthusiasm made it almost worth paying up just to spend an afternoon with a local. And hopefully now I´ll be able to ask for directions to get me back to the school for my next session where I´ll be Making Friends and Socialising.

Chau amigos.

Expanish can be found at Tte. Gral Juan D Peron 700, C1038AAN, Buenos Aires. For more information and bookings call +54 11 5252 3040 or go to the website.

BULGARIA: Veliko Tarnovo

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2011: Peking Opera Preview

PREVIEW: The Revenge of Prince Zi Dan at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh International Festival 2011

Photo: Liu Haifa

What do you get when you cross an Elizabethan playwright with a traditional Chinese opera troupe? This is not a joke, but one of the exciting cultural fusions set to grace this year’s Edinburgh International Festival.  EIF Director John Mills’ vision is to explore the bonds between Europe and Asia, making Shakespeare adaptations a natural choice. The programme features several cultural translations of the Bard’s works, including the Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe’s lavish production which reimagines Hamlet as The Revenge of Prince Zi Dan. It’s a thrilling idea, the transformation of a dark, verbose European tragedy into a characteristically Chinese blend of acrobatics and martial arts, music, singing and graceful ritual dance, flamboyant costumes and vibrant painted faces.

Interestingly Shakespeare has only recently become well recognised in China. Nineteenth century European missionaries made his name known, but Chinese versions of his plays were not available until the early twentieth century. Cultural Revolution clamp-downs followed hot on the heels of the 1967 publication of his complete works, resulting in the book being banned. Fortunately the political climate is more relaxed today - China’s economy and population is booming, and its arts scene is developing and shifting in response, reinvigorating ancient artistry with new influences, often taken from the Western literary canon. Alongside the Bard, the choice of whom is reflected in innumerable copied Tudor buildings, popular playwrights also include Ibsen and Beckett.

Peking Opera is one of some three hundred regional types of opera, and according to Dr Ashley Thorpe, a lecturer in theatre at the University of Reading, it’s the nearest China has to a 'national drama'. Such performances have deep roots in Chinese culture; the founding of the first dramatic school, the Pear Garden, was by Emperor Ming Huang in 740 AD, although the tradition of Peking Opera came together around 250 years ago.

As a sumptuous, sophisticated art form it occupies a similar place to that of classical opera here, although actors are required to dance, sing, fight and perform acrobatics, all within the same performance. This type of opera is highly symbolic, with vivid colours of make-up and costumes denoting emotion and rank, for example yellow represents strength and is also worn by emperor characters, while red indicates courage.

In keeping with tradition, the performance at the Festival is delivered in Mandarin, and the wealth of symbolism, the accompanying music, and gestured movements both clarify the story and give audience imaginations a good workout. To make matters even clearer, English supertitles are also provided.

So what can we expect from this show? Dr Thorpe encourages audiences to anticipate something very different. In contrast with much of traditional Western drama, Peking Opera is about far more than plot. It’s a showcase for actors’ skills, and appreciation of their wide-ranging talents is a crucial part of the experience. And since visits to these shores by high calibre Chinese opera troupes occur just one or twice a decade, The Revenge of Prince Zi Dan is a rare chance for Edinburgh audiences to glimpse this uniquely Chinese art form.

The Revenge of Prince Zi Dan
Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe

Friday 19 and Saturday 20 August, 8pm, Sunday 21 August, 3pm
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

The Edinburgh International Festival runs from 12 August – 4 September. Browse the programme and book online at www.eif.co.uk

Written for the Edinburgh International Festival.

EDINBURGH FRINGE 2011: The Tempest

THEATRE REVIEW: The Tempest (Squeaky Door Production Company) at theSpace @ Niddry St, Edinburgh Fringe 2011

Glittery dust sparkles in the air of the sweet isle as Ariel and her lusciously eye-lashed spirits cavorts into the audience, pulling us deep into Shakespeare’s world as if bewitched by Prospero himself. Skilful physicality and playful use of Shakespeare’s lines bring humour, originality, and accessibility to the Bard’s final work, engaging and captivating children and adults alike. The acting is first class, with Miranda particularly notable as an unsocialised, cringingly forward young girl, sniffing and jumping on the perplexed visitors to her island, and the hilarious drunken Stefano with his attempts to curl up on the laps of unsuspecting audience members. A vivid, comical riot of a show.

 

The Tempest is playing until Aug 13th at theSpace on Niddry St, Edinburgh. For more information visit the Fringe website.

EDINBURGH FRINGE 2011: Shakespeare for Breakfast

THEATRE REVIEW: SHAKESPEARE FOR BREAKFAST: THE COLLEGE YEARS (C Theatre), Edinburgh Fringe 2011

“Simply Macbeth, better than all the rest” sings the schoolboy king, gently strumming a guitar. Not quite the best, but it is pretty good. In its twentieth year at the Fringe, this cult show has cannily reworked the Bard’s tragedy into a short, lively romp with sock-puppets, witty songs, and audience participation. The school setting works well: Macbeth becomes an artistically sensitive musician with a convincingly ambitious cheerleader Lady, while the choice of a stroppy pair of fortune-telling Goths to play the witches is truly inspired. Although after a while the constant iPhone jokes become irritating, this show is a good laugh for older kids and adults, with moments of genuine hilarity. A refreshingly comical take on an old favourite.

Shakespeare for Breakfast runs until Aug 29th (not 16th Aug) at C Theatre, Edinburgh. For more information visit the Fringe website.

Written for ThreeWeeks.

EDINBURGH FRINGE 2011: The Good Doctor

THEATRE REVIEW: THE GOOD DOCTOR (Theatre Alba) at Duddingston Kirk Manse Garden, Edinburgh Fringe 2011

“Man is the only living being with the ability to laugh” the Chekhov proudly proclaimed half way through this presentation of darkly comic vignettes. It’s a statement which encapsulates the writer’s raison d’ecris, the desire to amuse which lies at the heart of his work, and grants his witty short stories their eternal appeal. Theatre Alba’s selection of tales is taken from the adaptations by playwright Neil Simon, touching on a satisfyingly broad range of subjects like prostitution, the ridicule of Russian bureaucrats, and the Moscow acting scene.

Although initially stiff, a little too poised and polished, the Good Doctor himself soon relaxed into a sensitive but solid portrayal of the playwright as the laughs began to flow. At any rate, this was more than made up for by the rest of the cast; highlights included a moving portrayal of a starstruck actress and her soaring reading of the close of “Three Sisters”, the sycophantic sneezer Tchervyakov, and the unforgettable hilarity of the trainee doctor chasing a fearful Orthodox priest with toothache round the marquee, pliers in hand. All in all a cracking Am Dram performance that certainly exercises that uniquely human disposition to laughter.

Runs from 2^nd – 6^th Aug. For tickets and more information visit the Edinburgh Fringe website.

First impressions: Edinburgh

Haggis pie and fish tea in the same street; this could only be Scotland. I was walking along South Clerk St, a busy main road which eventually comes to the Royal Mile and North Bridge via an odd assortment of kebab shops, charity shops, a precariously-stacked used bookshop, cute cafes and health shops, poundstretchers and Tescos. This experience really encapsulates Edinburgh; glorious gothic and neoclassical architecture sullied by its grim blackened stonework, a huge range of art galleries and slic eateries thronging the dirty streets, and overcast skies hanging heavy in its people's hearts. It's clear that Edinburgh needs its Festival, if only to shake it from its winter gloom and remind the city that summer is upon it. I felt, walking the streets, as if this were a city in waiting. The tourists, backpackers and arts peeps had just pulled into town, replete with bulky musical instrument cases, giant rucksacks and braided hair. The locals seemed to hover to one side, curious or annoyed at the influx. They were many, but still the city had a hushed feel, patiently quiet, as if everyone was waiting for "it" to begin. Curious.

I wandered a little more, seeing the touristy sights; the castle, the Calton Cemetery with its strange vacant rooms dedicated to the dead, the Calton Mount with its expansive views. I reflected from this viewpoint. Evening was beginning to fall, the sky growing a darker grey. But out over the sea was a splinter of falling light, a brightness over the water. Like the city below the sky was grim, foreboding, but not without beauty. My brief daliance with the city had shown me ugliness, but also great potential. There is gold here, but to find it will take more exploring.

Strange happenings in a Suffolk field

PERFORMANCE REVIEW: AN EDIBLE COMPASS at the Musuem of East Anglian Life

Photo credit: Pacitti Company 2011, photos by Caroline Guthrie

 On a cloudy Saturday at the end of July a big friendly crowd of East Anglians gathered in a field. We were there to feast and to be filmed, sharing and nibbling goodies created from the On Landguard Point Cookbook, an online collection of recipes contributed by locals. This was a public performance of a unique kind, with participants being simultaneously actors and collaborators in the creation of the film, and observers of the film-makers, with their strange equipment and phrases. As one expects in film-making there was plenty of lingering and confusion, but the atmosphere was pleasantly jolly as camaraderie built among the feasters sharing cookies and chatter with their new friends. By the time the camera passed by on the second take we were all naturals, happy to “perform” as per our instructions, some passing plates of food, others blowing kazoos or merely conversing animatedly.

This lively performance banquet was part of An Edible Compass, a whole weekend of events held at the Museum of East Anglian Life in Stowmarket, Suffolk. The past week has been devoted to making 205 scarecrows, one for each of the countries participating in next year’s Olympic Games, which will be filmed after dark. The weekend culminates on Sunday with The Ring, another opportunity for participants to be caught on film at a crazy-sounding event which takes place on a large circle cut from turf, and features horses, drawing, lots of guitarists and plenty of cake.

All of this footage is just the beginning for On Landguard Point, an exciting project to create a film depicting what “home” means for the residents of the East of England. The next few months will see Pacitti Company creating a whole series of public events, allowing thousands to participate and feature in the final film, set to be realised in spring 2012 as part of the Cultural Olympiad celebrations. These events include Dig and Sow, running from the 27th of August to the 18th of September, which subject the gardens of locals to 205 archaeological excavations led by Carenza Lewis of Time Team fame, as well as the premiere of a new musical work by Michael Nyman, On Landguard Point, at the Spa Pavilion in Felixstowe on the 23rd of September. In the words of Helen Lax, Regional Director of the Arts Council England this is our opportunity to “be the stars of a feature film”, an Olympic-inspired chance to present the country’s artistic and cultural life alongside the sports. It’s a great chance for everyone in the East to get involved, especially given that many of the big public events, like the Dig and Sow, are free.

In all On Landguard Point is a fascinating project, a string of enticingly eccentric events which offer a chance for us to contribute to something special, creating something about where we are from. It is performance, but not as most people know it, and for this reason, along with the chance for your moment of fame, I’d highly recommend going along. If unique and unconventional is your bag, get yourself along to some of these events.

Originally reviewed for "The Public Reviews". On Landguard Point will be creating a range of public events across the East of England until the 25th of September

Twelfth Night in Rendlesham Forest

REVIEW: TWELFTH NIGHT at Rendlesham Forest Centre

Families happily picnicking, blankets strewn beneath the pines, the enticing scent of a barbeque on the fresh evening air, frolicking children and Elizabethans with archaic greetings; it is the atmospheric Rendlesham Forest setting which lends this show its enchantment. Played on a stage in a clearing in the wood, this production of Twelfth Night marks the twelfth consecutive year of Red Rose Chain Shakespeares here.

The reason for the endurance of these productions is clear; Red Rose’s Twelfth Night is captivating, an introduction to Shakespeare, light-hearted entertainment for children, a vibrant adaptation for the more seasoned theatre-goer. All things to all men. But it’s not just intellectually stimulating. There is a real sense of magic in the air, the stage-enclosing branches and trunks of verdant pines, the creeping dusk falling on the players and peeping stars above, surreal glimpses of top-hatted Malvolio striding in the forest beyond as the offstage players flit between the trees.

Malvolio is undoubtedly the star of this show; ridiculously “cross-gartered” in a yellow and black striped one-piece, his dignity sacrificed for the love of his mistress, Olivia. Indeed its hard to drag one’s gaze from the gawky Edward Bean’s perfectly executed physical comedy. Against this the romance of the tale, and the rest of the cast, take a back seat. It’s a sensible decision on the part of director Joanna Carrick, to focus on the laughs from a family-dominated audience, but I could not help but feel that a bit of love had been lost.

This is really the only criticism I can find. Twelfth Night is an extremely enjoyable performance. The set is delightful; two beach huts, Orsino’s purple and Olivia’s red, with bunting laced between them, and a wooden rowing boat to one side. There’s exquisite animal puppetry of cawing seagulls and the three-manned dog, some punchy songs and comic audience interaction. Twelfth Night is a cracking show in a beautiful location. Take the kids, the grannies and the picnic for a night of magic and laughter.

"Twelfth Night" is playing at Rendlesham Forest Centre until August 28th. For tickets and more information see http://www.redrosechain.com/page/12th-night-home

The Golden Bird by George Mackay Brown

BOOK REVIEW: The Golden Bird by George Mackay Brown


Poetic simplicity characterises Brown’s style in these tales of the Orkney islands and their hardy, pragmatic inhabitants. A masterful storyteller, Brown chronicles a people confronted with the gradual encroach of modernity, feuds which transcend generations, and the trials and tribulations of family honour. This is a subtle, beautifully-drawn portrait of the islands, rugged land and “wrinkled sea”; nature becomes as much a character as the down-to-earth islanders. The Golden Bird is at heart about the relationship of a people to its land. They live and they die, respectful yet uncowed by the power of the unchanging rocks and sea. The human stories weave together, love vying with loss, but behind them Brown conjures the constant lull of the sea, the call of skuas. He has created a touching memory-book of the islands, charmingly beautiful, yet tinged with the sadness of cultural loss, of a people changed. A soulful, intimate read.

Edinburgh, City of Festivals

Just a few weeks from now I'll be chugging out of Kings Cross on my way to the biggest arts extravaganza in the world. The summer months see Edinburgh transformed into a City of Festivals, a sort of cultural marathon, a veritable endurance contest for the thousands of tourists, students, reviewers and journalists. Competition is fierce; accommodation, affordable transport, decent tickets and elbow room are in limited supply. Of course all of this does little to dissuade the flocks of culture vultures.

For me "the Festival" has always been something of a mystery, a confusing, messy, explosion of art, plays, music, dance, street entertainment and book readings.  Probably important, then, that I get to the bottom of this before I actually pitch up in the city. What exactly is it all about? What is the essence of the Edinburgh Festivals? It turns out Edinburgh actually hosts ten summer festivals running right through from the children's theatre festival, Imaginate, beginning in May and ending with the International Story-telling Festival in October. There's the International Film Festival in June and the Jazz and Blues in July, while August is crammed with the  Art Festival, the Tattoo, the Fringe, the International Festival and the Book Festival. Five in one month!

So where did all this cultural excess begin?  Well the first Festival was held in 1947, hot on the heels of the close of the Second World War. There were hopes it would envigorate Scotland's cultural scene and provide somewhere for culture to blossom after the dull and heavy years of war. In those days there were just two, the International Festival and the Fringe. The Fringe actually came about as a result of eight theatre companies who turned up uninvited to the main festival, intending to take advantage of the big crowds the main event would draw, and to offer them an alternative range of performances. The spirit of openness and variety of performances that we see today has clear roots in these early days. An important part of "the Festival" is the productions put on by the smaller, less-established theatre companies and those created by so-called amateur groups. Encouraging new theatre makers through the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is essential, and its obvious that this is a result of the bold initiative of those original eight "Fringe" companies. Many writers and productions started out at the Fringe; 1966 saw the first full length performance of Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, while comedians Rory Bremner and Steve Coogan were both "discovered" performing in Edinburgh.

So what will 2011 hold for festival-goers? There's the usual hype, of course, with various publications putting out listings of "must-see" events. It's not hard to see why you would simply choose from one of these. The sheer number of events to trawl through is staggering. The Fringe alone boasts over two thousand shows. In the end what you choose will inevitably be something of a lucky dip, whether it be Shakespeare, ancient Greek plays, modern dance or classical music. But in the end that in itself is part of the experience. It should be unpredictable, sometimes wonderful, sometimes less impressive. The Festivals are a reflection of human nature, that abstract quality that we can never quite pin down. Art is about what it is to be human; it can be brilliant, but it can also be dull. I'm not going to make suggestions about what you should see, I'm finding it hard enough to decide myself. My advice is just use your instinct. Pick things you like the sound of. It might be the next big thing, or it might not. But it will still be an experience you won't easily forget.

Off to see the Wizard!

REVIEW: THE WIZ at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds

The Wiz started life as a 1975 Broadway show, based on Lyman Frank Baum’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Producer Ken Harper transferred the tale from rural Kansas to the city, creating a “super soul musical” which would speak to the African American community, reflecting on slavery and the contemporary battle for civil rights. The show did well on Broadway and in 1978 was adapted to film, starring Diana Ross as Dorothy.

An iconic American tale cleverly adapted to relate to black culture and memory, The Wiz is now the subject of a collaboration between Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Leeds’ West Yorkshire Playhouse. Director Josette Bushell-Mingo’s creation sees Oz transported to modern-day Leeds, a fact that is referred to with irritating frequency. The Emerald City becomes a nightclub, and Dorothy a local schoolgirl. It’s an attempt to bring up-to-date a show that had such meaning and power for its 1970s audience, speaking directly to the painful African American experience. We can still clearly see the slavery references; Evilene the evil witch portrays white slave owners, while the quest to find the Wiz reflects African American search for identity and equality following emancipation. This seems to sit uneasily with Josette Bushell-Mingo’s intended appeal to an English audience of various cultural backgrounds. I could not help but feel that there is some weakness in this ambiguity, this multicultural approach. The original musical was clearly about hugely significant issues, civil rights and slavery, and these very issues affected everyone, regardless of background. Transferring this definitively American show to modern England has watered-down the original meaning, and introduced an element of confusion; is it a show about African American experience, or about British modern life and our search for identity?

There are good reasons for catching The Wiz, though. The show marks the professional debut of Treyc Cohen, former X Factor contestant. Cohen gave a decent performance, demonstrating an impressive voice despite being cast alongside wonderfully powerful male singers Clive Rowe, playing the Lion, Wayne Robinson, as the Scarecrow, and Horace Oliver, as the Tin Man. Particularly enjoyable were Robinson’s I Was Born on the Day Before Yesterday, Oliver’s hilarious Slide Some Oil to Me, and the mournful If I Could Feel.

Part of Josette Bushell-Mingo’s vision was to enable young local people to be involved in The Wiz through a community ensemble cast. The cast is made up of sixteen people with a passion for singing, dancing or acting who come from the Leeds area. This is one of the show’s great strengths, not only showcasing young local talent, but also adding real vitality to the performance, with the “beautiful people” of the Emerald City nightclub and the exuberant Munchkins, garbed in wonderful gypsy hotchpotch fashion.

As performances go The Wiz is actually rather tacky and naff, but strangely still enjoyable. There’s a giant glitter-ball which is used probably too enthusiastically in the final scene, and some of the songs border on being cringe-worthy. The set is bulky and overcomplicated, but at the same time delightfully appealing, with its glowing yellow brick wall and delicate running water effect projected onto the wall. Set and Costume Designer, Rosa Maggiora, has truly excelled in her clothing creations; the striking sparkle of the Good Witch of the South, the wonderful flowing mane of the Lion and Addaperle’s colourful folk-inspired garb. In all, The Wiz is a strange combination of glitzy and aesthetically pleasing, absurd and hilarious, all polished off by some great singing and music. Of course it’s not meant to be sophisticated, and this show does what it should, providing exuberant escapist fairy-tale entertainment. If you don’t dig too deep, there’s much to enjoy here.

The Wiz is playing at West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds until the 16^th July. For more information and for booking visit the website.

Reviewed for "A Younger Theatre".

Transform season

REVIEW: Transform Season at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds

Transform season is introduced as a two week conversation about theatre. It’s all about change; changing what it means to be an audience member, exploring how performance can, and should, change us, and changing how the West Yorkshire Playhouse actually works as a space. 

 

Lemn Sissay, Photo by Ruphin Coudyzer

These probably sound like lofty ideals which might be difficult to relate to actual performances, but they’re immediately addressed by the format of the season. The programme is dynamic and diverse, changing from day to day, and hour to hour. Unique guides are printed for each day, giving a brief outline of the events going on. The busiest day fell on Saturday 11^th June, a kind of day out at the theatre, with a non-stop whirl of opportunities taking those with the stamina right through from the daytime café-bar activities to the 9:15pm “Headline Act”, Lemn Sissay’s Something Dark.

One of the best things about Transform is that it’s an open invitation for the public, whoever you are and whatever your background, to come along and get stuck in. On entering the building there’s a large chalkboard posing the question “What would you change about the WYP?”, a challenge the people have risen to admirably, with answers ranging from “More physical theatre”, to comments about start times and ticket prices. This encapsulates the vision Curators Alan Lane and Kully Thiarai had for Transform season, as the start of an exciting public conversation about WYP and theatre more generally. There’s also the Twitter fountain, bringing participants in from all over the world wide web to join the discussions, and Pilot Theatre’s online live-streaming of events and interviews.

Story Map: What I Heard About the World, photo by thirdangel.

 This focus on involvement and questioning is followed through in the free events held in the café-bar. In the centre of the space is a strange office-like area containing a photocopier, lots of newspapers and several piles of paper. This is The Book of Politics, described by creator Topher Campbell as the “photo-copying of people’s thoughts”. Passers-by create a page displaying their thoughts, in words, pictures or collage, on any issue concerning them. These will then be bound and sent to the “powers that be”, namely Number 10 and various government bodies. At the far end of the room there’s another odd piece of theatre going on, Story Map: What I Heard About the World, which consists of a large canvas littered with post-it notes representing countries. It’s an all-day drop-in performance which creates a map of the world from memory. Each country is accompanied by a story of a fake, replica or substitute, with contributions invited from the audience. Story Map is great fun to watch, and definitely worth revisiting throughout the day as the piece grows.

The evening saw a move to more traditional studio-bound pieces, beginning with The Tin Ring, an adaptation of Holocaust survivor Zdenka Fantlova’s book. This work in progress was simply but powerfully performed by Jane Arnfield. Traumatic and raw, this piece was a real challenge, presenting a tiny taste of the unbelievable horrors and suffering of this historical event. The evening also featured Simon Manyonda’s mesmerising performance in The Mamba, a piece telling the story of a Nairobi gangster. His life is radically altered by the hope and new respectability his football club inspires in him. Both of these pieces were all about the transformative power of stories. Perfectly in line with the ethos of Transform, I came away from The Tin Ring feeling quite different, certainly rather queasy, but convinced of the importance of remembering and preventing these kind of atrocities, while The Mamba’s hopeful ending seems to uplift, but also to question the notion of change, with its allusions to Obama’s dubious promises in The Mamba’s inspirational speech to his football club.

Theatre is dynamic, in all its forms. For a performance to be engaging it helps if something or someone changes, and it is generally accepted that theatre ought to move its audiences. In a sense Transform season has merely picked up on this obvious, although undeniably fundamental, theme. But it’s also extended the idea, asking and inviting us to ask questions, to really look at change and what that might mean for theatre, for audiences and participants. Transform is very much what you make of it; how much you chose to do, and how much you chose to give, is up to you. It’s a challenge, and a rare opportunity. Try it, get involved in changing theatre, and give WYP the chance to change you.

Transform season runs until Saturday 18^th June at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds. A full brochure can be found on the WYP website.

Reviewed for "A Younger Theatre".



Transform season preview

PREVIEW: TRANSFORM SEASON at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds

Photo: Bourgeois and Maurice by Tom Jef

One of the few constants in this world is that it always seems to be changing. That’s certainly the case at Leeds’ West Yorkshire Playhouse this June where the Transform season will mark a complete departure from the ‘normal’ workings of the theatre. According to Associate Producer Amy Letman, Transform’s Curators Alan Lane and Kully Thiarai are creating “the first line in a conversation”, inspired by the changing nature of the theatre experience and the shifting boundaries of what it means to be a spectator. Everyone’s invited to join the discussion.

The big idea is to bring together new audiences and a wonderfully diverse and eclectic selection of artists to challenge how we relate to performance. The programme looks enticing, boasting pieces as different as The Soldier’s Song, an intimate screen karaoke encounter; 21 Writers, showcasing three-minute shorts from new writers who have taken the Playhouse’s free five-week course; and Open House, a piece that will be developed over a week in a collaboration between theatre-goers and a team of theatre-makers headed by Chris Goode. Letman promises there’ll be a real mix of pieces, from both established hands such as Goode and younger, less experienced theatre-makers.

It’s not only the nature of performance that will find itself all shook up. Installation artist Shanaz Gulzar is colonising the front of house space in Steamline 21, an intriguing mix of Steampunk (described in the programme as science-fiction inspired by Victorian technology) and Art Deco. She’s creating a setting in WYP’s café and bar for the grand finale, Smoke and Mirrors, a modern cabaret evening which will bring Transform to an exuberant close on the 18^th of June. Including magic from Tim Sutton, performances from burlesque dancers The Wau Wau Sisters, Flick Ferdinando’s dark comedy Horse and surprise acts to be announced on the night, this “sexy, splendid and ever so slightly scandalous” finale sounds like a suitably unusual end to a season of change. Fancy dress is actively encouraged.

Transform is going to be big on interactive theatre. The idea is that you buy a wristband and this gets you a whole day out at the theatre -  a WYP “experience day”. Opportunities range from adding your thoughts to The Book of Politics, which will then be sent to ‘the powers that be’; to a one-on-one live music performance in the world’s smallest venue, Folk in a Box; and Story Map: What I Heard About thE World which invites theatre-goers to help “map the entire world, alphabetically, in a day”. On the 11^th of June participation goes global with A Midsummer Night’s Stream. The events at WYP will be shared live through Pilot Theatre’s online streaming channel, allowing anyone, wherever they are, to get involved and interact.

Handbag, photo by Sheila Burnett

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in performance, too. Geraldine Pilgrim, Artistic Director of Corridor, is seeking “anybody that likes to dance – or just move” for Handbag, which will set the people of Leeds jiving around their bags. And Peepolykus is creating a different science-inspired piece each day for The Ionian Enchantment, performed, directed and written by anyone who is game enough to have a go. Interested individuals just have to send in a CV and are invited to attend a free workshop led by Stephen Canny, BBC Four’s Comedy Executive.

There’s a real youthful vibe to Transform. There is a sense that something is really happening here, something new and different for the Playhouse, something which feels genuinely exciting. Plus it seems Transform is just the beginning for innovation at West Yorkshire Playhouse. Set to launch in October, Leeds Furnace will see the Playhouse working with up-coming and mid-career theatre creators to launch new pieces, perhaps marking the continuation of the conversation Transform has started.

It’s certainly a necessary conversation. The arts are changing; what it means to be an audience is shifting. Going to the theatre is no longer just about taking your seat and passively observing, nor should it be. Transform promises to investigate what it is we actually want from a performance, how we can change the very nature of theatre. It’s a noble and worthy proposal, focusing on issues that really matter, and it will be interesting to see just what the ensuing discussions reveal.

Written for "A Younger Theatre".

Hobson's Choice

REVIEW: HOBSON'S CHOICE at the Crucible, Sheffield

Harold Brighouse is getting increasingly popular these days; last year saw Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre’s production of Zack and Northern Broadsides’ tour of The Game. And it’s not hard to see why. Hobson’s Choice has a peculiarly northern charm with its gruff accents, Mancunian setting and echoes of a bygone era of hard work, pragmatism and “decency”.  But there’s also the eternal appeal of touching domesticity, the triumph and perils of capitalism, and the continual battles of the sexes, all knitted together by gently comic moments. Finally, there’s something of the fairytale about Brighouse’s Hobson’s Choice, a kind of Cinderella meets the Suffragettes.

Hobson’s Choice marks the directorial debut of Christopher Luscombe at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre. It’s a capable performance, solid and reliably amusing. Luscombe gives us a classic telling of Brighouse’s play, and on the whole he handles Brighouse’s humour well, refraining from forcing the laughs. The Crucible’s thrust stage is well-suited to the performance, being fairly large in capacity (seating 980), yet retaining an intimate relationship between audience and stage thanks to the three-sided layout.

Janet Bird’s designs fit well with Luscombe’s vision, a traditional production, down-to-earth and simple. The first act features a simple shop interior and window-display of various boots, with an imposing flight of wooden bannistered stairs rising above the stage. The second act sees a shift to domesticity, a simple table and shabby chairs for the Mossops’ home, followed by Hobson’s grander living room, complete with hearth and Persian rugs. Bird’s costume designs are also commendable. The bold transformation of the sisters’ circumstances from neglected daughters to well-off wives is cleverly mirrored by their change of dress; drab black working dresses replaced by bustling brightly-coloured silks and headpieces.

The whole cast give commendably strong performances. Of particular note is Zoe Waites, perfectly cast as the dominant eldest sister Maggie. Waites deliciously conveys the matronly, bossy-boots woman determined to steamroller Will Mossop, bootmaker in her father’s shop, into accepting her proposal of marriage and business partnership. Philip McGinley makes a fine Will, convincingly timid and awkward in the face of Maggie’s orders. There are several precious moments; Will’s wedding night anguish at the thought of being alone with Maggie, which is resolved in perhaps the finest moment of the production, when he is led to the bedroom to the strains of a lullaby by a candle-bearing Maggie, her hair streaming loose about her shoulders. Here Luscombe creates a perfectly-balanced scene, touching and intimate, reinforcing and yet softening Maggie’s dominance. We also get a great moment when Hobson chews very slowly, almost choking on his daughter’s wedding cake,  dragging out the minutes as the audience is made to wait for his eating to finish.

There are also good performances from the remaining sisters, Alice (played by Cassie Atkinson) and Vickey (Sally Hodgkiss). Barrie Rutter in the title role does a decent job as the gruffly drunk misogynist and miserly father, but I couldn’t help but feel there was something missing from his performance. While amusing, I found his portrayal of Hobson did not entirely convince, although

On the whole, Luscombe’s Hobson’s Choice is a decent production, blessed with some excellent comic moments and the particularly touching lullaby scene. Unfortunately, though, the momentum seems to trial off towards the end of the first act, losing direction and our full attention. The play as a whole is solid and enjoyable, but it lacks sparkle, and must stay firmly inside the category of acceptably amusing comedies, not brilliant yet quite funny.

Runs until Saturday 25^th June.

Reviewed for "The Public Reviews".