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".