It proved to be a better month for theatre selections,
although there were quite a few more this time.
A couple of the performances I’ll have to come clean up front and say
they are not really being reviewed because I have friends who are or have been involved
in their productions, and I wouldn't want to be accused of favoritism. Also apologies
for the late posting of this blog, hence I've called it a round up rather than a review.
4th February 2013
Anjin: The Shogun and the English Samurai
Sadler’s wells.
Directed by the Royal Shakespeare Company's Artistic
Director Designate, Gregory Doran.
The story of William Adams, known in Japanese as Anjin,
was an English sailor who was believed to be the first Englishman to ever reach
Japan. The play was advertised as “An epic tale of friendship, honour, love and
sacrifice.” It was certainly epic. Presented in a mix of English and Japanese
with alternating subtitles for which ever language was being spoken meant that
you actually spent a lot more time looking either up above the stage or off to
the wings to read the subtitles rather than watching the performances. This did
become quite tiring on the eyes after a time. However, the overall presentation
was good and the international cast blended well to tell the story.
The show ran between 31 Jan - 9 Feb 2013
6
th February 2013
Circles
The Lost Theatre.
A new short performance from physical theatre group
Limb2Limb.
Alex and his sister Kate have that typical relationship,
friends one minute and fighting the next. However, as the story progresses all
is not what it seems in this slick and quirky short play.
This is theatre group I hope to see more from in the
future.
8
th February 2013
Romeo & Juliet
Upstairs at The Gatehouse
A modernised to some degree version of the play by Mr Shakespeare.
Set in the 1960s and in Brighton, following the great bank holiday fight
between the Mods and the Rockers. For me,
if you want to try resetting a play like this then either do it right or don’t
bother. The dialogue followed mostly the original but with some changes, but
not the obvious ones, money was left as written and so were location names even
though the set was clearly under the pier at Brighton. The set was obviously
designed before the theatre was seen as I’m sure the pier was supposed to be
for the balcony scene, but as it was hitting the roof and with no way for the
actors to reach it – it felt clumsy. I
can’t say I’m a great fan of theatre seating where the audience sits on 3 full
sides of the stage, you lose so much and in this small space I felt the
audience were very much in danger of having the cast land in their laps or
having their feet following the same fate as some of the characters.
14th February 2013
Glasgow Girls
Theatre Royal, Stratford East
From 8th February 2013 to 2nd March 2013
A moving and dramatic musical telling the true story of a
group of teenagers in 2005 from Drumchapel High School in Glasgow who fought
against the deportation of a Kosovan school friend. With good support from their
teacher Mr Girvan (Callum Cuthbertson)and histerical neighbour Noreen (Myra
McFadyen), this show delivered laughter and tears.
19th February 2013 (Preview night)
Coalition
Pleasance Theatre
From 21st February to 10th March
The first I’m ducking out of reviewing as along with Phill
Jupitus as Sir Francis Whitford the cast also boasts an old friend Mr John
Dorney, he of the Big Finish acting and writing fame. (See shameless promo spot below)
The play did well last year at the Edinburgh
Fringe so transferred for a London run. Although styled on the Yes Prime Minister
productions the play was carried by the
manic performances of the cast giving the laughs rather than the plot.
20th February 2013
Chess
Union Theatre
The second I’m going to duck out of, for amongst the
creative credits is Mr Andrew Ashenden, Fight Director. (I’ll include a shameless
plug for his books below)
Not one of my favourite musicals to be honest and staged
in the three sides I mentioned above. However the fight really got the audience’s
attention at the start and as I sat there with Andrew watching it we had to
take pleasure in the intake of breath from the people sitting around us. My main problem, even though it was a small
venue and full sold out for the whole run, if the performer turned away no
matter how well they belted the songs out the words became muffled.
22nd February 2013
Dear Edwina
The Lost Theatre
From 20th February 2013 to 23rd February 2013
Edwina Spoonapple, advice giver extraordinaire solves
people’s problems to music. But Edwina has her sights set on appearing in the 'The
Kalamazoo Advice-A-Palooza Festival', but will she and her team make it? Two different
casts performed over different matinees and nights for this youth theatre
production from Act Now Entertainment. I’m not sure which cast we saw, but
there was some very promising up and coming talent on show.
28
th February 2013
Tomorrow I’ll Be Happy by Jonathan Harvey
The Lost Theatre
From 28th February
2013 to 2nd March 2013
Another youth theatre
production from Lost Theatre.
When a stranger comes to
town asking about Darren, the boy that was recently stabbed to death, we find
out all is not quite what it seems. The play starts at the end and works
backwards which is ok but does require a level of commitment that did not quite
come over from all the cast. With the audience being presented with the effect
before the cause everything has to be crystal clear and some cast were too busy
delivering ‘attitude’ and as a result were at times unfortunately quite
incomprehensible.
Next post will be an update to the coffee stick house models. Promise !
Oh and I nearly forgot ..
SHAMELESS PLUG SPOT
John Dorney's latest Big Finish audio adventure
Andrew Ashenden's Stage Combat books
