No Sleep till Curtain
Sleeping Beauty
by Ben Crocker
Edmundians, Cheray Hall, Whitton, until 27th January
Review by Matthew Grierson
The one thing about this Sleeping Beauty that isn’t charming is the prince – and that’s only because he’s called Orlando rather than having the more common panto soubriquet. The Edmundian Players’ production of the fairy tale, on this weekend and next in Whitton, is a sterling, stirring orchestration of cast and crew to warm the heart in these cold days.
From the off, its ambition is apparent. The lively Billy (Ellen Walker), this play’s answer to Buttons, leads the palace cleaners in a well-drilled chorus across a bold, impressive and, as it turns out, versatile set. He then fills us in on the plot – don’t worry, there isn’t much – before the mode deftly switches to physical comedy and wordplay for his exchange with King Norbert (Becky Halden). Nobby demands Billy bring his footstool, but no sooner does the royal personage mount the step than he leaps off it and strides across from stage right to stage left then back again, and so on, reciting the 26 names he is about to christen his daughter (Aurora through to Zanita), while all the time Billy struggles to keep pace with him.
Up next in the overture of characters is our dame, Dave Young as Queen Dorothy, who resembles nothing so much as Steve Pemberton of the League of Gentlemen essaying a loose impersonation of our own HM.
Queen Dotty then coaxes Kitty on stage – and a big hand, or paw, for Isabel Espi, who is playing the palace pet complete with sling, having sustained what looks like a sprained wrist. Both in their own way are central to the play: Queenie with her undoubtable presence and humour keeping the energy up, and Kitty as an adorable constant, offering the occasional “meow” as a wry comment on proceedings. The cheer she gets when she is blessed with the courage of a lion and mimes along to an MGM-style roar is well earned indeed. Rounding out the cast of goodies are Beautiful, Thoughtful and Peaceful, the three Fairy Godmothers who arrive in time to bless the infant princess in the form of rhyme …
But are rudely upstaged by the wicked Carabosse and her talking cat Spindleshanks (top marks to scriptwriter Ben Crocker for the name, indicative of his verbal dexterity). As Billy has not invited them to proceedings, the baddies are (super)naturally there to curse Aurora to death-by-spinning-wheel when she reaches maturity. This fabulous pair, played by Amelia Kirk and Clare Blake respectively, offer such good-value villainy that the audience is often caught between laughter and booing when they appear, and they squabble for instance over which of them will get to pretend to be a little old lady or simple serving wench to deceive Aurora and Orlando. And how Kirk manages to keep her elaborate headgear on throughout the play, while still striding commandingly about the place, is a marvel. She and Spindleshanks are also heralded by increasingly arch musical cues, so likewise to be lauded for their work are MD Roger Swift and effects technician Paul Wiz Baker.
Not that the rest of the production team doesn’t merit praise: costumes and music sparkle throughout, often literally, in testament to the technical ambition that the play fulfils … while helping itself to a few stylings from the animated version in the process. Most of the eighteen-strong cast effect several costume changes during the course of the show, and the flats are switched with similar frequency to become variously the palace throne room, the kitchens, Carabosse’s lair, Dreamland and the town centre. There are a couple of what one might call technical hitches when drapes drop unexpectedly, and another when the singalong lyrics to “Proper Cup of Coffee” should pop down on a different drape and miss their cue, but the cast, whether young or less young, remain unruffled and keep the show moving admirably.
The curtain is on the whole effectively used to screen these complicated changes, and it serves as the palace garden backdrop against which grown-up Aurora and Orlando meet for the first time. Well, I say “grown-up”, but Kathryn Bedell and Mary McGrath are taking on big parts for their age, and acquit themselves well, shining especially when it comes to the singing and dancing, with Aurora’s dream song solo a singular achievement. The larger musical numbers are equally accomplished, and this is nowhere clearer than at the start of the second act when a cast of somnambulant courtiers and zombies are led through “Thriller” in Carabosse’s lair by the bad fairy herself, only to switch into choreography of a different sort when there is a Keystone Cops-style run-around, culminating in a “They’re behind you!” set piece.
I realise that I’ve more than usually resorted to a summary of the show here rather than review it as such, but the Edmundians’ production is one that’s hard to fault – not only attempting what you’d expect of larger, more professional productions but doing so with aplomb. If there were one note I would offer, it would be that the production is so good that the cast can afford to be more confident, upping the tempo and giving the songs just that little bit more oomph. But this is a first night, and I’m sure this will come naturally as the show goes on. All I can say is that, when the production wraps up with Pharrell Williams’ “Happy”, it certainly captures the audience’s, and this reviewer’s, mood.
Matthew Grierson
January 2018
Photography by Edmundo Sostenitore
Joyful Dreaming
The Nutcracker
Victor Smirnov-Golovanov, music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Moscow City Ballet, Richmond Theatre
with Swan Lake until 21st January
Review by Suzanne Frost
Moscow City Ballet is one of those companies that ride on the wave of Russian ballet’s reputation for excellence – but they are not the Bolshoi. Just to make that clear. However, with their extensive touring schedule, they do bring classical ballet productions to all corners of the world and probably function as a first introduction to the art form for many people far and wide … and as a first introduction this works just fine.
The philosophy behind Victor Smirnov-Golovanov’s staging seems to be more is more. This Nutcracker is prop-tastic, the limited stage of the Richmond Theatre is full of people holding lots of stuff. Well it is Christmas after all: there’s teddy bears and dolls, champagne glasses and flower bouquets and animal masks etc. etc.
The first act at family Silbergaus’ Christmas Eve party can be mime heavy and Golovanov makes a welcome effort to do much of the storytelling through dancing. The three automatic dolls that Uncle Drosselmeyer brings to the party are used as a clever storytelling device, acting out the legend of the battle of the Nutcracker against the Mouse King so that ties in nicely. Clara recognizes herself in the ballerina doll drawn into the fight and learns what to do for later when the action gets real. A special mention should go to Kseniya Eriusheva who plays Clara’s brother Fritz (all the boy children are played by female ensemble members): full of energy and enthusiastic acting, she also has by far the best technique and professionally trained feet and legs. The technical standard within the company varies immensely and there are some girls in the chorus line who can count themselves very lucky to be called professional dancers. Golovanov’s ideas and choreography are mostly very nice, fast paced and pretty. The Christmas party is sufficiently festive; the magical elements give mystery. I liked the Snowflakes in their fluffy longer tutus. But occasionally I didn’t get the choices: why, on the most sensual and swinging B motive of the Spanish dance would you let the ballerina do fouettées, a snappy sharp turn that needs an even rhythm? But all the divertissement get to show off their pirouettes, fouettées from everyone seems to be a thing. The Russians love virtuosity. But, as I mentioned, not everyone at Moscow City Ballet is on the same level.
One of the challenges of staging The Nutcracker is to tie the two acts together: the first full of storytelling, the second a random suite of divertissement and waltzes. Golovanov’s explanation is that everything from the fighting mice to the waltzing flowers is a dream Drosselmeyer brewed up for his godchild Clara, acting a bit as the BFG of ballet. Works for me. Nobody need a logical explanation for a Sugar Plum Fairy reigning over the Kingdom of Sweets anyway. But then once he conjures up a dream prince for Clara, Drosselmeyer suddenly seems jealous and fights for her affection, a dramaturgical decision I didn’t understand at all. The dream pas de deux for Clara and her prince is arguably some of the most beautiful music of the entire score and I liked a lot of the choreography here – until Drosselmeyer kept pulling Clara back and forth across the stage away from her prince. Daniil Orlov is quite a handsome fellow and his Drosselmayer was a charming, slightly geeky presence on stage but this twist in the story gave me a taste of creepy uncle.
Liliya Orekhova is announced in the programme as the face of the company and Golovanov’s favourite dancer so I had high expectation. She does indeed look like a picture perfect ballerina with a ruling stage presence and I assume she will be lovely in the forthcoming Swan Lake but here, she doesn’t actually get to do very much. The grand pas de deux is done by Clara, now in a tutu. The adage is fairly acrobatic and looks like hard work. Talgat Kozhabaev is a solid partner and a charming prince. The choreography for the Sugar Plum Fairy variation is quite hard and accentuated, which suits an energetic dancer like Ksenia Stankevich – but not necessarily Tchaikovsky’s delicate glockenspiel music. The Hungarian Sinfonietta Orchestra under Igor Shavruk seems on good form (in their little makeshift pit) adding to a rich ballet experience that occasionally seems fit to burst the limits of Richmond Theatre.
Moscow City Ballet are keen to keep alive the tradition of classical Russian ballet. I’m always a bit weary of anyone trying to preserve anything in art, as it always seems so dead set on conservatism and the good old days. As a touring company, they have a valid existence, as Moscow ballet is often bringing ballet to the provinces, giving especially children a chance to experience their first big classical ballet production. But in London, the Royal Ballet offers a bog-standard traditional version of The Nutcracker with the added bonus of perfectly stretched knees and pointed toes. Just saying. For the ballet connoisseur, Moscow ballet is a tad rough around the edges. For the novice, the once a year theatregoer and the many, many children in the sold-out Richmond theatre, I think this was a joyful production with coherent storytelling and the right amount of kitsch. Good enough.
Suzanne Frost
January 2018
Images courtesy of PMB Presentations
Gentle Humanity
Seven Letters
by Rian Flatley
Noel Coward Studio, Hampton Hill Theatre, until 20th January
Review by Genni Trickett
If you could see into your future, even for fifteen seconds, would you do it? What do you think you would see? Would fifteen seconds be enough?
Such are the musings of Faye, a feisty, Irish octogenarian currently residing in The Pines nursing home. It seems a strange train of thought for a lady of advanced years; after all, how far ahead would she be able to see? But Faye and her friends Lena and Tempie prefer to live on Memory Lane rather than in The Pines, and who can blame them?
As they settle down with an endless supply of tea, their routine demolition of the crossword is interwoven with reminiscences, flights of fancy and confidences. These ladies have been through a lot over the years. There have been happy times, hard times and devastating times, and they have faced them all with fortitude. They are survivors. Through monologues, flashbacks and song, we are privileged to push aside the curtain of time and peep into their lives.
Top-billing clearly goes to Faye, played with mercurial brio by Teresa Jennings. She talks the most, says deliberately provocative and outrageous things and is clearly used to being the centre of attention. In other hands the more muted Tempie and Lena might have faded entirely into the background; however, Clare Gollop and Kate Winder are not about to let that happen. Gollop’s Tempie hides a kind heart beneath a gruff exterior, and Winder, as Lena, has the smile of an angel – appropriately, as it happens. Writer Rian Flatley’s sparkling, witty dialogue is entertaining, but the gentle humanity of the script is what allows all three actresses to make their characters real, three-dimensional people. Their monologues are funny and touching, and give a fascinating glimpse into a time long past.
Less successful are the flashbacks involving Faye’s younger self, played by Stacey Leigh. While Leigh makes a sympathetic job of the role, she is too different from the older Faye for us to feel any emotional connection between the two of them. This feeling of distance is exacerbated when she sings, as her accent switches abruptly to American, emphasising the disparities rather than the similarities between them. Since there is no “middle-aged” Faye, and we hear nothing about her life between vampy young club singer and elderly care home resident, it is difficult to empathise with her progression. Similarly with Tempie; we hear about the devastation of her early years but nothing of note between then and now, and it is hard to believe that such a resolute woman would not have pulled herself up by her bootstraps and made something of her life. What happened to her in between? We will never know.
The relationship between the three ladies and their young care worker is beautifully handled in the script, and their description of her as a “window” painfully, heartbreakingly real. Unfortunately, Alice Taylor’s depiction of perky, kindly, chavvy Summer is laboured and many of her best lines marred by over-emphasis. In another production this might not have mattered, but when set against the masterly acting of Jennings, Gollop and Winder it jars. She is at her best when she sings; set to music her delivery is pure and poignant.
Despite the many trials suffered by the long-suffering trio, the tone of the play is fairly upbeat – right until the end. Flatley, who also directed the play, leaves our ladies in a state of uncertainty, helplessness and apprehension. While this may be upsetting, it is clearly a deliberate and considered decision. Flatley is making an important point; she wants us to know that, while death may be scary, life is infinitely more so. Particularly when one is old.
Nevertheless, to spend an evening in the company of Faye, Tempie and Lena is a pleasure. Their humour is infectious, and their courage and resolute determination give us hope. We feel that, despite everything, they can achieve anything they want to achieve. Maybe one of them will even finish that crossword.
Genni Trickett
January 2018
Photograph courtesy of Rian Flatley
Breaking the Fourth Wall
Suff’ring
OSO Arts Centre, Barnes, until 20th January
Review by Matthew Grierson
I would have liked to have told you more about StraightUp Productions, who are putting on Suff’ring at the Old Sorting Office arts Centre in Barnes until Saturday, as both myself and (because she gets a say) Mrs Grierson enjoyed the evening. But perhaps it’s appropriate that the company doesn’t supply a programme, so cast and crew have to remain anonymous.
It’s appropriate because, first, it suggests a lack of preparation entirely in keeping with the disorganised, nameless and fictitious company that is staging the play about suffragettes around which this play takes place. Second, there is every chance that the actual cast feel such sympathy with the pitiful performers they portray that they are embarrassed to declare themselves. Oh, and – third – it makes my job easier, as I only have one set of actors to refer to.
If this sounds an unduly complicated way to begin a review, it also reflects the tricky opening of the production itself. The first scene of this play about suffragettes is actually the final scene of a show about the Vietnam War, and it quickly becomes apparent that real action is taking place in a fringe theatre rather than a parlour around the time of the First World War, as you might have expected. Once the marines are offstage, there is a riot of cast and crew, busying themselves in preparation for (fictional) director Helena Pickford’s magnum opus about the women’s suffrage movement. At this point, anyone who has ever participated in theatre at any level will laugh knowingly at the chaos of lost props and missing actors. Or wince.
Uptight technician Nicky, obsessed with health and safety, is a particular highlight of this sequence, and it’s a shame that she remains true to professional form and never steps onstage during the “action”. However, as with so many productions, this one is held together by the stage manager – in this case, nervy Kim, who conveys with beautiful precision her increasing desperation as the cast absences mount up. Thrusting herself into the role of Walter Greenslade, vacated first by a missing miss and then the star’s Spanish husband, Esteban, Kim quickly builds up to gestures ever more dramatic in order to fill the gaps left by her talent. When she is told by Isabel – or is it Connie? – that women have the vote in Australia and New Zealand, the suffragette points into opposite wings, and, in character, Kim repeats the gesture in exaggerated form as though a snooker player leaning in for a difficult shot. She’s only outdone late in the second act, when a false arm is deployed by another actor who has pulled herself out of a body bag that has been hidden in the wardrobe. You’re not following this? You have to be there. No, really. You have to be there.
To single out Nicky and Kim is not to deny the quality of a largely strong ensemble cast (would that I could name them). Sisters Violet and Connie – or is it Isabel? – and the director’s Moldovan partner gamely tackle anything that comes their way, as do the two Marines who have inveigled themselves into proceedings so they can catch the eye of Hollywood bigshot Tony Branch, who is, improbably, in the audience. The show is thus an object lesson in what happens when every performer is in it for themselves, and their exaggerated, badly judged performances work when they are part of the performance. However, Branch himself is just a poor performance in the supposed reality of the play, lacking rhythm and spouting his dialogue in a cod-American accent that doesn’t help matters. Similarly, the elderly Ethel, as portrayed by Joyce, could be a real hoot with her impromptu obscenities and politically incorrect outbursts, but her comic timing is hit and miss.
It’s not always easy, therefore, to appreciate the catastrophic play being staged, as the play framing it exhibits the same sloppy tendencies from time to time. The behind-the-scenes shambles, while never close to being an actual shambles, is not as orchestrated as a farce needs to be to keep its humour sharp, and particularly in the opening hustle and bustle it’s not always clear what’s going on as storylines are set up. The play will surely be seen in the line of Noises Off and, inevitably, The Play that Goes Wrong and its ilk, so it’s important that it have a clarity of direction, especially if it wants to make the West End transfer to which the (fictional) director aspires.
When the (actual) direction is clearer, there are several clever juxtapositions, showing what can be achieved if things go exactly wrong. For instance, the sound cues have become mixed up, so when Mr Greenslade makes a dramatic entrance, he is heralded not by a creaking door but by a gunshot from the previous play. Similarly, a crate that is supposed to contain a stolen bombshell drops its metaphorical payload in the form of the original Mrs Greenslade and her (fictional) real-life ex-husband, in front of her (fictional) real-life current spouse, Tony.
In case there’s any doubt about the kinds of film that this auteur makes, by the way, he tells the hapless (fictional) director Helena during the interval – sorry “interval” – that he wants to see the play get grittier. When she relays this note to her cast, they duly oblige, throwing swears and drugs into the mix with free abandon. At both levels, the play does run a constant risk of doing too much, but manages to draw it into a creditable crescendo in which both Vietnam and suffrage shows are playing simultaneously ¬– and makes so spectacular a use of a helicopter onstage that I suspect the producers are begging the comparison to Miss Saigon.
At this point, there’s no need for the show to go any further … though it does. Rather than let us enjoy the ham-fisted and earnest attempts of the “cast” to sell the importance of gender parity – not to mention the futility of war – there is a protracted ending in which these messages are hammered home in the fates that befall the different characters, with the men dispatched in ignominy and the women’s doughty character vindicated. Again, the frame play veers too close to the play within it, which the “cast” themselves have already critiqued for being “too factual” and having atrocious dialogue.
Despite a few mentions of Barnes, it’s clear that the show originated in Edinburgh, where it will have done best. Not only does that set-up make sense of the supposed need for a quick turnaround between shows, it would also have kept the piece tighter, without the bagginess that detracts from an otherwise fine, funny and cleverly conceived production.
Matthew Grierson
January 2018
Image courtesy of StraightUp Productions
Vintage Blues
BluesClub
The Eel Pie Club, Twickenham, 11th January
Review by Vince Francis
A welcome return to the Eel Pie Club last Thursday, to see the first gig of the year featuring BluesClub. I wouldn’t claim to be an aficionado of the genre, but, as a sometime guitar player, I’m well aware of the history of blues music and how it has influenced much of the popular music of western culture, including Jazz, Folk and Country & Western. Apart from all that, I do enjoy the occasional immersion in the baptismal font that is a live blues gig.
This particular area of London also has a noble history in taking the blues to its bosom and continuing the form. The Eel Pie Club acknowledges in its name the original home of British blues on Eel Pie Island, a venue which provided the seedbed for talent such as Alexis Korner, Long John Baldry, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones and many, many others. I think it was B. B. King who said that without the interest shown by the British in the late 50s and early 60s, the form might well have died out. It’s also fair to say that the British blues scene introduced (re-introduced?) the form to the mainstream U.S. audience. Today, of course, there is a fairly healthy scene, both here in London and elsewhere in the country and considerable credit is due to people like Warren Walters and Gina Way, who continue to walk the walk with regard to live music.
Being a geek, the first thing I noticed was the banner at the back of the stage advertising the club and using the image of a Gibson Les Paul guitar to underline the point. All fine and well until a recce of the kit onstage revealed everything guitar related to be Fender. Just sayin’.
On this particular evening, the BluesClub’s stellar line up was:
• Guy Fletcher – Keys and Steel Guitar
• William Topley – Vocals
• Peter Hope-Evans – Harmonica and Jew’s Harp
• Paul Beavis – Drums
• Robbie McIntosh – Guitar
• Elliott Randall – Guitar
• Alan Rogan – Fender Bass
Each of the above has a very respectable CV and this was demonstrated in the opening number, a cool version of Taj Mahal’s 1968 track She Caught the Katy, probably most famously known for underscoring the introduction to the 1980 film The Blues Brothers.
It quickly became apparent that there was an issue with Elliott Randall’s amplification during an otherwise slick performance of Junior Reed’s I Ain’t Got You. This meant his solo went unheard which I felt was a shame for a musician of this standing. As vocalist and front man William Topley wryly observed, vintage gear sometimes breaks down and needs a little TLC – a bit like vintage people, really. In this instance, Robbie McIntosh stepped in with the solution of plugging Elliot’s guitar into the spare channel on his amp, which got us to the interval effectively, after which the original amplifier was back in the line and working.
Peter Hope-Evans deserves a mention for staying power on harmonica and Jew’s harp. Always in there with an appropriate musical flourish to underpin the number and ready to step forward as required.
I also liked drummer Paul Beavis’s work: crisp, enthusiastic and, again, ever ready with a tasteful fill to drive matters forward.
But, overall, it feels churlish to critique musicians of this standard and experience in detail. Suffice it to say that this is a band that admirably demonstrates what professional standard live playing should be and which is well worth booking tickets for.
Of the numbers, the standouts for me were the trance like, Latin influenced Meet Me at the Clubhouse, the whacky, cross-rhythmed I’m Drunk and the very tasty lap steel work from Guy Fletcher in Bring It to Jerome.
I don’t know if I imagined this, but I felt there was a further nod to the area’s illustrious blues past in William Topley’s vocals. I thought he sounded a bit like Long John Baldry – and I intend that as a compliment. Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men band were regulars at the Eel Pie Island Hotel in the 60s and the legend goes that Baldry provided the launch pad for Rod Stewart’s career, having heard him busking at Twickenham Station.
I like this club a lot. It fulfils a need for properly equipped and managed performance spaces. The 11:00 p.m. curfew keeps things sweet with the neighbours and means you’re not tempted into a 3:00 a.m. session (believe me, I could be). As indicated earlier, Warren and Gina have a long-standing and heartfelt commitment to live music, which I find admirable.
Every venue has its own quirks and limitations and the EPC is no exception. You need to be in the queue early in order to give yourself a chance at getting a seat. It can get very crowded, although I’ve found the crowd to be very friendly each time I’ve been. Also, I would have liked to have heard the solos more forward in the mix, but this might have been due to where we were seated.
And a final thought. I don’t want to guess at the average age, but looking around the audience, I was struck at one point by the soft shimmer of grey ponytails nodding sagely to old school riffs in the dimmed lights. I do wonder what’s going to happen to this music when this generation of performers and fans finally hangs up their Strats. I said earlier that there is a fairly healthy scene at the moment, with some brilliant young players, such as John Mayer coming through. I hope they continue to acknowledge the roots – of the music, that is.
Vince Francis
January 2018
Photography by Pat Stancliffe
Skilful Subtle Dark Comedy
Marie
by Sarah MacGillivray and Phil Bartlett
Old Sorting Office, Barnes, 11th and 12th January
Review by Eleanor Lewis
In a previous review last year, I enthused about how fabulous actors are. I’d been to see a new play in a tiny little theatre over a pub in Camden on one of the hottest days of the year, and just after the Grenfell fire. Three actors gave it their all while their audience sat on benches (at least it felt like benches) in the dark, ready for a new experience and to be taken out of themselves. The Leviathan we call The Arts has to keep moving forward but it’s a frustrating and only intermittently rewarding working life for the actors and writers who make that happen. A sweaty pub in Camden (welcoming and civilised though it was) is a long way from the thrill of the West End.
Sarah MacGillivray and Phil Bartlett’s new play Marie is mainly concerned with one of these ‘key workers’. Though described in the publicity as “a darkly comic new play inspired by the life of Mary Queen of Scots”, it isn’t really. It’s definitely a darkly comic new play but whether it’s inspired so much by the life of Mary Queen of Scots or the grindingly frustrating life of young actors trying to get a break is at least a moot point.
The play is the story of two women. Chirpy landlady Liz runs a London pub with her husband Barry. Marie, an aspiring actress from Edinburgh, arrives at the pub after a difficult first couple of hours in the capital and is given a job and a home. From then on Marie pursues acting jobs and Liz runs weekly history nights at the pub at which people turn up as costumed, historical characters and do some sort of ‘turn’.
Marie encounters the usual difficulties whilst going to auditions, including a misdescribed porn film, but begins to enjoy playing Mary Queen of Scots at the pub’s history night. Eventually a recall from the RSC yields a job and from then on there’s a gentle but significant change in pace. Events begin to take their toll on Marie in disturbing ways that would amount to spoilers if described here. Suffice to say that what starts as an endearing tale ramps up into something that might have resulted from a collaboration between Hitchcock and Alan Bennett.
Being a one-woman show, Sarah MacGillivray plays all parts, switching from London Liz to Edinburgh Marie with occasional interventions from husband Barry and various other characters. MacGillivray is a skilful, subtle actor, she does justice to the tight, focussed writing and draws her audience gradually closer without making either main character needy or unsympathetic. In one of the OSO’s studio spaces, alone on stage under soft lighting with only a tea towel and a glass for support, this is an impressive performance.
(The tea towel and the glass for most of the time were the only props (aside from a chair) and used exclusively by Liz, which made the transfer between characters slightly unbalanced, Marie, I think, would have benefitted from a prop of some sort – bag maybe? – to make the change of identity a little sharper.)
Marie is a great piece of writing, well performed and at little over an hour it’s entertaining, funny and time well spent. Recommended.
Eleanor Lewis
January 2018
Photography by Laura Sedgwick and Phil Bartlett
Mark Aspen’s New Year Quiz
In expectation yet more great theatre locally in 2018, here are twenty questions, all on a local thespian theme.
If you are looking for help, there are many clues here at Mark Aspen, just follow the great theatre photographs of a year in the theatre!
- One hundred and ten years ago Leopold Glasspoole set up a local theatre company, which is still thriving today. What is it now called?
Photograph by Ace
- In Jonathan Dove’s new opera adaptation of a Jane Austen novel, the Crawfords sing of the “follies and grottos of Twickenham”. Which novel?
Photograph by Robert Workman
- On 16th January, it will be ten years since a local theatre was officially opened, having been in use for some while. Which theatre?
Photograph by Marc Brenner
- The Temple to Shakespeare was built in 1756. In whose garden?
Photograph by Christina Bulford
- In October a new theatre was opened opposite Twickenham railway station. What is it called?
Photograph courtesy of Ian Hughes
6 The present Q2 theatre performs at The Avenue. But the original Q theatre opened to the public on Boxing Day, 1924. Which landmark did it face?
Photograph by Connor Ballard-Pateman
7 The tenor John Templeton (1802-1886) sang in the first English production Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute. Which local theatre now stands near his house?
Photograph by Christina Bulford
8 Which opera by Philip Glass had its UK premiere last year in Hampton?
Photography by Stephanie at stephotofocus.com
9 Which songwriter was born at 131 Waldegrave Road, Teddington?
Photograph courtesy of Venture Wolf
10 “With his receding hairline and goatee beard, he is one of those theatre critics who could normally find something good to say about almost any production with a particular penchant for leading actresses”. Which local theatre reviewer is the British Theatre Guide describing?
11 Which Grade II* listed theatre has the largest collection of fully restored Victorian scenery in the world?
12 Which European president had his stage plays premiered at The Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond?
Photograph by Christina Bulford
13 In February 1603 a month before her death, William Shakespeare once again brought his company of actors to a local venue to perform for Queen Elizabeth. Where was it?
Photograph by Step-on-Stage Productions
14 Richmond Theatre was opened in 1898. Who was the architect who designed it?
Photograph by Brinkhoff Mögenburg
15 Which famous local artist was baptised in the Actors’ Church, St Paul’s, Covent Garden?
Photograph by Col Whitbread
16 In 1934 Errol Flynn’s first major film role in Murder at Monte Carlo was shot where?
Photograph courtesy of Britain Express
17 The Richmond Shakespeare Society has been performing Shakespeare’s plays annually in the open air since 1934. In recent years, these have been put on in various locations in York House, Twickenham. What was the previous venue for the open-air performances?
Photograph by Simone Sutton
18 What is the official name of the theatre that would you find next to Barnes Pond?
Photography by Marc Pearce
19 Which Twickenham poet mocked special effects in the theatre in these words: “Gods, imps, and monsters, music, rage, and mirth/ A fire, a jig, a battle, and a ball / Till one wide Conflagration swallows all.”
Photography by Craig Sugden
20 Who was the theatre and music hall impresario who had a lavish houseboat built on the Thames at Hampton, which included a full sized concert-hall and theatre?
Photograph by Alastair Muir
Mark Aspen
January 2018
Answers will be published next week.
A Devilish Dormouse, but a Kind Monster !
Alice in Winterland
by Ciaran McConville adapted from the stories and poems of Lewis Carroll
RTK Productions at The Rose Theatre, Kingston until 7th January
We asked two of our younger reviewers to share their thoughts on Alice in Winterland, to complement Mark Aspen’s review. Evie and Milly write:
Review by Evie Schaapveld (aged 7)
I loved the parts where they showed the Jabberwock and the Bandersnatch, because how they made them was very creative.
The Bandersnatch was very kind even though he looked very ferocious, and he looked like a half skeleton, half the Jabberwock, and half cat. I was terrified by the Jabberwock and he looked like an enormous pterodactyl skeleton.
The blue caterpillar was very good, and very funny, and they made him very long. I liked the stairs on the stage and I liked how they had two Alices. One was in her own house, the other was the one who went to wonderland.
Evie Schaapveld
December 2017
Review by Milly Stephens (aged 12)
I thought that it was a wonderful twist on the original story by Lewis Carrol. It was full of hope, bravery and adventure, but can bring a tear to your eye.
I loved the play because it had a range of characters. Some of my favourite were, the mad March Hare, the operatic Queen of Hearts and the cute but devil souled Dormouse.
I recommend it for all ages because you can never be too old or too young for a magical tale.
Milly Stephens
December 2017
Photography by Mark Douet
Showing the Grown-Ups How it’s Done
Annie Jr.
lyrics by Martin Charmin, score by Charles Strouse
Dramacube Productions at Hampton Hill Theatre until 23rd December
Review by Georgia Renwick
The story of downtrodden little orphan Annie, who is gifted with the opportunity to stay with a self-made millionaire for Christmas and finds the chance of a new, happier life, is a story we all know and love; but seeing these little stars shine in Annie Jr, a Dramacube production, is a Christmas treat we can all enjoy!
With Christmas just around the corner, there is an infectiously feel-good atmosphere at HHT as mince pies are munched and hot chocolates sipped on. You maybe have already seen some Christmas pantos this season, traditionally for the children. But tonight, it is time for the children to show the grown-ups how heart-warming Christmas theatre is done.
Over the last two and a half years, Dramacube has brought young talent (7-14 years) from across Richmond borough – and now Kingston – to the HHT stage, with a touch of creative flair and professionalism. Their Christmas production this year is no exception. The three teams of children each have two performances this week to show off all their hard-work to their families and friends, appreciation that has been hard earned by the children and Dramacube’s creative team.
The script is a cut-down version of the tony-award winning musical, but though it is cut down in length it is not lacking in spirit, in plot, or in challenges. If you have seen Annie playing in the West End this year you will recognise the songs, because everything in this Jr. version is in the ‘real’ show. The kids do not get off lightly with easier versions! And yet each and every child tackles the singing with aplomb. Of course, not every little girl can be Annie, but the production has been well balanced to allow for solo lines and moments to shine. Excellent experience for these young performers in handling nerves in the packed-out theatre, as well as the singing itself. It is singing as a unit however, where each child really gives it some gusto! Hard-Knock Life hit with the force of many knocks, even from the balcony!
Annie Jr 2016: Photograph courtesy of DramaCube
Music is provided in the form of a professional quality backing track, allowing for a professional sound without the headache of fitting an orchestra on the HHT stage! I have also seen productions fall-down where children struggle to adjust to live performers that inevitably sound different from a backing track, so this seems a wise choice.
The choreography in this production is especially strong under the guide of director Stephen Leslie and assistant director Mathew Bunn. The stage, filled with orphans, neither feels too crowded or too sparse, and everyone gets their moment in the limelight. Their little heads popping out from blankets and a make-shift pile of mattresses in the opening scene is an especially sweet and memorable moment. The children move very well, they know their marks, and the production overall is quite slick. Although this production does not allow for as much dancing as some of Dramacube’s previous shows, it has its moments. The production does not strive so hard to be slick that it loses its heart and soul, a quality Dramacube are garnering a reputation for.
Of course, working with children of all ages it can be challenging to manage visual perspective. It’s tough for a pint-sized police officer to convincingly arrest a Miss Hannagan a couple of heads taller than him, but it’s certainly funny, and certainly sweet!
Akshy Marayen had her work cut out with costuming, some children had as many as three changes. The change from Orphan to Sandy the Dog and then back again was especially inventive.
Annie Jr 2017: Photograph by Bomi Cooper
Sally Somerville’s set has been well-designed with multiple spaces spliced together so that set changes are kept to an absolute faff-free minimum. There is a tense moment when Miss Hannagan stumbles and falls down the intentionally rickety looking stairs, but not to worry! It is testament to the young cast member’s good acting that we were (thankfully) more startled than we needed to be.
Annie is a sweet tale, but it also offers us an important lesson in the value of an optimistic outlook. Afterall, “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile”, a mantra which every child on that stage seems to have taken fully to heart, is a mantra not just for Christmas, but to carry the whole year through; children and grown-ups alike.
Georgia Renwick
December 2017
Images from Dramacube’s 2016 production of Annie Jr.
Step lively!
Cinderella
OSO Arts Centre, Barnes until 23rd December
Review by Matthew Grierson
When the programme for a panto thanks someone for ‘the loan of her leg’, you can look forward to a fun evening. Well, you can be sure that someone is legless at least. And Cinderella, at the OSO Arts Centre in Barnes until Saturday evening, is quite a feat.
I would ask that you pardon the pun, but that would hardly be in the spirit of this loveable production, which throws wordplay and similar silliness at you with free abandon. ‘We’re fastidious.’/‘Yes, I’m fast, you’re hideous!’ Or: ‘I’ve a good mind to ¬–’/‘No you don’t.’ When the script is not punning it’s winking, knowingly: the ugly sisters are topically named Theresa and Arlene, and true to form, spend most of the show ruining things for everyone else. And in case you weren’t sure that Richmond Park voted Remain, Cinderella gets blamed for Brexit by the sisters, along with everything else from Donald Trump to North Korea. The locale is also brought on stage, with references to Hounslow, Mortlake and the beauties – or boredoms – of Barnes, although the producers have missed a trick by not getting sponsorship from the Coach & Horses on Barnes High Street.
The japery doesn’t all find its mark, and sometimes it’s shoehorned in just a little too awkwardly, leaving the cast to change step abruptly. There is still a sufficient hit rate to keep us occupied, though, and if it’s clear the audience isn’t biting, the cast have the good grace to shrug and move on to the next gag. But heaven forfend we miss a chance to boo the sisters – when the audience’s customary disapprobation does not come up to scratch, Joel Coussins as Theresa returns stroppily to the wings, complaining that everyone’s gone to sleep (well, he is also the director). When Theresa repeats his/her entrance a second or so later, s/he gets the catcalls s/he’s been expecting: ‘We like the booze!’ s/he jeers. Maybe he and Arlene will be in the Coach after the show.
They won’t have long to wait if so: the show doesn’t run too much over the hour, and has to be pretty fleet to get the whole story in. Such is its pace in fact that, mid ‘On no it isn’t!’/ ‘Oh yes it is!’, Theresa yells ‘Time for some plot!’ to keep things stepping lively. Even the poor old Baron No-Dough hobbles briskly on and off stage, with Buttons wryly commenting as much.
Like a fat foot in a slim slipper, the show is crammed with business. Apart from the badinage and satire, and, oh yes, the story, there’s everything you’d expect from a panto: a smattering of songs (pinched from the charts and other shows), plenty of audience interaction, pratfalls, custard pies, a false leg, and dancing. Yet for a show that cracks along at a fair old pace, it’s odd that Cinders’ and Prince Charming’s turn on the dancefloor is so timid, with the couple swaying side to side as though they were as hapless on their pins as yours truly. As Cinders, Alex Payne busts more moves when she later recounts her night to Buttons, so perhaps this gives an idea of where the heroine’s feelings really lie? Although once she’s married to the Prince in the end, her poor old friend and faithful helper is left hanging. Not even a peck on the cheek from the Fairy Godmother, poor sod.
At its best, the show’s action is nicely choreographed – the ugly sisters waylay Dandini, disguised as the Prince, to get an invitation to the ball, while all the time the real Prince and Cinders are making eyes at one another behind them as Buttons looks on enviously. At other times, there’s more exposition – this works fine as part of the lively warm-up by Will Jarvis as Buttons, but slows things down when the Fairy Godmother appears midway through proceedings. Maeve Carlin has a lot she has to tell us, and seems far more at ease when singing (what a voice!) But her sleight of hand comes in useful for the crucial transformation scene, when Cinders asks where she can see her regal carriage: Carlin responds that the budget is not enough.
The real magic, of course, is with the cast themselves, ebullient, ad-libbing, warm and funny to a man or woman. Make that man and woman in 50% of the cases. The sisters are a couple of men (Coussins and Frankie Brickmann) dragged up, who only make the slightest of gestures towards femininity, yet vie to make the most ludicrous claims to the contrary. Then there is Hana Jarrah’s turn as Baron No-Dough, alternately sprightly and sighing; while Rachel Coussins as Dandini stooges gamely for the Prince (Alex Hill), even though her moustache doesn’t stay the course … unlike Arlene’s hipster beard. As if there weren’t enough mixing up of parts, the Prince also changes guise with his factotum (another source of much wordplay) to make his way around ‘Pantoland’ and call on Cinders incognito. Like the sisters, PC and D also have a well-worked double act – imagine Blackadder’s Baldrick, complete with cunning plans, sallying forth with a boss midway between Flasheart and Prince George.
At 900-odd words, I realise am now at risk outwriting the script itself, and surely trying the patience of its younger audience members. For while the kids are not always attentive, the production has rhythm – and sweeties – enough for them never to be distracted for too long. Well, it wouldn’t have a leg to stand on otherwise.
Matthew Grierson
December 2017
Photography by Laura Sedgwick and Caroline Silfvering
Editor’s Note
Children’s shows are returning to the OSO on 12th February with Walter and Maisy Have A Very Long Day which is aimed at 4 to 7 year olds and has a short run until 16th February.
Mark Aspen 