Bijou Delight of Bubbly Baroque
Acis and Galatea
by George Frideric Handel, libretto by John Gay
The Vache Baroque Festival, Chalfont St. Giles until 5th September
Review by Mark Aspen
One of the transformations in Ovid’s Metamorphoses is the tragic result of a heavily skewed love-triangle intruding on the idyllically passionate romance between the water nymph, Galatea and the shepherd Acis. Ovid’s myth kindled the brilliance of Handel to make his own transformation into his pastoral opera, Acis and Galatea. Since the opera demands a pastoral setting, it would be hard to find one more suited than The Vache country estate, with its rolling parkland, nicely adorned for the occasion with cut-outs of winged sheep and putti. Thence the transformation of Handel’s “little opera”, as he called it, by VBF (as The Vache Baroque Festival is affectionately known) into a bijou delight of bubbly baroque.
The bucolic simplicity of the plot and the ornate ebullience of Handel’s music is enhanced by the energy and enthusiasm of VBF’s youthful cast and nimble baroque octet, conducted from the harpsicord by Music Director, Jonathan Darbourne.
Read more…Old Wives’ Tales
Escaped Alone
by Caryl Churchill
Teddington Theatre Club, streamed from Hampton Hill Theatre until 6th September
Review by Nick Swyft
Don’t old women seem to witter on about nothing! This is a common prejudice however ‘unwoke’ it is to say so. And yet if you listen carefully, who knows what you might learn?
Escaped Alone starts with Mrs Jarrett (Sally Halsey), peering through a window at Vi (Jane Marcus), Sally (Michelle Hood) and Lena (Jenny Hobson). They are enjoying tea together and invite her in when they see her. Mrs Jarett is thus placed as an outsider, but as the play progresses it becomes apparent that, in their way, each of them is an outsider. Indeed, so are we all.
After she joins them, the conversation seems to become banal. The women are talking but not really listening to each other. But listen carefully. Some of those hanging comments mean much more later on. In fact there is probably more to glean from this play than one performance can deliver. See it twice if you can!
Read more…You May Meet a Stranger
A Simple Tale of Love
by Sasha Ravencroft
Rude Raven Productions at the Hen and Chickens, Camden Fringe, then touring until 29th October
Review by Heather Moulson
I was intrigued about this production as the flyer carries a very haunting and macabre image, and yet the title is romantic, a mysterious combination. So as I sat down in the auditorium to a living room set, my curiosity was already inflamed.
Molly, played by Helen Walling-Richards, made an impressive entrance accompanied by an acoustic guitar soundtrack, and gave us a significant monologue. Her words were funny, sad and edgy. Molly has suffered a blow from her job and she describes her colleagues in vivid detail, making them real and alive.
JD, played by Daniel Singh Pabla, entered and gave a good first impression of being striking, moody and mysterious. They sat together but, although they interacted, I felt his projection faltered, while Molly’s was powerful. Unfortunately, this made Molly have to work harder in this vital two-handed scene.
Read more…Get Wind of the Latest
The Bean Spillers
Gigglemug Theatre at the Hen and Chickens, Camden Fringe until 29th August
Review by Heather Moulson
I did not expect immediate interaction with the cast while I found a seat in this enigmatic and semi-full auditorium. However, two very genial actors dressed in black greeted me instantly. My first instincts are to keep my head down but, in this case, I found the experience warm and welcoming.
Comprising an exciting duo, Sam Cochrane and Alex Prescot, accompanied by a talented pianist who interacted with ease and timing, The Bean Spillers exuded a witty and vibrant rapport. The theme, we are told, is Gossip. They are literally about spilling the beans, and they certainly delivered.
Scouting for rumours and stories amongst the enthusiastic audience, they gleaned a dubious story from someone in front of me. I was quite relieved they chose him, as I had gone quite blank. Introducing their guest of the evening, Katy Schutte, there was a strong interaction with everybody. Reminiscent of Morecambe and Wise, they have a different guest every night and this particularly versatile guest proceeded to blend in well.
Read more…Travel Slight
Hølìdåÿ
by David Hoskin
Elf Lyons at the Hen and Chickens, Camden Fringe until 24th August
Review by Heather Moulson
The soundtrack of Blue Heaven, the voice-over recalling a bland TV presenter and the zippy sound effects compensated for the starkly furnished stage as this unusual one-man show opened up. We were given immediate insight into this one person, played by David Hoskin, sitting there asking for nothing, simply living a bland man’s life. His mime skills and strong interaction with the audience were impressive and made this a promising start.
With carefully calculated blackouts, we were offered chapters into the unfulfilled existence of this man, who appeared in desperate need of a holiday. The opportunity quite literally came to his door with artistic licence and flair. There followed the atmosphere of a busy airport, the bland muzak, the flight and overwhelming arrival at a busy holiday destination: not to mention the beach, and the grimness of holiday makers there. Every detail was conceived and presented. This was written as a well thought-out piece.
Bare Bones Dating
Meat Cute
by Bibi Lucille
Patch Plays at the Hen and Chickens, Camden Fringe until 17th August, then at Bread and Roses Theatre, Clapham until 23rd October
Review by Heather Moulson
A fringe festival anywhere exudes trepidation in the promise of sheer talent, and the Camden Fringe is no exception. This production in a truly old-school pub in St Paul’s Road, Islington, with its steep stairs and dimly-lit auditorium certainly came up with the goods. Writer and star of this one-woman show, Bibi Lucille has been known to us previously in Space Doctor at the OSO, Barnes and This Was a Man at the Leicester Square Theatre. Already making us aware of her versatility as an actress, going on to display further skills in her latest vibrant role.
A good start saw Bibi in orange ensemble matching the stark set and camp fur chair, entering the small stage accompanied by loud rap music. Her stage presence enables a strong credible portrayal of the self-doubt of her character, in what seemingly is her desperation in looking for the right man. The misery of youth, and the anguish of a young woman, came over and touched the audience. It rings with a clear note of truth.
We shuffled with uncomfortable memories as Bibi recalls a man telling her “if you lost a stone, you’d be stunning”. Many of us have heard crass remarks like this. Her power games with men are sad and sordid, yet endearing and enticing; not to mention extraordinarily watchable and consistent as her true motive unravels.
Read more…Masks Slipping
God of Carnage
by Yasmina Reza
The Questors, at the Judi Dench Playhouse, Ealing until 14th August
Review by Eleanor Lewis
Fights in the playground aren’t always between the children and there is the distinct possibility that sometimes those parental altercations caught on CCTV are watched back in the school office at the end of the day. There is evidently an audience for parents behaving badly, especially amongst those parents who would never let themselves go like that …
Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage at Questors’ Theatre is about that subject and a great deal more: are we really superior in the West? Is society in its current incarnation actually working? Is marriage a good thing? Why do people have children without any idea of what it will actually involve? But the pivot on which all of that turns (or spins wildly) is the meeting between two sets of parents to discuss the fact that one of their children has whacked the other couple’s child and knocked out two of his teeth.
Double or Quips?
The Comedy of Errors
by William Shakespeare
Richmond Shakespeare Society, Fountain Gardens, York House, Twickenham until 14th August
Review by Mark Aspen
Yee-Hah! In the Wild West of Ephesus folks are likely to be seeing double. Could be the local hooch or moonshine hereabouts, or m’be it’s more than that? So I moseyed down to the Naked Ladies’ tavern in Twickenham to take me a look.
The Richmond Shakespeare Society is back in town, or rather out of its theatre and it’s the Fountain Gardens for its traditional annual open-air show, which has been almost its raison d’être since 1934, thankfully re-established in all its glory after the worse ravages of the pandemic.
With its errors resulting from the mistaken identities of identical twin brothers, the plot of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors has travelled far, from its original Latin farce, the Menæchmi, penned by Plautus around 200 B.C; all the way to Rodgers and Hart’s 1938 Broadway musical The Boys from Syracuse, this with various subsequent film versions. So it’s got (gotten?) to America, but possibly never to the Wild West.
Appropriately listening to country and western music whilst enjoying our pre-show picnic, the audience had plenty of opportunity to admire Junis Olmscheid’s colourful picture book set. It is straight from Hollywood, to which she is no stranger. The saloon has swinging half-doors, the Hotel Phoenix is shuttered and panelled, and they are connected via a wooden sidewalk. This is the town of Ephesus (The USA probably has one somewhere way out west.) It’s mean and dusty, where men are ma-en and women are wimmen.
Read more…Dismantling Folklore in the Pheasantry
Robin Hood: The Legend of Bushy Park
by Josh Clarke
YAT, The Woodland Gardens, Teddington until 8th August.
Review by Heather Moulson
Dressed up all in Green Yo, Ho! … well, in a mac actually, just in case, I went in search of the legendary Robin Hood in his Bushy Park hideaway.
Arriving at the verdant Pheasantry grounds, I didn’t know quite what to expect. A natural grass stage before the audience, with an abundance of foliage to the right, making up the only stage entrance: I was intrigued and slightly worried by these elements … and by the looming precipitation.
Read more…Power of The Camden Fringe
Marie Lloyd Stole My Life
by J.J. Leppink
Blue Fire Theatre Company at Water Rats, Camden Fringe then at Museum of Comedy until 21st August.
Review by David Stephens
“I’m reviewing a play about a Victorian Music Hall singer.”
“Oh, is it Marie Lloyd?”
“No… but funny you should say that…”.
The above is an excerpt from a conversation with a family member prior to my attending last night’s performance of Marie Lloyd Stole My Life, at this year’s Camden Fringe Festival, and, by the end of this short exchange, the author’s apparent need to tell this relatively unknown story immediately dawned on me. Most people, even with only a vague knowledge of theatrical history, will recognise the name of the ‘queen’ of British music hall, ‘Marie Lloyd’, but how many will have heard of ‘Nelly Power’, one of the early stars of this theatrical genre, whose sparkle was dulled significantly when the former burst onto the scene, stealing more than just her limelight? This brilliantly written monologue leaves us in no doubt about who, according to Power at least, the true star of ‘music hall’ really was.
Staged in the perfectly-suited theatre at the rear of the iconic Water Rats Theatre Bar in London’s Kings Cross, quite literally a stone’s throw from St. Pancras, the birthplace of Nelly Power, it was in the saloon bars of public houses such as this, that the music hall genre was originally born, allowing raucous audiences to eat, drink, smoke, cheer and sing-along to their favourite acts in affordable surroundings. Indeed, this venue was itself a vibrant music hall, still hosting ‘Variety’ until as recently as the 1980’s. It was, therefore, almost like stepping back in time when, walking into the ex-Saloon Bar of this pub, we were immediately greeted by the tinkling ivories of the “old Joanna”, under orange-tinged lighting, perfectly replicating the dimly-lit venues of bygone times.
Mark Aspen 