From the Stage to the Heart
Annie Jr. (Hampton Hill Green)
music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin
Dramacube, Hampton Hill Green Cast at Hampton Hill Theatre until 26th June
Review by Millie Stephens
Millie Stephens is one of our younger reviewers. She trained with the Rose Theatre, Kingston, and is now fifteen years old.
Annie Jr is performed by an outstanding cast of twenty-two talented young actors from Dramacube, staged at Hampton Hill Theatre. Annie Jr is Stephen Leslie’s amazing take on the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Annie.
The musical director Abbey Mordue did a wonderful job of lifting the elegant and vibrant singing off the stage and into the audience’s heart. There was a wonderful range of slower, emotional songs for example Maybe – Reprise sung by Keiva Mcnelis who played Annie; in comparison with Little Girls which was an energetic, powerful song sung by Charlotte Taylor who played Miss Hannigan. Also the ensemble songs like N.Y.C and Hard-Knock-Life created a buzzing atmosphere where the audience could feel the energy and excitement radiating through the theatre.
Read more…Deliciously Terrible Anguish
Quietus (The Extra-Ordinary Tale of Hamlet)
by Nicholas Jonne Wilson
The Questors at the Judi Dench Playhouse, Ealing until 26th June
Review by Poppy Rose Jervis
‘We may all know the story of Hamlet: one of ghosts, deceit, oppressive families and revenge. But this surreal re-imagining of Shakespeare’s most iconic work delves far deeper into the inner workings of a dream, stranger than life itself. Immersing us in a new, spell-binding world … ‘
With a no-nonsense beginning this play magnetically places the audience with Hamlet sleeping on a simple white box board on the very edge of the stage and within seconds pulls us into his world as he is taunted by ‘Ophelia’. The powerful angst-ridden start as he awakens and finds himself unable to make sense of things is not a melodramatic opening, but indicative of both his real struggle and the powerful performance from all cast that is to come.
Two white box ‘uprights’ with a door space in between are all the production has by way of background set, and all that is needed for actors and audience to transcend time and place and travel in and out of the mind.
Prepare for witching time as Wilson’s skilful and thoughtful writing, imaginatively realised and carefully not using the ‘same old, same old’, makes clever use of the text of Hamlet to create the compelling, original script Quietus of around an hour’s production length. Shakespeare was the first to use the term ‘quietus’, originating from ‘to quit’ (or quietus est: he is quit) as a metaphor for the termination of life.
‘When he himself might his quietus make, With a bare bodkin?’ and Wilson’s work, (which is Hamlet but it is not ‘Hamlet’) takes four characters with their attendant spirits to intrude into the innermost mind with thoughts of death as a release from life, and with the torment and confusion of dreams crossing into physical existence, to question, ‘What is reality to a mind that is already broken?’
Brevity is the soul of wit (and the skill of a writer, director and designer) and in a shortish play we are not distracted by unwanted text, characters that would detract from purpose, props, set or other worldly insignificancies as minds are emptied to make them home for cast and demons at play.
Read more…Undaunted Daughters
Annie Jr.
music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin
Dramacube, Twickenham Green Cast at Hampton Hill Theatre until 26th June
Review by Eleanor Lewis
“Don’t put your daughter on the stage, Mrs Worthington!” said Noël Coward, though he might have added “unless it’s a Dramacube production”, if he’d been around to see one.
One of the most (and there are many) satisfying features of Dramacube productions is the level of professionalism consistently on show. Thursday night’s Twickenham Green cast bowled along at a brisk pace driving forward the story of little orphan Annie, delivering lines, comedy, dance routines and songs with non-showy confidence and quite a lot of skill. Their seamless move from one particular ensemble scene into the NYC song and dance routine, which involved a very quick change for all, was particularly impressive.
Two young actors shared the leading role of Annie on Thursday night: Megan Went and Tabitha Gooding. Both brought out Annie’s self-reliance and personal strength and managed to be endearing in a non-sentimental way despite this being a show drenched in sentiment.
Read more…An Enthusiastic Return
Annie Jr.
music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin
Dramacube, Hampton Hill Blue Cast at Hampton Hill Theatre until 26th June
Review by Celia Bard
The feeling I experienced when walking through the doors of Hampton Hill Theatre was quite emotional for it was fifteen months or so since last setting foot in a theatre due to that very vicious tiny virus who shall remain nameless. In many ways it was appropriate that the production I was about to see was Annie Jr, produced by Dramacube. Cast memories back to March 2020 when this production had been ready to go: the stage had been set, lines learned, tickets sold and then ‘lockdown’ immediately prior the opening performance. Everything was frozen, not even the stage could be struck. How disappointing this must have been for all concerned: how fitting it is that the first production now being shown at Hampton Hill Theatre is that same musical, Annie Jnr.
Though still not quite out of the woods, the magic started immediately I entered the auditorium and took my seat, wearing the obligatory mask. This after having provided a name and phone number, had my temperature taken and sanitized my hands. Despite being a huge fan of musicals I’ve never seen the production of Annie on the stage. Annie Jnr didn’t disappoint, capturing much of the amusement and charm of the story, supported by an enthusiastic and capable young cast.
The action is set in the 1930s and tells the story of a young orphan girl, Annie, who is fated to live in an austere and depressing orphanage under the evil headship of Miss Hannigan. Annie’s life changes drastically when she is given opportunity to spend two weeks in the home of the wealthy billionaire, Oliver Warbucks, who wants to adopt her. Like all fairy tales the happy ending isn’t immediate and Annie and Oliver Warbucks, with the aid of the police, have to overcome fiendish plans dreamed up by Miss Hannigan and her partners in crime, Rooster and Lily, who try to scupper everything.
Read more…Demonic Duets
Quietus
by Nicholas Jonne Wilson
The Questors at the Judi Dench Playhouse, Ealing until 26th June
Review by Nick Swyft
Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s longest plays, but this version came in at under an hour. Its purpose wasn’t to retell the story but rather to examine the psychology of the main protagonists, in what is described as “the extra-ordinary tale of Hamlet”.
Each of the main characters, Hamlet (Nathaniel Flynn-Murphy), Ophelia (Arabella Jacobson) and the Queen (Sara Mearza), were represented as both themselves and as their demons (Dumitru Cotelea, Isabella Cotrell and Alexandra Bivol respectively).
The play opens with Hamlet being taunted by images of Ophelia and her demon as he sleeps, but the true nature of these demons is revealed in the steamy sessions of the second scene. Sex scenes on stage are always a draw, if sometimes awkward, but this one was pretty tame. The costs of production couldn’t run to the hiring of that modern phenomenon of an intimacy coach, but the gist was clear enough – demons are not respectable creatures.
Read more…Amazing Actors Amaze
Annie Jr.
music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin
Dramacube, Twickenham Blue Cast at Hampton Hill Theatre until 26th June
Review by Evie Schaapveld
Evie Schaapveld is one of our younger reviewers. Eleven years old, she acts with a number of local stage companies.
The Twickenham Blue Cast performance of Annie Jnr was a great performance by Dramacube. I was going to see this play last year but because of coronavirus it was then postponed for many months. This is the first play that I’ve seen for ages, so it felt very nice and exciting to go into the theatre, since I hadn’t been for a very long time. The songs that played while you were waiting for the play to begin and when it ended were very well chosen. When the curtain opened, there was astounding scenery and I really liked the New York backdrop.
The play starts with the orphans in the orphanage and Annie (Mimi Worsley) and the orphans singing Maybe which was well sung by all the girls. After that Annie attempts to escape but is foiled by Miss Hannigan (Mia Cousins), and all the girls are then put to work, which leads them to sing It’s a Hard Knock Life which had good choreography. The props in this scene were very good and I really liked the large oversized bed and the laundry basket that Annie escapes in. I also enjoyed Mia Cousins singing the song Little Girls which she performed really well.
Read more…Icing on the Opera Cake
Prima le Parole: Preview
Opera Live At Home On-Line from 29th June
Preview with Thomas Forsythe and Helen Astrid
Opera critic Thomas Forsythe discusses the forthcoming production of Prima le Parole with Helen Astrid, founder of Opera Live At Home
TF: Firstly can I congratulate you on the triumph that your on-line series Opera Live At Home has achieved during lockdown, establishing an international following as an opera recital and discussion programme.
HA: Thank you. This month though the evening will be slightly different, as it will feature an actor and opera director, Tama Matheson, who is following on from the incredible success of His Quest for Peace – Panufnik at the Barnes Music Festival last month.
TF: Yes, that was remarkably well received, and of course Sir Andrzej Panufnik lived in Twickenham for almost thirty years and much of his best work as a composer was done here. His widow, Lady Camilla is a well-known figure locally.
HA: Tama’s lyric drama brought out the victory of the human spirit over adversity that is the epitome of Panufnik’s music. Now, for Opera Live At Home , Tama Matheson takes centre stage again with Prima le Parole. He will delve into the history of opera and will excavate a handful of the better- and lesser-known theatre works that underpin the operatic canon.
Read more…Mutually Assured Distraction
The Letter of Last Resort
by David Greig
The Questors, in association with PlayGC Theatre Company, at the Judy Dench Playhouse, Ealing until 19th June
Review by Andrew Lawston
The hour is late. As voiceover clips narrate a series of election results, a woman sits at her desk in an ornate office, struggling to write a letter. Discarded drafts circle the waste paper basket, and her shoes have also been cast aside. Theatre has finally returned to The Questors Theatre’s Judi Dench Playhouse, and the sense of relief and excitement in the auditorium is so palpable that we would probably all happily watch this exasperated letter writer work at her missive in silence for the full fifty minutes of David Greig’s play The Letter of Last Resort, from Playgc Theatre Company.
Fortunately, she is swiftly interrupted by a man with the smooth bearing and manilla envelopes of a Whitehall mandarin, who introduces himself to the Prime Minister as John, from “Arrangements”. He has come, he reveals after a little small talk, to ask her to attend to a pressing matter. The writing of the eponymous letter of last resort, the handwritten sealed letters written by all Prime Ministers on their first day in office, containing instructions for the commanders of Trident submarines in the event of an incapacitating nuclear attack on the United Kingdom.
The Prime Minister is attempting to write a letter of condolence to the mother of a young soldier killed in action, she reveals. She refuses to use a template, keen to do things differently. John’s pressing matter will have to wait.
Read more…Grand Passions Portrayed
Opera Gala 21
Rose Opera at Normansfield Theatre, Teddington, 12th June
Review by Helen Astrid
Opera excerpts from George Frederick Handel to William Walton provided a selection of arias, duets and trios to less well-known pieces at Rose Opera’s Gala latest gala evening. Indeed, they rose to the occasion with aplomb showcasing some of their up-and-coming talents.
Rose Opera’s co-founder Tamara Ravenhill opened the programme singing the luscious Io son l’umile ancella, from Cilèa’s rarely performed Adriana Lecouvreur. The romantic and voluptuous vocal line was finely rendered in her performance.
Baritone, Ian Helm was in fine voice singing Pierrot’s Tanzlied from Korngold’s Die Tote Stadt another uncommon choice for UK opera houses. The harmonic and melodic parallels with Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos was apparent and more so in the virtuosic piano reduction of the orchestral score. The opera contains the stunning Marietta’s Lied, one for the next concert perhaps.
Die Tote Stadt Linz Opera
Read more…
Cracking Clever Theatre
The Co-Op
by Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson and Felix Grainger
Make it Beautiful Theatre Company, OSO Arts Centre, Barnes until 12th June
Review by Eleanor Lewis
“I have of late … lost all my mirth,” says Hamlet, and then goes on to describe a world under “a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours” before moving into the “what a piece of work is a man …” bit. Without much contriving you can connect the Prince of Denmark’s musings to our current situation, particularly where it relates to the performing arts and the long, ‘resting’ period anyone in the performing arts has been subjected to over the last year.
Make it Beautiful Theatre Company, however, rather than let the grass grow, has devised a clever and witty short play about three actors setting up their own agency to represent themselves in a world where finding work is difficult enough without the small matter of a global pandemic. Jimmy (Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson) and Cazza (Cara Steele) are the two remaining founders of the agency after Jimmy’s recently departed friend Tom was given a part in Silent Witness and moved on to what might unkindly be called the real world. Jimmy funds the business while drinking quite a lot. Cazza, never having had anything to rely on but herself, is forming probably quite an unhealthy dependency on Jimmy. Into this mix comes new client cum business partner Charlie (Felix Grainger) bouncing with hope and positive vibes.
Read more…
Mark Aspen 