tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10813278391013769932024-03-13T04:28:46.572+00:00THE GIZZLE REVIEWMusic, film, theatre and game reviews.ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comBlogger1823125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-78354461631992289272020-09-19T16:56:00.001+01:002020-09-19T16:56:53.983+01:00Pippin @ Garden Theatre<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Pippin @ Garden Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcWmJfNjzZ9c1RUvt8imnK5MGsQzJjhxKBcEUSO_oAGRzyUb3c80QTFTs-Q552Xf0NuOITZ_2v2YU5fnG_XRwTq3eL-lQXQOeH0MiVS-n0Kwn8tgKq7uYy5Pe-3Bc84nEyUY9raFkuPhq/w400-h266/Pippin+14+Ryan+Anderson+as+Pippin+and+cast+Photo+Bonnie+Britain+Photography.jpg" title="Pippin @ Garden Theatre" width="400" /></p><p><br /></p><p>The plot of <i>Pippin</i> is surprisingly fitting for lockdown life in 2020. As we sit indoors watching the world implode, it's easy to empathise with the son of Charlamagne. Pippin is seeking enlightenment (a lofty aspiration): a purpose, a fulfilling life. The lesson learned is to live in the moment and appreciate the ordinary, something we're all forced to do right now.</p><p><br /></p><p>Originating on Broadway in 1972 - with music from Stephen Schwartz, book by Roger O. Hirson, and direction from Bob Fosse - the musical is presented as short fragments of revue that give snippets of an overarching narrative. It's an absurd coming of age story, framed by a fourth wall breaking narrator (Tsemaye Bob-Egbe), with Pippin developing from naivety to spoilt brat and finally enlightenment, rebelling against the script (fate? religion?) in the process.</p><p><br /></p><p>Despite its themes of war, despair, patricide and a climax that glorifies suicide, <i>Pippin </i>is a surprisingly joyous and uplifting watch. The ensemble sing of magic and urge Pippin to revel in simple pleasures (mainly sexual); there are amusing scenes with Pippin's family and a tragi-comic moment with a duck; a heartwarming love story rounds it out. Part <i>Candide </i>and part <i>Hair, </i>this production led by director Steven Dexter revels in its 70s heritage, with vibrant tye-died costumes and choreography from Nick Winston that turns war into a sensual dance by way of Fosse.</p><p><br /></p><p>Schwartz's psychedlic score is full of glorious harmonies and demanding solos, but the cast of West End performers rise to the challenge. As Pippin, Ryan Anderson is a dynamic performer with a high tenor; Joanne Clifton amuses as Pippin's grandma; and Bob-Egbe leads the ensemble with some impressive vocal runs. And even with minimal instrumentation, the score is full of colour.</p><p><br /></p><p>It is a production worthy of a larger venue, the outdoor Garden Theatre bringing obvious challenges like sound levels and road noise. Yet the cast cope well with projection, directing their lines to both sides of the audience around the traverse stage so nothing is missed. What's more, they're undeterred by us masked audience members facelessly reacting.</p><p><br /></p><p>In another time, this production would be performed with a larger cast, full orchestration and an extravagant set design. But even without these trappings, the core of the show is fantastically enjoyable. It feels good to be back in a theatre.</p><p><br /></p><p>4/5</p><p><br /></p><p>Watch: <i>Pippin </i>runs at the Garden Theatre until 11th October.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vOabPo9ObnQO_K420GzeJJ8pAj3Q9SxXUlIU49_YE_AQaq95rBUc-KRq11eO4d30pnPdnxkQuLZ_NDDtoN48lIlgD7FkZLN-30KrfcwEzmJLFcL4YVh09kNbUDivGy_hj3rJ1XcskWRe/s2048/Pippin+19+Tanisha-Mae+Brown+as+Catherine+Tsemaye+Bob-Egbe+as+Leading+Player+Ryan+Anderson+as+Pippin+Photo+Bonnie+Britain+Photography.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pippin @ Garden Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vOabPo9ObnQO_K420GzeJJ8pAj3Q9SxXUlIU49_YE_AQaq95rBUc-KRq11eO4d30pnPdnxkQuLZ_NDDtoN48lIlgD7FkZLN-30KrfcwEzmJLFcL4YVh09kNbUDivGy_hj3rJ1XcskWRe/w400-h266/Pippin+19+Tanisha-Mae+Brown+as+Catherine+Tsemaye+Bob-Egbe+as+Leading+Player+Ryan+Anderson+as+Pippin+Photo+Bonnie+Britain+Photography.jpg" title="Pippin @ Garden Theatre" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-13842872995323202282020-08-23T17:32:00.004+01:002020-08-23T17:58:22.634+01:00The Last Of Us Part II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuZ_8-IVmzxFreJaif8Ik-5AhZbJWbuZtYI5w8NphiIjqt0z51yfTqzwR5ubdKxjiQj2Vre1ouGohnozifMACJOXtkYHM9hzix-clkmja8Dummf0tn22ZeFNGJtEhW-pbpdh-qTdai-5p/s1920/The+Last+of+Us%25E2%2584%25A2+Part+II_20200619224305.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuZ_8-IVmzxFreJaif8Ik-5AhZbJWbuZtYI5w8NphiIjqt0z51yfTqzwR5ubdKxjiQj2Vre1ouGohnozifMACJOXtkYHM9hzix-clkmja8Dummf0tn22ZeFNGJtEhW-pbpdh-qTdai-5p/w512-h288/The+Last+of+Us%25E2%2584%25A2+Part+II_20200619224305.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><p>"Press L1 to gallop". It's the first prompt you're given in <i>The Last Of Us Part II</i>, a prompt to race ahead on your horse. But why would you? The low sun hovers in the sky casting golden shadows through the tranquil trees. The animation feels more lifelike than anything before. The textures are sumptuous. This is a world to immerse yourself in, an Americana somehow more lush and grotesque than the game that came before.</p><p>By the end, you'll wish you could've galloped through a lot quicker.</p><p>Until then, you revel in the details. The paraphernalia in Ellie's room that hints at the woman she's become since the events of the first game. The way snow cascades off a tree as you brush past. Crackling footsteps in snow. The dirt under Ellie's fingernails. There are frequent moments to simply pause and take in the view - whether in photo mode or just in-game - accompanied by the gentle plucking of a banjo for punctuation. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4bRHqHhvKAVipLxFYwIa_sYTx31mXZkogjy-70gmm13mxsnZyDbQf8c1Hk5mzOeSBQXTUUSFG2zWKg8EmoC4zznFbvHoEzFQmkHn2izNKHNRWh2MldHlA74u1-heAbcFKUSyxrbJPGae/s1920/The+Last+of+Us%25E2%2584%25A2+Part+II_20200619185827.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4bRHqHhvKAVipLxFYwIa_sYTx31mXZkogjy-70gmm13mxsnZyDbQf8c1Hk5mzOeSBQXTUUSFG2zWKg8EmoC4zznFbvHoEzFQmkHn2izNKHNRWh2MldHlA74u1-heAbcFKUSyxrbJPGae/w512-h288/The+Last+of+Us%25E2%2584%25A2+Part+II_20200619185827.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><p>It's these quiet moments that highlight the humanity at the heart of <i>The Last Of Us Part II</i>. It can be tender and sweet and loving, catharsis between all the shooting and stabbing. This is the game at its best, when it makes you care about these human beings. The core relationship between Joel and Ellie is truly affecting, fuelled by father-daughter awkwardness and nostalgia for the first game. That giraffe moment is extended to whole scenes, cementing the characters more than ever in moments of levity and laughter that become decidedly less frequent as the story progresses.</p><p>And the characters are authentically portrayed, reflecting the world in all its diversity - even if some secondary characters are underdeveloped. Queer relationships are wonderfully normalised, even if a trans character is used primarily for dramatic effect. These are humans who love and hate in equal measure. You will too.</p><p>There are some subtle changes to gameplay compared with the original. Ellie is more mobile than Joel was; the ability to crawl adds another (literal) layer to stealth; the inclusion of enemy dogs instills more panic than the undead ever do. More so, the game leans further into horror elements. It is a masterclass in atmosphere and suspense as you frequently wander in the dark and crawl through cramped air ducts waiting for the next jump scare, the fantastically eerie sound design sending tingles down the spine.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQd4Kp6azk2Bup3NnK6voOWq7TyEZdEpsAguaP60i5Sjgd46tLHLzIwmmXqk4WEMr_IrKjTIQ2o9Dsj9EH7VVEb9wDjtlwH2fXvw5huChobMW2eJ95V3TffyT5T5U2xx7CvNNshNAKRPt/s1920/The+Last+of+Us%25E2%2584%25A2+Part+II_20200712222112.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQd4Kp6azk2Bup3NnK6voOWq7TyEZdEpsAguaP60i5Sjgd46tLHLzIwmmXqk4WEMr_IrKjTIQ2o9Dsj9EH7VVEb9wDjtlwH2fXvw5huChobMW2eJ95V3TffyT5T5U2xx7CvNNshNAKRPt/w512-h288/The+Last+of+Us%25E2%2584%25A2+Part+II_20200712222112.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><p>It's a game about love, grief, forgiveness and revenge. It's about religion and faith, the destruction it brings but also the hope and strength it provides to rise above loss. But more than anything, it's a meditation on violence. It forces you to question every character you kill, whether dramatically through storytelling or almost comically through the cries of named NPCs. Where so many video games rely on violence for action - not least of all Naughty Dog's own <i>Uncharted </i>series - <i>The Last Of Us Part II </i>has you confronting every death you commit. </p><p>But how far is too far?</p><p>The game's biggest flaw is its lack of editing. It's so jam-packed with themes, twists and horribly gruesome deaths it's simply exhausting. While the narrative concepts are worthwhile exploring, the game's lack of any subtlety eventually numbs you. There are no heroes or villains here but it's so intent on telling you this, in indelicately painted shades of grey, it hits you brutally over the head repeatedly to let you know. Humans are flawed. Ok, we get it.</p><p>The pacing is off for a number of reasons. The storytelling lacks the singular focus of the first game. The flashback structure drags. The gameplay isn't shaken up enough across the overlong runtime and is instead just relentless. When the multiple consecutive endings reach finality the narrative does eventually land. But it takes so long to get there, the whole experience is a draining, laborious slog. The setup doesn't quite feel worth it. </p><p>And it really is an experience. This is not a game to enjoy. It is amongst the most depressing and bleak pieces of media in existence, plunging the depths of human depravity and cruelty. It will leave you disgusted and heartbroken in equal measure. It will leave you questioning what it was all for, this ultra-violence dressed up with a poignant score.</p><p>That a game has such an ability to make you feel is remarkable. It's almost impossible to not be invested in its storytelling and it will stay with you long after the credits roll. But to make us feel this bad for the violence the game forces you to enact feels like punishment. It's a masterpiece in grim storytelling. There's no other experience quite like it, for good and for bad. If only you could gallop through a little quicker.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEFj2CVEX9YrMEwyAmfLa1L_LMuh-x4jIGisux0p2enMqSUbTAR9jhXGAA9aBDlpCQnBvc9df8GXiVqM3ZzZPcog6rbj27ZtcMvJ8ZsjtXmpOlI7k-ZyGMgbWuGJ0BCOVwqWUoopTC8B8/s1920/The+Last+of+Us%25E2%2584%25A2+Part+II_20200822151133.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEFj2CVEX9YrMEwyAmfLa1L_LMuh-x4jIGisux0p2enMqSUbTAR9jhXGAA9aBDlpCQnBvc9df8GXiVqM3ZzZPcog6rbj27ZtcMvJ8ZsjtXmpOlI7k-ZyGMgbWuGJ0BCOVwqWUoopTC8B8/w512-h288/The+Last+of+Us%25E2%2584%25A2+Part+II_20200822151133.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><p><br /></p>ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-39640090877357806162020-07-04T15:10:00.000+01:002020-07-04T15:10:45.573+01:00Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dySiyGEo-hwLVQd6r9RD8ZQI1tRt8qPbjx9CP1yrhrH798iT47ktr9Q2iLvIBkZYi_g-ufkEdyL_HcJ2bWGHpuW59zhpWZyKGkGU333zKlz39DQEusOnVmTUliiG4-niP6seqUAH7UlP/s1600/eurovision-song-contest-story-fire-saga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1013" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dySiyGEo-hwLVQd6r9RD8ZQI1tRt8qPbjx9CP1yrhrH798iT47ktr9Q2iLvIBkZYi_g-ufkEdyL_HcJ2bWGHpuW59zhpWZyKGkGU333zKlz39DQEusOnVmTUliiG4-niP6seqUAH7UlP/s320/eurovision-song-contest-story-fire-saga.jpg" title="Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga" width="216" /></a></div>
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Anyone who's watched Eurovision in the last few years will know the competition has changed. What the UK once saw as a joke is now a much more serious music competition full of genuine talent, though some of that camp and flamboyance certainly remains.<br />
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So the news of a Will Ferrell comedy film rings alarm bells for Eurovision fans for whom the contest is serious business. What to some seems an obvious fit is to others a worrying piss-take.<br />
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The plot at least aims to hit the right notes. Ferrell plays Lars Erickssong who, from a young age, has dreamt of performing at Eurovision for Iceland with his (could be, probably not sister) musical partner Sigrit Ericksdóttir (Rachel McAdams). Together they are the musical duo Fire Saga who, through a series of unpredictable events, predictably have their dreams come true. At its core it follows a similar thread to Ferrell's biggest success <i>Elf</i>, with Lars aiming to please his grumpy, ashamed father (Pierce Brosnan). But really it's Sigrit's story of self-confidence that grips.<br />
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Of course, it's all a parody of Eurovision that picks up on the worst, most humorous parts of the competition. There are viking costumes, terrible accents and stereotypes, and Dan Stevens playing an operatic Russian entrant who's song "Lion Of Love" is camp Eurovision to a T. The film turns a well-produced globally loved show into a <i>Pitch Perfect </i>spin-off - there's even a "song-a-long" moment, though this can be excused for its multiple cameos from actual Eurovision contestants like Loreen, Conchita Wurst and Netta amongst others.<br />
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Yet despite some grating moments, there's still something loveable about it all. Perhaps it's the small town story: Iceland have indeed never won the contest and, despite the silliness, we do love an underdog story.<br />
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Perhaps it's the music. Written by Icelandic film composer Atli Örvarsson, plus writing and production by pop producer Savan Kotecha, the music is full of infectious Europop. There may be some purposefully terrible moments, but these wouldn't be out of place at Eurovision. "Lion of Love" would probably win.<br />
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Or perhaps it's Rachel McAdams, who's living her Björk fantasy and somehow maintains a straight face throughout the film. Her singing voice has been merged with 2006 Swedish Junior Eurovision contest Molly Sandén, and the final big number is a genuine delight.<br />
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There are plenty of flaws for Eurovision fanatics to pick over. The film is not faithful at all to the rules of the contest, the opening scene shows ABBA's 1974 win despite Iceland not broadcasting the contest until 1983, and the host city is Edinburgh despite the UK not previously winning. Ferrell was apparently seen researching at the last couple of contests, though he's taken plenty of liberties here.<br />
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For all its parody, though, <i>Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga </i>is a loving tribute to Eurovision that makes for perfect popcorn entertainment, even if it's not quite douze points.<br />
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3/5<br />
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Watch: <i>Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga </i>is available to watch now on Netflix.<br />
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ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-63936548747232731602020-06-04T19:49:00.001+01:002020-06-04T19:58:21.532+01:00Reasons To Be Cheerful @ Theatre Royal Stratford<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QwvItFl26HllciqL9PxFhI775vMrRq6-BLmo7YnFH70yvjV_-beWqyngimTg05JpADc7ToeiJSg9KQcLVJMTzKnYgiRjpShpsd-Hoknjrslz_ZQVWALBJwZnQySI5DusHaLAAwasJQEu/s1600/RTBC-Banner-3508-x-2480-02-980x537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Reasons To Be Cheerful @ Theatre Royal Stratford" border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="980" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QwvItFl26HllciqL9PxFhI775vMrRq6-BLmo7YnFH70yvjV_-beWqyngimTg05JpADc7ToeiJSg9KQcLVJMTzKnYgiRjpShpsd-Hoknjrslz_ZQVWALBJwZnQySI5DusHaLAAwasJQEu/s400/RTBC-Banner-3508-x-2480-02-980x537.jpg" title="Reasons To Be Cheerful @ Theatre Royal Stratford" width="400" /></a></div>
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When Graeae Theatre Company staged their Ian Dury musical <i>Reasons To Be Cheerful </i>at the Theatre Royal Stratford in 2017 it became one of their biggest successes. First performed in 2010, the cast went on to perform at the 2012 Paralympic Games, with the 2017 production including a newly-penned protest song by members of The Blockheads. Now they're giving us another reason to be cheerful, by releasing the performance online.<br />
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Featuring the music of Ian Dury and The Blockheads (best known for <i>Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick</i>), the show is a coming of age story that's part-gig part-musical. Graeae are the UK's leading disabled-led theatre company, so creating a show inspired by Dury - who contracted polio at a young age and whose 1981 song <i>Spasticus Autisticus </i>was banned by the BBC - is an ideal pairing. The result is a joyous celebration of disabled performers, of young people finding their voice.<br />
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The plot itself isn't anything to write home about: a group of young people in the late 70s intent on watching Ian Dury himself live at the Hammersmith Apollo. Predictably they don't make it to the gig, but it's about the journey along the way.<br />
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The sense of mundanity is befitting Dury's lyrics, but as a drama it lacks peaks, troughs and characterisation. With plenty of swearing in its basic storytelling, it feels a little immature and one-note. What's more, it's laced with misogyny and sexism that may be indicative of the period, but feels uncomfortable to watch now. The show's sense of nostalgic Britishness is a snapshot in time. At least the frequent anti-Conservative sentiment somewhat rings true today.<br />
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Dury's music is also something of an acquired taste. Praised for his wordplay, the clever rhymes are full of wry, biting humour that's politically incorrect. Musically, though, it's monotonous spoken word, kazoos and grating instrumentation.<br />
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Still, the cast's performance is commendable for maintaining Dury's spirit: his musical style, his challenging of perceptions. Stephen Lloyd leads the storytelling well as Vinnie, but its Gerard McDermott and Karen Spicer as Vinnie's parents who provide the emotional anchor, before we're swept into another stomping, anarchic musical number.<br />
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For all its plot flaws, <i>Reasons To Be Cheerful </i>is an inspiring watch that brings a diverse cast to the stage. Accessibility is Graeae's raison d'etre, and here we have cast members signing and subtitles both as on-stage projections and now video subtitles. It ensures that, no matter who you are, the unique energy of this show can be appreciated by all.<br />
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<i>Reasons To Be Cheerful </i>is <a href="https://graeae.org/">available online</a> from June 3rd - August 3rd.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCYgS4uI-4ijH4ixItq7iTBT7Df5yYgEMWJ0vWrQVA4WKKCLm6fFyFIqlKZAFUqv9RjAFyReIImFnnFn3XnpkSbYxT8xbJYw9dRjOAv0j0MviRyZOfdXbLpDXks7QUmDxgr2lLs68lgT_/s1600/Graeaes-Reasons-to-be-Cheerful-2017-4-web.-Photo-Patrick-Baldwin..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Reasons To Be Cheerful @ Theatre Royal Stratford" border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="720" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCYgS4uI-4ijH4ixItq7iTBT7Df5yYgEMWJ0vWrQVA4WKKCLm6fFyFIqlKZAFUqv9RjAFyReIImFnnFn3XnpkSbYxT8xbJYw9dRjOAv0j0MviRyZOfdXbLpDXks7QUmDxgr2lLs68lgT_/s400/Graeaes-Reasons-to-be-Cheerful-2017-4-web.-Photo-Patrick-Baldwin..jpg" title="Reasons To Be Cheerful @ Theatre Royal Stratford" width="400" /></a></div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-15053010622366490252020-03-10T17:47:00.000+00:002020-03-10T17:47:02.435+00:00&Juliet @ Shaftesbury Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgU4-odsaij4OjXUSG1AEiiLtBnJmSTTDN9ykpNEd-Vumwfb92l6H_OCCeZom4g2GgtjzXLR8wfW8J24_seApSMBhY4wQXovi9KesTbdqso6Y7mTb4-ac4l80Uqgx0S2VbxmWmN6xsBCm/s1600/and_juliet_title_1920x1080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="&Juliet @ Shaftesbury Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgU4-odsaij4OjXUSG1AEiiLtBnJmSTTDN9ykpNEd-Vumwfb92l6H_OCCeZom4g2GgtjzXLR8wfW8J24_seApSMBhY4wQXovi9KesTbdqso6Y7mTb4-ac4l80Uqgx0S2VbxmWmN6xsBCm/s400/and_juliet_title_1920x1080.jpg" title="&Juliet @ Shaftesbury Theatre" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you're going to do a jukebox musical, you might as well use the music of the godfather of pop. Sure, we've had ABBA, Queen, Carole King, Tina Turner and so many others. But now we have...Max Martin.<br />
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Ok, so that name may not mean much to everyone. But the artists he's worked with surely will, considering he helped launch the careers of some of the biggest names in pop: Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, and loads more. Forget ABBA, Martin is Sweden's most important musical export.<br />
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The result is a musical where every song is an outright banger. Every. Single. Song.<br />
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Its plot is a little weird. As the title suggests, it's based on Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet - if Juliet hadn't actually died and instead ran away from home with her queer best friend to party, fall in and out of love again and stand alone as a strong independent woman. It's like a teenage fever dream for girls, a distillation of modern pop music, three minutes of melodrama stretched into an entire show. Somehow, it kinda works.<br />
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There is a slight whiff of adults trying a little too hard to be cool, of not quite being an authentic teen story. Shakespeare himself (Oliver Tompsett) is on-stage with wife Anne Hathaway (Cassidy Janson) as they compete to rewrite the story on the fly. It adds another layer of gender politics to the show, but also of adults re-living their youth (as much of the audience will be).<br />
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It also ensures the show doesn't take itself too seriously. As with other jukebox musicals, the plot and songs are wrenched around one another lacking any semblance of subtlety, but <i>&Juliet </i>plays into this with excellent comic timing. "I think I did it again," sings Miriam-Teak Lee as Juliet, Britney's 'Oops I Did It Again' hilariously encapsulating her rollercoaster love life; later Kelly Clarkson's 'Since U Been Gone' is used to similar effect. A slowed down version of Ariana Grande's 'Problem' brings new emotion to the lyrics. And Katy Perry's 'Teenage Dream' is given a comedic overhaul when sung by two adults - Melanie La Barrie and David Bedella as Juliet's Nurse and her love interest Lance respectively.<br />
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At times, then, the plot and music merge ingeniously. At others, though, things misfire. That 'Problem' rendition is mashed-up with The Weeknd's 'I Can't Feel My Face' and is sonically messy, though its lyrical intention is clear. Some songs sung by male and female characters are in keys either too high or low for both performers. Most awkward is the show's LGBT subplot that sees best friend and non-binary character May (Arun Blair-Mangat) singing Britney's 'I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman' - it's simply too on the nose. Worse, the character is later revealed as essentially a long-running Justin Timberlake joke and Blair-Mangat struggles bringing the character to life.<br />
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Regardless of its flaws, though, <i>&Juliet </i>is an exuberant new musical with an outstanding central performance from Lee as Juliet. She embodies the youthful energy, sass, and strong vocals required to pull off Martin's music. As Anne Hathaway, Janson is surprisingly emotive, while Tompsett's vocals soar as the cocky Shakespeare. The design, too, is a vibrant mix of Shakespearean and modern style, while Jennifer Weber's choreography feels like a music video come to life.<br />
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Questions are raised as to the intended audience. Its plot, fuelled by female empowerment, is certainly aimed at teens but the music hits more of a nostalgic nerve for parents. Yet, as with Shakespeare, there's a universality to the show that subverts our expectations of love, gender and sexuality. It truly is a modern love story.<br />
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4/5<br />
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Watch: <i>&Juliet </i>runs at the Shaftesbury Theatre until October 2020.<br />
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ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-38363361637124428952020-03-07T11:53:00.000+00:002020-03-07T11:54:12.411+00:00CORPSE! @ The Park Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZIPAOc_UeAJDwCvyKQqM2vVmxQwrNlSATabVGFcozm8Ao8bxpdXRV-pKVLkaVTzjNcHPJ5-Cndp8pILDoVY9JfWmr1KhSPjeCsScKpbIPHmT9c0lzFGVktGcgxh0GDPi_v_oJ7tNI-SQ/s1600/Corpse+Thumb.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="CORPSE! @ The Park Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="920" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZIPAOc_UeAJDwCvyKQqM2vVmxQwrNlSATabVGFcozm8Ao8bxpdXRV-pKVLkaVTzjNcHPJ5-Cndp8pILDoVY9JfWmr1KhSPjeCsScKpbIPHmT9c0lzFGVktGcgxh0GDPi_v_oJ7tNI-SQ/s320/Corpse+Thumb.png" title="CORPSE! @ The Park Theatre" width="320" /></a></div>
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Gerald Moon's <i>CORPSE! </i>premiered back in 1983 in the states before coming to London in 1984. Over three decades later and it remains an entertaining farce that feels very much of its time.<br />
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The play is set on the eve of Edward VIII's abdication speech in 1936, though its plot is far removed. It sees actor Evelyn Farrant - an eccentric and flamboyant Tom York - plotting to kill his twin brother Rupert - also York, in more poised and sophisticated mode - with the help of bumbling drunk criminal Major Powell (Paul Kemp). What follows is a farcical whodunnit that takes double-crossing to the extreme with its twin brothers conceit - the characters are never quite sure who they're talking to, and neither are we.<br />
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There are barely concealed homoerotic undertones to it all. Evelyn epitomises the camp effeminate actor, all charm and faux refinement in his rundown bohemian flat - especially compared with his straight(laced) and rich twin. When he poses as his brother, Evelyn literally recedes into the closet. Perhaps it's all a metaphor for gay revenge, for gay men to take centre stage yet closeting themselves in the process.<br />
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More so it's a play about acting, written by an actor, for actors. Evelyn readily quotes Shakespeare - the plot is given away by its allusions to Hamlet - and the script is full of self-deprecating jokes about actors likely to have regular theatre-going audiences guffawing. The knowingness of it all, though, does eventually become tiresome.<br />
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This particular production is well realised, with a strong central performance from York that clearly delineates the two brothers. Director Clive Brill includes some clever recurrences and deftly handles York's amusing switches of characters to keep us on our toes. And while Beth Colley's staging initially seems cramped, it's soon revealed to be an ingenious revolve.<br />
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It all amounts to a silly but fun play that draws a thin line between old fashioned and nostalgic.<br />
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3/5<br />
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Watch: <i>CORPSE! </i>runs at the Park Theatre until 28th March.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThvMtckIsbx4wy7TWLO5P1geocCpDa9-uM1k3RlbUDOfPrTVVQxHKACx2Ry7pbDRdCHG_mkIuXrr4ZGNRVlLbd-SsoBOyIg4MgHKIV7BcIJYO5wM4C1mT__bN_3f2U28UqgeYrhuVfH5u/s1600/TOM+YORK+as+EVELYN+FARRANT+7.+CORPSE%2521+Park+Theatre.+Credit+-+Anna+Urik..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="CORPSE! @ The Park Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThvMtckIsbx4wy7TWLO5P1geocCpDa9-uM1k3RlbUDOfPrTVVQxHKACx2Ry7pbDRdCHG_mkIuXrr4ZGNRVlLbd-SsoBOyIg4MgHKIV7BcIJYO5wM4C1mT__bN_3f2U28UqgeYrhuVfH5u/s320/TOM+YORK+as+EVELYN+FARRANT+7.+CORPSE%2521+Park+Theatre.+Credit+-+Anna+Urik..jpg" title="CORPSE! @ The Park Theatre" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSfZ-kjq6GTXsOh5AQku58jEY5C6ZoGuhWkbLgw20xfQzdcRX-NDubowGdynlOfUaDlvAr-t7wRtJfjmMD8cmXOpF_jFyJtF3Aqxv9eWd0E2pbM52rvMGwQpDdh985BD2T2dupDdDF4W5/s1600/TOM+YORK+as+EVELYN+FARRANT+and+PAUL+KEMP+as+MAJOR+POWELL+2.+CORPSE%2521+Park+Theatre.+Credit+-+Anna+Urik..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="CORPSE! @ The Park Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSfZ-kjq6GTXsOh5AQku58jEY5C6ZoGuhWkbLgw20xfQzdcRX-NDubowGdynlOfUaDlvAr-t7wRtJfjmMD8cmXOpF_jFyJtF3Aqxv9eWd0E2pbM52rvMGwQpDdh985BD2T2dupDdDF4W5/s320/TOM+YORK+as+EVELYN+FARRANT+and+PAUL+KEMP+as+MAJOR+POWELL+2.+CORPSE%2521+Park+Theatre.+Credit+-+Anna+Urik..jpg" title="CORPSE! @ The Park Theatre" width="320" /></a></div>
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Photos: Anna Urik</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-28105624938981210732020-03-02T13:45:00.000+00:002020-03-02T13:45:51.971+00:00This Queer House @ The Vaults<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0RHoN9Qze9qhQeMZtVG0QJ1TRMti3zxoUtesy9sm0J6wjyYKlhmGKMeC01JsQphKbvUDcPG3qRRppsjgOao8ugwzS8rhAx6ZoJblUp2Ycvfw_K3f8j_WL3IvFA5DhQ7VtkT2oMPPAbmY/s1600/049A9729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="This Queer House @ The Vaults" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0RHoN9Qze9qhQeMZtVG0QJ1TRMti3zxoUtesy9sm0J6wjyYKlhmGKMeC01JsQphKbvUDcPG3qRRppsjgOao8ugwzS8rhAx6ZoJblUp2Ycvfw_K3f8j_WL3IvFA5DhQ7VtkT2oMPPAbmY/s320/049A9729.jpg" title="This Queer House @ The Vaults" width="320" /></a></div>
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There are some great ideas in <i>This Queer House, </i>from the OPIA Collective. As the title suggests, it's about a queer couple navigating the heteronormativity of domestic life - they inherit a new home but the pressures of family tear them apart. It begins in a sort of sitcom style, with amusing lines, canned laughter and short snappy scenes, with knowing self-referential humour. This couple are subversive and break the mould, but they also argue like any other couple and must integrate into their community no matter what their sexuality or gender.<br />
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A third character is thrown into the mix too, the actress playing a number of roles including a hyper-masculine builder, a robotic Stepford wife, and even a talking dog. The aim is to personify the heteronormativity the queer couple face, a foil to their paranoia.<br />
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Then things get weird. A mid-play interlude takes us to a sort of fantastical dreamworld of a pair of children meeting a witch and it all takes a turn towards the symbolic, the bizarre, the absurd. The couple are haunted by ghosts of the past, but it all gets too surreal, frantic and shouty.<br />
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There are simply too many ideas at play here: the fear of living with a partner; the varying levels of normality and queerness; mourning the loss of the past when a trans person transitions. All of these are worthy of focus, but <i>This Queer House </i>is in need of script editing to really give clarity to its clever ideas. Instead, with its denial of heteronormativity, the play is so concerned with what it's not, it forgets what it is.<br />
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2/5<br />
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Watch: <i>This Queer House </i>ran at the Vault Festival from 27th Feb - 1st March.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgpItGpPe-v-I1wEZ4IjWGDJZsa9bVIUBPeMa-tkWgJzCxC4IUpWJitwSUyzdzLaKV55lti69TvOvWvp-FTZRQ2DPfUUeJ_BYLofuX5eXjgR8FkZaVV_bFw_pOamtequVQ67x9qqXs_i0/s1600/049A9750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="This Queer House @ The Vaults" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgpItGpPe-v-I1wEZ4IjWGDJZsa9bVIUBPeMa-tkWgJzCxC4IUpWJitwSUyzdzLaKV55lti69TvOvWvp-FTZRQ2DPfUUeJ_BYLofuX5eXjgR8FkZaVV_bFw_pOamtequVQ67x9qqXs_i0/s320/049A9750.jpg" title="This Queer House @ The Vaults" width="213" /></a></div>
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Photo: Tara Rooney</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-88002181780647330292020-02-27T23:24:00.000+00:002020-02-27T23:24:49.706+00:00The Prince Of Egypt @ The Dominion Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMnnuJeoSWtZyouVau3k4v_JQnR9Zc3ivqUY1WWGuoCedbN76fj7XjmUAVaFcRCLHOZKbU740Wxi_nYhqgpJPmIXatwLMxLO9q9crizZv5m9uSfnroXnwu1BVCj6utaZs0hmw2rn2aW6U/s1600/princeofegyptwestend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Prince Of Egypt @ The Dominion Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="620" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMnnuJeoSWtZyouVau3k4v_JQnR9Zc3ivqUY1WWGuoCedbN76fj7XjmUAVaFcRCLHOZKbU740Wxi_nYhqgpJPmIXatwLMxLO9q9crizZv5m9uSfnroXnwu1BVCj6utaZs0hmw2rn2aW6U/s400/princeofegyptwestend.jpg" title="The Prince Of Egypt @ The Dominion Theatre" width="400" /></a></div>
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The sets are lavish; the costumes sumptuous; there's fire and projections and special effects. <i>The Prince Of Egypt </i>is a spectacle of magical theatrics. But what's happening underneath it all?<br />
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Based on the 1998 Dreamworks animated film of the same name (mainly remembered for its Mariah and Whitney duet), it's not just the story of Moses saving the Hebrews from the Egyptians but of two brothers in conflict and the tension between family and duty. Luke Brady and Liam Tamne are strong leading men as the proudly responsible Moses and spoilt Ramses, but they cannot escape the cartoon characterisation of the film. Neither can Christine Allado as stroppy love interest Tzipporah.<br />
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<i>The Lion King </i>set the bar for animated theatrical adaptations over two decades ago, a bar that is yet to be matched. <i>The Prince Of Egypt </i>is remarkably similar: an outcast member of the royal family who must return to his people to make amends, complete with a spirit guide to show the way (here voiced by the people rather than a lion). There's a healthy dash of <i>Wicked </i>too and not only for Stephen Schwartz's score - Moses' story is a similar triumph of the outsider.<br />
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Speaking of the score, it mostly follows that from the film with some new additions. There's plenty of typical Egyptian flair and Jewish melodic writing to provide character, where memorable tunes are missing. Up-tempo dance numbers are when the show is at its best, but as soon as emotions rise to the surface, it all descends into gushing melodies and slushy Hollywood romance that loses what makes the music distinctive.<br />
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Director Scott Schwartz's aim was to bring humanity to the story. That's been taken literally by choreographer Sean Cheesman. The ensemble are used to great effect, morphing into chariots, undulating rivers, and shifting sands. It lends the production a balletic quality with some beautiful stagecraft, matched by shimmering lighting and effects. It's surely a visual feast.<br />
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Yet the first half is leaden with exposition that lasts far too long, while the second half races through plagues and drama alike in a swift montage. There's a glimpse of real emotion eventually with a string of ballads that has Moses questioning his faith, the mourning of tragic deaths, and the predictable climax of 'When You Believe' that Allado and Alexia Khadime assuredly nail. Finally this Prince of Egypt tugs at the heartstrings and both Schwartzs are given a chance to stretch their musical muscles outside of the film's confines.<br />
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Until then it feels a little soulless, its focus on visual spectacle more than the real emotion the narrative deserves. As blockbuster theatre with brilliant performances of somewhat shallow material though, it's surely a success.<br />
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3/5<br />
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Watch: <i>The Prince Of Egypt </i>runs at the Dominion Theatre until October 2020.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszWgI43_nck326ezikGTXgQEdloOYlvsoCR9wE6ox5NNLqCuoXZcu-nFFmstQSqLnDMOQ-jaiT3BW7h6k0AklfO2VSzIXznHa1v9QTCW_WaVgvU0TB6Em7emM7w6WYVwg4MaKTrAlQ1JN/s1600/Luke+Brady+as+Moses+in+The+Prince+of+Egypt%252C+credit+Tristram+Kenton+%25C2%25A9DWA+LLC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Prince Of Egypt @ The Dominion Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1225" data-original-width="1600" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszWgI43_nck326ezikGTXgQEdloOYlvsoCR9wE6ox5NNLqCuoXZcu-nFFmstQSqLnDMOQ-jaiT3BW7h6k0AklfO2VSzIXznHa1v9QTCW_WaVgvU0TB6Em7emM7w6WYVwg4MaKTrAlQ1JN/s400/Luke+Brady+as+Moses+in+The+Prince+of+Egypt%252C+credit+Tristram+Kenton+%25C2%25A9DWA+LLC.jpg" title="The Prince Of Egypt @ The Dominion Theatre" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCywbErlvleTxI6JBU0RqvtE2Lhb95PsE7ruX1iz9LmVWN6ddRqmarHF7Y8ibR03ns7g54OooP8yI5m2BJsRULtYVEv73dVfL8ad32sd_fMxnAa7jyULlweU3krbisSNV3ALf_i5CtmlTh/s1600/The+Prince+Of+Egypt%252C+credit+Tristram+Kenton+%25C2%25A9DWA+LLC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Prince Of Egypt @ The Dominion Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCywbErlvleTxI6JBU0RqvtE2Lhb95PsE7ruX1iz9LmVWN6ddRqmarHF7Y8ibR03ns7g54OooP8yI5m2BJsRULtYVEv73dVfL8ad32sd_fMxnAa7jyULlweU3krbisSNV3ALf_i5CtmlTh/s400/The+Prince+Of+Egypt%252C+credit+Tristram+Kenton+%25C2%25A9DWA+LLC.jpg" title="The Prince Of Egypt @ The Dominion Theatre" width="400" /></a></div>
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Photos: Tristram Kenton</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-31343261445187707752020-02-26T14:07:00.001+00:002020-02-26T14:07:37.355+00:00Killing It @ The Vaults<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODsUl-Rbqt6r-Jpujko4uSGto5TLTL3hYoCUBfGyPWpONwN5lVsWlHyl2PHwsKnqr2fWno59FO-HUxrepJGZphyphenhyphenJ5aXh1h8sMdrKCZdfd1FwP-MlzCyFRc8pg2V8JRqwRrhpnOXmjb9RS/s1600/Killing+It+website+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Killing It @ The Vaults" border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="547" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODsUl-Rbqt6r-Jpujko4uSGto5TLTL3hYoCUBfGyPWpONwN5lVsWlHyl2PHwsKnqr2fWno59FO-HUxrepJGZphyphenhyphenJ5aXh1h8sMdrKCZdfd1FwP-MlzCyFRc8pg2V8JRqwRrhpnOXmjb9RS/s320/Killing+It+website+pic.jpg" title="Killing It @ The Vaults" width="273" /></a></div>
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There's a mystery at the heart of <i>Killing It</i> - written by Josephine Starte - that remains unsolved by the play's end. That may seem frustrating, but it puts the audience right in the position of its three characters mourning the loss of a young man lost at sea. It's their desire for closure that propels the drama as they deal with their grief; the intimacy and tension in Starte's script is palpable.<br />
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It doesn't quite begin that way though. Following three interlinking stories - the man's girlfriend, mother and grandmother - it feels fragmented, reflecting their now fragmented lives. Characters interrupt one another, nothing quite flows. Death haunts these characters, but initially no one seems overly upset about it.<br />
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There's plenty of macabre humour here, mainly centered on girlfriend Molly (also played by Starte). Her method of coping is to create a stand-up show based on her feelings. Here Starte's writing shines with raw and relatable comedy and an almost <i>Fleabag</i>-esque delivery - it's this plotline that ties the piece together and makes you wish to watch a full set of stand-up. The other fragments feel underdeveloped by comparison.<br />
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Yet slowly <i>Killing It </i>creeps up on you, like the subtle drips and sloshes in Julian Starr's sound design. All the props are situated in water-filled containers around the stage: water, here symbolic of death, soaks everything, droplets of memory splashing on to the stage. The real triumph of the piece is its relationships between three women of different generations - the relationship between Molly and grandmother Margot (Janet Henfrey) is amusingly quirky yet surprisingly tender in the end.<br />
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That goes for <i>Killing It </i>as a whole. What begins as an offbeat dark comedy catches you by surprise with its heartfelt conclusion.<br />
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3/5<br />
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Watch: <i>Killing It </i>is performed at <a href="https://vaultfestival.com/whats-on/killing-it/">The Vaults Festival</a> on 25th and 26th February.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDh47gTdMMg2_Gd_YEG6QS3DfamqC0577Azeapu0UNoMBa5hDkU75RARD1-2p5_rC8WziKDS27sZ7S8CUoW9Z_zSlwAra4cO8sW0BbLGkOcq50dt1bS0RTeUKJBlFMPRWi2eq_4ROpLYz/s1600/P1110903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Killing It @ The Vaults" border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDh47gTdMMg2_Gd_YEG6QS3DfamqC0577Azeapu0UNoMBa5hDkU75RARD1-2p5_rC8WziKDS27sZ7S8CUoW9Z_zSlwAra4cO8sW0BbLGkOcq50dt1bS0RTeUKJBlFMPRWi2eq_4ROpLYz/s320/P1110903.jpg" title="Killing It @ The Vaults" width="320" /></a></div>
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Photo: Toby Parker Rees</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-8444991819408077932020-02-10T23:11:00.000+00:002020-02-10T23:11:34.613+00:00Carly Rae Jepsen @ Brixton Academy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoP8OBTs34aiWVtKcNXevhOSy2G5sRytB4fMu8_dxDN1g3fpcZXYpiJ9DyCQa0iBzZ3NQSZewMKEb9BDDPlKLxJLbCwQj-3O6SEE7ywdVD5vsVyP3rgPHdnq3HE15pHXHAa4M2YTvwgAq6/s1600/carly-rae-jepsen-brixton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Carly Rae Jepsen @ Brixton Academy" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoP8OBTs34aiWVtKcNXevhOSy2G5sRytB4fMu8_dxDN1g3fpcZXYpiJ9DyCQa0iBzZ3NQSZewMKEb9BDDPlKLxJLbCwQj-3O6SEE7ywdVD5vsVyP3rgPHdnq3HE15pHXHAa4M2YTvwgAq6/s400/carly-rae-jepsen-brixton.jpg" title="Carly Rae Jepsen @ Brixton Academy" width="400" /></a></div>
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Squeaky, bubblegum pop. A tiny popstar with an unremarkable voice. Hordes of gay fans.<br />
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No, it's not a Kylie Minogue gig. It's Carly Rae Jepsen, the gay man's current popstar of choice. <i>Call Me Maybe </i>may have been a worldwide hit, but Jepsen has since remained something of a cult favourite, delivering underrated pop albums and becoming the queen of memes.<br />
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At a live gig, though, you'd be forgiven for thinking she's the biggest star on the planet, such is the devotion of her fans. Every song is known by the mere intro, every lyric chanted back, every moment met with a scream.<br />
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It's Jepsen's ordinariness that makes her so appealing. Hers are frothy songs about love and relationships, never too deep, just on the right side of emotional, her simple lyrics easy to relate to. Each is anchored to an undeniable hook, ensuring they're all memorable. There's no weak link; every song is a banger.<br />
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Perhaps that's best demonstrated by the cutesy <i>I Really Like You</i> and its repeated chorus lyric that bubbles with the excitement of lust. Or the fizzy rush of love in <i>Run Away With Me. </i>Or sex jam <i>Want You In My Room</i>. Or cheeky breakup anthem <i>Store</i>. Every stage of a relationship is covered.<br />
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Regardless of your favourite, Jepsen never takes herself too seriously in her songs. And that tongue in cheek tone translates to her onstage persona as she bounds across the stage full of zeal. Her joy is as infectious as her melodies.<br />
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The setlist is some 24 songs long, racing through each three minute track in a relentless, vibrant confection, rarely pausing for breath. There's little chat or banter, no set dressing, no extravagance. It's just earworm after earworm after earworm...<br />
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And it's the music we're here for, Jepsen merely a conduit of its power. You could argue it's all lowest common denominator pop, as frivolous as it is flirty fun, relatable to the point of being basic. Yet, like the best pop, it's pure escapism, its energy lifting the heart and soul.<br />
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Case in point: <i>Cut To The Feeling </i>comes on, the confetti cannons burst and for three joyous minutes everything is right with the world.<br />
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4/5<br />
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ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-71963598901531789062020-01-31T16:17:00.001+00:002020-01-31T16:17:52.552+00:00Persona @ Riverside Studios<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpY6MOyCCaD-27BrduRdb-rlzZT-fP12b4ZvNFPj1jwjHVugUs-YSk7GqmDIybhMD5rcFCoJ5M_TqomEMjWDol16EVGJ8fGpcEQEIuQ-FRZBYJxwNrzC5KTYSQ0qDVaw3A5Gr3RAf7S-PI/s1600/Persona_Web_1920x1080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Persona, Riverside Studios" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpY6MOyCCaD-27BrduRdb-rlzZT-fP12b4ZvNFPj1jwjHVugUs-YSk7GqmDIybhMD5rcFCoJ5M_TqomEMjWDol16EVGJ8fGpcEQEIuQ-FRZBYJxwNrzC5KTYSQ0qDVaw3A5Gr3RAf7S-PI/s400/Persona_Web_1920x1080.jpg" title="Persona, Riverside Studios" width="400" /></a></div>
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This theatrical adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's <i>Persona </i>opens the newly refurbished Riverside Studios in West London. Where the theatre is snazzy and futuristic, this opening is decidedly arthouse.<br />
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Bergman's 1966 film is a psychological drama, his style the epitome of art cinema. He aimed to make a poem in images with his tale of two women - a nurse and her patient - who move to a remote part of Sweden and explore their identities. It doesn't quite translate to the stage, however.<br />
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The play, adapted by Paul Schoolman (who also plays the narrator), certainly has a pensive, mournful mood. Yet the various dialogues don't quite hang together into a cohesive narrative, instead becoming separate disparate conversations. The inclusion of the narrator character doesn't manage to bring structure, so the story feels more obtuse than poetic.<br />
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Where film brings poetry through imagery and editing, on stage <i>Persona </i>falls flat. The use of a large screen does provide moments of beauty though, and in the role of nurse Alma, Alice Krige is a captivating presence. Still, the actors are too quiet and the action too distant for us to feel the required intimacy of the piece.<br />
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What, initially, elevates the piece is the use of the Earth Harp, played by William Close. This novel instrument is installed on the stage with long strings that cascade over the audience like threads. Close pulls on the strings, rather than plucking, for a sound almost akin to an organ; it adds plenty of eerie drama to the stage. Yet with only a small number of strings the instrument has a limited melodic range, so the accompaniment soon becomes repetitive.<br />
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At times impenetrable, at others confusing, <i>Persona </i>is a bewilderingly abstract production that ultimately rings hollow.<br />
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2/5<br />
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Watch: <i>Persona </i>runs at the Riverside Studios until 23rd February.<br />
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Photo: Pamela Raith</div>
<br />ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-8288783047241497512020-01-15T23:46:00.000+00:002020-01-15T23:46:14.696+00:00RAGS: The Musical @ The Park Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzkallpE0AQy1lBUaVOrPTrBawoDfZmsgiktRLRdVv3-vTxKIdJYMKII1K3qnorZr_rXTsA8F5wLww025m7ZcII55deyrG0Nsn9fArAqdYn3f108QyFTs8i_4ZWlT4wrgd2kxWb9XDdYW/s1600/Rags-Digital-460x375px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="RAGS: The Musical" border="0" data-original-height="781" data-original-width="958" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzkallpE0AQy1lBUaVOrPTrBawoDfZmsgiktRLRdVv3-vTxKIdJYMKII1K3qnorZr_rXTsA8F5wLww025m7ZcII55deyrG0Nsn9fArAqdYn3f108QyFTs8i_4ZWlT4wrgd2kxWb9XDdYW/s320/Rags-Digital-460x375px.jpg" title="RAGS: The Musical" width="320" /></a></div>
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When <i>RAGS </i>first opened on Broadway in 1986, with book from Joseph Stein, score from Charles Strouse, and lyrics from Stephen Schwartz, it ran for just four performances - yet still managed to receive a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical. Since then it's been revised numerous times, but didn't reach the UK until 2019 in a new version from David Thompson produced at Manchester's Hope Mill Theatre.<br />
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It's this version that's arrived at London's Park Theatre with a fresh cast, marking the musical's debut in the capital, once again directed by Bronagh Lagan in an accomplished production.<br />
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<i>RAGS </i>follows in the footsteps of <i>Fiddler On The Roof</i> with its focus on Jewish characters, here Russian immigrant Rebecca who arrives in New York City at the turn of the century with her son David. Together they struggle to assimilate into American culture and face prejudice outside their immediate Jewish community.<br />
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The immigration theme is a pertinent one to present day America, but more so the musical is an interrogation of the American Dream - exposing the xenophobia lurking behind a melting pot of cultures celebrated for their similarities and differences. In Adam Crossley and Matthew Gent's gaily dressed parading Americans we witness America in all its false glamour, in contrast to the heartwarming immigrant family at the narrative's core.<br />
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For a musical with such a downbeat subject, it is surprisingly humorous. There are cute romantic subplots and the cast are characterised by bumbling older men and pushy know-it-all women who are all lovably argumentative. It does, however, lend the musical a sheen of romance - beyond some shock moments, prejudice is largely kept in the background.<br />
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Strouse's score, likewise, struggles to assimilate. It combines elements of Yiddish traditions, jazz, ragtime and modern musicals, sometimes lurching between styles. The clash of cultures makes sense and there are some standout moments, but it doesn't quite coalesce. Including musicians on-stage, though, adds a welcome touch of colour and intimacy.<br />
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Gregor Donnelly's design uses suitcases to great effect, despite being a slightly trite representation of the characters' journey. And while the second half pulls emotional punches, it does err on schmaltzy melodrama. For all its hidden menace and serious themes, <i>RAGS</i> still relies on musical traditions and predictable love stories for tension.<br />
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What raises this production, though, is the quality of the cast. Performances throughout are polished, with exceptional singing and musicianship. From the bustling, sometimes dizzying, ensemble emerges Carolyn Maitland who leads the cast as the strong and determined Rebecca with warmth and a subtle soprano. Her rendition of 'Children of the Wind' at the climactic end ensures this production soars.<br />
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3/5<br />
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Watch: <i>RAGS: The Musical </i>runs at the Park Theatre until 8th February.<br />
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Photos: Pamela Raith</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-84724889059000608982019-12-22T12:10:00.001+00:002019-12-22T12:10:51.431+00:00Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMKn8DhvRs_f1j1dZtbs1owO62RUq8sGzhQkBMI0ccx5zpL21mOATtBd15QHD_hkx-PI6orO4BkdaMe8nE36c8LbFkD_6BmGqW7dnZLDX3jLrwIizlNcTnm1_0U-ZGzdfdwzpg4CWsdv5/s1600/rise+of+skywalker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rise of Skywalker" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1081" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMKn8DhvRs_f1j1dZtbs1owO62RUq8sGzhQkBMI0ccx5zpL21mOATtBd15QHD_hkx-PI6orO4BkdaMe8nE36c8LbFkD_6BmGqW7dnZLDX3jLrwIizlNcTnm1_0U-ZGzdfdwzpg4CWsdv5/s320/rise+of+skywalker.jpg" title="Rise of Skywalker" width="216" /></a></div>
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No matter what you think of the trilogy sequels, <i>Star Wars </i>still sends tingles down the spine. We prepare to travel to a galaxy "far far away", John Williams' iconic score blasts out the speakers, and that yellow scroll introduces us to another fantastical adventure. That's as true with <i>The Rise of Skywalker </i>as with any other film in the franchise.<br />
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In many ways, director J.J Abrams returns to right the wrongs of Rian Johnson's <i>The Last Jedi</i>. Where that film was a mess of multiple story threads and tonal inconsistencies, <i>The Rise of Skywalker </i>sees the series back in safe(r) hands. This is a more confident, consistent and focused movie than its predecessor. Yet in righting its wrongs, it also wrongs some of its rights.<br />
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Continuing the saga of Rey and Kylo Ren, the plot brings together its three key heroes in a grand fight of good vs evil. Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac) join forces against an evil power, fulfilling destiny, and bringing this trilogy to a close. It's a tight and focused storyline that rounds out into a satisfying conclusion.<br />
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And yet...the entire film hinges on a plot point as sudden, outlandish and unsubtle as a Star Destroying warping in overhead. It's not set up by the previous films, instead introduced in the opening scroll, immediately linking it strongly with the legacy of the past.<br />
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That goes for the film as a whole. If <i>The Last Jedi</i> was a film that sought to let go of the past and look to the future (while failing itself to actually do so), <i>The Rise of Skywalker </i>is an about-turn. Like the trilogy overall, it relies too heavily on cheap nostalgia to drive the narrative. Older characters pop up out of nowhere. The story is reliant on coincidence and chance. There are multiple wearisome callbacks to the previous films. A later twist, meant to shock, is merely groan-inducing. It all whiffs of unnecessary fan service.<br />
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And while <i>The Last Jedi </i>(for all its flaws) set up intriguing ideas about its central pair of characters, their family, the history of the Jedi and the Force, in focusing this film Abrams' work lacks a clear identity. As a whole it satisfies, but its revolutionary ending doesn't feel earned.<br />
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That said, this <i>Star Wars </i>does what a <i>Star Wars </i>should do: deliver a swashbuckling space fantasy of good triumphing over evil, unlikely friendships forming, and a plethora of bizarre worlds and creatures. There's less childish, slapstick humour than its predecessor, instead relying on jokey one-liners more in keeping with the original trilogy. Its effects are astonishing, its battles memorable, its characters mostly endearing. In short, it's a thrill ride undermined by links to the past.<br />
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Just as the previous two trilogies were really the story of Anakin Skywalker more than Luke, this third trilogy is Kylo Ren's story more than anything, with Adam Driver emerging as its star. In the fight between good and evil, Ren is the only character to truly embody both - the most human, flawed and interesting of them all.<br />
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<i>The Rise of Skywalker </i>might be a decent and fitting - if not great - finale to the trilogy, but with Disney at the helm the end of the franchise remains far far away. If the various spin-off films and TV shows have taught us one thing, though, it's that <i>Star Wars </i>doesn't need a Skywalker to be <i>Star Wars</i>. It's time for the rise of something new.<br />
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3/5<br />
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Watch: <i>Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker </i>is out now.<br />
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ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-63807610680547280232019-12-15T18:53:00.001+00:002019-12-15T18:53:38.232+00:00One Under @ The Arcola Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYi5GrKXYhuZSVwGE8gHJhdIp5Kkaml8LOU3yPIYldcQg9nucPR_zDnsNF-aL6-X8iA-Hqbyt-YxaJWKkylK3EXg6M5C3sFNByFK2VTl1N0JFj3aUhHUCiIm0GlcNAwUFKSgdRHOFa5Bw2/s1600/one-under-arcola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="One Under @ The Arcola Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="1024" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYi5GrKXYhuZSVwGE8gHJhdIp5Kkaml8LOU3yPIYldcQg9nucPR_zDnsNF-aL6-X8iA-Hqbyt-YxaJWKkylK3EXg6M5C3sFNByFK2VTl1N0JFj3aUhHUCiIm0GlcNAwUFKSgdRHOFa5Bw2/s320/one-under-arcola.jpg" title="One Under @ The Arcola Theatre" width="320" /></a></div>
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Playwright Winsome Pinnock has revised her 2005 play <i>One Under </i>for this new production at the Arcola Theatre, in conjunction with Leicester Curve Theatre, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Graeae.<br />
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Despite its varying collaborators, <i>One Under </i>feels like a particularly London-focused narrative. A quiet, intimate portrait of grief, it depicts the before and aftermath of a suicide when a young black man jumps in front of a tube train. Its driver, Cyrus (Stanley J. Browne), is wrought with guilt and seeks information on Sonny (Reece Pantry), the man he killed, leading him to his family and a woman Sonny dated the night he died.<br />
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Graeae are known for their support of disabled and deaf people in theatre. Here, the set includes tube announcement boards that cleverly double as captioning screens, and the play's emphasis on mental health is a vital look at invisible disabilities in young men.<br />
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It is, however, a slow mystery. The play's structure jumps between past and present, piecing together the plot points of Sonny's final hours. It highlights key people in his life - his adopted mother Nella (Shenagh Govan), sister Zoe (Evlyne Oyedokun), and laundrette worker Christine (Clare-Louise English) - and the impact his death has had on their lives and regrets. Pantry, in particular, portrays an unpredictable young man who, by the end, we still never really get to know.<br />
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The play's opening, tragic event sets up a dramatic psychological thriller that never quite comes to fruition. Instead, it's a slow-burn exploration of grief with some poignant scenes from its cast, but a reliance on coincidence for its drama and a lack of focus in its meandering character-driven plot.<br />
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Amelia Jane Hankin's set design subtly mimics the Underground, but with few changes (nor with lighting) we're lulled rather than gripped by the story. The cast, though, offer some captivating performances, notably Govan and Oyedokun as adoptive mother and daughter whose relationship is sadly wrenched apart.<br />
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3/5<br />
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Watch: <i>One Under </i>runs at the <a href="https://www.arcolatheatre.com/whats-on/one-under/">Arcola Theatre</a> until 21st December.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijFGNUwgngD1Q4towROTtLM8YY-SY7xPhh-7cgWJlv-JsNx4iJ9gpjVHJk9WvDpQgBe52gXbg-8ZoDrLYja1FTJ-GaqojooLOyeIIUSp8DV5ytIXuMuuo2aP_Gd-QqLcHaI6BtMmlF0lB/s1600/Stanley+J+Browne+%2526+Reece+Pantry%252C+One+Under%252C+photo+Patrick+Baldwin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="One Under @ The Arcola Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijFGNUwgngD1Q4towROTtLM8YY-SY7xPhh-7cgWJlv-JsNx4iJ9gpjVHJk9WvDpQgBe52gXbg-8ZoDrLYja1FTJ-GaqojooLOyeIIUSp8DV5ytIXuMuuo2aP_Gd-QqLcHaI6BtMmlF0lB/s320/Stanley+J+Browne+%2526+Reece+Pantry%252C+One+Under%252C+photo+Patrick+Baldwin.jpg" title="One Under @ The Arcola Theatre" width="320" /></a></div>
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Photos: Patrick Baldwin</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-38518827884676898602019-11-20T21:18:00.000+00:002019-11-20T21:19:14.559+00:00Björk - Cornucopia @ O2 London<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MNz_3KiLITTfEvT0CJEBiKddFzu2Jx23hilQlk3-qxwDjEAKAwg5KFD5kmFOyc6sFzygUgppZuZNTrDe-loOP-fj8SxBbb0rpcV8ohcKoyoGVTATZYzpevmJ62vn5kNcM24Uya2X5Gji/s1600/bjork-cornucopia-may-dates-shed-nyc.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Björk - Cornucopia Live @ O2 London" border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="1000" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MNz_3KiLITTfEvT0CJEBiKddFzu2Jx23hilQlk3-qxwDjEAKAwg5KFD5kmFOyc6sFzygUgppZuZNTrDe-loOP-fj8SxBbb0rpcV8ohcKoyoGVTATZYzpevmJ62vn5kNcM24Uya2X5Gji/s400/bjork-cornucopia-may-dates-shed-nyc.png" title="Björk - Cornucopia Live @ O2 London" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Björk takes us to another planet.<br />
<br />
It is beautiful and terrifying. It is filled with creatures and mutations, darkness and luminescence, all feathers, tentacles and limbs morphing and merging like bubbling lava. A curtain of shimmering projections curls around the stage.<br />
<br />
Björk is at the centre of it all. She is our mythological guide, singing in spiritual, hushed whispers. She is Mother Earth, crying out in agony, in a guttural, yearning song. She is the planet itself, petals and growths and tendrils. She is a god.<br />
<br />
Around her is a futuristic rural idyll. A collection of nymphs play flutes while dancing balletically around the stage. A young choir release a wash of polyphonous textures and harmonies before jumping and raving wildly. It's like the Rite of Spring for a sci-fi age. Delicate melodies and birdsong are countered with deep percussion that bellows from the depths of the earth and shudders around us.<br />
<br />
It is an otherworldly, out of body and out of mind experience. A hallucination. It's the familiar sound of harps and flutes, with a technical undercurrent that distorts. Above it, Björk sings poetry in broken melodies.<br />
<br />
Though older songs are included - often in beautiful new arrangements to match the sound of the latest album - we hear songs for a new world. Songs of love, songs loaded with politics, songs that empower us, songs that urge us to do better. These are songs for a world we need to create, a world we need to protect, performed with space and urgency. She is apocalyptic, but she is also rebirth.<br />
<br />
Björk takes us to utopia.<br />
<br />
Take me back.<br />
<br />
5/5<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tIWhpI_unCo" width="560"></iframe></div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-82270806335529407812019-11-16T12:46:00.000+00:002019-11-16T12:46:13.181+00:00Touching The Void @ Duke Of York's Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxwGqbbuWZBwa7kFD_nzTvUjtNpxkkZi8kprBxd4Xg7ZrbGqCE86BBgZfj8ASXlMwV4vKTZ9bv96oBNbQRDcxi2ytDwM9kVLbnzhMVP66Xh1oWe74YNBY4VjA9t9wzNOe4Ui9kfYVyEBS1/s1600/Touching-The-Void-Press-Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Touching The Void @ Duke Of York's Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1129" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxwGqbbuWZBwa7kFD_nzTvUjtNpxkkZi8kprBxd4Xg7ZrbGqCE86BBgZfj8ASXlMwV4vKTZ9bv96oBNbQRDcxi2ytDwM9kVLbnzhMVP66Xh1oWe74YNBY4VjA9t9wzNOe4Ui9kfYVyEBS1/s400/Touching-The-Void-Press-Image.jpg" title="Touching The Void @ Duke Of York's Theatre" width="281" /></a></div>
<br />
How do you put a mountain on the stage? It's a colossal task and an integral part of this adaptation of Joe Simpson's 1988 book (also a documentary film, 2003). The answer is to put the mountain in your mind.<br />
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Chairs, tables and other pub paraphernalia are strewn across the stage. The proscenium arch becomes a climbing wall. Snow blows in from the side of the stage. An abstract scaffold quivers ominously above the actors, jagged and harsh. The sound design (Jon Nicholls) is all howls and pulses. And then the perspective suddenly shifts as chairs and actors alike are swept back into the void of the stage. It's your imagination that puts the pieces together, the mountain forming like a terrifying, sublime jigsaw.<br />
<br />
So why the pub stuff? Well it's not just the mountain that's in our minds. The entire narrative takes place within the mind of Joe (Josh Williams), a climber who ventures up the never-before-done Siula Grande mountain in the Andes with his fellow mountaineer Simon (Angus Yellowlees). When Joe breaks his leg during the descent and is left dangling, Simon makes the dire decision to cut the rope.<br />
<br />
In his catatonic, delirious state, Joe's mind takes him back to his favourite pub where he and Simon are joined by their camp mate Richard (Patrick McNamee) and his sister Sarah (Fiona Hampton). So the play takes place both on the mountainside and the imaginary safety of the Clachaig Inn. It's a clever way for adapter David Greig to present this story on stage, a story that pivots between beautiful and ugly: from imaginary vistas and powerful landscapes, to inconceivable pain both emotional and physical.<br />
<br />
Even for anyone already familiar with the plot, the narrative gradually ramps up to high intensity, drawing us in towards its climactic choice that has us questioning what we would do in such a situation. The second half is an incredible story of human endurance and willpower, harrowing, visceral and life-affirming.<br />
<br />
There's warmth too amongst all the ice. Williams gives a superb physical performance as Joe, full of anguish, but as Sarah, Hampton embodies big sister energy as she taunts and motivates him on his daring descent. She is our emotional anchor too as we relive the journey through her eyes. As Richard, McNamee provides some welcome comic relief, and a beautiful singing voice.<br />
<br />
<i>Touching The Void </i>is an extraordinary real life story, and an extraordinary piece of theatre.<br />
<br />
5/5<br />
<br />
Watch: <i>Touching The Void </i>runs at the <a href="https://touchingthevoidplay.com/">Duke of York's Theatre</a> until 29th February.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SxUOB8fVohCU25CFWDjxnNVEJJc-mMR3DiD7z-W3PWhtget3nZxY7_RdZmLyFILlq2-hjkSj5RQWy6pjWcv-9SNlebRODcP4qcBpQzAf3k4z_-WJ5X7igUmoQrOBO26U6jAE5dzkYASn/s1600/Josh-Williams-Joe-and-Angus-Yellowlees-Simon-in-Touching-The-Void-London-2019.-Photography-by-Michael-Wharley-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Touching The Void @ Duke Of York's Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SxUOB8fVohCU25CFWDjxnNVEJJc-mMR3DiD7z-W3PWhtget3nZxY7_RdZmLyFILlq2-hjkSj5RQWy6pjWcv-9SNlebRODcP4qcBpQzAf3k4z_-WJ5X7igUmoQrOBO26U6jAE5dzkYASn/s400/Josh-Williams-Joe-and-Angus-Yellowlees-Simon-in-Touching-The-Void-London-2019.-Photography-by-Michael-Wharley-2.jpg" title="Touching The Void @ Duke Of York's Theatre" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmfIX4WSHCd2K7piH31SRyqVK696o7Dgs1cmiJ5CSVWvn4dnskqof1nPA5C8xXueyh65n7GIgAqey6QqjR5PGt6LjajPy_9krpSZvalpLyJDo65MsnX64UbT-DJOt_lTiXur5TBVlubZH/s1600/Patrick-McNamee-Richard-and-Fiona-Hampton-Sarah-in-Touching-The-Void-London-2019.-Photography-by-Michael-Wharley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Touching The Void @ Duke Of York's Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmfIX4WSHCd2K7piH31SRyqVK696o7Dgs1cmiJ5CSVWvn4dnskqof1nPA5C8xXueyh65n7GIgAqey6QqjR5PGt6LjajPy_9krpSZvalpLyJDo65MsnX64UbT-DJOt_lTiXur5TBVlubZH/s400/Patrick-McNamee-Richard-and-Fiona-Hampton-Sarah-in-Touching-The-Void-London-2019.-Photography-by-Michael-Wharley.jpg" title="Touching The Void @ Duke Of York's Theatre" width="400" /></a></div>
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Photos: Michael Wharley</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-59521641852382383462019-11-09T16:51:00.000+00:002019-11-09T16:51:19.589+00:00Reputation @ The Other Palace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iKzUb4-xvJbpRg_3BLxojQrAl9D25AuaQoGN592ls2wyYPuTI6c0zkNSHtG9KDRGtzieWL-x9kXssGRu8d0ci8OzySj3OqYbw_Y9QBuQGkDlhmvTVU8z3FtEOsCR_IwKQYvbvMnRzqJG/s1600/Reputation-1600x1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Reputation @ The Other Palace" border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iKzUb4-xvJbpRg_3BLxojQrAl9D25AuaQoGN592ls2wyYPuTI6c0zkNSHtG9KDRGtzieWL-x9kXssGRu8d0ci8OzySj3OqYbw_Y9QBuQGkDlhmvTVU8z3FtEOsCR_IwKQYvbvMnRzqJG/s400/Reputation-1600x1000.jpg" title="Reputation @ The Other Palace" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>Reputation </i>initially seems timely. In a post #MeToo world of feminism, it's a new musical from Alick Glass that depicts a woman whose work is plagiarised by a man. The young Michelle Grant (Maddy Banks) is tricked into submitting her work to influential film director Freddy Larceny (Jeremy Secomb), who promptly steals the plot. And so, the young woman must regain her work and her dignity.<br />
<br />
It's ironic, then, that it's narrated by a man. Larceny's direct addresses to the audience bookend the narrative, returning at key moments to provide further insight. Perhaps this parallel was intentional, as Larceny literally takes over Michelle's story. But it robs the musical of any sort of feminist power.<br />
<br />
The cast is dominated by women, yet it's men who control the narrative. There are plenty of cute songs for the chorus girls, but no amount of prissy dance numbers about shopping can give these materialistic women any depth. Michelle herself is a pathetic character who, rather than being a strong career woman taking matters into her own hands, relies on her father and a young male lawyer to bail her out - a lawyer who she promptly falls in love with, obviously. The musical may be set in the 1930s but its politics don't have to be.<br />
<br />
It's not helped by Secomb playing Larceny like a pantomime villain. His creepy schtick as an older man manipulating a young woman is uncomfortable to watch - one audience member even booed him out loud.<br />
<br />
As a whole, Glass' work is derivative. The narrative has all the hallmarks of a 1930s musical - a meet cute, a soppy love story, a diva jazz singer - and his score is typical and repetitive jazz stuff, reprising numbers and musical phrases. It lacks the grit the plot deserves and the 1930s Hollywood setting is missing the glamorous razzle dazzle you'd expect.<br />
<br />
It's all held together by a capable cast. The chorus girls sing some lovely harmonies and Banks especially stands out for her pure, Disney voice. As love interest Archie, Ed Wade joins her with a pleasingly light tenor, despite the saccharine writing.<br />
<br />
The cabaret setting of The Other Palace's studio space is under-utilised here. It's the kind of musical that's aiming for grand sets and dance numbers, but the story at its core is too weak.<br />
<br />
2/5<br />
<br />
Watch: <i>Reputation </i>runs at The Other Palace until 14th November.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRvHnhJVd_1U6pBXckX2pu0rY_EhSFW57iGrSpcOJ21S1p0DNrDEGr74L9BX7W19O5ZPAEyLZV3EGjeXx8Um0E68QOTyf5aSEBghy2Z5X9qi6u8qpfPRfN3fkukyLyOLPZZMDZA43UTcj/s1600/REPUTATION-4-Maddy-Banks-as-heroine-Michelle-seeks-support-from-her-friends-Photo-Donato.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Reputation @ The Other Palace" border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="700" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRvHnhJVd_1U6pBXckX2pu0rY_EhSFW57iGrSpcOJ21S1p0DNrDEGr74L9BX7W19O5ZPAEyLZV3EGjeXx8Um0E68QOTyf5aSEBghy2Z5X9qi6u8qpfPRfN3fkukyLyOLPZZMDZA43UTcj/s400/REPUTATION-4-Maddy-Banks-as-heroine-Michelle-seeks-support-from-her-friends-Photo-Donato.png" title="Reputation @ The Other Palace" width="400" /></a></div>
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Photo: Donato</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-68655153493643038902019-10-25T20:44:00.001+01:002019-10-25T20:44:48.939+01:00Beryl @ The Arcola Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCy7-IToGspzuSqBbQ2cYBYYDqXn51AmrAFyo3daJ9ShBaOvH5PaHSIlUybJ1iF2IjlYRigEeAvnpS5hxaxGUoo001gQkMEQ-CinYutba0dO6jZ8XTO8MS4GLXhtu779kVlODHR3WYw6E/s1600/4+Beryl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beryl @ The Arcola Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1424" data-original-width="1012" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCy7-IToGspzuSqBbQ2cYBYYDqXn51AmrAFyo3daJ9ShBaOvH5PaHSIlUybJ1iF2IjlYRigEeAvnpS5hxaxGUoo001gQkMEQ-CinYutba0dO6jZ8XTO8MS4GLXhtu779kVlODHR3WYw6E/s320/4+Beryl.jpg" title="Beryl @ The Arcola Theatre" width="227" /></a></div>
<br />
It's fitting that <i>Beryl </i>is playing at the Arcola theatre in Dalston, not far from Cafe Beryl's that similarly commemorates the cyclist. Yet for many, Beryl Burton is an unknown.<br />
<br />
The opening of this play from Maxine Peake, first performed at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2014, admits and laments this. That's why the play, quite literally, aims to answer the question: who was Beryl Burton?<br />
<br />
What ensues is a straightforward biographical depiction of Beryl's life, from childhood to her death in 1996. In that time she won numerous championship medals and held countless records (though sadly no Olympic medals, as women's cycling was only included from 1984 onwards). In addition to her life, the play also gives a potted history of the sport.<br />
<br />
Yet what the play makes abundantly clear is the hardship she went through for such success. A woman in a man's world (who went on to exceed men's records), she endured farmwork and slowly rose through the ranks to reach the dizzying championship heights. And all with a lack of finances, done to earn money to look after her family as both mother and competitor. The play isn't overtly political, but it is an inherently feminist narrative.<br />
<br />
As you'd expect from Peake, the script is funny. Much of this comes from fourth wall breaking moments where the actors banter and address the audience directly. It adds excitement to an otherwise simple piece of storytelling and the cast of four give buoyant performances as multiple characters both on and off their bikes - thighs of steel doesn't begin to cut it. There are plenty of small directorial touches too from Marieke Audsley, resulting in a polished and openly theatrical production.<br />
<br />
It all speeds along at a fast pace that perhaps doesn't go into too much detail, instead focusing on the central protagonist with a smattering of secondary caricatures. But this is low stakes theatre, ideal for the Fringe, that's pleasantly enjoyable.<br />
<br />
Above all this is an uplifting and wholesome story of a woman's fiery determination to overcome adversity. Who is Beryl Burton? An inspiration. Now there's a play to truly cement her place in sporting history.<br />
<br />
3/5<br />
<br />
Watch: <i>Beryl </i>runs at the Arcola Theatre until 16th November.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6tEVQA406AOiFY-9Kkc2YE55X2p-s2ap-1Ywf41ihUaTB-c2RfFl3jCwvdVk9O09j7x_0o6IC3Xy8T2ZF_ne8gVsFh4lZFqqs9oWVYpeK7_BmOGN9_8qAdQIbL2lbPVsEqFN3q5DRfoq/s1600/c-Alex-Brenner-no-use-without-credit-Beryl-Arcola-dir-Marieke-Audsley-_DSC7403-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beryl @ The Arcola Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="700" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6tEVQA406AOiFY-9Kkc2YE55X2p-s2ap-1Ywf41ihUaTB-c2RfFl3jCwvdVk9O09j7x_0o6IC3Xy8T2ZF_ne8gVsFh4lZFqqs9oWVYpeK7_BmOGN9_8qAdQIbL2lbPVsEqFN3q5DRfoq/s400/c-Alex-Brenner-no-use-without-credit-Beryl-Arcola-dir-Marieke-Audsley-_DSC7403-1.png" title="Beryl @ The Arcola Theatre" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Photo: Alex Brenner</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-29093563589328473542019-10-12T11:41:00.000+01:002019-10-12T11:41:25.246+01:00Mites @ The Tristan Bates Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cS-TXSa-DL_Ybd5o_3N9Pi_7J-IdZT24PWGvLrJrLxteGZ0HThsJpDzi0aNbKe93F-W8z9Wstm9m5RH4g-4DcBF4k8AfDdZGFqF2ENaDB9cqVuyUAHmiT0OO1yH4r-DqT0xNYHQW1hAx/s1600/mites.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mites @ The Tristan Bates Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cS-TXSa-DL_Ybd5o_3N9Pi_7J-IdZT24PWGvLrJrLxteGZ0HThsJpDzi0aNbKe93F-W8z9Wstm9m5RH4g-4DcBF4k8AfDdZGFqF2ENaDB9cqVuyUAHmiT0OO1yH4r-DqT0xNYHQW1hAx/s320/mites.png" title="Mites @ The Tristan Bates Theatre" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It seems fitting to watch <i>Mites </i>on Mental Health Awareness Day. Written by James Mannion, this is a surreal, absurdist play that delves deep into psychosis in a visceral portrayal.<br />
<br />
It starts innocently enough. Ruth (Claire Marie Hall) has been left by her husband and, when a pest control man named Ken (George Howard) arrives, she believes he's actually her husband returned to her. Why pest control? Because her home has been infested with dust mites. Oh and there's also a talking cat named Bartholomew (Richard Henderson).<br />
<br />
This is (mostly) a comedy, with a hard-hitting message simmering beneath the surface, just out of our reach. It slowly becomes more and more bizarre, peeling back <i>Inception</i>-like layers as we delve into the psychological mystery, eventually meeting a family of dust mites themselves. Cecilia Trono's dusty set design similarly unveils itself in parallel with the narrative.<br />
<br />
It's all very confusing, but also well-paced to draw us in. And that confusion is purposeful - it puts us (literally) inside Ruth's head so that we are just as confused as she is. We too are unsure what is real and what is fantasy, what's the truth and what is simply occurring in her mind.<br />
<br />
Eventually the layers build up to a more lucid state. Yet there's an element of misogyny added towards the end which makes for uncomfortable viewing as both Ruth's husband and a psychiatric doctor appear to manipulate her and take advantage of her. This then morphs into a feminist revenge tale that feels tacked on, as if Mannion felt the play needed explaining, when its cleverness lies in its ambiguity.<br />
<br />
What makes <i>Mites </i>so compelling though are the committed performances from the cast. As Ruth, Hall is particularly enthralling - her distress is palpable, her mood swings endearing. Despite the craziness around her, she's a character we immediately warm to from start to finish.<br />
<br />
3/5<br />
<br />
Watch: <i>Mites </i>runs at the Tristan Bates Theatre until 26th October.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5b321d4y8M_5-ec5s9vA2TO8bFp1ncp6biXl-YJPS-IfuunUf-cGQYT228TEo_oZ_GbN1Sz931pMEjXaPEDHUBDTTA4YcYBcWjUoTQuxSFAWidoA1DrdwAFvySLAiyMKVOsb6JaV40kDt/s1600/Mites%252C+George+Howard%252C+Claire+Marie+Hall+and+Richard+Henderson%252C+Credit+Lidia+Crisafulli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mites @ The Tristan Bates Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5b321d4y8M_5-ec5s9vA2TO8bFp1ncp6biXl-YJPS-IfuunUf-cGQYT228TEo_oZ_GbN1Sz931pMEjXaPEDHUBDTTA4YcYBcWjUoTQuxSFAWidoA1DrdwAFvySLAiyMKVOsb6JaV40kDt/s400/Mites%252C+George+Howard%252C+Claire+Marie+Hall+and+Richard+Henderson%252C+Credit+Lidia+Crisafulli.jpg" title="Mites @ The Tristan Bates Theatre" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Photo: Lidia Crisafulli</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-87032232100384019032019-10-07T22:06:00.000+01:002019-10-07T22:06:01.416+01:00Karaoke Play @ The Bunker Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj167WkOcXr-CYlMt3NnBSoIl9xpti1V1FDdKsSviXgNwMMXUS9wOWgx2NiTT3RMBhBEkwj8ZFyflx787af17iqCZvV0nGP01d29TGZP0lnt_BTIPgIp2Drst2DkTSIJYfiy6e24RAlaHJq/s1600/karaoke+play+bunker+theatre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Karaoke Play @ The Bunker Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj167WkOcXr-CYlMt3NnBSoIl9xpti1V1FDdKsSviXgNwMMXUS9wOWgx2NiTT3RMBhBEkwj8ZFyflx787af17iqCZvV0nGP01d29TGZP0lnt_BTIPgIp2Drst2DkTSIJYfiy6e24RAlaHJq/s400/karaoke+play+bunker+theatre.jpg" title="Karaoke Play @ The Bunker Theatre" width="400" /></a></div>
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What could be more British than karaoke in a pub? That's the setting for this state of the nation play written by Annie Jenkins and produced by pluck. productions.<br />
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The four-strong cast deliver four monologues to the sounds of cheap instrumental karaoke songs, each bravely stepping up to tell their story. It's a clever idea, monologue and song in parallel as if revealing the internal thoughts of each character. The stories gradually interlink with internal references and callbacks, slowly weaving a web and drawing us in.<br />
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Yet despite some comedic moments, <i>Karaoke Play </i>has an oppressive, dismal tone. Collectively, the stories touch on rape, drugs, terrorism and violence, all told through vulgar and overtly sexual language. This may be a comment on our modern society, but it lacks nuance and feels as if trying too hard to shock.<br />
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What's more, the narrative is ultimately circular but lacks drive and urgency, meandering through each story before ramping up to a crescendo of shouting and bad singing (likely on purpose, but still unpleasant). By the end, the play has established an apocalyptic tone that thoroughly depresses, but it's unclear what Jenkins is trying to say beyond this.<br />
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There's some strong acting on stage from Philip Honeywell as Darren and Lucy Bromilow as Perri, though their characters remain wholly unlikeable and lack humanity. Perhaps that too is a comment on present day Britain, but Jenkins' play leaves us cold.<br />
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2/5<br />
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Watch: <i><a href="https://www.bunkertheatre.com/whats-on/karaoke-play/about">Karaoke Play</a> </i>runs at the Bunker Theatre until 14th October.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsNbGO02sMZtlgAINXH2cuboVhPKZRSlqr3yGUXHgPtxPINMgxezOIscF2dTwp7QGmbGxObXlY6Au3eWUw8fYml0V1C36J3cpAGhRADS8zXMiRYl-4m1rak4UMMpDtfTVgWcvYvgSt2kl/s1600/LUCY-BROMILOW-behind-bar-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Karaoke Play @ The Bunker Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="525" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsNbGO02sMZtlgAINXH2cuboVhPKZRSlqr3yGUXHgPtxPINMgxezOIscF2dTwp7QGmbGxObXlY6Au3eWUw8fYml0V1C36J3cpAGhRADS8zXMiRYl-4m1rak4UMMpDtfTVgWcvYvgSt2kl/s400/LUCY-BROMILOW-behind-bar-.jpg" title="Karaoke Play @ The Bunker Theatre" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Photo: Michael Lindall</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-51259241860664182962019-09-23T20:37:00.000+01:002019-09-23T20:37:21.652+01:00Midlife Cowboy @ Pleasance Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6syYYO6_C8YP9H9hOI164BWoW04BbGW-5Y0sPBsKgqqS58awt3ywMMXttzuNz_urPMDl_rt1Fvzp7AGVR6WZP6UwWs614qXlWJ8xYhDr2tHwbFVZWWk5azzucDYLPIjltvc8o5hW5nn0/s1600/MidlifeCowboy-Group-plain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Midlife Cowboy @ Pleasance Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1401" data-original-width="1600" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6syYYO6_C8YP9H9hOI164BWoW04BbGW-5Y0sPBsKgqqS58awt3ywMMXttzuNz_urPMDl_rt1Fvzp7AGVR6WZP6UwWs614qXlWJ8xYhDr2tHwbFVZWWk5azzucDYLPIjltvc8o5hW5nn0/s320/MidlifeCowboy-Group-plain.jpg" title="Midlife Cowboy @ Pleasance Theatre" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />If country music is about dramatizing the mundane, then <i>Midlife Cowboy</i> is country and western through and through. Written by Radio 4 comedian Tony Hawks, this new musical yee-haws its way to the Pleasance Theatre, but not our hearts.<br /><br />The narrative is as mundane as they come, concerning a handful of Swindon residents and their local country and western club. It's led by a middle-aged couple whose marriage is facing difficulties, through a lack of children and potential infidelity. And their upcoming gala night performance piles on additional stress as they seek for new members and wrestle with their (lack of) talent during rehearsals. Drama!<br /><br />It’s like some white middle class fantasy; small scale drama in small town Britain. The drama feels stiff and forced, not aided by a lack of energy in the performances. And Hawks' script has an absence of jokes, with tired innuendo and punchlines that fall flat, despite being explained by the characters in case we didn’t get them the first time. Later, the drama relies on a gay twist that’s played for laughs – what could have been a chance to challenge preconceptions is missed in lazy humour.<br /><br />There is some fun to be had here with the jaunty tunes and lighthearted plot. The songs may be derivative, but they’re catchy enough and well performed by the five-strong cast alternating between various instruments as well as taking lead vocals. A few too many repetitive ballads tend to drag the pacing, however, and the lack of microphones leaves both singers and musicians exposed. A bit of editing would've tightened up this sagging cowboy.<br /><br />Though largely in support roles, Georgina Field brings plenty of character and zaniness to the role of Penny, and James Thackeray shows off some strong vocals as Dan. Mainly, though, there’s not enough of a reason to care about these people or their relationships, and it all predictably ties up neatly in the end. As fluffy entertainment – and it’s not trying to be anything more – it’s enjoyable enough. But this cowboy with confidence is too bland to have us line dancing home.<div>
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2/5</div>
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Watch: <i>Midlife Cowboy </i>runs at the Pleasance Theatre until 6th October.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQLGjWqynax81WkxyiVXbFJhhQkjQtQpntXrpJ5jJBNusB67d-9xM2Z4J1ehir2sqK9SgxickPAv0tnJOfDMNDsPQiUL29s920NsP69wmWY74N1aPr6pOylSVSdvwTrq0asloaz9mCzMe/s1600/midlifecowboy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="620" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQLGjWqynax81WkxyiVXbFJhhQkjQtQpntXrpJ5jJBNusB67d-9xM2Z4J1ehir2sqK9SgxickPAv0tnJOfDMNDsPQiUL29s920NsP69wmWY74N1aPr6pOylSVSdvwTrq0asloaz9mCzMe/s400/midlifecowboy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Photo: Adam Trigg</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-11863627912255922472019-09-19T10:05:00.000+01:002019-09-19T10:05:07.975+01:00Big: The Musical @ The Dominion Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNSFE7MUZWVJg-87VuX9ANrZm7VM1rvQJDHd8Zx0xovkluBc270KlTDZOFhiH2RuwhvrPvsJWOIhxlOusws2jbNfA6mWJ27FZlcigr22FZgOrn-gHlDJDNqOiAzdQ5gRsi8ZjOFIAl1Fv/s1600/event-list-image_22627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Big: The Musical @ The Dominion Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="474" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNSFE7MUZWVJg-87VuX9ANrZm7VM1rvQJDHd8Zx0xovkluBc270KlTDZOFhiH2RuwhvrPvsJWOIhxlOusws2jbNfA6mWJ27FZlcigr22FZgOrn-gHlDJDNqOiAzdQ5gRsi8ZjOFIAl1Fv/s400/event-list-image_22627.jpg" title="Big: The Musical @ The Dominion Theatre" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's fitting that everything about <i>Big: The Musical </i>has been super-sized: the programme, the venue, the production value. But the show itself - and the star cast - don't live up to the billing.<br />
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Based on the 1988 film starring Tom Hanks, the show fits neatly into the current 80s revival trend, from <i>Stranger Things</i> to <i>IT </i>and more.<i> </i>It's wholesome fun, a coming-of-age film blown out of proportion - literally. A young boy wishes to be big, a wish granted by a mysterious carnival game, allowing a kid to live in an adult world and urge us all to embrace our inner child. It's as typically 80s as they come - indeed, why are all parents in 80s culture so irresponsible?<br />
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Except this musical is far too shallow and soulless to fully explore any themes, no matter how family-friendly. John Weidman's book has a distinct lack of jokes, and those that are there don't land; David Shire's music - broadway toe-tappers meet 80s synths - is largely forgettable; and Morgan Young's direction is far too static. A few numbers feature Young's choreography, but they too fail to excite.<br />
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The set design (Simon Higlett) impresses, with great use of the revolving stage and towering video screens (with design by Ian William Galloway). Yet in the cavernous space of the Dominion, all is lost. The drama is, ironically, small, as are the performances. In the lead role Jay McGuiness (of The Wanted and Strictly fame) has a soft crooning voice and is an athletic dancer, but he's not quite leading man material. As love interest Susan, Kimberley Walsh (of Girls Aloud and Strictly fame) offers shaky vocals and a one dimensional delivery that misses the (minimal) comic potential of the lines. Matthew Kelly and Wendi Peters also feature.<br />
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In this world, even the adults act like children, dressed though they are in drab grey office-wear. They're mostly out-acted and out-danced by the cast of actual children - as best friend Billy, Jobe Hart deserves praise. On the whole, though, there's a criminal lack of energy on stage. Not even a defibrillator could jolt some life into this show.<br />
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The one scene everyone expects is the floor piano number. And it's cute, with some nice chemistry between McGuiness and Kelly. But it's hardly the show-stopping moment in a musical in dire need of one. An overly long first half leads to a show that drags and lacks dynamic range in its music, singing or narrative.<br />
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We watch musicals for their heightened drama and theatrical magic. But here we have a flat reflection of boring adult life. This <i>Big </i>is too big for its boots.<br />
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2/5<br />
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Watch: <i><a href="https://www.bigthemusical.co.uk/">Big: The Musical</a> </i>runs at the Dominion Theatre until November 2nd.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqAXNLAkja3IxAxvkQfEvevKy-DaADSwSqZgX-6F193JTjhVc7kmmaC2Y7gONk_kmz_jldacFdqCo4clVvvhAcHkonWsrvYTnziUz8oA9DxM6B6eqEETMxbK3NHUoS-b9Zn47PPDBs5_j/s1600/Jay+McGuiness+as+Josh+Baskin+%2526+Kimberley+Walsh+as+Susan+Lawrence+in+BIG+The+Musical.+Credit+Alastair+Muir..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Big: The Musical @ The Dominion Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqAXNLAkja3IxAxvkQfEvevKy-DaADSwSqZgX-6F193JTjhVc7kmmaC2Y7gONk_kmz_jldacFdqCo4clVvvhAcHkonWsrvYTnziUz8oA9DxM6B6eqEETMxbK3NHUoS-b9Zn47PPDBs5_j/s320/Jay+McGuiness+as+Josh+Baskin+%2526+Kimberley+Walsh+as+Susan+Lawrence+in+BIG+The+Musical.+Credit+Alastair+Muir..jpg" title="Big: The Musical @ The Dominion Theatre" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDYJYU6eAaTkiAuYMW1ytOj-H4wUsd9xxrkyq7POrcQoxhI0TAvASfg-2CJY77UMlpE5oHvMafueOmdoxZULkZ503jKcYTtOJRgri8Qz3Ml60Ln5bhCHJFoPYiOkpgWEzybYKLtxaOJQy/s1600/Jay+McGuiness+as+Josh+Baskin+and+the+cast+of+BIG+The+Musical.+Credit+Alastair+Muir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Big: The Musical @ The Dominion Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="1325" data-original-width="1600" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDYJYU6eAaTkiAuYMW1ytOj-H4wUsd9xxrkyq7POrcQoxhI0TAvASfg-2CJY77UMlpE5oHvMafueOmdoxZULkZ503jKcYTtOJRgri8Qz3Ml60Ln5bhCHJFoPYiOkpgWEzybYKLtxaOJQy/s320/Jay+McGuiness+as+Josh+Baskin+and+the+cast+of+BIG+The+Musical.+Credit+Alastair+Muir.jpg" title="Big: The Musical @ The Dominion Theatre" width="320" /></a></div>
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Photos: Alastair Muir</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-23767306448426878632019-09-13T17:54:00.000+01:002019-09-13T17:54:02.981+01:00Amsterdam @ Orange Tree Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDec6x37aldr7TEnk3mZZavQeZ_x_0WT-zWLQHXrDqTAEg1G3xSnActWzptd2RXcWefkG-jIlg0CDn1psiyoCzeEjo28fMU3cdmRXybhM6YuZj6k65hFXCpsc-tQqA-bPXmI8BbJByGYl/s1600/Amsterdam+background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Amsterdam @ Orange Tree Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1600" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDec6x37aldr7TEnk3mZZavQeZ_x_0WT-zWLQHXrDqTAEg1G3xSnActWzptd2RXcWefkG-jIlg0CDn1psiyoCzeEjo28fMU3cdmRXybhM6YuZj6k65hFXCpsc-tQqA-bPXmI8BbJByGYl/s400/Amsterdam+background.jpg" title="Amsterdam @ Orange Tree Theatre" width="400" /></a></div>
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Nowadays Amsterdam is known as a city of liberalism, of a diverse ethnic population, a thriving LGBT community. But the city has a dark history from during WWII - after all, it was the home of Anne Frank.<br />
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It's this dichotomy that Maya Arad Yasur's <i>Amsterdam</i> tackles, directed by Matthew Xia - his first production as Artistic Director of Actors Touring Company (co-producing with Theatre Royal Plymouth). The play has two parallel narratives linked together by, of all things, a gas bill - a bill that's gone unpaid from the '40s until now. In that time we witness prejudice and xenophobia across the generations, the legacy of the war.<br />
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It's in the storytelling that <i>Amsterdam </i>is unique. Four performers address the audience directly as they narrate the story in short fragments and snippets. Occasionally they'll ring a bell to signal a footnote or translation of non-English words - initially fun but eventually tiresome. The result is a dizzying, virtuosic display of interlocking lines and thoughts.<br />
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Yasur includes plenty of dry humour in her writing and isn't afraid to reveal inner thoughts and questions we would never vocalise. <i>Amsterdam </i>is a juxtaposition of shock and entertainment. What's clever too is the lack of dialogue, meaning the central protagonist - an Israeli female Jewish immigrant, typically 'other' - is left without a voice.<br />
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Yet for such a human subject matter, it's hard to empathise with the characters. That's due to the idiosyncratic delivery that seems to highlight the play's technical structure more than emotion. The pace is relentless and the fragmented lines are disorientating, making the plot difficult to follow. The narrators argue over tiny details but, despite their clear delivery, the play lacks dynamic range and emotive potency.<br />
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Instead, <i>Amsterdam </i>is a web of wordplay that makes us think - a little too much - rather than feel. It resonates, though, not only with the city's own history but that of current day Europe.<br />
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3/5<br />
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Watch: <i>Amsterdam </i>runs at the Orange Tree Theatre until 12th October.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonMO0A1wGuVkI4HrsQ0hKT2A3G9ciV1JQ_KxQouq3lev49K5jUKse-JrJ-GdYWmoxlpjzxxJzQ4zXMZ9V91i_LTB7h8UqK9CoPDsECWi7dBCoD8eF_oQ1Tqn1sLDIjwStKZdWFPq6o1l4/s1600/amsterdam-orange-tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Amsterdam @ Orange Tree Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="620" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonMO0A1wGuVkI4HrsQ0hKT2A3G9ciV1JQ_KxQouq3lev49K5jUKse-JrJ-GdYWmoxlpjzxxJzQ4zXMZ9V91i_LTB7h8UqK9CoPDsECWi7dBCoD8eF_oQ1Tqn1sLDIjwStKZdWFPq6o1l4/s400/amsterdam-orange-tree.jpg" title="Amsterdam @ Orange Tree Theatre" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Photo: Helen Murray</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-26023626960143294462019-09-04T16:14:00.000+01:002019-09-04T16:14:01.280+01:00World's End @ The Kings Head Theatre<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Zdebs69EQZAsnoxmWhxj8Z5FUgo4c9-XOIQNHcOorSPbEbQC1C_9jRpbn54ylK1YJcvQSHEST8gdwK9o7R-t7RpoYijUWP0Ntcaonp-8H-A8GhzN7RDdUD3llSd-jLQxnzsdRQ7xePOq/s1600/Small+Title+Treatment_+credit+Kate+Harding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="World's End @ The Kings Head Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Zdebs69EQZAsnoxmWhxj8Z5FUgo4c9-XOIQNHcOorSPbEbQC1C_9jRpbn54ylK1YJcvQSHEST8gdwK9o7R-t7RpoYijUWP0Ntcaonp-8H-A8GhzN7RDdUD3llSd-jLQxnzsdRQ7xePOq/s400/Small+Title+Treatment_+credit+Kate+Harding.jpg" title="World's End @ The Kings Head Theatre" width="400" /></a></div>
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It’s funny how things can take you back. Films, music, food –
they can all be indicative of a certain time and place. In <i>World’s End</i>, the debut play from writer James Corley, it’s the
references to a video game that immediately transport me back to 1998 when the latest game in the Zelda series was released,
taking me on an epic quest across a mysterious fantasy realm. The play may be
set in that year with the political backdrop of the Kosovan war, but it’s the references to this game and the use of its music that set the scene for me more than
anything.</div>
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Corley draws parallels with the game’s coming-of-age themes
and his lead characters – two young men who explore their sexuality as they
bond over Nintendo. But life isn’t as simple as saving the princess. Ben (Tom
Milligan) is a nervous, fidgeting presence with a stammer, patronised by his
overbearing mother Viv (Patricia Potter). Besnik (Mirlind Bega) has an equally
overbearing father in Ylli (Nikolaos Brahimllari), who doesn’t agree with his
son's Anglicised, homosexual behaviour and is passionately embittered about the
war in his home country of Kosovo. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The game’s character travels through time from a child to an
adult in order to save the world; equally Ben and Besnik are forced to grow up in
a world fraught with adult dangers like war and homophobia. Yet the play takes
place entirely in the two family’s flats, a safe haven away from the outside
world. Video games offer an extra dimension and become an important element not
only in forging relationships, but in providing escapism. Where gaming too
often hits the news headlines as it's blamed for violence and gun crimes,
Corley’s play offers a positive message – here, gaming is the very antithesis
of war.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Kosovan war is little more than a backdrop to Corley’s
main focus: the family drama. As such, Besnik and Ylli feel a little
underwritten compared to their British counterparts. But it’s the relationship
between Ben and Viv that provides the play’s most tender moments. There’s a
great dynamic range between the two actors as their frustrations at one another
boil over into arguments, before settling into apologetic compassion,
reflecting the very tangible difficulties of two people living together in a
one bed flat and the push-pull tension of their inter-locking lives. Both
Milligan and Potter are excellent in their respective roles: Milligan likeable as
the stuttering Ben who’s not as naïve as his mother suspects, Potter devastating
in the play’s final moments as she’s torn between her own moral views and allowing
her son independence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There’s no fairytale ending here, no magical Triforce to put
the world right again. But sometimes, it takes a little fantasy for us to truly
find ourselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
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4/5<o:p></o:p></div>
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Watch: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">World’s End </i>runs
at The Kings Head Theatre until 21<sup>st</sup> September.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5ViuDmiKsI9BV8Pa3GpLQC729xLaEgDWHWzPLr4SaOoEGNSRIc5jiNr8oNTjWlEHlrQOCMM2LEIGkJPjEY6OztvKQrX6LR0EHzrJ4xRnIBYG9be0UZxq81ZdajWj89UbslO4mu2_FOWc/s1600/BAP_WorldsEnd_13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5ViuDmiKsI9BV8Pa3GpLQC729xLaEgDWHWzPLr4SaOoEGNSRIc5jiNr8oNTjWlEHlrQOCMM2LEIGkJPjEY6OztvKQrX6LR0EHzrJ4xRnIBYG9be0UZxq81ZdajWj89UbslO4mu2_FOWc/s320/BAP_WorldsEnd_13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Photo: Bettina Adela</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081327839101376993.post-16204777661691660712019-08-28T22:25:00.000+01:002019-08-28T22:25:02.021+01:00Fleabag @ Wyndham's Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7a89lO6SZqlWZqU-oIB6HG3DBjyat0NSkIDseITAg2h4OB7mQxrw3zLxbBKOwYsr2whFE6g_896aopenQK-_bQGkwszq2mzJ6JE58WHT0i6UD7p2dPMmptK7Te3pWpmJwzmCG2Mglhyphenhyphen4/s1600/Fleabag.-Phoebe-Waller-Bridge-Credit-Jason-Hetherington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fleabag @ Wyndham's Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="481" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7a89lO6SZqlWZqU-oIB6HG3DBjyat0NSkIDseITAg2h4OB7mQxrw3zLxbBKOwYsr2whFE6g_896aopenQK-_bQGkwszq2mzJ6JE58WHT0i6UD7p2dPMmptK7Te3pWpmJwzmCG2Mglhyphenhyphen4/s320/Fleabag.-Phoebe-Waller-Bridge-Credit-Jason-Hetherington.jpg" title="Fleabag @ Wyndham's Theatre" width="301" /></a></div>
<br />
Phoebe Waller-Bridge in <i>Fleabag </i>is hilarious. But then, you knew that already.<br />
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The chances are you've already watched both series of the TV show based on this very play. Rarely does a show strike such a chord with the zeitgeist, its asides, meme-worthy moments and "hot priest" burned into the public's collective conscience. <i>Fleabag </i>is a phenomenon, catapulting Waller-Bridge into the stratosphere.<br />
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This play, then, is a chance to see where it all began. Originally performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 2013, it was later adapted into the TV series we know and love and arrives in London's West End for a limited run (and its last, with Hollywood knocking at Waller-Bridge's door). It means that you already know what happens here if you've seen the first series: the guinea pig themed cafe, meeting her sister at feminist talks, increasingly extreme sexual encounters, et al.<br />
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It's certainly interesting to spot differences, to see how the play was later adapted to the screen. Its story beats and jokes arrive in a different order but they're just as funny despite already knowing the punchlines. And that story still hits hard, with its themes of dealing with our mistakes in life, feelings of loneliness and worthlessness, feminism, the difficulties of (London) life in your 30s.<br />
<br />
The way the script weaves these themes together and creeps up on you with both humour and sensitivity is genius. As a one-woman show (just Waller-Bridge, a chair and a spotlight) it's like one long aside to the camera, a window into Fleabag's intriguing life: raw, candid, and brutally honest. And she has a remarkable ability to deliver bathos, building us up before sidelining us with an amusing quip.<br />
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Even with its beautiful pacing and cleverly conversational structure, Waller-Bridge doesn't even need to speak to make us laugh. She has one of those malleable faces where a simple eyebrow movement is enough to have the audience in stitches; in full force, her facial expressions, storytelling and idiosyncratic delivery make for a unique experience that'll have you guffawing and questioning your life choices in equal measure.<br />
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But then, you knew all of that already, right? To see it live, though, is such a treat.<br />
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5/5<br />
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Watch: <i>Fleabag </i>runs at the Wyndham's Theatre until 14th September.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0coZYgQkI174YzhAs0_NaXXR9JuvQ9LP1XD5-PwuIK3RAZW7tS_sSQLxzjLf7R0tMgYyvmOEUHu0dMjY6CDXd9V7-JW3S30leGPspqItRJCg7WYth391K0o-X9Q5l_tjcff1LYGWSzU-O/s1600/fleabagwestend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fleabag @ Wyndham's Theatre" border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="620" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0coZYgQkI174YzhAs0_NaXXR9JuvQ9LP1XD5-PwuIK3RAZW7tS_sSQLxzjLf7R0tMgYyvmOEUHu0dMjY6CDXd9V7-JW3S30leGPspqItRJCg7WYth391K0o-X9Q5l_tjcff1LYGWSzU-O/s400/fleabagwestend.jpg" title="Fleabag @ Wyndham's Theatre" width="266" /></a></div>
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Photo: Matt Humphreys</div>
ed_nightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04847307879618462664noreply@blogger.com