David Porter » Archive
Somewhere in England
Somewhere in England by Eastern Angles Theatre at the Hungate Church, Beccles Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 14 March 2016 Eastern Angles Theatre Company have a unique style making drama from history of our region. Their latest is a study of American GIs ‘somewhere in England’ during the war, when they brought Coca Cola, chewing gum and their culture. It’s about their relationship with locals, particularly through a black man from Alabama, grippingly played by Nathanael Campbell with a woman (the excellent Georgia Brown) and a teenager (lively Grace Osborn). Through a doomed love story Polly Wiseman sensitively explores the forgotten battle of the races during the struggle against Nazi tyranny and how the Americans fought for freedom yet enforced legal segregation. Mixed-race Walter White of the organisation to advance ‘coloured people’ had … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reviews
Betrayal (Foolhardy Theatre)
Betrayal by Foolhardy Theatre at Seagull Theatre, Lowestoft This review of Betrayal was commissioned by the Eastern Daily Press, but not used by them for an unexplained reason, February 2016 To experience Pinter’s mini-masterpiece Betrayal in the intimacy of the Seagull Theatre is to relish the sharpness of his writing, the acute observation and interlocking of his characters and universal yet comic truths about people. Inspired by his own affair with Joan Bakewell, the play starts at the finale of a couple’s long term adulterous relationship and travels back through snapshot scenes to the exciting beginning – a powerful device that reveals subtleties in the characters. The high-class actors are a tight team. Abi Watson as the wife balances her life, love and career in a mature way that is written across her face throughout. … Read entire article »
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Old Men’s Dreams
Old Men’s Dreams when revenge must turn to forgiveness Old Men’s Dreams is my first published novel and it’s now available from Amazon. The blurb reads as follows: ‘Your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions…’ (Joel 2:28) For ‘old men’ in this tale, read ‘old woman.’ Angel Henderson has been released from prison and treatment centre, her anger issues lengthening her original sentence by decades. Her yearning for revenge is undiminished. She has forgotten nothing, particularly the friends who did nothing to prevent the death of her sister, Poppy, in 1967. In those so-called halcyon days of the swinging 1960s, all was not entirely sweetness, light and peace. Free love came with a price. Younger half-brother Robert, after a near-death experience, has since become a Christian and … Read entire article »
Filed under: Writing
A Christmas Spectacular 2015
A Christmas Spectacular 2015 Lowestoft Players at the Players’ Theatre, The Bethel, Lowestoft Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 7 December 2015 and The Lowestoft Journal, 11 December 2015 It’s a real treat to come in from the biting Lowestoft wind to the welcoming warmth of the Lowestoft Players’ own Bethel Theatre, sit back, relax and start to feel a lot like Christmas. For their fourth Christmas Spectacular they pull out all the stops with colour, costumes, songs, dances, thoughtful readings and an enveloping aura of peace and goodwill. Some of the humour is knockabout belly-laughing stuff; songs range from the traditional Christmas repertoire to Hallelujah, fast becoming a national favourite and the cast is a happy blend of Players’ stalwarts and younger performers. The direction, choreography and music team of Beth Lewis, Jimmy Atkins, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reviews, Uncategorised
Handbagged
Handbagged at the Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 12 November 2015 Handbagged? Well, The Audience featuring the imaginary conversations between The Queen and her 12 Prime Ministers in their weekly meetings has already been a stage hit. Now it’s just Her Majesty and Mrs Thatcher. Liz versus Maggie, two powerful women born in the same year is a comedy that speculates what these two women, these icons of power in different ways actually talked about in private. Or they might have done. Critically acclaimed as witty, confident, mischievous and clever it’s ‘tea at four, handbags at dawn’ subtly moving from slapstick to the real stuffing of life as the women look back on their younger selves in what could have become a history lesson but is priceless theatre. Moira Buffini’s West … Read entire article »
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Into the Woods
Into the Woods Norfolk Youth Music Theatre at the Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 6 November 2015 Into the Woods, the 2014 film with its stellar cast list helped popularise this musical, which remains one of the darkest, musically challenging and fascinating from the Sondheim repertoire. NYMT are to be congratulated for boldly engaging with this dramatic musical theatre at every level – singing, choreography, stage business and some superb characters to interpret a selection of ‘fairy tales’ which are not for young children. Each character’s quest has an effect on others; every action has a reaction. Cleverly, it appears all done with a happy ending as the first act closes. Into the second half, it gets darker as life and death choices are made. The band is strong and … Read entire article »
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The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales version by Impulse Collective at The Garage, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 22 October 2015 Touring professional performers Impulse Collective brought their take on Chaucer’s 14th Century epic Canterbury Tales to the Garage arts centre. It was a zany, physical interpretation taking a set of well known, but ancient, tales and turning them into an accessible message and commentary for modern, contemporary times. The 24 stories that form the contest among a group of pilgrims walking to Canterbury remains the base structure, but with added ‘now’ touches such as speed dating, lashings of physical and improvised comedy and some genuine, spontaneous audience participation. Those were juxtaposed with moments of real, heart-felt depth of emotion and feeling as the search for personal truth was explored through relationships and abuse. It was … Read entire article »
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Andy Kind, Stand-Up Comedy
Andy Kind Stand-Up Comedy Night, The Depot, Lowestoft Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 22 September 2015 and The Lowestoft Journal, 2 October 2015 Stand-up comedy that’s not in a pub or club atmosphere might appear to present certain challenges. A Christian stand-up may sound like an oxymoron. However, the mark of a good performer is to take the show to an audience. Andy Kind is a talented storyteller, not simply a joke-teller, pointing out our common frailties and absurdities in the human journey with his unique observational comedy style. Improvising through banter with a few individuals in the audience he cleverly exploited every comment, every piece of unintended material. Needing neither bad language nor cruel mockery, his stories of people in situations we recognise – his family, marriage, children, school, living in Britain … Read entire article »
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Grease
Grease Lowestoft Players at the Bethel Theatre Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 14 September 2015 and The Lowestoft Journal, 18 September 2015 There’s something about Grease that makes it so popular, so feel-good, so ‘Summer Nights’, with its string of what have become classic pop songs like Grease is the Word, Greased Lightnin’, Hopelessly Devoted to You, Sandy and You’re the One That I Want. Lowestoft Players bring their high energy, enthusiastic and professional team approach to the American High School, teenage rom-com in all its colourful, musical and fun-filled entertainment. The ‘will they/wont they’ couple Danny (Tom Guttridge) and Sandy (Isabelle Anderson) are well-matched and The Pink Ladies (Claire Doughty, Lorna Tucker, Angie Smith and Emily Simpson) are perfect foils to the T-Birds (Lawrie Groom, Ricky Reeve, Daniel Hughes and Simon Warren). The … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reviews