David Porter » Archive
Rope
Rope by Stuff of Dreams Theatre Company Seagull Theatre, Lowestoft Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 2 November 2013 Growing in stature, Stuff of Dreams have embraced another challenge for their latest tour with the 1929 Patrick Hamilton play, Rope, adapted by Hitchcock for his film of the same name. On the surface a classic thriller with a very dark story, it’s also a psychological drama exploring the mind of a killer (Tom Moran) who is both disturbed/unstable and compelling/charming aided by a weaker sidekick (Eliot Ruocco-Trenouth). Two young men strangle a friend for little more motive than that they could, the ‘perfect crime.’ His body lies in a chest that serves as a table from which guests including the deceased’s father eat a meal. One guest (Elliott Hughes) is suspicious, detective-like and probes away … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reviews
Calendar Girls
Lowestoft Players, at The Bethel Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 25 September and Lowestoft Journal 4 October 2013 The well-known story from the film about the real Yorkshire Women’s Institute branch who made a calendar to raise funds for the cancer unit of Skipton hospital, is wonderfully, poignantly told by the Lowestoft Players. Exploiting the intimacy of their own theatre, director Stephen Wilson skilfully puts his lively and very funny women through the well-written script and brings the village community atmosphere truly alive. When the gentle John (Andrew Liddon) dies and the tiny WI branch embraces the risks of posing discretely and tastefully nude for their calendar, we see friendships exposed, often with hurtful truths as well as jovial banter. Judi Mars, Jill Emmerson, Lorna Tucker, Jean Kinkaid, Julia Rymer and Toni Penson … Read entire article »
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An Inspector Calls
Open Space Theatre at the Fisher Theatre, Bungay Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 16 September 2013 JB Priestley’s masterfully crafted tale of lies, self-delusion and guilt is touring our region by the respected Open Space group. It’s a dance round suspicions and characters with things to hide, lives turned upside down, reputations destroyed and generational perspectives. Director David Green cleverly balances moods, tensions and undercurrents. Peter Sowerbutts plays the pompous head of the family with his business under threat; Yves Green his equally insufferable wife. Cathy Gill is their daughter, a young woman with a conscience, engaged to an unlikeable, shifty younger version of her father, played by Darren France. Warwick Manning portrays the hapless, ne’er-do-well younger son and Tim Hall presents the mysterious Inspector who mercilessly peels away their outer coats … Read entire article »
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Political ‘Silly’ Season Could Herald the End of the Coalition
Will Tensions Split the Coalition, Autumn 2012? This article was first published on the old Suite 101 suite on 2 September 2012. Now, a year on, with the autumn season upon us it is timely to republish, bearing in mind that Parliament has been recalled and the rows about Syria and war, the internal squabbles of the Labour opposition and the strengthening economy render some of this out of date, the fact is that the Coalition is far from rock solid. British politics’ ‘silly season’ falls between July and party conferences in September/October. It’s when news famine leads to exaggeration to make a story. In July, as the summer recess begins, inhabitants of the Westminster village disperse to constituencies and sunny climes. The repairers move into the Palaces of Parliament and the media … Read entire article »
Filed under: Articles at Suite 101
Raymond Froggatt
Raymond Froggatt at Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 7 September 2013 Froggie welcomed back by adoring fans Feeling like a party crasher, I arrived at the Maddermarket with dozens of avid ‘Froggies’. These are his followers who take ‘fanatic’ to extremes, following him around Britain for gigs. He is on first name terms with half his audience, almost embracing them in mutual admiration if not sheer love. This review is as much about the phenomenon as his concert. Froggart is a singer-songwriter who’s been part of the music scene for decades. He reprised many hits he wrote for stars such as Cliff Richard, Dave Clark Five, Gladys Knight and Daniel O’Donnell. Other songs from his extensive and original catalogue ranged from extended ballads to upbeat clap-alongs. His unique voice, humour and … Read entire article »
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The Vicar of Dibley
The Vicar of Dibley Seagull Theatre, Lowestoft Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 3 September 2013 No, no, no, yes!, TV’s Dibley works on stage It’s a challenge to put the bunch of well-loved, well-known characters who people the TV village of Dibley on the stage with inevitable comparisons with the originals. Director John Hales excels in a masterful showcase of comic madnesses personified by deliciously loopy Alice Tinker (Sharn McDonald), irascible David Horton (Ian Hart), gently eccentric Hugo (Will Isgrove), stuttering sex-obsessed Jim Trott (Bob Vivian), strangely dark Frank Pickle (Roger Lee), earthy farmer Owen Hewitt (Nick Murray-Brown) and culinary experimenter Letty Cropley (Marion Small). The Vicar, Geraldine Granger, is played by Agnes Lillis who captures the essence of Dawn French’s version but brings a self-knowing amusement that makes the part all her own. Laughs … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reviews
Finding Joy
Vamos Theatre, at the Maddermarket, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 15 July 2013 A timely tale – Finding Joy – of an old lady, daughter and grandson was turned into an original, moving piece of theatre that ‘looked beyond the dementia to the person’. Directed by Rachael Savage, four superb actors in masks by Russell Dean played eight slightly exaggerated stereotypical but absorbing and believable characters. We laughed at their actions, cried at the sadness of the hospital ward and gulped as we realised the truths they’d observed and portrayed about aging and caring. There was age-confusion and generational differences. She was not as daft as people thought she was, never parted from her handbag but used toothpaste as hand cream. The youth gently putting his grandmother to bed was touching; the mother’s … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reviews
Tubular Bells For Two
Norwich Playhouse Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 8 July 2013 To every generation, there is given a classic album which becomes iconic, a voice for its age. And in 1973 there was Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells. A pair of highly talented Australian musicians, Aidan Roberts and Daniel Holdsworth, recreate the 30 musical elements that Oldfield originally recorded one at a time and overdubbed. Remastered, developed and used in films and the Olympic ceremony last year, this multi-layered, polyphonic masterpiece more than stands the test of time. With the benefits of state-of-the-art keyboards and surrounded by carefully placed instruments, the nimble, barefoot players leaped around a stage choreography picking up one for a sequence, then another, singing, editing as they went. The acoustic, bass, electric, Spanish and fuzz guitars were there, with multi-timbral synthesiser, Lowry … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reviews
100 Acts of Minor Dissent
Mark Thomas at the Seagull Theatre, Lowestoft Review published in Eastern Daily Press, 15 June 2013 Political activist and comedian Mark Thomas’ one man stand-up show, 100 Acts of Minor Dissent is touring before the Edinburgh Festival. It’s timely, sharp, keenly observed and sends the thrill of the possible down the spines of people becoming numbed by the way life is. He makes his dissent sound reasonable. The little acts of rebellion against authority are frequently subversive, anarchic, mainly legal and invariably cleverly funny. He labels himself ‘normal’, married with children and 50 years old. His self-imposed task is 100 actions to highlight stupidities, loss of individualism and corporatism in a year. His targets are tax-light companies like Amazon, shops like Harrods and Selfridges, misleading brands, bankers, pornography and politicians. Rapid-fire one-liners are followed by a tale … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reviews
British Election Circuses Set for Digital Revolution
Mayoral, Councillor, Police Commissioners, European and Parliamentary elections are entertaining shows, but will technology improve or ruin them? This article first published on Suite 101, 7 May 2012. In some ways like the USA, yet in so many others, very different, the British electoral system is an amalgam of how it has been for two hundred years, how it has been done for most political activists’ lifetimes and the odd experiment/concession in modernity, like postal votes virtually on demand. People are interested/care passionately or are indifferent. But often it appears that the only people who get really excited about all the elections are the media. Yet, everybody who thinks about it appreciates how important democratic decisions are in the lives of every single citizen. City/district and council, parish elections occur every year in some … Read entire article »
Filed under: Articles at Suite 101