Dias de las Noches
Novogo Fronta at the Norwich Arts Centre
Review published by the Eastern Daily Press, 10 March 2005
Dias de las Noches
Theatre that styles itself new frontier sets high expectations in using the old to invent the new.
Set in 1974, two Russian performers have defected to Argentina and as they face the reality of never returning home, they are surrounded by a local military uprising.
Having been told that much, we were off on a madcap whirl of cabaret, circus and burlesque in a seedy underworld peopled by the undead, the disturbed and the frantic.
The show had the air of being rough and ready – spit and sawdust theatre. But that was deceptive. We tapped into somebody’s nightmare with the Big Bang – symbolised by twisted naked bodies writhing to a soundtrack to match.
Some of the ragbag of sketches were funny, others obscure, but all were done with a flourish and admirable energy.
Was this political theatre? Or with their snowstorn finale and video images of Charlie Chaplin, did they confess their debt to their comic roots?
I was still making my mind up when it ended. On one level it was very clever stuff. On another, more emperor’s new clothes level, it was a random mish-mash. Either way it was great fun.
Filed under: Reviews
Marat-Sade
Mouth to Mouth Theatre at The Cut, Halesworth
Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 6 May 2005
Marat-Sade
Not a bad choice of entertainment in General Election week! Marat-Sade, like King Lear, questions the assumption that “sanity” alone brings awareness of reality, while “insanity” distorts reality.
Originally staged in 1964, it is an evocation of Artaud’s Theatre of Cruelty, a powerful, compelling piece with lessons from the Third Reich and earlier history.
A wide knowledge of the aftermath of the French Revolution and the assassination of Marat is not a pre-requisite. Nor are details of the Marquis de Sade’s philosophy. Nor the medical treatment of the insane in 1808.
This shock entertainment is deftly handled by Mouth to Mouth Theatre. Owing much to Brecht in narrative structure and songs, this play allowed the large cast to explore a range of lunatics without falling into a cliche catalogue of disgust and violence.
The central tragedy of Marat was demonstrated well by Paul Baker and his assassin Charlotte Corday (Keshar Whitelock) was chillingly dispassionate.
James Holloway as de Sade was maniacally controlled, sweetly reasonable, as the insane may sometimes appear to be.
The ensemble, the whole motley ragbag, is a credit to the direction of David Green. It was a strangely entertaining, twisted evening with thoughts, ideas and images that will live in the mind – surely the highest theatrical accolade.
Filed under: Reviews
The Hiding Place
Saltmine Theatre Company at The Playhouse, Norwich
Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 18 May 2005
The Hiding Place
Real-life events can sometimes be difficult to work in a theatrical context. Truth is often the first casualty.
But in this perfomance of the Ten Boom family’s heroic hiding of Jews in their clock shop during the Nazi occupation of Holland, truth shines out alongside passion, Christian compassion, love and family values.
Making a welcome return to the city, Saltmine brought their much-acclaimed show, The Hiding Place, out of the lifestory of Corrie Ten Boom and on to the Playhouse stage in an engaging and totally inspirational evening.
Inevitably inviting some comparison with the Diary of Anne Frank and Schindler’s List, this went further.
It’s timely on the 60th anniversary of war’s end to consider how forgiveness can set people free, but this play is layered with a praising of God in all circumstances, however brutal. So the story is familiar but it is courage that sticks in the mind. It’s mercy that spans the years.
This was ‘evil’s hour’ yet the humour of family and character were caught aptly. Bible lessons were paralleled in real-life struggles.
She was helped in her suffering by her unshakeable faith. To be able to embrace a former guard from a concentration camp at the finale and say: “I forgive you with all my heart”, was truly moving.
Filed under: Reviews
The Rat Pack
Theatre Royal, Norwich
Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 5 July 2005
The Rat Pack
I did it my way. A philosophy for the generation who grew up with the Rat Pack.
Songs like That’s Life, That’s Amore, Fly Me to the Moon, Chicago, New York … are the soundtrack of the 1950s and much of the 60s too.
In the company of talented performers, unmistakable music, cool dance moves, it wasn’t hard to imagine being at The Sands, Las Vegas.
Individually and together Sammy Davis Jnr, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra were a force in entertainment that is felt to this day.
The show is a cabaret tribute and more. The luscious Berelli Sisters were the dancing chorus eye candy – It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing. They swung.
The 15-piece band on stage, and musical director Colin Campbell were formidable.
Nigel Casey, as Martin, had the edge on the jokes (and it’s a pity that Norfolk’s own Phil Barley was not playing tonight) but Allie Laurie as Davis Jnr was a fireball of energy and his Mr Beaujangles was near perfect.
Henry Prego as Sinatra was the Leader and the three men worked in harmony allowing banter, jokes on women, booze and race to reveal a fascinating insight into their relationship.
A night to remember, foot tapping, body-warming classy show – pure style and cool sophistication.
Filed under: Reviews
Vincent in Brixton
Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich
Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 25 June 2005
Vincent in Brixton
Would Vincent van Gogh be remembered today if he had become a preacher? We’ll never know. His destiny was to paint and his life led that way.
It’s that early life in the form of a portrait of an artist as a young man that is the burden of this play.
It is a fresh perspective, though it divided the critics from breathless admiration to ‘an impersonation of writing’.
Director Rhett Davies takes the five-strong cast through the twists of fortune as young Vincent works for an art dealer in London and lodges in Brixton.
Falling first for the daughter – elegantly played by Millie Woolsey-Brown, despite her ties to a fellow lodger amusingly played by Owen Bevan – he discovers art is the rightful property of the working man.
Vincent (Roland Jeffs) – the compelling, single-minded obsessive, unable to keep a secret – is the detective worrying away at the mysteries of the house, and he was just superb
The widow (Judi Daykin), magnificently raging at the futility of life renewing itself in the young while attracted to Vincent’s ruefulness, was pivotal as her ultimate isolation descended even as she recognised Vincent’s genius.
A commendable show, and all credit to the Maddermarket for taking on recent writing and for performing it so well.
Filed under: Reviews
Tamla Motown
Theatre Royal, Norwich
Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 27 June 2005
Tamla Motown
Along with mini-skirts, long hair and flower-power, Tamla Motown is the 60s.
Those of a certain age have only to catch the opening bars of Reach Out I’ll Be There, Baby Love or Get Ready, to start grooving all over again.
To have a string of the greatest mighty Motown classics in 60’s costumes, hair-dos and dance routines as performed by The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations, The Miracles and Stevie Wonder, was sheer joy.
These were living funky artistes, re-creating the heyday of that unique sound from Detroit that gave a voice to black and white people, then as now.
Story there was none – the music spoke for itself. Just to list the titles of the songs is to conjure the era and tell you it was a knock-out show.
Filed under: Reviews
Romeo and Juliet
Shakespearean Lunges at The Seagull Theatre, Lowestoft
Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 26 August 2005
Romeo and Juliet
The launch of a new amateur theatre ensemble of students and older people is an exciting event.
The intriguingly-entitled company is Shakespearean Lunges and their choice of one of the most well-known tragedies from the Bard’s cannon for their debut, is a challenging one.
There is always a difficulty in reciting lines that have become part of the fabric of our English language, but director Sam Grayston has found a number of fresh angles.
Modern settings and touches like slow dancing at the Capulets’ ball, small but well-formed comic moments from characters and Tybalt’s blood spat over Romeo’s face, all work to lift the text.
Love’s young dream is Romeo (Rhys King) whose measured victim-hood is contrasted with Juliet’s (Jennifer Parsons) energy, that catches the likeness of a young teenager before horror engulfs her.
Opening nerves give way to a confident interpretation. Sue Campbell-Bannerman as the Nurse is spot-on; Chris Whiting as the short-lived Mercutio is excellent, and Phil Everest’s Paris is wonderfully oily.
As they work and perform together more, the star-crossed lovers, leading stage stars in the making, can only grow in stature. We will be seeing a lot more of this promising company.
Filed under: Reviews
And Then There Were None
Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich
Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 19 August 2005
And Then There Were None
Lovers of art-deco crime, of the English island view of the world of twists and turns in plot, of actors who go beyond stereotypical characters and fans of the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, should set course for the Maddermarket.
And Then There Were None is based on a verse, Ten Little Soldiers,the plot ingeniously sees a mystery host bring ten unconnected people to an island to accuse them of a variety of murders. Subsequently they are bumped off in increasingly gruesome acts of vengeance.
Undercurrents of loathing, class conflict and a sense of period are directed superbly by Peter Sowerbutts around a clever and workable set.
Stylistically it is difficult to portray characters who face certain but random death as the twists raise the tempo, but they found their feet and maintained the humour to entertain us all.
The characters are unlovely but eccentric while the performers drive the plot effectively. Unfair to single any out, but John Mangan’s cop pretending to be South African and Neville Miller as the dotty codger really stick in the mind.
The denouement is both unexpected and satisfying, bringing to an end an enjoyable night at the theatre.
And one lucky member of the audience each night will win a copy of the book. Go for it!
Filed under: Reviews
Moll Flanders
Kaos Theatre at The Playhouse, Norwich
Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 6 October 2005
Moll Flanders
Kaos Theatre returns to Norwich with a reputation for cutting-edge physical theatre and original storytelling. Expectations are high in the tale of the heroine/anti-heroine Moll, whore, victim, thief, woman….
The trouble is, Moll is played by a man (to reflect that the story is really of the disreputable writer Daniel Defoe himself). Many of the male and female parts are strangely swapped. By the end, the confusion has ceased to be comic and become distasteful and pointless.
If there was any doubt that performance art reinvents the past, this is proof.
It has shades of The Beggar’s Opera (six songs and early musical theatre) and a touch of Brecht’s Threepenny Opera (music, villains and a moral message).
But the main element is farce – masses of comings and goings through doors, windows, panels and drawers. There are dropped pants galore and endless parading of an artificial penis strapped to a woman.
In the second half there was welcome relief from all the simulated copulation in the form of a house fire.
After two hours of the romp, debauch and unlikely circumstance, the whole is something of a letdown. Like many sexual anticipations, I’m told!
Filed under: Reviews
A Dulditch Angel
Eastern Angles Theatre Company at The Cut, Halesworth
Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 29 September 2005
A Dulditch Angel
The latest show by Eastern Angles has been launched on its tour of venues across our region. And a gripping tour-de-force it is.
Five talented and versatile cast weave the fabric of a rural community struggling, loving, marrying and dying.
Told from the stories of Mary Mann, it is set as the 19th century gives way to the 20th. However, the performance style gives it a timeless, haunting resonance with all English life.
Few may have heard of Mary Mann – but one of her stories of love between a gamekeeper and an educated woman was pilfered by DH Lawrence and became Lady Chatterley’s Lover.
Eastern Angles are doing a service bringing these darkly humorous tales to a wider audience.
The experiment of the rector hoeing turnips for a week and forcing his household to survive on 11 shillings wages is the central yarn. But skilled acting, tight writing and immaculate direction makes this a total taste of all life.
The comedy slides from visual to verbal, incorporating mime, direct address and physical theatre.
The set is a square of parquet that serves as room and village. It’s a delight and a privilege to spend a couple of hours sharing that world and the vagaries of our history and our present with such absorbing characters. Such wonderful performers.
Filed under: Reviews