Round up of theatre & other goodies

Once again I've lost track of time and 2 months have passed by far too quickly and un-blogged about. Scandalous I know. So here is a quick snapshot of the things I've seen in my on-going glut of theatre & stuff.

Late September we have:

Oh the Humanity at the Soho Theatre: a wonderful cocktail of short plays brought to life expertly by some truly exceptional performances.

Rachel Sermanni at Bush Hall: she was so good I bought her album (which continues to delight) and I got the added bonus of discovering a fabulous new (to me) venue

In October the theatre train kept rolling:

A double bill of Ding Dong the Wicked and Love & Information at the Royal Court, both by Caryl Churchill who is a playwright I hugely admire. Lots of short pieces, some funny, some shocking, some sad but all reflecting the lives we (the broad mass of humanity) are living today. 

Chavs at the Lyric Hammersmith - the theme of short plays continues here. Fabulous collection of short works inspired by  "Chavs, the Demonization of the Working Class" by Owen Jones. Loved them, really true to the spirit of their source of inspiration, resulting in powerful and enjoyable political theatre.

Josephine Hart poetry week at the Arts Theatre - I sadly couldn't do every night but I did make it along for the Philip Larkin evening. I remembered loving his work back in my school days and hearing them read by such a talented group of actors was uplifting. Hopefully next year I can further expand my repertoire.

Timon of Athens at the National Theatre - what a great production! By the interval I was questioning why this is such a rarely performed piece by Shakespeare.  The answer was clear by the end, as the play does lose its power in the 2nd half. Saying that, this is more to do with faults with the source work and not in the production or performances, which were of an exceptional standard throughout.

Hello November, I'm almost up to date

The Divine Comedy at the Royal Festival Hall. It was Neil Hannon's 42nd birthday and a great time was had by all. The evening included party hats, party blowers (oh the noise), a cake, a giant no 42, lots of big present shaped boxes, a hidden string quartet, the whole of Promenade from start to finish and guest appearances by the fabulous Tom Chaplin and Alison Moyet.  As per usual Mr Hannon completely over delivered and I left the event feeling exhilarated. Bloody awesome.

A double bill of Chewing Gum Dreams and Chapel Street at the Bush Theatre as part of RADAR 2012, their new writers festival. Both were strong pieces.  The stand out for me was Chewing Gum Dreams, a solo performance that really got under my skin. A very truthful and affecting work of theatre.  Chapel Street was definitely an interesting piece, some really clever ideas in there but there was something a little distracting about it, which stopped it being as powerful a piece as it could have been.

The Magistrate at the Olivier (National Theatre). Both the set and costume designers deserve accolades for their work on the Magistrate, as from the first you are struck by the visual impact of the production.  In terms of the overall piece I understand that the critics haven't been overly rapturous about it, which I don't believe is fair. It is a really strong production of very lighthearted and frivolous farce.  I'd give this a firm 3.5/5 stars if I was into that sort of thing.  A fun, enjoyable and visually stunning confection. Plus it has the added benefit of still being on (ok so I'm rubbish at timely reviewing)

The Story Book Project 4 at Theatre 503. Collection of 10 short 10 minute plays by up & coming playwrights.  The quality of the collection was exceptional (to quote my mum).  Both the writing and acting talent on display makes me excited about the future of theatre (now if only our government could get with the program and stop cutting funding to the Arts, I could get really excited)

Berenice at the Donmar Warehouse.  Anne Marie Duff is a consistently wonderful actress and as Berenice she was magnificent. For Racine, this was a virtually perky story (SPOILER ALERT: no-one dies! But they do all agree to live in the misery & loneliness of lost love).  Overall a strong production but I did feel that both Titus and Antiochus could have had more emotional clout, in places it felt like the actors were tripping over the language. Racine can be a tad unwieldy.

Well that brings us almost up to date but the final review will wait until tomorrow. This is because I promised my friend Mark I would write it and if I don't do it justice I'll never hear the end of it (Mark you know it's true). So tomorrow evening you can look forward to my review of Cabaret. This is not for the current West End production featuring the ever gracious Will Young but the City of London school production. An ambitious piece to pick for a school play but, not to give too much away, they rose to the challenge.

Confessions of a theatre devil incarnate

It isn't every week that I go to the theatre 4 times, although it must feel that way for a lot of my friends. This last week was a prime example of cultural gluttony and I'm not even vaguely sorry. I wouldn't have missed any of the shows. Arguably I didn't need to see Brand New Ancients for a 2nd time, but to quote Lear "reason not the need". Plus the only thing stopping me trying for a 3rd viewing is the fact that the sold out run has now finished. 

So last week can be summarised as follows:

King  Lear at the Almeida on Monday

Brand New Ancients at the BAC on Wednesday

Hedda Gabler (plus post show Q&A) at the Old Vic on Thursday

Twelfth Night at the Globe on Saturday

I've already posted about Lear, a really good production that is worth catching. While it may not have left me as stirred as the 2003 Almeida production, any high quality performance of Lear demands to be seen, in my humble opinion it is  Shakespeare's best work.

 My second viewing of Brand New Ancients has cemented my fandom of Kate Tempest. She is intimidatingly talented & yet so down to earth & real in person that I wonder if she grasps just how great she is. This 2nd time the tears came earlier as I experienced a whole new dimension of enjoyment because I knew where the story was taking us.

Another joy of Brand New Ancients was the audience, so many young people who were clearly transfixed throughout the performance & quick to show their appreciation with a standing ovation at the end. It is exactly this kind of show that brings fresh blood into our theatres. I think the BAC are doing a lot of great work in terms of making theatre relevant to younger people, and have become one of my favourite theatres in London as a result.

Saying that the casting of Sheridan Smith as Hedda Gabler at the Old Vic was also an inspired move, bringing fresh new audience to this classic play. I must confess that I'm not a Hedda expert. The post show Q&A with the director, Anna Makmin, and Sheridan Smith was illuminating. I hadn't realise just how much Friel had played with the original text in order to create this adaptation. Saying that, one  of my favourite scenes apparently doesn't exist in the original so I'm not going to sit in the purist camp on this one. 

I also learned that Hedda is frequently played as a cold & heartless ice queen. That is not the case with this production, thank god. While Hedda is flawed and does many cruel things, Sheridan Smith's performance is so delicate & layered that you can't help but feel for her. The frustration of having no power over her own life is palpable. The entire cast are brilliant resulting in a breathtaking piece of theatre. 

Whether you've seen Hedda as often as I've seen Lear, or know nothing about the play, this production is really worth seeing. The lovely Louise (my Hedda theatre buddy) is already plotting a 2nd trip she loved it so much. Catch it if you can.

Last but not least, I was one of the lucky folk with tickets for Twelfth Night at the Globe. Among my favourite Shakespearean comedies (Much Ado and Midsummer being my other loves), I'd secured my spot long before the casting of Stephen Fry was confirmed. Fortunately my friend Andrew is a friend of the Globe so we get early booking. A must for those of us who can't face standing for long periods of time. Well, in my defence, it isn't pure laziness, I do have a dodgy back.

While we did have to contend with the frustration of a pillar blocking a lot of the front of stage action (& of all the shows I've seen at the Globe, Twelfth Night had the largest proportion of action taking place front of stage) this was an exuberant & fun all male production.

With such a talented cast, all gifted with excellent comic timing, my witch like cackle got a really good work out. I laughed a lot! Mark Rylance had us howling with laughter just at the way he walked. He didn't even need to speak, our sides were already splitting. Stephen Fry was perfect for poor, yellowed stockinged & cross gartered Malvolio. In fact I could sit here for hours praising each member of the cast. They were all, to a man, fabulous.

I would love to know just how much corpsing there was during rehearsals. I wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face. I'd have been fired for giggling.

As you can see I've been a jammy theatre devil. It has been a wonderful week to be me.  

Next week will be quieter. I have Oh the Humanity at Soho theatre to look forward to. From what I've heard on the jungle drums, I'm in for a treat. Plus it is good timing to indulge in some short plays as I'm currently embarking on the adventure of writing one (eek). 

On top of my theatre outing I've also won tickets to see Rachel Sermanni in concert. It has been a while since I've been to a gig, so i'm really looking forward to it. She has a lovely voice & is such a gifted songwriter. It is going to be wonderful. 

I hope you are all looking forward to some wonderfulness next week as well. Don't be too shy to pounce on the opportunities around you. Whatever your poison, don't ration you lives.  It isn't pure selfishness you know, an inspired mind is much more likely to achieve great things. Plus I know I'm a nicer person to be around when I'm getting regular doses of cultural goodness.

Obsessed with Lear

I have an obsession with King Lear. If it is on & I hear about it, I have to see it.  There have been some productions where I've been so hooked I've had to watch it multiple times, something about that play really gets under my skin. In terms of the richness of the language it is Shakespeare at the very peak of his powers.

The current production at the Almeida did not disappoint. While it has not triggered my obsessive need to repeat view, it is nonetheless a very solid and well performed production.  Jonathan Pryce makes a wonderful Lear. One moment he is convincingly  obnoxious and selfish, the next quite roaring mad and in the end, so reduced that I cried.

Other stand out performances included Zoe Waites as a beautifully cruel Goneril, Ian Gelder as loyal Kent and Richard Goulding as a spirited Edgar. I also enjoyed Phoebe Fox's feisty Cordelia, it was so nice not to have her moping around being all goodness & perfection. This Cordelia is a living and breathing human, not some 2 dimensional symbol of female virtue.

Edmund remains my favourite Shakespearean villain, and Kieran Bew brings him to life with a healthy dose of bluntness that brings his selfishness & all consuming ambition to the fore.  

The only reason that I'm not queuing up to go back for another helping is that it was essentially (apologies for repeating myself) a very solid production, with no major surprises, the most controversial aspect being an angry Cordelia. Maybe  I've seen too many Lears over the years, or maybe seeing  fresh modern fringe theatre means  that I require higher levels of innovation to keep me entertained.  I suspect ultimately it is to do with the overall chemistry of the complete piece.

 Many years ago I saw a production of Lear also at the Almeida (although they were in a temporary site at the time) which I was compelled to see 3 times. Oliver Ford Davies was Lear, and he was excellent. But what really hooked me was the interplay between Edmund (James Frain) and Edgar (Tom Hollander). It was the first production that made me care about poor Edgar's fate, while Frain was so deliciously villainous as Edmund that you really felt torn between the two. 

Chemistry is a funny thing, particularly in the world of theatre. You can break apart the pieces of the whole & enjoy them based on their individual merit but when put together some magic ingredient might be missing. So good doesn't quite attain the heights of greatness.

Saying that, this is most definitely a very good Lear. 

Brand New Ancients

Today has been a good day. One of those days that just roll smoothly. It involved an early start (early mornings & I have a difficult relationship at best) and a long train journey, but all parts of the transport jigsaw clicked together perfectly. There were two big meetings that were being approached with twinges of trepidation but went better than I'd dared hope.  The journey home got off to an earlier than anticipated start & again the journey was smooth & sweetened by good conversation. As effortless as a Manchester to London followed by a cross London commute home could ever be.

So when I stepped out of my home to go & meet a friend for pre-theatre food followed by Brand New Ancients at the BAC I was feeling confident of a good evening. It was just that kind of blessed day. My confidence was so high I risked the bus over the train. They never normally turn up moments after I reach the bus stop (my friends can vouch for my relatively common bus related rages) but today the normal rules did not apply.

Dropped a dozen steps from the restaurant. Food was lovely & my friend was buoyed with her own good news. Life is good.

We headed to the BAC for pre show twitter tix drinks. The atmosphere was electric. It was opening night. Expectations were high and it was a full house.

As a spot of background Brand New Ancients is a brand new piece of theatre written and performed by Kate Tempest. The score was composed by Nell Catchpole in collaboration with Kwake Bass, Jo Gibson, Natasha Zielazinski & Raven Bush.  It went through several scratch sessions but tonight was the premiere of the finished piece.

I didn't really know what to expect but frankly I like that sense of discovery when I go to see any performance art. What I didn't expect was to find myself standing and clapping like a crazy woman, tears in my eyes because I'd just experienced something so genuine and true. Kate Tempest can find love & humanity in the most unexpected & unforgiven people. Her storytelling is powerful & evocative. You feel that she loves her characters no matter how flawed, or twisted by their circumstances. It is impossible not to respond to that. Add to that the disarming way she peppers the piece with her own thoughts and the performance feels very fresh & alive.

I now have an amazing feeling of clarity. I was considering going straight to bed the minute I got home but I didn't want to squander this feeling.  My breath was taken. I still feel a bit out of puff.  When I said that today was a good day I lied, it was bloody amazing!

Brand New Ancients is on at the Battersea Arts Centre until 22nd September.  Nab tickets while you can because if this doesn't sell out on word of mouth alone, the world is even madder than I thought.

A London Lunchbreak

Apologies for my long absence. It has been a busy few months as I ultimately decided to take the leap and move back to London. While I love Australia, and Sydney will always feel like a second home, the lure of family & friends was just too strong. My attempts at being a rootless citizen of the world only helped me realise just how rooted I really am.

So now I am back in London. I arrived late November and started working almost straight away (I'm not happy unless I'm busy & never let me pretend otherwise). It has been quite an emotional adjustment but I'm still very much at peace with the decision that I made to return. I'm happy here.

In order to ensure I remain happy I have fully embraced the cultural richness that London offers. It feels really good to behave like a tourist in my own city. I recommend it to everyone. I'm going to lots of plays, concerts, films, dinners with friends and I'm taking very long walks through the streets of London to make sure that all that London-ness seeps in and warms my bones.

There are some hangovers (good ones) from Sydney. Given my propensity to walk, I've become addicted to London's bridges. Waterloo, as always, remains my favourite for the "London moment" views (proximity to Waterloo station doesn't hurt either). I think this is because I need to see the water. I saw Sydney Harbour everyday, the water soothes me. I suspect that a proper trip to the sea will be required soon though, the Thames can only do so much.

The other habit is my lunchtime walks. Instead of strolling by the harbour in a summer dress though I'm now wrapped up warm and strolling through Regent's Park (right next to my office). It has to be one of my favourite London parks. You walk through certain parts & feel like you've stepped back in time. Exactly what you need to re-set the old brain cells in the middle of a hard day's work.

Speaking of which I'd better tie up a few bits & bobs before I can enjoy an indulgent weekend packed full of London goodness.