comedy – Page 18 – Theatre Things

Review: The Importance of Being Earnest at the Bridewell Theatre

Published on March 2, 2017January 6, 2018 by LizLeave a comment

After a long and stressful day, the Tower Theatre Company’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest was just what the doctor ordered. This absurd little story never fails to tickle me, and makes me curiously proud to be British – especially when done as well as it is here.

The story is probably familiar to most: Jack loves Gwendolen, who seems to return his affection – but only because she thinks his name is Ernest. Meanwhile Gwendolen’s cousin Algernon is setting out to seduce Jack’s ward Cecily – by pretending to be his younger brother, Ernest. Inevitably, the four lovers end up in the same place, pursued by Gwendolen’s mother Lady Bracknell… and chaos, confusion and a good deal of coincidence ensue.

It’s a play that demands to be hammed up, and everything about director Martin Mulgrew’s production is wildly over the top, while remaining perfectly polished. It also boasts a cast who know exactly how to extract maximum laughs from Oscar Wilde’s witty script: Bernard Brennan’s Jack is endearingly awkward, particularly when faced with Helen McGill’s Gwendolen, who’s definitely not backward in coming forward. (The same, incidentally, could be said for Karen Walker’s Miss Prism, who doesn’t try to hide her admiration for local vicar Dr Chasuble, played by Ian Recordon.) Imogen de Ste Croix’s Cecily is pure sweetness with just a hint of steely-eyed bunny boiler; her matter-of-fact account of how she engaged herself to the fictional Ernest three months before meeting him is a highlight. And Murray Deans almost steals the show with his thoroughly eccentric Algernon, whose sudden bursts of silent manic laughter are not so much charming as ever so slightly alarming.

I say he almost steals the show, because – as in pretty much any production of The Importance of Being Earnest – the stage really belongs to the formidable Lady Bracknell, played to perfection here by Helen McCormack. Lady Bracknell gets all the best lines, and McCormack delivers them with relish and expert timing, not to mention a suitably scandalised expression at the prospect of marrying off her daughter to a man who began life in a handbag.

The play has three distinct acts, and Jude Chalk and Bernard Brennan’s set is simple yet effective, adapting with minimal fuss behind a curtain at each of the two short intervals. Costume designer Haidee Elise has also pulled out all the stops to produce some stunning outfits, and not just for the ladies – Algy’s pinstripe blazer is quite a sight to behold.

After their week’s run in London, the Tower Theatre are taking the production to the USA. One can only imagine what Americans make of Wilde’s play, which paints an interesting picture of British high society – although having said that, I quite like the idea that they picture us Brits sitting around eating muffins in moments of crisis. If our friends overseas enjoy the evening half as much as I did, though, they’re in for a good time. Another high quality production from the Tower Theatre, The Importance of Being Earnest is hugely entertaining and quite, quite mad – just as I’m sure its writer intended.

Can’t see the map on iPhone? Try turning your phone to landscape and that should sort it. I don’t know why but I’m working on it… 😉

Review: Thisbe at Gerry’s, Stratford East

Published on February 25, 2017January 6, 2018 by Liz1 Comment

It’s reassuring to learn I’m not the only one who finds the end of A Midsummer Night’s Dream vaguely unsatisfying. You know, the one where Demetrius wakes up inexplicably in love with Helena, despite having pursued Hermia all night, and nobody bats an eyelid. It may have seemed like a happy ending for all concerned, but to be honest I’ve always felt a bit bad for Helena, married to a man who only loves her because of a magic spell, rather than because of who she is.

Door Ajar Theatre clearly had similar doubts, and so bring us Thisbe, a charming and very funny follow-up to Shakespeare’s comedy. Fourteen years have passed, and Demetrius and Helena’s teenage daughter Thisbe is tired of always coming second place to her mum in her dad’s affections. Desperate to know what happened all those years ago, she ventures into the woods, where she encounters Puck and his fairies – who have lost none of their appetite for chaos. But it turns out love is a much more complicated business than Thisbe realises, and suddenly it’s up to her to save her parents’ marriage… assuming she wants to, that is.

Directed by Roberta Zuric, the show transfers the action to a modern day setting, and is performed by a cast of six talented actor-musicians working together as a seamless ensemble. Rosalind Burt hits exactly the right note as Thisbe, a stroppy yet utterly relatable teenager – though her story may be one of magic, the emotions behind it are all too familiar. Joey Hickman is a hilarious Puck; no longer under Oberon’s thumb, he’s very much the boss in the woods these days, but there’s more than a little of the petulant child in him too.

Anne-Marie Piazza and David Osmond play Thisbe’s bemused parents, quoting Shakespeare in moments of high tension, and – in one of my favourite scenes – regressing fourteen years and getting into a fight with an equally bewildered Hermia (played by the show’s writer, Samantha Sutherland). Meanwhile, the show is BSL interpreted by Jennifer Wilson, who also narrates and plays one of the conflicting voices in Thisbe’s head; and because she’s not only there to sign but as an active member of the cast, the BSL feels very naturally integrated and is a welcome addition to the show rather than a distraction.

At just 75 minutes, the show moves very fast, with cast members switching roles in the blink of an eye (and the change of a hat), playing a variety of instruments – not just on the catchy, toe-tapping musical numbers, but to create sound effects too – and constantly rearranging the set as the action changes location. This is a very physical show, which requires its cast to be on the move (and in the right place) throughout, and they all throw themselves energetically into the action without missing a beat.

There are, as you might expect, plenty of witty and well-placed references to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but the plot of Thisbe necessarily allows for a handy synopsis – “what happened in the woods…?” – so that any audience members who might not be aware of the characters’ backstory don’t miss out.

I don’t know if Thisbe is the sequel Shakespeare would have come up with, but it certainly answers a few of my questions – and it’s also a really entertaining story in its own right. Funny, relevant and beautifully performed, this is an exciting debut from Door Ajar Theatre; let’s hope we see a lot more of them in the future.

Can’t see the map on iPhone? Try turning your phone to landscape and that should sort it. I don’t know why but I’m working on it… 😉

Interview: Adam Bambrough, Four Thieves’ Vinegar

Published on February 16, 2017 by LizLeave a comment

“Four Thieves’ Vinegar is a character driven piece of new writing, set in London during the plague of 1665, which explores the behaviour of ordinary people in times of disaster,” says Adam Bambrough, Artistic Director of The 42nd Theatre Company. The play, written by Christine Foster, opens next month at the Barons Court Theatre and is the company’s debut production.

“I set up The 42^nd Theatre Company as I wanted to be involved in the creative process from the ground up,” explains Adam. “I was a theatre actor for years and grew tired of working for companies who used their actors as pawns, rather than assistant story-tellers, so moved into directing with the aim of being more creative. This company was meant to be a side project in-between directing published plays elsewhere, but it has evolved into so much more.

“Our underlying ambition is to become the leading theatre company for unproduced writers and emerging artists in the UK. We’re a long, long way from achieving that, but hopefully, this production will be the first step along that path.”

Since being established in 2013, Adam and the team have received over 2,000 plays, but Christine Foster’s first professional full-length play stood out from the crowd. “We work with writers who’ve never had their work produced before, so most plays that we receive are a long way from being ready for the stage – but we read every submission that we receive in full, looking for signs of an interesting story, told with relatable characters and memorable moments.

“Even in the first draft, Four Thieves’ Vinegar had those qualities, more so than any of the other submissions that we read. There was a story that immediately interested me, characters who I connected with and moments that I could imagine audiences going to bed at night thinking about. If there’s one word I’d like people to use after seeing this show, it’s ‘relatable’.”

Four Thieves’ Vinegar follows alchemist Matthias, who’s been thrown in jail and must enlist the dubious help of his cellmates Hannah and Jennet to make a cure for the Black Death. But even though it’s set in 1665, the story is still very relevant to our lives today. “The play examines the human spirit, the most connectable theme of all,” says Adam. “Every one of us is faced with circumstances at some point in our lives that we do not know how we will react to until we are faced by them, whatever the scale – and the parallels to modern life can be found all over the world, be it in the current migration crisis or the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa a few years ago.”

As well as their passion for supporting new writers, The 42nd Theatre Company are also committed to fair wages for the artists they work with, and to equal representation for women. “Starting a new theatre company is the perfect opportunity to remodel the way things are done and a lot of our core principles came from my experiences as an actor – and, to a lesser extent, as a director for hire,” explains Adam. “I am a firm believer that artists should be treated with respect from the outset and paid for their work, which is why we are a proud supporter of Equity’s Professionally Made Professionally Paid campaign. There should be opportunities for new voices to be heard in theatre, as there is so much potential out there, it just needs to be nurtured.

“There are also some principles that stem from my personal life. I have a three-year-old daughter and I often wonder what the theatre landscape will look like for her when she is older. I want her to be treated as fairly and equally as any man, which led me to commit to ensuring that at least half of the cast and creative team on our every production, including Four Thieves’ Vinegar, will be women. There really should be equally representation and opportunity for all in theatre, regardless of gender, race or social background.”

Four Thieves’ Vinegar is at the Barons Court Theatre from 8th-26th March.

Review: Three Unrelated Short Plays at Theatre N16

Published on February 13, 2017January 6, 2018 by LizLeave a comment

Three Unrelated Short Plays is the debut production from Blank Tin Productions, and does exactly what it says on the… er, tin: three 20-minute plays, none of which bears any relation to the others – or indeed to reality as we know it. The press release promises weird and unexpected, and that’s exactly what we get.

In The Stuttgart Syndrome, John (James Messer) wakes up tied to a chair in a basement, next to Mickey (Dan Thorn), who seems worryingly chilled about the whole situation – possibly because his grandfather was an escapologist, or maybe just because he doesn’t actually know what kidnapping means. One Scotch sees friends Tony, Danny and Jack (James McClelland, Abe Buckoke and Will Jeffs) play a drinking game that will supposedly allow them to meet God, but it turns out (s)he isn’t quite what they were expecting… and that’s not the only surprise of the night. And in Who the Fuck is Dr Deathzo? mild-mannered Kevin (Jimmy Roye Dunne) learns that he’s got an evil alter-ego who only comes out on Saturday nights – and as if that’s not bad enough, now superhero Assorted Props Girl (Elle Banstead-Salim) and her sidekick Tape Boy are out to vanquish him.

three-unrelated-short-plays-5 — Photo credit: Oliver Malam

So. You get the idea. Nothing here makes any sense, but then it’s not really supposed to. Writer James Messer has let his imagination run off pretty much wherever it wants to go, resulting in a show that’s entirely bonkers and very very silly – but hey, who doesn’t enjoy a bit of silliness every now and then?

Each play has a different director (Will Jeffs, Oliver Malam and James Messer each taking a turn) and cast to keep things fresh, and as promised in the title each is a completely separate, self-contained story. Personally, I found the middle piece, One Scotch, to be the strongest, possibly because despite being quite as mad as the others, the plot felt just a touch more coherent, and I loved the twist in the tale. But there’s something here for everyone (unless you’re not a fan of random), and it’s likely everyone will have their own favourite, for different reasons.

The show has a charming, homemade feel, with frequent references to the limitations imposed by a fringe theatre budget. And far from making excuses, it revels in its own chaos; the transitions between plays are part of the fun, with cardboard signs imploring us to look at the guy juggling, or dancing, rather than the frantic scene changing going on behind him.

three-unrelated-short-plays-4 — Photo credit: Oliver Malam

The cast display a similar exuberance, throwing themselves into their assorted roles with an enthusiasm that borders at times on the hyperactive. Most appear in more than one play, with Blank Tin co-founder Elle Banstead-Salim popping up in all three as a selection of increasingly feisty women; as the only female cast member it’s down to her to bring all the girl power, and she doesn’t hesitate to accept the challenge.

As a reviewer, I often feel I have to find the meaning in every play I see, so it’s a rare pleasure to see a show that isn’t trying to tell us anything. Blank Tin just want to have a good time, and to make sure the audience have fun too. And in that they definitely succeed. It’s a surreal night out, don’t get me wrong – but it’s also a thoroughly entertaining escape from reality, and that’s something we could all do with these days.

Can’t see the map on iPhone? Try turning your phone to landscape and that should sort it. I don’t know why but I’m working on it… 😉

Interview: Instinct Theatre, Tea and Good Intentions

Published on January 31, 2017 by LizLeave a comment

Lily Driver and Felicity Huxley-Miners co-run Instinct Theatre, whose original play, Tea and Good Intentions, comes to the Kings Head, Islington, for two performances in February. The play, written by Felicity, continues the company’s theme of topical and powerful theatre, with a look at the very first meeting between Adar, a Syrian migrant, and Margaret, a middle-aged housewife who has tentatively opened her home to him.

“Felicity and I met at drama school, Italia Conti, aged 18, on the acting course,” says Lily. “We started Instinct Theatre to create our own work and hoped for exposure, but we were surprised by the vast number of roles we ended up playing within the company. However the business, social, IT, writing and marketing skills that have developed as a product of running Instinct Theatre have been a happy bonus!

“I directed our first play, Sartre’s No Exit, in a small venue in Surrey in mid-2015. Felicity played one of the female leads. We had no budget and no real expectations of how it would go, but it was a sell-out run and we received great reviews. We decided to make Instinct Theatre official, and it bloomed from mostly passion, and trial and error.

“No Exit was set in the round and the idea was to draw the audience in and make for a thought-provoking piece. This idea of wanting to affect the audience is how we reached our ethos of creating powerful and relevant theatre, addressing topics that are featured highly in current media. I don’t believe that the media has the best impact on people’s education on topics such as the Syrian migrant crisis; however this is where the vast majority receive their information. We wanted to create an entertaining, moving and informative play to give a wider view on the topic.”

In light of recent events, this is more important than ever. “Although President Trump’s drastic decision to ban seven nationalities from entering the US has faced a massive backlash from all over the world, there are vast amounts of people that would argue this is the correct decision – and this is due to manipulation by the media,” argues Lily. “However, last year there were 372 mass shootings caused by Americans in the US, killing 475 people. The recent list of nationalities banned from entering the US have caused zero fatal attacks. Two attacks were carried out by individuals with ties to the seven countries: the 2006 UNC SUV attack, and the 2016 Ohio State University attack. Neither of those plots resulted in American deaths.

“You can’t get more current than Tea and Good Intentions. A Syrian refugee is rehoused by a middle aged northern lady in a village in the north of England. It’s a touching and affective comedy that’s been featured in several new writing scratch nights in London, with wonderful reviews and comments such as, ‘All the components are there for a classic comedy.’ The first time a scene from the play was included in a new writing scratch night, the audience found it hilarious and really soaked up the details and characters of the play. And that’s when we realised that even when exploring serious issues, people are most perceptive when being entertained – which is the reason why the play was written in full as a comedy.”

Since the new writing scratch nights, there have been some changes: “We have a whole new experienced cast, and have also had the pleasure of working with a Syrian who came to England as a refugee and will now be performing in Tea and Good Intentions,” says Lily. “We were thrilled when Baraa Halabieh got in contact with us and said he wanted to be involved. Little did we know at this stage, Baraa had been very busy in the acting world since he arrived only nine months ago. And although he had no previous acting experience we learned quickly that he was very talented and an incredible asset to us.

“We’re also very excited to be working with director Adam Morley. Adam is an award-winning film and theatre director who’s worked extensively touring in the UK, on the West End and for Baroque Theatre Company. We met about a year ago at a workshop he was doing for Actor Awareness, and will also be co-producing a Greek comedy, Lysistrata, with him in autumn of this year.”

Book now for Tea and Good Intentions on 11th and 24th February at the King’s Head Theatre.

To find out more about Instinct Theatre, visit their website, or follow them on Facebook or Twitter.