Girl from the North Country @Gielgud Theatre

11.01.2020

The musical that doesn’t feel like one.

Accompanying my mum to Girl from the North Country on the basis that it ‘has Bob Dylan music in it’, I had no preconceptions as to what it would be like and even though I knew it had been well received, I was taken aback by the ingenuity of the piece. GFTNC is categorised as a musical so predictably music is a central component, however it felt more like a kitchen sink drama come concert in comparison to thoroughgoing musicals such as Come From Away. Set in an American guesthouse in 1934, the play concerns itself with family issues; infidelity, illness and finance consume the plot. Within this the music acts as a kind of melancholic soundtrack, distinct from yet descriptive of the scenes. The most thorough performance came from Katie Brayben who played Elizabeth Laine, the mentally ill wife of the house owner. She convincingly inhabited the illness both in its comedic and frightening moments. Gloria Obianyo who played Marianne stood out as the best vocalist, as her soulful voice was more like a blues artist than your typical west-end performer.

The Set Design reflected its genre.

The design of the set was both naturalistic and abstract. The band was present throughout the show positioned upstage right, always in view but separate from the scenes amplifying the intrusion of the music into what, in terms of writing, could have been an ordinary play. A piano, downstage right appeared naturalistic and was used throughout the scenes mostly by Elizabeth while a drum kit, downstage left was visually out of place and was used solely as an instrument throughout the songs. It too was played by the actors (rather than members of the band) but this only brought you further away from the action, as it was so unusual to see members of the cast featuring in the musicianship. Similarly, ordinary guest house furniture such as a table and chairs and a kitchen sink were in keeping with the naturalistic script, however the spacing gave it an abstract feel as elements of the set, such as the sink, were rarely interacted with and acted more as ornaments. The most unique thing about the set, however, was the large screen revealed a third of the way into the production, which displayed an image of the nearby lake. It is unclear if this was supposed to be a modernistic representation of a window but as it was only introduced later in the production and occasionally it would show a laneway rather than the lake, I assume not. I think the purpose was to enable you to grasp the setting in a way which was going to juxtapose the naturalism, to distance you further from the scenes but more than that its purpose was to provide a backlight so that during the vocal numbers, members of the cast could stand close to screen and be mere silhouettes. It was thrilling to watch.

A genius piece so much more than an ode to Bob Dylan.

9/10

Women Aren̶t̶ Funny- PLUG IN GIRLS

@The Albany, London 9.01.2019

Women Aren̶’̶t̶ Funny, is a diverse night presenting the best in comedy and dramatic monologue. The acts were distinct but also unified by both a colloquial Britishness, which was headed by its Geordie host Ellen Lilley, as well as the shared themes of sex, ethnicity and mental health. The night’s name is indicative of female artists’ struggle in a predominately male industry as well as providing a satire of the stereotype that ‘women aren’t funny’.

The strongest performance came from Jenan Younis a woman of Assyrian heritage raised in Surrey. Much of her performance focused on what it was like growing up in a largely white middle class area with middle eastern heritage. She comically listed the dichotomies between herself and racial stereotypes, Christian not Muslim, calm not passionate and explored everyday racism. Her piece went on to discuss Stacey Dooley’s Iraq documentary and hilariously attacked her inability to speak grammatically correct English (which has always been a peeve of mine). Reading off extracts from her book ‘Women *what* fight back’ in Stacey’s thick Essex accent, she (I hope) filled grammatically correct words with incorrect ones in order to make mock Dooley’s usually horrendous use of English. Her piece was witty, insightful and creative and therefore it is no surprise that she has already been nominated for the BBC New Comedy award. She is one to watch.

The line-up as a whole was brimming with talent with all acts bringing a unique voice. Alex Bertulis-Fernandes’ set was very dark humoured- not my cup of tea but can definitely see doing well- and Lavinia Carpentieri’s performed a hilarious monologue about needing a shit on the way to work. Weaker performances of the night were due to lack of conviction or stage presence rather than weak content or writing. One of the best things about Jenan was her calm presence on stage while other performers had the tendency to jump erratically between jokes, touch their hair or fiddle with clothing which is not only distracting but also unprofessional. I’d suggest working on delivery and presence because all the acts were brilliant in content.

As a regular attendee of Covent Garden’s Top Secret Comedy Club I believe this show has the ability to be as big, as it presents real talent in a fun atmosphere. I’d say to the organisers to aim for bigger venues and higher frequency and it could soon replace other comedy nights which consistently support male over female talent.

The night was a lot of fun but more than anything succeeded in proving that women are funny! Where do I sign up?

Rosa @ The Courtyard Theatre

Rosa is a one woman show about a woman (named Rosa) who fixates on her ability to control time throughout the day, causing her to fear sleep. The script follows her neurotic daily routine in a convincing but also bizarre manner.

Things I liked about this piece…

Committed characterisation- I found Carlota Arencibia a thoroughly committed actress, never slipping in her characterisation even during the comedic moments. The piece had already started from the moment the audience entered, which was a clever way of amplifying the realism of the piece. We really had walked into the room of a mad woman. Movement was a key and clever part of Carlota’s performance, mostly to embody the time she was fixated on, as well as to physicalise Rosa’s desire for control. This added to the thoroughness of the characterisation as well as the comedy of the piece. Most of the comedy, however, came from the quirks of Rosa’s daily routine such as her morning wee which was done on stage into a plant pot, using a water pouch tucked into her knickers. Other absurd moments included her morning cup of coffee, which was poured over her face, her exercises, which included putting match sticks in her eyes, as well as the period she spends rubbing her clit, a small pillow attached to her knickers. All these elements made for a convincing and funny portrayal of her neurotic character but also were evidence of what an incredible piece of writing Rosa is.

Set Design- This is the most fully realised set I’ve seen in a small scale production this year. It was made up of white painted wooden panelling which formed the three walls to the room. The white fresh paint was reminiscent of a mental asylum but the wood complicated this, making it feel more like a painter and decorator set or even a heavenly garden. The idea of it being a painter and decorator set was heightened by the roll-on paint brush which stood propped up on the wall throughout the piece, as well as the white linen flooring. This not-quite-finished state of the set nicely amplifies the sense of being stuck in time, much like Rosa. The set also mirrored her desire for balance, with props tending to come in equal numbers and there being only one stand out colour, red. The only sense of imbalance came from the roll on brush which looked as though it could have been left accidentally, cleverly highlighting the scene’s artificiality, much like her own sense of control.

If I had to moan…

This is a naturally difficult piece to critique due to its originality. However, I think to not lose sight of diction would be a good point to make, as parts of the performance were lost in the zig zagging of content. While the fast paced speech was obviously a deliberate characterisation choice, I think too much was missed at times.

The silent Mrs Coffman, the person Rosa speaks to throughout, was an unclear concept. Who is she? Do we know? Should we care? I found myself straddling the ideas that: Mrs Coffman was imaginary, Mrs Coffman was a psychiatrist, Mrs Coffman is whoever the audience want her to be. I think whether or not Mrs Coffman is supposed to be anything particular or not, it needs to be stated clearer as I found my attempt to grasp it distracting and spent half the piece worrying I’d missed the answer.

Finally, I would’ve liked to have seen Carlota go further in Rosa’s moments of fear, to elevate the contrast with the mostly lighthearted tone of the production.

Overall, this was an incredibly well written, performed and managed piece which I would highly recommend for anyone seeking something slightly unconventional. I wish this production the best of luck going forward and I have no doubt they will do well. Carlota is a real force.

Death of a Salesman @ Piccadilly Theatre

30.11.2019

On Saturday I watched Death of a Salesman at the Piccadilly Theatre. In this post I
will discuss some of the main features which stood out to me, including new thematic content, staging and of course Wendell Pierce’s performance of Willy Loman.

Issues of race- In this production of Death of a Salesman the Loman family are African American. With this brought a new interpretation of the play that Willy Loman’s struggle to make ends meet is actually a discussion racial inequality, as the casting ensures his successful colleagues and counterparts are all white men. Events such as his old boss’ son, Howard, dismissing his request to no longer travel for work, becomes a statement of the white mans career-climbing capabilities. While this made for an interesting and modern adaptation of a classic, in providing a reason for his failure I couldn’t help but feel that it removed some of Willy Loman’s own tragedy which was present in the original. Arthur Miller’s play is a discussion of the working mans pride, the American dream and it is the inexplicable nature of Willy’s lack of success which makes it so tragic. Some people don’t quite make it. In putting at least some of the blame on the colour of his skin, it removed in part some of Willy Loman’s tragedy that was present in the original. I am not saying this version is without tragedy but rather it presents a new tragedy. It could be argued what was left in its place, being more political, was more moving. The struggle of black working people in America in the mid 20th century. Ultimately whether the protagonist is black or white, the play remains a discussion of the American dream, it is merely showing two sides to the same coin.

Set- The set comprised of a series of suspended hollow wood frames which became the windows and doors throughout as well as core household items including: a set of table and chairs, a refrigerator, the gas stove and a desk with a phone on it. All of the set was attached to strings meaning that windows, door frames and household objects could either be included in a scene, or suspended above it when not required. Raised platforms also provided the ability to represent various floors visible at one time. This set complimented the simplicity of the script, just one man and his family, however it also indicated the fragility of their home as the items were suspended on strings. The varying platforms were used cleverly throughout and allowed action in multiple parts of the house at once, adding to the naturalism. There was no real colour in the set at all, in keeping with the tone and the set’s minimalism made for a very clean production.

Wendell Pierce- Finally, the man everybody came to watch, American actor and star of huge TV drama The Wire. So how did he compare on stage? My view is pretty well. He embodied proud but desperate Willy Loman well but his best moments came in the fits of rage against Biff, where his voice boomed. However, while Wendell Pierce did an incredible job throughout, I felt that the more naturalistic scenes suited his style better which is most likely why he is so memorable in The Wire. I felt that his portrayal of Willy Loman’s periods of insanity lacked the same conviction of his scenes of rage or compassion and consequently was at times outshone by Sharon D Clarke who flawlessly played the role of Linda Loman, his wife. Having said that some of my favourite pieces of action came in the moments between Willy and Charley, a long and turbulent companionship which was comedic, real but also heartbreaking. While I don’t believe this was Wendell Pierce’s best work, it was still a powerful one.

I found the production a memorable and original version of Arthur Miller’s play and would highly recommend.

Come From Away @Phoenix Theatre

03.10.19

Come From Away is the true story of how a town called Gander in the province of Newfoundland (Canada) coped with almost doubling in population as 38 flights were diverted flights there during 9/11. It is a commentary on both isolation and unity, tragedy and strength.

The most significant point to make is that it is a musical masterpiece with a running time of just under two hours it has no pauses in music, not even an interval. The entire piece is accompanied by a live band who at times even form part of the scenes. The cast were astounding as they sang and danced resiliently throughout. Multi-role play forms a major component of the show as it allows us to get a sense of the 7,000 stranded passengers while each cast member has a main character including the town mayor, a mother of a firefighter in New York and a female pilot.

However, while it is undoubtedly an incredible show, two factors left me resisting it.

Structure/ Pace- I don’t doubt that this in part stemmed from my own greed at missing out on that all too essential overpriced interval ice cream but I found the absence of two acts in a musical jarring. I fully understand the choice- it would have interrupted the pace which kept us on our toes throughout. There was no obvious place to pause nor was there quite the length required for two acts. However, this pace I found a bit much to keep up with and also prevented us from fully emotionally investing in the character’s plight. The stillest moment in the performance came naturally from the attack, which provided real poignancy but I would’ve liked longer periods of slow. Which brings me on to my second complaint…

The show lacked an obvious protagonist. We are so busy sharing in the plight of all that we have no single person we can invest in emotionally. Which naturally left me walking away feeling as though I hadn’t got the emotional investment I thought I would.

In other words as my moaning suggests, this musical is one which works outside of the bounds of the conventional structure. However, I’m not sure I can take issue with it providing something a little different when it is still an entertaining and incredibly tight production. I believe the style had its drawbacks but it also made it the most interesting musical I have ever seen.

8.5/10

Trouble @ The Chapel Playhouse

18.09.19.

Lizzie Annis’ ‘Trouble’, is a linguistically powerful and genuinely moving depiction of a night out from the perspective of a woman with Cerebral palsy.

It is both familiar and enlightening as it comments on sleazy men, social awkwardness, friendship and dating but from the perspective of someone with a disability. The piece was both hilarious and heartbreaking in one short half an hour sitting as it gives light to both the complexities but also humour which derives from the social repercussions of having a disability.

What I loved…

The language. The entire piece was written as essentially, one long poem with a rhyming scheme running throughout. It was cleverly paced, colloquial yet elevated with clever use of imagery throughout so that no set or props were required. I was struck by what an incredible piece of writing it was.

Multi-Role.

Throughout the piece, Lizzie embodies the people she interacts with simply by changing the tone of her voice and movement. I found this a lovely way of making a simple piece more powerful. She does a really good job of showing how sometimes less is more.

If I had to moan…

This is a really difficult piece to criticise as I genuinely loved it however, I felt some of the transition in her multiple-role playing could have been sharpened. At times it wasn’t entirely obvious who was speaking or which character she was embodying. Therefore I would say simply to focus on sharpening the tone and movement at all times, to avoid blurring the characters.

Overall however, I found this to be a really clever and contemporary piece of feminist theatre. We need more like this.

The Incident Room @ Edinburgh Fringe- My Recommendation.

03.08.2019.

Detailing the police investigation of ‘the biggest manhunt in British history’ The Incident Room looks at the inside events of the Yorkshire Ripper case. It presents a re-enactment of the case’s developments over the years over leading up to his conviction.

What I loved…

It’s thorough.
It gives a detailed account of the investigation into the Yorkshire ripper case, meaning it is genuinely interesting from a historical standpoint. Having said that this is not just one for the history nerds.
It’s authentic.
Set in a 1980s northern police station it’s a great step back in time. Think no computers, sexism and ‘simpler times’- making for a much greater piece of theatre but far worse police services. It’s comedic, raw and honest.
The staging.
This was my favourite set that i saw at The Fringe- having said that Fringe isn’t exactly known for its sets- but the use of space is well thought out and the interactive filing cabinets and the multi-use single door was clever while also being in tune with its naturalistic style.
The acting.
Last but not least this is the best piece of naturalistic acting I saw at The Fringe. Best Actor award goes to the woman who doubled as the police woman and the victim of attack (excuse my lack of clarity here but it did not come with a program). Despite being the underdog she was brilliantly Yorkshire, hilarious and committed to both roles.

If you want a gripping naturalistic piece of theatre this is your man (excuse the pun)

9/10

Post Popular @ Edinburgh Fringe- My Recommendation.

03.08.2019. Not for the faint hearted.

Lucy is utterly brilliant, fearless and spontaneous in her latest piece Post Popular. Her piece combines theatre, dance and vocals in a thoroughly interactive piece which relies upon audience participation. A dramatic retelling of women throughout history, from Eve to the present day, Post Popular is far from what you might expect.

The piece acts as a statement of female power while simultaneously reflecting on the lack of female presence in our history books. Lucy, with her incredible comic timing, unrelenting commitment and brave choices counterbalances the weak and lacking women in the stories. This idea is amplified by the two men which accompany Lucy throughout the piece acting as her extras but appearing more like her servants.

In order to not give too much away I will end this review here simply to say if you are not afraid to get your hands dirty, it’s a must see.

Warning: contains nudity and strong language.

9/10

Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner @ The Royal Court Theatre

12. 08.19. “How exactly does one kill a social media figure/entrepreneur, or as I like to term her: a con artist-cum-provocateur?”

Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner focuses on the perspective of a black English woman on the economic and online success of Kylie Jenner. The play sways between the protagonist, Cleo’s, ramblings on twitter and a dialogue with her mixed race best friend Kara as they’re sat in her bedroom. Throughout the play Cleo posts a series of tweets detailing the ways in which she would kill Kylie Jenner, which allows the play to explore the themes of social media and race as she faces both online criticism and debate with Kara.

A political core…

SMOFKKJ enlightened me to the cultural appropriation which is all over our social media pages by, mostly, white women who are able to mimic traits of black women through cosmetic surgery such as ‘big lips, wide hips and big bums’. In this piece Cleo argues that off the back cosmetic surgery are white women such as KJ making billions from features that Black women have while those very same features in black women have invited racism and even violence. SMOFKKJ invites the audience to give a long hard look at the people we put on pedestals and the racism at its core.

Another racial debate running parallel to that of cultural appropriation and success of white celebrities is that which is held in the discourse between black Cleo and her mixed raced best friend Kara. Ironically Cleo is racist to Kara calling her a ‘lighty’ stating that she’d had it ‘easier’ and stated that ‘bare man’ were looking to ‘jump’ on her. She cites mixed raced celebrities which are idolised for their beauty such as Beyonce, Rihanna and Jorja Smith while there are very few idolised black celebrity women. However, Kara replies while that they may be true she is and will always be ‘a black woman’, highlighting the isolation mixed race women can feel even from the black community.

Staging

The staging became a clever visual embodiment of the plays central themes. The sparse blocks of wood with cream mesh hanging above appeared both stylish and haunting. I took the wood to represent the natural while the mesh, something that is man made. The mesh had a single hanging noose, inviting reflection on the lynchings of black African American people Cleo speaks about, yet the mesh had a strange attractiveness to it like those you might see draped at a fancy beach club. In that sense the mesh became a discussion of the way in which the same features can double up to mean two very different things for different members of society.

Here I have focused on the central theme of the play, racism but the play covered so much more which I won’t discuss here including feminism, homosexuality and social media. It is one of the most thought provoking pieces I have seen in a while.

My rating: 10/10 poltical, current, moving, hilarious.

DUMPED @ Camdens People’s Theatre

Beyonce made Lemonade – Emily Howarth made DUMPED.

A brutally honest, funny and witty piece.

Describing itself as a ‘one woman musical comedy shit storm’ DUMPED is not your conventional piece of theatre. The mish-mash of genres become a clever structural embodiment of the mild hysteria recognisable in a break up – disjointed and fluctuating you’re never quite sure if you should be laughing or crying. This piece definitely doesn’t know what it is, as it see-saws from theatre to stand-up, from an intimate gig to karaoke session. Whether it was the creator’s intention or not the piece feels utterly confused but that’s the brilliance of it, because who the hell isn’t confused when they are dumped right?

It’s genuinely interesting from a musical standpoint.
As the entire piece is mostly built around an analysis of music’s break-up genre- with the occasional interruption from voice memos- this is definitely a piece that would interest someone from a musical standpoint. Probably the most significant musical aspect in this piece, unsurprisingly is Emily’s own singing. Firstly may I add Emily can really SANG and her singing offers poignancy amidst her otherwise wacky routine. However, strangely at points it does turn into a bit of a music history lesson and I found her in depth chats about Fleetwood Mac and Adele genuinely interesting and entirely relevant.

It’s raw.
DUMPED certainly doesn’t shy away from honesty or ugliness. It lays all the cards on the table or in this case, voice memos baring fully the soul of a broken heart. But we are living in the age of honesty right? and stuff like this is important. It serves as a great reflection on heartbreak, grief and femininity even if it makes you want to go home and cry about all the break-up emotions you thought you’d suppressed.

If I had to moan..

This is probably a matter of personal opinion but I’m not a huge fan of comedians laughing at themselves as it can come off amateurish. Similarly with the dance pieces if Emily could do them with conviction without bashing herself after or even during, they’d be even funnier. Embrace the awkward bones they’re the best bits.

If you love to laugh… and cry this is one to watch.

My rating 6.5/10