Origin of The Species - Arcola Theatre, London

Origin of The Species
Writer: Bryony Lavery
Director: Tom Littler
Reviewer: Honour Bayes

Bryony Lavery’s unique voice rings out clearly in this richly feminine exploration into the origin of the species. A fantastical hybrid of past, present and future, her two protagonists, Molly and Victoria, meet in extraordinary circumstances and form a bond which spans mother and daughter, teacher and pupil, ancestor and progeny. Lavery’s piece succeeds magnificently in giving a tangible sense of the immense expanse of time with which these two women are separated whilst also highlighting the threads which make up humanity, unchanging from our inception to now.

In a small house in Yorkshire Molly reads from her diary of ‘Baby Earth’, the first few pages are blank and then life forms appear and so on as each page is turned each and God’s 7 days are revealed. But as we reach the full glory of creation instead of resting, as our male god did, Molly then explains (with some artfully placed layer cake) about the place where she experienced her first dig. This is the place where she went looking for a man, and found a Victoria. Victoria is a Homo habilis, a predecessor of Homo erectus and the trick to it is that Victoria is alive.

Marjorie Yates is formidable as Molly whose gravelly tones both welcomes and slightly intimidates. Her performance has as many layers and depths of complex potential as The Olduvai Gorge which begins our adventure. Clare-Hope Ashitey’s Victoria is a delightful child whose eyes absorb everything as though it were the first time she’d seen it, only then to recognize each item with the heart of an original primate. And in the face of these effortless performances Tom Littler’s greatest achievement is in the relationship between them. Yates and Ashitey may come from different worlds, but their implicit fondness is palpable. As are their similarities as strong women; woman the great inventor, woman the great discoverer.

If scientific discovery gives the impression of being about the expunging of emotion and dealing simply with the facts, Lavery’s piece takes a much more atmospheric exploration. Choosing to ignore the direct penetration of obvious and direct male probing, her text instead plants seed of inquiry which slowly blossom and are absorbed via a strange sort of artistic osmosis. Seen this way Charles Darwin’s Origin of The Species is a decisive sculpture cutting through the air and Lavery’s is a landscape painting; she is uninterested in changing an environment, only embracing it. This softer way of dealing with the world asks a lot of an audience used to immediate gratification from moment to moment. But the pay off is worth it. In the last moments when Molly potently describes man’s need to unpick the complexities of the world and rebuild it, I have never felt more sadness for our drive to know at the expense of all cost. But as she sits in silence to the ringing of New Year’s bells and a new year in her ‘Baby Earth’ rolls in, her smile ignites a glimmer of powerful hope, even in the face of our races’ ultimate fallibility.

Runs until Saturday 21 November

Pride & Prejudice - Birmingham Rep

Pride & Prejudice
Writer: Jane Austin
Adaptor: Simon Reade
Director: Toby Frow
Reviewer: Helen Chapman

The Jane Austin classic, Pride and Prejudice, was portrayed for the first time in many years on the Birmingham stage at the REP to a full house. Expectations were running high with big names such as Susan Hampshire playing Mrs Bennett in this adaptation of the well known novel.

The play opened with the introduction of each member of the cast onto the simple set which was to provide the backdrop for the evening’s show. The top performance of the night had to be Susan Hampshire who captivated the audience with an outstanding interpretation of her erratic character. Well known for her many television roles Hampshire once again showed her capacity to bring to the stage a vast array of emotion. Katie Lightfoot was perfectly cast as Elizabeth Bennett; she was strong and believable in her a role as an independent yet romantic young lady. Alongside her was Nicolas Taylor, cast as Mr Darcy. Although he was true to character in his display of pride, mystery and wealth, it was a shame that in parts this was not fully conveyed to the audience as his voice was not projected to the extent of his fellow players.

Having already seen two screen adaptations of this novel, tonight’s performance proved to be original and fresh while retaining the key elements of this classic. There was consistency and fluidity in the transition between scenes, with clever use of minimal props and amusing artistic interpretation of the script. Victoria Hamlet’s live violinist role in the part of Mary Bennett added another element to this dynamic performance. The costume design served to enhance the communication from cast to audience of the era and class within which the play was set. This was complemented by the choice of lighting which focused attention on the main players of each scene.

An enjoyable evening at the theatre with first class acting, this was a pleasure to watch. After its sell out performance tonight which is expected to continue for the rest of the week, Pride and Prejudice is set to tour the country and is sure to entertain.

Runs until Sat 7th Nov

The Pitman Painters - The Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield

The Pitman Painters
Writer: Lee Hall

Director: Max Roberts

Reviewer: Sarah Lyth

What is it that gives your life meaning?

The Lyceum is currently playing host to The Pitmen Painters, a deeply colourful and moving exploration of the struggles of life, passion and human expression in the community of Ashington, Northumberland. The very meaning of life itself is teased out and pondered upon as the pitmen discover the power of themselves as individuals and of their community through art, the pursuit of beauty and the reality of work down the pit.

The scene is set in the Workers Educational Association class. The deeper journey for all of the characters begins when Robert Lyon arrives to catapult the members into a personal journey of discovery into the worlds of themselves and their community through art. It appears that a seemingly unthreatening search for facts can often lead to the most transforming and incredible places!

The space is used with great grace and flow, the simplicity of the space allowing the light to emphasise the atmosphere of the scenes as they melt into one another. As pieces of art were created, experienced and held up to observe, they were delicately added to the set so that the surroundings echoed the complexity of the characters and of the issues posed wonderfully. The search for meaning always leads to avenues and vistas that are unexpected and new...

As this transformation takes place, the pitmen begin to create. They begin to relate to their lives more fully and to unearth the diamonds that lie amidst the pressure and darkness of their everyday existence as men of the pit. Hearts cry out to be fed by the beauty of a true vision of what it is to be alive . The same hearts weep in frustration at the apparent fragility and impotence of it all when they are viewed in the light of their social reality. However, the true power of this piece lies in the openness of the men themselves, raw and honest and seeking, they share their thoughts, ideas and reactions brutally, within their community and without, making the audience gasp, recoil and laugh in turn.

The Pitmen Painters is a visual feast; projectors, lights and props supporting the musings and passions of an honest and gritty group of men who, when seeking facts, actually place themselves on a journey which will transform their very selves.

Runs until Sat 7th Nov

Our Man In Havana - Theatre Royal, Brighton

Our Man in Havana
Writer: Graham Green
Adaptor: Clive Francis
Director: Richard Baron
Reviewer: David Saunders

This frenetic quick change entertainment has all of the elements that are needed for these harsh economic times. This is a bright, inventive fun slice of spy comedy for a dull November evening.

The piece begins slowly with each member of the cast easing into their multiple roles. The piece revolves around the lead character of Wormold played by Simon Shepherd. Best known for his TV appearances the actor shows energetic buoyancy in the role mixing light comedy with the more farcical elements with skill and just enough subtlety to communicate the heavier moments of the piece. The rest of the cast Phillip Franks, Norman Pace and Beth Cordingly fill out the meat of the piece playing large number of quick fire comedic roles from drunken airplane pilots to saucy senoritas.

Once plot has been established it really does rattle along and the comedic punches come thick and fast. This is comedy Theatre of the highest order, if you don’t like the last gag there will be another along in a few seconds. The excellent adaptation of Graham Greene novel by Clive Francis allows the actors a solid set of verbal gymnastics to hang the meat of their performances. The text is dense but never to the point where it is laboured fizzing through the layered story with wit verve and style.

The design and technical elements are streamlined and functional while adding an economical extra layer to the piece as a whole and there are some inventive touches to match the words on the page and the performances of the company.

The direction by Richard Baron is slick and unfussy maintaining the same economy of movement and subtle theatrical trickery while allowing the actors room to manouver their way around the characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed the evening out but did find myself wondering why given my no longer youthful years I was by a clear 20 years the youngest member of the audience. It is comforting to know that there are still people working to create work that is entertaining, original and funny but not so comforting to know that the only people aware that it is happening appear to be over fifty. I suppose that says more about the state of the nation that anything else.

runs until Sat 7th Nov

The BFG - The Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool

The BFG by Roald Dahl
Adaptor: David Wood
Directed by Phil Clark
Reviewer: Stephanie Rowe

Roald Dahl’s wacky giant-speak of whizzpopping (flatulence) caused by frogscottle (a fizzy drink where the bubbles go down instead of up) and snozzcumbers (nasty-tasting vegetables) thrilled the younger members of the audience, and certainly entertained the more mature members as well. There will certainly be a revival of nonsensical words being spoken after this show, and why not. The show is fun from beginning to end and keeps every audience member highly amused.

The BFG, a well known children’s story written by Roald Dahl starts at Sophie’s birthday party, all her friends are there having fun, when her brother gives her a book as a present, the book is of course The BFG, thus starts the tale of how Sophie is snitched by the giant after he spots her watching him, he snaffles her away to giant land, then has to protect her from the other children eating giants. The BFG, works as a dream catcher and it is through his job that Sophie and himself work together to save the children of the world.

This fantastic well written, well directed show, kept up its fast moving action and musical interludes, and not once do you feel let down by the actors performances or the way the show has been directed. The use of puppets and a dolls house help to portray the difference in size between Sophie and the giant. The backdrop of a full moon is simple but atmospheric while the giant’s colourful dream-catching bottles provide the best of the special effects, along with breakfast at Buckingham Palace, the one time the giant is portrayed in enormous form.

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“The funniest bit of the show” according to Phoebe aged 8 was when the Giant whizzpops in front of The Queen of England. One scene, in which the unfriendly giants in Halloween-style headgear bite the head off a rag doll, and tear the arms and legs from others is a little close to the bone and I could hear the children in the audience all draw in a deep gasping breath.

The two leads, Anthony Pedley as The BFG, and Becky John as Sophie, attack their parts with great energy and gusto, and gel together from the start, giving a memorable and outstanding performance. The rest of the cast all add their own individuality to their roles and make each character stand out (which can be difficult when playing multiple parts.)

It is not easy to adapt books for stage it can often be a tricky business. Where with a little imagination playwrights and directors can bring any prose to life, they are frequently left with a headache as to how to bring the impossible to the stage. The central problem is that of scale – how to depict a giant playing amongst ‘humans’. With sets and costumes by Sean Crowley and sound and lighting by Mike Beer and Ceri James, direction by Phil Clark, it is a quandary that this team solve with great vigour and panache.

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This show is a hit and though I would not take a toddler along, it is a family show for 6 to 106 year olds, where everyone will have fun, laughter and maybe even a few tears.

Runs until Sat 7th Nov

Dinnerladies - Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford

Dinnerladies
Writer: Victoria Wood
Adaptor/Director: David Graham

Reviewer: Bill Avenell

This production was taken from scripts of the popular 1998-2000 TV series and neatly adapted by David Graham to produce a simple story line but at the same time develop those humorous idiosyncrasies of the characters that underlies much of Victoria Wood’s style and her success as a comedy writer and performer. A style that is a mixture of some very subtle ’takes’ on the quirks of human behaviour, some very unsubtle belly laugh humour together with a liberal dose of pathos to make you stop and think every now and then.

The problem for me was that Victoria Wood (and for that matter Julie Walters, Celia Imrie and Duncan Preston) were not in it and the cast (with the exception of Andrew Dunn, the original Tony in the series and Sue Devaney) was therefore seemingly caught in doubt as to whether to do impressions of the original production or try to find an original take, not easy since this was written as a vehicle for Wood and Co.

To her credit Laura Sheppard as Bren pulled it off for me after I got used to the fact that she wasn’t Victoria (I was surprised in retrospect that the publicity and programme did not credit Sheppard as one of the ’stars’ although the programme was usefully informative for someone who had not seen the original). Tony Dunn’s performance was also enjoyable and he gave a commendably fresh reprise of a role he must have played many times before, causing the play to move at a good pace. The supporting cast was less successful but the wit of Wood’s lines overcame some slightly wooden performances on the one hand and a bit of overacting on the other which, to be fair, must be one of the difficulties of performing in this type of production.

Helped by Malvern Hostick’s single but effective set of the staff canteen (complete with toaster centre stage and a nifty digital message board) and some period musical interludes , the production gave an intimate feel which was certainly much appreciated by the small but very enthusiastic audience. I was surprised by the strength of this response. Many of the audience must have been fans of the series and therefore not new to the jokes and their reaction reinforced the impression that the cast must have done a pretty good job.

It is not the type of production that I would normally have chosen to see but I left the theatre with a rosy glow from having been involved in something fun and lively, and my young companion who had seen nothing of the TV series enjoyed it as a completely fresh experience.

So If you like Victoria Wood’s style and are prepared for the absence of her personal charisma then it is a good evening out and it probably doesn’t matter whether you have seen the original or not.

Runs until sat 7th Nov

A Murder Has Been Arranged - Queens Theatre, Hornchurch

A Murder Has Been Arranged
Writer: Emlyn Williams

Director: Bob Carlton

Reviewer: Michael Gray

“We're in for a most exciting evening !”. “All the pre-requisites of a first class murder mystery !”. No shortage of hostages to fortune in this classic script, then.Revived after eighty years, Emlyn Williams' creaky old ghost story is given a new lease of life in Bob Carlton's stylish production at the Queen's.

Cut to the Chase is run very much on the lines of traditional rep, and this young company took to the 30s style with enthusiasm and cut-glass accents. Of course it's unlikely that the playwright intended his dramatic clichés to be sent up, but audiences of today are not likely to take lines like “Nobody leaves this theatre!”, or “I must have time to think ...” entirely seriously. The second act, with some real frissons from the spectres, “locked up with darkness and death”, was a little harder to play as spoof, but the end was mercifully quick, if not quite as satisfying as we'd imagined.

The tortuous plot concerns an inheritance, poisoned brandy, and a fateful performance of Romeo and Juliet. It all takes place on the stage of a London theatre; Norman Coates's design brilliantly evoked the dusty, doom-laden darkness. The proscenium arch with the Royal coat of arms, the chandelier in a bag, the shrouded angel, and of course Capel's monument, were all beautifully realised. The costumes, too, were wonderful, especially the old-fashioned frocks for Tybalt, Juliet, Nurse and the rest. Atmospheric lighting, and the echo effect for the empty auditorium, helped the mood of mystery.

Simon Jessop was not obvious casting for the wordy eccentric Sir Charles, but he made a good death, at the hands of Marcus Webb's gentleman criminal Maurice Mullins, who came down to the old-fashioned footlights to expound his philosophy of crime. His talented young wife was played with poise and grace by Karen Fisher-Pollard, her dragon of a mother by Helen Watson, and her old flame by Elliot Harper, very much at ease in his pivotal role as red herring and rider to the rescue.

The woman in red, first glimpsed in the faint glimmer of a cigarette lighter [everyone smoked on stage in the thirties], came into her own in the second act – a riveting performance from Sarah Scowen, as, with a swift Shakespeare switch, she alone sees the spectre at the feast.

The weirdest characters were the most satisfying, I felt. Mrs Wragg, the faithful old dresser who sees something nasty in the backstage passage, was given a copybook performance by Jane Milligan, and the double agent Mrs Groze was played with perfect period styling by Lucy Thackeray; her confrontation with Beatrice, Lady Jasper, was the high point of an enjoyable evening. A worthwhile revival of an early piece of Williams.

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Photos: Nobby Clark

Runs until Sat 21st Nov

Mrs Warren's Profession - Lowry Theatre, Salford

Mrs Warren’s Profession

Writer: George Bernard Shaw
Director : Michael Rudman
Reviewer: Dave Cunningham

At the time it was written ‘Mrs. Warren’s Profession’ was controversial because of the reluctance of the author to either justify or condemn prostitution arguing that the profession has its origins not in lust but rather economic conditions . If respectable professions paid a living wage , it is suggested ,women would not become so desperate that they have to resort to prostitution.

Paul Farnsworth’s striking set takes us right to the heart of the English countryside framed by the border of the stage so as to give the impression that we are looking at a lush oil painting. Vivie Warren (Lucy Briggs-Owen returning to Shaw after a successful run at the Manchester Royal Exchange) is a somewhat calculating Cambridge graduate with a strong work and moral ethic. She has never known her father and has a rather distant mother, Kitty (Felicity Kendal), whose profession requires her to travel a great deal. Vivie is forced to confront her own prejudices and those of society when it is revealed that Mrs. Warren’s income comes from managing a series of high-class brothels.

Director Michael Rudman does not put a foot wrong with a crystal-clear production. The challenge for him is to ensure that the characters convince as people and do not simply end up as ciphers mouthing the opinions of the author .In this he is assisted by a talented cast. David Yelland is excellent as the aging roué George Crofts having a really good time brazenly representing the hypocrisy of society. He is balanced by a gentle performance from Mark Tandy as the decent Praed. Max Bennett manages the tricky business of showing a degree of backbone in Frank a character that, on the surface at least, seems so feckless it is hard to see how someone as judgemental as Vivie could tolerate his presence.

The main body of the play is the interaction between Mrs. Warren and her daughter. Vivie is too judgemental to be entirely sympathetic. Briggs-Owen convinces that her opinions are formed from intellectual rigour as much as moral assessment and shows the human cost of such an attitude. Kendal is very much what Shaw had in mind for Kitty whom he describes as ‘vulgar’. Kendal gives Kitty music hall coarseness in the tone of voice that softens when alone with her daughter. For her sex is more about the power it gives her over her customers than any kind of physical pleasure. The final confrontation between the two women is riveting with Kendal playing Kitty as a female version of King Lear betrayed by a thankless child.

The great thing about a production, which pretty much gets everything right, is that the audience can just sit back and enjoy the show.

Runs until Sat 7th Nov

Ghosts - The Octagon Theatre, Bolton

Ghosts
Writer: Henrik Ibsen
Translator: Henrik Ibsen
Director: David Thacker
Reviewer: John Roberts

David Thacker in his inaugural season at the Bolton Octagon has already received high praise for his first production of Arthur Miller’s All My Son’s, Which I was highly disappointed to miss, so I made sure I personally went along to Ghosts.

Thacker is no stranger to this text, having directed what is critical known as the most famous production of the play in 1986 starring Venessa Redgrave and Tom Wilkinson, winning numerous awards including the highly regarded holy grail of British theatre, The Olivier.

Written in 1881, Ghosts caused quite a stir amongst theatre goers as did Ibsen's production of A Doll’s House. Ghosts tackles some of the biggest taboos of society – incest, affairs and corruption. After the death of her roaming husband, Mrs Alving seeks the support of Pastor Mander’s a long term friend and spiritual advisor to help set up an orphanage using her husband’s wealth. Oswald Alving her son fresh from living in France where he caught Syphilis, seeks refuge and companionship in housemaid Regina, a surprise to all around them, as the ghosts of the past come to haunt each and every one and brings the play to its heady climax.

So is Thacker’s second production (and the hardest to get right) a hit? Unfortunately not, this production leaves one feeling numb and actually rather cold. One can see the reasons behind programming Ghosts using the same cast and set (which is beautifully realised by Patrick Connellan and lit wonderfully by James Farncombe,) as All My Son’s as there are real strong links between the two, but this is ultimately it's Achilles Heel and downfall of this production.

Thacker has made some very bizarre choices with this production. The first is the overtly sexual poster image for the production, which sets off the wrong tone from the offset. Setting the production in a metaphorical Lancashire area does nothing for the production or the text but brings an uneven balance to the evening’s proceedings. Overall Thacker’s direction is a little sombre and uneventful, with little movement or energy throughout making this production of just under two hours feel like a lot longer.

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George Irving as Pastor Manders was inexcusably all over the place, grasping for his next line in a speedy and mumbled performance. Margot Leicester as Helena Alving fails to bring colour and reflection to the difficult role, but instead finds her feet firmly rooted in the monotone.

Saving grace performances come from the smaller roles in the production, Oscar Pearce as Oswald, has bags of energy and charisma, whilst Vanessa Kirby as maid Regina is wonderfully sharp and jovial, but it is the performance of Russell Richardson as Jacob who provides the most stable and consistent performance of the evening, but even these couldn’t save the lacklustre direction and overall feel of the production.

Is the new Artistic Director stretching himself a little too thin? Will this uneventful and slightly shameful production push more people away from what has so far been an excellent season? Is this the sign of things to come? One can only hope that this is not the case as I really do have a soft spot for the Octagon, it is one of the friendliest warm and welcoming theatres in the North West, and has one of the most varied and promising seasons around, but this reviewer is putting this production in the back of his mind and focussing on what is yet to come!

Photos: Ian Tilton
Runs until sat 21st Nov

Blow Up! The Credit Crunch Musical - Kings Head/Leicester Sq Theatre

Blow Up! The Credit Crunch Musical

Writers: Charlie Talbot & Dunstan Kornicki
Director: Philip Talbot

Reviewer: Honour Bayes

The financial markets may be crashing and people may be at their lowest ebb in decades with the loss of years of savings staring them bleakly in the face, but can anything seem truly grey with an Oompah Band? It would appear not in this sweetly comic Edinburgh show which has pulled up its German socks to come to the big city.

Comedian Charlie Talbot’s delicately constructed German banker, Max Klein, takes us through the rise and fall of the financial markets in sentences which are as clipped as his accent is dodgy, all the while carrying the baleful look of a child who has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Peppered with classic song choices and Oompah inspired moments of genius, each stage of the ‘crash’ seems to have a pertinent song; in Klein’s world Britney Spears’ Toxic explains toxic mortgages and Dolly Parton jiggles us through the hectic hours of a banker’s 9 to 5 working day. Don’t even get me started on the genius of how the five members of Oompah Brass are used to make sense of debt derivatives.

It is a simplistic formula with chat following song too predictably for a consummate theatrical liking. But it’s hard not to fall for the charm of Max Klein and his 5 Oompah dwarfs (meant in the most affection way of course – these guys are fabulous). It helps that they are all impressive professionals, dazzling at points with financial quips and moments of brass arrangement that leave you with a permanent smile on your face.

An inspired parody sung by Klein of Paul Simon’s ‘You Can Call Me Al’ leaves you wishing for more of the same and one feels like this piece could have been done better with more time spent on integrating music with comedy lyric in this way. May be this would have transported this potential gem into a full blown London hit. But it remains true that they are a loveable lot who theatricalise the ludicrous nature of the orgy of greed with marvellous aplomb.

Enron it’s not, but it’s almost there; there’s a method in this German financial Oompah Band madness and once they understand how to bleed it for all its worth, much like the bankers they so gleefully lambast, God help all of us.

The show runs on different nights bewteen the Kings Head Theatre and The Leicester Square Theatre for more information Click Here.