Brief Encounter - WYP

Brief Encounter by Noel Coward
West Yorkshire Playhouse 24^th October – 10^th November.
Director – Emma Rice.
Reviewed by Gregory Hale and Lucy Cosens

When theatre gets it right, it gets it right! Knee High’s Artistic Director, Emma Rice, has created a show that is an absolute masterpiece, a quintessential theatrical production, combining breathtaking imagery, sharp physicality and prodigious Knee High resourcefulness.

The story follows the brief encounter between Laura (a housewife and mother) and Alec (a married GP) who meet at a railway station café when Alec removes a piece of grit from her eye. After this they arrange to meet every Thursday. The drama then unfurls as Laura deals with this passionate love and attempts to suppress her feelings and remain loyal to her husband.

Right from the start Knee High generated a rapport with the audience which lasted throughout the whole piece, from playing songs whilst the audience entered the auditorium to the constant flirtatious energy that sparkled throughout, especially through the characters Beryl and Stanley.

The stage was beautifully arranged, a resourceful plane upon which all the scenes entwined ergo the whole piece had a seamless beauty, not a staccato stop-start but a bona fide work of art. The set was filled with innovative ideas such as a giant cinema screen (where Laura is emotionally pulled back into her reality), a removable bridge that spans the width of the stage, a built in trampoline and a slag heap for the musicians, to name a few! To maintain the fluidity of the piece the characters sung some songs whilst the set was being changed. The songs were both insightful and amusing and executed by the actors with finesse (particularly Stuart Mcloughlin and Amanda Lawrence).

For all this play deals with intense emotion and pained love, it is injected throughout with light hearted humour. The comical and sexual relationship between Myrtle and Albert (the dominant woman and the cheeky chap) and the youthful light hearted relationship between Beryl and Stanley all helped highlight the intensity of Laura and Alec’s love. Humour was also provided through the quirky adverts during the intermission, the songs and the character traits (Myrtle’s emphasised swaggering bottom, Beryl’s scooter, the musicians dressed as women, flashing derrieres, ostentatious costumes etc).

In typical Knee High fashion the absurd encroaches along the outer periphery of realism. One beautiful moment occurs when Laura and Alec are out for dinner and they order a bottle a champagne, the two’s happiness is reflected through a stunning suspended dance where they float in ecstasy and twirl with jubilation. Another hilarious absurd moment is Beryl’s balloon song and dance!

Emma Rice has skilfully weaved myth into the original text, juxtaposing a Selkie myth with the character Laura. This was beautifully and poignantly portrayed when Laura rips off her jacket, as if peeling away her skin, and through the stark images and sounds of the sea as if Laura is finding a freedom within. In the end she finds true freedom and release when she plays the piano, the sounds of the waves crashing along with the emotionally infused notes tingled even the hardest of spines!

Knee High are one of the mot innovative and fresh theatre companies around, their work moves theatre to the next level. Brief Encounter is a piece of theatre that must be seen for its inspiring imagery, comedic elements, beautiful story, entertainment value, depth and intrigue, which ultimately reaffirms why we have theatre!

Breif Encounter runs at the WYP until 10th November for more information visit http://wyplayhouse.com/events/event_details.asp?event_ID=580

Dr Dolittle - New Wimbledon theatre & Tour

Dr Dolittle by Hugh Lofting

Book, Music & Lyrics: Leslie Bricusse

New Wimbledon Theatre 22nd Oct - 3rd Nov & Tour

Directed by Bob Tomson

Review by Peter Barnett

As soon as the curtain rises the audience are transported to a world similar to Disney. An impressive ensemble lead by Conor Michael-Sheridan as Matthew the Doctor's assistant set the scene of Puddleby-By-The Sea.

A name like Tommy Steele will give the show boosts in sales but anyone wishing to see a show stopping performance from the star of the show will be sorely disappointed. What you pay for is to see,Tommy Steele playing Tommy Steele on stage. He is all smiles and happily enjoys his time on stage, speaking through most of the songs Rex Harrison Style but does not deliver the character of John Dolittle as one would expect. "Dr Do-nothing" as he is called by one character in the show perfectly describes what you get for your moneys worth.

Apart from Steele the rest of the cast are fantastic. We see a vast selection of memorable characters throughout this simple, enjoyable story. From Alfred Blossom and Gertie the Circus owners to the pompous General Bellowes, each character feels as though they are character from a book jumping straight out at you. A special mention must go to Abigail Jaye who plays the part of Emma Fairfax to perfection. Reminiscent to Mary Poppins and Truly Scrumptious, Abigail has a marvellous Soprano voice captivating the audience with whatever style of song she sings.

You get to see an amazing variety of animal puppets throughout the whole show. From a Pushmi-Pullyu ( a two headed Llama) to Elephants and Lions, no-one will be disappointed with what they encounter.

The story of Doctor Dolittle is easy for anyone of any age to understand. It is all about the Doctor raising money and going on his voyage to look for the Great Pink Sea Snail. As silly as it may sound, it is a very good plot. From the circus to the courtroom added with a variety of animals the audience is taken halfway around the world and back again all within one show. Dr Dolittle is a show for all ages but more tailored for a younger audience who will have the time of their lives seeing this mesmerising performance of puppetry and special effects.

Dr Dolittle is touring until april 2008 for more information visit http://www.thisistheatre.com/regional/doctor-dolittle.html

Rough Crossings - Liverpool Playhouse

Rough Crossings by Simon Schama
Adapted by Caryl Phillips
Liverpool Playhouse 16^th – 27^th October & Tour
Directed by Rupert Goold
Reviewed by John Garfield-Roberts

One has to sit back and admire how well Rupert Goold is doing, but the question is, is he just this season’s hot property or is he here for the long haul? My answer would be if he isn’t either running the national or the RSC within the next ten years then something has surely gone amiss.

Aside from that praise has Rupert Goold started to spread himself to thin? After watching his latest production and much deliberation with myself, I have come to the conclusion that Goold has done his utmost to make this a good show, but with the script by Caryl Phillips boarding on Degree based history lecture, Goold was never going to be able to produce anther critical production such as his Chichester production of Macbeth.

Rough Crossings tells the heroic story of the resettlement of a group of former slaves in West Africa and of the bruising relationship between Peters and Clarkson, divided by the barriers of race, but united in their ambitions of equality. Moving from the meeting houses of London to the inhospitable terrain of Sierra Leone

Philips’ adaptation is one of many facades not knowing if it wants to be a touching moving story or a fact based lecture-drama, but Goold has done his utmost to make the long and over factual play interesting, but unfortunately it isn’t enough to make this play the “masterpiece” it could have been.

Goold is known for his inventive and creative abilities and Rough Crossings has many but again I can’t help feeling that even those were helped so much by an extremely creative and at times breathtakingly simple set designed by Laura Hopkins.

It would be hard to pick out any actors of substance in the performance I saw, in a small rep theatre such as the Playhouse being able to project throughout the space isn’t a big challenge (I’ve been there and done it!) but to find it hard to hear the actors on stage from 8 rows into the auditorium I find quite frankly unforgivable. The strength of the ensemble performance are the movement and group singing moments especially when sung by powerful singer Dawn Hope these moments really do have a strength and poignancy in what otherwise is a tiresome affair.

Goold could have had a gold mine in this production but my guess is with 5 co-producing theatres involved this could have been a classic case of “too many cooks”… if Goold can get his team back into the proverbial kitchen take out some nasty ingredients and strip away the fat from a play that should be no longer than two hours add a bit more of his creative herbs and spices and I think Rough Crossings could be ok to serve to the paying public again.

Photos by Manuel Harlan top: Wunmi Mosaku and Patrick Robinson. middle: The Company. Bottom:Dawn Hope and Peter De Jersey

Rough Crossings goes to the WYP from the 6^th-24^th November for more information please visit http://www.oxfordstage.co.uk

Coronation of Poppea - ENO

The Coronation of Poppea by Monteverdi
London Coliseum from 18th October 2007 (7 performances)
Director: Chen Shi-Zheng
Conductor: Lawrence Cummings Reviewed by Mark Valencia

In the primitive operatic landscape of early 17th-Century Italy, Monteverdi was able to write his music dramas untroubled by constraints of form or convention. The operatic rulebook was as yet unwritten so his creativity could prosper unconfined. It is therefore no surprise that the freewheeling character of The Coronation of Poppea lends itself so well to the fluid imagination of Chen Shi-Zheng, a visionary director of Chinese origin who recently scored a bull’s-eye with the same composer’s Orfeo, even though his anaemic Cosi Fan Tutte at a recent Aix Festival revealed limitations in more classical repertoire.

The Coronation of Poppea is the second instalment of Shi-Zheng’s Monteverdi triptych for ENO, with The Return of Ulysses due in a year’s time. The astonishing score drips eroticism from every recorder and chitarrone - and this production has its measure. In a glorious scene that out-Puccinis Puccini, Anna Grevelius’s louche Nerone quivers with ecstasy as Lucano (Nicholas Watts) extols Poppea’s beauty, while the opera’s final love duet is breathtakingly lyrical, especially as shared between the distinctively radiant vocal timbres of Grevelius and Kate Royal, a stunning Poppea both vocally and physically.

Rarely in its recent history has ENO boasted luxury casting of the depth we have here. Diana Montague as Venus and the great bass Robert Lloyd as Seneca are complemented by a uniformly strong cast that includes the counter-tenor Tim Mead, appropriately vulnerable as Ottone, and a fabulously witty turn from Lucy Crowe as his doting Drusilla, sweet of voice but mischievous of purpose. Christopher Gillett overcomes a ludicrous costume to lend his high tenor to a well-rounded Arnalta, and even the smallest minor roles are impeccably sung. Directing from the harpsichord, Lawrence Cummings maintains throughout an ideal balance between singers and period instrumentalists - no mean feat in the wide open spaces of the Coliseum.

Visually, Chen Shi-Zheng offers a feast of ritual surrealism and pastel paradoxes. So mesmerising are the dancers of Indonesia’s Orange Blossom Dance Company that they enrich the music even when their choreography appears to contradict it. But oh, the oddities. Nerone’s wife Ottavia (Doreen Curran) spends the entire evening floating about the stage on a giant air bag - the Flying Dutchman as nesting queen bee, perhaps - in bizarre contrast to a pampered Poppea who is, quite straightforwardly, a preening Hollywood starlet. Are we on the seabed for much of the evening or do the (mercifully brief) appearances of a giant-sized mechanical mollusc hold some darker meaning? Why do Seneca’s servants have their rumpy-pumpy in the very bath that houses their late master’s corpse? And however beautiful the human dragonflies in that breathtaking closing duet, you have to ask: why dragonflies? Ah well: we shrug and move on.

Notwithstanding the devilment of such baffling details, Chen Shi-Zheng and his designer, Walt Spangler, have realised Monteverdi’s masterpiece in a humorous and compelling production that consistently honours both the music and the cheerfully immoral tale at its heart. Three hours flew by in an instant; I was captivated throughout.

Photos by Catherine Ashmore and show Top: Katherine Manley (Fortune) / Jane Harrington (Virtue),Middle:Kate Royal (Poppea) / Anna Grevelius (Nerone) Bottom: Orange Blossom Dance Co
For more information on this production please visit http://www.eno.org/poppea/main.html

Faustus - Nuffield Theatre & Tour

Faustus by Marlowe adapted by Rupert Goold & Ben Power
Nuffield Theatre Southampton: 18^th-20^th October & Tour
Original Direction: Rupert Goold
Directed by: Steve Marmion Reviewed by David Saunders

The much vaunted Rupert Goold and his Headlong Theatre Company arrived in Southampton on Thursday bringing with them their new adaptation of Marlowe’s story of Doctor Faustus.

The piece has been well received on its tour thus far and has had a run at the Hampstead Theatre in London. The story is told in two contrasting parts. First in Wittenberg, Germany as John Faustus, doctor and scholar, pledges himself to the dark art of necromancy and conjures the devil. Secondly we are in Hoxton, London as Artists Jake and Dinos Chapman are preparing to ‘rectify’ a priceless set of Goya etchings. Both stories deal with the issue of immortality as we move from the world of BritArt to Sixteenth Century Europe and back again. The piece uses an original take on the old story with the Chapman brothers mirroring, in a modern world the deal that Faustus made.

The set, designed by Laura Hopkins follows the current vogue in theatre design for minimalist stark moving sets. We see the dark, black study where Faustus spends his time and then as the set folds itself out we are transported to the white box world of the Chapman’s studio. The interaction of the set and the actors adds to the slick feel of this production.

Our Faustus in this production (played by Michael Colgan) lacked the vocal power to put across this man struggling with a crisis of faith and the drive of his own ego. The performance of Claire Lams as Helena gave a grace to her role as conscience to the work of the Chapman brothers. She shows a quiet rage in this role which speaks the audiences’ point of view on the BritArt provocateurs and their attempt to rectify Goya’s work.

The brothers are brought to life by Rocky Marshall (Jake) and Tam Mutu (Dinos) who show the brothers not just as the punk artisans we know but also imbue them with a real sense of two men almost bored by their celebrity and desperately in need of their next big fix to keep their world ticking along. Marshall in particular offers the older brother a depth and complexity the role deserves. While Tam Mutu gives Dinos a dark geeky persona that makes the brothers need to shock all the more powerful.

We are given a little light relief by the Art Critic Foster ably played by Gus Brown giving a light touch to proceedings and placing the character as a Brian Sewell alike with all the pretentious self indulgent qualities needed for the role to become more than just the jester of the piece.

The devil is in the detail in this piece and it falls to Jason Baughan to offer us a more impish take on Mephistopheles. The actor gives a variety to the role and the opportunity to see the character as more than just a fallen angel but also as the dark side of all the characters stepping in and out of the piece sequences with dry observations and earthy disdain.

Overall this Faustus offers slick production, depth and a fresh look at the legend in our celebrity obsessed world. The direction has a sensitive touch and you can see why the director’s name is being whispered on the South Bank at a certain big playhouse. A sharp darkly witty adaptation told with muscular economy and cut through with a sly stab at the world we all live in and the things that drive us.

For more information on the tour which end in Guildford on the 24^th November please visit http://www.oxfordstage.co.uk/prod_faustus2007.html

Stockholm - WYP & Tour

Stockholm by Bryony Lavery
West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds 16^th -20^th October, then on tour.
Directed & Choreographed by Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett
Reviewed by Murray Moss

Stockholm Syndrome, which provides the central metaphor for this play, is the name for the strong and intimate relationship that perversely can exist between a victim and an aggressor in hostage situations. Stockholm is also the city that Todd and Kali, the two protagonists of the piece, are going to travel to for a dream holiday, part of Todd's birthday celebrations. So, who is the hostage and who is the aggressor in their relationship? Is Todd held hostage by Kali's unfeasibly fierce 'retro-jealousy' of his past and potentially present lover? Or is she hostage to his potential and possible infidelity? Who is this 'Louise' who has tried to call him on his mobile? Why won't she let him call his mother on his birthday?

Frantic Assembly continue their association with great living writers and Bryony Lavery has written a text that skilfully and economically traces and unravels Todd and Kali's relationship, dissecting their insecurities with an eye and ear as sharp as the row of knives that adorn the back of the kitchen in which most of the play is set. But this is no naturalistic kitchen-sink drama. The sharp and affecting acting is punctuated and driven along with layers of skilfully choreographed dance/movement: the couple show the story of their first dinner together, eating each other with knives and forks; the whole set meal takes place on the top of the electric hob in the kitchen, which serves as the restaurant table, a beautifully inventive and sensual movement section that plays itself out without a drop of wine being spilt. This is a fine example of the ensemble of two's excellent rapport: Georgina Lamb and Samuel James switch from heightened sex to vicious fight via witty and engaging storytelling, talking to the audience one moment, the next playing the unfolding and finely acted drama.

It looks good and it sounds good. The set and lighting and the sonic interventions, musically and otherwise are well judged and make an impact without being too intrusive or too flash. But the show is not perfect: I could criticise the writing and say that Kali needs to let us in on just a little more of her backstory; the direction could allow Todd to be a slightly more ambiguous character so that it remains even more unclear whether or not he really is having an affair; there is a danger that the end is too clunky. But there are some brilliant theatrical moments: Kali nearly drowns in a most unexpected way; Todd is gripped and levitated by fear; and the bed scene…

This is exciting and visceral theatre. It reminded me of Anthony Neilson's Stitching at the Traverse a few years ago in its energetic, truthful and committed performances by all concerned, writer, director(s) and actors. High Praise.

Photos by Manuel Harlan and show Samuel James (Todd), Georgina Lamb (Kali)

Stockholm is on tour throught the coming months for more info visit http://www.franticassembly.co.uk

Underground - Contact Thatre

Underground by Matthew David Scott, J.C Marshell & Company
Contact Theatre 17-18^th October, 1^st-2^nd November Bradford
Reviewed By Mal Wallace

Underground marks a significant first for Yorkshire based theatre company Slung Low. This is the first production they have taken into a theatre having previously created theatrical works for more unusual spaces. The intimate Contact Theatre would appear to be the ideal venue to world premiere this new work.

Written by Matthew David Scott, J C Marshall the plot concerns Johnny who, when caught up in a disaster on the London Tube, is catapulted into an alternative reality where he faces the daunting prospect of facing the evil Baron of Baron’s Court who rules over the underworld in order to escape back to his own reality. Incompetently assisted by Bokkie the South African rat and Gergo the Hungarian rat Johnny meets a vast array of characters, original, fictional and historical that both guide and hinder him on his quest. The premise sounds promising but sadly, the production fails to live up to expectations.

Whilst the plot development is somewhat baffling and some of the jokes, notably those about Lepers are incongruous, the script is, overall, fairly well written but its potential is never realised. Chief amongst the hindrances is the cast of four who all present extremely restrained and at times amateurish performances failing to make the most of the both the comedic and dramatic opportunities open to them. Dominic Gately as Johnny looks and sounds thoroughly bored from start to finish. Jojo Hawkins and Alys Torrance as the two rats share no chemistry whatsoever so what should have been an amusing comedy double act falls totally flat due in part to no sense of comic timing from either performer and horribly odd accents resulting in some extremely poor diction. Tom Dalton Bidwell plays the largest array of characters but, other than a change of costume, fails to differentiate between these characters displaying extremely limited acting ability. None of the four actors commanded the stage and the energy levels are appallingly low.

This however may be the fault of director Alan Lane who allows the production to move at a snails pace. Generally, though, Mr Lane makes good use of the space successfully utilising Naomi Parker’s highly effective set. Particularly striking is the revolving tunnel entrance which is further employed as a screen for Parminder Kaur’s amusing animations and Ben Eaton’s remarkably effective video projections. Unfortunately the opening scene was obscured from view by the use of an unreasonable amount of smoke which filled the auditorium in a rather unpleasant manner.

Regardless of characters such as Eliza Doolittle, Alfred Hitchcock and Robin Hood amongst others popping up, some effective use of puppetry and to an certain extent a well written script I couldn’t help feeling that somewhere deep within this dull production was a fantastic madcap piece of theatre desperate to be let loose to thrill.

Photos by Keith Patterson

Underground is next shown at the Alhambra Theatre Bradford for more information please visit http://web.mac.com/slung.low

South Pacific - New Wimbledon & Tour

South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein
New Wimbledon Theatre: 16th - 20th Oct & Tour
Directed By: Julian Woolford
Musical Direction: Gareth Williams
Choreography: Chris Hocking
Reviewed by: Zahid Fayyaz

Halfway through their regional tour, this new production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein production comes to Wimbledon. Set on a south Pacific Island during World War 2, this is the story of a nurse, Nellie Forbush, and her relationship with ‘mysterious’ French plantation owner, Emile De Beque. As with most musicals, the path of true love does not go smoothly, with various external and internal factors getting in their way. There are of course various other supporting characters and subplots, though it wouldn’t be surprising that it’s mainly based on love and trying to get ‘some’. Add a few songs in-between and dodgy dialogue, and that’s the play!

In terms of quality, this is not one of the best musicals around at the moment. The songs are pretty good, although it’s nothing particularly memorable or humable. The acting generally static, though the accents are particularly bad in some cases. David willets Frenchman sounds like he comes from Transylvania, and the less said about Bloody Marys sub ‘Born on the Fourth of July’ Vietnamese attempts the better. Helen Blackman’s nurse Nellie is a good lead actress, whilst Christopher Howell’s Luther Billis makes the best out of Luther Billis’s clichéd shtick as a navy con artist with a heart oof gold. And the cast did the best to rise above the technical problems and collapsing sets. Generally though, it was just a barely average play with a whole load of predictable plot and emotional twists.

Union Street - Oldham Coliseum

Union Street by Ian Kershaw
Oldham Coliseum: 11th-27th October
Directed by Kevin Shaw
Reviewed by Mal Wallace

The Oldham Coliseum has a reputation for encouraging and promoting new works by up and coming writers in quality productions. Union Street substantiates this reputation with aplomb. The play, written by award winning writer Ian Kershaw, has been specially created for the Coliseum and in part serves as a good natured homage to the rivalry that exists between Oldham and her neighbouring towns with many jestful references and fun poked particularly at Bolton throughout the evening.

The story, set in a struggling pub and local garden, is told part in the present and part through flashback covering the previous twenty years and centres around Jo, a middle aged woman who strives for more but never seems to achieve. During the time span Jo feels increasingly frustrated and let down by the men in her life and very nearly settles for less than she desires until, in true dramatic style, fate lends a hand and upon learning the truth about an incident from twenty years ago Jo reassess her relationships and is able to look to a brighter future.

Two predominant themes are explored throughout the play. Love is one, and it is clear that Jo certainly has love in one form or another for each of the men in her life. The second major theme centres on the struggle for the people of Oldham to accept the growing ethnic community. During act 1 references to multiculturalism appear to be a laboured attempt to incorporate a political agenda but later on in act 2 the theme proves integral to the resolution of the plot and is handled sensitively by the writer.

Gemma Wardle as Jo confidently leads the cast and rises to the challenge of displaying a huge range of emotions and a stunning singing voice. Her men are also well played in particular Kyl Messios as Sam who, as the one true love of Jo’s life, successfully makes the transition from protagonist to antagonist and back again with skill and depth of character. Paul Loughran as seemingly loveable Jim plays the part with great empathy which juxtaposes nicely with Phil Rowson’s ignorant and bigoted Ste, although credit must go to Phil Rowson for one of his early scenes where her provides the biggest laughs of the evening as he awkwardly tries to woo the young teenage Jo. Special mention to the young people of Oldham Theatre Workshop who provide a chorus of very professional standards and relish showing off the outrageous fashions of the 1980’s.

Director Kevin Shaw keeps the play zipping along at a nice pace and this is helped by musical director Howard Gray’s sensitively timed musical interludes and songs which on the whole serve to enhance the performance. The set by Alison Heffernan is very effective and is complimented beautifully by Thomas Weir’s excellent lighting design the marriage of which is in perfect keeping with the presence of the play.

Photos show: Top - Paul Loughran (Jim) Middle - Gemma Wardle (Jo) & Cast, Bottom - Gemma Wardle (Jo) & Phil Rowson (Ste)

Union Street continues until 27th October visit www. coliseum.org.uk for more information

Typhoon Live - Oval House Theatre

Getting Married by Yi Kang-baek, Dogs by Elangovan

Oval House Theatre: Tue 9 -13th Oct
directed by Philippe Cherbonnier/Kwong Loke

Reviewed by Francesca Elliott

The Oval House Theatre is home this week to Yellow Earth’s ‘Typhoon Live’ tour, a double-bill of East Asian comedies performed in English for the first time.

The two plays, both 45 minutes long, are performed by the same pair of actors and are about as different from each other as you can get. The first, ‘Getting Married’ is a ‘surreal South Korean fable’ about a young con man trying to trick a woman into marrying him.

The main protagonist is an amazingly camp Jamie Zubairi, who manages to borrow a large mansion and servant for an hour in order to woo a blind date. He says he is waiting for a woman, but his mincing round the stage implies otherwise. There is some interaction with the audience as he waits, and we warm to his character as he exchanges friendly banter about cigarettes and clothes.

Getting married is effectively a one man show, despite the presence of Liz Sutherland who plays his prospective wife, and Andy Cheung, who plays the silent menacing servant lurking in the background. It was a pleasant enough hour.

‘Dogs’ on the other hand, was far more exciting. A bickering couple driving home in the rain are trying to get back to their dog Singar. Liz Sutherland is great as the foul mouthed spoilt wife who detests her husband and is obsessed with her dog. Jamie Zubairi is also good as her downtrodden spouse (not in any way camp), who resents her dog on epic levels, mostly resulting from such lines as “Singar licks me better then you do.” The constant fighting gets slightly wearing, and I’m surprised that Sutherland wasn’t thrown screaming from the car, which is what I would have done had I been trapped in a confined space with her. ‘Dogs’ is quite an intense, dark play, yet highly entertaining and would be worth seeing on its own, but the lighter ‘Getting Married’, does provide a welcome contrast.