The Black Album, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds

The Black Album
Book: Hanif Kureishi
Adaptor: Hanif Kureishi
Director: Jatinder Verma
Reviewer: Nicola Harrison

'Something had begun to stir in the late 80's which has had a profound effect on our world, and which we are still trying to come to terms with.'
(Hanif Kureishi, 2009)

Written to mark the 20th anniversary of Salman Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses', this play identifies the realisation in the 80's that Britain had changed from a monocultural to a multiracial society. It was to the point of no return. In this humorous stage adaptation, the play enables you to challenge how the events of 1989 have formed todays society, namely fundamentalism against liberalism. The title refers to 'The Black Album' by Prince also released in the late 80's. The press referred to his album as 'The Funk Bible'. It was in fact a reactionary statement by Prince that his music could appeal to the black pop audience. The controversial black cover design had no printed title or artist name. This vacant black space represents the global conflict that ensued 'The Satanic Verses' following Ayatollah Khomeini's infamous fatwa.

Kureishi's 'The Black Album' can be described as a cocktail of hedonism, drug culture, book burning and Muslim fundamentalism in the late 80's, London. Shahid is a young Asian student in London. He joins a group of anti-racists but it's 1989, the year of the fatwa. As Shahid begins a hedonistic affair with his lecturer his radical Muslim acquaintances try to discourage him from the influences of the West. The play explores many ideas, particularly related to the power of literature. History shows that books cannot be repressed. As Milton said, 'He who destroys a good book destroys reason itself.' The idea of slaughtering reason for thinking is the conflict that Shahid has to struggle with as he battles between his love for new literature and what he really stands for.

The set for this adaptation, designed by Tim Hatley, was sparse and effective, enabling the focus to be on the actors and their performance. A projected visual backdrop created effective scene changes and props were minimal, but used creatively. The costumes, designed by Claudia Mayer were authentic showing the diversity of 80's fashion in a multiracial society. Due to the limitations of a raw set, it is notable the lighting, designed by Jvan Morandi, worked particularly well in the scenes set outside. Dual lighting effects highlighted the actors in the foreground while background cast were blacked out. Under Jatinder Verma's direction, this play essentially highlights the diversity of 80's culture through character. Whilst trying to bring together the many different facets of a complex society, 'The Black Album' allows us to be a part of the bitter conflict as we witness these inner city disturbances.

The cast from Tara Arts and the National Theatre gave strong performances. Shereen Martineau and Robert Mountford can be commended for their dual roles, Glyn Pritchard for adding humour and Jonathan Bonnici for the continuity of his leading performance.

Overall although the play marks a turning point in the history of Western racism, as a performance, it was neither widely compelling or hugely amusing. For that reason there was an element of disappointment. However, it gave you reason to think. Put into its political and historical context, it is still a necessary viewing.

Runs until Saturday 24th October

Skellig - Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield

Skellig

Based on the book by David Almond

Director: Phil Clark
Reviewer: Sarah Lyth

When did you last wonder at the simple gift of being alive?

The Birmingham Stage Company pose this question subtly and beautifully as they weave the story of Michael and his family in their presentation of David Almond’s Skellig. The audience are diverted from the ordinariness of everyday living and are reminded that they, like the characters in the play, are truly extraordinary beings.

Moving into a new house should have been an adventure but young Michael soon finds himself wandering around in a world of anxiety and bleakness as his baby sister becomes very ill. As his parents spend their time at the hospital, Michael explores the derelict garage and meets a creature who is lingering amidst the scuttling beetles and ancient cobwebs that are hanging on the old tea chests and suitcases. As Michael and his new friend Mina explore their worlds with the wonder and belief reminiscent of William Blake’s divine visions, the lives of all of the characters are transformed through the magic of love and life.

The scene was set in a complex pile of seemingly old rubbish designed cleverly and intricately to hide and reveal the innards of the garage as the story progressed. As Michael and Mina explored the trees, they were immersed in a delicate green glow. The revelation of the creature’s origins was accompanied magically through the precise use of torchlight to direct the action and a panning out to a wonderful starry night that seemed to go on forever. The chorus accompanied the action beautifully, the Birmingham Stage Company characteristically using flute, violin, accordion, guitar and voices to layer the experience of each scene with depth of sounds including the beating of hearts, the clicking of hospital machines and the passengers on a bus. Mesmerising!

The Company melted and moved into different characters with ease and power. Dean Logan and Charlotte Sanderson admirably portrayed the immediacy of childhood curiosity, passion and pain with great feeling and energy. Neal Foster’s Skellig was both fearsome and awesome in the same breath, projecting the fragility of being human and the potential for human greatness and transformation amidst the reality of the raw grit that existence on our earth demands.

As the flutter of the fledgling blackbirds, the hooting of the owls and the glittering of the stars faded away I am sure that the many people who were watching, spellbound, in the Lyceum auditorium this evening followed Skellig out into the streets of Sheffield with hearts of fire, owners of a rekindled belief that they too could love and live and dream and fly in the (extra) ordinariness of their days.

runs until 24th Oct

Grapes of Wrath - Birmingham Rep

Grapes of Wrath

Adaptor: Frank Galati

Based on the novel by John Steinbeck

Director: Jonathan Church

Reviewer: Helen Chapman

The English Touring Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre brings to the stage John Steinbeck’s prize winning novel The Grapes of Wrath. Adapted by Frank Galati, this play lends itself well to a large and varied cast. It follows the journey of the Joad family as they are forced to flee their home in Oklahoma after their farm is repossessed as a result of a devastating season of drought. They are drawn westwards to California along with the other hundreds of families enticed by the prospects of jobs, good wages and food on the table.

And yet what they are faced with is disappointment and dreams unrealised. California isn’t the “land of milk and honey” it claims to be. Grapes of Wrath highlights the family’s struggle as they are faced with trial upon trial, from the death of both grandparents to the delivery of Rose of Sharon’s stillborn baby. Steinbeck depicts well the way in which each character, in their own way clings to a hope.

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Sorcha Cusak gives a powerful performance as maternal Ma Joad, holding her family together, never complaining but merely making the best of what they have, even sacrificing her treasures for the good of her family. She shows that amidst trouble, compassion, love and sacrifice can go along way. The play opens with ex-preacher Jim Casy who has lost his faith and bumps into Tom Joad, recently released from prison, and decides to accompany the Joad family to California. He himself is on a journey rediscovering what he truly believes, adding a spiritual element and way of dealing with the hard times of 1938 – even hard nut Tom parts from his family using Casy’s words.

The play is fairly slow moving and at times felt a little too slow for the stage. However the large cast spanning the ages served to bring the story to life, with the intensity and heaviness of the storyline lifted by heartwarming characters Granma and Granpa Joad – with one of my favourite scenes being the welcome they gave their Grandson on his unexpected return from prison – adding an element of humour to an otherwise sombre plot.

I am always impressed by the inventiveness of sets used for theatre and this was no exception. The Joad’s journey was by a clapped out car, cleverly designed to move about the stage and managing to accommodate each member of the family – not an easy task! The set designers incorporated a river, a rainstorm and a grave within the stage set up and each was used to really enhance the play. The use of emotive music was timely to this tragic story of loss, hope and despair.

The play ends, in my mind fairly abruptly with no clear sense of anything finishing. But then this reflects the nature of the Joad’s life – a continual struggle to provide for each other, moving from place to place, themselves not knowing when it will end.

This is not a play to be watched if you’re keen for a good laugh.It is a provocative, honest account of a family’s struggle to remain a family, and well worth seeing.

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runs until 31st Oct

Fireflies - Lowry Theatre, Salford

Fireflies

Writer: Kevin Fegan

Director: Noreen Kershaw

Reviewer: Poppy Helm

Local playwright Kevin Fegan's latest stage offering is the gritty Manchester based 'love story waiting to happen', Fireflies, playing now at the Lowry.

This is a story that begins at the end with single mum, Leigh, hailing a taxi to the airport to escape the confines of 'the estate'. The following eighty minutes take us on a journey through her backstory and that of her neighbour Nelson, who's own life runs in an almost prophetic parallel. Their troubled existences unravel in tandem, culminating in a chance meeting that leaves us both desperately hopeful and delightfully voyeuristic, as we speculate on their potential future together.

Both actors play a multitude of distinct characters that are both energetic and engaging. The sheer pace and quantity of dialogue almost leaves the audience gasping, but Leigh (Naomi Radcliffe) and Nelson (Paul Simpson) barely pause for breath, apparently making these transitions with ease.

Black and white video footage plays behind the action, sometimes providing an evocative backdrop, and at others providing characters for Leigh and Nelson to interact with directly. This neat use of multimedia adds another dimension, particularly for the most emotionally charged moments such as when Nelson visits daughter Pendle in prison.

Both actors resist the temptation to rely on this device and instead we recognise that they are sufficiently talented to carry the story on an empty stage, should they have needed to. A tidy set with a 'living room' and 'cinema' that emerge from behind the projector screen keep the audience's focus where it should be – on the actors.

Despite the odd bizarre deviation from the main plot (Nelson's mysterious telephone sex-texter doesn't add a great deal to the story, other than some light relief), this is an honest portrayal that manages to avoid stereotypes and deliver an excellent narrative. Mancunians in particular will enjoy the opening footage of night-time scenery and the quirky character names that give a nod to their beloved city.

Photos: Ben Blackall

Runs at until 31st October.

Kes - Darlington Civic Theatre

Kes by:Barry Hines
Adaptor: Lawrence Till
Director: Nikolai Foster
Reviewer: Ian Cain

Based on the book ‘A Kestrel For A Knave’ by Barry Hines, Lawrence Till has produced an adaptation of ‘Kes’ which marks 40 years since the acclaimed novel became a classic of the British cinema.

Billy Casper is a fourteen-year-old boy living an angst-ridden existence. His father disappeared when he was six and his mother is always going out, leaving him to fend for himself. He has been in trouble with the police over petty crime and his performance at school is substandard. Jud, his bullying older brother works in the local coalmine and Billy, being all but illiterate, is expected to follow the same career path.

Desperate to find a point to his lonely life, Billy’s outlook is changed dramatically one day. Upon discovering a Kestrel’s nest, he decides to steal a chick and subsequently teaches himself how to raise and train it with the aid of a library book. Through Kes, Billy discovers a real passion that provides an opportunity to retreat into a world of his own – a world which is less brutal and uncompromising than the harsh reality of his day to day monotony.

Stefan Butler’s performance as Billy is deeply affecting. His performance is pitched perfectly and he effortlessly convinces the audience that he is an adolescent schoolboy. The physical aspect of this is greatly enhanced by his slight build and boyish good looks. Butler doesn’t waste one word or mannerism in his depiction of Billy and every nuance is honed carefully and beautifully.

Oliver Farnworth puts in a sterling performance as the brutish, bullying Jud. His physical and verbal abuse of Billy is played so realistically and honestly that, at times, the scenes are disturbing to watch. Conversely, the scenes between Billy and his English teacher, Mr Farthing, are tender and poignant without being slushy or overly sentimental and this is due, largely, to Daniel Casey’s skilful portrayal of Farthing. Katherine Dow Blyton, as the slatternly and neglectful Mrs Casper, also contributes a worthy performance. There are strong supporting performances, too, from a cast that also includes Mike Burnside, David Crellin, Dominic Gately, Sue Vincent and Peter McGovern.

An interesting concept comes in the form of a series of choreographed ballet routines, performed with finesse by Oliver Watton, that punctuate the story. Although the artistic intentions of these are not made totally clear to the audience, my own interpretation is that they act as a metaphor of the kestrel – which doesn’t physically appear on stage until the penultimate scene – and of the sense of freedom and liberation that Billy experiences because of his relationship with it.

The creative team are as much responsible for the success of this production as the actors. Matthew Wright’s set represents the grim, brooding and foreboding Yorkshire Moors and their leaden, cragginess perfectly illustrates the harshness of life in a Northern industrialised town. The effect is emphasised by Guy Hoare’s atmospheric lighting design, and Nikolai Foster’s direction is paced with precision.

This production of ‘Kes’ is flawless and comes highly recommended.

Photos: Robert Day

Runs until Saturday 24 October 2009.

Dreams of Violence - Library Theatre, Manchester

Dreams of Violence

Writer: Stella Feehily

Director: Max Stafford-Clark

Reviewer: Clare Howdon

Hildy doesn’t live an easy life. As well as dealing with a philandering soon to be ex-husband, Hildy also has the added strain of a stubborn mischievous Irish father and a mother who refuses to grow old (and anonymous) gracefully. Add to this mixture a looming credit crunch, a fierce personal compulsion to rid the world of its evil capitalist regime and accusations by all and sundry of neglecting her children for her political causes, Hildy’s life is a heart attack waiting to happen.

This is the main plot line of Stella Feehily’s new play ‘Dreams of Violence’ which is currently playing at the Library Theatre, Manchester. This is Feehily’s third play for Out of Joint. Feehily is indisputably a writer of great wit and poignancy and some interesting and topical themes are dealt with in this piece notably the recession and the on-going stigma of the ‘working mum’. Sadly however, the text seems too fragmented and manufactured to be fully engaging as a piece of theatre.

The play covers a plethora of dramatic styles and results in moments of great effect. Shirley’s renditions of Billie Holliday’s ‘God bless the child’ (coupled with a beautiful lighting design by Johanna Town) creates a dreamlike atmosphere which contrasts delightfully with the naturalistically fraught family scenes. However there are also instances when this meshing of styles is less effective. The sub-plot of cleaners Annie and Bea and their growth from apathetic workers to rallying political activists, despite being played confidently by Mossie Smith and Trusitha Jayasundera, seems contrived and unconvincing. One cannot help questioning whether the two characters have been mechanically constructed as Agit-Prop archetypes to further emphasise Hildy’s political leanings. This sadly results in some formulaic scenes which don’t quite sit comfortably with the rest of the play.

Performances throughout the piece are generally strong. Catherine Russell gives a solid execution as the outwardly prim and proper Hildy who is tormented nightly by thoughts of violence towards her demented relatives. However her performance never truly grips you and the scenes between her and Ben (Nigel Cooke) lack the sexual chemistry that is required to make the hot impromptu sex in the hallway believable.

The supporting cast turn in persuasive performances especially Ciaran McIntrye and Paula Wilcox (although the character of Shirley looks unfeasibly young for a 60 year old mother; this says a lot for a lifetime of class A drugs and a diet of Vodka and Lilt). McIntyre gives a loveable and sympathetic performance as Jack and scenes between him and Hildy are tinged with real sadness and regret. The cameo performance by Giles Cooper as Jack’s long suffering nurse Simon also offers a great on-stage rapport between the two characters.

As with any Max Stafford Clarke production, the direction in ‘Dreams of Violence’ is slick and well paced and Lucy Osborne’s stage design contributes to the claustrophobic and frustrating world that Hildy inhabits. The imaginative off stage presence of Honey (only her mouth is seen as she yells through the letterbox) is successful and draws out yet another funny turn by versatile performer Jayasundera.

‘Dreams of Violence’ is definitely worth a watch. Although there are moments where the text feels a little disjointed and artificial, there are also moments of brutal honesty and sadness juxta-posed with laugh out loud one-liners. It will also undoubtedly make you feel better about your own dysfunctional families.

Photos: John Haynes

Runs until Sat 24th Oct

The Idiot Colony - Birmingham Rep

The Idiot Colony

Writer: Lisle Turner

Director: Andrew Dawson

Reviewer: Helen Chapman

RedCape Theatre is passionate about telling stories that matter. Real issues, real lives. And so it produces The Idiot Colony based around case histories and interviews to portray the lives of women committed to a mental asylum in the 40s and 50s and branded moral defectives. It seems homosexuality and bearing illegitimate children through rape were enough to condemn a woman to indefinite confinement.

The chilling reality of such a time is powerfully depicted in this short piece as it cleverly intertwines three women’s experiences in the asylum with flashbacks from their past. Joy, Mary and Victoria are such different characters yet all in the same situation. Joy, contrary to what her name would suggest, is somewhat cynical about life, telling her story with sarcasm. In contrast is Mary who has an air of childlike innocence about her, eager to please. And Victoria, who, saying nothing throughout the play, is just blank. Expressionless. There is no sense of strong relationship between the three, but rather a mutual understanding that they are different acts as a bond between them, each willing to help the other.

But it’s not easy watching. The play begins with the three women, dressed all in white, gently swaying to ragtime music, in sync with each other and brushing their hair. In silence. In fact dialogue is thin throughout the play, adding to an almost eerie, dreamy atmosphere that constantly reminds you of the setting and the effect the asylum has had on the women over the years – quite how many we are never told. Add to this a simple effective set of white on black, inventive use of props (a miniature rainstorm born out of ringing a wet towel) and timely music, and you get the challenging, emotive theatre experience you came for.

The Idiot Colony works well on such a small stage as much of its power is in the expressions and emotions portrayed by the actresses which would have been lost in a bigger setting. The beauty is in the detail. Facial expression can say so much. Claire Coache, Cassie Friend and Rebecca Loukes give powerful performances as they live in the present and in the past, recounting their lives before they were unfairly institutionalised.

Startling, uncomfortable and insightful. And somehow making the audience laugh at times too. Definitely worth seeing.

Idiot Colony is on tour, for more info click here

Julius Ceasar - Blue Elephant Theatre, London

Julius Caesar
Writer: William Shakespeare
Director: Ricky Dukes
Reviewer: Honour Bayes

Very much like Machiavelli's The Prince, William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is about courtly deception, power play, betrayal and manipulative maneuvering; an elegant and desperate portrayal of a dangerous and slippery world. But according to Lazarus Theatre Company it seems to be about plotting and petting and very little else. Men stroking men, giggling boys being buggered, long and tender hand shakes, director Ricky Dukes’ evident interest in the ‘sexually uninhibited’ nature of Rome is blatant for all to see, but is it the story that Shakespeare wanted to tell?

Julius Caesar is the bloody tale of Caesar’s assassination and the people that both perpetrated it, primarily the honorable but misguided Marcus Brutus, and those who avenged him, primarily the faithful Mark Anthony (although he was a bit of a deceiver himself by all Egyptian accounts).

The eponymous hero only appears in three scenes in Shakespeare’s text, and in Lazarus Theatre Company’s 90 minute version he never appears at all, remaining only a ghostly and proud visage painted quite beautifully by Heidi Lian onto a gauze screen hanging at the back. This divine face gives the very lovely sense of a society that is constantly overshadowed by Caesar; the missing god like dictator that they are all so desperate to prove is human. As one of the more pertinent stylistic choices it is a rare gem in this otherwise highly superficial production. The cast may move like one in impressively unified synchronization, and sing like angels with one voice as though in a chamber choir, but it’s very difficult to know why and how this all adds to the story at hand. With their epic cast numbers and stage pictures, Lazarus have admirably large aspirations for fringe theatre, but do they have the substance to fill these massive boots?

It would seem not, with this cast flailing in presentational performances which belay the wild eyed melodrama of misguided but intensely meaningful interpretations of text. Sadly they can’t really hide behind this faux earnestness and it’s often hard to follow a scene or a plot point, with the real intention of the text lost as it is in all this noise and fury.

At points Matthew Wade’s solid Brutus, Steven Rodgers’ weasely Cassius and Elana Martin’s delicate Portia break through this fog to reveal some believable moments and it is true that much of the renaissance imagery in this piece is arresting. But this is not enough to save a production where the story has been jettisoned in favour of style. This company clearly has a dynamic eye but once again their director seems to have become enamored in the superfluous at the expense of truthful storytelling. In Dukes’ Julius Caesar homoeroticism plays a central, if not the central, part to the complete detriment of any other facet of this multi-layered psychological drama and quite frankly, I’d rather see Shakespeare’s vastly superior original please.

Runs until 7th Nov

Expectations - Contact Theatre, Manchester

Expectations

Writer: Kristina Brandan Whitaker

Director: Guy Whitaker

Reviewer: Clare Howdon

The world premiere of Kristina Branden Whitaker’s play ‘Expectations’ currently playing at the Contact Theatre is a joint production between Swedish company ‘The Gothenburg English Speaking Theatre’ and UK based ‘Fink On Theatre’.

It tells the story of two couples whom despite being far apart in location (Mattias and Klara live in Sweden whilst Theresa and Paul reside in Salford), are alike in the fact that both couples have to face the daunting and unenviable prospect of raising a severely disabled child with a rare chromosome abnormality, whilst desperately attempting to keep their own flailing relationships on track. The play follows the journey of how this news and the character’s ultimate decisions, fears and secrets eventually bring them together in a heart-wrenching and unexpected ending.

This is a real gem of a play. It is hard to believe that ‘Expectations’ marks Kristina Branden Whitaker’s debut as a playwright as this brutally frank and honest account of the trials and tribulations of the two family units is written with honesty, elegance and wit throughout. The genuinely funny dialogue between Theresa and Paul is juxtaposed beautifully with some truly poignant moments, ultimately packing a hard punch to the audience whilst never becoming overly sentimental.

Gary Whitaker’s sleight of hand direction ensures that this delicate writing avoids feeling forced or overly staged, and dialogue is slick and well-paced. This is also perfectly complemented by a multi-functional ‘IKEA inspired’ set by Ger Olde Monnikhof, which adds to the claustrophobic atmosphere of the piece and makes the desperation and helplessness of the characters almost tangible. The only criticism I would have is that scene changes were a little long and cumbersome and sadly slowed down the pace in some crucially tense moments.

‘Expectations’ cries out for an extremely high calibre of performers that can do justice to the bitingly emotional and sometimes uncomfortable writing, and luckily this four-strong cast do not disappoint, all turning in effortlessly believable performances throughout. Sally Walsh is fantastic and entirely empathetic as the doting mum with a sharp tongue Theresa and the on-stage chemistry between her and Nick Mason as husband Paul is a pleasure to watch. Johan Orjefelt and Kristina Branden Whitaker also turn in subtle and honest performances as Mattias and Klara, living in the painful aftermath of their daughter’s death.

It is always refreshing and exciting to see new writing of this calibre and the company should be congratulated on creating such a powerful and engaging production.

Photos: Lina Ikse Bergman

Runs until Sat 17th Oct

All My Sons - The Curve Theatre, Leicester

All My Sons
Writer: Arthur Miller
Director: Walter Meierjohann
Reviewer: David Noble

As the curtain rose on a scene that could have been the subject of a Hopper painting, one knew what was to come. The American artist famous for delving into the depression and loneliness behind the idyllic veneer of post-war life, must have shared ideas with Arthur Miller, for All My Sons was the epitome of these problems faced by one family in the aftermath of the Second World War. Written in an era when any remote anti-capitalist feeling was highly resented, it is astonishing to think that such a politically charged and morally ambiguous text could be published in 1947. Miller presents his ideas on the deceit of capitalism, and indeed the pursuit of wealth before life, through stark human emotion and raw angst.

The main challenge for director Walter Meierjohann was to bring this piece, which one would think so reliant on the mood of the time, to a modern audience. Here he succeeded spectacularly.

The story centres on a mother’s refusal to admit the death of her son, who had been missing since the war. This is a denial which becomes somewhat insurmountable when her other son wishes to marry his brother’s sweetheart. It also focuses on an unresolved imbroglio several years prior, whereby, due to greed faulty engines are sent to the war effort, resulting in the death of twenty-one pilots. The action that proceeds is expertly portrayed by Meierjohann, who blurs the line between right and wrong with delightful subtlety. All characters are likeable, yet none of them are innocent. It is this basic ambiguity that the director captures magnificently.

Perhaps it is also the modern climate that allows one to relate so closely to the issues discussed? In a time where capitalism is perceived to have failed us, and when we are fighting a seemingly endless war, parallels have to be drawn between the two periods. It is little wonder that All My Sons has been revived in a time of economic crisis.

On a technical note, the afore-mentioned set (created by Steffi Wurster) was absolutely stunning. The bold and vivid colours utilised allowed the frailty of the characters to be brutally exposed amidst the unerring opacity. Likewise, Mike Gunning’s lighting was relentless in its intensity, excellently representing the exposure of the widespread dishonesty.

The acting was on the whole exemplary, barring a few accentual slips, and the real achievement of the relatively small cast was to give the impression that one was sitting in the back garden with them. Personally, the stand-out performance was delivered by Diana Kent, who thrived in the complex role of mother Kate Keller. She juggled consummately the imbalanced nature of her character, and her gradual disintegration into despair was a joy to behold.

Quite frankly, All My Sons was exceptional. It gave me new perspective on issues ranging from patriotism to the importance of family, and the climax was both unexpected and deeply moving. A truly powerful piece, it is a rare example of a perfect harmony between a brilliant script and seamless direction, which is also culturally relevant. A clear highlight of the theatrical year, All My Sons must be seen!

runs until Sat 14th Nov