Seersucker Toady

Open-hearted, joyful performance of  innocence and loving friendships.

Edinburgh 2010- Church Hill Theatre – 20-25 August, 14.15

The Churchill Theatre stage looked very beautiful for this light-hearted performance by Ecole Secondaire Notre Dame pupils from Canada. The set was representative of wide prairie skies and golden rolling plains.  The  haybales were gorgeously designed and the lighting gloriously warm. The playing company, descrided on the programme as, ” fresh-faced Alberta youths” were all just so. The young men were handsome and fit, the young women were costumed divinely and each was alive with appropriate character and energy.

Set in the golden age of dirigible travel on the Canadian prairies, the play explores the delicately balanced teenage relationships of a tightly knit group of village youngsters in the early 1900′s.

We are taken into the story by modern narrators, played with 21st Century ‘cool’ by Vanessa LaGrange and Chantelle Waschuk. These confident, lovely young ladies keep the story moving with direct address to the audience and excellent play between one another, as they hop in and out of historical time, commenting upon the Innisfail village action with well timed humour. Their movements are focussed. Their voices are clear and strong without being strident. Their “distance” from the local country people is finely drawn.

We meet the village young people, relaxing together and teasing one another. The local Girls, Peggy, Della and Chips are skillfully painted by Renee Crawley, Tori Grebinski and Gina Omilon.Their conversations bounce along and their comic timing is splendid. Their relationship as long term friends is very believable and the love they share is clearly present upon the stage.

The local Lads, Hamish, Cobb and Squirrel are equally well realised by Brett Van der Voort, Andres Moreno and Carson Meyer. Their portrayal of young men who truly care for one another while joshing and sending one another up is truthful, comic and serious, in a way rarely seen on stage or television these days.

The writing of the youthful exchanges by Stweart Lemoine is well observed and the director, Melissa Mayville, has assisted everyone to give of their best to bring this close-knit, village atmosphere alive with intelligence and love. These are not stupid country bumpkins, they are warm-hearted, intelligent teenagers.

Discussions quickly centre around Thad Risley who has left the group, going off to school, abandoning his girlfriend and leaving everyone upset. This theme is laced between speculations about who “likes” whom, as the young people find their relationships changing with time. Feelings are high and strangely rocky when they are distracted by a pink dirgible landing in the field beyond. We are told ” some are Zepplins and some are not.” as the boys discuss whether or not to go visit the flying visitors who have landed in Squirrel’s dad’s field. The girls arrive in the field too, having been attracted by the enormous Pink Balloon.

In the dirgible, disgorged upon the prairie we find, The Orphelines, a mixed group of young orphaned ladies from different foreign countries, travelling as part of their education. Honor, Mathilde, Taubchen, Proskovia and Daniza are adroitely played by Julianna Deutscher, Emily Talma, Jamie Calkins, Baylee Mancuso and Alexandra Zanussi. Their arrival delights the young men and sparks the curiousity of the young women, distracting them from their familiar passions. However, they are soon returned to one of their regular themes when they discover the afore-mentioned Thad Risely, played with great aplombe by Lorenzo Damiani,  has returned, helping the young ladies. He is wearing a fashionable, light Seersucker jacket. He seems to have a very high opinion of himself and his direct address lines provoked outright laughter more than once, as he expressed gauche opinions, clearly recognised as shared teenage boy faux pas by male audience members.

As the play unfolds Thad learns many lessons, love unfolds between couples and the Orphaline’s leader acts as a go-between and harmoniser, assisting Thad to start telling the truth. He has some difficulty persuading his former friends, who think he might say anything, to anyone, just to be liked. He is The Seersucker Toady of the title. As with all good tales, it all turns out well in the end, though not necessarily predictably. They cast are a splendid ensemble who have clearly worked very hard to create this charming piece of theatre. The music at either end of the show is romantic and wide, like the praries.The costumes are a beautiful collection of time appropriate pieces, worn with consummate ease . Each young person has a distinctive personality and each actor or actress presents their character with energy, understanding and warmth. Their physical manifestation of the manners of a bygone time is delightful and highlighted by the two modern narrators who share the stage with them. By the end the slick modern young people also sit upon the uncarpetted Earth with their ancestors, both Canadian and European. The cast travelled a long way to be seen on the Edinburgh stage. I am glad they made the journey to brighten the Edinburgh Fringe with their presence.

Cast: Jamie Calkins – Taubchen, Renne Crawley – Peggy, Lorenzo Damania – Thad Risley, Julianna Deutscher – Honor, Tori Grebinski – Peggy, Vanessa LaGrange – Alberta, Baylee Mancuso – Proskovia, Carson Meyer – Squirrel, Andres Moreno – Cobb, Gina Omilon – Chips,  Emily Talma – Mathilde, Brett Van der Voort – Hamish, Chantelle Waschuk – Louise, Alexandra Zanussi – Daniza; Crew: Stage Manager – Dylan Ames, Backstage – Keith Davis, Sound – Karl Deutsher, Lighting Design – Ben Edwards, Props Master – Meaghan Kroetsch, Backstage – Amber Severin,

Director – Melissa Mayville, Technical Design – Leigh Smithson, Costume Design – LeeAnn Arsenault,

Make-up and Hair – Tracey Millar, Assistant Director – Kelsey Penney, Playwright – Stewart Lemoine, Producer – Red Deer Catholic Regional Division # 39 Chaperone – Glen Traquair, Chaperone – Jennifer Warder

The Company : American High School Theatre Festival: Ecole Secondaire Notre Dame, Alberta, Canada

( c )Lilian Kennedy Brzoska 2010

reviewed Wednesday 25th August

Cabaret Chordelia

Making a Song and Dance

Edinburgh 2010 – Pleasance at Ghillie Dhu – 4-22 August 10 – 16:15pm (1.10)

The Ghillie Dhu feels like the right venue for this piece,  if ever I have to fight off a horde of marauding zombies, if ever I have to shake the dust off a desiccated corpse hide behind it for cover and make my last stand against hordes of the infected, if there is ever an holocaust of poorly defined origin – then it will be in the decayed belly of the Ghillie Dhu that I make my last stand.  Think restrained opulence and you’ll be there – plush and sensual, but air conditioned.  Which is of course the perfect setting for a spot of Cabaret of a sticky festival afternoon, is it not?

As I wait for the show to open music quietly pervades the space, the aura of a gramophone is evoked, I imagine a small boy, flat capped, on his hunkers behind the folding modesty screen at the side of the stage turning a handle, excitedly peeping at the audience.  He reminds me of myself. I used to hunker in the wings at the Pantomime, dodging backstage crew, waiting for my dad to go on as the Dame and feeling excitement pound through the curtain from the audience; I look about at this quiet shadow of that and wonder when I got so old.

The dancers and pianist arrive on stage in an understated manner befitting the venue, Kimberly Lawrie, Kathy Lloyd-Jones and Kirsty Pollock have no need to make a song and dance, their beauty transcends gender and their careful movements bely grace, poise and an unexpected eloquence which speaks to me clearly.  They communicate through movement alone and the lines of communication remain coherent for the duration of the performance.  The pianist  Ian Ryan is accomplished, delights consistently; and surprises occasionally – particularly during his brief Kazoo solo.

Singer for the evening Ian Ryan reminds me of Desperate Dan in drag and his appearance muddies the water somewhat; not, because of any lack of talent – the guy can sing – simply because his arrival affects the stage dynamics. It’s never clear whether attention is supposed to be focused on him or the dancers. This is a minor flaw which, though initially confusing, doesn’t ultimately detract from the show.

Each dance was choreographed beautifully with precise movement and plenty left open for interpretation, providing meat to the bones of what could otherwise be a dull show – this wasn’t really Cabaret, more an analysis of the format.  If you like your cabaret, fulsome, free and life affirming – this isn’t the show for you.  If you prefer a more cerebral dish – you’ll get something out of the quiet sensuality of Cabaret Chordelia in the restrained opulence of Ghillie Dhu.

The only major flaw is that there’s no unfolding story to follow from one number to the next and without this there is not enough variation captivate for long.  By the middle of the show I found myself lost somewhat – uncertain whether I had missed some crucial plot device, and unable to grasp the thread again and frankly wondering when the show was going to end.

By the closing number this beautiful piece grows stale, trapped in a  never changing moment of time, dusty like bottles on the shelves of that imagined Ghillie Dhu where I hide, hoping for the world to turn and wondering what happened to that boy by the gramophone, or the one in the wings.

Cast Credits (Alpha Order): Jonathan Gunthorpe – Singer. Kimberley Lawrie Kally Lloyd-Jones Kirsty Pollock – Dancers. Ian Ryan – Pianist.

Company Credits: Director – Kally Lloyd-Jones.  Choreographer – Kally Lloyd-Jones.  Music Director – Damian Thantrey. Lighting Design – Grahame Gardner. Guest Choreographer – Matt Foster.  Stylist – Tom Rogers.  Music – Coward, Rogers & Hart, Kirsty MacColl, Tom Waits, Charlap & George, Bacharach & David, Billy Joel, Bolcom, Burke, Malneck & Livingston, Van Heusen, Kern, Shire, Weill, Wilcox.  Artistic Director – Kally Lloyd-Jones.  Creative Producer – Kate Craik.  Marketing – Lynsey McFarlane. Press – Wendy Niblock. Graphic Design – Lotta Landelius. Production Photography – Eammon McGoldrick. Board of Directors – John Harding, Anne Munro, Kally Lloyd Jones, Severine Wyper.

(c) Stephen Redman 2010

reviewed Friday 20 August 2010

Obama Mia

Work in Progress

Edinburgh 2010: Just the Tonic @ The Caves – 5-29 August – 13.45 (1.10)

This is of course, the real President Obama. (Or is it?)

Barack Obama has fallen into a hope-induced coma. What will we do? Find an Obama’like of course. After the obligatory opening number the action kicks off from this coma inducing premise with surprising vim and vigour and by the end of the first scene any initial trepidations have been replaced with a level of surprised and sceptical hope.

Just the tonic @ the caves is a space that hardly suits this style of show with terrible acoustics and a PA that makes Ciaran Doyle’s live accompaniment sound like the Casio keyboard my sister was presented with when she was six.  The stage itself appears out of the mist high above the audience like a crows nest, with about as much space and I sit gazing with my neck craned backwards I question two things. One the company’s illadvised choice of venue and two how the festival allows fringe venues to become slum-lords of the theatre world renting out theatre space equivalents of high-rise council owned properties with both damp and dry rot and mice and ASBO neighbours.

Some of the set pieces in this show worked perfectly with classic moments of audience misdirection contained within the direction and script, and elements of the modern school of comedy (perfected in the film Anchorman)  engendered by Eoghan Quinn’s portrayal of a womanising, stiff drinking Joe Biden.  Aaron Heffernan, who plays Charlie, who plays Obama, is good at two things – acting, and looking like Obama. Which is fortunate given that he plays an actor, who looks like Obama.

Given the size of the stage it’s reasonable to expect a choreographer to struggle but that’s no excuse for having numbers where no one in the cast can move their limbs because they are crowding each other of the stage (back to that obligatory opening number again). It’s as though rehearsals took place in a much larger space and no one thought to make the limitations of the eventual stage clear.  With forethought difficulties like this can be overcome, indeed should be. With the correct approach obstacles like a tiny stage can become just as much a stimulus for a great performance as the script, or sheet music or an interesting premise.

Happily, given the poor quality of some the musical numbers, the show as a whole is more comedy than musical and sections of dialogue are particularly snappy. Although at times the pace lapses for a moment as though the show itself is trying to remember what comes next.  In general the performance was energetic but lacking nuance, but then an audience hardly attends a musical comedy searching for nuance and hidden meaning.

The best way to sum up the performance is to say that it feels like a mid rehearsal run through – exciting because it shows promise but unsatisfying in it’s incompleteness, it unconnectedness.

The script also feels incomplete, underwoked like the first draft of a show which will eventually be great. Some of the scenes worked great others fell flat. Some of the songs worked great others fell flat. Some of the one-liners worked great others fell flat. Some of the extended gags worked great others fell flat.  This could be because there are several writer/directors credited for the show: Brianne Fitzpatrick, Eoghan Quinn, Rory Carron and Matthew Smyth.

It’s natural to want to ask – Who wrote what? – Who directed which section?  and Who assumed overall responsibility for the production? If this company can answer these questions next time out then they might be onto a winner, because there is the warmth, generosity of spirit and first signs of invention here that all musical comedy needs to succeed.

Cast: Aifric Darcy – Page  Jodie Doyle – Cynthia Brianne Fitzpatrick- JP Rachel Gleeson – Sandra  Aaron Heffernan – Charlie (Obama)Cameron McCauly – John Favreau Sam McMullen Erica Murray – FOX Henchman– FOX Henchman Paul Musiol – Will Eoghan Quinn – Biden  Richard Shaffrey – Songmaster

Written and Directed By Rory Carron, Brianne Fitzpatrick, Eoghan Quinn, Mathew Smyth. Music and Lyrics by Ciaran Doyle, Eoghan Quinn, Brianne Fitzpatrick.

Accompanist – Ciaran Doyle; Choreography – Jayne Stynes; Sound and Light Operator – Rory Carron; Costume – Emma Gleeson.

(c) Stephen Redman 2010

Jack L, A Month of Mondays

Favourite things

Edinburgh 2010 – The Famous Spiegeltent – Monday 9, 16, 23 and 30 August, 10pm – 1 hr and 15 minutes.

Jack Lukeman. The best imperial you are ever likely to see.

The heavens opened in Edinburgh on the day of this Jack L show and failed to close again.   The bar area of the Spiegel Garden, situated outside The Famous Spiegeltent, both of which have taken up temporary residence in George Square, Edinburgh for the duration of the Edinburgh Fringe, looked a distinctly sorry and soggy site as the punters attempted to shelter from the elements before the doors to the Famous Spiegeltent opened for tonight’s performance.

Once inside this atmospheric venue, you leave the outside world and the bad weather. behind.  The Famous Spiegltent is a venue of magic and a unique  performance space.  A  circular, circus like structure of mirrors and stained glass, where you can almost feel the ghosts of a thousand memorable performances past, transporting you to a world of cabaret, torch singers, vaudeville and endless possibilities.  It is unlike any other venue at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Jack L, dressed top to toe in black, walks onto the stage holding up a battered and worse for wear looking black umbrella,  accompanied only by Dara Munnis on piano. The reason for the umbrella becomes clear as the plaintive opening chords of ‘I Think It’s Going to Rain Today’ strike up.  Perhaps the umbrella is a too obvious link to the lyrics of the song, though it certainly pays tribute to the grim conditions of the day, but this much covered, soulful rumination on human loneliness is enriched by the sparse solemnity of the musical arrangement as is well suited to Jack L rich and powerful baritone voice.  The audience, seated around cabaret style tables in front of the stage, are immediately drawn in and stay that way for the rest of the evening.

Jack L is then joined on stage by the rest of the band for a stomping version of another Randy Newman classic, ‘Lonely at the Top’.  He has already told us that this performance will contain songs from some of his favourite songwriters, such as Randy Newman and Jacques Brel, as well as some of his own material. Jacques Brel tale of randy, drunken sailors, ‘Amsterdam’, is then given a heartfelt interpretation.

It’s immediately clear that part of the appeal of a Jack L live performance is the way that he lives and breathes every song.  The antithesis of a stand and deliver vocalist, he is a showman in every sense of the word.  He comes down off the stage for some of the numbers weaving his way through the audience and round the auditorium, stopping every now and then to deliver a line to someone, as he does on his own number ‘Bedsprings’, which segues into Peggy Lee’s ‘Fever’  and later on another song, ‘Stardust’, which he performs walking around the Famous Spiegeltent with just a cute miniature accordion for accompaniment .  This is followed by a song he introduces about a boy who has gone wrong, which he self deprecatingly refers to as “my hit…..in Outer Mongolia”.  ‘Georgie Boy’ is a soaring number whose chorus sticks in the brain long after the gig is over, and this is followed by ‘Rooftop Lullaby’, which does what it says on the tin, a meditative  lullaby which he performs with just him and his guitar.

He gets the audience on their feet for the call and response number,  ‘Little Man’ and they stay there for the mischievous ‘Wicked Way’ before encoring with an acapella version of a favourite song of his Father’s growing up, ‘Old Man River’, his voice filling the venue with its resonance alone, before closing with a Frank Sinatra type take on another Jacques Brel number, ‘Jackie’.  As with all great shows, it feels over too soon.

The band are uniformly excellent, but there is no doubt that a Jack L gig is a showcase for his amazing voice.  He is as accomplished at breathing new life into other songwriters classic material as he is in delivering live interpretations of his own songs.  He deserves to be heard by a much wider audience outside his native Ireland than he has at present and it is to be hoped that promoters out there feel the same way.

Band Credits: Jack L – vocals and acoustic guitar, David Constantine – Guitar, Dara Munnis – Piano, Rod Gilbert – Drums, Production – Jack L.

For the Famous Spiegeltent: Sound – Siiri Metser, Lights – Liam Fraser.

(c) Ruth Morris 2010

Reviewed 23 August 2010

Waiting for Wonderland

Camden Fringe – Etcetera Theatre, 20^th August 2010 6pm (45 mins)

Left to Right: Callum Patrick Hughes (Chris), David Mowbray (Nick)

On one of the warmer August evenings of the Camden fringe, the small tightly packed Etcetera Theatre became the setting for ”Waiting for Wonderland”. The title of this new, original two-handed play, written by Rose Bruford graduate Richard J Loftus, cut across the wide range of social groups represented in the full capacity house.

The show in a black box setting opened with a pre-set of the two characters on two metal chairs. Callum Patrick Hughes as Chris and David Mowbray as Nick, portrayed two twenty-something gay men.

The characters were dressed in everyday wear; jeans, t-shirts and simple shirts, neither dull or flamboyant and not catering to the sterotype. The fast paced show started with a slight first night technical stutter, but was soon speeding along the information highways. The sound level was good, as was the delivery, making the content clear and audible. A simple lighting rig, used to add a time dimension to the scenes, gave a warm glow to the stage enabling subtle nuances to be seen.

The action alternated between “Twitter” tweets with @Nick replying to @Chris’ postings, with a speed of excution only rivalled by the fibres used to transmit tweets; and the “Narration” (in this case the characters thoughts), which served to enlighten the language and hidden meanings with a good degree of subtle comedy, which often caused a flurry of laughter in response.

Director Hayley Richards, assisted by Disa Stefans, also Rose Bruford graduates, used a minimalist approach. A simple staging device of moving the proximiny of the chairs, positioning them according to the action and psychology behind the mood, kept this two handed show on its toes.

The strength of this show was that the script had been directed to allow interpretation, through expression and body language by the two very capable young undergraduate actors; They both gave believable performances, steering their throughts to highlight a mirad of emotions and at times evoke memories. The tension created in moments of the play was almost audible and served to communicate the online relationship.

Whilst this method of modern communication can be challenging for many, “Waiting for Wonderland” showed simply how it has embeded itself into our society to such an extent that flirting takes place just as if the object of your desires is there with you. It seemed to appeal to all, regardless of age and social type, giving an insight to this modern communication and one of its uses. The only fault was a rather ambigious and seemingly quick ending, which caused puzzlement to some, but maybe that’s what the writer intended –to make us wait for an answer?

A play for all generations and genders, a most enjoyable watch.

Cast: Callum Patrick Hughes as Chris; David Mowbray as Nick

Crew: Director – Hayley Richards; Assistant Director – Disa Stefans; Writer: Richard J Loftus (@rjloftus)

(c) Katherine-Lucy Bates 2010

Friday 20^th August 2010

Poetry and Spoken Words

Hearing secret harmonies

London – Seven Dials Club – 26 Aug 10 – 19:30 (2:30)

The mics don’t work.  The Seven Dials Club is bustling so microphones would help.  Brenda Brown and Kathrin Kirrmann leap into action, assisted by a flood of eager poets.  A wall is created seemingly from thin air, separating the general bar populated with a curious but not invested public from the Poetry and Spoken Words event of the evening.  The room is mixture of poets, fans, reviewers, artists and those who encompass all of the above.  The camaraderie and excitement is tangible.  The performers soldier on; some still hold the dysfunctional mic like a familiar blanket, some eschew it entirely and, in a memorable final act, one builds a poem around the technical difficulties.

First to grace the stage is a rag tag class of poets, led by the indomitable Emile Sercombe.  Though their delivery is often hesitant and hushed the genuine enthusiasm for poetry and how it expresses the everyday in carefully crafted language radiates.  Gary Stephens’ ‘Panic Attack’ co-opts the familiar rhythm of ‘The Night Before Christmas,’ but usurps its magical subject, replacing it with a medical lament.  Charles Brown’s poetry also stands out in its simplicity of language and the powerful images it creates, particularly in ‘Looking Through.’  Their fearless leader, Emile Sercombe, sets the room alight with gasps and riotous laughter, as he dons various costumes over his Where’s Wally top, rainbow suspenders and checked trousers and leads us through the world of vengeful worms and meticulous werewolves.

The second half of the show is devoted to a series of more professional poets, who are quick to note their books for sale in the back.  The poetry and delivery is more polished, but happily the enthusiasm remains.  A particular highlight of the evening is the Perunika Trio, whose aching and pure voices blend into stunning harmonies and dissonance.  The spirit of the songs translates, even though the words do not.  That Bulgaria lies on the great divide of East and West shines though the music, as Eugenia Georgieva’s voice rises in what feels like a call to prayer.  A quick succession of brilliant and energetic poets follows.  Elizabeth Darcy Jones unleashes her vendetta against St Ives, painting herself as a seductress and witch, though her BP poem is slightly out of touch following the recent disasters.  Julie Mullen, accompanied by Cathy Flower, captures the rhythm of sex and the waves of climax in She/She.  The evening comes to a close with Alan Wolfson, a man with an astonishingly fabulous moustache and a wit to compete with the best.  Immediately he launches into a poem about the evening’s technical difficulties, calling out the broken mics, the strangely off-centred paintings and even the wall-colour.  He then parades mischievously through a series of poems with dazzling wordplay, particularly in ‘Cat Slam Rhyme Off,’ about a battle of rhymes with his cat, Otis.  The evening ends on a high and the now sated audience dashes off into the wet streets.

Cast Credits:  William Ball – poet, Brenda Brown – emcee, Charles Brown – poet, Peter Cox - poet, Sasha Dee – poet, Dònall Dempsey – poet, Elizabeth Darcy Jones – poet, Paul Eccentric – poet, Cathy Flower – poet, Lizzie Grayling – poet, Kathrin Kirrmann – emcee, Julie Mullen – poet/emcee, Perunika Trio (Eugenia Georgieva, Dessislava Vasileva, Jasmina Stosic) – a cappella music, Emile Sercombe – poet, Gary Stephens – poet, Jan Windle – poet, Alan Wolfson – poet.

Company Credits:  Director and Events Coordinator – Brenda Brown, Company – Cooltan Arts (www.cooltanarts.org).  Organising Company – Creekside Artists (www.creeksideartists.co.uk)

(c) Molly Doyle 2010

Reviewed 25 August 2010

London Theatre Writing Award Showcase

Finalists’ Showcase

London Festival Fringe – New Diorama Theatre – 23 August – 19:30 (2:30)

The London Playwrights’ Collective, in association with Scene Pool, offered a truly spectacular evening at the showcase for the finalists in the London Theatre Writing Award.  Rather than productions, the evening featured directed readings of the top three finalists, which was delightfully minimalist, focusing all attention on the text as read.  Unfortunately, the Fringe Report was unable to make the first reading of the evening, Aurora by Louise Monaghan, but did attend the final two, Drawing the Curtains by Benedict Fogarty and Snap.Catch.Slam by Emma Jowett.

In Drawing the Curtains, Benedict Fogarty investigated the impact of the events leading to Fiona Pilkington’s murder of her disabled daughter and subsequent suicide, on the son she left behind.  Told through the eyes of Tony (Paul Thomas), the story unfolded in a stream of conscious manner, jumping between memories.  Tony oscillated between tortured saint and petulant teen in his reactions and care for his disabled sister, Vickie (read with superb warmth and intelligence by Poppy Meadows), resenting the disability’s complete control over their lives.  Paul Thomas’ reading incorporated these warring emotions admirably well, and the eternal frustration and regret at the end of the play was palpable.  Unfortunately, the play faltered in its portrayal of the mother, who’s lines were almost entirely expository and read in monotone by Hazel Bawden.  The mother became a one-dimensional plot device for Tony’s development, rather than a victim and the perpetrator of the horrendous act.  On the whole, the script presented a decently crafted melodrama but took little risk with language or format and it was difficult to see how this play would benefit from staging, possibly better suited for radio.

Emma Jowett’s Snap.Catch.Slam, a series of three short plays, also based its subjects in true events, but to a much more innovative end.  Snap delved into the moment a teacher snaps into violence, when faced with an uncontrollable student.  Catch, on the other hand, examined the disruption caused by the decision to save a life, catching a baby from a burning window.  Finally, Slam revolved around the impact on a woman’s life from a moment of domestic violence.  The readers in each play were outstanding, and deserve to be lauded in much more detail than possible here, as does Antonio Ferraro’s direction.  Emma Jowett’s command of language, however, was the true star of the evening.  The plays commenced with a short and staccato dictionary definition of the title, neatly encapsulating the theme and subject in a moment.  Each play also sprang to life through clever employment of all five senses; Miss Taylor’s high heels clicking against the classroom floor and the slow spread of red blood in Snap, the scorching mug of coffee and acrid smell of the fire in Catch, and the familiar sounds of a child countered with the appearance of an abusive ex-husband in Slam.  Each play felt complete, and each character displayed a distinct personality and rhythm of speech, yet similar language and imagery coursed through all.

Cast Credits: (Drawing the Curtains) Jean Apps – The Grandmother/Dot Cosgrove/Mrs Gaygan, Hazel Bawden – The Mother/Patricia Terry, Poppy Meadows – Vickie Simpson, Paul Thomas – Tony Simpson, Peter Wilkinson – Tony’s Friend/Stevie Gaygan/A Police Officer, Clive Woodward – Mr. Gaygan/SEN Teacher/Mr Guest/The Father/Mr. Simpson.   (Snap) Olivia Chappell – Miss Taylor.   (Catch) Rob Carter – Stu, Verity Hewlett – Mother, Paul Thomas – Aron.  (Slam) Carol Been – Karen, Verity Hewlett – Natalie & Lucy.

Company Credits: (Drawing the Curtains) Writer – Benedict Fogarty, Director – Lavinia Hollands, (Snap. Catch. Slam) Writer – Emma Jowett, Director – Antonio Ferrara.  For the Theatre Writing Showcase:  Compère – Ola Animashawun, Judges -  Ola Animashawun, Skye Crawford, Ria Perry. For the London Playwrights’ Collective:  Managing Director – Maude Laflamme, Readers – Brian Astbury, Darren Batten, Henry Bell, Trudi Boatwright, David Bottomley, Daniel Brennan, Ben Ellis, Steve Harper, Kerry Irvine, Sharon Kanolik, Tanith Lindon, Jennifer Lunn, Alix Thorpe, Jeremy Woodhouse.

(c) Molly Doyle 2010

Reviewed Monday, 23 August 2010

Racing Demon

Tight production beautifully played

Edinburgh 2010 – the Spaces at Surgeon’s Hall – 23rd – 28th August ( 14.15)

Four priests grapple with faith

David Hare’s ‘Racing Demon’ is exceedingly well played by the young cast of the Shrewsbury School Drama Group. Each of the performers is a talented individual giving their all to an integrated, balanced, well directed ensemble. Their delivery of intellectually interesting dialogues and monologues is lively and emotionally engaged, keeping the audience enthralled and listening.

Playing David Hare’s interesting exposure of the doubts at the centre of the Church of England in the twentieth century, they create intensity and humour with a deftness rarely seen in professional companies. The play is set at the point when women are about to be ordained into the priesthood, though a late reference to the War in Afghanistan attempts to make it more contemporary and could confuse anyone in the audience hooked on the time line. The point being made, however, is that the Church of England’s unwillingness to back recent wars has made its relationship with political life difficult and this is as true now as it was in the 1980s. The stresses within the Church created by modern life, ethics and sexual openness are embodied in the dilemmas of the individual characters .

An inner city Church of England team ministry, responsible for “God’s Work” in South London, are at the centre of Hare’s study. Their leader, Rev. Lionel Espy, portrayed with compassionate power by Eoin Bentick, opens the play. He is begging God to make himself known, to respond, to prove He exists. Lionel is a sad man, in despair, working day and night to fulfill his role as a parish priest, with no sense of personal Spirituality. He is a “people pleaser” who does not have the spiritual or intellectual strength required to counter the evangelical energy and enthusiasm of his new curate, Rev. Tony Ferris, to whom Nick Constantine gives a stunning charisma. His physical intensity and vocal command keep this character on the edge between inspiration and mad fundamentalism which makes his conviction entirely believable.

He wants the Bible put at the centre of the Church’s work once more and Jesus Christ’s miraculousness to be spoken aloud, not hidden beneath layers of social worker solutions to what he sees as dynamic spiritual problems. This is very much at odds with the rest of the team’s laid back style and anathema to Lionel who regards evangelism as invasive and inappropriate to modern ministry. Lionel is also at odds with his Bishop who wants him to smile while saying Mass and to respect his “middle class” parishioners need for the rituals of the High Church, rather than regard them as anachronistic baubles better suited to palaces than the back streets of London’s poor.

Rev. Harry Henderson and  Rev. Donald ‘Streaky’ Bacon, the other two members of the team, beautifully played by Joe Allan and Dan Bradshaw are not able enough to save Lionel’s world from collapsing around him and imploding from within.. Their two excellent performances show an acute understanding of the problems besetting their very different characters. Joe Allan plays  Harry’s loving repression with great understanding and Dan Bradshaw plays Streaky’s happiness from within with ease. The comic, compassionate and serious notes are well hit by all four actors in the Parish Team as the tragedies of their joint situation unfold.

They are wonderfully supported to do this by equally elegant performances from all the other cast members. Hebe Dickins gives Frances Parnell, Tony Ferris’s former lover; the crisp clarity which might be expected of a woman used to dealing with the higher echelons of the clergy since birth. She is a passionate woman with skillful ways who keeps her ear to the ground. Through her we see how stuck each of the others is in their inability to deal with “reality”.

The urbane Bishop, Rt.Rev.Charlie Allen, artfully played by Tom Elliott, is plotting to unseat Lionel Espy despite Freddie Ellery‘s refined Rt.Rev Gilbert Heffernen, Bishop of Kingston having made a promise to back him up should his tenure ever be challenged. Tom Elliott builds his performance to a fine explosion of bitter anger while Freddie Ellery allows the ineffectual Gilbert to vacillate with guilty charm, guarding his own back at all times..

Camilla Aylwin creates both pathos and humour as Stella Marr, the fulcrum of the plot around which all the issues of modern ministry come into focus for Rev.Tony Ferris as he challenges Lionel’s authority and style.  Alex Priestly truthfully portrays Heather Espy, wife to the doomed career cleric, a sad, broken, lonely woman long ignored by her busy husband. Her long service to the Church, looking after their children and meeting all her husband’s physical needs is entirely ignored. She withdraws into herself and her garden. She eventually, in the background, cracks under the pressure. Her alienated husband notices this only as an inconvenience, really only ever caring about himself and his well argued opinions.

Jack Flowers gives Ewan Gilmour, Rev. Harry Henderson’s secret lover great integrity and modern cool. Rob Cross, as the seedy journalist Tommy Adair is suitably oily and threatening. Their scenes together work well and Ewan’s quiet relationship with Harry gives the play another layer of depth.

Racing Demon demonstrates David Hare’s deep understanding failings in people and institutions. Peter Fanning and Eoin Bentick have directed this play with unerring deftness of touch. The set is simple and the projections which paint the sense of place are an elegant solution to the challenge of staging the splendour of a Bishop’s Palace Garden, the High Altar of a High Church, the Rectory and various London residences. The people portrayed live, in varying degrees of well heeled comfort and splendour, replete with tea and cake, dinners described with gusto and time to debate their relationship with the invading world around them. For one it is full of people needing to be heard as their misery flows around him, for another it is an empty Church which he needs to fill by offering people inner salvation and Jesus. Hard working priests whose beliefs are deeply challenged battle with church authorities painted as being more interested in their power than in Love and ever the lack of core agreement surfaces creating both laughter and pain.

It is a huge image of Jesus on the cross which appears most often on the screens, as the individual priests seek God’s guidance or reassurance, towering over all and holding everyone on the stage, on the white square of carpet which defines the limits of their world. These portrayals are of humans caught in a state of flux, coming to new conclusions about their lives as “The Inevitable Moment” demands. The ideas are huge and ever present for those engaged with embodying the Divine in our deeply secular society. These young people engage the ideas with vigour. If you can, see the show.

Cast: CLERGY– Joe Allan – Rev. Harry Henderson, Eoin Bentick – Rev. Lionel Espy, Dan Bradshaw – Rev.Donald ” Streaky”Bacon, Nick Constantine – Rev.Tony Ferris, Fred Elleray – Rt.Rev.Gilbert Heffernon Bishop of Kingston, Tom Elliott – Rt. Rev. Charlie Allen, LAITY– Sam Ansloos – Waiters, Camilla Aylwin – Stella Marr, Rob Cross–Tommy Adair & waiters, Hebe Dickins–Frances Parnell, Jack Flowers — Ewan Gilmour, Alex Priestley — Heather Espy

The Company - Directors- Eoin Bentick&Peter Fanning, Lighting Designer –Al Wagner, Projections – James Mainwaring, Sound Designer — Ali Webb, Deputy Stage Manager – Alex Davies, Make-up — Laura Whittle, Costumes — Jane Fanning, Front of House –Toby Percival, Technical Dirctor — Andy Hinton, Tour Manager – Tony Percival, Playwright — David Hare

http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/racing-demon

( c )Lilian Kennedy Brzoska 2010

reviewed Tuesday 24th August

Still Spilling the Beans: Letters from East Ham Vicarage 1953-1956

Edinburgh 2010 – The Vault – 17-30 August – 11.30 (0.55)

Still Spilling the Beans is the third and last edition to a one woman trilogy.  Following in the footsteps of the first two shows – Spilling the Beans and Spilling More Beans – the piece makes its first appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

When Lisa Wright – writer and performer – moved from London to Connecticut as a teacher in 1953 her mother Margot wrote letters to her every day for 3 years.  It is from these letters which the show finds its life.  Fifty years on, and Lisa Wright has sifted through the hundreds of letters and pieced them together to create a dramatized reading of these rare glimpses from the past – a performance which aims to paint a quintessential picture of parish life in the East End of London back in the nineteen fifties.

The play is performed within the tiny space of The Vault theatre. On the stage was a cluttered kitchen table filled with bits of paper and two chairs just behind it.  Off to the left, an oddly placed music stand with a large fake potted plant at its base – a peculiar combination of set perhaps.  But before you could question it any further, a charming fairytale themed music began to play and out walked the tender, glowing face of a woman you could only wish was your Nan.

What ensued was fifty five minutes of a rambling story which never looked as if it were leading anywhere but which you couldn’t bring yourself to stop or interrupt for fear of appearing impolite.  Lisa Wright is clearly not a woman to be rushed as she calmly sauntered between the table and music stand – telling stories of train juries, vicars and suitable names to give a fish.  She would go into scrupulous detail of the angle of one’s hat or the fabric of a friend’s coat.

The pace of the show did add a lovely focus to several of the moments however. The understated composure in which she spoke proved impressively successful in the delivery of her jokes.  There was also a touching sincerity behind the story of how she took care of her mother as she slipped away.

It is understandable that the show may very well appeal to a small number of theatre goers above a certain age and with a particular background or upbringing.  Unfortunately for the undeniable majority of average audience members the show might come across as a vague, rather slow experience.  Nothing much happens during the hour long performance.  Nothing changes from start to finish.  No great discoveries are realized other than the occasional, unsurprising passing of a distant relative or neighbor.  You are left at the end of it with no authentic, emotional connection with any of the characters or even the show as a whole.

It might be a heartwarming experience for some – but for most, it will just be another long Sunday afternoon at your Nan’s.

Cast Credits: – Lisa Wright.

Company Credits: Writer – Lisa Wright. Director – uncredited. Lighting Designer – uncredited. Sound Designer – uncredited. Technical Operator – uncredited. Company – Margot Rupert and Lisa Productions.

(c) Carl Livesay 2010

reviewed Friday 21 August 2010

Pistol & Jack’s Sunday Service

London – Soho Theatre Bar – 22 Aug 10 – 19:30 (2:30)

The usually spacious, yet anonymous, Soho Theatre Bar was dressed to the nines Sunday evening, ready to host a raucous evening of cabaret, burlesque, comedy and general silliness.  Blue sparkles hung from the walls, as the various coloured lights danced off every surface.  Intrigued members of the public pressed their faces against the glass to catch a glimpse of the action.

Slightly past the starting time, the hosts presented themselves on stage.  Pistol, a sassy American, looked as if she lept from reels of a 1960s film, with carefully coiffed hair and a fabulously fringed frock.  She joked with at audience with ease, playing her role of lost pop princess adeptly.  Jack, a rough and tumble sexed-up rocker in blue shimmering trousers and a Bowie-esque lightening-streaked face, balanced Pistol’s energy well, providing a Cockney everyman to her diva.  Together, Pistol & Jack wove the audience through the evening interspersing the guest acts with songs and banter.  Some banter fell flat from repetition and began to feel more like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf than a comedy act.  Pistol & Jack’s musical mashups, however, revealed sublime talent, humour and intelligence.  Effortlessly meandering through Alicia Keyes, David Bowie, Journey and Beyoncé (at the same time, no less!) Jack’s soulful rock voice and decent guitar skills matched well with Pistol’s brassily gorgeous belting, and surprisingly badass rapping.  They were delightful chaperones for the evening.

Instructed by Pistol & Jack to expand our age horizons with regards to burlesque,  The Slap and Tickle Girls were the first guest act to perform.   The first two thirds of the act blended comedy and burlesque well, as Ellie Amour, Miss Kitty Kat and Miss Delish masqueraded as old ladies grooving to tunes old and new.  When the grey hair and frumpy house dresses came off, however, the act lost its enthusiasm and became a bland group of scantily clad dancers.  Sadly, their second appearance followed the same pattern.

The evening bounced back with a vengeance with the appearance of Spam and Beans, quizmasters extraordinaire.  Their banter and chemistry sparkled as much as their costumes as the pair goaded the audience into participating in a highly bizarre quiz which featured questions like, ‘Is Alan Titmarsch a troll?’  The highlight by far was the ‘Sexy Face’ competition, where members of the audience used tape to malign their faces into bizarre shapes, then parading them for a beauty competition.

At the end, the Ouse Valley Singles Club graced the stage, offering a marvellous finale to the evening.  With Andrew Barron on ukulele and Sarah Turner on tea chest bass, the Club entertained with a number of humorous songs in a quirky updated skiffle style, including ‘’Jude Law’s Wingman” and “My Redundant Ovaries.”  So many comedy songs depend heavily upon the lyrics with little attention to the music, yet the musical talent of the duo shone through as the melodic brilliance of the songs matched the lyrical.

Cast Credits:  Beaux – DJs, Pistol & Jack – as themselves (hosts), Spam and Beans – as themselves, The Ouse Valley Singles Club (Andrew Barron and Sarah Turner), The Slap and Tickle Girls (Elle Amour, Miss Kitty Kat and Miss Delish).

Company Credits: Production – Kevin Millband, Sound – Colin Goodwin, Bar Staff – Emmalene, Paolo and Kimberley

(c) Molly Doyle 2010