One of the things I love about Shakespeare is how adaptable the plays are. It is the constant inventiveness of companies and directors that keep us going to see the same plays reinvented again and again. I have seen A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a big top, with fairies on roller-skates and even performed in several different languages. What made all these productions work was a clear consistent concept, a vision of how the company wanted the audience to see the play with fresh eyes. This was a consistency that was missing in this production.
The set, which I loved, featured two trees with mismatched table lamps attached as branches which flickered to show fairies were flickering about. This meant when we entered I thought we were in for a low-tech kitch style production.
But the four actors were in highly contemporary dress, clashing with this style. There were several childhood themed props: a slide, kazoos, a xylophone. Producing the play as if the characters were children amongst found objects, as if in an attic or similar would have been lovely. But when playing fairies their style changed again, Oberon and Titania standing almost static talking into bulky wired microphones moving only their hands as if signing. Puck moved about more, wearing some white gloves which lit up with coloured lights at the fingertips. This introduced yet another theme, of circus, which again didn’t match anything else that was going on. Puck, played by Sarah Calver also didn’t make enough use of the gloves, just constantly wringing her hands as if speaking sign language.
The production was full of missed opportunities. James Utechin as Lysander threw away so many funny lines in the lovers’ big argument scene I wanted to stand up and shout at him.
When I go to see a production of a Midsummer Night’s Dream I always look forward to seeing the Mechanicals: Bottom and the players’ disastrous rehearsals and hilarious production of Pyramus and Thisbe at the wedding at the end. So when I realised this company had cut all these scenes I was slightly disappointed but intrigued about what they might offer in their place. These scenes were replaced by the actors coming “out of character” and being the foolish actors themselves preparing for the “bonus play” of Pyramus and Thisbe after they had finished the main play. There was a nice touch to this as they drew the audience in, asking us to vote for what kind of Pyramus, Thisbe, Lion and Wall we would like to see enacted at the end. (Resulting in a dog Pyramus and an old male cockney Thisby whispering through a wall created by a till roll with ‘walley’ written on it.) However as an audience accustomed to watching Whose Line Is It Anyway? and similar improvisation shows, this staged and rather contrived version didn’t quite cut the mustard. If you’re going to cut the funniest part of a well-loved play I would expect you to replace it with something that at the very least is funnier than what you have cut. It was also problematic when it came to the scenes between Bottom and Titania with Gabriella Best going back into her Shakespearian character to play Titania but Louie McKenna staying outside the play still playing the overconfident actor with modern speech. He acted surprised when Titania approached him announcing she loved him, a surprise which considering he was supposed to be an actor playing a part in the same play as her, simply didn’t make any sense and was clumsily glossed over.
I love adaptations and rewrites of Shakespeare but they need to have more of an attention to detail than this. The company didn’t seem to love the play enough to stick to one good concept and do it justice. This feeling was compounded by a couple of small stumbles with lines which was surprising considering this was a number of performances into the run. It was particularly strange to hear this, and noticeable to the audience, as A Midsummer Night’s Dream is written almost entirely in rhyming iambic pentameter.
This production promised a lot and was full of great ideas but they were not followed through. While this was enjoyable to watch and engaged the audience, it wasn’t the best Midsummer Night’s Dream I have ever seen and if a professional company chooses to put on one of the most commonly performed Shakespeare plays I expect them to impress. This felt more like a work in progress, a scrapbook of decent concepts but not effective as a whole.
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
9 - Othello, Swivel Theatre Company at Baron's Court Theatre
In the programme for Othello it says that the company "aims to invite our audience to steal a look into the secret and private world of Shakespeare's characters." This intimate and highly charged production did just that. The close underground theatre with the audience surrounding three sides of a small stage was ideal for a play as psychologically intense as Othello. We could see every facial expression very clearly so the actors were able to include subtle expressions, winks and glances to give a very rich interpretation of the characters.
The director's Baz Lurhmann influence, which she also mentions in the programme, was particularly apparent in the drunken fight scene in which repetition of lines, modern music and over energetic movement really created the atmosphere and put across the mood of the scene very well and reminded me of the Queen Mab speech in Lurhmann's Romeo + Juliet film. The fight, choreographed by Dominic Leeder who also played a fine Lodovico, was first rate; more than once I cringed and looked away at a particularly realistic punch or kick.
This was a high energy production throughout, keeping the pace fast with characters moving around the stage constantly. This also meant that despite the difficulties of having to play to audiences on all sides we were never looking at the back of anyone's head for long. The supporting roles were especially lively and energetic; Gemma Barret as Bianca and Chris Paddon as Roderigo were particularly fun to watch
When El Razzougui first emerged on stage as Othello my initial thought was that he was too handsome for the role, Othello is described in the play as being significantly older and lines such as "In my youth" seemed a bit incongruous with his youthful appearance. However he gave a powerful performance and there was palpable chemistry between him and Devon Lang Wilton as Desdemona which helped draw us in and added to the tragedy of the second act.
Of course the real central character of the play is the scheming Iago, who brings about Othello's downfall by suggesting his wife Desdemona is going behind his back with his lieutenant Cassio. Iago is the ultimate villain, he seems to have no concrete reason for concocting this terrible revenge and shows not a shred of remorse. Tom Fava was truly excellent in the role. He resisted the easy temptation of becoming a pantomime baddy and gave us just the right mixture of the camp super-villian and the creepy guy at the back of the bus. His sneering smile was chilling and I felt privileged to see such a talented actor in his London Fringe debut.
The women in Othello can be problematic for a modern interpretation, particularly towards the end as a blameless Desdemona constantly pleads forgiveness from her husband who murders her. This production balanced the anti-feminist undertones of the play by making other strong women characters. The Duke was turned into a female character played by an excellently authoritative Rowena Lennon. Bianca was also brilliantly reinvented to be a communications private so she came across as more of a modern independent feisty woman than the more usual slutty hanger-on. Possibly the strongest woman though was Iago's wife Emilia whose speech to Desdemona about how men should we wary of how they treat their women was one of my favourite moments. Exposing her husband loudly and with fury in the end scene, fighting her husband all the way, her death was a real contrast to Desdemona's. The only problem was it was difficult for us to understand why, as she seemed so modern and outspoken, she had handed Desdemona's handkerchief over to Iago without demanding to know the reason he wanted it. I thought we could have seen a little bit more of a realisation and dilemma from her earlier on to combat this.
I liked the way the production was not afraid to retain some comedy in the play, lighter moments helped break the tension in order for it to be built back up again. The production ranged from being disconcerting to being darkly funny and this kept it highly entertaining throughout.
The director's Baz Lurhmann influence, which she also mentions in the programme, was particularly apparent in the drunken fight scene in which repetition of lines, modern music and over energetic movement really created the atmosphere and put across the mood of the scene very well and reminded me of the Queen Mab speech in Lurhmann's Romeo + Juliet film. The fight, choreographed by Dominic Leeder who also played a fine Lodovico, was first rate; more than once I cringed and looked away at a particularly realistic punch or kick.
This was a high energy production throughout, keeping the pace fast with characters moving around the stage constantly. This also meant that despite the difficulties of having to play to audiences on all sides we were never looking at the back of anyone's head for long. The supporting roles were especially lively and energetic; Gemma Barret as Bianca and Chris Paddon as Roderigo were particularly fun to watch
When El Razzougui first emerged on stage as Othello my initial thought was that he was too handsome for the role, Othello is described in the play as being significantly older and lines such as "In my youth" seemed a bit incongruous with his youthful appearance. However he gave a powerful performance and there was palpable chemistry between him and Devon Lang Wilton as Desdemona which helped draw us in and added to the tragedy of the second act.
Of course the real central character of the play is the scheming Iago, who brings about Othello's downfall by suggesting his wife Desdemona is going behind his back with his lieutenant Cassio. Iago is the ultimate villain, he seems to have no concrete reason for concocting this terrible revenge and shows not a shred of remorse. Tom Fava was truly excellent in the role. He resisted the easy temptation of becoming a pantomime baddy and gave us just the right mixture of the camp super-villian and the creepy guy at the back of the bus. His sneering smile was chilling and I felt privileged to see such a talented actor in his London Fringe debut.
The women in Othello can be problematic for a modern interpretation, particularly towards the end as a blameless Desdemona constantly pleads forgiveness from her husband who murders her. This production balanced the anti-feminist undertones of the play by making other strong women characters. The Duke was turned into a female character played by an excellently authoritative Rowena Lennon. Bianca was also brilliantly reinvented to be a communications private so she came across as more of a modern independent feisty woman than the more usual slutty hanger-on. Possibly the strongest woman though was Iago's wife Emilia whose speech to Desdemona about how men should we wary of how they treat their women was one of my favourite moments. Exposing her husband loudly and with fury in the end scene, fighting her husband all the way, her death was a real contrast to Desdemona's. The only problem was it was difficult for us to understand why, as she seemed so modern and outspoken, she had handed Desdemona's handkerchief over to Iago without demanding to know the reason he wanted it. I thought we could have seen a little bit more of a realisation and dilemma from her earlier on to combat this.
I liked the way the production was not afraid to retain some comedy in the play, lighter moments helped break the tension in order for it to be built back up again. The production ranged from being disconcerting to being darkly funny and this kept it highly entertaining throughout.
Saturday, 5 February 2011
8 - The Long and the Short and the Tall, Breakfast Cat Theatre directed by Tia Matthews
Occasionally, maybe once a year, a production comes along that really raises the bar for local non-professional companies. This was that production for 2011.
Willis Hall's captivating play set in British Malaya in 1942 raises questions about war, and what it does to people. The characters are a cross section of British society at the time: a Welshman, a Scouser, a Scotsman, Londoner, Northerner, etc. This alone poses challenges for actors; performing with an accent is one thing but producing a convincing accent when the rest of the cast around you are each speaking completely different accents is quite a feat. This cast rose to the challenge admirably and though I'm sure the eagle-eared could have found the occasional slip I was very impressed by how well they all accomplished this. They also managed to avoid plying stereotypes and each came across as very real, and each very different characters. This meant most people in the audience could recognise ourselves in one or other of the characters, forcing us to imagine how we might act in their situation.
This of course adds to the poignancy when these very ordinary men are faced with the extraordinary circumstances of war. We watch them struggle to fit in together, cope with authority just as we would in their position. And then, when a Japanese prisoner stumbles into their midst, we watch them struggle with the realities of war, and the big question of the play: does everyone have it in them to kill a man?
There are no easy answers to be found in the play. The officers Mitchem and Johnstone find the decision to kill the prisoner and give their patrol a better change of survival easier to make. They are more experienced at war, hardened towards making these decisions. Peter French as Johnstone was scary and a bully with just the right amount of menace to be intimidating but managed to avoid playing the character as a snarling stereotype. Scott Nicholson had a difficult role as a likable Sergent Mitcham. His obvious concern for his men was apparent but he has still just harsh enough, keeping them in line with an authoritative tone.
What was really impressive about the acting performances was the actors' performances when they had long amounts of time on stage without any lines. At one point I glanced at Jay Rolfe, playing the young Private Whitaker, during a tense moment and his face was such a wonderful expression of wide-eyed fear I wanted to go on stage and give him a hug. Of course the actor who had to do the most of this silent acting was Andy K as the Japanese soldier. His shaking with fear when he was first captured was brilliant and he really made us sympathise with him right from his entrance.
Roberto Prestoni brought the energy and pace to the stage as the rebellious Private Bamforth. He coped particularly well with the period slang, putting across what he was saying even though we didn't always understand every word. He and Tony Bannister as a lovable private Evans both brought out the humour in the play and really made me laugh.
The costumes were excellent and had real attention to detail, down to chocolate squares wrapped in brown paper and realistic sweat patches (added, I am reliably informed, artificially). These and a simple but effective set gave this production a professional feel and I was so pleased the cast lived up to this presentation and gave such polished performances. There really were no weak links. Next time you get the chance to get involved with Breakfast Cat, or see their next production, make sure you jump at the chance.
Photograph by Vicky Walters.
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
7 - Macbeth - Ashcroft Theatre Croydon
Walking into the theatre to see this production of Macbeth there was a thin cloud of fog in the air, setting the scene for an atmospheric production.
The witches, not as ghoulish as in some productions but quite creepy, were seated on the floor as they were for most of their scenes. This rather static staging meant their performance, while accomplished and interesting, was rather reined back. I don't quite like the modern idea that over the top dramatic and gory witches detract from the play and always find it a bit disappointing when they are just sitting there talking.
I was also slightly disappointed by Banquo's ghost scene, in which Banquo was noticeable by his absence. Instead Macbeth shouted at a spotlight on an empty chair while the others watched amazed. At first I thought, as other productions have done, they would play the scene again after the interval with the bloody spectre visible to the audience this time but this didn't happen. Strange, as this wasn't a production afraid of showing violence, later Macduff's family and Macbeth himself are killed on stage.
A great cast and a well cut script made this production enjoyable and pacy. Christopher Lane as Macbeth shone in the later scenes, emerging through the fog like a demon. His transformation from loyal soldier to inhuman tyrant was electric and highlighted the way his soul had been warped by the act of murdering his king. I didn't think his relationship with Lady Macbeth, played by Joanna Nevin, had much chemistry in their scenes together. However she too really shone in the later scenes and her wail in the sleepwalking scene was heartbreaking.
One thing I really didn't like about the production was the odd lighting. Whenever someone was giving a soliloquy they would suddenly change the lighting and put a spotlight on them. I would prefer a lighting designer to give me a bit more credit as an audience member. Yes. I get it. They are talking to themselves and other people can't hear them. It's not that complicated. And the moment in Macbeth's death scene when he moved and the spotlight had to move with him, rather slower than he did, was just painful. However this would make the play easier to follow for someone less familiar with the text. Other touches, like the army marching in holding actual trees, and the way the text had been cut down, made me think this would be an ideal production for school or college groups, and I hope some will go to this and Romeo and Juliet which the company will also be performing later this week.
There was a really great moment at the end of the production where Macduff stabbed Macbeth with his own crown, then in the next scene placed the still bloodied crown on the head of Malcolm. (Yet another) spotlight highlighted a young Fleance stood stage right looking over at Malcolm. It suggested that the violence in pursuit of power would inevitably continue, a modern twist reminiscent of a thriller film.
Great to have such an enjoyable Shakespeare production on our doorstep in Croydon. Go and see it.
The witches, not as ghoulish as in some productions but quite creepy, were seated on the floor as they were for most of their scenes. This rather static staging meant their performance, while accomplished and interesting, was rather reined back. I don't quite like the modern idea that over the top dramatic and gory witches detract from the play and always find it a bit disappointing when they are just sitting there talking.
I was also slightly disappointed by Banquo's ghost scene, in which Banquo was noticeable by his absence. Instead Macbeth shouted at a spotlight on an empty chair while the others watched amazed. At first I thought, as other productions have done, they would play the scene again after the interval with the bloody spectre visible to the audience this time but this didn't happen. Strange, as this wasn't a production afraid of showing violence, later Macduff's family and Macbeth himself are killed on stage.
A great cast and a well cut script made this production enjoyable and pacy. Christopher Lane as Macbeth shone in the later scenes, emerging through the fog like a demon. His transformation from loyal soldier to inhuman tyrant was electric and highlighted the way his soul had been warped by the act of murdering his king. I didn't think his relationship with Lady Macbeth, played by Joanna Nevin, had much chemistry in their scenes together. However she too really shone in the later scenes and her wail in the sleepwalking scene was heartbreaking.
One thing I really didn't like about the production was the odd lighting. Whenever someone was giving a soliloquy they would suddenly change the lighting and put a spotlight on them. I would prefer a lighting designer to give me a bit more credit as an audience member. Yes. I get it. They are talking to themselves and other people can't hear them. It's not that complicated. And the moment in Macbeth's death scene when he moved and the spotlight had to move with him, rather slower than he did, was just painful. However this would make the play easier to follow for someone less familiar with the text. Other touches, like the army marching in holding actual trees, and the way the text had been cut down, made me think this would be an ideal production for school or college groups, and I hope some will go to this and Romeo and Juliet which the company will also be performing later this week.
There was a really great moment at the end of the production where Macduff stabbed Macbeth with his own crown, then in the next scene placed the still bloodied crown on the head of Malcolm. (Yet another) spotlight highlighted a young Fleance stood stage right looking over at Malcolm. It suggested that the violence in pursuit of power would inevitably continue, a modern twist reminiscent of a thriller film.
Great to have such an enjoyable Shakespeare production on our doorstep in Croydon. Go and see it.
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