Category Archives: National Theatre

Slightly Off Target – Bullet Catch – The NT Shed -Review

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bullet_catch_main-image

The Shed is the National Theatre’s temporary theatre whilst the Cottesloe is transformed into The Dorfman. It’s a great 250 seater studio space.

Bullet Catch comes to it from its success in Edinburgh last year, and fresh from a Broadway run this year.

It says in the programme “this is not a magic show; it’s a theatre show featuring magic.” I disagree, it’s a magic show, albeit one with a thought through narrative. Narrative, trick, narrative, trick… is the order of the evening. It’s a tad pretentious to claim this is anything more than a magic show (and there’s nothing wrong with a decent magic show).

Rob Drummond is the “magician”(a term he doesn’t use in the programme or on stage). He’s an engaging, pleasant and skillful one. His narrative revolves around the notorious “bullet catch trick” that has claimed the life of numerous magicians over the years.

Throughout the 1hr 20 mins he is assisted by a single member of the audience. It’s a big ask for an audience member to become such a integral part of a show. (Leading some to speculate whether they are a stooge) Ours last night was confident and candid thankfully. I wonder how it’d work with someone not quite as confident or comfortable being on stage for over an hour?

I have two issues with this show;

Number one; he exposes a magical secret/effect (one also used by Derren Brown in his An Evening of Wonders show) that isn’t his intellectual property to expose.It comes quite late in the show. I think it serves no theatrical purpose, other than to make Rob come across as cold, heartless and as if he doesn’t care, which is a shame as he’s built such good rapport with the audience. In a show where so much has gone into the narrative and framing of the effects this exposure felt unnecessary and quite lazy.  He’ll no doubt argue that he gives option for audience members to cover their eyes. True, but he takes about 2/3 mins to expose it, sitting with eyes closed for that long is not really an option in a theatre.
He should have thought of his own secret to expose rather than ripping off someone elses. (as Penn and Teller expertly do) Strangely at the end when my colleague wanted to examine a prop on stage as he was leaving the theatre, he was told he wasn’t allowed to by a stagehand “as we doesn’t want people to know the secrets“!

Number two;  his big finale is a bullet catch. He produces (via a rather lame magicians prop box) a Glock 9mm handgun. Except we’re in the UK and handgun’s are illegal,  a recent case saw a former S.A.S soldier in trouble for keeping his firearms after leaving the service. If a former firearms specialist gets in trouble with the law, I doubt wielding a loaded illegal firearm on the NT stage would go unnoticed by the police. Plus it made a noise akin to a cap gun and the petite volunteer fired it single-handed with no recoil!
This effect also featured a really “clunky” method, a real shame as rest of magic was performed effortlessly.

So for me it was an enjoyable and interesting magic show, but it didn’t hit the bullseye.

STARS: ★ ★ ★

Regional theatres need continued investment

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Regional theatres have been in the news today, as their Artistic Directors met at the National Theatre to discuss how they can promote themselves and flag to the government (both local and national) that economic cuts will hurt not just theatres but communities, culture and the economy.

Danny Boyle has been on many radios and TV programmes today flying the flag, here’s him being interviewed :

Danny Boyle interview

A fuller interview was on Radio 4′s Front Row tonight, which will soon be available as a podcast.

Let’s hope local and national governments listen to the compelling arguments offered.

 

Was It Worth The Wait? – One Man Two Guvnors – Theatre Royal Haymarket

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I didn’t get a chance to see this when it opened. Over the last year if I had a pound for everyone who said “have you seen One Man Two Guvnors?” I could certainly have paid for  a trip to see it on Broadway.

So the other night I went along with some pals to finally see it. For 2 of my friends this was their second visit and for one it was his third time. With such a theatrical thumbs up I thought I was in for a treat. Alas this show failed to live up to its hype for me, let me explain why:

Firstly I’ve seldom seen a cast “going through the motions” as much as most of this cast did. It lacked any sense of spontaneity and the cast seemed to lack panache and zeal.
Some lines were lost as they failed to project fully, it felt a bit tired. They have a two-week break soon, it appears they need it. Except this is a West End show, they should be firing on all cylinders EVERY night. Nicholas Hynter needs to pop down and cast his directorial eye on it as they’ve grown complacent I think.

Secondly I think Act 2 really lets it down. The best jokes are in Act 1, in the second act we descend into plastic penis territory to get cheap laughs. As a wise performer once told me “not all laughs are good laughs”.

Thirdly the repetition of gags, pratfalls and jokes enters the realm of the law of diminishing returns far too often. It may have been funny when Martin Barrass falls downstairs the first time however on the third one it failed to get much more than a titter.

I felt Owain Arthur was too egotistical and self-indulgent in his role. My friend felt he was too aggressive compared to James Corden and didn’t engage as well with the audience.

The use of stooges was really the final nail in the coffin for me though. I think this is the root cause of why it felt complacent and tired as a show. I felt cheated when I realised they were stooges. I also don’t think there’s a need for them either actually, as the performers should be able to cope with handling “real people” as is occasionally shown by some of the banter they have with the “real” audience.

I think this would be better as a one-act play as I really don’t think it holds the attention for the 2hrs and as I’ve said Act 2 just doesn’t deliver, as the plot has nowhere to go really.

I DID like ; Ben Mansfield as Stanley and Phil Cornwell as Charlie “the Duck” Clench. They certainly gave their all and got the biggest laughs from me.

I did laugh out loud on occasions, don’t get me wrong, I did try to engage with it, I didn’t sit being all curmudgeonly. It’s just the laugh out loud moments were not as regular as I was expecting and I certainly wasn’t rolling in the aisle.

It’s not awful, I just fell for the hype so only have myself to blame, I should have known better. My friend who was seeing it for 3rd time commented how poor he felt this cast was in comparison to original one. The National Theatre have been striving to make a point the show was bigger than its original cast. It looks like that this is not the case.

Was it worth the wait? I’m glad I got to see it, and it was an enjoyable night out with friends at the theatre, but I can’t agree with the plaudits and praise some have heaped on this show however I’m aware they saw a different cast and so it seems a different show to me.

STARS : * * *

Collaborators – National Theatre – Review

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The sublime Alex Jennings and masterful Simon Russell Beale

The Olivier Award for Best Play went to Collaborators, I’d missed it when it was on at the Cottesloe, but was glad it was being revived on the Olivier stage. I’d heard mixed thoughts on it, one friend saying it was best thing they’d seen at NT for years, another found it dull and boring.

If the play was about a theatre critic rather than a Russian playwright it would go as follows:

Soviet Secret Policeman : Hey Dominic, we’d like you to write a review for Stalin’s 60th birthday as a surprise.

Dominic : I can’t do that he’s an awful man

Soviet Secret Policeman : We’ll kill your wife if you don’t do it.

Dominic : Ok they.

Dominic struggles to write the review – Enter Stalin

Stalin: Ha! Nothing is a surprise to me, tell you what, I’ll write the review and you can run the USSR while I do it.

Dominic : Ok, wow running the USSR is hard work, I never realised the tough decisions you have to make Stalin.

Stalin : Yes, you see what a demanding job being a dictator is, I’m not really that bad, I just have to make tricky decisions.

Dominic : Well I’ll be blowed, I’m now sticking up for Stalin.

Stalin : See you fell into our trap, if I can break you, I can break anyone. Snigger, snigger, snigger.( he says as he pockets Orwell’s 1984)

THE END

To me this play didn’t live up the hype it’s received. Alex Jennings and Simon Russell Beale’s performances are excellent and definitely worth seeing. Bob Crowley’s design is dazzling, especially the beams of red light that emanate from the back of the stage.

However as a play, this left me wanting. I personally thought portraying Stalin as a kind and comedic soft “Uncle Joe”, isn’t really appropriate as we know what a brutal, vicious and psychopathic dictator he really was. It also veered into the ridiculous on occasions, especially the scenes featuring the Doctor, which came straight from a Carry on Film. The play lacked pace to me and just seemed to plod along. I’m not sure what point John Hodge was trying to make writing this play, perhaps he wasn’t writing to make a point, but his characterisation didn’t make up for this in my view.

It certainly is not an awful play, but definitely didn’t live up to the hype, and I’m perplexed as to why it won the Olivier for best play in a year when there was stiff competition in that category. It is worth going to see Alex Jennings performance in particular. However as a piece of writing, without its strong two leading actors it would be more apparent for the dull and questionable play I feel it is.

STARS : * * *

Backstage at the National Theatre – Review of the Backstage Tour

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I’ve sat in all three theatre spaces of the National Theatre, I’ve wined and dined in most of its eating spaces/cafes and restaurants, spent far too much money in its fabulous bookshop and enjoyed sitting outside watching events, or just chilling with friends in the summer. Yesterday however I got the chance to go behind the scenes to see backstage.

The NT hold tours :

Monday – Friday: 10.15, 10.30, 12.15, 12.30, 17.15, 17.30
Saturday: 10.30am and 12.15pm
Sunday: 12.30pm ( on days when the building is open)

and the tours cost:

Individuals – £8.50
Concessions – £7.50
Entry Pass Members – £5 (not available to book online)
Groups of 8 or more – £7.50 each (not available to book online)
Schools rate (for 30 or more places): £5 (please call 020 7452 3400 to book)

All tours bookers receive 25% off in the Espresso Bar and 15% off in the NT Bookshop.  (bargain!)

It takes about 1hr 10 mins and takes you behind the scenes of this fantastic theatre. Seeing them changing the sets from She Stoops to Conquer to The Comedy of Errors was exciting. As was looking up into the fly tower, which contained sets for both these productions.

I was most impressed with the Lyttleton and how the entire set is literally on a trolley that gets wheeled in or out of the space. I’ve always wondered how the hell they can do such quick change overs, and now I know, they “just” wheel one set off and slide the other one in.

I knew the NT was a purpose-built and clever theatre, but I had no idea it had its own workshops on site and seeing these was also enlightening. They were painting the sets for the Broadway production of One Man Two Guvnors, yesterday.

Throughout the tour our guide pointed out little bits of trivia, such as why the Olivier theatre seats are the colour they are, and geared the tour to the little group I was part of. It’s listed as one of Time Out’s “101 things to do in London”, and I really wished I’d done it sooner. The reality is I’ll certainly do it again in the future as when other productions are in, it’ll be a totally different tour.

I came away with even more of an appreciation for how lucky we are to have the NT and the hard work and dedication that goes into putting on a production there.

If you’ve an interest in the NT, theatre, architecture or just fancy being nosy, this is a brilliant tour of a brilliant theatre.

Looking back at 2011

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For me 2011, has certainly been my busiest year theatrically. As I sit here with my Xmas Turkish Delight and box of choccy’s, what were my highlights?

  • Finally getting to see Robert Lepage was certainly a memorable occasion. His play The Blue Dragon I referred to as “Theatrical perfection”.

    Robert Lepage as Pierre Lamontagne

  • I saw my first Burlesque  show, which was certainly an eye opener!

    Mistress of Ceremonies

  • London Road at the National Theatre is certainly one of the highlights for me. An amazing piece of theatre.
  • The best new play of this year I think was The Acid Test by Anya Reiss.

Best new play of 2011

  • The best acting I saw this year was in The Seagull at the Arcola, especially Yolanda Kettle as Nina, who gets my “Best Actress Award”. Best Actor goes to Joseph Milson as Ben Stark in Rocket to the Moon at the National.

    Yolanda Kettle, best actress I saw in 2011, in The Seagull at the Arcola.

Joseph Milson, best actor I saw in 2011, in Rocket to the Moon

  • Crazy for You, was definitely the best musical I saw this year.

    The best legs in London!

  • Manon at the Royal Opera House, wins “best ballet” award.

    Manon left me speechless.

  • Best entertainment award would go to Strictly Gershwin. (so good I saw it twice and my wife saw it three times!)

    Dancing from the beautiful Rhapsody in Blue

  • Best theatre book of the year, without a doubt the publication of Volume 2 Samuel Beckett’s letters from 1941 – 1956, I’m still ploughing my way through them, but they’re one of the most rewarding things I’ve read in a long time.

So all in all a very good year theatrically for me.  Thanks to all my readers and I wish you all a very prosperous 2012.

The Kitchen – National Theatre – Review

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Ok, who ordered the turbot?

The Nationals Olivier stage has been superbly changed to a large working kitchen for this production, complete with gas rings, cookers, pots, pans, knives and lots of plates. I saw this play in a student production and it worked well in their tiny theatre and I wondered how it would make the leap to the cavernous Olivier Theatre. By maximizing the scale of the space Giles Cadle’s set has successfully filled this space and still allowed for a feel of claustrophobia for the characters trapped in this place.

Bijan Sheibani’s direction is very impressive, there are whole scenes where the actors are literally choreographed as they prepare the food, and go about their tasks. These were a particular highlight. I also liked the way that Bijan Sheibani, chose to emphasise parts of dialogue by having the other characters in the kitchen freeze, or go into slow motion. The mime the cast do to as they work is so deceptive on occasions I was certain they really were chopping, slicing marinating and whisking real ingredients. The clever use of special effects, of smoke, flame and sound really added to this.

The cast give very good performances, on occasions it was hard to hear a couple of them over the noise of the kitchen, but most of them projected clearly. For me the play is about the character Peter, played with great skill by Tom Brooke. It’s his story we follow and whilst the other characters have their dreams, stories and roles to fulfil, Peters are left unfulfilled.

I found it quite a moving play and you leave the theatre with much to think about or at least I did. Are we all just going through the motions? As Peter says, “The world chases money, so we chase money too”. How do we make our dreams reality? Can we ever really do that? Or are we all destined to work in our own “Kitchens”?

I was surprised that this play from 1957 still had much to say to us in the 21st century. The issues of race and multiculturalism, while a challenge when this play came out, are still very much issues we are grappling with. Wesker also confronts us with question of an existential nature and also gets us to question the validity of our economic system.

It’s not without humour though, which surfaces at just the right times to provide a moments reprise from the pressure of the work and their situations. Rory Keenan as the new chef Kevin or “Irishman” as they all call him, was a particularly memorable performance as he provides the fresh set of eyes needed in this jaded environment.

I worked in a hotel kitchen when I was student, and the characters and pressure of the environment recreated last night were every bit as real as the one I worked in. I’m certainly glad I don’t work there anymore.

I was hoping to catch this play soon after it opened, but had to re-arrange my ticket due to other commitments, it’s only on for another 2 weeks. If you fancy seeing a creatively staged play that is enjoyable, but will give you no easy answers and perhaps more questions, catch this while it’s still on.

STARS:  * * * *

The Veil by Conor McPherson – The National Theatre – Review

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Conor McPherson returns to the National Theatre with a new play that contains the hallmarks I’ve come to admire in his work, ghostly tales, strong characters and storytelling.

As mentioned in previous posts I’m an admirer of Conor McPherson’s style and feel it is a necessary and welcome juxtaposition to the current trend of short/sharp and bitty “dialogue” that is so prevalent in many modern plays. He is master of well crafted, witty and intelligent dialogue of depth. I chose his play The Weir, for an assignment at college earlier this year which gave me the chance to research his work in more depth which I reveled in.

The Veil takes us to Ireland 1822 and to the home of widow Lady Madeline Lambroke, played with finesse by Fenella Woolgar. Her estate is in financial trouble and the locals do not like her much either. The solution? Marry off her daughter to a Marquis in England and leave. Into this home come a variety of characters, Mr Fingal the estate manager with a love of Madeline, gambling and alcohol (not necessarily in that order), played with panache by Peter McDonald. The daughter Hannah is played by Emily Taaffe, who strongly portrays this character who is fighting the imposed marriage and who is dealing with ghosts of the past, present and future.

Ursula Jones as Grandie (Madeline’s grandmother) provides some comic moments, but Conor McPherson is wise to not present her as totally mad/naive, she has her finger on the pulse more than some characters give her credit for. The household staff of Clare and Mrs Goulding, played by Caoilfhionn Dunne and Brid Brennan, are caught in limbo between their roles as staff and the demands of Madeline. Clare also plans to escape from Ireland and is planning to go to Canada.

Finally into the potent mix are added The Reverend Berkeley and Charles Audelle, Berkeley is a “spiritual advisor” (despite being defrocked) to Hannah’s future father-in-law and family friend. Charles is a philosopher and friend of Berkley’s who is haunted by his own ghosts. Both are overly keen to visit the estate. Jim Norton is wonderful as the over zealous Berkley and Adrian Schiller plays the melancholy Charles with great tenderness.

Then there are the other ghostly characters that McPherson conjures up and which we allow our imagination to build too. Each character has a story to tell or in the case of Clare sing. McPherson uses the ghostly stories/experiences to be the catalyst for these. There are a few ghostly shocks in the play – one of which got a huge reaction from a group of students nearby much to my delight.

Madeline acts as the voice of reason, as others get carried away with their own agendas and views on the experiences. McPherson brings the play to a rational conclusion, but with a nice twist, that some find it hard to shake off their attachment to “the other side”.

I really enjoyed this play, it’s McPherson writing as he knows best and to his strengths. It’s not a short play at 2hrs 45 mins (with interval), but each characters story carries the momentum and at no point did I feel it was dragging. Rae Smith’s wonderful design with the overarching trees and single estate room, gave a sense of a grand past that has since faded. The subtle touches of the wind blowing through the windows and causing the curtains to move and billow was particularly effective.

Conor McPherson directed this himself, and I think that certainly helped as the characterisation and each story really came through. I’m going to hear him speak at the end of the month about The Veil and I look forward to hearing what he has to say about it, as writer and director.

This was a preview performance, but I found it tight and doubt much will change prior to it opening in 3 days time. For those that have seen previous McPherson plays and enjoyed them, The Veil won’t disappoint. If you’ve never seen one of his plays, I recommend you catch this. It felt in many ways like a modern Ibsen/Chekhov type of play, that is high praise indeed in my mind and I’m sure I’ll continue to be haunted by this play into the future too.

Emperor and Galilean by Henrik Ibsen – The National Theatre – Review

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Andrew Scott as Julian

On hearing this was a 3.5 hour epic play, my buttocks reeled in shock remembering the endurance that was Hamlet last year at the National. Could they go through this again, or would I be calling into work the following day complaining of a numb bum?

Please don’t expect this review to go into detail of each of the cast at 50 (some say 45 others 50, I didn’t manage to count them on the night) of them, that’s not going to happen. However top marks to Andrew Scott for coping with this role, he’s on stage for all but a few fleeting moments and carries the whole piece with great skill and hats off to him for delivering such a huge part. He also should be congratulated as I could hear him throughout, which for some of the actors I can’t say the same alas.

I’ve always wanted to see Ian McDiarmid in a play and was pleased to see him scheming as Maximus. I must admit though this character was extremely similar to his famous film role of Emperor Palpatine, even with him goading Julian to choose between Light and Darkness, I almost expected a light saber duel to follow.

I attended a NT Platform event with the director Jonathan Kent the week prior to seeing this, which was helpful. Especially his point that even though this is being hailed as Ibsen’s “masterpiece”, that means something very different in Norwegian. It actually means that this play contains all the ideas/seeds/thoughts of his other works, all in this one. Ben Power has edited the original version that would take about 8.5 hours to perform to a more manageable 3.5hrs version, and so without reading the entire version, I’m not sure if that’s a valid statement. This version seems to focus mainly on Ibsen’s views on religion and the choices an individual makes and lives with.

I really like Ibsen’s work and this is the first time this play has been put on in the UK. It’s VERY different to his others works in structure (except for Peer Gynt)

Several parts I did not like: the moment that Julian reinstates paganism to the Roman Empire, suddenly it felt like we’d been whisked off to see a production of Hair, with the cast dancing and getting their kit off, I was expecting a chorus of “This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius” , they didn’t go quite that far thankfully. It seemed so clichéd and a tad naff to try to show that as “paganism”. (spoiler alert – there’s another instance of  nudity in the play too)
Even more so as the programme has an article by Christopher Kelly (Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge) that states, “he [Julian] encouraged charity, celibacy and asceticism”!

I was also expecting big things regarding the staging, yes the Drum is used, but I did feel it was not used to its fullest, and can someone please tell me what the lowest level was supposed to be, it looked like a dodgy butchers, is that what it was meant to be?? There were some good effects, more so in the second half, but I perhaps mistakenly was expecting more. The Olivier is a vast space to fill and even with this large cast, it did feel empty of occasions, I’m not sure how that was possible, and so I think the staging just didn’t work for this.

There’s been a great debate about the mixing of the ancient with the 21st century in the dress and projections. I really liked this, and felt it did add a contemporary feel to the story being told. Just as I had recently enjoyed with Antigone at the Sothwark Playhouse. I’m aware a great many do not agree with me there, but I think it was effective.

The themes of the play are relevant today, and Ibsen offers no glib answers, especially to the question of how do you act in a tolerant way to an intolerant religion? I liked the ending and thought that theme of how each religion can take its own interpretation of events that suit its ends are a timely message.

This really is a play that only the National could put on and they’re to be commended for attempting this. This production is successful in some areas and not so in others. I left thinking only Ibsenites or theatre aficionados would really enjoy this, but on speaking to others I think it does have wider appeal perhaps. The story itself is gripping and certainly kept my attention. So much so my buttocks didn’t ache at the end (although a good stretch in the interval helped I’m sure!).

At £12 a ticket as it’s part of the Travelex Season, I’d say it’s great value for money and unlike anything you’ll see for a while. It’s good to see the Olivier Drum used. It really is Epic in every way, as a story, its set and the large-scale cast. I’ve been pondering on its themes these last couple of days, that’s a credit to the playwright, I think he’s been let down a little by this attempt, but as it’s a gargantuan task, I don’t think it’s right to be too harsh on those involved. I’m glad this neglected play has been brought to my attention and to have seen it put on, as I doubt it ever will again be tackled in my lifetime at least.

Rocket to the Moon – National Theatre – Review

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I was not familiar with the play or writer before seeing it earlier this week at the National, to me Rocket to the Moon was a classic song by the band Runrig. So I was looking forward to finding out more, this play has been getting mixed reviews and I was pleased to be able to make my own.

The Lyttelton theatre was transformed into a New York dental surgery in the stifling heat in the 1930′s and the play focuses’ on the relationships of dentist Ben Stark. As you can see from the above poster (and the other advertising) Keeley Hawes is in it (she plays Ben Stark’s wife, Belle), for those unaware, she is a popular TV actor in the UK. In the programme under her credits there is not one theatre credit noted, I’m assuming this means she’s not done theatre before? Well to be honest it showed, I was in the stalls only a few rows back and I don’t believe her voice would have carried to the back of the Lyttelton, she also seemed to have an accent that seemed too false, “New YAAAAWWWK”. The good news was that she is actually in very little of the play. Which seems odd to promote it so much with her face, when actually her character whilst important to the plot is on stage very little. In her defense she was much better in her scene in Acts 2 and 3 (especially Act 3).  Please don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t awful, but as is often the case, the “star”, was clearly not in the same league as the other actors they were sharing the stage with.

So who were the others? Ben Stark was played by Joseph Milson, who was brilliant, his characterisation was spot on, and his nuances throughout just added to an amazing performance. Ben Stark is no hero, he stumbles into his affair with the younger and attractive Cleo and bumbled around not knowing how to deal with it or what to do. The tension from this is really where the strength of the play lies, he’s also having to deal with his strident wife, pushy father in law, friends and the lecherous Willy Wax (what a great character name that is!).

The foil to Ben Stark is Cleo Lane the attractive and seemingly naive dental assistant. Played with great skill by Jessica Raine. Her interaction especially with Joseph Milson, was some of the best acting I’ve seen this year. As she too has to interact and deal with all the characters, we see her maturing, and ending up not being as naive as we at first imagined.

The supporting cast likewise give excellent performances, I really liked Peter Sullivan’s portrayal of the debt ridden and depressed Phil Cooper. The scene where he “breaks down” was really touching and acted perfectly.

I’m glad that the National Theatre promotes new work, but that it also promotes other work from the past and brings it to a fresh generation. I enjoyed this play, it took me a while to “get into it”, but the pace and story really sustained my interest. With excellent performances, it made for a good night out at the theatre.