THEGAYUK

Tag: Four Star Play Review

The latest Four Star Play Review from THEGAYUK.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Roots

    ★★★★ |Roots by Arnold Wesker, Donmar Warehouse

    It’s 1958 and Beatie Bryant has been living in London with Ronnie, a young socialist full of ideas and ideals. As she anxiously awaits his arrival to meet her family for the first time at their Norfolk farm, her head is swimming with new concepts of a bolder, freer world enhanced by politics, art and music, not caring that her views promise to clash with their traditional rural way of life.

    Roots is the centrepiece of Arnold Wesker’s classic post-war trilogy of plays and in spite of being over 50 years since its first staging, still carries a strong and pertinent message today in a world where apathy and mediocrity still abound.

    The play is naturalistic and heavy on dialogue but the inherent humour of the situation and characters lightens the tone enough to make it a thoroughly enjoyable piece to watch. The characters interact as they perform a background of daily chores such as cooking, cleaning and bathing, all punctuated by their exchanges which are spoken in broad Norfolk accents and dialect.

    Beatie is played by the beautiful and very talented Jessica Raine (Call the Midwife) who manages to convey her naivety, exuberance and vulnerability along with her optimism as she hopefully anticipates a new world emerging. Raine is supported by a strong cast, particularly the magnificent Linda Bassett and Ian Gelder who play her taciturn and complacent parents with great dramatic and comic effect. The contentment of a family happy to live in their rural world, never questioning their routine and allotted roles, is subtly built up as the play slowly burns towards a dramatic finale.

    Director James Macdonald has created a flawless piece that proves that classic drama can be performed to great effect and made fresh and challenging, provided it is performed and staged well. This is an excellent production that is well worth viewing if you don’t know the play or worth revisiting if it’s a familiar piece to you.

    Roots is on until the 30th of November 2013

    Book tickets here: Roots

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Picture of Dorian Gray at Dorian Gray’s Townhouse

    ★★★★ | The Picture of Dorian Gray at Dorian Gray’s Townhouse

    Staged in a Georgian townhouse in Greenwich “modernised” to suit a wealthy Victorian resident, The Alchemist Order have presented an exciting and innovative production of this classic Oscar Wilde play.

    For those that don’t know the story, The Picture of Dorian Gray is the tale of a young man who trades his soul for eternal youth and beauty. As he lives a life of hedonism and decadence, a portrait painted of him as a young man ages in his place. Often cited as one of the finest examples of Gothic literature, The Picture of Dorian Gray is exquisitely dark but peppered with Wilde’s trademark wit.

    Dorian, played by the brilliant Mia Hawk, is both innocent and debauched, and Hawk conveys both with conviction. Although momentarily distracting that he is played by a female, the combination of great acting, inventive staging and clever writing soon forgives this. Chatting to the cast after the performance, I learned that Mia had less than a week to rehearse this role following an injury to the original actor, which makes her portrayal of this complex character all the more impressive.

    Samuel Orange, Creative Director of The Alchemist Order, plays Lord Henry Wotton utterly convincingly and has a natural ability to hold a stage, in even the most intimate of spaces. The interplay between Lord Henry and Dorian strikes just the right balance of tension and allure. Similarly notable is Jonathan Redfern, playing Basil Hallward, who brings a somewhat mesmerising flair to his role and is completely believable as the tortured artist.

    An outstanding highlight for me, though, is the fantastic Louise Larchbourne, whose Mrs Leaf is thoroughly engaging, and carries just the right balance of servitude and mastery appropriate for her role. From the moment one steps through the door into Mr Gray’s salon, all through the interval and right through to the time you leave, Larchbourne remains perfectly in character, entertaining and serving guests with a respectful wit.

    This is the inaugural production of The Alchemic Order, and if it is any indication of what is to come, the future of creative and imaginative theatre is very, very secure.

    THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY plays at Dorian Gray’s Townhouse, 2 minutes’ walk from Greenwich station (exact address revealed upon booking) Tues – Sat until 28 September. Tickets are £35 (£25 on Tues) from www.thealchemicorder.com

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Confessions Of Gordon Brown, Trafalgar Studios

    ★★★★ |The Confessions Of Gordon Brown, Trafalgar Studios

    Fresh from the Edinburgh fringe, this hit one man show has transferred to the prestigious Trafalgar Studios in London.

    This satirical look at the reign of Gordon Brown as leader of the Labour party is both laugh out loud and moving in equal parts. Written by Emmy award winning Kevin Toolis, the script swiftly moves between discussion of Brown the public figure and Brown the man.

    Ian Grieve (a remarkable likeness of the man himself) gives a strong, grounded performance, getting the audience onside and empathising with one of the most well known faces in British politics.The script reaches deep into the soul of the character, and one can only wonder what those close to Brown, and the man himself, would make of the writers interpretation of his character.

    Until 28th September,7.45pm daily

    http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-confessions-of-gordon-brown/trafalgar-studios/#overview_tab

    Twitter @GordonConfesses

  • THEATRE REVIEW | As Is, Finborough Theatre

    Twenty-five years ago, the gay population in the USA was facing an unprecedented medical crisis, one that threatened to kill off the entire community.

    A new disease had immerged, its origins were little known and any sort of cure or treatment for its symptoms was still a pipedream too far for all of its victims. By 1987, the year As Is first played in London, Act Up, (the Aids Coalition To Unleash Power) reported that over 41,000 people had died because of this new virus, HIV, which essentially killed the immune system, leaving the person unable to fight off disease and infections.
    From this tragedy some incredible human stories were unfurled, astonishing artwork and heartbreaking literature was created out of the despair that was the 1980’s Aids epidemic.

    As Is, written by William M. Hoffman, is reportedly the first of a long line of awarding winning plays which hopes to explain the suffering that this ravaging thief of a syndrome caused; not just to it’s eventual victims, but the people who were around to see their once vibrant friends, family and lovers die, one by one in unimaginable pain.

    The story centres on the rekindling relationship between two ex-lovers Rich (Tom Colley), a young writer, just about to enjoy the success of his writing and his long-time lover Saul (David Poynor), a professional photographer. After Rich discovers that the disease that has destroyed so many of his friend’s lives has struck him, he returns to Saul for sanctuary.

    Both Colley and Poynor offer up extraordinary performances, the frustrations and imprisonment of both Rich and Saul’s situation bubbles through their words and actions. Their combined anguish is palpable and fiery, but amidst the anger, there are moments of pure intimacy, beautifully played and honoured.
    The ensemble cast are outstanding particularly Anna Tierney, who plays a variety of roles. Her more understated performance was a humbling reminder that not every PWA (person with Aids) was a gay male living in New York, but sometimes, as the syndrome drove its way into traditional America, a mother-to-be, caught up in the nightmare.

    The spirited supporting cast includes: Tom Kay, Paul Standell, Clare Kissane and Jordan Bernarde, who offers a breakthrough performance of a brother coming to terms with his sibling’s demise. Stylistic ensemble set pieces, keeps As Is’s aging gay references contemporary, by giving them tongue-in-cheek nods to caricatures we know, love. The fluidity of the cast’s reaction to the drama is a thoughtful way to ensure that today’s audience easily assimilates the play’s sometimes-dated and American centric humour.

    Beneath the surface of Andrew Keates’ direction lies a pacey, raw anger. Each line and utterance demonstrates one of the most honest emotions to emerge from the Aids epidemic in the 80s. The show’s design, by Philip Lindley, is a perfect metaphor, mirroring the end stages for the victims of Aids and the government’s inactivity in responding to the crisis – a crumbling building, dying from the inside and largely ignored.

    It’s almost impossible now for this generation of gay men to imagine losing their lovers and closest friends to an unstoppable virus – the frustrations of the 80’s gay community seems so distance, yet in the mere 25-year time lapse from this play’s first outing in London, it still feels fresh, raw and vitally important.
    As If runs at the Finborough Theatre until 31st August 2013
    http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Private Lives, Gielgud Theatre

    ★★★★ | Private Lives

    If you’re not familiar with Noel Coward’s work then you’re in for a treat with ‘Private Lives’ and the lavish new production at The Gielgud is well worth catching.

    Elyot Chase (Toby Stephens: Jane Eyre, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall) is on his honeymoon in France when he finds that his ex-wife, Amanda (Anna Chancellor: The Hours, Spooks) is in the adjacent hotel room and is also on her honeymoon. Still reeling from their tempestuous failed marriage the pair revisit the havoc that ensued previously.

    Beautiful, stylish and utterly selfish, they are witty, snide socialites. Coward’s dialogue is acerbic, devastatingly vicious and alarmingly witty. The two leads capture the spirit of the play perfectly, with dialogue that feels like a deliciously deadly fencing match. They lunge, parry and attack with rapier sharp put downs and impeccable comic timing. Chancellor is monumental in a series of stylish costumes, looking like she’s stepped straight off the pages of a book of Erte illustrations whilst Stephens captures the louche selfishness, suave posturing and petulant impishness of Elyot perfectly. Chancellor in particular makes the play her own with a seemingly effortless performance that conveys the nuances of Amanda’s character with serious style.

    The set is stunning and Amanda’s apartment in Paris is a visual feast of Art Deco styling. I could have sat in my seat and quite happily stared at the set for an hour but luckily there was much more to see.

    An interesting aside is that Toby Stephen’s wife, actress Anna-Louise Plowman, plays his new wife, Sybil. Added to this, Stephen’s parents, Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens, played the parts of Elyot and Amanda in the same theatre in 1973.

    Highly recommended for those who like their comedy with lashings of clipped tones and sharp witticisms. The audience loved the show and so did I.

    Catch Private Lives at The Gielgud Theatre until 21st of September 2013
    Buy tickets here: http://privateliveswestend.com

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Power Couple

    ★★★★ | Power Couple

    Relationships are peculiar things: whether your status is single, in a relationship or ‘it’s complicated’. Power Couple is an innovative comedy show which looks at a relationship from the viewpoint of both participants proving just how funny relationships can be.

    Stephen Bailey has spent the past twenty-something years trying to find true love and romance. For years he prayed for a womb so he could trap a man but he’s done it the normal way – through a love spell (well he tried apparently). Gary John Senior is completely different; he has spent his life avoiding a relationship until almost by accident (or witchcraft) Stephen happened. As they embarked on a relationship, Gary’s brow got sweatier. Not only does he have to deal with his own neurosis, he has to deal with Stephen’s too. Gary takes us through his findings from his first year in his first relationship (ever) to explore the real fine line between love and madness.

    The show takes the form of two sets, each partner talking about the relationship. Gary mourns the loss of days watching porn and playing on his Playstation which has been replaced by inquisitions, insecurities and the minefield that is sending a text to your boyfriend and forgetting the little ‘x’ at the end. Stephen is re-appraising his ideas of romance as he gets treated to Groupon dates and unusual birthday gifts.

    The show is really amusing and anyone who has been in, observed or run a mile from a relationship can identify with the two men and their experiences. The observational comedy is warm and affectionate but no less biting in its wit for this.

    For a great comedy experience catch the boys at the Edinburgh Fringe or at the Edinburgh preview show:
    ‘PowerCouple: 1st-25th August 2013  London Previews: Monday 29th July 2013, Comedy Café Theatre, Shoreditch, London
    Follow them at: facebook.com/powercouplecomedy or on Twitter: @PowerCoupleUK, @StephenComedy, and @GaryJohnSenior

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Address Unknown, Soho Theatre

    ★★★★ | Address Unknown

    Is it possible to explain the incomprehensible? How can anyone begin to understand what would make a man abandon a deep friendship in favour of joining a radical political movement? ‘Address Unknown’ is a stunning play from 1938 in which Kathrine Kressman looks at just these issues.

    Max and Martin are close friends with strong bonds but when Martin moves back to his native Germany a rift grows between them; a rift that will eventually lead to rejection, betrayal and revenge. The problem being that Max is Jewish and Martin is beguiled by the emerging National Socialist Movement and becomes an official in the Nazi party.

    Max and Martin are close friends with strong bonds but when Martin moves back to his native Germany a rift grows between them; a rift that will eventually lead to rejection, betrayal and revenge. The problem being that Max is Jewish and Martin is beguiled by the emerging National Socialist Movement and becomes an official in the Nazi party.

    It’s a powerful piece, well staged and well acted by the two men and is much more than a dry political commentary. The story is a very human one which subtly unfolds in a well paced and intriguing manner and makes the audience both squirm in horror and laugh with glee.

    It’s a powerful piece, well staged and well acted by the two men and is much more than a dry political commentary. The story is a very human one which subtly unfolds in a well paced and intriguing manner and makes the audience both squirm in horror and laugh with glee.

    He has a good point. Essential viewing for our modern times.

    ‘Address Unknown’ runs at The Soho Theatre until the 27th of July 2013

    Book tickets here: http://www.sohotheatre.com/whats-on/address-unknown

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The History Boys, Sheffield

    ★★★★ | The History Boys, Sheffield

    Based in the fictional Cutlers Grammar School in Sheffield, this award winning play tells the story of a group of young students as they prepare for university interviews at Oxford and Cambridge.

    The headmaster of the school is determined to propel the school up the ranks of the league tables by increasing the number of pupils who are accepted by the prestigious establishments. In his resolve to do so, he enlists a supply teacher called Irwin, whose sole responsibility is to fully prepare the boys by employing a rigid teaching structure and encouraging them to stick strictly to stock answers, whether they believe what they are saying to be true or not. This approach is in stark contrast with that taken by the boy’s favourite teacher, Hector, who is eccentric and laid back, revelling in the joy of knowledge, whilst encouraging the boys in their free thinking and exploration of their own interests, allowing them to forge their own educational path. Unfortunately, one of Hector’s interests is taking the young students out on his motorcycle and touching them up, something that the boys seem to readily accept as harmless fun, but which eventually leads to a confrontation between Hector and the headmaster. As the two teachers and their respective teaching styles clash and the young boys turn into young men, the relationships between the students, both with each other and with the staff, is examined which leads to tension, sexual angst and divided loyalties.

    Sheffield Theatres once again excels, this time with their production of this award winning Alan Bennet play, which has a wordy, warm and witty script. Within its critique of the education system and its social commentary on the almost hierarchical nature of learning, the play also explores, both gently and more blatantly, a number of themes surrounding the often painful transition into adulthood and aspects of accepting and coming to terms with homosexuality and sexuality in general. Posner (beautifully played by Oliver Coopersmith) says at one point “I’m a Jew. I’m small. I’m a homosexual. And I live in Sheffield. I’m f***ed”. This neatly sums up his frustration at his status as the youngest of the class and more importantly, his unrequited and unconditional love for his fellow pupil, Dakin (played by Tom Rhys Harris). Dakin is a cocksure and bravado filled young man, who relishes in his ladies’ man status, yet who develops a deep admiration for and relationship with his teacher, Irwin. This leads to the point where Dakin propositions Irwin and offers himself readily; causing Irwin to face his own closeted sexuality. There is also the darker undertone running through the play of the abuse of position and trust by the teachers, Hector who is touching the boys when he takes them out on his motorcycle (much to Posner’s annoyance that it is never “his turn”) through to the direct confrontation between Dakin and Irwin whereby Irwin’s teaching of the importance, or otherwise, of the truth is challenged.The set made excellent use of the Crucible’s unique stage, effortlessly merging the scenes and creating a real school hall feel, from the parquet gym floor to the strip lighting, the PE benches to the plastic chairs. The play was well directed, ensuring the whole audience felt included and addressed. The performances were all of a very high quality, especially from Edwin Thomas who excelled as Irwin in what is his professional stage debut. Matthew Kelly undertook his role of Hector with a quiet confidence, but his performance was overtaken by the lead boys, namely Will Featherstone as Scripps, Tom Rhys Harris as Dakin and Oliver Coopersmith expertly demonstrating the teenage angst of burgeoning sexuality.The play was scattered with bridging sequences for the set changes, which involved short, loud blasts of electro new romantic and punk music accompanied by over exaggerated schoolboy dancing. These segments which sharply transported you back to your own school days were entertaining and nicely contrasted with calmer, more classic aspects of the script. The script was wordy, with long soliloquies delivered by the characters, but was punctuated with warm and gentle comedy delivered by likeable characters. The play was slightly long for me (perhaps it could have been around 20 minutes shorter), but this is not a criticism of the production in any way and more a reflection on the type of theatre I prefer. Overall, it was exceptionally well performed, staged and presented and was a memory invoking, through provoking piece of quasi-nostalgia tinged theatre which tackles head on a number of social issues within the education system.

    The History Boys is currently at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield until the 8th June 2013.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Mousetrap, National Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Mousetrap, National Tour

    ★★★★ | The Mousetrap 

    I have to confess something. I love a good Agatha Christie. There’s something about those comfortable characters, nostalgic settings and contorted plots which always thrills me.

    (more…)

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Entertaining Mr Sloane

    What better place to see a play by the irreverent gay 1960s playwright, Joe Orton, than in Leicester?

    (more…)

  • THEATRE REVIEW: The Hotel Plays

    There can’t be many people amongst us who aren’t fascinated by the thought of what other people get up to when we’re not looking.

    (more…)