THEGAYUK

Tag: Four Star Play Review

The latest Four Star Play Review from THEGAYUK.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Kenny Morgan

    ★★★★ | Kenny Morgan

    One of Terrence Rattigan’s best known and most moving plays, “The Deep Blue Sea”, has a disturbing and fascinating genesis.

    Written in 1952, the play concerns itself with well-to-do Hester who has left her safe but dull marriage for a dashing young airman and is living in desperate poverty, battling depression and rejection. Writing about gay relationships (which were illegal until 1967) would have been taboo and a highly dangerous move so he penned a story that was based on the events that had happened in his life but changed the relationships to heterosexual ones.

    Rattigan’s on and off secret lover of almost ten years, the eponymous Kenny Morgan, left him for a bisexual actor. His once promising film career floundered, his finances dwindled and he slipped into depression, killing himself in 1949.

    The play opens in a worn round the edges Camden Town boarding house. Kenny (Paul Keating) is lying in front of the gas fire having failed to commit suicide. The dank cellar of the Arcola perfectly houses a set that is utterly convincing and is complete with grimy net curtains, frayed carpets and a lingering taint of too many cigarettes smoked. The dialogue follows suit too and feels genuinely late 1940s. The script is a slow burning one and starts with a camp and amusing skittishness with a cast of inquisitive, prurient and concerned neighbours trying to help Kenny. The pace is pitched perfectly and the notes of tragedy soon emerge as Kenny hurtles towards his horrible fate.

    Paul Keating gives a moving performance as the conflicted and disturbed Kenny and is ably supported by a strong cast. Simon Dutton is a suitably suave and rigid Rattigan and Pierro Niel-Mee is Kenny’s rakish yet ultimately sympathetic lover Alec. There’s great comic relief from Marlene Sidaway as his elderly landlady.

    This is essential but sometimes heart breaking viewing and a moving glimpse into a world that seems a lot longer than 67 years ago. Mike Poulton’s skill as a writer is to make it easy for the modern gay man to empathise with the characters and their horrible predicament in a country blighted by anti-Semitism and misunderstanding of mental illness that was a potentially ruinous place for a gay man. However, he presents a more rounded view of the era also where alongside prejudice and bigotry there were pockets of sympathy, warmth and tolerance too. Difficult as Kenny’s life seems and as taut as Rattigan’s predicament was, it’s also comforting to see that there were ways of living under and around the law.

    Kenny Morgan plays at the Arcola Theatre until the 18th June

    @chrisb715

  • Theatre Review | Flowers For Mrs Harris – Crucible Theatre

    ★★★★ | Mrs Harris is a post-war charlady and widow, struggling with austerity and living a life of the mundane, until, that is, she stumbles across a Christian Dior dress in the wardrobe of a wealthy client she cleans for. Obsessed with owning such a thing of beauty, she works and saves for the dress, and finally journeys to Paris, where she realises what really makes her happy.

    Photo Credit – Johan Persson

    The show is adapted from the novella by Paul Gallico and is presented, in the main, as a sing-through musical. The show is a muted affair, but benefits immensely from its style and presentation. The set is a sparse affair; a monotone of grey with scant scenery. There are no big production numbers or show stopping moments and there is a limited but talented cast. But what this provides in exchange is an abundance of intimacy and emotion; a heart-warming tale with characters you can emotionally invest in and a central character who is, quite frankly, nothing special, but actually, doesn’t need to be.

    The story is one of investment of kindness in others; and of letting go. Mrs Harris’ determination to own the dress of her dreams, to bring glamour and beauty into her uneventful life, is laced with a poignancy which somehow manages to celebrate the ordinary. Written and composed by Richard Taylor and Rachel Wagstaff, the show carries with it a sense of tradition, having a real air of an old fashioned musical. Even the songs, which are all brand new, sound somehow familiar and there is warmth resonating from the production as a whole which adds to its seasoned feel.

    Clare Burt’s portrayal of Mrs Harris is tender and down to earth, whilst it is Anna-Jane Casey as Vera, Mrs Harris’ best friend, who steals her scenes; and Lois Maskill is in fine voice throughout in the dual roles of Bob and Andre. Director, Daniel Evans, makes a low key finale to his tenure at Sheffield Theatres, and it is somewhat fitting that his swan song is about the impact of giving to others.

    With gentle references to My Fair Lady and It’s A Wonderful Life; and just a hint of Pretty Woman; Flowers for Mrs Harris is unashamedly sentimental with an emotional ending to a story of love, loss, rebirth and finding out what really counts in life.

    Flowers for Mrs Harris has just had its world première at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield and plays until 4th June 2016. Visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk for details or call the box office on 0114 249 6000.

     

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Sins of Jack Saul

    ★★★★ | The Sins Of Jack Saul

    The Above the Stag Theatre is now presenting the new musical ‘The Sins of Jack Saul.’ Well who is Jack Saul you might ask?

    Jack Saul was a male prostitute in London who went by the name ‘Dublin Jack,’ because he was from Dublin. He left for London at the age of 22 and wasn’t sure what to find there. He eventually fell into prostitution and was involved in two major homosexual scandals. For it being the late 1800s, homosexuality was scandalous and even criminal behaviour.

    But what made Jack Saul famous (or infamous if you will) was his involvement with a lieutenant in the Irish army, and working in a male brothel in London – at 19 Cleveland Street (which in itself was a musical at the Stag called ‘Cleveland Street – The Musical‘) . So ‘The Sins of Jack Saul’ tell his interesting and scandalous life through song and a bit of dance, and a helpful narration by the devil (provided by the handsome yet evil looking Michael Gonsalves).

    It’s a typical production for Above the Stag, and through this production we get to learn who Saul is and what were his sins.

    ‘The Sins of Jack Saul’ is based on the book ’The Sins of Jack Saul – the True Story of Dublin Jack and The Cleveland Street Scandal’ by Scottish playwright Glenn Chandler.

    Saul is played by Jack McCann, who is very good and believable. We get to relive his life, his life back home in Ireland with his mother (Felicity Duncan, who also plays other roles, including a French Prostitute) and his disapproving brother (Ciaran Bowling – who also geniously plays Lieutenant KIrwan – the army officer Saul gets involved with).

    We see Saul become an in-demand call boy – sleeping with very important people, including Lord Euston (David Mullen), a relationship that would eventually be the catalyst for the downfall of the brothel, and for Jack. ‘The Sins of Jack Saul’ is set to music, with appropriate songs to match the plot (‘I Always Wanted a Man in Uniform’ and ‘Pornography’) being a couple of the standouts.

    ‘The Sins of Jack Saul’ is a satirical romp through the eyes of one of London’s most notorious rent boys.

    The Sins Of Jack Saul plays at Above The Stag until 12 th June 2016

  • THEATRE REVIEW | This Is Living

    ★★★★ | This Is Living

    Alice and Michael are soaking wet and alone in a field by a river at night. Alice can’t remember what bought them there and wants to go home. The problem is that Alice can’t go back again and the big question is what bought them to this point.

    CREDIT: Alex Harvey-Brown

     

    Liam Borrett’s exploration of grief and loss is very impressive. The real achievement isn’t the story itself or the dissection of the aftermath of tragedy but in the characterisation. Alice and Michael are a couple in their late twenties, married with a young daughter. You almost certainly know them. Alice is outspoken, wilful and brimming with unrealised ambition. Michael is a little gauche and awkward and completely in awe of Alice. Michael Socha (E4’s Aliens, This Is England, Being Human) and Tamla Kari (The Inbetweener’s Movie, The Musketeers) are remarkably good and both give robust and forceful performances.

    We see their lives together through a series of potent and cleverly inter-cut flashbacks: their clumsy first meeting on a bus via drunken nights and bad dancing after a lot of Echo Falls, through to the news that Alice is carrying the baby that Michael so desperately wanted. The beauty of the characters is how familiar and ordinary they feel and the celebration of how seemingly ordinary people have extraordinary traits and fascinating stories within the routine of daily life. Sarah Beaton’s waterlogged set leaves the viewer feeling cold and damp and clever sound and lighting design allows for the brisk flow back and forth between past and present.

    The play has a lot of funny moments and Kari’s depiction of Alice’s seemingly brash Northern charm complements Socha’s devastating but understated portrayal of Michael’s ungainliness. The script is tight with a few minor slack moments. The painful subject matter is depicted with charm and grace and rarely feels unbearable but is still devastating and painful to watch.

    The play seemed to initially lose focus slightly after the interval but soon regained the mood and may perhaps have been carried better as a one-act piece. Nevertheless, this is an incredibly powerful piece of theatre and a chance to see two very talented actors realise the potential of a beautiful script. This is also Socha’s West End debut. He stated in a recent interview that he was feeling nervous. He needn’t have worried.

    This Is Living plays at The Trafalgar Studios until 11th June

     

    @chrisb715

  • THEATRE REVIEW | FOLK

    Holy, Unholy and everything in between. Folk was heavenly humorous but had also many notes of devilish charm that tickled many funny bones in the audience.

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | My Mother Said I Never Should

    ★★★★ | My Mother Said I Never Should

    CREDIT: Savannah Photographic

    My Mother Said I Never Should is an award winning debut play written when the author was just 25. It was chosen as one of the most significant plays of the twentieth century by the National Theatre and is, apparently, one of the most performed plays by a female artist. Yet, strangely it hasn’t been seen on a major London stage since the 1980s. Maybe plays about the relationships between women still don’t have commercial appeal? It’s a shame that it’s not been revived before but director Paul Robinson and producer Tara Finney have more than rectified that and have resurrected a thing of beauty and power.

    The stage is almost bare with stark white backgrounds and hints of furniture. Piles of television sets suggest eras and portions of scenery, helping to frame the action in the non-linear structure. The four women start the play as sinister schoolgirls (which could be excruciating to watch but is actually cleverly done), chanting rhymes and plotting to kill mummy. The play then evolves into a series of scenes from the lives of four generations of women in Manchester helped by subtle lighting and sound changes.

     

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    It’s a standard potboiler plot that could be found in a fat Catherine Cookson novel or a television soap opera: difficult marriages, terminal illness and illegitimate children. The script is cleverly written, though, and although the storyline veers towards mawkish sentimentality at times it always steers back and feels lifelike and moving rather than trite.

    Maureen Lipman is magnificent as Doris, a fearsome mother, grandmother and great grandmother. There’s depth to her character as she progresses through stern 1940s mother in the Blitz through to a more benign and charitable but still waspish old lady sunbathing with her pop socks off in the garden. She delivers her lines with skill and inhabits the role beautifully. Caroline Faber is convincing as her at times put upon daughter. Katie Brayben (who played Carole King to critical acclaim in the musical Beautiful) portrays Jackie with skilful restraint and Serena Manteghi is suitably boorish yet ultimately wise as Rosie.

    The play will resonant with a wide variety of people. Provided you had a mother/grandmother/aunt/sister or daughter then it’ll be hard not to reflect on your own experiences whilst you watch this. The yearning to be loved and approved of is innate and powerful. Don’t expect a tragic, visceral weepy though. There are so many comedic moments and killer lines that the blow of the deeper hurts being presented is softened suitably.

    This is a strong production with a skilled cast and high production values and is a welcome return to form for The St James Theatre. Highly recommended entertainment with underlying resonance.

    My Mother Said I Never Should plays at the St James Theatre, Victoria until 21st May 2016, 0844 264 2140

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

    ★★★★ |  Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. It’s not your usual type of play.

    CREDIT: Supplied

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Rotters’ Club

    Young in age, but precocious in talent, the cast of fifteen actors stood proud and commanded the stage with their strong ability to project, act with a great emotional range, and move around effortlessly, all with unrivalled energy.

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | Beacons

    ★★★★ | Beacons

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Narcissist

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Narcissist

    ★★★★ The Narcissist Portrays Theatrical Therapy

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | Land of our Fathers

    THEATRE REVIEW | Land of our Fathers

    Six miners wait to be rescued in the brutal and powerful ‘Land of our Fathers.’

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