THEGAYUK

Tag: Sheffield Crucible

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Playing For Time

    ★★★ | Playing For Time

    Amongst the horrors and inhumanity of Auschwitz, a small group of women are pressured to play in a rag-tag band, used for both entertaining the higher ranks of their captors and to march their fellow inmates into the fields to work and into the gas chambers to die.

    Playing for Time explores the emotional toll on the women as they quite literally play for their lives whilst struggling with the ethics and morals of pandering to the theatrical whims of the murders around them as their fellow detainees are being massacred around them.

    Based on the autobiography of Parisian cabaret sensation, Fania Fénelon, the opening scenes of her and her fellow Jews crammed into a cattle truck effectively conveyed the confusion, fear and false optimism of the passengers, followed quickly by a powerful, jolting and brutal arrival at Auschwitz which was genuinely unnerving to watch. But the play swiftly switches from the brutality of the camp to an examination of the inner conflict between an individual’s desire to survive and their desire to remain human. The internal struggles and external quarrels about the dehumanisation of the women in the band and the divide between their loyalties to those around them and their own selfish and primal instinct of survival are the focus of the wordy script. The dimly lit and smoke-filled auditorium provided an air of somberness and oppression, and the almost monochrome presentation of the piece (the black and grey sunken set penetrated by crisp, defined white beams of light) seemed to be a visual representation of the stark choices that go towards life and death in such a place, whilst the constant rumbles, cries, whistles and gunfire of the excellent sound design by Melanie Wilson constantly reminded the audience of the inescapable confines of the concentration camp.

    Arthur Miller’s seldom-performed play is a touch overlong, with a slightly uneven pacing and a group of central characters, performed by the predominantly female cast, which was not easy to connect with, although this could be as a result of the characters intentional or unintentional self-serving motivations.

    The sound of Sian Phillip’s Piaf-esque voice accompanied by the accordion, harmonica or a gentle piano was convincing in terms of 1940’s cabaret and reminded you of how recent in European history the events you are watching actually were. The performance of Un bel dì (One Fine Day) from Madame Butterfly was inspired, and its delivery in the context of the surroundings was not lost on the audience. The poignancy of the aria’s lyrics describing “that thin thread of smoke rising over the horizon” beautifully reflected both the optimism and hopefulness of the original context of the aria and the hopelessness of life in the concentration camp. Perfectly timed to coincide with Arthur Miller’s centenary and the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Playing for Time is more of an exploration of human emotion than a narrative piece of theatre and one with a technically impressive presentation.

    Playing for Time is currently on stage at The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield until 5th April 2015. For further details and tickets visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Blasted, Sheffield Theatres

    Sheffield Theatres opens their Sarah Kane season with Blasted, her first and possibly most controversial play. Ian, a racist, sexist and homophobic middle aged journalist, arrives in a hotel room in Leeds, accompanied by a young girl, Cate, whose youth and naivety is exacerbated by her learning difficulties. As their abusive relationship, characterised by manipulative behaviour and sexual violence, continues; a soldier bursts into the room and, through a series of shocking events, there is a shift in power, control and dependency.

    When considering how to describe this play, three words repeatedly surfaced in my mind – uncompromising, unflinching and unapologetic. Themes of control, dominance, sexual violence, manipulation and dependency are thrown at the audience in a shocking and, at times, difficult to watch play, causing you to shift uneasily in your seats and bullishly charging at your boundaries of acceptability. In line with the initial controversy when the play was first performed (where it was described as a “feast of filth”), it still has the power to not only emotionally gut punch the audience, but to be genuinely upsetting and distressing.

    In this three-hander, Martin Marquez impressed as bigoted and thoroughly unpleasant Ian, carrying a genuine air of menace and nastiness. Mark Stanley, as the soldier, complimented that performance with a restrained portrayal of a man numb from his own hatred; but I was most affected by Jessica Bardon’s performance as Cate, who carried a haunting look of vacancy which bore straight into you and lingered with you long after leaving the theatre.

    Richard Wilson confidently directs with a steady hand, not shying away from extended periods of silence or inconsequential action, but equally not shying away from the visceral and shocking aspects of the play. The set, with its hints of glass surrounding the stage, places you directly in the voyeuristic position of peering in through the hotel room window, watching events unfold; and was both visually impressive and well designed. Crucially, the pivotal moment in the play was accompanied by a jolting and effective transformation of the stage.

    Featuring very adult themes, offensive language, scenes of male and female rape, nudity and strong, bloody violence, this is certainly not a play for everyone, and is a heavy, controversial and hard-hitting piece of theatre, which I have no doubt many people will find offensive and distasteful. It is also surreal at times and contains a number of aspects which are particularly uncomfortable to watch, especially in the confined arena of the Crucible Studio.

    If you are seeking a challenging piece of heavyweight theatre, then this is a quality and technically impressive production which offers that in abundance. But whether you consider the themes explored and the events of the narrative as suitable subjects for entertainment will very much depend on your individual viewpoint. My suggestion is that you read a little about the play before you decide whether it is for you or not.

    Blasted is currently playing at Sheffield Theatres until the 21st February 2015.

    The Sarah Kane season includes all of the playwright’s works over the coming months. Full details can be found at http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/event/blasted-15/

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Anything Goes – Sheffield Crucible Theatre and National Tour

    ★★★★★ | Anything Goes – Sheffield Crucible Theatre and National Tour

    It’s all aboard for high camp on the high seas, as the SS American sets sail from New York to Southampton and Billy Crocker stows away on board to chase the love of his life, Hope Harcourt. When he discovers that Hope is due to marry hapless fop, Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, Billy teams up with a gangster, Moonface Martin, Erma, the Gangster’s Moll; and a sassy lounge singer, Reno Sweeny, in an attempt to win her hand. But can Billy avoid the sailors hunting the stowaway, get away with a number of dubious disguises, avoid his unsuspecting boss and get Hope to agree to marry him before the ship docks in Southampton?

    Featuring the songs “I Get a Kick out Of You”; “You’re The Top”; “De-Lovely”, and “Anything Goes”, this 1930’s set musical comedy, which was written 80 years ago, is still an utterly joyous delight. The story has everything you could want from a whimsical musical – a will they/won’t they love story, a genuinely funny, laugh out loud script, some subtle slapstick and elements of farce, mistaken identity, disguises of varying quality, feisty heroines and, of course, a delightful and timeless score and songs which make it impossible for you to resist tapping your feet.

    This art deco tinged production is packed with well-timed comedy, spectacularly choreographed set pieces, good vocal performances and an uplifting sense of fun which proves utterly irresistible. Stephen Matthews delights as the naïve, bumbling toff, Lord Oakleigh, who is bursting with a dark family secret. Hugh Sachs (from TV’s Benidorm) shows his comedic talent as Moonface Martin, in a performance which is reminiscent of Nathan Lane in The Producers; and Debbie Kurup was a sassy bundle of energy in her performance as Reno Sweeney, heading up the tap dancing, show-stopping denouement to the first act and a lively and vivacious opening to the second act.

    The show is well directed and choreographed and is brimming with such energy and you can’t help but get swept along by it. This production is a welcome and well-timed revival of a criminally underperformed show, which has a surprising number of parallels between the 1930s and modern day, in terms of the economy and the public’s interest in celebrity. But the rapturous standing ovation and the number of people singing, tap dancing and laughing as they left the theatre is the most accurate measure of the success of the show.

    Sheffield Theatres annual Christmas musical is rapidly garnering a national reputation as one of the most hotly anticipated theatrical events, and after their award-winning productions of My Fair lady and Oliver! over the last two years, Anything Goes continues the trend.

    Anything Goes is playing at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre until the 17th January 2015, before embarking on a national tour covering a total of 30 venues up and down the country between now and October 2015. Visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk and http://anythinggoestour.com for information, tickets and tour details.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Boeing, Boeing – Sheffield Crucible Theatre

    ★★★ | Boeing, Boeing – Sheffield Crucible Theatre

    Bernard thinks he has the perfect life living in Paris. He is engaged to three Air Hostesses, and uses the flight timetables to keep them apart and make them think that each of them is his one and only. As the three women in his life fly out to America, Germany and Italy, he ensures that his love life runs smoothly. But when the flights don’t adhere to the timetable one evening, Bernard finds his perfect life falling apart, as each of his three fiancés turn up at the home that they think they share with Bernard. With the help of his best friend, Robert, and his long suffering maid, Bertha, can Bernard keep them apart and maintain not only the facade, but also his love life?

    Sheffield Theatres present this revival of this 1960’s based, comedic, farcical play by Marc Camoletti. The feel of the piece was very reminiscent of the sitcoms of the late 70’s,having shades of the more subtle comedy of George and Mildred and, by contrast, bearing a very strong resemblance to the physical style of comedy in “Fawlty Towers” – the chaotic, panicked and increasingly complicated means of attempting to keep an escalating situation under control. There were also hints of more recent sitcom “Miranda”, with people entering and exiting the stage in quick succession.

    The cast of six held the audience’s attention with good delivery of the script’s one liners and some great comic timing. Notable cast members were Joseph Kloska who appealed with an animated performance as Robert, the nervous, flustered and naïve best friend. Lizzie Winkler was excellent as the intense German air hostess, Gretchen and Julia Deakin delivered all the best lines with an understated performance as Bertha, the long suffering and sardonic maid.

    Sheffield Theatres ably demonstrate why they have twice been awarded Regional Theatre of the Year with another quality production. The 60’s based set was simple but looked impressive, with its orange patterned wall paper and olive green sofa being very sixties chic. The stage was very well lit and the use of bold colour in both the set and the lighting looked impressive. The sound in the theatre was crisp and easily audible, and the costumes were great, in particular the air hostess uniforms, which looked absolutely beautiful, rounding off the high production values of the show.

    The show was a smart blend of physical comedy and a witty script and the audience found the whole thing very funny, with plenty of laughter echoing around the theatre throughout the evening.

    Boeing Boeing is currently playing at Sheffield Crucible Theatre until 7th June 2014. Details, trailer and booking details can be found at http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/event/boeing-boeing-14/

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Never Try This At Home, Sheffield Crucible Studio, UK Tour

    ★★★★ | Never Try This At Home, Sheffield Crucible Studio, UK Tour

    In this “disturbing homage to Saturday Morning television”, TV reunion show, “Looking Back Together” examines what ever happened to the cast of the anarchic TV show, Shushi, which was taken off air when things get out of hand and sexy “for the dads” presenter, Petra Massey, has a breakdown live on the show. As the peek behind the scenes reveals, not everything is well behind the custard pies and the buckets of water.

    “Told by an Idiot” Theatre Company presents this very funny, dark comedy in an affectionate, tongue in cheek tribute to the time when Tiswas and Swap Shop ruled the Saturday morning airwaves. Crammed full of references and in-jokes to those halcyon days of children’s weekend entertainment, this chaotic, laugh out loud funny and refreshingly politically incorrect show was packed full of nostalgia. The references are easy enough to spot, and with everything covered from the custard pies, the ridiculous games (“kick a vicar” and “build a dog”) and a thinly disguised Noel Edmunds impersonation, very little escapes unscathed.

    The show affectionately pokes fun at the style of TV shows of the 70’s and also a sly sideways swipe at the current crop of reunion shows. The format of the show is cleverly done, transforming the audience in the theatre into the audience of a recording of fictional TV show “Looking Back Together”, where clips of Shushi are played out (live on the stage) and the presenters are brought out and interviewed by a Jeremy Kyle tinged presenter. The TV show within a TV show format was original and worked well in the performance space.

    As for the humour, the piece was dark in its comic tone, but very funny. Ranging from slapstick to silly and including a biting social commentary on the 1970’s attitudes to race, gender and sexuality. The show does have a number of jokes where you can’t help but think “did they really just say that”, but the humour stays in a similar vein, albeit at a good arm’s length away, to Sacha Baron-Cohen’s “Borat”.

    The performances from the cast were full of energy and suitably silly, nicely parodying the presenting style of the time. The flares, wigs and catsuits fitted the show perfectly and with the amount of water, custard pies and baked beans flying around, the front row remained sensibly empty. The cast fully involved the audience and it was hard to tell at times what was rehearsed and what was improvised. The enjoyment of the cast in their performances was infectious and after the show’s 90 minutes running time, the presenters of “Shushi”, felt like old friends (in the same way that Simon Groom and John Noakes were back in the day).

    The show was really good fun, especially for those who grew up in the 70’s and brought back many memories of wasted Saturday mornings. With the laughter ringing out from the audience throughout the show, it was clear to see that the satirical writing was a huge hit with them.

    Never Try This At Home is currently playing at the Sheffield Crucible Theatre. Details and tickets can be found at http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/event/never-try-this-at-home-14/ .

    The show then moves to Edinburgh and Soho.

    Details can be found at http://www.toldbyanidiot.org/productions/never-try-home/

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Love Your Soldiers, Crucible Theatre Studio, Sheffield

    ★★★★ | Love Your Soldiers

    In Helmand Province, two young soldiers have bonded like brothers in the midst of war, but when one of them is seriously injured, their relationship is tested even further when he is returned home and continues his affair with his best friend’s girlfriend.

    Ken is a soldier and is a fun loving guy who takes his girlfriend for granted. When his best friend, Roly, covers Ken’s patrol, he steps on a landmine, and loses both of his legs. Roly is returned to a rehabilitation centre in England. But unbeknown to Ken, his girlfriend, Gemma, and Roly have been having an affair and she is torn between the two of them. When Gemma announces that she is pregnant, she remains ambiguous about the father of the child and matters come to a head when Ken returns home on leave to both spend time with the woman he loves and to confront his guilt for allowing Roly to take his place on the patrol which led to his injuries.

    Love, betrayal, friendship, honesty and revenge are the themes of this touching, poignant and well produced and directed play. The first thing that strikes you as you enter the theatre is the set which envelopes the seating area and places the audience in the middle of the set itself. The production uses a number of interesting and well utilised video and audio effects, using giant screens and projectors to replicate the webcam exchanges of the central characters (which are acted out live on stage) and as background settings to the various scenes and locations. The use of smoke, lighting and loud exchanges of gunfire and explosions proved an assault on the senses, particularly in the battle scenes, invoking a genuine tension in the audience. There is very little to fault this play on in terms of its staging and direction and the director, Richard Wilson, has to be commended for such an excellent job.

    The story is one which is well written and is tender and touching, exploring the relationships between the soldiers, those left “at home” and those around them on the front line. There is some discussion around homosexuality and homophobia, although this is not the central theme of the play, instead, it focusses more on the impact of the situation of the three central characters on each other and on those around them.

    In a small cast, Chris Leask gave the standout performance as Ken and Jordan Bright as Roly performed well in his first professional role; with the rest of the cast giving competent support. But where the play comes into its on is in the story and the drawing in of the audience. The feeling you get when watching the play falls into two distinct categories. The scenes set in Afghanistan makes you feel, at times, like you are in the middle of an action film. The scenes set in England make you feel like you are in the middle of a high quality BBC drama. This was a thought provoking play and one which, with Remembrance Day approaching, is a timely reminder of the sacrifices made by those in the armed forces and their family and friends and is certainly one where the circumstances, themes and issues in the story stay with you long after the performance.

    Love Your Soldiers is currently showing at the Crucible Theatre and runs until the 23rd November 2013. For further information and to book tickets, visit

  • THEATRE REVIEW | A Life Backwards (The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield)

    ★★★★★ | A Life Backwards (The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield)

    After meeting at a protest to support two homeless charity workers, Alexander (played by Will Adamsdale) and Stuart (played by Fraser Ayres) develop an unlikely bond. Stuart becomes intrinsic in the organisation of Alexander’s public campaign and the two men find they have much more in common than they ever thought they would. But for Stuart, who suffers from muscular dystrophy, the reality of life on the streets is never far away and his psychological problems gradually get the better of him as his physical and mental health start to deteriorate. Alexander, who had promised Stuart that he would write a biography that Stuart’s son would want to read, starts to speak to those who knew Stuart growing up. He uncovers a troubled past for Stuart, and starts to understand the impact and implications of Stuart’s family, schooling and disability.

    Based on the biography of the same name, which chronicles the true life story of Stuart Shorter, this play was an outstanding piece of theatre. The intelligent writing of the piece shone through, having the audience laughing out loud one moment and sitting with teary eyes hanging on every word uttered the next. The unravelling of Stuart’s life was beautifully written; with the latter half of the play deconstructing the complex character it had so carefully crafted in the first half. Stuart is portrayed as likeable, funny, resilient and sensitive, yet at the same time violent, volatile, unpredictable and unstable. The script itself was, in equal parts, genuinely funny, moving, warm, touching and upsetting as you learn who Stuart really is and you are left wondering whether you should or shouldn’t actually like him.

    The acting in the play was of a very high standard all round with the minimal cast drawing in the audience with their performances, meaning that you could feel definite shifts in the atmosphere of the studio theatre as everyone became absorbed in the story.

    But undoubtedly, the primary focus was on Fraser Ayres, who gave one of the best performances I have seen in the theatre for many years with his exceptional portrayal of Stuart. His convincing, sensitive and genuine performance of a man tormented by his inner demons and his failing body was quite frankly brilliant, moving, accurate and wholly believable.

    The setting of the Studio Theatre, an intimate performance space at Sheffield Theatres, only added to the total immersion in the play. The production values were basic with a very simple, but astutely utilised, scaffolding set, but the real draw here is the story, performances and emotions of the piece.

    This extraordinary play, produced by Sheffield Theatres and High Tide Festival Theatre is an outstanding piece of work. It was wholly engrossing in terms of its performance, writing and characters and left the audience feeling as though they had been through the full spectrum of emotions with the characters on stage. The thought provoking nature of the play was perfectly balanced with the soul, warmth and humour that punctuates it and provided an incredible opening to Sheffield Theatre’s autumn season. A must see.

    Stuart – A Life backwards is currently playing at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield until the 28th September 2013. Details can be found at http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

  • THEATRE REVIEW | STRAIGHT

    Straight by DC Moore, based on the 2009 film “Humpday”, this is a story about two college friends reunited after a seven-year hiatus. ★★★★★

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