THEGAYUK

Tag: Theatre Review

All the latest breaking news on theatre in the UK. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on LGBT+ theatre in the UK.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Wayne McGregor’s Random Dance: FAR – CAST Theatre, Doncaster

    ★★★ | FAR – CAST Theatre, Doncaster

    Based on an 18th-century text, Flesh in the Age of Reason, (hence the acronym, FAR), choreographer Wayne McGregor’s piece ventures into the relationship between the flesh and the mind. Utilising a backdrop of a pin board of thousands of LED’s, glistening and twinkling like the firing of neurological pathways, a troupe of ten incredibly agile and flexible dancers intertwined and knotted together their bodies as they conveyed how ideas are formed and spread into the physicality of creativity.

    Minimalist lighting enhanced the piece, showcasing the dancers and their incredible suppleness. The fluidity of their movement was visually intriguing as they contorted their bodies in a heady mix of extended limbs, ripples and head rolls, working throughout the performance with a professional determination and intensity. The piece left me in no doubt as to the talent of the cast, with their precision movements and the sheer power of their toned and muscular physicality contrasting with the flaccidity of some of their more exaggerated double-jointed dance steps.

    The accompanying soundtrack started promisingly, with subtlety and a classic feel to it, as a duet of barefooted dancers performed a tender routine flanked by four torch bearers, but soon descended into a more industrial auditory landscape, with its constant clatters, pulses, bangs and harsh rasps which assaulted the audience with little discernible melody. The brief respites of a more traditional score were occasional and welcome, but not frequent enough and one could only think about how different the piece could have been with the addition of a more forgiving acoustic accompaniment.

    The piece is challenging, with an absence of an easily identifiable narrative and a feeling of a number of short pieces knitted together, but it ultimately left me feeling somewhat confused, with the theme of the interplay between art and science being conveyed less precisely than the movements displayed on stage. However, where McGregor does succeed is the demonstration of what can be achieved by the body when pushed to its physical limits in tandem with allowing the mind to be creative; and whether you appreciate the abstract nature of the piece or not, there is much to be admired in the physicality of the performance created.

    More information on the company can be found at http://www.randomdance.org/home . FAR was viewed at Doncaster Cast Theatre; who has a varied selection of mainstream and niche productions in their current season.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | That Is All You Need To Know

    ★★★ That Is All You Need To Know | In a day and age where you can share every aspect of your life at the touch of a social media button, the concept of an entire workforce keeping ‘what they did in the war’ a secret for 30 years is one which may be difficult to comprehend. But for the workforce of Bletchley Park, where the government brought together some of the greatest minds of the time together to gather war time intelligence, that is exactly what they had to do.

    (more…)

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Shrek, National Tour 2015

    ★★★★ | Shrek, National Tour 2015

    Making the transition from screen to stage is not always easy, especially when you are adapting something as beloved as Shrek.

    The tale of the big green ogre rescuing the fair princess on behalf of the diminutive Lord Fardquaad is one which follows the plot of the film fairly closely, albeit with so many songs crammed into the running time, the whole thing teeters on the edge of being a sing through musical.

    Like the film, the stage show has a bit of something for everyone, with a script which is packed full of kid friendly comedy but with enough one liners and near the knuckle jokes to keep the adults more than entertained, nowhere more evident than in every second of stage time held by Lord Faquaad. Gerrard Carey was just outstanding as the vertically challenged monarch-to-be, and gave a deliciously camped up performance which was quite frankly hilarious. Look up the definition of “scene stealer” in any theatrical dictionary and you should find his picture. Dean Chisnall’s portrayal of the grumpy ogre was suitably downplayed, but his powerful voice was simply incredible as he belted out the songs.

    But it wasn’t just the performances that made this show, it was the whole package. For a touring production, the staging was incredible, utilising a slew of techniques to bring the tale to life in a way which far exceeded expectations. The set was beautifully put together, lavish and detailed, the lighting was well designed and the costumes and make up were stunning. The show pads out the backstories of the main characters a little, but equally allows the supporting cast to all get their turn, and with such a strong line-up, it would have been criminal not to.

    Where the show doesn’t quite peak is in the songs themselves.” I Got You Beat” was a neat take on the courting songs of Irving Berlin, “What’s Up, Duloc?” was an upbeat big production number and “Morning Person” was a Bob Fosse inspired tap dancing routine. When coupled with the visuals of the set, the choreography and the polished delivery, the actual numbers were are all perfectly amiable and got the feet tapping. However, they were ultimately pretty forgettable; and whilst they certainly work on stage, most audience members left the theatre singing the 1966 hit, “I’m A Believer”, rather than humming any of the shows original songs.

    Shrek carries with it an air of childhood magic and a theatrical experience which, provided you allow yourself to buy into it, will transport you back to that feeling of being a kid again. It’s a show which is bold, loud, colourful and utterly charming. Whether it was giggling at the occasional spot of toilet humour, laughing at the jokes which go over the kids’ heads, or simply being transfixed by the spectacle of a dragon flying about the stage, Shrek had me smiling throughout the show.

    Shrek is currently playing at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre (www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk) until 6th June 2015 before continuing on its national tour at various venues throughout the country up to February 2016. Get yourself “ogre” to the tour’s website for full details (www.shrekthemusical.co.uk)

  • THEATRE REVIEW | McQueen

    ★★★ | McQueen

    Fashion Designer Alexander McQueen committed suicide in February, 2010 at the age of 39. But his work and memory lives on, including in a new play simply called McQueen.

    Stephen Wight plays (and looks just like) McQueen, who was one of the most celebrated UK fashion designers of our time. McQueen, though very successful, had a troubled life; drugs, depression, the suicide of his friend and muse Isabella Blow, who practically helped McQueen become the success that he was, and the death of his mother are some of the factors that probably led him to take his own life in his Central London flat on Feb. 11, 2010.

    McQueen is written not as a play about his life but more about the journey McQueen took to build his career. The journey is brought on by fictional character Dahlia (Dianna Agron) – the idea taken from McQueen’s 2008 collection ‘The Girl Who Lived in the Tree.’ She’s basically a stalker who breaks into McQueen’s flat. He’s startled at first, but her childlike personality and beautiful looks and curvy body appeal to McQueen in a visual sense.

    So McQueen and Dahlia travel through a few important milestones in McQueen’s life; the tailor shop where McQueen got his start and where, on the spot, he makes a dress for Dahlia. They go to his mother’s home, where she is upstairs in bed, sick. And McQueen gets to be reunited with the ghost that is Blow (a smashing Tracy-Ann Oberman), the woman who bought up all of McQueen’s first collection but who still wants to know why he didn’t take her with him to the top, and why did he leave her behind when it was she who made him what he was. In between these pit stops we are visually treated to very slow moving dancers who change the set and morph with, through and in between each other. Visually it’s stunning, you don’t realise the set is changing because the movements are so mesmerising. But this doesn’t make up for the fact that McQueen the play is a bit too thin and doesn’t provide the theatregoer with a true celebration and story of McQueen’s life.

    Wight is amazing as McQueen. In fact, he looks exactly like McQueen did in his later years. Wight captures all of his mannerisms and idiosyncrasies, including the scene where he instantaneously creates a dress for Dahlia. It’s an excellent performance. Agron as Dahlia is given lots of soliloquy dialogue to recite – is she talking to McQueen, the audience, or to herself? And yes, she does recite, likes she’s reading from a teleprompter. Hers is not a great performance as she’s with the amazing Wright during the whole show. But Oberman practically steals the show from Wright in her all-too-brief turn as Bow. It’s a showstopping performance, with Oberman dressed in a sexy negligee. Playwright James Phillips and Director John Caird have produced a play that is weak in biography but beautiful in its presentation, but we’re still left wanting to know more about McQueen and his life and his fashions. We will have to do with the V&A Museum’s Savage Beauty exhibition as well as the highly-acclaimed book about McQueen; Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin, by Andrew Wilson, as well as Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, by Dana Thomas.

    McQueen is playing at the St. James Theatre until June 27th:

    http://www.stjamestheatre.co.uk/theatre/mcqueen

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Carrie The Musical

    A musical adaptation of Stephen King’s supernatural novel Carrie, which was a hit 1976 film, has just opened, and it’s very good!

    It’s hard to believe that music could be used effectively to tell the story of Carrie White, a high school student who’s picked on by her fellow classmates. But the songs in the show work, telling the tale of this strange young woman, who lacks self-confidence and has an overprotective and very religious mother, helped by a super-talented cast who look like they have just stepped out of the pages of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalogue.

    Evelyn Hoskins, in the role that made Sissy Spacek a star (as well as receiving an Oscar nomination for her performance) plays White. Timid, meak, and small in stature, she’s not like the rest of the girls in her school.

    Carrie the Musical, told in narrative form by one of the girls who survives the climactic ending, opens (as does the film) with Carrie experiencing her first period in the gym showers. She has no idea what is happening to her body, and this gives her female classmates the opportunity to ridicule her, and to call her names, including Scary White. Carrie is angry about this, and uses her supernatural powers to make the lightbulbs explode. Meanwhile, one of the girls videotapes it and soon enough the other students are watching it on their mobile phones.

    The female classmates are led by Chris (Gabriella Williams). She’s mean, evil, yet glamorous and very popular. She’s got a ‘thing’ for teasing Carrie, and the rest of her friends follow suit. Carrie is taken under the wing of gym teacher Ms. Gardner (Jodie Jacobs), who makes the girls reluctantly apologize to Carrie. All but Chris apologises, so Ms. Gardner bans her from the upcoming prom. Chris vows to get even with Carrie. Meanwhile Sue (Sarah McNicholas) feels sorry for Carrie, and feels bad for making fun of her in the locker room. So she asks her boyfriend Tommy (Greg Miller-Burns) to take Carrie to the prom. At first he says no, but then agrees to take her after Carrie is inspired by a poem he had written that he read aloud in class, which is one of the shows most poignant scenes.

    Carrie’s mom (Kim Criswell), just about treats her daughter like a small child, not listening to her but praying for her sins and singing religious songs. She’s fanatical yet motherly in a creepy kind of way.

    So Tommy asks Carrie to the prom, and she says yes, much to the utter dismay of her mother. There’s no surprise what takes place at the prom if you’ve already seen the film or read the book. Carrie and Tommy go to the prom and Carrie gets blood dumped on her as they stand on stage after being voted Prom King and Queen (with the vote being manipulated by Chris’s gang of girls). Carrie uses her powers to cause mayhem, death, and destruction, and it’s all expertly executed by the cast and crew of the show.

    Hoskins is perfect as Carrie. Though while at times her singing is reminiscent of a watching a high school musical, she really comes into her own as the show proceeds, especially after showing some real emotion when Tommy asks her to the prom. As her mom, Criswell is superb. She’s Piper Laurie (who played the mother in the film) with pipes, especially when singing ‘ When There’s No One.’ Williams is fantastic as well. She’s the bully, yet she’s also the beauty. Carrie is Williams’s professional debut. But Miller-Burns is the standout among the cast. As the young man who takes Carrie to the prom, we see a sparkle in his eye, a richness and emotion to his voice, and he’s the perfect actor to play Tommy, the man every boy wants to be like and the man every girl wants to be with.

    The stage becomes, from one minute, the locker room, then a class room, then Carrie’s dining room, to the finale – the school’s gymnasium where the prom is held. The dumping of the blood on Carrie’s head and the mayhem that follows is superbly executed, and extremely intense. Director and Choreographer Gary Lloyd has done an amazing job in putting together this production. Carrie the Musical, with music by Michael Gore and Lyrics by Dean Pitchford (of Fame fame), was a big flop when it debuted on Broadway in 1988 and subsequently in an Off-Broadway production in 2012. But with its London debut the show looks ready to hit the West End. Let’s hope it does, with the same cast and crew – it’s bound to be a hit.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | 4 X 4 Cast Theatre, Doncaster

    ★★ | 4 X 4 Cast Theatre, Doncaster

    In an original fusion art form, where the gentle poise and delicacy of ballet meets the frenetic pace of juggling, progressive troupe ‘Gandini Juggling’ explore bringing order to chaos using mathematics, numbers, patterns and regularity in 4×4 as two very different sets of skills melt together.

    Using symmetry, routine, repeating themes and the formation of geometric patterns, the intertwining of the two art forms proved to be a serene and strangely hypnotic experience at times. The sound of the original score by Nimrod Borenstein combined with the rhythmic chanting, the gentle thudding of the juggling and the performers bodies as percussion instruments; whilst, visually, the patterns formed by both objects flying through the air and the unison of the cast as they interweaved their respective skills and blended around each other came together to create visual and acoustic patterns which both soothed and stimulated simultaneously.

    Breaking down the individual elements of the performance, the entire cast displayed talent, skill and a dedication to their art. The string ensemble score was beautiful at times, bringing with it the flavour of an Eastern European influence; the dancers were accomplished, supple and foot sure in their performance and the jugglers were well timed, rehearsed and solid.

    However, despite their skill and talent, the show was uneven in its pace and presentation. It certainly had its moments where you were mesmerised by the movements on stage, but equally, the themes of symmetry and repetition led to the show itself feeling rather repetitive and almost as if it were going back over itself. There is absolutely no denying the talent of the cast overall, but despite some interesting visuals, wry humour and skilled performances, this show, unfortunately, didn’t quite come together to equal the sum of its parts.

    4×4 was seen at CAST Theatre, Doncaster, who have a launched their new season, which features a variety of performances from a number of dance companies including Phoenix Dance Theatre and Northern Ballet. For details of their full programme, see http://castindoncaster.com/ .

    4×4 is on national tour at a number of venues across the country until 19th September 2015. Full details of the company, their tours and their work can be found at http://www.gandinijuggling.com/en

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Rise Like A Phoenix

    ★★ | Rise Like A Phoenix

    Things have changed a great deal since the days of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, Kevin Elyot’s My Night with Reg and Tony Kushner’s brilliant Angels in America. HIV is something we can talk about more openly, people don’t die anymore, and, with treatment, can live a pretty normal life, though there is still a lot of stigma attached to it.

    Paul Emelion Daly’s new play, Rise Like a Phoenix, is billed as a comedy, but, apart from some admittedly hilarious one-liners, it actually takes itself rather seriously, maybe too seriously. As an HIV negative man, maybe I found it hard to identify with the five gay men, all of them HIV-positive, in Daly’s play, but I’m pretty sure that the majority of my HIV positive friends would have a problem too. Too many of the characters were fixated on the blame game, how they acquired the virus, who gave them the virus, and indeed, not giving too much away, much of the story revolved around a love triangle, in which one of the characters had unknowingly given it to one of the men, who then unknowingly gave it to another.

    I was hoping that a new play about HIV would take a more positive stance, but it seemed to me, that, for all the talk of the success of antiretroviral therapy, emotionally the play was still stuck in the 90s, with its reminders of those tombstone adverts. But the whole landscape has changed since then and we live in a far more positive world (in both senses of the word) than we did? Why was there no talk of TasP (Treatment as Prevention), of PEP or PrEP, the once a day pill that stops you getting HIV?

    I’m afraid I found it all rather dispiriting and negative.

    Performances were good, but Tim McArthur’s usually faultless sense of pace seemed to have deserted him this time round and the play dragged for too much of the time.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage – National Tour

    ★★★★ | Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage – National Tour

    Gareth Thomas is one of the most successful rugby players ever to take to the field for his country. But in the testosterone filled world of professional rugby, he hides the fact that he is gay, causing him to engage in a secret double life and bringing him to the brink of suicide. But equally, his hometown of Bridgend in Wales is also a place of sadness, as a spate of teen suicides blight the small, close-knit community. Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage tells the story of both Gareth Thomas and his struggle with his sexuality and the story of two teenage girls from Bridgend, each battling with their own issues.

    Set on a stage resembling a locker room, and utilising only the simplest of props and costumes, each of the six-strong cast played multiple characters and morphed seamlessly from one to another, including each taking turns to play Thomas himself, as they recounted the two intertwined stories. Told in a verbatim style with the script primarily delivered in a direct address to the audience, the writing of Robin Soans had a very natural feel as it was conveyed by the cast, leading to characters who were accessible, felt familiar and who were instantly likeable. From the cast, Rhys ap William and Daniel Hawksford stood out the most, with both delivering solid performances in their various roles. Taking the audience through a number of ‘crisis points’ in both stories, there were a couple of points during the play where I felt myself welling up; but interestingly enough, it was a real shame that the moment when Thomas comes out to his parents was not handled particularly well by Katie-Elin Salt, leaving such a pivotal scene feeling flat and slightly awkward despite the best endeavours of the other cast members.

    The play draws parallels between the personal struggles of Thomas and the young people of Bridgend, demonstrating that even those considered heroes have their personal demons; and showing young people that they are not as isolated or alone as they may think. Dealing with a number of sensitive topics, the play handles them well, and draws a genuine emotional reaction from the audience as well as providing food for thought on many levels, whether that be empathising with the characters or their families on stage or reflecting on their own experiences and emotions.

    Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage is thought provoking and emotional, with an undeniably strong message of hope and positivity.

    Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage was reviewed at West Yorkshire Playhouse (www.wyp.org.uk ) and is continuing on its national tour, details of which can be found at http://www.outofjoint.co.uk/production/crouch-touch-pause-engage. You can also read our interview with Gareth Thomas about the production.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Barnum, UK theatre tour 2015

    ★★★ | Barnum

    Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Barnum charts the rise and rise of one of America’s most famous showmen, Phineas T. Barum, whose showmanship and panache for the spectacular led him to become one of America’s richest men. Starting off with a small sideshow, brick by brick he builds his entertainment empire into the greatest show on earth, whilst all the time being supported by his patient and understanding wife. The balance between his dreams and her grounded reality are evident, but his love is tested when he meets beautiful opera singer, Jenny Lind.

    Barnum, as a show itself, is perhaps not best remembered for its storyline, which is thinner than the usual musical; nor for its particularly memorable songs. The show itself is a fairly episodic affair, with the set pieces being broken up by scenes, mainly between Barnum and his wife, which carry the narrative. However, what this production will be remembered for is an absolute abundance of colourful, joyful energy during the big numbers, assaulting the senses with rousing singing and spectacularly choreographed routines. Filling the stage with a plethora of circus skills, including tumbling, ribbon work, silks, tightrope waking and balancing, there is no denying the fact that this is a performance which has been polished to within an inch of its life.

    Playing very much to his strengths, Brian Conley won me over in his performance as Barnum, as his wry smile and casual banter with the audience kept him just on the right side of being the confident, consummate showman; both as the character and in himself.

    Whilst this may have been Conley’s show, he was supported by a large and talented cast, including Linzi Hateley, Kimberly Blake and Landi Oshinowo, a packed out ensemble of very talented dancers and circus performers and a live orchestra. The scale of the production is impressive and it is clear to see the budget, quality and experience behind the production itself, with not only the visuals being bold, brash and ballsy, but in also the technical presentation of the show being wholly impressive, nowhere more evident than the superb lighting designed by Paule Constable.

    With its colour, vibrancy, sense of fun and its full throttle energy, Barnum may well be very much style over substance; but the style it has is undeniably top notch.

    Barnum is currently playing at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre (www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk) until Saturday 11th April 2015, before continuing on its national tour (www.barnummusical.com) calling at Leeds, Milton Keynes, Liverpool, Plymouth, Southampton, Canterbury, Birmingham, Salford and Cardiff.

  • 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 | Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense: Hilarity at its best

    ★★★★ | Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense

    Jeeves and Wooster played by Jason Thorpe and Robert Webb respectively, bring to The Birmingham Rep a delightful and hilarious performance of Perfect Nonsense with actor Christopher Ryan. There is an initial gag before the curtains go up by a speaker announcing that phones should be switched off, for it might interrupt the first performance of Mr Wooster and he might feel nervous. Of course, merriment ensued.

    Perfect Nonsense tells a story of Wooster and his butler Jeeves who are putting on a play, but it is Wooster’s debut so he starts the show with running through his part and calming himself by saying: ‘How hard can acting be?’ Jeeves had cleverly set everything up so Wooster pretty much walks on to the intricate set that he has just been describing, as it is rolled on, on wheels, and displayed behind him as he turns around. It was so efficient that it surprises Wooster every time.

    Perfect Nonsense, directed by Olivier Award winner Sean Foley, is currently touring the UK, and it is peppered with comedy, suspense, and a little drama, especially when Wooster is blackmailed by half the characters, who all want the silver cow creamer.

    Robert, Jason and Christopher combined made the show extra special, as each contributed to the amusement by exaggerating facial expressions that provided the effect they wanted: to bring the house down with laughter.

    Robert Webb, whose credits are endless, but one would immediately recognise him as Jeremy Usborne from the Peep Show, had an innate ability of moving his body to suit the action and it made the transition between scenes even funnier. He even simulated Michael Jackson’s famous moonwalk to travel between scenes. Webb reprised the role like a duck to water and carried the show with relentless energy and flair.

    Jason Thorpe, whose theatre credits include: From Morning to Midnight, His Dark Materials and What the Butler Saw, lends his ingenious acting ability and comedic timing to Jeeves, Wooster’s butler. He also convincingly multi-part plays other roles in the show, and to each one he gives a special touch that supports Wooster’s storytelling. His characterisation of Stiffy was sublime.

    Christopher Ryan most famous for playing Mike in 1982-1984 TV series: Young Ones, portrays the character of Seppings who plays all other roles with an enthusiasm and persistence that would put anyone my age to shame. Christopher dominates the stage with his flair of movement with one second portraying Wooster’s aunty Dahlia and in the next Roderick Spode who is described as being 6ft 9in when Ryan is nowhere near that height at all.

    The set was a masterpiece of the steady yet unpredictable design of Alice Power whose recent design credits include: The Walworth Farce; and A Mad World My Masters by Thomas Middleton. Power designed a set that was so effortlessly mutable, that it became part of the comedy, as the sets were pushed on and pictures were rolled up and down a photo frame via a rotating handle.