THEGAYUK

Tag: Three Star Play Review

The latest Three Star Play Review from THEGAYUK.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Tailor-Made Man, White Bear Theatre, London

    ★★★ | The Tailor-Made Man, White Bear Theatre, London

    Listen up! There’s a Hollywood film star who’s riding high with a string of hits. He’s handsome, suave and funny, bagging awards and melting hearts as he stares into the eyes of and kisses the faces off the hottest female stars around. The gossip is, though, he’s secretly gay: lacking in boundaries and groping handsome younger men on set, loitering in cruising grounds and having dalliances with fit sailors. The word is that he also has a sweet interior designer boyfriend waiting patiently at home. Oh, my is this about to come crashing down! You know this story from the internet gossip sites?

    Maybe you do, maybe you don’t but no, it’s not 2017 but the 1920s and the story of Billy Haines who’s films were consigned to the vaults after he refused to marry a ‘beard’ and was caught with his pants down once too often. It’s an interesting and prescient story and one that this play presents in technicolour glory.

    Handsome Mitchell Hunt (Mister Selfridge) heads up this universally strong cast and director Bryan Hodgson has tightened the occasionally clumsy script into something pacy (that’s pacy. Not Spacey). It’s not exactly deep and there’s minimal characterisation with it often feeling like a dramatised Wikipedia entry being put on show. The humour is the best aspect and hits more than it misses. None of that matters though with actors like these and the parade of stunning vintage costumes and props by set and costumes designer Mike Lees. There’s a mind boggling array of costume changes and some beautiful set pieces. It’s a joy to watch and an interesting story to witness unfold.

    The White Bear is a comfortable theatre space within a rather stylish and recently renovated pub and is only a short tube ride from Leicester Square. Head down to Kennington for a slice of gay history that has particular relevance today. Oh, those costumes too. You’ll be hard pressed not to want to sneak backstage and grab a few pairs of slacks and a jacket to take home.

    The Tailor-Made Man plays at the White Bear Theatre until 25th November 2017

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Of Kith And Kin, Bush Theatre, London

    ★★★ | Of Kith And Kin, Bush Theatre, London

    After a run in Sheffield Theatres’ studio, gay surrogacy themed comedy-drama Of Kith and Kin hits London at The Bush Theatre. Oliver and Daniel are 21st-century gays married with good jobs and a flat. Now it’s time to take the natural next step, start a family with Oliver’s best girl-friend acting as surrogate.

    Chris Thompson’s play is a three-act drama and is mixed in tone and effectiveness. Starting out as a light sitcom with a twist, it morphs into a courtroom drama and ends with a more emotionally intelligent third act. There’s something distinctly dated about the first act in spite of the modern update. There’s all the classic sit-com ingredients: happy couple, monstrous mother-in-law descending, waters about to break and high camp. The difference, of course, being that there are two fathers and one mother. The humour is tired at times and whilst it has wryly amusing moments it’s never uproariously funny. Joanna Bacon does a good job as the brash mum from Woolwich but it still feels limp. Speaking of limp: James Lance has some unfortunate mannerisms. He’s playing a 46-year-old gay man with a mischievous sense of camp but to me, he didn’t quite nail this and it felt like an unfortunate and unintentional misfire. His swishy hips and flapping wrists didn’t convince me and it felt like a straight man’s imperfect attempt at portraying a slightly effeminate gay man which was grating rather than being entirely offensive.

    Act two moves on to the courtroom and again misses the mark. The key ingredient to a courtroom drama is a sense of tension but this felt slack in spite of strong performances from Donna Berlin as an improbably wisecracking judge. Finally, the third act is a more moving piece of drama and the play feels like it finds its feet but still, there’s a lot of holes and moments where the characters’ motivations feel unconvincing.

    On the positive side: James Lance is a nuanced performer (in spite of his poorly pitched 1970s style interpretation of a gay man’s mannerisms). Equally strong in supporting his work are Joshua Silver and Chetna Pandya. There’s also an interesting and well-thought set of themes to the play. Thompson looks at intergenerational differences in the expectations of his character. Oliver at 46, was kicked out of home for being gay and has difficult family relationships, never expecting that monogamy, marriage and children would be on the horizon. Conversely, Daniel who is over a decade younger has every expectation that these things are part of his agenda and in spite of all this progress, Priya’s teenage son doesn’t seem to be having an easy time of ‘having it all’. The confrontations of the final act are genuinely moving and raise interesting questions.

    It’s good to see a thought-provoking drama with some strong performances and emotive scenes. Whilst not excellent it has merits and is worth a look at the refurbished and plush Bush Theatre.

    Of Kith and Kin plays at the Bush Theatre until 25th November 2017

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Venus In Fur, Theatre Royal Haymarket

    ★★★ | Venus In Fur, Theatre Royal Haymarket

    THEATRE REVIEW | Venus In Fur, Theatre Royal Haymarket

    A playwright/director bemoans the lack of female acting talent after a long day auditioning for the female lead in his new play. In walks Vanda, a ditzy and frenetic actress who’s turned up late but is determined that she’s going to audition for the part whether he wants her to or not.

    David Ives 2010 play is a twisting sexual and gender power play and a play within a play. The piece that Vonda is auditioning for is based around the 1870 novella of almost the same name (add an ‘s’ to the ‘fur’) by Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch. The clue is in the name: masochism was named after Sacher-Masoch and his desire to serve and be punished. The two characters read from the play and the roles they play both in reality and fantasy are in a state of constant flux. Thomas is a man who once stated that working in theatre was a great way to get laid but Vanda is more than prepared to take him on.

    It’s a slight play in some ways and is uneven at times with occasional absurd moments Whilst it has timely themes with the current Weinstein scandal, it’s not exactly searing. That doesn’t really matter here, though. It’s an OK play and is an entertaining 90 minutes but there’s an odd phenomena going on. The actress is far greater than the play. Nathalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones) is totally hypnotising. Her co-star, David Oakes (currently on TV in Victoria), is more than adequate and is also easy on the eye but whatever your persuasion, I suspect you’re eyes will be drawn to every move, intonation and expression from the magnificent Nathalie Dormer. It’s sometimes hard to concentrate on anything but her central performance.

    Ignore the flimsiness of the play, although if S and M is your thing or you’ve ever contemplated this as a pastime then all the better. The main pleasure for most is the chance to watch such a virtuoso performance. Well worth seeing.

    Venue In Fur plays at the Theatre Royal Haymarket until 9th December 2018

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Kite Runner, Sheffield Theatres

    ★★★ | The Kite Runner 

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Kite Runner, Sheffield Theatres

    Set against the historical backdrop of social and political change in Afghanistan, The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir and Hassan, who are best friends despite their difference in religion, class and social standing. The pair are inseparable, until Amir stands by as a shocking event tears apart their world and their friendship. But as the years pass, Amir has the opportunity to redeem himself and redress his guilt in a way which he would have never imagined possible.

    The play is based on the best-selling book by Khaled Hosseini and is a heart-breaking tale of friendship, betrayal, divided loyalties, family acceptance and social pressure. It also touches on themes of culture, religion, terrorism and of the life experienced by a country faced with invasion, dictatorship and war. Whilst the central the themes are numerous and remain relevant, the staging is stripped back and straightforward; and the whole show is presented with no fuss or spectacle, which allows the writing, script and narrative to shine through. The play’s strength lies in its flowing language which reflects the source material and, as you listen to the actors, you feel like you are reading a book. The addition of traditional Afghan instruments providing an atmospheric, minimalist soundtrack which enhances the uncluttered approach and provides a real atmosphere to the proceedings.

    In terms of performances, David Ahmad was broadly engaging in his performance as the narrator and protagonist, Amir, although never fully convinced in terms of his emotions; whilst Jo Ben Ayed provided a subtle turn as the meek and withdrawn Hassan. Standing out from the ensemble cast was Emilio Doorgasingh as Baba, Amir’s father, with a commanding and intimidating stage presence befitting of his character.

    It is an ambitious play which encompasses many themes and many key aspects of the character’s lives over a number of years, meaning that there is a lot to get through, and the second act does feel slightly crammed and borders on being a little overlong towards the end; but the story overall remains absorbing and holds the attention.

    The Kite Runner is a visually restrained production which provides for a thought-provoking, relevant and touching story which carries with it a lot of emotion.

    The Kite Runner is at Sheffield Theatres until 21st October 2017 before continuing on its national tour.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | I Knew You, The Rep

    ★★★ | I Knew You, Birmingham Rep

    I Knew You, written by Steven Camden, aka Polar Bear – the renowned spoken-word artist, comes to The Door with a delicate yet powerful domestic tale.

    Growing up in a non-nuclear family is more custom in this generation, but what is not often seen, is the repercussions of a family break up. Through the stories of Angela (Lorna Laidlaw) the mother; Nathan (Brenton Hamilton) the son; Patrick (Roderick Smith) the father, we see the nucleus of the family drama.

    The writing is sublime with poetry ringing alongside the emotional speeches. Lorna showcased comedy and emotion very well, carrying the story – very good crescendo of emotions as the story progressed. Brenton did a great job with anger, but a little one-dimensional with the less climatic stuff. Roderick was a good choice for the sullen Patrick, giving the audience a good look-in to the other side of the argument, but a little lacklustre in the final speech. What was nice about the production was the feeling of provenance with actors hailing from Birmingham, with local accents adding to the comfort.

    The play was only fifty minutes long, and I am wondering if story beat opportunities were missed as the story appeared to be presented in chunks, in places, and the build-up of the drama was lost with a very sudden ending at Patrick arriving in the house.

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Milton Keynes Theatre

    ★★★| The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, UK Tour

    REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Milton Keynes Theatre width=

    Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old boy, discovers that his neighbour’s dog, Wellington, has been killed by someone (the poor dog having been stabbed with a garden fork), and sets off to find out who the culprit is. But Christopher has Asperger’s syndrome, which makes his perception and functioning very different to other boys his age and as the truth behind Wellington’s death starts to be revealed, it leads Christopher to embark on a remarkable adventure.

    The show is based on the hugely successful book by Mark Haddon and has been a West End and Broadway hit. Utilising a virtually empty stage, the presentation of the show was intriguing, using screens on the back and sides of the stage, almost framing the show in a cube, reflective of Christopher’s constraints in his functioning. Lights flicker like the firing of neurons in his brain, and black and white projections are used to show both his thought process and to set the scene. The show, like the book, is written from Christopher’s point of view and the presentation effectively places the audience members squarely into the centre of his mind and thoughts. The simplicity of the set is reflective of the way in which Christopher perceives the world and worked very well. There were pieces of carefully choreographed movement throughout, and the scene where Christopher arrives in London and is overwhelmed by the overstimulation of his environment is very well done. In this show, less certainly is more, and the monochrome set nicely mirrored Christopher’s rather binary thinking.

    But placing the style and presentation to one side, the most impressive aspect of the show was the central performance of Scott Reid. Reid’s portrayal of Christopher Boone was highly accomplished – mixing the complexities of the characters personality, his physical traits and a childlike innocence which combined to provide a rounded and believable performance

    The show, and in particular, the first act, is very well written, with a script which imports large chunks of text from the book to provide a faithful adaptation of the source material. Despite being bleak at times, the show was filled with gentle humour; and created a world with a myriad of characters that come in and out of Christopher’s life which nestle alongside the well-crafted moments of dramatic tension and emotionally powerful scenes.

    The show has won a slew of awards, including 7 Olivier Awards and 5 Tony Awards, and it is easy to see why. There is a lot of depth to the play, exploring the adult world of interpersonal relationships through a simplistic and innocent perspective.

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is playing at the Milton Keynes Theatre until 16th September 2017

    • Review taken from Sheffield Theatre production.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, King’s Theatre Glasgow

    ★★★ | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, King’s Theatre Glasgow

    REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Kings Theatre Glasgow

    Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old boy, discovers that his neighbour’s dog, Wellington, has been killed by someone (the poor dog having been stabbed with a garden fork), and sets off to find out who the culprit is. But Christopher has Asperger’s syndrome, which makes his perception and functioning very different to other boys his age and as the truth behind Wellington’s death starts to be revealed, it leads Christopher to embark on a remarkable adventure.

    The show is based on the hugely successful book by Mark Haddon and has been a West End and Broadway hit. Utilising a virtually empty stage, the presentation of the show was intriguing, using screens on the back and sides of the stage, almost framing the show in a cube, reflective of Christopher’s constraints in his functioning. Lights flicker like the firing of neurons in his brain, and black and white projections are used to show both his thought process and to set the scene. The show, like the book, is written from Christopher’s point of view and the presentation effectively places the audience members squarely into the centre of his mind and thoughts. The simplicity of the set is reflective of the way in which Christopher perceives the world and worked very well. There were pieces of carefully choreographed movement throughout, and the scene where Christopher arrives in London and is overwhelmed by the overstimulation of his environment is very well done. In this show, less certainly is more, and the monochrome set nicely mirrored Christopher’s rather binary thinking.

    But placing the style and presentation to one side, the most impressive aspect of the show was the central performance of Scott Reid. Reid’s portrayal of Christopher Boone was highly accomplished – mixing the complexities of the characters personality, his physical traits and a childlike innocence which combined to provide a rounded and believable performance

    The show, and in particular, the first act, is very well written, with a script which imports large chunks of text from the book to provide a faithful adaptation of the source material. Despite being bleak at times, the show was filled with gentle humour; and created a world with a myriad of characters that come in and out of Christopher’s life which nestle alongside the well-crafted moments of dramatic tension and emotionally powerful scenes.

    The show has won a slew of awards, including 7 Olivier Awards and 5 Tony Awards, and it is easy to see why. There is a lot of depth to the play, exploring the adult world of interpersonal relationships through a simplistic and innocent perspective.

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is playing at the King’s Theatre Glasgow until the 19th August 2017

    • Review taken from Sheffield production.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Liverpool Empire

    ★★★| The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, UK Tour

    REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Liverpool Empire

    Christopher Boone, a 15 year old boy, discovers that his neighbour’s dog, Wellington, has been killed by someone (the poor dog having been stabbed with a garden fork), and sets off to find out who the culprit is. But Christopher has Asperger’s syndrome, which makes his perception and functioning very different to other boys his age and as the truth behind Wellington’s death starts to be revealed, it leads Christopher to embark on a remarkable adventure.

    The show is based on the hugely successful book by Mark Haddon and has been a West End and Broadway hit. Utilising a virtually empty stage, the presentation of the show was intriguing, using screens on the back and sides of the stage, almost framing the show in a cube, reflective of Christopher’s constraints in his functioning. Lights flicker like the firing of neurons in his brain, and black and white projections are used to show both his thought process and to set the scene. The show, like the book, is written from Christopher’s point of view and the presentation effectively places the audience members squarely into the centre of his mind and thoughts. The simplicity of the set is reflective of the way in which Christopher perceives the world and worked very well. There were pieces of carefully choreographed movement throughout, and the scene where Christopher arrives in London and is overwhelmed by the overstimulation of his environment is very well done. In this show, less certainly is more, and the monochrome set nicely mirrored Christopher’s rather binary thinking.

    But placing the style and presentation to one side, the most impressive aspect of the show was the central performance of Scott Reid. Reid’s portrayal of Christopher Boone was highly accomplished – mixing the complexities of the characters personality, his physical traits and a childlike innocence which combined to provide a rounded and believable performance

    The show, and in particular, the first act, is very well written, with a script which imports large chunks of text from the book to provide a faithful adaptation of the source material. Despite being bleak at times, the show was filled with gentle humour; and created a world with a myriad of characters that come in and out of Christopher’s life which nestle alongside the well-crafted moments of dramatic tension and emotionally powerful scenes.

    The show has won a slew of awards, including 7 Olivier Awards and 5 Tony Awards, and it is easy to see why. There is a lot of depth to the play, exploring the adult world of interpersonal relationships through a simplistic and innocent perspective.

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is playing at the Liverpool Empire until 29th July

    • Review taken from Sheffield Theatre production.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | 5 Guys Chillin’, Kings Head Theatre, London

    ★★★ | 5 Guys Chillin’, Kings Head Theatre, London

    5 guys chilling kings head theatre review

    There’s a chemsex party taking place at the King’s Head Theatre. No, it’s not an actual party – It’s the returning show 5 Guys Chillin’.

    In the comforts of the living room of J (David Palmstrom) and M (George Fletcher), them and three other guys (actually men) are enjoying each other as well as the drugs on the table in order to experience the highs, and in some cases, the lows, of what gay men (not all gay men) are getting into nowadays; drugs and sex and more drugs and in some cases unsafe sex in private house parties.

    B (Gareth Watkins) and R (Tom Ratcliffe) are a bit of an unmatched couple; R is very young but not so innocent, while muscular big daddy B is experienced and likes it any which way and loose. And the last one to arrive at the party is Pakistani PJ (George Bull). He’s a bit unsure as to why he’s there, but slowly gets into the action. But he’s got a story to tell the other guys; he’s actually married with a young child because it’s what is expected in his culture. Besides him, all the guys have stories to tell; B’s story is particularly vivid as he recounts the time he was spit roasted in Berlin where sexual diseases were not discussed. It’s all a lot to take in; the play’s honesty and brutal nature is scary because know all know these types of gay men, and parties, do actually exist.

    And all the actors should be admired for performing such an in your face play shedding emotions as well as bravely shedding their clothes. Writer and Director Peter Darney seems to have gotten the tone and characters right, but luckily I wouldn’t know because I’ve never been and don’t plan to go to one of these parties.

    5 Guys Chillin’ plays at Kings Head Theatre  until June 3rd 

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, UK Tour

    ★★★| The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, UK Tour

    Christopher Boone, a 15 year old boy, discovers that his neighbour’s dog, Wellington, has been killed by someone (the poor dog having been stabbed with a garden fork), and sets off to find out who the culprit is. But Christopher has Asperger’s syndrome, which makes his perception and functioning very different to other boys his age and as the truth behind Wellington’s death starts to be revealed, it leads Christopher to embark on a remarkable adventure.

    The show is based on the hugely successful book by Mark Haddon and has been a West End and Broadway hit. Utilising a virtually empty stage, the presentation of the show was intriguing, using screens on the back and sides of the stage, almost framing the show in a cube, reflective of Christopher’s constraints in his functioning. Lights flicker like the firing of neurons in his brain, and black and white projections are used to show both his thought process and to set the scene. The show, like the book, is written from Christopher’s point of view and the presentation effectively places the audience members squarely into the centre of his mind and thoughts. The simplicity of the set is reflective of the way in which Christopher perceives the world and worked very well. There were pieces of carefully choreographed movement throughout, and the scene where Christopher arrives in London and is overwhelmed by the overstimulation of his environment is very well done. In this show, less certainly is more, and the monochrome set nicely mirrored Christopher’s rather binary thinking.

    But placing the style and presentation to one side, the most impressive aspect of the show was the central performance of Scott Reid. Reid’s portrayal of Christopher Boone was highly accomplished – mixing the complexities of the characters personality, his physical traits and a childlike innocence which combined to provide a rounded and believable performance

    The show, and in particular, the first act, is very well written, with a script which imports large chunks of text from the book to provide a faithful adaptation of the source material. Despite being bleak at times, the show was filled with gentle humour; and created a world with a myriad of characters that come in and out of Christopher’s life which nestle alongside the well-crafted moments of dramatic tension and emotionally powerful scenes.

    The show has won a slew of awards, including 7 Olivier Awards and 5 Tony Awards, and it is easy to see why. There is a lot of depth to the play, exploring the adult world of interpersonal relationships through a simplistic and innocent perspective.

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is currently playing at Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until Saturday 20th May 2017 (www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk) before continuing on its national tour until 10th July 2017. For further details, visit http://www.curiousonstage.com/tour/

  • THEATRE REVIEW | When Harry Met Barry, Above the Stag Theatre, London

    ★★★| When Harry Met Barry, Above the Stag Theatre, London

    It’s not When Harry met Sally but When Harry Met Barry at the Above the Stag Theatre in Vauxhall.

    Unfortunately there is no orgasm scene in sight, just a few catchy tunes and a few laughs in a show that is cute and lively and a fun night out.

    Harry (Brandon Gale) and Barry (Sam Peggs) had a ‘thing’ seven years ago, but now TV chef Harry is dating fashion designer Spencer (Austin Garrett) while junior lawyer Barry has hooked up with the quirky yet adorable Alice (Maddy Banks). Spencer and Alice are serious about their relationships with Barry and Harry, respectively, even to go so far as to discuss wedding plans! Gads! But when Harry and Barry accidentally bump into each other, their love and desire for each other is rekindled, enough so that it causes a whole heep of heartache and a breakdown in their current relationships. Set to trendy and memorable musical numbers – very modern and hummable with ‘Why Ask for the Moon’ one of the better songs – When Harry met Barry is a true musical romance with a love triangle that will set your heart aflutter. All adequately sung and acted by the very young cast, with Banks doing a particularly good job in her role as the jilted young woman. It’s got cute music, a goodlooking and energetic cast, and one all too brief scene of two of the sexy actors in their underwear. It looks like Above the Stag theatre has another hit on their hands.