This performance of Messiah promised to “immerse audiences in a powerful and theatrical new setting....... imaginative lighting design, visual effects, choreography and staging”. In the programme, the conductor, Gregory Batsleer says that in 2022 “classical music is regarded as dull and stuffy..... this isn’t about dumbing down”. For this particular performance, the eighty-strong London Symphony Chorus was seated raked upstage on Drury Lane’s stage, not an ideal venue for a choir as much … [Read more...]
12:37 at Finborough Theatre
I have seen some outstanding acting recently at the intimate Finborough Theatre, and this new play is no exception. The highly talented cast quickly and skilfully draws the audience in so that we feel fully involved in the epic tale they are unfolding. The story of 12:37 begins in 1935 in Ireland where two Irish Jewish brothers are forced to leave and move to England. We follow their lives and loves during World War Two ending in Palestine in 1946 and the creation of the state of Israel … [Read more...]
The Lavender Hill Mob at Brighton Theatre Royal
Phil Porter’s new play, following The Boy With Two Hearts, is an adaptation of the 1951 Ealing Studios’ film of the same name which starred Alec Guinness as lowly paid bank clerk Henry Holland, who contrives to steal a van load of gold bullion and turn it into models of the Eiffel Tower with the help of Alfred Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway). The excellent programme notes state that “the Ealing view of Britain was a nation of individualists... cheerful good-natured people... that tolerated … [Read more...]
Come Bargain With Uncanny Things at COLAB Tavern
Southwark’s Colab Tavern specialises in presenting 'immersive' and 'interactive' theatre where the audience does not just hear and see the production, it actively takes part. Its mission is to “put audiences centre stage in fantastical worlds that allow them to tell the story for themselves”. The venue says that its shows are accessible to all, which is not quite true owing to the presence of unlit steps in the venue, which, at times, everyone has to use. Come Bargain With Uncanny Things is … [Read more...]
An Inspector Calls – at Theatre Royal Brighton
It is now 30 years since Stephen Daldry decided to make his National Theatre directing debut with J B Priestley’s 1945 'time' play An Inspector Calls. This landmark production of what was considered then to be a dated piece of theatre is still as involving and gripping as it was all those years ago - perhaps even more so - and has introduced many young people, who often study it for GCSE English Literature, not only to Priestley, but also to 'theatre'. Last night the Theatre Royal was filled to … [Read more...]
Not Now by David Ireland at Finborough Theatre
I am feeling very envious: I should love to be able to write a play that is one tenth as good as this one, or, failing that, be given the opportunity to play the role of Ray (Stephen Kennedy). I am too long in the tooth to play Matthew (Matthew Blaney), the aspiring young actor. In truth, this is a wonderful, life-affirming play that is well-nigh perfect! It is very, very, laugh-out-loud funny. But David Ireland, the playwright, knows that his audience cannot laugh all the time, so there … [Read more...]
The Yeomen of the Guard – ENO
Forever branded as Gilbert and Sullivan’s 'serious' comic opera, The Yeomen of the Guard is in fact a skilful blend of whimsy, comedy, sentimentality and poignancy, based around the pending execution of Colonel Fairfax (Anthony Gregory) for sorcery at the Tower of London in the sixteenth century, giving Gilbert scope for some pseudo-Elizabethan dialogue and Sullivan the opportunity of composing some imposing music. Jo Davies’ production at the London Coliseum moves the action forward to … [Read more...]