View From The Stalls

"Othello" - November 2009

2009-11-08T00:20:00.001Z

Of all of Shakespeare's plays 'Othello' is the one I'm most familiar with. So, to maintain my interest a production needs to avoid playing things safe. Fortunately director Guy Hollands and the Citizens Theatre Company have taken some bold decisions on the characters - but without taking liberties with the text.

Andy Clark's Iago, while retaining his calculating nature plays down any suggestion of it all being a bit of a game to him - we're in no doubt that he's a nasty, vicious piece of work. He also seems less 'in control'. Rather than following a long planned course of action, at times with his addresses to the audience it feels like he's just making it up as he goes along. Shakespeare's great villain reduced to an almost opportunistic thug? It seems such a waste but actually works incredibly well.

The approach taken with Desdemona is similarly bold. Gone is the notion of a fluffy and flighty young girl - Sarah Haworth instead gives us a strong and independent young woman who loves her husband. But she is rightly angered by his accusations of infidelity and refuses to go quietly to her (distressingly realistic) death. For the first time, this is a Desdemona that actually worked for me as a consistent character - someone I would believe capable of defying her father and convention to marry 'The Moor'.

And initially I thought I was in for a bit of a revelation with Othello also. During his early scenes with Brabantio, Jude Akuwudike has a wonderful moment where a single expression conveys completely the disappointment and frustration of someone confronted by racism. But once we leave Brabantio behind, his Othello - while perfectly fine - is very much played straight down the middle.

Similarly disappointing is a by-the-numbers approach to many of the supporting characters and a performance by Philip Cairns as Cassio that for me never broke the barrier to allow me to see him as more than an actor delivering lines. I also had problems at times with several characters at the rear of the stage lacking sufficient projection to reach the back of the stalls.

But this is compelling theatre and despite a three hour run time (including interval) the production rarely felt it's length. And it was good to see pretty much a full house for the Saturday matinee - it's just a shame two of them were ignorant enough to allow their phones to ring and a group right at the front felt the need to walk out during the curtain call. A bit more respect please people!

Othello runs at the Citizens until Saturday 14th November.
Image by Eamonn McGoldrick used with permission.

"Confessions of a Justified Sinner" - October 2009

2009-11-01T15:20:00.004Z

As one of the few books on a school reading list that I ever actually enjoyed, I was looking forward to seeing this Lyceum production based on James Hogg's 'Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner'. So it's surprising that last night after seeing the show I could summon up so little enthusiasm to post a comment on it that we seriously considered simply posting "What she said" with a link to Shona Craven's review at Onstage Scotland. We really can't remember a production where just about every element fails as significantly as they do here. Performances, direction, set and sound all contribute to making the show almost painful to watch.

Being entirely fair, with its supernatural elements and the significance of perception this was never going to be a simple novel to stage. Mark Thomson, who adapts and directs, manages the trickier elements fairly successfully but it's with the fundamentals that the problems lie.

His focus is very much on Robert and his mental decline/manipulation by the devilish Gil-Martin rather than the real cause of the problem - his belief in predestination. Robert doesn't need to lose his mind or be deceived and manipulated to commit his crimes - they follow logically from his beliefs, but there isn't enough emphasis here on religion being the problem. It's easy to see the story/play as an attack on those who take extreme actions based on faith, but for me that misses the real target - those who hold irrational beliefs of all varieties (whether they have the courage/foolishness to act on them or not).

We've seen enough of Ryan Fletcher in recent years to know he is a very talented performer, and when I discovered he was in the show I was expecting to see him playing the mysterious Gil-Martin (largely due to the fact we'd just seen him do a great job with a similar role in 'The Last Witch'). But cast as Robert he rarely makes the impact we've come to expect from him, and both Waldorf and I entirely independently felt there was something far too close to "Frank Spencer" about Fletcher's portrayal of the character in tone and mannerisms.

Iain Robertson is equally disappointing as Gil-Martin, leaving the character short in terms of charm, cunning or any real sense of power. Many of the rest of the cast are seriously hampered by having to play multiple characters - some to such an extent that I've only encountered previously when played intentionally for laughs. Poor Wendy Seager and Kenny Blyth are lumbered with five roles each! Only John Kielty (primarily as Robert's brother George), Kern Falconer (as Rev Wringhim) and Rae Hendrie (in her scenes as Robert's mother and his accuser Bel) emerge with much credit.

The revolving set with its angular monoliths provides interest at first but quickly becomes tiresomely overused, often only to enable Robert to keep walking/talking. And in a production where atmosphere should play such a key role the soundscape didn't deliver and the occasional use of projection seemed like a misplaced afterthought. The pace is plodding throughout and after the interval becomes utterly interminable with a series of scenes as Robert is on the run that served almost no purpose.

In fact, the most entertaining moments of the afternoon came from listening to the audience members around us still ranting on about how much they hated "The Beggar's Opera". However, for the record, they actually seemed to really enjoy this show.

Confessions of a Justified Sinner runs at the Lyceum until 7th November
Image by Douglas McBride used with permission.

Open.Stage Playwriting competition

2009-10-29T22:05:00.004Z

We're pretty sure that most of you, like us, have on occasion sat in the stalls thinking "God, I could write better than that". Well, now the Tron Theatre are throwing down a challenge asking you to prove it. And they are going to put their money where your mouth is. In a competition open to all adults living in Scotland or of Scottish origin living elsewhere in the UK and Ireland they are betting someone out there will contribute something the public will want to see - because come Autumn 2010 the winning play will receive a full scale production on the Tron stage.

Now of course, we don't really think we could do better - so we won't be entering. But this is a fantastic opportunity for those with writing ambitions. Experienced playwrights and complete novices writing their first play will compete on equal terms as submissions will be anonymous when assessed. You don't even need to write a whole play - well not at first. They are initially only looking for outline ideas for a play and sample scenes/dialogues to give an idea of your ability.

Submissions will be passed to a reading panel who will compile a shortlist for for an illustrious judging panel to select three plays which they believe have the most to offer. Each of these three plays will receive development funding, support and mentoring to get to a first draft stage when they will have a trailer filmed for the Tron website. And then those of us whose talent (?) lies in watching rather than writing get to have our say in an online vote. The two runners up will receive rehearsed readings of their play.

The Tron are aware of potential accusations of trying to get a play 'on the cheap' and it simply isn't what the contest is about - the winning writer will receive the full commission of £6,560. So get those thoughts on paper - but don't take too long over it, the closing date is Friday 18th December.

We think it's a great idea, and look forward to seeing the winning play this time next year.

Full information on the competition at www.tron.co.uk/openstage
Image used with permission

"Arguments for Terrorism" - October 2009

2009-10-29T21:38:00.001Z

I've taken a couple of days before writing down my thoughts on this week's 'A Play, A Pie & A Pint' at Oran Mor. I'd loved David Ireland's "What the Animals Say" earlier this year so I have to admit my expectations were probably unfairly high for "Arguments for Terrorism". But on reflection, I don't think my expectations were the problem here - it just wasn't very good.

There is a great concept in the piece – what must it be like to be one of the world’s most powerful men one day, and by comparison a nobody the next? Will you indulge a Gollum-like impulse to hang on to it? Or step quietly into the background? The play gives us parodies of George W Bush in his last days in the Oval Office accompanied by his ‘close friend’ Tony Blair whose relationship is a little more explicit than their official biographies currently reveal.

Unfortunately any worthwhile consideration of the men or the issue gets immediately swamped by tired caricatures and laughs bought cheaply with profanity. It feels like watching the first production of a student drama group overindulging their new found license to swear and say rude things. George is stupid, Tony is civilised, George likes a drink, Tony has a thing for Presidents. Yawn. Don’t get me wrong, there are some genuinely funny lines in here – just nowhere near enough of them.

This is a one joke show stretched way beyond its capacity to amuse. On my way into Oran Mor I assisted a lost looking couple on the stairs who hadn’t been before and ended up sitting near to them. At the end, I was sorely tempted to tap them on the shoulder and tell them that it really is usually better than this.

Arguments for Terrorism runs at Oran Mor until Saturday 31st October
Image by Leslie Black Photography used with permission

"Memory Cells" - October 2009

2009-10-24T19:15:00.000+01:00

-----FADE TO BLACK-----

Dammit. Saturday night and I'm still nowhere on this one. Maybe I missed something important, or I'm just not bright enough to work it out. I'll have to give up and ask for people to post any better interpretations they have of the ending…

-----FADE TO BLACK-----

I’ll need to be fair and admit that I rarely enjoy endings that are open to interpretation – too much like watching The X Files, Lost or Twin Peaks where the writers don’t know where they are headed either… But even if Welsh did know what she wanted to say with the ending, it simply hasn’t been successfully conveyed to the audience.

-----FADE TO BLACK-----

Guess I’m not getting any help on this one. Right, as best as I can make out, either her ’escape’ at the end (beginning) was her deathbed delusion. Or her capture and imprisonment was his delusion after she eluded him. Or maybe it was her nightmare after her lucky escape from his clutches. I suppose those all fit, but they are also all pretty pointless and surely take away from the strength of the piece as a whole. Why would writer Louise Welsh do that when it was all working so well up to then? The strong characterisation and powerful performances were making the shifting dynamic between imprisoned Cora and her captor Barry really interesting. And it was nice watching the timeline markers fall into place.

-----FADE TO BLACK-----

Damn you Joyce McMillan! I can’t believe you let me down like that.

-----FADE TO BLACK-----

I’ll have to say that Kirstin McLean gave a very sharp performance and transformed believably from frail, infirm and broken to strong and vibrant. And that Tam Dean Burn was wonderfully creepy and managed to make Barry convincingly unhinged. Oh yes, and the set was really good.

God I wish we gave star ratings. Then I could just give it 4 stars, waffle on a bit and pretend I’d understood it. But I don’t know what I’m worrying about – Joyce McMillan’s review is due out tomorrow. Joyce will make sense of it all for me.

-----FADE TO BLACK-----

It wasn’t just me. It wasn’t just me. It wasn’t just me. I saw the looks of bewilderment on the audience when the lights went up. I heard enough scraps of conversation to know most of them didn’t have a clue about the ending (and that it had taken many until near the end to realise we were going backwards.) I even spoke with a few of them about it on the way out so I know it wasn’t just me.

-----FADE TO BLACK-----

Okay, what the hell happened this evening? Nice bit of theatre, unsure it really needed the whole ‘reverse timeline’ structure but I did ‘get it’. At least I thought I did until the last five minutes – but I’ve got absolutely no idea what happened after that. Not really a problem though is it? Just forget about it - move on. But I’ve got to write a review of it…and I e-mailed The Arches for an image so they know I'm seeing it. I could always just go for the whole “more questions than answers” cliché or even not mention the end at all. I mean, most people won't have seen the show anyway so they won't know I've skipped anything. But at least I’ve bought myself a few days to work it out - I’ve stuck up a short post saying I won’t comment on the show until its run finishes to avoid spoiling it for people.

-----FADE TO BLACK-----

I can't really write about my thoughts on this show in our usual manner without revealing too many things that would spoil it for those planning to see it. So, I'll hold off on posting my reaction until after its short run finishes on Saturday. But I will say that I did enjoy the show and the performances from Kirstin McLean and Tam Dean Burn are both excellent. And for those of you who have already seen the show, well you won't find any answers here - I haven't the faintest idea what happened in the last five minutes either... Maybe I'll have worked it out by Sunday.

Memory Cells has now completed its run at The Arches
Image by Niall Walker used with permission

"A Perfect Child" - October 2009

2009-10-19T22:15:00.003+01:00

Perhaps it's because the premise of Lewis Hetherington's "A Perfect Child" intrigued me so much that I was left feeling so let down by it. Opening in a consulting room we meet Elizabeth and Victor as they are asked to choose the characteristics - physical and personality - of their yet to be conceived designer baby.

The background is sketched in quickly and effectively as we're informed that they are to be the first couple to be given such extensive options and we will be following their progress as the child grows up. We witness each meeting, years apart, with the medics unseen and unheard on the 'audience side' of the fourth wall. Pauline Lockhart and Barnaby Power do a great job of delivering their lines to the off stage listeners and even more impressively in reacting to their unheard questions without them turning into overplayed noddies.

But almost immediately we lose much of what was of interest in the set-up, and most of the issues highlighted in the 'sessions' are completely unrelated to the genetic issues and could equally be said of any 'normal' family. Of course that may be the point of the piece, but if so I'm not sure it was worth the effort.

There are several directions the piece could have headed off into - the child's response to his situation, the medics' view of the parents child rearing skills, the ethics involved - but instead it meanders towards its (un)dramatic (non)conclusion through what are largely a series of domestic tribulations only skirting on public reaction to the child. I kept waiting for a game changing revelation or punchline but it just never came.

A Perfect Child runs at Oran Mor until Saturday 24th October.
Image by Leslie Black Photography used with permission

"The Glimmering Nymph" - October 2009

2009-10-14T23:15:00.003+01:00

I've missed the first few plays in the new season of "A Play, A Pie & A Pint" at Oran Mor so I was looking forward to getting along this week. But what a disappointment was in store for me. There's no other way of putting it - this visit was a huge let down and not remotely up to the high standards set during my previous experiences. So I have to ask: Have they changed who supplies their pies or was I just unlucky that mine seemed to be half fat and gristle? It's just as well the play was fantastic!

Sandy Nelson's play is brilliantly funny and devastatingly sad in equal measures. We meet Per (played by Nelson) as he climbs onto a girder high on a Swedish bridge cursing the girlfriend and friend whose betrayal has driven him to this. As he composes himself before stepping off, he is joined by Ailsa Courtney's Dubrilla - a somewhat surreal figure of a young woman in a shimmering blue party dress. Over the next 45 minutes they share and debate their reasons for jumping - he to make others feel guilty, her through disillusionment with the political apathy of the world around her.

I don't think its possible for me to capture the essence of the exchanges between the two, but while going all out for laughs Nelson and Courtney establish a chemistry that makes the instant bond between the characters believable. Nelson's portrayal of Per's emotional breakdown is as heart-wrenching a moment as I've seen on stage this year. And the only thing preventing me from connecting with Dubrilla to the same extent was the nagging suspicion the character wasn't quite what she seemed to be. These are two performance right out of the top drawer.

Over the years I've been mildly amused on several occasions reading the extensive credits of Patrick & Rita McGurn as designers for various shows at Oran Mor as at times the sum total of the 'design' can amount to a table and chair. But here their credit is very much earned. Our characters are perched on a wide 'girder' covered in orange paint and 'rivets' in a manner reminiscent of the Forth Rail Bridge with a similarly styled vertical strut at one end. It looks fantastic and instantly establishes the location.

This is a gem of a play that makes a number of points in an intelligent and thoroughly entertaining manner and deserves a life that isn't cut short by a run that only lasts a week.

The Glimmering Nymph runs at Oran Mor until Saturday 17th October
Image by Leslie Black used with permission

"Odds and Sods" - October 2009

2009-10-14T18:20:00.004+01:00

Set in an old-school independent bookies in a declining Scottish town, "Odds and Sods" allows us to spend a day in the company of owner Sandy, ditzy cashier Janice and a number of their regulars.

Writing team Tom Brogan and Fraser Campbell have made a considerable effort to flesh out each of the characters giving them distinct personalities and their own microplays within the bigger framework. In many ways, with its running time of 2 hours (including a 15 minute interval) it's like watching four episodes of a new sitcom back to back. It would work well in that format, but as a single piece of work many of the short tangential moments that develop the characters seem indulgently overlong and too frequent. While having two or three such set pieces or subplots would add to the whole, by my count here we were into double figures and it does impact on the pace of the show.

Comedy wise I need to be up front and say that the style of humour isn't one that greatly appeals to me. I like a more subtle approach than the broad and physical comedy that generates most of the laughs here. But it was clearly well crafted and executed and was very much to the liking of many in the audience. And there were enough nice one liners to give me a fair few chuckles.

After the interval there is a noticeable change in tone and the comedy is a little less 'in-yer-face', taking a back seat to the characters and our central interest in whether long-time loser Shug's accumulator is about to break the bookies. The shift isn't seismic and sits comfortably on the foundations built in the first half but clearly shows the writers are equally at home with the 'manic' level dialled down a little.

The cast all do well, and the few stumbled lines are understandable given the wordiness of the script and the pace and energy the delivery often requires. James Keenan makes Sandy suitably obnoxious as he battles with John Love's hard done by Shug while Moira Byrne's Janice, Will Speirs' scam artist Milton and Christopher McKiddie's washed-up pop star Jordon make the most of playing up the comedy. Robert Radcliffe and Jennifer Byrne as Frank and Shelagh on the other hand play their roles pretty straight and succeed in giving the characters a real level of depth.

Brogan and Campbell also combine to provide assured direction with some nice touches in handling the commentary of the sporting events. If they can pitch this setting and these characters as a sitcom format then I’m certain there would be an audience for it – but I’m just not sure I’d be one of them.

This was my first visit to the Ramshorn Theatre and it’s a lovely building, although the legroom in the seats leaves much to be desired. The theatre is currently campaigning to safeguard its future and I’d hope there's a positive outcome. It’s a great space in a fantastic location that should be looking to expand its activities - not having to worry about its future.

Odds and Sods from You Owe Me Glue and Strathclyde Theatre Group runs until 17th October.
Image by Susan Triesman used with permission.

"Lend Me Your Ears" - October 2009

2009-10-10T11:47:00.002+01:00

The Citizens Young Co return with an evening of short Shakespeare extracts and their own scenes inspired by his plays. I have to confess that even as someone who has enjoyed previous Young Co productions I wasn't entirely confident I was going to enjoy this one. I shouldn't have doubted them.

Although staged in the Circle Studio, the show actually commences in the Citz foyer with a playful performance between Scott McKay's Romeo and Rehanna MacDonald's Juliet that sets the tone for much of the evening. All in there are 14 pieces that make up the 70 minute show covering most of the Bard's greatest hits.

Jack Kinross and Sampath Fernando make a play for the limelight should any mishaps befall the cast of the Citz production of Othello later this month while Claire Dyer's Lady Macbeth was played with such energy and relish that I'd have happily watched the whole play. I'm completely unfamiliar with Richard III but Chris McCann's fantastically creepy performance also left me wanting more. In fact all of the pieces worked well, but I think my favourite was the interaction between Emma Swift's Hero and Kat Lamont's Beatrice in the "Much Ado About Nothing" segment which was adapted by Emma Swift and directed by Lisa Corr.

Impressively the cast all play to the whole audience - something we've seen many others struggle with in the intimate in-the-round setting. But that level of comfort is something that I suspect comes from the atmosphere that Director Neil Packham and the Citz have fostered - there's a real sense of ownership and community about it.

An enjoyable and accessible night - even for those who don't do Shakespeare.
Lend Me Your Ears finishes its run on Saturday 10th October
Image by Helen Black used with permission.

"That Face" - October 2009

2009-10-09T23:28:00.003+01:00

It's a bit of a coup for the Tron Theatre Company to be putting on the first UK production of Polly Stenham's play since its critically acclaimed London runs. Based around a dysfunctional family - alcoholic mother, absent father, one kid opting out of family life while the other tries to keep Mum together - there's plenty of interest. But there are additional elements that for me just distracted from the impact of the central situation.

Daughter Mia has been sent home from boarding school which makes for a perfectly acceptable dramatic device to bring about the events of the play, but while the cause of her suspension and her relationship with friend Izzy make for some nice moments on stage, it's window dressing that adds little to the characters or plot. Similarly the inappropriate relationship between drunken mum Martha and son Henry feels too 'soapy' and allows the audience to dismiss the whole family set up as an aberration when what should be hitting home is how many young people have to deal with the reality of alcoholic parents on a daily basis.

Director Andy Arnold has shifted the play's setting from London to Glasgow and in some ways the changes are insignificant but in other regards they made it harder to believe in some of the characters. I'd have no difficulty in accepting Henry as a foppish English public school educated mummy's boy, but my Scottish psyche won't let me believe that a privately educated Glasgow lad would be quite so tied to the apron strings.

As Martha, Kathryn Howden's performance is perhaps a little too comfortable in the comic moments and it's at the expense of a harsher emotional edge that, when occasionally revealed, hints at how much darker the play could have been. James Young's Henry captures the character's desperate need to know he made a difference and that the five years of his life he sacrificed haven't been for nothing while Hollie Gordon gives an assured performance as Mia. But for all the fine individual performances there's rarely any sense of chemistry between the characters and even in the moments of heightened emotion and physical violence there's never any real feeling of threat or intensity.

On reading this over I feel like I've somewhat unfairly picked the production to pieces as despite these observations I really did enjoy the evening. And trying to be more positive, I think the reason it frustrated me is that there is a great play in there - it's just been smothered by the more sensationalist elements.

We received our tickets for the show through our membership of the Tron's Patrons scheme which we thoroughly recommend for anyone who is a regular attendee at the Tron.

That Face runs at the Tron until 24th October
Image by Richard Campbell Photography used with permission.

"All's Well That Ends Well" (NT Live) - October 2009

2009-10-06T01:15:00.001+01:00

We had been a little sceptical about the whole NT Live concept of broadcasting live performances on the National Theatre's London stage to cinemas around the world, but after seeing 'Phedre' back in June we were immediate converts. So we were back at Glasgow's GFT cinema on Thursday to see a broadcast of Shakespeare's "All's Well That Ends Well".

As a 'proof of concept' Phedre had delivered technical perfection but this time we were not so lucky. It became clear at the start of the introduction with NT Artistic Director Nicholas Hytner that the sound was significantly out of synch with the video. During the fifteen minutes of behind the scenes chat, attempts were clearly being made to solve the issue and by the time the play commenced the delay between video and sound had improved - but it was still sufficiently noticeable to be an irritation. There were further attempts to eliminate the delay early on in the performance but as these were causing short drop-outs of the sound I would assume the decision was taken to 'make do' until the interval. And fortunately the second half commenced without any noticeable problems.

Perhaps it was in part due to my brain struggling to reconcile the lip-synch but despite what were undoubtedly performances of a high standard I never quite connected with any of the main characters. So much so that my abiding memory of the show will probably be the performances of Elliot Levey and Tony Jayawardena as 1st and 2nd Lord Dumaine and their mischievous kidnapping of Parolles.

Unquestionably an enjoyable evening but not one likely to linger in the memory. Next up as part of the NT Live scheme is an adaptation of Terry Pratchett's "Nation" at the end of January and I'm hoping that will make more of a lasting impression.

Image by Simon Annand used with permission.

"New Works" - September 2009

2009-09-30T23:35:00.001+01:00

This was certainly an 'interesting' evening at the theatre, and some of the entertainment started before setting foot in The Traverse. Coming through from Glasgow to Edinburgh on a week night for an 8p.m. start can be tight, depending on the traffic, and unfortunately RSAMD's collaberation with the Playwrights' Studio was at 7.30. So after haring along the M9 to get there, I then joined the rest of the audience standing outside The Traverse for 30 minutes waiting for the fire brigade to give the all clear to turn off the fire alarm and let us into the builing. At least it wasn't raining. Credit is due to the professionalism of both The Traverse staff and the performers that despite the delayed start there was no other noticeable impact.

Playwrights' Studio have delivered 3 new plays - works in progress; 2 of which are performed on any given night. Douglas Maxwell's 'The Fever Dream: Southside' was the first act of what will be a three act play, which did leave you feeling a little cheated from the start as you knew that it was likely to leave you hanging. Perhaps because of this I found it difficult to suspend disbelief, especially when things started to get a little surreal. It was at its strongest and most believable with the interaction between the young couple Demi (Amy Conway) and Peter (Matthew McVarish).

As a one act play 'Reminded of Beauty' by Linda Mclean is a more complete work as we're told interweaving tales of loss and its aftermath. Well directed by Marc Silberschatz, there's a suprisingly successful blend of playfulness, grief, loss and despair. Lucy Goldie's performance as the young girl in the middle section was particularly striking, in which a horrible tale is told with almost dance like grace.

An interesting concept from RSAMD, which will be worth keeping an eye out for if it returns.

'New Works' has now completed its run.
Image used with permission.

"The Beggar's Opera" - September 2009

2009-09-28T20:10:00.001+01:00

Mark Thomson, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the Lyceum in Edinburgh has quite clearly lost his mind. If he had actively tried to alienate the majority of his theatre's regular attendees I doubt he could have come up with a better way of doing it than this co-production with Vanishing Point and the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry which re-imagines John Gay's original. But perhaps, just perhaps, Mark Thomson is a genius.

You see, we reckon that as theatregoers in our mid thirties we are approaching the top end of the age range of those who will enjoy this show. Of course that's a sweeping generalisation, but we're pretty sure that for every 5 years over the age of 40 you are, the chances of this being your kind of show diminish significantly. And the Lyceum audience isn't exactly known for it's youthfulness. The problem isn't the expletives or the sex, it's the music that forms such an integral part of the show. It's loud, grungy, poppy and you frequently can't make out the lyrics. Exactly the kind of stuff the 'grown ups' will hate.

But that doesn't necessarily mean that a younger audience will love it - provided of course that Thomson can get them through the doors in the first place. So the question then becomes - is this show strong enough to pull in a whole new generation to the theatre and keep them coming back? I'm not sure - but if any show can, it might just be this one.

The show opens with a barrage of sound and visuals quite unlike anything I've seen onstage before - it's rather like watching the opening title sequence of a superhero movie based on a comic book. It's fast and slick as it introduces MacHeath and sets the tone for the rest of the show. The integration between the live on stage action, the video elements and the on stage presence of "A Band Called Quinn" combine pretty much seamlessly. Although there were times in the first half of the show where the levels were off to the extent that the lyrics were almost impossible to catch in some of the numbers 'shared' between cast and band.

Some of the characters are pretty two dimensional, particularly Lockit and Mr & Mrs Peachum, but as I've said, we're firmly in comic book territory here so we don't need complex characterisations. Victoria Bavister and Elspeth Brodie as Polly Peachum and Lucy Lockit are suitably convincing as a pair who have fallen for MacHeath's good looks, glamourous lifestyle and patter. But the show is all about MacHeath and Sandy Grierson has produced the most charismatic and captivating performance I've seen on stage since Alan Cumming in "The Bacchae". It certainly left the female contingent of our party drooling.

Eve Lambert's costumes are phenomenal - from MacHeath's gas-masked crew to the faceless inhabitants of the world above. And Kai Fischer's set works brilliantly to bring the elements of the show together and we never question the fact that the same set is used for several distinct locations. And of course we have Alasdair Macrae and A Band Called Quinn's perfectly pitched soundtrack to the show made up of specially written tracks along with short riffs of recogniseable songs. (you can hear a few tracks on the band's Myspace page)

I'm a little bemused by the frequency the charge of 'style over substance' has been thrown at the show. We don't generally go into any depth on the themes and issues that shows provoke - we'd rather leave it for people to decide for themselves what a show has meant to them. But in this case I think it's appropriate to go down that road - at least a little. For me, the whole show was about style over substance. MacHeath isn't a Robin Hood character robbing the rich and giving to the poor, there's no doubt he's an out and out criminal. As I believe the lyrics put it - 'He's a Dog'. He treats Polly and Lucy dreadfully, and yet they are seduced by his looks, his charisma, the glamour and fame that goes with him to the extent they'll give up everything for him. And in the end even our narrator Sandra Sanderson (and by extension the audience) is enthralled by him to the extent that she/we won't see him hang. We choose to associate ourselves with the glamour, image and style of this rogue rather than see justice be done. To me, it's as scorching a critique of our celebrity and image obsessed society as I've seen.

This show is certainly not for everyone, and the Lyceum is a surprising home for it. But do have a look at the trailer for the show on the Lyceum website as it gives a fair idea of what you can expect. I'm not sure that the trade-off of risking upsetting an existing audience in the hope of gaining a new one will pay off entirely, but it's definitely changed the way we think about the Lyceum. Oh yes, we also liked the marketing department's ingenious use of the wide range of reviews the show has received:

The Beggar's Opera runs at the Lyceum until 3rd October, and then goes to the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry and Tramway in Glasgow.
Production image by Tim Morozzo used with permission

"The House of Bernarda Alba" - September 2009

2009-09-27T20:16:00.000+01:00

The National Theatre of Scotland and writer Rona Munro have relocated Lorca's Spanish set play to present day gangland Glasgow where gangsters moll Bernie rules over her five daughters as they mourn the gunned down of head of the family, Tony. But Tony's death has brought added pressures to the family including media attention and the necessity to cement an alliance with another underworld family. And of course the sibling rivalry that erupts as several of the sisters chase the one man. WARNING - the rest of this post will contain spoilers for the show.

There's a lot of chatter about how well the update and relocation work, but to be blunt I have zero interest in that. Along with what I suspect was the vast majority of the audience I haven't seen any other version of the play, so all that matters to me is how well this version works. Are these characters and this situation believable - both as individuals and as a family unit? And sadly the answer is frequently "No".

Munro's dialogue rarely creates a dynamic between the sisters that corresponds with their situation, and I never really felt that these characters had any long term bonds or history amongst them - certainly not the intensity one would expect from being cooped up against their will. Yes, there are some verbal barbs exchanged but they rarely hit home to any great effect. These characters should be much more capable of pressing each other's buttons.

We also felt that the performances were a bit of a mixed bag. I liked Siobhan Redmond as Bernie and Louise Ludgate as Marty but Waldorf wasn't convinced by either, while Jo Freer and Carmen Pieraccini as Maggie and Melly were underused to the extent that they may as well not have been there. I initially hated the performance of Vanessa Johnson as youngest sister Adie but as the show progressed I grew to appreciate the echoes of Redmond's Bernie in Johnson's tones and movement. Oldest sister Agnes suffers badly from a combination of Munro's writing, John Tiffany's direction and Julie Wilson Nimmo's performance that renders her little more than a caricature. Similarly, Myra McFadyen as Bernie's friend Penny seems to exist largely to fill the audience in on the family background.

Munro and Tiffany also bewilderingly bring about the situation whereby Bernie concludes a furious gunpoint argument with Adie by casually placing the gun on a sideboard inches from Adie and then walking away. A mistake there had been little to suggest Bernie would make.

Despite all the negatives I found it a pleasant enough evening at the theatre - Waldorf on the other hand was left cold by it. To be entirely fair, sections of the audience at the Citz clearly enjoyed it significantly more than we did and gave the cast a strong reception at the curtain call.

The House of Bernarda Alba continues at the Citizens until 3rd October and then visits Dundee Rep, the Alhambra in Dunfermline and the Kings in Edinburgh.
Image by Manuel Harlan used with permission.

Three years of View From The Stalls

2009-09-20T22:50:00.001+01:00

Three years? Really? It doesn't seem like we've been doing this for that long... although thinking about it, there were one or two nights in the theatre when it certainly felt like we'd been sitting there for a couple of months. But yes, this week marks the start of our fourth year of running the site, and by coincidence we'll also reach the milestone of commenting on our 250th show. So it seems a good moment to take a look back... and maybe answer a few questions.

Why do you bother?
Our reasons for posting our thoughts on the shows we see remain pretty much the same as they were when we started back in 2006. Even major theatrical productions in Scotland can find themselves receiving only two or three press reviews, and many of the smaller scale shows we see can be lucky to get one. While we have great respect for Scotland's community of professional critics, we felt this left room for other, and possibly different, voices.

Does anyone really care what you think?
Well, over the last three years we've only upset a handful of people to the extent that they responded on the blog or contacted us by e-mail. We never set out to be mean, but we have to be honest in our responses and every so often we do see shows that leave us feeling less than charitable. On the up-side, we get a fair amount of positive feedback from those involved in shows who appreciate our posts and take them in the spirit they are intended - even the unfavourable ones.

Why should anyone value your opinion?
Good question... but with a fairly simple answer. We're the paying audience. Remember that bit at the top about us having seen 250 shows over three years? Well, that adds up to a rather tidy sum in ticket sales - much more than we like to think about. If that's not enough and you'd rather read the thoughts of a critic who'll academically dissect a production then you can find that elsewhere. But if you're looking to see what enthusiastic theatregoers, with no ties to the industry, make of a show we'll do our best to oblige. And as we've been doing this for some time now, regular readers should have a feel for how our tastes match with their own - even if only to the extent of thinking that if we hated it it must be good.

You pay for tickets? Isn't the whole point of running a theatre review blog to get free tickets?
We decided from Day One that in the unlikely event of us being offered free/press tickets we would always decline. View From The Stalls is intended to be about us giving back something to the people that give us so much pleasure - not taking from them. Paying for our tickets with our own hard earned cash also focuses our thoughts on what we have seen and acts as a threshold ensuring that we only see shows we want to see - and not anything that's on just because it hasn't cost us anything. We do regularly get offered complimentary tickets, and companies are often surprised when we decline - but they also recognise it as a sign of our good faith.

Why didn't you see XXXXX? Everyone is talking about it. Will you come and see my show?
Despite seeing so much theatre we are actually rather picky about what we see - there are plenty of productions that I'm confident are absolutely brilliant but just not our kind of thing. There are times when we've been persuaded to add something to our plans at the last minute because it's been getting wider attention, but more often than not we end up wishing we'd gone with our initial instincts. We're always happy to consider requests/recommendations, particularly if they include a bit more info on a show than we would have got from a flyer/poster etc. but we do still need to be convinced that it's something we'll have good prospects of enjoying.

Who are you? Why don't you use your names?
When we started out this was partly a safeguard in case anyone took serious exception to our comments. That's something that over time we've come to realise isn't a concern, but anonymity has other advantages that we are keen to maintain. Being able to slip in and out of shows without drawing attention to ourselves means we never build up any real relationships with the theatrical community, so we are saved any attacks of conscience when we have to be critical about someone we've come to know.

Don't you ever get fed up with it all?
Not really. We do this because we choose to, and know we could stop any time - this lack of pressure keeps things fun. There's still plenty of theatre out there we want to see, and we hope to be here commenting on it for years to come.

But blogs are so last year - when are you switching to Twitter?
Not happening. Not now, not ever.

"The Cherry Orchard" - September 2009

2009-09-13T18:00:00.002+01:00

It can be a real struggle to crystallise our thoughts when we haven't enjoyed a piece, and 24 hours later I'm still unsure if the problem was Chekov's play itself, Stuart Paterson's adaptation or Dundee Rep's production of it. In truth probably 'D - all of the above'. What I do know is that it completely failed to engage or connect with us on any level, and left us entirely disinterested. Not to mention desperately wishing they would ditch the 'noises off' of small hatchets impacting on tree trunks and instead fire up the chain saws and get it over with.

You would think a play about a family in financial strife on the verge of losing their house would have a resonance in the current climate, but somehow it all feels far removed from any modern relevance. It's a thoroughly traditional staging, not just in terms of costumes but in terms of direction. It has a dreadfully old fashioned by-the-numbers feel to it. Like watching a TV period drama from the 60s or 70s - all very slow and static. If the intention was to evoke a feeling of inertia it's brilliantly effective - but it makes for an interminable experience for the audience.

I get the feeling that the tragedy/comedy of the play should come from the fact that the characters desperately want to save the cherry orchard but are too proud and set in their ways to take the necessary steps to do so. But here we never really get the feeling that it actually matters greatly to anyone. It's certainly an inconvenience that they would rather not have to face, but at the end of the day, shrug, they move on without any real sense of loss.

I'm reluctant to comment on the performances of the actors as it's too difficult to isolate them from the decisions presumably made by director Vladimir Bouchler.

The Saturday matinee audience may not be typical, and there were clearly some who were enjoying it, but as a whole I don't think there was a great deal of enthusiasm in the auditorium (and we suspect a few escaped at the interval). We don't regret making the trip to Dundee as we learned two valuable lessons - (1) We can add Chekov to our list of well regarded playwrights whose work we will think twice before booking up for. (2) Dundee Rep's restaurant is well worth a visit.

The Cherry Orchard runs at Dundee Rep until 19 September.

"Twelfth Night" - September 2009

2009-09-11T21:42:00.001+01:00

When we responded to director Michael Emans' e-mail suggesting we might be interested in seeing Good Night Out Theatre’s production of Twelfth Night we teasingly warned him that it had been less than a year since we had seen the Donmar West End production of the play featuring Derek Jacobi as Malvolio. But what do you know, both Waldorf and I thought Mike Tibbetts as Malvolio outshone anything Jacobi produced - and the rest of the production was pretty impressive too…

Emans has brought a number of playful elements to the piece – a tartan clad fool, a rogueish Fabian played brilliantly by Lee Dunnachie as a Glasgow ned, a delightfully staged boxing match and an amusingly inserted ‘Big Brother' reference. But other aspects nudge towards being heavy handed – two lip synched songs and a rock’n’roll finish seeming particularly out of place. The pace is kept high and the show doesn’t feel its run time, but there remain moments in the text that wouldn’t have been missed had they been cut.

As Viola/Cesario, Karen Bartke gives an excellent performance displaying some beautiful comic timing – notably in a wonderfully expressive moment as we see the penny drop that Olivia has fallen for her/him. Olivia is played very much in light tones with no real examination of her purported grief or rebuffing of Orsino, but thanks to Laura McPherson’s adept performance the character remains charmingly amusing rather than self-absorbed and irritating. The treatment of Malvolio is remarkably sympathetic and the dour Scot persona fits the character perfectly. Tibbetts makes him equally believable as trusted steward, pompous ass and deluded fool.

There’s plenty of strong support in the form of Anne Marie Feeney’s Maria and Donald Munro’s Sir Toby. Lorenzo Novani did well with the wordy Orsino but there seemed a lack of spark between him and Cesario/Viola. I certainly can’t fault Glynis Poole's performance as Feste the fool, but in making the character quite so clownish it did start to grow old for me before the end (several honks on the horn too many!). The rest of the cast all acquit themselves well – especially Andy Williams’ touching portrayal of Antonio.

On the whole an enjoyable and accessible production of that rare thing - a genuinely funny Shakespeare play.

Twelfth Night runs at the Village Theatre, East Kilbride until Saturday 12th September.

Now Booking / Coming Soon - Autumn 2009

2009-09-08T23:10:00.003+01:00

Despite it seeming like only yesterday that the theatre world was consumed by The Fringe, we’ve suddenly found ourselves at the start of a hectic period of shows as the Autumn/Winter season is up and running. So, here’s a quick run through of what we’ll be seeing over the next couple of months…

We’re starting off with a trip to Dundee Rep for “The Cherry Orchard” this week and we might be tempted to make another trip at the end of October for "The Elephant Man".

Only slightly closer to home, through in Edinburgh the Lyceum has a very strong start to their season where Vanishing Point stage their futuristic version of “The Beggar's Opera” (also at Tramway in October) followed by The Lyceum’s production of “Confessions of a Justified Sinner” in October. James Hogg’s book fascinated me when I studied it at school so I’m really looking forward to this one. And more than likely we’ll make our now traditional trip to their Christmas show – this year it’s “Peter Pan”.

But the Lyceum have a surprising competitor to their Christmas show this time round – although not exactly festive sounding, the Traverse and Visible Fiction's production of “Zorro” sounds in tone and date range (4-24 Dec) very much like a family show filled with swashbuckling adventure aimed as an alternative to panto. Before that we’ll be through for "The Dark Things" in October and next week we'll be catching one of a series of "New Works" presented by the RSAMD & Playwrights' Studio which we missed at the Tron last week. On each of three evenings a double bill is staged of 2 from 3 new plays from Douglas Maxwell, David Harrower and Linda Mclean - but disappointingly this means that unless you’re prepared to sit through one twice you can only see two out of the three plays.

Speaking of the Tron, its attention grabbing production this Autumn is a new production of “That Face” – Polly Stenham's play which was first produced in London last year to great acclaim and much attention. It will be interesting to see how a new production of it is received and should certainly be one to get people talking. There are a lot of short-run touring shows at the Tron this season including many in their Changing House studio space. We’ve not really had the chance to check into them sufficiently to see if we plan to see any but we do recommend David Leddy’s “White Tea” which we saw in Edinburgh when it takes up residence for a time in September.

Across the river at the Citizens we’ve booked up to see the National Theatre of Scotland’s “House of Bernarda Alba” in a version by Rona Munro set in Glasgow. For me it’s the cast here that is the big draw – Siobhan Redmond and Carmen Pieraccini in particular. The show also tours to Dundee, Edinburgh & Dunfermline. The Citizens' own major production of the season is “Othello” and I’ll confess my first reaction was to yawn. I guess getting in the school trips makes for good attendances but it just feels dreadfully safe and uninspiring. And although we enjoyed his Hamlet in 2007, the casting of Andrew Clark as Iago seemed equally unadventurous. But sometimes marketing can make a huge difference to a piece and the image used to promote the show of Clark in the shadows with a raised eyebrow and enigmatic grin really convinced me that he could bring something memorable to the role. We’re holding fire at the moment on the Citz Christmas show – Cinderella as it sounds a little too traditional for our taste but we will definitely be booking up for the Citz Community Company's Wicked Christmas.

Finally, the Play, Pie & Pint season at Oran Mor started last week. We didn’t make it along last week due to being out of the country but I'll be trying to catch as many as I can between now and the end of the year.

Do let us know if there's anything else we should be seeing...

"Kursk" - Edinburgh Fringe 2009

2009-08-27T23:25:00.003+01:00

It takes something a bit special to get us on the road to Edinburgh after 8pm on a weeknight - and something even more special for us to be arriving home in Glasgow several hours later without grudging the journey. But at 1am, we stumbled through our front door glad we had made the effort to see "Kursk".

I'd loved the concept of this show since reading reviews of its London run - long before I knew it would be appearing at Edinburgh. Staged in a partially mocked up submarine the audience are invited to take a wide view from a raised metal gangway or find a place to stand or perch at ground level and be right in amongst the action.

Despite the title, the focus of the play isn't really the Russian submarine which sank in 2000 with the loss of all 118 souls on board. In fact it's 60 minutes into the 90 minute runtime before the Kursk gets more than a passing reference. Instead the submarine we are find ourselves on is a British vessel - with a mission to monitor Russian navy wargames and the Kursk in particular. And while we witness the events that befell the Kursk at a distance, and there is a short consideration of whether our sub could offer assistance (but thereby revealing its presence in the area), our only real connection with those on board the Kursk is the knowledge that its crew is almost certainly little different from ours. A fact the British crew are all too well aware of.

But it isn't the staging or the true life horror that makes "Kursk" noteworthy. It's the characters that Sound&Fury and Bryony Lavery have created. Yes they fall into convenient stereotypes: the jack-the-lad, the prankster with his own worries at home, the inexperienced young captain, the aspiring poet and the proud new father, but it's the relationships between these broadly sketched characters that works so well. There is a genuine sense that these guys have spent time with each other and while they throw around the banter, this is very much a brotherhood.

Of course, a large part of that success is down to the performances from the five strong cast. It must be a difficult space to perform in, as the acting needs to be able to withstand close scrutiny from the audience in the immediate proximity while remaining sufficiently broad for those viewing from across the room (or even without a direct sightline).

"Kursk" is a truly immersive piece of theatre - both physically and emotionally. Best show we saw at the Fringe this year.

Kursk runs at the University of Edinburgh Drill Hall until Saturday 29th August.
Image used with permission

"White Tea" - Edinburgh Fringe 2009

2009-08-24T22:25:00.002+01:00

"White Tea" by David Leddy and Fire Exit/Tron Theatre at the Assembly Rooms featured high up on our list of Fringe shows early on, as "Sub Rosa" remains not just a highlight of 2009 but one of our favourite shows of all time. And as we'd just returned from Japan and visited many of the same places, this Japanese influenced and based tale had a particular resonance.

Probably due to that recent trip I felt incredibly rude walking into the white clad room with its floor covered in tatami mats wearing my shoes - I had to actually check if they wanted our shoes off. However the audience participation was limited to donning paper kimonos and drinking the tea we were served at the start.

Set in a small intimate stark white space at the Assembly Rooms the performances of Gabriel Quigley as Naomi and Alisa Anderson as Tomoko are supplemented by projections of Japan onto the four walls as we follow the 2 women who despite their different cultures and backgrounds end up sharing a very intimate and personal journey. Naomi, the adopted Scottish daughter of a Hibakusha is summonsed reluctantly to her mother's bedside by Tomoko, her mother's nurse. Visiting her mother's homeland for the first time the three women involved in this tale are fleshed out in front of us. Although the history and culture of Japan are the framework on which this tale hangs, it's very much a story about mothers and daughters; of family expectations and secrets.

Like "Sub Rosa" we're treated to a production that is beautifully lit and devised, and memorable in many ways. However it lacked the magical quality that made "Sub Rosa" so wonderful. Perhaps it's because Naomi, for all her sadness and confusion, is difficult to like and any sympathy you feel for her story has to overcome that. I felt that only at the end was I actually getting to know the real people behind their facades.

"White Tea" continues at the Assembly Rooms until August 31st then tours.

Image used with permission.

"The Last Witch" - Edinburgh International Festival 2009

2009-08-24T00:50:00.001+01:00

This first bit is confusing so please pay attention at the back... "The Last Witch" by Rona Munro is being staged by the Traverse Theatre Company and directed by Traverse Artistic Director Dominic Hill - but isn't being staged at (major Fringe venue) the Traverse Theatre. Instead it's part of the Edinburgh International Festival and is being staged just round the corner at the Royal Lyceum. Everyone got that? As a result of this combination it's very much a flagship piece for both the EIF and the Traverse so there's a lot of interest in this one...

Next, a bit of housekeeping. While it usually falls to me write up our thoughts on the shows we see, it's only after Waldorf and I have compared notes. And we've always had the policy that if she's enjoyed a show considerably more than I have, she'll be the one to put pen to paper. Now, "The Last Witch" has caused a significant division of opinion this evening, but as Waldorf prefers to take her time over things, we might have to wait a while for her thoughts ("White Tea" comments now one week and counting). But given the short run and likely interest in the production we'd rather not keep you waiting - so I'll do my best to fairly reflect her thoughts on the show.

I'd avoided reading much about the play in advance but Rona Munro has cleverly taken things down a less obvious route than I expected. Set in northern Scotland in 1727 it focuses on Janet Horne who finds herself accused of witchcraft, but this isn't a familiar tale of hysteria and paranoia. Here Horne is a self proclaimed witch who boasts of her abilities to her daughter and neighbours. Being essentially a wee wifey with a big mouth she quickly had Waldorf very much on side, but for me it killed any sympathy I had for the character there and then - in my book if you talk yourself up like that with a load of nonsense you have to be prepared for the consequences if you run into someone daft enough to believe you (or use your ramblings against you). My liberal sentiments were pricking my conscience that this could be an allegory for those in the present day who talk themselves up as extremists and then find themselves at the sharp end of terrorism charges, but I still felt nothing as she burned.

Waldorf liked Munro's biting dialogue, but it didn't always work for me. I thought the sparks flew in the scenes between Janet (Kathryn Howden) and local Sheriff (Andy Clark) and also in the moments between daughter Helen (Hannah Donaldson) and Nick (Ryan Fletcher) but for much of the rest of the time I found the dialogue seemed to drag on - with too much standing around waiting for characters to finish. Waldorf didn't feel this was a problem and particularly liked the dynamic created between the three female characters - Janet, Helen and neighbour Elspeth (Vicki Liddelle)

For a production that has clearly had a lot of time and effort thrown at it, I didn't think it was particularly put to good use on stage. In fact I reckoned that it could have been staged just as effectively in the Traverse's small studio theatre (albeit without the same size of audience). The on-stage musical accompaniment seemed out of place and the video elements and soundscape were unimpressive. And don't get me started on the use of the fluorescent strip lights!

In Waldorf's book this was an enjoyable evening but for me it was decent at best - certainly not deserving of its flagship status.

The Last Witch runs at the Royal Lyceum until 29th August and their website indicates all performances are currently sold out.
Image by Robbie Jack used with permission

"Love But Her" - August 2009

2009-08-20T21:50:00.001+01:00

It’s easy for us to rattle on now and again that we treat all performances equally and that we make no allowance for youth or inexperience, but sticking to this policy must make for posts that are at times unpleasant to read – they can certainly be unpleasant to write. And despite strong performances, so it may be here I’m afraid. SYT Production's revival of Lara Jane Bunting's “Love But Her” will certainly get pleasing rounds of applause and comments about what ‘these young people have achieved’, and it would make for a perfectly passable church hall show at the Edinburgh Fringe but no one is going to rave about it...

My heart sank during the opening moments of the show as the cast paired up for an awkward shuffle straight out of ‘social dance’ classes at school. From Scottish Youth Theatre's “high profile, high quality performance group" I was expecting something either safe but brilliantly done or something with a real edge to it. This was neither, and comes across as a conflicted piece of theatre – unable to throw off a seeming need to incorporate Burns’ work, despite its inclusion damaging what could have been a powerfully dark examination of our national poet. And it’s such a pity because the show definitely has its moments.

Katrina Innes as Burns' long suffering wife Jean brings the tragedies of her life, including loss of several children, sharply into focus, while convincing the audience why she still loves her wayward husband. It’s a stirring performance with some beautiful vocals. Phil Napier as Burns is a brooding presence and his interactions with Innes are where the real interest lies. His moments of tenderness are rare and the contempt and frustration directed at Jean would meet many people’s definition of domestic abuse. And with Napier’s intense performance he really gives the impression he might well send Jean flying across the room with the back of his hand. But not to worry, we’ll soon a have another song or bit of humorous banter with the neighbours.

On their own the moments of humour work well too – particularly from Anna Schneider and Craig Steele. Kirstie Steele does well as daughter Betty and provides much of the show’s vocal accompaniment while Nathan Byrne as Davie Wilson provides an interesting dynamic with his unrequited love for Jean. The show has several set pieces that really hit the mark – Jean’s fears for her dead children’s plight in hell is a real tug on the heartstrings and the moments when Jean and later Burns are haunted by voices from the past make for striking theatre. But the play never gels as a whole.

I try to avoid comparing shows but having seen Nonsense Room’s brilliant (if slightly red, red rose tinted) tale of the life of Burns and his women only last week at the Fringe it’s impossible not to. “Ae Fond Kiss” created a wonderful feeling of charm while not ignoring the harmful impact Burns had on many of those around him. It incorporated some of his work in a manner that felt cohesive rather than here where it’s often interrupting the narrative flow. I’d urge all those involved in “Love But Her” (and anyone else who wants to see a great show) to get across to see “Ae Fond Kiss” before it ends its run. I suspect it’s exactly the ‘safe but brilliantly done’ show the SYT were aiming for – and if not, it should be. But if they are aiming for the edgy, and there’s enough in “Love But Her” to suggest this, they need to commit to it wholeheartedly. Not merely hints at the darkness, tempered with light. The cast have shown they are capable of delivering in challenging roles – it’s up to the SYT to select higher quality material for them to work with.

"Love But Her" is on at the Brian Cox Studio in the SYT's Glasgow building on Friday 21st August, and then has dates in Irvine and Stirling the following week.

Thoughts on the Fringe

2009-08-19T23:20:00.000+01:00

Some of you may have noticed that we haven’t quite thrown ourselves into the spirit of the Fringe as much as we have in previous years. There are a number of reasons why this is the case. Some are circumstances particular to us in 2009 while others are potentially of wider interest...

Returning from a two week trip to Japan at the start of August was energy sapping and it’s taken a bit of time to shake off the jetlag. And with another trip planned for September it’s left us limited in taking leave from our day jobs and conscious of the cost of our Fringe trips. Despite receiving Fringe Press Accreditation we’ve stuck to our year round policy of paying for all tickets – although as anyone attending Edinburgh knows, the ticket costs are just a small part of the overall expense.

But costs aren’t what has limited our trips – at least not directly. The trouble is we just haven’t found enough shows to really 'grab' us this year and frustratingly many of the ones that did pique our interest seemed to take place at the same time. In previous years we’ve happily filled days with four shows booked in advance and if time permits picked another one or two on the day. But this year we would have been coming through for two shows we really wanted to see and having to take chances on another three or four. Or we could have wasted time and money by coming through day after day for a single show in the afternoon or evening but that isn’t really a viable option especially as the T***works and parking problems make an after-work drive through a risk for any show starting before 8.30.

And I’ll be honest, I’m a bit tentative about putting this next bit in writing but I’m going to say it. I found Edinburgh rather unpleasant this year. Perhaps it’s the contrast from spending time in the restrained atmosphere of Tokyo but the drunkenness of Edinburgh on Saturday night at 9pm was troubling – it felt more like Glasgow at closing time. Walking around the Cowgate there was a feeling that areas of the city were a powderkeg that could go off – and the frequency of passing police vehicles with their blue lights flashing and sirens wailing did little to suggest otherwise. Depressingly I felt the need to advise a work colleague that if she was thinking about heading through for a show or two it might be best to go midweek.

It certainly felt more drunken than previously but perhaps it’s down to a change in the balance of those wandering the streets that has made the less welcoming elements more visible. Despite talk of increased ticket sales, on the days I’ve been in Edinburgh this year venues have felt quiet. Underbelly on Saturday night is the only time I’ve felt a place to be busy in the way that it has in previous years. There aren’t the same numbers of groups handing out flyers – even the Royal Mile and the drag outside the Pleasance haven’t been their usual nightmare to walk through.

And though I’ve seen some brilliant shows (Ae Fond Kiss, Certain Dark Things and The Unravelling) I’m really struggling to build enthusiasm for our next trip through on Sunday. So is it just me or are things different in Edinburgh this year?

"Mark Thomas: The Manifesto" - Edinburgh Fringe 2009

2009-08-17T19:02:00.003+01:00

We always enjoyed Mark Thomas' brand of comedy activism when he was a regular feature on Channel 4 so we were delighted to get the chance to see him live in Edinburgh. But this isn't just an Edinburgh Fringe show - Mark is touring it nationally with a 2 week stop in Edinburgh. At each performance the audience is asked to submit policy idea and the most popular suggestion each night will be added to a manifesto which Mark will campaign to have implemented. Doesn't exactly sound like great material for generating laughs - but you'd be surprised what people come up with...

And to prevent any possibility of a poor audience resulting in a poor evening's show we also get a run through the highlights of suggestions from earlier shows on the tour and tales from some of Mark's other campaigns. He fizzes with energy and engages with the audience - both as a group and as individuals and benefits from an understanding of a Scottish audience and in particular the Glasgow/Edinburgh dynamic.

When we start running through our audience's suggestions it's surprising how varied they are. From old school political/class war stuff (the abolition of private & grammar schools) to the bizarre (a compulsory curry once per week). In the end we settled on a proposal that we should hold a national bring & buy/bake sale every Tuesday with a future expansion to include global trade.

To some extent how much you enjoy the show will depend on how you are disposed to Mark's brand of politics, but even if you are only partly convinced by the politics his slick comedy style will carry you along a fair distance.

Mark Thomas: The Manifesto runs at the Stand until Tuesday 18th (£12) and stages a meeting with MSPs to discuss The Manifesto proposals at the Pleasance on Wednesday 19th (free but ticketed)

Image used with permission.

"The Unravelling" - Edinburgh Fringe 2009

2009-08-16T14:20:00.002+01:00

That Mulberry School for Girls and playwright Fin Kennedy have received a Fringe First award for "The Unravelling" is an extraordinary achievement but it came as no surprise to us. For the last two years they have produced charming pieces of theatre full of energy and humour and we told you weeks ago this one would be worth seeing - so no excuses for those of you who missed out on tickets in the rush once the award was announced.

Set in a fantastical fabric shop located near their East London home we meet three daughters challenged by their mother to weave enchanting tales to determine which of them should inherit the shop. The cast command the space brilliantly and the audience are instantly captivated by their tales. The whole cast are hugely impressive appearing completely comfortable on stage, but a special mention for Rabia Begum as the eldest daughter who brought a particular sparkle to the role. Each tale is stylishly performed with the help of some wonderfully creative props and costumes, but the tales are not as slight as they may at first seem. In the best tradition of fairy tales there are lessons to be learned. An absolute joy to watch.

Sadly the company won't be performing at next year's Fringe but "The Unravelling" is a fitting way to finish for the time being. It's been a privilege to watch their three shows and we look forward to them returning to Edinburgh before too long.

The Unravelling has completed its run at The Space @ Venue 45
Image used with permission

"Certain Dark Things" - Edinburgh Fringe 2009

2009-08-16T12:14:00.004+01:00

After the success of last year's "How it Ended", You Need Me have returned to Edinburgh with a new tale of sexual and cultural repression set in the Basque region between 1959 and 1971. It's a stunningly beautiful piece of theatre where movement, singing, music and soundscape are exquisitely combined. Sooner or later the company are going to come up with a show that will absolutely blow people away and will be THE piece of theatre that Edinburgh is talking about. But I don't think it will be this year - not quite.

For despite the powerful performances from the cast the story itself is a bit of a let down - if you strip away the Basque setting we'd seen it all before. I know I wasn't alone in my thoughts, as while waiting for the second half to begin another audience member commented that it felt like a soap opera dressed up as something more. And frustratingly what is used as a final 'reveal' would seem to me a much more intriguing focus for the piece as a whole.

Nevertheless, this is a must see show for those who like their theatre to come with an artistic flair that is so often lacking at the Fringe. Put any doubts over the plot to one side and just enjoy the theatrical magic being woven before you. Despite its flaws this will be one of my highlights from this year's Fringe and You Need Me will be the first company I look for in next year's programme.

Certain Dark Things runs at Underbelly until 30th August (no performance on Monday 17th).
Image used with permission

"A Clockwork Orange" - Edinburgh Fringe 2009

2009-08-11T21:29:00.004+01:00

Rounding up a full day in Edinburgh was a late night performance of "A Clockwork Orange" at C by EatTheBaby Productions. At just over the hour I was interested to see how they would manage to interpret the book (or the film if you prefer) in the time constraints and solve the staging difficulties of showing Alex and his droogs ultraviolence.

What you get is a production that gets all the key elements in, but with jumps in the narrative that leave you slightly bewildered. We spin from Alex's cocky casual violence; the events leading to his arrest and to his incarceration; the application of the Ludovico technique and all that results from that. However by trying to tell everything you lose the clarity of the tale and the depth of meaning. I'm unsure how much you would have followed if you had come to the show without having some context, particularly given the Nadsat which makes txt spk seem almost intelligble.

It's a difficult dilemma when adapting a well known work for the stage, but given the limited time I firmly feel that some liberties needed to be taken with the adaptation to bring a focus to the piece.

There is certainly an energy about the performances, and the ensemble works well - especially as most have multiple roles. The violence was well executed and choreographed, but the scene changes weren't smooth enough and helped take kill the pace. I did enjoy it, but felt disappointed more hadn't been done with a work that cries out for a stylish and clever production.

"A Clockwork Orange" continues at C until 22 August at 22:00

Image by Adam Levy. Used with permission.

"Barflies" - Edinburgh Fringe 2009

2009-08-10T22:15:00.002+01:00

Sometimes at the Fringe, even as low down the critical food chain as we are, you do definitely have the feeling that what we say here can make a difference to a show. But on other occasions, as with Barflies, shows come with such a reputation (and limited audience capacity) that they are sold out almost before the Fringe has begun. The question then becomes whether or not the show lives up to its reputation. Well yes... and no.

Firstly we need to cover a bit of full disclosure here. On the afternoon we saw the show it encountered technical difficulties and had to be halted for a good five minutes while they worked on the electrics and it then proceeded with a very limited lighting set-up. Unfortunately there's no way for us to measure the impact of the lighting but the delay did act as a significant disruption to the flow of the piece despite the best efforts of the cast. The second item I need to disclose is that I definitely fall within the category of people our lead character rails against - those boring sods who never let themselves go crazy. And lastly, I don't find drunks amusing. So please bear those factors in mind as you read on.

Based on the stories of Charles Bukowski, site-specific specialists Grid Iron are staging their show in the Barony Bar. Okay, so it's perhaps not as 'out there' as a former jute mill or international airport, and yes, this being the Fringe there are theatrical events taking place in many of Edinburgh's bars but I think this is the only one where they take over the bar entirely (although the bar is closed the ticket price does include a complimentary drink!).

Our 'hero', Henry is an unashamed drunk and would be writer and is brilliantly portrayed by Keith Fleming who holds court at the bar for pretty much the entire 75 minutes. While making a case for the merits of at least an occasional lost weekend the production doesn't hide from the consequences of the addiction - both in the violence meted out by Henry and the direct impact it has on some of the other characters we meet. The women in Henry's life are played by Gail Watson with performances that should see her being lauded in much more significant places than here. Her instant transformation between so distinct characters at times is truly remarkable.

But for me, character and amusingly fantastical tales aren't enough and I never really connected with the show (possibly for the reasons noted above). And given how directly I felt previous Grid Iron shows have spoken to me that has to go down as a disappointment. Your mileage may vary.

Barflies runs at the Barony Bar, Broughton Street Sunday to Thursday until 31st August - Tickets pretty much like gold dust.
Image by Douglas Jones used with permission

"Ae Fond Kiss" - Edinburgh Fringe 2009

2009-08-10T21:05:00.004+01:00

Not being really much of a Burns fan I was a little unsure about seeing this one, but fortunately this isn't so much about Robert Burns the Poet as Robert Burns the Man. Simon Beattie & Bruce Strachan have written a delightful piece of theatre that puts the character of Burns front and centre while incorporating extracts of his work and many of the characters they feature. At turns genuinely funny and powerfully moving it is always thoroughly entertaining.

Allan Scott-Douglas brings the required charm and charisma to Burns and has a real presence as he carouses the stage while Gilchrist Muir excels in a number of roles - including a fantastic turn as Burns' landlady Annie Wilson. The remaining cast all get moments to shine amongst their multiple roles - Alison McFarlane transitioning effectively from young love to long suffering wife Jean; Jennifer Macdonell displaying an impressive vocal talent as his tragic Highland Mary and Rebecca Bradley portraying the conflict in Nancy as she is torn between her husband and Burns.

Music and song is an integral part of the show and the whole cast contribute their talents along with live music provided by Jemma Capaldi on piano and Emily Sinclair on flute. And while some may question the location of the show at the Scottish Mining Museum just outside Edinburgh, the wonderful acoustics of the Powerhouse quickly justify it - very few Edinburgh Fringe venues would stand up to comparison. It may not have the instant draw of Nonsense Room's usual home at Rosslyn Chapel but it's a marvelous choice of location and in fact the museum itself looks so interesting from the small part we saw we hope to return for a visit post-Fringe.

Amidst a Fringe programme that seems to have more than it's fair share of misery and realism, Nonsense Room have created a show they intend people to enjoy - and I doubt there will be many people who will leave it without a smile on their faces.

Finally, a couple of bits of practical advice. The Museum is about 20 minutes by car from Edinburgh city centre (in good traffic conditions) and around 30 minutes by bus but it is well worth the effort (and you could easily spend that long walking across the city from venue to venue). The other thing you need to note is that although the Fringe website has the runtime as 75 minutes, the night we attended it ran to 100 minutes and I suspect that's the normal runtime so bear that in mind if planning further shows afterwards.

Ae Fond Kiss runs at the Scottish Mining Museum until 29th August with tickets costing £10. There are no Saturday performances with the exception of a Special Evening on the 29th which costs £25 and includes tour of the museum, cast and crew Q&A and a post show buffet.

"Pinocchio" - August 2009

2009-08-10T19:25:00.002+01:00

From the opening moments in Stephen Greenhorn’s version of Pinocchio for the Scottish Youth Theatre at the Tron there is no mistaking that it harks back to Cullodi’s dark original rather than the familiar Disney version. And as the show progresses the light relief provided by the Fox and Cat (an effective Andrew McCormack and Viki Leech) is the only brake on the bleakness as we hurtle towards what can only be described as a pretty horrific conclusion.

It isn’t a horror without meaning – indeed the message is every bit as horrific as the final act – and it does leave the audience with something to think about. But from a narrative point of view it’s largely too little, too late as what has preceded it is frequently sketched without any background or detail. For example, it’s clear from the Blue Lady that Pinocchio is of some huge significance but I never got any explanation as to why. And while I’m unsure where to apportion responsibility for the twin (and at times triple) Pinocchios on stage between writer Greenhorn and director Kenny Miller, it was a decision that, although not confusing, adds nothing to the piece and just left me asking “Why?”.

But if the adult professionals have perhaps not quite hit their marks, the same can’t be said of the performers. There are no weak links here and all those on stage give strong performances - both as individuals and in the ensemble set pieces. Our main twin Pinocchio’s (James Ringer Beck & Scott C Miller) carry the show well with great support from Michael J Warne as Gepetto, Chanelle Buchan as the Blue Lady and Lewis Harding as Green. There's also good use of movement that brings a real style to the production.

SYT have again put together a polished piece of theatre and I respect that they are tackling difficult shows with something to say - even if at times it's uncomfortable to hear. But I do wish every so often they'd do something a bit more cheery and let the audience share some of the fun they are obviously having.

Pinocchio has now completed its run at the Tron.
Image used with permission

Edinburgh Fringe 2009 - Index

2009-08-07T20:30:00.007+01:00

Today marks the first day of this years Edinburgh Fringe and on Sunday we'll be making our first trip through of the year. We've just returned from two weeks in Japan so to be honest we're struggling a bit to finalise our plans - and it may be we won't manage to see quite as many shows this year as we have in the past, but at the moment we're still hoping to fit in around 30 in total. Here are some of our Fringe tips and a round-up of our current plans...

Our Fringe 2009 Preview

Fringe Good Food Guide

Tips for Fringe goers

Shows we'll be seeing/have seen... (Updated throughout August)
Ae Fond Kiss (Review now posted)
A Clockwork Orange (Review now posted)
Barflies (Review now posted)
Mark Thomas: The Manifesto
White Tea
Gagarin Way
Kursk
The Last Witch (technically the EIF)
Certain Dark Things (Review now posted)
King Arthur
The Unravelling (Review now posted)
An Ofsted Inspector Calls (sold out on the day we hoped to see it)
Audience

Djupid (The Deep) - reviewed April 2009
Rebus McTaggart - reviewed Fringe 2006
My Grandfather's Great War - reviewed Fringe 2009
The Year of the Horse - reviewed Feb 2009

Other Fringe Review/Comment sites
Three Weeks
One4Review
FringeReview
Edinburgh Festivals
Onstage Scotland
Edinburgh Festival Punter
A Local's Guide to the Fringe
Fringe Guru

"Cooking with Elvis" - July 2009

2009-07-15T19:43:00.003+01:00

As evidenced by our lack of recent posts, much of the Scottish theatre world seems to shut up shop over the summer period (with the exception of a few shows previewing in the run up to the Edinburgh Fringe in August). So it's great to see the Tron opening a full scale production in mid July and doing a good bit of promotion to get audiences in - including a half price pre-show burger offer in their restaurant for ticketholders. If only the show was as good as the dinner I had before it...

Before I start, I need to be clear that the problems I have with Lee Hall's play aren't with it tackling issues many would consider inappropriate subjects for humour - domestic violence, disability, eating disorders and two incidents sufficient for an entry on the Sex Offenders Register. I love shows that are darkly or wickedly funny but there are criteria that have to be met:
1. It has to make me laugh spontaneously and despite myself.
2. I have to be aware at the time that I shouldn't be laughing, or have later events shock me in a not so funny now then, eh? kind of way.
Tonight's show rarely, if ever, met those criteria. And more than that, I found it quite uncomfortable to be in an audience who appeared to be laughing guilt-free at much of the dark humour without any acknowledgement of the inappropriate edge to it. At one point it did look as if we were heading for a not so funny now ending but in opting for a conveniently comfortable conclusion the play, in my opinion, 'bottled it'.

And I'm afraid that despite an excellent performance from Gavin Mitchell as Dad the Elvis moments didn't really work for me - well not in the context of the rest of the play at any rate - although to be fair to the piece, surreal stuff rarely works for me. Jayd Johnson as fifteen year old Jill gives a confident central performance in both the comic and emotional scenes and Deirdre Davis and Martin Docherty complete a strong cast as Jill's Mum and her lover Stuart.

Despite the performances, a fantastic set, Elvis soundtrack and a razzamatazz finish the show feels a let down. It lacks the sharp, clever humour to get me laughing at things I know I shouldn't be and didn't deliver the powerful kick in the stomach it should have been capable of doing. And disappointingly many of the 'twists' and moments of farce were predictable from very early on.

Cooking with Elvis runs at the Tron until Saturday 25th July
Image by Tim Morozzo used with permission

"Phèdre" (NT Live) - June 2009

2009-06-25T23:52:00.003+01:00

Here's something a little bit different. Tonight we went to see the National Theatre's London performance of "Phèdre" starring Helen Mirren in the title role... at the Glasgow Film Theatre. It's the first of a series of 'one night only' NT Live performances of National Theatre productions that are beamed simultaneously to cinema screens around the world. I have to admit to being a bit dubious as to if it would work, but there is no question in my mind now. It did work - brilliantly.

In a pre-show on screen chat it was explained that the performance was essentially taking place exactly as it has been each and every night and that the cast would continue to play to their real live audience in the National Theatre and not to the cameras (which are presumably unobtrusive on the auditorium). We certainly saw no indication of cameramen wandering around on-stage. Technically it was almost flawless - with only a couple of jumpy 'pull back' shots and a moment of jerkiness, although on a few occasions Waldorf found herself wishing for a wider shot of the stage.

Performances were all very strong with Dominic Cooper particularly impressive as Hippolytus who finds himself undone by his stepmother Phèdre's impossible lust for him. He manages to make the character's reluctance to reveal Phèdre's advances to his father believable - despite his knowledge of the likely consequences. Helen Mirren brings everything to the role that you would expect - strength, emotion and just the right amount of willfulness. Margaret Tyzack is the other standout of the night, as Phèdre's confidante Oenone, bringing out much of what little humour the piece allows.

But there were logistical problems with the event. We were told the performance would commence at 6.30 (with doors opening at 6.00) and that the run time for the show was two hours. However, on arrival there were notices saying the performance would start at 6.45pm and come 6.45 it became clear we had a further 15 minutes of 'chat' between director Nicholas Hytner and Jeremy Irons. And that 30 minutes makes a huge difference and must take a share of the blame for all those who had to avail themselves of the cinema's toilet facilities during the performance. It also has a knock on effect for those with dinner plans after the show. But regardless of that, the production needed an interval - the amount of fidgeting and watch checking during the last fifteen minutes made this abundantly clear as the show never actually dragged to any extent.

Tickets for the screening cost us £10 each. Would I rather have paid around £40 for a ticket to 'the real thing'? Possibly. Would I rather have paid £200 for tickets, flights and accommodation. Definitely not. This is genuinely a brilliant initiative from the National Theatre and I was really impressed with how 'theatrical' it felt. Waldorf was scathing of some of those around us who applauded at the curtain call, but truth be told I was half tempted to join in.

Phèdre continues its run at the National Theatre until 27th August. NT Live has performance planned of three future shows - "All's Well That Ends Well", "Nation" and "The Habit of Art".
Image by Catherine Ashmore used with permission.

"Cyrano de Bergerac" - June 2009

2009-06-22T23:20:00.001+01:00

Yes, we know this was last week's 'Corona Classic Cut' at Oran Mor, but we only saw it on Saturday and it was a busy weekend. We'll try not to let it happen again. Actually no, we'll not be seeing this week's play 'Romeo & Juliet' until Saturday and with another busy weekend planned you'll probably not see our thoughts on that until Monday night either. Sorry.

Selma Dimitrijevic has cut down Edwin Morgan's Glaswegian Scots translation of Rostand's classic tale to fit the 50 minute lunchtime slot by effectively reducing it to the relationship between Cyrano (Gary Collins) and Christian (Ryan Fletcher). Although the production also features Annie Grace providing a scene setting introduction and musical accompaniment, she's really rather wasted here. The brunt of making the production work falls on Collins and Fletcher who give excellent comic performances. The unfamiliar language simultaneously amuses and frustrates (even here in Glasgow) and I'm afraid I lost a good portion of the narrative in Cyrano's final speech. Dimitrijevic's direction works well for the most part, but the changes between scenes are often unclear and there's little indication of time passing or intervening events.

An entertaining way to spend a lunchtime but not one that we'll remember for any great length of time.

Cyrano de Bergerac has completed its run at Oran Mor. The Corona Classic Cuts series concludes this week with Romeo & Juliet.
Image by Leslie Black used with permission.

Edinburgh Fringe 2009 - First picks

2009-06-16T23:00:00.001+01:00

Since the Edinburgh Fringe Programme was published last Wednesday we've been working our way through it trying to make an initial selection of shows. While there's still plenty of time before it starts officially on Friday 7th August, tickets went on sale on Monday and we always try to get some of the more expensive shows booked up as part of the 2 for 1 offer many shows operate on the first Sunday/Monday. So here are the shows that have caught our attention so far, and a round up of some of the ones we've already seen that are being revived at this years Fringe...

Usually the first place we start when planning our opening weekend is the Traverse, partly because it can usually be relied upon for quality and also because its shows can be at the more expensive end of the scale. But this year we've been rather underwhelmed with their offerings and as things currently stand we won't be booking up for any of the Fringe shows at the Traverse this year. That may change as more info comes out and we get a better feel for the shows - at the moment details are sparse in the Fringe Programme and their website has no info at all. Perhaps this lack of a 'must see' show is a knock-on effect of the Traverse' involvement in the Edinburgh International Festival where they are staging "The Last Witch" at the Lyceum (which we will be seeing). There is one exception to our lack of enthusiasm for the Traverse Fringe Programme - "Midsummer (A Play with Songs)" which is being brought back after huge success towards the end of last year. Like just about everyone who saw it we adored it and anyone who wants to see a feelgood show has to fit this one in.

We're also having to come to terms with the loss of what has been one of the highlights of recent years at the Fringe. Due to work being undertaken at Rosslyn Chapel, Nonsense Room are unable to stage their show there this year and have decanted to the Scottish Mining Museum just outside Dalkeith with two shows. We'll be making an early visit to "Ae Fond Kiss" and may try to see "Treasure Island" later in the month. Even without the added attraction of a visit to the Chapel, Nonsense Room have proved to us over the years that their shows are always worth seeing.

But making up for those elements missing from this year's Fringe is the return of site specific specialists Grid Iron. We've not seen their work at previous Fringes but their shows "Roam" and "Yarn" both provided us with some fantastic theatrical memories. We've already booked up for "Barflies" at the Barony Bar and given the reputation this company has tickets will go quickly.

We like to dip our toes in the Comedy section of the programme and having enjoyed his campaigning TV shows we've booked up for Mark Thomas who is putting together a manifesto based on suggestions from his audiences. Sadly there's no new Rebus McTaggart show but there is a short run of the original show that we enjoyed so much.

Over the last two years with "Mehndi Night" and "Stolen Secrets" Fin Kennedy and Mulberry School have proved that a 45 minute show can pack in just as much as a three hour epic, and we're expecting something equally as delightful with this year's "The Unravelling". And another school group who we'll be seeing is Feltonfleet's "An Ofsted Inspector Calls".

The highlight of our theatrical year so far has been "Sub Rosa" and the driving force behind it, David Leddy, has two shows in Edinburgh this year. He has transferred his audio based show "Susurrus" and located it in Royal Botanic Garden, as well as premiering his new Japanese themed show "White Tea".

At last year's Fringe we enjoyed You Need Me's "How It Ended" despite it being located in the Dance and Physical Theatre section of the Programme. This year they return with "Certain Dark Things" which sounds similar in tone and style.

A week or so ago I read a review of "Kursk" down in london and thought it sounded fantastic so I was delighted to discover it as I flicked through the Programme. Unfortunately there seems to be a problem with booking tickets for the show at edfringe.com. Hopefully this is just a temporary glitch and not a sign of a more serious problem with the plans for the show.

It's a book I've always had a lot of time for, so we've booked up to see EattheBaby's take on "A Clockwork Orange"
over the first weekend. But some other shows inevitably have to wait until later in the month due to scheduling issues, one of which will be Gregory Burke's "Gagarin Way" by the Comedians Theatre Company.

I think that's covered all the shows that we're immediately booking up for, but as well as our weekend trips through together, I'll be doing a few midweek visits on my own - flexitime permitting. Here's a quick run through of some of the other shows I'm hoping to fit in:
EGTG's version of "Antigone", Michael Frayn's "Audience" and a political take on Arthurian legend in "King Arthur".

Other shows appearing at this year's Fringe that we saw in the last year include - "The Year of the Horse", "Djupid (The Deep)" and "My Grandfather's Great War"

But there's still plenty of gaps to fill and we'll continue to follow up on some of the website links provided in the Programme and see what else grabs our interest. And of course we're always open to suggestions...

Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland

2009-06-15T00:03:00.003+01:00

Congratulations to all the winners at Sunday's ceremony for the CATS (Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland). The big winner was 'Interiors' which won Best Production, Best Ensemble & Best Director (for Matthew Lenton). Of the other winners the only one we managed to see was Matthew Zajac for Best Male Performance in 'The Tailor of Inverness', so we can't really claim to give a complete assessment, but we are dismayed that 'Sub Rosa' and 'Midsummer' left empty handed.

The full list of winners is currently available at The Stage and is soon to be posted on the CATS website which also details the nominations.

"Medea" - June 2009

2009-06-06T12:30:00.001+01:00

The only downside of Oran Mor's "A Play, A Pie & A Pint" seasons is that unless you wait for the reviews to come out, potential audiences have little to go on other than a line or two that often reveals little. As a result it can be a bit hit and miss - not in the sense of quality, more as to personal taste. But with their short season of Corona Classic Cuts the plays are cut-down adaptations of well known pieces, so you have a better idea of what to expect. This week saw the first of this year's four productions - 'Medea' by Euripides, translated by Alistair Elliot and adapted/directed by Paddy Cunneen.

Cara Kelly gives a wonderfully engaging performance as the mistreated title character as she wreaks a horrific revenge on her errant husband Jason, his wife-to-be and her father, King Creon. Kelly's ability to connect directly with each audience member makes Medea's justifications pretty convincing - at least until we are confronted by the shattering reality of her actions.

Candida Benson is tasked with playing all the male characters in the play - including Jason and Creon. When an actor is asked to play so many characters in a short period the easy option is to play it for laughs and exaggerate the characters, but Benson and director Cunneen choose the harder course and Benson pulls it off beautifully making each character fully formed and distinct. Kelly and Benson are accompanied by an effective chorus of the women of Corinth, played by students from the University of the West of Scotland.

With a run time of almost the full hour, this was considerably longer than most of Oran Mor's shows but it never felt it and I suspect over the course of the week some audience members may have found themselves explaining to bosses why they were late back from lunch! An excellent start to this short season which continues next week with "Lady Windemere's Fan".

Medea has now completed its run at Oran Mor.
Image by Leslie Black used with permission.

"Hoors" - May 2009

2009-05-31T23:13:00.001+01:00

I'm really not sure we should be writing about "Hoors" as there appears to have been some mistake in the production we saw. Gregory Burke has clearly written a nice little throwaway 45 minute play, perhaps for the next 'A Play, A Pie & A Pint' season of lunchtime theatre at Oran Mor, but somehow it has got lost along the way. It's gained an hour in length and has been transformed into a lavish production at the Traverse with a three week run (followed by runs at the Tron and the Theatre Royal Bath). How on earth did that happen??? Okay... it might have had something to do with Burke's last play.

The premise is actually a promising one for the 'black comedy' it's billed as. Wild stag weekend ends up with a dead groom being buried on his wedding day, while his wife-to-be Vicky is more relieved at getting out of marrying Andy than anything else. We meet Vicky (Lisa Gardner) and her sister Nikki (Catherine Murray) the night before the funeral as Andy's mates Tony (Andrew Clark) and Stevie (Michael Moreland) come round to pay their respects. Stevie has already slept with Vicky since Andy died and wants a future with her. Tony and Vicky have a past she would like to revisit while Tony fancies his chances with Nikki. And they work their way through a load of drink and drugs. Yawn.

There are undeniably some nice lines but they are few and far between - and the biggest laugh of the night was a cheap shot at the expense of Clark's height. Throughout the play there was sporadic laughter in the audience but strangely it only ever seemed to be a handful of different people laughing at different moments. There was never a sense that a line really hit home with a large section of the audience.

There are also indications that the play wants to be more than just a comedy. The set, the direction, the pace, the lighting all seem more suited to a serious piece of drama rather than comedy (black or otherwise). The production also features a revolving stage that makes an impact the first couple of times but which frequently irritates by shifting only fractionally (and very slowly) between scenes to provide a slightly differently angled view of the same room. Totally pointless.

Every so often it looks like it might have something to say, such as Vicky's comments about her apparent wealth being all built on a house of cards about to fall, but then goes nowhere with it. And the characters are so uniformly unpleasant that it's impossible to feel any level of empathy for them - even poor dead Andy lying on stage in his coffin is quickly shown to be not exactly undeserving of his fate. And I reckon that's the biggest mistake the play makes. Andy should have been the key to making it work and seeing/hearing his opinion on the actions of the others is where the humour should have come from - Desperate Housewives style.

The cast do their best but the play is pretty unsalvageable. Unless of course Burke wants to cut it down to the 45 minutes of decent material that's currently rattling around in there somewhere.

Hoors runs at the Tron until Saturday 6th June and at Theatre Royal Bath from 10th to 20th June.

"Oliver" - May 2009

2009-05-31T23:00:00.001+01:00

With Lionel Bart's Oliver! (exclamation mark compulsory) you know exactly what you should be getting. Lots of small loveable orphans and cheeky pickpockets, a thief with a heart and a right bad 'un. Oh, and some pretty well known tunes and an infamous request for a bit more grub. So with all this, what more does this need? That's right, a BBC Saturday night reality TV show to cast the leading lady. But how do all these work together in this revival at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane?

First off, the set changes worked rather well, in particular a rather nice raised stage section that allowed you to descend into Fagin's lair. However the stage itself seemed small from where we sat towards the side and back of the stalls. Perhaps just the number of cast and chorus that filled it at various points made it seem (intentionally?) claustrophic, but it lacked some of the scale and wow factor I expected.

There also seemed to be opportunities missed. Obviously licencing issues may have played a part, but in the middle of a recession some of the gags could have been tuned to the times. Rowan Atkinson as Fagin provided most of the comic relief, but as Statler said it was a little too much Mr Bean and not enough Blackadder. Jodie Prenger as Nancy performed her songs well, but the star song was "Who Will Buy" with Oliver & Company - and largely because of The Company.

The urchins, orphans, Oliver (Harry Stott) and The Artful Dodger (Eric Dibb-Fuller) were all suitably cute, but that contrasted with the horribly over the top bawdiness that was going on around them. The worst bits of Benny Hill going over the head of the remarkably well behaved younger members of the audience.

Was it an ok show to see? Yes. Was it a good use of £120 on a sunny Saturday afternoon in London? Absolutely not. Definitely more a case of 'Sorry sir, I've had quite enough'.

Image by Michael Le Poer Trench used with permission.

"What the Animals Say" - May 2009

2009-05-23T23:00:00.001+01:00

While the joy of the "A Play, A Pie & A Pint" seasons at Oran Mor is the variation in style and tone from week to week, there's always something a bit special about the ones that aim for pure comic entertainment. When they succeed, like "What the Animals Say" did, they send me back to the office with a grin that won't fade until three hours later when I hit the queues on the M8 on my way home.

David Ireland's comedy reunites two Belfast schoolfriends as they wait for the Stranraer to Belfast ferry. Both are now living in Glasgow, but under very different circumstances - Jimmy is a struggling actor waiting for his big break while Eddie has already made it big playing for Celtic. It takes a brave or foolish writer in his debut play to call to mind "Father Ted" and risk the inevitable comparisons, but here the reference works well in establishing exactly the tone the piece is aiming for - full of cuddly irreverence, physicality and playful obscenity.

The comedy is sustained throughout and rarely, if ever, misses the mark. It's just as well the audience at Oran Mor is willing to laugh at itself as both Glasgow and the theatrical community find themselves firmly in the firing line here. Other targets include their shared Loyalist background, the Beckhams and Mel Gibson. While much of the humour tests the boundaries of political acceptability, Ireland ensures that we are largely laughing at rather than with Eddie. Considered in isolation many of the laughs here shouldn't work half as well as they do, but there's such a momentum created that the laughs just seem to roll from one set piece to the next. Robbie Jack as Eddie and David Walshe as Jimmy make for a pretty spectacular double act and get every last laugh out of the material.

This is comedy at its best and if anyone out there is looking for a sitcom to go to pilot this would not be a bad place to start at all.

"What the Animals Say" has completed its run at Oran Mor.
Image by Leslie Black used with permission.

"Love's Time's Beggar" - May 2009

2009-05-23T21:40:00.001+01:00

Those who follow our posts closely, well the ones written by me at any rate, may have noticed that apostrophes can be an issue. But despite a title that sets my head spinning, we popped along to "Love's Time's Beggar" from Ankur Productions' Community Ensemble at the Tron. As always, please remember that we don't make allowances for this being a Community based piece - we treat all productions in the same manner.

The proposition is simple but immediately intriguing - five characters who have recently died are given the opportunity by their guides to the afterlife to record one memory from their lifetime to take with them to eternity - all other memories will be erased. Each then shares a memory which is portrayed with the help of the others in the 'waiting room'. It's a nice framing device that shares the burden of the narrative and allows each segment to set its own tone and feel, without overwhelming the whole.

It takes a while to warm up and in the early stages the performances feel rather 'forced', almost uncomfortable. The problem isn't Anna's tale of domestic abuse (the first we see), more the dynamic in the 'waiting room' scenes. Fortunately, as the show goes on the performers seem to relax into their roles and by the time we reach the more playful elements of Max's retreat into a virtual world, it has developed into a pretty polished production. But while each of the tales was sufficiently well crafted to keep my interest, and there were a couple of very nice moments, it never quite made the impact the concept has the potential to.

This was certainly a perfectly pleasant way to spend an evening, but I suspect those involved may have been aiming just a little bit higher.

"Love's Time's Beggar" has completed its run at the Tron.
Image by Andrew Wilson used with permission.

"Ghosts" - May 2009

2009-05-20T23:40:00.003+01:00

If you read reviews of this show elsewhere you'll no doubt read about how it's not a traditional production of Ibsen's work, but as far as that's concerned, I really don't care. We aren't talking "Romeo and Juliet" or "Pygmallion" where taking liberties will be noticed by a wider audience familiar with the classic interpretations of the tale, so I've little interest in comparisons here. All I'm interested in is whether I enjoyed what was put on the Citz stage in front of us.

Amelia Bulmore's version of the text is a thoroughly modern one - much more so than the period costumes and set would suggest. In fact I'm not sure it wouldn't have benefitted from being brought entirely into a present day setting to remove any lingering doubts as to its current relevance - the language used would certainly support such a staging.

And the issues addressed are certainly not ones in our past. The importance of reputation, the hypocrisy of the great and good, infidelity, deceit, duty vs self interest, and finally euthanasia. As you can see there's plenty to think about here... if only we had the time. There's a division of opinion on this at View From The Stalls with Waldorf liking the pace of events as an indication of just how quickly things can fall apart, but for me it was all too rushed. Not just in direction and pace but in the timing of events. With the action seeming to take place over a very short period it damages what is otherwise an entirely plausible chain of events. And it's so unnecessary, as there are natural breaks that would easily have allowed a suggestion that time had passed between events.

But despite all those serious themes there's plenty of humour here - for the first three quarters at least. And it works really well, although as we overheard another audience member comment, Kevin McMonagle's Pastor Manders is "just a little too Reverend I M Jolly". But what the production does amazingly well is shift the tone from light to dark - without the continuing inappropriate laughter that so often accompanies such a change. Central to this success is Maureen Beattie's performance as Mrs Alving. Frequently playing straight man to McMonagle's more obvious comedy she delivers a compelling performance so when the time comes there's no difficulty in going with her to the play's tragic conclusion. The supporting performances are all strong but the show belongs to Beattie.

This is a production that is easy to like and enjoy, but to some extent that palatability makes it easy to dismiss without giving it the deeper thought that it should really provoke. But for those who do wish to examine the issues, for a play written in 1881 it remains remarkably relevant.

Ghosts runs at the Citizens until Saturday 30th May
Image by Eamonn McGoldrick used with permission

A moment of silence please...

2009-05-19T23:25:00.002+01:00

This evening we were dealt a body blow to our theatregoing experience in Glasgow. More often than not our trips to the theatre are midweek events, and managing to grab dinner pre-theatre was never easy. We were regularly reduced to a sandwich in the Citz car park to get us through the evening before picking up takeaway on the way home. But then we discovered Salsa on the south side of the Clyde...

Less than 5 minutes drive from the Citz (2 minutes if you catch the lights just right) serving great mexican food, with friendly service and ensuring a two or even three course meal could be completed in 45 minutes it was perfect for us. We became regular diners over the last couple of years and the staff would always ask what we were off to see that evening but on arriving this evening we discovered to our shock and dismay that it had closed down two weeks ago. In a bit of a panic we headed back into the city centre and managed to grab a quick main course in a nondescript Italian restaurant (leaving my shirt spattered with bolognese sauce) but we're now desperately on the look out for new places that are (A) easy to park at and with easy access to the Citz (B) we don't need to book for, and (C) can reliably turn us around in 45 minutes.

But that's for another day. Tonight we are remembering all the good times we've had in our favourite pre-theatre haunt, and wondering if we'll ever find anywhere that serves cinnamon tortilla chips with ice cream quite like they did. Salsa - gone but not forgotten.

Critics Awards shortlist announced

2009-05-19T23:02:00.001+01:00

Just a brief post to highlight that the shortlist for the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) were announced today. We were delighted to see "Sub Rosa", "Interiors" and "Midsummer" all receive a number of nominations but disappointed that "The Drawer Boy" and "4.48 Psychosis" didn't receive more than their single nomination each. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Edinburgh's Festival Theatre on Sunday 14th June.

Congratulations to all those nominated.

"Waterproof" - May 2009

2009-05-11T22:10:00.002+01:00

This week's lunchtime offering at Oran Mor is Andy Duffy's "Waterproof" - a tale of two friends on a fishing trip. Ryan Fletcher's Alex is making the most of his new found freedom at university while Ali Craig's Gordon is still living with his parents and recovering from a painful break-up. Please be aware that my comments here give more plot detail than we normally do, so if you haven't seen the show yet you may want to think twice before reading on...

Duffy supplies Alex with some great lines but there are also several that fall flat, and after a while the character's cheeky persona crosses the threshold into irritation. Balancing this, Craig's Gordon is wonderfully deadpan and gives the impression that there is a whole lot going on below the surface. The banter between the two works well and gets (most of) the intended laughs but it comes at the expense of credibility. Yes, part of what's going on is clearly about friends drifting apart, but the 'banter' is at times so ferocious that there's little here to show a level of attachment - even one in the past.

The other problem with the banter is that it goes off at all sorts of tangents with anecdotes and mini-lectures that provide the laughs but do little to provide insight to the characters or advance the story. And I do mean all sorts of tangents - dead deer, linguistics, pederasty, an old bloke across the river, Thoreau's 'Walden', Byron, a visit to a prostitute, and instruments for stunning fish. Maybe Duffy is being very clever here and is intentionally playing with the audience, teasing us and making us think we know where this is headed - unrequited feelings of one for the other, blunt instrument introduced in Act one to be murder weapon in Act three, the suspicion of Alex having had a one-night stand with Gordon's ex Linda. But none of these are developed, and in fact nothing really happens at all - and the addition of a friend who never arrives leaves the whole thing feeling like a take on "Waiting for Godot".

Selma Dimitrijevic's direction keeps things pacy and ensures no side of the in-the-round setting feels neglected, but the use of a pop-up tent proves problematic for a period. It leaves the actors teetering around the edges of the raised stage - they seriously need either a smaller tent or a bigger stage before the inevitable happens.

Andy Duffy has created a pair of characters that certainly intrigue, and the performances bring them to life, but "Waterproof" feels like a chapter in the middle of a novel where the best bits have already been or are still to come. That said, while during the course of the play the muted laughter left me unsure how well it was being received, there was no doubting the very enthusiastic response at the end.

Waterproof runs at Oran Mor as part of A Play, A Pie & A Pint until Saturday 16th May.
Image by Leslie Black used with permission

Now Booking for Summer 2009

2009-05-10T15:30:00.002+01:00

There's still plenty of theatre left to see in May & June before July brings the calm before the storm of Edinburgh's Festivals. It's still some time until the Fringe Programme is published but here's a quick run through of what we'll be seeing over the next few weeks...

We debated for a long time about seeing "Ghosts" at the Citizens but at a recent 'Friends of the Citz' coffee morning we were given a look at the set design and a chat by Jeremy Raison that intrigued us sufficiently to make us want to see the real thing. At the same time we also had Guy Holland's talking about "Museum of Dreams" but sadly we don't think we'll be able pass convincingly as eight year olds. It sounded absolutely magical so if you have kids in the 6 to 8 age bracket it should definitely be worth getting them along to see it.

We've already caught "The Ducky" and "Interiors" elsewhere before they reach the Tron in the next few weeks but we will be seeing "Hoors" when it transfers from the Traverse and Ankur Adult Theatre Workshop's "Love's Time's Beggar" which features a very intriguing concept. It's great to see the Tron running throughout the summer so we'll also hope to catch their "Cooking with Elvis" in July and Scottish Youth Theatre's Pinnochio at the start of August.

While the Fringe keeps us waiting, the Edinburgh International Festival's programme has been available for a while. Ticket prices become a bit of an issue in August given our annual contribution to the Fringe economy, so we'll be limiting our attendance at the EIF where costs can very quickly mount up. We've booked for the Traverse's contribution to the EIF, "The Last Witch", which rather confusingly is at the Royal Lyceum Theatre and has very limited ticket availability already. We might also try and catch "Faith Healer" which is one of three Brian Friel plays on offer.

There are still a few plays left in this season's "A Play, A Pie & A Pint" at Oran Mor and they've confirmed that they are following on from last year's successful series of Corona's Classic Cuts. This year's classics are "Medea", "Lady Windemere's Fan", "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Romeo & Juliet". Unlike the regular lunchtime show it's likely that Waldorf will be joining me at the Saturday performances of these, so I'm afraid we won't be posting comments on them until after their runs have completed.

"The Ducky" - May 2009

2009-05-10T15:05:00.002+01:00

D C Jackson & Borderline Theatre Co have followed up their hugely successful 2008 show "The Wall" with "The Ducky". Set in the same Ayrshire locale and featuring three of the original characters, intellectual 'Bam' Rab McGuire is back from Cambridge, Michelle is home to visit her dying great gran, while Norma has never left and is receiving attention from Rab's brother Trevor and new local thug Cooney. But although "The Ducky" builds on the events of its predecessor it works perfectly well in its own right and no prior knowledge is required to find it hugely enjoyable.

Like "The Wall", events take place over a short period in the summer as outside influences take their toll on our young characters. Jackson retains a magnificent touch for producing one-liners, although in the early stages some of the comedy seems a little more forced this time round. But the heart and charm that made the original so affecting is undoubtedly present - the characters and the performances eliciting sincere "Ah's" from the audience at times. However, Jackson isn't content to give the audience an easy ride, and silences them with a marvelously effective piece of misdirection.

Sally Reid is in excellent form as Norma, making her significantly more than the caricature she could easily become. There's a real sense that the character has grown since we first met her, even if she's only a little wiser. Alan Tripney as Trevor and Jonathan Holt as Cooney do well with characters that are essentially two dimensional stereotypes - it's a pity they lack the depth Jackson has given the others. Hannah Donaldson gives a fine performance as Michelle, but it's Finn den Hertog who gives the outstanding performance of the piece in brilliantly managing to gel the twin aspects of the character.

Jackson's characters and their coming of age stories deserve to live on - both through further productions of "The Wall" & "The Ducky" and hopefully in future works. Given the opportunity, this group of young friends from Stewarton could become firmly embedded in Scottish theatrical culture.

The Ducky is on an extensive tour of Scotland until mid June.

Theatre Marketing - The Good & The Bad

2009-05-07T21:25:00.005+01:00

This is essentially a combination of two related topics that have been on our mind for a while - taking a look at the benefits of theatre "Friends" schemes and highlighting some of the more frustrating marketing methods currently in use. Last year I wrote what amounted to a fairly substantial rant entitled "Theatre is Killing The Planet" - but Waldorf wouldn't let me post it. However, after the excellent initiative taken by the Tron this week to reward regular theatregoers I think it's a good time to have a look at the best and worst practice we encounter in Theatre marketing and promotion...

On Wednesday night we attended a performance of "Bliss + Mud" at the invitation of the Tron theatre who provided us with complimentary tickets for the evening. At View From The Stalls we have a general policy of declining the press tickets we are often offered and prefer to support the artists and theatres that give us so much pleasure. We'd never trade on the fact we run this site to get free tickets. But this was different. We weren't offered tickets as 'View From The Stalls' but as individuals who (along with a large group of others) had been identified as regular attendees at the Tron in recent months. Yes, along with the drinks and canapes there was a gentle promotion of the benefits of signing up their new Patrons Scheme, but it was an absolutley inspired initiative by the Tron, and even for natural cynics like us it created a genuine feeling of warmth that our support is appreciated. So how do the "Friends" schemes and marketing methods used elsewhere measure up?

Even prior to the invite to "Bliss + Mud" we had already determined we would sign up for the Tron's new scheme. As soon as the leaflet came through the post it was a done deal. In fact, I had to read it several times before I was convinced there wasn't a catch somewhere that I was missing. From £100 annually, benefits include a pair of tickets to the opening night of Tron Theatre Company productions (with complimentary interval drinks and an invitation for two to the post-show drinks reception), an opportunity to attend supporter events and new Patrons will receive a bottle of whisky from Tron sponsor AnCnoc. So, needless to say we'll be signing up in the next few days.

We've been "Friends" of the Citizens for a couple of years now and spent a very enjoyable Saturday morning back in March at a Friends event with Q&A's with senior members of the Citz team. At £40 for annual joint membership we viewed this largely as a donation to the Citz and never took advantage of their "Friends Wednesdays" discounts as the Tuesday night £7 offer available to anyone was better. But there were occasions such as the Audience with Sir Alex Ferguson when the short period of priority booking was very handy. The Citz are conscious that they haven't quite made the most of the opportunity to build a wider community of supporters and the scheme is currently in the process of being revamped.

As regular readers may be aware, we aren't really fans of the Kings & Theatre Royal in Glasgow. Previous experience has made us wary of their touring productions and the comfort factor isn't great. Yet, you may be surprised to know that we are in fact currently members of their joint Friends of Glasgow Theatres scheme. It was certainly more by accident than design - when we booked tickets over the phone for "The Love of Three Oranges" we were asked to join the scheme - and by doing so we instantly saved more on the ticket price than the membership fee cost us. We haven't looked at the other benefits of the scheme but if you are planning a visit it's definitely worth looking at just how the finances work out.

Now given our somewhat ambivalent attitude to Opera we won't be signing up for the current supporters scheme from Scottish Opera, but the mailshot we received was so fantastically creative that we'd like to bring it to your attention as a model of making an impact (although disappointingly their website isn't half as pretty as the paper version).

But while some schemes are well organised others seem a little more haphazard. Cumbernauld Theatre's "Love the Arts" scheme is excellent in that it's free to join and gives considerable discounts on tickets, but its execution is rather cumbersome. When phoning to book tickets you have to be able to provide details for every member of the party who is a member of the scheme in order to get the reduced ticket price. It can easily turn what should be a two minute call into a five minute one. When it launched they also made a big deal about it reducing the amount of paper flyers etc they would send out as they would be focusing on using e-mail as a main method of contact. Sounds great - but it hasn't happened. And while many other organisations make excellent use of their websites/blogs and sending e-mail updates, it really doesn't seem to have reduced their paper output to any extent. Which brings me to the second part of this post...

As I'm still getting the hang of the whole 'blue bin' thing I can't exactly claim to be the most environmentally aware person on the planet but even I get upset at the amount of promotional material we get through the post from theatres and production companies. Of course we're happy to be informed about things we may like to see but not so much when (A) we get flyers from the production company and each of the several theatres the production is touring to (B) we've already had two letters from the theatre about other shows that week and C) WE BOOKED TICKETS WEEKS AGO. Not to mention the frequent duplication of letters that we get due to receiving a copy each, and at times getting multiple copies each addressed to variations of names (full name or initial) despite all being listed at the one address. I'm not going to name and shame as to be honest they are all at it - it would be unfair to damn the one that just happened to land on my hall floor this week.

I appreciate there are no doubt valid reasons that contribute to these problems - data protection preventing sharing of data etc but surely given the waste of resources (financial and otherwise) something can be done. More and more frequently theatres and companies are co-operating, so is it too much to ask for a centralised database where theatregoers can register to receive marketing that may be of interest to them.

Am I wrong in my thinking that theatres aren't really in competition with each other? We don't decide we're going out on a Friday and then decide what to see, if a theatre has a show on that is of sufficient interest to us we'll go and see it. I can't remember the last time we had to choose which to see on a particular evening/week (Edinburgh Fringe excluded). The more theatres can co-operate the better. Theatregoing is a habit and the more you can get people to attend one theatre the more likely they are to give another one a chance too. Theatres seem happy enough to carry each other's brochures in foyers - so is it really that big a leap to have combined mailshots sent out? The only time theatres are genuinely in competition in our mind is when we have a touring show visiting several local theatres where we have to choose which to attend - but more often than not our decision will be determined by external factors such as working patterns etc rather than being influenced by the theatre. So where is the harm in co-ordinating communications a bit better?

So what theatres have you found make good "Friends" and which organisations are pouring their funding through your letterbox on a weekly basis?

"Bliss + Mud" - May 2009

2009-05-07T11:15:00.000+01:00

The Tron Theatre Company brings us a double bill of plays as part of a new initiative known as "Tron Stripped" featuring "pared-back stagings". But there's little evidence on stage of much being pared back, other than the fact that the plays feature a relatively small cast of four and three respectively. There's certainly no lack of effort or attention apparent in the performances, direction, lighting or set design.

Caryl Churchill's translation of Olivier Choiniere's "Bliss" is undeniably a challenging piece of theatre (translation: it confused the hell out of us). But any difficulties are overcome by the fact that whether or not we understood all of it, we both agreed that we had unquestionably enjoyed it. I tend to like plays where things that seem unconnected fall gradually into place, but here the construction of the play seem designed to make things deliberately and unnecessarily awkward to piece together. And while I think I'm just about 'there' having re-read the blurb on the Tron website I can't help feel that the play would have been more successful with a simpler and clearer framing device. Pauline Goldsmith, Grant Smeaton, Gabriel Quigley & Mark Prendergast all give impressive performances as an ever-changing array of characters whose realities/fantasies blur into each other and there is poetic quality to the language.

Maria Irene Fornes' "Mud" is easily the more accessible of the two pieces and feels much like the evil twin of the Tron's production of "The Drawer Boy". It's beautifully directed by Andy Arnold, the lighting is striking and the musical interludes between scenes work wonderfully well. But while "The Drawer Boy" was a magnificently uplifting tale, "Mud" is unrelentingly bleak in its portrayal of America's underclass. Smeaton, Quigley & Prendergast are almost unrecogniseable from their "Bliss" characters (Goldsmith does not feature in "Mud") and it's a fantastic indication of the level of talent on display here. It's a miserable and rather horrible tale, but here it is told beautifully.

There are clear common themes between the two plays relating to the need to escape from a mundane or brutal reality through fantasy or struggle, but in tone they are so different that we weren't entirely convinced that they were a natural pairing. They are also both of sufficient length at around an hour that they are undoubtedly full plays in their own right and I'm still undecided if they added or subtracted from each other. However, it does mean that the Tron's marketing call of "Two plays for the price of one" is completely genuine.

While View From The Stalls has a policy of declining press tickets for events, for this production we were provided with complimentary tickets as part of a 'thank you'/marketing initiative for regular attendees at the Tron. This was not related in any way to our writing about theatre.

Bliss + Mud run at the Tron until Saturday 9th May.
Image by Richard Campbell used with permission.

"Parlour Song" - May 2009

2009-05-05T00:22:00.006+01:00

At View From The Stalls we always choose what shows to see carefully - particularly on our occasional London trips where the ticket prices can be a bit of a shock to our system. We'll check the cast, the writer's track record and even seat recommendations - all to ensure we make an informed choice. We'll even make an effort to balance a weekend with a mix of light and darker themed shows. We'd never book tickets just because we had dinner reservations across the road. No, no, that would never happen. That would be a ridiculous way to make such an important decision. Well, ridiculous or not, our unorthodox decision making process turned out to provide the highlight of our weekend.

Jez Butterworth's "Parlour Song" might not be groundbreaking as a study of domestic disintegration but it is beautifully executed. The dialogue is genuinely funny and the cast succeed in making the characters entirely credible. While Toby Jones and Amanda Drew give strong performances as troubled couple Ned and Joy, it's Andrew Lincoln's next door neighbour Dale who has the greatest opportunity to make an impact. Taking on the role of narrator and retelling events in flashback, he remains thoroughly engaging despite his casual delivery of a startling, if insignificant, revelation as the play nears its conclusion.

Director Ian Ricksen provides the production with the most effective use of both projection and a revolving stage that I think I've ever encountered - and at times the combination of both makes for a deceptively powerful way of setting up a scene. As a whole, the production feels thoroughly polished but more than that, it feels as though all those involved have a genuine affection for the work.

Parlour Song runs at the Almeida Theatre, London until Saturday 9th May
Image by Simon Annand used with permission

"Madame de Sade" - May 2009

2009-05-04T23:42:00.000+01:00

This afternoon while I was starting to mentally draft this post, there was the serious possibility that it may amount to simply – “The dresses were pretty.” Partly because I was struggling to gather the enthusiasm to put pen to paper but it was also due to the fact that I could recall so little about it. While I’ll often comment that a show is in danger of being forgettable, I do believe that this is the first time that a mere three days later I had absolutely no recollection of how a play ended (even after racking my brain for a good thirty minutes). I swear I didn’t nod off (sitting in the front row it was just too risky), and I gave it my full attention throughout. I suspect the reason I couldn’t remember is that even while I was watching it, I just didn’t care. I’ve since remembered the ending so no Postcards please – there is no prize!

Yukio Mishima's account of the lives of six women (some real, some fictional) around the Marquis De Sade wasn’t necessarily a bad one, and the play (translated by Donald Keene) certainly has some nice moments but it’s also terribly self-important and the execution lacks any fire. It never managed to be more than a curiosity piece and I had zero emotional investment in the characters.

But let's be honest, like the vast majority of the audience, we hadn’t come to see the play, we’d come to see Judi Dench. For me Dame Judi’s performance was fine, as were all the cast, however Waldorf wasn’t as impressed. And I can see where she’s coming from. The performances are hampered by a direction style that leaves characters frequently seeming to direct their dialogue at the audience rather than to each other, and there are a few too many knowing ‘turn to camera’ looks which give an almost pantomime or bedroom farce feel to the performances – particularly any scene with Frances Barber’s Comtesse de Saint-Fond.

It doesn't make for an unenjoyable evening - I certainly smiled on several occasions - but it lacks any kind of genuine impact and really just washed over us. And given the level of talent on stage that has to go down as a disappointment.

But oh yes - the dresses were pretty.

Madame De Sade is part of the Donmar West End season at Wyndham's Theatre, London until 23 May.
Image by Hugo Glendinning used with permission

"A Drop in the Ocean" - April 2009

2009-04-27T18:54:00.001+01:00

Okay, here's what I gather from the blurb for Dave Anderson's latest musical contribution to "A Play, A Pie & A Pint" at Oran Mor. "A Drop in the Ocean" is essentially a spin-off from his highly regarded "Tir na nOg" which was a sequel to his previous "Flowers in the River" and its prequel "A Walk in the Park". Confused? You won't be.

Given that I hadn't seen any of those I had some pretty strong reservations about attending this week, but after the rather serious set of shows last week I thought something a bit lighter might be just the thing. Yes, it's probably true that those familiar with the previous pieces will get a bit more out of it, but make no mistake, this is perfectly serviceable as a standalone piece.

With this being the 150th play since the start of "A Play, A Pie & A Pint" it's a little different from the usual lunchtime offerings at Oran Mor. Pies and Pints are to be consumed upstairs this week - so don't arrive at five to one expecting to gulp your pie and sip your pint during the play. Another reason to arrive in good time is to catch the RSAMD students that form the show's chorus providing some lively pre-show entertainment. Anyone with mobility issues may also want to have a word with the staff to see about ensuring a comfortable location downstairs - for the usual rows of seats are largely absent leaving many perched on benches or leaning against pillars. Although mostly staged in-the-round, at times this verges on being a promenade performance as audience members standing on the fringes are encouraged to get a little closer to the action.

Set in a bar at the bottom of the ocean the plot may be pure fluff, but Anderson's songs are razor sharp. Particularly effective are a bitesized take on 'Black Watch', a cutting reminder of those cast aside through industrial decline, and a warning of the dangers of searching for solace in a glass. Pauline Knowles, George Drennan, Onur Orkut and Anderson himself give strong performances but much of the energy and joy here comes from the substantial student chorus playing a variety of lost souls and a rather spectacular sea-monster.

A greatly enjoyable 50 minutes that feels as if it could happily be expanded to a full scale musical.

A Drop in the Ocean runs at Oran Mor until Saturday 2nd May.
Image by Leslie Black used with permission.

INK revisited - April 2009

2009-04-26T22:02:00.000+01:00

Back in January we posted about the INK event at the Tron where a group of writers were staging collections of short plays on a theme as rehearsed readings. Tonight we were through in Edinburgh for the last of the current series of INK events so it feels only right we should give it another mention...

Given the format we didn't feel it was appropriate to pass comment on the plays/performances so our January post was really just to highlight its existence as something that may be of interest to others. Since then, we made it along to February's Valentines themed evening at the Traverse but missed out on March's 'Breaking News' themed event back at the Tron as we found tickets were sold out.

We've certainly enjoyed our three evenings at INK and it's been interesting to see works in this shortened format and hear some of the writers' thoughts in the post show discussions. And we'd hope to see return in some shape or form in the future.

"Spoonface Steinberg" - April 2009

2009-04-26T21:30:00.001+01:00

Any play centering on an autistic child as she battles cancer is prime material for reducing an audience to tears, and Zoe Thorne's performance deserves to be recognised as one that may just become the stuff of legend. So why were we left unmoved by it?

Despite being in her 20's Thorne is unnervingly convincing as the eight year old Spoonface - but only a small element of what makes the performance believable is her petiteness. What makes the character credible is Thorne's perfectly crafted mannerisms, childlike expressions and the completely unselfconscious way she moves. And once you add in her distinctive use of language the character is unquestionably real.

Lee Hall's play makes no attempt to shy away from the bleakness of the situation or the less palatable elements that Spoonface has to contend with. However, there is also a lightness that comes from the character's openness and her observations on those around her that ensures the tone is not relentlessly depressing.

There were clearly several audience members in the Citizens Circle Studio who were profoundly moved by the evening - but our tissues stayed firmly in our pockets. Admittedly it does take something extraordinary to leave me biting my bottom lip in the theatre, but Waldorf is a soft-touch. So for a show about a desperately ill child not to have her in floods of tears indicates that something has gone wrong somewhere. We discussed afterwards why it hadn't quite 'got to us' and I'll do my best to provide the best explanation I have.

Part of the strength of Zoe Thorne's portrayal of Spoonface is that she endows her with a genuine sense of disconnection. It's a perfect choice for the character but serves to isolate us from her. The Circle Studio is a very small space and with the set against one of the two longer sides of the theatre the capacity was reduced to around fifty audience members. Yet we didn't feel played to. Any eye contact seemed almost accidental and those on the shorter sides of the space were largely ignored - Spoonface did what Spoonface does, and it really didn't seem to matter that anyone was watching. I've seen children (autistic or otherwise) do exactly this when asked to 'perform' in front of a group, so as a piece of characterisation it was spot-on, but it definitely played a part in reducing the impact it had on us. Although as I say, others were visibly affected.

So for us the evening didn't quite have the punch we were expecting, but that was clearly our personal response to it, and we're still not clear as to why that emotional connection was missing. Thorne on the other hand is clearly a talent to be reckoned with and given roles that she can get her teeth into will no doubt have an extremely bright future.

Spoonface Steinberg is a production by Beggars and Kings and completes an extensive UK tour this week with dates in Wick and Inverness.
Image used with permission.

"Wuthering Heights" - April 2009

2009-04-25T00:20:00.001+01:00

Classic fiction meets Bollywood in this production of "Wuthering Heights" from Tamasha at the Citizens' Theatre. So just how do you transfer a classic, complex tragic novel to an Indian setting with musical numbers? Intrigued by the possibilities this combination brought up we just had to go.

Taking the key elements from Emily Brontë's tale of wild boy and girl, of love declared then lost and turned sour we follow the tale of Krishan (Pushpinder Chani) and Shakuntala (Youkti Patel) to its inevitible end.

The first slight surprise was when we realised from the programme that the singing wasn't live, but in Bollywood tradition it was lip-synched to recordings from playback artists. Although we'd seen some of the publicity material that detail had passed us by. Statler felt cheated by this (this is from the man who had to be dragged kicking and screaming to musicals in the past), but I felt it didn't detract. The whole point of a musical is the complete suspension of disbelief.

And if you go with the intention of having a good night out at the theatre, that's what you'll have. You won't necessarily leave humming any of the songs, but you'll have seen an interesting adaptation with some particular high points. "The Camel Races" scene was classic Hollywood/Bollywood musical, very reminiscent of the Ascot scene from the film "My Fair Lady". And any scene featuring Ayah (Rina Fatania) was shamelessly stolen by her and her philosophy on life's ills being cured by sugar cane juice.

The tale goes along at a nice pace, although the first act does seem a little long. There were also some technical difficulties with the scenery at the performance we saw and at times the dialogue was a little muffled. Statler, watching with a more critical eye, felt a sense of scale was lacking and it wasn't enough of a spectacle. However, don't be put off by the fusion of East meeting West this is more than the novelty the concept might suggest.

Photo by Manuel Harlan. Used with permission.

Wuthering Heights is at the Citizens' Theatre until Saturday 25th April, then moves to the Lyric Hammersmith and subsequently further dates in England.

"The Angel and The Woodcutter" - April 2009

2009-04-24T22:49:00.007+01:00

Korean company Cho-In Theatre bring "The Angel and The Woodcutter" to The Tron. Starting off with its roots in a gentle folk tale, a woodcutter and his mother are living in harsh surroundings, but with obvious affection for each other. On spying an angel bathing, the woodcutter is smitten by her beauty and his devoted mother steals her wings and forces her to become his bride. Left there it would be a charming story, but it darkens into an brief history of Korea which disturbs and captivates.

Told mostly non-verbally by weaving together movement, expressions, music and sound; this is an incredibly physical piece which is beautifully executed. The interactions between the mother and her son, and the mother and the angel are particularly well done and are comedy of the highest order. The battle between the two women as they try to set the groundrules of their own relationship and stake their claims to the affection of the man they both love is wonderful theatre.

Abruptly and jarringly Korea's recent history intrudes on this gentle tale. The angel and the mother are left to fend for themselves after the woodcutter is conscripted into the army and is brainwashed into becoming the perfect soldier. We continue down this dark road and by the end you feel as drained emotionally as the perfomers must be physically. It is quite startling as to how complex a story can be portrayed without words.

At almost 90 minutes straight through it does struggle to maintain its intensity at times, but its strengths more than make up for that. One word of warning - although a lot of the publicity of the show mentions its use of puppets, that does not make it a children's show. A lot of the themes explored are very dark and adult, which could make for uncomfortable explanations.

"The Angel and The Woodcutter" continues at The Tron until Sunday 26th April.

Photo used with permission.

"Too Clever By Half" - April 2009

2009-04-20T20:44:00.003+01:00

Here at View From The Stalls we genuinely try to steer away from flippant remarks and waspish put downs. Our aim is always to try to give an honest response to a production that is very much our own considered, if at times uninformed, opinion. But every so often a writer puts words into the mouth of a character that just perfectly sum up our thoughts on a piece, and when these words are sufficiently repeated that they find a foothold in my head it can prove too strong to resist...

Especially when, as with Andrew Dallmeyer's contribution to "A Play, A Pie and a Pint", the play does little to merit further thought and the production is technically problematic. So, in what will hopefully be a one-off departure from our usual attempt to provide constructive criticism, I'll simply quote from today's dialogue - "Dismal to the end. Save your breath. No need for words."

"Too Clever by Half" runs at Oran Mor until Saturday 25th April.
Image by Leslie Black used with permission.

"Interiors" - April 2009

2009-04-16T23:37:00.002+01:00

We'd planned on catching this last week at the Traverse, however due to illness were unable to use the tickets we'd booked. Fortunately, we could still get tickets for when it reached MacRobert Arts Centre in Stirling, and even though we ended up paying double, it was worth every penny. In fact my only regret is that we didn't get to see the show twice, because "Interiors" is a truly elegant piece of theatre that would benefit from multiple viewings.

The action is contained within Kai Fischer's stunning dining room box set. Solid on three walls, the fourth is glass/plastic that allows the audience to see in, but prevents sound from inside escaping - leaving us watching a silent dinner party (at least until the music gets turned up). What's impressive is just how effectively the cast communicate their situations and emotions - even before we get the assistance of our initially unseen commentator providing an insight into the guests at the table set before us.

Now, it would be fair to say that I'm a fan of shows with narration/voiceover and internal/external monologues so this was always going to be very much to my taste - and so it proved. Frequently hilarious, always compelling, the performances are impeccable. Elicia Daly, Sara Lazzaro, Myra McFadyen, Andrew Melville, Aurora Peres, Davide Pini Carenzi, Barnaby Power and Damir Todorovic make for what will surely be one of the finest ensembles Scotland sees this year. There are so many details to the characters and so much going on simultaneously that it's almost impossible to appreciate just how good they are in a single viewing - or to unravel the complexities of the characters. (Why doesn't Damir drink his shots?)

And right there is probably where anyone involved in the show may wish to stop reading... for much as I loved the show I can't help feel that it flatters to deceive. Strip away the narration and give the characters back their voices and I suspect we'd have something resembling a mediocre BBC sitcom. And I'm not sure that I should be quite so impressed by this form of theatrical alchemy - and just a little scared I might find myself tempted to try watching "My Family" with the sound muted. I'm also reluctant to reward the rather blatant emotional manipulation of the audience that comes as the evening reaches its conclusion. I don't mind having the rug pulled from under me but this smacked of overkill.

But there's no denying it makes for fascinating theatre and I was completely entranced by it. In the final moments our narrator/observer suggests she will move on to view other windows - the real shame is that we can't join her. Although, I'm finding myself more and more inclined to try and fit in a second helping when the show reaches the Tron.

Interiors is a co-production between Vanishing Point, Napoli Teatro Festival Italia, Mercadante Teatro Stabile di Napoli and Traverse Theatre. It continues its tour to Aberdeen, London, Glasgow and Naples.

Image by Tim Morozzo used with permission.

"Djupid (The Deep)" - April 2009

2009-04-13T20:45:00.002+01:00

The world of deep sea fishermen should be prime territory for drama – confinement, danger, family bonds, not to mention the whole man vs nature aspect. But sadly Graeme Maley's translation of Icelandic playwright Jon Atli Jonasson's “Djupid” does little more than hint at these.

In part its limitations come down to just how much can be realised in a forty minute monologue. Liam Brennan does well to give his lost colleagues a sense of being present, but it can’t match meeting them in person and witnessing the relationships and banter between them. As a result we don't really feel much attachment to any character other than Brennan's unnamed trawlerman who finds himself the last survivor when the boat goes down.

What didn’t help my enjoyment of this was that I spent the first half of the play mentally screaming “Please stop shouting” and looking for the volume control. To be fair to Brennan it was almost certainly a character choice rather than a misjudgement of the space - but it was nevertheless painful.

And with his character's re-telling of the final moments of the film “Titanic” for cheap laughs, any hope I had for the play sank beneath the waves. That said, there remained moments when it fights for one last breath and Brennan's description of his escape from his cot as the boat upturns is genuinely compelling.

But essentially his situation is largely irrelevant as the play disappointingly turns into a simplistic reflection on “If I just had one more day…” and then fails to bring any novel thoughts or attitudes to the table. There are few of his wishes and regrets that wouldn't feature on most people's such lists.

In the end, ironically, what the play lacks is depth.

Djupid (The Deep) runs at Oran Mor daily at 1pm until Saturday 18th April as part of A Play, A Pie & A Pint.
Image by Leslie Black used with permission

"Citizen Y: Nighthawks" - April 2009

2009-04-11T14:00:00.001+01:00

This latest offering from the Citizens' Young Company allows the audience a glimpse into the secret world of teenagers on a night out. We join their search for the mythical 'Nighthawks' nightclub - where only the elite make it past the door staff. As with all youth/student or amateur productions we comment on, we make no concessions - if they look for an audience and charge for tickets we treat them all the same. So please keep that in mind when I tell you that this production absolutely rocked the Citz Circle Studio.

Described in the programme as devised by professional playwright Peter Arnott and the Company and scripted by Arnott it perfectly captures several aspects of teenage life including the fleeting and shifting nature of friendships. The dialogue is blisteringly funny and rings entirely true to the characters created, but there's plenty of social comment here too - consumerism, families, restricted opportunities and a rumoured approaching apocalypse all feature.

Apart from a few lines delivered into the floor that don't quite reach the audience, the performances from the large cast are all strong. In "The Lads' Tale" Chris McCann's Pan-like Wittgenstein impressively commands the space and plays his comic relief wonderfully straight while Scott McKay's Kevin is a bundle of frustration and disillusionment. Keren McGill effectively leads "The Girls' Tale" with a convincing performance as abandoned birthday girl Karen. Other highlights include James Harkness as local tough guy Gary and a deliciously show stealing turn by Kelly Love as the club's 'Lifestyle Consultant'.

Neil Packham's direction keeps the action moving and there's some clever use of projection for a casino scene, but I'm not convinced that the soundtrack added quite as much to the piece as it could have.

In a small theatre space it would be easy to dismiss the hugely enthusiastic response of the audience as one of invited family and friends but I don't believe for a minute that to be the case. This is a quality piece of writing, performed by a cast full of talent and energy - and it deserves a wider audience than this short run can give it.

Citizen Y: Nighthawks completes its run at the Citizens on Saturday 11th April.
Image by Tim Morozzo used with permission

"Cabaret" - April 2009

2009-04-06T00:01:00.007+01:00

A combination of some Theatre Tokens burning a hole in our pocket, and a relative who had been hooked on BBC's "I'd Do Anything" (aka the "Nancy Show" in our house) meant a family outing to the Theatre Royal. Especially since Bill Kenwright's Production of "Cabaret" featured our relative's favourite from "I'd Do Anything", Samantha Barks as Sally Bowles.

Set in the seedy side of Weimar era Berlin of the early 30's, "Cabaret" follows aspiring American novelist Clifford Bradshaw (Henry Luxemburg) and his encounters with the sexually liberated denizens of the Kit Kat Klub. As musicals go, "Cabaret" is definitely on the darker side with its adult setting and its look at the rise of Nazism and the persecution of Jewish people and other "undesirables".

Despite the promotional material focusing on the casting of Wayne Sleep as the Emcee and the aforementioned Samantha Barks, the strongest performances come in the side story of Fraulein Schneider (Jenny Logan) and Herr Schultz (Matt Zimmerman) and Jenny Logan's delivery of "What Would You Do?" far outshone the big numbers of "Money", "Willkommen" and even the title song. Whilst "Tomorrow Belongs To Me" by the Company was both beautifully sung and sinister at the same time.

So what about the leads? For me Wayne Sleep's performance suffered from a lack of clarity during the songs. I'm not sure if the levels were off, but I struggled to make out the lyrics during a lot of his numbers. The connection to the audience seemed lacking at times, although there was a nice mention of the Theatre Royal's sister theatre and a strong final scene from Sleep. Samantha Bark's as Sally Bowles has big shoes to fill as Liza Minelli is always in the back of your mind. Her delivery of the musical numbers was good, but she lacked the charm and the steel as Sally that would have made her relationship with the sexually confused Bradshaw seem plausible.

Some impressive dancing by the Company, especially leaps from the staircase and a very strong last moment rounded off a mixed night for a production that was just a little too uneven.

"Lucky Box" - March 2009

2009-03-30T23:35:00.001+01:00

David Harrower's contribution to this season's "A Play, A Pie & A Pint" came with no advance indication as to topic or tone, so it was good to see a full turnout at Oran Mor on the Monday lunchtime - before any reviews are out. It shows just how much trust the audience are prepared to put in producer David MacLennan. And I'm pleased to report that their faith was well rewarded.

I'm afraid that this is another production where I think it's best to go in blind, so I'm not going to comment directly on the plot. I'd go so far on this one as to suggest that you avoid reading reviews elsewhere - just in case others are less circumspect. It's not that there is a huge twist or reveal at the end, it's just that for most of the play we're unsure what exactly is going on, and which of the two characters we should fear for. It's a long time since I've been in the theatre quite so uncertain and intrigued about the events in front of me. There are moments of pure electricity between Stuart Bowman and Scott Fletcher as the dynamic cleverly shifts between the two. Fletcher gives a carefully balanced performance allowing his character to be sympathetic and smart while retaining the potential for a darker side, whilst Bowman convinces as a man on the edge.

But going along with Harrower's relentless rollercoaster ride of a play has its problems. Much like watching a series of "24" once you understand what's gone on, many of the characters' actions in earlier episodes no longer seem to make much sense. It leaves the play as one to be greatly enjoyed in-the-moment but possibly not to be reflected on too much afterwards.

There are some nice moments of topicality that get some laughs, and some of Harrower's observations clearly hit their mark but the production suffers rather badly from a combination of the staging and Dominic Hill's direction. The catwalk stage set-up left many of the Oran Mor's regulars confused, and I know I wasn't the only one to circumnavigate the room trying to pick a seat with a good view before realising that all eight of them were already taken. The default positions of the characters on the stage leave much of the audience constantly facing the back of one of the two actors and I find it difficult to believe there wasn't a more adequate way of arranging the space. Perhaps this was designed with next week's performances at the Traverse more in mind.

But this firecracker of a play and its two performances are more than strong enough to overcome any flaws.

Lucky Box is a co-production between Oran Mor where it runs until Saturday 4th April and the Traverse where it runs from 7th to 11th April.
Image by Leslie Black used with permission.

"The Trial" - March 2009

2009-03-27T21:43:00.002Z

We've previously enjoyed Glasgow College of Nautical Studies drama students' productions, so when we found ourselves in the vicinity of The Citizens' and at a loose end on a Saturday afternoon we decided to catch a matinee of their production of Steven Berkoff's adaptation of Kafka's "The Trial".

Joseph K (James McSporran) descends into a bizarre world of beaurocracy, violence and confusion after being arrested for a crime that no-one is willing or possibly able to reveal to him. He wanders through a maze accompanied by a Greek chorus who take turns to play the other characters that are part of K's tale.

Perhaps deliberately you only get glimpses of these other characters and they seem superficial and two-dimensional. The comedic guards who initially interogate K, are reminiscent of the droogs in Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, the lonely and needy Leni, the bailiff and his wife trapped in the system. The painter Titorelli is perhaps the strongest of these characters, probably due to his role in shining a light on the choices that face Joseph K in his struggle to clear his name.

It's very much an ensemble piece from GCNS, but Pamela Shaw as Leni and Sean Reid as Titorelli particularly stood out. And although I enjoyed our afternoon, there was also a strong element of confusion within the story that resulted in me losing track in places and lost me completely at the very end.

In some ways the issues in "The Trial" are more relevant than ever today, but that's perhaps its very weakness. When reality contains more absurdities than are presented on stage some of the strength of message is lost. It's no longer a warning about what might happen.

"Poem in October" - March 2009

2009-03-26T22:52:00.000Z

Stop reading now. Time is short. Rearrange your plans. Do what you have to do to see this lunchtime show at Oran Mor (until Saturday) or at the Traverse next week.

I'm actually going to say very little about this as much of the poignancy of the piece comes from watching it develop over the course of 45 minutes. Robert Forrest's play isn't perfect - it has two or three lines too many that take it past what should have been a powerful end point - but it's pretty damn close. Finlay Welsh's performance isn't perfect - it's better than that. Telling the story of Walt - haunted by lost love, lost independence and what may be the ghost of Dylan Thomas, Welsh's ability to switch characters is uncanny. Truly like watching a man possessed. Beautiful, sad, funny, upsetting, utterly compelling and unsettlingly real. Look past the absurdity of the conceit and Forrest and Welsh have created something with a real power to affect people - and make them think.

Poem in October is a co-production between Oran Mor & the Traverse as part of the A Play, A Pie & A Pint season.
Image by Leslie Black used with permission.

"Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of Loneliness" - March 2009

2009-03-19T19:24:00.006Z

We'd passed on this one in our original plans as we'd had a mixed response to our previous encounter with Anthony Neilson's plays in "The Wonderful World of Dissocia". However, a couple of weeks ago Waldorf had her interest piqued by the blurb for it (forgetting about the Neilson connection) and as there were still tickets available for the Citizens £7 Tuesday performance we decided to give it a chance after all...

It's taken me a couple of days to write this up - largely due to the fact that I've struggled to get a handle on my response to it. Taking the form of a 19th century 'freakshow' but replacing physical grotesques with emotional traumas, Headlong and Nuffield Theatre's production looks sumptuous, but I found its delight in amusing the audience with 'gross out' humour deeply depressing. In fact, my initial comment to Waldorf on leaving the show was that I was unsure if I was more disappointed in the production or the fact that much of the Citizens audience seemed so amused by it.

One of the reasons I was so frustrated by the humour, is that underneath all the absurdity, blood and vomit each of the three tales has the potential to be genuinely touching. But despite the universally strong performances from Gant and his troupe (Simon Kunz, Emma Handy, Paul Barnhill & Sam Cox) I think much of the beauty and depth here is lost amongst the audience's gasps and groans.

What's also lost is the sense of accusation that seems inherent as the play progresses. The players debate amongst themselves as to what audiences want (and deserve) to see and while that of course remains a question for theatre I felt it required a more pointed nudge in the direction of the current state of television and "Reality" shows in particular.

And my confused attitude towards the show continues right to the end and its final 'reveal'. While I (and Waldorf) found it overly signposted there was clearly a good proportion of the audience taken by surprise, so I'm entirely unsure as to where to direct my frustration on that front.

While I don't think I can say that I enjoyed the show, I was always interested in it - and I guess sometimes that's more important.

Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of Loneliness runs at the Citizens until Saturday 21st March and then plays Clwyd Theatr, Cymru and Soho Theatre London.
Image by Ellie Kurtzz used with permission

"The Pillowman" - March 2009

2009-03-14T12:35:00.004Z

'Black Comedy'. Two words that are almost certain to grab my attention. But far too often they are attached to something that turns out to be lacking in blackness or comedy - and frequently both. No such failings here, that's for sure. XLC's production of Martin McDonagh's "The Pillowman" is as funny as you'd want it to be, and darker than is comfortable (which is exactly how it should be).

Writer Katurian finds himself in an interrogation room subject to some 'robust' questioning about the similarities between his gruesome stories and a series of child murders. In the next room his mentally damaged brother Michal is also being questioned about any involvement he may have had. What follows is a beautifully structured piece of theatre as we get glimpses of Katurian's writing along with elements from the brothers' childhood.

As Katurian, Kevin Mains transitions perfectly from confused to despairing but retains the character's quiet dignity throughout. It's a fully committed performance and the violence inflicted on the character has to take it's toll on the performer. As lead interrogator Tupolski, Richard Rankin gives a superb performance giving the character a smoothness which makes his playfulness all the more chilling. In contrast to Tupolski's calm control, the torture-happy Ariel is explosive, but Colin Harris effectively brings out the depth of the character. There's a dynamic amongst the three that I've been trying to put my finger on since seeing the show and it's something akin to watching Neo being doubleteamed by Morpheus and Agent Smith.

The middle of the three acts reunites Katurian with Iain de Caestecker's Michal and provides some of the play's funniest and darkest moments. Mains shines as we see him turn from suspect to interrogator while de Caestecker gives a genuinely childlike quality to Michal.

David Lee-Michael's direction impresses throughout with a great deal of creativity on display in realising the storytelling sequences. Two and a half hours is a long time to spend in the Citizens Circle studio so the decision to go with two short intervals was a welcome one and ensured the show never felt its length.

Thoroughly entertaining, thoroughly troubling. Great stuff.

Oh yes, a special mention for the way Colin Harris effectively dealt with the programme an audience member in the front row had inexplicably decided to place on the set's desk seconds before the start.

The Pillowman runs at the Citizens until Saturday 14th March.

"Kyoto" - March 2009

2009-03-10T21:05:00.004Z

On my way back to work after this lunchtime visit to Oran Mor's "A Play, A Pie and A Pint" I mentally prepared an opening paragraph about how my expectations were too high, possibly unfairly so. But after further thought I'm not prepared to accept that. Yes, as soon as the Season was announced David Greig's "Kyoto" was the one I was most looking forward too, but I'm afraid that by any standards this has to go down as disappointing.

We meet government negotiator Dan (Matthew Pidgeon) and polar scientist Lucy (Vicki Liddelle) as they stumble into a hotel bedroom during an environmental conference. It's an event they have circled around and anticipated at many such similar conferences over a number of years but the opportunities have gone untaken - until now.

While the performances from Pidgeon and Liddelle are perfectly fine and there are a few comic moments, the production feels somewhat unloved. Dominic Hill's direction seems entirely absent, sound and lighting are minimal while Greig's script feels like an early draft that's been fished out from the back of a drawer. The relationship has too many blanks that are never filled in - What finally got them through the bedroom door this time? And now they are here, why the hesitation? There are moments that are so bizarre that it makes the characters ridiculous, an overused running 'gag' that never has a pay off, an ending that left me uncertain - and if there was a message it escaped me.

And then we have the running time. While we've come to expect these lunchtime plays to fit comfortably within an hour they tend to be fairly consistent at 45-50 minutes but this was barely over 30 minutes. Of course quantity can't be equated with quality, but for the first time ever "A Play, A Pie and A Pint" didn't seem such great value.

Not a huge concern of course, I'll shrug it off and be back in a week or two. However, this is the first of five co-productions with the Traverse which will also be staged there starting next week. And that's a real problem, because if this was my first experience of "A Play, A Pie & A Pint" I doubt I'd be rushing back.

Kyoto runs at Oran Mor until Saturday 14th March and then at the Traverse from Tuesday 17th to Saturday 21st March.
Image by Leslie Black used with permission

"Five:15" - February 2009

2009-03-08T23:30:00.000Z

No, that's not a mistake - we did see this back in February (but Waldorf's been too busy to write it up). Although us giving opera a go this year was down to Bluedog, last year's original Five:15 show caught our attention but sadly too late to get tickets. So, how did we get on with this year's group of five new short pieces from Scottish Opera at Oran Mor...

Well, first up was "The Lightning-Rod Man" composed by Martin Dixon with Libretto by Amy Parker based on Herman Manville's story. Here, our narrator (Richard Rowe) and by extension the audience is asked to choose between faith and science. Should our Man (Daniel Keating-Roberts) rely on his faith in god to protect him from the approaching thunderstorm or should he buy from the Lightning Rod-Man (Phil Gault)? Set in America it had clear relevance in the continuing conflict between religion and science there as evidenced by the debate on Creationism, but I'm not sure it was much more than a joke at the expense of those across the Atlantic. And I do have to say that for a segment of a concept partly aimed at increasing the audience for opera including the line "To begin, our first character, a Man. I think of him as David Henry Thoreau, philosopher of peace and quiet and solitude. Or for those less well read than I, imagine him as a barn-raising, corn-fed farm boy" is hardly going to banish perceptions of intellectual elitism! But the performances were fine and the music was, well it was 'operatic' but I'm not qualified to say any more than that.

"Happy Story" composed by David Fennessy with Libretto by Fennessy and Nicholas Bone, after a short story by Peter Carey gives us unnamed He and She characters (Phil Gault and Lise Christensen). He is obsessed with wanting to fly and She sees his daydreams as a distraction that threatens their relationship - until she realises that she can be included in his dream. And it really is as slight as that. While Waldorf found it captivating and it certainly had an element of charm, I'm afraid for it lacked any substance and seemed to take a long time getting not very far. Again, performances and music were absolutely fine.

"White" composed by Gareth Williams with Libretto by Margaret McCartney was my favourite segment by a considerable margin. Set in a hospital where a foreign cleaner (Emma Carrington) finds a connection with a dying patient (Mary O'Sullivan) and her mother (Arlene Rolph). I'm pretty sure this is as close as I'm ever going to come to getting opera. Beautifully theatrically staged and lit this was a different beast entirely. While the other four segments all sounded similar (to my untrained ears at least) this was very distinctive with its echoes of hospital equipment and for the first time I felt that the music significantly added to the emotion of the piece.

Composed by John Harris with Libretto by Zinnie Harris "Death of a Scientist" based on the final hours of David Kelly who committed suicide after finding himself at the centre of a media storm over weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Here Kelly (Rowe) is portrayed as being tempted into suicide by glamourous Harpies of War (Rolph and Christensen). Had this segment been entirely fictional I wouldn't have had a problem with it, but being based on a real-life tragedy we found it in dreadfully poor taste making it deeply uncomfortable to watch. While not necessarily a taboo subject for a serious drama I have no idea what possessed Scottish Opera to think this was appropriate. However, the performances were impressive.

And finally the Tales of the Unexpected style "Remembrance Day" composed by Stuart MacRae with libretto by Louise Welsh with performances from Carrington, O'Sullivan and Dean Robinson. This seemed the segment that made the greatest effort to break down perceptions and make itself of interest to a wider audience - including an ipod and swearing for amusement value. It also seemed to have the greatest content and actually moved along with considerable pace rather than the frequent (irritating) repetition in many of the other segments. This one had a story to tell and knew how to get us there with a considerable bit of humour thrown in for good measure.

So, what have I learned? Well, I can kind of see why some people can be enthusiastic about opera but I'm afraid I'm never going to be one of them. For me it will always remain a dreadfully inefficient way of telling a story - some of these segments of approximately fifteen minutes amounted to just three pages of libretto. It's all just so S-L-O-W and repetitive and with the exception of "White" the music was so generically 'opera' that it could have been almost interchangeable. And while I applaud any attempt to gain it a wider audience and make it accessible (in cost and perception) I'm far from convinced that their marketing is achieving this to any great extent. Never mind the impact our attendance had on the audience demographics, I'm not entirely sure that Waldorf's grandmother (in her 70s) didn't lower the average age.

That said, I'm genuinely glad we've given it a chance and if the Five:15 concept returns in 2010 we'll probably give it another one. So thanks again to Bluedog who has provided his considerably more informed opinions here.

Five:15 has now completed its runs at Oran Mor and The Hub.
Image by Richard Campbell used with permission

"Baby Baby" - March 2009

2009-03-08T21:42:00.004Z

Vivian French's play, based on her own novel, presented the audience at Cumbernauld Theatre with two fifteen year old mothers from clashing cliques within a school who find a common bond in their unintended pregnancies. "Baby Baby" isn't quite the challenging or perception altering play it wants to be, but it is a wonderfully stylish piece of theatre with two hugely impressive performances.

Cleverly structured and told in flashback Ashley Smith's pink haired goth Pinkie and Hannah Donaldson's label clad April tell their intertwined stories. In addition to voicing their own characters they each portray a multitude of characters that feature in the other's tale and both give hugely impressive performances in bringing them to life. French's dialogue for the teenagers rings true but there aren't enough moments of humour to significantly raise the entertainment level. Indeed, many of the show's best moments are unspoken.

Jemima Levick's direction keeps things interesting, Jane Howie's movement set pieces are delightful and Philip Pinsky's soundtrack is superb, but oddly the show seems simultaneously too long and too short. While never dragging, at just over an hour it felt closer to ninety minutes, yet it ended while it seemed it still had plenty of places to go. We don't get any real sense of the difficulties the future holds for the characters or more than passing references to the fathers.

And although I'm not unsympathetic to the seemingly central message that these girls made a mistake, and that we all make mistakes, I'd have liked there to have been an appreciation of the cost that mistake (and in fairness, the way society responds to it) will have on the baby. It's not that the play makes things seem too easy - it doesn't, but it does take a distinctly short term look at it.

Thanks largely to the accomplished performances and a clear stylistic vision for the piece, Stellar Quines and Perissology Theatre Productions have put together something that has definitely put them on our 'watch list'.

Baby Baby has been on an extensive tour of Scotland which it completes this week in Aberdeen, Kirkcaldy and Castle Douglas.
Image by Billy Fox used with permission

"Educating Rita" - March 2009

2009-03-04T22:43:00.001Z

When we listed our plans for Spring shows we were unsure about the Citizens' "Educating Rita". Willy Russell’s play about a young woman trying to gain an education from her disenchanted tutor didn’t hugely appeal but we said we would decide once we had cast info. Well, the reason we saw it last night was entirely due to the casting – but perhaps not in quite the way the Citizens anticipated…

One of the things that drove us away from the touring productions at Glasgow's Kings and Theatre Royal was the use of celebrity casts – and soap stars in particular. So when the Citz announced Charles Lawson for the role made famous by Michael Caine and promoted it as starring “Jim McDonald” from Corrie and Emma Cunniffe (from BBC’s The Lakes) I must admit that my heart sank. But a little research revealed that Lawson and Cunniffe both have considerable and impressive stage credentials so we felt obliged to give the Citz the chance to prove that this wasn’t a move towards “stunt casting”.

Fortunately Lawson and Cunniffe are quick to demonstrate that they are more than up to performing the demanding roles that see them sharing the stage for almost the entirety of its two hour run time (plus 15 minute interval). While Lawson is comfortable with the moments of Frank as comic drunk, they are actually fairly restrained and for the most part he makes Frank’s passion, enthusiasm and later his disillusionment the main focus of the character. Cunniffe effectively characterises Rita’s development and makes her believable throughout while retaining the charm of the character.

It would be fairly easy to dismiss Russell’s play as being 'of its time' and having little to say for itself, and to be honest immediately after the show I was left feeling rather underwhelmed by it. But actually, many of its themes kept coming back to me today, sharp reminders that several aspects still have a considerable bite. The questions of 'teaching to exams' and rote learning of facts are more significant than ever – in both our schools and further education establishments; and Rita’s discussion of the impact of her peer group in restraining her opportunities for learning first time round should act as a stinging warning for a generation who (we are told) recoil from intellectualism. Of course the show also has a particular resonance for our little blog here and our ongoing aim of ensuring that we give our own (considered) opinions on shows rather than be influenced by the reputation of a writer/play/actor or what others are saying. Few things set the theatrical blogosphere alight as much as the debate on the value of individual opinion vs ‘objective’ intellectual criticism, and what is 'Educating Rita' about if not that?

However the one element that seems out of place is the portrayal of Frank's alcoholism. While Lawson effectively brings out the character’s frustrations and the inevitable comic elements, there is a lack of appreciation of the damage that’s being caused to others. In the almost thirty years since it was written I think we have moved towards a culture where Frank’s drinking (discreet or otherwise) is less likely to be tolerated and it’s difficult to believe that Frank's students would be hesitant in having action taken against him if they felt they were not receiving 'value for money'.

Jeremy Raison’s direction works well during scenes, but the first act is seriously overlong and overly punctuated by breaks between scenes and I spent the final few short scenes of the first 'half' expecting each one to be the last. It’s a big ask for an audience – especially one with a number of school outings present (although infuriatingly many of them seemed to have come well prepared – share sized Doritos, family packs of Jelly Tots etc etc etc.) We also somehow seem to have acquired an awful habit of applauding at the end of each scene – which only adds to the sense that the action has come to a grinding halt (again). But Philip Witcomb's set is remarkable – I can’t remember a more striking one on the Citz main stage. The mahogany bookshelves and Gothic window are brilliantly atmospheric and the piles of books visible behind the shelves and below the stage are delightful flourishes.

Perhaps this isn’t a production that is going to indelibly etch itself in my memory, and perhaps it takes a bit of thought to identify its continuing relevance, but there is no doubting the quality. In future we’ll certainly give the Citz the benefit of the doubt regarding the use of well known faces – provided they continue to have the stage presence to back it up.

Educating Rita runs at the Citizens until Saturday 7th March
Image by Eamonn McGoldrick used with permission

"Year of the Horse" - February 2009

2009-02-21T12:08:00.002Z

Tron Theatre Company, Burnt Goods and Actor/Performer Tam Dean Burn have put together what is effectively an exhibition of the work of illustrator-turned-political cartoonist "Harry Horse". To accompany the fifty two cartoons published in the Sunday Herald, Horse supplied short pieces of text, and these are 'performed' by Burn in front of large projected images of the work. But make no mistake, Burn has ensured that Horse is very much the star of the show - I'm just not sure that it's the better for it.

While Horse's work clearly has considerable artistic merit, I'm afraid I found much of the political content disappointingly blunt. It probably doesn't help seeing cartoons that were published weekly in such a condensed format as the topics and targets quickly begin to feel repetitive. And while in some cases the accompanying text provides context, much of the topicality is diminished by the three years that have passed since publication - it feels a bit like watching old episodes of "Drop the Dead Donkey". But there are plenty of moments of incisiveness - a stinging analysis of David Cameron and a series focussing on environmental issues in particular.

The show is clearly one Burn is passionate about, and in the programme notes he makes a case for the recognition of Horse, but by confining itself to using Horse's text we never quite get a sense of enthusiasm for the work that could carry the audience with it. Burn clearly has the potential to perform a Steve Irwin or David Bellamy type role where he could make his own love of the work contagious and it's to the detriment of the piece that Burn isolates himself from the material. I desperately wanted to hear why each of the works had an impact on Burn, and what he took from them.

And rightly or wrongly, it's difficult for me to isolate Horse's work from the circumstances of his death - particularly given the sense of moral authority inherent in much of the political comment.

"Year of the Horse" is a creative and elegant tribute to Horse but lacks the effervescence required to fully engage a wider audience. The glimpses we get of the charismatic Burn are too restrained and while the intention of focusing attention on Horse is admirable, a little more of Burn would have been to the benefit of both - and the audience.

Year of the Horse runs at the Tron until Saturday 28th February with a 9pm start time

"My Clydeside Valentine" - February 2009

2009-02-15T00:50:00.004Z

We gave up years ago on booking a table in a restaurant on Valentine's weekend and suffering dreadful service and overpriced food at a table that has been squeezed in next to the toilets. But I think it was the Citizens Community Company's "My Bloody Valentine" in 2007 that made us realise that Theatre could be the alternative we were looking for. And this year they are back with a 2009 Valentine's week show - "My Clydeside Valentine".

Comprising fifteen short sketches, monologues and songs we get a blend of the comic, the tragic and the nostalgic on a Valentines theme. Over the last few years we've always found the Community Company's shows to been well written and performed but tonight felt even slicker and tighter than in the past, so credit to Directors Neil Packham and Elly Goodman. Yes, there are still some segments and performances that aren't quite as successful as others, but the Community Company is about developing skills over a period of time - not just for a single show.

A prime example of the benefits of this approach is Catherine Chan who over the last couple of years has progressed from playing relatively small roles to this evening where as a very confident young actress she was very much the star of the show -playing central roles in three of the segments. She also wrote "On the Spot" which was a nice moment of theatre brilliantly performed by herself along with William Shields and David Black. The couple's emergence from the audience and dispute with our usher was inspired and certainly had a few in the audience taken in - for a moment at least.

Another self penned highlight was Neil Bratchpiece's "The Wee Man's Date" in which he starred with Noreen Morton, Alan Ward and Evy Vourlakos. The clash of two very different romantic picnics was well performed by all four, and Bratchpiece has a talent for creating mental images that linger much longer than one would wish.

Frances Rose Kelly and Danny McGonagle's "My Clydeside Valentine" musical number was darkly comic and strongly delivered, while the ensemble songs all worked well with the live music being a great addition - particularly in "It Must Be Love". But the quieter moments also work, with Waldorf particularly enjoying "Looking Back" by Rena Hood performed by Patricia Preston and Eddie Donoghue while I was more taken with Anne Marie McLeod's "Beside the Clyde".

There are too many segments to mention them all, but each made an effective contribution to the evening, and Frances Rose Kelly's "The Rollerettes" made for the perfect end to the show with a level of genuinely enthusiastic audience involvement that is rarely achieved.

My Clydeside Valentine has now completed its run in the Citizens Circle Studio
Image by Tim Morozzo used with permission

"Fifteen Minutes" - February 2009

2009-02-12T22:59:00.001Z

Back at Oran Mor for A Play, A Pie and a Pint, and just as well I arrived early as those arriving later found there was a run on the pies! It's a testament to the quality of their productions in recent years just how much of an institution it has become, and even if this week's installment set at an "X Factor" style audition didn't blow me away, it was always entertaining.

In a 50 minute lunchtime play with the emphasis on fun, there's little harm in allowing your two lead characters to remain as caricatures, but here, in attempting to give them more substance writer Kim Millar resorts to some heavy handed audience manipulation. Admittedly this isn't exactly out of place in a parody of reality TV, but is nonetheless a fruitless exercise - and a pity as I'd much rather have seen the situation play out without the 'startling revelations'.

But there remains much to like about "Fifteen Minutes", not least two very strong central performances. Armed with some exquisite dialogue from Millar, Joyce Falconer as serial auditionee Jacqueline sneers her lines in a gloriously deadpan style, while Sarah McCardie is thoroughly believable as the younger Lynsey starting out on a reluctant first attempt to grasp the limelight. Indeed, McCardie's "audition" was worth the ticket price on it's own.

The essential problem is that it simply can't compete with the real thing - or at least the American versions that also reach our UK screens. Nothing here can compare to the fun to be had at the expense of the self-delusional wannabees, the drama of personal traumas being overcome, or the bitchfest and mental breakdowns that only Hollywood Week on American Idol can provide.

A fun way to spend an hour over lunch but, with the exception of McCardie's vocals, instantly forgettable stuff.

Fifteen Minutes runs at Oran Mor until Saturday 14th February.
image by Leslie Black used with permission

"Defender of The Faith" - February 2009

2009-02-11T00:01:00.002Z

The Tron's Artistic Director Andy Arnold brings us Stuart Carolan's study of an IRA cell haunted by suspicions of an informer in their midst. Set in 1986 at the height of 'the Troubles' it would be easy to dismiss as having little relevance or interest - but this isn't about the politics, it's about the people.

The first act that introduces us to the family at the centre of events suffers from teetering towards "Father Ted" territory as it plays up the humourous interactions between the characters - and the overuse of profanity for cheap laughs doesn't help matters. However, Callum Munro gives an assured performance as younger brother Danny, providing an intriguing insight into the clash of British/Irish cultural influences he faces on a daily basis.

For me, even when Martin McCardie's informer-finder-general arrives the tone remains fairly light and we don't quite get the sense of fear that we should, although Waldorf was more convinced by his quiet menace. But then the play shifts up a gear and for the next forty minutes is finally firing on all cylinders. The informer's confession is handled fantastically well, and the confrontation between father and older son Tommy (Lewis Howden and Martin McCormick) is one of the most tense moments I've had in a theatre for some time. Credit also to fight director Carter Ferguson for what I think was the most sickening on-stage violence I've ever witnessed.

And had the play ended at that point I'm not sure if I'd have sat in stunned silence or given a standing ovation - it had that kind of impact on me (although Waldorf was considerably less taken with the evening). But neither of those things happened. Inexplicably, to my mind, there is one final scene left to play out - the sole impact of which was to diminish the power of the previous scenes.

I'm still grasping for an overall sense of what I thought of the evening and I think it probably comes down to this - a strong production of a not-so-strong play.

Defender of The Faith runs at the Tron until February 28.
Note: In some performances the role of Danny is played by Jan Plazalski.
Image by Richard Campbell used with permission.

"Tam O'Shanter" - February 2009

2009-02-08T23:10:00.001Z

Perth is a fair trek for us, so it requires something a bit special to justify the effort involved, and although Horsecross' interpretation of Rabbie Burns' "Tam O'Shanter" had caught our eye it wasn't really in our plans. But how could we not make the effort to see a show whose promotional materials include a Government Health Warning: "This play may contain more than the recommended daily units of alcohol"? And that kind of playfulness pretty much encapsulates creator and director Gerry Mulgrew's take on Burns' classic tale.

Recognising that a simple presentation of the text would be rather slight, Mulgrew has built a framework around it utilising some of Burns' other works for inspiration and throwing in some theatrical in jokes and other delights. While not all of these additions are entirely successful - the puppetry and face mask segments seem stretched - others such as the church and drink ordering scenes significantly enhance the whole.

The eleven strong cast are universally excellent and all bring their own specialties to the table through dance, music, recitation and song. Andy Clark as Tam and Robbie Jack as Rab Ruisseaux both give impressively physical performances including a Delboyesque pratfall by Clark. Claire Benson's dance contribution is striking, Kirstin McLean provides amusement as poor Meg and Brian MacAlpine produces memorable turns as the Minister and others. But these are only my personal favourites - the whole ensemble are superb.

This is a fantastically creative and imaginative production filled with moments of genius - the storm outside, the eightsome reel, the versatile bar/pulpit prop and some inspired 'aerial work'. It's just an absolute blast of energy and inventiveness while serving as a reminder that Burns is more than a portrait on a shortbread tin. No pretensions - just joyfully tongue-in-cheek.

And although it was more than worthy of our journey to Perth Theatre, I would hope that there will be a further life for this production - it certainly deserves one.

Tam O'Shanter runs at Perth Theatre until Saturday 14th February
Image used with permission