Comedy of Errors: Review

It is often said that you cannot take Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors seriously, and this is the same in Jeanne Stacey’s production. She adopts conventions of the silent film era – using slapstick comedy, melodramatic gestures, intense physicality and some truly excellent reactions – in her direction for Harlow Theatre Company to bring the farce to life.

The play revolves around the separation of two sets of twins who are reunited as a result of a series of seemingly coincidental events in very quick succession, concluding in both a marriage and a reunion!

The cast were made up of past and present students of Phoenix Theatre School, and worked very well under Stacey’s guidance. Will Saunders and Daniel Boulton played the two Antipholus’, with both portrayals being distinctive enough to create different types of humour, but similar enough to notice, in hindsight, that they actually were twins.

Their confused wife was the excellent Katie Miller, who played the alcohol dependent and hilariously scatty Adriana. Molly Jenkins was her servant, Luciana, and the pair’s onstage chemistry was superbly funny.

Drew Gregg was the scheming goldsmith, Angelo, who stood out with a thick, yet clear, accent throughout and some great physicality. His nervous twitch worked similarly to Rhiannon Bates’ boundless reactions, with both ensuring that they embodied their characters throughout.

Joe Llewelyn, Ollie Stacey and George Jack all multi-roled well, with Llewelyn’s portrayal of the rather plump kitchen maid, Luce, being particularly notable.

The two stand out performers from the production, however, were Will Edden and Joseph Vaiana who played the twin Dromio’s. They were bold and energetic throughout and deservedly took the final bow.

Rob Dyer’s simple set design worked very well in conjunction with Stacey’s directorial vision, and the projections detailing the scene and the context were very effective; perhaps more so than in any production I have seen utilise such a method before. The costumes were very apt for each character and helped us to imagine the true farcical nature of the plot.

It was clear that this production was created very collaboratively between the director and the cast in order to make a really fun piece of theatre. The script was adapted to just the right length and made this a comfortable ninety minutes of playful acting.

@Harry_Tennison

Tickets for Harlow Theatre Company's production of The Comedy of Errors are available on 0844 8700 887 and runs from the 6th May - 9th May 2015.

Bugsy Malone: Review

Set in 1920s Chicago, Bugsy Malone takes influences from the lives of mobsters like Al Capone and Bugs Moran, before mixing them together with a cast full of kids and the infamous splurge guns. As Scott Baio, the original film’s star put it, “you couldn’t ask for a better first big gig!”

Brilliant Theatre Arts have brought their production to the Harlow Playhouse for a four-show run, emphasising the “immersive/interactive” nature of the performance. As soon as I walked through the theatres doors, I was greeted by a stern look from two pintsize police officers and rushed away with my head bowed low to collect my ticket.

This form of welcoming committee worked well, however, later on in the performance, it become irritating and distracting as cast members appeared through doorways in the corner of my eyes before running down a flight of stairs and darting off down another exit without contributing anything to the performance, and having to stand up in order to allow actors to barge through the seating. As a director, I appreciate that David Jenkins, who directed the production, has a vision that he wanted to achieve, however it often distracted from the main action taking place on the stage.

The emphasis for this production was, as it should be, on the talented cast.  Guy Trundle was Bugsy, playing the slick smooth-talker well, often appearing as one of the biggest on stage despite the fact he was physically one of the smallest! George Ellaway and Eddie Woodley had excellent on-stage chemistry as the crime fighting duo of Captain Smolsky and Officer O’Dreary, and employed this to very humorous effect. Jenkins and producer, Lee Ellaway, did well in ensuring that the cast were comfortable in expecting laughs and playing off of the audience.

Phoebe Mary Duffy was very good as Tallulah, seemingly intent on stealing Bugsy from Blousey, played by Elyvia Palmer who had an excellent voice. The stand out performance, however, belonged to Lucy Lawson as Fizzy. Her rendition of ‘Tomorrow’ was better than in the original film, and the accompanying dance with Gracie Leader was seamless.

Amanda Black’s choreography was clever and incorporated the entire cast, including the younger performers, combining well with Matt Evans’ musical direction particularly well in ‘Down and Out’.

The set, designed and built, by Chris Musgrave from Set Blue Scenery and Sandra Urwin was possible one of the most ambitious I have seen of a youth theatre production, working really well, especially in providing multiple exits at varied levels whilst Emily Brown’s lighting worked very well in depicting location.

Admittedly, I found it difficult to buy into Jenkins’ directorial vision and believe it actually hampered the performance; however, the more conventional elements of the show worked well. The entire cast of Bugsy Malone showed off their talents and their energy and commitment throughout was admirable.

@Harry_Tennison

Tickets for Bugsy Malone are on sale for their performance on the 3rd of May 2015 at the Harlow Playhouse on 01279 446754. More information on Brilliant Theatre Arts can be found here http://www.brillianttheatrearts.co.uk/

Bouncers: Review

John Godber’s 1997 play is the most famous of his works, with a new production of Bouncers opening every week. Furthermore, it is popular with young companies and is a set text for GCSE. This, therefore, made it an obvious choice for Phoenix Theatre Arts. This production has made the Studio Theatre in the Harlow Playhouse its home for the last three nights.

The play focuses on the lives of four bouncers, and the people who they meet in their jobs. We meet four girls out to have fun, four boys who seem intent on leaving the club with a girl (any girl!) and the four bouncers themselves, who are all portrayed very well on the whole by the cast.

Prior to getting underway, the four Bouncers came out into the audience and began to abuse the audience, setting the tone for the consistent breaking of the fourth wall that ensued. Whilst this was quite funny at first – I myself was mocked for “sitting like a girl” – the spectacle lasted over five minutes and began to drag which did reduce the effect of this slightly.

Will Edden, who has previously played Gavroche and Dodger in the West End, portrayed each of his characters confidently and very clearly enjoyed his role.  

Drew Gregg, playing Ralph, was physically strong, ensuring each of his moments had purpose, and made a particularly convincing Sexy Suzy! His subtle movements during a scene in which the other bouncers complimented him on the size of his manhood were particularly noteworthy.

Daniel Boulton had the difficult role of playing Lucky Eric who, alongside some of the funniest moments, also had the responsibility of numerous monologues throughout offering a ‘social commentary’. His comic timing was very good, and he was able to use his physicality to his advantage, often co-operating with Edden in a ‘little and large’ style duo.

The stand out bouncer, however, was fourteen year old Joseph Vaiana. The sheer versatility between each of his characters was excellent, and his impression of a typical North-Weald style salesman was spot-on. As Rudd, he never stopped reacting to the other bouncers and did stand out.

Bouncers Set, designed by Trevor Pavely

The design, by Trevor Paveley was minimalistic, as synonymous with Godber’s play, but worked nicely. The nightclub sign was a smooth touch, however the door could have been perhaps secured better as it did expose the actors at points when waiting to enter, which did reduce the clever back lighting, as designed by Rob Dyer.

From watching this production I get a great sense of collaboration between the cast and director, Jeanne Stacey. They worked well to bring the script well into the 21^st Century, with references to Uptown Funk and Van trainers, however some elements, for example the inclusion of a Thriller dance, seem out of place and almost superfluous to the flow of the piece. Furthermore, at times, the sound was too loud to hear the actors even in the front row of the intimate studio theatre.

@Harry_Tennison

Nevertheless, four very exciting performers managed to entertain their audience for the evening, giving a very honest and funny insight into the UK club culture and, more importantly, a good production of a play I will admit to disliking with a passion.

More information on Phoenix Theatre Arts can be found 

The Nether: Review

Between the Royal Court and the innovative Headlong, it is almost a foregone conclusion that the show you are about to see will make you think, questioning your own morals and opinions. In their latest piece, The Nether, recently transferring to the West End's Duke of York's Theatre, they create an online world in which complete and total sensory immersion is the goal. Taste, smell, touch and even sex are achievable sensations. The play debates the role of the internet in our lives now and in the future, as well as crossing the uncharted boundaries of debating paedophilia on stage.

Sims (left), played by  Stanley Townsend, and Morris, played by Amanda Hale.

Jennifer Haley's script is phenomenally written; in a play which is a cross between cop thriller and exploration of this extraordinary realm, she manages to make the time fly effortlessly, even embedding humor at some of the darkest points in her 80 minute play. Combined with the set design of Es Devlin, who was responsible for the Closing Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games and Kanye West's Yeezus tour, blows your mind as the interrogative grey wall falls for the first time and we are transported into The Hideaway - where "customers" are able to, through the use of avatars, have sex with children - reminiscent of a Victorian manor house, tall Poplar trees and Elk heads along with the delicacy of Iris' bedroom lulling us into a false sense of security and triggering gasps from the audience each time it was unveiled. Working in cohesion with the excellent videos of Luke Halls, the transformation from reality to virtual reality is insane, questioning which of the two actually is more real.

The astonishing visuals of the production are matched by an excellent cast; Amanda Hale was good as Morris, who interrogates the users of The Hideaway, however at times towards the end of the play lost some volume. David Calder who played Doyle was especially convincing and heartbreaking in the final scene, whilst Stanley Townsend was haunting as Sims, leading us to question the morality of his actions. The role of Woodnut was played by understudy Will Irvine but he put in such a strong performance it is hard to see how he is simply an understudy. The role of nine year old Iris was played by Isabella Pappas who, quite frankly, was extraordinary. Her genuine innocence, love and affection displayed would be unrecognisable in many actresses older and more experienced than her, so watch out for that name!

Iris (left), played by Isabella Pappas, and Woodnut, played by Ivanno Jeremiah. 

The Nether makes you ask very uncomfortable questions: how safe is the internet? Can we allow making our dreams a reality, albeit a virtual one? Is having sex with an avatar in a virtual reality a truly negative thing if it ensures that these men do not repeat their behaviour in the real world? Jeremy Herrin's sublime direction, combined with superb sets, video and an excellent cast to pose these difficult questions in a way which will stick with every audience member for a long time after the show has finished. As a result, the show will never achieve a standing ovation, as much as it deserves one. Buy tickets, I urge you. The Nether changes the way we think, and is superb in the way it does so.

@Harry_Tennison.

The Nether is currently running at The Duke of York's Theatre until the 25th April 2015. Tickets are available from the theatre box office, by calling 0844 871 3051, or by visiting their website http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/thenetherwestend/?tab=1.

Full of Joys: Review

The Music Hall was a popular form of entertainment from the mid 19th Century all the way up to the 1960s, providing for the masses a mixture of popular songs of the time, comedy and variety acts, acting almost like an untelevised version of Britain's Got Talent just without the large red crosses, tap dancing dogs and open-shirted judges.

Much like the ITV hit, however, audience participation was encouraged, most passionately by the "magnificently moustached chairman" Michael Branwell, who also directed the production, alongside Henrietta Branwell, and Jenny Southwell. His articulate and linguistically adventurous interludes guided the structure of the performance, along with some rather terrible jokes which would not have been out of place in a normal conversation with Michael!

The evening started with a selection of songs performed by some true veterans of the Music Hall as Jon McNamara who got some laughs from the audience as he 'twittered' about the stage, alongside Ruth Lewis who got a good chorus from the audience in joining in with 'Joshua'. Husband and Wife duo, Geoff and Jacqueline Leeds put in a good show, which Geoff accompanied with his accordion.

The first of two intervals was followed by a melodrama written by Jenny Southwell which proved funnier than I thought it would be, I shall be honest. Special mention must go to both Joan Lanario and Mike Rees, who were particularly funny in their roles, building on recent successes in Woyzeck. Kevin Smith, in his Moot House debut, was also noteworthy for his performance and I look forward to seeing more from him.

The final act was a number of musical numbers and dances along with Gary Shaw, whose jokes, whilst standing outside of the more traditional atmosphere of the performance, were topical and helped keep things ticking over nicely.

Whilst some of the songs and dances weren't the sharpest choreography, or best knowledge of the lyrics, it was a valiant effort from the majority of the cast, with the aforementioned standing out. Special mention must go to two of the audience's favourites of the evening in Claire Quley and Dan Powell who acted as waiters for the entire two and a half hours but, bless them, did look rushed off their feet by the end of it!

Whilst a Music Hall was not my particular 'thing', and a tighter focus on vocals and choreography could have been present, the overall audience appeared to have had a good time, as had the cast who took part. The Moot House Players' season is so varied with German classic Woyzeck previously, followed by the such a spectacle of variety. I look forward to their next production; Kerry Rowland's Metamorphosis.

@Harry_Tennison

The Phantom of the Opera: Review

The Phantom of the Opera has been seen by over 100 million people worldwide, and is the most commercially successful entertainment event ever. I had always promised my mother that my first visit to Her Majesty's Theatre would be with her, and so we embarked this evening.

The hype that comes with Phantom is unfathomable; celebrating its 28th year in London, following a sell-out 25th anniversary performance at the Royal Albert Hall starring Ramin Karimloo, and brand new productions touring the UK, US and further afield, it is easy to say that people can easily be swept up into the Phantom storm without seeing what is really behind that all to famous mask.

But if they were too look, as I did tonight, they would see a truly phenomenal production that, quite frankly, has blown everything I have ever seen out of the water. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's outstanding score, combined with an excellent book by Webber and Richard Stilgoe enables seamless transitions between song and speech.

The Phantom (Gerónimo Rauch) taking Christine to his lair.

The musical itself is based on Gaston Leroux's novel 'Le Fantome de l'Opéra' and tells the story of Christine Daaé, a very talented soprano, who rises to success through the help of an "angel of music". The angel is more commonly referred to as The Phantom, and haunts the Paris Opera House within which Christine performs, ensuring that it is run the way he wants it to be run, and that horrible events take place when it isn't. All the time, the physically deformed and grotesque Phantom seeks the love of Christine, with whom he is obsessed, much to the displeasure of her childhood friend, Raoul.

The Phantom, this evening, was played by Gerónimo Rauch, and what an excellent performance it was! The pain etched on his face within his lair as he let Christine go reduced me to tears - the kind of tears where your entire body sobs with your eyes - making it very clear how he had previously held down a phenomenal almost 3 year run as Jean Valjean in nearby Les Mis.

Emmi Christensson, who played Christine, and Raoul, portrayed by Liam Tamne, had fantastic on-stage chemistry.Their Act 1 finale has adorable, creating a delightful contrast with the violent outburst from The Phantom sending the phenomenal chandelier crashing back to the stage.

Within a very talented group of singers and dancers, Alicia Beck stood out as Meg Giry, Christine's friend and confident. Every single time she walked on stage, my eyes went straight to her. On top of this, she danced excellently along with the remainder of the fantastic cast, who proved that Phantom is truly a collaborative effort in the infamous Act 2 opener, Masquerade.

The cast perform 'Masquerade'. 

The production designs of Maria Bjornson are incredibly famous and rightly so; I gasped each time the chandelier began another epic movement, the scene transitions were epic yet perfectly seemless, and the fact that the boat which takes The Phantom and Christine to his lair is moved by Victorian machinery is absolutely phenomenal. I can't help but think that new productions of this show are missing something without her fantastic settings.

The Phantom of the Opera is one of only three shows I have given a standing ovation - the others being the National Theatre's King Lear, and Matilda: The Musical - but, I am certain, that it was the most deserving. The fact that these astonishingly talented people are able to go out each and every night and perform the way they do blows my mind. The spectral narrative, underscored by that of true love, combined with a phenomenal score, live orchestra and cast ensure that The Phantom of the Opera remains inside your mind for a long time to pass.

This review was for a production seen on the 29th December 2014. During this period, Christine was normally played by Harriet Jones.

@Harry_Tennison

The Phantom of the Opera is currently booking at Her Majesty's Theatre until 26th September 2015. Tickets are available from the theatre box office, by calling 0844 412 2707, or by vising their website http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/tickets/box-office.

West Side Story: Review

I hate West Side Story which seems a bit of an issue. I just can't stand it. Bernstein and Sondheim; sorry but I'd rather you just hadn't bothered. Annoyingly, however, I had quite a few friends in the show so was legally obliged to go and watch it.



What I did like, however, was this evenings production at the Rhodes Art Complex in Bishops Stortford.  The cast, largely made up of graduates from Phoenix Theatre School, were an incredible ensemble unit and, it goes without saying, are an incredibly talented group of performers who need to ensure they carry on performing.

Whilst I do believe the character of Tony is a drip, Lewis Russell played him excellent. He showed the true determination Tony can possess when he is trying to stop the rumble, as well as the remorse and sorrow after he kills Bernado - who in turn, played by Sam Jackson, was incredible!

In terms of a shining star, however, there is only one winner. Abbie Middleton was a simply astonishing Maria. She has a terrific vocal range, is an  incredibly talented dancer and shocked me with her acting in the final scene of the musical. Abbie: I know you will read this. You are amazing. Go for it girl because you can do it!

Malvern Hostick's clever set design, combined with the superb direction of Phil Dale and choreography of Katie Barker-Dale, made this a very good piece of theatre. It was, however, the very talented cast that made it an excellent piece of theatre.

I look forward to seeing you all in the West End in a few years time.

@Harry_Tennison

West Side Story is running at the Rhodes Art Complex from the 19th -  28th of September. Tickets are available from: http://www.rhodesbishopsstortford.org.uk/events/west-side-story/