Going Stag

Three years ago as I wrote here, I took my first visit to the Above The Stag Theatre. The new venue, above an established gay bar in Victoria aimed at running a programme of plays, musicals and cabarets of particular interest to the LGBT community. I met the artistic director, Peter Bull who spoke to me of his passion for theatre and his enthusiasm for the new project to succeed. Peter’s programming ethos was refreshingly honest mixing camp cabaret and saucy comedy with serious drama and ambitious musical productions.

Over the next few years ATS went from strength to strength artistically but of equal importance they began to do well commercially. Productions were selling out again and again and runs were having to extend beyond their original listing. Much of the success was down to Peter himself, his unfailing hospitality and not least his canny business sense. As the controversy over the ‘Low Pay, No Pay’ issue echoed around the London fringe, Peter rightly and proudly pointed out that not only did he pay a permanent stage manager, he also paid all his performers.

His team including Tim McArthur, Richard Lambert and writers Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper plus many, many others all worked together to improve the out-put Above The Stag making it the sell-out success it became. Opening nights Above The Stag became highlights of my reviewing life and whilst I haven’t enjoyed everything at the venue, it has been extremely satisfying to see the ‘Sold Out’ sign outside again and again and again.

Today Peter has announced the imminent closure of both The Stag and it’s precious theatre upstairs. Developers have scheduled the levelling of the building and the bulldozers are due in by the end of March. I doubt very much if the gay community will kick up much of a fuss about The Stag closing down but the closing of its theatre will be a huge loss.

In the last three years I have met so many interesting, funny, fascinating, talented people Above The Stag that I am committed to help them in their search for a new home. In a press release Peter has announced:-

"We are committed to continuing Above The Stag's success, and we therefore urgently need a new home. We would love to hear from property developers, pubs with unused function spaces, or any other property owner who would welcome a resident theatre. We bring a well respected programme, up to date sound and lighting equipment, and a loyal audience. The Stag Pub’s bar takings over Christmas were up 27% thanks to our panto.

"We are also looking for donations to our ATS ‘Moving On Fund’ to help us relocate and cover the costs of interim storage. We have built something of a family at Above The Stag and that includes our enthusiastic audience. What we have achieved over the past 3 years is too valuable to lose, but we need all the help we can get to make sure we find a new home. We want everyone to stay in touch as well so email us via the website or pop in to the pub on Thursday 8 March between 6.30pm and 9pm when we’re saying thank you and goodbye too everyone who has come to and been in our shows. We’re offering a free drink on arrival and there will be a short entertainment at 7.30pm comprising songs from previous shows and maybe a monologue or two. We’re hoping as many faces as possible will be able to call in."

I hope to see you all there and if you know some way to help ATS move on to bigger and better things, then drop by.

Trying My Patience

My final show of this week meant a return visit to the Union Theatre where last Friday I saw the wonderful production of King John, directed by Phil Willmot. This time I was there to see Sasha Regan’s All-Male Patience, the latest in an installment of Gilbert and Sullivan operetta’s that dismiss all soprano and contralto roles for that of young men singing falsetto.

I have made no bones about the fact that have found these productions compromised on several levels. Today, if I see an all-male - or for that matter an all-female - production of anything, I expect to be given a reason why. There is no reason given for the switch in this production, we are simply expected to see boys dressed as girls and accept this as a stylistic choice. Fair enough.

Now the boys sing the score quite well.

You couldn’t mistake them for anything other than a chorus of boys either vocally or visually but they hold their own and with neither amplification nor corsettrey they hammer home the cross-dressing conceit. Then the male chorus arrives and the difference in volume and power is palpable and something of the score is lost. Musically, if you don’t mind compromise then this shouldn’t be a problem.

Personally I have a problem with a production that sacrifices quality for a ‘single joke set up’ in this way. There are scarce moments where cross-dressing sheds any new light on the relationships in Patience and this particular brand of satire sits very awkwardly on what is already an extremely accomplished satirical piece of theatre. Does the cross-dressing make really it more accessible to a modern audience?

What is more, a member of the creative team, when I expressed my concerns offered - “There are notes these boys are singing that a lot of girls only wish they could sing!!”

Let’s face it, how would he know, it’s not like they auditioned any girls for this. Such blind arrogance and ignorance on the matter only go to fan the flames of my argument against this style of production.

Shallow Laughter

Shallow Slumber by Chris Lee has been nominated for three Off West End Award and in my opinion, deservedly so. It has been nominated as Best New Play and for both its actors Amy Cudden and Alexandra Gilbreath. Aside from a few quibbles with the lighting this was a first rate production and yet for the second time this year, I have been to a play which I would be unlikely to recommend to anybody I know.

I hasten to add this has nothing to do with the quality of the piece, it is simply that it is immeasurably bleak, namely infanticide. The subject is honestly handled, truthfully told and well performed. The play was sold out for the rest of it's run but it certainly isn't anything I would cough up the price of a theatre ticket to see.

I suppose in real terms, we all ask different things from the theatre at different times in our lives. At the moment I crave comedy and there is very little new work, except perhaps black comedies out there. Hopefully Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper, creators of the wonderfully wicked adult pantomimes Above The Stag, will come up trumps with their new pay A Hard Rain, which receives a rehearsed reading on 27th February.

Just For The Record

Having gone from just one show planned as of the beginning this week, it immediately stretched to four including two that had been nominated for Offie's and one student showcase. I shall begin with the tale end of last week and Ezra Axelrod performing live tracks from his debut album. I have to admit I rather liked Ezra, although his preening about in skimpy underwear to tease his target audience was completely unnecessary. Songs From An American Motel is really little more than a live band performing but it's definitely a talent worth having a look at. Sadly it comes with the now ubiquitous self analysis that so many American performers seem to think we are interested in. For the record boys and girls, we usually aren't that bothered.

Tuesday was Valentine's Day so naturally I was doing a little performing of my own although I rather hope that there are no reviews on that online. Not since the final pay-off, anyway. In fact Tuesday was an absolute delight featuring way too much Swarovski, some divine Chateaubriand and a particularly fine chocolate heart from Fortnum & Mason's and no drama whatsoever.

Wednesday featured lots of drama including a visit to the Embassy Theatre at Central School to see the graduates for the Musical Theatre course strut their stuff. In the evening I went along to see Port Authority at the Southwark Playhouse, which I was pleased to see heavily patronised - and for good reason. Ardal O'Hanlon had been nominated for his performance but in fact there were three actors here doing some fine work. The play - don't ask me why it's called Port Authority - gives us three of the seven ages of man, or perhaps I should say "Irishman" all beautifully painted through Conor McPherson's witty, poignant script.

Black Is Definitely Black

Today it is officially the last day of my holiday and as tends to happen with me, I spent much of the time off running around like a blue-arsed fly doing this, that and the other.

Actually much of it has been fairly restful and for five days I neither swam, went to the gym and for one of those days I didn't even leave the flat. In something of a blue-funk of late, I felt that I had to force myself to relax a little bit; try to do some painting; do some cooking and get my head around the new year properly. Hopefully I have come out the other side ready to face the world head on again.

Last night I made a rare visit to the Tara near Wimbledon Village. This tiny, oft forgotten theatre is a little gem of a venue that never really gets much attention outside of Earlsfield although in all honesty, I don't see my self recommending Next Swan Down The River Might Be Black to any of my theatre-going friends. The subject matter, whilst pertinent is far too bleak and lacking in theatre-craft for my personal tastes.

However the venue is lovely, the staff welcoming, the bar staff cute and I would heartily recommend a visit in the future.

Where To Now?

Having just taken a couple of days off to recover I am about to start my Offie responsibilities this week, when on Friday I am off to see King John at the Union. Before that, I am visiting Tara Arts at Earlsfield for Next Swan Down The River Might Be Black and then on Thursday I am at the Leicester Square to see Ezra Axelrod: Scenes from the American Motel.

Nothing if not varied.

Romeo & Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is currently running at the Broadway Studio in Catford. Probably not the best production I have ever seen but certainly not the worst and in fact there are some sweet performances, including the ones I have mentioned in my official review. What did occur to me as I sat listening to the fate of the two star-cross'd lovers unfold, is how I am much less patient with them than usual.

R & J do behave like a couple of spoiled brats and had they simply spoken the truth in the first place there might have been hell to pay from the parents, but neither would have died. Sean suggested and he is probably correct, that I am looking at the story with contemporary eyes and layering onto the story a distinctly modern perspective. This may well be the case but this attitude was no doubt compounded by the relentlessly bleak design accompanied by contemporary costume.

I don't have a problem placing Shakespeare's plays in a modern setting but it has to serve the theme and text. What you get in this production is a bunch of well spoken young lads, knifing each other to verse. Catford's Romeo and Juliet is neither theatrical nor realistic and sitting on the fence in this way is a sign of timorous hands at the helm.

Off West End Encore

For the first time ever I missed the second day of IMATS but the reason was a good one. The second annual Off West End Theatre Awards. Had you been paying the slightest bit of attention to me over the last two years, you will know that I am one of the judges of this event, which views independent productions in London throughout the year and awards the best of them.

This year, Sean and I trudged over to Stratford for brunch in Westfield - Balans for those who might be interested - and then on to the Theatre Royal, Stratford East where Sofie Mason and her team had arranged a wonderful reception for the nominees, sponsors and judges.

Whilst there were no surprises for me as such, I was still desperately excited by the awards and cheered loudly as the nominations and the winners were read out. Of course, I may not have agreed with all the winners but that is the nature of a democratic panel and to be honest, it is never the raging, heated debate you might think.

The Weekend

This weekend saw two major events in my 2012 calendar. The first being the International Make-up Artist Trade Show. Now in its 11th year the show has grown to practically fill the main hall at the Alexandra Palace in North London and as ever I was working on the educational segment of the event. This entails introducing the speakers to the guests and ensuring that they arrive on stage relaxed and ready with all their needs met.

My journey to the venue began at 6.00am and whilst it was freezing cold it was heart-warming to see one of the MAC Cosmetic boys on the Piccadilly Line on the way there. Resplendent in two fox furs to compliment his leather jacket and diamante studded boots and gloves this Piccadilly Line Peacock must have woken at at least 4.00am to have applied the full, Boy-George eye make-up including immaculately arched eyebrows. The MAC crowd always make me smile as somehow their passion for individualism renders them to all look the same.

Over the years I have had the privilege of meeting hundreds of artists at IMATS and they remain a fascinating and disparate group of people from salon workers keen to pick up the latest trends to Academy Award winning designers ready to share their knowledge with keen students. IMATS attracts an eclectic mix from the monster-makers looking at the latest innovations in silicone moulds to lipstick divas of either sex. Make-up appears to be the great leveller. It is also true that I have seen LOTS of make-up designs over the years so it is always reassuring to notice pieces that still have a spark of originality about them.

The piece below kept catching my eye - and not for the reasons you are thinking. I felt that this body paint used an interesting colour palette reflecting old tattoos and features amusing and detailed design. The artist was Ava Belle.

The current downside of IMATS is that in terms of location, it is in the arse end of nowhere. You are left to the mercy of public transport and there is nowhere close by to escape to for lunch or a drink after the show, away from the crowd. This year, I had to head off quickly anyway, as I was meeting Sean back in Crystal Palace and in the way I chatted briefly to an IMATS visitor as she was walking to the station. Apparently she had travelled for the weekend from Ghana, where she is a make-up artist - London being the nearest big trade show to her country. Wow! Suddenly Crystal Palace didn't seem so far away after all.