See How They Laugh

The second farce of the week for me kicked off at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley. I am inordinately fond of the Churchill as is has all the usual perks of a modern provincial theatre - comfy seating, reasonable bar and lots of space - and it’s only a short bus ride from my home in Sydenham. Part of the Ambassadors Theatre Group, the Churchill will often feature either big shows on their way to the West End or productions heading out on tour. 

This week featured a major television and film actor embarking on a tour of his own production of the classic British farce See How They Run. There is nothing particularly remarkable about this except that the actor is Warwick Davis and his company consists of equally short actors working on a reduced height set. Davis goal behind setting up his Reduced Height Theatre Company is to open up roles to short actors, which might not be available to the in conventional theatre. 

Davis is probably the highest profile short actor in the country at the moment, thanks to staring roles both on film (Star Wars; Harry Potter; Willow) and mainstream television (Extras; Life’s Too Short). Despite this, Davis’ stage work so far has been limited to pantomime and more recently as stint in Spamalot. Undeniably an accomplished film actor, I found Davis was being acted off the stage in See How They Run by his leading lady Rachel Denning and by fellow performer Phil Holden. The important thing is that Davis saw where the stage talent lay and made sure it took pride of place, with himself in the decidedly less showy role of Reverend Toop. Either way, Davis lending his name and talent to any theatrical venture should be good news at the box office.

Aside from the undeniable pleasures of this creaky old farce, it is difficult to see what a company of short actors brings to the table here. I am undoubtedly impressed with the companies ability to maintain the pace and energy of a farce but I couldn’t help thinking that if Davis wished to showcase previously un-noticed talent, why on earth did he choose something so eminently low-brow. When I see any revival, I hope to be able to catch something new or find a reason as to why the producer and directors have chosen the play. I didn’t really catch it here and it left me in a quandary as to how to approach a review. I think in the end, I have given it the benefit of the doubt in anticipation of future work. 

It's About A Gerbil Called Gaylord.......

Farce is a notoriously difficult theatrical device to pull off. Aside from exceptional/visionary writing it requires a gifted director to choreograph the business and equally talented actors who understand the concept and can meet its physical demands. As it turns out, this week I have been to see two farces, each very different in nature and with varying degrees of success.

For the second year in a row, the From Page To Stage season has popped up at the Landor Theatre in North Clapham, to showcase a selection of new musical theatre writing. Produced by both the Landor and Katy Lipson’s Aria Entertainment, From Page To Stage is an excellent platform for new writers, allowing their work to take a step forward in the development process. 

From more than 120 submitted applications, Lipson and her team have chosen a broad mix of musicals, at varying stages in their development and a host of talented performers to perform them in either rehearsed readings or full production. So on Wednesday evening, I witnessed the premiere of Before The Night Is Through Olivia Thompson and Chris Whitehead.

Set in 1935, Honey Quenelle is England’s most glamourous movie star. Already an heiress of considerable wealth, she is hampered by idle relations, un-cooperative producers, jealous co-stars and unreliable catering. Thankfully she can always rely on her trusty butler Hugo to pour oil onto troubled waters but even he is stretched to the limit when news arrives of an escape from the local lunatic asylum.

Olivia Thompson is to be congratulated for developing a uniquely bizarre original story on which to hang her musical. There are some nice touches and thoughtful character development and the narrative itself divides neatly into a two-act musical format. The world Thompson creates for us is that of a heightened reality, with instantly recognisable comic characters, each with a viable - if slightly absurd - back story. The skill of the writer, especially when writing in this style, is to try to avoid huge swathes of exposition. Exposition may establish a backstory but without care and attention, it can sound desperate, clunky and should be avoided as much as possible. 

Before The Night Is Through, delivers a huge amount of exposition before a note is even sung and doesn’t really let up until the denoument. There are some fun, catchy musical numbers along the way but ultimately the balance of book against music is too one-sided and could bear some serious editing. I would recommend as an exercise, to either blue pencil any irrelevances to the central plot to see how far down the script can be paired and still make sense OR to remove all exposition and see what happens then.  

These are simply writing exercises designed to streamline an idea rather than alter the style or pace. Keep you farce as gloriously absurd as it is, just sharpen the writing to create a better balance with the score - this is musical theatre remember.

On a much lesser note, consider the title of this show. One of the worst things I have ever seen on stage was called What Happened Last Night, which only fed the plays many critics with fuel for amusing headlines the next morning. This musical is no-where near as flawed as that play but you really don’t need to give possible detractors a helping hand.

I shan’t comment on the performances, as this is essentially a showcase for the writers but needless to say, the talented company showed a great deal of dedication to the work and an evident affection for Thompson’s quirky comic style.

One Over The Eight

I will be the first to raise my hand and admit that I know jack all about dance. I like to think that I recognise the beauty of dance and I can appreciate how good choreography will inform the narrative of a musical. However, when it boils down to the nitty-gritty of dance criticism, I wouldn’t know a tendu from a plie.

With this in mind I was excited although a little apprehensive about attending Drunk at the Bridwell last night. Drunk is a new musical/dance cross-over piece by Drew McOnie and Grant Olding, performed by the newly formed Drew McOnie Company. On the simplest though perhaps most accessible of subjects, McOnie contemplates the character of various alcoholic drinks, while a girl waits for her date in a bar during happy hour.

McOnie has gathered a team of highly accomplished performers - strong vocalists and energetic dancers - who weave an entertaining, articulate story bursting with character. Gemma Sutton, a powerful singer recently seen playing Roxie Hart at the Leicester Curve, frames the story with tales of past love while each member of the company punches out a routine that characterises Shots, Lager, Gin & Tonic, Champagne….you get the picture.

A satisfying score by Grant Olding features a broad mix of styles that sweep through the bar and rest easily on the ear. The lyrics are both witty and engaging – anyone who can rhyme libido with speedo is a winner in my book – and despite the light nature of the piece, there are moments of intimacy and introspection included that help balance the score.

Shored up by a boisterous five-piece band and a prescient design from Ryan Laight (set and costume) and Richard Howell (lighting), Drunk is a fascinating premiere from the Drew McOnie Company, whose future I will watch with great interest.

Im Cabaret, au Cabaret, to Cabaret

Last night I attended The London Cabaret Awards, an annual event that focuses on the myriad of alternative cabaret acts that make up the core of London’s light entertainment scene. While I do attend a great deal of cabaret in London and indeed covered the London Festival Of Cabaret last year for The Stage and Musical Theatre Review, I wouldn’t say that I was conversant with the alternative scene. This said, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of friends old and new who were present at the Lost Theatre last night and how many of the acts I had already seen and enjoyed.

It was a colourful affair, as you might expect and full of the glamour and grotesquerie that make up the scene liberally sprinkled with the movers and shakers who run venues and book acts. Chief among these is the organiser of the event Paul L Martin who, as well as performing himself, runs the entertainment agency Excess All Areas. I have known Paul for a few years now, notably reviewing him in Ruthless at the Stratford Circus (a gazillion years ago!) where he played the theatrical agent Sylvia St.Croix. Since then our paths have crossed several times on the theatre scene and of course he is responsible for the highly successful Battersea Barge pantomimes. In fact I still credit him with the funniest panto title to date – Snow White & The Seven Signs Of Ageing.

Aside from all this Paul is the MD of Excess All Areas and the company go to great pains to elect a mixed judging panel each year to populate a list of nominees for the awards. The judges this year were promoter and producer Catia Ciarico, producer James Seabright, performer and programmer Jillian George-Lewis, cabaret director Klare Wilkinson and club designer Norman Gosney. The host for the event was the wonderfully subversive Myra Dubois, Rotherham’s least celebrated daughter and the evening featured performances from The Dream Bears featuring the adorable Luke Power, contortionist The Tom Show, The Original Street Dancers and the lovely singer/songwriter Tamar Broadbent.

The awards were presented by, among others Adele Anderson, Samuel Cairnduff and the enchanting Barb Jungr, looking fabulous in a striking new red dress! As to the winners, there were several names I knew in the shortlist and a few of the winners too. For the complete nominations check out the awards website but below is the complete list of winners.

Best Vocal Act – Lady Rizo

Best Musical Variety Act – Adam Kay

Best Drag Act – La Voix

Best Host – Benjamin Louche

Best Burlesque Act – Kitty Bang Bang

Best Speciality Act – The Boy With Tape On His Face

Best Alternative Performer – Duo Bogof

Best Newcomer – Tina T’urner Tea Lady

Best Production – Black Cat Cabaret

Best Circus Act – Jess Love

Best Cabaret Venue – Soho Downstairs

Audience Award – Jayde Adams

Outstanding Achievement AwarJd – Jo King

Unsung Hero Award – Gay Bingo at the Empire

Other familiar faces at the event were journalists Adrian and Liz Arratoon, pianist extraordinaire Michael Roulston cabaret performer David Hoyle and Chris Dennis (the glorious winner LaVoix) plus of course Mark Magill and the team who run The Lost Theatre.

Colour, comedy and even the occasional spot of political satire, the London Cabaret Awards are worth their weight in gold. A hugely entertaining night out that will hopefully continue from strength to strength, truly reflecting the diversity and talent on offer in the capital.

Richard III - He's Keeping It In The Family

At the weekend I managed to catch up with Hiraeth’s production of Richard III, which is currently playing Upstairs At The Gatehouse. In the course of my work as a theatre reviewer I have seen quite a few productions of Shakespeare’s plays, the most common for me being Othello – I’ve seen lots of Othellos! For some reason Richard III had always escaped me, so aside from a decent knowledge of history and having seen two movie versions – Olivier and McKellen – I was looking forward to seeing what Hiraeth had done.

Both the acting and direction are sound, although there is nothing overwhelmingly breathtaking about the production, although Nadia Malik’s costume designs are worthy of note. Director Zoe Ford has set her Richard III in a bleak, dystopian past – think Mad Max meets The Tribe – and while Malik’s costumes are evidently created on a budget, there is uniformity and invention there. Furs are juxtaposed against leather and Richard himself – David McLaughlin – is strapped up to hint at remedial adjustment to a physical abnormality. Of course the real abnormality is Richard’s homicidal ambition and McLaughlin hammers this home in no uncertain terms.

Malik’s design also makes good use of hairpieces on both the men and the women, helping create a better illusion when the small cast have to double up. For a better idea of the look, check out photographer Adam Trigg, who has taken extensive, excellent photographs of the production. Although the costumes are neatly observed, Richard III is let down by a simple set that sadly fails to occupy the Gatehouse stage. Also, I realise I am opening up myself to ridicule from scholars but to echo some other audience members, I have no idea what the moth motif is all about. I expect there is a reference in the text but it’s never really made clear.

IMATS Edges Nearer

On Wednesday, after a mammoth cycle from Crystal Palace to Shepherds Bush (25k in 1hr 50m, although I did get lost!) I met up with Michael Key and a whole group of people connected to the IMATS show. It’s so good for us to get to meet up like this, as come June 27-29, we will all be running around making sure that the show runs smoothly at Olympia.

It was fun to catch up with old friends in the relaxed surroundings of the Kwest Hotel & Spa, such as Michael and of course Sheelagh Wells and not to mention Cliff Wallace and his wife Dee, who run Creature Effects in Uxbridge. It was also an opportunity to meet new people including Gideon Shawyer from the Delamar Academy and make-up artist Paul Gooch.

Time went far too quickly but there was a great atmosphere and it’s very interesting to hear about different movie projects from a make-up perspective as opposed to the costume perspective I more often hear now. I for one can’t wait for June to get here now.

Throwing Stones

This week saw several introductions, the first of which was to Forum Theatre at the Albany in Deptford.  On paper, Forum Theatre, might appear to be a ghastly innovation. A play where the audience is encouraged to stop the action, debate the situation and indeed, get up on stage and show what they would do to alter the narrative. It is with some trepidation that I wandered over to Deptford that wet Thursday evening to see Glasshouse, a new production by the Cardboard Citizens Company.

The plot itself deals edged around issues of homelessness and how key critical events within the family unit can trigger a breakdown. It may not be a new story, but poet and rapper Kate Tempest gives it a new beat and director Adrian Jackson keeps it lively and full of twists and turns. The story is told three times, from three different perspectives and the second act is opened up for the audience to dissect.

It’s not an easy, or particularly democratic process by which to examine the story but it is thoroughly engaging. The audience are encouraged to speak their mind and Jackson as mediator and facilitator works the crowd like a seasoned Jerry Springer.

Glasshouse is touring until May 18, so if you fancy taking in a new style of theatre that lets you have your say, then check out the website for dates and venues. On another note, I really do like Deptford and the Albany. The area is distinctly multi-cultural – I couldn’t find a chip shop for love nor money – but the people are friendly; the architecture interesting – look up!; the contemporary touches fun and the Albany itself is a great, adaptable space, with comfortable seating, café facilities and cycle parking!  I do hope I get to go along again soon.

The Stage New Year Party 2014

The Stage annual New Year Party is an event I look forward to, not least because it allows me to catch up with so many friends and acquaintances from the London theatre community, who I usually only get to chat to 'in the interval'. Now tied into The Stage 100 Awards, the event remains a social highlight of the theatre calendar but now sees the presentation of awards for Best Regional Theatre, Best London Theatre, Best Fringe Theatre, Best Producer, Best School and the Unsung Hero Award, which was this year given posthumously to theatre consultant Andy Collier.

Listening to the acceptance speeches I couldn't help but be impressed by the Michael Grandage Company, who graciously listed the phenomenal accomplishments of its fellow nominees - Sonia Friedman Productions and Headlong - ahead of accepting The Stage for the award. That's how to do an acceptance speech! 

Among the people I was able to catch up with included Roger Foss, Stephanie Methven, Penny Horner, La familie Plews, Lisa Martland, David Burns, Danielle Tarento, Rosie Barltett and of course, some of The Stage staff who I no longer see on a daily basis.

The rest of the event was a flurry of introductions and happy reunions before retiring to The Globe for the less formal part of the afternoon. As ever this allowed me to catch up with Alan Myatt, who has been MC of the event for about ten years now and also Anna Papakyriacou and Sarah Rogers, who had dropped by to say hi. Sean popped by eventually and we wandered over to Piccadilly for dinner at the Brasserie Zedel, with time just before for a daiquiri at the Crazy Coqs - there was a massive queue at the American Bar.

Not all Fridays are like this - but it's just as well, I suppose. The morning had seen me file a student showcase review, spend an hour in the gym and swim 1500 metres before squeezing myself into a suit and catching a train to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. It was all compounded by the fact that I hadn't had a drink since December 31st in an attempt to bolster a New Year health kick. Well that's over now, at least until Lent!