Out And About

Despite the hectic schedule I occasionally have to run, I do still get time to catch the odd show which isn't on my review schedule. I've had a run of these recently, starting with a Jerusalem at The Lost Theatre on the Wandsworth Road. For whatever reason, I was one of the 17 people who never saw Jerusalem when it was on in the West End. Jez Butterworth's play starred Mark Rylance originally at the Royal Court and then transferring to the Apollo and was one of those performances that EVERYBODY was talking about.

I am a big fan of The Lost Theatre so I made a point of not missing their sell-out production last week. It was a real treat, although I had not quite expected for it to set so close to home. Although set in a fictional town on the Wiltshire/Somerset border, the accents were deeply familiar to me and the poetry and rhythm of the dialogue made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion.

Mark Magill's set and James Thacker's costumes caught the squalor perfectly and Jack Bowman's thoughtful direction  wisely allowed the play to weave its own magic. The performances were uniformly strong but kudos must go to Ryan Davies playing Jonny 'Rooster' Byron. A mammoth role for any actor, Davies was utterly mesmerising, capturing the ripe mix of hedonism and fatalism vital to the character. I may have missed Rylance's award winning performance but I think Davies probably gave him a run for his money.

I spent the day in Essex on Tuesday and while I was scheduled to see Hot Stuff at the Queen's in Hornchurch, I also managed to catch The Panto Bus Ltd tour of Goldilocks, The Three Bears and The Mayor Of Porridgeton. It is quite common now for panto production companies to mount half-term shows throughout the year catering to a young audience. Anyone who knows me, knows of my love of pantomime although it was very odd to be hearing the kids excitement mount as the lights went down and the music kicked off.

The production was great fun and although the setting and costumes were fairly basic, the colour and energy were palpable, the story engaging and the performers had the kids in the palm of their hands.

On Wednesday I finally got along to The Lonely Soldier Monologues at the Cockpit Theatre. I had been planning to see this much earlier in its run but my work diary put a stop to that. Written by Helen Benedict, the play bears witness through verbatim episodes of life for a woman the US army before, during and after the war in Iraq. It's a hard play to sell but Prav MJ's production is a real winner, blending startlingly honest monologues with slick, stylised military manoeuvres on stage.

Benedict's play sheds light on inbred misogyny within in the military and raises awareness to the lack of attention or care given to those women who came back from the front with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Friday night, I cycled over to Fulham and the Drayton Arms Theatre for a new musical, The Theory Of Relativity. I have to say, it did not augur well. I was pretty tired from a busy week and when I asked what the musical was about, I was advised that it was a 'song cycle'. My heart sank a little, as I enjoy a good story and the phrase 'song cycle' tends to leave the impression that the writers couldn't think of one.

As I have stated before, a new musical appearing on the fringe is really a work in progress. Writer Neil Bartram has a distinct style and has written some powerful ballads for Theory but more light and shade may be required in the future. The really pleasant surprise was the book by Brian Hill, which crafted a fascinating story artfully connecting the disjointed tales together with empathy and humour.

Bartram's striking score, Hill's book and Christopher Lane's staging combine to create a really agreeable piece of modern musical theatre and a strong calling card to future producers. I will certainly be keeping an eye on Bertram & Hill's work in the future. I don't imagine that The Theory Of Relativity has much of a future life beyond the fringe in its current state but I could quite easily see the piece taking off as a student showcase.