Next Dramatic Step

There are some dramas that write themselves. Not because James Graham's ‘This House’ was a historically accurate play, but because it was larger than life. The five years following 1974 were peculiar times, a hung parliament and big social change, lend themselves to the stage. Playwright Graham commented that when he struggled with climaxes or conflict, he used the truth. For example, the only time in history the famous Big Ben and parliament clock had come to a halt. Neither bombs nor Blitz could stop it, it was as if it could sense the tension and freeze as a grand gesture of no confidence.

This House follows these eventful five year from the whips office. If you're not familiar with the circus of British politics, the whips job is to whip members of parliament into shape, in the right direction, in their favour. A rather thankless and unglamorous job, but for some, it's the best. As labour whip Walter Harrison described it as: being in the engine room of politics. Dirty and difficult, you turn the cogs with manipulation, barging, empathy and, if need be, physical persuasion. The cast of 16 worked like that well-oiled machine.

Playwright and director, Jeremy Herrin, have found comedy in this bleak situation. They were so many polar opposites that bounce and play of each other. The gruff northern Labour members and the plum voiced Tory members, the foul mouthed men and the girls that want nothing more than to play along, new thinking and old traditions. Anne Tyler played by Lauren O’Neil encouraged swearing and dreamed of being a chief whip.

The Houses of Parliament played its part, the benches were filled with audience members, the clock played the ever watchful eye and the Speaker introduced characters. London and its beautiful landmarks are often romanticised and for good reason, it is stunning and grand. It's also old, that's meant to be a compliment. New countries don't have our traditions, the serjeants carry sword because that's what was done. The placing of the ceremonial mace because that's our majesty's presence in the house.

It's as if a soap opera has clashed with a historical documentary: manslaughter enquires, faked deaths and elaborate schemes. The life expectancy of Albert Square and the Houses of Parliament rival each other. Though nobody dies in 'the house', thirteen members of parliament still lost their life to exhaustion and stress. All fact. See, the drama writes itself. It makes you proud to be British.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman * * * * *
Life of Pi by Yann Mantel *
Talking to the Dead by Harry Bingham * * * *
Delicate Truth by John Le Carre * * * *
Lost at Sea by Bryan Lee O'Malley * * *

Some people love a challenge. Moby Dick? The Herman Melville novel? The novel with the gigantic white whale? It can’t be done! Well, Simple8 tried and succeeded. Simple8 is a critically-acclaimed ensemble based theatre company who specialise in creating innovative, bold new plays that tackle big ideas using large casts – all on a shoe-string budget. So how does a company with a shoe string budget put on an epic production like Moby Dick? Am I asking too many rhetorical questions? They say the first rule of acting is reacting, and the cast and crew have taken that to heart.

The harpooning of such a play, that’s right, get ready for a sea of puns, were led by Captain aka Director and Playwright Sebastian Armesto. He has captured every tone of the thrilling, yet informative epic. Ishmael, played by Sargon Yelda, offers his opinion of the Pequod’s mismatched crew as well as educating the audience on the types of whales and the finer details of whaling. Yelda is our innocent, wide eyed story teller that enters the voyage with the same romantic notion as the audience, yet darkens as the sea and sky turn grey.

Yelda is just the bow of the ship and cast. In his foamy wake are a sturdy band of actors. Joseph Kloska’s Ahab is a perfectly pitched mix of obsession and mania, and Leroy Osei-Bonsu’s Queequeg is majestic and gentle. Each of the ensembles played their part handsomely, grabbing the audience from the first accordion note to the last sombre hum. Music, song and jaunty sea chants help to sail the story home.

But there was a bigger problem than the narrative of the 600 page novel. They had a leviathan task ahead of them, the whale in the room, how do ye put a white whale on stage? Answer, you don’t. A candle in the stormy ocean wind, Simple8’s run was brief. Its run has ended so nothing is about to be spoilt. As previously mentioned, acting is reacting. The actors, with little more than drift wood, make us believe in Ishmael’s and company’s adventure. They make us see a whale, believe Ishmael and Queequeg fought against a typhoon and sailed out in whaling boats. Brilliantly executed, I had a whale of a time watching Moby Dick.

When I first heard about one of my favourite books, ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’, was being made in to a play, I felt like this:
:/

But I brought a ticket anyway. Although there are moments that made me feel like this:

It is a funny and uplifting journey and I left the Apollo Theatre feeling like this:

I am very defensive of books, especially the accuracy and care of adaptations. It’s rare for a film, television show or stage adaption to fully capture the spirit of the book, however there exceptions to the rule. The National Theatre’s ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ is one such exception. Mark Haddon’s 2003 novel of the same name follows Christopher Boone as he solves the mystery of what happened to his neighbour’s dog, Wellington. But Christopher is not an ordinary 15 year old boy. His disability should not be labelled as ‘Asperger Syndrome’, but his dislike for people touching him, the use of metaphors and need for routine certainly makes life difficult for him and those around him.

The book is distinctive in its telling; Christopher is writing the book as events unfold, it is a story about a story, Christopher’s story of self-discovery and curious incidents starts with the story of the dog in the night-time. Director Marianne Elliot and stage writer Simon Stephens faced a challenge. This style of storytelling works beautifully on paper, but on a stage, an extensive use of monologues can bore an audience. The narration is shared amongst the cast and Christopher’s, played by Luke Treadaway, thoughts are shared in imaginative and humorous ways.

Elliot and Stephens are aided by Frantic Assembly, a thrilling, energetic and unforgettable theatre company with a unique physical style that combines movement, design, music and text. Together, they show rather than tell. As Movement Directors, Frantic Assembly uses the actors on stage to create Christopher’s world and help us understand his dreams and anxieties. They create organised chaos as Christopher enters the over simulating city of London. Scenes and action, time and place change seamlessly before our very eyes.

Simon Stephens has done well to give life to the novel, keeping the charm and innocence Mark Haddon weaved into a story about rats, numbers and growing up. Christopher’s calming method of counting prime numbers and other magical mathematical mannerisms are brought to the stage with the use of computers and projectors, four to be exact.

Not just adored by the public but by their peers. At Sunday’s Oliver Awards, ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ walked away with seven awards including: Best Actor, Luke Treadaway; MasterCard Best New Play; Best Director, Marianne Elliott and Best Lighting, Sound and Set Design. ‘Curious Incident’ is a feat of acting, movement and technical brilliance. They work together to create one unique, prime piece of theatre.

‘The Victorian in the Wall’ is the story of a lost soul cruising through life, as many of us are. But, it wasn’t always like that. There were times in Britain when we were prim and proper, for example, Victorian England. So when our protagonist and lost soul, let’s call him Guy, loses his focus and drive, he gets the Victorian kick up the bum he needs in the shape of Mr Elms. This Victorian Gentleman is just one colourful character. The small cast of five, led by Will Adamsdale create a vibrant array of characters, putting Guy in situations that bring out the best and worst in him.

It is a fun rump through a less than typical moment in Guys’s life. It is littered with laughs, physical humour, and music and singing, but there is a message. The beauty of this piece is the possibilities; it can touch you in many ways. For me, it was CARPE DIEM. I saw myself in Guy, the emptiness of starting sentences with ‘One day’. Diets that will start on Monday, my day off will be my writing day; I’ve got to drink less coffee but today is hard.

Guy is a faulted man, a poor boyfriend that struggles to mature. He is stuck as a short story winner and promising university student. But the answer is there all along, Guy wears a Nike t-shirt that reads ‘Just Do It’. With the help of Mr Elms and … others … he finishes the script, languages and martial arts are mastered. Unfortunately, there are some things in life that cannot be predicted but can be eerily foretold in a well written script, provided by Adamsdale and his inventive cast.

This play brings Foley art to the stage; they do not hide their sound effects which are made though props and voice. They have found comedy in every corner of this play and its mechanics. The fridge is described as ‘someone that is about to say something and of course, it does not speak in Guy’s favour. The stage is a hub of stuff; changes in costume, set and time period are laid before us and we are transported in a heartbeat. ‘The Victorian in the Wall’ is simple, elegant and imaginative. More show than tell, it proves great theatre is based on talent, not budget.

Please check it out on the Royal Court's Website! The run beings 11th May.

http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/the-victorian-in-the-wall

Comedy used to be underground; quite literally, basements filled with smoke, laughs and heckles. Roy Castle blames his illness on passive smoking during his years of playing the trumpet in smoky clubs. Now, it’s glamorous and a little main stream. Comedians fill 20,000 seat arenas and frequently popping up on our television screens in panel show after panels shows, and if you’re Jimmy Carr, hosting panel show after panel show.

I saw Jimmy Carr at the Cliffs Pavilion for a second time, different tour which is why I didn’t bother mentioning it in the previous blog. And it got me thinking, are we actually seeing our favourite comedians. Jimmy Carr is normally the head of the show, trying to control the likes of Joe Wilkinson, Sean Lock and members of reality television shows that do not realise they are being laughed at. But he’s quite different on the stage.

It’s been said before, comedians on the telly box use up all their PG material. So when it comes to the stage, all that is left is filth. Funny filth, but the dirty corner of the mind stuff. ‘Gagging Order’ is Carr’s his tenth solo show and he is still going strong, but he is not the Carr we see on screen. He encourages mayhem; he drags audience members on stage and asks us for our own dark secrets. What’s the worst thing a man has asked of you ladies? What’s the worst excuse a lady has given you not to have sex?

One thing you don’t see on television is Jimmy’s ability to reaction. His comebacks and wit shines on stage and, for me that is his true comic genius showing. Not one liners or cartoons, but the way he interacts with the audience. This is why he is on his tenth tour, because every live show is unique. It is only those there that know the hilarity of bleached bum holes and pear drops. So you may like a comedian from the telly, but you will love the comedian on stage.

Come on with the rain! Again.

There are only a handful of shows I have seen more than once. Blood Brothers (3), We Will Rock You (3), Footloose (On and off West End), Frankenstein (both ways) and now Singing in the Rain (2). My mother recently had a birthday and she is rather difficult to buy for. Like me, the rest of my family are big fans of musicals. I had commented that I liked Singing in the Rain upon seeing it the first time and she said she would also like to see it. In short, I’m amazing daughter and took my mother to Singing in the Rain, for me, the second time. Was it just as good the second time around?

It was fine. This is such a middle of the road statement but it’s true. I’ve seen the rain, I’ve seen the dancing; the only thing I hadn’t seen was Jennifer Ellison’s tits. Excuse my language, but they were fucking massive. I’m sure they’ve not always been that big. May be it was the angle of my seat. Anyway, I was familiar with what I was seeing but I still craved that feeling, that atmosphere that only theatre goers will understand. But I got to be honest, I didn’t get it.

Every time I see a show again, it’s because I’ve hyped it up to someone else or Benedict Cumberbatch. I’ve always walked away underwhelmed and hoping that the shows meet the expectations I set. This worked with Blood Brothers and We Will Rock You; the other shows, I feel people may have been too polite to say otherwise. It’s difficult to capture that first time; it’s never quite the same. The quality is the same but the anticipation can never be reclaimed.

But with my little free time and littler money, I should be seeing things I haven’t seen. There are still a lot of musicals I haven’t seen and some I will never see. Seriously Thriller, no more. I haven’t been to the theatre as much as I have in the past which is why this blog is going downhill. I must see more and do more. I’m forever turning new corners, I think I’m lost.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald * * * * *
A modern tragedy of spoilt pretty young things. A witty poke at the American dream.

Bookshelf Porn

I was in Cyprus last week so apologises for the lack of blog, and for the lack of book reviews. I have been a bit of a mess at the moment with balancing two jobs, the threat of redundancy from one and sorting out work experience in teaching. I am four months into the Susan Hill Challenge, although I have sort of cheated in buying some audio books, but they’re not made of paper so I don’t really count them. Two are read by Benedict Cumberbatch so I had to have them, especially after ‘Neverwhere’, and the other is the original BBC Series of ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’. I haven’t read as much as I would have hoped but, like I said, wee bit stressed. And when I’m stressed I like to watch Disney and sing until it stops hurting or my prince turns up. It’s never the second.

Here are the books I’ve read since An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin.

Them by Jon Ronson * * * *
This is a mesmerising examination of those labelled ‘extremists’. Ronson shows these individuals in a new light whilst remaining critical and provoking.

A Hundred Names by Celica Ahern * * *
An engaging story of the importance of the individual, it ticks all the chick lit boxes.

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres * * * *
This took me forever to get into but it was worth it, an emotional tale of love and family in a difficult time of war and poverty.

The Single Girls To Do List by Lindsey Kelk * * *
After the ‘heavy’ Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, this was a perfect fluff read; funny and charming, but predictable.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley * * * *
This is a remarkable novel when you take a moment to remember when it was written. It is scientifically fascinating as well as ethically and psychologically.

The Order of Harry Potter: Literary Skill in the Hogwarts Epic by Colin Manlove * *
The title fascinated me but the actual book was disappointing, there are some interesting takes on the HP saga but it just reiterates what happening in the books.

That’s a total of 13 books so far this year. Must try harder.

The London Below Cast

I loved ‘Neverwhere’. I loved the writing, I loved the storyline, I loved the people. I was in love with Benedict Cumberbatch from the word Go, and I feel in love with rest of the cast in the first 10 minutes. I started listening for a number of reasons, the first two being Benedict Cumberbatch; the third, the author; the fourth, the hype and the fifth, because it was an audio play. Radio dramas aren’t a form I’m familiar with but I wanted to try harder to soak it in. I’m a little late to join The Archers but ‘Neverwhere’ was a six part series and I knew when and where it would be playing.

For those of you that have no idea what I am talking about, ‘Neverwhere’ is a tales by Neil Gaiman; author, screen writer and Tumblr royalty. One evening Richard (James McAvoy), an unassuming young businessman living in London, stops to help a poor injured girl on the street, an act which suddenly causes him to be erased from his ordinary, everyday life, and which catapults him into the mysterious subterranean world of London Below.

The dramatization by Dirk Maggs (great name) deserved all the praise it got. It’s funny and gripping, full of darkness and light, and all the other oxymoronic turns of phrase I can think of. It was all the things. What it did best though was open my eyes to what was possible. In my stage writing, I rely a lot on visuals, on the unsaid. I like awkward pauses and the richness of subtext. What ‘Neverwhere’ showed me is this can be achieved with just sound. Credit must be given to Maggs’ sound design; the layers of his work help the audience’s imagination create London Below and the characters that dwell there.

I hope those that have heard ‘Neverwhere’ are inspired. I hope that a new generation see radio drama in a different light, there’s a lot more to it than the Archers. As a result, I have treated myself to ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’, the original BBC series, on audio. I’ve also been given the kick up the bum I needed to write for a local audio company, Frequency Theatre in Colchester. Audio is a format that cannot be ignored; after all, so many people had their start in the BBC radio studios, not the television studio.

All dressed up and no where to go

‘Port’ is a simple story. It takes place in Stockport and follows Rachael between 1988 and 2002, jumping from one life event to the next in a Robert Winston ‘7up’ kind of way. It is very much a modern story, how hard times affect people already at the bottom, hard on their luck and going nowhere. It is an examination of a place and a time. The posters boast the returning collaboration of playwright Simon Stephens and director Marianna Elliott, but it is far from ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.’

Rachael Keats, played by Kate O’Flynn, is a typical Stockport girl with a humble wish: to leave. There are attempts and plans that are never quite put into motion, even the actress barely leaves the stage, growing up and maturing in front of our very eyes. This constantly raised the big question; why doesn’t she leave? Maybe Stephens has done it, that infamous modern tragedy, as Howard Barker described, an ordeal where the hero must earn his death throughout the play. In this case, Rachael must earn her exit but it is only herself in her way.

I am in two minds about this production; it was raw and bittersweet but lacked a punch. It reminded me of an A-Level practical exam, a simple chronological structure that focuses and rotates around that one girl that can act. There were things unsaid and wasted words, events we’ll never truly understand. Nonetheless, Stephens dives straight into the very heart of the matter, to reflect on who we are and where we come from, we never truly leave our hometown, it is part of who we are.

I felt a little underwhelmed, I wanted to believe that Rachael would leave but she couldn’t. But isn’t that the point? Isn’t that the point of ‘Waiting for Godot’? Isn’t that the point of ‘Hamlet’? We are all talk. No one in Stockport try for their dream, some don’t have any, but never try, never fail. Stephens shows there’s no silver lining in Stockport, yet he and director, Marianna Elliott are both from Stockport, prime examples of leaving and success. Theatre used to transport us to exotic land, now we are reminded of the hardship and poverty in our own country. Rachael doesn’t earn her exit, but she doesn’t deserve her fate.

As Seen On TV

As I have said many times, theatre ticket prices are on the rise and there are more and more unavoidable charges, such as the new ‘restoration levy’. The theatre is asking for more money but the government is taking more away. Despite the rise during the Olympics, what goes up must come down and I fear this might not be ticket prices, but audience numbers. There’s something special about live entertainment and the shared experience of being an audience member, I’d like to suggest an alternative: television.

I don’t mean staying at home and watching it on a screen, I’m talking about the recordings in front of a live audience. Many television recordings are free and just as entertaining as theatre, obviously, in different ways. Theatre comes in many forms; drama, comedy and musicals. We can all agree on one thing, we like it when it goes wrong. Television goes wrong more times than it goes right for the select few that get into the studio.

Unlike theatre, you are not guaranteed a seat. In television, they over ‘subscribe’, they give out too many tickets to secure a full house. This looks better on screen; empty theatre seats are not ideal but not as important. Every 20 minutes of the final cut, it’s taken approximately one hour to film. Sure, there are dull moments of scene changes and some jokes have to be re-recorded but it’s worth it for an inside glimpse into the off screen relationship between famous faces.

I was lucky enough to be invited to watch the recording of ‘A League of Their Own’. As I am without a sporting fibre in my being, I’d never watched the show and there I was, watching the first episode of the seventh series. I can’t say much more than that except I had a fantastic time. We were put on stand by and managed to get in, like I said, no guarantee. If there was a surety, if you knew you had a seat and your trip to London was not for naught, even if you paid a small fee, I think theatre would have a real rival. I know I’ll be in the running for tickets more often.