Arts review
Carmen
English National Opera, London Coliseum, 22/02/2020Famous operas like Carmen lead to high expectations which are often hard to live up to. I was not disappointed however, with the ENO providing all the immorality and eroticism I was looking for, played out not only on stage but musically too. My only disappointment is the opera's ending, which simply fails to follow the big numbers from earlier on.
Nixon in China
Scottish Opera / The Royal Danish Theatre / Teatro Real Madrid, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 20/02/2020First lets talk music: Nixon in China is dominated by the droning of the oversized saxaphone section. It wasn't lacking in personality, but that doesn't mean I want to listen to it again. Instead, the opera depends upon a set of caricatures, extensive humour (when it didn't go over my head), as well as capitalising on its own unusualness. A high quality production of an unusual and funny, but musically disappointing opera.
God of Carnage
Theatre Royal Bath Productions, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 27/01/2020A friend asked me if there would be ice cream in the interval. Of course, I said - how else is a theatre supposed to make money? I was wrong. There was no interval, and for good reason: God of Carnage is a play that having worked up its momentum, daren't stop. To build up the continuous stream of absurdity and comic tension requires skill. To try and turn that tap off and then on again would have been a mistake.
The Rape of Lucretia
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow, 25/01/2020Britten's The Rape of Lucretia is not an Opera to enjoy. The overwhelming negativity combined with the intimate and competent production made it a stressful experience.
Onegin
The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera House, London, 18/01/2020Onegin (pronounced "On-ay-ghin") is a tale how a young man rejects the love of a young woman only to realise his mistake years later at which point she rejects him. Muted colours give the appearance of a moving painting to the ballet. The dancing carries the emotional content of the ballet. Something so beautiful, so sad as the protagonist Tatyana is rare to see. The contrast between this and Eugine Onegin's energy, aggression and flamboyance is what makes the ballet work.
The Snow Queen
Scottish Ballet, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 11/01/2020The Snow Queen certainly starts strong: clever use of projection leaves less to the somewhat limited storytelling abilities of dance. Thankfully the sets soon become less clever and we get to see more of dancing. Here, Scottish Ballet emphasise group dances above solos, probably too heavily - there were moments at which the mesmerising coordination was broken. Variation in style was good, helped by the complexity of the story. At no point did I find myself bored. However, the complexity of the story was also hard to follow. Musically, credit must be given to the orchestra and particularly the violinist who joined the Gypsy troupe on stage.
Coppélia
The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera House, London, 31/12/2019A Christmas ballet where a doll appears to come to life? No, not the Nutcracker - something far better. The Royal Ballet's production of Coppélia is - as far as I know - far from new. But its been reheated for good reason. Its a silly ballet and it knows it, with the Royal ballet being able to show off their comedic abilities. This is illustrated during the second act inside Coppélius' house. Comparatively, the final act was more about displaying the abilities of the ballerinas and ballerinos. This horse is far from dead, and is worth seeing next time the Royal Ballet decide to flog it.
My Brilliant Friend
National Theatre Productions & The Rose Theatre Kingston, National Theatre, London, 30/12/2019My Brilliant Friend is a two part play that is, I think, best seen entirely in a single day. It is wonderfully stylised. The storytelling is well paced and the transitions fluid, but at times the time jumps can be confusing. This is particularly true at the very beginning of the play where we're introduced to the protagonists as children. Only, because they're played by adults, I initially assumed that they were adults with learning disabilities. Eventually, I caught on to how the story was being told. In the second half, I think it was necessary recollect parts of the first half for everything to make sense. Creatively, the production has highs and (subjectivley) lows. Puppetry was used to excellent effect, but the more vulgar moments didn't feel wholy neccesary. I also think that the standout performance of Ira Mandela Siobhan as Marcello Solara is worth a mention. The quality of his acting was almost concerningly good given his part.
Three Sisters
National Theatre Productions, National Theatre, London, 27/12/2019The National's Three Sisters, inspired by the Chekhov play of the same name, is set during the Biafran civil war and focuses on the microcosm of a family relationship. In the first couple of acts, tension and strong feeling is balanced by humour. But when the curtain lifts for the second half, dispare has prevailed and the play becomes more tiresome to watch. This lead the final act to feel superfluous in an already long play. Such a charged setting could many playwrights to temptation, but Inua Ellams scatters the full spectrum political messages into the play, leaving the audience to take away whatever meaning from the play as they desire. Regrettably, some audience members decided to cheer at the most superficial messages.
The Mikado
English National Opera, London Coliseum, London, 02/11/2019The ENO's production is awful in all the best ways. I'm almost ashamed for enjoying the gourmet of un-woke humour, but this cannot solely be blamed on Gilbert & Sullivan. The ENO took it upon themselves to sprinkle additional jokes upon the dry spots, including a series of gags based upon the set's false perspective design. The Little List extracted a few giggles out of the audience at the expense of Westminster, and the music was good (as it should be). I'm inclined to think the ENO's musical abilities are wasted on something such as Gilbert and Sullivan, but if the ENO has a money spinning production it can dust off every so often I don't blame them. £10 is very little money for an enjoyable evening.
Tosca
Scottish Opera, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 18/10/2019I described my first opera - Katya Kabanova - as enjoyable a few months ago. Tosca has helped put it in perspective. Which is to say, Katya Kabanova was an underwhelming introduction to opera, and if future productions could please be more like this production of Tosca I'd be very happy. It had the right mix of humour, tension and (dare I say it) creepy perverted characters to keep things fresh across all three halves. At no point did I feel as if the whole "lets sing everything" went too far. And the music was sufficiently good that at times you forgot that you were listening to it. It was an enjoyable evening.
The Crucible
Scottish Ballet, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 28/09/2019I wish I could know exactly what Ballet is. The Crucible - a new production, with an original score - really did not feel limited to just dance. But whatever the creative director had been smoking, I want some. The use of the lighting and the set was very original, successfully creating quite a spectacle with apparently simple methods. And that isn't to knock the dancing - the virility, the mania and the sadness were very well communicated. The music was not of the usual ballet variety, and I would not have guessed that it was intended to be danced to. It worked very well however. Not a five star ballet, but I can't help but say positive things.
The Dutchess of Malfi
Citizens Theatre / Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Tramway, Glasgow, 21/09/2019When something describes itself as 16+ and the naughty bits in the first half are safely PG, you know things are going to get unpleasant. And they really do. I was left twitching, grimacing and questioning my choice of pastime. I can only the hope the cast were given counselling for PTSD. Yes, this production gets a lot of things very very right. There are some misplaced themes about (oddly including a Tarantino inspired one), some rather flat acting and some rather excessive acting. However, give it a week and all I'll remember as I lie in bed, trying to get to sleep, are the bits that made this play truly unpleasant and rather good.
Peter Gynt
National Theatre Productions, National Theatre, London, 17/08/2019James McArdle pretends to be the rowdy Peter Gynt for 3 hours. The play - a modern retelling of Peer Gynt - is the story of a man trying to embrace the modern ideal of being himself. It's fanciful, cynical and topical, often taking the opportunity to mock the rich and powerful. Despite the good writing, the adherence to the original Peer Gynt story sometimes causes the play to stumble (although never fall). It makes me wonder what the play could have been achieved had the writers ceased trying to create a Peer Gynt.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Chapterhouse Theatre Company, Pollock House, Glasgow, 15/08/2019For a one evening event, Chapterhouse managed to attract a decent crowd to Pollock house to sit on fold up chairs and picnic rugs. It was fun. The eight person troupe thankfully didn't attempt any modern reimagining of Shakespeare, and made it suitably coarse for the occasion. And it didn't rain. Sure, any of the music played through loudspeakers tended to drown out the unamplified actors and Oberon wasn't as he is in my imagination. But if this were as spotless as I expect of London's big-dollar productions, it would loose some of its charm.
Limbo: City of Dreams
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland / American Music Theatre Project, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 11/08/2019The Fringe has some element of luck involved, and - luckily for me - Limbo was more hit than miss. That wasn't to say it was perfect, but its pleasing to see well produced music, no-one trying to make world saving political statements and a cast that looks like they haven't lately developed mental health issues. The production was what might be described as "feel good", with an enjoyable, if somewhat arts-studenty story.
Small Island
National Theatre Productions, National Theatre, London, 29/07/2019A heavy story thoughtfully entwined with well judged humour, such that what could have been a bitter taste is not only palatable, but delicious. The writing is tight, giving the impression that every action and every line of the play was agonised over, having to earn its place in the final cut. The sets were minimal but dynamic, making excellent use of the Olivier's drum revolve and machinery to lift and lower both elements of the set and characters into and out of the scene. And the acting was pleasing and convincing, with credit going to whoever it was responsible for ensuring that accents sounded Jamaican whilst remaining easily understandable. Well written, well produced and very much recommended.
Rutherford and Son
National Theatre Productions, National Theatre, London, 29/06/2019Atmospheric and beautifully acted. In particular, Roger Allam as John Rutherford stands out. The fly is however the lack of redeeming features of a main character. Not quite fulfilling its potential, but very enjoyable none the less.
Mixed programme: The Firebird, A Symphony in C, A Month in the Country
The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera House, London, 07/06/2019An impressive display of what I imagine ballet to be, but lacking in humour compared to some of Scottish Ballet's productions. The raw scale of The Firebird's production was impressive, but some of this might have been lost on me, so high up I was sat and so used to the Royal National Theatre's expansive casts as I am.
Man of La Mancha
English National Opera, London Coliseum, London, 05/06/2019Oddly, so many musicals seem to compromise on the quality of the music and singing. Not this. Nor does the cast lack acting skill. Whilst Kelsey Grammar as Don Quixote managed to play with the emotions, it was Cassidy Janson as Dulcinea who exceeded what I thought was possible with respect to sticking to character whilst singing. Fantastic.
Kinky Boots
King's Theatre, Glasgow, 13/05/2019A story, the trajectory of which knows no hiccup or speedbump that lasts longer than a single song, sung through the noses of actors trying to navigated a spectacle worthy set. Relies on bright lights and loud noises to dazzle the audience. Disappointing.
Top Girls
National Theatre Productions, National Theatre, London, 20/04/2019Often confusing, at times rambling, sometimes shouty. Top Girls largely depends upon controversial topics instead of story - something that gets tiring quickly. The sets are impressive, and one interview scene in the middle of the play provides a humourous distraction, even if it feels somewhat separate from the rest of the production. Disappointing.
Mixed Programme: Spring! Dextera and Elite Syncopations
Scottish Ballet, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 04/04/2019Dextera: Like being high, addiction included. Elite Syncopations: the methadone to Dextera's heroin.
Katya Kabanova
Scottish Opera, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 12/03/2019My first opera. Somewhat slow to start, but by midway through the tension is such that the interval feels like a much needed opportunity to relax, and the second half feels cruelly short. Enjoyable, but I'm lacking other operas to compare this too.
Tartuffe
National Theatre Productions, National Theatre, London, 09/03/2019Funny. And very comical. Well acted and - lets not forget - amusing. Chances are it'll make a mockery of you in some form, but the hardship is worth it to enjoy the mockery of other "types". At any rate, the false perspective of the set puts the audience in the correct frame of mind from the off. It'll be a while before I see anything that funny again.
Follies
National Theatre Productions, National Theatre, London, 23/02/2019A spectacle and strong feelings, but rather hollow with respect to story. Given the enormity of set, the size of the cast and the care that evidently went into the production, I'm astounded by how little I remember.
Hadestown
National Theatre Productions, National Theatre, London, 27/12/2018A musical retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. One cannot help but be impressed by the singing, the sets and the atmosphere. The National Theatre manage to make their expansive Olivier theatre's stage feel claustrophobic and hot or expansive and cold through the use of rather remarkable lighting. That said, the sound never seemed quite right, always sounding as if it were playing through a sound system. Perhaps if this had not been the case, I would have agreed with Vogue's statement that "Hadestown will be your next musical theatre obsession".
Cinderella
Scottish Ballet, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 12/12/2018Does Cinderella have licencing terms that require that advertising be light blue and include a clock? Because Scottish Ballet's advertising was remarkably similar to that for a Glasgow pantomime. Other similarities include a dearth of children. That isn't to say that Cinderella was bad. No, imagine Disney-esque Cinderella, with tutu and an expansive set. The ugly sisters provided a humourous break from elegance et al.
A Christmas Carol
Citizens Theatre Productions, Tramway, Glasgow, 08/12/2018Unbeknownst to me, this was a production aimed largely at children. However, with the exception of a sing-along at the very beginning, the play didn't engage in any panto-like activity, instead proving atmospheric and intimate, and showcasing an impressive menagerie of puppets. In the words of Miss Trunchbull, too good for children!
Common
National Theatre Productions, National Theatre, London, 17/06/2018Parishioners with Pitchforks are perturbed by a woman who will do what is necessary to get what she wants. Entertaining in passing.
Salome
National Theatre Productions, National Theatre, London, 05/06/2018The poor naked actress on the stage must be awfully chilly, and I can't imagine what she does if her grandparents wanted to see the play. Apart from that, I can't remember much.
Bright Colours Only
Citizens Theatre Productions, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, 02/05/2018About Irish Catholic funeral wakes. An alarmingly intimate production, that starts with a hug, a slice of cake and a small portion of whisky. The actors spend as much time following the humourous script as they do improvising to ensure the audience feel just mildly uncomfortable. More of an experience than a play.
Highland Fling
Scottish Ballet, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 07/04/2018Dark and funny, upsetting but pleasing. An original production by Scottish Ballet, starts off as fun and games, sex and drugs, but descends to something deeper, darker and more unpleasant. Worth seeing for both the highs and the lows.
The Nutcracker
Scottish Ballet, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 09/12/2017A ballet designed to delight five year old girls delights me too. The beginning is most entertaining, with the Aunts providing the most character. The second half, a series of dances are performed for Clara. The dances are fun, but become a little repetitive. Overall, an enjoyable display, but its a little perplexing that this such a very popular ballet to perform.
John
National Theatre Productions, National Theatre, London, 20/12/2014Plunging head-first into the world of men - naked - in gyms. Of discovering a sexuality you have trouble accepting. And, later, into the kind of unhappy ending that perversely seems to characterise "adult" theatre.
King Lear
National Theatre Productions, National Theatre, London, 02/07/2014Who wants to be spat on by Simon Russel Beale? How about seeing an eye being ripped out, or madness? Memorable as hell (written 2019) - far better than the Globe's 2017 production.
Treasure Island
National Theatre Productions, National Theatre, London, 27/06/201450% Nice play, 50% an impressive demonstration of the Olivier Theatre's drum revolve. And I remember the revolve more.
The Light Princess
National Theatre Productions, National Theatre, London, 28/12/2013A cornerstone of the play is the propensity of the princess to float into the air in a truly mesmerising fashion. And like the Lion King, at times it sucks all joy from the audience. I want to say this play was average, but I can't help but love it.
Romeo and Juliet
National Theatre Productions, National Theatre, London, 18/08/2013Fun and forgettable.