Glen Pearce

Monday, 21 May 2012

News: Southwold and Aldeburgh Summer Theatre Season launched

The sun may yet to have made a meaningful appearance on the coast this year, but Southwold and Aldeburgh Summer Theatres are looking ahead to a bright summer, with the announcement of their summer season of plays.

Opening the season on July 11 is Dave Freeman’s farce A Bedfull of Foreigners, which will play in the town until 21st July before heading down the coast to play in Aldeburgh from 26th July – 4th August.

Other plays making up the season include Frederick Knott’s Write Me A Murder, Richard Harris and Leslie Darbon’s Two And Two Make Sex, Mark Simpson’s adaptation of The Curse of Dracula and Peter Shaffer’s Five Finger Exercise.

The Jill Freud Theatre Company have been presenting an annual professional summer theatre season in Southwold since 1984 and expanded into Aldeburgh in 1995.

Alongside the main productions the company will stage a series of children’s theatre productions, poetry and one off drama.

Full details of the season can be found at www.southwoldtheatre.org

News: Corrie Bad Boy expects boos in Lowestoft

Lowestoft’s Marina Theatre is encouraging Coronation Street fans to book tickets to boo one of the Street’s biggest bad boys, announcing Nigel Pivaro will be leaving his character Terry Duckworth in Weatherfield to take on the role of Abanazar in the Suffolk venues’ pantomime, Aladdin, this winter.

The iconic character of Terry Duckworth has become synonymous with the Street, since his first appearance in 1983. His many wicked ways, from breaking his parents’ hearts, along with several girlfriends, to selling his own son, have made him the villain everyone loves to hate.

Pantomime producer Paul Holman, from Paul Holman Associates said: “Nigel is the archetypical soap baddie. He has so much experience to bring to the production of Aladdin at the Marina Theatre and we’re thrilled to have him on board.”

Life away from Coronation Street has seen Nigel has an extensive background in repertory theatre and has appeared in many pantomimes across the country, always playing the villain and always whipping up audiences into a barrage of boos and a hail of hissing!

Pivaro is looking forward to showing Lowestoft residents a true panto villian, “It will be an interesting pleasure to work in the historic sea faring town of Lowestoft, its residents are hardy, inventive and resilient from its fishing roots to leading the way in renewable energy. However my stage persona will not be undergoing any such transformation as I will be sticking to the script to perform one of the most dastardly pantomime villains known to man!"

Aladdin runs at the Marina Theatre, Lowestoft from 18 December to 6 January 2013. Tickets are on sale now, with special discounted pricing for early bookers, available at the Box Office or by calling 01502 533200.

Review: The Sunshine Boys - Savoy Theatre

Comebacks after acrimonious splits are becoming something of a showbiz trend. Take That and Steps just two examples of acts burying the hatchet for a return to the limelight.

Neil Simon looks at a more theatrical reunion. After 43 years of working together, legendary comedy duo Willie Clark and Al Lewis haven’t spoken for 11 years. Willie’s nephew (and agent) is determined to get the duo talking again, if only for the sake of a forthcoming TV documentary.

Simon’s 1972 play however, is beginning to creak as much as the ageing bones of the comics; the script itself contains a paper thin plot that never really tells us much about either men. We wait for a revelatory plot twist that never materialises. For such a renowned wordsmith such as Simon, more is often said in the silences and pauses than the words themselves.

Those silences, furtive glances and subtle gestures prove to be the ideal material for Danny De Vito’s West End debut. From the moment the curtain goes up on the diminutive De Vito he commands the stage, perfect put down timing, his Clark is frustratingly unlikeable but somehow you can’t help routing for him.

Richard Griffith’s performance is less successful, somewhat overshadowed by De Vito. Griffith’s seems less sure with the piece and, as such, makes for a slightly uneven sparring partner for De Vito. Perhaps it’s intentional; in the piece we see the argument very much from Clark’s viewpoint, painting Lewis as the finger prodding, spitting menace, so Griffith’s more low key approach could be seen to redress that view. It’s a view however, that is left hanging in the air. We wait for some surprise revelation that would explain the split but it never comes.

As it hits its 40th year, the play does seem to have lost pace, the middle scene in the TV studio harking back to a comedy style that, while dated at the time of writing, now seems incongruous with the rest of the piece.

Thea Sharrock’s direction gives plenty of space for De Vito and Griffiths to spar but en route loses focus slightly. Hildegard Bechtler’s beautifully detailed set provides a sumptuous backdrop but it all feels somewhat languid and in need of an injection of pace. For a play about two exponents of split-second comic timing, Simon’s script does seem to run out of energy. It also feels that the star draw of De Vito has pushed the show into too large a venue – what is for the majority of the piece a two hander is lost even in the middle of the stalls, let alone the upper levels.

Although De Vito dominates, there are fine supporting performances from Adam Levy as his put upon nephew Ben and Johnnie Fiori as the non-nonsense nurse.

There’s a growing sense of pathos in the piece, as in much of Simon’s work but this is a production with occasional bright patches rather than wall to wall Sunshine the title may imply.

Caveat: Review of a preview performance.

Feature: The top 10 theatre debate

There’s nothing like publishing a top ten list to get a debate raging. As soon as the list hits the page (or screen) people start to disagree and produce their own lists.

So when Michael Coveney listed his ten favourite theatres, it was only a matter of time before other contenders started to be proposed. Mark Shenton soon followed with his proposals and Rev Stan has now shared her ten favourite venues. Never one to miss a trend, here are my top ten venues.

How have I selected them? A mix of architecture, atmosphere and productions all play a part. Seat comfort is also a key consideration and one that has seen several, otherwise strong contenders, drop off the list.

In no particular order:

1) West Yorkshire Playhouse – Leeds

Two wildly different spaces that can conjure up the epic and the intimate, WYP also combines well thought out public areas and an exciting programme that mixes classics with new work.

2) Marlowe Theatre – Canterbury

Often when a theatre is rebuilt it loses some charm. The Marlowe is a rare exception, a well-designed modern theatre that thinks about artists and audiences. Add in some of the most comfortable (if orange) seats and it’s one of the finest theatres in the South East

3) Southwark Playhouse – London

The only theatre were the smell is instantly recognisable. Two versatile spaces that lend themselves to adventurous programming. Where else would you get a musical based on caving?

4) Theatre Royal Drury Lane – London

There’s a lack of West End theatres on this list, mainly because often the Victorian playhouses never designed good spaces for audiences. The Lane though holds a special place in national and personal theatre history and even though it needs a bit of TLC still impresses in scale, history and design.

5) New Wolsey Studio – Ipswich

There are a couple of venues that if I ever won the lottery I’d love to buy and run. This 100 seat studio space is top of the list. The converted chapel is ideal for small scale shows and perhaps currently doesn’t show its real potential.

6) Norwich Playhouse – Norwich

Despite the venues heightist website, suggesting tall people sit in back row, this small venue works well for a variety of genres and the onsite bar has one of the best atmospheres of any theatre in the county.

7) Royal & Derngate Theatre – Northampton

There’s a real surprise here. The modern atrium that links the Royal and Derngate theatres reminds visitors of a mini National Theatre, but step through the entrance doors to the Royal and you get a traditional theatre hiding behind a modern façade.

8) Courtyard Theatre – Stratford Upon Avon

Thankfully being resurrected, if only temporarily, for the World Shakespeare Festival, The RSC's Courtyard has more atmosphere in this temporary venue than many long serving theatres ever struggle to find.

9) Crucible Theatre – Sheffield

Thrust stages can be difficult but thankfully the Crucible and its varied programme seems to have mastered the stage. It’s also one of those rare venues where the foyer seems to have been given equal thought to auditorium.

10) Young Vic – London

OK, technically three venues but all three are worthy of inclusion. Highly adaptable, it often seems that as much thought is given to changing the configuration as to programming, but it makes for exciting engagement between play and audience.

Of course we shouldn't get hung up on just traditional venues. There's great work being produced by companies who perform in non traditional spaces, or indeed the open air - but that's another list!

Review: The Winter's Tale - Theatre Royal, Norwich

Shakespearian scholars may have to revise their thesis for, if we are to believe Ed Hall’s vibrant staging of The Winter’s Tale, Delia Smith’s now infamous Carrow Road touchline cry of ‘let’s be having yer’ is in fact a long lost line from The Bard. Then again, any production that also includes the line ‘take it away, saxophone sheep’ tells you this isn’t any normal Winter’s Tale.

To keep the football metaphor, it is in many ways a game of two halves. Act one, set in a slick Sicilian court, is a more traditional affair. Modern dress, yes, and set against a chrome clad, minimalist set but played very much low key. As Leontes falsely accuses his wife Hermione of infidelity, he loses both her and their daughter, Perdita.

For a while we think that Propeller have abandoned their normal anarchic style but, post-interval, the action shifts to a wild and debauched Bohemia, complete with rock ‘n’ roll and singing sheep. It’s during this wild festival scene that loveable rouge Autolycus integrates Delia’s words, one of many interactions with the fortunate, or unfortunate, ladies of the front rows.

Among all the revelry there’s a sense that this is perhaps the final fling of youth, a last chance to party before having to face the realities of adulthood and sure, as the party ends, we return to the formality of court.

Hall’s production, despite the odd addition, focuses heavily on delivering a clear text. On the whole it succeeds, with Leontes’ final reconciliation with wife and daughter played out with almost brutal clarity. If there is any issue with the production it is that the ingenuity of the polar opposite of styles often serve to highlight why some see this as one of Shakespeare’s ‘problem’ plays. Is it a play or actually two plays? The tragedy of Sicilia and the ribald comedy of Bohemia. Both very well performed and directed but sitting somewhat uncomfortably with each other.

There are fine performances throughout the all-male ensemble. Robert Hands’ Leontes balances rage and regret beautifully, while Richard Dempsey as his wronged Queen is an impressive study in dignity even when betrayed.

There’s fine comic work from Tony Bell’s ageing rocker Autolycus, including a well-timed scene seeing him rob Karl Davies’ young shepherd of almost all of his clothes.

Purisits may frown upon the interpretation and Beyonce numbers may not feature in many editions of the Complete Works but, at the end of the day Shakespeare himself was a storyteller, and here Propeller fulfil that remit – they take a well-known tale, not without its issues, and breathe new life into it. As a rallying cry to experience a bold and brave Shakespeare, as Delia herself would say ‘let’s be having yer’.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: HighTide Brunch Plays - The Cut, Halesworth

A leisurely Sunday morning. Coffee, bacon rolls and new writing. What could be better? HighTide have assembled a team of writers either based in, or inspired by the area, to write a series of micro plays. Given rehearsed, script in hand, readings, the series of ‘Brunch Plays’ allows an audience to see the germ of an idea in an informal setting.

Tracks by Shiona Morton is set on a small station on the East Suffolk Line. It’s a quiet Sunday, an unmanned station but for Ryan the chance conversation with a passenger gives him the only entertainment on an otherwise dull day. Morton captures perfectly those one sided conversations we’ve all witnessed on public transport, the talker and the reluctant listener. There’s also an evocative picture painted of the train line offering hope of escape from the town but one that, for Ryan at least, is possibly a step to far into the unknown.

One of the characters in Berri George’s Footpaths states that ‘you can’t move around here for writers’ – possibly an accurate summary of Halesworth this weekend but that wry observation aside, this tale of a chance meeting in a cabbage field turns into an examination of lost love, lost dreams and the desire to escape. There’s a feeling here that the piece could easily be expanded into a longer piece and that we are only scratching the surface of the story.

John Barton’s The Rules Of The Game is possibly the strongest of the four offerings. Packed full of witty one-liners, and well-drawn characters, this tale of a couple reuniting hides a much darker heart under the wit. There’s strong imagery and clearly defined characters despite the short length. The sense of wanting to return to a safer, secure, childhood setting is beautifully observed and again could easily be envisioned as part of an expanded work.

Rounding of the first weekend of Brunch Plays, Karis Halsall’s Bizarre will ring all to true for anyone who has ever had experience of the impenetrable rules of parish council hierarchy. In a village hall the Christmas bazaar is underway but a newcomer’s blatant breach of established rules and regulations is ruffling feathers. Halsall showcases real comic flair, with plenty of twists and turns en-route to a comic climax.

Originally written for The Public Reviews

Review: HighTide: The Adventure - The Printworks, Halesworth

Some reviews are difficult to write, not because there isn’t anything to say about a production, but, because the fact that the element of surprise is so central to the success of the piece, that to say anything that would weaken the whole experience.

So it is with Bad Physics’ The Adventure. Forget sitting in a theatre to watch a play, here you are active participants on a wild adventure that without your help is doomed to fail. Inspired by the Famous Five it’s a jolly jape as we follow the clues and pit wits against an unseen foe as we race to save the day.

To give anymore away would, as said, spoil the fun. Suffice to say it’s a full on adventure requiring bravery, wit and courage as the cast lead co-conspirators through the journey. With members of the public taking such a key role in the action each journey is going to be slightly different but the cast (Bettrys Jones, Adam Jackson-Smith, Brendan Murphy and Oliver Ryan ) work hard to maintain the flow of the story, demonstrating impressive improvisation skills when faced with the inevitable unpredictability of enthusiastic youngsters.

This is billed as an adventure ‘for children, their parents and for adults who don’t want to grow up’ and indeed the adults have just as much fun as their younger counterparts. There are the enviable scary moments so those adults may want to take a child with them for protection but this is a theatrical experience all can enjoy (though perhaps not for very young children).

This is a work in progress showing of the piece still in development but on this showing it’s hard to see much further work being required to finalise the show.

Ticket holders need to leave their preconceptions at the door, suspend belief and jump into the deep end to fully enjoy the experience, but enter into the spirit of the piece and you’ll have, to pinch one of Peter Pan’s catchphrases, an awfully big adventure.

Originally written for The Public Reviews