UK Theatre Network

 

 

James Burton
Lainey Shaw and Emma Fenney

When they move to Devon their caring, gossipy Aunt Jennings cannot wait to marry them off to eligible husbands. She has already selected Colonel Brandon for Marianne, seeing them as a perfect match: “He’s rich and she is handsome.” Marianne is not so inclined, especially when the Colonel begins complaining about his rheumatism. Instead she loses her heart to the wildly romantic Willoughby. Although Aunt Jennings feels sorry for Colonel Brandon she gets very excited about the prospect of Marianne marrying John Willoughby. Meanwhile Elinor is anxiously waiting to see Edward Ferrars when Lucy Steele comes to visit her and tells her a heart wrenching secret about Edward. When Willoughby suddenly leaves for London, Elinor tries to console her distressed sister, never mentioning her own situation. Aunt Jennings persuades them to travel to London with her where they have the chance of meeting Edward Ferrars and John Willoughby again.   

Bobbi O'Callaghan and Jason Eddy
Writers Roger Parsons and Andy Graham cut minor characters and subplots in their adaptation but the essence of the novel is very much present in the play. The props are used in the most imaginative ways – such as creating a coach for the move to Devon. In pivotal scenes, frames are held in front of the actors to emulate the family portraits that were so popular in the eighteenth century. The costumes are lavish (Design: Ellan Parry) and Aunt Jennings’ outfits are particularly stunning at times, complimenting her eavesdropping, meddling character.  One of the highlights of this production is undoubtedly a dance devised by director Helen Tennision that reflects the mental distress of the two heroines, accompanied by Benedict Davies’ dreamlike music.

The cast is excellent throughout. Emma Fenney is outstanding as the sensibly restrained Elinor Dashwood.  Bobbi O’Callaghan convinces as the incurably romantic and unrestrained Marianne Dashwood. The wonderful James Burton plays the wooden, seemingly dull Colonel Brandon who turns out to be quite different as well as the awkwardly charming Edward Ferrars. Jason Eddy is cruelly convincing as the seductive John Willoughby. Lainey Shaw is absolutely delightful as the constantly meddling but good-hearted Aunt Jennings. Francesca Wilding is the calculating Lucy Steele who hides her coldness behind a smile and the slightly mischievous Maid.

By Carolin Kopplin 

Until 19^th February

Tickets: £12 / £10 (conc.), Tuesdays £10 / £8 (conc.), Feb. 17^th, 18^th, 19^th : £12 / £10 (conc.)

Box Office: 020 7704 6665

The Rosemary Branch, 2 Shepperton Road, London N1 3DT 

Event Venues & Times
11/03/12 only	Norden Farm Centre for The Arts | Altwood Road, Maidenhead, SL6 4PF
21/03/12 only	Old Town Hall | High Street, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 3AE
Showing until 19/02/12	Rosemary Branch | 2 Shepperton Road, London, N1 3DT
22/04/12 only	Hawth | Hawth Avenue, Crawley, RH10 6YZ
09/05/12 only	Trinity Theatre | Church Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1JP
23/03/12 only	Vera Fletcher Hall | 4 Ember Court Road, Thames Ditton, KT7 0LQ
Showing until 03/03/12	Yvonne Arnaud | Millbrook, Guildford, GU1 3UX
Showing until 20/04/12	Chelmsford Civic and Cramphorn Theatres | Fairfield Rd, Chelmsford, CM1 1JG
Showing until 12/05/12	Theatre Royal | Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8SB
Showing until 30/03/12	Royal Inn on the Park | 111, Lauriston Rd, London, E9 7HJ
Showing until 28/04/12	Devonshire Park Theatre | Compton Street, Eastbourne, BN21 4LP
16/03/12 only	The Firestation | St Leonards Road, Windsor, Sl4 3BL
Showing until 14/04/12	Ashcroft Theatre | Park Lane, Croydon, CR9 1DG
17/04/12 only	Theatre Severn | Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury, SY3 8FT

Patrick W. Doherty and Nika Khitrova

Founded in 1988 by former Bolshoi soloist and choreographer Victor Smirnov-Golovanov, Moscow City Ballet has become one of Russia's most successful touring companies. Smirnov-Golvanov’s goal is bringing his heritage of classical ballet in the Moscow style to audiences all over the world. This winter the MCB returns to the Richmond Theatre with Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.

This version of Swan Lake by Natalia Ryzhenko and Victor Smirnov-Golovanov takes it back to its classical roots, which probably meets the expectations of part of the audience because this might be their introduction to ballet. The lady next to me obviously did not go to the theatre very often as she first illuminated the auditorium with her mobile phone and then kept unwrapping sweets – together with her friend - in a very irritating way up until the interval. Apart from that, this was a very pleasant evening. The First Act was a bit slow moving but the production gained pace after the interval. Just like last year, the Jester stole the show. Valeriy Kravtsov, an incredibly skilled and accomplished dancer with great stage presence and boundless energy, sped up the pace of the production whenever he featured on stage. Odette/Odille was danced beautifully by Liliya Orekhova, with Odette’s birdlike anxiousness and fragility contrasting exquisitely to Odile’s seductive self-confidence. Daniil Orlov as Rothbart was charismatic and menacing, Talgat Kozhabaev was, by contrast to his performance in The Nutcracker, a little bland. The fight between Prince Siegfried and Von Rothbart that climaxes this ballet was exciting and intense. 

The set design and the costumes (Elizaveta Dvorkina and Natalya Povago) were stunningly beautiful with Odille’s black and white dress reflecting the fight of good versus evil. The scenes at the Lake were particularly atmospheric and quite thrilling. The only problem I noticed was the lack of space. The dancers were struggling at times because the choreography demanded a wider stage. 

The Nutcracker tells how little Clara and her Nutcracker Prince defeat the armies of the Mouse King and embark on a sleigh-ride to the Kingdom of Sweets, where they meet the Sugarplum Fairy, dancing snowflakes and other delightful characters.

This production was truly magical and joyful. The first half was a bit slow but, as in Swan Lake, the pace picked up considerably in the second half. The set design and the costumes were colourful and imaginative. The backdrop in the Second Act featuring angels, fairies, and flowers had a touch of Chagall. 

It takes a great deal of skill to write a comedy about the real-life murder of a gay man, while still maintaining the humanity and integrity of the story. Sleeping With Straight Men by Ronnie Larsen, fails spectacularly in doing this by offering an ultimately shallow piece that lacks vision or sophistication in dealing with the sensitive subject matter.

Trailer park boy Stanley lives in small town Pontiac, and has a habit of lusting after straight men. He befriends Sally a local drag queen, and while dining together they are served by Lee a straight waiter who Stanley falls for. Stanley is celebrity obsessed, and sees a chance to reveal his true feelings for Lee by appearing on television in the Jill Jones Chat Show, where guests reveal they have a crush on someone. Intrigued to find out who his secret admirer is, Lee goes on the show only to feel humiliated when he finds out it is a man. His request not to air the recorded episode is ignored by the TV producers, and in a state of high anxiety Lee shoots Stanley as a result.

Larsen’s 2002 play is based on a real-life tragedy. In 1995 Jonathan Schmitz, shot his ‘secret admirer’ Scott Amedure after he appeared on a episode of the Jenny Jones Chat Show called Same Sex Secret Crushes. During the show Amedure revealed his feelings for Schmitz, and unable to deal with the potential public humiliation Schmitz killed his admirer three days later.

While Larsen is 100% effective in mocking the superficiality of the chat show world where high ratings are more important than socially responsible broadcasting, he fails to find a balance when dealing with the darker side of play. It does not attempt to address any of the social issues that are raised, and borders regressively on inverted homophobia with all the gay characters without exception being stereotypes. The consequences of the shooting are seen almost as an after-thought with only the last 10 minutes focusing on the tragedy. The reactions of Lee’s girlfriend (played with great naturalism by Jill Regan), and the Stanley’s grief stricken mom are watered down to the point that it trivialises the issue. Any empathy for the character of Stanley (Wesley Dow), is alienated because he is played at such a pantomime level that he becomes a caricature of a caricature.

The play is slickly directed by Paul Taylor-Mills, and there are great performances by Amy Anzel as the plastic chat host Jill Jones, and Hannah Vesty as Judy her studio floor assistant. Andrew Beckett shows deft comic timing as Brian the camp make-up artist, and Julie Ross manages give depth to her role as the mother despite a very limited script. Adam Isdale gives a layered performance as the lost and confused Lee, which makes you wonder if he is the real victim of the piece.

Sleeping With Straight Men is a well intentioned play that fails to hit the mark because it does not offer any intelligent analysis of the issues it is dealing with. The story has great dramatic potential, and it would have been interesting to see it dealt with by a more capable writer than Larsen.

Sleeping With Straight Men is at the Above The Stag theatre, Victoria, until 12th February.

OLIVER VALENTINE                                                                www.abovethestag.com

Following its debut at the Edinburgh Festival and a national tour, Sometimes I Laugh Like My Sister receives its London premiere as part of the Finborough Theatre's New Writing Season.

Rebecca Peyton’s sister is dead. She was murdered during a work assignment for the BBC. Kate was sent to Somalia – the most dangerous country in the world – after only 4 ½ days of preparation, six weeks would be about normal. Although Kate had some reservations about this trip she felt that she had to go because her commitment was in doubt after having declined two assignments in Iraq. Now there is an inquest regarding the BBC’s role in Kate’s death but Rebecca is not interested. What does it matter? Her sister is dead, there is no consolation.

This is a very personal account of Rebecca Peyton’s grief and anger following her sister’s death seven years ago. Peyton recounts the days when she learnt that her sister had been shot and her 18-month period of drinking and partying in an attempt to get away from the painful truth that her sister was dead. The 75 minutes would be hard to bear if it was not for Peyton’s complete lack of pathos and her sense of humour. Rebecca Peyton decided within days of her sister’s murder that she wanted to make a show out of her experiences (it was initially going to be titled 101 Uses For A  Murdered Sister) and the end result is deeply moving and hard hitting. More than one member of the audience was weeping when Peyton recalled her shock at the news of her sister’s death and the reaction of her sister’s Congolese fiancé Roger who kept repeating “Ma femme est morte,” reliving his father’s death. Before it becomes unbearable Peyton quips about the reaction of other people to this tragedy: “They can see it on me, all over me, the sticky custard of death.”

Written by Peyton in collaboration with the show’s director, Martin M. Bartelt, this monologue is presented as if the actress was addressing the audience on a whim. When a mobile phone goes off Peyton invites the culprit to take the call and even offers to talk to the caller herself.

The show is followed by an informal post-show discussion in the bar. 

by Carolin Kopplin 

22 and 23 January 2012 - Evenings at 7.30pm.

Extra performances on

Tuesday, 24 January 2012 at 3.00pm
Wednesday, 25 January 2012 at 9.30pm
Tickets £13, £11 concessions
Booking opens on Wednesday 18 January 2012 at 9am

 For information and tickets, see:

http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/productions/2012/production-sometimes-i-laugh-like-my-sister.php

Finborough Theatre, 118 Finborough Road, London, SW10 9ED

Oliver Award-winning Our Country’s Good tours UK theatres

Original Theatre, with Anvil Arts, presents Aden Gillet and Phillip Whitchurch in new production of Wertenbaker’s classic

The acclaimed Original Theatre Company, in association with Anvil Arts, is set to tour a new production of Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Olivier Award-winning play Our Country’s Good this season, performing at theatres across the UK, starring Aden Gillet (Accolade, The Winslow Boy, The Queen’s Sister, House of Elliot, Mary Poppins) and Phillip Whitchurch (Billy Elliot, Sharpe, The Bill, My Hero)

 "A play is a world in itself. A tiny colony we could say. And you are in charge of it. That is a great responsibility."

Australia. 1788. A British ship arrives with a cargo of soldiers and convicts transported abroad for their country’s good. As the soldiers struggle to impose order on the outcasts of the old society, a benevolent governor seizes on the notion of a play. In the shadow of the gallows and the gum tree the convicts gather under the direction of 2nd Lieutenant Ralph Clarke and rehearsals begin for The Recruiting Officer.

Based on real events, Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Olivier Award-winning modern classic is an inspiring tale of the transforming power of theatre. This major touring revival, at a time when the argument over publicly funded theatre is raging once again, is produced by the acclaimed Original Theatre Company and follows the success of their recent productions of See How They Run, Twelfth Night, Dancing at Lughnasa, The Madness of George III and Journey’s End.

Our Country’s Good is touring UK theatres this winter/spring 2012. For more information, or to book tickets, visit www.originaltheatre.com

 

“Wertenbaker has searched history and found in it a humanistic lesson for hard modern times: rough, sombre, undogmatic and warm”

-THE SUNDAY TIMES

“Highly theatrical, often funny and at times dark and disturbing”

-THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, CHARLES SPENCER

 
 

Original Theatre Company - Formed in 2004 by Creative Director Alastair Whatley, The Original Theatre Company is an acclaimed touring company based in the market town of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. We have built up an ever increasing reputation, performing both classical and contemporary texts with our own brand of daring innovation and bloody minded determination.

From our early days playing in often unconventional locations (cliff tops, stately homes and football grounds) in often unconventional weather (rain, hail and flooding), we have gone on to produce ten touring shows, travelling over 220,000 miles up and down the length and breadth of the UK, playing to hundreds of thousands of people in some of the classic repertory venues. We have gained a reputation for work that is carefully conceived, crystal clear, challenging and always entertaining.

Touring theatre is at the heart and soul of everything we do, taking diverse and engaging theatre of the highest quality to as much of the UK as possible. We passionately believe that great theatre does not have to be elitist and that people everywhere expect and deserve the best. We like to think that our work is characterised by its vitality, honesty and humour alongside a dynamic and dedicated approach by everyone both in front of and behind the curtain.

 

TOUR SCHEDULE /

 

JAN ‘12                

Wed 25 – Sat 28           BASINGSTOKE               The Haymarket                        01256 844244
Mon 30 - Tues 31         KINGSTON                    The Rose                                  0208 546 6983 

FEB ‘12

Wed 1 – Sat 4               KINGSTON                    The Rose                                  0208 546 6983
Mon 6 – Tues 7             READING                       The Hexagon                            0118 960 6060
Thurs 9 – Sat 11           BERWICK                      The Maltings                            01289 330999
Tues 21 – Sat 25           JERSEY                         The Opera House                     01534 511115
Tues 28 – Wed 29        NEWBURY                     The Corn Exchange                  01635 522733 

MAR ‘12

Thurs 1                        NEWBURY                     The Corn Exchange                  01635 522733
Fri 2 – Sat 3                  PETERBOROUGH           The Key Theatre                      01753 207239
Tues 06 – Sat 10           HARROGATE                  Harrogate Theatre                   01423 502116
Mon 12 – Wed 14          CHIPPING NORTON       The Theatre                             01608 624350
Mon 19                         BUXTON                       Opera House                            0845 127 2190
Tues 20 – Sat 24           MOLD                            Theatr Clwyd                           01352 755114
Mon 26 – Sat 31            GREENWICH                  Greenwich Theatre                  0208 858 7755 

APR ‘12

Mon 2 – Wed 4              LLANDUDNO                  Venue Cymru                           01492 879771
Tues 17 – Sat 21           EASTBOURNE                Devonshire Park Theatre         01323 412000
Mon 23 – Tues 24         BRACKNELL                   South Hill Park Arts Centre      01344 484123
Wed 25 – Thurs 26       FINCHLEY                     Arts Depot                                0208 369 5454