Being an actor – in opera

By Gráinne Gillis

It actually came about by chance that I auditioned for the Royal Opera House.  One Friday afternoon, I got a call from the assistant chorus manager, Ruth Mulholland, asking me if I would be interested in attending an audition for an obscure (to me) opera called Die tote Stadt.  Funnily enough, just that week I had decided to take a year out from acting and focus on singing, which was always my first love – so my initial reaction was “Why not?”

Having read Music at University College Cork, and subsequently done a Diploma in Opera Performance at Birkbeck College, I was somewhat acquainted with the medium.  When I first came to London, I spent my last £20 one month to go and see one of the most amazing theatrical productions of my life, which was Der Rosenkavalier, starring the “dream team” of Renée Fleming, Susan Graham and Christine Schaefer – it was worth a month of beans on toast afterwards!  And I also occasionally had coaching sessions with one of the repetiteurs there as well, so it was not a complete novelty to go through that hallowed stage door.  Nonetheless, the day of the audition, the longer I was there, the more I knew I wanted the job.

You see, the Royal Opera House isn’t just an opera house.  In the days of Garrick, it was one of two great theatres in London, the other being Drury Lane.  Actors like Garrick and Charles Macklin would perform in both the rival houses, sometimes even on the same night; and in fact, the original house was funded by John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera, commissioned by John Rich, which was a satire on opera seria. (Coincidentally a production of The Beggar’s Opera was playing recently at the ROH, with a further production retitled The Convicts’ Opera being performed in March at the newly opened Rose Theatre in Kingston).  The glorious history of British theatre was one of the reasons that, as an Irish actress, I wanted to train and work in the UK, and so I hoped that I might have the opportunity to appear on the great stage, which I had so often read about in the biographies of great actors and singers.

The audition itself was quite simple for this particular production – it basically consisted of walking across the room like nuns in a procession.  This became relevant to us later, as odd a request as it seemed at the time. We were told by Chris, one of the assistant directors, that it was not so much about acting skills per se, but the ability to work as an ensemble, and also to fit the costumes, as this production had been previously performed in Salzburg and Vienna.  The audition process in total took twenty minutes, and culminated, X-Factor style, with those who had been chosen being lined up and told on the spot.  Suffice to say, I was one of the lucky few, and totally delighted with the whole process – not the agonizing wait that one is accustomed to enduring as an actor, but a decision made on the spot.

A month later, on the 29^th December, the company of actors, in total 20 male and 8 female, met in Opera Rehearsal Room 2 (ORR2) to rehearse.  Not knowing what to expect, I decided just to observe as much as I could on that first morning.  The boys were up first, to rehearse what in the opera is known as “Vision 2”.  Die tote Stadt (or The Dead City), to explain, tells the story of Paul, who cannot come to terms with the death of his wife Marie.  He is visited by an actress called Marietta, who is similar to his wife, and through various visions, he comes to believe that it is his wife. To give away the ending would be unfair – it is showing till February 17^th.  It is also the first fully-staged production of this opera in the UK – another good reason for coming to see it. Korngold (the composer) is best known for having revolutionized film music, and there are cinematic flourishes a-plenty in this opera, in addition to heavy influences from the Richards, Wagner and Strauss.  It is a sublime piece, both musically and visually, and hopefully not the last time it will be seen in the UK. 

 Going back to Vision 2: this consists primarily of the character Marietta transforming herself and being held aloft by the company of actors.  One of the actresses, Holly Walters, stood in for Nadja Michael, who was yet to arrive for rehearsals.  Not knowing that some of the actors had already worked several times at the ROH, I was completely blown away at how quickly they picked up what had to be done, and how already, within an half hour, this scene was taking shape, under the watchful eye of Adrien Mastrosimone (choreographer) and Karin Voykowitsch  (the assistant director to Willy Decker, the great German opera director).  What was clear was that, although the ensemble playing was important, so too was the fine detail – which was confirmed for me later when I had the opportunity to watch this scene from the auditorium.  It seems to me just from this one experience, that being a director of opera must be a little like being a great artist who paints moving pictures on a huge moving canvas.  There is very little theatre anymore that does that, even musical theatre; and the sumptuousness of opera lies in the daring of these grand concepts.

That first morning, we also rehearsed a scene, which for us as a company is one of only two scenes when we are on stage together.  It has caused great hilarity, as the male actors are transformed from handsome young rakes in top hats and tails into – nuns.  And not any old nuns, but nuns in white habits (so likely novices).  For some reason, there is a proliferation of Irish accents backstage just before going on (I can’t think why), and then we push a huge white cross which is on its side, with the wonderful British mezzo-soprano Kathleen Wilkinson, singing while lying on her side on the cross, while we look reverentially (or as reverential as a bawdy company of actors can ever hope to be!) on.  

That first day also, I was asked to stand in for one of the singers in another scene.  Eager to acquiesce, I agreed to do it – little did I know that I was to be held aloft, on another, smaller wooden cross, on the set which was on a rake – and I have a dread of heights! It is no exaggeration to say that even going up a ladder can cause my knees to buckle!!  It was at that point in time that I realized the superhuman creatures that great soloists are – not only do they have to sing, and act, but they also have to have stamina to cope with the demands that opera productions require to make a great spectacle for the audience.  Later on, in rehearsals, when I watched Nadja Michael cope with what is a huge “sing” and all the stage business that she performs incredibly, I felt totally humbled – there is a huge difference in being an actor in a show and remembering lines and moves, and being an opera singer, who has all that, and more, to deal with.  In the end, I took a deep breath, and quite enjoyed the experience of being on the cross – which, even for a lapsed Catholic, was quite a strange sensation….

They are like great athletes, these singers; and yet, despite their huge talent(s), it seems like they are generally very sweet and humble and just willing to do what it takes to get on with the job in hand.  In fact, I would say that is an attitude that generally pervades the Royal Opera House, and one feels like a small yet important cog in the wheel of a greater enterprise.  In fact, when occasionally something or someone didn’t work in rehearsals, it did stick out quite conspicuously – as opposed to straight theatre, where to keep it interesting, one is always trying to develop ideas and try new things.  That is not to say that I think that opera is a static art form – but there have to be certain things set in place to highlight the spectacle and sheer grandeur of it.  And despite our fleeting walk across the stage, the nuns have garnered rather a lot of mentions in the reviews of the production that I have seen – which shows there are no small parts in opera….

As a place to work, the Royal Opera House is second to none.  It is a  sprawling labyrinth of a building, filled with people who are hugely enthusiastic about what they do, enormously friendly, and surprisingly egalitarian.  You are likely to sit next to someone like Carlos Acosta (Principal with The Royal Ballet) or Ingo Metzmacher (Conductor of Die tote Stadt) in the canteen, and not bat an eyelid (well, I maybe fluttered my eyelashes a little….) It also seems the ROH is very loyal to those it employs on a freelance basis – some of the actors have been there 20-30 years, as have the extra chorus.  What is striking as well is that the actors and singers tend to be skilled in more than one area: among our company of actors alone, there are several dancers, acrobats, models, singers, musical theatre performers, some writers – and that is just a very generalized overview of the talents that I am aware of.  Speaking to some of the permanent staff, their starting point in working there seems to have been a passion for either music or dance or both, and in fact, the house seems to actively encourage the development of talent, with signs in their practice rooms inviting their staff to use them unless they have been booked in advance. 

As an actor, it is an ideal job – the contracts are relatively short, unless one accepts several operas in advance, which is always an individual choice; and the conditions, both artistically and financially are fantastically rewarding.  It has been an immense honour and privilege to be part of a world-class company; and I can honestly say (with no disrespect to any previous work in the straight theatre) that it has been the most fun I have had professionally in a long while.  As an actor, this has been an experience to relish and recommend; and though it has been my first experience of working in this way, I am hopeful that it will not be my last.

 

 

What a superb production this is! It makes murder, corruption, adultery and cheating look positively attractive!

Since its New York revival in 1996 Chicago has become the longest-running musical to play in the West End: a sure sign of its popularity. As a result there have been a number of touring productions, both good and not so good.
I suggest this particular cast makes this production one of the best of recent times. It must consist of some of the best looking actors currently on stage in the UK. Sure, the girls in this show have always been fabulous, long-legged, strong, sassy and sexy, but the boys this time – good heavens – they are clearly in the gym when not on stage – all abs, pecs and biceps, not to mention the lower halves! They certainly earned plenty of wolf-whistles of appreciation from the audience throughout the evening. Every member of the Company give their all throughout the evening and are completely convincing in their characterisations.

The choreography is sharp and tight (the original re-created by Gary Chryst) and the musical interpretation by Garth Hall exhilarating and performed impeccably and with great verve by the 10 piece orchestra, who are centre stage throughout and incidentally got the longest and loudest round of applause.

 

The billing has Marti Pellow as the main attraction. He has carved out a theatre career of late and his voice and stage presence are well suited to the part of Billy Flynn.



Whilst he is excellent, and taking nothing away from him, the outstanding performances are really from Emma Barton (ex-Eastender Honey) as Roxie Hart and Twinnie-Lee Moore as Velma Kelly.

Barton is a revelation but shouldn’t be. Looking at her experience she has plenty of theatre under her belt and was completely at home singing – what a gorgeous rich, full voice - and dancing. She is utterly hilarious as the conniving, flirtatious Roxie. Perfect!

Moore is one to watch. She does not have a great deal of experience being only 22 but you would never know this from her extraordinary performance. She is captivating, self assured and doubtlessly talented. I couldn’t take my eyes off her when she was on stage and her opening number ‘All That Jazz’ introduces her in fitting style. She is stylish and sophisticated, has superb comic timing and the stage presence of a real star. Someone to keep an eye on I have no doubt.

Matron (Wendy-Lee Purdy) it is fair to say suffers from comparison to Queen Latifah’s performance in the 2002 Rob Marshall film. It’s unfortunate but inevitable.

Amos (Adam Stafford), Roxie’s rather straight and trusting husband, was a clear favourite with the audience, particularly after Stafford’s superbly sensitive and touching performance of ‘Mister Cellophane’.

This is a sexy, strong, superb production of Chicago and very well worth booking tickets for. If you have always fancied it and never got round to it this production is the one to see.

 

Chicago plays MK Theatre Monday 25 –Saturday 30 January. MK box office 0844 871 7652 (Booking Fee)

Then on tour

February 1 – 6, Charter Theatre, Preston

February 8 – 13, Theatre Royal, Newcastle

February 16 – 27, The Mayflower, Southampton

Louise Winter on behalf or Catherine Brian 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theatre Tickets

Theatre patrons have tremendous ticket buying options at their hands.  They can choose to buy from the theatre box office, ticket booths or through ticket agents either in person, thru phone or through the online option.  Purchasing tickets can also be done on the day of the performance or even months in advance.  A theatre box office however, will only sell tickets scheduled for that particular theatre.

Box offices in theatres are usually open from ten (10) in the morning up to about thirty (30) minutes after the start of the show.  No booking fee is required for tickets that are bought personally as compared to phone and online purchases which are usually accompanied by an administration fee or booking fee.  It can happen that calls to theatre box offices get redirected to ticket agencies specifically during busy periods although fees remain the same.

Not all shows sell tickets through ticket booths but theatre patrons are guaranteed a wide range of choices especially for discount tickets on performance days.  Ticket buyers however, may not be able to pick their preferred seats.  Ticket agents may come in the form of international organizations or small independent companies.  Legitimate agents are usually part of an organization in the field of ticket retailing which espouses best practice in the business.  It is standard practice for ticket agents to charge a booking fee and sometimes a transaction fee.  Comparing prices is advisable to see if the fee being charged by an agent is reasonable.  Fees and charges are intended to cover the operational costs of selling and distributing theatre tickets.

Tickets can be had by people who come to see theatre shows together.  This is what is referred to as group sales.  The number that constitutes a group may vary in each show although the minimum number would generally be between ten (10) to twenty (20) people.  Rush or lottery tickets are discounted seats which producers are eager to sell.  They can also be a block of tickets that have been specifically set aside for such purpose.  Theatre box offices would have these tickets available two (2) hours before curtain time on performance day.

Most shows provide a particular space for patrons.  It would usually be at the back of the theatre where these people can stand to watch the show.  These are covered by Standing Room Only or SRO tickets which are only sold when the performance is completely sold out.  Special discounted tickets for students and seniors are also available.

Broadway shows may have an open-ended or limited run. Since a limited run is only for a predetermined number of weeks, ticket holders who buy in advance should be aware of the length of time which the show is scheduled to be around.  Tickets for the best seats are the most expensive.  These are the seats found at the orchestra where occupants would be at eye level with the stage.  Seats on the balcony or the rear mezzanine seats, on the other hand, are usually the lowest-priced.  It would be wise to look at posted seating charts before making a ticket purchase.

Theatre tickets are generally non-refundable and non-exchangeable except for specific circumstances such as the inability of a main star to perform.

It’s taken something close to seven years to get A Last Belch for the Great Auk onto the stage, so understandably, I’m looking forward to 6.45pm next Wednesday and curtain up at the Old Fire Station.

David Halliwell, who wrote the play, was a friend of mine. We met in Charlbury in 1996. We were introduced in a convoluted way by local jazz musician (and now childrens author) Alan Fraser, and Harry Potter director David Yates. Long story short, David Yates had directed me at drama school and when I moved to Charlbury, (where he was living) he happened to be doing a ceilidh and needed an authentic Scot to do some readings. There aren’t too many authentic Scots in a village like Charlbury, so I got the gig. That’s when I met Alan Fraser, who asked me to do some stand up at his cabaret nights, The Outhouse, and also said that David Halliwell was looking for a Scot (another lucky break) to appear in his production The House. I got the House gig too (I was the only one in Charlbury with a kilt), and subsequently played the same role (Private Billy Meechan) in a London production (retitled In That Summer of Sweet 16) directed by Jane Clark of I’m a Camera at the Old Red Lion in 1997.

I also formed a company with David, The Wychwood Depiction Engine, which produced several plays for the Charlbury Arts Festival (including Merriel The Ghost Girl, which had prompted Sam Peckinpah to write to David when he saw the original production). David had pioneered multi-viewpoint drama in the 60s and 70s. He said, “if you are telling the story of man bites dog, you see it from the point of view of the man, from the point of view of the dog, and from the point of view of the bite.” He also founded the first lunchtime theatre company in Britain and possibly the world, Quipu. He won the Evening Standard Most Promising Playwright of the year in 1966 for Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against The Eunuchs.

David’s tales were always full of humour, controversial and always, always full of ‘names.’ When I first met him, I thought he was probably full of , well, you know, but it turned out that he did indeed share fish and chips with the Beatles during a recording session at Abbey Road (one of the VERY few outsiders who ever got to attend a recording session with the Fab Four). This occurred after George Harrison (who went on to produce a film version of Little Malcolm as the first film in Handmade Films cannon) attended Little Malcolm on stage and persuaded the others that David might be the director for their next film - in the end, this turned into the animated Yellow Submarine.

David introduced me to many of the people he’d met throughout his career; many people who were probably frustrated, as I was, by his refusal to compromise, his refusal to ‘play the game.’ This was also one of the reasons I admired him and one of the reasons why, however difficult it was to be his friend, I was always glad I was. As Mike Leigh (probably David’s oldest - not in an ageist way Mike - friend) said in his obituary in the Guardian, “Nothing he wrote had the weight or depth of which he was undoubtedly capable, and nobody who knew him or his wit, intelligence, or indeed his writing would disagree that he could and should have been up there with Beckett and Pinter, his two major influences. He in turn was a great influence on me, and it fills me with immeasurable sadness to know that I will never again spend a scintillating drunken night with this perceptive, invariably confrontational, and always funny genius.”

David’s sister Liz and her husband Cliff are coming to see the play at the Fire Station. They haven’t seen ‘Belch’ performed before. I only hope we (myself, Alexa Brown as Dymphne Pugh-Gooch and director Sarah Dodd) give them a memorable and entertaining evening out and live up to the writing.

I wanted to ‘Belch’ ever since I found a copy at David’s house probably around 2001 or 2002. I am an occasional birdwatcher - I discovered that I birdwatch more (once or twice to the point of twitching) when I am unhappy with another aspect of my life. I’m pleased to report that i am not currently an ‘active’ birdwatcher.

We were always going to put on A Last Belch for the Great Auk and at one time interviewed an actress who was in neighbours (Nicola Charles) for the part of the model (she was ‘busy’ recording a single at the time. I can’t remember the name of the single (he said bitingly).

For one reason or another, we never got around to doing it before David died in 2006. I’d seen him in the street a few days before he died, and had made plans to have a pint with him when I got back from filming in Glasgow. While I was away, David died.

I was at the point of splitting up with my wife at the end of 2006, so everything else went on the back burner, but the urge to ‘Auk’ never went away. Last year, I showed it to a director friend of mine, Sarah Dodd from the Oxford Playhouse and MakeSpace theatre company, and she loved it. She also happened to know an actress/model who would be perfect as Dymphne. And so finally, I got the chance to play Reg Armitage. We did a rehearsed reading last November, and got really good audience feedback. I really think it’s a great play, and we are hoping to tour it if we can get funding. Hopefully, the two nights at the Old Fire Station as part of Oxfringe won’t be the end of the story….

Next up, I’m hoping to do a Scottish tour of a play written by a friend of mine, Simon Farquhar. It’s a revival of his Rainbow Kiss, which is set in Aberdeen and premiered at the Royal Court in 2007. It’s set in Aberdeen, and you don’t get many plays set in the Granite City. I’m also hoping to do Simon’s new play, which was only completed a week ago. It’s brilliant, very real, very dirty, and there are a couple of parts I’d love to play. Then there’s a film on the last days of Robert Louis Stevenson which I’ve been tracking for two years while it raised funds. Everything is almost in place, and I’m hoping they’re going to be casting soon. I read a part in that while they were developing the script and it’s fantastic - it’s got everything, rape, murder - and the fact that I possibly don’t exist! And of course, the fact that the writer is playing loose with Scottish history guarantees a certain level of notoriety and scrutiny from Scotland. Of course, all of that depends on the casting directors…

I’m also doing my spoken word evening at the Jam Factory, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU, tel 01865 244613, on Monday April 6 at 8pm. It’s basically… a swanky swashbuckling scoundrel showing off with others of that ilk. Some call it poetry. They’re mishapen. Some say prose. So we prose - and primp and preen. And some cameras go off. And on. And off. It’s words, all about the words, man. And woman. It’s for us all. Anything might happen. This is not guaranteed but likely. And it’s still a raggedy gathering of rags makeing melly. Come and make some of your own You never know who’s going to turn up, or what might happen (although I’m pretty sure you’ll hear me doing a couple of John Lennon’s brilliant poems from In His Own Write and Spaniard in the Works).

David Halliwell’s A Last Belch for the Great Auk at the Old Fire Station on April 1 and 2 at 6.45pm. It’s directed by Sarah Dodd and the two-hander cast features Alexa Brown as Dymphne Pugh-Gooch and Steve Hay as Reginald Armitage. Tickets cost £8, and can be booked at The Old Fire Station, 40 George Street, Oxford OX1 2AQ; Tel 0844 844 0662 or see the website

For my profile and showreel, see http://www.uk.castingcallpro.com/updateall.php and http://www.stevehay.co.uk

Background on David Halliwell: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/david-halliwell-472814.html

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0356668/

http://www.filmreference.com/film/28/David-Halliwell.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2006/mar/22/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries

http://www.thestage.co.uk/features/feature.php/12264/david-halliwell

COMPANY                           Ye Olde Rose and Crown, Walthamstow.

 

Company at Walthamstow’s Ye Olde Rose and Crown theatre pub is a must for all musical theatre lovers. It will delight Sondheim fans and may even convert those new to his work into avid disciples.

Modernised to the age of computer dating by All Star Productions, Company shows that finding the right companion is just as difficult now as it has ever been. The story follows the journey of Bobby, a single man just turned thirty five and under pressure by his friends to find a long- term partner. Various viewpoints on the subject are presented in a series of short scenes that generally show the less than ideal aspects of commitment.

Aaron Clingham’s musical direction is spot-on. In the intimate venue it was close-up and personal, and it was thrilling to hear stunning harmonies so near that they actually vibrated through your body. The cast are at their most effective when singing as an ensemble, and it was a joy to hear perfect renditions of songs likeSide By Side, Company and other classics that make this Sondheim musical so remarkable. Nevertheless sometimes the band were very loud, and occasionally the lyrics and vocals of solos were drowned out by the backing.

Sebastian Rex’s mostly tight direction showed an imaginative use of the oblong performance area, and there were some nifty moves for the livelier numbers. However Rex is clearly not a fan of the power of stillness or the economy of movement. At every opportunity he has the cast physicalising. His favourite move had the actors flailing their arms about their head and body in what looked like a bizarre fusion of voguing and the YMCA dance. And the intimacy of Barcelona was completely destroyed when a dancer suddenly appeared from under the bed doing a contemporary piece like a crazed fairy on Viagra.  I am sure it was meant to represent something deep and meaningful but it was often very distracting and contributed little to the numbers.

Company not only has exceptional songs but a great book by George Furth which allows the cast to showcase their acting skills. All performances are good but it is the women who really carry this production. Claudia Morcroft is brilliant as dizzy trolley-dolly April, Alix Dunmore gives a dazzling performance as Amy the manically reluctant bride and Julie Ross is utterly compelling as Joanne. Of the men Joe Scheffer is outstanding as Harry.

As a person who rarely goes beyond zone two the schlep to Walthamstow seemed tantamount to going to the outer Hebrides, and whoever planned the eight o’clock  start leading to a very late closing time clearly has no idea how difficult it is to get decent public transport from this venue at night. In fact I only got half-way home before the promised trains decided not to appear. During this emergency I was forced to stay over unexpectedly at friend’s house and spent the evening raving about the show, while singing badly the entire repertoire to him. Get a ticket while you can.

 

OLIVER VALENTINE                                  Box Office: 0208 509 3880

Last year’s original version of Turkish Delight – The Opera had an anti-climatic ending, in contrast to what was a strong first half.   The writers were advised to balance the plot out.  They have quite clearly taken this suggestion on board but the level of intensity is still hard to sustain. This is partly due to its very few quiet, reflective moments.  It is like a thriller made up solely of car chases, comedy with jokes every few seconds or a sexual film containing no foreplay.  In short, there is too much light and not enough shade, making the piece hard to recognise as a whole. However the  individual songs are made up of some great harmonies.  There is a plot, we just can’t see it ,partly because of the way it’s staged but also because the audience needs to be exposed to the quiet, reflective parts to make sense of the high-octane action that has just taken place.

 

This performance of Turkish Delight – The Opera is its first full-length version to be put on under the A Stage Kindly name, in the hope that it will launch it, along with its performers: Adam Bayjou, Julia Buckley, Arabella Rodrigo and Victor Sgarbi.

 

“Over the past few years, we have staged Turkish Delight- The Opera several times and each time we have approached the show differently; learning profusely through  both our mistakes and our achievements.  Not only is this production of Turkish Delight especially exciting because we are able to apply the ideas and wisdom accumulated over the last five years into a performance, but also because we have the most extraordinary and virtuosic cast…”
Giles Howe and Katy Lipson.

 

In the opening song Betsy Cohen awakes to her cigarette.  Singer Arabella Rodrigo’s voice manages to effortlessly glide between Opera and Rock, if a little warbly at times.
 

During the  next three songs, Julia Buckley duets with younger male vocalist Adam Bayjou, whose voice, a little forced at times, fades out as the voice of the maturer male vocalist, Victor Sgarbi, comes in and we feel somewhat more at ease.
 

Song 5 ‘Argument’ is a duet between Arabella Rodrigo and Victor Sgarbi, who play husband and wife.   We notice the fury in her eyes,  enhanced even more by the heavy, almost drag artist-type make-up she is wearing as she sings the closing line: “He’s forgotten that tomorrow is my birthday… romance is dead” Earlier lines are blunter, such as “why won’t you fuck me like you used to?!”, only emphasising just how loveless their marriage truly is. 

In ‘Only Human’ when Victor Sgarbi begins singing the lyrics “a long time ago my marriage died”, I am put off by the fact that he is the only one in the cast who has to occasionally glance at the score.  One can only ask ‘Is this a sign that he does not know the part he is playing or was he brought in at the last minute as a stand-in?’

In ’16 Bars’ Julia Buckley and Victor Sgarbi duet together and I must say harmonise well.  Buckley also shows a great ability to act her way through the song. This is absolutely crucial but a lot of musical theatre actors still fail to do so.
 

I heard ‘Angel Delight’ (where Adam Bayjou’s character sings of his girlfriend who has left him, assuming he is gay) when it was featured in Encore, an acclaimed showcase of new musicals put on by A Stage Kindly back in March 2009.  Adam Bayjou’s version of it is beautiful but “I could love you”,in the last line, ends the song rather too abruptly.

I was not so keen on ‘Allegory’ but I can see that it is used as a tool to help glue the story together, with its explanation of how the two lovers first came to be together.  

In ‘Briturkey’ the young male sings of his fears of arriving in Turkey and not being able to speak the language.

The next  songs: ‘Can We Go Dancing?’, ‘My Heart Bleeds’ and ‘Do You Remember? are a mixture of duets and trios .One could compare the vocals of Victor Sgarbi to that of Jonathan Pryce and in ‘Believe’ Adam Bayjou’s voice is allowed to shine through.

In ‘The Confrontation’ and ‘Turkish Delight’ Julia Buckley sings whilst sobbing, showing great compassion after her lover’s stabbing. When she sings the words “I just cannot do it alone”, she picks up the pace as her voice becomes angrier and ends on “You are my Turkish Delight”. A well thought out close to Act I.

 

Act II opens with Arabella Rodrigo and the songs ‘Entr’acte’, ‘The Letter’’ and ‘Going Potty’ in which the higher notes are not well sustained and are quite wobbly, when hearing of her husband’s murder.

At The Funeral in ‘Kaddish’ the deceased plays the rabbi. This does not help the consistency of the piece.

Julia Buckley in ‘Over You’ questions why she ever allowed herself to get involved with a married man. She shows great spontaneity.  I am very impressed as she sings the lines “still I can’t get you out of my head” and can find a clear comparison between her and singer of ‘The Snowman’, Aled Jones. She impresses me again in ‘Jeremiad’.

 

The priest abruptly rushes in during the song ‘You Think I’m Stupid’, openly having forgotten his cue.

Victor Sgarbi also plays the judge in ‘The Trial’. During the chorus there is a rendition of “NOT GUILTY, GUILTY…” from all of the characters, to

put across the idea of there being many people there.

Arabella Rodrigo breaks down during ‘Then It All Stopped’ singing the lines

(the colouring of her husband’s mistress) but it is overly dramatic and painful to watch.

 All the voices are present in ‘The Poisoning’ where the wife reveals false elixir she intends to offer to the mistress with the true intent of poisoning her,( a reference to Romeo & Juliet).

After the mistress drinks the elixir, the wife sings “you’ve made your bed, now lie in it” in ‘Wife’s Doubt’.

Julia Buckley, the mistress, shows off her octave leaps in ‘Inside My Dreams’. Arabella Rodrigo,on the other hand, displays non-smooth vocal transitions in ‘Always In My Life’ when she sings “when you had an affair you drove me to despair”.

In the finale and for the reprise of ‘Turkish Delight’ all four singers take to the stage once again. The wife is being offered a sharp instrument to do away with herself and we are all thinking to ourselves ‘Just get on with it, would you!’

 

 

Anyone who just so happened to see the show feel free to e-mail your feedback to astagekindly@aol.com

You can keep up-to-date with future A STAGE KINDLY performances at: www.astagekindly.com

JERUSALEM by Jez Butterworth

A show that runs for 3 hrs & 10 minutes with 2 intervals may seem like a daunting prospect these days to any potential theatre-goer, but a visit to The Royal Court for a viewing of Jez Butterworth's JERUSALEM is an epic that defies time & is simply not to be missed. With a wonderful woodland setting by Ultz & under the superb direction of Ian Rickson, once again working with Butterworth; this is a show that will surely run and transfer.

From the sublime opening - an innocent looking young woman in satin slip & angel wings, with a voice to match, singing the well know hymn, followed in swift succession by a snatched scene of drug-fuelled teens raving to house music in a woodland party, Butterworth's world takes us into the heart of Wiltshires woodland characters & on an boisterous and envigorating theatrical journey.

At the centre is a towering,  magnificent performance by Mark Rylance as Johnny 'Rooster' Byron, a teller of stories and yarns both fantastical, unbelieveable and to great comic effect. A modern day Pan & bad man Pied Piper who draws to him a devoted following, mainly wanting the ample supplies of drugs and alcohol he deals, and who leave the sinking ship when the going gets rough. Starting his day, still tripping from the night before, downing a concoction of stale milk, eggs, half a bottle of vodka and a line of speed, Rylance roars onto the stage totally emboding his character and delivers a mammoth performance and a master class in the art of acting. He has that 'other wordly' quality as a performer -which means you simply cannot take your eyes off him & although he is surrounded by a hugely talented cast, with particular mention to Mackenzie Crook, Tom Brooke, Gerard Horan, Alan David & Lucy Montgomery - it is Rylance's show.

JERUSALEM asks us what has happened to 'our Green and Pleasant land', to our heritage of myths and old Gods - where anyone different is ostracised, abused, feared & ultimately stamped out to extinction - much like our attitudes towards the 'old ways' of the country folk. Rooster is a wanted man, much maligned by the locals who believe he has something to do the disappearance of the 15 year old crowned May Queen, Phaedre, to be crowned at this year's local Flintlock Fair. On the dawning of the same day - it being St George's Day, he is issued a final eviction notice by the local council, armed with a petition signed by hundreds of local residents protesting against the frequent 'gatherings' he hosts at his caravan in the woods, which attract the local teens in their droves & anything else they can think of to pin on him.

The writing is rich in comedy especially the stories told by Johnny; amongst many - his account of being kidnapped by four large Nigerian Traffic Wardens is hysterical,  but as well there are intimate scenes of tenderness with his young son, advising him on life and on the specialness of his Romany blood and advising him to love women as much as possible - because they are wonderful creatures.

Johnny emerges at the end bloodied and battered by local thugs, a Lear-like hero beating a last drum to ancestors & long forgotten Gods; an ending which haunts and enthralls us, much like this piece which reminds us all again of the magic and specialness of theatre at it's very best.

The run has been extended by another week already - my advice - do whatever you can to get a ticket!

Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth

Royal Court Theatre

Sloane Square

SW1

020 7565 5000

Until Aug 22 2009

7.30 start

Tickets: 10.00, 12.00, 18.00

Website:www.royalcourttheatre.com

Director Ian Rickson
Designer Ultz
Lighting Mimi Jordan Sherin
Sound Ian Dickinson for Autograph
Composer Stephen Warbeck

Cast includes Jessica Barden, Tom Brooke, Greg Burridge, Lewis Coppen, Mackenzie Crook, Alan David, Aimeé-Ffion Edwards, Lenny Harvey, Gerard Horan, Danny Kirrane, Charlotte Mills, Lucy Montgomery, Sarah Moyle, Dan Poole, Harvey Robinson, Mark Rylance, Barry Sloane

Running time 3hrs 10mins approx, including 2 intervals

SHOW: DAVID BENSON SINGS NOEL COWARD

Assembly Rooms, 6-21 Aug (and 12 Aug), 15.20 – 16.30

10 Aug 09 £12.00

David Benson once again demonstrated his versatility in this delightful show celebrating the great Noel Coward. He transformed himself from a glamorous diva to a middle-aged businessman lamenting that he is Mad About the Boy within a second using little more than a pearl necklace, a feather band and a pair of glasses.

Accompanied by the charming Stewart Nicholls Benson presented Coward hits like Don’t Put Your Daughter on the Stage and There are Bad Times Just Around the Corner – quite relevant today - but he also included songs from the rarely performed show The Girl Who Came to Supper. David Benson conducted a good deal of research for this show. He included forgotten lyrics that even my friend who is a Coward connoisseur did not know. A highly enjoyable afternoon! 


For tickets, visit http://www.edfringe.com

The production Palace of the End by renowned playwright Judith Thompson has been nominated for the Amnesty International Award and rightfully so. This play is about the Iraq War and its effect on three individuals - two of them well known to us. However, it is not a docu-drama. Judith Thompson works with facts and transmutes them into a world of the imagination. Seen from three different perspectives including a female American soldier facing court-martial for torture and prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib, a British former UN Weapons Inspector exposed as a source for the BBC and an Iraqi mother and political leader who suffered the greatest loss imaginable at the hands of Saddam Hussein this production will stay with you for a long time.  

Kellie Bright reprises her role as Lynndie - a frightened, racist bigot who hates ugly people, prays to her American God and compares herself to Joan of Arc because she "took the fall" for Abu Ghraib. She plans to go to Quebec in exile like Napoleon and then return an American hero! David Kelly is again played by Robert Demeger. Mortally wounded he does not want to be found before he is dead. He had been thrown to the wolves for disclosing the truth about the WMD situation in Iraq to the BBC. David, severely depressed and tormented, feels like Prometheus: "You can only defeat them by disappearing." The third monologue is spoken by an Iraqi mother and political leader (played by Eve Ploycarpou) who was captured by the secret service of the Baath party along with her sons and taken to their headquarters  - the Palace of the End. She sees Saddam as the embodiment of evil - "Some Iraqis think he is not mortal." There was hope when Saddam's government was overthrown but the American troops and "their murderous puppets" turned into monsters.  

This is a very important play and the acting is outstanding. I advise everyone to see it.  
(Carolin Kopplin)

Aug 5 to 30, Traverse Theatre
Tel: 0131 228 1404

THE PRESENT        

COCK TAVERN THEATRE, KILBURN

 

Following it’s tradition of revisiting forgotten plays by modern writers, Kilburn’s dynamic fringe theatre, the Cock Tavern, offers a hearty resurrection of Nick Ward’s drama The Present.

The play was last performed at the Bush in 1995, and this revival by Good Night Out productions is almost faultless. Set in 1980 just after the assassination of John Lennon, Danny a British teenager arrives in Australia in search of adventure. He finds lodgings and work with Michael, a Nietzsche obsessed throw-back to the 1960’s, who introduces him to the world of sex, drugs and hippy art.  Michael borders on the pathological, and his associates Becky and Libby are not far behind him in the off-the-wall stakes, providing unpredictable company for the naïve newcomer.

The stark white painted set is indicative of a mental asylum, and is the perfect backdrop for the bizarre behaviour of Ward’s characters. Adam- Speadbury-Maher’s focused direction keeps the drama moving at a pace, and the carefully selected choice of Lennon’s songs works perfectly as a soundscape for the piece

Nathan Godkin is outstanding as the on-the-edge control freak Michael, and Sophie Brabenec gives a lovely, layered performance as the amnesic, vulnerable artist Libby. Shelly Lang is impressive as the man devouring Becky.

Ward’s poetic and colourful language is a treat for the ears, although towards the end of the play the themes become over-repetitive and he seems to be trying too hard to make his point.

This production continues to prove that the Cock Tavern is a valuable asset to North London’s theatre land. This is a gift not to be missed.

OLIVER VALENTINE                    www.cocktaverntheatre.com