UK Theatre Network

Sawdust and Stardust

The Studio, Live Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne

Described in the theatre’s season brochure as ‘the story of 30-something Stella in her ultimate quest to make a change and reach the top’ this ‘heartfelt’ one-woman show, performed by Beccy Owen, is a bit of a hotch-potch affair that never quite fulfils the promise it delivers.

I was expecting to see a show that chronicled one woman’s personal journey to self-awareness and discovery, a piece that encouraged its audience to embark upon the said journey with her and leave the theatre pondering all kinds of profound questions about life, its meaning and our part in it. Instead, I left feeling underwhelmed and disappointed.

The decision to stage a production based only upon one performer delivering an extended monologue is an audacious and risky one that, in this case, plummets faster and further than a rock dislodged from a mountain summit.  The writing isn’t good enough, the performance isn’t strong enough and the story isn’t interesting enough.

The only ‘discovery’ that Stella seems to make about herself is that she has developed something of an unhealthy obsession about the woman who is her climbing companion, that borders on lesbianism. An obsession that, like most unhealthy obsessions, ends badly.

The rhetoric that claimed the production would be ‘weaving together a heady mix of quixotic music and imaginative text’ could best be translated as follows: a series of bizarre, jarring, whaling noises punctuating a script that is as flat as a glass of week-old cola.

Staged in Live Theatre’s intimate Studio, the performer and the production should have had the qualities  and abilities to draw the audience into the epicentre of the piece and make them feel part of it. Instead, due to some inadequate staging, I spent much of the duration of the performance looking at the back of Beccy Owen and musing that the white thong that became increasingly visible over the waist of her jeans was hardly a suitable undergarment to wear for mountain climbing.

Never has an hour seemed so long!

Runs until Saturday 22^nd January 2011.

Prokofiev was commissioned to write a ballet by the Kirov Theater in 1934. When he proposed Romeo and Juliet as the subject, the Kirov objected stating that “living people can dance, the dying cannot.” Prokofiev next approached the Bolshoi Ballet Theater. After seeing the score in summer 1935 the Bolshoi declared the ballet undanceable. The work only received a premiere on 30 December 1938 at the Brno opera House in Prague. Now the Moscow City Ballet is touring with this famously difficult ballet as one of its productions and quite successfully so.

Natalya Povago’s design presents the Elizabethan era with rich, colourful period costumes, and imaginative drapes evocative of the Renaissance Italian art of the time. As this is a touring production there is only one town square set used for all three acts but the dancers have our imagination design the rest.  

The tragic ending of the play is foretold in a graphic prologue of Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt and Mercutio carried in inverted crucifix by pallbearers from beyond the grave. This tableau is repeated as an epilogue which completes the dramatic circle. The rivalry between the two families is established in the opening scenes with clashes of the two opposing families wearing green and purple. The costume colours act like those of opposing street gangs; with the dancers evoking animosity and cementing the drama of the story from the start. Sergei Zolotarev’s Mercutio is a young, funny swashbuckling hero. In contrast, Tybalt (Danil Orlov) is portrayed as an aggressive, virile, no-nonsense fighter with a deep brotherly love for Juliet, their closeness apparent when he gives a red dress to her that she is wearing throughout much of the performance. Alevtina Lapshina captures the innocence and joy of Juliet perfectly. The scene in Juliet’s bedchamber when she teases her nurse effectively shows her playfulness and youth. The balcony scene – although without a balcony – is enchanting as the two ill-fated lovers seem to fly through the air. When they get married in secret they cannot help kissing each other whilst they should be praying, to the dismay of Friar Lawrence. The tension builds up and Romeo is accidentally responsible for the death of his friend Mercutio as the scenario becomes darker. The dawn parting duet is deeply moving and Romeo’s final dance with Juliet’s seemingly dead body disturbing.

The choreography (Victor Smirnov-Golovanov) is impressive and dramatic through most of the ballet although the exposition is somewhat slow moving. All the main characters are well cast except for Paris (Anton Nosov) who seems very rigid and not quite convincing. The orchestra is conducted by Igor Shavruk.

The Moscow City Ballet will next perform Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty at the Lighthouse (Poole Arts Centre) in Poole from 8^th to 12^th February.

Review of Maddy’s Many Mouths 

By Maddy Anholt

The Canal Cafe Theatre, 03/08/11

When porn obsessed public school boy, Thomas Prism (Elliot Hadley) takes it upon himself to interview 12 women for his GCSE coursework, he doesn’t know what he’s let himself in for. Move over  Alec Guinness, enter Maddy Anholt, impersonator extraordinaire. Over the course of the next hour we are introduced to a spectrum of sexy, shy, and insane women from all over the world, each one weirder than the last. Anholt’s ability to change roles is nothing short of phenomenal, her incredible talent for accents allowing her to switch character with consummate ease.  Anholt excels at exhibiting feminine characteristics that the audience can identify with, from femme fatales to plain freaks, the dozen women are all scarily accurate. From the extreme male manipulation of Paloma Freel, all the way from Australia, aka Cougar town, to an unsettlingly authentic portrayal of little girl, Rebecca Sutherton, probing her Barbie; Anholt’s  depictions are highly perceptive and consistently amusing.

Take sultry, yummy mummy, Saffron Uncaged, whose recent discovery of Buddhism seems more influenced by red wine than red robes, or the intense scientific, self examination of Dr Steely White, an American woman who would make your think twice of ever going to visit a psychiatrist. Anholt requires only a single prop to suggest her new incarnation, a wine glass will do for Saffron, lab coat for Dr Steely. Combined with Anholt’s brilliant accents and mannerisms, the objects become charged with the life of the characters, signalling the arrival of even more outlandish women.

Anholt’s portrayl of Muslim rude girl, Shariah Salaf is a hilarious send up of a ubiquitous presence on the top deck of a London bus.  Anholt demonstrates through exaggeration the intrinsic humour of a character that we can all recognize. Only in the melting pot of London is it possible to see such contradictions in religion and attitude, and the effect of cultural influence on upbringing.

Anholt works best when she’s portraying dominant women. South African, Adrianna Van Niekerk for example is so overpowering you think she was going to put you in a headlock. Her way of speaking coincides brilliantly with her lifestyle. Dating for her makes her feel like she’s in a game reserve,  with men seeing women like meat. Never one to mince her words, Niekerk is a tremendous character who has great potential. The more submissive roles such as the hermit, Edna Davies and the bespectacled Penny Saxton worked well, but were overshadowed by their more assertive counterparts. One difficulty Anholt faces, is in adapting the speed of such an energetic piece to find the right pace for the more submissive roles.

Elliot Hadley provides fine support, in the form of sex obsessed, public school boy, Thomas Prism, whose life lessons have him mopping his brow with excitement. The emphasis on sex jokes was perhaps a little too obvious and the women themselves were so intrinsically entertaining, they didn’t really need so many of Prism’s puerile comments.  

Maddy’s Many Mouths is a fantastically entertaining show, which allows Anholt a perfect vehicle for her incredible talent for impersonation and accents. It is highly impressive to see one woman capable of portraying a dozen, without ever relying simply on stereotype, rather, she exploits the stereotypes to create fully fledged characters. It will be intriguing to see how Maddy’s Many Mouths develops, who knows with a bit of luck, rude girl, Shariah Salaf could be morphing into six year old Rebecca Sutherton next time you turn on your telly.

 

 

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

“Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength” – August Wilson

 

This is not an easy play to watch, but necessary in its difficulty. The path, as they say, is never a smooth one if you are in recovery. “Bill W. and Dr. Bob” is the inspiring story of New Yorkstockbroker Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, a surgeon from Ohio, both alcoholics, who through an astonishing series of events, meet and eventually form Alcoholics Anonymous.

 

Bill (Robert Krakovski), a successful businessman crashes with the Stock Market. Bob (Patrick Husted) often operates on his patients with a hangover, sometimes while still intoxicated. If it wasn’t a true story, you’d still be worried for their state of mind – and this story is a true one. Many of us, perhaps, may associate with the loss of control that comes from being under the influence – at times a freedom devoutly to be wished for, and at times a freedom that scares the living daylights out of us. Free-falling can be exhilarating and terrifying when seen through different eyes. And this, I think, is true of the audience at the New World Stages. Not your average theatre audience, this crowd is made-up of a large number of recovering addicts, and it is strangely moving to be able to experience at first-hand their personal stories in association with the evocative performances on stage.

 

Director Rick Lombardo has created a frighteningly truthful and powerful drama which creates images that are both compelling and inspiring, while finding something primitive in each of the audience. Here is a story that inspires laughter in pain and tears of joy, while never becoming sentimental or jaded. Krakovski and Husted are fantastic as the title players, and vividly remind us of the massive ups and downs that addicts can experience, whatever their addiction. Their portrayals of the two men who pioneered the international AA movement are extremely moving and to many, inspirational. And the supporting players are also excellent. Special mention should be made of Marc Carver whose enthusiasm and honesty are unparalleled in my recent experience.

 

Speaking with the audience after the show, I think that they would agree with the sentiments expressed by Helen Keller when she said, "I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." Every day is another step forward. You may take small steps, you may take great strides, but what counts is that you are moving forwards. This is a pebble, perhaps, in an ocean of spirit, but has created some sizeable ripples, and I for one have felt the force of its emotional wave.

 

“Bill W. and Dr. Bob” is on at the New World Stages, New York.

 

Tickets can be ordered online or by phone from www.telecharge.com or (212) 239-6200

 

It’s not often that the circus comes to town, but for Daredevil Opera Company it’s almost every day! And this is no ordinary circus. It’s like circus on adrenaline with jet roller skates, slapstick humour, mess, and popcorn – lots of popcorn. These guys are so funny, it’s dangerous! This show is unlike anything you could expect, but fantastic all the same.   Despite the name, there’s no opera here, unless you count the epic style of the show. With almost no dialogue some may be put off, but don’t be. The company communicate perfectly well. Some fantastic visual effects combine with cartoonesque sound and pyrontechnics, a pristine (most of the time) Frenchman (Anthony Venisse), a huge pet dog and much much more. The two main characters, Lucky (Jonah Logan) and Lady (Amy Gordon), may be reminiscent of a mixed up version of Buster Keaton and a well-known canine cartoon, but I suspect that is the entire point.   Where they get their energy from, I have no idea. These two, Logan and Gordon, seem to have boundless reserves and this translates into a high-speed extravaganza of mayhem. Every child’s fantasy with things that spray, things that explode, things that break wind! Being an old stick-in-the-mud, before the show I was not so sure if it was not going to be more aimed at people half my age, but my by the end, all that was forgotten and children young and old were roaring with laughter.   After the show Logan and Gordon met up with many of their young fans to sign whoopee cushions and other assorted toys that give parents nightmares, but it was great to see children in awe of their ‘favouritest clowns ever’.   For more information on the Daredevil Theatre Company and ‘Cirkus Inferno’, you can visit their website: www.daredeviloperacompany.com   For more information on the New Victory Theatre, you can visit:www.newvictory.org

 

There’s only so much buffing a person can do, and it’s fair to say that this production is sparkling, there’s a sparkle on every surface, and yet from the minute the Dusty Springfield hits the turntable you know that this is not going to as easy a ride as you had perhaps expected. Doug Stone’s witty and yet strangely disturbing tale of deepest suburbia hits a spot that others often fail to reach.

 

It’s difficult to quantify where it starts – the gradual decline of a marriage – and here we are offered no answers. The passing of time, the gaining of weight, the shortening of teenage skirts may perhaps all contribute to the widening rifts. Even if we recognise the slipping away, how do we face it? How do we tell our friends? Our neighbours? How do we face our partners? Elizabeth Meadows Rouse (Bonnie) is endearing and funny in her portrayal of a wife in just such a situation, finding poignancy in the smallest and darkest of moments. Kate Vandevender is also fantastic as the ditzy blonde Tracy-Ann, the perfect foil for J.J. Van Name’s mouthy and disgruntled Sinclair who seems to have a chip for all the world, but then again it could a lot of hot air. Unexpectedly, we also delve into the past life of career-minded Diane (Patricia Dalen), who finds a smile even in the most heart-wrenching of times.

 

This send-up of sitcoms from past and present, shows that dirty laundry, catfights and coloured plastic can be great fun, but there is no substitute for substance, and pretty packaging only masks what’s underneath. Written and directed by Doug Stone this is a bitter-sweet story which speaks to housewives and house-husbands alike. Truly a fresh take on an age-old conundrum. How does it all turn out? Our lids are sealed.

 

“Sealed For Freshness” sparkles at the New World Stages, New York, which can be found at340 West 50^th Street.

 

For more information, please visit www.sealedforfreshness.com andwww.newworldstages.com

 

For tickets, go to www.telecharge.com or call (212) 239-6200

 

ROUNDHOUSE TO HOST CARAVANSERAI FRINGE BINGE FEST

A two-day celebration of some of the finest young creative talent in the country takes place at the Roundhouse in Camden as the venue plays host to the first of two Caravanserai Fringe Binge Fest events on 29th and 30th March, raising money for two charities amidst a spectacle of new performances every 90 minutes for 12 hours strong.

Starting at 12 noon and running until midnight on both days, the festival features theatre, comedy and live music including performances from actors of the Caravanserai Acting Studio, critically acclaimed sketch troupe Beta Males and blues, jazz and classical music. The event is a celebration of the best in new talent, independent comedy and individual performers, and proceeds will support future Caravanserai productions as well as two charities – Youth Leadership & Social Responsibility (YLSR) and Developing Artists.

The Caravanserai Fringe Binge Fest is the brainchild of members of the studio, spearheaded by Giles Foreman, the founder of Caravanserai Productions and Acting Studio (soon to become the Giles Foreman Centre for Acting when it moves to new customised premises in the heart of Soho this summer). The company offers professional acting training in a number of disciplines, as well as coaching for films both on and off set, and is at the forefront of some of the most innovative and acclaimed new productions in London and across the UK.

The Caravanserai was founded in 2005 and offers ongoing and master-class training for beginners through to professional actors. Founders of Drama Centre London, Christopher Fettes and Yat Malmgren, and Reuven Adiv, its acting teacher between 1982 and 2004 under whom Giles trained, continue to influence the Caravanserai’s work.

Giles has established a reputation as one of the leading acting specialists in the UK and trained at the Drama Centre, London, where he has since returned as an acting coach. He has also worked with the Deutsche Schauspiel Akademie in Berlin, Pula International Festival of Theatre, The City Lit and NODA, whilst he worked as an acting coach on films including Berlin Film Festival hit ‘ROMEOS’, ‘Ruhestoerung’ (directed by Robert Ralston) and ‘Sennentuntschi’ (directd by Michael Steiner). He also worked with Daniel Sharman for ‘Immortals’ and Alex Gonzalez on ‘X Men First Class’.

The Fringe Binge is the culmination of months of preparation, and the varied programme reflects the Caravanserai’s range of expertise. The programme on 29th March includes popular works from the likes of Tennessee Williams and Anthony Neilson, as well as new writing by up-and-coming playwrights such as Freddy Syborn, complemented with comedy from acclaimed stand-up Benjamin Crellin. Similarly, the programme on the 30th March includes performances of work ranging from Anton Chekhov to Jean Genet, with laughter assured by performances from established comedy group Shotgun Impro amongst others.

In April, the studio’s brand new adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard The Third will be at The Courtyard Theatre, Hoxton, which will also host Caravanserai Fringe Binge Fest 2 on 22nd and 23rd April.

With something new every 90 minutes, audiences will be entertained, enlightened, warmed, humoured and sorrowed in one sitting by the Caravanserai Fringe Binge Fest.





LISTINGS/WEBLINKS 

WHAT: Caravanserai Productions and Acting Studio: Fringe Binge Fest
WHEN: 12 noon – midnight, Tuesday 29th & Wednesday 30th March 2011
WHERE: Roundhouse Studio Theatre, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8EH
TICKETS: £12 (£9 concession) / £44 festival pass
BOX OFFICE www.roundhouse.org.uk / 0844 482 8008 

WHAT: Caravanserai Productions and Acting Studio: Richard III
WHEN: 7.30 PM, Tuesdays 5th through to Sunday 24th April 2011
WHERE: The Courtyard Theatre, Bowling Green Walk 40 Pitfield Street, London N1 6EU
TICKETS: £14 (£11 concession)
BOX OFFICE: Ticket Web 0844 477 1000 / www.ticketweb.co.uk/
ENQUIRIES: 020 7729 2202 / www.thecourtyard.org.uk

WHAT: Caravanserai Productions and Acting Studio: Fringe Binge Fest 2
WHEN: 12 noon – midnight, Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd April 2011
WHERE: The Courtyard Theatre, Bowling Green Walk 40 Pitfield Street, London N1 6EU
TICKETS: £11 (£8 concession) / £40 festival pass
BOX OFFICE: Ticket Web 0844 477 1000 / www.ticketweb.co.uk/
ENQUIRIES: 020 7729 2202 / www.thecourtyard.org.uk
For more information on Caravanserai Productions and Acting Studio, visit www.caravanseraiproductions.com