If you’ve never seen a ballet in the theatre before then I’d say Swan Lake has to be the best one to see first.  This fantasy fairy story is timeless and tells of Prince Siegfried falling in love with Princess Odette, who has been bewitched by the Evil Genius turning her into a swan during the day.  Only the love of a man who has never loved another will break the spell. It’s a simple story, with a tragic ending, but one that I believe is best told in the true traditional way without any tricks or trying to make it edgy and contemporary.  The only real message in this story is that we can all fall in love with a fantasy wearing rose tinted glasses, but when reality sets in the results can be disastrous!

Thankfully, the Russian State Ballet of Siberia stays true to this classic fairy story and the show is all about wonderful dancing and the incredible music of Tchaikovsky.


My niece, Melissa, joined me for the show and this was indeed her first theatre visit to see a ballet.  She thought it was brilliant and loved all the colourful costumes, made with pastels and muted colours in the first Act, with Act 2 having more vibrant shades of red and orange, deep velvets of black for the swans and a sumptuous royal blue for the queen’s train.  She was amazed to see how high Benno, Prince’s friend (Ivan Karnaukhov) jumped and loved the way the swans feet trembled slightly, which was very effective.  We both agreed that Odette/Odile (Maria Kuimova) shone on the stage, with every movement, gesture and nuance finely pointed.  With long legs and arms, she gave a perfect performance of grace and poise and whenever she was on stage you only watched her.



Kirill Litvinenko gives an accomplished performance as the love-lorn Prince Siegfried and Egor Osokin has just the right amount of menace as Von Rothbart the Evil Genius.

The truly memorable parts of Swan Lake for me though are the swan dances and particularly the Pas de Quatre, which are all performed beautifully.  I loved the way they used their arms to emulate a swan’s neck and the elegance and graceful movements were a joy to watch.


Special mention must also be made to the Russian State Ballet of Siberia Orchestra, conducted by Anatoliy Chepurmoy, who performed  Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovskky’s music beautifully.

The glorious costumes were designed by Maria Smirnova-Nesvitskaya, who also designed the sets, with the lake at night working particularly well.

Melissa says she'd definitely like to see another ballet, so if you've never seen a live ballet before, there's still time to catch this exceptional ballet company.  Nearing the end of their tour, it’s still possible to  see one their shows.

Sun 18th Mar Sleeping Beauty:
Russian State Ballet of Siberia
Grand Theatre
Blackpool
Mon 19th Mar Giselle:
Russian State Ballet of Siberia
Grand Theatre
Blackpool
Tue 20th Mar Sleeping Beauty:
Russian State Ballet of Siberia
Cliffs Pavilion
Southend-on-Sea
Wed 21st Mar Swan Lake:
Russian State Ballet of Siberia
Cliffs Pavilion
Southend-on-Sea
Thu 22nd Mar -
Fri 23rd Mar  Swan Lake:
Russian State Ballet of Siberia, Russian State Orchestra Of Siberia
New Victoria Theatre
Woking
Sat 24th Mar Sleeping Beauty:
Russian State Ballet of Siberia, Russian State Orchestra Of Siberia
New Victoria Theatre
Woking

For Waterside Theatre’s Spring programme information contact:
Box Office: 0844 871 7607 (bkg fee)
Groups Hotline: 0844 871 7614
Access Booking: 0844 871 7677 (bkg fee)
Online Booking:

Reviewed by:
Yvonne Delahaye
16.3.12

When the curtain rises and you see the cartoonish backdrop and a man dressed as a dame sweeping the stage, you may think you’ve mistakenly come along to a panto!  In fact there are many similarities in the style of this comic ballet, which is light, frothy and fun.

The premise of the story is that Widow Simone, the rich farmer’s widow, is trying to marry her daughter off to the village idiot, for a considerable sum of money.  Alexander Kuimov plays the ‘dame’, Widow Simone, with great gusto eking out all the humour and chasing off the unwanted suitors.  Her daughter  Lise, played very elegantly by Anna Germizeeva, has other ideas and falls in love with Colas, a young farmer, played by Vyachelslav Kapustin.

Thomas (Arseny Bormotov), the proprietor of a vineyard, conspires with Widow Simone to pay her to take his son Alain off his hands by marrying Lise.  Alain, played with superb slapstick comic timing and some very energetic and athletic dancing by Denis Pogorely, isn’t open to the idea either preferring one of the village girls. Thus ensues some cat and mouse chasing around and trickery as Lise, Alain and Colas try to outsmart the parents.

The second act sees Widow Simone don a pair of Russian clogs to perform the infamous clog dance.  As the soles are rubber, the sounds are made by everyone clapping, which is a shame as it becomes a bit more of a soft shoe shuffle than a tap.  It’s still great fun though and doesn’t spoil the appeal of the show at all.

The costumes were beautifully designed by Maria Smirnova-Nesvitskaya, using lovely colour combinations of pinks, turquoise, red and purple, with some clever coats and dresses of greens, browns and orange, which turned luminescent in the rain scene.

The delightful choreography was by Jean Dauberval,  Alexander Gorsky and Mark Peretokin.  Music is by Peter Ludwig Hertel, performed by The Russian State Ballet of Siberia Orchestra and conducted by Alexander Yudasin.  Design by Dimitry Tcherbadzhi.

This wasn’t a ballet that I knew before, but the whole evening was a delightfully uplifting experience.  The cast were all young and fresh with an innocence that enables you to escape completely into their world.  I’m looking forward to seeing their other performance tonight of Swan Lake, which plays to Saturday 17th.

The tour continues to:

Sun 18th Mar	Sleeping Beauty: Russian State Ballet of Siberia	Grand Theatre Blackpool
Mon 19th Mar	Giselle: Russian State Ballet of Siberia	Grand Theatre Blackpool
Tue 20th Mar	Sleeping Beauty: Russian State Ballet of Siberia	Cliffs Pavilion Southend-on-Sea
Wed 21st Mar	Swan Lake: Russian State Ballet of Siberia	Cliffs Pavilion Southend-on-Sea
Thu 22nd Mar - Fri 23rd Mar	Swan Lake: Russian State Ballet of Siberia, Russian State Orchestra Of Siberia	New Victoria Theatre Woking
Sat 24th Mar	Sleeping Beauty: Russian State Ballet of Siberia, Russian State Orchestra Of Siberia	New Victoria Theatre Woking

For Waterside Theatre’s Spring programme information contact:
Box Office:   0844 871 7607 (bkg fee)
Groups Hotline:  0844 871 7614
Access Booking: 0844 871 7677 (bkg fee)
Online Booking: 

Reviewed by:
Yvonne Delahaye
15.3.12

 

Theatres Raise a Fantastic £112,866 for Good Causes

 

With the last of the money now having been counted, once again across the UK, the theatre community has stepped up to truly Make A Difference.

Theatres across the UK joined forces in December 2011 to support TheatreMAD’s World AIDS Day bucket collections.  Stars such as David Tennant, Matt Lucas, Catherine Tate and Vanessa Redgrave all threw their support behind this annual event which sees theatres, casts and front of house staff all rattle buckets to achieve a phenomenal result to support the Trusts work.

The Make A Difference Trust provides hardship support to those living with HIV and other chronic health issues as well as funding educational projects to tackle HIV awareness, stigma and discrimination in both the UK and Africa.

The appeal was supported by theatres in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as across England and London’s iconic West End. 

Charity Director, Steven Inman said “We continue to be very humbled by the generosity of the theatre community and of course the great British public, particularly at a time when everyone’s income is stretched to capacity.  Our hardship fund continues to see a growth in people calling on us for support and collections such as this are vital to make our work possible”. 

In particular this year, the cast and audiences of ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ led by two of the worlds most respected actors; Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones at the Wyndhams Theatre, raised a remarkable £26,500 towards the appeal.

With a wide variety of granting programmes and fabulous fun events scheduled for 2012, the collection was a wonderful way to boost The Make A Difference Trust into their 21^st anniversary year.

Monty Python’s irreverent spin on the Arthurian legend returns to Glasgow to taunt us for a second time as SPAMalot, pitches its tent in the King’s Theatre this week.

 

“We dine well here in Camelot, we eat ham and jam and Spam a lot.”, sing the Knights of the Round Table in a jolly refrain that was the inspiration for the show’s title and a good indicator for the tone of this hilarious comedy musical.  Lovingly ripped off from Monty Python’s 1975 movie, “The Holy Grail”, the show “farts in the general direction” of the Arthurian legend.  Python fans will be delighted to learn that many of the original characters and songs from the movie are faithfully recreated while new elements and characters have been added with hilarious consequences.  Rest assured that alongside King Arthur and his faithful knights, we are entertained by The Black Knight (“It’s only a flesh wound”), the French Taunter (“Your mother was a hamster …”), The King of Swamp Castle (“One day lad, all this will be yours …”) and the Knights who say “Ni”!  But King Arthur and the world of musicals are mocked in equal measure with references to Lloyd Webber, ‘star’ cast headliners, camp dance routines and blatant overacting throughout.

 

Steven Pacey is, perhaps, surprisingly cast as King Arthur; being a ‘proper actor’ in this outrageous comedy. His plausible delivery, though, was the perfect antithesis for the bizarre caricatures of the supporting cast.  His timing was impeccable, particularly in the quick-fire scene where he meets Dennis Galahad (Jon Robyns) for the first time.  Bonnie Langford (as The Lady of the Lake) was wonderfully OTT, happily lampooning the role of diva with great gusto.  She didn’t quite “sqweem and sqweem” when she felt underused in the second act; instead singing “The Diva’s Lament” to comic effect.  Todd Carty reprised the role of Patsy (King Arthur’s faithful companion) in this second national tour.  While rarely vocal, Patsy adds a great deal to the show through physical humour and Mr. Carty’s rendition of “Always Look on The Bright Side of Life” was a big hit with the audience.  As in the Monty Python movies, the supporting cast played several roles throughout the show displaying diverse character talents.

 

In 2010, the only criticism I could level at the production was a slightly weak musical and chorus sound.  Both of these issues seemed to have been addressed this time around.  In addition, I think that the cast were given a little more directorial leeway to revel in the classic Python script … allowing the audience to fully appreciate some of the funniest lines ever uttered on stage.  Don’t miss out on your chance for some SPAM … to say this show is a laugh a minute would be a gross understatement!  I, for one, will never trust a “cute wee white bunny” ever again.

 

SPAMALOT

Mon 12 – Sat 17 March

Mon – Sat eves 7.30pm

Wed & Sat mats 2.30pm

 

Tickets: £16.50 – £37.50

Box Office 0844 871 7648 (Bkg fee)

www.atgtickets.com/glasgow (bkg fee)

Ex-EastEnder Anita Dobson talks to Steve Burbridge about playing Joan Crawford, her professional motivation and why she’s never regretted leaving Albert Square.

It seems difficult to believe that Anita Dobson played Queen of the Vic, Angie Watts, in EastEnders for just three-and-a-quarter years. Somehow it seems much longer. Perhaps this can be attributed to the cult status that the character has since achieved, After all, the tempestuous marriage of Dirty Den and Angie made EastEnders  the BBC’s most successful programme ever and attracted record viewing figures of over 30 million.

When she left Albert Square in 1988, Anita’s departure even made headlines on the Six O’Clock News, so wasn’t it a rash decision to quit the soap at the peak of the character’s popularity?

“No, not at all,” she says. “I didn’t do too much soul-searching before I left EastEnders - I’m a great believer in instinct. For me, the whole point of being an actor is that you get the chance to do lots of different roles. I’d played Angie for long enough and I wanted to try different things.”

Indeed, since leaving EastEnders, Anita has tackled a wide variety of roles, garnering critical acclaim for her work on the stage. She has appeared in classic plays by Chekhov, Molière and Shakespeare and starred in smash-hit musicals including Hello, Dolly!, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Chicago. She enjoys not being typecast.

“My career is healthy, varied and exciting,” she says. “I like being a glamour queen but I also adore the other extreme – being serious and totally unmade-up.”

So then, her latest role – which sees her playing Hollywood legend Joan Crawford in Bette and Joan – must have been a wish fulfilled?

“Well, when you’re asked if you want to play Joan Crawford you don’t really think about it twice,” admits Anita. “You just run and grab it because it’s a dream and as good as it gets for an actress.”

Written by Anton Burge, Bette and Joan tells the story of the fractious relationship between Bette Davis (played by Greta Scacchi) and Joan Crawford. Both their careers had hit rock bottom when they were paired together for the filming of Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?, Robert Aldrich’s thriller about an ageing ex-Vaudeville child star who wages a psychotic reign of terror over her crippled ex-movie star sister. The stage play lifts the lid on the behind-the-scenes highs and lows and the tantrums and tiffs between two of Hollywood’s greatest superstars as their 30 year feud reaches boiling point.

Hailed by the critics as ‘funny and sharp’, Bette and Joan is making its regional debut in Darlington fresh from an acclaimed run in London’s West End. Anita can barely contain her enthusiasm as she talks about reprising her role in the touring production.

“For me, it’s a dream to play someone who was my icon,” she reveals. “I grew up, as a child, watching all those Sunday afternoon matinees on my Mum and Dad’s little telly, weeping and laughing along with all of them.”

It’s obvious that Anita also has a huge amount of respect for both Davis and Crawford.

“Both of them were quite tenacious,” she says. “Bette was a formidable actress who’d come up through the ranks and she knew her stuff; she knew a good part when she read it; she knew what she could make of something, and she knew how to do it. Joan was a self-made performer and a really smart, sussed businesswoman. She came from nothing and had been a gawky, goofy, strange-looking girl who clawed her way up from the wrong side of the tracks, got herself a role in a musical, and created the beautiful movie legend that she became.”

However, in the golden age of Hollywood, it could often be something of a challenge for women to maintain their profile as they grew older.

“You had to have something that sold you, in order to stay at the top,” Anita explains. “So they both developed, from quite beautiful young things, into really strong character actresses, almost becoming caricatures of themselves in a way.”

And could their infamous rivalry have been exaggerated for publicity purposes?

“I think everything does become exaggerated with time, especially in the press,” says Anita. “But I do think there was a rivalry between them, definitely. There was a competitiveness derived from the fact that they were both of a similar age, and would find themselves being put up for similar roles and vying for the same parts. How great the rivalry between them was nobody really knows but, of course, it’s more fun to think it was worse than, perhaps, it actually was.”

That said, the pair certainly engaged in a game of one-upmanship during the filming of Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?

“The things they got up to in an attempt to outdo each other were ridiculous and almost childish, at times. So intent were they on bettering each other that the play is hilariously funny, at times, and there is an element of campness to it.”

Throughout the play, only Anita and her co-star Greta Scacchi appear on stage. It’s a huge undertaking for just two performers to carry a full length theatre show, but also a fantastic challenge.

“A lot of the dialogue is monologue,” explains Anita. “We only have four scenes where we play together and the rest of the time you’re cutting in and out of each other. You’ve got to be aware of the other actress but you’re not actually playing to her. There’s a great joy in owning the stage and being able to really strut your stuff, but along with that comes a big fear and you’ve got to stay so focused because there’s a lot to get through, it’s a big piece. It’s scary but it’s great fun.”

Bette and Joan is at Darlington Civic Theatre from Tuesday, March 27 until Saturday, March 31. Performances are at 7.30pm each evening and at 2.00pm (Thursday) & 2.30pm (Saturday). Tickets cost from £20.50 to £25.00, with a special two for the price of one offer available on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings only. Concessions are available at certain performances. To book, call 01325 486 555 or log on to www.darlingtonarts.co.uk . For additional information visit www.bettejoantheshow.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Long Day’s Journey Into Night

By Eugene O’Neill

At Milton Keynes Theatre

 

Eugene O’Neill completed this play in 1941 but it was not published or performed until 1956, three years after his death. If his instructions had been followed it would not have been performed until twenty five years had elapsed. It is believed the play was inspired by his own life experiences, which explained his desire to delay publishing.  O’Neill was posthumously awarded the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for this play. 

The play is set on one day in August 1912 in the living room of the Tyrones’ summer home; starting at 8.30 am through to around midnight. There are four main characters; James Tyrone (David Suchet), his wife Mary Cavan Tyrone, (Laurie Metcalf), their eldest son James Jr., (Trevor White) and their younger son, Edmund Tyrone, (Kyle Soller). There is also the maid Cathleen (Rosie Sansom). 

This play examines family interactions including frictions and affection; it also deals with issues of addiction. It demonstrates how blame and resentment within a family can lead to its dysfunction.  David Suchet is accomplished in the role of James Tyrone and Laurie Metcalf is convincing as his wife Mary. Trevor White and Kyle Soller are also proficient in their roles as the sons.

James Tyrone is an actor who bought himself a ‘vehicle’ play, which had toured for years and whilst he had made money from it, he was typecast in this one role. Although he is wealthy his money is largely invested in property, which he refuses to sell to provide more cash. He is a heavy drinker, possibly an alcoholic His wife Mary has recently returned home after receiving treatment for a long-standing addiction to morphine as a result of being prescribed it for pain relief after Edmund’s birth. Whilst the family comment on her gaining weight and looking better, they also can’t help looking out for signs that she is still using the drug. Mary senses that the family are watching her, which adds to the underlying tension. 

Eldest son James is also an actor but finds it hard to find work due to his reputation as a drinker and womaniser. This coupled with his dependency on his father for financial support creates further tension in the household. His younger brother Edmund has worked and travelled abroad but is now ill with a persistent cough. Mary keeps saying this is a summer cold refusing to admit it could be tuberculosis, partly due to her father dying from a similar condition. The family are all worried that it is something serious and are waiting to hear from the doctor with a diagnosis. Edmund is also worried that if it is a serious condition it may lead his mother to start using drugs again.

As the play progresses various family tensions surface and it is apparent that they all blame each other for their misfortunes. For example, Mary blames Edmund for her addiction to morphine, but her husband is also blamed for being too mean to spend more money on a better doctor. However, underlying all these tensions there is also love between them all. Is it not human nature to blame others for our own failings and to hurt those we love? If you want to know more you will have to go and see the play.

Long Day’s Journey Into Night plays Milton Keynes Theatre until Sat 17^th March 2012. Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office 0844 871 7852 (bkg fee)

The tour continues playing Theatre Royal Bath from Mon 19^th March to Sat 24^th March 2012.

www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes  http://uktheatre.tv

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 12^th March 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Irish Fair in Los Angeles

The Irish Fair took place this weekend, It's an annual event that takes place in Los Angeles every March. This year it celebrates its 10^thAnniversary as it has become the largest festival of its kind in Southern California. Offering its patrons 8 stages with 60 shows, Irish Imports, A Celtic Arts Centre, fair rides, Irish Stew, Bacon and Cabbage, Guinness, Irish Dancing, Irish Music, a farm, Irish Fortune tellers and a popular Irish Historical Education from the 3^rd West Cork Brigade - this fair is worth the visit!

 

The fair has a large Irish following for the small number of Irish that is in LA put the vast majority of the crowd where Irish American’s who proudly love to celebrate their roots.

 

Entry to this fair cost $18 per day or $28 for a 2 day entry plus a $10 parking fee per day. Once inside the fair the entertainment level was high as we followed the large schedule which mapped out all of the events including bands, Irish dancing and all other Irish Entertainment. One of the most popular acts proved to be The McCartan School of Dance with consisted of a huge army of Irish Dancers with ringlets in their hair, belting out many fast pasted jigs as they wowed the crowd.

 

The biggest gem of all was the 3^rdWest Cork Brigade which is a small brigade of about 7 men and woman from Cork, founded by two brothers Tristan and Seamus Wolfe. They had a large tent set up with artefacts and antiques of the 1920’s and as you enter the humble home they extend their Irish kindness by saying "can we offer you something". We declined the potatoes and food so Tristan brought us over to a little area where he gave us some Potean as he brought us into the world of Eamon De Valera, Michael Collins and Ireland in the 1920’s. The brigade offers the uneducated a massive insight into Ireland and how we fought for our independence. The 3^rd West Cork Brigade is funded by Tristan and Seamus themselves as well as some small donations. They were a refreshing find at the fair and all Irish Citizens can remain calm knowing that these guys are doing us proud, educating America on Ireland and its real culture as well as bit more clarity on Leprechauns etc etc!

 

The Irish Fair is currently run by Elizabeth the grand daughter of the original Irish American Founder. For more information on this fair you can visit www.la-irishfair.com

Robin Stewart for Irish Reviewers and The UK Theatre Network

“Jimeoin used the whole of the stage.” That is a direct quote from Jimeoin himself who made a point of using the whole of the stage so I could write that “Jimeoin used the whole of the stage.”

So what is the hardest job in the performing world? I used to think that of ballerina but I have since come to believe it is the job of the stand-up comic that is hardest. First the stand up is out there alone.  Secondly even with a closely scripted routine there is an unpredictability of where things may go. Finally during every second of the performance, the comedian is getting direct feed back as to how well he is doing.  It’s not going to be, the play was weak, I didn’t like the choreography, the lead wasn’t right for the part. No, not just, we didn’t like the show but we didn’t like you.

Jimeoin started at a relaxed laid back leisurely pace and maintained that relaxed leisurely pace throughout the show. Much of his performance is based on brilliant observation of the mundane things in life. One of the show highlights for me was when he took us on a journey of a washing machine’s  spin cycle. He told us nothing we didn’t already know about it. He added nothing to our understanding of it and yet it was both a brilliantly funny and a very dramatic recounting of what we have all experienced many times before.

It was very hard to see where script finished and improvisation began. Jimeoin, riffed on cheese for a good five minutes having been presented with the challenge of making a joke about a ‘cheese monkey’. The best of the craft make it seem like every word is new on the night and Jimeoin made it feel like it was just one big conversation we were having all be it one way. At times he even analysed the very thing that he was doing and if you stopped to think about it you would disappear down an endless loop of thought, a bit like standing in a hall of mirrors watching yourself disappear into infinity.


The man could communicate as much with his facial expressions as he could with his words. His expressions were never grotesque gurning and often quite subtle, yet we always knew what he meant. At times huge lateral leaps were made and then there would be streams of logical progression which may or may not suddenly be turned on their head. Occasionally there would be deliberate provocation or a naughty school boy’s deliberate grossness aimed to shock. At no point do you feel that any offence is meant. Jimeoin was there to share a good natured good time with us and leave us all a little better for the experience and that you did sir.

13th March 2012 Wyvern Theatre, Swindon 01793 524 481
http://www.verntheatre.org.uk
14th March 2012 Komedia, Bath 0845 293 8480
www.komedia.co.uk/bath
15th March 2012 Fruitmarket, Glasgow 0141 353 8000
www.glasgowconcerthalls.com
16th March 2012 Floral Pavilion, New Brighton 0151 666 0000
www.floralpavilion.com
17th March 2012 Windsor Suite, Blackburn 0844 847 1664
www.kinggeorgeshall.com
18th March 2012 Lowry Theatre, Salford 0843 208 6000
www.thelowry.com
20th March 2012 Cheltenham Town Hall 0844 576 2210
www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk
21st March 2012 Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton 0870 320 7000
wwwww.wolvescivic.co.uk
22nd March 2012 Birmingham Town Hall 0121 780 3333
www.thsh.co.uk
23rd March 2012 The Journalty Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne 0844 493 9999
www.thejournaltynetheatre.co.uk
24th March 2012 The Engine Shed, Lincoln 0844 888 8766
www.engineshed.co.uk

 

For details of the Waterside Theatre programme:
“Box Office:                       0844 871 7607 (bkg fee)
Groups Hotline:                0844 871 7614
Access Booking:               0844 871 7677 (bkg fee)
Online Booking:               www.ambassadortickets.com/aylesbury (bkg fee)

Reviewed by:
Pete Benson
11.3.12

The Greenwich Playhouse will close on the 10th April following two decades of distinguished and internationally acclaimed productions. Its resident and founding company Galleon Theatre Company is currently staging its farewell, poignant production of 'The Duchess of Malfi' which performs at the Greenwich Playhouse until the 18th March and has been showered with international critical praise. For further details, please find an attached Press Release.
 
ONLY NINE PERFORMANCES LEFT!
Press quotes from UK media:

“Greenwich Playhouse for more than 20 years has produced an eclectic mix of mostly classic plays, from Shakespeare to Ibsen. If you have been a regular member of the audience, then you will certainly have a pretty good grasp of British and European theatre from the 17th to the 20th century. But the theatre's lease is not being renewed by the landlords, and the Playhouse is looking for a new home in the borough. In the meantime, it makes its swansong in its current premises with a sturdy revival of Webster's glittering 17th-century revenge drama.” - The Guardian ***

“This production conveys the atmosphere of John Webster’s powerful imagery. His dialogue lingers in the memory, including lines like that which describes a politician as ‘the devil’s quilted anvil’.” - The Public Reviews ****
“As their last show at the Greenwich Playhouse, 'The Duchess of Malfi' is a poignant swansong for producer/director team Alice de Sousa and Bruce Jamieson.” - Time Out

“Galleon’s choice of swan song was a masterstroke and that makes it doubly hard to believe there will be no more productions here by this brilliant and important company who have made such a major contribution not only to the local theatre scene but to the cultural landscape of London.” - Greenwich Visitor

“Greenwich Playhouse after 17 years as the resident company at the venue it established, it chooses The Duchess of Malfi as its final production. Full of tales of treachery, deceit, resistance and courage, it’s quite a symbolic manoeuvre and one that the company embraces with relish. Heaping out lashings of violence, murder, and even a dash of sadism it is certainly a bold and striking curtain call.” - The Stage

“The production demonstrates the skill and ingenuity that has driven the company for so long. The choice of The Duchess of Malfi is a potent one.  Not withstanding the sadness of such a situation, it makes for a most memorable last hurrah. Here’s hoping they find a new home soon.” - Exeunt Magazine ****

“The actors speak the verse as it should be spoken – as both meaningful and musical.” - Playstosee.com

“We at Extra! Extra! Are very sorry to see Greenwich Playhouse, home of so many a fine production over the past 20 years,  close in the name of Greed!” - Extra! Extra!

 “To director Bruce Jamieson’s credit and aided by some fine ensemble acting the production fully recognizes the play’s undoubted and unnerving delight in violence, horror and the macabre but also shows this is tempered by Webster’s profoundly critical view of the machinations of power, the unpleasantness of misogynistic attitudes towards women and the brutality and corruption rampant among the high born and powerful. Webster may have been something of a nihilist, but he was most often a profoundly moral (and sometimes political) one.” - Playstosee.com

“The future may be uncertain for the Galleon Theatre Company but its swansong at the Greenwich Playhouse is not to be missed.” - The Mercury ****

“This engaging production of John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi makes a fitting curtain call for the Galleon Theatre Company and the Greenwich Playhouse.” - Exeunt Magazine ****

“This is the final appearance of Galleon Theatre Company at this venue. It’s a tragedy for the area that a fine company is to be ousted for commercial reasons, but it’s to be hoped that appeals to Greenwich Council and local MPs will aid their search for new premises.” - The Public Reviews ****
“The Duchess of Malfi is an ambitious undertaking and it is fitting that the Galleon Theatre Company has pulled out the stops for a memorable final production at the Greenwich Playhouse. The production makes for an entertaining evening.” - Extra! Extra!

“Galleon Theatre Company who have become known for staging classic plays, have chosen to go out with a bang rather than a whimper, in an elegant, intense  and intelligent modern dress staging of Webster’s popular tragedy from 1612-1613. “  - Playstosee.com

“A characteristically robust production, and a great finale for this pioneering theatre group.” - Kentish Times

“As ever, the Greenwich Playhouse eschews the easy options and gives its clientele something not available in the West End, nor in the subsidised theatre nor, soon, even in Greenwich. I am not alone in wishing Alice de Sousa and Bruce Jamieson well in their search for a new home.” - Broadway World
 
THE DUCHESS OF MALFI
by John Webster
Directed by Bruce Jamieson; Produced by Alice de Sousa; Presented by Galleon Theatre Company at its home the Greenwich Playhouse
 
DATES: 21st February – 18th March 2012; Tues-Sat @ 7.30pm - Sun @ 4pm
 
Tickets: £13, £10 (concs.)
Box Office: 020 8858 9256 - boxoffice@galleontheatre.co.uk
 
VENUE: GREENWICH PLAYHOUSE, Greenwich Station Forecourt, 189 Greenwich High Road LONDON SE10 8JA
www.galleontheatre.co.uk