View From The Stalls

"Othello" on the radio... and other news

2008-05-02T21:15:00.005+01:00

Just a short post to highlight the fact that BBC Radio 3 are broadcasting a version of "Othello" with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Ewan McGregor at the Donmar Warehouse. At the time there was a lot of discussion regarding it being seen only by a 'select few' so hopefully this will reach a wider audience - if not quite in the same way. The broadcast is on Sunday 4th May at 8pm and is part of the 'Drama on 3' slot.

And on a vaguely related note we're now planning our next London visit for May 2009 having managed to get some very nice tickets for "Madame De Sade" with Judi Dench. We will of course be making a weekend of it, so any suggestions for other shows around that time will be welcome.

"Educating Agnes" - April 2008

2008-04-30T06:45:00.000+01:00

Firstly, it's only fair to admit that farce isn't really my cup of tea. For the most part I tend to find it a poor substitute for clever writing and that it panders to over-the-top performances. In fact I can only really think of two examples of farce I enjoy - TV's "Fawlty Towers" and "Frasier". So how did we end up at "Educating Agnes" then, with it's clear markings of farce? Well, we felt cheated having missed out on "Volpone" last year by Theatre Babel and weren't going to miss out again. And yes, Liz Lochhead's version of Moliere's "School For Wives" was indeed largely a traditional farce but it was also... wonderful.

Although Lochhead's switching of dialogue between accents and her use of rhyme takes a few moments to get used to, it very quickly becomes all part of the fun and the cleverness of the language makes up for the simple situations. There is much humour to be found simply through the absurdity of a burst of modern slang in an otherwise genteel speech.

As Agnes, Anneika Rose has perhaps drawn the short straw - being pretty much the only straight role in the piece. As a result she is left out of much of the fun, but Rose successfully avoids making Agnes two dimensional. Lewis Howden and Maureen Carr are brilliantly comical as servants Alain and Georgette; John Kielty makes Horace believably charming and ignorant rather than just stupid, and Sean Scanlan puts in a fine performance as Chrysalde.

But there's no getting away from the fact that the show belongs to Kevin McMonagle as Arnolphe. It's a magical performance that always manages to stay just the right side of excess. Scenes and exchanges that on paper I would have cringed at the thought of are made to work beautifully and my only concern is that perhaps I shouldn't have been left feeling quite so much 'on his side'.

Graham McLaren's direction also played a large part in my enjoying of the show as he keeps the overall tone well short of 'panto' territory, although I would have liked to have seen (or at least heard) representations of a couple of the 'off stage' moments.

This was an immensely enjoyable evening that was rightfully very well received by the audience at the Citz.

"Educating Agnes" runs at the Citizens until 3rd May before visiting Perth and Oxford.
Image by Douglas McBride used with permission.

It Could Be You!

2008-04-27T19:50:00.001+01:00

One of the reasons behind starting this blog was to share the joy of going to the theatre. Recent experiences have been seriously reducing that joy for me, and it's not the performances that are responsible. It's you...

OK, perhaps not you personally. Or at least I hope not.

It's you madam, the one so enthralled in the performance you're bouncing in your seat like a 3 year old, and pointing out the wonders on stage to your companion.

Oh and it's you. Yes, you. I know you're not really interested in the show. Your chatting through most of the first act showed me that. So why did you come back after the interval. Take a leaf out of the Whingers book and just head straight to the bar. And shut up.

Oh and not to forget you, sir. Yes it's unfortunate that you've had to step out in the middle of the performance. You disturbed several people in our row, plus all the people behind us. Then you came back, and did the same again. Then you had to go out again. Then you came back again. I can't think of any rational excuse for this, especially in a show that's 1 hour 25 minutes straight through. It wasn't exactly Wagner's Ring Cycle.

Now anyone can have to leave during a show - I had to recently when the heat of a theatre threatened to render me unconscious. Even worse it was a studio performance so there was no subtle way of doing it. I didn't try and return during the first act and also made the choice not to risk disturbing the second act and waited outside for Statler. You have to have a little respect for the people around you and the actors on stage.

Oh yes, the couple in the back row of a theatre who were sharing their love - whilst the lights were up at the interval.

Oh and ladies - the lights are down, the actors are on stage. You're meant to watch and listen to them, not carry on your really interesting conversation.

I hope I'm just unlucky and all the sweetie rustlers, toilet visiters, over indulgers, chatters, fidgeters are only there when I am. But I don't think so - I think they're everywhere. Unfortunately front of house isn't. If people can't be trusted to police themselves then theatres must take responsibility.

There is a balance obviously. You don't want the ushering to become so intrusive that they become part of the problem. However if someone leaves during a performance it has to be made clear that they cannot return. If someone is causing a problem during the first act, then stop them coming back for the second. Maybe the polite people are partly to blame. We don't complain enough, we settle for glares and gripping the arm rest. Who knows what the people on stage think - in some of the venues they must be completely aware of what's going on in the audience.

Most theatres now announce about mobile phones - perhaps they need to make that list longer.

This isn't a new problem (see our 'Guide To Polite Theatre Going' from last year), but recent shows have been extraordinarily bad).

"Yarn" - April 2008

2008-04-26T08:32:00.005+01:00

There are few things that will persuade us to make the journey from Glasgow to Dundee on a Friday night but we weren't going to miss Grid Iron's latest site specific work in conjunction with Dundee Rep. 'Yarn' is staged in Dundee's Verdant Works - a Victorian jute factory turned industrial museum - and the production's 'thread' linking the many elements together is clothing.

"Yarn" asks us to consider the impact clothes have on us, the way we view them and the price we pay for them. The weave of the tales is pretty loose and at times the series of individual scenes seems a little too much like a showcase rather than a single piece of theatre. But this somewhat 'mix and match' philosophy allows them to cover a lot of ground and ensures there will be something for everyone. Some of the show's most powerful moments come from scenes where an individual shares a story relating to an item of clothing - Kevin Lennon's marvelously performed memories of his grandfather's coat, Itxaso Moreno's emotional reflection on clothes from her childhood, and Robert Paterson's wonderfully relaxed and engaging tale of his scarf. Other highlights include the insight we are given to the true cost of the clothing in an genuinely powerful scene making use of a puppet, and a look at the Three Fates with Hannah Donaldson, who is excellent throughout, being particularly effective as Lachesis. Martin McCormick and Alia Alzougbi also have an enchanting moment as a struggling writer and a rather impressively portrayed spider.

Although there are moments that didn't quite work for me. Although beautifully told and performed their version of Henry James' "The Romance of Certain Old Clothes" made little impact and the 'wedding night' segment was a 30 second gag extended well beyond it's worth.

But any misses are quickly forgotten as we move outside for a stunning catwalk finale. Music and lighting combine to create the perfect atmosphere for this quick-change fashion show. There are definitely some 'eh????' moments in there but I suspect they may finally click for me in a day or two, and there is a glorious crossover moment between two 'characters' from legend and rhyme associated with spiders (another one of the threads running through the show).

Ben Harrison's direction, incredible technical team and well drilled ushers ensure the show goes off without a hitch and the constant shift in segments ensures the 90 minute run time flies past. Like "Roam" before it, "Yarn" is one of those rare productions which hits the balance between being entertaining and thought-provoking just right.

Yarn runs at Verdant Works in Dundee until May 3rd with shows at 7pm and 9.15pm.
Image by Douglas McBride used with permission

"The Wasp Factory" - April 2008

2008-04-24T01:31:00.009+01:00

Iain Banks' cult novel was always going to make for an 'interesting' production and with Malcolm Sutherland's adaptation Cumbernauld Theatre Company and The Tron have really made an effort to bring it alive. Choosing a piece with such a profile certainly appears to have created a buzz (Waldorf: groan!) and seems to have attracted a young audience. What's surprising is that Banks' tale turns out to be the least impressive aspect of the production.

His story of dysfunctional brothers Frank and Eric and their father (as told by Frank) is reduced to what amounts to an old school "Tales of the Unexpected" and I'm left a little puzzled as to quite how it achieved its cult status - maybe I'll need to make the effort and read the novel. But while the narrative may be a little underwhelming the direction and performances are anything but.

Nicola Jo Cully as Frank, Robbie Jack as Eric and Ian Sexon as their Father deliver three exceptional performances. Cully is frighteningly believable and grabs the audience from start to finish while Jack shows some wonderful comic talent - and despite being underwritten Sexon makes the relationship with Frank fully formed.

As for the tone of the production and Ed Robson's direction I think a warning is required. It's the kind of feel I love in a show - direct narration to audience, creative representations of events told in flashback and excellent use of props/stage design/music. From the opening scene I instantly had a grin on my face that rarely left throughout, although even at its funniest moments there was always an element of underlying tension. For a production based on a novel the 'feel' of it was actually very cinematic. This all really worked for me, but I'm aware that these aspects may well be less enthusiastically received by others - although it certainly got a positive response from tonight's audience. But I do have a few reservations about the show. Perhaps due to the novelty and freshness of the storytelling style starting to wear off it did seem a little overlong, the nudity was pretty pointless and the rabbit bombing scene went out with a bit of a whimper.

However, those are mere quibbles - this is a hugely entertaining show with a great cast and I'm sure it will be a big hit on its extensive tour.

The Wasp Factory runs at the Tron until 26th April then visits Stirling, Stornoway, Kendal. Bathgate, Stranraer, Kilmarnock, Cumbernauld, Dundee, Kirkcaldy, Inverness, St.Andrews, Falkirk, Edinburgh and finishes in Aberdeen on June 12th to 14th.

Image by Linda Graham used with permission

"They Shoot Horses Don't They?" - April 2008

2008-04-12T09:30:00.003+01:00

In a similar manner to last year's "Ice Cream Dreams" The Citizens' have put together a large scale, main stage production with a cast made up from one professional actor along with members of the Citzens' Community Company, the Citzens' YOUNG Co. and new recruits from charity Turning Point Scotland. As always, our thoughts treat the production the same as any other - no allowances are made for how those involved came to be on stage.

Based on Horace McCoy's novel and adapted by Ray Herman, "They Shoot Horses Don't They?" is set at a marathon dance contest in depression hit America between the wars. We meet a number of the competitors and watch as they fall by the wayside with their dreams of winning shattered. Despite attempts by the contest organisers to portray it as quality entertainment it soon becomes clear that those involved are participating out of desperation.

The play is well written and holds the attention, although the second act does drag a little. The sole professional actor George Drennan as organiser/MC 'Rocky' does an excellent job of controlling much of the action and brings out what humour there is in the piece. There are difficulties catching some of the dialogue from cast members but for the most part it was clear enough and all made an effective contribution to the show's well choreographed dance numbers. Some are more comfortable on stage than others and my own favourites included Barbara Ann Gray as Ruby and Neil McKellar as her really rather intimidating husband James; John MacNeil as Sailor; Alan Ward as Rollo and Semra McHale as Jackie - but all the cast do well in their roles.

Then we have three of our main characters, and for the show to succeed they have to work well. Debbie Findlay as Alice had a couple of moments that were a little quiet but she also has several very powerful moments and it's a very effective performance overall. John Speirs succeeds in making Robert's extreme actions seem almost acceptable and it's a performance that wouldn't have been out of place in any of the professional productions I've seen on the Citz main stage in the last year or two. Cindy Campbell goes even further and I think her performance as Gloria was as good as any I've seen up there for a long time. It's a powerfully emotional but controlled performance throughout and her final scene really hits home. Every line and movement is honed for maximum impact and it really delivers - one of the most genuinely haunting moments I've seen in theatre.

There are other aspects here deserving a mention - a stunning set by Neil Haynes well lit by Stuart Jenkins, and a great on stage band led by musical director Sally Clay. Congratulations also to director Neil Packham for getting such impressive performances from his cast and managing so many on stage at one time.

Due to the nature of the show it perhaps isn't one to 'enjoy' or even leave you feeling 'entertained' as such - and that's one of the few problems for the show. It's a mood killer and as a result no one's going to leave buzzing about how great it was, but I hope they all agree that it was certainly impressive.

"They Shoot Horses Don't They?" runs at the Citizens until Saturday 12th April with matinee and evening performances on the 12th.

"An Advert for the Army" - April 2008

2008-04-09T20:47:00.003+01:00

Oran Mor's 'A Play, A Pie and A Pint' season has put together a strong team for Kieran Lynn's "An Advert for the Army". Director D C Jackson is getting great reviews for his own play "The Wall", while each of the cast of three had impressed us in a previous show. Add in the premise of a filmmaker reluctantly making an army recruitment advert with a cast of two soldiers and I was really looking forward to this one.

Ryan Fletcher puts in an excellent performance as squaddie Barrett who has been press ganged into appearing in the advert. Only last week I'd commented to Waldorf that I'd missed Fletcher's performance in "Black Watch" when we'd seen it second time around, so it was a nice surprise to see him back in uniform. Fletcher has some of the play's best moments and is perfectly comfortable with both the comic and serious aspects of his role.

While I enjoyed Tam Dean Burn's portrayal of filmmaker Nils, the character is written for maximum amusement value and I'd have liked to have seen it toned down a little - there's enough humour in the dialogue and situation that the decision to make him a caricature American seemed unnecessary.

Carmen Pieraccini gives a fine performance as tough-talking soldier Sarah attempting to limit Nils' outlandish plans and ensure the role of female soldiers isn't misrepresented. Her portrayal of 'acting' is particularly effective and she sets up a wonderful dynamic with Fletcher's Barrett.

Taken as a whole it certainly made for an enjoyable lunchtime performance and provided plenty of laughs along the way, but I felt the tone of the writing was uneven and the structure problematic. The shift from out-and-out comedy to a more considered finale didn't completely work for me - largely because it lacked the courage to commit 100% to the switch and attempted to retain some of the comedy. It had very impressively silenced the audience and it would have been a great way to leave them - rather than go back for a couple more giggles. The structure doesn't help as the show reaches what feels like a natural end point, but then goes for one more scene. I understand why, as Fletcher's final speech as Barrett is a magnificent piece of writing and is brilliantly delivered - I just wish it could have been placed elsewhere.

As it stands "An Advert for the Army" works well and I doubt many in the audience will leave less than happy, but I hope this isn't the end for the play. There's enough here that with a little more polish it could become something that deserves a wider audience.

'An Advert for the Army' runs at Oran Mor until Saturday 12th April
Image by Leslie Black used with permission

"Shining City" - April 2008

2008-04-05T00:42:00.005+01:00

Over the last few years Rapture have really impressed us both with their productions such as Frozen and The Collection, and the efforts they make to build relationships with their audience. So despite being unimpressed by our previous encounter with Conor McPherson's writing in St. Nicholas we were keen to see Shining City - so much so we went all the way to Paisley Arts Centre.

Set in Dublin, it's largely the tale of a psychotherapist and his grief stricken and guilt ridden client, John. Unfortunately the play just didn't engage me a great deal even with the best efforts of Michael Glenn Murphy as John. Despite the setting and a lively start with a Mike Scott soundtrack, McPherson's writing suffers from a severe lack of craic. Endless repetition of "you know" punctuated by expletives is a poor substitute for sharp and clever dialogue. Only occasionally is John written with enough humour to raise more than a gentle smile, and the other characters never really move beyond being plot devices. As a result the play seems overlong - particularly in the first act and to be honest I was left feeling it would work better as a single act two-handed piece.

Rory Murray does well with limited material as psychotherapist Ian, as do Melanie MacHugh and David Walshe, but the show really belongs to Murphy. Rapture Artistic Director Michael Emans has a real knack for bringing in lead actors of the highest quality, and after a recent run in "Molly Sweeney" Murphy is certainly a man on form. He has a real stage presence and his performance gives the play a much needed lift.

This was an enjoyable enough evening and delivers an effective ending, but I think it would take more than our continuing faith in Rapture to get us along to another piece by Conor McPherson - he obviously just isn't to our taste. We will however be booking up for Rapture's next production as advertised in the programme - Harold Pinter's "Betrayal". But we'll be following them elsewhere for that - Paisley Arts Centre just isn't a very satisfactory venue. With limited foyer space, ushers seating people incorrectly and very limited leg room it's way down our list of venues to return to.

Shining City continues on tour to Irvine, Stranraer, Rutherglen, Moffat, Kilmarnock, Bathgate and then on to Greenwich.
Image used with permission

Scottish Theatre Forum

2008-04-03T22:11:00.010+01:00

Our friends over at the Scottish Theatre Forum are undergoing a bit of a recruitment drive at the moment and we'd like to help out by sending a few of you in their direction. The STF is a fantastic resource for those involved in amateur and professional theatre, or those of us who just like to watch. And they also know how to put on damn fine show, so have a look at their poster (click it to enlarge) and then pop over for a look around.

"Black Watch" - March 2008

2008-03-30T20:58:00.007+01:00

Black Watch was coming home - and to Fife the prime recruiting ground of the regiment. So we couldn't resist re-visiting the production, and headed up to Glenrothes for the day.

All we really want to say is that it's still bloody good. There are some minor cast changes from our Glasgow visit, most noteably for us the writer/sergeant (we'd really enjoyed Tom Smith's performance). When we saw it before Brian Ferguson was cast as Cammy, and Paul Rattray his understudy for that role. However that night, due to Ferguson being elsewhere, Rattray took the lead that night very successfully - and he now deservedly has the role in his own right. The piece is still as jawdropping, exhausting and emotional as ever. We probably did prefer Glasgow though, simply because of the added ambiance of the Old Fruitmarket which Rothes Halls just couldn't match.

Glenrothes has sold out (although there were definitely empty seats at the Saturday matinee). However it's off to the SECC for a week mid-April, before heading to England and in particular London, so if you haven't already seen it you have no excuse. This is probably its last time in Scotland and it really is a must see.

Even if you saw the TV film of the play it doesn't match up to seeing it live, as you're not immersed in the action. The one thing tht irritated me about the TV version was it was quite closely edited at various points so you didn't get the sense of the way the action shifts.

As the woman next to me said when I asked if she enjoyed it: 'I don't know that it's something you can say you enjoy, but I wouldn't have missed it'.

Photo by Pavel Antonov. Used with permission.

"The Wall" - March 2008

2008-03-29T00:03:00.005Z

I went along to Borderline's production of D C Jackson's "The Wall" at Cumbernauld Theatre having very much enjoyed his "Out on the Wing" last week at Oran Mor. We'd also been impressed by the performances of cast members Kirstin McLean and Scott Hoatson in previous NTS Young Co productions such as "The Recovery Position" and by Gregory Thomson's direction in "Molly Sweeney". But it's always a danger to go to a show with high expectations.

Before seeing the show I'd described what I expected the show to be as "Gregory's Girl without the football bits" and I don't think that's far off the mark, but there's more than a little of the feel of "The Breakfast Club" in there too. We meet a group of teenagers stuck in an isolated village as relationships amongst them, and with unseen family members, build and change over a few days in the school holidays.

Scott Hoatson's Barry and Kirstin McLean's Michelle's fledgling romance suffers ups and downs as (well signposted) secrets are revealed and we also meet Barry's younger sister Norma (Sally Reid) and local 'bam' Rab (Finn den Hertog). All four give fantastic performances getting the most out of Jackson's well crafted comic moments, but they also manage to silence the audience at times as the mood switches - far more successfully than "Little Voice" managed last week. There are a couple of moments when it comes close to making a point too forcefully but they are few and far between. For the most part this is all about the funnies - and they are very funny.

Reid makes Norma almost Catherine Tate-esque without ever becoming irritating, while Hoatson and McLean are a delightful double act of subtle looks and glances displaying perfect comic timing. Fin den Hertog's Rab is gloriously performed as pure cliche, but Jackson cleverly manages to provide even him with an extra dimension.

At times some of the 'scene' changes were a little laboured but I felt the pace of the action itself was well considered. I'm not generally a fan of what is largely a series of two handed scenes but they were all short and sharp enough that I never felt it drag - even at a longer runtime than I had expected of a full two hours. I'm not sure I'm quite prepared to buy into "The Wall" as a social commentary of youngsters today, or even its 2005 setting, but for well written and perfectly performed comedy I'm not sure I'll see better this year.

The Wall is nearing the end of its tour but still has dates in Eastwood, St. Andrews & Dundee.

Image by Douglas Robertson used with permission.

"Out on the Wing" - March 2008

2008-03-19T19:47:00.007Z

Although we'd been to Oran Mor's 'A Play, A Pie and A Pint' season before for "100" that was for an evening 'dinner' performance rather than the 'proper' lunchtime shows. But how could I resist a show based around a Glasgow radio station's football phone-in? Surely a setting that was bound to provide fantastic material for D C Jackson's "Out on the Wing"? And it certainly lived up to expectations.

We meet football pundits Rab (Barrie Hunter) and Phil (Stewart Porter) along with their producer Lindsey (Louise Ludgate) as they prepare for their final show. Phil is off to bigger things while Rab's career prospects are less certain, but first they have to get through one last show on the night a Scottish football star has been 'outed'. The plot is simple but effective (as it has to be in a 50 minute show) and works to make characters more than two dimensional stereotypes. The differences between the characters' 'on-air' and 'off-air' personas are really interesting and it's nicely ambiguous as to where our sympathies should lie.

There are excellent comedy moments here for those who know their football, with the 'punctuation' debate over a Tartan Army favourite song amongst the highlights. In general it takes a fair bit to make me laugh out loud but there were at least half a dozen moments here that got me going. But it also has serious points to raise about attitudes to homosexuality and the subtle comparison with the sectarian divide raises interesting questions. At times this feels like a well established sitcom and I'm sure there would be potential for more of this, which makes the inclusion of a completely unnecessary 'toilet humour' scene both disappointing and bewildering. But that's the only aspect of the show that didn't hit the mark for me.

Porter, Hunter and Ludgate all give great performances with Porter making the most of the comedy material. Hunter does a brilliant job of portraying Rab's unease at the position has found himself in, while Ludgate manages to avoid making Lindsey's voice-of-reason too self righteous.

This is a great wee show in a great wee venue and I'm determined to get along to a few more of these lunchtime shows in the coming weeks. And we've also got D C Jackson's other current play - "The Wall" - to look forward to at the end of the month.

"Out on the Wing" runs at Oran Mor until Saturday 22nd March.

Image by Leslie Black used with permission.

"Six Characters in Search of an Author" - March 2008

2008-03-19T00:02:00.005Z

After our recent 'experience' with 'Waiting for Godot' I'll admit to being a little concerned about seeing this Citizens/Lyceum/National Theatre of Scotland co-production. The 'blurb' about "Six Characters in Search of an Author" and its surreal elements and influence on theatre had previously piqued interest but now engendered dread. Would this be another 'great work' that we just didn't get?

I'm not sure I can speak for Waldorf as she had her own issues to contend with this evening, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. This production of David Harrower's version of Luigi Pirandello's play may be overly wordy at times and seems overlong even at just 1 hour 45 minutes, but it has strong performances, some lovely moments and gave me something to think about on the way home. I'm not sure I can really ask much more than that from a night at the theatre (especially when using the Citz £6 Tuesday night ticket offer!)

I think this is probably one of the fairly rare occasions where a brief summary would be of benefit... Essentially the play takes place over the course of a day as a group of actors and production crew in rehearsal for a play find their space invaded by a group of six characters who demand that they get the chance to tell their story instead. What follows is a great deal of drama as their story unfolds balanced with humour as the characters interact with the actors to play them.

With a cast of 16 there's plenty of good performances here, even if many find themselves underused and left standing around a lot of the time. Particularly poor Andrew Scott-Ramsay who seems constantly sent to a darkened corner of the stage, although he does get his moment in the limelight. John Dougal as the 'Director' has all the play's best lines and provides all the knowing theatre gags, and I really enjoyed his performance. Ron Donachie as 'Father' has some of the play's most dramatic moments and acts as the Characters' spokesman for much of it. His speeches about the Characters' right to exist are at times over-written but the delivery is full of passion. I thought much of Amy Manson's portrayal of 'Stepdaughter' was excellent and had real presence, however the manic laughter pushed the wrong buttons in me and crossed into irritating. I'm not quite sure Una McLean's cameo as Madame Pace quite worked for me but I suspect that was more down to the ridiculous costume than anything to do with her performance.

As for it giving me something to think about, well it didn't leave me wondering about the fates of discarded characters but it certainly left me considering the ways we turn real life people into characters. How much responsibility does an author have to a real person on whom a character is based? How much can be changed? Does it matter if locations, events, dialogue are altered? It's one thing putting words in a character but it's another when you are affecting other's perceptions of a real person.

While positive on the whole, I do however have a few quibbles about the production. Firstly the decision to add a raised false stage at the Citizens seemed a bit excessive just to add some understage lighting and resulted in quite dramatically altered sightlines from the first several rows in the stalls (and a lot of noisy clumping about). The 'pond' was... em.. different and the pianola unnecessary. There has obviously been a fair bit of money thrown at this - I'm just not at all sure that it added a great deal to it.

'Six Characters in Search of an Author' runs at the Citizens until 29th March.

Image by Richard Campbell used with permission.

"The Rise and Fall of Little Voice" - March 2008

2008-03-17T21:39:00.001Z

We travelled to Perth Theatre hopefully, but I always knew this could be a love it/hate it moment. On the plus side we'd seen the play only last year and enjoyed it immensely, and had also previously been impressed by a serious side to Andy Gray. On the negative side of things it's an incredibly difficult role to fill, and I'm not a huge fan of the 'Pure Dead Glasgow' humour that Elaine C Smith and Gray can often find themselves involved with. But the advance press had suggested a darker tone to their production - which is much more my kind of thing.

In the first act Gray, and particularly Smith (as promoter Ray Say and LV's mother Mari) go all out for laughs. Not smart laughs, just every cheap gag thats going. To be fair, it's done well - it just isn't to my taste. The audience clearly enjoyed the knockabout fun, and if that was the tone for the whole show it wouldn't be a problem. But it's so strongly comedic that it swamps the more serious elements hinted at in the first act. Then, when the play takes its dark turn towards the end, the audience are so conditioned for the laughter that many continued to laugh at moments that should be heartbreaking. And it's such a shame because Gray and Smith really do get their teeth into their characters bitterness and cruelty.

Debbie Saloman as LV gives good performances as Garland, Bassey, Piaf, Monroe etc but they do come across as performances/impersonations - it's undoubtedly impressive but lacked a true 'wow' factor. I enjoyed her acting performance once the 'worm turned', but at times her LV came across more as a stroppy teenager than a timid victim of neglect and abuse. Similarly Jim Webster-Stewart's Billy was a little too sociable and didn't really meet the image of a soulmate for LV. Peter Kelly's performance as Mr Boo is crippled by an appalling stand up routine that fails to be sufficiently funny - or even corny enough to induce appreciative groans.

If you want to see Elaine C Smith and Andy Gray do their much loved panto turns out of season - "Little Voice" will fit the bill. But for me, perhaps unfairly, I can't help feel this was a missed opportunity for them to show how much more they can do. As we were leaving the theatre there were plenty of people around us saying how 'good' it was - but done well this show shouldn't be 'good' - it should leave audiences absolutely blown away.

'Little Voice' continues in Perth until Sat 29th March and then tours Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Kirkcaldy, Glasgow & Stirling.

"Medea" & "Trojan Women" - March 2008

2008-03-13T00:35:00.003Z

A second group of QMU's students made their way to the Citizens to bring us the second part of their 4 Greek Tragedies season - following on from last week's "Oedipus" & "Electra". This time featuring Liz Lochhead's adaptation of "Medea" and Charles Mee's version of "Trojan Women"

"Medea" was, quite simply, wonderful theatre. In the small Stalls Studio, Sarah Annakin's Medea was at turns manic and maniacal - and absolutely owned the performance space. I've rarely seen a performance with such conviction and the bitterness was all too believable. The chorus of Donna Griffin, Charlotte Massey and Chloe Thorpe worked incredibly well and dealt effectively with what is undeniably an awkward performance space. Gemma McElhinney was impressive as the Nurse drawing the audience into the performance and then later as Glauke making her character sympathetic. And while largely on the fringes of the action Paul Luebke made Jason's frustration and then horror frighteningly real, and Andrew Dyer had his moments to shine - particularly when portraying the troubled Kreon. "Medea" was my clear favourite of the 4 productions - partly due to the relevancy Liz Lochhead's version has for modern day relationships but mainly due to the performances of an excellent cast.

I'm really not sure where I stand on "Trojan Women". I loved the first half with it's powerfully personal tales of the victims of war. In the hands of McElhinney, Massey, Thorpe, Griffin and Ellie Nixon what could have come across as cliched, emotionally manipulative tales became genuinely distressing. And then as Hecuba, Nixon takes centre stage defending her women from their fates. It's an engaging performance and really held the audience well, but for me at times it was just a little overpowering for the small space and could have benefitted from having the volume reduced a notch or two. And then there's the second half where the action shifts to a strip club (brothel?) where we find Aeneus seduced away from his promise to return and avenge Troy. And at that point it lost me, and I'm unsure what I was meant to take from it - it was much like being back in 'Waiting For Godot' all over again. A rather frustrating and disappointing end to a piece whose first half I'd very much enjoyed.

It's been really nice to see some of the work from the drama students in Edinburgh making it through to Glasgow and I hope it's something we can see again - despite the obvious problems indicated by the same post show speech we were given last week. And I can't finish without commenting on the Stalls Studio - it really isn't suitable for Acts longer than 45 minutes or so as the heat gets almost unbearable. The noise leakage from the Circle Studio above is also a problem at times. It's great to have this third performance space but it needs careful consideration as to what productions it can comfortably accomodate.

"Caesar" - March 2008

2008-03-12T23:35:00.002Z

We've got a good track record with GCNS productions so I figured it was worth squeezing an afternoon performance into what's been a very busy week. But what I didn't realise was that this wasn't quite going to be the "Julius Caesar" that Shakespeare had in mind as his play had been adapted by Thomas Gemmell (whose work with Theatrefusion we had previously enjoyed). While much of the dialogue remains, the plot is tweaked and the scheming has been relocated to a US Presidential style setting. And it works very, very well (think 24 without Jack Bauer to save the day).

In addition to the change of setting, we have a number of film clips as part of the production - some as if security footage, others diary style or even documentary style. The inclusion of video in theatrical productions is always a risky one but here it's used to add to the production and doesn't act as a distraction.

The other instantly noticeable change is that Cassius is female, and it makes for a hugely interesting dynamic between her and Brutus. Jamielee McPherson makes her Cassius wonderfully engaging and charismatic - it's not difficult to see how persuasive she can be. McPherson seems perfectly comfortable on the stage and makes the complex dialogue clear and meaningful, and is always acting.

David McNay's Brutus is a very restrained and considered performance with every movement counting while Sharon Rooney does an immense job portraying his distraught wife Portia. Chris Kennedy makes the most of his surprisingly brief role as Caeser and Brendan Breslin makes Mark Antony's grief believable. But this is an ensemble piece and the whole cast can be pleased with their performances - they all handle the complex dialogue well and manage to convey the meanings rather than merely spitting out the words. My one quibble is that at times the cast have to contend with a noisy heater/fan/air-con and they could do with taking it into account and raising the levels of their vocals when required.

Lastly, "Caeser" is a sophisticated and complex work, and I'm not entirely sure it's suitable for a performance such as this. Not that it was a problem for the talented cast, but for a student performance with an audience of mainly friends/family it won't always get an audience who will appreciate it as much as it should.

"Macbeth" - March 2008

2008-03-12T00:05:00.005Z

Back at the Citz student season once again - this time with Reid Kerr College's "Macbeth" in the Circle Studio. This was a fairly late addition to our schedule as Shakespeare in the hands of students concerned me, but then we were made aware of the involvement of Melissa Deans who had seriously impressed us in a previous production. So we made space in our schedule to attend - well I did - Waldorf missed out as I got the last ticket for the show.

Although, as it turned out there was plenty of room in the small Circle Studio as it appears one of the school parties who had booked later cancelled. As a result it was only two-thirds full which was a shame as although the cast got a good response from the audience, they deserved even better. The performance opened with the three witches moving to the stage from their seats among the audience. Wildly dressed in black and red with feathered hands they didn't look entirely out of place amongst the school party who did attend - okay, maybe not the feathered hands bit. Rebekah Aitken, Heather Roberts and Rebecca Johnson made for fantastic witches and made their scenes some of the highlights of the evening.

The ensemble cast all did well, although there was a tendency at times by some to rush through lines rather than deliver them meaningfully. It's understandable given the unfamiliarity of the speech but it makes it equally problematic for an audience trying to grasp meanings. But for the most part the delivery was perfectly acceptable and all shaped their performances to suit the performance space. Iain Bernacchi's MacDuff and Alan Stirling's Duncan were particularly good at delivering their lines with depth and meaning, while Euan Rider's porter provided marvelous comic relief.

But any production of "Macbeth" will stand or fall on the strength of it's two leads and Stephen Bisland as Macbeth and Melissa Deans as Lady Macbeth more than measure up. Bisland gave a towering performance and commanded the 'stage' with great presence. His moments when tortured by Banquo's ghost were stunningly portrayed. While Melissa Deans linguistic delivery was perfectly pitched, that wasn't what made her performance a bit special - its strength came from being a beautifully subtle performance. Able to convey emotion with the slightest movement or look, her unspoken reaction to being dismissed by Macbeth was incredibly powerful. Bisland would not have been out of place in a major role in either of the productions of Shakespeare we've seen in the last year ("Othello" at London's Donmar Warehouse and the Citz' own "Hamlet") and Dean's performance was head and shoulders above the female leads in either of those.

Special mentions for an impressive sword-fight between Bisland and Bernacchi (choreographed by Peter Pringle) - incredibly brave in such a confined space, and also for some fantastic costumes that would have done many professional main stage productions proud. All in all a hugely enjoyable evening, which is really quite impressive for such a dark and demanding play.

"Macbeth" runs at the Citizens until Saturday 15th March (inc Thursday matinee) and operates a rotating cast for some roles.

"Oedipus" & "Electra" - March 2008

2008-03-09T00:25:00.002Z

Queen Margaret University drama students are staging double bills of Greek tragedies last week and next in the Citizens Stalls Studio, and tonight we caught the final night of the first of them - "Oedipus" adapted by David Greig followed by "Electra" adapted by Tom McGrath.

"Oedipus" was a well put together show featuring powerful performances from Gregor Firth as Oedipus and Christopher Hill as Creon. Firth is particularly effective when addressing the audience directly as if they were local citizens - he has a strong stage presence and his questioning genuinely felt like he was demanding answers. Equally effective was Hill's portrayal of Creon making a case for his innocence - a lovely written set piece delivered perfectly. The rest of the cast performed well but truth be told there really wasn't a great deal for them to get their teeth into - it's an entertaining enough play but I'm not sure it really works as any kind of showcase piece.

"Electra" was more of an ensemble piece and gave each of its cast a fairly substantial chance to contribute. Anneka Harry was a strong Electra who like Firth made the most of her chance to speak directly to the audience. She succeeded in making Electra sympathetic enough to overcome any doubts about the merits of her actions. The cast all get their moments to shine with Laura Sullivan's Clymenestra really making an impact. But this is very much an ensemble performance and also features some wonderful movement/chorus scenes, and a memorable opening set piece courtesy of some very effective make up and lighting. It was also very cleverly directed by Rachel Drew in that the cast largely remained on stage even if not featuring in the action - saving a lot of entrances/exits.

Finally, the drama wasn't complete at the end of the performances. We then had a production member address the audience to make a short statement about how the cast and crew had been limited in their ability to put together the shows - in particular in relation to costumes and sound, and that they felt let down by the lack of support from the university. Now I have mixed feelings about this - firstly, they have nothing to apologise for as I thought the costumes, sound and everything else about the productions was perfectly fine. Secondly, even if it had an impact I'm not entirely sure how professional it is to make it public, but another part of me says that if they feel it is a good way to bring pressure for better support then they should do what they feel the need to do.

"Oedipus" and "Electra" have now completed their runs but the second set of performances ("Medea" and "Trojan Women") run at the Citizens from 12th to 15th March.

"Animal Farm" - March 2008

2008-03-07T23:20:00.001Z

Before the show there was a fair amount of speculation about how Glasgow College of Nautical Studies drama students would portray their characters in Ian Woolridges's adaptation of George Orwell's "Animal Farm". Were we in for the full 'pantomime horse' treatment or perhaps they would modify the characters/setting? As it turned out what we got were 'half-face' masks, which while very effective did pose some problems of muffled dialogue - particularly for Waldorf.

The cast all performed well in their roles, often playing multiple characters, with my particular favourites being John Irvine's 'Squealer' , Louise Redden's 'Clover' and Alison Crowe's 'Benjamin'. Pamela Shaw was believably charismatic as 'Napoleon' if a little quiet at times; Samuel Wojenski succeeded in making the fate of 'Boxer' suitably tragic and also delivered a very impressive (and no doubt painful) pratfall, while Sean Reid was particularly good in a number of roles including 'Major'.

Stephen Cafferty's direction produced some very strong moments such as the opening torch-lit scene and the 'interrogations' but would have benefited from a few more stylised scenes as the rest of the play was fairly 'plain' in comparison. The strobe lighting fight scenes were done technically well but both were overlong to the extent of being uncomfortable.

Unfortunately the decision to use fixed masks didn't just result in sound problems, it also had the effect of putting a fairly substantial distance between the audience and the cast - not something that's easy to do in the Citizens small Circle Studio. The performances did lose a little from not being able to see the cast's expressions or even their eyes, and I think without the masks there might have been more of the sparkle required to lift this from an enjoyable evening to a memorable one.

Last year's group of GCNS students gave us the enjoyable Teechers and then progressed to deliver one of my highlights of 2007 with Lysistrata, and there was enough here to suggest that this group could be capable of giving us something similar - so do drop us an e-mail with details of future shows.

Animal Farm runs at the Citizens until Saturday 8th March.

"Waiting For Godot" - March 2008

2008-03-06T22:31:00.002Z

Tuesday's performance at the Citizens Theatre was undoubtedly the best production of "Waiting For Godot' I will ever see - and I can say that with absolute certainty. Not that it was good you understand, but it was such an excruciating evening that nothing could persuade me to see another production of it. Ever. To be fair, the performances were fine - it was the play I just didn't get.

This may be the moment when we at View From The Stalls lose all credibility as the play is clearly highly regarded elsewhere. And of course the rest of the audience absolutely lapped it up throughout, giving it a great curtain call at the end. But us, we struggled to make it back after the interval. In the play one of the characters says - "Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it's awful" Yep, pretty much. In fact, so much so that I can't even bring myself to spend any more time thinking about it. Sorry.

Normal service will hopefully be resumed with "Animal Farm" later in the week. And if anyone wants to try to persuade us of the merits of "Waiting For Godot" feel free to heckle...

"Waiting for Godot" runs at the Citizens until Saturday 8th March.

"Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off" - February 2008

2008-02-27T00:24:00.002Z

Now who says history can't be fun? I'm rather ashamed to admit just how limited my knowledge of Scottish history is - my recollection of history in school seems to jump rather quickly from Ancient Egypt to World War I (with a little bit of Industrial Revolution along the way). But I'm sure if it had been as enjoyable as what I saw tonight I'd have paid a lot more attention.

XLC and Langside College have put together a hugely entertaining production of Liz Lochhead's play that takes a look at Scotland - then and now. Full of energy and physicality it fills the Circle Studio at the Citz while also allowing some quieter moments for its cast to show their skills.

And what a cast. Lorna Gold as Mary is marvelously regal while giving glimpses of the woman underneath. Regular readers will know that I can have a real issue with accents, but hers was a fantastic combination of French/Scots and is perfectly judged throughout- somewhat reminiscent of an Old Firm foreign footballer who's been in Glasgow just a little too long. Elaine Stirrat also produces an excellent performance as Elizabeth - giving her more than a little of our current Queen to great effect. But that's only half the story - Gold and Stirrat also double up as each other's lady-in-waiting with Stirrat in particular having some great moments. It could easily get horribly confusing but these two make it simple thanks to some more great character work.

Rosaria Mazzone as our narrator La Corbie keeps the show flowing and manages to fully engage the audience right from the start, performing some of the play's most complex dialogue and showing a beautiful singing voice. Richard Rankin is particularly comfortable as Bothwell while Alan Berkley and Kevin Mains as Knox and Darnley also get their moments to shine. Preston Clare, Colin Harris and Kevin Guthrie give very strong support - especially in the play-within-the-play. Special word also for Alan Craig's music which was really effective at creating a mood for the piece.

It isn't flawless (some of the dialogue gets lost in a couple of the ensemble scenes and the dream sequence didn't quite work for me) but it's certainly not far off it, and the energy and quality of the performances are more than enough to make up for the odd problem.

And I guess when it comes to problems things can't be that bad when the biggest problem of the night is that the cast didn't seem prepared to come back for a second curtain call and the audience just weren't for moving until they did. The poor usher seemed concerned she might have a riot on her hands until the cast finally returned after over a minute of continuous applause. So please guys - don't be so surprised if the audience want to show their appreciation. You certainly deserve it.

"Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off" runs at the Citizens until Saturday 1st March (including a Saturday matinee)

"Picasso & Me" - February 2008

2008-02-21T00:02:00.003Z

Mike Maran returns to the Citizens Circle Studio with another one man show, but this one is considerably darker and has more impact than the light, but very enjoyable tales of "Don Camillo". This time the focus is Picasso and the show is really about using the artist's life and relationships to reflect on how those relationships work (or don't work) for us all.

The main conceit of the show is an imagined encounter between a young man who, by accident rather than design, ends up spending a day in the company of Picasso. We also encounter an older version of the young man and get an insight into his relationships with his own father and son. The structure works well, although there are a few moments where it takes a second or two to bring in to focus who/what we are seeing.

The anecdotes about Picasso kept the audience in rapt attention and the details of his relationships are at turns emotional and horrific, and Maran has a wonderful knack of withholding information and then dropping it deadpan into his delivery.

The success of this show is really all about Mike Maran. A talented storyteller first and foremost he practices the art in a manner not dissimilar to how it would have been centuries ago. He has an unnatural ability to describe and interact with imaginary objects with such utter conviction that it's impossible not to be drawn into his world. He also switches effectively between narrator, who involves and engages the audience; and his characterisations who remain firmly behind the fourth wall.

But despite very much enjoying the show it's left me a little torn. A large part of me admires the simplicity and traditional aspects of the storytelling, but another part would love to see some technology thrown at the piece. Effective use of projection or computer displays giving the audience the chance to see the paintings and family members referred to - it would just give that extra dimension to it, especially for those with limited knowledge of the artist's work.
But even as it stands its a very entertaining evening and we'll certainly be keeping an eye out for future shows.

"Picasso & Me" runs at the Citizens until the 23rd February and then continues on its tour.
Image by The Photographic Unit, used with permission.

"We Will Rock You" - February 2008

2008-02-05T00:02:00.001Z

Knowing that "Othello" wasn't going to be a bundle of laughs and being a little unsure what to expect from "Speed-the-Plow" we wanted to make sure we had some guaranteed 'fun' on our London trip. And having seen the STF Amateur production of "We Will Rock You" last year we were pretty confident the West End version would do the job (admittedly at a price!). And with central tickets in Row G we knew it would definitely be an experience.

I've seen a lot of puzzled faces when I've told them we were seeing "We Will Rock You" after "Othello" but there really isn't anything to sneer about. WWRY is well written by Ben Elton, performed by a polished cast, is visually stunning, and features the music of Queen. It's a great piece of fun that doesn't pretend to be anything else. Okay, so there isn't any depth to the characters and the plot is very basic - but come on, it's a MUSICAL! It's meant to be like that.

The main cast all put in good solid performances, including Craig Ryder who stepped in as Khashoggi in the performance we saw. Maybe it's unfair to compare a cast doing this show night after night, week after week, month after month, with an amateur cast doing it for one week. But like for like the STF cast delivered a stronger performance both vocally and in their acting in every main role. I thought it was maybe just me but when I expressed this view to Waldorf during the interval and she agreed wholeheartedly.

The show also suffers a little as the gags don't always stand up to a repeat viewing but there's enough freshness added with gags about Amy Winehouse, the new Wembley and Northern Rock. And it was also amusing to see the apparently recent deletion of the 'Britney Spears' character due to her current real life troubles and having the character renamed as Vic(toria) Beckham.

But this show is all about two things - the music and the fun, and there's plenty of both. In many ways the show is more like a rock concert than a musical, with volume levels to match, but it all adds to the experience. The audience are here to enjoy themselves and the cast work them well - although some of the action that takes place 'above' the front of the stalls should really provide a better opportunity to directly interact with a growl or two directed at those in the (expensive) seats below.

If you like your music loud and don't want to have to think too much WWRY will definitely be to your taste - and it makes a perfect complement to a weekend of 'serious' theatre.

"We Will Rock You" runs at the Dominion Theatre in London for the next 144 years.

"Speed-the-Plow" - February 2008

2008-02-04T00:05:00.001Z

As we were making the trip to London for "Othello" we wanted to make the most of our time there, and when the opportunity came to see Kevin Spacey in "Speed-the-Plow" at the Old Vic we quickly booked up - even before Jeff Goldblum was announced as joining the cast. But due to the way the dates worked out it had to be an early Preview of the show (2nd night). So we'll be keeping our thoughts pretty limited on this one...

In essence we both really enjoyed it. Okay, so David Mamet's play doesn't really tell us anything about the murky world of film producers that we couldn't have guessed but it gives us a lot of fun along the way. With three scenes and a 90 minute run time the show flies in and Spacey and Goldblum both give great performances as film producers considering the merits of a couple of scripts. The dialogue is never short of entertaining and their delivery makes the most of it. Laura Michelle Kelly also does well with the more limited role as Goldblum's temporary secretary.

It's good stuff all round (Waldorf particularly loved the set) and it remains in Preview for several more shows which should let them perfect the rather pulled stage fight.

"Speed-the-Plow" completes Previews on 11 Feb then runs until 26 April

"Othello" - February 2008

2008-02-04T00:03:00.001Z

From the instant the cast was revealed for this production at London's Donmar Warehouse we knew we would be joining the scramble for tickets in its small theatre. We've enjoyed Chiwetel Ejiofor's film work, and despite not always being a fan of Ewan McGregor's performances I felt he would be excellent as Iago. But after all the hype about ticket prices on e-bay, could the production live up to our expectations?

Ejiofor and McGregor certainly did. Ejiofor makes his Othello clearly a cultural outsider but gives him the charisma to be believable as the respected war hero. As his trust in Desdemona is destroyed the pain and turmoil screams out with every expression and movement.

McGregor's Iago is charming and it's easy to see how this man could be capable of pulling off his grand manipulations. There isn't a moment when you are left thinking "he'd never get away with that" and even at the play's tragic end, I really wouldn't have minded Iago slipping away with a triumphant smirk.

I'm afraid Kelly Reilly's Desdemona didn't work for me. I simply couldn't reconcile the almost fluffy portrayal with a character who has the strength to defy her father and marry Othello, or even any sign of a burning passion that has driven her to it. Only in her scenes of bewilderment as she realises her likely fate does the character come to life.

But Tom Hiddleston's Cassio makes up for any failings in Desdemona. It's a performance equal of Ejiofor and McGregor's, and manages to bring the character to the forefront rather than the simple plot device I tend to consider him.

The strong supporting cast all work well, and in the Donmar's small space even manage to pop up in the audience now and again. The sword play is impressive - and for once I was glad we were in the front row of the circle rather than the stalls.

There's no denying this is an excellent production of "Othello" with two outstanding lead performances but I can't deny that there was something lacking. 'Excellent', 'Powerful', 'Striking'. Yes. 'Brilliant', 'Sparkling', 'Exciting'? Not quite. It's just a little too safe for my taste. Perhaps Director Michael Grandage wanted to put this down as a marker of a classic "Othello" and if so he and his cast have largely succeeded, but I like productions of Shakespeare to bring me something new and to leave me with something to think about. Leaving the Donmar my thoughts were all about the performances - not the play. And I'm not sure that's really how it should be.

"Othello" runs until 23rd Feb. Run sold out with the exception of 10 Day tickets and a number of Standing tickets released daily.