The Seagull/King Lear - TNT
Director Trevor Nunn isn't letting anyone go home early with either of these RSC productions which arrive in London via Stratford and an international tour. His leisurely but atmospheric production of The Seagull proves, for the most part, to be a straightforward account of Chekhov's 1896 tragi-comedy. It's full of people with too little to do, thwarted in love and in their careers, and always at risk of making their unsatisfactory lives even less fulfilling. On the whole, it's the less showy roles that make the most impact. Though a predominantly shrill Frances Barber is ultimately moving as ageing actress Arkadina (clinging, with a "last chance" desperation to her novelist lover as he falls under the spell of admiring teenage neighbour Nina), newcomer Richard Goulding is every bit as impressive as her aspiring playwright son Konstantin. Jonathan Hyde's commitment-phobe Doctor sings to drown out the pleas of Melanie Jessop's married Polina, and Ben Meyjes is sadly comic as teacher Medvedenko who marries Monica Dolan's despondent, openly alcoholic Masha, even though it's Konstantin who has captured her heart. Meanwhile, William Gaunt's rueful portrayal of ageing, ailing Sorin leaves no doubt that his life has been one long disappointment.
Gaunt shares that role with Ian McKellen who is presumably saving some energy for his thoughtfully poignant performance as the misguided King Lear who splits his kingdom and disowns a daughter. Packed with misplacedfraternal trust, this tragedy unfolds against the backdrop of a crumbling theatre and an insistent soundscape. McKellen convincingly conveys Lear's decline from shaky old age to the bewildered confusion of a senility hastened by the callous behaviour of his older offspring - a sadistic Regan and Frances Barber's icy Goneril . Yet, stripped of finery, status and much of his sanity, he still remains tenderly protective of Sylvester McCoy's loyal, spoon-playing Fool as they shiver together in the storm.
New London, Drury Lane, WC2 (0870-890 0141). Until January 12. £40-£15
Monday, 31 December 2007
Cinderella - TNT
Stephen Fry is a clever man and he doesn't hide the fact in this saucy version of the seasonal favourite, which boasts a semi-closeted gay Buttons, an irrelevant lovesick cow with lashes to die for, and Sandi Toksvig as a diminutive gender-bending narrator with a tache. But he's astute enough to provide something for everyone in this innuendo-packed panto. There's Joseph Millson's smooth-skinned Prince Charming getting naked in the shower and a hairy-chested Dolce (plus her equally Ugly Sister Gabbana). There's also singing white mice to keep Madeleine Worrall's girl-next-door Cinderella company as she bemoans her lack of cleaning products, a sprinkling of intentionally duff jokes and some cracking quips, too. A couple of slapstick sequences need tightening but otherwise this is a fun-filled and rather risqué show.
Old Vic, The Cut, SE1 (0870- 060 6628; www.oldvictheatre.com). Until January 20. £10-£40
Stephen Fry is a clever man and he doesn't hide the fact in this saucy version of the seasonal favourite, which boasts a semi-closeted gay Buttons, an irrelevant lovesick cow with lashes to die for, and Sandi Toksvig as a diminutive gender-bending narrator with a tache. But he's astute enough to provide something for everyone in this innuendo-packed panto. There's Joseph Millson's smooth-skinned Prince Charming getting naked in the shower and a hairy-chested Dolce (plus her equally Ugly Sister Gabbana). There's also singing white mice to keep Madeleine Worrall's girl-next-door Cinderella company as she bemoans her lack of cleaning products, a sprinkling of intentionally duff jokes and some cracking quips, too. A couple of slapstick sequences need tightening but otherwise this is a fun-filled and rather risqué show.
Old Vic, The Cut, SE1 (0870- 060 6628; www.oldvictheatre.com). Until January 20. £10-£40
Monday, 24 December 2007
The Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Parts I & II - TNT
David Edgar's fast-paced reworking of his 1980 landmark adaptation has a smaller cast (27 playing more than 100 parts) and — even at 6½ hours — a shorter running time. It is still a considerable commitment from actors and audience, but it's one well worth making as the hustle of London, the squalor of the infamous Dotheboys Hall and the quirky Charles Dickens characters come to life. As penniless Devonshire-born Nicholas and his sister Kate try to make their way in the world, the bad (David Yelland as their wealthy Uncle) and the good (the flame-haired Cheeryble brothers), the poor (Richard Bremmer's damaged, knuckle-cracking Newman Noggs) and the rich are all to be found in this epic, which brought the audience to its feet at curtain call.
Gielgud, Shaftesbury Ave, W1 (0870-950 0915). Until January 25. £49.50-£20
David Edgar's fast-paced reworking of his 1980 landmark adaptation has a smaller cast (27 playing more than 100 parts) and — even at 6½ hours — a shorter running time. It is still a considerable commitment from actors and audience, but it's one well worth making as the hustle of London, the squalor of the infamous Dotheboys Hall and the quirky Charles Dickens characters come to life. As penniless Devonshire-born Nicholas and his sister Kate try to make their way in the world, the bad (David Yelland as their wealthy Uncle) and the good (the flame-haired Cheeryble brothers), the poor (Richard Bremmer's damaged, knuckle-cracking Newman Noggs) and the rich are all to be found in this epic, which brought the audience to its feet at curtain call.
Gielgud, Shaftesbury Ave, W1 (0870-950 0915). Until January 25. £49.50-£20
A Christmas Carol/The Magic Flute - TNT
With their infectious enthusiasm and boundless vitality, it's impossible not to be swept away by the joyful atmosphere of these new versions of two old favourites as reinterpreted by South African company Isango/Portobello Under the lively direction of Mark Dornford-May, they take most liberties with Dickens' seasonal staple, turning Scrooge into a successful business woman who has worked her way up from the township (seen in video footage) and isn't prepared to give anything back. Cratchitt toils in her goldmine, and his sickly child is now a daughter, Tiny Thembisa who comes looking for sponsorship for her school. Thrillingly evoking the miners working underground with a vibrant mixture of effective lighting, dance, song and Stomp-like effects, this triumphant production starts on a high note and goes on to ensure that Dickens' message of redemption and Christmas spirit still comes across loud and clear but with a particularly South African resonance.
The Magic Flute isn't quite as inventive or moving but it's just as vivacious. Mozart's operatic score has been attractively rearranged for a mini orchestra of marimbas and half-filled glass bottles played by the cast with broad smiles of pure enjoyment. The xylophonic sounds create a unique lilting rhythm against which Tamino sets out to save Pamino, daughter of the Queen of the Night, from the high priest Sarastro. Masonic rituals are replaced by Xhosa-like rites of passage, but all ends happily in this relocated allegory in which even Zamile Gantana's tubby, weak-willed but rather endearing Papageno finally gets his equally tubby gal.
Young Vic, The Cut, SE1 (020-7922 2922). Until January 19. £21.50-£24.50, under 26s £9.50
With their infectious enthusiasm and boundless vitality, it's impossible not to be swept away by the joyful atmosphere of these new versions of two old favourites as reinterpreted by South African company Isango/Portobello Under the lively direction of Mark Dornford-May, they take most liberties with Dickens' seasonal staple, turning Scrooge into a successful business woman who has worked her way up from the township (seen in video footage) and isn't prepared to give anything back. Cratchitt toils in her goldmine, and his sickly child is now a daughter, Tiny Thembisa who comes looking for sponsorship for her school. Thrillingly evoking the miners working underground with a vibrant mixture of effective lighting, dance, song and Stomp-like effects, this triumphant production starts on a high note and goes on to ensure that Dickens' message of redemption and Christmas spirit still comes across loud and clear but with a particularly South African resonance.
The Magic Flute isn't quite as inventive or moving but it's just as vivacious. Mozart's operatic score has been attractively rearranged for a mini orchestra of marimbas and half-filled glass bottles played by the cast with broad smiles of pure enjoyment. The xylophonic sounds create a unique lilting rhythm against which Tamino sets out to save Pamino, daughter of the Queen of the Night, from the high priest Sarastro. Masonic rituals are replaced by Xhosa-like rites of passage, but all ends happily in this relocated allegory in which even Zamile Gantana's tubby, weak-willed but rather endearing Papageno finally gets his equally tubby gal.
Young Vic, The Cut, SE1 (020-7922 2922). Until January 19. £21.50-£24.50, under 26s £9.50
Monday, 17 December 2007
The Family Plays — The Good Family & The Khomenko Family Chronicles - TNT
Everything in the garden is rosy in the first of this short double bill of well-acted, contrasting playlets which brings the Royal Court's International Season to an end. But if you've ever hankered after the perfect family — with no arguments, no problems, and absolute agreement about everything — you might just think again after spending time with Swedish playwright Joakim Pirinen's characters.The closest the teenage kids come to quarrelling is in deciding who's going to do the washing up — because they both really, really want to do it — and you couldn't wish for a more lovey-dovey mum and dad. But harmony can be sickeningly cloying and, although there's a final hint that this mini utopia might be about to change, a life devoid of any friction proves to be not much of a life at all.
But it's definitely preferable to the sort of existence portrayed in the even shorter second piece in which Ukrainian Natalia Vorozhbit paints a very different picture. Nine-year-old Lyosha has lost his hair and is fixed up to a drip, but when his parents come to visit - his mother heavily pregnant, his father boorishly swigging a beer — the bickering barely stops as they recall, with unexpected, poignancy, how their romance first flourished under the shadow of Chernobyl. Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, Sloane Square, SW1 (020-7565 5000). Until December 21
Everything in the garden is rosy in the first of this short double bill of well-acted, contrasting playlets which brings the Royal Court's International Season to an end. But if you've ever hankered after the perfect family — with no arguments, no problems, and absolute agreement about everything — you might just think again after spending time with Swedish playwright Joakim Pirinen's characters.The closest the teenage kids come to quarrelling is in deciding who's going to do the washing up — because they both really, really want to do it — and you couldn't wish for a more lovey-dovey mum and dad. But harmony can be sickeningly cloying and, although there's a final hint that this mini utopia might be about to change, a life devoid of any friction proves to be not much of a life at all.
But it's definitely preferable to the sort of existence portrayed in the even shorter second piece in which Ukrainian Natalia Vorozhbit paints a very different picture. Nine-year-old Lyosha has lost his hair and is fixed up to a drip, but when his parents come to visit - his mother heavily pregnant, his father boorishly swigging a beer — the bickering barely stops as they recall, with unexpected, poignancy, how their romance first flourished under the shadow of Chernobyl. Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, Sloane Square, SW1 (020-7565 5000). Until December 21
Doubt: A Parable - TNT
John Patrick Shanley's short four-hander was a prize-winning hit on Broadway when it premiered in 2004. But, not for the first time, what wowed in New York fails to strike the same chord when it crosses the Atlantic. Set in a Catholic school in the Bronx in 1964, it takes a cautious peek at the issue of child abuse by men of the cloth. But is young Father Flynn really guilty of seriously overstepping the mark with a 12-year-old boy who just happens to be the only black pupil, or does the strict principal, Sister Aloysius, have nothing but her own unwavering (but unsubstantiated) certainty with which to accuse him?As she encourages the younger, idealistic Sister James to report any evidence which might confirm her suspicions - and even when she confronts the increasingly angry and worried priest — the dialogue seems dry and stilted. Only the unanticipated reaction of the boy's mother (Nikki Amuka-Bird) really surprises. For the rest, this is an uncharacteristically pedestrian production of an unremarkable play.
Tricycle Kilburn High Rd, NW6 (020-7328 1000). Until January 12. £18- £8.50
John Patrick Shanley's short four-hander was a prize-winning hit on Broadway when it premiered in 2004. But, not for the first time, what wowed in New York fails to strike the same chord when it crosses the Atlantic. Set in a Catholic school in the Bronx in 1964, it takes a cautious peek at the issue of child abuse by men of the cloth. But is young Father Flynn really guilty of seriously overstepping the mark with a 12-year-old boy who just happens to be the only black pupil, or does the strict principal, Sister Aloysius, have nothing but her own unwavering (but unsubstantiated) certainty with which to accuse him?As she encourages the younger, idealistic Sister James to report any evidence which might confirm her suspicions - and even when she confronts the increasingly angry and worried priest — the dialogue seems dry and stilted. Only the unanticipated reaction of the boy's mother (Nikki Amuka-Bird) really surprises. For the rest, this is an uncharacteristically pedestrian production of an unremarkable play.
Tricycle Kilburn High Rd, NW6 (020-7328 1000). Until January 12. £18- £8.50
Women Of Troy - TNT
Never one to stick closely to conventional interpretation of classic works, director Katie Mitchell has effectively transposed Euripides' Trojan women from 415 BC to the dimly lit canteen of a '40s dockside warehouse — where they shiver in strappy evening gowns nervously reapplying lipstick as they wait to hear their fate. Helen of Troy (the cause of the war that led to the downfall of their city) moves frantically and seductively back and forth along the office corridor above them, a silent witness to their mounting grief as the clanging of metal shutters heralds yet another outrage in the aftermath of war. The dialogue isn't always clear, but as the women dissolve into eerily elegant dance routines (a memory, perhaps, of former happier times), the effect is visually and emotionally compelling.
Lyttelton at the National, South Bank, SE1 (020-7452 3000). Until February 27. £39.50-£10
Never one to stick closely to conventional interpretation of classic works, director Katie Mitchell has effectively transposed Euripides' Trojan women from 415 BC to the dimly lit canteen of a '40s dockside warehouse — where they shiver in strappy evening gowns nervously reapplying lipstick as they wait to hear their fate. Helen of Troy (the cause of the war that led to the downfall of their city) moves frantically and seductively back and forth along the office corridor above them, a silent witness to their mounting grief as the clanging of metal shutters heralds yet another outrage in the aftermath of war. The dialogue isn't always clear, but as the women dissolve into eerily elegant dance routines (a memory, perhaps, of former happier times), the effect is visually and emotionally compelling.
Lyttelton at the National, South Bank, SE1 (020-7452 3000). Until February 27. £39.50-£10
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
Desperately Seeking Susan - TNT
If anyone involved in this musical remake of the cult '80s movie was hoping it would do for them what it did for Madonna, they'll be disappointed. Some of Blondie's songs — especially One Way Or Another — fit neatly into this caper about bored New Jersey housewife Roberta and her entanglement in the life of free-spirited New Yorker Susan. The rest, however, are over-amplified adjuncts that provide an excuse for lacklustre choreography. Emma Williams struts her stuff as a rather un-edgy Susan, and the whole enterprise isn't really bad, it is just bland (but still, a not-very-good musical with decent songs is better than a really rotten play). If you love Debbie Harry listen to a CD and If you're a fan of the film, watch the DVD.
Novello, Aldwych WC2 (0870- 950 0921). Until December 15. £55 -£15
If anyone involved in this musical remake of the cult '80s movie was hoping it would do for them what it did for Madonna, they'll be disappointed. Some of Blondie's songs — especially One Way Or Another — fit neatly into this caper about bored New Jersey housewife Roberta and her entanglement in the life of free-spirited New Yorker Susan. The rest, however, are over-amplified adjuncts that provide an excuse for lacklustre choreography. Emma Williams struts her stuff as a rather un-edgy Susan, and the whole enterprise isn't really bad, it is just bland (but still, a not-very-good musical with decent songs is better than a really rotten play). If you love Debbie Harry listen to a CD and If you're a fan of the film, watch the DVD.
Novello, Aldwych WC2 (0870- 950 0921). Until December 15. £55 -£15
Sunday, 9 December 2007
Some Kind Of Bliss - TNT
If only fictional Daily Mail journalist Rachel had hopped on a bus or jumped on a bike, she probably wouldn't have got laid, got mugged or killed a dog on her way to interview Lulu — and she certainly wouldn't have needed to steal an ice-cream van. But if you've left home six hours early to escape from a well-meaning but irritating schoolteacher husband and from an unexpected, unsettling e-mail sent by your ex from student days, what's a girl to do to kill the time but walk along the Thames Path all the way from London Bridge to Greenwich in her unsuitable killer heels? Samuel Adamson's 75-minute one-woman show gives Lucy Briers plenty of scope show off her versatility as she revisits the haunts of a beloved uncle (who succumbed to Aids and whom, as a child, she always wanted to impress) and re-evaluates her comfy but unfulfilling life on the way. And even though Rachel's incident-packed journey through the less familiar streets of London frequently strains credibility, Briers is an engaging performer who adds an extra dimension to this mini voyage of self-discovery.
Trafalgar Studios (2), Whitehall, SW1 (0870-060 6632). Until 15th December. £22.50-£15
If only fictional Daily Mail journalist Rachel had hopped on a bus or jumped on a bike, she probably wouldn't have got laid, got mugged or killed a dog on her way to interview Lulu — and she certainly wouldn't have needed to steal an ice-cream van. But if you've left home six hours early to escape from a well-meaning but irritating schoolteacher husband and from an unexpected, unsettling e-mail sent by your ex from student days, what's a girl to do to kill the time but walk along the Thames Path all the way from London Bridge to Greenwich in her unsuitable killer heels? Samuel Adamson's 75-minute one-woman show gives Lucy Briers plenty of scope show off her versatility as she revisits the haunts of a beloved uncle (who succumbed to Aids and whom, as a child, she always wanted to impress) and re-evaluates her comfy but unfulfilling life on the way. And even though Rachel's incident-packed journey through the less familiar streets of London frequently strains credibility, Briers is an engaging performer who adds an extra dimension to this mini voyage of self-discovery.
Trafalgar Studios (2), Whitehall, SW1 (0870-060 6632). Until 15th December. £22.50-£15
Sunday, 2 December 2007
The Arsonists - TNT
Weak-minded appeasement causes a whole load of trouble for a bourgeois businessman when a former wrestler and his partner-in-crime take up residence in the attic. Swiss playwright Max Frisch's 1958 political satire comes to illuminating life in Alistair Beaton's sparky new translation. Will Keen's discomfited Biedermann decides that (rather than denouncing the intruders) the best way to ensure his own safety is to lend a hand measuring the fuse-wire linking the suspiciously full oil drums stored above his perfect, ultra-modern home.Ramin Gray's nifty, well-acted production highlights the dangers of misplaced tolerance — but it also serves as a reminder of how easy it has always been to turn a blind eye and convince yourself that everything will turn out all right.
Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1 (020-7565 5000). Until December 15. £25-£10
Weak-minded appeasement causes a whole load of trouble for a bourgeois businessman when a former wrestler and his partner-in-crime take up residence in the attic. Swiss playwright Max Frisch's 1958 political satire comes to illuminating life in Alistair Beaton's sparky new translation. Will Keen's discomfited Biedermann decides that (rather than denouncing the intruders) the best way to ensure his own safety is to lend a hand measuring the fuse-wire linking the suspiciously full oil drums stored above his perfect, ultra-modern home.Ramin Gray's nifty, well-acted production highlights the dangers of misplaced tolerance — but it also serves as a reminder of how easy it has always been to turn a blind eye and convince yourself that everything will turn out all right.
Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1 (020-7565 5000). Until December 15. £25-£10
Rent - TNT
Like Hair in the '60s, Jonathan Larson's Aids-era musical has something of an iconic status — not just because of its subject matter but also because the young playwright died suddenly on the eve of its 1996 off-Broadway premiere. The plangent tunes lingered in the memory and his updated version of Puccini's La Boheme, transported to a loft apartment in New York, is still going strong in the US. Unfortunately, for its third London outing, William Blake (Kylie's former creative director) has removed the rough, grungy intensity which gave the work its identity. The resulting "remix" is a totally sanitised affair — from the bare, whitewashed (and here far too upmarket) concrete walls to the once poignant melodies, he's stripped away the heart of the piece. As a result, beyond basic human compassion, it's hard to care what happens to these budding musicians and artists as they face the reality of what was then an almost certain death sentence.Luke Evans's Roger has a great voice (but desperately needs to expand his range of facial expressions) and Francesca Jackson's strong lesbian lawyer steals the limelight from both her bisexual lover (Denise Van Outen) and from former Sugarbabe Siobhan Donaghy's heroin addict Mimi. If you've never heard the original music, you might just salvage something from this weakly plotted story of youthful promise cut short, but if you're listening out for your favourite songs, there's a strong possibility that you won't even recognise them in this amorphous rehash.
Duke of York's, St Martins Lane, WC2 (0870-060 6623). Booking until April 5. £15- £45
Like Hair in the '60s, Jonathan Larson's Aids-era musical has something of an iconic status — not just because of its subject matter but also because the young playwright died suddenly on the eve of its 1996 off-Broadway premiere. The plangent tunes lingered in the memory and his updated version of Puccini's La Boheme, transported to a loft apartment in New York, is still going strong in the US. Unfortunately, for its third London outing, William Blake (Kylie's former creative director) has removed the rough, grungy intensity which gave the work its identity. The resulting "remix" is a totally sanitised affair — from the bare, whitewashed (and here far too upmarket) concrete walls to the once poignant melodies, he's stripped away the heart of the piece. As a result, beyond basic human compassion, it's hard to care what happens to these budding musicians and artists as they face the reality of what was then an almost certain death sentence.Luke Evans's Roger has a great voice (but desperately needs to expand his range of facial expressions) and Francesca Jackson's strong lesbian lawyer steals the limelight from both her bisexual lover (Denise Van Outen) and from former Sugarbabe Siobhan Donaghy's heroin addict Mimi. If you've never heard the original music, you might just salvage something from this weakly plotted story of youthful promise cut short, but if you're listening out for your favourite songs, there's a strong possibility that you won't even recognise them in this amorphous rehash.
Duke of York's, St Martins Lane, WC2 (0870-060 6623). Booking until April 5. £15- £45
Sunday, 25 November 2007
The Brothers Size - TNT
The staging of Tarell Alvin McCraney's three-hander could hardly be more austere — a circle drawn in chalk, subtle changes in lighting, a sprinkle of red dust and a musician tucked away in a corner. Yet its intensity is astonishing as ex-jailbird Oshoosi Size (the younger of two brothers) fails to get to grips with the work ethic of older sibling Ogun, a Louisiana car mechanic. The exploration of brotherhood is sensitively and movingl handled, but there are also moments of delightful humour with the characters speaking not only the dialogue but the stage directions too. Obi Abili and Nyasha Hatendi give superbly tuned performances as the quarrelsome blood relations whose deep, indestructible love for each other is finally expressed, almost too late.Nathaniel Martello-White is impishly destructive as Oshoosi's former cell-mate who became almost as close while they served their sentences. Powerfully directed and with its unique blend of the poetic and the colloquial, this is 90 minutes of thrillingly unmissable theatre.
Young Vic, The Cut, SE1 (020-7922 2922). Until December 12. £18.50-£15.50
The staging of Tarell Alvin McCraney's three-hander could hardly be more austere — a circle drawn in chalk, subtle changes in lighting, a sprinkle of red dust and a musician tucked away in a corner. Yet its intensity is astonishing as ex-jailbird Oshoosi Size (the younger of two brothers) fails to get to grips with the work ethic of older sibling Ogun, a Louisiana car mechanic. The exploration of brotherhood is sensitively and movingl handled, but there are also moments of delightful humour with the characters speaking not only the dialogue but the stage directions too. Obi Abili and Nyasha Hatendi give superbly tuned performances as the quarrelsome blood relations whose deep, indestructible love for each other is finally expressed, almost too late.Nathaniel Martello-White is impishly destructive as Oshoosi's former cell-mate who became almost as close while they served their sentences. Powerfully directed and with its unique blend of the poetic and the colloquial, this is 90 minutes of thrillingly unmissable theatre.
Young Vic, The Cut, SE1 (020-7922 2922). Until December 12. £18.50-£15.50
Hairspray - TNT
A feel-good show with not one but two serious messages to impart, this musical adaptation of John Waters' 1988 film arrives hard on the heels of the updated movie version and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Newcomer Leanne Jones is terrific as Tracy Turnblad, the big-haired and bigger-hearted teen who doesn't conform to the slinky stereotype of her peers on the local Baltimore TV talent show — though she must surely have already shrunk a dress size to execute the moves she's taught by her equally ostracised black friends. Michael Ball is unrecognisable as her ever-hungry laundress mum, and — with its vibrant '60s pastiche songs and sparkling choreography — this is a triumph for Ball's fake sagging boobs and everybody out there who's carrying a few too many extra kilos.
Shaftesbury Theatre, Shaftesbury Ave, WC2 (020- 7379 5399). Until October 25. £60-£20
A feel-good show with not one but two serious messages to impart, this musical adaptation of John Waters' 1988 film arrives hard on the heels of the updated movie version and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Newcomer Leanne Jones is terrific as Tracy Turnblad, the big-haired and bigger-hearted teen who doesn't conform to the slinky stereotype of her peers on the local Baltimore TV talent show — though she must surely have already shrunk a dress size to execute the moves she's taught by her equally ostracised black friends. Michael Ball is unrecognisable as her ever-hungry laundress mum, and — with its vibrant '60s pastiche songs and sparkling choreography — this is a triumph for Ball's fake sagging boobs and everybody out there who's carrying a few too many extra kilos.
Shaftesbury Theatre, Shaftesbury Ave, WC2 (020- 7379 5399). Until October 25. £60-£20
A Night In November - TNT
TV host and stand-up Patrick Kielty takes to the stage in a revival of Marie Jones' 1994 one-man show about the life- changing experience of a Belfast Protestant at the Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland World Cupqualifier in 1993. A football stadium may seem an unlikely place for petty-minded dole clerk Kenneth to realise the offensiveness of his bigoted views, but watching his father-in-law's unbridled sectarian vitriol suddenly makes him see his belief system through newly opened eyes. It's a brave undertaking for an acting debut, but Kielty gives an energetic and well-paced performance. Whether impersonating his complacent wife or the once despised Catholic boss who'll never get elected to the golf club, he knows how to work an audience. The story might not convince, but Kielty certainly knows how to tell it.
Trafalgar Studios(1), Whitehall, SW1 (0870-060 6632). Until December 1. £42.50-£30
TV host and stand-up Patrick Kielty takes to the stage in a revival of Marie Jones' 1994 one-man show about the life- changing experience of a Belfast Protestant at the Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland World Cupqualifier in 1993. A football stadium may seem an unlikely place for petty-minded dole clerk Kenneth to realise the offensiveness of his bigoted views, but watching his father-in-law's unbridled sectarian vitriol suddenly makes him see his belief system through newly opened eyes. It's a brave undertaking for an acting debut, but Kielty gives an energetic and well-paced performance. Whether impersonating his complacent wife or the once despised Catholic boss who'll never get elected to the golf club, he knows how to work an audience. The story might not convince, but Kielty certainly knows how to tell it.
Trafalgar Studios(1), Whitehall, SW1 (0870-060 6632). Until December 1. £42.50-£30
Monday, 19 November 2007
The Giant - TNT
Thanks to the ingenuity of designer William Dudley, the intimate Hampstead theatre gets its own impressive replica of Michelangelo's "David" in Antony Sher's ambitious new play about the creation of one of the most familiar sculptures of all time. Set in Florence at the beginning of the 16th century (and imagined from the perspective of a fictional young quarryman who servesas the model for the statue) this exploration of the relationship between repressed homoerotic urges and creativity successfully conveys the emotional and practical challenges of artistic endeavour. It's got more than its fair share of nudity – but it's also hugely overwritten. If only Sher had been as fastidious in excising the verbiage from his material as Michelangelo was in freeing his magnificent creation from the huge block of Carrara marble, this dramatised Renaissance rivalry between the driven, obsessive young sculptor and the older, resolutely celibate Leonardo Da Vinci could have been so much more persuasive.
Hampstead Eton Avenue, NW3 (020-7722 9301). Until 1st December. Tickets -£10-£22
Louise Kingsley
Thanks to the ingenuity of designer William Dudley, the intimate Hampstead theatre gets its own impressive replica of Michelangelo's "David" in Antony Sher's ambitious new play about the creation of one of the most familiar sculptures of all time. Set in Florence at the beginning of the 16th century (and imagined from the perspective of a fictional young quarryman who servesas the model for the statue) this exploration of the relationship between repressed homoerotic urges and creativity successfully conveys the emotional and practical challenges of artistic endeavour. It's got more than its fair share of nudity – but it's also hugely overwritten. If only Sher had been as fastidious in excising the verbiage from his material as Michelangelo was in freeing his magnificent creation from the huge block of Carrara marble, this dramatised Renaissance rivalry between the driven, obsessive young sculptor and the older, resolutely celibate Leonardo Da Vinci could have been so much more persuasive.
Hampstead Eton Avenue, NW3 (020-7722 9301). Until 1st December. Tickets -£10-£22
Louise Kingsley
Alex - TNT
City slickers might just catch a reflection of themselves in this entertaining depiction of life in the Square Mile, an amusing marriage of projected animation and live performance as cartoon strip character Alex comes to 3-D life. For two decades, this smug, insensitive investment banker has appeared in the daily press – previously in the Independent, and, since 1992, in the Telegraph. In this stage adaptation, his creators have placed him in crisis – his wife wants a baby but he's too preoccupied for a sprog-making shag, one of his client companies is seriously overvalued, and he's far too busy spending time not working to read a crucial report. Floppy-haired and with the suggestion of a paunch beneath his pinstripe suit, Robin Bathurst makes a perfect Alex as he not only interacts with digital projections of his friends and colleagues but provides their voices too. At 75 minutes long, this engaging show knows its limits but still succeeds in exposing some of the least likeable traits of the city financier.
Arts Theatre, Great Newport Street, WC2 (0870-520 4020) Until 8th December. Tickets £27.50 -£12.00
City slickers might just catch a reflection of themselves in this entertaining depiction of life in the Square Mile, an amusing marriage of projected animation and live performance as cartoon strip character Alex comes to 3-D life. For two decades, this smug, insensitive investment banker has appeared in the daily press – previously in the Independent, and, since 1992, in the Telegraph. In this stage adaptation, his creators have placed him in crisis – his wife wants a baby but he's too preoccupied for a sprog-making shag, one of his client companies is seriously overvalued, and he's far too busy spending time not working to read a crucial report. Floppy-haired and with the suggestion of a paunch beneath his pinstripe suit, Robin Bathurst makes a perfect Alex as he not only interacts with digital projections of his friends and colleagues but provides their voices too. At 75 minutes long, this engaging show knows its limits but still succeeds in exposing some of the least likeable traits of the city financier.
Arts Theatre, Great Newport Street, WC2 (0870-520 4020) Until 8th December. Tickets £27.50 -£12.00
War Horse - TNT
Forget traditional Christmas shows — this adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's 1982 novel is an absolute stunner. From the moment young Joey totters uncertainly onto the stage on spindly foal legs, to the closing moments which had me in tears, South African puppet company Handspring ensures their life-size creations are every bit as credible as (and often more sympathetic than) the humans who decide their fate. Following Joey's path from a Devon farm to occupied France during World War I, this simply but powerfully staged story of devotion and devastation tugs at the heartstrings. The production pulls no punches (how could it when so few military horses survived?) and the resulting integration of puppets, people and evocative song is theatre at its magical, unmissable best.
Olivier at the National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 (020-7452 3000). Until February 14. £10-£39.50
Forget traditional Christmas shows — this adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's 1982 novel is an absolute stunner. From the moment young Joey totters uncertainly onto the stage on spindly foal legs, to the closing moments which had me in tears, South African puppet company Handspring ensures their life-size creations are every bit as credible as (and often more sympathetic than) the humans who decide their fate. Following Joey's path from a Devon farm to occupied France during World War I, this simply but powerfully staged story of devotion and devastation tugs at the heartstrings. The production pulls no punches (how could it when so few military horses survived?) and the resulting integration of puppets, people and evocative song is theatre at its magical, unmissable best.
Olivier at the National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 (020-7452 3000). Until February 14. £10-£39.50
Thursday, 15 November 2007
PARADE - This Is London
Donmar Theatre
Louise Kingsley
Donmar Theatre
Does the West End really need
another musical? The answer is a
resounding ‘Yes’ as far as this absorbing
and troubling production is concerned.
You're unlikely to leave the theatre
humming the tunes, but Alfred Uhry
(book) and Jason Robert Brown (music
and lyrics) have dramatised a true story
exposing the deep-seated prejudice
which led to a blatant miscarriage of
justice and the result is completely
engrossing.
Pencil factory superintendent Leo
Frank was an educated, Jewish New
Yorker who married a Southerner and
moved to Atlanta, Georgia. But he
remained an outsider who never felt at
home nor embraced the idiosyncrasies
of the South. So when, in 1913, a 13
year old white female employee, Mary
Phagan, was found dead in the
basement of their workplace, the locals
and the conviction-hungry police swiftly
accepted the slight circumstantial
evidence and the suspect testimony of a
black employee as proof of his guilt.
Rob Ashford's direction of this 1998
Broadway show is pacey and fluent and,
especially in the trial scenes, his
choreography integrates perfectly with
the ambiguities of the unfolding story.
The cast, too, is excellent. In the
pivotal role of the accused Yankee Leo
Frank, Bertie Carvel has just the right
uncomfortable, hand wringing diss-ease
of a man who doesn't fit in and knows it.
Lara Pulver is touching as the loyal wife
who barely waivers in her belief that the
unemotional workaholic she married
couldn't possibly be a murderer, Gary
Milner is sleekly effective as both a
persistent newshound and a senator who
changes his mind, and Shaun Escoffery
is quite simply sensational as the
prosecution's main witness.
another musical? The answer is a
resounding ‘Yes’ as far as this absorbing
and troubling production is concerned.
You're unlikely to leave the theatre
humming the tunes, but Alfred Uhry
(book) and Jason Robert Brown (music
and lyrics) have dramatised a true story
exposing the deep-seated prejudice
which led to a blatant miscarriage of
justice and the result is completely
engrossing.
Pencil factory superintendent Leo
Frank was an educated, Jewish New
Yorker who married a Southerner and
moved to Atlanta, Georgia. But he
remained an outsider who never felt at
home nor embraced the idiosyncrasies
of the South. So when, in 1913, a 13
year old white female employee, Mary
Phagan, was found dead in the
basement of their workplace, the locals
and the conviction-hungry police swiftly
accepted the slight circumstantial
evidence and the suspect testimony of a
black employee as proof of his guilt.
Rob Ashford's direction of this 1998
Broadway show is pacey and fluent and,
especially in the trial scenes, his
choreography integrates perfectly with
the ambiguities of the unfolding story.
The cast, too, is excellent. In the
pivotal role of the accused Yankee Leo
Frank, Bertie Carvel has just the right
uncomfortable, hand wringing diss-ease
of a man who doesn't fit in and knows it.
Lara Pulver is touching as the loyal wife
who barely waivers in her belief that the
unemotional workaholic she married
couldn't possibly be a murderer, Gary
Milner is sleekly effective as both a
persistent newshound and a senator who
changes his mind, and Shaun Escoffery
is quite simply sensational as the
prosecution's main witness.
Louise Kingsley
Sunday, 11 November 2007
Vincent River - TNT
The truth behind the birth and death of thirty-something Vincent is gradually uncovered in this emotionally powerful revival of Philip Ridley's atmospherically-written two-hander. Lynda Bellingham's superficially tough but ultimately vulnerable working-class Anita exchanges information with the uncomfortable teenager who has been trailing her ever since he found her only son lying bleeding and beaten to a violent death in an East End toilet renowned for its homosexual trysts. In return for facts prised from Mark Field's haunted, reluctant Davey she reveals how, when she was younger, she also was the victim of another kind of intolerance. Now her son's fate has exposed her once again to the prejudices of those around her. As the lives of these two scarred human beings briefly overlap, Ridley shows the damaging concealments that oil the wheels of family life, and, in an intense 90 minutes, creates vivid word pictures which conjure the awfulness of what really happened.
Trafalgar Studios (2), Whitehall, SW1 (0870-060 6632). Until November 17. £22.50
The truth behind the birth and death of thirty-something Vincent is gradually uncovered in this emotionally powerful revival of Philip Ridley's atmospherically-written two-hander. Lynda Bellingham's superficially tough but ultimately vulnerable working-class Anita exchanges information with the uncomfortable teenager who has been trailing her ever since he found her only son lying bleeding and beaten to a violent death in an East End toilet renowned for its homosexual trysts. In return for facts prised from Mark Field's haunted, reluctant Davey she reveals how, when she was younger, she also was the victim of another kind of intolerance. Now her son's fate has exposed her once again to the prejudices of those around her. As the lives of these two scarred human beings briefly overlap, Ridley shows the damaging concealments that oil the wheels of family life, and, in an intense 90 minutes, creates vivid word pictures which conjure the awfulness of what really happened.
Trafalgar Studios (2), Whitehall, SW1 (0870-060 6632). Until November 17. £22.50
Cloud Nine - TNT
Written in a collaborative process with Joint Stock Theatre Company almost three decades ago, Caryl Churchill's inventively playful comparison of the role of women and repressed minorities (defined either by race or sexuality)in 19th century British colonial Africa and what was then contemporary London is very much a play of two halves. Her exaggerated, cartoonish portrayal of the Brits abroad is mercilessly unforgiving — they may be in charge of the natives, but they're certainly not in control of their own sexual urges. Cheekily, male actor Bo Poraj is cast as subservient Victorian wife Betty (who pays lipservice to the superiority of her pompous husband while being propositioned by both his rampantly bisexual friend and the household nanny) and Nicola Walker plays her adolescent son (who infuriatingly prefers dolls to guns).In the second act, the characters have only aged 25 years but find themselves in '70s London where anything goes and men are no longer seen as protectors. But liberation has brought its own complexities, and Thea Sharrock's supremely well-acted production highlights the ongoing confusion which still spikes the minefield of sexual politics.
Almeida, Almeida St N1 (020-7359 4404). Until December 8
Written in a collaborative process with Joint Stock Theatre Company almost three decades ago, Caryl Churchill's inventively playful comparison of the role of women and repressed minorities (defined either by race or sexuality)in 19th century British colonial Africa and what was then contemporary London is very much a play of two halves. Her exaggerated, cartoonish portrayal of the Brits abroad is mercilessly unforgiving — they may be in charge of the natives, but they're certainly not in control of their own sexual urges. Cheekily, male actor Bo Poraj is cast as subservient Victorian wife Betty (who pays lipservice to the superiority of her pompous husband while being propositioned by both his rampantly bisexual friend and the household nanny) and Nicola Walker plays her adolescent son (who infuriatingly prefers dolls to guns).In the second act, the characters have only aged 25 years but find themselves in '70s London where anything goes and men are no longer seen as protectors. But liberation has brought its own complexities, and Thea Sharrock's supremely well-acted production highlights the ongoing confusion which still spikes the minefield of sexual politics.
Almeida, Almeida St N1 (020-7359 4404). Until December 8
Swimming With Sharks - TNT
Christian Slater adds another eye-catching performance to his West End credits with an abrasive portrayal of Buddy Ackerman, a misogynist, money-making Hollywood producer of crowd-pleasing schlock horror movies who'll play as dirty as a dung beetle to get the No.2 job at the studio. He'd kill his own mother to get where he wants to go.The fast-paced first act of this stage adaptation of George Huang's 1994 film satirises both the movie makers and the audiences who pay to see what they churn out. But the violent and melodramatic plot twists after the interval don't work, and neither Slater's powerhouse performance nor strong support from Matt Smith (as his gofer, Guy, who eventually shows all the signs of turning into as much of a shit as his megalomaniac boss) can salvage the change in tone.
Vaudeville, Strand WC2 (0870-040 0084). Until January 19. £20-£45
Christian Slater adds another eye-catching performance to his West End credits with an abrasive portrayal of Buddy Ackerman, a misogynist, money-making Hollywood producer of crowd-pleasing schlock horror movies who'll play as dirty as a dung beetle to get the No.2 job at the studio. He'd kill his own mother to get where he wants to go.The fast-paced first act of this stage adaptation of George Huang's 1994 film satirises both the movie makers and the audiences who pay to see what they churn out. But the violent and melodramatic plot twists after the interval don't work, and neither Slater's powerhouse performance nor strong support from Matt Smith (as his gofer, Guy, who eventually shows all the signs of turning into as much of a shit as his megalomaniac boss) can salvage the change in tone.
Vaudeville, Strand WC2 (0870-040 0084). Until January 19. £20-£45
Monday, 5 November 2007
The Country Wife - TNT
David Haig gets hilariously apoplectic as a jealous older husband in Jonathan Kent's sprightly revival of William Wycherley's 1675 restoration romp. He's so worried that his new country bumpkin wife will make a cuckold of him that he keeps her under lock and key to prevent her from experiencing the "sophisticated" ways and louche morals of London town. Meanwhile ( in order to gain unlimited access to frustrated city wives, without arousing the suspicions of their wary spouses) dedicated lothario Hunter (a dashing Toby Stephens) puts it about that his stay in France has rendered him impotent. Played completely for laughs on a garish set, there's little sense of the darkness at the heart of a society in which reputation is everything. But the sexual innuendo which fuels every verbal exchange keeps the comedy buoyant, and the idiosyncratic mix of period and contemporary costume suggests that, when it comes to illicit liaisons, not much has changed over the centuries.
Theatre Royal Haymarket, Haymarket, SW1 (0844-844 2353) Until January 12. Tickets £47.50 - £20
David Haig gets hilariously apoplectic as a jealous older husband in Jonathan Kent's sprightly revival of William Wycherley's 1675 restoration romp. He's so worried that his new country bumpkin wife will make a cuckold of him that he keeps her under lock and key to prevent her from experiencing the "sophisticated" ways and louche morals of London town. Meanwhile ( in order to gain unlimited access to frustrated city wives, without arousing the suspicions of their wary spouses) dedicated lothario Hunter (a dashing Toby Stephens) puts it about that his stay in France has rendered him impotent. Played completely for laughs on a garish set, there's little sense of the darkness at the heart of a society in which reputation is everything. But the sexual innuendo which fuels every verbal exchange keeps the comedy buoyant, and the idiosyncratic mix of period and contemporary costume suggests that, when it comes to illicit liaisons, not much has changed over the centuries.
Theatre Royal Haymarket, Haymarket, SW1 (0844-844 2353) Until January 12. Tickets £47.50 - £20
The Investigation - TNT
Rather than directly exploring the events of the more recent genocide which tore their own country apart, Rwandan theatre company Urwintore has turned its attention to the Nazi holocaust of sixty years ago. This simplerestaging of Peter Weiss's 1965 verbatim documentary drama about the horrors which occurred in Auschwitz is an attempt to make some sort of sense of a world in which equally unimaginable atrocities can occur all over again.Speaking in French (with surtitles projected on screens flanking the virtually bare stage) the seven actors (playing both witnesses and defendants) make potent points about how human beings struggle to survive no matter what – even if, to enable them to do so, they are forced – or choose – to adopt a dubious moral code. The material (extracted from the Frankfurt War trials of the 60's) is, by now, only too familiar. But this 80 minute production still has the capacity to shock as the accused insist that obeying orders was ample justification for the acts of extermination and abuse which, again and again, they committed against their fellow human beings.
Young Vic, The Cut, SE1 (020-7922 2922). Until 10th November. Tickets £24.50 - £21.50, under 26's £9.50
Rather than directly exploring the events of the more recent genocide which tore their own country apart, Rwandan theatre company Urwintore has turned its attention to the Nazi holocaust of sixty years ago. This simplerestaging of Peter Weiss's 1965 verbatim documentary drama about the horrors which occurred in Auschwitz is an attempt to make some sort of sense of a world in which equally unimaginable atrocities can occur all over again.Speaking in French (with surtitles projected on screens flanking the virtually bare stage) the seven actors (playing both witnesses and defendants) make potent points about how human beings struggle to survive no matter what – even if, to enable them to do so, they are forced – or choose – to adopt a dubious moral code. The material (extracted from the Frankfurt War trials of the 60's) is, by now, only too familiar. But this 80 minute production still has the capacity to shock as the accused insist that obeying orders was ample justification for the acts of extermination and abuse which, again and again, they committed against their fellow human beings.
Young Vic, The Cut, SE1 (020-7922 2922). Until 10th November. Tickets £24.50 - £21.50, under 26's £9.50
Sunday, 4 November 2007
Glengarry Glen Ross - TNT
With its edgy streetwise dialogue, David Mamet's short, sharp 1983 drama gives a whole new meaning to the concept of 'men in suits'. These guys may look like businessmen, but they're as hungry as sharks for the next big sale and a place at the top of the board. James Macdonald's excellent revival reveals just how devoid of morals these Chicago real estate salesmen are — and not just when dealing with potential buyers. Even when apparently doing a buddy a favour, they'll turn round and bite behind his back. Matthew Marsh is a cold calculator who loses his cool, Jonathan Pryce's aging Shelly Levene is sweatily desperate as he relives past glories and pleads for a another chance, and Aidan Gillen is perhaps the most ruthless of the lot as he schemes and lies to close the crucial deal that will win him a Cadillac.
Apollo Shaftesbury Ave, W1 (0870-830 0200). Until January 12. £17.50-£45 Louise Kingsley
With its edgy streetwise dialogue, David Mamet's short, sharp 1983 drama gives a whole new meaning to the concept of 'men in suits'. These guys may look like businessmen, but they're as hungry as sharks for the next big sale and a place at the top of the board. James Macdonald's excellent revival reveals just how devoid of morals these Chicago real estate salesmen are — and not just when dealing with potential buyers. Even when apparently doing a buddy a favour, they'll turn round and bite behind his back. Matthew Marsh is a cold calculator who loses his cool, Jonathan Pryce's aging Shelly Levene is sweatily desperate as he relives past glories and pleads for a another chance, and Aidan Gillen is perhaps the most ruthless of the lot as he schemes and lies to close the crucial deal that will win him a Cadillac.
Apollo Shaftesbury Ave, W1 (0870-830 0200). Until January 12. £17.50-£45 Louise Kingsley
Monday, 29 October 2007
Kebab - TNT
The Royal Court's International Playwrights season continues with this disappointing offering from Romania by Gianina Carbunariu. Its heart may be in the right place, but the narrative trajectory is far too predictable as it follows underage Madalina from Bucharest to Dublin where she joins her manipulative older boyfriend, Voicu. Needless to say, her low-waged job in a kebab shop doesn't last long and Voicu soon has other more lucrative plans to reap the rewards of living in the West. At first reluctantly - and then with distastefully eager compliance - he is helped by geeky post grad student Bogdan who, with his laptop and camera, sees in Madalina's on-line sexual violation a promising subject for his Visual Arts project.Matti Houghton's Madalina tolerates the sharing of her body with surprising equanimity, but Orla O'Loughlin's production blanches out such personality as Carbunariu invests in her characters and this account of disillusioned immigrants resorting to abusive exploitation proves creepy rather than convincing.
Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, Sloane Square, SW1 (020-7565 5000). Until November 3
The Royal Court's International Playwrights season continues with this disappointing offering from Romania by Gianina Carbunariu. Its heart may be in the right place, but the narrative trajectory is far too predictable as it follows underage Madalina from Bucharest to Dublin where she joins her manipulative older boyfriend, Voicu. Needless to say, her low-waged job in a kebab shop doesn't last long and Voicu soon has other more lucrative plans to reap the rewards of living in the West. At first reluctantly - and then with distastefully eager compliance - he is helped by geeky post grad student Bogdan who, with his laptop and camera, sees in Madalina's on-line sexual violation a promising subject for his Visual Arts project.Matti Houghton's Madalina tolerates the sharing of her body with surprising equanimity, but Orla O'Loughlin's production blanches out such personality as Carbunariu invests in her characters and this account of disillusioned immigrants resorting to abusive exploitation proves creepy rather than convincing.
Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, Sloane Square, SW1 (020-7565 5000). Until November 3
Rhinoceros - TNT
Rhinoceroses take over the town in Romanian-born French playwright Eugene Ionesco's dark absurdist comedy which premiered in 1959. What begins with the sighting of a single animal on the rampage soon becomes a mass stampede as, one by one, friends and colleagues morph into horned pachyderms. Supposedly written in response to the rise of Fascism in the country of his birth, the light philosophical humour of the opening scene quickly gives way to something more alarming as an innocent cat becomes the first bloody victim of the invasion. Benedict Cumberbatch gives a suitably dishevelled performance as Ionesco's everyman figure, Berenger, who hasn't the willpower to stay off the booze but somehow musters the requisite self-respect to resist the encroaching ideological conformity. And Jasper Britton's fastidious Jean makes a disturbing transformation from dapper man to bellowing beast. But despite the witty translation, first-rate prosthetics and well-paced production, Ionesco takes longer than he needs to get his message across.
Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Sq, SW1 (020-7565 5000). £25-£10. In rep till December 15
Rhinoceroses take over the town in Romanian-born French playwright Eugene Ionesco's dark absurdist comedy which premiered in 1959. What begins with the sighting of a single animal on the rampage soon becomes a mass stampede as, one by one, friends and colleagues morph into horned pachyderms. Supposedly written in response to the rise of Fascism in the country of his birth, the light philosophical humour of the opening scene quickly gives way to something more alarming as an innocent cat becomes the first bloody victim of the invasion. Benedict Cumberbatch gives a suitably dishevelled performance as Ionesco's everyman figure, Berenger, who hasn't the willpower to stay off the booze but somehow musters the requisite self-respect to resist the encroaching ideological conformity. And Jasper Britton's fastidious Jean makes a disturbing transformation from dapper man to bellowing beast. But despite the witty translation, first-rate prosthetics and well-paced production, Ionesco takes longer than he needs to get his message across.
Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Sq, SW1 (020-7565 5000). £25-£10. In rep till December 15
Shadowlands - TNT
Be prepared for tears in this poignant account of a late-flowering love between CS Lewis and American poet Joy Gresham. Lewis (best remembered for his Chronicles Of Narnia books) is portrayed as a fusty bachelor, sharing his house with his brother and his evenings with fellow, and exclusively male, academics. But in the course of an exchange of letters and meetings, his feelings for the outspoken and intellectually astute Joy grow from an acknowledged friendship into something deeper that, until tragedy strikes, he cannot admit to either himself or to her. Originally staged in 1989, William Nicholson's script is witty, intelligent, funny and thoughtful. The play is brought to life by Charles Dance's Lewis, slowly realising how sterile his adult life has been, and by Janie Dee's courageous and determined Joy.
Wyndhams, Charing Cross Rd, WC2. (0870-950 0925). Until December 15. £45-£15
Be prepared for tears in this poignant account of a late-flowering love between CS Lewis and American poet Joy Gresham. Lewis (best remembered for his Chronicles Of Narnia books) is portrayed as a fusty bachelor, sharing his house with his brother and his evenings with fellow, and exclusively male, academics. But in the course of an exchange of letters and meetings, his feelings for the outspoken and intellectually astute Joy grow from an acknowledged friendship into something deeper that, until tragedy strikes, he cannot admit to either himself or to her. Originally staged in 1989, William Nicholson's script is witty, intelligent, funny and thoughtful. The play is brought to life by Charles Dance's Lewis, slowly realising how sterile his adult life has been, and by Janie Dee's courageous and determined Joy.
Wyndhams, Charing Cross Rd, WC2. (0870-950 0925). Until December 15. £45-£15
Monday, 22 October 2007
Present Laughter -TNT
Alex Jennings is perfect in Howard Davies' amusing revival of Noel Coward's comedy — and it's not his fault he's got more hair than the follicly-challenged playwright who created the semi-autobiographical role of matinee idol Gary Essendine. Nor can he be blamed for the fact that, more than 60 years since its premiere, audience patience with this lengthy account of a spoilt existence is likely to wear pretty thin, too. Wafting about in many dressing gowns, Jennings gives an eye-catching central performance, Sara Stewart is suitably businesslike as his ex (but still friendly) wife, and Sarah Woodward maximises the laughs as his purse-lipped, fond, down-to-earth secretary who doesn't bat an eyelid as yet another female admirer emerges from his over-used spare room.
Lyttelton at the National, South Bank, SE1 (020-7452 3000). Until January 9. £10- £39.50
Alex Jennings is perfect in Howard Davies' amusing revival of Noel Coward's comedy — and it's not his fault he's got more hair than the follicly-challenged playwright who created the semi-autobiographical role of matinee idol Gary Essendine. Nor can he be blamed for the fact that, more than 60 years since its premiere, audience patience with this lengthy account of a spoilt existence is likely to wear pretty thin, too. Wafting about in many dressing gowns, Jennings gives an eye-catching central performance, Sara Stewart is suitably businesslike as his ex (but still friendly) wife, and Sarah Woodward maximises the laughs as his purse-lipped, fond, down-to-earth secretary who doesn't bat an eyelid as yet another female admirer emerges from his over-used spare room.
Lyttelton at the National, South Bank, SE1 (020-7452 3000). Until January 9. £10- £39.50
Dealer's Choice - TNT
Even if you've never played poker in your life, you'll be caught up in the mounting tension of Samuel West's excellent revival of this fast-paced drama which has more than one psychological sting in its wittily amusing tail.Premiered in 1995, this was Patrick Marber's first play for the stage, written after he himself had spent a fair few nights glued to the tables. The superb performances match Tom Piper's realistic design which shifts from the clean kitchen and brightly mirrored dining room of an upmarket restaurant to its gloomy basement. Here, once a week after closing time, owner Stephen, his staff and his debt-ridden gambler son sit round the green baize table and risk a lot more than their wages on bluff, skill and the luck of the cards. Marber's sharp, edgy dialogue balances outright comedy (Mugsy the waiter's ludicrous plan to convert a Mile End Road toilet into an eatery) with darker insights which reveal the damage that compulsive behaviour can cause — and it's no laughing matter when a fortune can be thrown away on the toss of a single coin.
Menier Chocolate Factory, 53 Southwark St, SE1 (020 7907 7060) £22.50 (£15 Sat mats). Until November 17
Even if you've never played poker in your life, you'll be caught up in the mounting tension of Samuel West's excellent revival of this fast-paced drama which has more than one psychological sting in its wittily amusing tail.Premiered in 1995, this was Patrick Marber's first play for the stage, written after he himself had spent a fair few nights glued to the tables. The superb performances match Tom Piper's realistic design which shifts from the clean kitchen and brightly mirrored dining room of an upmarket restaurant to its gloomy basement. Here, once a week after closing time, owner Stephen, his staff and his debt-ridden gambler son sit round the green baize table and risk a lot more than their wages on bluff, skill and the luck of the cards. Marber's sharp, edgy dialogue balances outright comedy (Mugsy the waiter's ludicrous plan to convert a Mile End Road toilet into an eatery) with darker insights which reveal the damage that compulsive behaviour can cause — and it's no laughing matter when a fortune can be thrown away on the toss of a single coin.
Menier Chocolate Factory, 53 Southwark St, SE1 (020 7907 7060) £22.50 (£15 Sat mats). Until November 17
Monday, 15 October 2007
Macbeth - TNT
This is Macbeth like you've never seen it before. From its opening scene, Rupert Goold's interpretation makes the familiar frightening as the three witches, here a trio of sinister nurses, kill off the injured soldier bringing news of battle.Then, knife-wielding and bloody, they are sinister servants in the white-tiled bunker which serves as military hospital, kitchen and banquet room. With its post-war Soviet references, this is an innovative and chilling account of Macbeth's ambition. In the title role, Patrick Stewart submits memorably to the troubled callousness that eventually overpowers him. He is well-matched by Kate Fleetwood as his equally treacherous spouse, scrubbing her hands clean of the psychological consequences of her crime. And Michael Feast's Macduff registers his grief with a prolonged silence that speaks volumes of despair.
Gielgud, Shaftesbury Ave, W1 (0870-950 0915). Until December 1. £49.50-£20
This is Macbeth like you've never seen it before. From its opening scene, Rupert Goold's interpretation makes the familiar frightening as the three witches, here a trio of sinister nurses, kill off the injured soldier bringing news of battle.Then, knife-wielding and bloody, they are sinister servants in the white-tiled bunker which serves as military hospital, kitchen and banquet room. With its post-war Soviet references, this is an innovative and chilling account of Macbeth's ambition. In the title role, Patrick Stewart submits memorably to the troubled callousness that eventually overpowers him. He is well-matched by Kate Fleetwood as his equally treacherous spouse, scrubbing her hands clean of the psychological consequences of her crime. And Michael Feast's Macduff registers his grief with a prolonged silence that speaks volumes of despair.
Gielgud, Shaftesbury Ave, W1 (0870-950 0915). Until December 1. £49.50-£20
Moonlight and Magnolias - TNT
Ron Hutchinson's hilarious and witty new comedy goes behind the Hollywood scenes in 1939 to reconstruct the fraught creation of probably the biggest grossing movie ever, the Civil War epic Gone With The Wind,. The original director, George Cukor, has been fired three weeks into shooting, production has ground to a halt and a pile of potential screenplays have all been rejected. Faced with disaster, producer David O Selznick pulls a reluctant Victor Fleming off the set of the unfinished Wizard of Oz to direct what he is convinced will be a turkey, tempts former journalist Ben Hecht to leave his political conscience behind with a hefty fee and locks them in his office for five days, by which time Hecht (who not only has no respect for Fleming but also disliked the book so much that he never got past page one of Margaret Mitchell's 1000-plus page blockbuster) has to knock the screenplay into shape. Just in case there's anyone else out there who isn't familiar with the story of Rhett and Scarlett, Andy Nyman's hyper, driven Selznick and Steven Pacey's increasingly exhausted Fleming act out the plot for Duncan Bell's Hecht as he sits blearily at the typewriter trying to achieve, in less than a week, what 17 previous screenwriters had failed to accomplish.Selznick's secretary appears briefly — wading through the screwed up balls of paper to top up their supply of peanuts and bananas (the only 'brain' food her boss will permit), but this is virtually a three-hander that, so long as the excellent actors can sustain the exhausting pace, definitely deserves a West End transfer. Tricycle, Kilburn High Rd, NW6 (020-7328 1000). Until November 3
Ron Hutchinson's hilarious and witty new comedy goes behind the Hollywood scenes in 1939 to reconstruct the fraught creation of probably the biggest grossing movie ever, the Civil War epic Gone With The Wind,. The original director, George Cukor, has been fired three weeks into shooting, production has ground to a halt and a pile of potential screenplays have all been rejected. Faced with disaster, producer David O Selznick pulls a reluctant Victor Fleming off the set of the unfinished Wizard of Oz to direct what he is convinced will be a turkey, tempts former journalist Ben Hecht to leave his political conscience behind with a hefty fee and locks them in his office for five days, by which time Hecht (who not only has no respect for Fleming but also disliked the book so much that he never got past page one of Margaret Mitchell's 1000-plus page blockbuster) has to knock the screenplay into shape. Just in case there's anyone else out there who isn't familiar with the story of Rhett and Scarlett, Andy Nyman's hyper, driven Selznick and Steven Pacey's increasingly exhausted Fleming act out the plot for Duncan Bell's Hecht as he sits blearily at the typewriter trying to achieve, in less than a week, what 17 previous screenwriters had failed to accomplish.Selznick's secretary appears briefly — wading through the screwed up balls of paper to top up their supply of peanuts and bananas (the only 'brain' food her boss will permit), but this is virtually a three-hander that, so long as the excellent actors can sustain the exhausting pace, definitely deserves a West End transfer. Tricycle, Kilburn High Rd, NW6 (020-7328 1000). Until November 3
Fanny and Faggot/Stacy - TNT
Presented as a double bill, these two short works are tenuously linked by the theme of young people's actions getting seriously out of control. Inspired by the real-life case of 10-year-old child murderer Mary Bell, Fanny and Faggot is itself in two parts. The first depicts her intense, manipulative relationship with 13-year-old Norma (who was also tried) and draws on transcripts from their trial in 1968. The second, set almost a decade later, sees Mary when she briefly escapes from open prison to experience her first kiss on a stolen weekend in Blackpool. Playwright Jack Thorne fails to maximise the potential of his unusual and troubling source material, but he does succeed in conveying the underlying strangeness of a young woman who, despite her past, just wants to be considered normal.
His Stacy is more impressive as, in a low-key monologue punctuated by illustrative slide projections, Ralph Little's Rob explains why he is pacing the floor in such an agitated manner after an out-of-the-blue shag with his best mate. It's a convincing performance and Thorne both shocks and amuses as his explicit tale unfolds. Trafalgar Studios (2), Whitehall, SW1 (0870-060 6632). £22.50 (£15 Mondays). Until October 27
Presented as a double bill, these two short works are tenuously linked by the theme of young people's actions getting seriously out of control. Inspired by the real-life case of 10-year-old child murderer Mary Bell, Fanny and Faggot is itself in two parts. The first depicts her intense, manipulative relationship with 13-year-old Norma (who was also tried) and draws on transcripts from their trial in 1968. The second, set almost a decade later, sees Mary when she briefly escapes from open prison to experience her first kiss on a stolen weekend in Blackpool. Playwright Jack Thorne fails to maximise the potential of his unusual and troubling source material, but he does succeed in conveying the underlying strangeness of a young woman who, despite her past, just wants to be considered normal.
His Stacy is more impressive as, in a low-key monologue punctuated by illustrative slide projections, Ralph Little's Rob explains why he is pacing the floor in such an agitated manner after an out-of-the-blue shag with his best mate. It's a convincing performance and Thorne both shocks and amuses as his explicit tale unfolds. Trafalgar Studios (2), Whitehall, SW1 (0870-060 6632). £22.50 (£15 Mondays). Until October 27
Monday, 8 October 2007
The Ugly One - TNT
In less than an hour — about the time it takes a TV reality show to make someone look 10 years younger or give them an extreme makeover — German playwright Marius von Mayenburg debunks the prevailing myth that beautiful is always best. The staging wittily reflects the value of content versus surface trappings, with Ramin Gray's fluid production being played out as though in rehearsal. A stage manager sits silently on the sidelines and the four excellent actors (three of whom flick seamlessly between multiple roles) are casually dressed. The focus is on Michael Gould's Lette, a married man who has always been oblivious to his ugly face until his boss refuses to let him make a public presentation on the grounds that his hideous appearance would be totally unacceptable. Lette goes under the knife, and the potential consequences of drastic plastic surgery are wittily explored to the point of absurdity in this clever, niftily constructed satire on the lure of superficial perfection and the drawbacks of physical conformity.
Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, Sloane Square, SW1 (020-7565 5000) £15, except Mondays £10. Until October 13
In less than an hour — about the time it takes a TV reality show to make someone look 10 years younger or give them an extreme makeover — German playwright Marius von Mayenburg debunks the prevailing myth that beautiful is always best. The staging wittily reflects the value of content versus surface trappings, with Ramin Gray's fluid production being played out as though in rehearsal. A stage manager sits silently on the sidelines and the four excellent actors (three of whom flick seamlessly between multiple roles) are casually dressed. The focus is on Michael Gould's Lette, a married man who has always been oblivious to his ugly face until his boss refuses to let him make a public presentation on the grounds that his hideous appearance would be totally unacceptable. Lette goes under the knife, and the potential consequences of drastic plastic surgery are wittily explored to the point of absurdity in this clever, niftily constructed satire on the lure of superficial perfection and the drawbacks of physical conformity.
Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, Sloane Square, SW1 (020-7565 5000) £15, except Mondays £10. Until October 13
Bad Girls: The Musical - TNT
When a successful TV series transfers to the stage, the best way to guarantee bums on seats is to include as many of the original cast members as possible. But this moderately enjoyable spin-off from the long-running prison soap (penned by its creators, with music and often gutsy lyrics by Kath Gotts) lacks pulling power, despite the presence of 'Bodybag' and Nicole Faraday's lifer. The tunes are derivative though varied, but there's a melodramatic plot involving a lesbian love affair, a smug rapist screw (David Burt) and a suicide — not to mention a riot, a hunger strike and a dramatic escape. And, as feisty gangster's wife Yvonne Atkins, Sally Dexter explodes onto the stage wearing tightly-belted red leather and with an attention-grabbing presence which makes audience, officers and inmates alike sit up and take notice.
Garrick, Charing Cross Rd, WC2 (0870-890 1104). Until March 1
When a successful TV series transfers to the stage, the best way to guarantee bums on seats is to include as many of the original cast members as possible. But this moderately enjoyable spin-off from the long-running prison soap (penned by its creators, with music and often gutsy lyrics by Kath Gotts) lacks pulling power, despite the presence of 'Bodybag' and Nicole Faraday's lifer. The tunes are derivative though varied, but there's a melodramatic plot involving a lesbian love affair, a smug rapist screw (David Burt) and a suicide — not to mention a riot, a hunger strike and a dramatic escape. And, as feisty gangster's wife Yvonne Atkins, Sally Dexter explodes onto the stage wearing tightly-belted red leather and with an attention-grabbing presence which makes audience, officers and inmates alike sit up and take notice.
Garrick, Charing Cross Rd, WC2 (0870-890 1104). Until March 1
Life After Scandal - TNT
Actor turned playwright Robin Soans has already proved himself highly adept at editing interviews into serious and informative theatre, but this time round he's turned his cutting and splicing technique to dealing with the no longer rich but still quite famous who have fallen from grace in very public circumstances. In a media-hungry culture, bad behaviour sometimes generates its own rewards, and former minister Neil Hamilton and his resilient wife Christine (played by Michael Mears and Caroline Quentin) loom large as they explain how they've grabbed every opportunity — panto appearances included — to promote themselves since the 'Cash for Questions' debacle (which, 13 years down the track, is now barely remembered). Jonathan Aitken, another ex-MP, describes how he's put his life back together again after serving a jail sentence, while Who Wants to be A Millionaire? competitor Major Charles Ingram is still bitter about the discreet coughing that ruined his career. Edwina Currie (who ditched the dirt on her affair with former prime minister John Major) revels in her revenge at being passed over for promotion, while an aging Lord Montagu (movingly portrayed by Tim Preece) recalls with sadness his sentencing at a time when homosexual acts were still illegal. Like his subjects' pasts, Soans's message may be somewhat suspect, but this is still a hugely entertaining compilation which is well-served by a clutch of cleverly delineated performances.
Hampstead Eton Ave, NW3 (020-7722 9301). £13-£22. Until October 20
Actor turned playwright Robin Soans has already proved himself highly adept at editing interviews into serious and informative theatre, but this time round he's turned his cutting and splicing technique to dealing with the no longer rich but still quite famous who have fallen from grace in very public circumstances. In a media-hungry culture, bad behaviour sometimes generates its own rewards, and former minister Neil Hamilton and his resilient wife Christine (played by Michael Mears and Caroline Quentin) loom large as they explain how they've grabbed every opportunity — panto appearances included — to promote themselves since the 'Cash for Questions' debacle (which, 13 years down the track, is now barely remembered). Jonathan Aitken, another ex-MP, describes how he's put his life back together again after serving a jail sentence, while Who Wants to be A Millionaire? competitor Major Charles Ingram is still bitter about the discreet coughing that ruined his career. Edwina Currie (who ditched the dirt on her affair with former prime minister John Major) revels in her revenge at being passed over for promotion, while an aging Lord Montagu (movingly portrayed by Tim Preece) recalls with sadness his sentencing at a time when homosexual acts were still illegal. Like his subjects' pasts, Soans's message may be somewhat suspect, but this is still a hugely entertaining compilation which is well-served by a clutch of cleverly delineated performances.
Hampstead Eton Ave, NW3 (020-7722 9301). £13-£22. Until October 20
Monday, 1 October 2007
The Member of the Wedding - TNT
Though awkwardly structured, the over-long first part of US novelist Carson McCullers' 1950 stage adaptation of her own novel successfully evokes the frustration of a hot, Deep South summer before exploding into the traumatic events that crowd the shorter post-interval section. Flora Spencer-Longhurst captures the tantrum-prone isolation of 12-year-old tomboy Frankie who doesn't seem to fit in and decides the solution is to tag along on her brother's honeymoon. Theo Stevenson proves himself a little scene-stealer as John, the cousin half her age who likes strutting around in fancy dress. But the real star is Portia, who gives a stabilising performance as Berenice, the much-married, black cook and surrogate mother who understands not only the emotions raging within her pubescent charge but also that their lives are on the verge of significant change.
Young Vic, The Cut, SE1 (020-7922 2922). Until October 20, £21.50-£24.50
Though awkwardly structured, the over-long first part of US novelist Carson McCullers' 1950 stage adaptation of her own novel successfully evokes the frustration of a hot, Deep South summer before exploding into the traumatic events that crowd the shorter post-interval section. Flora Spencer-Longhurst captures the tantrum-prone isolation of 12-year-old tomboy Frankie who doesn't seem to fit in and decides the solution is to tag along on her brother's honeymoon. Theo Stevenson proves himself a little scene-stealer as John, the cousin half her age who likes strutting around in fancy dress. But the real star is Portia, who gives a stabilising performance as Berenice, the much-married, black cook and surrogate mother who understands not only the emotions raging within her pubescent charge but also that their lives are on the verge of significant change.
Young Vic, The Cut, SE1 (020-7922 2922). Until October 20, £21.50-£24.50
Fragments - TNT
The work of two men who have been highly influential in 20th century European theatre comes together in this short bill of five brief pieces which range from the comic to the serious, with a touch of violence thrown in. Octogenarian director Peter Brook has joined forces with a skilled trio of former Complicite actors to reinterpret the work of the late Samuel Beckett on a virtually bare stage. In "Rough for Theatre", a wheelchair bound amputee (Jos Houben) seeks to befriend a blind musician (Marcello Magni), but, despite a certain interdependence, ends up treating him with callous cruelty. Then Kathryn Hunter, in head to toe black, poignantly intones the last thoughts of an old lady's final moments in "Rockaby." The men reappear in "Act Without Words," a cleverly mimed portrayal of two vastly different ways of greeting – and getting through - the day and, by implication, life. Magni surfaces from his huge white sack all grumpy pessimism to find everything an unrewarding chore; Houben emerges from his with smiling, eager optimism. "Neither," a brief prose piece, again features a melancholic Hunter. And finally, in "Come and go," all three don winter coats as a trio of old ladies sitting on a bench to reminisce and whisper ominous secrets. Brook takes liberties with Beckett's strict stage directions, but, almost two decades after the latter's death, these snippets still intrigue.
The Maria at the Young Vic, The Cut, SE1 (020-7922 2922) Until 6th October. Tickets £21.50 (under 26's £9.50)
The work of two men who have been highly influential in 20th century European theatre comes together in this short bill of five brief pieces which range from the comic to the serious, with a touch of violence thrown in. Octogenarian director Peter Brook has joined forces with a skilled trio of former Complicite actors to reinterpret the work of the late Samuel Beckett on a virtually bare stage. In "Rough for Theatre", a wheelchair bound amputee (Jos Houben) seeks to befriend a blind musician (Marcello Magni), but, despite a certain interdependence, ends up treating him with callous cruelty. Then Kathryn Hunter, in head to toe black, poignantly intones the last thoughts of an old lady's final moments in "Rockaby." The men reappear in "Act Without Words," a cleverly mimed portrayal of two vastly different ways of greeting – and getting through - the day and, by implication, life. Magni surfaces from his huge white sack all grumpy pessimism to find everything an unrewarding chore; Houben emerges from his with smiling, eager optimism. "Neither," a brief prose piece, again features a melancholic Hunter. And finally, in "Come and go," all three don winter coats as a trio of old ladies sitting on a bench to reminisce and whisper ominous secrets. Brook takes liberties with Beckett's strict stage directions, but, almost two decades after the latter's death, these snippets still intrigue.
The Maria at the Young Vic, The Cut, SE1 (020-7922 2922) Until 6th October. Tickets £21.50 (under 26's £9.50)
Monday, 24 September 2007
Awake and Sing! - TNT
Clifford Odet's 1935 portrayal of life in the Bronx during the Depression is movingly evoked in Michael Attenborough's finely acted revival. Though old-fashioned, this portrayal of three generations of lower middle class Americans is still quietly involving. Grandfather Jacob holds on to his Marxist ideals, while his daughter Bessie (the bossy matriarch, played by Stockard Channing) can't forgive her husband for being stuck in a dead-end job. As her thwarted son, Ben Turner rails passionately against the lousy salary which keeps him tied to her apron strings, while she tries to sabotage his relationship, and is frustrated by a society in which poverty threatens to destroy them all. No thrills, but a heartfelt portrayal of human nature under financial stress.
Almeida, Almeida St, N1 (020-7359 4404). Until October 20. £6-£29.50
Clifford Odet's 1935 portrayal of life in the Bronx during the Depression is movingly evoked in Michael Attenborough's finely acted revival. Though old-fashioned, this portrayal of three generations of lower middle class Americans is still quietly involving. Grandfather Jacob holds on to his Marxist ideals, while his daughter Bessie (the bossy matriarch, played by Stockard Channing) can't forgive her husband for being stuck in a dead-end job. As her thwarted son, Ben Turner rails passionately against the lousy salary which keeps him tied to her apron strings, while she tries to sabotage his relationship, and is frustrated by a society in which poverty threatens to destroy them all. No thrills, but a heartfelt portrayal of human nature under financial stress.
Almeida, Almeida St, N1 (020-7359 4404). Until October 20. £6-£29.50
Sunday, 23 September 2007
A Disappearing Number - TNT
This is a story about passion, about the love of a man and a woman, about a friendship based on a mutual academic interest, and, above all, about the unexpected beauty of pure mathematics. An evening at the theatre which begins with a maths lecture may not sound very promising, but in the ingenious hands of Simon McBurney and his company, Complicite, it develops into something mesmerising, moving and profoundly beautiful. Interweaving a contemporary fictional love story (Saskia Reeves oozes intellectual enthusiasm as a dowdy academic who comes alive in front of a whiteboard and captivates an American-based futures dealer) with the First World War collaboration between the mainly self-taught Brahmin genius Srinivasa Ramanujan and Cambridge don G.H. Hardy, McBurney creates a high-tech, multilayered exploration of infinity, morality and cross-cultural connections. The result delights the eye, pleases the ear and stretches the expectations of conventional theatre. Not to be missed. Barbican, Silk St, EC2 (0845-120 7550). Until October 6. £10-£40
This is a story about passion, about the love of a man and a woman, about a friendship based on a mutual academic interest, and, above all, about the unexpected beauty of pure mathematics. An evening at the theatre which begins with a maths lecture may not sound very promising, but in the ingenious hands of Simon McBurney and his company, Complicite, it develops into something mesmerising, moving and profoundly beautiful. Interweaving a contemporary fictional love story (Saskia Reeves oozes intellectual enthusiasm as a dowdy academic who comes alive in front of a whiteboard and captivates an American-based futures dealer) with the First World War collaboration between the mainly self-taught Brahmin genius Srinivasa Ramanujan and Cambridge don G.H. Hardy, McBurney creates a high-tech, multilayered exploration of infinity, morality and cross-cultural connections. The result delights the eye, pleases the ear and stretches the expectations of conventional theatre. Not to be missed. Barbican, Silk St, EC2 (0845-120 7550). Until October 6. £10-£40
Monday, 17 September 2007
All About My Mother - TNT
I'm not sure whether Aussie Samuel Adamson's enjoyable adaptation of Pedro Almodovar's multi-award winning 1999 film adds much to the vision of the original, but it copes well with the emotional story of Manuela, who when her teenage son is killed, goes in search of an unusual past and discovers an unexpected future. The tangled tale of maternal instinct, lesbian lovers, a pregnant HIV-positive nun and young lives cut short develops into an intriguing black comedy. Some performances are underpowered, but Diana Rigg's self-mocking actress Huma exudes vulnerability and authority. And Leslie Manville's bereaved Manuela holds her grief tightly to herself as she returns to Barcelona to rekindle a friendship with Mark Gatiss's Agrado (a Welsh-accented whore with boobs and a dick) and finally tracks down her estranged, similarly-endowed husband.
Old Vic, The Cut, SE1 (0870-060 6628). Until November 24. £28-£45
I'm not sure whether Aussie Samuel Adamson's enjoyable adaptation of Pedro Almodovar's multi-award winning 1999 film adds much to the vision of the original, but it copes well with the emotional story of Manuela, who when her teenage son is killed, goes in search of an unusual past and discovers an unexpected future. The tangled tale of maternal instinct, lesbian lovers, a pregnant HIV-positive nun and young lives cut short develops into an intriguing black comedy. Some performances are underpowered, but Diana Rigg's self-mocking actress Huma exudes vulnerability and authority. And Leslie Manville's bereaved Manuela holds her grief tightly to herself as she returns to Barcelona to rekindle a friendship with Mark Gatiss's Agrado (a Welsh-accented whore with boobs and a dick) and finally tracks down her estranged, similarly-endowed husband.
Old Vic, The Cut, SE1 (0870-060 6628). Until November 24. £28-£45
The Bacchae - TNT
From the moment Alan Cumming descends — head first and bare-buttocked — onto the stage, you know that David Greig's version for the National Theatre of Scotland is no slavish rendering of Euripides' classic tragic tale. Camp and flirtatious in his shiny gold outfit (a neat little waistcoat atop a kilt-style skirt) and with his hair in unruly curls, Cumming's androgynous Dionysus exacts a dreadful revenge on his royal relatives who refuse to believe that he is the son of Zeus, king of the gods. Surrounded by a gospel-style singing and dancing chorus of Maenads (all provocatively clad in scarlet) he tempts his repressed cousin Pentheus out of his suit and into a floor-length emerald gown to spy on their ecstatic rituals. The consequences are horrific. Brash and showy, there's nothing subtle about this pyrotechnic but accessible interpretation — until Paola Dionisotti's crazed Agave emerges from her Bacchanalian frenzy and realises, too late, the enormity of what she has done. Not for purists — but very entertaining.
Lyric Hammersmith, King St, Hammersmith, W6. (0870-0500 511). Until September 22. £13-£27
From the moment Alan Cumming descends — head first and bare-buttocked — onto the stage, you know that David Greig's version for the National Theatre of Scotland is no slavish rendering of Euripides' classic tragic tale. Camp and flirtatious in his shiny gold outfit (a neat little waistcoat atop a kilt-style skirt) and with his hair in unruly curls, Cumming's androgynous Dionysus exacts a dreadful revenge on his royal relatives who refuse to believe that he is the son of Zeus, king of the gods. Surrounded by a gospel-style singing and dancing chorus of Maenads (all provocatively clad in scarlet) he tempts his repressed cousin Pentheus out of his suit and into a floor-length emerald gown to spy on their ecstatic rituals. The consequences are horrific. Brash and showy, there's nothing subtle about this pyrotechnic but accessible interpretation — until Paola Dionisotti's crazed Agave emerges from her Bacchanalian frenzy and realises, too late, the enormity of what she has done. Not for purists — but very entertaining.
Lyric Hammersmith, King St, Hammersmith, W6. (0870-0500 511). Until September 22. £13-£27
Monday, 10 September 2007
Grease - TNT
Like a pushy acquaintance determined to be your best friend, this revival of the US high school musical romance never lets up. Loud, brash and lacking in charm, it gets by on the familiarity of the tunes and box office returns guaranteed by the fact Sandy and Danny were selected by viewers of TV show Grease is the Word. But I'd have liked it a lot more if the director had assaulted the senses a lot less. Neither of the leads exude charisma: Danny Bayne swivels his hips and can dance, while Susan McFadden (sister of Westlife's Brian) looks suitably innocent in her '50s skirts. But both are limited in their acting ability and so the highlights of the evening are Richard Hardwick's Roger, Sean Mulligan's Kenickie and (looking far too old to play a teenager) Jayde Westaby's bad girl Rizzo who displays some genuine emotion.
Piccadilly Theatre, Denman St, W1 (0844-412 6666). Booking until June 14. £20-£55
Like a pushy acquaintance determined to be your best friend, this revival of the US high school musical romance never lets up. Loud, brash and lacking in charm, it gets by on the familiarity of the tunes and box office returns guaranteed by the fact Sandy and Danny were selected by viewers of TV show Grease is the Word. But I'd have liked it a lot more if the director had assaulted the senses a lot less. Neither of the leads exude charisma: Danny Bayne swivels his hips and can dance, while Susan McFadden (sister of Westlife's Brian) looks suitably innocent in her '50s skirts. But both are limited in their acting ability and so the highlights of the evening are Richard Hardwick's Roger, Sean Mulligan's Kenickie and (looking far too old to play a teenager) Jayde Westaby's bad girl Rizzo who displays some genuine emotion.
Piccadilly Theatre, Denman St, W1 (0844-412 6666). Booking until June 14. £20-£55
Lone Star & PVT Wars - TNT
This double bill of James McLure's one act plays dates back to 1979 and the immediate post-Vietnam era, but almost 30 years later, it still provides an entertainingly comic evening whilst highlighting the effect the experience of war can have on those who went away to fight. In Lone Star, ex-EastEnder Shane Richie plays Roy, a loud-mouth Vietnam veteran who, now he's back home in small town Texas, can't face the reality of what his life has become. James Jagger (son of Mick) gives a creditable performance as his nerdy hate-object Cletis, but best of all is William Meredith's literal-minded Ray who repeatedly punctures older brother Roy's misplaced, beer-fuelled bravado.Set in a military hospital, PVT Wars is a loosely structured sequence of interludes in which Richie's compulsively flashing Silvio over-compensates for the fact that enemy shrapnel blew away his balls and addled his brain. Jagger Jr. reappears as a snooty NY mother's boy with a urine bag, who still can't quite comprehend why the army accepted him, and Meredith's uneducated Gately adds what seems to be the calm voice of reason as he tries, against the odds, to repair a broken radio and heal his own injuries. It's predominantly very funny but, underneath the humour, the damage done — both physically and psychologically — is only too apparent.
Kings Head Theatre, Upper St, N1 (020-7226 1916). Until September 23. Tues-Thurs £15, £12.50 concs; Fri-Sun £17.50, £15 concs
This double bill of James McLure's one act plays dates back to 1979 and the immediate post-Vietnam era, but almost 30 years later, it still provides an entertainingly comic evening whilst highlighting the effect the experience of war can have on those who went away to fight. In Lone Star, ex-EastEnder Shane Richie plays Roy, a loud-mouth Vietnam veteran who, now he's back home in small town Texas, can't face the reality of what his life has become. James Jagger (son of Mick) gives a creditable performance as his nerdy hate-object Cletis, but best of all is William Meredith's literal-minded Ray who repeatedly punctures older brother Roy's misplaced, beer-fuelled bravado.Set in a military hospital, PVT Wars is a loosely structured sequence of interludes in which Richie's compulsively flashing Silvio over-compensates for the fact that enemy shrapnel blew away his balls and addled his brain. Jagger Jr. reappears as a snooty NY mother's boy with a urine bag, who still can't quite comprehend why the army accepted him, and Meredith's uneducated Gately adds what seems to be the calm voice of reason as he tries, against the odds, to repair a broken radio and heal his own injuries. It's predominantly very funny but, underneath the humour, the damage done — both physically and psychologically — is only too apparent.
Kings Head Theatre, Upper St, N1 (020-7226 1916). Until September 23. Tues-Thurs £15, £12.50 concs; Fri-Sun £17.50, £15 concs
Monday, 3 September 2007
Take Flight - TNT
Unlike its protagonists, this pleasant, sometimes poignant, sometimes funny American musical only occasionally soars, but it taxis along entertainingly as the lives of four pioneers in the field of aviation are observed by the more obscure Otto Lilienthal, who himself died in 1896 in a failed attempt to become airborne. The determined experimentation of the dry, wry besuited Wright brothers a few years later is interspersed with the exploits of loner Charles Lindbergh and the record-breaking achievements of his contemporary Amelia Earhart. Sensibly opting for a simple but effective staging in this intimate space, director Sam Buntrock conjures the excitement of defying gravity by focussing as much on the personalities of these early aviators as on their feats of flying.
Menier Chocolate Factory. Southwark St, SE1 (020-7907 7060). Until September 22, £24 or £10 Saturday matinees
Unlike its protagonists, this pleasant, sometimes poignant, sometimes funny American musical only occasionally soars, but it taxis along entertainingly as the lives of four pioneers in the field of aviation are observed by the more obscure Otto Lilienthal, who himself died in 1896 in a failed attempt to become airborne. The determined experimentation of the dry, wry besuited Wright brothers a few years later is interspersed with the exploits of loner Charles Lindbergh and the record-breaking achievements of his contemporary Amelia Earhart. Sensibly opting for a simple but effective staging in this intimate space, director Sam Buntrock conjures the excitement of defying gravity by focussing as much on the personalities of these early aviators as on their feats of flying.
Menier Chocolate Factory. Southwark St, SE1 (020-7907 7060). Until September 22, £24 or £10 Saturday matinees
Satisfaction - TNT
Say goodbye to the dull English summer with a couple of hours of classically inspired dance set to a selection of recorded Rolling Stones hits from the '60s and '70s. Under My Thumb (the opening number of former ballet dancer Peter Schaufuss's production) is a bit of a mess, but things soon look up as his choreography — ballet-based but drawing on styles as international as his cast — succumbs to the power of the music. A cheeky dancer struts his stuff, Jagger-style, in skin-tight red pants in Red Rooster — but even a few decades ago Mick couldn't have kept up with the muscled quartet performing Time is On My Side. Some of the choreography is clunky and the interpretations over-obvious. And just why this self-styled "dancical" takes its name from a number which barely makes an appearance remains something of a mystery. Ballet aficionados may baulk, but from the slow, controlled sensuality in a solo interpretation of Play With Fire to the feisty female foursome in Paint it Black and the fragmenting , stomping conga of Mona, Schaufuss manages, for the most part, to tell the mini-stories of the 20-plus songs he's chosen.
Apollo, Shaftesbury Ave, W1 (0870-890 1101). Until September 5
Say goodbye to the dull English summer with a couple of hours of classically inspired dance set to a selection of recorded Rolling Stones hits from the '60s and '70s. Under My Thumb (the opening number of former ballet dancer Peter Schaufuss's production) is a bit of a mess, but things soon look up as his choreography — ballet-based but drawing on styles as international as his cast — succumbs to the power of the music. A cheeky dancer struts his stuff, Jagger-style, in skin-tight red pants in Red Rooster — but even a few decades ago Mick couldn't have kept up with the muscled quartet performing Time is On My Side. Some of the choreography is clunky and the interpretations over-obvious. And just why this self-styled "dancical" takes its name from a number which barely makes an appearance remains something of a mystery. Ballet aficionados may baulk, but from the slow, controlled sensuality in a solo interpretation of Play With Fire to the feisty female foursome in Paint it Black and the fragmenting , stomping conga of Mona, Schaufuss manages, for the most part, to tell the mini-stories of the 20-plus songs he's chosen.
Apollo, Shaftesbury Ave, W1 (0870-890 1101). Until September 5
Sunday, 26 August 2007
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - TNT
Luckily for him, he never got to sing Close Every Door, the farewell number on the TV show Any Dream Will Do which has guaranteed another money-spinning revival for Andrew Lloyd Webber's '60s musical. But now that the role — and the stage — are his, winner Lee Mead gets to sing it not once, but twice, in this joyous (if occasionally overly fussy) production which has a mechanical camel and rainbow sheep to match his technicolor coat. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to be swept along by this feel-good triumph with its clever pastiche music and witty lyrics. Mead sings well, exudes enthusiasm and looks good in a loin cloth and Joseph's brothers harmonise beautifully. You're guaranteed to leave humming a catchy tune and with a smile on your face.
Adelphi, Strand, WC2 (0870-895 5598; www.adelphi-theatre.com). Booking until June 2008. £33-£54
Luckily for him, he never got to sing Close Every Door, the farewell number on the TV show Any Dream Will Do which has guaranteed another money-spinning revival for Andrew Lloyd Webber's '60s musical. But now that the role — and the stage — are his, winner Lee Mead gets to sing it not once, but twice, in this joyous (if occasionally overly fussy) production which has a mechanical camel and rainbow sheep to match his technicolor coat. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to be swept along by this feel-good triumph with its clever pastiche music and witty lyrics. Mead sings well, exudes enthusiasm and looks good in a loin cloth and Joseph's brothers harmonise beautifully. You're guaranteed to leave humming a catchy tune and with a smile on your face.
Adelphi, Strand, WC2 (0870-895 5598; www.adelphi-theatre.com). Booking until June 2008. £33-£54
White Boy & 20 Cigarettes - TNT
The National Youth Theatre has been going strong for over 50 years, giving aspiring actors and backstage technicians the chance to work with established practitioners and show off their talents all over the UK. You may not spot a future Helen Mirren, Daniel Craig or Orlando Bloom (all NYT alumni) but the well-drilled and impressive cast of "White Boy" captures both the energy and confusion of late adolescence. In just over an hour, playwright Tanika Gupta addresses some of the problems which confront today's young people in a multicultural society, specifically concentrating on the tensions which explode around the school gates where troublemakers collide with pupils and disputes can escalate into fatal violence. The concept behind "20 Cigarettes" is appealing. Middle-aged Oscar who' trying to quit relives the most significant smokes of his life under the (unfortunately rather annoying) supervision of a psychotherapist who has her own issues to contend with. There's the occasional funny moment but, disappointingly, writer Marcy Kahan not only gives the biggest part to a mature actor (Simon Dutton originally joined the NYT in 1974!) but also fails to make much of the changing attitudes to smoking over the years or the events themselves. The cast performs with enthusiasm, but it's hard to care whether Oscar gives up or not.
Soho Theatre, Dean Street, W1 (0870-429 6883). Until September 1
The National Youth Theatre has been going strong for over 50 years, giving aspiring actors and backstage technicians the chance to work with established practitioners and show off their talents all over the UK. You may not spot a future Helen Mirren, Daniel Craig or Orlando Bloom (all NYT alumni) but the well-drilled and impressive cast of "White Boy" captures both the energy and confusion of late adolescence. In just over an hour, playwright Tanika Gupta addresses some of the problems which confront today's young people in a multicultural society, specifically concentrating on the tensions which explode around the school gates where troublemakers collide with pupils and disputes can escalate into fatal violence. The concept behind "20 Cigarettes" is appealing. Middle-aged Oscar who' trying to quit relives the most significant smokes of his life under the (unfortunately rather annoying) supervision of a psychotherapist who has her own issues to contend with. There's the occasional funny moment but, disappointingly, writer Marcy Kahan not only gives the biggest part to a mature actor (Simon Dutton originally joined the NYT in 1974!) but also fails to make much of the changing attitudes to smoking over the years or the events themselves. The cast performs with enthusiasm, but it's hard to care whether Oscar gives up or not.
Soho Theatre, Dean Street, W1 (0870-429 6883). Until September 1
Sunday, 19 August 2007
Saint Joan -TNT
Splintered, dead tree trunks and atmospheric chanting evoke a medieval yet timeless world of the supernatural, as Anne-Marie Duff's Joan of Arc — with a soft Irish accent and a direct line to God — overcomes the scepticism of squires and soldiers to lead the French army into battle against the English.Guided by her "voices", she reclaims Orléans and places Paul Ready's reluctant Dauphin on the throne, yet she still falls foul of the Catholic authorities who are determined to save her soul but are less careful of her body. George Bernard Shaw's arguments between church and state come alive in Marianne Elliott's partially cut production — especially when Angus Wright's silky Earl of Warwick takes tea with Paterson Joseph's intelligent Bishop Cauchon, who ultimately proves no match for Oliver Ford Davies's wise Inquisitor.
Olivier at the National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 (020-7452 3000). Until September 25, part of the £10 Travelex season.
Louise Kingsley
Splintered, dead tree trunks and atmospheric chanting evoke a medieval yet timeless world of the supernatural, as Anne-Marie Duff's Joan of Arc — with a soft Irish accent and a direct line to God — overcomes the scepticism of squires and soldiers to lead the French army into battle against the English.Guided by her "voices", she reclaims Orléans and places Paul Ready's reluctant Dauphin on the throne, yet she still falls foul of the Catholic authorities who are determined to save her soul but are less careful of her body. George Bernard Shaw's arguments between church and state come alive in Marianne Elliott's partially cut production — especially when Angus Wright's silky Earl of Warwick takes tea with Paterson Joseph's intelligent Bishop Cauchon, who ultimately proves no match for Oliver Ford Davies's wise Inquisitor.
Olivier at the National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 (020-7452 3000). Until September 25, part of the £10 Travelex season.
Louise Kingsley
CARMEN JONES - TNT
Bizet's rousing music just about overcomes some questionable staging decisions in Jude Kelly's revival of Oscar Hammerstein's perennially popular 'folk opera', here relocated to South America and with an entirely black cast. The recently refurbished Royal Festival Hall was custom built for concerts rather than musicals, and plonking the sizeable orchestra in the middle of the acting area does the production no favours. Acoustics and amplification are somewhat variable, too. That said, and although her accent is all over the place, Soweto-born Tsakane Valentine Maswanganyi, skimpily clad in a provocative red dress (and minus her matching knickers when she makes her entrance) makes a slinkily sexy Carmen, the factory girl who sets her cap at good guy G.I. Joe – until, that is, something more exciting comes along in the shape of a prize fighter. But, in an evening in which, overall, voices are far stronger than acting ability, it's Sherry Boone's Cindy Lou (Joe's loyal, forsaken sweetheart) who steals the show. When she sings, you can really feel the pain of her broken heart as, with tragic consequences, she loses her man to the capricious femme fatale.
Royal Festival Hall, South Bank Centre, Belvedere Road , SE1 (0871-663 2584). Until September 2. £14-£49
Bizet's rousing music just about overcomes some questionable staging decisions in Jude Kelly's revival of Oscar Hammerstein's perennially popular 'folk opera', here relocated to South America and with an entirely black cast. The recently refurbished Royal Festival Hall was custom built for concerts rather than musicals, and plonking the sizeable orchestra in the middle of the acting area does the production no favours. Acoustics and amplification are somewhat variable, too. That said, and although her accent is all over the place, Soweto-born Tsakane Valentine Maswanganyi, skimpily clad in a provocative red dress (and minus her matching knickers when she makes her entrance) makes a slinkily sexy Carmen, the factory girl who sets her cap at good guy G.I. Joe – until, that is, something more exciting comes along in the shape of a prize fighter. But, in an evening in which, overall, voices are far stronger than acting ability, it's Sherry Boone's Cindy Lou (Joe's loyal, forsaken sweetheart) who steals the show. When she sings, you can really feel the pain of her broken heart as, with tragic consequences, she loses her man to the capricious femme fatale.
Royal Festival Hall, South Bank Centre, Belvedere Road , SE1 (0871-663 2584). Until September 2. £14-£49
Monday, 13 August 2007
In the Club - TNT
You never know what to expect from playwright Richard Bean, but this time the plethora of doors leading from the plush Strasbourg hotel suite of corruptible Labour MEP Philip Wardrobe rather gives the game away. He certainly has his work cut out as he juggles the comings and goings of a Turkish would-be colleague armed with a case full of Euros, a randy French woman who's determined to bed him, and the imminent arrival of his long-term partner whose biological clock is ticking so fast that she's flying in for a carefully timed, baby-making shag, Bean rather overdoes it by adding even more sub-plots, and veers toward heavy-handed stereotyping as he swipes at all the obvious targets. But his witty one-liners often hit home, James Fleet's is suitably shambolic as Wardrobe (with Twiglets stuck between his toes to alleviate his athlete's foot and his trousers fluttering round his ankles) and, with a bit of tightening and trimming, this enjoyable if far-fetched farce could well be destined for a longer life.
Hampstead, Eton Avenue, NW3, 020-7722 9301. Until August 25
Louise Kingsley
You never know what to expect from playwright Richard Bean, but this time the plethora of doors leading from the plush Strasbourg hotel suite of corruptible Labour MEP Philip Wardrobe rather gives the game away. He certainly has his work cut out as he juggles the comings and goings of a Turkish would-be colleague armed with a case full of Euros, a randy French woman who's determined to bed him, and the imminent arrival of his long-term partner whose biological clock is ticking so fast that she's flying in for a carefully timed, baby-making shag, Bean rather overdoes it by adding even more sub-plots, and veers toward heavy-handed stereotyping as he swipes at all the obvious targets. But his witty one-liners often hit home, James Fleet's is suitably shambolic as Wardrobe (with Twiglets stuck between his toes to alleviate his athlete's foot and his trousers fluttering round his ankles) and, with a bit of tightening and trimming, this enjoyable if far-fetched farce could well be destined for a longer life.
Hampstead, Eton Avenue, NW3, 020-7722 9301. Until August 25
Louise Kingsley
Monday, 6 August 2007
The Hothouse - TNT
There's something sinister going on in this early play by Pinter, the master of subtle menace. Written in 1958, though not performed until 1980, it is set in a psychiatric institution and is both darkly comic and deeply disconcerting. One of the numbered but unnamed patients has just given birth and another has died — and Finbar Lynch's precise, dangerous underling is subtly pointing the finger of suspicion at Roote, the man in control (played with a vaguely deranged forgetfulness by Stephen Moore). Lia Williams brings a controlled sensuality to the role of the lone female on the staff who isn't above indulging in a bit of torture, Paul Ritter is louche as Lush, and Ian Rickson's excellent production creates a disturbing world in which the unseen, supposedly insane are at the mercy of those in charge who abuse their power.
Lyttelton at the National South Bank, SE1, 020-7452 3000. Until October 27. £10-39.50
There's something sinister going on in this early play by Pinter, the master of subtle menace. Written in 1958, though not performed until 1980, it is set in a psychiatric institution and is both darkly comic and deeply disconcerting. One of the numbered but unnamed patients has just given birth and another has died — and Finbar Lynch's precise, dangerous underling is subtly pointing the finger of suspicion at Roote, the man in control (played with a vaguely deranged forgetfulness by Stephen Moore). Lia Williams brings a controlled sensuality to the role of the lone female on the staff who isn't above indulging in a bit of torture, Paul Ritter is louche as Lush, and Ian Rickson's excellent production creates a disturbing world in which the unseen, supposedly insane are at the mercy of those in charge who abuse their power.
Lyttelton at the National South Bank, SE1, 020-7452 3000. Until October 27. £10-39.50
The Agent - TNT
First time playwright Martin Wagner no longer has an agent — and he isn't very likely to get one after this short debut inspired by a less than satisfactory meeting regarding his own representation. This isn't just because of the standard of the writing - initially he generates several laughs and has successfully captured an office environment where those at the bottom of the list are never given 100 percent attention. But no-one would willingly place themselves in the uncomfortable position in which William Beck's deal-broking literary agent Alexander finds himself when nerdy, struggling author Stephen resorts to drastic measures to get his second book the publicity he thinks it deserves. It may be a cruel, money-motivated world in which commercial viability often outweighs merit, but, having set up a promising scenario, Wagner's plot twists peter out in too much self-pity and, as a result, this well-acted production fails to cash in on its potential.
Trafalgar Studios 2, Whitehall, SW1, 0870 060 6632. Until August 18
First time playwright Martin Wagner no longer has an agent — and he isn't very likely to get one after this short debut inspired by a less than satisfactory meeting regarding his own representation. This isn't just because of the standard of the writing - initially he generates several laughs and has successfully captured an office environment where those at the bottom of the list are never given 100 percent attention. But no-one would willingly place themselves in the uncomfortable position in which William Beck's deal-broking literary agent Alexander finds himself when nerdy, struggling author Stephen resorts to drastic measures to get his second book the publicity he thinks it deserves. It may be a cruel, money-motivated world in which commercial viability often outweighs merit, but, having set up a promising scenario, Wagner's plot twists peter out in too much self-pity and, as a result, this well-acted production fails to cash in on its potential.
Trafalgar Studios 2, Whitehall, SW1, 0870 060 6632. Until August 18
Sunday, 29 July 2007
In Celebration - TNT
Although it's Orlando Bloom's name that'll pull in the punters (and his performance is perfectly acceptable) it's Paul Hilton who deserves star billing. He plays the oldest of three surviving brothers who have escaped a life down the pit to pursue white-collar careers. Unfortunately, this social mobility hasn't proved quite the glittering prize they'd anticipated. For one night, they return to their Yorkshire roots to celebrate their parents' 40th wedding anniversary — an occasion which gives Hilton's Andrew (a disillusioned lawyer turned artist) the chance to rake up old resentments and hushed-up skeletons. David Storey's 1969 working class drama burns slowly (often too slowly), but has a strong (if dated) social awareness, a finely detailed period feel, and a clutch of convincing performances.
Duke of York's, St Martin's Ln, WC2, 0870-060 6623. Until September 15. £57.40-£25.50
Although it's Orlando Bloom's name that'll pull in the punters (and his performance is perfectly acceptable) it's Paul Hilton who deserves star billing. He plays the oldest of three surviving brothers who have escaped a life down the pit to pursue white-collar careers. Unfortunately, this social mobility hasn't proved quite the glittering prize they'd anticipated. For one night, they return to their Yorkshire roots to celebrate their parents' 40th wedding anniversary — an occasion which gives Hilton's Andrew (a disillusioned lawyer turned artist) the chance to rake up old resentments and hushed-up skeletons. David Storey's 1969 working class drama burns slowly (often too slowly), but has a strong (if dated) social awareness, a finely detailed period feel, and a clutch of convincing performances.
Duke of York's, St Martin's Ln, WC2, 0870-060 6623. Until September 15. £57.40-£25.50
The car man - TNT
Bizet's popular 1875 opera, the story which inspired the steamy film The Postman Always Rings Twice, and Matthew Bourne's energetic choreography combine to form a heady mix of fatal passion in New Adventures' revival of their popular 2000 dance drama. With its vibrantly provocative sequences and catchy, familiar music the result is guaranteed to appeal to a modern audience. The original Carmen score has been rearranged to suit the Stateside relocation, and (instead of a fickle Spanish toreador and his jealous gypsy girl lover) Bourne gives us itinerant drifter Luca and instantly attracted Lana, the frustrated wife of the slobbish owner of Dino's Diner and Garage who takes him on as a handyman - totally unaware that it's not just the broken-down cars this hunk intends to service. Bourne adds his signature gay slant — Luca swings both ways — and the consequences are tragic. Catch it before it goes on tour.
Sadler's Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1, 0844-412 4300. £10-£48. Until August 5
Louise Kingsley
Bizet's popular 1875 opera, the story which inspired the steamy film The Postman Always Rings Twice, and Matthew Bourne's energetic choreography combine to form a heady mix of fatal passion in New Adventures' revival of their popular 2000 dance drama. With its vibrantly provocative sequences and catchy, familiar music the result is guaranteed to appeal to a modern audience. The original Carmen score has been rearranged to suit the Stateside relocation, and (instead of a fickle Spanish toreador and his jealous gypsy girl lover) Bourne gives us itinerant drifter Luca and instantly attracted Lana, the frustrated wife of the slobbish owner of Dino's Diner and Garage who takes him on as a handyman - totally unaware that it's not just the broken-down cars this hunk intends to service. Bourne adds his signature gay slant — Luca swings both ways — and the consequences are tragic. Catch it before it goes on tour.
Sadler's Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1, 0844-412 4300. £10-£48. Until August 5
Louise Kingsley
Monday, 23 July 2007
The Last Confession - TNT
Set in the Vatican in 1978, New York lawyer Roger Crane's first play takes an intelligent and provocative (though sometimes heavy-handed) look at how Luciani, Cardinal of Venice, became Pope John Paul I, only to be found dead 33 days later. Crane focuses on Cardinal Benelli, the man instrumental in securing Luciani's elevation to the head of the church. David Suchet plays him with a troubled gravitas as he wrestles with his own doubts and demons. The behind-the-scenes machinations as the old Pope approaches death reveal the conflict of ideologies and interests at the highest level, but it is only after the papal elections (when Richard O'Callaghan's benign but determined new broom begins to tackle the problems he has inherited) that this drama-cum-thriller really comes to life.
Theatre Royal Haymarket, Haymarket, SW, 0870-400 0626. Until September 15. £18.80-62.50
Set in the Vatican in 1978, New York lawyer Roger Crane's first play takes an intelligent and provocative (though sometimes heavy-handed) look at how Luciani, Cardinal of Venice, became Pope John Paul I, only to be found dead 33 days later. Crane focuses on Cardinal Benelli, the man instrumental in securing Luciani's elevation to the head of the church. David Suchet plays him with a troubled gravitas as he wrestles with his own doubts and demons. The behind-the-scenes machinations as the old Pope approaches death reveal the conflict of ideologies and interests at the highest level, but it is only after the papal elections (when Richard O'Callaghan's benign but determined new broom begins to tackle the problems he has inherited) that this drama-cum-thriller really comes to life.
Theatre Royal Haymarket, Haymarket, SW, 0870-400 0626. Until September 15. £18.80-62.50
Marc Salem's Mind Games Extra - TNT
There's no point trying to lie to this tubby, balding New York psychologist in a suit- he'll catch you out just about every time. I've seen him on a handful of occasions, and although he explains that all he's doing is reading non-verbal signals, I'm still completely baffled by how he manages to fathom the digits on an Oyster card randomly selected from a member of the audience — not easy when you've got 50p pieces taped over your lids which are then covered with an opaque blindfold. He's pretty nifty with figures, stops and starts his pulse at will, sprinkles his avuncular patter with corny jokes, can figure out where you've been on holiday and even what you ate — and is guaranteed to leave your mind well and truly boggled.
Tricycle, Kilburn High Rd, NW6, 020-7328 1000. Until July 29
Louise Kingsley
There's no point trying to lie to this tubby, balding New York psychologist in a suit- he'll catch you out just about every time. I've seen him on a handful of occasions, and although he explains that all he's doing is reading non-verbal signals, I'm still completely baffled by how he manages to fathom the digits on an Oyster card randomly selected from a member of the audience — not easy when you've got 50p pieces taped over your lids which are then covered with an opaque blindfold. He's pretty nifty with figures, stops and starts his pulse at will, sprinkles his avuncular patter with corny jokes, can figure out where you've been on holiday and even what you ate — and is guaranteed to leave your mind well and truly boggled.
Tricycle, Kilburn High Rd, NW6, 020-7328 1000. Until July 29
Louise Kingsley
Sunday, 15 July 2007
Glass Eels - TNT
As in her previous award-winning play at this address, Nell Leyshon brings a brooding portrayal of rural Somerset to Hampstead. She paints a claustrophobic world of limited opportunity where children automatically take over where their parents left off, and which is ruled by the forces of nature. Her style is deeply symbolic, almost poetic, more intent on creating a mood than a story — and Mike Britton's evocative design echoes this perfectly with its splintering glassy ceiling tilted to reflect the encroaching water on the stage below. If you're looking for dramatic storylines or big laughs, you won't find them here. But in its well-acted portrayal of a teenage daughter's sexual awakening in the stifling summer heat as she, her widowed father and demanding grandfather come to terms with the watery death of a woman too young to die, Lucy Bailey's 90-minute production catches you up in its oppressive atmosphere and offers at least some hope for a brighter future for them all.
Hampstead, Eton Ave, NW3, 020-7722 9301. Until July 21
LOUISE KINGSLEY
As in her previous award-winning play at this address, Nell Leyshon brings a brooding portrayal of rural Somerset to Hampstead. She paints a claustrophobic world of limited opportunity where children automatically take over where their parents left off, and which is ruled by the forces of nature. Her style is deeply symbolic, almost poetic, more intent on creating a mood than a story — and Mike Britton's evocative design echoes this perfectly with its splintering glassy ceiling tilted to reflect the encroaching water on the stage below. If you're looking for dramatic storylines or big laughs, you won't find them here. But in its well-acted portrayal of a teenage daughter's sexual awakening in the stifling summer heat as she, her widowed father and demanding grandfather come to terms with the watery death of a woman too young to die, Lucy Bailey's 90-minute production catches you up in its oppressive atmosphere and offers at least some hope for a brighter future for them all.
Hampstead, Eton Ave, NW3, 020-7722 9301. Until July 21
LOUISE KINGSLEY
Gaslight - TNT
Written in 1938, Patrick Hamilton's psychological thriller is set firmly in the Victorian era when women of a certain class stayed home to take charge of the servants and didn't ask where their menfolk were going at night. Though very watchable, Peter Gill's revival lacks real menace as Andrew Woodall's sadistic Manningham accuses his wife of going mad and humiliates her in front of their insubordinate maid. Rosamund Pike's Bella has the fragile air of a woman born to be subjugated, and Kenneth Cranham's retired Detective Rough is an avuncular old codger with a twinkle in his eye and whisky in his pocket. Although structurally creaky, this oppressive melodrama exerts period fascination as the secrets of an unsolved murder, missing jewels and ominously flickering lamplight are revealed.
Old Vic, The Cut, SE1, 0870-060 6628. Until August 18. £17.50-£50
Monday, 9 July 2007
The Lord of the Rings - TNT
It cost £12.5 million to bring JRR Tolkien's epic trilogy about hairy-toed Hobbits to the London stage. So, luckily, it's unlikely to be music, story or performances that will attract the crowds. With a handful of exceptions, the acting is unimpressive, and narrative plays second fiddle to anticipation of the next special effect. Laura Michelle Kelly sheds her Mary Poppins image to deliver Galadriel's eerie high notes, Malcolm Storry's dignified Gandalf is buffeted by a wind machine and Michael Therriault's Gollum writhes in agonies of torment. Yet, the most memorable moments aren't provided by the expensive revolve but by the shadowy figures of the Black Riders, by Shelob (the giant spider) spreading its tentacles, and by the Orcs executing thrilling back-flips in what is, as my companion observed, ultimately a "silly but spectacular" show.
Theatre Royal Drury Ln, Catherine St, WC2, 0870-890 6002. Until March 28. £30.30-£66
It cost £12.5 million to bring JRR Tolkien's epic trilogy about hairy-toed Hobbits to the London stage. So, luckily, it's unlikely to be music, story or performances that will attract the crowds. With a handful of exceptions, the acting is unimpressive, and narrative plays second fiddle to anticipation of the next special effect. Laura Michelle Kelly sheds her Mary Poppins image to deliver Galadriel's eerie high notes, Malcolm Storry's dignified Gandalf is buffeted by a wind machine and Michael Therriault's Gollum writhes in agonies of torment. Yet, the most memorable moments aren't provided by the expensive revolve but by the shadowy figures of the Black Riders, by Shelob (the giant spider) spreading its tentacles, and by the Orcs executing thrilling back-flips in what is, as my companion observed, ultimately a "silly but spectacular" show.
Theatre Royal Drury Ln, Catherine St, WC2, 0870-890 6002. Until March 28. £30.30-£66
Angels in America - TNT
Having only intended to review Millennium Approaches (Part I of Tony Kushner's 7 hour Gay Fantasia On National Themes) I found myself so caught up in the troubled, overlapping lives — of guilt-ridden Jewish Louis and Prior, the terminally ill lover he deserts when he succumbs to A.I.D.S., and of Mormon Joe (a repressed homosexual) and his Valium-popping wife Harper — that I cancelled my evening plans and stayed to the end of Part II, Perestroika. Premiered in the early '90s, together they form an escapist phantasmagoria and a critique of America during the Reagan years - a time when, as Greg Hick's corrupt, real-life McCarthyite lawyer states (whilst flagrantly denying his own sexual proclivities) gays had "zero clout". Daniel Kramer's production isn't a total success and the less focussed Perestroika, in particular, suffers from several longueurs. But, overall, Kushner's imaginatively ambitious scope and witty one-liners (especially from Obi Abili's outrageously camp nurse-cum-drag queen Belize) make this revival well worthwhile.
Lyric Hammersmith, King St, W6, 08700-500 511. Until July 22
Having only intended to review Millennium Approaches (Part I of Tony Kushner's 7 hour Gay Fantasia On National Themes) I found myself so caught up in the troubled, overlapping lives — of guilt-ridden Jewish Louis and Prior, the terminally ill lover he deserts when he succumbs to A.I.D.S., and of Mormon Joe (a repressed homosexual) and his Valium-popping wife Harper — that I cancelled my evening plans and stayed to the end of Part II, Perestroika. Premiered in the early '90s, together they form an escapist phantasmagoria and a critique of America during the Reagan years - a time when, as Greg Hick's corrupt, real-life McCarthyite lawyer states (whilst flagrantly denying his own sexual proclivities) gays had "zero clout". Daniel Kramer's production isn't a total success and the less focussed Perestroika, in particular, suffers from several longueurs. But, overall, Kushner's imaginatively ambitious scope and witty one-liners (especially from Obi Abili's outrageously camp nurse-cum-drag queen Belize) make this revival well worthwhile.
Lyric Hammersmith, King St, W6, 08700-500 511. Until July 22
Kismet - TNT
Salman Rushdie receives a knighthood, and English National Opera revive a '50s musical Broadway hit set in Baghdad in which the lead almost gets his hand lopped off by a Bin Laden look-alike — what timing! And it's not even as though this panto-like production carries it off. The choreography is poorly executed (sorry!), the story line risible (how could so many cooks come up with such thin broth?) and, despite some strong singing and lush Borodin-inspired melodies, the whole enterprise limps slowly along without much life or humour. The romantic leads sing endearingly (but win no acting awards) and "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" and "Stranger in Paradise" have an enduring, lilting familiarity (when they're not fighting the orchestra). But this uninspired tale about a wily penniless poet (a cheery Michael Ball) who is repeatedly mistaken for someone else, and the lovesick prince in disguise who falls for his daughter, needs a drastic overhaul before it sees the light of day again.
English National Opera at the London Coliseum, St Martin's Ln, WC2, 0870-145 0200. Until July 14
Salman Rushdie receives a knighthood, and English National Opera revive a '50s musical Broadway hit set in Baghdad in which the lead almost gets his hand lopped off by a Bin Laden look-alike — what timing! And it's not even as though this panto-like production carries it off. The choreography is poorly executed (sorry!), the story line risible (how could so many cooks come up with such thin broth?) and, despite some strong singing and lush Borodin-inspired melodies, the whole enterprise limps slowly along without much life or humour. The romantic leads sing endearingly (but win no acting awards) and "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" and "Stranger in Paradise" have an enduring, lilting familiarity (when they're not fighting the orchestra). But this uninspired tale about a wily penniless poet (a cheery Michael Ball) who is repeatedly mistaken for someone else, and the lovesick prince in disguise who falls for his daughter, needs a drastic overhaul before it sees the light of day again.
English National Opera at the London Coliseum, St Martin's Ln, WC2, 0870-145 0200. Until July 14
Monday, 2 July 2007
The Pain and the Itch - TNT
Everything may seem perfect in Clay and career-woman Kelly's spacious minimalist home, but beneath the pristine surface lurk a lot of nasties — including a mysterious, avocado-nibbling intruder and the embarrassing genital rash which is plaguing their four year old daughter. She's the reason Matthew Macfadyen's househusband Clay has asked his cynical plastic surgeon brother (with his outrageously non-PC eastern European girlfriend in tow) to join them and their forgetfully dotty mother (excellent Amanda Boxer) for Thanksgiving. They despise each other, but he wants a private prescription to keep the embarrassing problem under wraps. But there's more moral hypocrisy than physical degeneration waiting to be exposed in this all-American household in which superficial liberal values have been smoothly applied like a mere topcoat, glossing over the bigotry beneath. Bruce Norris' intricately structured social satire scratches away the veneer of pretence with a sharp wit and ruthless honesty and Dominic Cooke's exceptionally well-acted production is slick, funny and irresistibly entertaining — in a very uncomfortable way.
Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Sq, SW1, 020-7565 5000. Until August 4
LOUISE KINGSLEY
Everything may seem perfect in Clay and career-woman Kelly's spacious minimalist home, but beneath the pristine surface lurk a lot of nasties — including a mysterious, avocado-nibbling intruder and the embarrassing genital rash which is plaguing their four year old daughter. She's the reason Matthew Macfadyen's househusband Clay has asked his cynical plastic surgeon brother (with his outrageously non-PC eastern European girlfriend in tow) to join them and their forgetfully dotty mother (excellent Amanda Boxer) for Thanksgiving. They despise each other, but he wants a private prescription to keep the embarrassing problem under wraps. But there's more moral hypocrisy than physical degeneration waiting to be exposed in this all-American household in which superficial liberal values have been smoothly applied like a mere topcoat, glossing over the bigotry beneath. Bruce Norris' intricately structured social satire scratches away the veneer of pretence with a sharp wit and ruthless honesty and Dominic Cooke's exceptionally well-acted production is slick, funny and irresistibly entertaining — in a very uncomfortable way.
Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Sq, SW1, 020-7565 5000. Until August 4
LOUISE KINGSLEY
The Drowsy Chaperone - TNT
If you're a sucker for the saccharine-sweet musicals of the '20s, there's a chance you'll enjoy this frothy spoof, which brings big production numbers into the basement flat of a nerdy Man in a Chair (played with ingratiating charm by co-author Bob Martin). When he puts on an LP of his favourite (fictional) show, it comes to life. It probably went down a storm when it surfaced in Toronto in 1998, but as a full-scale, full-price West End show it lacks variety. Summer Strallen's bride-to-be has amazingly high-kicking legs and Elaine Paige's fans will doubtless welcome her self-mocking, over-the-top appearance as the tipsy Chaperone. But there's something tedious about the obvious effort involved. Pastiche or not, this is one musical comedy that had me struggling to stay awake.
Novello, Aldwych, WC2, 0870-950 0935. Until February 23. £20-£55
If you're a sucker for the saccharine-sweet musicals of the '20s, there's a chance you'll enjoy this frothy spoof, which brings big production numbers into the basement flat of a nerdy Man in a Chair (played with ingratiating charm by co-author Bob Martin). When he puts on an LP of his favourite (fictional) show, it comes to life. It probably went down a storm when it surfaced in Toronto in 1998, but as a full-scale, full-price West End show it lacks variety. Summer Strallen's bride-to-be has amazingly high-kicking legs and Elaine Paige's fans will doubtless welcome her self-mocking, over-the-top appearance as the tipsy Chaperone. But there's something tedious about the obvious effort involved. Pastiche or not, this is one musical comedy that had me struggling to stay awake.
Novello, Aldwych, WC2, 0870-950 0935. Until February 23. £20-£55
Sunday, 24 June 2007
Kean - TNT
Nineteenth century actor Edmund Kean apparently had audiences queueing round the block to see him on stage. Sadly, after a critical mauling (of the play rather than the performances), this updated revival of Sartre's adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' 1836 original won't do the same for Antony Sher.This is doubly poignant as the play begins with Kean performing an extract from Richard III, a role in which Sher himself packed the Barbican to bursting point over 20 years ago. Sartre provides a tempting opportunity for a leading actor to reveal his virtuoso technique, but his analysis of the role of the performer in relation to the real world lacks originality, and the focus on Kean's love life is tedious. Sher gives his impressive all, switching accents, postures and disguises with lightning speed, but it's not enough to invigorate this Pirandellian piece — nor to fill a 21st century West End theatre.
Apollo Shaftesbury Ave, W1, 0870-890 1101. Until August 18
Nineteenth century actor Edmund Kean apparently had audiences queueing round the block to see him on stage. Sadly, after a critical mauling (of the play rather than the performances), this updated revival of Sartre's adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' 1836 original won't do the same for Antony Sher.This is doubly poignant as the play begins with Kean performing an extract from Richard III, a role in which Sher himself packed the Barbican to bursting point over 20 years ago. Sartre provides a tempting opportunity for a leading actor to reveal his virtuoso technique, but his analysis of the role of the performer in relation to the real world lacks originality, and the focus on Kean's love life is tedious. Sher gives his impressive all, switching accents, postures and disguises with lightning speed, but it's not enough to invigorate this Pirandellian piece — nor to fill a 21st century West End theatre.
Apollo Shaftesbury Ave, W1, 0870-890 1101. Until August 18
Into the Woods - TNT
It's not just Little Red Riding Hood who goes deep into the forest in Stephen Sondheim's wittily subversive musical take on a handful of familiar childhood fairy tales. Cinderella and her Prince, the childless Baker and his Wife — not to mention Jack (of Giant and the Beanstalk fame) and his dried-out, milk-white cow, plus a handful of others — all end up there in pursuit of their dreams. And, although Grimm's original stories are already pretty disturbing in themselves, he adds extra layers of cynicism — and a darker second half which puts wrong almost everything the first act seemed to have put right. It's a salutary reminder that, even if you get what you wish for, you still might find it's not quite enough. But it makes for an excellent evening's entertainment in which Beverley Klein's Witch morphs into a spell-free femme fatale and Suzanne Toase's knife-wielding Little Red Riding Hood, triumphantly flouncing in her new wolf-skin cape, almost steals the show.
Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, WC2, 020-7304 4000. Until June 30
LOUISE KINGSLEY
It's not just Little Red Riding Hood who goes deep into the forest in Stephen Sondheim's wittily subversive musical take on a handful of familiar childhood fairy tales. Cinderella and her Prince, the childless Baker and his Wife — not to mention Jack (of Giant and the Beanstalk fame) and his dried-out, milk-white cow, plus a handful of others — all end up there in pursuit of their dreams. And, although Grimm's original stories are already pretty disturbing in themselves, he adds extra layers of cynicism — and a darker second half which puts wrong almost everything the first act seemed to have put right. It's a salutary reminder that, even if you get what you wish for, you still might find it's not quite enough. But it makes for an excellent evening's entertainment in which Beverley Klein's Witch morphs into a spell-free femme fatale and Suzanne Toase's knife-wielding Little Red Riding Hood, triumphantly flouncing in her new wolf-skin cape, almost steals the show.
Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, WC2, 020-7304 4000. Until June 30
LOUISE KINGSLEY
Monday, 18 June 2007
Philistines - TNT
Set at the beginning of the 20th century, Maxim Gorky's first play, which premiered in 1902, is revitalised in Andrew Upton's new version. The performances are faultless, all the way from the ageing servant who (symbolically) can no longer lift the samovar unaided to Phil Davis' irate and bigoted paterfamilias. His children — Ruth Wilson's bored teacher and Rory Kinnear as the aimless son whose political activities got him kicked out of uni — are too educated to respect him, and only the lodgers bring the possibility of happiness into the lifeless gloom of the household. Focusing on the disintegration of one petit bourgeois family, Gorky anticipates the political changes in his homeland and, like his contemporary Chekhov, laces his writing with comic touches. But he lacks Chekhov's subtlety and what you get is a five-star production of a flawed three-star play.
Lyttelton at the National, South Bank, SE1, 020-7452 3000. Until August 18
Set at the beginning of the 20th century, Maxim Gorky's first play, which premiered in 1902, is revitalised in Andrew Upton's new version. The performances are faultless, all the way from the ageing servant who (symbolically) can no longer lift the samovar unaided to Phil Davis' irate and bigoted paterfamilias. His children — Ruth Wilson's bored teacher and Rory Kinnear as the aimless son whose political activities got him kicked out of uni — are too educated to respect him, and only the lodgers bring the possibility of happiness into the lifeless gloom of the household. Focusing on the disintegration of one petit bourgeois family, Gorky anticipates the political changes in his homeland and, like his contemporary Chekhov, laces his writing with comic touches. But he lacks Chekhov's subtlety and what you get is a five-star production of a flawed three-star play.
Lyttelton at the National, South Bank, SE1, 020-7452 3000. Until August 18
Taking Care of Baby - TNT
Dennis Kelly is proving himself to be a consistently interesting playwright — and this mock docudrama intrigues and fascinates as it poses questions about what is real, what is imagined and what is (either intentionally or unintentionally) distorted by both the media and the individual. Constructed as a series of partially dramatised interviews in which events are recalled from different points of view and with changing emphasis, it tells the story of Donna, initially imprisoned for killing her two infant children but subsequently released. As in recent real-life cases, things aren't at all clear-cut, and Kelly clouds the issue further as the motivation of Donna's politically ambitious mother, a psychiatrist and a newshound come under the spotlight. Excellent performances all round, a clever, teasing structure, and Abigail Davies' troubling portrayal of the distraught young mother all contribute to an arresting and thought-provoking evening.
Hampstead, Eton Ave, NW3, 020-7722 9301. Until June 23
LOUISE KINGSLEY
Dennis Kelly is proving himself to be a consistently interesting playwright — and this mock docudrama intrigues and fascinates as it poses questions about what is real, what is imagined and what is (either intentionally or unintentionally) distorted by both the media and the individual. Constructed as a series of partially dramatised interviews in which events are recalled from different points of view and with changing emphasis, it tells the story of Donna, initially imprisoned for killing her two infant children but subsequently released. As in recent real-life cases, things aren't at all clear-cut, and Kelly clouds the issue further as the motivation of Donna's politically ambitious mother, a psychiatrist and a newshound come under the spotlight. Excellent performances all round, a clever, teasing structure, and Abigail Davies' troubling portrayal of the distraught young mother all contribute to an arresting and thought-provoking evening.
Hampstead, Eton Ave, NW3, 020-7722 9301. Until June 23
LOUISE KINGSLEY
Side by Side by Sondheim - TNT
The Venue's low-ceilinged space gives a cabaret feel to this enjoyable introduction to the work of multi-award-winning American Stephen Sondheim. The celebratory compilation dates from 1976, so there's no room for his later successes. But from his 1957 collaboration on West Side Story (only the lyrics were his) to Pacific Overtures (by way of, among others, A Little Night Music and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) there's an impressive back catalogue to choose from. Whether waxing cynical about long-term relationships, carrying a torch for a lost love, or revealing his bitingly comic side, even out of context Sondheim is a master. The linking narration has dated, but the trio of talented and enthusiastic songsters deliver with panache. If you're already a fan of his wittily, wickedly sophisticated style, this revival is probably already in your diary — and if you're not, this "sampler" revue is a welcome opportunity to find out what you've been missing.
The Venue, Leicester Pl, Leicester Sq, WC2, 0870-899 3335. Until June 23
The Venue's low-ceilinged space gives a cabaret feel to this enjoyable introduction to the work of multi-award-winning American Stephen Sondheim. The celebratory compilation dates from 1976, so there's no room for his later successes. But from his 1957 collaboration on West Side Story (only the lyrics were his) to Pacific Overtures (by way of, among others, A Little Night Music and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) there's an impressive back catalogue to choose from. Whether waxing cynical about long-term relationships, carrying a torch for a lost love, or revealing his bitingly comic side, even out of context Sondheim is a master. The linking narration has dated, but the trio of talented and enthusiastic songsters deliver with panache. If you're already a fan of his wittily, wickedly sophisticated style, this revival is probably already in your diary — and if you're not, this "sampler" revue is a welcome opportunity to find out what you've been missing.
The Venue, Leicester Pl, Leicester Sq, WC2, 0870-899 3335. Until June 23
Friday, 15 June 2007
LANDSCAPE WITH WEAPON - This is London
Cottesloe Theatre
The moral responsibility of the scientist comes into question in Joe Penhall's latest play in which two brothers - Dan (a dentist with kids, a mortgage and dubious plans to augment his income with a Botox clinic) and Ned (a childless, recently separated, weapons engineer who is gagged by the official secrets act from discussing his work) - come into conflict. Though Ned is quick to criticise Dan's decision to branch out from the confines of his profession, it is his own choices which prove seriously problematic. Naively, he has assumed that he can maintain control over his ground-breaking invention (an unmanned air vehicle able to navigate with frightening precision) despite the fact that his employers want to do a deal with the Ministry of Defence.
The traverse staging emphasises the divergence between the brothers, as well as the battlefield between Ned and his employers who resort to calling in MI6 (in the shape of Jason Watkins' smiling Brooks, menacingly rolling up his sleeves to get down to business) to persuade him to relinquish the intellectual property rights.
Despite Tom Hollander's convincingly boffin-like performance, Ned's credulity is hard to swallow. One can accept that his fascination with the ‘beauty’ of his work might blinker him to some degree, but surely not to the extent that he could believe that – patent or not – he would be allowed to control the use to which his drones would ultimately be put. Julian Rhind-Tutt's Dan makes an entertaining foil, revealing precise comic timing as well as a growing concern for his disintegrating sibling. And although not quite in the same league as Penhall's earlier ‘Blue/Orange’, the excellent acting in Roger Michell's well-realised production ensures that the issues raised are consistently interesting.
Louise Kingsley
Monday, 11 June 2007
Fiddler on the Roof - TNT
The beards are a bit ropey and some of the accents are all over the place, but this life-affirming revival of the hit 1964 musical boasts great songs and exuberant choreography. As Tevye, the poor orthodox Jewish milkman with five daughters in need of husbands (and a habit of talking directly to a god who often lets him down), Henry Goodman is simply magnificent. On the eve of the revolution in Tsarist Russia, Tevye and his family begin with a rousing celebration of the traditions observed in their shtetl, but end by either choosing — or being forced to embrace — a new way of life. Beverley Klein bosses amusingly as his nagging wife, and Alexandra Silber's Hodel (who, just like her older sister, defiantly chooses her own husband) sings like a dream. But it is Goodman — grizzled, twinkly-eyed, and humane — who is the undisputed star of the show.
Savoy, Strand, WC2, 0870-164 8787; www.savoy-theatre.co.uk. Until September 29. £30-£60
The beards are a bit ropey and some of the accents are all over the place, but this life-affirming revival of the hit 1964 musical boasts great songs and exuberant choreography. As Tevye, the poor orthodox Jewish milkman with five daughters in need of husbands (and a habit of talking directly to a god who often lets him down), Henry Goodman is simply magnificent. On the eve of the revolution in Tsarist Russia, Tevye and his family begin with a rousing celebration of the traditions observed in their shtetl, but end by either choosing — or being forced to embrace — a new way of life. Beverley Klein bosses amusingly as his nagging wife, and Alexandra Silber's Hodel (who, just like her older sister, defiantly chooses her own husband) sings like a dream. But it is Goodman — grizzled, twinkly-eyed, and humane — who is the undisputed star of the show.
Savoy, Strand, WC2, 0870-164 8787; www.savoy-theatre.co.uk. Until September 29. £30-£60
Alaska - TNT
This is a violent, twisted, unpleasant little play about a violent, twisted and brutally racist individual with a massive chip on his shoulder and a lying heart. It's young writer DC Moore's first work for the stage and (though promising) it shows — the dialogue doesn't quite ring true and it's difficult to see why university drop-out Frank (having been socially rejected by his fellow students) becomes the focus of so much sexual interest when he takes a dead-end job at the local cinema. As Frank, Rafe Spall bursts convincingly into viciously uncontrollable rage when he feels undermined. And there's a lovely understated performance from Thomas Morrison as the lovelorn Chris who, like the rest of his workmates, inexplicably finds this damaged, damaging and confused bigot irresistibly attractive.
Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, Sloane Sq, SW1, 020-7565 5000. Until June 23
LOUISE KINGSLEY
This is a violent, twisted, unpleasant little play about a violent, twisted and brutally racist individual with a massive chip on his shoulder and a lying heart. It's young writer DC Moore's first work for the stage and (though promising) it shows — the dialogue doesn't quite ring true and it's difficult to see why university drop-out Frank (having been socially rejected by his fellow students) becomes the focus of so much sexual interest when he takes a dead-end job at the local cinema. As Frank, Rafe Spall bursts convincingly into viciously uncontrollable rage when he feels undermined. And there's a lovely understated performance from Thomas Morrison as the lovelorn Chris who, like the rest of his workmates, inexplicably finds this damaged, damaging and confused bigot irresistibly attractive.
Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, Sloane Sq, SW1, 020-7565 5000. Until June 23
LOUISE KINGSLEY
Monday, 4 June 2007
Vernon God Little - TNT
I couldn't get to grips with DBC Pierre's 2003 Man Booker prize-winner, and it seems I wasn't alone — it topped a recent survey of "unfinishable" novels. But Tanya Ronder's stage adaptation grabs one's attention right from the start as 15-year-old Texan misfit schoolboy Vernon is questioned about his part in a mass shooting that wiped out his classmates. Wrongly accused of being an accomplice, Colin Morgan's Vernon battles against the preconceptions of a mother (Joanna Scanlan) who has more affection for her new fridge than for her son, a perverted psychiatrist, a police force determined to find him guilty, and the scoop-hungry media which (in the shape of Mark Lockyer's smarmy, manipulative Lally) twists the truth to gain a prime slot. The characters are straight out of Jerry Springer — larger than life and exaggerated to the point of parody — but there's such energy and underlying humanity in Rufus Norris's economically designed production of this biting, black, satirical comedy that I may just give the book another go.
Young Vic, The Cut, SE1, 020-7922 2922 Until 9th June
LOUISE KINGSLEY
I couldn't get to grips with DBC Pierre's 2003 Man Booker prize-winner, and it seems I wasn't alone — it topped a recent survey of "unfinishable" novels. But Tanya Ronder's stage adaptation grabs one's attention right from the start as 15-year-old Texan misfit schoolboy Vernon is questioned about his part in a mass shooting that wiped out his classmates. Wrongly accused of being an accomplice, Colin Morgan's Vernon battles against the preconceptions of a mother (Joanna Scanlan) who has more affection for her new fridge than for her son, a perverted psychiatrist, a police force determined to find him guilty, and the scoop-hungry media which (in the shape of Mark Lockyer's smarmy, manipulative Lally) twists the truth to gain a prime slot. The characters are straight out of Jerry Springer — larger than life and exaggerated to the point of parody — but there's such energy and underlying humanity in Rufus Norris's economically designed production of this biting, black, satirical comedy that I may just give the book another go.
Young Vic, The Cut, SE1, 020-7922 2922 Until 9th June
LOUISE KINGSLEY
Big White Fog - TNT
The writing comes from the heart and so does the acting in Michael Attenborough's hard-hitting revival of black American Theodore Ward's Depression-era drama (written in 1937) about the struggle of one extended black family to make it in Chicago. Only a generation away from slavery, they each see the possibilities for the future — or the lack of them — in their own ways. Yet at each step their ambitions and hopes are thwarted, not only by the fallout of the Wall Street Crash but also by a system of racial prejudice which would only tolerate them in predefined and menial roles. Powerful performances — including Danny Sapani's staunchly Garveyite paterfamilias, Jenny Jules as his wife (prematurely ageing as her husband sticks to his ideals) and Novella Nelson as the grandma sniping tellingly from the sidelines — make this a must-see.
Almeida, Almeida St, N1, 020-7359 4404. Until June 30. £6-£29.50
The writing comes from the heart and so does the acting in Michael Attenborough's hard-hitting revival of black American Theodore Ward's Depression-era drama (written in 1937) about the struggle of one extended black family to make it in Chicago. Only a generation away from slavery, they each see the possibilities for the future — or the lack of them — in their own ways. Yet at each step their ambitions and hopes are thwarted, not only by the fallout of the Wall Street Crash but also by a system of racial prejudice which would only tolerate them in predefined and menial roles. Powerful performances — including Danny Sapani's staunchly Garveyite paterfamilias, Jenny Jules as his wife (prematurely ageing as her husband sticks to his ideals) and Novella Nelson as the grandma sniping tellingly from the sidelines — make this a must-see.
Almeida, Almeida St, N1, 020-7359 4404. Until June 30. £6-£29.50
Tuesday, 29 May 2007
A Matter of Life or Death - TNT
Fans of Powell and Pressburger's 1946 movie might quibble, but I found Kneehigh's idiosyncratic, anti-war version (directed by co-adapter Emma Rice) totally beguiling. WWII RAF pilot Peter Carter is shot down without a parachute, but just before he jumps he makes contact with (and falls for) radio operator June. Amazingly, he survives what should have been a fatal plunge to earth — and meets her when he lands. But there's been a mistake — his guide to heaven lost him in the fog and what follows is a dream-like tug of life between the heavenly forces which need to balance their books, and his newfound sweetheart who can't bear to let him go. It's a whimsical idea in which Douglas Hodge's kindly doctor (enlisted by June to save her beloved) and a balletic ping-pong match set to music are just two of the many highlights.
Lyttelton at the National, South Bank, SE1, 020-7452 3000. Until June 21. Part of the £10 Travelex season
Fans of Powell and Pressburger's 1946 movie might quibble, but I found Kneehigh's idiosyncratic, anti-war version (directed by co-adapter Emma Rice) totally beguiling. WWII RAF pilot Peter Carter is shot down without a parachute, but just before he jumps he makes contact with (and falls for) radio operator June. Amazingly, he survives what should have been a fatal plunge to earth — and meets her when he lands. But there's been a mistake — his guide to heaven lost him in the fog and what follows is a dream-like tug of life between the heavenly forces which need to balance their books, and his newfound sweetheart who can't bear to let him go. It's a whimsical idea in which Douglas Hodge's kindly doctor (enlisted by June to save her beloved) and a balletic ping-pong match set to music are just two of the many highlights.
Lyttelton at the National, South Bank, SE1, 020-7452 3000. Until June 21. Part of the £10 Travelex season
Terre Haute -TNT
Inspired by American essayist Gore Vidal's correspondence with — and support of — the Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh, author Edmund White has imagined a series of conversations between two people (very much like, but not identical to, the originals) conducted during the last days of the mass murderer's life. During these brief encounters, the septuagenarian journalist tries to elicit exactly what was going on in the mind of the intelligent ex-soldier with a fine army record who deliberately cut short the lives of 168 people, including 19 children. Enclosed by wire mesh walls, recent drama school graduate Arthur Darvill is increasingly persuasive as Harrison, stubbornly maintaining that he had to make a stand against the government. And Peter Eyre gives a thoughtful, controlled performance as the cultured elderly writer whose own life is heading, more slowly, towards its end and who finds himself reluctantly attracted to the unrepentant, home-grown, death row terrorist.
Trafalgar Studios 2, Whitehall, SW1, 0870 060 6632. Until June 2
LOUISE KINGSLEY
Inspired by American essayist Gore Vidal's correspondence with — and support of — the Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh, author Edmund White has imagined a series of conversations between two people (very much like, but not identical to, the originals) conducted during the last days of the mass murderer's life. During these brief encounters, the septuagenarian journalist tries to elicit exactly what was going on in the mind of the intelligent ex-soldier with a fine army record who deliberately cut short the lives of 168 people, including 19 children. Enclosed by wire mesh walls, recent drama school graduate Arthur Darvill is increasingly persuasive as Harrison, stubbornly maintaining that he had to make a stand against the government. And Peter Eyre gives a thoughtful, controlled performance as the cultured elderly writer whose own life is heading, more slowly, towards its end and who finds himself reluctantly attracted to the unrepentant, home-grown, death row terrorist.
Trafalgar Studios 2, Whitehall, SW1, 0870 060 6632. Until June 2
LOUISE KINGSLEY
Sunday, 20 May 2007
My Child - TNT
The main auditorium has been completely transformed into a multifunction London Underground carriage for Mike Bartlett's 40-minute drama which traps you in the unnamed Man's personal, paternal hell for its short, gruelling duration. Initially, it's impossible to distinguish the actors from the audience, until they suddenly emerge (often for only a few, telling moments) in this searing account of one divorcé's struggle to retain access to his son when his ex-wife decides to write him out of their lives completely. Played with a hard-hitting emotional and physical intensity which had my companion in tears, this is a stunning stage debut — thanks in no small measure to Sacha Wares' taut direction, and mesmerising performances from Lia Williams and Ben Miles as the warring parents, Adam James as his richer, tougher replacement, and Adam Arnold as the spoilt Child at the centre of the battlefield and immersed in an adult world with decidedly skewed values.
Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Sq, SW1, 020-7565 5000). Until June 2
The main auditorium has been completely transformed into a multifunction London Underground carriage for Mike Bartlett's 40-minute drama which traps you in the unnamed Man's personal, paternal hell for its short, gruelling duration. Initially, it's impossible to distinguish the actors from the audience, until they suddenly emerge (often for only a few, telling moments) in this searing account of one divorcé's struggle to retain access to his son when his ex-wife decides to write him out of their lives completely. Played with a hard-hitting emotional and physical intensity which had my companion in tears, this is a stunning stage debut — thanks in no small measure to Sacha Wares' taut direction, and mesmerising performances from Lia Williams and Ben Miles as the warring parents, Adam James as his richer, tougher replacement, and Adam Arnold as the spoilt Child at the centre of the battlefield and immersed in an adult world with decidedly skewed values.
Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Sq, SW1, 020-7565 5000). Until June 2
The Letter - TNT
Not so much a 'whodunnit?' as a 'why did she do it?' and 'will she get away with it?', Somerset Maugham's colonial drama, set in the Malay Peninsula, proves more interesting for what is left unsaid. Written in 1927, it shows its age, but Alan Strachan's revival compensates by subtly revealing the sexual dissatisfaction underlying superficially contented marriages and simultaneously exposes the racial prejudice of the privileged expats. Jenny Seagrove's Leslie Crosbie makes no attempt to conceal that she's in her dressing gown when the house boys discover her with the body of the fellow Brit into whom she's just emptied a barrel of bullets. Anthony Andrews (as her suspicious lawyer) shrinks from her touch yet pockets the hanky with which her husband has wiped his sweaty neck, and Jason Chan is craftily and comically manipulative as his clerk.
Wyndhams, Charing Cross Rd, WC2, 020-950 0925. Until August 11. £16.50-£49.50
LOUISE KINGSLEY
Not so much a 'whodunnit?' as a 'why did she do it?' and 'will she get away with it?', Somerset Maugham's colonial drama, set in the Malay Peninsula, proves more interesting for what is left unsaid. Written in 1927, it shows its age, but Alan Strachan's revival compensates by subtly revealing the sexual dissatisfaction underlying superficially contented marriages and simultaneously exposes the racial prejudice of the privileged expats. Jenny Seagrove's Leslie Crosbie makes no attempt to conceal that she's in her dressing gown when the house boys discover her with the body of the fellow Brit into whom she's just emptied a barrel of bullets. Anthony Andrews (as her suspicious lawyer) shrinks from her touch yet pockets the hanky with which her husband has wiped his sweaty neck, and Jason Chan is craftily and comically manipulative as his clerk.
Wyndhams, Charing Cross Rd, WC2, 020-950 0925. Until August 11. £16.50-£49.50
LOUISE KINGSLEY
Thursday, 17 May 2007
Absolute Beginners - TNT
Lizzie Clachan's clever mobile set (a cluster of Mondrian-coloured blocks which open up and slide fluidly around the stage) and Soweto Kinch's jazzy score aren't enough to rescue this soulless adaptation of Colin MacInnes' subversive 1959 cult novel of post-war teenage low-life. Set during the lead up to the Notting Hill race riots, the fragmented narrative follows 18 year-old "Photo Boy" as he works to further a photographic career, argues with his family, and tries to get hold of enough cash to stop his promiscuous girlfriend from sleeping around. But Roy Williams' version of this coming-of-age story fails to engage the heart. The interracial and inter-generational tensions are evident, but rather than electrify, they merely crackle intermittently in this dull, disappointing production.
Lyric Hammersmith, King Street, Hammersmith, W6, 08700-500 511. Until May 26.
Louise Kingsley
Lizzie Clachan's clever mobile set (a cluster of Mondrian-coloured blocks which open up and slide fluidly around the stage) and Soweto Kinch's jazzy score aren't enough to rescue this soulless adaptation of Colin MacInnes' subversive 1959 cult novel of post-war teenage low-life. Set during the lead up to the Notting Hill race riots, the fragmented narrative follows 18 year-old "Photo Boy" as he works to further a photographic career, argues with his family, and tries to get hold of enough cash to stop his promiscuous girlfriend from sleeping around. But Roy Williams' version of this coming-of-age story fails to engage the heart. The interracial and inter-generational tensions are evident, but rather than electrify, they merely crackle intermittently in this dull, disappointing production.
Lyric Hammersmith, King Street, Hammersmith, W6, 08700-500 511. Until May 26.
Louise Kingsley
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