'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen, adapted by Mark Hayward
27 August 2015
Having really enjoyed the Pantaloons' open air production of 'Much Ado About Nothing' earlier this summer (reviewed here in August 2015), we made our way to the beautiful grounds of Hatfield House on Wednesday to see the company's version of 'Pride and Prejudice', adapted by Mark Hayward. You know what you are getting with the Pantaloons formula – a very energetic performance, plenty breaking of the fourth wall, lots of audience participation (and a significant degree of consumption by the cast of the audience's picnics and alcohol!). This approach succeeds because it is often incredibly funny (particularly some of the ad libs between the performers) but also because it is very well acted. It is genuinely impressive when, amid the tomfoolery and pantomime we discover a delicate moment of real pathos. Telling the story of the five Bennet girls with only five actors requires a lot of versatility (and cross dressing!). It was great fun.
Labels: Drama, Theatre
'The Merchant of Venice' by WIlliam Shakespeare
21 August 2015
On Saturday we were at the Errol Flynn Filmhouse in Northampton to see a repeat screening of the recent live broadcast of Polly Findlay's RSC production of 'The Merchant of Venice' from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. Set against a giant brass mirrored wall and floor, designed by Johannes Schutz, this sober production of a difficult play brought the acting to the fore. With a minimal set and restrained stagecraft our focus was solely on the actors – who were visible from multiple angles in the reflections from the mirrored surfaces. Patsy Ferran was fascinating as Portia – impatient, twitchy, amused, intrigued and determined – her mood switching on a sixpence. Her facial expressions appeared to reveal the workings of Portia's brain and the audience was completely on her side. The Israeli/Palestinian actor Makram J Khoury made Shylock both sympathetic and cruel – a very different performance from the usual RSC company of actors which really emphasised Shylock as the outsider. 'The Merchant of Venice' is a dark play but this production was thoughtful and clear, with some impressive acting.
Labels: Drama, Film, Theatre
'A Midsummer Night's Dream' by William Shakespeare
21 August 2015
Last Thursday we were at the Library Theatre in Leighton Buzzard to see a screening of Julie Taymor's production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' at the Theater for a New Audience in Brooklyn, New York, in December 2014. This stunning production included amazing stagecraft, impressive choreography, original music, a massive cast – and the truly remarkable Kathryn Hunter as Puck. An enormous bedsheet covered the thrust stage before being wafted high into the air to form billowing clouds above the action, onto which a variety of magical flowers were projected. The rude mechanicals were a gang of 'New Yoik' working men, armed with power tools. When Bottom (played by Max Casella) gained the head of a donkey, his long snout ended in a very realistic animatronic mouth (complete with Bottom's pencil moustache). The British actor David Harewood played a sinister, muscular, Oberon. And the comic scenes were incredibly funny. An electrifying Shakespearean experience – jump at the chance to see it.
Labels: Drama, Film, Theatre
'Think Like an Artist … and Lead a More Creative, Productive Life' by Will Gompertz
4 August 2015
I've also been reading 'Think Like an Artist … and Lead a More Creative, Productive Life' – a slim volume by the BBC's Arts Editor, Will Gompertz. The book suggests that 'We Are All Artists', in that being an artist means using and combining a handful of practices and processes which we are all capable of. Gompertz illustrates each of these traits (curiosity, scepticism, bravery etc) using specific examples, mostly taken from the visual arts world. (The book contains pull-out colour reproductions of the paintings that are discussed.) A short conclusion then suggests that our modern, increasingly digital, world needs more creative people, all our working lives would benefit from a more creative approach and our education system should be more creative (teaching us how to think, not what to think). I found myself agreeing with much of his thesis, though I would have liked more of this final section looking at the implications for society. Many of the examples he uses to demonstrate the various traits of an artist, while fascinating and revealing, felt a little too anecdotal – might it not be possible to prove the reverse by choosing other examples? Nevertheless, my main reaction to reading the book was an overwhelming desire to try some of the techniques and do something creative – so that feels like a success to me.
Labels: Books
'A Fine Balance' by Rohinton Mistry
4 August 2015
I've just finished reading Rohinton Mistry's epic novel set in India in the mid-1970s, 'A Fine Balance'. Written in 1995, the book shows us the horror of India's 'State of Internal Emergency' through the experiences of a group of ordinary people caught up in the madness. A prologue introduces us to the four main characters as they meet each other for the first time in 1975. The novel then fills in the back-story of each of these characters in turn, taking us to a variety of places and introducing a huge cast of families, friends and acquaintances. By focussing equally on four characters, Mistry refuses to make it clear which of them is the heart of his story. For the reader this creates a real sense of jeopardy as you realise there is no guarantee that any one of the four friends will necessarily survive to the end of the novel. The terrible journey that our protagonists take, being evicted from their homes, living on the streets, suffering police brutality, injury and disease, makes for a bleak tale. Their resolute cheerfulness and politeness in the face of such challenges makes them very likeable and sympathetic. Indeed, many of the beggars and slum-dwellers to whom they are generous and helpful, re-appear later to return the favour. This is a novel that loves chance-encounters, reuniting or overlapping its vast cast of characters, often after many years apart. 'A Fine Balance' has a Dickensian feel – both in its depiction of social conditions and in its distinct idiosyncratic characters – and is beautifully written. But ultimately it is a very grim story and I don't think it would be a spoiler to warn you not to expect a happy ending.
Labels: Books
'Much Ado About Nothing' by William Shakespeare
4 August 2015
We missed our annual visit to open air theatre in the grounds of Woburn Abbey last year – I think the dates clashed with something else. So it was a particular pleasure to be back at Woburn on Saturday to see the Pantaloons production of Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing'. Tackling such a complex play using just four young actors felt ambitious but worked surprisingly well. The Pantaloons approach is very accessible, inventive and incredibly funny but they also manage to treat the more serious moments with respect. Amongst the slapstick, improvisation, audience involvement and silly hats there is some really good acting. Whether anyone who was not already familiar with 'Much Ado About Nothing' would have followed all the intricacies of the plot, I'm not sure. But it was a very enjoyable evening of open air theatre. We'll be back next year.
Labels: Drama, Theatre
