'The Odyssey' by Mark Hayward
26 April
On Thursday I was at The Place in Bedford to see The Pantaloons performing ‘The Odyssey’, co-written and directed by Mark Hayward. This is my sixth Pantaloons production but the first time I have seen them indoors: they have tended to specialise in summer outdoor shows, such as 'Much Ado About Nothing' and 'Pride and Prejudice' (both reviewed here in August 2015). Their approach is always charmingly silly and ‘The Odyssey’ follows the usual Pantaloons formula. It is written in modern rhyming verse with a multitude of contemporary references and no pretence of a fourth wall. There is much audience participation, competitive improvisation and occasional corpsing and it is a very funny show while somehow managing to actually stick to Homer’s tale. This trailer will give you a flavour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdTLad-AAbU Labels: Drama, Theatre
'Ghosts' by Henrik Ibsen in a new version by Mike Poulton
26 April 2019
Ibsen’s ‘Ghosts’ is a grim play: the Daily Telegraph review of the first London performance in 1891 called it “a wretched, deplorable, loathsome history”. It’s a tale of incest, betrayal and sexually transmitted infection but Mike Poulton’s new version, which we saw at the Royal Theatre in Northampton on Saturday, finds some welcome humour amongst the angst. Lucy Bailey’s Royal & Derngate production is simple and effective, with great acting from Penny Downie as Helen Alving and James Wilby who manages to make Pastor Manders both a scheming manipulator and a bumbling fool. Mike Britton’s set, inspired by the paintings of Vilhelm Hammershoi, is bold and clear and it was good to see the Royal & Derngate continuing its practice of using a Community Cast of local amateurs alongside the professional leads.
Labels: Drama, Theatre
'Mary Queen of Scots' by Josie Rourke
26 April 2019
Last Friday we made a first visit to the new Curzon Cinema at Milton Keynes Gallery to see Josie Rourke’s film ‘Mary Queen of Scots’. Although the film plays fast and loose with history, as a study of the characters of the two Queens – Mary and Elizabeth I – it’s a gripping drama. Saoirse Ronan is stunning as Mary and dominates the film, but Margot Robbie makes Elizabeth surprisingly sympathetic. There’s also a great supporting cast, including Martin Compston from ‘Line of Duty’ deploying his natural Scottish accent for a change and David Tennant playing John Knox behind a beard that deserves its own Oscar!
Labels: Film
'As You Like It' by William Shakespeare
18 April 2019
I first saw ‘As You Like It’ on our first visit to the old Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1992 when it was Samantha Bond as Rosalind who took the stage alone at the end of the play to say “It is not the fashion to see the lady the epilogue”. I’ve seen it many times since and really enjoyed Kimberley Sykes’ new Royal Shakespeare Company production which we saw this Wednesday at the Odeon in Milton Keynes, broadcast live from the new Royal Shakespeare Theatre. ‘As You Like It’ has some great comic scenes and is always fun, though there are parts of the play that often seem to drag. But it is a rare Shakespeare play to have such a dominant female lead and Lucy Phelps was fantastic as Rosalind. Her manic nervous energy in the Ganymede scenes was brilliantly done with an amazing rapid fire delivery of the lines. Sophie Stanton, who is wonderful in the current RSC production of ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ (reviewed here in March 2019), played a female Jacques with a twinkle and a smirk that relieved the melancholy. David Ajao showed loveable vulnerability as a childlike Orlando, Sophie Khan Levy was a very funny Celia and Emily Johnstone gave a great comic turn as Le Beau. I have fond memories of a 1996 production of ‘As You Like It’ at Nottingham Playhouse in which Shaun Prendergast played Touchstone (the Fool) as Eric Morecambe – so it was fascinating this week to see Sandy Grierson’s Touchstone clearly channelling Billy Connolly.
Labels: Drama, Film, Theatre
'All About Eve' by Joseph L Makiewica, adapted by Ivo van Hove
12 April 2019
I’ve never seen the classic 1950 film ‘All About Eve’ so I came completely fresh to Ivo van Hove’s new stage adaptation, which we saw at the Odeon in Milton Keynes in a live screening from the Noel Coward Theatre in London on Thursday. Ivo van Hove is a fascinatingly innovative theatre director: I really enjoyed his production of 'A View From The Bridge' by Arthur Miller (reviewed here in April 2015). His version of ‘All About Eve’ draws on Joseph L Mankiewicz’s film but also on the play on which it was based – ‘ The Wisdom of Eve’ by Mary Orr. The story of an ageing star actress and the young fan who aspires to replace her mostly takes place backstage, in dressing rooms, kitchens and bathrooms. Jan Versweyveld’s set cleverly takes the audience into the theatre’s hidden nooks and crannies, using live video projection to give us access to the most intimate spaces. But in a play about actors, this inventive visual approach rightly feels secondary to the acting, with Gillian Anderson and Lily James giving brilliant performances as Margo and Eve. Gillian Anderson’s world-weary cynical drawl delivery is hilarious and Lily James manages to switch Eve’s mood on a sixpence. I loved the way the height of the two characters’ heels gradually shift, scene by scene, to reflect the growing or diminishing strength of their positions – with Eve appearing to grow taller as Margo literally shrinks. The script is incredibly witty and the plot twists were very satisfying. The original music by PJ Harvey captured the ominous mood of the story but felt a little too intrusive at times. Monica Dolan gave a wonderful performance as Karen Richards – for which she has just won the Olivier Award for best supporting actress.
Labels: Drama, Film, Theatre
‘The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’ by Stuart Turton
5 April 2019
‘The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’ is a remarkable debut novel by Stuart Turton. It has the appearance of an old fashioned remote country house murder mystery but our narrator appears to be reliving the day of the murder, each time inhabiting the body of a different member of the household. It’s like taking part in the same murder mystery role-play game over and over again, always wondering whether this time you might be the murderer. This high-concept device is ingenious, allowing narrator and reader to gradually piece together the jigsaw puzzle plot. It also becomes incredibly complicated but Turton kindly finds an occasional excuse to recap what we know so far. The book (which I have just finished reading as an unabridged audio book, narrated by Jot Davies) is also beautifully written. It is packed with wonderfully quotable similes that perfectly evoke the person being described in an economy of words. I look forward to seeing what Stuart Turton writes next.
Labels: Books
Hannah James and Toby Kuhn
5 April 2019
On Saturday we were at the Bristol Folk House to see the young English folk singer, accordionist and clog dancer Hannah James, performing with the French ‘cellist Toby Kuhn. This newly formed duo played an interestingly varied range of songs and tunes, creating beautiful gentle acoustic music. Hannah James is an excellent singer and a very accomplished performer. She is a member of the English folk vocal harmony trio Lady Maisery and several duos as well as performing solo. Her own compositions are great examples of modern folk music, responding to contemporary events such as the 2018 Florida school shootings. She is also an enthusiastic champion for the art of ‘percussive dance’, using her clogs (and occasionally her bare feet) to provide intricate and complex rhythmic accompaniment. (This reminded me of the wonderful Tilly and the Wall (reviewed here in March 2007)). See:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLZhTFvLKbI Labels: Concerts, Music
Moya Brennan
5 April 2019
Last Wednesday we visited the beautiful manor house and grounds at Rhosygilwen in Pembrokeshire where a stunning modern glass-walled barn acts as a unique music venue. As the sun set across the wooded valley below, we watched the ‘First Lady of Celtic Music’, Moya Brennan, and her band perform a mixture of tracks from her solo albums, traditional Irish folk tunes and some very familiar Clannad numbers. Clannad was the Brennan family band and it was lovely to see Moya Brennan now playing alongside her daughter and son. It was also great to see two Irish harps on stage with Moya Brennan duetting with harpist Cormac de Barra – her collaborator on the series of ‘Voices & Harps’ albums.
Labels: Concerts, Music
Pembrokeshire
5 April 2019
We had a wonderful week in Pembrokeshire, with glorious weather throughout. We walked sections of the Coast Path every day, along spectacular cliffs overlooking peaceful turquoise seas. I particularly enjoyed the walk around Strumble Head where I actually managed to see a seal. We re-visited St David’s and Narberth and explored Fishguard and Newport. North Pembrokeshire has similar scenery to Cornwall but is much quieter – one of the most beautiful parts of the UK. You can see a few of my photos at:
https://culturaloutlook.blogspot.com/search/label/Pembrokeshire2019 Labels: Holidays
