Iolanthe - Review

Greenwich Theatre, London



****


Music by Arthur Sullivan
Libretto by W.S. Gilbert
Directed by Sasha Regan

The all male company of Iolanthe

Greenwich Theatre may have seen its first night of Sasha Regan’s All Male Iolanthe this week, but this wonderful production is now entering the final leg of its UK tour. As such, the cast – who, reviews have suggested, were excellent to begin with judging by earlier reviews - have now matured into a perfect company, enchanting in both voice and movement.

Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta has that everyday backstory of Lord meets Fairy and they have a child (half sprite / half mortal). 25 years pass and we join the story as it offers up a string of romances and dalliances, peers mingling with fairies, mortality taken to its very limits and everything being wrapped up into a deliriously happy ending.

The genius of taking yet another of Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic scores and playing it men-only, lies in exploiting the wit of Gilbert’s libretto. The verve and cheek of his rhymes lend themselves to camp-ness at the best of times. Here however, a company of men taking to the stage as a chorus of perfectly drilled fairies creates sets a new altitude record for high-camp. If it wasn’t so damn good it would be downright ridiculous.

But Regan (in this, the third revival of her interpretation) directs acutely. She teases out the timeless genius of the songs, while Mark Smith choreographs with a meticulous imaginative detail that is as witty as it is inspired. The company of 16 are all, to a man, excellent – memorable moments of sharpened satire coming from Duncan Sandilands and Alastair Hill. In a show that will have lent itself well to a road trip (Kingsley Hall’s design work being minimal in extremis), Musical Director Richard Baker, provides the sole musical support on piano, puts in a heroic and faultless shift leading his cast and entertaining the audience through the classic melodies.

It’s not all dancing around fairy rings though. Gilbert and Sullivan’s verses poked merciless fun at parliament and the judiciary and remember too that the show was written way back in the pre-EU days of the last century. A time when parliament, then still sovereign as opposed to its shambolic present, merited affectionate mockery.

As London swelters gloriously, its hard to justify an evening in a hazy and (for the second half at least) hot auditorium. But Iolanthe is simply marvellous theatre, and well worth a trip to Greenwich.

Runs until 28th July

Photo credit: Harriet Buckingham

Lizzie - Review

Greenwich Theatre, London


***


Music and lyrics by Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer, Alan Stevens Hewitt and Tim Maner
Book by Tim Maner
Directed by Victoria Bussert

Bjorg Gamst and Eden Espinosa

Staging Lizzie in central Greenwich, one wonders if the Danish co-producers had been led to believe that they were headed for North Greenwich and the O2, rather than the more homely intimacy of the town's theatre. For it turns out that their show, based around the true tale of the allegedly patricidal Lizzie Borden, is more akin to rock concert than musical. From the stadium-inspired lighting rig, through to the gig-style hand-held mics (are they really necessary when everyone’s wearing a headset?), through to a score that's more Axel Rose than axe-fuelled slaughter, Lizzie's European tour seems somewhat stifled staged in anything less than an arena.

The energy of the piece comes from its powerful music - the six piece (predominantly Danish) onstage band are sensational and notwithstanding an overly zealous bass line, some of the guitar work is exquisite.

Lyrically it's uninspiring, rarely getting any better than the infamous kiddies’ nursery rhyme and the whole thing is very heavy on exposition. But hey, Guns N' Roses weren't Shakespeare either. What's beyond doubt is that the cast of four, all supremely talented women, make the best of the minimalist direction that Bussert foists upon them.

Bjorg Gamst plays the title character in an unsettling and unquestionably electrically charged performance, but which only sometimes hints at the used, abused and confused woman. Borden was a damaged 32 year old at the time of the killings, yet Gamst plays her as a gamine teen.

The evening does however have moments of magic from the exquisite vocal presence of Broadway's Eden Espinosa, making a rare appearance on this side of the pond as Lizzie's sister Emma Leonora. Espinosa's duetting in two numbers in particular, Burn The Old Thing Up and Watchman For The Morning justify the ticket price. 

Yet again, London is seeing the curiosity of a show that seems like more like the staging of a concept album and not a fully developed musical. And all in all Greenwich's theatre seats are just too restricting - Lizzie is a show that's gonna be best savoured stoned, and from the mosh pit.

Runs until 12th March

Photo credit: Soren Malmose

Tommy - Review

Greenwich Theatre, London

*****

Music and lyrics by Pete Townshend

Book by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff

Additional music and lyrics by John Entwhistle and Keith Moon

Directed by Michael Strassen

Ashley Birchall

Amidst the present day plethora of so called "juke box" musicals, in which bands' and singers' back catalogues are ruthlessly plundered to provide musical highlights for a show that is either autobiographical or worse still, downright anodyne in its narrative, it is an absolute joy for London to be re-united with Tommy.

Released in 1969, The Who's brave and stunning concept album was the first (and arguably the best ever) rock opera, telling an original tale of a young boy turned deaf, dumb and blind after witnessing his RAF pilot father, until then missing presumed shot down in a Second World War dogfight, return home unexpectedly after the War and shoot dead his wife's (Tommy's mother) new lover.

Trapped in a life of sensory deprivation, evil and abusive family members heap merciless bullying and sexual abuse onto Tommy's torments until, by chance, he discovers a gift for pinball - and a road to his salvation emerges. Painting a gritty if sometimes psychedelic picture of a post-war Britain struggling to define itself through rock music, Tommy is not only a fabulous work of fiction – it also makes for fascinating social comment.  

I must declare an interest. Having grown up with Tommy as one of my soundtracks to the 1970s, along with hard-wired memories of Ken Russell’s 1975 film adaptation, my expectations (riskily) ran high for Michael Strassen's production at the Greenwich Theatre. Those expectations were not only met, but like Tommy's mirror they were smashed, in a show that offered an all too rare trinity of perfection in song, movement and music.

Credit first to the band. Under Kevin Oliver Jones' direction and guitar work, Lauren Storer on keyboards, bassist Paolo Minervini, with Kamil Bartnik on drums create a sound that offers a beautifully weighted tribute to the original mix, with a rock pulse that could have come straight from a time machine. One minor criticism is that the show’s sound desk still need to get the balance finely tuned.

The Overture’s opening bars set the standard for the rest of the evening. As Jones' band work their way through the score's iconic motifs, Mark Smith's choreography plays out the prologue's complex narrative solely through dance and mime. Smith’s routines are expert in both conception and execution and combined with Strassen's interpretation of the libretto, give rise to tableaux that are breathtaking in their ingenuity, simplicity and brilliance.

In the title role Ashley Birchall leads the company, onstage throughout, with a performance fused with energy and sensitivity. Birchall’s energy in I’m Free complementing the heart rending sensitivity he offers in See Me, Feel Me.  In a role that by definition demands an extensive use of mime and physicality Smith and Strassen had between them coaxed excellence from the young man. Miranda Wilford delivers her usual level of brilliance as Mrs Walker (Tommy’s mother) having to age, both physically and in attitude, from carefree young teenager to a middle aged matriarch, her Smash The Mirror an impressive solo.

Giovanni Spano is every inch a school bully as his Cousin Kevin tortures Tommy, though even his wickedness is trumped by John Barr, whose sensational take on the vile paedophile, Tommy’s Uncle Ernie offers perhaps one of the nastiest characters in the canon. If the lyrics to Fiddle About are shocking, they were matched only by the ghastly yet skilfully undertstated performance of Barr’s toothless menacing molester. Barr’s monstrous creation is enhanced later in act one by Smith’s choreography of Eyesight To The Blind, with both Ernie and Kevin in a Fosse-inspired routine – tatty trilbys replacing the legendary choreographer’s signature bowler hats.

Confined by a modest budget, Nik Corrall’s vision of the show’s sets is masterful. A clever use of rope suggested a domestic living room – whilst the brilliance of the pinball sequence will not be given away in this review.

Only here for three weeks, Tommy is unmissable and up there with the very best of musical theatre on offer in London today. See it, hear it!


Runs until 23rd August
Photo credit: Claire Bilyard

Titus Andronicus - Review

Greenwich Theatre, London

****

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Yaz Al-Shaater

Smooth Faced Gentlemen's all female Titus Andronicus is a deftly trimmed take on Shakespeare's most bloody tragedy. Amidst some cracking performances, a company of 8 clad in white blouses and black trousers and performing on a stark white set, deploy litres of red paint to depict the story's carnage.

The base motives of the play: lust, betrayal and parental love are all preserved in a text that has been finely chopped to just 80 minutes plus interval. The acting is a delight, with imaginative voice work chanted in from the wings that only adds to the Roman - Gothic chamber of horrors unfolding on stage. The moments of comedy are well defined and with paintbrushes (and occasionally rollers) replacing the conventional ironmongery of weapons, the irony and horror of the piece are cleverly preserved.

The cast are all strong, led by an imposing Ariane Barnes in the title role. Stand out performances amongst a talented troupe are Anita-Joy Uwajeh's Aaron who frequently has the audience in the palm of her hand as she effortlessly blends evil with comedy. As Tamora, Olivia Bromley exudes an infernal cocktail of defiant maternal love, alongside a sickening contempt for Lavinia's vulnerable womanhood as well as a burning sexuality.

Four of the cast swap between various roles and whilst their transitions are slick, they add a layer of complexity that may well confuse a newcomer. Memorable from the role-changers is Ashlea Kaye who manages the challenge of portraying Demetrius' evil youth whilst also capturing Marcus' warm avuncular balm.

Only here for four days before a return to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer, Yaz Al-Shaater directs this triumphant truncation assuredly. This gender bending production takes a little getting used to and Titus novices would do well to peruse a pre-show synopsis, whilst those familiar with the fable should revel in this Elizabethan prequel to Come Dine With Me. With lashings of red sauce, the Smooth Faced Gents' Titus Andronicus makes for some of the most refreshingly accessible Shakespeare in town.

Plays until 2nd May - Then at the Edinburgh Fringe 

Rent - Review

Greenwich Theatre, London

***

Book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson

Directed by Paul Taylor-Mills



Edward Handoll as Roger

Rent at Greenwich Theatre is an energetic production of the Broadway hit. Inspired by the opera La Boheme of more than a century earlier, the musical is set around a Manhattan tenement block colonised by young bohemians who span all sexualities and with the plague that ravaged Puccini's characters replaced here by the modern nightmare of HIV/Aids.

 

Mark Stratton plays Benjamin Cohen, an aspiring filmmaker whose camerawork provides the medium by which the show's narrative can be played out. His roommate , musician Roger,  played by Edward Handoll is HIV+ and his number One Song Glory , in which he tells of his desire to write a powerful song before he dies is a moving moment. He falls for Mimi, a strong performance from Stephanie Fearon. A junkie, she too is positive and the point when both characters learn that they each carry the virus I Should Tell You, is powerful number to close act one.

The show offers several main characters. Zoe Birkett plays Maureen Johnson, a bisexual performance artist, in a portrayal that drips with provocative sensuality. Her vocal strength matches her physicality, and her on stage presence dominates her scenes. Noteworthy too was Mikel Sylvanus, who as Tom Collins, is befriended by Angel, the one character who succumbs to Aids. Sylvanus’ voice is a beautifully rich baritone and he is an actor to watch for the future. Jamie Birkett, as Joanne, Maureen’s lesbian partner also delivers a performance that is a delight to both observe and listen to. Birkett has previously impressed in ensemble roles in last year’s Ragtime and The Hired Man and it is particularly pleasing to see her confident portrayal of such a significant character. As Steve, Richie Gooding’s delivery of Will I?, a brutally honest description of a man being forced to confront his mortality at a far too early age also touched a chord of raw tenderness and Thomas Lloyd as the dealer peddling death through drugs set a convincing tone of evil sleaze with each appearance.

Rent’s story weaves vivacity with tragedy and whilst this production certainly has some stunning performances from it's impressively sized troupe of 28, as a whole it fails to reach the heights of passion or the chasms of poignant loss that are within its grasp. Paul Taylor-Mills’ direction lacks a degree of depth and maturity that it is not unreasonable to expect. When Angel dies, his falling into his friends’ open arms could have been conceived by a sixth form drama class, rather than the seasoned eye of an accomplished professional. The sound design was also poor. Sat in prime centre stalls seats, it was frustrating that too many voices were inaudible over the music, particularly in the ensemble numbers and this is a matter for urgent attention.

This popular show remains a production that deserves to be seen. On press night it was well received, the theatre was full and at least half the audience rose to a standing ovation, suggesting that its return to a London stage has been long overdue.  And of course Rent's signature tune Seasons of Love remains one of the most beautiful songs of modern musical theatre.

 

Runs until September 16