Carmen 1808 - Review

Union Theatre, London


**


Music by Georges Bizet
Arranged by Teddy Clements
Book and lyrics by Phil Willmott
Adapted from the libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy
Based on a novella by Prosper Mérimée

The Company

There’s a noble intent behind Phil Willmott’s Carmen 1808 that seeks to meld Bizet’s opera into a narrative inspired by Goya’s painting of Napoleon’s troops brutally firing on defenceless Spanish civilians during the Peninsular War of the early 19th century. 

Tinkering with greatness does, however, demand greatness from the tinkerer - and there is little that is great about this show. Bizet wrote his tunes for classical operatic voices and, aside from the sonorous charms of Alexander Barria (whose Royal Academy of Music training stands out a mile) as Goya sketching out the unfolding narrative, most of the other voices are lost in the Union’s un-mic’d melee. Rachel Lea-Gray in the title role puts in a fine shift but she’s found wanting in the Habanera.

In the right hands (and voices) opera’s classics can work spectacularly on the fringe but all too often in this show one is left with the distinct feeling that Willmott has done to Bizet’s melodies what Napoleon’s riflemen did to the helpless Spanish. There are occasional moments of redemption though as alongside Lea-Gray, Ellie Ann Lowe and Charlotte Haines put in solo turns that evidence their vocal skills.

Elsewhere there’s acting that at times is clichéd beyond belief - and quite why the French soldiers speak with stereotyped accents that are straight out of ‘Allo ‘Allo defies comprehension. Just be grateful that Willmott didn't have his Spaniards speak like Manuel, the Fawlty Towers waiter. 

This all plays out on an imaginative set from Justin Williams and Jonny Rust, while Teddy Clements puts in sterling work on the keyboard to accompany the cast. And for those folk seeking a snatch of Bizet’s “hit tunes” (Willmott’s words) there’s a pre-recorded backing track (that’s disgracefully un-credited in the programme) to support the cast in choreographer Adam Haigh's toe-tapping flamenco-esque finale . Now That’s What I Call Carmen.

Runs until 10th March

Photo credit: Scott Rylander

Heartbreak House - Review

Union Theatre, London

***

Written by George Bernard Shaw

Directed by Phil Willmott

The Company

George Bernard Shaw’s Heartbreak House, stylistically inspired by Anton Chekhov, was first performed in 1920. Set on the brink of the First World War, its message about the very real danger of political indifference chimes with today’s audience.

The story plays out across a single evening; Hesione Hushabye the lady of the namesake house has invited Ellie Dunn, her father and her fiancé to dinner, with Hushabye’s sister’s unexpected arrival further complicating the dynamics. Refreshingly, the dinner is not the focal point. Rather, the real draw is the mix of guests plucked from a wide cross-section of society – there is a capitalist, a bohemian, an aristocrat, the poverty-stricken and more – with what should give rise to intriguing interactions. 

The audience is privy to several social commentaries embedded in a narrative that revolves around each character’s own desires and selfish motives. We see a great deal of talk about the role of women – both in the home and wider society. There’s also some dissection of society’s composition and differences between the rich and the poor, bohemians and puritans, politically engaged and politically indifferent. 

However, Shaw’s script takes a while to get going and it’s only towards the end of the second act that the social commentary swells to a crescendo, by which point it’s all feeling a little too contrived. 

Nonetheless Wilmott has a solid cast working with this challenging script. JP Turner’s Boss Mangan is appropriately brash, Ben Porter makes for an endearing Mazzini Dunn and Mat Betteridge’s Hector Hushabye is a commanding presence.  Although James Horne’s portrayal of the simultaneously confused and shrewd Captain Shotover might seem slightly excessive at the outset, his gradual softening heightens the intrigue, making this a performance to watch. But Helen Anker’s standout performance as the effervescent Hesione Hushabye is the one to leave an imprint after the figurative curtain falls. 

The set design (Justin Williams and Johnny Rust) excels. Nestled in an archway beneath train tracks, the Union Theatre makes an ideal home for Heartbreak House. The result is a house façade that mirrors the nautical theme that runs throughout. The set stretches upwards, providing a clever birds nest-esque nook for Captain Shotover, lending further weight to his frequent godlike interjections into the conversations taking place below. Moreover, the overhead rumble of passing trains could pass for crashing waves, nicely complementing Philip Matejschuk’s sound design.

Much is packed into one evening and the heartbreak alluded to in the title is cleverly determined to be both of conventional and unconventional forms. Yet the play is ultimately held back by the playwright’s desire to say something of importance, rather than an actual delivery of a narrative via well-formed characters who interact with authenticity.

Ultimately though, with a message that is as relevant today as it was almost a hundred years ago, Heartbreak House remains a story worth retelling. 

Runs until 3rd February

Reviewed by Bhakti Gajjar

Photo credit: Scott Rylander

Imagine This - Review

Union Theatre, London

****

Music by Shuki Levy

Lyrics by David Goldsmith

Book by Glenn Berenbeim

Directed by Harry Blumenau

Set amidst a Jewish theatre company, in the hellish conditions of the Warsaw Ghetto in 1942, during the Holocaust, Imagine This sees a cast of actors rehearse a telling of the story of Masada, ostensibly to appease the city’s Nazi occupiers by telling a tale where “all the Jews die at the end”. During their show’s rehearsals they provide sanctuary to a Ghetto resistance fighter, hiding him among themselves in plain sight as a cast member. 

The Warsaw Ghetto (like Masada) is famous in history as having been one of the few locations where Jews fought back at a regime that sought their destruction. However, not withstanding the epic backdrop to Imagine This, its previous incarnations in the West End and at Plymouth both failed to capture an audience. Harry Blumenau’s production at the Union however manages to shed the show’s previous blunders, succeeding in telling a harrowing and touching story with tenderness and care in a production that is filled with heart and trauma.

Watching a show within a show, it can be  easy to lose track of which plot you’re following and the book of Imagine This is found to be quite flawed. There isn’t enough character development in the main narrative, with the first act spending too much time on the story of Masada, rather than letting the audience get to the know the ghetto characters themselves.

Lauren James Ray and Shaun McCourt are a beautiful leading couple as Rebecca, an actress in the company and Adam the hidden resistance fighter, eager to find his younger brother whom he fears has been kidnapped by the Nazis. The two are stoic and strong in their performances, embracing a stillness that compliments the material. Shuki Levy’s stunning score does not require jazz hands or split leaps and the solemn feel of the piece is entirely respected within this, as the two give flawless vocal performances.

In contrast to this there is a welcome and needed comic relief in Robert Wilkes portrayal of, Pompey a Christian servant to a Roman general within the Masada story production – he offers a charming and much needed respite from the harrowing surroundings of the piece, with his comedy number in act one, No More, showing not only a talented actor but a much skilled singer. Joining Wilkes in this interjection of comedy is ensemble member Richard Dawes as Aaron, another Masada character. Dawes showcases a powerful and controlled voice and when he and Wilkes duet in the second half with Don’t Mind Me, we see just one example of Kevan Allen’s simple but beautiful choreography.

Though a smaller role and a character who is deeply conflicted throughout the piece, the most notable performance that must be given its dues is that of Abbey Adams who plays Naomi, one of the actors. Natural and effortless Her song I Am The Dove in act one is unexpected but showcases a stunning voice and wonderful presence as she comforts Daniel’s son. Similarly her performance at the show’s end, where the cast are faced with a terrifying decision, is deeply moving as the similarities between Masada and the Warsaw Ghetto are thrown into stark relief. Adams is very much the dark horse of the show. 

Blumenau’s helming of the show is well thought out and as a directorial debut he should be commended and feel justly proud. He has worked well with Justin Williams’ sparse but beautifully detailed set, that leaves the audience (in a deft nod to the show’s title) to imagine much in what they see. 

Probably not suitable for younger children, Imagine This is a beautifully moving piece of theatre.  Sensitively performed and emotionally exhausting.

Runs until 18th November

Reviewed by Charlotte Darcy

Photo credit: Nick Brittain