THE TURN OF THE SCREW

ENO at the Coliseum

30.10.09

This acclaimed McVicar production of 2007, revived for just six performances, boasts three of the original singers, and a new conductor, the legendary Charles Mackerras, who worked with Britten on the original production, sharing the conducting with the composer in 1954 when the opera arrived in London after the Venice première.

The capacity audience was an eclectic mix of ages and backgrounds – many coming to the piece for the first time, perhaps encouraged by the London Evening Standard's incredible tenors for tenners offer.

They saw a wonderfully designed production, all sliding screens, mirrors and autumn leaves. And set firmly in the nineteenth century – no Glyndebourne postwar austerity here.

This is a chamber opera, and all the players are crucial. Ann Murray as Mrs Grose the housekeeper was the doyenne of the company, with Michael Colvin as a creepy, ghoulish Quint and Charlie Manton as his knowing, tough little Miles. Very strong too were Rebecca Evans as a sensitive governess, Cheryl Barker as Miss Jessel, and Nazan Fikret as a rather mature Flora. Both she and Charlie sang their parts with impressive poise and musicality.

The six servants, smoothly setting the scene, sometimes confused the eye, but reminded us that these children, these ghosts, are not alone in the great house of Bly.

This piece also appears on the ES site.

Richard Morrison's piece in The Times.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

Independent Ballet Wales at the Civic Theatre

31.10.09

Morris Dancing to Mendelssohn ?

The Rude Mechanicals, with their silly walks, shod in clogs, scripts in pockets, were one of the chief delights of this imaginative interpretation of Shakespeare's comedy. Quince's prologue, with bows and bouquets, and the “rough musick” for their Loony Tunes Pyramus and Thisbe, were laugh-aloud funny – and the Bard's lines were instantly recognizable in their beard-coming, lion-roaring rehearsal.

It would be hard to appreciate Sleeping Beauty without some notion of the fairy tale, and you did need to know the plot here too, I think.

The style was a mix of modern and classical, the music a mix of the familiar Mendelssohn and the unfamiliar Telemann, which I thought worked rather better.

The entertainment factor was high, thanks to the fresh ideas in the staging – the umbrella bower, Bully Bottom's dreamcoat – and the youthful exuberance of the dancers: Daisuke Muira's Puck, Lauren Poulton's Helena, Mandev Sokhi's Bottom, and Iselin Eie Bowen's Titania, in a superb pas-de-deux with Richard Read's Oberon against the “cold fruitless moon”.

A Midsummer Night's Dream was choreographed by Artistic Director Darius James, with costume designs by Yvonne Greenleaf.

BAZAAR AND RUMMAGE

Players at Waltham at the Hulton Hall

31.10.09

Before charity shops cornered the market in old clothes and tasteless tat, our villages halls would host regular rummage sales.

I'm sure the Hulton Hall in Great Waltham has seen a few, and those glory days were relived in the Players' production of Sue Townsend's insightful comedy.

A self-help group of agoraphobics gathers to flog the Enid Blytons and the crimplene frocks. We meet Bell [Cathy Arnold], whose telly is black and white [this is 1982] and who plans to invest in a fun fur to wear when she takes the bins out. Katrina [a nicely observed character study from Carol Storey] who worships Manilow but prefers a nice jigsaw to intimacy, and Margaret, foul-mouthed and direct, brought to life brilliantly by Diana Bradley. Apart from all the laughs, she had a touching transformation scene and a poignant moment when she painfully recalled her violation on the bathroom floor.

Ineffectually in charge of the event were trainee social worker Fliss [Laura Bradley], and volunteer Gwenda [Nicky Hill], an annoying ex-agoraphobic who's missed out on life and university, sadly unwillingly to allow her charges the freedom they secretly crave.

The cast was completed by Julie Flint as the Community Police Officer with issues of her own.

A funny, touching piece, getting its second outing this year down Waltham way. This one, directed with a sure touch by Jan Ford, proved an enjoyable evening out in the Village Hall, even if we weren't allowed to snap up any bargains …

Animal Farm

Guy Masterson Productions

Cramphorn Theatre

22nd October 2009

Jim Hutchon was there for the Weekly News ...

This was a truly astonishing feat of theatre. One man, Gary Shelford, he of the super india-rubber body, was able to transform himself into any number of farm animals, and give really convincing representations of them all, from chickens to pigs to shire horses. With a few very effective sound effects, a stunning lighting scheme and a bale of hay on stage, Gary brought the full political significance of Orwell’s masterpiece to life.

The performance was full of almost balletic grace, combined with Gary’s natural story-telling ability, using Masterson’s perfectly-formed, pared down adaptation of the book. But none of the nuances were lost, the sly manipulation by the pigs, and their leader Napoleon, to position themselves in control, the cynical lies and spin brazenly broadcast, the discarding of the workers like Boxer, are all presented to replicate our world today, highlighting the genius foresight of the author.

HERTFORDSHIRE YOUTH JAZZ ENSEMBLE

at the Civic Theatre

25.10.09

That inspirational jazzman Jeffery Wilson brought the Hertfordshire Youth Jazz Ensemble to the Civic last Sunday.

They'd had little more than a day to prepare 60 minutes of superb jazz, including African influences, funk – Critical Mass, with a promising alto sax solo – and a lovely Autumn Leaves from the rhythm section, fronted by Christopher Valentine on trombone.

The main work was the UK première of Wilson's own Young Person's Guide to the Jazz Orchestra. Confidently and engagingly narrated by saxophonist Charlotte Briant, it explored the individual voices in the jazz family, from the kitchen to the tailgate trombone, in a suite interspersed with a star studded roll call of the great and good of this “crude, decadent and syncopated” world. Musically, the most memorable movements were Bubsy Blues for the saxes, the jazz waltz Four Times Three for the trombones, and the gospel inspired Calling for the full band, encouraged by Wilson's vocal, skat-ish, direction.

The young people in HYJE come from all over Hertfordshire, and range in age from 13 to 18; their achievement was impressive – as Jeffery said, they are committed and full of energy. I hope he brings them over the border again …