LA CAGE AUX FOLLES

Playhouse Theatre

23.07.09

La Cage has come a long way from the Boulevard comedy of 1973.

The people's cross-dressed nightclub now boasts a team of Cagelles that could rival the Tiller Girls or the Ballet Boyz, and its numbers have a gloss which Paul Raymond might have envied.

But in this revival the sentimental social comedy quite properly remains at the heart of the show.

Roger Allam is back behind the feathers as a magnificent Zaza, touchingly vulnerable in late middle age, reminiscent of the late LaRue in his priceless routines. Perfect comic timing, and the ability to sell his songs, stagey and simple alike. He's well matched by Philip Quast as Georges, these two memorable Javerts holding the stage and plucking the heartstrings.

Strong support not only from the frighteningly lithe chorus boys, but also from Jason Pennycooke as a pocket-sized Jacob, and Abigail McKern and Iain Mitchell, cyphers as the café patrons, but wonderful as the stage-struck mouse and the angry bigot, who end up dragged into the closing chorus.

Direction by Terry Johnson, choreography by Lynne Page, with Musical Direction by Michael Haslam. The production, originally at the Menier Chocolate Factory, transferred to the West End in October 2008 – booking into 2010, with John Barrowman taking over from Roger Allam in Autumn 2009.

Previously as Albin/Zaza - Douglas Hodge and Graham Norton, seen at the Royal Variety Performance 2008.

and by way of comparison, Denis Quilley at the 1987 Olivier awards

PROM 13

Royal Albert Hall

26.07.09

We saw Mohican boy crossing the street in front of the Royal College of Music at least 90 minutes before the Prom.

Turns out he was featured on bongo and vibraphone.

Percussion was prominent in this new collaborative work – A Rough Guide to the Proms Family Orchestra – based loosely on the concept of Britten's guide, with which it shared the programme.

No narration in either, unfortunately, though the new piece, conducted by Lincoln Abbotts, did have Ian McMillan's verse: The night is salted with stars …

It was a varied ten minutes, influenced by folk music from England and Algeria, and featuring a wide array of instruments and talents, with a few BBCPO hands in there as mentors. Probably more fun to do than to hear.

Elsewhere, though, this was no dumbed-down kids' concert. Young Generation Artist Jennifer Pike gave us a rare Holst – A Song of the Night – and there was a world premiere of Richard Rodney Bennett's orchestral version of his Lilliburlero Variations. All played very stylishly by the BBC Phil, on early duty after their wonderful Prom of the night before.

BREAKING THE CODE

Chelmsford Theatre Workshop at the Old Court

21.07.09

This formidable directing team had got career-best performances from their actors, in a pitch-perfect production in which every pause, every gesture, every turn of the head was significant.

Jim Crozier led the team with a towering performance as Turing, a man for whom the porridge was always cold, and for whom numbers were the only reliable friends …

Jim Hutchon was at the first night:

Mike & Sara Nower’s epic production of Breaking the Code outlines the hapless life and loves of Alan Turing, the wartime code-breaker and the father of British computing. On a commendably bare stage of a few black boxes, with a ‘groups-of-five’ backdrop, they succeeding in creating convincing depictions of time and space despite a fractured timeline after, before and during the war.

Jim Crozier was awesome as the stammering, mathematical genius, homosexual Turing trying to function in a world which tragically didn’t understand him or his work. Steve Holding was perfectly underplayed as the imperturbable policeman plodding his way to the truth of Turing’s illegal sexuality. Ivor Jevons used a well-developed sense of comic timing as the establishment ‘foil’ to Turing , and Catherine Kenton employed a delicious sense of a 40’s paramour to add a welcome, if ill-starred, love interest. Liam Collins as a casual pick-up, was the barb that eventually caught Turing, and Beth Walters played the baffled mother with great feeling.

Some of Jim Crozier’s long but key speeches were gripping for aficionados of code-breaking, but perhaps a trifle tedious – especially with the stammer - for the others. For me, the key scene was a truly explosive exchange between Turing and David Chilvers as a Greek pick-up where Turing poured out his secrets to the uncomprehending Greek, countered by a torrent of Greek, to the equally uncomprehending Turing.

TROILUS AND CRESSIDA

War and lechery at Shakespeare's Globe

19.07.09

A late brooding blackbird feeds her young in the eaves. And below, the Trojan war is played out on stage in Matthew Dunster's inventive production at Shakespeare's Globe.

The place is packed, punters attracted perhaps by Matthew Kelly's Pandarua. It is an arresting performance, holding the stage while preening, plotting, pleading and leading a rousing “Love, love, nothing but love!”

His niece Cressida is a watchable, elfin Laura Pyper, with Paul Stocker, perm and pecs, as her Troilus.

Elsewhere in a large, energetic and sometimes confusing cast of characters there was much muscle, and a little Greek love. The other clown was Paul Hunter's misshapen Thersites.

The Globe stage was clad in sunbaked clay colours, with a strange ramo around the front, and at the death of Hector, black banners tumble down from the roof.

At the end, Pandarus' mad recapitulation is drowned out by drums, and rhythmic percussion from the whole company replaces the traditional jig.

Photo of Chinna Wodu as Ajax by John Tramper

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

Ingatestone and Fryerning Dramatic Club

17.07.09

“Short as any dream.” David Proudlock's abridged comedy has been touring the Ingatestone area, dodging the showers and adapting to various venues.

I caught up with it in the dry but dull Community Club, set on a three-quarter stage with just a couple of sun-loungers: I was so close I could have applied sun oil to the Athenians without moving from my front row seat.

This accessible production by Mel Hastings for the Ingatestone and Fryerning Dramatic Club boasted some fine performances – Laura Bradley's tall and petulant Helena, Ben Salmon's mercurial Lysander, an effective foil to Matt Jones's boy-next-door Demetrius.

The rude Mechanicals included Stuart Hull as a nubile Flute, and Martin Reynolds as a convincing tailor, complete with tape measure and toy poodle.

But the fairy folk had the best of it, with Nick Lupton an outstanding Puck, voice and body equally expressive, and Mel Hastings himself as a commanding King of Shadows.

Though I did wish the cast had shown more confidence in interacting with the close-up and personal audience, this was a charming, lively take on this seasonal favourite.