PALM WINE AND STOUT

Eastern Angles at the Cramphorn Theatre

08.10.10

For Black History Month, Eastern Angles are touring a commission from Segun Lee-French: Palm Wine and Stout.

It's the almost-true story of Taiye, who's drawn back from Manchester to Africa by the spirit of his long-dead twin. There he eventually meets the father he's never known, and struggles to understand the Nigerian culture he longs to embrace. His western way is to talk things through, clear the air, while his black “brother” just wants to get on with life.

Directed by Ivan Cutting and Kate Chapman, this had many of the hallmarks of Eastern Angles' work – evocative music, a small, hard-working cast, a powerful immediacy and deft, ingenious touches. I liked the radio voice, the bizarre spirits who welcomed us in, and returned as a sort of chorus. At the end, the banknotes rain down, there's drumming and dancing, and a real sense that we've shared a private, personal journey.

Taiye, who narrated much of the story, was played by a charming Joe Joseph, his father, and the brother, by Zackary Momoh. Helen Grady was excellent as his nervous, embarrassing Mancunian mum, who joins him on his quest, and Antoinette Marie Tagoe gave inspired performances as the many female family and friends they meet along the way.

photograph - Mike Kwasniak
I also reviewed this show for The Public Reviews

EMMA

Theatre at Baddow in the Parish Hall Great Baddow

09.10.10

A UK première for Theatre at Baddow – Michael Bloom's lively Emma, Jane Austen's comedy of manners shrunk to two hours and countless fleeting scenes.

Against an uncluttered backdrop, boots and bonnets came and went, in a production which successfully suggested the “fine manners and breeding” of the novel.

The casting was carefully done, with some excellent character work and no weak links. Vicky Wright was a slightly smug Ms Woodhouse, a compulsive, mischievous match-maker, with her schemes and stratagems. Her Knightley was the dependable Roger Saddington – both spoke their lines with wit and understanding. Brilliant supporting performances from John Kensett as Emma's lugubrious father, and John Mabey as Elton, hilarious when wooing and when wedlock had subdued him.

Philippa Spurr's Harriet touchingly declared her love for Knightley, Jo Peplow-Revell made an engagingly reserved Jane, Sheila Talbot a garrulous Miss Bates, Nicholas Milenkovic a dashing Frank Churchill, and Caroline Wright was well worth waiting for as an insufferably flighty Augusta.

The production, directed by Matthew Jones and Joanna Windley-Poole, moved effectively down onto the auditorium floor from time to time, though this did make demands on a limited lighting rig. Costumes and hair were striking. The sedate dances were delightful. My only reservation was that the scene changes, done in darkness to not very authentic music, made for a stop-start staging. There were three costumed domestics. Could they not, with the cast, have adjusted furniture and fittings in full view ?

ESSEX POETRY FESTIVAL

at the Cramphorn Theatre

09.10.10

This year's Essex Poetry Festival ended in style with a day-long event at the Cramphorn Theatre.

Before an evening of 'lyrical dexterity, sly erotica and absurdist humour' from George Szirtes, Annie Freud and Luke Kennard, we heard Fen Song, an evocative blend of poems by Clare Crossman with songs from Penni McLaren Walker – Brian Coulston lending instrumental colour on mandolin. So the rich imagery of The Orchard Underground was followed by Gipsy Tale and “No school for you my little one ...”, her Green Man by “Jack Among the Green” and Etheldreda on the Isle of Ely by the same text as a song, to end a splendid set of East Anglian words and music.

There were readings from Essex poets Victor Tapner, Susan Grindley and Kay Chingango. And to kick off the afternoon, a lucky dip Open Mic session, considerably enlivened by contributions from Rhythmatic Dispositions, a young people's poetry collective from Tendring Technology College, who gave us witty conceits from Max, and a fresh take on Jacques' Seven Ages from Adam and Oli.

It's an oft-repeated truism that poets are not the best people to read their own work, but there were some good performances here: Ambigram from Canterbury, with their tobacco and chocolate, and Peter from Maldon, bemoaning the cat's pawprints on his car. I also enjoyed John's Instructions to the Visitor, Christopher's Provenance, about a mysterious painting, and 1915, about his grandfather's field compass. And I appreciated the happy juxtaposition of Chris's father's 'Youth' and Ralph's 'Old Age'.

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE

Billericay Operatic Society at Brentwood Theatre

06.10.10

It's Frederick's birthday – for his party he's chosen a Pirate theme, complete with “alarming costume”. With this master-stroke, director, choreographer and birthday boy Wayne Carpenter brings Gilbert and Sullivan into the 21^st century.

Though not of course to 2010. Adrian Rilstone has an interestingly pedantic note in the programme, so I don't mind pointing out that the nearest we can manage for this particular birthday is 2009, with Frederick finally free from his indentures in 2072.

The ladies who surprise the lads on Penzance beach are fitness fanatics, dressed for the gym, and kept on their toes by Major-General Stanley [retd.] their personal trainer.

The whole show was done with style and relish; chorus movement used the tiny space ingeniously, and there were continual clever touches – the armorial weapons, the stashes of CDs, the truncheons and swords for the bridal arch, the patter songs encore. I think Gilbert would have been tickled.

Billericay did have the advantage of having some very seasoned performers to bring this novel interpretation to life: Brian Plumb's urbane Pirate King, Mark Clements' cynical Sergeant, Fiona Whittaker's impressive coloratura as Mabel, and John Larking as Stanley.

The Carpenters were very much to the fore: Wayne was an engaging Slave of Duty, Gail a wonderful Ruth, excellently sung and acted, and Matthew made a fine right-hand-man.

I wasn't convinced at first that this space and these forces needed sound re-inforcement, but it did work, and John Pitts's clever reduction was impressively served by Derrick Thompson's musicians in the wings.

SHAKESPEARE SCHOOLS FESTIVAL

at the Civic Theatre

04.10.10

This is the 10^th anniversary season of the Shakespeare  Schools – 650 schools taking the stage, in 80 theatres, form St Andrews to St Austell.

The Civic hosted four comedies. Brentwood School's As You Lie It started strongly, with a big black-clad cast typing away. Josie Evans' Seven Ages was impressively interpreted in tableaux, and four couples found love in a parasol Arden. Megan Denny was a pert Rosalind, her Orlando confidently portrayed by Josh Thomas.

Colourful Tudor costumes for Sandon's Dream, though plastic chairs and leaden paraphrase were less authentic. A strong cast included Kallum Delf's Weaver, Helen Dennett's perplexed Hermia, and Andrew Steel's amazing Oberon, bringing real enchantment to the Athenian wood. The Fairies' song used dance very effectively.

Much Ado, in 90s night-club style, was the Plume School's contribution - I Like to Move It, Move It – and indeed the stylish movement, expressive but disciplined, was excellent.

Maya Tucker and Sam Rhodes were Beatrice and Benedick, and there were many other outstanding performances, including Georghe Basham's Borachio and Dogberry's watch.

A package tour to Ephesus from The Boswells School, with brilliant costumes and some good choral speaking. The Antipholus twins were Daniel Struthers and Robert Turk, their girly Dromios Laura Marshall and Charlotte Wright.