A HYMN OF HEAVENLY BEAUTY

A HYMN OF HEAVENLY BEAUTY

Tenebrae at the Thaxted Festival

12.07.2015

A welcome return from Tenebrae brought this year's Festival to a memorable close.

Not only for the rain drumming on the roof in the opening Lassus, but also for sublime performances from their broad repertoire, including some of the Russian music which is at the heart of their new touring programme – even the encore was a Rachmaninov: Тебе поем from his Liturgy of St John Chrysostom.

Holst was represented on his home turf by the Ave Maria and Nunc Dimittis, we heard Tavener's popular Song for Athene, and Harris's wonderful Faire is the Heaven brought the advertised programme to a magnificent close.

Tenebrae also gave us two of their signature works, the Crucifixus of Antonio Lotti, and Allegri's incomparable Miserere. Performed, as were many of the evening's offerings, using the architecture of Thaxted's famous church to full advantage.

NELSON MASS

NELSON MASS

Hutton and Shenfield Choral Society at Chelmsford Cathedral

11.07.15

The link with Nelson may be tenuous, but this “Mass for Troubled Times” has remained popular since its première in 1798.

A good choice for choral societies, too, since the part of the chorus is prominent and dramatic. This performance began with a thrilling account of the instrumental introduction, followed by the Kyrie and Gloria, with the splendid soprano of Alexandra Kidgell joining the chorus.

Bass Simon Whiteley had his finest moment in the Qui Tollis, with a beautifully shaped choral “Miserere”. The Credo section, a masterpiece of composition, was well handled; the solemnity of “sepultus est” contrasted with the excitement of the Resurrexit, sustained to the end of the movement.

The choir, and the Aurelian Ensemble [leader Bradley Winand] under Tim Hooper, began the evening with two of Handel's greatest hits: Zadok the Priest – a splendidly magnificent curtain-raiser – and the Queen of Sheba, before giving a fine account of an earlier masterpiece, Purcell's birthday ode Come Ye Sons of Art, in which the countertenors – Tim Carleston and Joseph Cryan – made an authentic contribution, and the brass and drums of the orchestra added colour and brilliance. A large chorus for this repertoire, which did not always match the crisp delivery of the soloists, but, as in the Haydn and the Handel, made a richly textured sound in the sympathetic acoustic of Chelmsford's Cathedral.

THE HISTORY BOYS

THE HISTORY BOYS

Sell a Door Theatre Company at the Arts Theatre Cambridge

09.07.2015

Hector's trusty Triumph hangs ominously over the Sheffield classroom in Libby Watson's touring set – flanked by two cartoonish signs: You Are Here, and Hold On Tight.

Otherwise the design is unremarkable, stackable furniture, bookshelves shading into kitchen area [for the staffroom], posters collaged over the walls and large double doors witness to the original Edwardian architecture.

The maverick English teacher may lock the doors, but passers-by can still peer in, variously shocked, amused, intrigued by the goings on.

Kate Saxon's production catches the mood of secrecy and complicity. The play itself is an uneasy mix of styles and periods, in an educational landscape where league tables and open scholarships are mentioned in the same breath, foolscap paper is still in the stationery cupboard, Porter and Piaf are on the playlist with the Eurythmics and the Smiths [“our crap”] - the stunningly appropriate “when the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat” …

An excellent cast, especially the staff. Richard Hope is a believably extravagant Hector, relishing the opportunities for showing off with Shakespeare, but touching too in his moments of self-doubt.

A pompous, jobsworth Headmaster from Christopher Ettridge, a lovely Lintott from Susan Twist. We even see [rather too much of] the femme fatale Fiona [Melody Brown]. Not so sure about Mark Field's Irwin; a difficult duo to pull off, the young student teacher and the tv historian.

The boys a mixed bag – some, like David Young's “thick sod” Rudge a little mature, even from the circle. But Kedar Williams-Stirling has a compelling presence as the insolent chancer Dakin, Patrick MacNamee is totally convincing as Lockwood, and Steven Roberts, his voice, like the playwright's at that age, still with treble overtones, is a superb Posner, singing the old songs, nervously snubbing the Drummer Hodge hand of friendship, looking longingly on as Dakin lingers with Irwin …

A beautifully crafted production of a great play, with something to say to everyone, whether new bugs in the Cutlers classroom or “those returning”, as the old school hymn, has it “more faithful than before”.

ENSEMBLE

ENSEMBLE

Essex Dance Theatre Brentwood at Brentwood Theatre

10.07.15

So much imaginative choreography and brilliant dancing packed into just two hours – including time out for ice cream.

All the performing groups were able to showcase their varied talents in two dozen numbers. And all the dancers were disciplined, focused and committed.

Among the most impressive offerings: the gold and silver Roxie duo, Pirates from the Easter Juniors with their cute little cutlasses, a sophisticated Stepping Out with black lace and canes, Take Me To Church twice, once from the Easter Seniors, once from a very talented quartet of young choreographers. Pointe work in Tarantella, tap shoes for Stuck in the Middle and the stunning Stomp with found percussion – jangling keys, a bag of sweets and a dustbin.

The finale – a big showy divertissement to that number from Hairspray – gave all the dancers a chance to take a richly deserved bow.

photograph: Clare Rowden Photography

KEGS DRAMA

KEGS DRAMA

A Night at the Musicals and The Machine Gunners

08/09.07.15

James French ended his first year as Director of Drama at King Edward VI School with not one but two summer shows.

The Machine Gunners, a new adaptation of the Robert Westall classic book, was performed with tremendous energy and enthusiasm by students from Year Nine, on an impressively designed cruciform staging which set the audience in amongst the Boys' Own action and gave an intimate insight into the motivations and moral dilemmas of the lads [and one lass] who set up their own machine gun post to defend the North East from the Hun. Smoke, sound effects and some excellent physical acting made for a gripping couple of hours. 

The Music Theatre Society ended their year in style with a rich mix of numbers – some masterpieces, some meretricious – from the musicals, directed and choreographed by Elizabeth Hutchinson. Some superb work: Roxy from Chicago, chorus boys from The Producers, a hilarious trio from Cabaret. Plus the Bad Guys from Bugsy, KEGS' last musical, and generous tasters from next year's offering, Les Misérables. Musically, some of the best things were the simplest – unplugged with just the accomplished piano of Will Foster. But the loudest cheers greeted a contribution by a chorus of unruly teachers in Revolting Children from Matilda, finally called to order by Headmaster Tom “Trunchbull” Carter.

"Richard Broadway" joined the enthusiastic audience on each night ...

A NIGHT AT THE MUSICALS

That old stand-by, songs from the shows, made a pleasant end-of-year treat for KEGS Drama Department. It has a venerable history of musical theatre, and for some performers this was a “last hurrah” before the world of gap year/drama school/university beckons.

No pit orchestra, no auto-tune, no fancy costumes. But this unplugged approach was just what the evening needed, in the lofty but intimate performing space of the Music School. Some of the most successful offerings were the simplest, with Will Foster's piano the only accompaniment. Roxy's Funny Honey – from Chicago – nicely characterized, just one example.

The range was wide, from Oliver to Matilda, from Parade to High School Musical. Mr Broadway reckons to have a pretty good knowledge of the genre [though his name is much older than the Great White Way], but the Tony-awarded, Pulitzer-prized bipolar rock musical Next to Normal was new to me – Gabe's powerfully felt I'm Alive a striking contrast with the campery of the Keep It Gay chorus boys from The Producers or the knees-up production number Consider Yourself from Oliver!.

The amazingly talented young people were joined, briefly but to huge acclaim, by an ad hoc company of KEGS staff members, in a lively, if rough-and-ready Revolting Children.

There was a nod to last year's splurgy, slippery Bugsy Malone with a reprise of Bad Guys, and a look forward to January's production of Les Misérables, with a heart-rending Bring Him Home, a measured I Dreamed A Dream [with lovely piano and chorus accompaniment], and to end, a stirring Red and Black, with Marius flying the flag of freedom,

A Night at the Musicals was directed and choreographed by Elizabeth Hutchinson, who was joined on stage by Matthew Wadey, Joseph Folley, Nikhil Shah, Amy Wang, Benjamin Russell, Dionne O'Brien, Freya Von-Claire, Harry Clark, Hazel Ellender, Isabella George, Molly Sun-Wai, Rebecca Olson, Thomas Mitty, Mark Ellis, Dominic Short and Benjamin Southern-Thomas.

THE MACHINE GUNNERS

Sitting between the arms of a cross, the audience can see children cowering under the stage, slowly crawling out of the shelters to find the world above reduced to a rubble-strewn bomb-site.

Inspired staging for Robert Westall's classic story of bravery and bonding, in which war games become real for the Caporetto gang.

This is the new adaptation done by Ali Taylor for the Imperial War Museum.

Smoke and sound adds atmosphere to the story, and the physical approach gives some stunning stage pictures – the Heinkel gunned down and its pilot thrown clear, his capture with the weapon projected on screen. James French's vision enables the aircraft, the playground, the secret base at the bottom of the garden to be created in the boys' imagination and ours, in a powerful piece of theatre. The staging of the fights, and the panic and chaos of the climactic bombing raid, are especially effective.

Music and projected images help establish the period; rubble and a china tea-cup among the few actual props. Costumes evoke the period well, but perhaps the next fund-raiser might provide some stage chairs – seeing auditorium seats in the spotlight is one of Mr Broadway's pet hates.

Stirling performances from an excellent ensemble, though the nature of the staging means that not all the dialogue is easily audible.

Max Clifford holds the stage brilliantly as Chas McGill, leader of the pack and proud possessor of the second-best collection of war souvenirs in Garmouth. No mere token girl in the lads' gang, Harry Walton's Audrey is a subtly drawn character, wanting a fair fight, showing common sense and moving sympathy for the German pilot. Nicky is something of an outsider, with his posh house and musical mother – an outstanding performance from Kristoff Ahlner, whose moment in the pets' cemetery, and scenes with Joseph Penny's convincing Rudi are amongst the most moving of the evening.

Director James French was assisted by Saqib Ahmad, Nikhil Shah and Henry Sainsbury, and the performers were Max Clifford, Max Bawtree, Harry Walton. Eliott Bunch, Kristoff Ahlner, Dharma-Dev Morzaria, Ben Metzger, Jasper Tatum, Edward Robb, Jonathan Marshak, Joseph Penny, Adam Heath, Robert Perone, Conor Hemingway, Ryan Seal and Rohan Odedra.

images by Aaron Crowe