All posts by Richard Evans

Film & TV, Musical, Theatre

Review: The Wizard of Oz, Venue Cymru by Richard Evans

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Venue Cymru, Llandudno March 5th – 9th 2024, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff July 23-28th and touring

out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5)

Produced by Michael Harrison and Gavin Karin Productions. By arrangement with the Really Useful Group Limited. Adapted by Andrew Lloyd Weber from the 1939 Motion Picture.  Book by L. Frank Baum

Somewhere over the rainbow… in a land that I heard of once in a lullaby

Why has this film and subsequent musical retained its attraction?  In the preface to his book, L. Frank Baum describes the book as a modernised fairy tale in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out.  It is this fantasy and escapism that has proved enduring, for the same reason, Star Wars has retained its appeal. 

The storyline starts with a petulant Dorothy who feels a common teen angst where she feels neglected.  On running away, she is transported to a fantasy land and seen as a hero for accidentally killing the wicked witch of the east.  She then embarks on a journey to Oz, to see the wizard and gain the means to go home.  She encounters various characters and makes firm friends with the brainless scarecrow, heartless tin man and cowardly lion.  In order to earn her passage home and to find respectively a brain, a heart and some courage, the intrepid four are sent on an arduous task, to bring the broomstick to the wizard of the wicked witch of the west.  

This story is well known and ranks among many peoples favourites so it is a challenge to bring it to the stage once again in a fresh way.  This production adds a bit of glitz and glamour to do this, the props are minimalistic, but the music and video backdrop add plenty of pizazz to proceedings. Some of the visuals are stunning, notably the tornado scene which was highly effective, and in general they are used imaginatively to set the scene and augment the action.  

The cast have a couple of celebrity names, Gary Wilmot gives an assured performance as Professor Marvel and the Wizard while The Vivienne, winner of the first series of Ru Paul’s drag race makes a threatening, devious Wicked Witch of the West.  However, the show is carried by Dorothy, played by Aviva Tulley.  She made ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’, the signature song, her own and was a lively presence throughout.  The supporting cast were energetic and committed, making this a fast paced, joyful experience.  

The musical is faithful to the original story and incorporates most of the favourite songs from the 1939 film as well as some more contemporary numbers from its recent revival.  However, the production lacks the simplicity and innocence of the film, replacing it with the loud score and striking visuals.  Does is loose some of its allure in this process?  

There is plenty of enduring meaning here, not least, your heart, brain and courage are latent inside you.  Dorothy learns to appreciate home when she understands what she is missing.  But it is in joyful escapism that this story comes to life.  It is a colourful interlude from the mundane, gritty reality of life.  This may explain its appeal to marginalised groups in our society but there is enough here for anyone to identify with and makes this a warm, feel good experience that is well worth seeing.

Film & TV, Musical, Theatre

Review Everybody’s talking about Jamie, Venue Cymru by Richard Evans

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Venue Cymru Nov 28 – Dec 2 2023

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Nica Burns and a Sheffield Theatres Production, music by Dan Gillespie Sells, book and lyrics by Tom McRae

Why would a teenager want to stand out from the crowd?  For many teenagers, fitting in with your peers is hugely important so there must be a reason to be different. 

This is the story of Jamie, someone who by force of personality stood out from the crowd.  Perhaps he always knew he was different.  Perhaps an extrovert personality made him a born performer, but why choose to be a drag queen? By any stretch of the imagination this is an unusual ambition, and this play is a recounting of a now well known story based on the real life experience of Jamie Campbell. 

The action centres around the school environment of a year 11 class in the lead up to their end of school prom.  It focuses on Jamie, who is coming to terms with himself, and explores his ambition to be a female impersonator.  It seems he came out twice, once as gay and subsequently as an aspiring drag queen.  As the school setting is a working class environment in Sheffield, these factors brought with them the scrutiny, must of it unwanted,  from his peers and teachers.  

The stand out performer was Ivano Turco as Jamie who started shy, and mixed up yet became increasingly feminine and confident.  My problem was that in using a soft voice to accentuate his femininity, he became hard to hear.  He was ably supported by Rebecca McKinnis as his mother, Darren Day as his mentor, Hugo/Loco Chanelle and Talia Palamathanan as Priti Pasha, whose songs were memorable.

The production was great although not without its problems.  There was a 10 minute hiatus for a sound system failure near the start, yet the cast and crew addressed this and the musical continued without affecting the enjoyment of the audience.  The set was varied, flexible and effective, switching seamlessly from school room to nightclub to kitchen.  The choreography was energetic and balletic and the score varied in intensity from highly charged to being soulful and poignant.

In one sense, this play is mundane.  The vast majority of 16 year olds go through struggles to assert their identity and individuality and many struggle with attendant mental health problems.  In another sense this story is highly unusual and comes with layers of meaning and issues.  Jamie knew from a young age that he was gay and had an attraction bordering on compulsion for dressing up in so called girls clothes.  This made him out of step with society, such that his father thought him a disgrace and some of his peers poured scorn on him, even bullied him.  As he explores his ambition to be a drag queen, he faces losing his best friend, and being excluded from the prom because he wants to wear a dress.  Issues such as prejudice and discrimination and then human rights spring to mind but most importantly, it is clear from the play that one should stay true to yourself and then it is possible to fight through the barriers of social limitations and achieve success.

Even if a story of an aspiring drag queen is not your cup of tea, there is much in this play that makes it thoughtful, entertaining and uplifting theatre.   

Music, Musical, Theatre

Review Rock of Ages, Venue Cymru by Richard Evans

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Venue Cymru, May 2 – 6 2023

A DLAP Group and In Fine Company Production

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Rock of Ages, fit for the stone age or a timeless classic? 

The 1980’s is an ideal setting for a jukebox musical.  For many it is the heyday of glam metal bands, Styx, Journey and Bon Jovi among others and you can take your pick from any number of power ballads.  Would this musical be an excuse for an extended playlist of Metal’s favourite songs or would it have some substance to the story?  

It is the storyline that could be a problem. Many in this genre of theatre are fairly artificial and predictable and at first glance Rock of Ages falls into this trap.  There are two starlets seeking to make it on Los Angeles’ famous strip who meet and fall in love.  In their ups and downs they confront the reality of a rockstar lifestyle and the fate of many young hopefuls who tried to succeed only to see their hopes dashed.  

There is however, more to this musical than that.  The first act felt stereotypical, but the second blossomed into an unexpected parody.  It delighted in poking fun at the characters and breaking expectations.  My favourite was where the business tycoon revealed a secret dream of designing formal wear for pets.  At times it developed into farce, the aging rocker retiring and opening a llama farm in Mexico where he would teach the llamas to swallow and not spit.  

 One welcome aspect of the performance was the willingness to break down the fourth wall and relate directly to the audience.  Most prominent in this was Kevin Kennedy as Dennis Dupree, a rocker turned sound engineer who narrated the play and sought to turn at least one member of the audience into a groupie.  This added to the most welcome comic touch in the second act.

This farewell (at least for the moment) tour is a consummate production as you would expect having come from the West End.  The set is dazzling, the choreography energetic and complimented the action really well rather than being an annoying interlude.  Pride of place goes to the three piece band who, as well as being fittingly loud, were excellent with plenty of screaming guitar solos and thunderous drum rhythms.  To criticise, at times the loudness of the music and the quick pace of the production drowned out the dialogue and lyrics in the songs.  This made the production, especially in the first act hard to follow.  

Would this musical warrant a comeback tour?  Some of the songs were great to hear again and it is good to see a production laugh at its own topic matter.   It would also suit the rock scene, where it is not unknown for bands to break up and reform several times, so such a prospect should be welcomed.  Going by the strength of the standing ovation at the end, this audience would enjoy a return to the stage in the near future. 

Dance, Musical, Theatre

Review, The King and I – Venue Cymru by Richard Evans

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Venue Cymru, March 7th to 11th 2023

Rodgers & Hammerstein, based on Margaret Landon’s book Anna and the King

Howard Panter for Trafalgar Theater Productions

out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5)

“How will I know when I know everything?” “When you are King!”

This faithful production of The King and I portrays the unexpected love story between the King of Siam and a schoolteacher really well. It also draws out a series of dilemmas thrown up by a remarkable passage in history, not least the problem of how one inherits omniscience!

At its heart it is the story of two people, the King and Anna, but like much of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s work, the apparently light musical romance is rooted in political change.

For generations, each king of Siam had ultimate power within his protectorate, but the current king is now struggling to reconcile ancient rights with modern progress and the pernicious influence of western colonialism. The king is seen as barbaric, even though the show is set at the same time as the American Civil War, and only shortly after the Indian Mutiny. 

In fact this king is an educated, intelligent man trying hard to balance his autocratic power with a more considerate, conscience-driven approach.  

Opposite him is Anna, an intrepid, forthright widow employed as a teacher to the king’s children – all 67 of them. She arrives in Bangkok accompanied only by her young son, having never lived outside the British Empire. The culture shock in itself would be extreme. 

While others say what they think the king wants to hear, Anna  speaks her mind, becoming a “difficult woman” in the process. Her arrival throws up a number of clashes of culture, attitude and morality, some of which become humorous. Why did Western, Victorian women wear dresses with hoops ten feet wide?  I have no idea.  It is slightly ironic that I viewed this production on International Women’s Day, which seeks to raise the status of women worldwide today. Anna repeatedly asserts her right to be treated with dignity and equality, yet the king sees the role of a woman as merely to serve a man.  

There is therefore much to take from this story. Helen George and Darren Lee are excellent as the leads and are ably-supported by the cast, in particular the children. The score has a number of well-loved tunes, and Marienella Phillips showed her operatic voice to good effect as Tuptim, the chief narrator, a slave girl with an education and attitude.  The choice of Uncle Tom’ Cabin as a showpiece play for western visitors is a definite dig by R & H at US society.  

But there is a problem with this show in the present age: what was vital, bold and brilliant in 1951 lacks the intensity and grittiness that has become today’s standard. It has become a period piece. Some of the songs are very much of their time, and rather twee. 

But this criticism nonetheless admits the show’s classic status; it’s a rattling good story. The score may seem dated to some, but others will recognise their enduring appeal. The audience, of course, lapped it up from curtain-up and offered a sincere ovation at the end. For all its age and increasing creakiness, no one can deny its star quality.    

Musical, Theatre

Review Sister Act, Venue Cymru by Richard Evans

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Venue Cymru, February 13th to 18th 2023

Directed by Bill Buckhurst, book by Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner, additional book material, Douglas Carter Beane

Produced by Jamie Wilson productions, Kevin McCollum, Gavin Kalin, Robbie Wilson and Curve

Music by Alan Mencken, Lyrics, Glenn Slater 

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

“This is a house of worship” “But this could be bigger than Broadway!  Bigger than Vegas!”

The premise behind Sister Act is great: a nightclub singer and gangsters moll on the run after witnessing a murder finds sanctuary in a convent and turns good while transforming their choir from a discordant mess to angelic sweetness. There is plenty of room for farce and slapstick in here and a thrilling ending to go with it.  

There are some excellent parts to this production, especially the singing, as you may expect from Sandra Marvin as Deloris, Lizzie Bea as Sister Mary Robert and more surprisingly from Clive Rowe  as Steady Eddy who stole the show a couple of times.  There is a nice line in humour and some great costuming and choreography.  The set is imaginative and the change from nightclub to convent to police station and back again is slick.  Leslie Joseph is both assertive as she dictates what she expects of the order yet vulnerable as she sees firstly her church community and then the sacred traditions threatened by modernity and the whirlwind that is Deloris. 

As this play is based on the 1992 film of the same name, there are some tough acts to follow. Does this play manage to recapture the appeal of the film?  I have heard some people bemoan the fact that the music is totally different, but this underestimates the quality of the songfest here.  

However, from memory, one thing the film did well was get a good balance between respect and parody.  Like all institutions, the church should be open to being satirised but they are entitled to be represented fairly as well.  I am not sure the play does this as successfully as the film. I was not convinced with a lyric from the mother superior that questioned whether God existed.  In addition, the lyric where the young novice expressed the desire to choose rather than to obey misses the point which is that the monastic life is one where you chose to obey.  In both these examples the musical seems to underestimate the power and depth of personal devotion.  

The limited scope of the stage compared to the film set also precluded the emphasis on service to the community which was a major feature in the original and is something that any faith community should seek to do.  However, there was a willingness to debate the relative merits of a materialistic and spiritual lifestyle and plenty of respect was paid to those who have taken the vows of a nun.  Whenever a play has some gentle moralising, it is important to get these social issues comments correct.  

However, such criticism is perhaps unfair on a production that is primarily a musical show with a happy ending.  In this light, the play is highly successful.  All in all, this was a good nights entertainment and was warmly appreciated by the sell out crowd. 

Theatre

Review of Waitress, Venue Cymru, by Richard Evans

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Book by Jessie Nelson, based on the motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly

Directed by Diane Paulus

Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, David Ian for Crossroads Live UK

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Waitress – was this afternoon tea with champagne at the Ritz or a slow morning at Sloppy Joe’s café?

Diane Paulus’ feel-good optimistic musical kept me engaged for the whole evening being consummately acted with excellent choreography and set design.  The leads, Jenna (Chelsea Halfpenny), Becky (Wendy Mae Brown) and Dawn (Evelyn Hoskins) had great chemistry and while they all sang well, Wendy Mae Brown’s was the stand out, powerful voice.  The score added plenty of phase and change to proceedings and the seamless transition from one set to another with well-timed choreography was dizzyingly effective.

Waitress has music and lyrics by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson based on the film of the same name by Adrienne Shelly. choreographer Lorin Latarro and multi-Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus, Royal Derngate Theatre, UK ,2022, Credit: Johan Persson

When the play was first produced on Broadway in 2016, it had, most unusually, an all-female creative team and the nature of the story has an agenda to suit.  It tells the story of Jenna, a waitress who is a talented pie maker.  She is trapped in small-town America in an abusive relationship with little prospect for betterment.  She becomes pregnant and is seemingly destined to experience the perpetuation of the line of chauvinistic, misogynistic relationships that have oppressed women down through the ages.  Like mother, like daughter.  Then she meets her gynaecologist (David Hunter) and is able to sample what life could have been but she is caught in a tryst that can only bring danger to her and the baby in the future. 

Waitress has music and lyrics by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson based on the film of the same name by Adrienne Shelly. choreographer Lorin Latarro and multi-Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus, Royal Derngate Theatre, UK ,2022, Credit: Johan Persson

Her saving grace is the supportive network in her place of work, in particular her best friends, Becky and Dawn and the owner of the diner, Joe.  In viewing the friendship of the three women we are invited to view that sometimes hidden expression of femininity including their sexuality, compassion and ambition.  They may live in an oppressive society, but they can experience fullness of life despite their circumstance.  

The male figures do not come out of this play covered in glory.  Some are thoughtful and considerate but they are more often self-indulgent and unappreciative of their partner.  Is it wrong to feel sorry for Earl, the husband of Jenna?  No, not really.  Any abusive, coercive person deserves our condemnation, but he too is a victim of this oppressive society, losing a dead-end job with no hope of change and yet possessive in his love for his wife who then walks out on him on the birth of their first child.  From her perspective he deserves this but he also needs a much better way in life.  If society is to change for the better, it should educate and improve all people.      

Waitress has music and lyrics by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson based on the film of the same name by Adrienne Shelly. choreographer Lorin Latarro and multi-Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus, Royal Derngate Theatre, UK ,2022, Credit: Johan Persson

Does this setting have much relevance to Britain today?  I believe it does.  We have had nearly 50 years of equal opportunities legislation and it is clear that there is more opportunity for women than there has been in the past.  However, it is also evident that gender bias is still deep rooted and profound and there is much work to be done to give equality of opportunity. 

Waitress has music and lyrics by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson based on the film of the same name by Adrienne Shelly. choreographer Lorin Latarro and multi-Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus, Royal Derngate Theatre, UK ,2022, Credit: Johan Persson

While this is a fun night out with plenty to satisfy those that love this story, this is a layered play giving much food for thought.  There was evidence in the audience of the cult following this story attracts which is highly understandable as there is much to identify with in both the play and the characters within. Maybe this is not champagne tea at the Ritz and it is definitely not a slow morning at Sloppy Joe’s.  It is more like a good night out at your local.  

Theatre

Review Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, Theatr Clwyd by Richard Evans

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Tennessee Williams

Co-production by Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, Curve Leicester and English Touring Theatre

Directed by Anthony Almeida

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

What is it like to be living a lie and then to be confronted by the truth?  This is the theme that runs through Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.  We know this is a classic text so it is hard for a new production to live up to that legacy.  The spectre of Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor from the film adaptation looms large in the memory and that medium can introduce more phase and change into the setting than is possible on the stage.

This is a difficult play to get right.  It’s reputation demands vital theatre, yet the script is carried by dialogue much more than action such that it is the communication of character that will hold the attention.  Does this production succeed?  Indeed it does.  The three strongest characters, Maggie, played by Siena Kelly, Brick, by Oliver Johnstone and Big Daddy, by Peter Forbes were superb and were ably supported by the cast.  Maggie in particular was beguiling, passionate and determined while Brick suitably downtrodden before being awoken by confrontation from his stupor.  Big Daddy was the epitome of a controlling, self-made man from the Deep South with all the patriarchal values you would expect. 

Sienna Kelly as Maggie

The action takes place in a bedroom in a household that is straining to cope with the tensions that lie within.  Key to this is how people respond to the fact that Big Daddy is dying and what will become of his legacy.  Of course there are machinations behind the scenes, but the problem is the alcoholism demonstrated by the favoured son, Brick.  Why does he drink?  It is clear he is a spoiled, indulged child who has had his sports career wrecked through injury and suffered the loss of a profound childhood friend through suicide.  Now he is now running from himself out of a sense of disgust but senses that a tissue of lies pervades all his relationships.  Something has to change. The play becomes an exercise in how to uncover truth after a whole panoply of lies has been built.  The question arises, just how much truth can we take without it breaking the family apart? 

Oliver Johnstone as Brick

The set was simple and effective.  I found the curtain a distraction while it was drawn, but it was used to excellent effect when Brick was wrapped in it to symbolize being suffocated by the expectations of people around him.  The movement of the cast in and out of scene while dialogue was taking place alluded to the fact that ‘walls have ears’, again, nicely done. 

Peter Forbes as Big Daddy, Oliver Johnstone as Brick

The cast did an excellent job of portraying a suffocating, stifling atmosphere.  All that was missing were a few crickets, mosquitos and the oppressive heat from the Deep South.  The play gripped the attention and held the audience in thrall.  The characters were well developed, complex personas who all had their flaws and thus mirrored the human condition.  No easy answers were given here, people had to make the best from what they had. This may sound uncomfortable, rather it made for riveting theatre.  This was an intense, yet thoroughly enjoyable evening. 

Theatre

Review For The Grace Of You Go I (Online). by Alan Harris. A Theatr Clwyd production, co​-commissioned by Wiltshire Creative by Richard Evans

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Many of us have bemoaned the lack of live theatre over the past months, the atmosphere, the immediacy, the inventiveness behind a good production.  Would a virtual presentation be able to compensate and provide a stimulating theatrical experience?

Online interaction has been something that many of us have had to get used to and is now such a familiar form of media for both business and entertainment.  Would it work for a play that cries out for a live audience? 

Alan Harris’ play, ‘For The Grace Of You Go I’  is a dark comedy that explores the theme of mental illness, in particular a personality disorder.  It demonstrates how illness and disadvantage fits in a context of a ruthless, profit driven society that shows little understanding and still less sympathy for those who find themselves unable to conform to a standard sense of normality. The main character, Jim (Rhodri Meilir) is forced into a job creation scheme or else lose the benefits he needs to survive.  However he is unable to keep up with the demands of work or the strictures placed upon him.  Why should a pepperoni pizza have 6 pieces of sausage arranged in a circle?

Central to the play is an examination of reality, individuality and purpose in life.  Jim suffers from a depersonalization=derealisation disorder where he has a repeated experience of viewing himself from outside his body.  This has a debilitating and demoralizing effect on him and effectively prevents him from accessing work and relationships as he would like, leading him into a spiral of depression.  However, he expresses this with an honesty that contrasts markedly with Mark (Darren Jeffries) who comes across as self-assured, successful with an aspirational lifestyle.  This however is a sham and his life is effectively a lie. 

With both characters being dysfunctional, the play explores the support society should give to those with a mental illness. Remi Beasley’s character, Irina is the person who promotes the back to work scheme designed to help reconstruct the lives of those like Jim.  She presents an enthusiastic, sympathetic persona to him that is sadly crushed by the target driven, profit oriented company they work for.  Her frustration is initially directed to Jim but as she grows in knowledge and affection for him, this is directed towards the soulless nature of the company and the empty promises it makes.  This very much mirrors the experience of those marginalised in our society who seek to reconstruct their lives.

The play is drawn to a memorable climax when Jim and Mark meet at a film club.  They are both heavily influenced by a film by Finnish auteur Aki Kaurismaki, ‘I hired a hitman’.  To escape his despondence, Jim attempts to mimic the film by hiring Mark to be a hitman who will end his suffering. 

The set was highly effective using a simple backdrop of three primary colours that allowed a change of mood and scene to occur seamlessly.  It helped focus the attention on the actors and dialogue rather than distract the eye as some more complex backdrops can do. 

It was superbly acted by the three players, whose dialogue and interplay was slick and convincing.  However, while there were many occasions when the dialogue brought out a smile, there was a smouldering intensity about the production that drew towards an inevitable, tragic conclusion.  To me, the most important conclusion was that the authentic life must prevail and be lived with integrity no matter what the circumstance.  This is followed closely by the searing indictment of a harsh, money driven society lacking compassion and the ability to help those with significant mental health problems.  As such it is a timely reminder that after this current pandemic, there will be plenty of people in need of substantial support. 

Did the play successfully translate to a virtual environment?  It was certainly riveting viewing and well worth a watch, but I stand by the impression that this is no replacement for a live performance, good as it was.  It is a convenient format, where you can pause, refill your glass and come back to it, but the flat screen dulls the senses to the poignancy playing out in front of you.  Congratulations to Theatr Clwyd for having the ambition to film and broadcast this production.  It was a welcome treat after being starved of theatre for so long, however, it will be great to walk through the doors and experience once again live theatre in reality. 

Theatre

Review Ripples – Sherman Theatre/RWCMD/National Theatre Wales, by Richard Evans

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Ripples can be viewed online for two weeks, please note this review contains information about this production.

Is it ever possible to overcome addiction?

Ripples, a Sherman Theatre/RWCMD/National Theatre of Wales production is a story of 8 people who say they have succumbed to addiction as they journey through twelve weeks of group therapy.  Owing to the shutdown of society at this time, the play was presented in a video conference.   Did this detract from the play as a spectacle?

It was a treat to be able to watch theatre having been deprived of it for several weeks.  It is great to see people using their imagination to continue with theatre even though we cannot meet in person.  Ripples is a very good example, an enterprising adaptation of a script due to be performed on stage by graduates of the RWCMD and directed by Matthew Holmquist, written by Tracy Harris.  Of course it lacked the immediacy that live theatre brings.  However I have taken part in a fair few ‘Zoom’ conferences recently and understand the glitchy nature of the system and the awkwardness with dialogue that can arise.  Thankfully the technology worked and the presentation came across as professional and well edited.

The storyline did not make for leisurely viewing, but then again theatre should reflect a range of human experience and this play confirmed that sometimes there are no easy answers and neat endings in life.  It was powerful, personal testimony that explored the extremes of human experience and touched on issues like rape, abuse, bereavement, homophobic violence, suicide, betrayal and forgiveness.  Many of the characters demonstrated symptoms of mental health problems.  These were cited as reasons why people fell into addiction and while some people find themselves in this situation owing to more mundane circumstance, it is a truism that there is a reason why people become addicted. 

The play communicated the awkwardness of starting a group therapy session, wondering what the point is when you perform a seemingly spurious exercise designed to get people talking. It then successfully explored how people found others quite annoying or alternatively warmed to each other.  There was plenty of tension between certain characters but also you could find supportive advice and appreciative friendship.  This reflects the dysfunctional and disrupted lifestyle that addiction can bring and how an addict can need others but also find it hard to form productive relationships

The awkwardness posed questions of such group sessions.  How open should I be? Do I tell the truth?  How much truth do I tell?  These are tough questions for anybody but amplified by the fact that addiction involves living a lie for many people.  The level of conversation was so deep that it brought its own awkwardness as well.  People were sharing at a level normally seen only in a patient/counsellor relationship or with the deepest of friends, yet here you do the same with people who are strangers to each other. 

This rammed home possibly the most salient point in common with people who suffer an addiction, vulnerability. The play did an excellent job of uncovering how each of the characters was vulnerable, both as a reason for addiction and a consequence from it.  It also illustrated that testimony given was a mixture of truth, personal interpretation of events and make-believe.  All of the characters were looking for trust and support, but these attributes were hard to find.  All characters demonstrated the desperation to escape addiction yet many would not have the will to achieve this.

The play had an ambiguous ending.  The lead counsellor did not attend the final session having found the previous too troublesome, when one member after an argument walked out to return to her addictive lifestyle.  In that sense, the group failed and this is a key message.  Sometimes with the best will in the world, addiction is so powerful that people cannot escape no matter how they try. 

However this was only partial failure and certain characters formed relationships that may well endure and stated that they had benefitted considerably from this exercise.  Such is the nature of rehab.  Looking at the optimistic side of the ending, there were plenty of reasons given for people to be alive, dancing, late night conversations, love, sex, laughter, swimming in the sea, music, and perhaps most importantly, faith – generally and in people.  I found this a great thought to be left with.

This was an intense play and watching it onscreen made for a different experience.  Of course it lacked immediacy and it was easy to lose concentration as I was at home with a few distractions around.  It lacked the breadth of action possible on a stage compared to 8 screens on a television, but the static nature of the performance added to the bleak, personal nature of the stories.  I thoroughly enjoyed the production and thought each of the members of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Catrin Walker-Booth, John Tate, Luke Nunn, Emily John, Shannen McNeice, Mark Henry Davies, Dafydd Thomas and Meryn Davies Williams acquitted themselves with distinction.  Given the topic matter, this play is not for everyone, but those who get to see it will find it a memorable, thought provoking piece of theatre. It is available online for the next two weeks on the AM Channel here.

Richard Evans

Theatre

Review Bang, Bang, Dermot McLaughlin Productions Charles H Duggan & Brian Zucker In association with Farces Galore Exeter Northcott Theatre by Richard Evans

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Written by John Cleese, directed by Daniel Buckroyd,

Theatr Clwyd, February 18th 2020

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Was this a farce or was it farcical? With big names come
many expectations and in the world of comedy in the UK, they do not come much
bigger than John Cleese, from whom have come some of our seminal comic
experiences.  Indeed, Monty Python must
rank as one of the most influential comedy series of the last century.  Does this play match up to this
reputation?  I think it is unfair to ask
that question. 

The achievements of Cleese have stood the test of time and
he need not do anything further to enhance this legacy.  So why is he venturing into being a
playwright for the first time? I get the impression he has a profound interest
in farce.  In fact his most famous sitcom,
Fawlty Towers is pure farce.  And as he
is a creative person, he has chosen to bring to the stage an adaptation of
‘Monsieur Chasse’ by Georges Feydeau, a prominent French playwright spanning
the end of the 19th and start of the 20th Centuries.  This is someone whose plays have been adapted
many times through the years, but to many more locally he is largely
forgotten.  So Cleese’s play should stand
on its own merit, irrespective of the writer. 
After all, it is the play we view, not him.

Why do we need a farce? 
Surely our humour has moved on, become more sophisticated?  Not at all. 
After the political events of the past few years, the time has never
been more right for a farce, to give someone a heartfelt laugh, gently
lampooning our double standards leaving us with a feel good factor.  Does Bang, Bang succeed?  Of course! 
With such a pedigree from actors and writer it would be hard not to
fulfil its stated intention.  This was a
really enjoyable evening’s entertainment that had the house laughing
throughout.  It was well acted, with a
real team ethic and great comic timing.

The plot was centred on a ‘happily’ married couple who pledged faithfulness to each other, however as their lives descended towards chaos, their infidelity and the accompanying tissue of lies was exposed in front of their peers.  It was a clever script, delivered at a fast pace and never failed to grab your attention.  The characteristics of good farce were all there.  A growing sense of cringe worthy embarrassment, where you knew what was coming yet the characters were powerless in their attempts to stave off disaster.  A ring of self-confidence, epitomized when characters made asides to the audience, which you knew would be shot to pieces as the play progressed.  There was more than a gentle poke at any pomposity in all characters as they tried to fend off disaster with a smooth urbanity or a sense of moral indignation. 

The script was true to the original work of Feydeau, yet had
definite ‘Basil Fawlty’ moments.  While
all actors were excellent, I particularly enjoyed Tony Gardner’s portrayal of
Duchatel as he bumbled along from a position of trust and control to a place where
he ate plenty of humble pie.  It was a
nice comic touch to see the maid change increasingly from a deferential to a
condescending attitude as the foibles of the characters unfolded. I liked also
the set change where the cast doubled as scene shifters and acted as backing
vocals to Leontine’s song.  In the second
act when the scenery moved mistakenly, this was handled assuredly by Gardner
who turned it into a nice comic interaction with the audience.

The language of the play was as colourful as you might expect of Cleese – he has often used such, but you can question its necessity in this context. There is plenty of humour throughout the play already and one wonders if it fits the polite respectability that is the backdrop to the action. 

If you are expecting this to be anarchic, avant garde humour, you will be disappointed, but this was never the original premise.  It was a farce, well scripted, well acted and true to the artistic heritage of good farces and those seeing the play in that context should really enjoy it. So in an age where this word is overused, it was great to see a return to a proper farce.

Go on, enjoy, and have a laugh.