Category Archives: Theatre

REVIEW: ‘THE MOUNTAINTOP’ FIO BY GEMMA TREHARNE-FOOSE

October 6, 2016 Gemma Treharne Foose Leave a comment

(4 / 5)

I was curious to see how Katori Hall and Fio would execute a piece of theatre with Martin Luther King Jr. at the front and centre. How can you successfully honour a man like Luther King without bordering on the syrupy and sentimental – and how do you cast light on the many human flaws and weaknesses that all of us (even the greatest) have without dishonouring the memory of a one of the greatest leaders of our time?

I must confess, having seen Cape Town’s Opera’s Mandela Trilogy in Cardiff when it was playing, I kept wondering during all the jubilant celebrations about his human flaws too – rightly or wrongly. It’s a really tall order for theatre-makers and they have to tread so carefully. Separating the man from the legend is an uphill struggle, I’m sure.

Essentially, it’s hard to summon up the true spirit of a real person when you only focus on the greatness. Human foibles are what make us real – and Luther King wasn’t without his moments of weakness. It is these things that make the difference between gushing tributes and a bold and honest look at such a recognisable and enigmatic man as Martin Luther King Jr.

‘The Mountaintop’ transports us back to Room 306 at The Lorraine Motel in Memphis during Luther King’s final hours on the fateful day of his execution in 1968. Dr King has been canvassing for support for the rights of sanitation workers Tennessee. He is tired and paranoid and restless. We see him scan his room for bugs from the FBI.

Played convincingly by Mensah Bediako, we watch as Luther King strikes up a passing friendship with hotel maid Camae, played by RWCMD graduate Alexandria Riley. The interplay between the two is wonderful. Camae’s playful and frank observations about America’s race neuroses provide many moments on light relief and Riley beautifully plays the part of a woman with an incredible voice and something to say – challenging Luther King’s assumptions and observations with wit and panache. The friction and tension between the two is real – but why is she here and who is she?

There’s an underlying hint (and our own assumptions lead us to believe at first) that there’s a romantic motive for Luther King wanting Camae to stay with him. We know he is waiting for something…something even he’s not sure of. The stormy thunder, projections and lighting courtesy of lighting designer Jane Lalljee and Video Designer Zakk Huein produce a nerve-wracking tension and quiet energy to the piece, leading up to the final crescendo of Luther King’s last rallying cry. The final sequence and soundtrack by Dan Lawrence is a thing of beauty.

The Mountaintop reminds us that although it may be more than 40 years since Luther King was assassinated, the fear, ugliness, the sheer wilful ignorance and blindness of the human species is as powerful as ever. The vote for Brexit, the re-emergence and emboldening of right wing political parties across Europe…and now here we are at the precipice of doom, hoping that America votes with it’s head in October. Ugliness still prevails. Luther King’s opening line ‘America’s going to hell!’ is as relevant in 2016 as it was in 1968. Have we even moved on, really?

Luther King is tortured by the death of Larry Payne – a 16 year old teenager killed during a sanitation worker march, a few days before his own death. ‘I will never forget that name’ Luther King says. But Larry Payne’s death has now been surpassed by so many other senseless deaths – Rodney King, Michael Brown, Eric Garner. Unarmed black men killed by so-called protectors of peace. How can we prevail when we are governed by the politics of fear?

And yet…and YET, as this stunning play reminds us – positivism and hope somehow remains. In the moments of darkness, there is light. We must fight back We must endure and go on. The Occupy protests, The Arab Spring, the Black Lives Matter movement all serve to remind us – we’re still here, we’re hopeful. Maya Angelou’s words are ringing in our ears and are hinted at in the heart of this production: ‘You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I rise’.

This is the kind of powerful theatre that will evoke a raw and visceral reaction – and there are plenty of these moments, leaving your heart fit to burst and your belly doing flips. Riley’s fiery speech (wearing the suit and shoes of Luther King), the absolutely phenomenal segment where Camae and Dr King look to the future and catch glimpses of the wonders and the ugliness yet to come as well as Bediako’s final rallying cry, standing on that pulpit.

The powerful and emotional reaction you will no doubt encounter watching ‘The Mountaintop’ really is testament to Katori Hall’s incredible script. This is theatre that will pack a punch, leaving you sweating, crying and completely rung out. There are no other words to say than ‘Wow.’

Type of show: Theatre

Title: The Mountaintop

Venue: The Other Room, Porters (Cardiff)

Dates: 04 October – 15 October, PN 5th October

Writer: Katori Hall
Director: Abdul Shayek
Producer: Shane Nickels
Stage Manager: Katie Bingham
Lighting Designer: Jane Lalljee
Sound Designer: Dan Lawrence
Video Designer: Zakk Hein
Cast: Mensah Bediako & Alexandria Riley

Running time: 1hr

Produced by Fio in association with UWTSD, NTW, No Fit State, Theatre Royal Stratford East, WMC, UCAN.

Theatre

Review The Revlon Girl October Sixty Six by Kat Leslie

October 1, 2016 Kat Leslie 2 Comments

(5 / 5) – Unmissable

The Revlon Girl is a heart-breaking, tear jerking story about the aftermath of the Aberfan disaster that happened in 1966. In the play a group of mothers who lost their children in the disaster meet in a room above the Aberfan Hotel 8 months later to discuss the events of the disaster. However, no one knows that a representative from the makeup company, Revlon, is meeting with the mothers to give them all a talk on beauty tips.

This moving production will make you laugh as much as you will cry (or at last I did) and will shine a light on some very important life lessons. In the trailer for this play, Bethan Thomas spoke about how it shows that you don’t just have to deal with your own grief, but other people’s too. You fall in love with these characters and you cry for them. It was a phenomenally emotional story with powerful acting from an all female cast consisting of 5 amazing actors.

The Aberfan disaster is something that everyone in Wales will study in Welsh class, but really, none of us know what actually happened and could never understand the pain it caused. The Revlon Girl sheds light on the effects of this historical event.

This down-right fantastic piece of theatre is about the mothers own ways of dealing with the grief, it’s about women and how they are portrayed. I think the writer Neil Anthony Docking and director Maxine Evans showed this beautifully in this motivating show. You see from start to finish, each woman’s journey and how each of them learn to cope in their own unique way.

This phenomenal production is worth the time and I would defintely recommend this play to everyone.

Pontardawe Arts Centre, South Wales
Author: Neil Anthony Docking
Director: Maxine Evans
Running Time: About 60 minutes

Film & TV, Theatre

Time Credit earn & spend by Gemma Treharne-Foose, Community Critic for ‘Get the Chance’ Wales

October 1, 2016 Guy O'Donnell Leave a comment

When I joined the ‘Get the Chance’ team (reviewing live theatre and performance as a network of ‘community critics’), I wasn’t fully aware I’d be getting Spice Time Credits in return and quite surprised to receive them! I had some previous awareness that Time Credits were something people got ‘out there in the community’ – perhaps for doing voluntary work at a local community project or initiative. I had no idea you could actually receive time credits for writing and reviewing live theatre. I hadn’t thought of myself as ‘volunteering my time’ as I already kind of felt like I had won the lottery doing something I loved doing anyway. If you are part of a wider conversation, helping to increase accessibility and creating more knowledge and awareness of the arts for all – you too are a volunteer, an ambassador and a cheerleader. You’re using your skills and strengths to break down barriers and act as a bridge between theatres and non-traditional or possibly first time theatre goers and I’m really glad that Spice recognises this.

https://youtu.be/3KDhKBd2VCA

The great thing about Spice is that they are a form of currency: a way of trading your time to get a sort of ‘passport’ to do the things you love. If money is an issue, this doesn’t matter, you can use time credits for anything from local leisure services to high-brow theatre. They can travel with you – I’m off to London on the Megabus next week. I may decide to spend the time credits I earned writing about Welsh theatre to take in a show at the Barbican with my hubby. I’m on a budget weekend, but I won’t let that stop me! Time Credits makes this possible and they’re recognised all over the UK, which is great! So far I have used my time credits to spend an afternoon with my daughter jumping and running wild at ‘Jump’ play centre in Llanishen and I’ve spent several lovely afternoons watching family movies in Chapter Arts Centre with my husband and little girl Lili. Writing about theatre may be ‘my thing’, but I love sharing the time credits with my family for fun (cheap!) afternoons out. They were really handy in the holidays when money was getting tight! Chapter Arts Centre is wonderful when it comes to booking tickets, very family friendly and relaxed. I also like the fact that there’s no in-your face aggressive marketing of overpriced snacks (Which can push your average cinema outings up to £50 or more for some families). Chapter even has a ‘no munching’ rule. You’re there for the movies and good vibes anyway, not stuffing your face full of crisps and chocolate (plus if you really need a feed: use the lovely Chapter cafe!). Quite a few times over the last few months, my family and I have driven to Chapter, parked for free, used our time credits to pay for a family movie then taken a walk in the park afterwards. You don’t need to spend big money to make memories, but it helps if you have a few time credits in your pocket!

http://www.justaddspice.org/get-involved/get-started-with-time-credits

Theatre, Uncategorized

BSL review ‘The Good Earth’ Motherlode Theatre Company by Stuart Parkinson

October 1, 2016 Guy O'Donnell Leave a comment

This is a BSL review of The Good Earth by Motherlode Theatre Company performed at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. A written transcription is available below the video.
It was interesting recently I saw a play named ‘The Good Earth’

An interpreter was provided called Julie Doyle. She was fantastic. The story was emotional. It was emotional though seeing change. Various people moving away. The spirit of the community was changing.
I became to understand Valleys and appreciate community. Change is not nice as when people do not people move away the spirit of the community changes
It was interesting to see the actors use chairs and tablets to show destruction

The Interpreter’s role did shift which is important to see and identify which character was talking.
At the end of the play I reflected it must be nice to live in a close knit community in the valley.
If you haven’t seen the play please do watch it.
Thank you
http://motherlodetheatre.com/thegoodearth/#thegoodearth/about

Theatre

REVIEW AGATHA CHRISTIE’s ‘THE MOUSETRAP’ BY JAMES BRIGGS

September 29, 2016 James Briggs Leave a comment

(4 / 5)

When looking at Murder Mystery stories it is extremely rare to find someone as talented and well-loved as Agatha Christie. On the 25^th November 1952 Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mousetrap’, opened in the West End and has been running ever since, meaning the play is celebrating its 60^th Anniversary. To celebrate this momentous occasion the production company have taken the show on tour around the UK allowing a whole new audience to watch and enjoy.

Being an avid fan of Dame Agatha Christie I was very keen to watch this play as I wanted to see how similar the play would be to some of her most well-known work such as Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. I must say that the play certainly does not disappoint and holds all of the key Agatha Christie characteristics to make it recognisable and familiar. Everything about ‘The Mousetrap’ seems very familiar as though we’ve read the story before. The play is set in a country house with oak-panelled walls with hidden back stairs and linking passages. It is the sort of house someone can leave the room by one door and reappear through another so you can never be too sure of where every character is. A snow blizzard takes hold and all of the roads soon become blocked to add to their problems the telephone is not working and on the radio there is a story about a murderer on the loose. The house is full of the usual range of Cluedo style characters that have never met each other before. Is there a chance that one of these people could be the murder? All of the characters have their own secrets and as you would expect from an Agatha Christie mystery, the story is full of twists and red herrings.

Three of the play’s characters Sgt Trotter, Mr Paravicini and Miss Casewell.

The characters are extremely well-defined and all very different and eccentric in their own ways. The cast of the play work really well together. Anna Andresen and Nick Barclay create a fitting partnership for Mollie and Giles Ralston showing well their nerves about their first attempt at running a Guest House. Sarah Whitlock portrays brilliantly the straight-talking, no-nonsense Mrs Boyle. Whom I thought had similar characteristics to that of Miss Marple as portrayed by Dame Margaret Rutherford. Amy Downham gives us a very secretive and mysterious Miss Casewell leaving the audience with many questions as to whom she could be. Gregory Cox is wonderful as Mr Paravicini and somehow seems to have created the character similar to that of Hercule Poirot. Oliver Gully is fantastically mad as Christopher Wren positively bursting with energy. Tony Boncza is ever so the retired Army type as Major Metcalf and Alan Magor played the part of Police Sergeant Trotter, a very good portrayal of a typical Agatha Christie detective putting all of the clues together and drawing all the attention of the audience.

Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple two characters created by Agatha Christie.

I simply must mention the divine set that was created for the play which was made in such a way that it felt homely and inviting for the audience. The use of lamps on stage bought a sense of comfort for the audience and also an element of reality. The large wooden panels with the period furniture gave the audience a wonderful setting for the story to play out.

The UK tour trailer for ‘The Mousetrap’.

I highly urge everyone to see ‘The Mousetrap’ whether you are an Agatha Christie fan or not. It is a wonderful ‘who done it’ mystery that is guaranteed to get you trying to solve the case. With endless twists and turns the audience are kept on the edge of their seats. But you must remember that EVERYONE is a suspect!

The Mousetrap is currently on a nationwide tour and tickets are available via this link –http://mousetrapontour.com/

Theatre

REVIEW: ‘KILLER CELLS’ BY GEMMA TREHARNE-FOOSE

September 29, 2016 Gemma Treharne Foose Leave a comment

(3 / 5) “Heartfelt and raw ”

Killer Cells is one of those plays that comes with some level of uncomfortable awareness for audience members. Having read the synopsis and marketing for the play, you know you are in for a potentially difficult watch. Valleys theatre company Avant, who are carving out a name for themselves as crafters of challenging, up-close-and-personal theatre, did just that tonight. They did not shy away from the stigma of the topic of miscarriage and they have clearly experimented with a number of new approaches to tackle the subject.

The production took place on one of the Park and Dare’s smaller spaces, creating a more personal feel, audience members were faced with clinical blue lights, a gurney and a medical trolley. We follow the experiences of a few women, their partners and the medical staff who deal with miscarriage and the after effects every day.

We see what happens when the banal aspects of our everyday lives – jobs, planning weddings, going out and meeting friends – all pale into insignificance when we are faced with the limitations and challenges foisted upon us by our own bodies and biology. We take for granted that within us there may be hidden factors at play, completely beyond our control that can cause so much suffering and pain.

Avant have attempted to demystify and shine a light on the hidden heartache of miscarriage. The play shows how we live our lives and our dramas via our phone – obsessing over every pregnancy milestone, reaching out to others, communicating our news and our heartache when pregnancies don’t go to plan – a screen on stage plays out the texts, the internet searches, the statistics we are warned about, the dangers we read about.

How well these vignettes and mini on-screen dramas featuring other characters work with the action on stage, I think is still being worked out as Avant develop and experiment with the script and artistic/presentational elements. The audience were invited at the end to give feedback and help shape the play and speak to the cast and it is really lovely to see this kind of collaboration and inter-mingling with the audience. This is what small venues like the Park and Dare do best.

The on stage cast gave some tender and evocative performances and all had an individual strength about them. The fragility of Rachel Pedley-Millar’s character, the warmth of Yannick Budd playing both a nurse and a father, Darius Nash’s chilling depiction of a clinical practitioner perhaps over-medicalising what is a deeply troubling time for parents.

The stand out scenes for me came via Hannah Lloyd, when her character experienced a traumatic ectopic pregnancy. Those screams I think will haunt my dreams forever. There’s a gripping drawn-out scenario where two doctors are trying to find a vein on one of the women who has been through multiple miscarriages. As Emma Macnab’s character is poked and prodded and patched up with multiple needles (while simultaneously trying to hold it together), it feels almost intrusive to watch.

There is some clever language at play as Doctors use medicalised language and labels to explain a life-changing and devastating situations – the removal of the baby is described as ‘clearing the mass’. We are introduced to the world of hCG levels, Hughes Syndrome and Endometriosis.

All these names will no doubt be familiar to a shocking 1 in 5 women who experience a miscarriage, yet the taboo of silence and mystery all around it is pervasive. While this type of topic may not be everyone’s cup of tea for a night out at the theatre, I’m really pleased to see community theatre companies like Avant not being afraid to tackle difficult subjects and push the boundaries. Killer Cells is a bold and honest look at the reality of miscarriage, I look forward to seeing how the play develops – and I’ll definitely be looking out for their shows in the future.

Theatre

Review The Ghost of Morfa Colliery, Theatr na nÓg by Helen Joy

September 25, 2016 Helen Joy Leave a comment

(4 / 5) Highly commended for welcome and interaction

Here we go. Firstly, what a welcome – the foyer is buzzing with invited guests, there are miners lamps and dolly pegs on lace cloths on the tables, the bar is open and Theatr na nÓg is meeting and greeting all of us, personally. Delightful.

All photographs by Simon Gough Photography

We are ushered into the black womb of the theatre and the magic begins. And there is magic all right! A young man sits on a swing on a green sward, reciting; a lady walks towards him echoing his words. This is a story of mining, community, family, chapel and ghosts. The ghosts tell their tale – all these folk are long gone but alive to us this night. They tell their story of hopes and fears, of aspirations and loss, through clear direction, straightforward acting and an effective stage set. And with magic.

It makes me sorry that I have not heard of this disaster down a spooky mine part under the sea of the Bristol Channel. It makes me think about the boys and men who worked there and the women who kept the home fires burning. A burning mine too in fact.

The tale is told through 5 characters – some true – a mother, her son, his friend, her brother, his wife and a chapel going gossip. It juggles through truth, fiction and fantasy – diaries, books, monsters and mining reports. It makes us think about the relative powers of the spoken and the written word. What is history other than aversion of events from a point of view?

The classic comedy scene dropped in – the quick change, the drag, the chapel go-ers squashed into a pew and watching us watching them. Joyous!

Magic! Oh the magic makes us jump! Too scary for children? Too scary for grown-ups! We were out of our seats, oohing and aahing as lamps moved, spectres appeared and disappeared, our young hero too.

I love it! And I am surrounded by people who love it too.

Afterwards, there the cast and crew come to the stage and we are invited to ask questions. Typically, the best ones come from the youngsters in the audience. The best replies come from the magician…what ghost?

We pile back into the foyer where there is a miner’s lunch buffet of local cheeses, bread, pickles, bara brith and Welsh cakes; not sure miners would have had the wine options tho. Theatr na nÓg again does what it does so well, talks to us and listens.

A memorable evening for many reasons.

Today, I met a friend for coffee and said this: if you have to choose between a ticket for the opera or a seat at The Ghost of Morfa Colliery, choose the latter.

Coal by critic Helen Joy

http://www.theatr-nanog.co.uk/ghost-morfa-colliery

Enjoyed: 21^st September, 2016, at The Dylan Thomas Theatre, Swansea

Running: September to October for schools, see website for details

Cast

Richard Nichols

Aled Herbert

Tonya Smith

Jack Quick

Production Manager

Geraint Chinnock

Designer

Kitty Callister

Lighting Designer

Elanor Higgins

Stage Illusionist Consultant

James Went

Sound Designer

Gareth Brierley

Stage Manager

Sasha Tee

Stage Manager

Brynach Higginson

Assistant Director

Daniel Lloyd

Composer

Jak Poore

Writer

Geinor Styles & Mali Tudno Jones

Director

Geinor Styles

Theatre

REVIEW: THE GOOD EARTH, CHAPTER ARTS CENTRE 20TH SEPTEMBER 2016

September 21, 2016 Gemma Treharne Foose Leave a comment

(3 / 5)

Black grit, sunshine and avocados: what makes a ‘life in the valleys’ play?

I am always slightly filled with dread and anxiety when I see any show which is based in the South Wales Valleys. Firstly there’s the debate about where the ‘valleys’ begins and where Cardiff ends. Cardiff dwellers seem to assume that ‘the valleys’ starts somewhere north of Llandaff, while also lumping in Bridgend and much of Swansea as well – well we all sound ‘Welshy’ don’t we?

My childhood friend is insistent to the point of violence that our home town (Tonyrefail, in case you’re interested) is categorically technically in ‘the valleys’ and absolutely and most definitely outside the perimeter of the ‘Rhondda’. This is important (ol’rite?!). What she has against the Rhondda I don’t know. You’d swear it had a negative reputation or something!

The problem with ‘valleys plays’

Back to my earlier point about ‘valleys plays’, depending on the producers – the accents in some plays may range from broad Llanelli to Mid-Merthyr and back again. You may get a mash up of Stella (Sky) meets Hi-De-Hi meets Frank Vickery. And well, how can I say this politely? Sometimes we sound a bit….thick. I know, I know…I might be projecting my own negative prejudices and assumptions here…it’s an issue for me and I’m getting help. But I’m really not sure whether the ‘simple’ depiction of some of the characters is meant to be a source of comedy or whether this appears to be an attempt to broadly tar us all with the same brush. There is a danger of lazy stereotyping which I’m hyper aware of. Unfortunately, this was my starting reference point even before going in to the play.
As you may have picked up I probably have a chip on my shoulder the size of a Christmas ham where all this is concerned. It’s often not comfortable viewing for me. And I’m going to be frank, I found the first 10 minutes of ‘The Good Earth’ a hard watch as I tuned in to the story…the accents, the blocking and the furniture scraping across the stage.

Tidy little melodies
Musically, the cast gelled wonderfully and I adored the additions of the Welsh hymns and lullabies interspersed with the scenes. The song ‘Mae gen i dipyn o dy bach dwt’ (Translated as ‘Tidy little house’) was a perfect song for the backdrop of the play, which appears to be based on a real story. Villagers in a mountainside village are threatened with being moved from the community they love and have lived in for generations. We see a family and their extended friends and family battling the local authority (and each other) as they fight it out.
We’re introduced to all the people ‘all living in a big long street’ – all ‘Mr’ and ‘Mrs’…one by one. It all sounds very lovely and cosy. I cringe at the mention of seeing sheep from a window. (Really? Most kids don’t see a single bloody sheep til they visit Folly Farm when they’re 10!). But bit by bit, the innocence and sweetness of little Jackie (played by Gwenllian Higginson) wins me over and helps me lower my defenses.

Vol-au-vont observations…
There are some really crisp references and superb lines which echo and crystalise life growing up in the valleys (for me anyway). Ever been ‘bastard cold’ or ‘bastard tamping’? Mam Dina describes her situation as ‘Bastard hard’…and of course you always know Mam’s gonna blow when there is a ‘bastard’ before the next word! You will of course be familiar with vol-au-vonts, which has been standard fayre in the valleys since the seventies and remains so to this day. In fact people go to funerals mostly to eat vol-au-vonts at the wake. True story.
I adored the little scene where Dina puts on a spread and is cross-examining poor Gwen with her preparation technique. There’s an uncomfortable pause as Gwen described putting ‘a touch of black pepper’ on the vol-au-vont as a finish. ‘A bit much that is, Gwen’ came the response. I had the same type of experience when I tried to buy an Avocado in Porth a few months back – the cashier in Morrisons looked at me with pity and distrust as I described how I was going to make Guacamole with it.

There’s an interesting scene with James (played by Mike Humphries) as he gives an impassioned speech to the local authority representatives… People here don’t want jobs given to them that don’t benefit the community, how can they be grateful for poor housing, they need help and there are no public services and the community is crumbing. It’s an all too familiar story and one for which there are few solutions, particularly where the South Wales valleys are concerned. I’m always interested to see attempts to re-write this story, this bleak fate of ours. And I want to hear from the dissenting voices too. Why was it that Gwen wanted to leave the village? For me, there is no romance for me in always sticking with the old – but maybe I’m missing the point. I choose to look to the sky in the valleys, not focusing at the bleak bits and obsess on the tragedy of the past all of the time. This is what I’d like to see more of in Welsh theatre. We are more than our past – and this doesn’t mean we are being discourteous or lacking in respect for those who toiled and bore the brunt of an unfair system.

What about the avocado-buying types?

Ultimately, I’m wondering when there have ever been jobs that haven’t exploited the working man, whether coal mining, factories or McDonalds Drive-Thru’s. A whole generation is now in the position of being ‘the working poor’ or possibly part of a family that have never worked. Our communities are not as they were. We’re moving on…slowly. We’re even buying avocados now! But seriously…this play contrasts wildly with what many of us find in our own streets – there are no Mams scrubbing the steps anymore, we don’t know our neighbours names and it’s not the thought of leaving that frightens us, it’s staying in one place forever.The opening song in the play sings about the grimness and the blackness from Merthyr to Blaenau to Rhondda. That sets the scene really. Try finding the sunshine when you’re battling with these assumptions (maybe that’s why my school friend gets so tetchy about NOT being from the Rhondda). She now lives in Chippenham, so I doubt people look at her funny when she buys avocados.

This wasn’t the most uplifting of plays, but it throws up a million questions that will keep you pondering long after you’ve seen it – do our roots really matter, do they define who we are, is a house just a house…and do you like ‘fruit compost’ with your cheesecake? (Possibly one of the best lines of the night!).

Duration: approx 1hr 20min, no interval

Director: Rachael Boulton

Musical Direction: Max Mackintosh

Co-produced with Motherlode and RCT Theatres, in association with Chapter, Wales Millennium Centre and Blackwood Miners Institute, supported by Arts Council of Wales.

Theatre

Review The Memo Big Loop Theatre Company by Kaitlin Wray

September 19, 2016 Kaitlin Wray Leave a comment

(4 / 5)

If the aim of ‘The Memo’ performed by Big Loop Theatre Company was to do a great performance then they certainly nailed it.

The memo is an adaption of ‘The Memorandum’ written by Czechoslovakian writer Vaclav Havel. Even though the play was written in 1965 it is still captivating for a 21st century audience. Produced by Rachel Pedley-Miller and Directed by George Soave they definitely chose a great group of actors to perform Havel’s classic.

Even though it took a while to get a grasp of the story, once I was in it, I was fully immersed. James Sarson, playing the protagonist, Mr.Gross, kept us engaged throughout, even though he was meant to be top of the food chain in the company it was evident that he had no real authority. His antagonist, Ballas, was the complete opposite. Ballas, played by Tobias Weatherburn, portrayed the arrogance and power he has over Mr.Gross within the character. Tobias’ skill at improvisation when something in the scene didn’t quite go to plan added to the skill he has as an actor. Another element that added to the hilarity of the scene was that James exceeded Tobias in height.

The only other actor who had a single character to play was Rhys Denton who played George the ‘staff watcher’. From the beginning, Rhys was sat in the audience and when he spoke for the first time it was quite a shock. His voice was perfect for the roll and even though his character was minimal he still got many laughs from the audience. The other actors were all double casted and the difference between each character was incredible. Aaron Price playing Mr.Pillar was Ballas’ left hand man, or more like his lapdog. Following orders and saying nothing pretty much sums up ‘Mr.P’. The other character he played, Mr.Stroll, was completely unrecognisable from Mr.Pillar. His whole character had transformed from a shy, obedient follower to someone who owned the stage. This was the same with Elinor O’Leary’s characters, Hana and Maria. While Hana was uninterested, sarcastic and a lover of food, Maria was a caring and helpful character that just wanted to do right by everyone. The audience interaction within Lear and Thumb’s scenes, played by Melanie Stevens and Ash Cummings, was intense yet fun. The audience members that weren’t used to the idea of actors invading their personal space definitely got a bit of a shock. Both characters bounced off each other and the contrast in personalities was amusing to watch. Melanie’s accent for both Leah and Maria were on point, both completely different yet humorous and brought her characters out even more. Ashley’s secondary character, Savant, was the lad of the group, laughing outlandishly and thinking he’s top dog. The contrast from that character to Thumb’s geeky over-excited nature was a delight to see. This was a performance that truly highlighted everyones diversity and their skills as an actor.

The directorial choices in this performance was highly applaudable, the transitions between each scenes, the character choices and the relationships between the characters was subtly hilarious. The sexual tension between Mr.Gross and Ballas in certain parts was just the right amount creating another edge to the story line. Furthermore it was also all the little moments when the timing would be perfect or there would be funny quirks For example when Mr.Pillar would end up sitting on peoples laps.

The only thing that let this show down was the space. The performance was located in the basement of the Little Man Coffee Company in Cardiff. This room can get quite stuffy and is relatively small with uncomfortable seats. Therefore I believe it restricted how far the actors could take their performance and the overall enjoyment of the show. Nonetheless, I would still recommend the show to anyone and didn’t take too much away from the whole show.

Overall it was evident that there was a high amount of professionalism from the cast and crew which resulted in over a two hour show being highly thrilling throughout. Each actor knew their character inside out and it was inspiring to see. Looking forward to seeing what The Big Loop Theatre Company do next.

https://www.facebook.com/biglooptheatrecompany/

Theatre

Review Wonderman, Gagglebabble by Gemma Treharne-Foose

September 14, 2016 Gemma Treharne Foose Leave a comment

(5 / 5) Unmissable

A lucid, slightly seasick jazz-kissed dream

Have you ever had a dream and woken up not quite knowing if what you’ve just experienced was real? That hazy half-sleep mode when your sleep-induced mind hallucination feels like it could be real for a moment? Wonderman – an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s stories for adults perfectly captures the sheer silliness and absurdity of your dreams and the haunted ‘recollections’ of a shell-shocked airman during the Second World War.

Brought to us by Gagglebabble, National Theatre Wales and the Wales Millennium Centre, the show took place in Tramshed’s wonderful pub-theatre venue. Lit by fairy lights outside and with a dim candle-lit, stripped-down vibe inside the performance space, this was a fitting and cosy venue for the performance. Mingling with other audience members and taking in our pints felt informal and exciting – there was already the imposing presence of a 6-piece band, who were gathering in the bar getting ready to take us on an epic journey in to the mind of the troubled airman.

The band line up really is superb and Gagglebabble’s Lucy Rivers (who created the music, played multiple parts and devised the show with Hannah McPake and Daf James) has a magnetic stage presence, as does Hannah McPake. McPake plays an absolutely cracking rendition of a Brighton landlady who perfectly toes the line between Mumsy and psychotic taxidermist waiting to pounce. Adam Redmore’s depiction of a traumatised, paranoid airman in the midst of a hallucinogenic dream is wonderful and raw.

The music and lyrics move the sequences along beautifully, the overall pace and energy is good and there are plenty of hearty chuckles and clever lines throughout. Director Amy Leach manages to inject joy and colour in to a storyline that has the potential to be so dark and in such an engaging way – it is frantic, but it is clever and warm. I loved the way the storylines and dream sequences joined up at the end.

Dahl’s works in general exude a childlike charm – and there are echoes of his characterisation present in his most famous children’s stories in this production – menacing enough to give you the chills, but without too much bitterness or poison.

Chatting with audience members before and after the show, Dahl leaves his mark on people in different ways.

We’re reminded of Dahl when we think of the sheer terror invoked by the TV adaptation of ‘Tales of the Unexpected’ (especially THAT clown under the bed) and of the way that even the most horrid and dodgy characters still have you rooting for them.

We get a weird perverse thrill when Mrs Trunchbull is on the scene and similarly, you’re fascinated by the somewhat pervy Uncle Oswald. In this production, we can’t help but like and want to believe the tender wife who clobbers her husband, the kooky landlady and the funny Jamaican guy who wants a souvenir of the airman’s finger. At one point, the audience even cheers for the airman’s finger to be chopped off. There is a lot of chopping threat in this production…and you will never look at a leg of lamb without smiling again!

It is mad-cap, it is fantastic and the whole thing was a lucid, slightly sea-sick jazz-kissed dream. It’s quite fitting that the opening night for ‘Wonderman’ should fall on the centenary since the birth of one of Wales’ literary gems.

There’s an excited chatter, a feel-good buzz all over town as Cardiff prepares for a mammoth weekend of celebrating all things Dahl in the ‘City of the Unexpected’ events.

For me, this was completely unexpected – a surprise full of cheeky mischief, made by misfits…and if you too are looking for a chop-tittlingly toe-tapplingly lush-winkingly good time, you need to shake your tail and get over there to see this show (try the chips in the ‘Waiting Room’ bar/restaurant next door to the venue, too – lush!)

Type of show: Theatre

Title: Wonderman
Venue: Tramshed
Dates: 13 September – 18 September, PN 13^th September
Devised by: Daf James, Hannah McPake and Lucy Rivers
Music by: Lucy Rivers
Design: Hayley Grindle
Technical: Joshua Carr (Lighting), Dan Lawrence (Sound), Lucy Cullingford (Chpreography & Movement), Bryony Tayler (Costume)
Cast / Musicians include: James Clark (Piano), PeteKomor (Double Bass), Hannah McPake (The Landlady), Mark O’Connor (Drums), Adam Redmore (The Airman), Lucy Rivers (The Wife), Joe Shire (The man from the South).
Running time: 1hr 45min

Creating opportunities for a diverse range of people to experience and respond to sport, arts, culture and live events. / Lleisiau amrywiol o Gymru yn ymateb i'r celfyddydau a digwyddiadau byw