The Barbican is ablaze with a new musical offering. A Strange Loop remains an unforgettable encounter, leaving many fine images and tunes in the brain. The songs by Michael R. Jackson are packed into this show, no interval and no prisoners here. Our leading man Usher, is his namesake at the theatre putting on The Lion King. As a young, black, gay, overweight male, he tries to find his way through and writing musicals is his escape, his passion. Yet, can Usher make it as a musical master?
There is a lot going on in this show, many themes tackled and many relatable moments for a lot of different people. Usher is very sweet as a character, down trodden by his fellow gays, snobs, family and more. A wonderful ensemble of singers dubbed his ‘Thoughts’ loiter around the stage and fill him with insecurities. Said ensemble are just one of the many highlights of the show, I’m thinking back to the outrageous musical number where black figures from history come to haunt Usher: Maya Angelo, Harriet Tubman, James Baldwin, aside an embodiment of 12 Years A Slave, clutching an Oscar. The show does have many shocking moments, never shying away from sexual, racist and homophobic bursts that left us all upset.
Director Stephen Brackett has made a wonderful production, fabulous use of the stage. I’ve yet to recover from the head turning finale scenes featuring gospel, a 80s style sitcom and even a funeral. Amazing how honest we hear truths about the parental figures in this story, the lack of support for Usher as an artist and as a gay man. Some of these songs are so catchy that I cannot even sing them now due to the context within.
The show very much belongs to our Usher: Kyle Ramar Freeman. Hardy ever off stage and with great comic timing, I was taken so much with how endearing the role is. You need a great voice and even bigger theatrical presence, Kyle does all this and more with aplomb. His brings these truths out to the role, the exhausted, bottled up emotions exploding at the end were majestic. His turn as the gospel preacher was another sensation.
This was a surreal, outrageous thrill that needs to seen at once.
A Strange Loop continues at The Barbican till 9 Sept 2023.
Lyndsey Turner’s version of Arthur Miller’s masterpiece of 20th century theatre will not be underestimated. There is a striking use of lighting thanks to the talents of Tim Lutkin, who wants to expose these characters at every angle. The stage is often alight, a large screen above the stage mimics a Rothko abstract. Perhaps the most showy thrill of this hot shot show is the water feature. Rain treacles down the front of the stage, no doubt the first few rows were in the splash zone. Its gimmicky and it’s real meaning may be contested, but I have much praise for this production.
The soft ambient drones thanks to the work of Tintying Dong and Christopher Shutt are the ever present vain throughout. The girls of the village offer further effective vocalising passages to add to the exquisite broth, another acoustic thrill. The atmosphere is heightened thanks to this and the music of Caroline Shaw also adds to this remarkable story. The actors at the start remind us of the context of the play’s creation: Miller mirroring the Salem Witch Trials with the ongoing attack from Andrew McCarthy in the ever increasing anxiety about communism in American life. Miller weaves a fine tale, facts mingle with dynamite theatre, there is never any disrespect here. The show is therefore set in the time it was written to hammer this truth home.
The Crucible remains a fine example of how not to be in a community. Its is the indulging of gossip, conjecture and hatred for the fellow man that sees these events play out. Faith and delusion intermingle and the threat of the devil and his effect upon people. Yet who has seen what? Are they really servicing the devil himself? The play skillfully used old timey English language without being too archaic, we hear and understand these characters clearly.
A remarkable cast, stun in a list of names as long as the village. Too many to say, but Nick Fletcher does well as the annoying Reverend Samuel Parris who potter’s about lost in his own pomposity. Milly Alcock is a resounding Abigail, one of the girls accused of dancing naked in the woods. Many Irish and English accent float around though Milly’s give wonderful across the pond pipes and her convulsions were immeasurably disturbing. Brian Gleeson has a lap of honour as John Proctor. This saintly figure, who fights for his wife Elizabeth aside his problematic role with Abigial.
Elizabeth is Caitlin FitzGerald, the tall, blonde presence who was hardly involved in any of the witch implied antics. I love her resilience in the face of terror. Giles Corey was a grand Karl Johnson, who get good laughs and offers great insight. Reverend John Hale is Fisayo Akinade, the serious and effective role who on the quest for truth, finds horror instead, as many girls and women are tried for witchcraft with the sentence being hanging. My favourite role was Matthew Marsh as Deputy Governor Danforth. I was awash with goose bumps for the tense trial scene and Marsh is a jammy voiced, highly intimidating figure and simply gloria in the role. Also how the quest for truth, though still extremely biased. I’ll say sorry now for not going into all the great acting in this show.
Just go and see it.
The Crucible is at the Gielgud Theatre till 2 Sept 2023.
The Great Gatsby is an immersive performance that truly takes us back in time to the rip-roaring 1920s and is made exquisitely unique by taking place in the derelict Dolphin Pub, within Mold itself. From the moment you book your tickets at ‘Gatsby’s Drugstore’ you know you are in for a real treat.
Photo Credits Sam Taylor
Upon arrival, you are welcomed to the party and when you enter the venue, you feel as though you have stepped from the 2020s, over a magical threshold and back into the 1920s. Warmly greeted by music and the characters, who are already singing, playing the piano and coming round welcoming you to the party! Casually chatting, introducing themselves, all with a drink in hand and a smile on their face. This interaction was wonderful and I loved chatting with Carroway, George, even being offered to be looked after by Gatsby himself, during the interval. It was unique and thrilling, adding to the immersive element and making you feel as though you were surrounded by the story.
Theatr Clwyd invites you to the best roaring 1920s party ever and they are certainly not wrong! We are instantly immersed into another way of life and are taken on a journey that makes us pine for an era long gone. Seeing the forbidden love story between Daisy and Gatsby unfold, through the eyes of Carroway, there is plenty of fun, dancing and singing to be had. But behind the glitz and the glamour, we see that there are cracks and the problems that we experience today were the same then; cheating, lying, falling in love with the wrong person at the wrong time. The second half builds the tension and culminates in the dramatic conclusion that F. Scott Fitzgerald intended of his Great Gatsby tale.
The cast are simply magical, from Hammett, playing the most likeable Carroway I have ever seen, leading us through the story, introducing us to his cousin Daisy, played delightfully by Bethan Rose Young, her beguiling husband Tom (Troy Marcus Richards), the vivacious Ms Baker (played perfectly by Seren Vickers) and the charming Gatsby himself (Richard McIver’s captivating performance, hitting peak levels of suave).
Hammett is word perfect, despite his lengthy dialogue, and utterly delightful in the role, charming the audience, almost as much, but not quite, as Gatsby himself. McIver is sophistication itself, with his immaculate costumes, piercing eyes and facial expressions, and his interaction with Young. Together, they are mesmerising as Gatsby and Daisy, their delightful chemistry perfecting the romance that we all yearn for. Making it all the moreheart-breaking when Gatsby is revealed to have told a few untruths of his own. Young does not just play Daisy, she is Daisy, delivering her lines in the most achingly beautiful and emotive manner, my heart almost shattered when she uttered ‘I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool’. A special mention too for Bevan and Blainey, who play husband and wife, George and Myrtle, who are key characters in the story. They are a constant and hold the link between the audience and the rest of the cast perfectly, whilst singing, dancing and playing the piano delightfully. Each and every one of the cast gave their all and embodied their characters, increasing the intensity of the immersive nature of the evening.
The set is simple, the derelict pub is obviously, well derelict, with its exposed brick, however, it is dressed up and completely altered, very cleverly, with drapes, a couple of pianos and superb lighting. It is instantly believable that you are in a dance hall one minute, the boudoir the next, or helping Daisy make life changing decisions in her bedroom the moment after. Whilst the action takes place over three floors, there is no obligation and accessibility is kept in mind throughout, with no fixed seating, but chairs dotted around and theatre staff on hand to assist. There are also performances to choose from that are signed and audio described, along with touch tours. There is no need to be nervous of the interaction, it was a perfect balance of being involved, but not putting anyone into an uncomfortable situation.
1920 dress code is encouraged, but not a must, pop on your pearls and dancing shoes, grab a prohibition cocktail from the bar and be ready to meet the Great Mr Gatsby himself and have a sublime evening, one that will stay with you for a very long time to come. The most refreshing and fun theatre performance I’ve witnessed (and been part of!) and I left feeling like I had truly experienced one of Gatsby’s decadent and extravagant parties!
The Dolphin Pub, Mold
Wed 28 Jun – Sun 27 Aug 2023
Authors: Director: Amie Burns Walker Associate Director: Fiona Kingwill Set and Costume Designer: Heledd Rees Assistant Director: Juliette Manon Choreographer: Holly Beasley-Garrigan Casting Director: Polly Jerrold Musical Director – Alex Wingfield Accent and Dialect Coach: Mary Howland Lighting Designer: Rachel Sampley Safeguarding, Inclusion and Consent Consultant: Bayley Turner Sound Designer: Phil Grainger Wigs, Hair and Make up: Noah Ehrhardt Fight Director: Lucky 13 Action Cast: Siobhan Bevan – Myrtle Huw Blainey – George Jack Hammett – Nick Richard McIver – Gatsby Troy Marcus Richards – Tom Seren Vickers – Jordan Bethan Rose Young – Daisy
Running time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 mins (including 10-15 minute interval).
150 years since its publication, Around the World in 80 Days is a story that continues to inspire and entertain us. Jules Verne’s classic tale of Phileas Fogg’s quest to circumnavigate the globe has been adapted multiple times in films, TV series and video games. This new version, adapted and directed by Juliet Forster for Tilted Wig and York Theatre Royal, adds a new spin on the material that brings a sense of energy, anarchy and fun for the whole family!
The cast of Around the World in 80 Days
A versatile and talented cast of five play circus performers trying to stage a (rather chaotic!) rendition of Verne’s Victorian-era novel. The quintet of actors, acrobats and puppeteers play multiple roles, such as Alex Phelps who deftly plays both the finicky Phileas Fogg and the beleaguered Ringmaster trying to keep the whole thing together. The antics have shades of Mischief Theatre’s The Play That Went Wrong, making it an ideal introduction to theatre for kids and families.
Genevieve Sabherwal, Eddie Mann and Katriona Brown in Around the World in 80 Days
The cast are on top form, bringing zeal and panache to a well-trodden tale. The show features a number of well-choreographed and excellently performed circus acts, including fight scenes, dance scenes and a standout battle over a see-saw that must have been far easier to perform than the actors made it look. While the first act lacks some pace, there is a zesty creativity to proceedings that keeps things chugging along, with puppets and props used to convey train journeys, elephant rides, and a tipsy tussle between Inspector Fix (Eddie Mann) and Passepartout (a hugely lovable Wilson Benedito).
Wilson Benedito and Alex Phelps in Around the World in 80 Days
Writer Juliet Foster, who also directs, does a great job of navigating the aspects of the story that haven’t aged quite so well, addressing the British colonialist underpinnings of the storyline in which Indian princess Aouda (Genevieve Sabherwal) is ‘rescued’ by Fogg and Passepartout, and shedding light on the real-life story of American journalist Nellie Bly (Katriona Brown) who, inspired by Verne’s story, undertook the same journey and broke Fogg’s (fictional) record by over a week.
Alex Phelps, Katriona Brown, Eddie Mann and Genevieve Sabherwal in Around the World in 80 Days
The circus elements bring a sense of spectacle to the proceedings, with Eddie Mann’s Knife Thrower twirling electric flames in a stunning light show (he also plays a sharpshooting cowboy with an action scene all to himself) while Barton whips a target in half from metres away. More circus antics and acrobats, of which this excellent cast are clearly capable, might have added even more to the story (perhaps even some more onstage musical or dance sequences), though the cast are consistently entertaining and Sara Perks’ stage and costume designs add pizzazz. With a little tweaking, though, it could be exceptional.
Alex Phelps, Wilson Benedito,Genevieve Sabherwal and Eddie Mann in Around the World in 80 Days
Originally staged in school fields and socially-distanced venues in 2021, and inspired by the many months spent locked down in our homes, Tilted Wig’s Around the World in 80 Days is a slice of escapism that will take you on a charming journey across the globe – and all without having to leave the New Theatre!
When you hear the term ‘rock opera’, your first thought might be of icons and iconoclasts: Ziggy Stardust, Meat Loaf, Pink Floyd. You don’t tend to think of the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield – but TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] is here to give former Prime Minister Tony Blair his very own American Idiot (but more on George W. Bush later).
Billed as Yes, Minister meets The Rocky Horror Show, TONY! is the unruly brainchild of comedian Harry Hill and songwriter Steve Brown. Directed by Peter Rowe, it follows the titular politico from cradle to grave, from his stint as a wannabe rockstar in his student days to becoming leader of the Labour party and winning a landslide victory at the 1997 election, plus the precipitous legacy of his special relationship with POTUS and ‘personality’ politics. Jack Whittle, who previously stole the show in Mischief Theatre’s Comedy About a Bank Robbery, is a pitch-perfect PM, nailing all of Blair’s mannerisms from the rictus grin to the ‘right on’ charisma that lent New Labour its groovy young poster boy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHOWpmYKbl8
We follow Tony through a cavalcade of larger-than-life characters, including loved-up Liverpudlian Cherie (a top-form Tori Burgess – her running joke about fox hunting is a real winner) and bumbling frenemy Gordon Brown (Phil Sealey). Through it all, Tony is dogged by the angel and devil on his shoulder: the former, a near-saintly Neil Kinnock (original cast member Martin Johnston), portrayed as a tragic Llywelyn-style hero cut down in his political prime, with a rousing ‘Do You Hear the People Sing?’-esque swan song. (We were promised a Les Mis moment, after all). As for the latter, Howard Samuels is delectably devilish as Peter Mandelson, our sinister master of ceremonies and the architect of Blair’s ascent to the big leagues.
They’re joined by an excellent three-piece band (Oli Jackson, David Guy and Harry Brent) and supported by a lively and versatile cast including Rosie Strobel as a rabble-rousing John Prescott, Sally Cheng as the adulterous Robin Cook, Emma Jay Thomas as a dance-mad Princess Di, and William Hazell, who covers all the roles in the show and gets to shine as a briefly-spied Bill Clinton and as Blair’s boyhood hero ‘Mick Jaggers’. The cast double up in roles, which brings us Sealey’s memorable turn as a Groucho Marx-inspired Saddam Hussein and Johnston as a flight jacketed Dubya puppetered by Samuels’ bewigged Dick Cheney.
The accents are broad, the comedy even broader (bordering on bad taste), and the gags fly faster than insults at the PMQs – but the show doesn’t scrimp on the harsh reality. Blair’s accountability in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and the three other wars he oversaw during his tenure in Number 10, are on full display, even if his culpability is downplayed into naïve self-advancement. What it does nail, however, is that Blair isn’t a pop star, but a political luvvie: picking pizzazz over principles, soaking up the spotlight while the Gordon Browns of the world are made to wait in the wings.
Entertaining with flashes of brilliance, TONY! isn’t here to set the record straight: it’s here to put that record on a turntable, smash it with a comedy mallet, and dance on the debris. While the set, wigs and costumes could do with some polishing, TONY! gets away with it in the name of slapstick silliness – and its final song has moments of genuine power and poignancy, with nods to ‘Springtime for Hitler’ and Dr Strangelove. If you’re au fait with Harry Hill’s oeuvre, you’ll find the rhythm quickly, and if not, you’ll likely still be swept away in the irreverence of it all. It might not be endorsed by the real Tony Blair, but it certainly was by the audience on opening night, who couldn’t have given it a more rapturous response. The question remains, though: TONY! may have had its Mamma Mia! moment – but will you go again?
What do you get when you cross Yes, Minister with The Rocky Horror Show? You get Tony! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera], of course! This, at least, is the bonkers pitch from comedian Harry Hill and Steve Brown, the comic creatives behind the West End’s weirdest smash hit show.
Billed as “a reckless reappraisal of the life of former Ugly Rumours front man and Britain’s first pop Prime Minister Tony Blair“, it follows the titular Tony from Easy Street to Downing Street in a madcap musical experience like no other, featuring a cast of larger-than-life characters from George W. Bush to Princess Diana.
But don’t expect a history lesson, says co-creator Harry Hill: “In our world Tony’s born singing and dancing, Saddam Hussein is played as Groucho Marx, and Gordon Brown occasionally turns into the Incredible Hulk – let’s just say all the facts are there… but not necessarily as they occurred!”
Having opened on London’s West End in May, it now embarks on a UK tour, including a planned four-week stint at the Edinburgh Festival Fring,e and of course this week at Cardiff’s prestigious New Theatre. While the show is sure to divide audiences (it comes with a note that neither Tony Blair, the Tony Blair Institute, nor any other person featured in this production have endorsed or are affiliated with the production), Hill maintains that it has something for everyone: “It’s a show for Tony Lovers and Haters everywhere – and everyone in between.”
What is striking about Welsh play Imrie is its richness. Rich in language. Rich in description. Rich in lighting. Rich in characterisation. This coming-of-age story is like a rainbow bursting into life, pouring its colour out on stage with a vibrancy that reverberates throughout the whole production. Each element resembles a charged particle which, in collision, drives forward a powerful narrative about identity and belonging. It is a tour-de-force in aesthetics, as well as telling of its message.
Credit: Mark Douet
Elan Davies and Rebecca Wilson take on the roles of Josie and Laura in this two-part drama. They are half-sisters seeking to fit in in their own ways. It begins with Laura dragging Josie along to a party on the beach, she wanting to become one of the ‘in’ crowd while her sibling would rather be elsewhere. So while the former attempts to act ‘normal’, the latter runs off, after being made fun of, and finds herself alone with only the sea for company. And when from the water she hears a voice calling, a journey into an otherworldly tale takes place. This ethereal experience is captured brilliantly by the lighting that shimmers and shapeshifts across the three walls of the enclosed set. But it is also the flexibility and freedom of Davies’ physicality that produces beautifully an event which exists between the real and the imaginary.
There are parallels with Caryl Lewis’ recent novel Drift, particularly in relation to the female protagonist. Along with Disney’s Turning Red and The Little Mermaid, it is fair to say that writer Nia Morais has tapped into something bigger with Imrie. Certainly, that desire to break free from the expectations of family and (patriarchal) society burns strong here. To tie it in with the theme and symbol of water gives it a weight that bears down on the scale of contemporary classic. Its relevance is shored up by its exploration of sexual and racial identity. In particular, the conversation between the two characters at the end is thought-provoking, challenging and inspiring in its interaction with intersectionality. This is a further facet to the richness of Imrie, whose immersive soundtrack wraps the audience in its atmospheric tones which, along with the Welsh language, contributes to a mythic quality. Its basis in Cymraeg also adds a poetic lyricism to the dialogue which, though stereotypical, actually strengthens its value as a cultural expression of (self-)acceptance.
Credit: Mark Douet
Most definitely driven by Frân Wen’s passion for young people, when coupled with the Sherman’s support for innovative new Welsh writing, Imrie becomes a bold piece of theatre. Its message may be common but at its heart is an imagination that beats with such originality that it feels fresh. Celebratory of life, even as it depicts its struggles, Imrie reveals something of how identity blossoms, arising out from the depths to become all that we are, rich in colour. A play to be enjoyed whatever age you are.
Part of an extensive bibliography, Neil Gaiman’s 2013 novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane escaped adaptation until previews for this play began in December 2019. A successful West End run, and Olivier nominations, followed to culminate in a UK and Ireland tour. In bringing Gaiman’s famous imagination to life, friendship, storytelling, and family are central to an epic, magical tale of a childhood once forgotten and the darkness lurking at its edges.
Following the clearly creepy visuals of Henry Selick’s Coraline (2009) and the excellent chemistry between Michael Sheen’s Aziraphale and David Tennant’s Crowley in Good Omens (2019), The Ocean at the End of the Lane presents unique challenges to theatre makers. Director Katy Rudd, Adaptor Joel Horwood, and cast tackle fantastical and gritty elements with equal sincerity resulting in an evening of spectacle, relatability, and stunning visuals enhancing the original material.
Keir Ogilvy brings a sensitive and well-meaning 12-year-old boy to life. It is a difficult age at which to understand why, in the aftermath of his mother’s death, his Dad (Trevor Fox) burns the toast and brings in a lodger, forcing him to share a room with his energetic little sister (Laurie Ogden). All that before said lodger kills himself in the family car. Ogilvy keeps the boy grounded, but questioning and immovable whilst open-hearted as he discovers his wit and bravery along the way. Ogilby and Fox share many expertly gut-wrenching scenes ensuring the audience cannot look away for a second.
Millie Hikasa (Lettie) and Keir Ogilvy (Boy)
Millie Hikasa is a standout as Lettie Hempstock. This production emphasises Lettie’s mysterious complexities whilst keeping her immediately recognisable to all who know girls like her, want their girls to be like her, or are girls like her. Hikasa packs Lettie with undeniable charm, courage, creativity, and tenderness to provide a comforting presence throughout. Alongside Kemi-Bo Jacobs as Ginnie Hempstock and particularly Finty Williams as Old Mrs Hempstock, their clan sit as both the heart and levity of the show, gently guiding both boy and audience through darker, complex fantastical elements.
Millie Hikasa (Lettie) and Keir Ogilvy (Boy)
Charlie Brooks provides an effortless spine-chilling edge to this production as Ursula, both in her actions and the hard truths she perceives. Brooks and the tight, talented ensemble are at the central to the play’s more theatrical, fantastical elements but to describe them would be a spoiler. This production is perfect for fans of theatre magic and illusion using puppetry, movement, set, prop, and lighting design to truly elevate an already captivating performance.
Keir Ogilvy (Boy), Finty Williams (Old Mrs Hempstock) and Millie Hikasa (Lettie)
It is unfortunately often the case that the soundtracks of straight plays fall under the radar, or are not utilised. However, Jherek Bischoff’s compositions and Ian Dickinson’s sound design ensured the soundtrack sat in equal measure with all other elements of this production. You will leave the theatre wanting to listen to this soundtrack as much as any musical production.
This production features theatrical narrative and design imaginative and beautiful in equal measure. There truly is something in this show for everyone, especially young and old. Particularly, anyone interested in the creation of captivating theatre design should not miss their chance to see this show!
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is playing at the Wales Millennium Centre from 30 May – 3 June 2023. More information on the show and how to book tickets here.
What does it mean for a writer to be great? Is it measured by the amount of work they produce, or its quality? The way they are perceived by others, or how they see themselves? Perhaps ‘greatness’ is just the lie of venerating a ‘chosen’ few; a lie which inch by inch lifts that glass ceiling ever higher.
One of the few pictures that survive of Dorothy Edwards
By these metrics, a voice as brilliant as that of Dorothy Edwards (1902-1934) is lost in the maelstrom of literary machismo. The black sheep of the Bloomsbury Set, she was raised by firebrand radicals in South Wales and yet somehow dislocated from her working-class roots (she attended Howell’s private school, if on a scholarship, and later studied Greek and Philosophy at Cardiff University). In the London scene of literary greats like Virginia Woolf and E.M. Forster, she was the ‘Welsh Cinderella’, raised from the pits of the Valleys into dazzling notoriety in her own lifetime – but after her death, her books went out of print and her suicide note became her most cited work.
Angharad Matthews in A Beautiful Rhythm of Life and Death. Image credit: Noel Dacey (@noeley2510)
It is this complicated legacy that Gary Raymond’s new play sensitively examines. Directed by Chris Durnall, ‘A Beautiful Rhythm of Life and Death’ starts at the end of Dorothy Edwards’ life and moves backwards through twin storylines: in the past, Dorothy (Angharad Matthews) is inducted into London’s writing elite by David Garnett (Jâms Thomas); in the present, actors Meg and Byron, also played by Matthews and Thomas, debate how best to bring her story to life.
Writer Gary Raymond (left) and director Chris Durnall (right)
The play’s title – taken from a line in Winter Sonata (1928), her only novel – is an apt description of the drama, which toys with musical and emotional tempos. Matthews and Thomas are captivating, playing a convivial game of cat and mouse in which you are never quite sure who is hunting who. Thomas is equal parts charming and chilling as the Svengali-esque Garnett, who always seems to place himself physically higher in the space than his ‘ingenue’. While he might have benefitted from the same costume flourishes given to Dorothy (e.g., adding braces and a waistcoat for extra texture), Thomas’ performance is nothing short of transformative.
Angharad Matthews and in A Beautiful Rhythm of Life and Death. Image credit: Noel Dacey (@noeley2510)
Matthews is radiant as Dorothy, a flame who refused to dim her glow. There is a quiet defiance to her performance that embodies the stoic passion of Edwards’ heroines; women who were pushed to the margins in the interwar period. She was an outsider even among the bohemians of Bloomsbury, whom another famous Dorothy (in this case, Parker) said ‘lived in squares… and loved in triangles’. Dorothy’s affair with a married cellist, her engagement to her Philosophy Professor, working as live-in carer for Garnett’s son: all of these relationships blur boundaries; triangles on triangles, like the sonata form which underscores Dorothy’s work. Even the stage – a square room with its triangle of wooden decking – plays with geometric shapes. The fact that it is designed by Matthews means that we are watching two hidden architects at work.
Angharad Matthews in A Beautiful Rhythm of Life and Death. Image credit: Noel Dacey (@noeley2510)
And she pulls the strings from the very start. The live score by the luminous Stacey Blythe manifests Dorothy’s melodious thought processes: but as Matthews descends the steps for the first time, she slams down on the keys. This is her story, after all – at some points, she strides out in front of the audience and stares us down, as if daring us to forget it. Raymond’s soulful script, and Matthews’ lyrical performance, convey Dorothy’s abiding love for words: their codes and cadences, the way that just 12 notes and 26 letters can capture all the beauty and chaos of the world.
Angharad Matthews in A Beautiful Rhythm of Life and Death. Image credit: Noel Dacey (@noeley2510)
Durnall’s direction is a live if invisible thing: kinetic and coy, like the current that pulls a river. David and Dorothy circle each other, dynamics shifting, power crystallising. The sense that she was always thinking, always writing, with pen in hand or not, is ever-present, especially in the vibrant second act. Writing is her pole star: while people flit in and out of her life, that love never leaves her. Company of Sirens have worked their magic once more, and never is this clearer than in the exquisite closing scene, in which Dorothy finds true synthesis with another Welsh wordsmith (Glyn Thomas, author of The Dragon Has Two Tongues). It is an effortless coda that leaves Dorothy at a moment of pure synthesis. It is a slip of linen on the breeze; a single sustained note, that carries on even when darkness falls.
A Beautiful Rhythm of Life and Death is produced by Company of Sirens in collaboration with Chapter and Arts Council Wales, and performs at Chapter through 3 June. There are BSL-interpreted and audio described performances, and one matinee: more information and how to book tickets here.
Whether it’s Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, or even Basil and Dawson from The Great Mouse Detective, everyone has their own definitive ‘Holmes and Watson’. And I can safely say that, after watching Blackeyed Theatre’s interpretation of the dynamic duo, theirs has become mine.
Luke Barton in Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear. Image credit: Alex Harvey-Brown.
After his first appearance in 1886, Holmes quickly became a household name. 56 short stories, four novels and countless film, radio and television adaptations later, Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic consulting detective has become one of the most successful fictional characters ever – so popular that he was resurrected from the dead by public demand!
Luke Barton and Joseph Derrington in Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear. Image credit: Alex Harvey-Brown.
So who better to tackle one of Holmes’ thornier adventures than Blackeyed Theatre, the Berkshire-based company behind innovative reimaginings of Frankenstein and Jekyll and Hyde – not to mention previous Holmes adventures? Writer Nick Lane (who also directs) navigates smoothly through The Valley of Fear – no mean feat, as it spans twenty years, two cases, and both sides of the Atlantic. Vicky Spearing’s set – a fragmenting skeleton of exposed beams and William Morris-wallpaper, cleverly shifts from fin-de-siècle study to dusty saloon with the help of Oliver Welsh’s clever lighting and Naomi Gibbs’ convincing costumes.
Luke Barton and Joseph Derrington in Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear. Image credit: Alex Harvey-Brown.
Luke Barton and Joseph Derrington reprise their roles as Holmes and Watson, having first collaborated on Blackeyed’s The Sign of Four in 2018 (For more insight on how Luke and Joseph developed their fantastic rapport, check out our interview here). And what a dynamic duo! Barton is a zesty and mercurial Holmes who positively dances across the stage (at times, quite literally – in one of the show’s most delightful moments, he punctuates his re-enactment of the scuffle by pitching himself across the boards. It’s a ten from me, Luke!) He brings a heroic quality to the role without sanding off Holmes’ rough edges, and his declaration to Watson – “There is no me without you” – is a moment of genuine poignancy.
Joseph Derrington, Alice Osmanski and Luke Barton in Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear. Image credit: Alex Harvey-Brown.
And it rings true, because Joseph Derrington as Watson really is the perfect counter to Holmes: as steadfast and warm as Holmes is volatile and brash. Watson isn’t a slapstick sidekick here: he’s a partner in (almost) every meaning of the term (and Derrington’s own medical background lends a real authenticity to the good Doctor). Derrington is effortlessly affable as Holmes’ chronicler and companion, and their camaraderie feels authentic and lived-in; there’s a cosiness to the cattiness that reveals genuine affection between them. If, as the characters say, this is their final adventure, then they go out on a high – but I do hope we get to see them together one last time. I dare you to find a better Holmes and Watson after seeing this show.
Alice Osmanksi in Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear. Image credit: Alex Harvey-Brown.
Meanwhile, Alice Osmanski, Blake Kubena and Gavin Molloy, round out this super-skilled ensemble. Their versatility truly knows no bounds, with Osmanski especially impressive as everyone from a hard-of-hearing housekeeper to a sharp-shootin’ Pinkerton.
Blake Kubena in Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear. Image credit: Alex Harvey-Brown.
Kubena, who thrilled and chilled the New Theatre as the titular Jekyll and Hyde last year, continues to be a captivating stage presence, while Gavin Molloy brings genuine menace as coal-field crime boss McGinty and as Holmes’ most formidable foe (if you know, you know): their confrontation in an art gallery, while brief, is one of the most intense moments of theatre I have yet to experience.
Gavin Molloy in Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear. Image credit: Alex Harvey-Brown.
The show has everything you could want from a Sherlock Holmes adventure: packed with twists and turns, it brings the audience in on solving the mystery right along with the characters and keeps you guessing right until the final problem. Whether you’re a die-hard Sherlockian or an amateur sleuth, this is the show for you. Sherlock comes Holmes to roost in Cardiff this week in the last stop of its acclaimed UK Tour, and with only four performances left, it’s an absolute must-see. A whip-smart script and a supremely talented cast make this an adventure for the ages – the game is well and truly afoot!
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
(4 / 5)
(5 / 5)
