The Verdict stars Ian Kelsey who first found fame as 90s teen heart-throb Dave Glover in Emmerdale, and was most recently seen on TV as villain Vinny Ashford in Coronation Street.
Kelsey is part of a 15 strong cast of familiar stars from TV including Denis Lill (Only Fools and Horses), Paul Opacic (Bad Girls/Hollyoaks),Christopher Ettridge (Goodnight Sweetheart).
The Verdict plays in Mold for one week only as part of a national tour, which continues at venues throughout the UK until the Summer and with the named cast it was not surprising to see an almost full house on the first night of the run. Originally a movies starring Paul Newman and James Mason it was seen as a masterpiece of the time and nominated for 5 Oscars, More than a courtroom drama the story questions human nature and the value of life.
The large cast did not disappoint and all delivered credible performances. Kelsey was heartfelt as the down on his luck lawyer who likes the booze and the office floor more than his wife and his bed. He is engaging and convincing in his transitional journey from hard-bitten ambulance chaser to, fighter of the cause, and we follow him willingly as he takes on the Church, the Judicial system and his peers. Even in the early stages of the play he is likable and this in the main is down to Kelsey’s charm as a actor and his timing.
Supporting him in the plot and in the play was Lill who gave a stand out performance as one time partner and the surrogate father figure. Bringing a comic one liner to almost every delivery the chemistry between the two was entertaining and believable.
There was a clever use of drops for set changes making the simple set seem more elaborate than it was, naturalistic in style the lighting and direction was all very safe and felt a little stated in the first half – this along with the fact it was set in the 70’s made it feel overall a little dated – with more adventurous lighting and potentially setting it in modern day much more could have been achieved from this talented cast…. Especially as the main theme of the play is taking on the System, exposing deceit and showing that “No life is small” this is as relevant today as it was in 1976.
However when the second half kicked in and the courtroom drama began the tension and the acting over rode any concerns about lighting or direction I may have been having and all I was interested in was what would the verdict be!!
I was `shook` by the talent UWTSD students presented in their main house production of ‘Earthquakes in London’ by Mike Bartlett! Excellently directed by Iona Hefin, assisted by Kiera Sikora. This piece had my glued to my seat!
This story is unfolded through 3 sisters, an estranged father and an unborn child! Tackling hard hitting, relevant themes including climate change, mental health and modern relationships! With three intertwining storylines this play has many characters to be portrayed making this a perfect and clever choice made by Hefin for the 3rd year Acting students to explore!
As you enter
the space you are instantly brought in to an exciting environment because the
set for this piece is incredible! The entire theatre is the centre of an earthquake!
With three platforms set up for action! Turning a traditional proscenium arch
space into reversed thrust production. With the use of projection throughout tying
this piece together. The design and production students working on this piece
have done exceptional work and are a credit to the production.
Being taken on such an epic journey is a challenge for any group of actors, and the acting students at UWTSD didn’t disappoint. With a cast of 23 working as one, no one dropped the ball. The energy is the room really kept my engaged and interested throughout. With some stand out performances from Emma Davis as Peter/Emily, Ryan Stead as Colin and Grace Hazel Nicholls as Jasmine (cast 2). This group of Acting students should be incredibly proud of the work they have produced.
Grace Hazel Nicholls as Jasmine and Michael Rodney as Tom.
This show
wouldn’t have been the epic production it was without Ioan Hefin. His passion
to tell this story was filtered throughout. Ioan is truly talented.
Little Echoes is a ninety minute play with no intermission, written by Tom Powell and directed by Stephen Bailey. The show was held at The Hope theatre in partnership with Beyond the Streets, a UK- based charity who partner with women on their journey out of sexual exploitation. With a strong belief that a life is possible beyond sexual exploitation, striving to prevent abuse in pursuit that all women will be safe from coercion, violence and control. Little Echoes took place in a small intimate space and consisted of three cast members; Maisie Preston as (Danielle), Ciara Pouncett as (June) and Michael DeVille as (Shajenthran).
I loved that the seating arrangement had the audience seated around the centre stage. Everyone experienced a different level of intensity depending on what angle you were watching from, however whichever angle you were sat, you were able to capture a significant instillation. The themes explored in this play were naivety, captivity, manipulation, sexual exploitation, deceit, resentment, regret, pain, infatuation and coercion.
This production was well directed. Whenever watching a production that has no intermission it’s vital to contain a multitude of emotionally compelling content that contains sensibility, action, relatable characters, climax, tension and credibility. Little Echoes incredibly migrated all those elements together, combining the essence of multi roleplaying and miniature props, subtle lighting and one dress change of Danielle getting into a grey tracksuit not long after witnessing two girls wearing the same outfit.
Very subtly after she’d seen that, Danielle’s admirer mentioned he’d like for her to get changed as her appearance could be a distraction, to then quickly correcting himself to being a distraction for him. Once Danielle changed her clothes, he commented ‘you look beautiful’ you could hear the negative connotation piercingly. Dannielle’s energy shifting prompted him to take advantage, stimulating her mind to emotionally distract her from the wider picture of what was really going on.
Danielle was brilliantly played by Maise Preston being an extremely relatable character, making her therefore very likeable. Her characteristics were funny, nerdy, naive, quirky, daring, young, wild and free; easily flattered, therefore drawn impulsively to a charming older man giving her attention, highlighting his successful music career and ongoing tours. Dannielle being head over heels and fuelled with lust, made her determined to impress a man she barley knew by pretending to be as into music as he was, hoping to secure a special place in his heart. It was emotionally devastating watching Dannielle repeatedly being taken advantage of, constantly seduced and caressed until she was able to mentally, physically and emotionally be convinced that she didn’t exist when she’d surprisingly open her eyes to find herself with the other girls in the room; recording her.
Every scene was suspenseful, every moment was sentimental and every action correlated to an incident that occurred later on in the play, making every aspect fundamental. The stage was mainly softly spot lit, helping to make the intensity more surreal and impactful to watch. All three actors complimented each other well, bringing high energy and temperament, changing accents and tone of voice to fit into different roles simultaneously.
It was impressing to see all three actors who’d been narrating and foretelling their own individual stories connect towards the end of the play. Towards the end you witness a torn unison of vulnerability, helplessness and victimisation. All three individuals were brutally hurt, attacked tragically in an artificial world that left division, confusion and a cliff hanger of the unknown. Little Echoes connectivity is profound and compelling. A well structured play that was extremely simplistic but yet fused with vitality and mental stimulation. Jumbo Pact with an imperative message that raised awareness to the severity of Sexual exploitation.
Rain Man is the inaugural production of The Classic Screen to Stage Theatre Company and follows a line of successful screen to stage productions from producer Bill Kenwright including A Few Good Men, The Shawshank Redemption and Twelve Angry Men. Previous performances have starred an array of critically acclaimed actors including Martin Shaw, Rob Lowe and Suranne Jones.
Most will know Rain Man as the Academy Award winning
movie starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. Released in 1988, the film was
directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. Morrow
created the character of Raymond having met Kim Peek, who, although not autistic,
was born with an encephalode (a large blister on the back of his head). Kim’s
parents were told he should be in an institution, but they rejected this advice,
and, by the age of 18 months, Kim could memorise any book read to him only once.
He attained all high school requirements by age fourteen and had an encyclopedic
knowledge in a range of subjects, from History to Classical Music. However, Kim
couldn’t walk until he was four and had difficulty with tasks such as washing
and dressing.
Rain Man tells the story of self-centered car salesman Charlie
Babbitt (portrayed wonderfully by Chris Fountain who is the perfect mix of
arrogant yet somehow likeable). Charlie one day receives the news that his
estranged father has passed away and left him nothing but an old car and a
collection of rose bushes! Charlie later learns his father’s three-million-dollar
estate has been left to a mystery beneficiary. After a flurry of bad language,
sarcasm and rage, he unearths that the beneficiary is, in fact, a brother he
never knew he had; autistic savant Raymond.
The role of Raymond was
due to be played by Paul Nicholls (EastEnders,
Hustle, City Central). Unfortunately, the week before the production hit
the venue, it was advertised that, due to illness, Mr. Nicholls would be unable
to play the role at Theatr Clwyd. A disappointment to fans I’m sure, however,
Adam Lilley, who stepped into the role, most certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Lilley’s portrayal of Raymond is faultless throughout; he perfectly captures the
essence of the reality of high functioning autism and his delivery of Raymond’s
savant skills provide for many moments of humour contrasting with the sadness
of his situation. Not only does he deliver the dialogue with fantastic timing
and ease, his physical portrayal is so seemingly effortless and consistent.
The set design is
simple yet effective and makes great use of varying effects including back
drops, flying, trucks and easy to move furniture and props. During scene
changes we hear a fitting 80s soundtrack played on high volume; perhaps
purposeful, it creates with the audience a sense of hypersensitive hearing
often associated with autism. The 80s
theme continues throughout with fabulous costumes harking back to the era and
plenty of neon lights and references to TV shows and celebrities of the decade.
Whether or not you are
aware of the movie, this production cannot be recommended highly enough, mainly
for its two male leads for whom it is wholly worth booking tickets. The cast
and the production are superb, but it is their stand out performances as two
unlikely brothers which set the stage, and the story, alight. Rain Man plays at Theatr Clwyd, Mold
until Saturday March 2nd, 2019 and goes on to play at several venues
across the UK, finishing in Weston-Super-Mare between April 15th and
April 20th, 2019.
Theatr Clwyd, Mold
February 25th-March 2nd, 2019
Writer: Dan Gordon
Director: Jonathan O’Boyle
Designer: Morgan Large
Lighting Designer: Jack Weir
Sound Designer: Dan Samson
Cast includes Chris Fountain, Elizabeth Carter, Mairi
Barclay, Adam Lilley, Dominic Taylor, Joe Sellman Leava, Hannah Barker, Joshua
Diffley
Unfortunately, due to illness, Paul Nicholls is unable
to perform in Rain Man at Theatr Clwyd from February 25th to March 2nd,
2019. The role of Raymond Babbitt is played by Adam Lilley.
In my naivety and lack of French speech (despite learning it for quite the number of years), I spent most of the week in the run up to this review, completely mispronouncing it.
However, after this production, there is no mistaking the name of Tartuffe.
Tartuffe by Molière is a comical yet poignant play about the differences and priorities of the class system. Tartuffe is brought into a rich family, when the man of the house begins questioning life and everything underneath his roof. This affects his family and his general existence and we question who really is the villain of the piece.
Denis O’Hare, who plays Tartuffe himself is excellent. He is the quintessential homeless hippy yet never tries to be anything other than what the family members say he is. He is vibrant and hilarious and while we are geared to hate him, we kind of love him too.
He embodies this smelly and unhealthy man, and yet the way he is portrayed and allows himself to be portrayed to the point where we feel like we can smell, taste and feel everything he is.
The whole production is full of very well rehearsed and thought out moments of slapstick humour and action – it is fast paced and full to the brim with comedy that we are never uncomfortable or lacking a moment of interest in what is on stage. All the actors react and perform with complete perfection.
When we reach the end, our hilarity is cut short. We are suddenly reminded of the ‘moral story’ and things become dark and real. This echoes much of the writing at The Royal Court and feels like a shock change to the laughter we encountered previously.
For a very old play, Tartuffe is extremely poignant and has the great ability to hold us in comedy to then suddenly drop us into doom.
If you are a fan of my reviews, you will know that my favourite production is one with no interval. I believe to be fully involved, the interruption of ice cream and loo breaks seriously disrupts this immersion.
However, when you are told a production is 2 hours 15 minutes, no interval, suddenly that lovely wish feels sour, daunting and worrying.
Friends who had previously seen Follies, assured me that I wouldn’t notice this – that it is so good that the time will fly by.
And I am happy to report, that some of this is true.
Follies is a story about the end of an era. Show girls are taken back to the good old days of their youth, in a ruined building that was once a bustling theatre, admired by all. Now it is dilapidated, being knocked down. And this is the last hurrah! The now matured performers are haunted by their younger selves – dressed in their glam and changing of time outfits, looking upon their future selves in sometimes disapproval, sometimes admiration, and sometimes awe.
It’s right to say that you go through Follies and the need for an interval isn’t present. You feel involved and interested in the action, but for a theatre production, while it has it moments of quirkiness, of enjoyment, some lovely songs and some impeccable acting, it feels like a story where nothing much happens.
I really enjoyed being able to see their past selves – their youth. The glitz, the glamour, the femininity; all makes the showgirl/burlesque girl in me scream with delight. It is the quintessential 1930’s/1940’s era and it shows in the style and elegance of the performers. The current day being the 70’s, costumes and styles have changed and it’s easy to see how good the casting is and how true to the eras they keep to.
The dancing is enjoyable and typical musical based. The songs are belted with every breath. No one holds back. And the character of Phyllis, played by Janie Dee is by far my favourite and executed with great hilarity and almost becomes a bitter reminder of myself.
Follies is fun, it is enjoyable, but I wouldn’t come away saying it was anything spectacular or breath taking. If you are looking for a exciting and typical musical, something to sit back and enjoy a G&T with, then this is it.
How could I resist my theatrical sisters and not see another solo show after another!
In Search of Applause features a struggling actress, a trained clown who falls into the comfortable and routine life of a relationship. She doesn’t really love him. He has money and they live an interesting lifestyle, but ultimately, he seemed kind.
Now with this premise, we expect some hard hitting shock to the system- is this about domestic abuse? Perhaps a Phoenix from the ashes moment? Unfortunately there is no such thing. And the hour or so feels unremarkable.
Maroussia Vladi, both the writer and actress of the piece is very good- don’t get me wrong. She has a presence to the stage; the narrative is interesting … but it felt unfinished.
If Vladi has indeed trained as a clown, this shows. And I don’t mean this necessarily negatively. She obviously has talent but some reactions and mime seemed a little too over the top and unnecessary – perhaps in a clowning piece it would have been perfect, but for this, it didn’t. I badly wanted to associate myself with her but I just couldn’t fight through the over-theatrical wall.
The moments she really broke down, let her guard lower for a moment- where the real anger and emotion lay was what I craved and while it was only a small amount over all and near the end, it was good and what we needed throughout.
Vladi’s In Search of Applause is a nice piece of theatre – the idea is there, the talent is, but the two didn’t match quite enough for me to really enjoy it and feel a connection.
A black box theatre above a pub seems like the perfect setting for Rattled.
The stage is basic, there isn’t much to it, and this works well for a one woman show where the acting and the writing is imperative.
It is dark, gloomy, our focus over a bench and with a light that swings above. It begins with flashing of lights and a hooded figure thrashing around. When the lights begin, it’s a young lady and she’s found a car holdall with a baby in it.
The narrative continues with the woman speaking a monologue; looking back at her past, at her present and inputted with moments of anxiety and worry; some directed to and about the baby in the holdall.
Rattled is a play based on true events of a woman with post-natal depression. The series of events are mixed for theatrical effect, but Rachel Harper does a very good job of bringing realism and emotion to the character. Part of me felt uneasy and a little unconvinced at times when her character continued with nervous giggling – obviously this is for theatrical purposes, but after a while it became grating and unreal.
Harper, however, is very emotional and while this may not be her story, it is obvious that she feels connected to it – this certainly gives some backing to her acting and helps it to be as natural as possible. You wanted to hug her and tell her all is okay – you want her to stop talking to her baby as someone she doesn’t know. Ultimately, you want to help.
Rattled is a wonderful play and really in-depth and true. With some work and maybe a bigger stage, Rattled could be something special and really make waves.
See-Through is an amusing exploration of Claire Gaydon, a 29-year-old, Drama school graduate, “giving it a go” on the old YouTube. A semi auto-biographical play about boundaries online, oversharing and the relationship between a mother and daughter.
The play opens with Claire Gaydon singing ‘Gimme More’ by
Britney Spears, (an excellent song choice), before she sits down, back to the
audience and presents herself through a screen.
Early on, Gaydon establishes her character and tells us this is a true story with a few fabrications. The character finds her voice and begins establishing her channel. Starting out with generic challenges and funny videos with her mother. The more she shares, the quicker we learn that other content will get more views.
In particular, content where Claire overshares with titles such as “Sex and Weed”. The more she overshares, the more she knocks down the boundaries between her and the audience. Eventually, Gaydon goes too far and shares a very personal experience. Something she hasn’t even told her mother, who subsequently finds out through the video. This forces Claire to re-evaluate and reflect on her YouTube experience.
The performance from Claire Gaydon is strong. It’s obviously a personal piece, but one she is critical and self-aware about in her performance. Gaydon obviously enjoys the funnier moments of the script, but it is the more serious ones where her performance is strongest.
The writing is witty and amusing but doesn’t hold back on personal details of the character. Despite seeing the majority of the performance via a screen, we get to “see-through” to the emotion of the character behind the screen. This is something we don’t get in real world YouTube which works really well and is a really nice concept.
A worry going in was that the play would trivialise YouTube a bit, but it doesn’t do this. Another worry was that the use of technology would take away from the intimacy of the play. But if anything, it allows us to get even closer to the character. Gaydon just has fun with it and through a good use of technology delivers an interesting piece both in terms of its content and presentation.
There are moments that could be cut a little. Moments that drag, especially near the start, where Claire researches YouTube – which ultimately serves as a quick introduction to audience members who are not so familiar with the platform. We learn a little about the character through this, but really not enough for the opening minutes. This is, however, carried well by humour and is the only real blip in the production, and one which is ultimately understandable.
See-Through is not the most plot-heavy play, but its strength isn’t in the plot. There is a story that jumps around in terms of timeline, revealed through the screen chronologically. But this is more of a character-based piece which peaks as we eventually go behind the screen and see Claire writing a letter to her mother.
A real strength of the play is that it could go down with any age-group. Anyone “older” who is put off by the mention of YouTube really needn’t be. It’s objectively funny and enjoyable as well as having a deeper message and a story to tell which will resonate with almost anyone in some way.
The message is subtle and well crafted, which is a testament to the writing and performance of Claire Gaydon. It’s intimacy and excellent character work will have you thinking about it long after the production is over.
See-Through is a humorous, intimate and emotive play that explores the character behind the screen of an aspiring YouTuber.
See-Through is part of The Other Room’s ‘Spring Fringe’ curated spring season. One
of eight shows coming to Cardiff’s only pub theatre over eight weeks. Tickets
can be found for the upcoming Spring Fringe shows HERE, with an
ever-growing discount for the more shows you book.
SEE
THROUGH performed at The Other Room
21st – 24th February 2019
Created, performed and presented by Claire Gaydon
Associate Directors: Jaz Woodcock-Stewart and Grace Gibson
Music by James Jacob
Video Editing Support: Joseph Brett
Stage Manager: Ben Lyon
Hi Adele, great to meet you, can you give our readers some background information on yourself please?
I am a theatre and opera director. I am from Port Talbot originally and live in Cardiff now. I’m about to make my Royal Opera House debut with Handel’s Berenice.
This chat is specifically about music and the role it has played in your personal and professional life. Firstly to start off what are you currently listening to?
I am obsessively listening to Berenice as I’m about to direct it! So my iPod is pretty much given over to that and to some of Handel’s other operas. It’s good to get a sense of where this piece fits into his wider body of work.
But the latest thing that I saw and was blown away by was a gig by Hen Ogledd. Their album, Mogic, has just come out and it’s just sensational. I’m a vinyl lover, so I’ll be listening to it on the record player!
We are interviewing a range of people about their own musical inspiration, can you list 5 records/albums which have a personal resonance to you and why? 1
Magical Mystery Tour – The Beatles
I’m going to immediately preface this by saying that this is by no means The Beatles’ best album (for me, that’s Revolver) but it is the one that changed my life. I was struggling to fit in in my teens in a world of grey concrete and everyone in head to toe adidas block colour tracksuit and gangster rap. After one very late night of underage drinking, a friend took me back to his house and said “check this out”. He put the film of Magical Mystery Tour on and immediately my entire world opened up. The colour, the surreality, the clothes and, of course, the music! I became obsessed with the backwards tapeloops, the kaleidoscope camera, the technicolour kaftans. I binned the tracksuit and immediately became a 60s throwback. That one encounter opened up everything to me: art, counter culture, the music scene, a whole world of new friends. And I can still quote that film word for word.
His ‘N’ Hers – Pulp
When my school mates did all start listening to Oasis and Blur I was firmly in the 3rd camp: I was a massive Pulp fan. Different Class is the album that cemented them as working class hero for the wierdo amongst us, and This is Hardcore saw them reach the pinnacle of their orchestral ambition, but His ‘N’ Hers is my favourite. It captures something very real about being an outsider in the 90s: when charity shops were packed full of incredible 60s clothing for pennies, the seedy glamour of the beachside dirty weekend B n Bs along Mumbles road, sticky indie clubs and lager and lime. It’s an album that celebrates the trashy, sexy, the working class. Jarvis Cocker is still my hero and nothing makes me dance and cry at the same time like “Do you Remember the First time”.
Work and Non-Work – Broadcast
I wrestled between this and Dots and Loops by Stereolab (which is a masterpiece) but Broadcast just pips them for me. Warp records seemed to be the coolest thing on the planet, and Broadcast’s music touched a nostalgic nerve for a period I didn’t even know. Their music seemed to be the subconscious by product of an alternative past: the mulch creepiness of Dario Argento’s fits, the sun saturated photography, the trippy wierdness of Public Information films. This album is incredibly beautiful and cinematic: every song on it lends itself to a film that has never been made. And perhaps the thing that pushes Broadcast’s work up the list for me is the tragic death of their singer and heart of the group Trish Keenan. She was a fashion icon and a poetic mind who went too soon.
The Hissing of Summer Lawns – Joni Mitchell
One night my boyfriend and I were driving very late down a pitch Black Country lane and we were listening to a radio show of Prince’s favourite songs. Suddenly this piece came on and it was so overwhelmingly beautiful, so totally perfect that we had to stop the car and just sit there in the dark listening. That song was Edith and the Kingpin from this strange and haunting album by the one and only Joni Mitchell. Poetically, every listen glistens with new meaning and her use of language is so incredible. “The helicopter lands on the Pan Am roof/ Like a dragonfly on a tomb”. Exquisite. Especially coming at you through that pure voice.
Wozzeck – Berg
I discovered that I wanted to direct for stage when I sat down and watched Richard Jones’s production of Berg’s complex and terrifyingly hard opera based on the Buchner play. That production tore away any concepts I had of what theatre could be. The world on stage was so strange, so complete, and the performers were incredible musicians and amazing actors (Christopher Purves’ performance in that was one of immense human detail. All while singing some of the hardest music you’ve every heard over a full orchestra). Now I’m finally directing opera, this production is still the benchmark for me of what can be achieved. It’s really worth listening to: yes the music’s complex, but the tragedy of the story is brilliantly served here. Please note the version Adele describes is not available online. Instead we present The Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra, The Chorus of the Hamburg State Opera, Conducted by Bruno Maderna, Directed for television by Joachim Hess. Set design: Herbert Kirchhoff Costumes: Helmut Jürgens Recorded 1970, Hamburg State Opera.
Just to put you on the spot could you choose one track from the five listed above and tell us why you have chosen this?
I’m going to chose Babies from His N’ Hers because I think it shows how complex pop music can be. Melancholic, strangely profound: it captures the sense of teenage boredom on a rainy Tuesday evening between school and… But it also never fails to get everyone on the dance floor, and it builds into a euphoric, semi-spiritual exorcism of raw sexuality and kitchen sink drama. I can’t listen to this without dancing!
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) for this David V Goliath courtroom drama 
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(2 / 5)
