The Let Freedom Ring season with the Philharmonia has seen a wide burst of music from the United States. The question still prevails: what is the American sound? What is the American sound today?
The discovery of this night goes to the opening slot from Wynton Marsalis and his Violin Concerto. Born in 1961, Marsalis offered up this piece in 2015 and it establishes a lot of the American sound that he personally knows and loves. It was quite lovely, the use of jazz, blues and country music breaks down barriers like prevoius composers before him. A solid 40 minutes, it never dragged, its merriment often pulling you into its delightful world. I could not resist the fun with some head nodding of my own. Rampant rhythm changes and a rich, orchestral pallete stoodout as highlights. Nicola Benedetti was the guiding spirit of the work, really tucking into the eccentric aspects and delighting in novel musical genres that phased through. Nicola’ passage from centre stage to the side, saw a telling duet with Matt French on drum kit, one of many thrills. Listen to this on BBC Sounds, you might just be surprised.
Leading into more light music with Duke Ellington and his Three Black Kings. This puntasic tribute to The Maji, Solomon and Martin Luther King, is pleasent enough. This large orchestra feeling on the heavy side for what I dare say passes as elevator music. Its was pretty and had some clever melodies yet I wasn’t wowed by it at all. I found more to get out of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture, though that took a while to take off. I guess you wait for the famous songs out of this flawed and problematic opera. Though when Summertime, I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’ and It Ain’t Necessarily So arrive, it does pay off. The Storm scene with additional bell sounds is evokative and quite scary. Here the orchestra let loose once more and thrill in these finely written songs in orchestral form. This remains the best way to listen to Porgy and Bess, as the full opera is pretty dull.
Those who are familiar with the iconic 1992 movie will know that the movie is headlined by the incredible Whoopi Goldberg as the fugitive singer turned nun. As this is such a recognisable movie/character the pressure is on for anyone who not only spear heading the show by stepping into the role of the fabulous Dolores Van Cartier however Landi Oshinowo did not seem fazed in the slightest! Landi seemed to be most comfortable during the more vocally centered aspects of the role as her beautifully soulful voice suited the aspiring club singer character flawlessly. Their rendition of “Fabulous Baby” was crammed full of fabulousness and extravagance with the lead character balancing the comedic side of the song with vocal endurance wonderfully!
What worked incredibly well about this production is that Lesley Joseph, who played the stuck in her ways and head of the Covent mother Superior was an almost total contrast to the Dolores in this production. Her powerfully moving rendition of “Here Between These Walls” was not only a treat for the ears but also explored the importance of community which will be forever a very important thing! This character could be considered as the stereotypical, caricature of how you would expect a nun to act/behave. This obviously clashes with the extravagance of Dolores and caused these two characters to have an instant conflict from the moment they stepped into the church. This contrast was purposefully exaggerated in the enth degree which made the inevitable change of ways even more powerful.
The closing moments of the show sees Mother Superior come to her senses as she literally jumps in front of a bullet for the ‘thorn in her side’ and finally accepts Dolores as a certified sister. This moment was followed by the other nuns forming a human shield around Dolores hiding her from her gun wielding boyfriend which was very emotionally powerful to watch!
My favourite character by far in this musical production would have to be the clumsy yet lovable Lt. Eddie Souther (played in this production by the amazing Alfie Parker) whose sole responsibility is making sure that Dolores is safe from her murderous ex-boyfriend. However, this compassion and care for the singer doesn’t not just purely come from a place a professionalism as we discover that during their time in high school together Eddie had a crush on Dolores. This childhood bond means that Eddie has almost given up all hope of a potential relationship but there is still some hope left within the officer’s mind! My favourite sequence in the entire show came during the spectacular “I Could be That Guy” where Eddie talks about stepping up from this bumbling office to a serious crime fighter. The highlight of this song came with Eddie tore off his boring office outfit to reveal a sparkly disco-centric suit only to then tear this off to yet another plain office outfit! In the middle of this sequence dancers flooded the stage to launch into a spectacular dance routine that the audience absolutely went wild for! After all this had happened Eddie hilariously stumbled down from the table, he had scaled up to be the centre of attention (where he deserved to be) as the scene turned back to the day-to-day running’s inside a police centre which again had the audience in howls of laughter!
My personal highlight of the production was the fact that from the moment the ensemble stepped into the stage to the moment they left, every single one showcased the most outlandish and over-the-top characters I have ever seen! Raise your voice is the song where the nuns finally come together (under Delores’ supervision) and realise they can actually sing and out on a performance that isn’t a boring, old fashioned church hymn. This number builds itself in such a way that each character is allowed their own individual moment to flex their comedic muscles and shine, but it was the moments when the spotlight was not on them that really made the show for me. Whether it was facial reactions, hamming up the choreography or interacting with one another, it kept the world alive and made for a very exciting watch!
I thought that the church medley sequence was not only wonderfully staged but also exactly performed. As the nuns are performing their usual Sunday hymns (albeit of a higher quality than normal) they suddenly burst into a high energy medley of Dolores’ biggest hits! The physicalisation of each character in and out of the spotlight was amazing and meant that everywhere the audience looked there was something going on without it being too distracting from the main narrative. One of the greatest vocal performances in the number would have to be Lizzie Bea (who played the easily excitable sister Mary Roberts) during their rendition of the life I never had which was incredible. Every single audience member was instantly moved to tears as the character talked about missing out on the more rebellious moments in life due to be confined in the church. Even though I have never personality taking a vow of service, we all still have regrets that we wish we took and so seeing a character talk openly about these was very powerful to watch!
At an almost antithesis to the nuns, Dolores’ criminal ex-partner Curtis (played wonderfully by the talented Ian Gareth-Jones) and his gang of incompetent sidekicks. What is somewhat strange about these roles is that despite being a criminal gang, the majority of the numbers contain a massive amount of comedy which had the audience laughing alongside them. Their performance “when I find my baby” simultaneously talked about how Curtis is going to beat/kill/attack etc. Dolores when he finds her but also utilised a very love-struck musical motif. The intense violence and adoration contrasted beautifully and had the audience laughing as the number progressed! Throughout all of their performance the gang maintained the most over-the-top, cheesy grins known to man which again added the unusual comedy undertones of the role. Due to the criminals and nuns being so diametrically opposed, you knew that when they finally come through something spectacular would happen and that’s exactly what went down! The scene of criminals trying to intimidate and threaten the nuns obviously go as planned but the number was choreographed in such a perfect way! The nuns were able to overcome the invaders with very little physical force through a sequence of slapstick-esque rope moments so when Curtis entered armed with a gun the entire mood flipped upside down! This sudden and drastic change of mood only served to amplify the emotional moment preceding moments of the human shield!
Overall Sister Act the musical managed to capture the majority of the magic from the movie with a few minor tweaks for stage purposes. It was crammed full of hilarious comedy moments with numerous powerful and moving vocal performances. I do have to say that one of my least favourite scenes involved Dolores riding a bicycle taxi while being perused by the struggling criminals as it did look somewhat strange until the closing moments when two of the villains began rolling down the stage to show the bicycle was moving forward!
Performance artist Marina Abramović knows a thing or two about death. Earlier this year she almost died and remarkedly got a boat over to London for her few months here (health prevents her from flying). She is stretched between time at the Royal Academy, South-bank Centre and English National Opera. The latter of which is what this review shall discuss.
Her obsession with opera diva Maria Callas started in childhood, Marina overcome with tears upon first hearing Maria on the radio. Marina’s artwork has always been extreme in command, duration, content and context. I was curious just how this would go down with opera audiences, most known for conservatives tastes and values. Well, traditionalists will find favour in these 7 deaths, each one of Callas’ most revered arias from Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti and Bellini. So seven sopranos treated us to these famous arias, each one as wonderful as the last. Some ENO trained ladies and other international stars really made this show shine. Marina during these hits remained static in bed as Maria.
Fellow Serbian Marko Nikodijević composed the fibers between the arias, creating a subtle yet somehow harsh soundworld. The video work of Marco Brambilla was hypnotic, sprilaing vortex and storms, another highlight. Marina even planned the set with Anna Schöttl, a lavish tribute to the Callas aparment in Paris. Giant video work towers over all on stage, Abramović and Willem Dafoe muck about with various inspired threads on the deaths of these operatic heroines: Tosca’s plunge, Norma’s immolation, Carmen’s stabbing et al. More performance art is here as you’d expect and some of it is captivating, other times a little on the nose. The Ave Maria from Verdi’s Otello paired with Marina covered in huge constricting snakes might just be the best thing you’ll see on stage this year.
The whole opera builds to the seventh airas and we get a scene change after it. Marina directs herself with idiosyncratic spoken word, as she has done during the intermezzos all evenings. Here, her guide to life reach the steps for Maria to end her life: getting out of bed, opening the curtains, smashing a vase on the floor and leaving the room. The seven sopranos come back in, still dressed as their maids outfits to tidy up the mess. Marina returns all golden and sparkly, she does her thing as we finally hear Callas, as her Norma is cut short and the show ends.
One of the more stanger and wonderful operatic exercises this year.
Its runs till 11th Nov 2023.
Marina Abramović at the Royal Academy runs till 1st Jan 2024
I recall fondly the form of Cardiff Opera Julius Caesar from Handel prior to the past pandemic. I’ve noted they seem to now do events both here and in Bath. This onward rise would see them tackle on of opera’s most absurdly strenuous offerings…
In these scenes from Götterdämerung, the final part of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, worlds end and new life is restored. This ‘Twlight of the Gods’ remains one of Wagner’s and the art form’s finest creations, innumerable leitmotives are heard yet again, mutated and used as a psychological jab in its effect in the listener. These highlights were around 2 to 3 fifths of the full opera, though the absence of lead hero role Siegfried and to a lesser extent the Rhinemaidens aside the Vassals was apparent.
Guiding us through the harsh narrative terrian of the story, Dave Key-Pugh was an approachable and added humour. I think I heard a mispronunciation of a German name here and there, though it was of little significance. David Hutchings assisted the singers as conductor, with a consideration for the heft of their roles. Nicola Rose as accompanists, took on the fury of the orchestral role reduced to piano with a mighty passion throughout.
The opening scene sees the Three Norms here from Charlotte Collier, Wendy Silvester and Charlotte Whittle. Some quivering notes didnt quite reach their mark, though mostly this scene was fine, as the Norns wheel the thread of fate, as this absurd story is wrapped up over the next four hours. William Stevens has feathered before with the company and his Hagen is quite impressive, his time with Longborough covering the role is note worthy. Hagen who conspires to obtain the ring from Siegfried, gets some deliciously evil moments whenever on stage. His half brother and sister was from a fitting Alexander Learmonth as Gunther and a returning Charlotte Whittle as Gutrune. Here both singers come into their own, Alexander playing up the character’s insecurities, whilst Charlotte shapes the role with stellar vocals. As Alberich, Niall Hoskin is the thieving Nibelung, who set off the whole story, here speaking to his Hagen in an apparent dream scene. Niall got the delivery right, he makes the role his own.
Wendy Silvester gets what some say is the full Cycle’s highlight: Waltraute’s Monologue. Fellow Valkyrie sister of Brünnhilde, she comes to warn of their father Wotan and the eventful fate of all the gods. Wendy got into this rich solo, meeting the onslaught of delivery. It would be towards the end where her voice buckled, though if not due to the intensity of the writing, I’d put it down to the chillness of the venue. Laura Hudson faced Brünnhilde with a polished scope, the lasting legacy of this role being it’s soaring vocals, redemptive honours and climactic summation. As a funeral for Siegfried is taking place, Brünnhilde beings her massive final epic aria, her immolation triggers the end of all things. Wendy got the pacing and grandeur of these last 20 minutes down well.
I dare say, when are they doing the full shebang?
Cardiff Opera do Puccini’s La bohème at The Mission Theatre in Bath 14th to 17th December 2023.
As I gaze upon The Lute Player by Frans Hals (1582-1666), I smirk at at the likeness between myself and the model, who remains a mystery to this day. A friend a few years back showed me the resemblance during our performance of a Shakespeare play. It seemed to me with the longer hair and the costume triggered this semblance of connection. It was fun to pose and try to capture the facial features of someone long dead. I do plan to go back and make myself look even more like the cheeky fella.
Photo credit: James Ellis
Getting that out of the way, this Frans Hals exhibit was simply wonderful. Often overshadowed by the eternal Rembrandt, a fellow Dutch master, time and time avian this show proves the brilliance of Hals. Lovers of more unconventional paintings of the period will stew over this highly emotive and relatable portraits. Staggering for a young man to simply strike a pose that only a bachelor could make of the time. The Portrait of Catharina Hooft and her Nurse is a swell example. Catharina the child, dressed in the most luxurious dress of the era and the nurse who still gets a loving depiction here. It’s one of many masterpieces you’ll see in this gallery.
The aforementioned Lute Player might just be his best, the facial expression and light are heaven sent. The similar Merry Lute Player, the figure gets a highly detailed face that I found myself drawn into. His larger commissions would wow and put light upon the black servants and wriggling children, whom Hals again gives much respect. It’s the elder looking Dutchman in their famous black hoods and massive hats that appear ludicrous in nature. Either looking defeated or fed up, I found it hard not to laugh in this sea of black fabric, white faces and a lone, shocking red-orange stocking of one gentleman.
The Portrait of Jasper Schade that is devilishly detailed and impeccably crafted, later work would show Hals commitment to more wild brush work, near impressionistic in style, through still of its time. Jasper’s proud stance and affirmed glance is the cock-sure male we never lost in society, though its hard not to marvel at his drip (clothes for the older readers out there). A tiny room with miniatures are another joy, children and smaller ideas haunt the space. A Young Man Holding a Skull is another famous flutter, though the blurb next to the painting says it is not likely to be a depiction of Hamlet, looking at the timeline, I dare say it might be.
A disappointment came when the gift shop was not selling postcards of Hals’ iconic work as singles, but in multi pack. What surprised me the most was the smallness of the exhibition. I did expect it to be a few rooms bigger, though this should not sway anyone to see this genius of the candid, polished portrait.
It runs at the National Gallery till 21st Jan 2024.
If ever there was a more perfect introduction to the work of Steven Sondheim, it is Old Friends. Carefully arranged by Cameron Mackintosh, the evening is a complete triumph, the spirit of Broadway and of the man himself lies in every note.
If I’m very much mistaken, most if not all of his shows are crammed into this spectacle. All his retrospection, the machine gun lyrical delivery, the tender phrasing and punchy musical gustro all frequent his heaven sent show. You really can’t belive your luck when sat there and seeing this career which spanned decades go by, we only lost Steven not long ago and even his last musical has just opened in New York.
I’ve less love for Into the Woods, though here Bernadette Peters made for a hilaroius Red Riding Hood, aside the sexed up Mr Wolfman from a marvellous Bradley Maden. Much billing has gone to Peters and I can see why. It is her innocnet and infecious voice that reels you in, a delight upon closer inspection. I did hear perhaps a voice crack or two, though these were during the big, ballsy nunmbers, though I have no complaints. I love her. Lets not forget her Send in the Clowns and Losing My Mind as well!
Lea Salonga, most famous as Kim in Miss Saigon, also gets meaty ballads and rowdy numbers all over the place. Her passion got the audience in a state of rapture. The familar face of Bonnie Langford also impressed with strident vocals and good comic timing. Janie Dee might just be my favourite persona on the night, her Ladies Who Lunch a total highlight, The Boy From… another thrill with a few refrences to Wales, which got me in a whooping mood, perhaps I was the only Welsh in on the night?
Clare Burt and Christine Allado were in fabulous company, more treats along the way. Gavin Lee getting heaps of solos and duets with quick wit and vocally well paced. Jason Pennycooke coming into his own with the frantic song Broadway Baby from Follies, another triumph leaving me quite dizzy. Joanna Riding and Damian Humbley were even more joys in the cast, their many musical moments spread out over the evening. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, his first musical as both composer and lyricist, got a piffy flutter though remains slightly overshadowed by what would follow.
Photo credit: Danny Kaan
Jeremy Secomb as Sweeny Todd faired well in the demands of the roll, perhaps the most operatic of Sondheim’s whole oeuvre. Time spent with Gypsy and Everything’s Coming Up Roses was affirmed and I am so glad they included it. Pickings from West Side Story and Dick Tracey also help up well, the later an Oscar winning turn. Merrily We Roll Along has found fame since its first flop, the title song of the show coming from his musical. Its remains the best moment in Merrily and used as an encore was perfection. Beyond catchy.
Sunday in the Park With George might be one of his best, used an a first act ender was finely poised. Company holds up, the Not Getting Married song was another outstanding corker Passion and The Mad Show I know less of and I note the lack of Assassins and Pacific Overtures too.
“When I first heard someone from Swansea speak, I thought they were singing to me.” That’s a great tagline for a play, when you see it you really want to know more.
Based on her own life, this was written by Lisa Zahra during lockdown, a time many of us spent reflecting on our lives. Born to a Welsh mother and an Iranian father, the Baba Joon (Dear Father) of the title. She grew up in Swansea and found it difficult to relate to her father’s heritage, despite the love she held for him, maybe because she was swamped by British culture.
Her father arrived in the 1970’s and at first he was enamoured by his new country, thinking it “the greatest country in the world”, but he gradually became disillusioned, by Britain, by his success, and perhaps he also felt the Iranian version of ‘hiraeth’. Lisa was torn, always trying to be a good daughter while fitting in with the local community, at one point even using makeup to appear whiter than she was. It is difficult to be a child of two worlds when both compete for your love, and in a culture where even dancing can be a rebellion, it’s hard to know the right steps.
There is poetry here, in the words and the rhythm of the languages, English, Welsh and Farsi. An influence of Dylan Thomas is unsurprising, and Zahra uses it to point out similarities between the Welsh and Iranian cultures, both famous for their poets, and she doesn’t stop there: Family, dance, music, even food, are all used evocatively. It’s been said that ‘food is memories’, because it brings back remembrance of such things as our childhoods.
The staging is like a 1990’s disco, with dry-ice fog, and an old portable TV set that is cleverly used to show switches between scenes in Iran and Wales. Zahra does not just focus on national differences, but also gender ones. Growing up in Wales she experienced racism, sexism and the double standards that come with being a daughter, and in Iran she found it the same, compounded by her being even more of a foreigner as she couldn’t speak the language fluently.
Voiceovers and music are used throughout, which I thought a flaw as I found it off putting sometimes. For me it broke the contact between actress and audience, which is so important in a show like this, and which she establishes so well. This minor quibble aside, I was enthralled by her semi-secret world, growing up in a Swansea where there were always eyes on her, British and Iranian, ready to criticise her every move. No wonder she felt relief at moving to Cardiff to study, finding the simple freedom of getting lost in a crowd. The scenes in the airport in Iran serve to highlight this.
I found the ending of the play annoying at first because there is no real end per se, no conclusion, and then I realised that this is by design. Life is messy, there are rarely easy solutions and not all questions are answered. We never find out why her father left his family, or why he left Britain, but perhaps that’s because she doesn’t know either.
I’ve always thought that good theatre should make you think, make you feel, or both. Lisa Zahra more than accomplishes that here. I was left with so many questions afterwards, and not just the clichéd ones, such as ‘who am I? Why am I here?’, but more difficult ones such as ‘where do I belong?’, or in the case of this play: ‘who are you, Baba?’ Thanks to Izzy Rabey’s excellent direction, the play moves at a good pace, and it sometimes feels like so much is coming at you in a short time, but then life itself is like that. In the end, it seemed to me to be about accepting who you are and being happy with it, and to Hell with anyone who says different. I don’t know about Iran, but that describes Swansea, Wales and I think Lisa herself in a nut-shell
“Why walk when you could tölt?” Victoria Melody’s beautiful, brave and bonkers show will inspire you to discover your own outlandish passions and accept yourself
“Headset” is an intricate and original piece of documentary theatre, combined with stand-up and live art that ignites your enthusiasm and lust for life with Victoria’s own rituals of self-discovery.
Following a successful run at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, “Headset” has a 22-venue tour this Autumn across the UK. That in itself is a huge achievement, considering the challenging times for the small-scale theatre touring circuit and current funding cuts. Now in her 40s and originally from Chester (“I’m from a working-class family with Tory parents”, she jokes in an interview), Victoria graduated in Fine Art at Newcastle and developed a very unique path as theatre maker and performance artist. Melody is a powerful female voice in the stand-up circuit – blending documentary theatre and video and embedding in her work peculiar approaches in search for authenticity, connection with audiences and, ultimately, herself!
Dressed as a funeral director (the subject of one of her previous shows), Victoria starts the piece by talking about her work. “I make and perform theatre shows about Britain’s enthusiasts. I am passionate about other people’s passions”, she says. She works like an anthropologist, immersing herself into communities over three or four years and then makes a show about them; “Demographics of a Pigeon Fancier” (2009) is a study of the British pigeon fanciers racing season. “Northern Soul” (2012) explores the dancing style. “Major Tom” (2013) combines dog shows and beauty pageants, highlighting the absurdity and impact of conforming to beauty standards. “Hair Peace” (2015) delves into the ethics of the human hair industry, “Ugly Chief” (2017) emerges as a response to her father’s terminal illness misdiagnosis, using humour and heart to confront the taboo surrounding death. She points out that she fell out with her dad during the tour of “Ugly Chief” …so…she needed a big change…what was she going to do now?
The origin of the word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek enthousiasmos: “divine inspiration, be inspired or possessed by a god, a goddess, be rapt, in ecstasy”. Victoria comes across “just like that” (as Tommy Cooper would say): a true Goddess in her own right – curious about people with the inventiveness to express her discoveries. She reminds us of extraordinary performance artist Bobby Baker, with her charm and quirky view of life.
Having worked as a video artist, Melody uses video the medium in an uncluttered and gentle way connecting the live action with images of her past, with quirky graphics to great comedic and plot development effect.
Tired of her theatre career she declares: “Enough was enough. I was tired of just being poor and feeling useless. Enough was enough. My life would fall apart if I didn’t change something…So f*** theatre. I’m going to become a well-paid, famous mortgage worthy stand-up comedian!”. We all laugh.
The piece follows trials and tribulations on her path to becoming a “mortgage worthy” stand-up comedian (she’s currently selling her boat by the way, she jokes). She reveals the inner works of the technique: “Set up, punch, exaggerations. Set up. Massive, giant punch. Rule of three. Set up, punch, punch, punch. Pull back and reveal…I was sh**”, she declares.
The teacher character plays an important role, representing “the establishment” as well as “her critical inner voice”. “How is this going to go down in Hull or Derby? the teacher challenges. Later, Victoria says: “Stop stereotyping nights out in different places”.
She recounts one of her first routines: “Icelandic horses are my favourite breed of horse. They’re small and hairy and best of all, they have five gears. Normal horses have four gears. They walk, they trot, they canter, and they gallop. Icelandic horses do all that and they also tölt. Tölt is Icelandic for “a gliding gait”. She then demonstrates. “Oh. Ow. It’s very uncomfortable on the crotch”. Then “This is a tölt. Wow. It’s so smooth. It’s like the horse is ice skating.” With her big, surprising eyes she delivers: “It doesn’t hurt the crotch at all. Why walk when you can tölt? That’s Iceland’s catch phrase”. Pause. Silence. Audience cracks up.
Victoria plays numerous characters besides the teacher: a funny “Hull Hoola Balloon” man, David Attenborough, (which, she jokes, comes out more like Margaret Thatcher), a barista, and others. The soundscape for the show is detailed and audios of her mum weave the narrative, describing how “little Vic” was as a child, in ballet, dropping keys in post boxes, and being herself – “I wouldn’t change it for the world. I think what you’ve got is very unique, but I wouldn’t even call it a problem. Vic, it’s not a problem, is it?”. With that question in mind, our heroine continues her quest.
The set has four chairs, a big plastic box, cables and props: a tambourine the teacher bangs when she disapproves of her behaviour, a beautifully crafted wheel with 5 masks that is spun to choose different personas”. She jokes “I shouldn’t use props, you see!”, as she gets tangled up in them and the microphone. She shares that her technical manager takes the mask wheel to the hotel as it won’t fit into the camper van, she sleeps in.
Melody encounters numerous challenges and as she experiences difficulties with words, visits a speech therapist and is diagnosed with ADHD. “Oh no!”, she thinks. “I’m Vic. I’m thick”, full of inner doubt, she feels incompetent and a failure.
In a previous interview, Melody has expressed her ADHD diagnosis as a profoundly liberating experience and that the show is a grand celebration of her newfound authenticity. “absolutely freeing…. This is my brain. I’m not masking anymore. This show is a big celebration of that…. And my performance on stage now is the best performance that I’ve ever been able to give”.
I dare to say that Melody has found her “clown’s intelligence”, as the great clown Angela de Castro would describe it. Clowns have their own intelligence, guided by their sense of curiosity, openness and naivety for the world. Melody exhibits all those clown-like qualities.
Even though she says the show is not “meta” (a stand-up show about stand-up), the piece is a reflection on the genre and plays with it expertly. At one point she jokes: “Are you going to do performance art now and alienate your audience?”, she says no…but she does. Melody is playing with the relationship with the real, with personal history, representation / non-representation and use of new technologies – aspects that performance art has always dealt with and that are embedded deeply in her practice as an artist.
Clowns fail, get up and do it again. And again. And again…never losing their enthusiasm. And so does Victoria. She decides to talk to a neuroscientist, her friend Silvana de Pirro. Melody starts wearing a portable electroencephalography headset that tracks her brain activity during her stand-up performances. Previous audiences found this hilarious, and we’re shown accompanying video footage.
Victoria continuously fails as a standup comedian and the show culminates with a magical scene where she is due to perform in an important stand-up gig, with headlining comedians and she appears on stage with a homemade Faraday cage and a laptop held close to her head. This is an amazing scene where time freezes, and our attention is totally focused on Victoria. She talks to “little Vic” again and again. It’s as if the actual headset device “dives” inside her feeling and emotions – the piece meets therapy, self-help in a light and playful way. “I’m Vic. I’m thick”. No more of that. It’s about acceptance. She looks at “Little Vic” and says, “I imagine little Vic, how desperate she was for someone to tell her that she wasn’t lazy or stupid or defective, that she wasn’t a baby.”
In a touching and insightful moment, she tells us: “I stopped measuring success using somebody else’s measure. Like I was a kid who just got comfort from putting jar labels, so they all face the same way and who got overwhelmed at injustice…”
She goes on to tell us with glee about her next passion and project: “I’m a musketeer in an English Civil War reenactment society”. We laugh and are genuinely curious about this new project.
Melody concludes the show with charm and eccentric flair… “and if you think of me as an Icelandic horse, then this all makes sense, because we should all get to choose the horse we want to be. Because I could walk off stage, but why walk when I could tölt?”
Beautiful, brave and bonkers “Headset” will inspire you to find your own outlandish passions and accept yourself.
Credits:
Director John Gordillo
Writer Victoria Melody
Set and costume designer David Curtis-Ring
Lighting designer Sean Phillips
Updated and restaged with Bryony Kimmings
Musical director and composer Tom Parkinson
Cast
Victoria Melody
Video appearances from Dr De Pirro and Mitch Mitchinson
“Headset”, 2023 Autumn Tour
03/10/23 – Chipping Norton, The Theatre
05/10/23 – Guildford, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
06/10/23 – Birmingham, mac
07/10/23 – Harrogate Theatre
10/10/23 – Hexham, Queen’s Hall Arts Centre
11/10/23 – Kendal, Brewery Arts
12/10/23 – Leeds, The Old Woollen
13/10/23 – Barnsley, The Civic
17/10/23 – Norwich, The Garage
19/10/23 – Manchester, The Edge Theatre & Arts Centres
20/10/23 – Wolverhampton, Arena Theatre
24/10/23 – Brighton, Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts
25/10/23 – Brighton, Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts
30/10/23 – Cardiff, Chapter Arts Centre
31/10/23 – Bristol, Watershed
01/11/23 – Havant, The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre
It would be a fleeting affair in London to make sure I was celebrating with The Tallis Scholars. Something I did not want to miss. In the wonderful atmospheric Middle Temple Hall, known for its first recorded performance of Twelth Night, the evening went by in a flash.
Drink and canapes were flowing throughout, as things started off with Palestrina’s Magnificat Primi Toni and the eternal Misere by Allegri. The balcony space was utilised for both works, this opening gave you the feel for this choir, their mastery over polyphony and admiration of religious works. There was a marvellous vibe to proceedings, the audience blessed to hear such things. The latter was a highlight, with its serene high notes and it’s tennis match between both choirs in the space.
American writer Leon Wieseltier gave a fabulous speech about his first time hearing the Scholars. Passing the church in which they were singing, he fell in love with them all those years ago and has continued to give unwavering support to them ever since. His writing was highly eloquent and often funny. Caroline Trevor, wife to conductor Peter Phillips, also recounted many years with the choir as singer, leading later to romance. Their was a nice slab of gossip in this speech, personal insight which went down well, Peter beaming in the wings.
I’m glad there was a world premiere, this time from Nico Muhly and his A Glorious Creature. Taking Thomas Traherne’s words, a piercing perspective on the sun and its radiant light giving, Muhly has written a piece which didn’t excite me. It was a sort of strange slice after slice of the words, the singers each getting turns in the polyphony. It was pleasent, but left me a bit chilly.
John Tavener’s Song for Athene needs little introduction. Written as a perosnal tribute to a family friend, it would later be catapulted into fame with it’s usage at Lady Di’s funeral. Here the Scholars offered up a well sculpted and tender version, I found myself in bits. It was a special addition with Lady Tavener present, we lost Sir John some ten years ago. Arvo Pärt’s Virgencita ended this second set with more touching auroas and a reminder of his talents still going stong in his 9th decade.
James Jolly, Editor-in-Chief of Gramaphone also recounted good times with the Scholars, we were offered a tribute copy of the magazine with a history of the choir. Peter Phillips gave the final word, in a speech filled with pride, also acknowledging the pitfalls of the past and present taking them on international tours. We we given goody bags with the aforementioned magazine and Peter’s unexpected flutter into book form about the restaurant they frequent after reharsals.
It was all very inspiring seeing how much of a success they have been, 50 years is quite a long time really. Of course, things had to end with Tallis himself and we had three works: Loquebantur variis linguis, Suscipe quaeso and Gloria from Missa Puer natus. It couldn’t have ended on a finer note with their namesake composer that they have honoured countless times. These sweet pieces crowned the night, their affirming faith, their simple simplest registers and easy listening appeal had us leaving the event with much contentment.
In contrast to NTW, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru goes from strength to strength. Rhinoceros is the latest in a series of shows and commissions to offer fresh, bold and imaginative theatre. In fact, Manon Steffan Ros’s adaptation of the classic text by Eugène Ionesco is the first Welsh-language production that feels not just national but international in scope. This, in spite of the fact that pop cultural references populate the dialogue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWOoJh-LP8w
I say this as a Welsh learner who had to sit and listen to the play without audio description or captions. A problem with the Sibrwd app meant that I was forced to engage with it on its own terms. It is testament to not only the actors but the whole creative team that I became immersed very quickly in this increasingly-apocalyptic world. Set in an unknown location in Wales, friends Bérenger (Rhodri Meilir) and Sian (Bethan Ellis Owen) are enjoying tea outside the local grocer’s shop when a rhinoceros runs in front of them across town. The small but effective skill of the actors to shake the furniture to create the vibrations of its movement is but one of several parts that make this a spellbinding watch. Everything from the placement and use of props to the physical manifestation of the creature within each of the characters makes Rhinoceros a captivating commentary on social conformity.
Bethan Ellis Owen perfectly embodies the absurdity that underscores the whole production. For in her transformation, we witness the destructive, dramatic and the ridiculous. Her hysterical movement and exaggerated speech causes laughter among the audience even as it contains a nervous quality that points to a more serious tone. For Meilir presents an increasingly distraught and tortured soul as he fights desperately against the change, from person to creature, that friends and colleagues succumb to. This is no linear tale however: horror is always punctuated with the comic; fairy dust is often laced with fatalism; and the funereal contains a certain cultural irony. It is a melting pot of genres and emotions, expertly crafted and directed by Steffan Donnelly and his team.
What ratchets up the drama and emotion of Rhinoceros is the absence of an interval. It allows the momentum to build to an epic proportion, making its conclusion all-the-more powerful and demanding. It is, at its best, a warning: do not allow the light to be infected by the dark. And this speaks not only to its distinctly Welsh culture but to a Western world in danger of doing just that.
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
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