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Opera & classical

Review BBC Singers, John Tavener’s Requiem Fragments, St Martin in the Fields, London by James Ellis

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

The BBC Singers remain one of many musical institutions who have been compromised by politics and funding. We’ve seen all the dismal activity in Wales with some of our groups, we really feel all this is happening at the wrong time.

This wonderful concert in a perfect venue had all the right features. Condensed down to 70 minutes and with the loss of conductor Sofi Jeannin, it would be Nicholas Chalmers who would take the plucky reins. This John Taverner heavy concert was filled with light, beauty and hope. Samuel Barber’s Angus Dei, better known as the Adagio for Strings in its quartet arrangement is famous and remains as powerful as when it was written. The Singers excel here, brooding harmonies and gentle harmonics are their powerhouse. Kristina Arakelyan’s Evening Prayer has few tricks nor frills, though was a miniature of grace, a subtlety not heard for some time.

Tavener’s Funeral Ikos is taken from the Greek Orthodox Church for when one of their priests dies. With stirring vocals and the sharing of the passages between the gendered singing groups, it could only be moving. The “Alleluias” are particularly strong, warm and golden as they stretch out between all. A return from Arakelyan, this time her Holocaust Memorial Day Hymn. This smooth writing comes from a composer in her youth, filled with promise. I’d like her to push the envelope and try out more experimental things.

Repurposed for Princess Diana’s funeral, Song for Athene was heard by over a billion people that day. It never loses its footing, the pacing is perfect too. Grabbing slices of Hamlet and more Orthodox wording, the chorus had moments of sheer wonder here. You are always pleased when it’s on the programme and it should leave many eyes teary. A more recent outing from 2014 with Tavener’s Requiem Fragments was the end this night. Having died the year prior, this send off saw its premiere at the Proms in London. Inspired by Renaissance master Josquin des Pres, these fragments also feature a string quartet and three trombones.

It’s odd in many ways, though filled with bracing, pretty moments you’d always expect. The quartet add a lot of power in the blend with the singers. The trombones are used sparingly, if little more then plodding and brief declarations. With Hindu texts melding with Latin, it felt like one of many latter offerings of Tavener and his fascination with faiths of the world. Even the opening words are a zen like “Ommmmm”. The solo for soprano stood behind us in her lush choral is then mirrored by the chrous, a standout of the piece and then done again for good measure. I think I may have preferred this upon its first outing, listening on the radio a decade ago. 

Opera & classical

Review Septura, Wigmore Hall, London by James Ellis

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out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

In their tenth anniversary, Septura brass have made a name for themselves in the brass world. This being my first encounter, I wanted to savour their sound. The debate rages on whether brass on it’s own works as well as expected…still I was keen to see. Artistic director Matthew Knight would like me to think so.

Orlande de Lassus’ Lagrime di San Pietro is very much of its era, 16th Century. Septura has covered a broad palette spanning five centuries, new commissions also part of their makeup. It was lovely to heard essentially medieval music, unbovered by complexities, just affectionate and pleasing music.

Roxanna Panufnik got a premiere with her Seven Heavens. Music is in the family her father also a composer. I was stood behind her at the box office, we must do an interview sometime. Inspired by the Islamic depiction of the seven levels of heaven, the piece has an expectedly exotic plain. Using scales from the Muslim world, the effect was of worth, even if a whiff of novelty lingered. Strange harmonies between the players, aside perfumed solos was pretty much the whole piece. It also opens up the truth of musical languages from around the world, something not always seen today.

In an argument by Simon Cox, a selection of Prokofiev’s 10 Pieces Op. 12 was a cheeky opener to the second half. As ever acidic and bursting with rampant sure fire wit, you can always rely on the Russian composer. The audience was amused too, some laughter after certain moments stood out. For me, this and the last piece was the most fetching and attentive.

Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8, arranged by Simon Cox and Matthew Night worked very well. The alarming energy and morbid musings of Shostakovich didn’t win in the cross over. This quartet from 1960 came after years of deeply rooted anxiety and paranoia over his home county and his position in it. Could further arrangements work just as well?

The encore was on the tip of my tongue, I thought it was Debussy but I cant quite recall. 

Saturday 16th November 2024 

Theatre

NINE SIXTEENTHS Performed at The Pleasance Theatre by Tanica Psalmist

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Written & performed by Paula Varjack, devised and performed by featured casts members; Julienne Doko, Endy Mckay & Pauline Meyers.

NINE SIXTEENTHS retells the most searched incident over the internet. On the 1st February 2004, where we witness during the play the extent of ongoing warranted investigations, meetings, interviews, congressional hearings and biased coverage distorting the narrative of the feminine, an unprotected Black woman within patriarchal society, simultaneously tackling unethical white supremacy within show business causing infliction at every angle, complexing narratives through choice of language, encouraging further scrutiny, working against the woman.

NINE SIXTEENTHS well depicts from start to finish the challenges & turmoil Janet truly experienced. In the opening scenes we evidently see how the finale of the SuperBowl during Half time released the wildfire, with two of the most Iconic artists Janet Jackson & Justin Timberlake’s duet on Justin’s popular song ‘Rock your body with the final line’… “Have you naked by the end of this song” taking the world by surprise as he unapologetically revealed Janet Jackson’s breast in slow motion.

Each talented cast member perfectly highlighted the necessity for the world to have & share their opinion in their great multi-character takes, displaying the deepness of Janet’s never-ending humiliation, rage & hate speech for Janet Jackson daily shameful accusations, one being it was all a publicity stunt!

The obsession for more air time on this topic brought the attraction to the founding of YouTube! With the Founder of YouTube keen on erasing & destroying Janet’s career as profit & gains.

The influx of searches per day after the Super Bowl, helped stir debates around Janet’s sexually explicit content, where we see how even the White House launched an investigation on whether the CBS was in on it. With noone believing Janet’s verbal statement! FCC fined CBS, allowing the CEO of CBS to hate on Janet for eternity, fixating on getting her blacklisted on major music stations; MTV & CBS radio stations where music was majorly promoted! Janet was cut off & shadow banned, triggering scrutiny, pain and vulnerability! Paula has done an incredible job on touching on the depths of this forgotten but never truly forgotten infliction.

In this play we are left critically thinking & reflecting on the ‘why’, why was Justin not mentioned once, acknowledged nor considered in the articles/headline news, with the frame solely on Janets indecency, deliberate tendencies, turning Justin Timberlake into the victim, the innocent bystander whilst Janet remained the perpetuator, blocked for 8years, undermined on live TV shows & criticised for the entire world to continue watching legally even till this day.

Overall, NINE SIXTEENTHS highlighted how our attention is our main currency so be careful how we choose to use it. The importance of acknowledging the why & what threatens Black woman’s safety net expressed universal vulnerability. However, unlike Janet, can we trust the personal spectrum is being heard, respected and considered this time around, moving forward.

Playing until 16th November 3pm & 7.30pm. November 14th performance will be BSL signed by Jacqui Beckford.

Musical

Review Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show, New Theatre, Cardiff by Bethan England

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Rocky Horror show is certainly a cult hit by this point, clearly evidenced by the masses of Franks, Riff Raffs and more in the New Theatre foyer area, along with an abundance of corsets, high heels and golden top hats. It’s always an experience attending a production of this show, even from the moment of stepping into the theatre! But after all these years, does the classic show still deserve its prominent status?

The show looks back to its classic roots but with a fresh new face, courtesy of direction from Christoper Luscombe and excellent synchronicity from choreographer, Nathan M Wright. The Phantoms and cast are slick, utilising the full stage and, surrounding, but never encroaching upon the main action. There is a freshness and a joy to the movements which I think I’ve missed in other productions of this show. The contrast between the bright, popping colours of the first scenes and the later darker, yet still fabulous interior of the castle is expertly designed by Hugh Durrant. The whole set is surrounded with a twisting film reel and the musicians sit above it all, looking down upon the action. Lighting makes the stage truly pop with disco balls, lasers, projections directly onto the stage and more, another layer to the craziness of the plot, designed by Nick Richings.

The music is iconic of course and is lavishly brought to life here by a talented Josh Sood and his band, Ollie Boorman (drums), Dan Humphreys (bass guitar), Liam Spencer-Smith (guitars) and Dave Webb (reeds). Having them onstage rather than below in a pit really makes them a part of the action and ensures that the music envelops the audience in those well-known musical numbers. The songs are performed with panache by the band; the stand outs are Sweet Tranvestite and, of course, the incredible, Time Warp, which had multiple members of the audience up on their feet and dancing along.

What truly made this show for me was the outstanding cast; each and every one of them gives us a truly joyous performance; the singing and comic timing is particularly good. Lauren Chia and Connor Carson are lovable and clueless as our young lovebirds, Janet and Brad; I particularly enjoyed their rendition of Once in a While, beautifully harmonised, a tender moment in a somewhat manic and crazy show. Job Greuter, Natasha Hoeberigs and Jayne-Lee Zanoncelli are the life and soul of the party as Riff Raff, Magenta and Columbia. As the leading force behind Time Warp, they literally blow the roof off the New Theatre; the vocals and performances here are exceptional. I was also really impressed by Greuter’s vocal performance in Over at the Frankenstein Place. Edward Bullingham also delivers an excellent version of Hot Patootie, bursting onto the stage as Eddie and returning later as Dr Scott.

The Narrator must be an intimidating role to step into in this show, he is, after all, the victim of most of the heckling from the audience. However, Nathan Caton truly utilises his comic chops here, gives the audience as good (and sometimes as rude and crude!) as he gets, and his responses are so fast and witty that the hecklers need ice for his burns by the end of the show! He is effortlessly funny, bang up to date and owns the stage whenever he steps onto it. Frank N Furter is performed on 4th and 5th November by Stephen Webb, a veteran of the show who has played the role on multiple occasions. From the moment the doors open, and he appears, draped in his cape to perform Sweet Transvestite, to the final curtain call, Webb is a brilliant, loveable yet devilish Frank, strutting across the stage with so much poise, a twinkle in his eye and a phenomenal voice. His performance of I’m Going Home was such a poignant moment, proving he can show us the softer, more tender side of Frank too.

The show is truly a rollicking, fast paced, no holds barred production, and the finale has the audience up and dancing as one. The plot is insane, but it doesn’t matter; for two hours the audience laugh, heckle, clap, dance and even sing along in this bonkers yet full of heart production. Whether you’re a long-time attendee of the show or its your first time seeing it, there’s something for everyone here, but just make sure to leave your inhibitions well and truly at home!

Theatre

Review Pontypool, Wales Millennium Centre by Bethan England.

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out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5)

‘Don’t. Breathe. A. Word,’ is the advice given to all those who may enter the Western Studio at the Wales Millennium Centre to watch ‘Pontypool;’ a brand new stage adaptation by Hefin Robinson, directed by Dan Phillips and based on the cult horror story by Tony Burgess.

The original novel took place in Pontypool but in Ontario, Canada, whereas this production definitely is a lot more local!

Washed up radio DJ, Grant Mazzy is trying to ‘take no prisoners’ and whip up the local community into action through his radio slot. There’s only one problem; he’s used to the listeners of Islington and now he’s ended up in a basement in Pontypool delivering his ‘Mazzy’s musings’ on Beacon Radio. Producer Rhiannon has certainly got her hands full with him and Megan, the assistant, is just trying to keep the show on track. Mazzy wants to deliver hard hitting radio, which isn’t easy when you must interview the cast of the local, gender blind production of Lawrence of Arabia…

Production Images Credit Kirsten McTernan

The action, all delivered in the basement radio station, really amps up as they start to receive news of a local ‘riot’ at the doctor’s surgery, which turns out to be a lot more than it first seems. Not being familiar with the cult horror novel means that every twist and turn of this production was a complete surprise to me but even those familiar with the story will be met with a fresh, local but universal story that is brought bang up to the 21st century with Rhiannon demanding Mazzy STOP using the word ‘woke’ and references to the last time we got locked down. The writing is fantastic, and I highly commend Hefin’s adaptation; the humour is fast paced and relentless, the language is witty and smart and the relationships between the characters are totally believable. Even when the action starts to ramp up, the direction by Dan Phillips has clearly been worked to toe the line between drama and comedy, its expertly walked and even in the horrific moments, the comedy still flows!

The casting is spot on; Carwyn Jones is the voice of Ken Loney, ‘the eye in the sky’ reporting on the weather in Pontypool from his ‘sun helicopter…’ Although we never see him, the voiceover is excellent, the comedy ably aided by the clever sound effects. His later phone calls to the station are perfectly counterbalanced to the earlier humour, with voice alone sending shivers down the spines of the audience. Ioan Hefin is ‘dodgy’ Dr Harry Phillips, again balancing comic chops with great acting ability in the more serious moments. He is the lynchpin to the play, providing us with in turns hilarious and in turns dramatic moments of explanation.

Rhiannon Briar is brought to life by Victoria John; she captures the frustration of the producer stuck with the radio ‘star’ with big ambitions of ‘shaking things up.’ The clashes with Mazzy are delivered with panache and Victoria gives us brilliant angry chemistry with Mazzy. They are the quintessential odd couple of the play. Without giving too much away, Mail O’Donnell’s portrayal of Megan Davies, the radio assistant, is a role of two parts! Her physicality is exceptional, and she ably delivers the vision of Movement and Intimacy Director, Lucy Glassbrook. Her realisation of the character and her twists and turns is delivered expertly right up to its explosive conclusion…

Finally, the radio DJ himself, the voice of Pontypool, Grant Mazzy is brought to life by Lloyd Hutchinson. Lloyd owns the stage and his radio booth, prowling across the stage with his agenda ready and waiting to be delivered to the willing (or unwilling) listeners of Beacon Radio. He sends the audience into fits of laughter with facial expressions and movements alone; he also sends a shiver down our spines with those expressions and silences too. I was so impressed by his ability to have me giggling one moment and with my heart in the mouth the next.

A special mention must go to the make up and special effects, which totally blew me away. The make up is brilliant; huge congratulations to the Marcus Whitney and assistant, Kristie Stanway. I honestly had no idea how the team would bring this horror classic to life onstage, but I was in awe. I can’t say too much, but the make up and effects are visceral and drew gasps (and sounds of disgust!) from the captivated audience.

A huge congratulations to all involved with this expert adaptation; what a phenomenal version, with a distinct national flavour but universal appeal. Don’t miss this and do not let Pontypool fall silent. ‘Don’t. Breathe. A. Word…’ or should I say… ‘Dim. Gair. Wrth Neb…’

You can find out more and book tickets here

Musical

Review Wicked the Musical, Wales Millennium Centre by Bethan England

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

The tale of the Witches of Oz flies back in the Wales Millennium Centre; the tale of what happened before Dorothy dropped into the land of Oz has been captivating audiences on Broadway since 2003 and in London since 2006. The West End’s 10th longest running musical has also toured extensively and is truly a well-loved musical if the sales of the five-week run at the Centre are anything to go by!

The opening number, ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’ is a familiar point from the classic, Wizard of Oz. The Wicked Witch of the West is dead, and the citizens of Oz are celebrating that the ‘enemy of all of us here in Oz’ is finally gone. I love the opening of the show, the flying monkeys winding open the Time Dragon Clock, the Time Dragon himself breathing smoke, eyes glowing, flaps his wings above the stage. The ensemble is electric, and the harmonies are tight. Sarah O’Connor, arriving by bubble (of course), soars in this number; her vocals and comic timing are excellent.

From there we move back to the first meeting of Elphaba and Galinda back in their university days at Shiz. Laura Pick sets a great tone as Elphaba, spiky and defensive with a distinct element of dorkiness; her characterisation here was a breath of fresh air into a character that I’ve seen portrayed on many occasions. Laura soars in ‘The Wizard and I,’ moving effortlessly from on guard Elphaba to one full of hope and dreams. I thoroughly enjoyed the way she explored her various sides; moving from this into a hilarious rendition of ‘What is This Feeling?’ with Sarah O’Connor.

The cast and ensemble bring pure joy to the Donald Gordon Theatre; Carl Man upsetting the calm of university life in ‘Dancing Through Life,’ Donna Berlin playing a delightfully loveable yet evil Morrible, Jed Berry is an adorable Boq, besotted with Galinda, Nessarose is sweet but with a simmering anger played ably by Megan Gardiner and Simeon Truby is truly the ‘goat’ of the piece, multi-roling as the bumbling but heartfelt Dr Dillamond and then hamming it up as the ‘wonderful’ Wizard of Oz. The emphasis on characterisation was appreciated. This is probably the most in depth I’ve seen the characters explored and it was satisfying to see them brought to life with such precision and thought.

It’s inevitable that a touring production is slimmed down from a London, resident production. However, all the key elements are here, and it was hard to find too much that was different from the production in the West End. I loved that the Time Dragon is proudly positioned above the stage; his eyes glowing red and his wings flapping at the opening but also at key moments in the show. Having read (and adored) the book, it’s lovely to see this element brought across from the page to the stage. The key moments from London are all recreated here, including the iconic flying in ‘Defying Gravity,’ Laura rising through the air to belt out those last notes of the iconic song.

All in all, this is a thrillifying production of the classic musical with a talented cast, staging, choreography, and direction (both acting and musical!). The show is one that can be enjoyed by all ages, something different being discovered by each audience member no matter how old or young. It was lovely to see a new interpretation of the show to prove that although it’s been wowing audiences since 2003, there is no sign of this musical going anywhere.

Wicked is a show that truly defies gravity, so make sure you dance through life down to Cardiff Bay and see Wicked before it flies out of town ‘for good’ on 23rd November!

Theatre

Review Mumfighter, A Grand Ambition Production, written by Tracy Harris, review by Abigail Thomas

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Mumfighter is a new play written by Tracy Harris, based on her own personal experiences of having a child with a disability and fighting to get them the help they need. The emotional one-woman show follows the life of Amber, from her life before her child was born to trying to process having a child with Cerebral Palsy, to fighting systems, like the NHS, to get her daughter the medical therapies and assistance she needs. The play was able to connect with its audience and is raising awareness of the struggles of living with a disability and supporting someone with a disability.

Katie Payne’s performance as Amber was breath-taking both emotionally and physically. The way she confidently moved around the arena staging, engaging with the audience and the set was remarkable and, the symbolic fight sequences were effortlessly done. Despite the difficulty and the pressure of performing solo, Katie Payne appeared undaunted, allowing her to deliver the emotionally striking performance, perfectly portraying a mother who feels lost and unable to help her daughter.

The play resonates with many people, including myself, and is showcasing Welsh talent from Katie Payne and Tracy Harris. In interviews Tracy Harris said that she thinks there are problems in the support system for people and children with disabilities and that people who are not part of that world are still unaware of the problems. The play has definitely succeeded at raising awareness of the issues that carers can face every day and the fight that is still ongoing for support. I think the play will be remembered for the exceptional representation of disabilities, from an entirely unique perspective that I haven’t seen explored before.

Theatre

Review Mumfighter, A Grand Ambition Production, written by Tracy Harris, review by Megan Barrett

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A boxing ring, boxing gloves and a bottle of wine.

Mum Fighter by Tracy Harris is a raw, moving piece of theatre that explores the complexities and resilience of motherhood. As I sat in the theatre, captivated by Katie Payne’s performance, I saw the look on the audience’s faces. Some with jaws slack, others sat on the edge of their seats entirely absorbed in the world Tracy has created – that is so similar to her own.

The show follows a mother, Amber, fighting in a boxing ring to win the support that her daughter, Bea, needs to fight cerebral palsy. The boxing ring at the centre of the room and the symbolic act of using the boxing gloves to represent Bea highlights the dominant themes of this play, that Amber and her daughter are fighters.

Amber goes through a rollercoaster of emotions, is knocked down, refused, broken up with, torn apart and put back together again but not at any point does she give up on fighting for her daughter. She is challenging the system and will not settle for the scraps that
they are giving her.

As the show reached its end, the entire theatre stood to applaud. All of us in awe at the performance we just watched, I even had a tear in my eye. Mum Fighter portrays the strength found in vulnerability, challenges the system

Dance, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review, Frontiers, National Dance Company Wales, The Place, By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Plunged into darkness, our eyes becoming accustomed, we start to see the outline of bodies, moving as one. As the lights come up, we are confronted with a team of mismatched and almost fearsome creatures, with mixtures of jagged and smooth movements.

A double bill, National Dance Company Wales bring questioning and critical performances, Skinners by Melanie Lane and AUGUST by Matthew William Robinson. Neither aim to give answers to our changing world but aim for us to reflect on our existence and the change around us.

Skinners particularly looks at the digital age, where physicality is distorted beyond recognition and where we live in a virtual world as opposed to reality. This first piece is what we are confronted with from the dark; creatures with recognisable assets yet distorted some what, move as one and then in separate spheres. The movements themselves move from recognisable, to abrupt, repetitive and unusual. With their costuming and contortion of their bodies, we want to understand but we are quickly pulled away, watching something unearthly, at times robotic, at times… no one knows.

It is a piece that you cannot take your eyes off. Even the repetitive movement hooks you, and there is something always catching your eye. Once the performers peel away their outer layer, they become more humanised, but there is still this sense of something lost underneath, as they continue to move unusually and almost unnaturally. It is a high octaned piece, full of dance moves that seem simple and easy, but clearly requires immense talent and skill to perform.

AUGUST, while noted in the programme as inspired by sunsets and sunrises and the liminal space between, to me, it continued this concept of other-worldly, of a digital age. A horizontal light, that throughout counts down and follows the dancers across the stage, gave this sci-fi effect; of a barrier that could not be crossed. Within this, the movement, compared to Skinners is more graceful and fluid – dancers appear from the dark and as the horizontal light moves up, down, forward and back in movement with them, they are highlighted by the shadows created.

Again, unable to take your eyes off, there is something always appearing or disappearing, with moments of increased energy, within the fluidity of their movements. It is sensual and intense, with the performers working more with one another and their bodies than previously, melding into one and separating into something different.

Frontiers showcases the immense talent of the NDCW – from the unusual and avant guard to the fluid and contemporary, Skinners and AUGUST beautifully compete in excellence.

Dance, Opera & classical, Theatre

Review: Swan Lake, Imperial Classic Ballet, Venue Cymru, Llandudno by Richard Evans

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Venue Cymru, Llandudno, October 18th 2024 and touring

out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5)

An Imperial Classic Ballet production. Ballet Artistic Director – Katsiaryna Fadzeyeva, Conductor – Nikita Suhik, Concertmaster – Polina Chaika.

Swan Lake, a timeless story that became the standard for classical ballet and redefined the genre.  Would this production continue to entrance the audience as much as the ballet has since its first presentation?

The libretto is well known and at its heart is a love story.  Prince Siegfried is disappointed at his birthday celebration that no suitable bride is presented to him.  After, while hunting he sees some swans by the lake.  He is entranced by the white swan, Odette who insists that she and the other swans are human and have been put under a spell by the evil magician, Rothbart that can only be broken by everlasting love.  In Act 2, the Prince has to choose his bride and eventually sees Odile, Rothbarts daughter and sees an uncanny resemblance to Odette.  In the heat of celebration he confesses his love for Odile, breaking his vow to Odette who watches on from the window.  Once he realises, the Prince returns to the lake to see the grief stricken swans.  He begs forgiveness of Odette and declares his love.  Rothbart challenges him, but love prevails.  

The ballet tugs at the heartstrings throughout taking you through a range of emotions from joy to grief.  This is enabled by Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s moving score.  He pioneered the use of leitmotifs, snatches of music that are assigned to a character and repeated when they appear on stage.  Musically it is challenging.  On speaking to the first violinist she commented that Tchaikovsky composed on a piano, having five fingers available while the violinist has only got four, the thumb being used as a grip.  The orchestra proved the point that dance and music are natural extensions of each other and portrayed the emotions in the ballet really well.  

To perform Swan Lake is difficult, comparable to Sleeping Beauty in its complexity, yet the lead roles are compelling for any aspiring dancer.  There were a series of tableaux illustrating the skills of the dancers which provided ample evidence that ballet makes extremely difficult manoeuvres look effortless.  The part of Odile/Odette is particularly challenging both technically and emotionally yet illustrated that the movement of the human body can be beautiful as it combines grace, poise and strength.  This performance did not disappoint, yet again this dance proved to be compelling viewing  

The ballet troupe and orchestra, in the midst of a gruelling schedule for their national tour were enthusiastic and committed tonight, although my impression is that the emphasis in this production is on demonstrating prowess rather than storytelling. However, this did not spoil what was an excellent and thoroughly recommended evenings entertainment.