Starting off at the Royal Academy of Music, Dutch pianist Aidan Mikdad has easily made a name for himself. How easily he made mincemeat of both composers in this fine hour afternoon concert.
The lighter side of Robert Schumann is evident in his Carnaval, a delightful multi movement thrill. Even name dropping a few fellow composers: Chopin and Paganini, the whole feat had the thrill of the joyful ride that teleports us back to the era it was written. Aidan fused well with the many moments and made it look so easy. I imagine these passages proving to be hard work, the winking eye and fairground attraction of the whole piece still having the utmost charm all these years later. This is well needed today.
We’d see Scriabin follow, the Russian born composer who has a cult . I expected a bit more of a storm from his Piano Sonata No. 3 in F sharp major, perhaps I went in with too many assumptions about the composer. Saying this, Aidan proudly showed off his skills in the work. Here a lot of vigour is needed, much frantic action aside daring compositional techniques, bold for Scriabin’s era. Though not my complete cup of tea, I marvelled at Aidan’s technique here. Not essentially sounding Russian, more akin to impressionism and expressionism that would follow in art. Curiously in four movements, each seemingly getting more intense as the rhapsodic flow unveils itself with impressive effect.
The Meaning of Zong is written, co-directed with Tom Morris, and stars Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards winner Giles Terera, the play is produced by Bristol Old Vic and performed at the Barbican Theatre.
In The Meaning of Zong, you gently travel back to the divine memories of each slave captive’s life and homeland before their freedom was stolen, every time you hear the subtle words repeated ‘you’re a from a place, where the land & mountains are strong, the animals are beautiful & the people, great. Through The Meaning of Zong we journey through the savagery of the slave trade, where identity was forcibly lost and pain, death, suffering, and torture resulted in trauma.
Generational trauma is a reoccurring strong theme seen throughout, creating the revolutionary quest of Gustavus Vassa, who had bought his freedom, but always knew his life was not the fate of many indigenous Africans, who were kidnaped as he was. The Meaning of Zong reveals Gustavus Vassa’s traumatic experiences through flashbacks and sensitivity due to captivity and family separation, leading him to chase hope and adventure, and therefore determined to find justice for the lives lost during the crossover to the West Indies before reaching the United Kingdom. This production retells the magnificent true story of the painful enforcement on Africans having to lose their mother tongue language, forget their Identity and detach from their culture, causing invested abolitionists to end slavery led by Gustav to fight the battle of political & racial injustices carried out against humanity.
Another powerful theme explored in The Meaning of Zong is survival, where we metaphorically get to acknowledge the differences between swimming and drowning. As well as, what it means not to become a victim during the storm, but a survivor in the mist of challenges, deprivation, anguish & turmoil. This is shown using thin blue ropes to show the opposition of the waves, the strength of the sea, and individuals having to overcome the wrath of the sea they got thrown into, showing the strength and resilience of Africans during this era, both physically and mentally.
African spirituality is another strongly prevalent theme, depicted through rhythmic drumming, beautifully incorporated by onstage Music Director and Composer Sidiki Dembele. The powerful African drumming throughout takes the audience on an invigorating journey of passion to rise against the odds, be hurt but not be broken, drowned but unable to die. Reaching the peak of an ultimate strength of victory, love, mission, and completion of an enchanting legacy to come.
The Meaning of Zong heightens an awareness of not only historical black British citizens, but descendants of Africa’s undiscovered stories, legacies, and abolitionist’s underlying power. As three female slaves reminisce on their mothers cooking during captivity on a ship taking them further away from home, descriptively referencing their traditional dish, Jollof rice, being made with tender love and care, well flavoured with divine preparation, and despite being made slightly differently, they eventually all relate and intimately connect emotionally during their discussions. A Beautiful moment!
The costume design, set design, music and lighting effects were extremely spectacular, giving you a real feel for London city in the 16/17th century, conditions on a slave ship and The Houses of Parliament. Giving you a deep insight into how mistreatment was justified through Christianity, politics, and law, to legalise brutality & discrimination to justify it all as necessity.
Overall, seeing the transition from Gustav Vassa to officially Olaudah Equiano in the second part of the show was a powerful dynamic, retaining his name was a spiritual rebirth for him due to Great Britain’s ritual at the time to enforce the ‘no name, no home, no Africa agenda onto Africans until it manifested. Olaudah Equiano, had to overcome his post-traumatic stress to win against his trials and tribulations, willing to lose all his wealthy possessions. The Meaning of Zong, the ship, is a truly raw depiction of the colonial period which still marks an everlasting fight for justice throughout the world today, bringing about a revolution for everlasting justice due to scars & unhealed wounds, inspired by writer and abolitionist, Gustavus Vassa.
A wonderful play on determination to find peace and fight for justice, that led to a written memoir, which may one day be found on your local bookstore shelf, possibly misplaced, however landing in the right hands inevitably, where you may be that individual to put it into its right place.
For fifty years, the Sherman has made it its mission to be a theatre of Wales and for Wales. In the last few years alone, it has boldly reinvented the work of Ibsen, Chekhov and Shakespeare and carved a space for budding Welsh and Wales-based creatives to shine. Its anniversary year is packed with a triple crown of creative artistry: first there was Ghost Cities, a reworking of Gary Owen’s Ghost City performed and with new material by the Sherman Youth Theatre; coming up in May there is Nia Morais’ Imrie, a Welsh-language odyssey co-produced with Frân Wen; and this month we are treated to Romeo and Julie, which sets its star-cross’d love story in Splott.
Callum Scott Howells and Rosie Sheehy in Romeo and Julie. Image credit: Marc Brenner
Co-produced with the National Theatre, Romeo and Julie is the latest collaboration from writer Gary Owen and director Rachel O’Riordan, the powerhouse creative duo behind Iphigenia in Splott, The Cherry Orchard and Killology. Rosie Sheehy (King John, RSC) is Julie, a budding astrophysicist on the fast-track to Cambridge. Callum Scott Howells (It’s a Sin, Cabaret) plays Romeo, a young single dad struggling to raise both a newborn and an alcoholic mother (Catrin Aaron, flawless). He meets Julie not at a starry party but in the STAR Hub Tremorfa, where sparks fly and fates align. Their chemistry is in the physics and the physical: in Julie’s explanations of quantum theory to a starry-eyed Romeo, and in the brawny balletic interludes that literalise their connection. It’s a muscly, messy love; one that seeps into the cracks.
Callum Scott Howells and Rosie Sheehy in Romeo and Julie. Image credit: Marc Brenner
Sheehy and Howells are magnetic both together and apart. There is a striking synergy between the pair which keeps the audience invested in their doomed love, even as the choices they make turn from the sublime to the ridiculous. Fabulously bolshie and oozing bravado, Sheehy has shades of the original reckless Romeo, while Howells’ performance as the sweet young romantic gives the play its beating heart.
Rosie Sheehyas Julie and Callum Scott Howells as Romeo. Image credit: Marc Brenner
It’s a testament to the skill of the ensemble, and to Owen’s script, that the play is ultimately as comedic as it is tragic. Its distinctly Cardiffian sense of humour finds the light in the darkest of moments. Much of its finest quips can be credited to Catrin Aaron’s aptly-named Barb, who certainly throws around a fair share of gin-soaked jibes. Meanwhile, Paul Brennen and Anita Reynolds complete the thrilling ensemble as Julie’s concerned parents, whose lifelong sacrifices for Julie’s future might be derailed by the choices she’s made in her present.
Rosie Sheehyand Catrin Aaron in Romeo and Julie. Image credit: Marc Brenner
Owen’s script navigates the thorny complexities of social mobility, working-class aspiration and intraclass conflict: while both teens were born and raised in Splott, Julie goes to a Welsh-speaking comp and owns a laptop, which puts her in a very different social site to Romeo, who is struggling even to afford nappies for baby Niamh.
The cast of Romeo and Julie. Image credit: Marc Brenner
The set is spartan: designed by Hayley Grindle, it is a black hole of sweeping greys, overhung by a flashing neon constellation, its geometric swirls flashing like comets’ tails. It seems to illuminate two very different futures: is it a prelude of Julie’s bright career to come, or merely the twirling mobile above a baby’s crib? Can we ever reach the stars, or even change our own?
Romeo and Julie is the perfect show with which to celebrate the Sherman’s 50th year: small-scale and specific, yet sweeping and universal, which upends a classic and makes it anew.
The New Theatre is no stranger to spectacle. It never fails to pull out all the stops: in the last few months alone, it’s welcomed huge touring productions of Bat Out of Hell, Mamma Mia and Rocky Horror – but equally impressive are the hidden gems behind the bells and whistles: the chuckle-worthy comedies, the cosy character studies, and shows that excel with only a small cast and a smart script.
The sensational ensemble of Steel Magnolias
Steel Magnolias is one such show. Based on Robert Harling’s original stage play, it was adapted into a star-studded 1989 movie starring Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, and Sally Field. This new touring production is directed by Anthony Banks and follows the lives of six women in a small Southern town in the 1980s. Idealistic Shelby (Little Voice’s Diana Vickers) is getting married, which is the talk of a local beauty salon run by the ultra-glam Truvy (Lucy Speed). Shelby’s plans to have a baby, even with Type 1 diabetes, alarms her doting mother M’Lynn (Laura Main, Call the Midwife). Meanwhile, new-in-town Annelle (Elizabeth Ayodele) conceals a troubled past while frenemies Ouiser (Claire Carpenter, standing in for Harriet Thorpe) and Clairee (Caroline Harker) bicker like Statler and Waldorf.
The costumes, designed by Susan Kulkarni, capture the fun, fabulous feel of the era – special shout out to Truvy’s white jumpsuit!
The cast share a charming chemistry, capturing the catty camaraderie of lasting friendship; it’s a joy to spend two hours in their company. Vickers and Speed in particular disappear into their roles: Speed’s Dolly-isms are uncanny, creating a character whose heart is as big as her hair (kudos to Richard Mawbey’s wig work), while X Factor semi-finalist Vickers – last seen at the New in Dial M for Murder – gets to flex her comedic chops as the stubborn-as-hell Southern belle. Main, meanwhile, gives a masterclass performance of which Sally Field herself would be proud. Harker, Carpenter and Ayodele deliver one-liners for the ages while BSL Interpreter Julie Doyle almost runs off with the whole show. It’s yet another example of how inclusive theatre can enhance the viewing experience for everyone.
The set, designed by Laura Hopkins, captures the wigs ‘n’ wood panelling of 80s salon couture perfectly, coupled with Howard Hudson’s nostalgic neon lighting
When Steel Magnolias premiered on Broadway in 1987, it was unusual for shows to have an all-female cast – in 2023, outside of SIX the Musical, they are still few andfar between. As one of the characters says, “men are supposed to be steel” – but it’s the women who have real mettle. As Truvy says, “The higher the hair, the closer to God!” – and her salon does become a sanctuary: a confessional, an altar, and a site of communion and community. Steel Magnolias tells us that there’s no such thing as natural beauty, that a dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste, and that the time you put in to cultivating both good hair and good friends is always well-spent.
Steel Magnolias is playing at the New Theatre Cardiff through Saturday 22 April. It’s the last stop on their acclaimed UK and Ireland tour, so make sure to make an appointment at Truvy’s salon! More information and how to book tickets here.
What more could you want from a play than no boundaries commentry on female love, life, sex and feminist punk music? Sugar Coat effortlessly encompasses the whole lot and more.
With a live female and non-binary band, this play is a verbatim meets rock musical theatrical production. We follow a girl from childhood, through her teens and her 20’s, through heartbreak, sexual assault, love and therapy and the relationships, emotions and feelings that come with it. It is an emotional rollercoaster yet full of laughs and a great big hug in words, where there are no boundaries on topics or themes.
It may not be the right thing to pick out as the stand out, but as a punk rock fan, I loved that the story began as if we were welcoming a band at a gig – they embodied this rock n roll ethos and it did make you question what you were about to view. This approach to a theatre production felt like something new and interesting, and immediately hooked me and my personal passions. The second stand out for me was how plain and transparent sex, issues, thoughts and emotions were talked about. There was no beating around the bush (pardon the pun), masking realities – they were out right calling spades a spade and talking candidly about physical and emotional items. For the prudish, this is not for you. But it was liberating and great to see fear and censorship thrown out the window instantly.
The themes were ones of difficulty but also ones of liberation – miscarriage, sexual assault, transition to adulthood and femininity, of first times, of cheating and of polyamory. They were themes that today’s youth go through and never speak about and to know, even as a 30 year old woman, that they were thoughts, feelings and situations that happen (for good or bad) to others through the coming-of-age period, was actually reassuring even 12 years past going through it myself.
The music was well constructed and fit well with the narrative – mirroring what was being experienced and, for someone who feels a lot within music, drummed up a lot of feelings within me. There were also times to bring out your inner rock star and refreshing and fun to see an all female/non-binary cast take this celebration and run with it, encompassing all there is to come with rock stars.
My only qualm was that it felt like the blueprint for this production was repetitive. We have a verbatim monologue, we are introduced or re-introduced to other characters who say their bit, then we are back to monologues. We are then in dispersed with music and back to the same. And while all of this was perfection and excellently executed, I found myself wanting something to break up that cycle, which never came to fruition. A happy ending of sorts, with the idea that other plays and stories could be told of what happens next, this didn’t feel enough of a cliff-hanger for me to be happy with it as an ending.
Sugar Coat is emotional, comedic, laid back and fun; it cuts into trauma and lays out growing up as a female and all the issues and confusion that comes with this. It has some sick music and taps into lovers of 90’s rock, but the format felt repetitive and needed something to break into this predictive plan.
With the increased popularity from For the Black Boys, which originated at Royal Court and exploded into the theatre scene, it is great that the baton is continued with another play based on black culture and even more emphasis on its queer community.
BLACK SUPERHERO is the story of David; struggling with his past, present and future, a life of drugs, drink and sense of being unsuccessful, he is also in love with his friend who happens to be a famous acting superhero. We see David struggle with his unrequited love, of forces dragging him back to his vices and the memories of a not so idyllic childhood that his sister encountered. Life is passing him by, and so is everyone else.
True Royal Court style, the set is ambiguous and futuristic – there is a sense of something you may see in a Marvel movie; the Superhero’s secret hideout, or even the villain’s lair, with the set almost cutting away to reveal new scenes. This is emphasised with moments of David’s imagination, when he pictures his love interest in his starring role, flying down into the set in his tights and mask. There’s the constant feeling of displacement but also familiarity; where you can set this play at any time or any place. However, with the themes of race and queerness, we can only hope that societal discrimination is improved if the production were to be staged again in the future and therefore not so realistic.
Each character is fully formed and naturalistic – they all have their own quirks and opinions, but none are stereotypical. This is a great and very real approach and especially opens up the cultural themes for anyone who doesn’t sit within the black or queer communities. All the performers bounce off each other, and so their relationships feel fully realised and real. We believe in David’s past and his trauma; we believe in his and his sister’s relationship and we believe in the heartbreak that comes along with the story. We very much feel as if we are walking into these rooms, breaking down the wall and intruding into life.
While a brilliant and emotional play, one that many can identify with on lots of different emotional and cultural levels, there felt a slight anti-climax with its narrative. Perhaps being so used to something happening in a crescendo or out of the blue at Royal Court that almost slaps you surprisingly in the face, this conclusion and tying up of relationships and issues felt perfectly normal and a “happy ending” many would wish to see. There’s nothing to say that this was wrong but for BLACK SUPERHERO, I very much wanted something more, whether that be narrative-ly or production value-wise.
I don’t often review concerts I’ve heard on the radio. Though the rarity of hearing anything from Olivier Messiaen’s huge opera Saint François d’Assise could not be missed. Though the continent is being treated for the next year with at least three separate set of performances in Stuttgart, Bucharest and Hamburg, our shores would see a sliver of the grand opera. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra have taken on the challenge of performing the longest tableaux, that of the third scene of the second act entitled ‘The Sermon to the Birds’.
The first two scenes of the second act already make up an hour, so this proves to be the most testing part. Having said that, this 45 minutes remains a shimmering thrill, the amount of birdsong absurd and the excitement it brings is unbounded. With ten percussionists and a heap of woodwind, there is even three ‘ondes Martenot’, an early electronic instrument filled with smashing, ethereal sonorities, you cant deny this is highly original. In this moment, St Francis watches the birds with Brother Masseo, the former blesses them and they sing out in glory. In this strange orchestration, the birds delight in the sacred nature of the act and sing out loud and proud. The battery the woodwind players and others face in this moment remains a highlight of the entire opera. It is an modulating canvas of colours and noise, seeing birds both local to Umbria and around the world show off. The brass terrifies and the strings also wow with uneasy harmonics. The percussion getting the spotlight for constant playing and energetic vitality.
I think I could hear Ryan Wigglesworth slightly moaning during peak moments. I imagine this to be exhausting for any conductor to perform, there was apparently a second maestro on stage to reign in the buckets of chirps and whoops of these blessed birds. Ryan has proven his talents time and time again, I imagine this might have been his choice of programme and it being performed so well, should be celebrated. This tenure up north can only prove his brilliance. As the Saint, Ashley Riches pushes through a dense vocal line, all stone like chant and affirmed declarations of the cross. Ashley seems to get it, never any easy role to play by any standard, he might just work in a full outing of the work. As Masseo, Nicky Spence proves his lush tenor, something which has only gotten better as he matures. These two could easily be in the complete opera, I can just picture it.
In the first half, was Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral Symphony’ or his Sixth. Nicely tying into the theme of birdsong and nature, this might be my favourite of the old Ludvig van, though it’s a fairly vanilla symphony on many levels. Like Messiaen the transcription of birdsong is clear, though a bit arbitrary from Beethoven. You can clearly tell when the birds come in, I imagine that to be quite novel in his day. Having said this, the orchestra offered a pristine take on this delightful symphony. It’s the clarity that has to shine through in this piece of sunshine, storms and other charms. The first moments cant be beat, a tonic for the weary. The last movement with the rampant storm passing to clear the path of sunlight is another mighty moment within the music.
I wish I had been there for this head turning concert.
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra perform Messiaen and Beethoven again in Edinburgh 16 April at Usher Hall at 3pm.
Family Tree, directed by Matthew Xia, greatly explores the era of segregation in the 1950’s, where Henrietta Lacks, performed by Aminita Francis takes to the stage to tell her story.
Playwright, Mojisola Adebayo
Playwright, Mojisola Adebayo poetically enacts how Henrietta Lacks, diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1951, endured difficulty to find treatment, leading her to turning towards St Johns Hopkins hospital, being the only hospital, medically treating black people at the time.
Production Photographs: Helen Murray
Aminita Francis, greatly enacts snippets of Henrietta’s personality as we see her disgust and detest for George Guy, the researcher for tissue culture at Hopkins hospital, who’d been trying to grow human cells outside of the human body for hundreds of years! We see the disturbance on Henrietta’s face as she dives in to the cheekiness, elaborating on how her cells were taken without her consent or knowledge and to be quite frank, why wouldn’t she!
Setting the scene, we get a good feel for the other amazing actresses playing multi-rolling parts as ancestors and nurses, played by Mofetoluwa Akande, Keziah Joseph & Aimée Powell, expressing their annoyance towards exploiters like George Guy, and stress the importance on the roots of racial injustices and the disproportionate inequalities in health care who never gave credit to the descendants of Henreitta Lacks irresistible cells and black people as a whole who have contributed greatly to society world-wide.
The set design by Simon Kenny is remarkable, with glowing, hanging immortal cells on a tall branched tree, an expression for Henrietta’s forever growing and dividing cells for years, where every medical centre wanted it for research, spreading vast across the entire world. Becoming one of the most important concepts for medicine, being used for space emission to see what would happen to human cells in zero gravity, created cancer medications, cloned for genes, helped to make the polio vaccine, mapping and the important ingredient used for all vaccines mankind injects, the entire world has undeniably benefitted from Henrietta’s cells.
However we also see how the most important cancer cells used for medical research, took her life also in October 1951, at the age 31 , never knowing how important her cells would be, until a science writer worked with the family to discover the truth, the uncovered well hidden legacy 5 decades later.
Family Tree is a strong reminder of what Henrietta has done for the world, and the mixed emotions of this incredible woman’s involvement in science especially, alongside the anger black people carry seeming everyone else can and has benefited from this, apart from black people, apart from the family. Immortal cells used all over the world for scientists research , labs and yet black people all over the world especially the family continue to suffer from basic health care.
This production paints a family tree of Black women whose cells, blood and waters have birthed, raised and changed the world by preserving her legacy. Family Tree is a vocal statement about Henreitta’s life and the (HeLa) genome, science and communications, and race and science, the history of science and medicine, and how it was built on the backs of black people without their knowledge. The concepts of what blackness means in a world that refuses to accept and embrace true history. Especially the unique story of HeLA, who continues to save lives, giving life, as her special cells can invigorate fertilisation, people till today still report being able to give birth thanks to HeLa cells, which is one of the many beautiful impacts of an incredible black woman who has been denied her place in history, which director, Matthew Xia, highlights creatively.
Catching up with playwright Mojisola Adebayo after the play, was insightful. Mojisola Adebayo, has done an incredible lyrical justice by enabling this play to be a poetical masterpiece, by powerfully executing the realities of race, inequality, health, the environment and the incredible legacy of one of the most influential Black women of modern times, Henrietta Lacks, whose influence on modern-day medicine, is so relevant, it can and will never be forgotten.
Family Tree metaphorically expands on beauty, in the context of honesty, life and our connection to nature, Orishi, the Nigerian goddess, talking trees, movement of expression through spiritual dance & connectivity. The power and manipulation of a slave owner is seen throughout this play, as well as many spiritual, ritualistic mediums of truth, love and ancestral rhythm which chants hope for all black people have lost, in the fight for power, peace and longevity. Family Tree is full of metaphorical, symbolic and spiritual codes, languages and passion, highly recommended!
This production will be touring nationally until, June 13 – 17. You can find out more about the production and book tickets here.
The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre co-production Monday 10th April 2023
(4 / 5)
Family-Friendly Monster Seeking Fun
Flossy and Boo productions have become a firm favourite with my family and How to Defeat Monsters (and get away with it) certainly didn’t disappoint. This co-production with The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre, provides an immersive, interactive experience with audience members being invited into the whacky world of Monster Seekers.
Audiences can choose between self-guided “Explore” experiences or “Performance” sessions. We attended a Performance session that was led by eccentric Monster Seeker Ramsden North and his eager pals Babbity Banesworth and Freddie North. The team introduced us to Chapter 36, the Newport branch of the monster seeking network. They explained that instead of defeating monsters, our mission as trainee monster seekers was to find out about them, discover new species and, most importantly, protect them from S.C.R.A.M – the Society for the Control and Removal of Awful Monsters.
We were invited into their impressive underground laboratory to practice our monster detection skills. The majority of the experience was self-guided, allowing the audience to explore an imaginative range of monster trapping devices and exercises, with the performers interacting with small groups on an adhoc basis. Occasionally the team stopped the action, bringing the audience together to inform them of a vital update.
The wonderful set design and dressing in the basement space really captured my children’s imagination. The space was full of creative, hands-on activities to help hone our monster seeking skills. Particular favourites included rummaging for monster food that was hidden in buckets of slime, donning hard hats to enter the tunnel of the brave, drawing monsters on a giant chalk board and packing a suitcase for an upcoming mission in the explorers tent.
The interactive elements made this experience really stand out. This style of performance was particularly great for younger children who might get a bit wriggly sitting for longer periods in a traditional theatre set up. The performers were clearly hugely experienced in improvising and responding to the audience. They made a point of speaking with each child and making them feel special by commenting on their brilliant discoveries, suggestions or questions. This was a lovely touch which gave the experience a personal feel.
It was unfortunate that S.C.R.A.M (who had an office upstairs) were back from their tea break so soon as this meant that our mission needed to come to close. We felt that we still had some more exploring left to do and could have stayed longer in the space.
Nevertheless, this was a brilliant creative experience to visit during the Easter holidays and we would definitely recommend it. The welcoming atmosphere at the Riverfront was an added bonus – we arrived early but the family sitting area equipped with shelves of books and toys kept everyone entertained.
Thank you to Flossy and Boo, Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre and Get the Chance for the opportunity to attend this performance – we had a great day out!
You can find out more about the production and book tickets here
Panto Did you enjoy that? No, panto’s not really my thing.
Well, I guess that’s one way to end the evening. Not the reply I expected.
How awful it must have been for them sitting next to me and my pal volubly joining in with every ‘Behind you’ and screaming ‘Sweet Caroline’ as prompted. It reminded me of a school trip to watch Jacques Tati films and failing to find any of them funny. Panto is either your thing or it isn’t and even if it is, sometimes it takes a conscious effort to enjoy the trip.
It certainly felt a bit trippy at times. I did wonder occasionally if a little soma was in the air in this brave new world of traditional panto meets … um…. What exactly? It followed the traditional styling of slapstick, political commentary, dancing, singing, inuendo and an eclectic collection of critters, gender role reversal, good defeating evil and a sound moral story.
Overstepping the mark is different for everyone – I couldn’t handle the Michael Gove bat. A bit too obvious, too crude for me. But that’s panto. It’s using humour to cross lines. And give parents something to explain to their children in the car on the way home.
The animal costumes were, frankly, odd. The feeling they had been plucked from the dressing up box in a rush gave them an odd sense of the amateur. Presumably deliberate not only to contrast with the extravagance of the lead role but to give more of the feel of waifs and strays. Quite unfair given the very enjoyable solo performances and by Cilla the Goose especially. And even more unfair given the utter rampant chaotic joy of the whole performance.
The sound was unclear at times and it struck me that their natural voices without amplification might have made for a more WMC like performance and a less confusing and weirdly sluggish start. But boy did it pick up pace!
The witches were extravagant comperes, pushing and pulling the chaos and glory of the story along in some style. Great singing too – really great in fact. Jack was appropriately clownish and played the audience well. Vic, Gabriel Fleary standing in for John Bishop, deserves special mention – what a generous and complete performance. And alongside Gandalf, Sir Ian McKellen, who as Mother Goose runs the show. She headlines this old story and carries it in some style. Larger than life, bigger than everyone else on stage, Les Dawson and Grimaldi combined.
What a bird. And as my mother would have said, Less of the old if you don’t mind.
Aside: dear WMC, tinned wine is not the way forward. It really isn’t.
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)
