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Musical

Review We Will Rock You, Wales Millennium Centre by Rhys Payne

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

One of the key reasons that I love musical theatre is the fact that it transcends language barriers, cultures, age etc. While I thoroughly enjoy straight plays, they do rely heavily on the understanding from the audience whereas regardless of background everyone can enjoy a pretty tune, incredible vocals or even some insane choreography. Even if you don’t understand the words that are being sung, every one person can appreciate the performance elements to it which spans across languages for example. During the summer of 2016, I travelled to Hungary to help teach English to a group of learners attending a summer camp. At the end of the week, we hosted a talent show where anyone could showcase the weird and wonderful talents they possessed (and there absolutely was a range!) As the British team, we decided to do a lip-sync to the extremely unmistakable styles of Freddie Mercury and David Bowie by putting on a performance of under pressure. Going into our act I was concerned that the Hungarian kids would be bored and not enjoy their act but in fact, by the end of the number everyone was singing along in their own mother tongue which was incredible to witness! I was tasked with the colossal responsibility of taking on the role of the wonderfully eccentric Freddie Mercury who who is known for his over-the-top and striking personality. Physicalising these nuisances and personality quirks were very intimidating for me as everyone know how much of an enigma the Queen front man used to be and regardless of our placement within the talent show itself, I was proud that I managed to strut across the stage (in a semi-Freddie way) with everyone getting involved regardless of the language they spoke!

We Will Rock You is a musical that is based entirely on the musical of Queen and revolved around a group of characters who rebel against the people in charge and try to reignite a love for rock music. The year is 2300 and the entire world has been taken over by an international platform called global soft that almost brainwashes everyone into thinking and acting in exactly the same way. Firstly, the idea of a social media platform slowly taking over the world to control the minds of selected people is a lot closer than we as a race would like to hope. With the announcement of Meta by Mark Zuckerberg and the rise of popularity in certain social media sites, we are already being influenced by advertising and the censorship at times of free speech does suggest that if these media giants wanted to, they could easily create a false reality! Before we could even take our seats in the audience, we were greeted with signs telling people not to sing along to the performance as the performers should be the focal point. There have been hundreds of arguments online about whether or not people should be allowed to sing along with, and I totally appreciate the fact that especially for jukebox musicals we are aware of the songs before the musical is even created! However, I thought it was nice for the show to make a definitive stand and outright discourage audience participation. This was pitched as “do not sing along unless invited by the cast” which was clear but there was really no point where the cast explicitly ask the audience to sing along. As this is a musical of Queen’s greatest hits and the audience were discouraged from singing, I thought that it could have been done with a mega mix at the end of the show where the audience can sing and dance their little hearts out! There was an incredible encore performance of Bohemian Rhapsody at the end of the show, but it was never explained if the audience should should not join in with this iconic number. I think that as many audience members were able to stay quiet throughout the entire show (which even I struggled with at certain points) there should have been an opportunity at the end of the show tie the audience to sing and dances as well! Despite being a show set almost one hundred years into the future, the show is riddled with many popular culture references including clever weaving song lyrics/titles into dialogue, references to social media and mentioning of COVID (including one hilarious joke about needing protection with our two lovers simply putting on face masks before going to bed!)

As the story progresses the audience discovers that it is not just over two lead characters Galileo and Scaramouche (played by the wonderful pairing of Ian McIntosh and Elena Skye respectively) who feel as if global soft is brainwashing people and so join a rebel alliance to help and re-discover the power of rock music that is banned across the land! As discussed earlier my extremely short performance as queen singer Freddie Mercury filled me up with a lot of fear due to how eccentric he was, and this has in turn developed and a deeper sense of sympathy from me to anyone who even attempts to re-create the magic Freddie possessed! It seems that Ian Mcintosh was extremely comfortable performing some of Queen’s most iconic numbers throughout the show. While he was not taking in the role of Freddie per-say but as our lead character, he was responsible for heading up the performances of many of Queen’s most popular songs. I thought that as the show progresses, Ian becomes increasingly comfortable and confident in this role with his physically be the end of the show being the most Freddie-esque which complimented to narrative perfectly! Alongside Galileo for the majority of the show was Scaramouche played by Elena Skye who managed to perfectly portray the journey from outcasted student to official rock star fanatically with her performance of “Somebody to love” being absolutely incredible. It is very rare to see members of the audience giving standing up ovations halfway through an act, but many people were up on their feet after this incredible performance!

My personal highlight through the whole show however would have to be Jenny O’Leary who played the wicked Killer Queen and delivered some of the best vocal runs I have seen in an awfully long time! Her performance of the show must go on was quite possibly one of the most vocally powerful performances with her insane riffs being highlighted throughout. It is clear that Jenny is not only a ridiculously talented vocalist but also contains a stage presence that cannot be matched! She was able to command the audience’s attention and own every single piece of the staging ever when being in the foreground, I still found myself focusing on this gifted performer. During the first act, this character can be seen performing extremely powerful hand gestures and rather unique accent which to me seed very reminiscent of the iconic Devine/ my favourite Disney villain Ursula. The latter of these two inspirations was clearly embedded by the fact that Killer queen spent the majority of act one in a mermaid sequin outfit that not only looked incredible in Jenny but also paid homage to the iconic Villain form the little mermaid! Apart from being hit after hit from debatably the world’s greatest rock band, there were also a few moments of raw emotion in this production. There was an insanely moving performance towards the end of act one of “No One But You” which by itself is very moving but added on top of this it was performance by the character referred to simply as meatloaf and as we are all away meatloaf recently lost his life after a battle with COVID. This performance was respectfully done and had many audience members (myself include) awfully close to tears! While talking about recognition, I thought it was great that the band of this production were actually given an opportunity for a stage bow which is even more important knowing that the show has heavily reliant on rock music. The band were included in scenes at certain points and accompanied performers throughout and so I thought it was a nice touch that they received some praise at the end of the show!

Overall, this is a show crammed full of some of the Queen’s most iconic songs and so if you are a fan of the band or were around during their meteoric rise to fame then you will love hearing some of your favourites being performed live! I did find that the songs were the focal point of the show with the narrative almost being a second thought which is great if you are coming with the intention of celebrating queen and their music! Every member of the cast was incredibly talented and performed excellently at all times and so I would rate this show 4 out of 5 stars!

Musical

Review We Will Rock You, Wales Millennium Centre by Rhian Gregory

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“Pounding, powerful, electrifying brilliant!“

What a show to choose to make my first visit back since before Covid, a memorable thrilling experience! I’ve missed coming to watch musicals at the Wales Millennium Centre.

As I entered the auditorium, I re-appreciated the magnificent decor and architecture all over again .

We Will Rock You, like most theatre shows, was postponed for two years. It was meant to be returning to Cardiff in 2020, pushed back to 2021 and now 2022.

It’s been disappointing for all involved, the audience coming to see the show but for the all the cast, crew and staff involved in making a theatre. Such difficult unknown times.

During covid quarantine lockdown, I turned up the volume and sang at the top of my voice, “ I Want to Break Free” many times. “Under Pressure is another song from We Will Rock You, I had on repeat. True story!

The We Will Rock You smash hit musical, is written by Ben Elton and incorporates 24 of Queens greatest hits. Live sensational singing and what a rocking live band!

This year is actually the 20th anniversary since it premiered in London back in 2002 at the Dominion Theatre.

For tonights performance, I have to mention, two of the main characters, Scaramouche, played by Elena Skye, and Killer Queen, played by Jenny O’Leary.

The female empowerment I felt from these 2 incredible artists! Just wow!

I was blown away by the lead actresses voices! Exceptional control and tone, and the power! Incredible!

The humour and wit, with the many popular song name quotes in their dialogue and purposely mispronounced object names, got the audience laughing every time!

Go out, enjoy and treat yourself and support your local theatres!

You will certainly be foot tapping, hand tapping , head nodding and singing the Queen songs for days afterwards.

We Will Rock You is at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff until the 16th April 2022.

It continues its rescheduled U.K. 2022 tour, to Bristol, Reading, Aylesbury, Ipswich, Torquay, Wolverhampton, Wimbledon, Stockton-on-Tees, Peterborough, Norwich, Bromley, Birmingham, Southend-on-Sea, Canterbury, Southampton, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Sheffield and Manchester.

Visit and book here for the Wales Millennium Centre In Cardiff.

Film & TV

Series Review, Stad, S4C, by Gareth Williams

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

It is the North West that seems to be in the Welsh TV spotlight recently. The final series of Hidden has begun, Rybish has returned, and a brand-new series called Stad has just completed its run.  Set on a council estate near Caernarfon, it combines the drama and comedy of the aforementioned to create a slightly off-piste narrative similar to Enid a Lucy. This has made it lightly entertaining and surprisingly engrossing; a series that does not make you want to binge from the off but, by the time it reaches its final episode, leaves you desperate for more.

Stad is not strictly original, coming ten years after its highly-popular predecessor Tipyn o Stad ended on S4C. Viewers of that series will recognise the return of a few familiar characters, not least the Gurkha family. However, no prior knowledge is needed to enter this new chapter in the life of Maes Menai, described as “North Wales’ most colourful housing estate”. The opening scene might feel a bit overwhelming and thus confusing for those, like me, entering this world for the first time. But it does not take long to adjust to its tragi-comic genre and realise that the historic connections between some of these characters are no barrier to its accessibility. Instead, one becomes steadily intrigued by the issues, situations and circumstances that arise within the first episode and as the series progresses. Mental health is but one subject which is tackled with a surprising sensitivity, particularly in respect of trauma and loss. Elen Gwynne, for example, gives the most acute performance as Susan whose struggle with bereavement is portrayed onscreen in such a way as to be funny without being derisive.

The writers Manon Wyn Jones, Angharad Elen and Daf Palfrey have pitched the darkness and light of this drama to perfection. There is a bit of a Breaking Bad influence that seems to hang over it in more ways than one. There is the obvious connection to the selling of drugs for financial security, but it is also the hapless nature of the partnership between Ed Lovell (Bryn Fôn) and Dan (Sion Eifion) that strikes chords with the father-son relationship of Walter White and Jesse. The two also find themselves in sometimes absurd situations, like being held hostage by a crossbow-wielding farmer by the name of Iona Kebab (Janet Aethwy). Such wild, crazy scenarios end up contrasting nicely with the far more real-world dilemmas of other characters, like Alaw. Begw Rowlands ensures a real likability towards her character, playing her with a confidence that is tinged with a deeper, hidden vulnerability. It draws much sympathy when she discovers that she is pregnant, and makes her gently blossoming relationship with Kim (Gwenno Fôn) all-the-more sweeter.

Stad can feel a bit pedestrian at times, measured and paced, with no rush to excite or entice viewers into a suspenseful or twisting narrative. It prefers to operate at the most basic level of human drama even as some of its storylines take on a surrealist edge. This means that we get to know the characters themselves in the context of their ordinary lives and is what makes the final part of the series so unexpected and heightens the tension around it. We come to really care as Alaw attacks her dad Keith (Rhodri Meilir), with seemingly-terminal ramifications, and Ed Lovell finds himself trapped in the basement of a burning house. It ratchets up the anticipation before running into the closing credits to devasting effect. Suddenly, it is edge-of-your-seat stuff. A second series is demanded.

Stad becomes a series that gradually wins your heart and then has the power to break it.

Click here to watch the full series.

Reviewed by
Gareth Williams
Opera & classical

Review SoundState and London Symphony Orchestra by James Ellis

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out of 5 stars (3 / 5) Eva-Maria Houben & GBSR Duo

out of 5 stars (5 / 5) Claire Chase Presents Pauline Oliveros

out of 5 stars (4 / 5) London Symphony Orchestra

A intense weekend of events wrapped up nicely with the conclusion of SoundState at the Southbank Centre. I had officially crashed around this point, though keen to see more. Till the bitter end really.

Starting off with ‘together on the way’ from Eva-Maria Houben & GBSR Duo. By far one of the quietly intense concert experiences I’ve ever been too, the Queen Elizabeth Hall was awash in stillness, if not the odd cough and shuffle. One part quite demanding, it also found it rather zen, a well needed mediation after a non-stop few days. Nature comes to mind and outer space, the organ here only ever a drone to the interplay of piano and percussion. You can feel the spirit of Morton Feldman, though it doesn’t quite reach that plateau. Amazing how the organ could sound like train whistles or an an earthquake when the stops are teased. Wales’ own Siwan Rhys played oh so softly on the piano, with some Henry Cowell like string strums and stimulating chords. George Barton was another fine addition on percussion, an attractive array of gongs, temples bowls amongst other delights. Eva-Maria Houben had some deeply impressive concentration levels to keep the organ on the straight path in it’s never ending backing ambience.

Following on was a fine highlight of the entire festival. Claire Chase and the music of Pauline Oliveros was a mere 45 minutes in length and had a massive, lasting impact. Endlessly charming, Claire plays flute supremely well. Her acting also note worthy, since Oliveros demands a performer musicianship, something right up my line of work. Sounds from childhood, asks the audience to create noises they loved making as a child, something I had to abstain from due to my usually temperamental throat, Senem Pirler on live electronics capturing the noises for a unique performance then manipulated it into a brittle soundscape. She did a super job throughout.

13 Changes featured written, Magritte like visions leading to traditional flute, panpipes, and other similar woodwind, Claire showing her breadth in the field. A little boy behind me spoke of this confusion cornering the words, some funny little moments here. Ending with Intensity 20.15 – A tribute to Grace Chase, Claire has taken the posthumous poetry her grandmother left around. A fabulous circus theatre here, as the words become almost Gertrude Stein like, moment after moment of Jaime vu intensity, as the ludicrous heights only gets higher. Shoes and scrappy hand bags frequent the space as all this occurs. Her grandmother’s poetry is piffy, witty, with flickers of sharp observation constantly on show. The grand finale was a solo on the massive contrabass flute, a sight not to take lightly. This touching performance will be on my mind for some time.

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To end the huge weekend was a trip to the Barbican, making me sadly miss the last event of SoundState Music of Today: How Forests Think. London Symphony Orchestra gave an evening of mostly new music, an exciting night of premiers. Finish composer Joel Järventausta’s Sunfall was a world premiere and had the heat of the sun going for it, inspired by our own very star and early, blazing impressionistic paintings. Helen Grime’s Trumpet Concerto featured soloist Håkan Hardenberger, in a slick three piece grey suit. Somewhere between jazz and contemporary classical, the piece never found any ground to call it’s own. Though the opening and closing was a clear reference to The Unanswered Question by Charles Ives. I felt little for the piece, though Håkan did excel her, face bright red in what comes across as a concert that will require further listing to really understand it.

The pearl of the premiers came from Spain’s Francisco Coll and his Violin Concerto. Soloist Patricia Kopatchinskja dazzled in her charcoal affronted white dress. She rarely stoped playing and the whole piece was frantic, alive in a locomotive bombardment. A touching slow movement was powerful, the final few minutes taking on a jolting, free form style as if the composition was buckling under its own weight The audience were very much impressed with this new work and it should do the round more. Coll is a composer to follow for sure. Even his self-portrait in the programme proves even further talents.

The evening would also feature two of Richard Strauss’ tone poems: Till Eulenspiegel and Death and Transfiguration. Whilst the first had cheeky, trickery inspired by the German trickster, the latter had a deep soul, fine harmonies leading to a rousing conclusion. Strauss excels in writing for orchestra, François-Xavier always on top form as conductor be it premier or a concert classic. He excites audiences every time he grabs the baton.

The London Symphony Orchestra concert will stream on Marquee TV for a future broadcast.

Film & TV

Review The Garden Cinema, The Worst Person In The World/Cries & Whispers by James Ellis

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Photo credit: The Garden Cinema

out of 5 stars (3 / 5) The Worst Person In The World

out of 5 stars (5 / 5) Cries and Whispers

A recent Time Out article caught my eye concerning a brand spankingly new cinema that has opened in the heart of London. To my delight, the discovery of The Garden Cinema holds up as a triumph for my most recent London visitation. If you like all things Art Deco then you have to look no further. The reds and golds are all here, the angular designs and the glamour of Hollywood’s yesteryear are all present. Sitting in Cinema 1 for two features, these held up as the most polished, comfortable seats I’ve sat on, quite similar to the ones in Cardiff’s Cinema 2 at Chapter Arts Centre…you won’t want to leave them.

I was greeted with great friendliness by staff, I found myself having gin (a rarity for me) and cups of dried pineapple and cashews. It’s amazing to see a cinema that will allow you to take glasses into the cinema and also maintain a no noise policy by having snack in quiet tubs. I did hear the odd rustle in the back row and some chatting in the first film, but thankfully that died down. Having a naughty look in Cinema 2, it was an even more intimate space, very welcoming and warming. It’s the touches here and there that sell this arthouse cinema. The posters, prints and the like all add a elegance not seen in today’s cinema. There is also an ethos on no trailers, instead short films to prelude the feature presentations. There is talk of having local film maker night as well. I will take to court any Londoner who will not support this pristine new enterprise and make it a regular for film and drinks.

The Worst Person in the World
Dir: Joachim Trier. 128 mins, 15

With Oscar nominations to boot, this fresh film sees a young protagonist Julie go around Oslo, lost in one relationship thinking of having another. Renate Reinsve compels the role of a woman who doesn’t really know what she wants, very relatable in today’s age of Me Too, social media and the general angst of living. The film pops with some flowery cinematography. Two scenes stand out: when Julie offers the blow back of her cigarette to new lover Elvind (a solid Herbert Nordrum) and when time stands still for Julie to sneak off to meet him. Poor Askel played by Anders Danielsen Lie goes through a lot in the film, an artist who creates the Norwegian equivalent of Fritz the Cat.

A scene in a radio interview speaks volumes about today’s cancel culture, both sides with fair points here. A fine performance form this sweet actor, sadly the third act leads to little in a Cancer diagnosis for the character and no where for the story to go other than having Julie spoil once again the new relationship she was in (perhaps that’s an assumption? ). There are predictable elements as well, a scene involving a shot of her legs in the shower could only lead to a miscarriage. The father sub plot could have also been tackled a bit more considering the run time. See for the camera work and decent, amusing acting.

I also caught the tail end of the short Single concerning romantic with people with physical disabilities. This appeared highly skilled, with a nice touch of romance. Will try and find a link to watch fully.

Cries and Whispers
Dir: Ingmar Bergman. 91 mins, 15

Death, regret and family resentments permeate Cries and Whispers. This is top quality Bergman, well regarded as Sweden’s finest master. His Persona is a personal favourite, yet this is up there for me. A quiet opening, the stillness with ticking clocks will soon fade away as two sisters come to term with their other dying sister. A chilling film by any standard, the psychology of the women remains fascinating, the maid Anna also a ground breaking exploration as care giver and loyal friend. Biblical sights also frequent the period setting, some very obvious. “A tissue of lies” said in the film seem to capture the aspect of the story well and whether Agnes did actually die at the end. Martha and Karen has hate for each other for no real reason and as the film goes on they appear to reconcile if only for a while. Each woman get’s their back stories fairly portrayed, helping us understand their plight much more. Most scenes fade to crimson red, a motif in the scene with plenty of blood seen later in a disbursing moment involving a broken shard from a wine glass. Of course, we have the famous expressionist close up, pure chiaroscuro every time.

This is devastating cinema.

Cries and Whispers runs at The Garden Cinema till 7 April 2022.
The Worst Person In The World runs at The Garden Cinema till 21 April 2022

Theatre

Review Cluedo, New Theatre, Cardiff by Rhys Payne

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

One of my greatest achievements in life is the fact that I once won an entire game of Cluedo in one guess! For those who haven’t played this game before, it is a board game created by entertainment aficionado Hasbro where the whole point is trying to figure out who the murderer is, where the crime happened and what weapon was involved. Everyone starts the game with a series of cards that cannot be the final guess as they are not in the mystery case file sitting in the centre of the board. As you travel around Boddy Manor you guess the key ideas and through skills of inference and the help from other players you can whittle down to the perpetrator, crime scene locations and how it was done. Once you think you have solved the case and want to make a prediction you have to remove yourself from the game so that if you are wrong the game can continue. On one such occasion, I was able to guess in my first go, I was able to suggest the three concepts and so made my formal prediction which was absolutely spot on! This was met by a flurry of confused and surprised faces as this game usually lasts for a very long time but instead I had won in one round! I have always loved a good murder mystery event ever since attending an in-person immersive murder mystery party when I was very young where we were all given a character to portray for the evening. In fact, during the recent global lockdowns (that appear to be a thing of the past now!) I took part in three online murder mysteries organised by the fantastic sharp teeth theatre. With all this in mind, you can imagine my excitement when it was announced that not only would there be a staged murder mystery but also it was based on the board game that I was miraculously won in one round much to the surprise of all my friends.

Cluedo the stage play is a staged adaptation of the much-loved board game where a group of people are invited to the mysterious Boddy Manor only to discover that the owner of the house is blackmailing everyone involved. Their attendance at this event is suddenly thrown into absolute chaos as a series of dead bodies are discovered which means this group has to discover who is commuting these horrendous acts. The stage version has everything that people love about the classic board game including the iconic weapons, memorable locations, and much-loved characters (eg Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum and Mrs Peacock) complete within their eccentric looks and mysterious secret tunnels connecting rooms to each other. We first meet Jean-Luke Worrell who plays the wonderfully over the top butler who appears to have orchestrated the whole event. He is seen to introduce each character (who clever light clues representing each character) and his constant over-acting and four wall breaks really fitting in with the master of ceremonies vibe portrayed throughout. I personally believe that this character was so wonderfully exaggerated that they delivered many of the hilarious moments in the show which contrasted beautifully with the fact that they were all dragged into a murder investigation. In the closing moments of the show, we see a hilariously prolonged death sequence involving this character where just when the audience thinks they have died, they spring back to life to perform a tap sequence, incredibly soulful rendition and emotional monologue that had the audience howling with laughter throughout. The butler then introduces the rest of the characters during a carousel of arrivals which I really enjoyed as it represented the moment in the actual board game where everyone reads about the characters involved. However, unlike the board game, these characters are not simply Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum and Mrs Peacock etc but instead these art pseudonyms for people who had committed some form of illegal activity that they are being blackmailed for. After the extent of their crimes is revealed by the owner of the manor, the evening takes a turn for the worse as Mr Boddy is found dead. Before he could pass, however, the newly deceased had managed to distribute a murder weapon to every character which initially was intended to be used to kill the butler which helps to drop breadcrumbs throughout the story of who is committing these atrocities. The characters are then tasked with solving the ‘who dunnit’ before the police arrive and there is a public scandal that leads to more bodies being discovered as the evening progresses.

Despite being a play all about murder, the creative team behind this project have managed to craft this production in a way making it child friendly (but not in a childish way) so that everyone in the family can enjoy. They have injected this show with many hilarious moments which creates a sort of ‘the play that goes wrong’ sort of vibe with a series of brilliant physical comedy moments and witty I liners. There are moments when mostly reverend green (played by the wonderfully talented Tom Babbage) walks into opening doors, is squashed in slow motion by a falling chandelier and hilariously misinterprets instructions that have the audience cackling. As this story progresses, this character becomes a bigger and bigger part leading to a very shocking revelation in the closing moments of play. There are also moments facilitated by the butler where the entire play rewinds to discuss an alternative ending which was cleverly performed by all involved. These inclusions help to make the play friendly to experience for any audience while still playing in the nostalgia of older audience members which was very cleverly developed. We do get a much greater understanding of every potential suspect in this case (that you do in the board gane) mostly due to the fact that in the play they are fully realised and physicalised with backstories, motives etc which I thought was a great inclusion that all work together to make the closing moments of the play even more striking.

Overall Cluedo the stage play is a family-friendly experience that has moments of nostalgia for older audience members and many hilarious moments that everyone can enjoy. It is a unique theatre experience that is available in the New Theatre Cardiff until Saturday the 9th of April so if you are looking for a murder mystery event involving a series of wonderfully over-the-top characters then this is one for you! As a side note, from this play, I want to use Cluedo as the next theme for a fancy dress party as I think that would be amazing fun!

Art

Review Francis Bacon, Man and Beast, The Royal Academy by James Ellis

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Photo credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

The biggest London exhibition of the work for years of Francis Bacon presently stagnates at The Royal Academy. I have fond memories of the previous exhibit at the Tate Britain in 2008, a lasting legacy for me as a lover of his craft. I can’t tell you how many times I doodled his Base of a Crucifixion figures in uni, a version of this on display, though not the pure horror of the original. The only work of his I’ve seen since is the lesser known painting in Cardiff at the National Museum, not one of his best (though I believe) is still on display.

Even with my energies waining I found this show at the Academy quite absorbing with all the morbid curiosity, crowds rushing to see the weird stuff first indeed. This is certainly for the strong of stomach as the amount of viscera splashed around is unbounded. We see some electric bull fighting paintings, (I saw an actual living spider in one of the canvasses and notified security!) with swept paint and a mustard yellow backdrop, the scorching Spanish climate defining death in the afternoon that is the so called sport. We know he loved boxing as well, violence is never far away. This gory spectacle both horrifies and delights.

Fine work is seen in his portraits of friends, lovers and his contemporaries. The way he holds the faces is but a still shot of a highly rendered, bruised stop-motion. The pit of despair which never leaves any of this work…consider the drunk and drug fuelled nights he created this paintings without any idea of what they might be in his baffling, hoarder like studio. His influences are clear and also quite random. The early photography of Meyerbeer, the classic Russian film Battleship Potemkin and even the animal world strongly feature and maintain masterstrokes in every flick and scrub.

Monkeys and chimps appear a few times, a reminder of our primal heritage and of our base desires. Sex is never far away from Bacon’s mind, a homosexual during the time it was illegal must have had a deep effect on him. His lover George Dyer haunts many frames, their tragic love story best presented in the film Love is the Devil: A Portrait of Francis Bacon. Derek Jacobi was simply made to play Bacon…

Nobody nor face comes out of his gaze undamaged, as if surreal boxing match in a dark theatre box outline. The deformed and the decayed loiter. His use of colours not usually seen in art: purple, orange and black also defines his brilliance. One sensational triptych even features huge pink paintings with three squalid female figures. His blows dust in other pieces, or newspaper print in another. Perhaps other unmentionables as well, maybe? His work is now in museums around the world and private collections. Here was a small buffet of his twisted vision with some good highlights and lesser seen work to boot.

A must see in London.

Francis Bacon Man and Beast runs at the Royal Academy London till 17 April 2022.

Opera & classical

Review SoundState & London Philharmonic Orchestra Southbank Centre by James Ellis

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Photo credit: Benjamin Ealovega

out of 5 stars (2 / 5) Arditti Quartet

out of 5 stars (3 / 5) Mark Knoop

out of 5 stars (4 / 5) London Philharmonic Orchestra

Arditti Quartet Programme:

Christian Mason: This present moment used to be the unimaginable future (UK premiere)
Clara Maïda: … das spinnt for amplified string quartet
Betsy Jolas: String Quartet No.8 (Topeng) (UK premiere)
Tansy Davies: Nightingales: Ultra-Deep Field (UK premiere)

After the giddy thrill of seeing Meredith Monk live for the first time, I wanted to check out more of the Southbank Centre’s SoundState festival. In an intimate afternoon, the Arditti Quartet tackled new work, pushing the boundaries and listeners with the medium of the string quartet. I must put my cards on the table, and say I struggled with this repertoire. I find it hard to believe coming from me, who has always been on a journey of new discoveries. Christian Mason’s opening piece had an interesting use of space with two of the players standing towards the back corners of the Purcell Room, the piece ending with them all leaving the stage still playing.

It would be hard to pinpoint any markers within this music. My concern lies in the blunt method of music making, a hang over from the Second Viennese School. It would be reductive to say this felt like a Webern Fan Club, though his influence was there along with other serialists. The expected shrillness and unhinged sounds couldn’t formulate any visual stimuli, perhaps more abstract sights would be fitting? There was little in rest bite of the anxious, nimbly bow play, the strange prodding of the senses. For once I cried out for a melody…never thought I’d say that. I left flustered and with a headache.

There was some tinkering with show times on this Saturday at the festival and Sex Magic by Liza Lim was given a later slot, giving a three hour break after Arditti for Mark Knoop’s recital. I would miss Liza’s show and was sad to do so. Knoop’s concert had some curious work, a premier from Akiko Ushijima and more. Materia opened with rowdy electronics and Knoop proving his tricks as a musicians itching to take on bold pieces. A dance between man and the electric gave off a wondrous show. They complimented each other, the brittle noises joining the elongated piano writing.

Canon in C from 3 Canons for Ursula by Nancarrow was less impressive. Not the MIDI type playing the composer is notorious for, essentially piano music so complex a human could not physically play it. There is elegance in this Canon, Knoop fitting this choice and it left you hungry for more of that outrageous music. For my sins, I sadly, missed the final piece on the programme: Matthew Shlomowitz’s Explorations in polytonality and other musical wonders Volume 1. From what I did see I must express how invigorating it was hearing these strident works up close and personal. Will absolutely see more of Knoop.

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Rushing over to the other side of the centre, a chance encounter with the London Philharmonic gave rise to a super evening from France and Germany. I’ve spoken in recent reviews about the unrepresented nature of female composers. With Lili Boulanger, a French artist who died tragically young, her sister Nadia is best remembered as one of the big teachers of composers in the 20th century. Lili’s Psalm 129 was only a few minutes in length, though had a big impact and a bigger heart. It is the early Debussy likeness and soundtrack feel that stand her apart, way ahead of her time. The chorus really pelting out some sublime harmonies, though brief and still teary. Olivier Messiaen’s Le tombeau resplendissant is a fine example of his early output of music, the influence of Stravinsky and his Catholic faith being most on stage. The exhilaration and veneration seeps throughout all the orchards groups shining with bold, rampant passages. Messiaen withdrew the piece from his canon for reasons we may never know, a strange decision since the piece is brilliant and a great gateway to the hurtling, mouth dropping later scores.

Edward Gardner continued to show his casual brilliance with Brahms’ A German Requiem. The might of the large orchestra and massed London Philharmonic Choir and The Rodolfus Choir. The singing also help up extremely well the constant declarations in this mass being direct and clearly executed. Baritone Roderick Williams remained highly skilled during his solos, a friend at the concert remarked his German was “on point”. Always soft and centrally one of England’s finest baritones, this cant be denied. The one solo featuring soprano Christiane Karg sat with the choir was a pleasant feature, praise indeed for her even it was the only time she sang. I’ll take or leave Brahms and this German Requiem may not always grab me, but I can’t deny the effort that was put in this and it execution bordered on the exemplary.

SoundState continues until the 3rd April.

SoundState | South Bank London

Dance, Theatre

Review Dance to the Bone, Neon Candle and Sherman Theatre by Hanna Lyn Hughes

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Co-directed by Joe Murphy and Matthew Holmquist, Dance to the Bone is a gig theatre show performed at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff inspired by the dancing plagues of medieval times which explores what it would be like if a plague of this kind were to break out today and how society might react.

The evening started with a folky rock belter with leading vocals by Oliver Hoare who co-wrote the drama with Eleanor Yates, singing “I wanna take you dancing”. I could sense the audience twitching in their seats, itching to throw a limb or two and start a dancing plague of their own. I found myself in awe of the multi talentedness of the cast and particularly loved the music which was a catchy and refreshing mix of folk rock.

The story line is fast paced and the dialogue sharp witted with themes of grief and trauma running throughout. Joanne Bevan (Yasemin Ozdemir), our protagonist works at an insurance company with her brother, John (Jack Beale) both of which have recently lost their grandmother, with Joanne seemingly especially affected by this loss. Choreographed by Krystal Lowe, Ozdemir’s energetic dance solo was a mix of thrashing, kicking and more traditional dance moves which included some very impressive backbends. When the other characters eventually caught the dancing fever, I was particularly impressed by Beale’s agility as he writhed and flailed around with excitement during his impassioned speech about the expectations around his role as a big brother and “man of the house”.

The show ends with the ensemble finally dancing altogether under the warm glowing light bulbs hanging from above; each embracing different ways of moving, some floated ethereally and some kicked, punched and swiped the air purposefully.

All in all, an impressive display of talent and a well rounded, thoroughly enjoyable show.

Dance, Opera & classical

Review James Larter & Meredith Monk with Bang on a Can by James Ellis

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Photo Credit: Victoria Frankowski

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)James Larter

out of 5 stars (5 / 5)Meredith Monk & Bang on a Can

St-Martin-in-the-Field Church in London maintains a calendar of concerts all year. The raw energy of percussionist James Larter should shock an idle Friday afternoon audience in an hour of sizzling, sonic sounds. One might run afar from the music of composer and mathematician Xenakis, yet his Psappha was a powerhouse of force, James greatly showing off the demands of the work with ease and determination. Richard Rodney Bennett and his Marimba Concerto (the first movement) followed featuring on piano Tyler Hay, representing the allusive orchestra in this reduction. Perhaps the most stringent of the programme, Bennett’s time with Pierre Boulez shows here, with some moods of brief Messiaen, the composer being well known for more traditional film scores. James here flexed his percussive muscles with the marimba his gym rack, with Hay a smooth and well equipped companion.

Composer Param Vir introduced his premier work: Drum of Deathless, in a solo arengment. Taken from time spent in a freezing monetary in South Korea, Via has flung into the air a work of great magnitude, quite showy as James chants and clamours away beautifully. Both small percussion and the marimba are on offer, with a dexterity needed in the transfer of sounds. Temple bowls added flavour to an already spicy broth in what could proof to be a percussion favourite in years to come. James’ own piece Bedawi, utilised electronic beats, call to prayers and a middle-eastern inspired musicality. This wrapped things up well, evocative in nature, though slightly too shorty feeling more like an encore. James is one to watch.

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Leading to an evening at the Royal Festival Hall with a music legend, an woman of charm and filled with vim. There was much anticipation for Meredith Monk’s first concert back in the UK for some years. During lockdown I began to engage much more with her canon: Zoom workshops, a kick starter (which I gladly pledged to) and my interview with her all added to my quest to know more, to get a more rounded sense of this interdisciplinary artist.

Entitled Memory Game, the night would feature hand picked work from Meredith’s extensive output. Starting with The Games, a galactic examination of fascism in the guise of a science fiction opera. What lovely things to hear, as always with this music. Meredith’s singers: Theo Bleckmann, Katie Geissinger and Allison Sniffing are individually brilliant in their vast scope of roles. The joy of the absurd thrives here and the thrills that feature leaves faces beaming. The dance work is also unexpected, grounded in simplistic modes of expression, yet always achieves its goal. The utter delight that was Tokyo Cha Cha from Turtle Dreams Cabaret held up as funny and endlessly charming. Migrations from The Games, saw Ukrainian tributes with blue and yellow lighting, as this touching moment stirred hearts, with Meredith near wailing, child like in voice. Double Fiesta ended with that rush hour speed, the ear worm of the night. A few encores also appears this hungry audience, the show being under 90 minutes.

I’d have loved to have heard Hocket and The Boat Song from Facing North, since Theo Bleckmann was present who premiered the work with Meredith. Though Theo’s ludicrous Gamemaster’s Song, another selection from The Games, had a bouncy keyboard riff and oodles of poses and vocal frontiers for him. The Memory Song also from the opera a sweetly scented venture into the characters thoughts as they venture out into space, with a shopping list of things now gone to them. Spaceship which opened the night gave the musicians time to wrap up and enter this universe of thoughtful ideas, harmony never comprised, melodies never to approachable. The years of collaboration with Bang on a Can Allstars also shows. The instrumentalists shined with funk, patience and the passion for every bar of music. It’s the sincerity that surprises you the most in Meredith’s art. A lack of sung words also open up much more interpretation, with a general minimalistic vein exposed. Few would argue she remains an unique voice. Few other artists have chirped, shrieked, scoffed and teased their voice like Meredith has and we love her all the more for it.

The evening ended on a high note with a relaxed post show talk with Meredith and musicians from the night. I finally had the chance to meet her in person and she always speaks so kindly of Wales, hoping to return one day. Photos and autographs were greatly appreciated, as I left filled with love and warmth.

Join Zoom song and dance workshops with Meredith Monk and her singers, see her website for details.

Meredith Monk will continue with Memory Game with her Singers and Ban on a Can All-Stars, with film screenings and Cellular Songs on tour at the Rewire Festival in The Hague, with the Cellular Songs in Nantes, Paris and Luxembourg.