Tag Archives: Hannah Goslin

Theatre

Review Kicked In The Sh*tter, The Hope Theatre by Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Back again to The Hope which is always full of quintessential good writing and interesting drama.

Kicked In The Sh*tter is by Leon Fleming and directed by Scott Le Crass who are known for Sid which previously played at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff . The play aims to look at the welfare state, at mental health, the two coinciding and in between this, relationships and trying to live.

The production is ambiguous and simple in its attire – Fleming notes this in the programme as making the narrative be relatable and able to be placed anywhere but also to not avoid drawing attention from the storyline. And this all works well – a lot of productions at the moment are adhering to this and it is welcomed when a lot of productions think that special effects and pomp and circumstance is needed to make an impact. While as a theatre creator myself, these are all aspects that I like to explore, something so realistic and relatable does not need such accessories if it is good writing.

The performers of course do a great job – switching from their younger days to current day, they manage to change their approach to show the distinction.  The fact that they bounce off each other works well for a brother and sister relationship and when emotion is needed, awkwardness, a sense of struggling to help or accept help, we can relate to how they portray these.

A weird and subtle addition that I really liked was the stage movement – the sister does this always, with the brother watching, adhering to the essence that she has been left all responsibility. Subtle and small but I loved the attention to detail.

Despite all these good points, it was a good piece of theatre and I enjoyed watching but it did not astound me. But I cannot understand why. The elements were all there and Kicked in The Sh*tter should definitely been seen, if not only to be entertained but informed in the issues highlighted… there was just a spark that was missing for me.

 

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Review, A Profoundly Affectionate, Passionate Devotion to Someone (-Noun), The Royal Court, by Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

Again, The Royal Court does nothing but astound us with its epic writing and unique staging.

A profoundly affectionate, passionate devotion to someone, written and directed by Debbie Tucker Green sees three relationships, intertwined and the love, passion, hate and pain that comes with being with someone.


What The Royal Court is very good at doing is by not masking the fantastic writing with bells and whistles. Set a little taller than us, the action happens around three edges of the squared room, where the performers move from side to side, from story to story – us being on chairs that rotate giving us the sense of choice as to whether we engage in stories that feel so private.

The performers are phenomenal – with such fantastic and funny writing they are open to exploration of feelings and expression and it feels very natural, very at home and pulls at our heart strings and our emotions.  We relate to the stories and relate to the characters, their emotions and circumstances. And it is evident that the performers are invested in their characters – not one break of it, not one slip, and when not the initial focus, their characters continue out of the spotlight.

Another triumph for The Royal Court- another fantastically written piece executed to perfection.

 

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Review Yamato, Peacock Theatre by Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

Japanese drumming seems like an odd production to have at a well renowned dance theatre. But bear with me – it is not just drumming.

My interest has always been grabbed by Asia, especially Japan. Last year I visited Tokyo and saw what we all think of in Japan – a mixture of tradition and unusual things. My very small and brief cross with Japanese drumming was at the Robot Cafe where giant drums played by smiling men and women in bright clothing came inches away from my face.

So my expectation was a little different – I expected something more traditional and more quaint I suppose. I was surprised, shocked and entertained like never before.

Yamato bring the essence of Japan – the curiosities, the tradition and the uniqueness. The performers throw their all into each performance; they smile, they have fun, they engage with us and play with us but there are times of what would seem like ritual and tradition.

They show the mixture of something so old with the way they play, the instruments and their movements – being very low squatted and grounded. But also they enjoy what they are doing, bouncing from one area to another, dancing to accompany the music but also doing comedic moves that everyone relates to and so it then makes sense that this is at a dance theatre.

What I found intriguing is the mix of performers. Both men and women played the same instruments – there was little sexism in what they wore, what they were capable of and it felt like a very equal participation-something much of the British theatrical scene could learn from!

While its evident their English is very small, we engage with them in universal movements and find comedy in actions rather than words. We do not feel so far apart from their culture as we may anticipate.

Yamato is heaps of fun and extraordinary – as a drummer I found their skills astonishing but even a novice would do so. They are so perfected and fantastic, it would be hard to attend and not to come away smiling.

http://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/2017/yamato-chousensha-the-challengers/
 

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Review E15, Lung Theatre, Battersea Arts Centre by Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

On such a tragic day, when London is in a state of terror, the production of E15 by Lung Theatre is more poignant than ever. A community joining together to stand strong and still invite others to London.

Based upon the social housing crisis, E15 brings a documentary style of theatre with true stories from true people and their struggle and fight for basic rights that all humans should be allowed.

As a previous private resident of Newham when I first moved to London over 2 years ago, I was aware of the poverty of this area but no idea of this movement. This production fully opening our eyes to the crisis. London is known as a welcoming city, with the recent Brexit vote forcing people to announce that London is still welcome. Yet it seems we can hardly cater for even local people, those who seek asylum – anyone who needs help.

The stage being plastered in protest flags, chalk writing on the floor, campaign voices over the microphone, we are put in the essence of this struggle. And all the rest is the perfection of the performers.

Their truthful, natural and passionate narrative is poignant and emotional. But strong. Strong voices. Strong men and women and their ability to tell this tale with added theatricality made something true and political stand out.

Some say that theatre should stay out of politics but with theatre like E15, the only helps the cause and puts it on the radar of the public.

A very important and creative production – a must see!

https://www.bac.org.uk/content/42647/whats_on/whats_on/shows/e15

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Review Tank, Breach Theatre, Battersea Arts Centre by Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

A almost crazed episode in American history, a NASA funded project during the 1960’s involving trying to make dolphins speak English is controversial and a shocking era. Based upon training scripts, Breach Theatre aim to discover what really happened, indulging in the pure animal cruelty and madness of the scientists involved.

A theme of water is obvious and consistent – the performers continue to hydrate from a water cooler in the corner, almost filling themselves with the tale.

https://vimeo.com/181211245

By posing our dolphins in human form, we see the general cruelty, the unpicking  in a discussion by the performers of what would be happening, arguing and then agreeing on events, on emotions, feelings, what may happen, what may not- a worst case and probable truthful telling of behind the transcripts.

This soon  comes into physicality of the dolphins, still humanised to not only mirror what the scientist are cruelly trying to achieve but also to give us a connection and really how we would feel if this was done to a human.

The performers are relaxed, casual and act as if ad libbing despite us knowing this can  only be well rehearsed. They manage the right balance of comedy, of shock, of metaphor and lead us down a shocking and disturbing road.

Breach Theatre have managed to create a piece unlike any other and such uniqueness needs to be seen and celebrated.

https://www.bac.org.uk/content/42641/whats_on/whats_on/shows/tank

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Review One Last Thing (For Now), Althea Theatre, Old Red Lion Theatre By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Up above the mid afternoon Sunday lunchers, a performance that makes you giggle, makes you feel your emotions and come away feeling more culturally enlighten is performed.

One Last Thing  (for now) features quite a large cast for such a small performance space. The play looks at the lives of several different people, across time and across the world and the importance of communication to show love in times of war.

The storyline chops and changes from different eras and even to different places across the world with ease and with constant intrigue. One tale is not given all at once, we have to fight through the different tales of woe, hardship and pain to get to the end of each interesting piece.

The performers are always well engaged, always part of the story or set and draw our attention well to the action by showing interest themselves – it feels as if the performance is the first or second time they have done it, despite being a week into the run.

At times accents can be a little ropey, losing the narrative a little. But it is picked up well with their general performance. Their physicality and interesting use of bodies for staging and different characters are interesting and well constructed.

And while it did not make me cry, there were some in the audience that the stories really touched. Perhaps some of the energy was too impactful to give us time to process the stories before another came along.

Never the less, it is refreshing to see a production so full of life and so well invested in by the performers that you fail to come away without a smile and an after thought.

 

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Review In Other Words, Hope Theatre by Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

In the top of the Hope and Anchor, one of my favourite venues displays yet another interesting and ground breaking piece of new writing.

Matthew Seager, who also stars as our main man in this duologue of a production, debuts his writing in the form of a tale about a couple dealing with the slow deterioration due to age and dementia.

We run through, back and forth to the past, the present and an almost out of body experience of the couple looking back on their life, giving a narrative to their own torment. Coming into the production itself, the couple interact with us, become playful with each other, and when relating the narrative to us, we are brought in, trusted and engaged with. This in itself connects us and makes us feel as if we have known this pair our entire lives.

The slow deterioration is not referred to by name until near the end – dementia. Without prior knowledge, we can only guess what they are referring to and so it comes as a surprise to us, as it does to the characters despite our inner guesses and assumptions. With only two characters, the character of the Doctor is never seen and this draws us into the couple more, intruding on their thoughts and feelings.

Seagar is a loveable goon. We fall in love with him, just as his character wife does, and so to see him become something unlike himself it painful to us. Using his voice, his facial expressions and the change in his posture is natural and painful to watch but very like an older person conforming to dementia.

Celeste Dodwell is also a natural triumph. I had previously seen her only a week before in Testament by Old Sole Theatre. In the previous production, she also plays a character with an upsetting storyline. However, and it is not just because a change of accent from American to Australian (although her Australian accent in In Other Words is very subtle) but comparing the two approaches to the characters, she sure shows talent, showing such a difference between the two. She draws us in and we soon feel her pain, her thoughts and so the story soon becomes not about a man and his dementia, but how they both cope with the change.

With a basic staging, little props and beautiful old school Sinatra and changing in lighting to flag up a new scene, there is nothing fancy taking away interest from the writing but only adds to the theatricality of the play.

Looking around the audience, not a dry eye was in the house – men who in the queue to enter looked strong and alpha, are reduced to tears and myself… well… my sleeve was soaked with drying my eyes at the end. In Other Words takes on a new approach to the subject and is beautifully tragic.

http://www.thehopetheatre.com/productions/in-other-words/

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Review Show Me The Money, Paula Varjack, Battersea Arts Centre by Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (2 / 5)

A major and rising issue in the Arts industry is funding. Funding your art, your life, somehow becoming a fully fledged artist. It’s something we have all encountered –  myself hindering to this especially from coming back from a short stint of travelling to find myself on benefits with endless applications, interviews for jobs I am more than qualified for but not meeting the fine margin in the big City that is London.

While Paula Varjack predominantly focuses on those making theatre (a choice of a hiatus of theatre making made by myself due to trying to pay the bills) and other forms of art, rather than a broader range of the arts sector, she brings up points and an exploration that can be related to for all roles in the industry.

As a solo performer, she uses a range of mediums to express this. Some are through music, sound bites, interviews with other artists projected on the screen – we are back to the theatre genre I have recently discovered in previous Battersea Arts Centre shows such as Hairpeace and Live Before you Die, that is more a presentation that a show. Never the less, it is not any less of an interesting approach to performance art.

Much of the production was Varjack reiterating her well rehearsed scripting – however in comparisons to times of ad lib, it definitely felt scripted, rehearsed and lacked personality and warmth that we would expect from an issue so close to the heart.

While all the concepts are there, and she brings up lots of very good points that we relate to, the piece still felt in the scratch phase. It felt like something more ‘polished’ was lacking – while if we are realistic, theatre is known for never being perfect but always striving for more; more definitely being needed to make this piece ready for stage.

I found it personally hard to relate to at times. Not only did her background sound well supported which many artists do not have the luxury of (and I have no doubt this was unintentional an opinion) but also a stress was put onto the hours put into a show and a sense that this dragged. Again, while I feel the approach was meant to be positive, showing the hard working aspect of art, it felt more cynical, regretful and a sense of boredom in making the piece despite the modern dance music playing in the background.

With a lot of respect for Varjack and understanding and appreciation of what she is trying to achieve with Show Me The Money, it just felt a little lost at times and confusion in the point being made. However, she does bring a matter of fact expression to the topic at hand which is always welcome in contesting current art politics.

https://www.bac.org.uk/content/42639/to_archive/show_me_the_money

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Review The Testament, Old Sole Theatre, Vault Festival, The Vaults by Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Down in the sub-terrain of The Vaults, we are transported for one hour to the Bible belt of America, to hear several peoples stories.

A very basic set – we enter to a small group singing harmonic Christian music on a small stage, titled by a large fluorescent cross above their heads. Our seating is set out just like a church – wooden, uncomfortable pews instantly implementing us into the whole church-like atmosphere.

Our performers range in backgrounds – a normal looking business man whom we can imagine with a white picket fence, wife and kids in the suburbs, a sister duo who are very close, housewives with working husbands and young children, a young man in an orange jumpsuit who is in prison for his crimes and finally our main songstress, a soulful lady who we also get the feeling of her presence being in a councillor/priest type role.

Each story is delivered by these people – starting out with a normal tale, which slowly becomes more serious, more emotional and more negative. Two of the three stories present tales of abuse, and the other of an accidental event. However they all have a common link – God.

This basic and very powerful production, set in a Church, sets out to contradict and challenge the Christian belief in the eyes of the abused, the hurt and the unjustified. Somehow they either come back to God despite these awful events, or are being made to repent when they pointedly ask the main question of – why should I when he has let this happen to me? They show just how the ideal of Christianity hides these issues and gives a false sense of security when one doesn’t know where to go.

The performers themselves are so invested in their stories that it’s hard to believe that such terrible stories are a work of fiction. While totally plausible and most probably similar to many true tales, the way they present them is so emotional, expressed  in their trembling voices, their tearful eyes, their stiff and shaking bodies. And of course, by cleverly presenting the stories from positive view before quickly deteriorating, we are thrown into constant shock at how detailed and truthful these tales are being presented. For performers to do this so easily, with perfect accents and to make us feel a roller coaster of emotions is a triumph.

Of course one cannot write a review and not mention the music. There is no organ, or pre-recorded music but pure acapella which helps with the atmosphere but also push the essence of escapism through religion. Once a story is told, the songstress addresses it vocally and we see the performers comforted. As if their story suddenly does not matter because they have God.

No frills, no fancy sets or lights, The Testament presents stories of turmoil in an honest and raw way, while challenging religion without the obvious finger pointing.

Written by Tristan Bernays
Presented by Old Sole Theatre Company
Directed by Lucy Jane Atkinson

http://www.vaultfestival.com/event/testament/2017-02-23/

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Review Bucket List, Theatre Ad Infinitum, Battersea Arts Centre by Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

When we think of a Bucket List, it tends to be what we want to do before our final ending.

Full of ideas of endings, Bucket List at the Battersea Arts Centre takes on a fictional tale which is very much transferable to modern day.

Based in Mexico, we meet a little girl who goes through a traumatic short life. Basing it upon political issues between the USA and Mexico, we see many disastrous events from pollution of Mexico, to the corrupt ‘policia’ with suspicious deaths, rape and drug use. Milagros witnesses all these awful and terrible events and decides after finding out that she is dying, that those responsible must pay.

A small group of performers, all female, bring a strong cast to this stage. Ranging in ages, each of them present such interesting and energetic performances. The main cast double up on characters which are seamless and well- constructed – ranging from children to adults to different genders. To help with this, occasionally a prop or piece of costume is used but while this aesthetic is welcomed, it isn’t always necessary.

My only issue with this was with accents – throughout the production it was evident that the English native speakers were able to adopt a Mexican accent, but for whatever reason chose not to for some main characters and when changing to another accent, managed this with no issue. It was slightly confusing when this became a revelation as it felt slightly inconsistent.

What struck me however was the level and grace of the physical theatre involved. Much of the production used this technique to change places, to represent different events and feelings and it was fantastic. The performers had so much energy, were able to move seamlessly and almost seemingly with little effort and this as a performance itself was as intriguing as the narrative.

Live music and singing was also a great addition – a simple drum set and percussionist providing some of the background and a guitarist and phenomenal singer at times providing a singing narrative, becoming the corrupt characters in her androgynous style, made this production a little bit more special than it already was.

Bucket List is raw, exhilarating, intelligent and fantastic. And with the current political situation in America and Mexica, very poignant and modern.

https://www.bac.org.uk/content/42644/whats_on/whats_on/shows/bucket_list
https://youtu.be/CxlFNcpcYv8