"Geeks, Greeks & Party Myths" - October 2006

This show by the Citizens Young Company is described on the Citizens website as "An original piece of theatre drawing on classical Greek myth and teenage panic - what would you do if Medusa had just crashed your party?" The description was certainly enough to get our interest but we really had no idea what we were walking into. Even after seeing the show I'm still not sure... but I do know I enjoyed it.

The cast generated a quite electric atmosphere with their energy and with a large cast in the small Circle Studio their obvious fun was seriously contagious. Anyone who remembers the house parties of their teenage and student years will quickly recognise that this production has absolutely nailed what it's like to be part of it. And I guarantee every audience member left recalling their own tales of parties and 'Yellow Pages' moments.

The characters do at times tend towards caricature but that's all part of the fun and not at all out of place. The numerous "mini-tales" are well held together and all are entertaining in their own way with some of them very funny indeed. Performances are all good, but this is very much an ensemble so there aren't any I'd single out.

There are problems though. Although it does add a couple of nice touches, the "Greek" thing is a bit of a red herring that could do with either being expanded or dropped. Some of the dialogue struggles to be heard above the (admittedly excellent) soundtrack but I guess that just adds to the authentic party experience. At under an hour, although it doesn't feel incomplete I do think there was definitely room for expansion into a 90 minute plus format here.

But enough quibbling... this is a great piece of entertainiment and really conveys a mood and feeling across to the audience. Hell, even when I was that age I hated going clubbing, but by the end of the show I'd almost have been up for a night on the town myself. Great fun.

"Yellow Moon" - October 2006

As a novel and entertaining way of telling a story, this performance by TAG really hits a sweet spot, but the story of teenage runaways doesn’t bring us anything new or any surprises along the way. And while it claims to raise serious issues such as self-harming and celebrity obsession we aren’t given any real feel for the impact or resulting consequences. They seem to be dropped in as “issues” without the play really having anything to say about them.

But none of this detracts from an entertaining 80 minutes or so where the format of dual narrators really drives the pace along. This works marvellously well when used in a “Crime Reconstruction” style commentry, although not quite so well when used to convey the internal thoughts of our runaways Lee & Leila. All 4 cast members perform well and succeed in bringing about a good level of tension as the play reaches a critical “will he / won’t he” moment. They also do remarkably well to perform in the Citizens Circle Studio with full lights up making it even more intense than usual.

Kudos to the writer for avoiding the temptation of an obvious potential plot twist which I won’t spoil here, but which is tired and overused. But I can’t help but feel that the writing lets the side down a little here - but it’s not a problem with the dialogue, it's back to the “issues” again I’m afraid - they just don’t add anything and I’m sure the play would be better dropping one or two of them and doing the remaining ones in more depth. Great performances and direction make this work but its despite rather than because of the writing.

Oh, and it was nice to see a number of the cast of “Mary Stuart” which is playing on the main stage in to see the performance.

"Mary Stuart" - October 2006

When I first heard of the creation of National Theatre of Scotland last year I had fears of it being a stuffy organisation of luvvies putting on all too serious traditional theatre that no-one would choose to go and see. Fortunately our experience of "Roam" quickly opened our eyes to the full range of shows the NTS had planned for their first season - and stuffy or traditional didn't form any part of it. Reviews I'd seen of some of their other shows only confirmed this. But for the first 10 minutes of "Mary Stuart" I was concerned that all my initial fears weren't entirely without grounds.

The show opens with some fairly slow and heavy sets of one to one dialogues delivered in an earnest fashion, and I quickly found myself focusing on the marvellous set. Fortunately once we get into three way dialogues things quickly improve and as soon as Siobhan Redmond appears on stage as Elizabeth things are raised to a different level entirely. I've always liked her television work but she really has stage presence here, so much so that it's difficult to reconcile the way some of the other characters compare Elizabeth unfavourably with the younger Mary. It's a strong supporting cast with excellent performances from several - especially Phil McKee as Leicester and Robin Laing as Mortimer, but Redmond remains a clear head and shoulders above anyone else here - Helen Mirren or Judi Dench wouldn't get a look in. Catherine Cusak gives a good performance as Mary but she doesn't have the same material to work with as Redmond is given.

There are a couple of scenes which will evoke memories of "Yes Minister" style farce and wordplay but for me they don't sit quite right with the tone of the rest of the play. They are however very well done, and do provide some much needed lighter moments.

The only real quibble I have is with the way the death scene is portrayed - the dialogue just seemed forced and it would have had more of an impact for Mary just to have been lead into darkness.

Despite a running time of around 3 hours the show passes quickly and never drags - but you might want to think twice before going on a schoolnight. Contrary to my initial concerns at the start of the evening, I think this was an excellent addition to the NTS list of productions as it isn't something that would likely make an appearance otherwise and it had just enough nice touches, including the costumes of the male characters, to remove any hint of luvvies and that kind of theatre...

If tickets aren't already running low for the show's run at the Citizens followed by the Royal Lyceum, they will be when the reviews get out - Book NOW while you can.

"Self Contained" - September 2006

More than 24 hours after the event and I’m still not certain on my thoughts about this devised production by the NTS Young Company. The concept of a small group isolated after a national disaster isn’t anything new but the staging certainly takes the concept beyond the ordinary.

At a running time of around an hour things move along quickly as we are introduced to our five characters who remain nameless throughout but who I mentally tagged as “Kelvinside Lady”, “Little Girl”, “Astronomy Guy”, “The Boss” and "Mother". We learn a little of their backgrounds and the events that brought them together but much remains untold.

The performances had me really concerned for the first five minutes as they seemed overcooked, and I’m still not sure if they got better or if I just grew into the show and found the portrayals appropriate to the characters state of mind, but given the later inclusion of a song and dance number I think that the tone of the performances was actually a pretty good fit for the piece.

The reveal comes quickly and can be a surprise to few, and many like me probably anticipated it even before the start of the show. I just didn’t buy into the idea that the events of the show would bring about the final confession.

The company made the most of the claustrophobic nature of The Arches venue and there are nice elements of audience participation. It’s fairly rare for this kind of show to have any long lasting impact on me, but this one did, as it has introduced a new phrase to our household which will no doubt be in use for many years to come - “...and there was no F****** milk!”

I think my uncertainty about the success of the show is due to the fact that although it was definitely enjoyable, I’m just left feeling that it could have been so much more. It was just too traditional - for a young company being given support from the senior NTS and obviously with a lot of talent and directing experience I’d have liked to see some more thinking “outside the box”. There were hints of it - the leaflets handed out to the audience giving emergency instructions, the initial taped dialogue, the musical number but just not enough to really lift the show to a higher level. I’ll be interested to see if they can make their next production a little more different, because we will be back.

"My Dark Sky" - September 2006

The story of the White Rose group who provided resistance to Hitler's policies within Germany is one that has an attraction for Waldorf, but for me theatre is for entertaining and I was struggling to see that I would get much "enjoyment" from this tale which couldn't end well.

So, I'm pretty surprised to be able to say that I found it a very enjoyable performance, as despite the dark themes and fates of the characters the legacy of their actions was made clear and tone of the ending a positive one. While the acting was of a good standard generally, it was Nicola Jo Cully excellent performance as Sophie Scholl who kept a more positive element throughout the narrative. Stewart Ennis as the older Wilhelm also brought a different dynamic to the group and his measured performance contributed greatly to the success of the show. A very welcome decision was for the cast to avoid going down the line of performing in German accents - a mistake that is far too often made and just proves distracting to the audience.

The story is well told and we have depth to the characters and are given insights into their motivations, their differing views and how they deal with the risks they take - these are clearly defined individuals, not just a generic group of people with a common cause. The only aspect of the writing I'd query was the romantic element which was really just a distraction - I would have been far more interested in the internal recriminations within the group about the decisions that lead to their arrests.

The show makes excellent use of their "stage" and the implementation of their graffiti handiwork is very impressively done, as are the audio visual elements. The set piece finale to the show is perfectly worked and ensures the audience leave on a high (and very grateful they don't have to stay and clean up!)

I've seen some reviews that while not harsh, haven't given this show the credit I think it deserves - there seems to be a snobbish prejudice against the show due to the fact that it is designed to be toured through schools as part of the curriculum. Don't let that take anything away from what is a powerful show with some powerful performances and some memorable images. It's a story that deserves to be told well, and Reeling & Writhing have done it proud. We saw this at the end of the run at the Tramway but there are several performances at venues around Scotland in October and November - if there is one near you give it a go, even if "serious" drama isn't normally your kind of thing.

Now Booking / Coming Soon

Quick update on what we're planning on seeing and reviewing soon...

"Self Contained" @ The Arches by NTS Young Company
"My Dark Sky" @ Tramway and touring by Reeling & Writhing
"Mary Stuart" @ The Citizens (followed by The Royal Lyceum) by NTS
"Yellow Moon" @ The Citizens Circle Studio
"Geeks, Greeks and Party Myths" @ The Citizens Circle Studio
"Frozen" Touring followed by The Citizens by Rapture Theatre
"The Canterville Ghost" @ Rosslyn Chapel by Nonsenseroom

I'm sure we'll end up at a few other things over the coming months too but I think that'll do for now... oh and just for the record - WE DON'T DO PANTOS!

"The Whitechapel Murders" - September 2006

It's always a bit of a lottery when you go to see a show, especially when it's a newly written and produced play. Sometimes it's a hit, othertimes it's a disappointment. I'm happy to say this one was the former. This was a world premiere run from TheatreFusion.

We'd visited the Britannia Panopticon on Doors Open Day and it's well worth a visit if you get the chance. Entry is via an alleyway, then up some stairs but you emerge into an auditorium that takes you back in time and is filled with ghosts. It was quite apt that this was the venue staging a play about the victims on Jack the Ripper.

Despite its dark subject matter the play is a pleasant mix of the grim and humerous. Well written, with good use of both live musical accompaniment (piano and cello) and projected images (remember and turn off the antivirus scheduled scan if using a laptop), you got a real feel for the 5 victims we hear about. There were good performances from the cast with some nice well directed set pieces.

Sometimes keeping things simple is the best policy and with a limited set, no gruesome makeup effects or stage blood this won't turn your stomach, but will stimulate your brain.

The one limitation of the venue is that there is no tiering to the seating or stage, so you and the performers are all on a level. Try and avoid sitting behind any giants.

Unfortunately this was only a short run, but the company are hoping to stage it again and possibly tour with it - we'll let you know if we hear anything more.
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UPDATE - (from the TheatreFusion website)

"THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS", BRITANNIA PANOPTICON MUSIC HALL, Trongate, Glasgow. Located above Mitchell's Amusements. Enter via New Wynd, to the right of the amusement arcade.

Thursday 20th September - Saturday 22nd September 2007. Evening Performances at 7.30pm each night, with a Saturday 22nd September afternoon Matinee at 2pm.

TICKETS FOR THE BRITANNIA PANOPTICON SHOWS CAN BE RESERVED FROM 1ST AUGUST 2007. Email: theatrefusion@hotmail.com

Edinburgh Festival 2006

This year was only our second visit to the Festival. Despite working in Edinburgh for many years I had avoided it as being too unpredicable to be confident of seeing anything other than dross. A visit prompted by Christian Slater's role in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in 2004 was a turning point, and although we didn't make it across in 2005, this year saw us make two visits and we managed to fit in 6 shows...

The Receipt @ The Assembly Rooms, Fuel Theatre
“The Receipt” is very nearly the perfect Fringe show - excellent physical performances, well written, very funny, and just that little bit different. I wouldn’t dream of trying to outline the plot or format of the show - but our “hero” is along the lines of “Willy Loman” from “Death of a Salesman” crossed with Dustin Hoffman’s character from “Rain Man” who suddenly finds that trivialities are all he has left. His story is retold through performances and techniques that on paper just shouldn’t work, but on the stage definitely deliver. I said “nearly” the perfect fringe show as it does run out of steam a little towards the end, and if they can find a way of ending the show more in keeping with the rest of the performance it would be absolutely perfect. A great way to get your day off to a start.


Fahrenheit 451 @ Gilded Ballon, Godlight Theatre Company
This is a well delivered staging of Bradbury’s classic work. The absence of backdrops and props have obviously focused the group’s minds on how to portray the main set pieces and they are aided greatly by the use of sound and lighting effects, although it did take me a while to work out the “Walls”. The cast slip easily and believably from character to character with each getting a chance to shine. I was a little disappointed that the show didn’t quite resonate for today’s society as I had hoped it might, but it is certainly a very enjoyable way to spend an hour or so.

The Regina Monologues @ “C”, Tidemark Theatre
This deserves to stand or fall on the basis of its central conceit of six present day wives of one man with parallels to the wives of Henry VIII, and on that basis it should stand proud. It’s very easy to believe the tales of these modern women while we are left to reflect on their historical counterparts and the acting is of a high quality although it is only the final wife who managed to really engage my interest. It is both funny and sad in moments, but I am left with the feeling that it isn’t quite as clever as it likes to think it is. The show was also hindered by its staging in a venue with a loud air-con or fan unit in danger of drowning out some of the quieter deliveries, and due to the way the seats are tiered, some characters are at times delivering lines out of view of a large portion of the audience. Worth seeing for its ambitious concept - but make sure you get in the front half of the seating.

Lord of the Flies @ Augustines, Feltonfleet School
An excellent performance of “Lord of the Flies” by a remarkable young cast. We had wondered how adults would portray the children of the story and it was only the night before that we discovered the cast were all schoolchildren of an age with the characters. Those playing the main characters perform well beyond their years, and the supporting cast ensure they are each memorable in their individual roles. Great use of a minimal set/props but “line of sight” was a problem for some of the audience from time to time. If you missed the show you definitely missed out - remember the group for next year!

“Rebus McTaggart” @ Smirnoff Underbelly, Richard Thomson
This was my first show this year that I had chosen after the reviews started to appear, so expectations were high. Fortunately the show lived up to them. At times it did threaten to disappoint as the secondary characters don’t deliver in the same way as Rebus McTaggart does, and to be honest if they weren’t there they wouldn’t be missed (with the exception of the sniffer dog!) McTaggart is where it is at for this show and he’s well crafted and excellent at interacting with the audience. The Crime Reconstruction was truly funny and original - Crimewatch will never be the same again. See this show - I suspect well be seeing a lot more of Richard Thomson in years to come.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” @ Rosslyn Chapel, Nonsenseroom Productions
Wonderful setting for a wonderful performance, an absolute joy from start to finish. Very good performances from the cast all round, and I never like singling out an individual, but the actress playing Helena delivered the best individual performance I’ve seen at this years Fringe, and I’ve been lucky enough to see some great shows. She brought a great presence to the roles and made a clear distinction between her characters in looks and mannerisms. I was lucky enough to attend a Saturday night performance with buffet and chapel tour - well worth paying the extra for as it made the whole thing even more of an experience. Really can’t recommend this show highly enough and we're really looking forward to their Christmas production of "The Canterville Ghost".

"Tales from the Arabian Nights" (Catchup - August 2006)

This was the second Scottish Youth Theatre show we saw this year. We'd been disappointed by Man of the Crowd, but had higher hopes for this one. Again this was in the intimate surroundings of the Citizens' Circle Studio. You're right in the middle of the action, especially when it's a production with a relatively large chorus.

The cast were obviously enjoying themselves, and it showed in their performances. Most of the main characters were playing multiple roles but pulled them off. So much so that Statler had to ask who had played one character and didn't believe me when I told him who it was - such was the difference in the portrayal of the two different characters.

It tripped along at a fair pace, with a nice use of props and a limited set. It's amazing the different uses Ikea boxes can be put to!

"Man of the Crowd" (Catch up - August 2006)

We’ve been going to productions by the Scottish Youth Theatre for many years now, ever since they did a show based on the life of a supposed ancestor of mine. The only years we’ve missed out were because we tried booking too late to get tickets, and the shows have often been the highlight of our theatre-going year. We’ve seen versions of “Into the Woods”, “Sweeney Todd” and also devised pieces such as last year’s “Ugly Duckling”.

“Man of the Crowd” was the first show in the Studio Theatre in SYT’s new home in Glasgow’s Merchant City and was based on the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe, with particular focus on the mystery surrounding the last few days before his death in suspicious circumstances. What follows is a tale mingling Poe’s failing mental state and his presumed physical form - portrayed by two separate actors which although initially confusing actually worked fairly well, even if the resemblance between the two was little more than passing.

Part music, part dance, part drama, part poetry reading the show was at it’s best when Poe was being tortured by his own creations but despite a fantastic set and some strong performances it was let down by the writing. We’re given hints of Poe’s fate but it’s all rounded up too quickly, the dialogue just isn’t snappy enough and at times heads towards Bond villain type stuff, and with a running time of around one hour a little extra wouldn’t have gone amiss. It might have meant more to someone with a greater knowledge of Poe’s works, but for me it just didn’t quite work. The cast also weren’t helped by a decision to go with heavy accents, both American and East European of which some cast members were more capable of than others. It hurts me to say it after having such great experiences with the SYT before and since, but this one has to go down as a disappointment despite the valiant attempts of a cast which could no doubt have shone given better material to work with.

"Don Quixote" (Catch up - May 2006)

I wasn’t particularly familiar with the source material but it has been really brought up to date by Theatre Modo in this performance in the Citizens Circle Studio. Now this is a very small space, and blimey didn’t they use every single inch of it! It’s a hugely physical performance for all three cast members and I’m sure they must be covered in bruises at the end of each performance - I wasn’t alone in grimacing in pain as they threw themselves around the stage.

Don Quixote is now living in what appears to be a tenement flat with his best mate and his secret love, spending his time in a fantasy world, at times represented by his obsession with computer games. We watch as his friends at first humour his fantasies before realising things are going too far. It is all wonderfully realised as we witness his challenges and torments, both real and imagined. It is a well written piece but in truth this is all about the performances and they are hugely entertaining. For me this was bordering on experimental theatre, so the company may well have misses as well as hits, but on the basis of this I’ll definitely be checking them out.

As I said, we saw this at the Citizens, but it was also toured, and given the physicality of the piece I think in future we’d try and catch them at the Cumbernauld Theatre where they can make use of a substantailly larger performance area.

"The Princess Bride" (Catch up - May 2006)

Despite living in the area for seven years, it took a performance based on one of our favourite films to get us along to Cumbernauld Theatre. It was being done by the Cumbernauld Senior Youth Theatre. I had really high expectations given my love for the source material, and the show surpassed them. Excellent performances all round especially from the young lady playing Inigo, yes that’s right, young lady, and the change really worked well. All the elements from the film were there, some very imaginatively and effectively recreated, but they had also managed to include some additional scenes from the original book which definitely added to the show. Another welcome decision was the way the cast delivered some dialogue “third person” with added internal commentry - difficult to convey but marvellously entertaining to see. The cast were hugely energetic making the most of the many entrances and exits Cumbernauld theatre's in-the-round auditorium provides, and the swordplay of the main cast was little short of magnificent.
Marvellous show, and we'll definitely be back to see what they come up with in future.

"The Collection" (Catch up - April 2006)

We’d very much enjoyed their version of “Damages” in 2005 so we were very keen when Rapture returned to the Citizens with “The Collection” For a show set in the gritty world of loan sharks there are some humourous parts, but the main flow of the show is relentlessly downwards into despair. Given the nature of the subject, it’s not really a performance to “enjoy” but there’s no doubting the quality on show here. Jimmy Chisholm as Lawson is particularly effective at portraying the realisation of the impact his job has on his clients. The show works wonderfully in the intimate setting of the Citizens Circle Studio theatre and the acting is very much tailored to the setting. It has definitely secured Rapture’s place as one of our favourite companies and we’ll be seeing this year’s second offering - “Frozen” soon.

"Roam" (Catchup April 2006)

Statler was the one who spotted this was on and he had to convince me to go, it all sounded a little arty for me. I was wrong.

This is the first play that I've been to that you not only needed a ticket, but also a passport.

The evening started at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh where our passports were checked, and we were asked to identify a tomato (more on that later). A double decker bus took us out to Edinburgh Airport. After we checked in we were treated to performances throughout the airport; from the check-in desks to the departure lounge to the baggage collection.

The core of the performance (play doesn't quite cover the experience) were 2 intertwined stories. The first was that of travellers from various backgrounds and countries and their interaction as you sit in the rather dull environment that is an airport. The second, and more thought provoking, was looking at people trying to flee from an airport after civil disturbances. In a disturbing twist the country that was falling apart was Scotland, and the 'safe havens' people were trying to flee to were Sarajevo, Beirut (particularly ironic given events later this year) and Kigali. The same actors played roles in both tales.

A though provoking and enjoyable mix followed. A particular highlight was when we were heading to the departure lounge but were delayed by an offloading commuter shuttle from London. The quizzical looks on the faces on the suited business people as they walk past a member of cast reciting 'I am the gatekeeper' with mentions of running fingers up and down was a treat. (PS if anyone has the words that were recited I'd love to have them)

The tomato question earlier was explained as the way this word was pronounced in Arabic was used as a way of determining whether the speaker was a Palestinian, and therefore a fair target. Makes you think - doesn't it?

It was a long evening but didn't drag. A unique production in an unusual venue. Grid Iron and National Theatre of Scotland produced an excellent experience. The critics agreed and gave it 3 awards - including Best Theatre Production

"A Limited Run" (Catch up - March 2006)

We saw this one man show at the Citizens' back in March...

I saw Andy Gray perform on stage many years ago along with Gerard Kelly and the rest of the cast of “City Lights” in a stage version of the popular BBC Scotland sitcom of the late 1980s. I hadn’t seen any of his performances since then as I always felt they would be just that bit too “Glasgow” for my taste.

The premise of “A Limited Run” really intrigued me though - the concept being a downsized God living in a bedsit receiving prayers by fax. After speaking with a friend who had seen the show the previous year at the Edinburgh Festival we decided to book up. Andy Gray was brilliant - bringing out the humour and the pathos of the piece, which despite being part of the Comedy Festival actually has some very bleak moments. He’s also a master at controlling an audience - useful on a Friday evening when some of the audience came from the office via the pub. The only disappontment was that the show still retained it’s Festival running time of around 75 minutes with no interval, and I really did feel they could and should have extended it to a “full length” show with interval.
I’m still not sure I would rush back to see Gray in his comedy roles, but I’d love to see him on stage in a dramatic role, because he definitely has the presence to carry it off.