"The Little World of Don Camillo" - February 2007

Giovanni Guareschi's stories of Catholic priest Don Camillo and his nemesis Peppone, the local Communist mayor, in their post-war Italian town don't seem to be that well known in the UK. As a result I had little idea of what to expect. The blurbs for this production by Mike Maran were also a little vague on how it was to be staged as well, so it really was a bit of a venture into the unknown as we entered the Circle Studio at the Citizens.

I turned out to be correct in thinking I was about to see something reminiscent of an Italian "Ballykissangel" or "Hamish Macbeth" - typical of the gentle comedy loved of a Sunday evening on BBC1 (although please note I'm not including "Last of the Summer Wine" in this category). I was however very wrong in my guess that the performance would be a small cast of 5 or 6 - in fact it's largely a one man show with Mike Maran acting as story teller with musical accompaniment and occasional assistance from his accordion and trumpet players. And it is lovely to have live on stage music as part of a show - something all too rare these days.

As a format this works well as Maran takes us through a series of lighthearted tales of how the two enemies share a grudging respect for one another despite their attempts to gain the upper hand in public matters. Maran also takes time out to explain how this reflects the wider picture in Italy of the time and also to give an insight through his own family history. It all feels a little like regressing back to childhood and sitting watching a cracking Jackanory with Bernard Cribbens narrating.

This isn't really a laugh-out-loud kind of show - more gentle chortles, and I'm not completely sure that as early thirtysomethings we are really the target audience, but it made for a very enjoyable evening.

Now this shouldn't really be a criticism, as I've already said the stories do suit the style of presentation and Maran does a great job of bringing the characters to life, but I do also feel that the material could be (and in future no doubt will be) used to even greater effect with a small cast of characters and fully performed.

"Teechers" - February 2007

Despite not being familiar with the piece, I thought I had a fair idea what to expect from this performance by Glasgow College of Nautical Studies drama students in the Citizens Circle Studio. I was however completely unprepared for the absolute riot of fun and energy it turned out to be. Although normally performed with a tiny cast of 3, this performance used a cast of 10 and I'd suggest it really benefited from this as it helped create a truly school-like atmosphere at times.
Some may say that the choice of show wasn't too demanding from a serious "acting" perspective of intense stares, furrowed brows and wringing of hands variety, but it more than made up for this in being a very technically challenging piece with so many members playing multiple characters (even with the extended cast), fast paced scene changes, direct narration to the audience, and the need for well honed comic timing - not to mention the inclusion of a song and dance number!

All of the cast were more than good - and from the very first scene our three narrators, Salty, Gail and Hobby (Scott Fletcher, Deidre Coghill & Laura Szalecki), had the audience eating out of palm of their hands. Scott Kyle as the central Nixon also produced an impressive performance while David McNay as the Mr Bronson-like Basford was in danger of stealing the show with every scene.

Overall this was a hugely enjoyable evening with more than a touch of a Scottish Youth Theatre atmosphere and tone about it (and that is very much a compliment for anyone in any doubt). However, it did become clear right at the end that these young students still have something to learn - when you get an audience response like that at the end of a show, please come back out for a second curtain call - you deserved it and we wanted to give you it...

"My Bloody Valentine" - February 2007

When you go to an established production you have a rough idea of what to expect. There may be some updates as to costume, or language but you know the general story. With My Bloody Valentine we went in blind as it's a work devised and performed by the Citizens' Community Company. I'm glad to say we didn't leave disappointed.


It was clear that the cast were enjoying themselves as they produced a series of sketches around love and relationships and Valentine's Day. A simple but effective set of restaurant tables allowed the company the freedom to give us sketches ranging from macabre to slapstick. These were interwoven with "Lyrical Interludes" telling the story of one particularly troubled relationship by using a variety of song lyrics.

Some of the sketches were stronger than others, but the pace was nicely judged and I've got to admit to having sore jaws at the end from grinning for just over an hour. None of the stories had huge twists - everything was fairly well signposted - but you shouldn't expect that in this kind of work. Trying to work a huge reveal in takes time you just don't have in short simple tales and can end up looking forced or contrived. The fun tonight was in the journey, not necessarily the destination.

Special mentions have to go to Hairbrush, written and performed by Patricia Preston which was a nicely delivered Alan Bennett-ish monologue. Also a brave and witty a capella performance of 'Daisy Daisy' with a French twist by Siobhan Crawford. However, this was very much an ensemble performance which worked well as a whole.

The Stalls Studio is a small space, with a difficult layout - the audience sits on 2 sides of the square, facing each other, with only one entrance and exit. However this had obviously been considered carefully in the set layout, and in the direction. The large cast did well in remembering to play to both sides of the room.

Sometimes the advantage of community/amateur company performances is that the cast are enjoying themselves as much as the audience, and this was a perfect example. If you think that they might have lower standards, then think again.

A Guide To Polite Theatre Going

I get relatively easily irritated by the foibles of other audience members' so figured it was time to draw up some Dos and Don'ts of watching a play. It actually depresses me slightly that I feel the need to list what should just be a matter of common sense and common decency.

1. Arrive on time. To be fair theatres have a big responsibility here too. Only allow people in at a sensible breaks in performances and if someone has to leave mid act then don't let them back in.


2. Don't drink too much. A lot of rude behaviour is caused by partaking of a few too many before the show, or during the interval. It just makes you look a prat.


3. Don't eat sweets. You're only sitting there for an hour or so, you can survive for that long. The rustling really carries.


4. Turn off your mobile. And I mean off, not vibrate. The same goes for beeping watches.


5. Don't talk. When the lights go down that's your cue to shut up. Don't finish your conversation - it can wait till the interval.


6. Make sure you're the appropriate audience for the performance. We've seen kids of 8 or 9 at shows that have clearly stated that the suggested age is 14+. We've also overheard other audience members, usually older ones, complaining about the strong language. This has usually either been specifically stated in the show info, or you could deduce it being likely from the subject matter.


7. Be considerate to the people around you. Watch your elbows, and don't wear hats or have big hair. Watch your knees and feet. A slight shift in movement to you can feel like the percussion section are practicing on your kidneys to the person in front.


8. Dress appropriately for the venue. I don't mean tux and evening dress here (but if that floats your boat, then go for it). I do mean think about what you're going to see. If it's not a conventional theatre style performance and you're going to be walking about following the actors don't wear 3" high stilettos (especially for across grass). Companies usually advise you that you'll need warm clothing, sensible shoes etc - pay attention to that advice.


9. Keep the luggage to a minimum. We've seen people who've obviously just done the weekly shop before squeezing into their seat.


10. In unallocated seating don't move seat at the interval. You're just going to cause chaos as there will be a ripple effect of people hunting for new seats.

"Dangerous Liaisons" - February 2007

Saturday saw us back at the Citizens again for an enjoyable performance of “Dangerous Liaisons” by a second set of Reid Kerr students following our midweek visit to “The Crucible.” As always, the content of the following review is based on the same standards used for “professional” theatre - I don’t believe it helpful to anyone if we “make allowances” because it is a youth/student/amateur production.


The cast really had the measure of the Circle Studio and their performances and vocal levels were spot on for the intimate setting. Our three lead characters of Valmonte, Mdme de Mertuil and Mdme de Tourvel all gave good central performances but while Valmonte and Mdme de Tourvel seemed to have everything “on display” Stacia Bantouvakis as Mdme de Mertuil gave a much more subtle performance with a greater suggestion of character depth and complexity. Both Martin Haddow as Valmonte and Elena Burns as Mdme de Tourvel did show hints of internal conflict in some of the major dramatic set pieces but I think for most of the play the decision to perform with strong accents took so much effort and concentration that it limited some of their other skills. Bantouvakis’s more natural accent seemed to have afforded her greater opportunity to produce a more three dimensional portrayal. Indeed Dylan Lewis as Valmonte's manservant benefited from sticking with a straight Glasgow accent and as a result brought a good deal of depth to his relatively small role and was able to showcase his obviously good timing.

I found much of the show uneven in tone, but without closer reference to the source material I’m unsure if this is the nature of the play or a flaw in the way it has been adapted. Much of it seemed verging on knockabout comedy and at times they went for what seemed the cheap gag rather than a clever one, and for me this didn’t sit well with the stronger scenes of violence later in the play to the extent that I found it uncomfortable - although I will accept that this may have been a legitimate intention of the cast/director.

The supporting cast all did their jobs well, including some young ladies who were incredibly brave to be quite so exposed in such an “up close and personal” setting. Lighting was used to good effect, as were musical interludes between scene changes, and the cast coped very professionally with a couple of minor irritations in the audience.

As stated at the beginning, this was an enjoyable evening and I think some of these guys could have a future in theatre, but I do wish that some of them would appreciate that the best acting is about more than an accent, gestures and volume control - the best actors in an intimate space like this can convey emotions with a mere look. But I guess that’s all part of the learning process and I’d happily return to see future productions from either of the two sets of student I’ve seen this week and that probably says more than anything else.

"The Crucible" - February 2007

I'd never seen or read "The Crucible" before tonight, but was aware enough of the political overtones that I was looking forward to this production by Reid Kerr College Drama Students in the Citizens Circle Studio. Before we go any further I'd just like to post a reminder of my policy for commenting on youth/community/amateur/student productions and performances - these get judged to exactly the same standard as any "professional" performance, to do otherwise would be patronising.

OKAY, HERE GOES, THE FIRST ACT INTRODUCED US TO SEVERAL OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS BUT SOME OF THE DIALOGUE WAS SO FAST AND SHOUTY IT WAS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO CATCH WHAT WAS BEING SAID THROUGH THE FAIRLY HEAVY ACCENTS AND I'M NOT SURE IF THIS WAS DOWN TO A MISJUDGING OF THIS INTIMATE THEATRE SPACE BUT THE EFFECT WAS VERY SIMILAR TO TYPING WITH CAPS LOCK ON AND EMPHASIS WAS LOST WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY REQUIRED. It did however become very clear early on that Kirsti Quinn as Abigail was going to deliver an electric performance and was entirely believable in her role. Fortunately the second Act brought a bit of a quieter tone but volume was still an issue with Grant Hamilton's otherwise excellent performance as John Proctor lessened by shouting just too many times. By the interval I was struggling a bit and it all seemed a little haphazard and as if I was being bludgeoned over the head with some of the delivery.

After the interval things improved greatly and the courtroom scene was very well staged - the chorus of the girls being particularly effective. Things were also helped by the greater involvement of Una McDade as Elizabeth Proctor with a very measured performance and the introduction of Kevin Gunn as Judge Danforth commanding his hearings. The final Act saw great exchanges between John and Elizabeth and these were the scenes with the greatest impact.

Overall what we had was an enjoyable performance that with a bit more considered direction could have been more subtle and sophisticated. As I've mentioned in reviews before I think it's great mistake to attempt national or regional accents - it rarely adds much to the role that can't be achieved by adopting a variation of the performer's usual accent to reflect class etc. This is much simpler and avoids the all too often scenario where two or three performers hold great accents throughout while others obviously struggle to the extent that it is a constant distraction to the audience. I'd also have liked to have seen just a fraction more creativity in the setting of the play - it was never about the Salem witch trials and even minor indications of the play's relevance today would have been welcome. Anyone for putting the accused in orange jumpsuits??? It was however good enough that I'm looking forward to see what their classmates produce later in the week with "Les Liaisons Dangereuses".

"Hot Fuzz" February 2007

Yes, this is normally a Theatre Review blog, and yes "Hot Fuzz" is the new film from the creators of "Shaun of the Dead" but I was lucky enough to get the chance to see the film tonight over a week before it opens, followed by a Q&A with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. So, for one post only I'm going to review a cinema film...

Those of you who have read our Welcome post already know that I don't get to the cinema often due to the increasing annoyances of the other patrons, the ridiculous lack of originality and the insistence of studios of airing trailers that either completely spoil the film in advance or are actually the only good 2 minutes of it. But I wasn't going to miss this opportunity having really enjoyed "Shaun of the Dead"

I'm not going to go into any details on the plot which although present and fairly substantial isn't really what this film is all about, but the basic set-up is big time cop moved out to the sticks. The first hour or so is fairly slowly paced but generally and genuinely funny and Simon Pegg gets the chance to show that he can really *act* and I mean that in the sense of saying that this guy has the potential of all sort of statues and awards given the kind of role that those panels favour. And Nick Frost shows he has the potential to be more than just a loveable sidekick - I hope we get to see him given more variety in their next production.

The last 45 minutes is where the pace takes off and it just does not stop - it is completely unrelentless and gives Edgar Wright the chance to show that as a director he shouldn't be limited to relatively low budget (in Hollywood terms) films and is perfectly capable of directing a "serious" action film. But even in "all out action" mode the humour is kept very much front and central and only slips to the background when they attempt to out-do the gruesomeness of the Final Destination films. This action onslaught is everything I felt was lacking from "Casino Royale" - I left it finding it difficult to recall any real highlight set pieces. With "Hot Fuzz" I think I've just spent the whole bus journey home with a silly grin on my face recalling the best moments. And just in case I haven't made it clear this is a 5/5 film.

The guys were great at the Q&A afterwards, having a chat with an interviewer and answering questions from the audience. It was great to see and hear how much love they have put into the film and it really does show in the final product. Getting back to our roots here, this is definitely something Theatre should do more of - it has much greater opportunities to do so but post show cast discussions are few and far between and I'm sure there are many who would be interested in attending. Nonsenseroom are one of the few companies who seem to really make the most of this with their "Gala night" performances.

Anyway, normal service will resume later this week when we get back to the theatre...

An Update From Backstage

The blog can now be accessed via www.viewfromthestalls.co.uk as well as its original viewfromthestalls.blogspot.com address.

We've also added a new section to the sidebar links (over on the right) called "Stage Door". This will contain general theatre links and resources - the first of these is a link to the Scottish Theatre Forum which is a great forum for those involved in any aspect of theatre to exchange views and share information and even those like us whose only involvement is in the cheap seats are made very welcome. The Forum also has its own production coming this summer - the smash hit Queen musical - "We Will Rock You"

If you have any suggestions for sites that we should also include please drop us an e-mail at blog@viewfromthestalls.co.uk

Pay Less.... See More

As you can see from our Now Booking / Coming Soon we've got a lot of shows coming up in the first half of the year and the cost of tickets quickly adds up - no press freebies for us! So we take advantage of any offers we can to reduce ticket prices, and it seems only fair to share some of these tips with you...

The offer we make the best use of is definitely from the Citizens - every seat for performances on a Tuesday night is only £6 which is a great saving on prices in the main theatre, and makes the more "unknown quantities" in the Circle studio less of a risk.

The Citizens also does special previews for some of their bigger shows and the prices for these can be as low as £3, but these are only available in person on the day. September 2007 - as per the comment below the previews are now pre-bookable.

A lot of other shows/theatres also do discounted tickets for the first night of a run and this generally suits us as it's nice to get a review up here nice and early when anyone reading can still get tickets for the show. Our bookings for Futurology by the NTS at the SECC cost only £5 per ticket instead of £15, and for Aalst by the NTS at the Tramway is only £6 instead of £12.

The Traverse for example does an Apex ticket offer which offers discounts on selected performances for tickets booked a week in advance.

Another tip is to look at shows in studio theatres or unusual venues where seating is unreserved. For these you can often wait until reviews come out before booking and you won't miss out on the best seats by booking late - so long as you remember to turn up early on the night! But be careful you don't get caught out by waiting too long and find the show is a sell out - as happened to us with "Volpone".

Shows that are touring can often have quite different prices at different venues so it's always worth checking if there is an alternative local venue that may offer better value.

It's also worth considering youth, community and amateur productions as with no professional salaries to be paid tickets tend to be generally better priced.

Lastly, come Edinburgh Festival time most shows do 2 for 1 offers for the first weekend. It's a bit of a risk as you'll not have seen any reviews but if you can pick shows based on the past performances by companies it's a great way to see things a little cheaper and minimise any loss if you do end up catching some of the inevitable dross.

And remember - don't just save money - use it to see more shows!

Now Booking / Coming Soon - Early 2007

As we approach the New Year it becomes time to start booking for shows in 2007, so we started today by booking up for a number of shows at the Citizens' and we'll add a few others over the next week or so once we've identified shows to see. So here's what you can expect to see reviews of in the new year... (All shows at the Citizens unless noted)

February
The Crucible
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
My Bloody Valentine
Teechers
The Little World of Don Camillo

March
The Recovery Position (NTS Young Company at Platform, Easterhouse)
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice
Ice Cream Dreams
Aalst (NTS at the Tramway, Glasgow)
When A Star Falls (SYT at SYT Building)

April
Re:Union
Futurology: A Global Revue (NTS at the SECC, Glasgow)
Black Watch (NTS at the Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow & touring)

June
The Tempest
We Will Rock You (STF at Rothes Hall, Glenrothes)

July/August
His Dark Materials (Scottish Youth Theatre - venue tbc)


All good stuff but I'm particularly looking forward to a few of them -
"The Crucible" as I've never seen it, and love "Death of a Salesman"
"Re:Union" about unions between nations as I like a bit of political theatre
"Ice Cream Dreams" as I found out today it requires a stage extension covering the first 5 rows of the stalls and they can only use the front row of the Circle, so book now if it interests you as tickets will be very limited.

We missed out on seeing "Black Watch" at the Edinburgh Festival last year so we're delighted that we'll get a chance to catch it on tour this year, and although Musicals aren't really my thing I'm looking forward to "We Will Rock You" as it is being put together by the great folks over at the Scottish Theatre Forum.

We'll continue to update this post as we make plans to see shows, and where possible we've tried to book for the beginning of runs so that reviews will be available in time for you to still book for shows with longer runs. Please note that tickets are not yet on sale for some of these shows.

As you can see it's quite an intense start to the year and we hope to continue to bring our thoughts and reviews of all the best Scottish Theatre has to offer.

"The Canterville Ghost" - December 2006

Despite the cold, and it was very very cold inside Rosslyn Chapel, this was a heartwarming production based on the Oscar Wilde story. The cast of five and the production crew have put together a wonderful seasonal tale as an alternative to Panto. We'd seen Nonsenseroom's excellent version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the chapel as part of the Edinburgh Festival and enjoyed it so much we immediately decided we had to make the trip back through for their Christmas show, and it was well worth the journey.

The production makes good use of the chapel's theatre-in-the-round format and the cast ensure they play to all sections of the audience. Sound effects are well put together to create any additional atmosphere required, although the chapel provides plenty of its own.

The story has been well adapted and includes some up to date references for an additional touch of humour - the Haka is inspired! The cast do a great job and Vic and her father held their accents well throughout and the cast didn't seem affected by the cold despite not having the benefit of the blankets and thick fleeces that the audience all came equipped with - these guys are prepared to suffer for their art.

Not sure how many people were surprised by the final sting in the tail/tale as it had been fairly well signposted, but once you clicked to it you realised how well the scenes had been put together and performed.

Already looking forward to see what they are going to come up with for 2007.

Review of 2006

Okay, so there's still a couple of weeks left of 2006, and we've still to see "The Canterville Ghost" next weekend, but as we've already had the BBC Sports Personality of the Year last weekend I think now is probably a good time to do a round-up of the highlights of 2006 - and I promise I'll remember to include "The Canterville Ghost" in next year's Review...


No fixed categories to work through - just making it up as I go along and remember some of the things I've enjoyed the past 12 months - and there have been so so many.

Favourite Newly Created/Devised Performance
It would have been easy have go for the NTS/Grid Iron production of "Roam" with its thought provoking themes and incredible staging at Edinburgh Airport, and I do count myself as genuinely fortunate to have caught this experience, but it has already had plenty of recognition this year with numerous awards and I think there was another show this year that was equally worthy. TheatreFusion's "Whitechapel Murders" focused on the victims of "Jack the Ripper" and the policeman who tried to catch him. Its stated aim to make the audience aware of their backgrounds and their stories was completely achieved and it managed to maintain a lighter tone at times while remaining totally appropriate given the subject matter. Great writing, great performances and a brilliant setting at Glasgow's Brittania Panoptican.


Favourite Performance of an Existing Work/Adaptation
Nonsenseroom's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was outstanding but on looking back at the year I think Cumbernauld Senior Youth Theatre's "The Princess Bride" edges it - brilliantly adapted from a much loved original work that would have been so easy to do badly. Very clever portrayal of the story's big set pieces, creative use of dialogue/narration and great central performances.


Favourite Edinburgh Festival Show
We didn't see a bad show but the best was "A Midsummer Night's Dream" but "The Receipt" ran it close with its hugely entertaining interaction between the performers.

Favourite Male Performance
Interestingly both of the performances that come to mind are from separate shows by Rapture Theatre, Jimmy Chisholm as the broken Lawson in "The Collection" and John Kazek as Ralph in "Frozen". Hats off also to the guys from Theatre Modo's "Don Quixote" who must have really done themselves some damage the way they threw themselves around the stage.

Favourite Female Performance
Natalie Bennett as Helena in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" made a great show an incredible one, differentiating clearly between her two roles and displaying brilliant comic timing and facial expressions.
Other notable performances were Melissa Deans playing Inigo in "The Princess Bride" and Siobhan Redmond whose stage presence as Elizabeth in "Mary Stuart" was immense.

Favourite Youth Theatre Show
Already mentioned, Cumbernauld Senior Youth Theatre's "The Princess Bride" runs away with this one, but the SYT's "Arabian Nights" and Citizens Youth Theatre's "Geeks, Greeks and Party Myths" were also hugely enjoyable.

If 2007 can be half as good as 2006 has been I can't wait...

“Frozen” - December 2006

This emotional tale of a mother whose child has been abducted and her child’s abductor was never going to be an enjoyable experience and it was every bit as uncomfortable and painful as expected - but in a good way.

The subject matter isn’t the kind of thing I would usually go for, but having seen Rapture Theatre’s previous productions of “Damages” and “The Collection” in recent years we knew the quality would be pretty much guaranteed. “Frozen” centres around three characters - the fraught mother, the abductor and a psychiatrist studying the criminal mind. The characters of Nancy (the mother) and Ralph (the abductor) are given real depth by the actors and the moment when they finally come face to face is spine-tingling. The first half of the play is almost entirely a series of monologues and at times it can be heavy going but it’s due to the intensity of the subject and the performances rather than a problem with the dialogue, but I really could have done with the interval being 20 minutes earlier than it was. It may be okay in a main theatre setting but in the Citizens Circle Studio my back was telling me it was time for the break long before it was. Indeed the play as a whole was possibly slightly overlong and for me the subplot of the psychiatrist’s backstory could have been jettisoned without damaging the focus of the play. My only other real criticism was that the writing of the paedophile was pretty simplistic, “by the numbers” and comformed to type, and with a lesser performance this could be a major problem.

The set does an excellent job of creating the required atmosphere but was really a bit on the bright side - and combined with the intensity of the show I’m sure I wasn’t the only person who left with a bit of a headache coming on.

One last thing - it's not like me to want to include a content warning (although Rapture themselves say it's for "audiences over 14 years old and for those not easily offended") but the language here is at times thoroughly unpleasant - not just the content but the offensive manner in which it is delivered. Not a bad thing in my book as it's completely in context, but some may find it more than they are happy to take (and not just those who are "easily" offended).

Overall this was a great show which was clearly well received by the sell-out audience, and you can be sure we’ll be back to see Rapture’s staging of “The Glass House” next year - which also sees them move to the main theatre in the Citizens for the first time.

"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.