"Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off" - February 2008

Now who says history can't be fun? I'm rather ashamed to admit just how limited my knowledge of Scottish history is - my recollection of history in school seems to jump rather quickly from Ancient Egypt to World War I (with a little bit of Industrial Revolution along the way). But I'm sure if it had been as enjoyable as what I saw tonight I'd have paid a lot more attention.

XLC and Langside College have put together a hugely entertaining production of Liz Lochhead's play that takes a look at Scotland - then and now. Full of energy and physicality it fills the Circle Studio at the Citz while also allowing some quieter moments for its cast to show their skills.

And what a cast. Lorna Gold as Mary is marvelously regal while giving glimpses of the woman underneath. Regular readers will know that I can have a real issue with accents, but hers was a fantastic combination of French/Scots and is perfectly judged throughout- somewhat reminiscent of an Old Firm foreign footballer who's been in Glasgow just a little too long. Elaine Stirrat also produces an excellent performance as Elizabeth - giving her more than a little of our current Queen to great effect. But that's only half the story - Gold and Stirrat also double up as each other's lady-in-waiting with Stirrat in particular having some great moments. It could easily get horribly confusing but these two make it simple thanks to some more great character work.

Rosaria Mazzone as our narrator La Corbie keeps the show flowing and manages to fully engage the audience right from the start, performing some of the play's most complex dialogue and showing a beautiful singing voice. Richard Rankin is particularly comfortable as Bothwell while Alan Berkley and Kevin Mains as Knox and Darnley also get their moments to shine. Preston Clare, Colin Harris and Kevin Guthrie give very strong support - especially in the play-within-the-play. Special word also for Alan Craig's music which was really effective at creating a mood for the piece.

It isn't flawless (some of the dialogue gets lost in a couple of the ensemble scenes and the dream sequence didn't quite work for me) but it's certainly not far off it, and the energy and quality of the performances are more than enough to make up for the odd problem.

And I guess when it comes to problems things can't be that bad when the biggest problem of the night is that the cast didn't seem prepared to come back for a second curtain call and the audience just weren't for moving until they did. The poor usher seemed concerned she might have a riot on her hands until the cast finally returned after over a minute of continuous applause. So please guys - don't be so surprised if the audience want to show their appreciation. You certainly deserve it.

"Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off" runs at the Citizens until Saturday 1st March (including a Saturday matinee)

"Picasso & Me" - February 2008

Mike Maran returns to the Citizens Circle Studio with another one man show, but this one is considerably darker and has more impact than the light, but very enjoyable tales of "Don Camillo". This time the focus is Picasso and the show is really about using the artist's life and relationships to reflect on how those relationships work (or don't work) for us all.

The main conceit of the show is an imagined encounter between a young man who, by accident rather than design, ends up spending a day in the company of Picasso. We also encounter an older version of the young man and get an insight into his relationships with his own father and son. The structure works well, although there are a few moments where it takes a second or two to bring in to focus who/what we are seeing.

The anecdotes about Picasso kept the audience in rapt attention and the details of his relationships are at turns emotional and horrific, and Maran has a wonderful knack of withholding information and then dropping it deadpan into his delivery.

The success of this show is really all about Mike Maran. A talented storyteller first and foremost he practices the art in a manner not dissimilar to how it would have been centuries ago. He has an unnatural ability to describe and interact with imaginary objects with such utter conviction that it's impossible not to be drawn into his world. He also switches effectively between narrator, who involves and engages the audience; and his characterisations who remain firmly behind the fourth wall.

But despite very much enjoying the show it's left me a little torn. A large part of me admires the simplicity and traditional aspects of the storytelling, but another part would love to see some technology thrown at the piece. Effective use of projection or computer displays giving the audience the chance to see the paintings and family members referred to - it would just give that extra dimension to it, especially for those with limited knowledge of the artist's work.
But even as it stands its a very entertaining evening and we'll certainly be keeping an eye out for future shows.

"Picasso & Me" runs at the Citizens until the 23rd February and then continues on its tour.
Image by The Photographic Unit, used with permission.

"We Will Rock You" - February 2008

Knowing that "Othello" wasn't going to be a bundle of laughs and being a little unsure what to expect from "Speed-the-Plow" we wanted to make sure we had some guaranteed 'fun' on our London trip. And having seen the STF Amateur production of "We Will Rock You" last year we were pretty confident the West End version would do the job (admittedly at a price!). And with central tickets in Row G we knew it would definitely be an experience.

I've seen a lot of puzzled faces when I've told them we were seeing "We Will Rock You" after "Othello" but there really isn't anything to sneer about. WWRY is well written by Ben Elton, performed by a polished cast, is visually stunning, and features the music of Queen. It's a great piece of fun that doesn't pretend to be anything else. Okay, so there isn't any depth to the characters and the plot is very basic - but come on, it's a MUSICAL! It's meant to be like that.

The main cast all put in good solid performances, including Craig Ryder who stepped in as Khashoggi in the performance we saw. Maybe it's unfair to compare a cast doing this show night after night, week after week, month after month, with an amateur cast doing it for one week. But like for like the STF cast delivered a stronger performance both vocally and in their acting in every main role. I thought it was maybe just me but when I expressed this view to Waldorf during the interval and she agreed wholeheartedly.

The show also suffers a little as the gags don't always stand up to a repeat viewing but there's enough freshness added with gags about Amy Winehouse, the new Wembley and Northern Rock. And it was also amusing to see the apparently recent deletion of the 'Britney Spears' character due to her current real life troubles and having the character renamed as Vic(toria) Beckham.

But this show is all about two things - the music and the fun, and there's plenty of both. In many ways the show is more like a rock concert than a musical, with volume levels to match, but it all adds to the experience. The audience are here to enjoy themselves and the cast work them well - although some of the action that takes place 'above' the front of the stalls should really provide a better opportunity to directly interact with a growl or two directed at those in the (expensive) seats below.

If you like your music loud and don't want to have to think too much WWRY will definitely be to your taste - and it makes a perfect complement to a weekend of 'serious' theatre.

"We Will Rock You" runs at the Dominion Theatre in London for the next 144 years.

"Speed-the-Plow" - February 2008

As we were making the trip to London for "Othello" we wanted to make the most of our time there, and when the opportunity came to see Kevin Spacey in "Speed-the-Plow" at the Old Vic we quickly booked up - even before Jeff Goldblum was announced as joining the cast. But due to the way the dates worked out it had to be an early Preview of the show (2nd night). So we'll be keeping our thoughts pretty limited on this one...

In essence we both really enjoyed it. Okay, so David Mamet's play doesn't really tell us anything about the murky world of film producers that we couldn't have guessed but it gives us a lot of fun along the way. With three scenes and a 90 minute run time the show flies in and Spacey and Goldblum both give great performances as film producers considering the merits of a couple of scripts. The dialogue is never short of entertaining and their delivery makes the most of it. Laura Michelle Kelly also does well with the more limited role as Goldblum's temporary secretary.

It's good stuff all round (Waldorf particularly loved the set) and it remains in Preview for several more shows which should let them perfect the rather pulled stage fight.

"Speed-the-Plow" completes Previews on 11 Feb then runs until 26 April

"Othello" - February 2008

From the instant the cast was revealed for this production at London's Donmar Warehouse we knew we would be joining the scramble for tickets in its small theatre. We've enjoyed Chiwetel Ejiofor's film work, and despite not always being a fan of Ewan McGregor's performances I felt he would be excellent as Iago. But after all the hype about ticket prices on e-bay, could the production live up to our expectations?

Ejiofor and McGregor certainly did. Ejiofor makes his Othello clearly a cultural outsider but gives him the charisma to be believable as the respected war hero. As his trust in Desdemona is destroyed the pain and turmoil screams out with every expression and movement.

McGregor's Iago is charming and it's easy to see how this man could be capable of pulling off his grand manipulations. There isn't a moment when you are left thinking "he'd never get away with that" and even at the play's tragic end, I really wouldn't have minded Iago slipping away with a triumphant smirk.

I'm afraid Kelly Reilly's Desdemona didn't work for me. I simply couldn't reconcile the almost fluffy portrayal with a character who has the strength to defy her father and marry Othello, or even any sign of a burning passion that has driven her to it. Only in her scenes of bewilderment as she realises her likely fate does the character come to life.

But Tom Hiddleston's Cassio makes up for any failings in Desdemona. It's a performance equal of Ejiofor and McGregor's, and manages to bring the character to the forefront rather than the simple plot device I tend to consider him.

The strong supporting cast all work well, and in the Donmar's small space even manage to pop up in the audience now and again. The sword play is impressive - and for once I was glad we were in the front row of the circle rather than the stalls.

There's no denying this is an excellent production of "Othello" with two outstanding lead performances but I can't deny that there was something lacking. 'Excellent', 'Powerful', 'Striking'. Yes. 'Brilliant', 'Sparkling', 'Exciting'? Not quite. It's just a little too safe for my taste. Perhaps Director Michael Grandage wanted to put this down as a marker of a classic "Othello" and if so he and his cast have largely succeeded, but I like productions of Shakespeare to bring me something new and to leave me with something to think about. Leaving the Donmar my thoughts were all about the performances - not the play. And I'm not sure that's really how it should be.

"Othello" runs until 23rd Feb. Run sold out with the exception of 10 Day tickets and a number of Standing tickets released daily.

"Barry" - January 2008

When The Citizens brochure came out Statler was quite keen on "The Blue Room". It didn't particularly appeal to me, but Borders based Rowan Tree Theatre Company's production of "Barry" caught my eye. The thought of two nights out the same week didn't appeal (plus the cost just after Christmas) so we decided to take advantage of The Citz's cheap Tuesdays and go to one each.

Isabella Jarrett has the difficult task of portraying "Barry", our eponymous hero(ine), in the bizarre tale of James Miranda Barry, a 19th century doctor who spent most of his career in the military. The reason for what seems slightly strange casting is that Barry is now strongly believed to have been a woman, and this is Frederic Mohr's dramatisation of how this complicated deceit occurred.

We've seen before in "Venus As A Boy" how a story can be told by a single actor, and this is another good example of this. Jarrett puts in a strong performance weaving the tale from her childhood in Ireland as Margaret, to her decision to become a doctor and achieving this by becoming a boy and continuing to live as a man. Using a variety of accents and attitudes the different characters that form this charade are given substance, and most importantly the different aspects of Barry are clearly differentiated. The change of costume and persona between the first and second acts is quite startling in its simplicity.

The in the round staging of the Studio Theatre works well as the audience are drawn into the tale. There were a couple of lines fluffed, but when you're the sole performer this is entirely forgivable and didn't disturb the flow of the piece.

One final comment has to go to the programme. Quite often this just gives you names and biographies of the cast if you're lucky. Given the historical basis of this piece it was fantastic to have a "Barry Chronology" giving you the timeline and details of Barry's life. For a history geek this was a lovely way of fleshing out some details. The spoiler warning at the start of the chronology was also appreciated, as it advised delaying reading it until after the performance.

"Barry" is touring until 9th February.

"The Blue Room" - January 2008

It's always a little worrying when a play is best known for having had a big name star in a previous production, but given that it was adapted by a writer I was at least aware of, I was willing to give this production at the Citizens a go - despite being able to find out little about the company - Replico.

The play is made up of ten short scenes each involving a sexual encounter, with one of the participants changing between each scene. All the characters are played by the same two actors - Neil McCormack and Karen Fraser. While you would suspect one of the problems of such a piece to be the difficulty in clearly differentiating between the 5 characters played by each performer, McCormack and Fraser do an excellent job of giving each a persona of their own.

Unfortunately the main problem I had with David Hare's adaptation was almost the reverse of this - that as written the characters rarely seemed consistent between the two scenes each features in. One of the characters late in the play hints that this is by intent, suggesting that we are all different people depending on who we are with. While I can certainly accept that to some extent, when the scenes are so brief it seems to cheat the audience a little to establish a character's wants, desires and beliefs and then depart from them, often drastically. Hare's dialogue is also a problem, leaving many of his characters very two dimensional and cliched, with only the character of the Playwright grabbing any real interest.

Given the nature of the play there is nudity here, although it isn't in a sexual way and the scenes are all before/after with a darkening of the lights in between. I don't think many would be offended by its use here - other than the fact that it's largely unnecessary.

I can't blame Replico for choosing to put on "The Blue Room" given the in-built publicity that it guarantees, but I'd hope some future productions are chosen more on the quality of the material, as they've shown here that they are capable of delivering a quality production if given the right text.

Forget the January Sales...

It's that time year that the postman dreads. The increase load in their mail bags caused by every theatre in central Scotland sending us their thought provoking and tantalising schedules for the next 6 months. So this is your timely reminder to start have a look through their websites and brochures to see what catches your eye. Time's short at the moment as real life is slightly hectic so we've not managed to add our usual links to everything - sorry - but Google is your friend.

So far we've cast our eye over the main Glasgow theatres (Citizens, Kings, Theatre Royal and The Tron). We booked up early for what we're seeing at The Citz thanks to their Friends scheme giving us an early booking advantage. Of particular interest there is '6 Characters in Search of an Author' (Review now posted) from the NTS and 'The Blue Room' (Review now posted) although the latter divided our household so Statler's seeing that one solo, while I see 'Barry' (Review now posted) the same night.

After enjoying Mike Maran's 'Little World of Don Camillo' we've booked for 'Picasso and Me' (Review now posted) and after the brilliant 'Lysistrata' we are looking forward to GCNS's 'Animal Farm' (Review now posted). Having greatly regretted not buying tickets for theatrebabel's 'Volpone' before it sold out we made sure to book early for 'Educating Agnes' (Review now posted). QMU make a welcome addition to the Citz student season with a series of performances of Greek Tragedies (Reviews posted here and here), while we'll also now be booking up for Reid Kerr College's 'Macbeth' (Review now posted) thanks to the involvement of Melissa Deans who impressed us so much in 'The Princess Bride'.

And of course we'll be seeing the Citizens Company's 'Waiting For Godot' (Review(?) now posted), after enjoying 'Ice Cream Dreams' we've also booked for Citz Community Co and Young Company's 'They Shoot Horses Don't They?' (Review now posted) Rounding off our current plans for the Citz is 'Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off' (Review now posted) although we may still be persuaded to see 'Little Otik' once we find out a little more.

We've also got our 2nd London trip coming up soon, when we'll be catching the much reviewed "Othello" with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Ewan McGregor (Review now posted), having a bit of fun with "We Will Rock You" (Review now posted) and finishing up with "Speed the Plow" with Kevin Spacey & Jeff Goldblum, although it's still in Previews so we won't be doing a full review of it (Preview/Review now posted).

Elsewhere we still have to firm up our plans but there are a number of shows we have in mind. At the Kings in Glasgow we're considering Andy Gray and Elaine C Smith in "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice" (Review now posted) but I'd really like to hear some casting news for LV before booking up. Another possibility is "Eurobeat: Almost Eurovision" which was probably the popular hit of this year's Edinburgh Fringe.

We're also trying to fit in "The Wasp Factory" (Review now posted) and "The Wall" (Review now posted) at the Tron while further afield the prospect of "Yarn" by Grid Iron/Dundee Rep staged in an old Dundee factory has really caught our attention (Review now posted).

No guarantee we'll manage to see all of these but if we had sufficient time/finances they would definitely be on our lists, and of course we're still open to suggestions.

Review of the Year - 2007

It's that time of year again when we look back over all the shows we've seen in 2007 (seventy of them in total) and pick out a few of the highlights. We wouldn't dream of claiming to name the best of the year - just our own personal favourites. As with last year, categories will be made up as we go along... Waldorf has added her comments in italics...

For my favourite professional male performance it's hard to look beyond Alan Cumming in "The Bacchae" who managed to truly capture the audience. As a result it left the show unbalanced and lacking when he was off stage, but I doubt I'll see a more commanding performance in terms of sheer stage presence. But I don't think it was the most impressive male performance I saw this year - that belongs to Tom Smith for his roles as the Writer & Sergeant in "Black Watch". His portrayal of each of the two characters was so entirely convincing I had no idea it was the same actor playing both roles - I even refused to believe it when told after the show until I was shown it printed in the programme. He really didn't - it was highly amusing. Male nudity seems to have played a large part in our theatre going this year, from Alan Cumming's buttocks to Rebus McTaggart's Sharon Stone impression.

There have been a number of very strong female professional performances that come to mind from this year with Cara Kelly as the captivating "Molly Sweeney" and Eleanor Buchan as the spritely waitress in "Your Ex Lover is Dead" right up there. However it's Denise Hoey's remarkable lead performance in "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice" that still resonates several months later - and of course we also loved her as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz".

We caught several youth and student shows again this year and saw a number of excellent performances with particular highlights being David McNay as The Magistrate in GCNS's "Lysistrata" who made us long to see what he could do in "Rocky Horror" and Kirstie Steele's performance as Lyra in SYTs "His Dark Materials - Part I" which almost rescued a problematic show.

We also ventured into the world of amateur theatre and were hugely impressed by the high standard of performances. In particular Kim Shepherd was a revelation as Scaramouche in STF's production of "We Will Rock You" with fantastic vocals and brilliant comic acting. It was a performance that would have been worthy of a mention with the professionals noted above. Similarly, Tom Beattie's role as the father in "Ice Cream Dreams" was a perfectly pitched performance giving three dimensions to the sadness, humour and failings of his character.

My thoughts for my favourite newly created/devised production come down to two shows that really stand out. The much missed NTS Young Company's "The Recovery Position" was a stunning site specific piece while Deborah Pearson's "Your Ex Lover is Dead" was immensely entertaining while also giving the audience something to think about.

My favourite performance of an existing or adapted work has three really strong candidates. Glasgow College of Nautical Studies "Lysistrata" was an absolute joy from start to finish; The Citizens/NTS "Molly Sweeney" featured incredibly involving performances from it's strong cast; and Lauder Studio Theatre's production of the play version of "Blood Brothers" showed what a committed cast and clever direction can bring to a show.

You may have noticed the glaring absence of "Black Watch" from the last two categories - I just couldn't make up my mind which it belonged in, so I figured I'd just mention it separately - as just about the whole planet is aware by now, Black Watch is in a class of it's own, whichever category you choose to place it in. It's going to be in London in 2008, and revisits Scotland - well worth going to see and we're hoping to go again see it again.

Our visit to London this year earns Trafalgar Studios the award for most uncomfortable theatre. I'm not sure whether the air conditioning was broken or the heating jammed on full but it was like sitting in a sauna. Statler blames the rather spicy Thai curry I'd had beforehand, but I wasn't the only one waving the programme as a fan. However "Elling" made up for the discomfort. A close runner up is The Citizens' Circle Studio, which despite putting on some great shows can never be accused of being comfy - my legs are just too short. I thought the Trafalgar Studios was just fine, and as for 'problem' theatres - nothing beats the irritation factor of the creaky seats in Glasgow's Kings Theatre.

Making up 21 of our shows this year, the Edinburgh Festival deserves a comment on it's own. As already mentioned, "Blood Brothers" was a highlight, along with "Mehndi Night", "James II" and the painfully funny "Rebus McTaggart". The black comedy musical "Failed States" was a last minute addition for us but well worth it and "Venus As A Boy" showed how powerful a one man (and his musician) show can be.

For sheer spectacle of set design "The Bacchae" with its poppies descending from heavens and it's attempt to incinerate the front of the stalls has no competition. However clever set design isn't all about blowing the budget, and both "The Ballad of James II" and "The Soldier's Tale" showed what can be done simply and cleverly. Fair point about simplicity, but for me Killer Joe's incredible full size realisation of a trailer can't be beaten.

What strikes me as I look back over the year is the power individual scenes and moments in a production can have, staying with you long after the show. Denise Hoey's "Goldfinger" in "Little Voice" and Kirstin McLean flying off through an opening roof in "The Recovery Position". This was a huge highlight for me, and was a magical idea. The unexpected rendition of "Give Peace a Chance" in "Lysistrata", the entrance of the dog in "The Butler Did It?!" and the unrestrained violence of "Blood Brothers". Not forgetting the genuinely perilous swordfight in "James II" ranging around the Chapel. And then there was "The Soldier's Tale" wedding scene which left me grinning from ear to ear. Truly unforgettable moments - exactly what makes theatre so great.

Well that was 2007, and we'll shortly be posting our plans for early 2008 - and it's already looking good!

"The Wizard of Oz" - December 2007

Although we've seen a number of shows in Edinburgh this year, it's still a bit of an effort and "The Wizard of Oz" at the Lyceum was very much borderline when we drew up our winter schedule back in August. But that changed when we heard one vital piece of information - that Denise Hoey, whose performance as Little Voice had been one of the highlights of our year, had been cast as Dorothy. Suddenly the show was transformed to one of our most anticipated shows - and that was before all the glowing reviews appeared in the press. But then again, we'd had recent experience of being burned by strong reviews.

But within two minutes of the start it's clear we've got nothing to worry about and are in for an absolute treat. The tone of the show is immediately established once Hoey's Dorothy appears with Toto (in the form of a well worked hand puppet) and it's very much an affectionate presentation of the original rather than a post-modern knowing take on it. There's plenty of humour and physicality, and the songs are lovingly performed by the strong cast. Although there were a few children whose attention wandered, mainly those who were too young to have been there, for the most part the show held the audience, young and old, in rapt attention.

Hoey of course brings her stunning vocals to the role, but as with Little Voice her acting is equally impressive, delivering a wonderful combination of charm, innocence and indignation.

It's a very strong cast all round with Matthew Pidgeon's Scarecrow/Hunk a particular favourite. But it's Julie Austin as the Wicked Witch/Miss Gultch who has the hardest task. After our trip to "Wicked" I wasn't sure I could ever look at the Wicked Witch in the same way again, but Austin almost had me booing and hissing with the rest of the audience.

The sets are stunning and the video projection used for a number of elements is the best use of video images I've come across. But while certainly magical, the show isn't quite perfect. The munchkins/Emerald City residents are from the Lyceum Youth Theatre and although their choreography was excellent the apparent use of backing tracks for some of the singing was a little jarring and certainly brought me 'out of the moment'. The only other scene that didn't quite work for me was the melting of the Witch - although the melting was very well portrayed the use of glitter to represent the bucket of water was disappointingly low tech - there must be a more creative way of doing this.

But none of that comes close to taking away from what is a wonderful piece of theatre, put together with fantastic production values and brought to life by a delightful cast. A shining example of what a Christmas show should be.

Image used with permission

"Wicked Christmas 2" - December 2007

Due to a dash for winter sun last year we didn't manage to catch the Citizens Community Company's original "Wicked Christmas" but we had enjoyed February's "My Bloody Valentine" and their involvement in "Ice Cream Dreams". So while Waldorf headed off into the sun once again, I stayed behind to see "Wicked Christmas 2". And I'm really pleased I did.

The show has been put together by Dramaturg Peter Arnott weaving together nine short pieces written by members of the Community Company and he's allowed the individual tales to retain their own identities while setting an even tone for the piece as a whole. Director Neil Packham has also ensured that the cast all cope well with the Circle Studio's intimate in-the-round staging.

I'll pick out some of the highlights, but it's fair to say the performances were universally good, despite a wobble or two. The segments are all well written and for the most part the humour hits the mark, although as with any show with fast paced humour there are some that misfire.

The overarching plot sees Tom Beattie's Santa sending a badly behaved elf (Darren McGarvey) to Glasgow on Christmas Eve to learn about the spirit of Christmas. It's a device that works well, thanks to Beattie's entertaining portrayal of a cursing Santa and McGarvey's charismatic and confident performance.

One of the main threads of the show involves Janice (Kirsty McCarter) and Linda (Eleanor Capaldi) as they run a candle stall as part of their 'community service' under the (sometime) supervision of Mr Morgan (Alan Ward). It's a particularly well written series of scenes and all three performances are very strong.

Alan Ward returns later along with Martin O'Neill as a pair of young brothers being given the dreaded knitted jumpers for Christmas. It's wonderfully performed and the characterisation of the brothers is spot-on. O'Neill also puts in an excellent turn as a Taggart-esque detective later in the show.

Katya Silich and Sean Williamson make an amusing sight as they ice dance around the studio (yes really) but while their dialogue has some very funny moments others seem forced. Similarly Lesley Noonan and Jim McCleavy do well with some stilted dialogue, although the concept of a daughter facing a first Christmas without her mother is a good one.

But star turn of the evening belongs to Frances Rose Kelly and Anne Marie McLeod as a pair of Glasgow prostitutes walking the streets. So often these days strong language is overdone, but while extensive here, it's pitched perfectly and the scenes with these two move comfortably between hilarious banter and strong emotional moments.

The elements I've highlighted are simply the ones that held the most appeal for me - I'm sure other audience members will have had their own favourites. Overall, the Community Co has produced a very entertaining show with Glasgow very much at its heart, and tailored very much for its audience. We're already looking forward to seeing what they do in April along with the Citz Young Company in "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"

Wicked Christmas 2 runs at the Citizens until Saturday 12th.

"It's a Wonderful Life" - December 2007

Despite this only being our second year attending Nonsenseroom's Christmas show at Rosslyn Chapel, it has very much become part of our Christmas festivities. Nothing quite beats sitting huddled up on a bench wearing hats, scarves and a blanket across your lap to get you in the Christmas spirit. Or maybe it was the hugely enjoyable show (and the mulled wine).

Adapted from the much loved film by Frank Capra, Simon Beattie's "It's a Wonderful Life" stays as close to the film as is practical for an intimate in-the-round setting, and works equally well for those familiar and unfamiliar with the original. Told largely through flashback we find George Bailey on the verge of a suicide attempt being 'saved' by his guardian angel (second class) Clarence. Events from George's past are brought to life, followed by the revelations of how different the world would have been had he never been born.

While a 'Christmas show', this isn't really an alternative to pantomime in the way that "Peter Pan" is - it's more 'proper' theatre with a seasonal theme, and it would possibly struggle to keep the attention of young children. But much like the source material, for older children and adults it's an absolute joy. Okay, so it might be more gentle humour than laugh-out-loud, but looking around the audience the smiles were pretty constant throughout the whole show. It's quite simply a beautiful tale, beautifully told.

Director Bruce Strachan really has his cast of nine earning their money, rushing around the darkened chapel, playing multiple roles and performing lightning fast costume changes. While Fraser C Sivewright plays George Bailey straight down the middle in the first Act, he really comes into his own as we see George's life collapse in Act 2. Sivewright makes the descent from regret to despair all too believable and at times uncomfortably intense, while also managing to make his scenes with Clarence seem effortlessly comic. Susan Coyle is delightful as his wife Mary, transforming in front of the audience from young love to supportive mother of four (invisible) children.

Colin Scott-Moncrieff copes wonderfully with the herculean task of playing Clarence the Angel, Potter the villainous mogul of Bedford Falls, and George's brother Harry. It's an incredible performance - and he gives independent life to each role (so much so that Waldorf hadn't spotted he was playing Potter!)

Natalie Bennett's performance in Nonsenseroom's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was my favourite female performance of 2006, and although she doesn't get the same chance to shine here due to playing so many roles, it's still an impressive performance - particularly as George's mother. Neil Kent also does well in numerous roles while Amie Walker, Kerry Cleland, Ben Winger and Tom Holmes provide strong support. Productions that make use of strong accents risk shattering belief in the piece with every line, and it's something I'm often irritated by, but here the whole cast hold their accents well throughout. The show isn't quite flawless - the off stage voice of "Joseph" could be clearer and the first act lacks a little in humour - but it's pretty close.

There is one minor problem with the evening from the audience side of things that I'd like to address. With a limited audience due to the venue size, many wearing gloves, it's difficult for the audience to really show our appreciation by generating a volume of applause, but trust me, if you look at the smiles during the curtain calls and listen to the chatter afterwards you'll know how much the audience enjoyed it.

As always with Nonsenseroom's shows at Rosslyn Chapel we recommend catching one of their 'special performances' if possible. These include a light buffet, mulled wine and a tour of the chapel and really make the evening an experience to remember.

"It's a Wonderful Life" is on at Rosslyn Chapel, Roslin (near Edinburgh) on 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 18th & 19th December, with 'Special Performances' on 14th and 21st.

Nonsenseroom are also taking the show to Greenock Arts Guild on the 17th, Eastgate Theatre in Peebles on the 20th, and East Kilbride Arts Centre on the 22nd.

Photo used with permission.

"Molly Sweeney" - December 2007

I was aware that the previous run of the show in 2005 by the Citizens Theatre Company had been very well received, but it still required a little persuasion to get me along, even with its new National Theatre of Scotland 'badge'. A show about the consequences when a woman who lost her sight shortly after birth attempts to have it restored just seemed so serious. Maybe I misread the marketing, or didn't pay enough attention to the reviews, but I was completely unprepared for the humour in this piece. Of course, Brian Friel's play is immensely emotional but it also has a light-hearted core that prevents the emotion overwhelming.

While there is no doubting the quality of the writing, the real joy from the piece comes from the performances. Cara Kelly as Molly, Michael Glenn Murphy as her husband Frank and Oengus MacNamara as her eye specialist, Mr Rice, absolutely commanded the Citizens Circle Studio. With seats on all four sides we've seen many performers find it difficult to play to all sections of the audience, but there were no such problems tonight. Not only do Kelly, Murphy and MacNamara constantly play to all sides, they play to every single audience member individually, making regular direct eye contact throughout. It's stunningly effective at drawing the audience in and I don't think I've ever seen the space handled so naturally and with such confidence - their moments of interaction with the audience are beautifully dealt with.

Combined they are quite possibly the most impressive cast we've come across this year. Kelly makes Molly utterly charming and we are quickly emotionally invested in the character, while Murphy succeeds in making Frank sufficiently good hearted and sympathetic that we can't really hold him accountable for what follows. MacNamara manages to portray Rice's flaws and complexity to great effect, absolving him from much of the blame. And therein lies the tragedy of the piece.

Add some wonderful lighting, smart direction and stimulating set design and you really have a production that is a bit special, and despite the subject matter it's one of the most enjoyable nights I've spent in the theatre this year.

Molly Sweeney continues at the Citizens until 8th December and then finishes its tour at the Traverse in Edinburgh 12th to 15th December.

Image by Richard Campbell, used with permission.

"Peter Pan" - December 2007

No wasting time here at View From The Stalls - 1st day of December and we're opening the advent calendar, sorting Christmas shopping, and off to see the first of our four Christmas shows this month. "Peter Pan" at the Citizens seemed a good place to start and had the promise of Andrew Clark as Hook (who impressed us as Hamlet.)

Clark duly delivered, and was a suitably villainous nemesis for Peter and managed to elicit spontaneous boos and hisses from the audience (possibly unexpectedly). Robbie Towns gave a very physical performance as Peter, while Helen Mallon's very Glaswegian Wendy provided much of the show's humour. But there were issues with the sound levels and the clarity of some of the dialogue - even in the middle of the stalls. Although this was the first night, it wasn't labeled as a preview, and I'd hope this is addressed as the run progresses.

In a show like this it's often not the performances that make or break it, and while I'd be reluctant to go so far as to call it disappointing, there were certainly a good number of missed opportunities. Much of it was slow paced, particularly in the first act and only really the scenes with Nana the dog (Finn Den Hertog) had the energy to really grab the audience. The energy levels pick up in the second act when Tinkerbell is revived with some audience participation, and it's a bit odd that this non-panto is at it's best when it strays towards pantomime territory. But the writing isn't sufficiently sharp, and the Glasgow references, which always go down well, were too few and far between.

There is much to like here with certain elements very well realised - Tinkerbell is marvellously portrayed as a sparkle of light and in a particularly nice segment is 'moved' from hand to hand between the Lost Boys. The moments when Wendy, Michael and the boys are captured by Hook work well in silhouette (although a little muffled), the 'fly by wire' is very well performed a number of times, and a rendition of "Flower of Scotland" brings much amusement. The set is also very effective.

But other aspects fall short. The Crocodile really didn't work for me, the fencing seemed a little on the tame side, and the 'explosion' was pretty pathetic, while the cannons that dropped from the side of the ship sat unused when they were crying out to fire confetti into the audience.

Waldorf is of the opinion that it suffered from not knowing what it wanted to be - show or pantomime and I'd probably agree. It doesn't have the belly laughs a panto can provide or the ability to capture the children in the audience with a stunningly enthralling story, and I guess I expected a little more from the Citz.

"Peter Pan" runs at the Citizens until 5th January.

"100" - November 2007

Much to our shame we'd never made it out to Oran Mor in Glasgow's west end for their hugely popular "A Play, A Pie and A Pint" series of lunchtime shows. The lunchtime slot doesn't really work for us and I always seemed to hear about the good shows after the event. But the addition of Wednesday night performances as "A Dinner, A Drama and a Dram" were more convenient, and the series reaching its landmark 100th play gave us good reason to go along.

"100" is a musical written by David MacLennan who is also the driving force behind the Play/Pie/Pint concept at Oran Mor, and sees him collaborating once again with his old mate Dave Anderson from their Wildcat and 7:84 days. Indeed we're firmly back in the territory of that kind of political theatre with "100" as we look at how society has changed since 1907.

The main conceit sees a marketing student on graduation day (Claire Waugh) with her father (George Drennan) transported 'Life on Mars' style to what appears to be a 1907 era theme bar. The first musical number is a powerful one - not necessarily musically but its message as we see the student rejoicing at finally being freed from the confines of education, while her father recalls his appreciation for his own opportunities and their 1907 waitress (Pauline Knowles) tells of her own aspirations. It's very effective in making an audience think of how we view education these days. And it's not alone among a series of strong numbers - a lovely explanation of the purchasing choices we face before breakfast and a brief history of protest being the highlights.

These are interspersed with Anderson providing an insight into events of 1907 and Allan Tall performing Robert Service's "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" (written that year). While enjoyable in themselves, they are really a bit of a distraction from the focus of the show and I'd rather have seen the main story expanded.

The performances were all strong, although I was a little disappointed by the acoustics which did make some of the lyrics difficult to catch, but the real strength of the piece is in MacLennan's writing and its interesting perspective on the advances made and the failings of the present day.

All in, a great evening out and at £25 for a show, a lovely two course dinner and a whisky it's good value, and I'm sure we'll be back. And I really will need to make more of an effort to see some of the lunchtime shows as well.

'100' runs until Saturday at Oran Mor at 1.05pm