"Avenue Q" - May 2012 (Catching up)

Adult puppet musical "Avenue Q" had been on our 'to do' list for a couple of years, but the timings never seemed to work for us on our London visits, and I resented paying 'London prices' when it previously toured to Glasgow.  Fortunately, this time round we managed to track down a 2 for 1 offer - but after seeing the skill and energy involved we were left in no doubt that even at full price it would have been value for money.

While it's not unusual for us to come out of a theatre saying that it was exhausting just watching it, it's literally true of this show, because 'watching' isn't quite as simple as you might think.  The puppet stars of the show are animated and voiced by one or two operators visible on stage, and my initial thought was to ignore the performers and focus on the puppets.  But I quickly realised that doing so was to ignore half of the show as the human operators use their own expressions and movements to complement those of their puppet characters.  The trick is to be able to focus on the puppet characters and their operators simultaneously, and while we're not talking about something akin to 'magic eye' pictures, it's certainly an acquired skill - one that does take concentration.

And that wasn't the only element that I had to make a conscious effort over.  The inclusion of the character of former child star "Gary Coleman" - to make the other characters realise their lives could be so much worse - was for me, in desperately poor taste. Even more so, after a quick google during the interval revealed that Coleman was unhappy about it.  To continue with the character after Coleman's death in 2010 is unforgivable - so much so that if I had been aware of the character's role beforehand I probably wouldn't have booked the tickets.  Looking around online it seems I'm in a small minority offended by this - but it's such a dated cultural reference that I would have hoped that regardless of any sensitivities they would have reworked/updated it by now.

Nevertheless, if you're unperturbed by all that (or can simply put it out of your mind for a couple of hours as I did) there is a huge amount of fun to be had.  While the emphasis is definitely on the comedy, it doesn't come at the expense of the musical numbers which are polished, memorable and impressively sung by the cast.  Just remember that this is very much an Adult show with a capital A.  If you are unsure if it will be to your taste, Youtube may be your friend.

Avenue Q has completed an extensive UK tour.  Future dates will be available on the show's website.
Image by Nick Spratling used with permission

"Stones in His Pockets" - July 2012

I guess it's somewhat appropriate that a show that sees two actors inhabit 15 characters and has a significant change of tone between acts, has left me struggling with my own split personality. One part of me was happy to be swept along by two phenomenal performances from Keith Fleming and Robbie Jack who have taken a lightning change act to a whole new level. We've become used to seeing plays cut down or restaged to accomodate small casts, although the performances almost always involve a brief pause between characters, an additional prop or a quick exit/entrance. But here Fleming and Jack often morph seamlessly right in front of your eyes. The problem is that another part of me, while appreciating the skill involved, sees it as a way of covering over what is at times rather weak material.

In fact, the first half of the show left me pretty cold and feeling that it was over-reliant on the inherent amusement value of the performance style. I couldn't help thinking that had it been played with a 'full' cast I'm not sure I would have even broken into a smile. And that's the 'comic' half of the show. It's disappointing, as a show based on the events when a Hollywood production descends on a rural Irish community should be ripe for comic scenes more than capable of standing on their own merits.

Fortunately, I found myself enjoying the second act significantly more. It wasn't that it was funnier, but perhaps the more serious tone to it made for a more even script where I was no longer expecting to be laughing out loud. It also finally managed to generate a level of interest that I'd been previously missing as the balance of power shifted between film-makers and the extras.  But even in its best moments I found the play frustrating in its simplistic treatment of drug use, one sided stance on cultural exploitation and use of media in-jokes and caricatures.

The performances will make or break any production of Marie Jones' play and Fleming and Jack make the absolute most out of it - their curtain call alone makes it worth seeing.

We received our tickets for the show through our membership of the Tron's Patrons scheme which we thoroughly recommend for anyone who is a regular attendee at the Tron.

Stones in His Pockets runs at the Tron until 21st July
Image by John Johnston used with permission

"Macbeth" - June 2012

It's fair to say that at 'View From The Stalls' we're unashamed fans of Alan Cumming. His performance in "The Bacchae" remains the most electric and charismatic that we've seen on a Scottish stage; we immensely enjoyed his solo show "I Bought a Blue Car Today" at the Fringe a couple of years back; and we love watching him steal just about every scene on TV's "The Good Wife". So I'm absolutely stunned to be writing that 40 minutes into the National Theatre of Scotland's "Macbeth" we were both bored enough to be glancing at watches and horrified by the prospect of another hour of it. In the interest of balance it's only fair to report that 90% of the audience gave the show a standing ovation - but as we don't make any claims of objectivity I do also want to say that my shocked reaction to this audience response was an only-just-unspoken "You have got to be kidding me!"

We don't want to take anything away from what is an impressive performance from Cumming as he works his way through all the main players in what is more-or-less a one-man version of Shakespeare's tale. It's an immense challenge for any actor and he handles it remarkably well, but as a concept it absolutely killed the play stone dead for us. Without the genuine two-way interactions (and being able to see characters unspoken responses) it made it almost impossible for us to invest any emotion in them. All the characterisations are clear enough for those with a passing knowledge of the play - although those with no foreknowledge will likely struggle.

There could be some justification for the one-man aspect of the show through its setting in what appears to be a secure psychiatric unit but there isn't enough information given to the audience to make links between 'reality' and 'the play'. This isn't helped by the fact that I didn't really get any sense of 'the patient' having a damaged or fractured mind - just one that left him retelling 'Macbeth'.

Alan Cumming is arguably as big a star as Scotland currently has, and he deserves both respect and gratitude for his consistent willingness to work in Scotland. But I'd hope he wouldn't expect to be treated with kid gloves or given New York style automatic standing ovations. But that's what today (and some of the reviews elsewhere) felt like. 

Macbeth runs at Tramway until 30 June before transferring to New York.

Image by Manuel Harlan used with permission.

Catching up... And looking forward

Circumstances have limited our theatregoing so far this year, and although we've managed to see a couple of shows in the last few weeks we've found it difficult to find the time to post our thoughts on them. We're hoping to write up some belated thoughts in the next few days  (including "Avenue Q") and we'll also be posting about the National Theatre of Scotland's "Macbeth" which we saw this afternoon.

We'd normally by now have posted our initial thoughts on the Edinburgh Fringe programme and which shows we are planning to see. However, this August we're a little distracted by a couple of planned trips to London for dramatic events of a sporting rather than theatrical nature (although we are planning at least one theatre trip while we are there).  We're only away for a day or two, but we expect it to be sufficiently exhausting on mind, body and wallet that it will leave our Fringe coverage somewhere between negligible and non-existent. That said, we have booked up for Vanishing Point's "Wonderland" which forms part of the Edinburgh International Festival.

Further ahead, we hope to ramp our theatregoing back up again after the summer and will be paying close attention to the theatre programmes that drop through our letterbox.  In fact, we've already booked what are our most expensive theatre tickets ever in the shape of the "Jesus Christ Superstar" at the SECC in September.  While the 'casting by TV show' element doesn't sit well with us, it's a show we have a lot of time for and Tim Minchin as Judas is a huge draw.

Thanks for sticking with us while our posts have been so limited - and we look forward to sharing our thoughts more regularly again as the year goes on.

"Plume" - March 2012

For a play that has to have been largely conceived in 2009 (as it was a runner up in the Tron's Open.Stage playwriting competition), "Plume" remains remarkably topical. The events over Lockerbie on 21 December 1988 are burned into the memory of most Scots who were old enough at the time. I vividly remember the silence that fell over my group of high spirited school friends on hearing the news as we left a school disco. I can't even begin to imagine how it must feel for those who lost loved ones or were in Lockerbie that evening to have to live with the memories of that night. That's possibly why JC Marshall's play seems to have got in my head more than most.

While the real world dramatis personae aren't named within the play, Marshall makes no attempt to distance it from the Lockerbie bombing and the subsequent release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds. It's an approach that while adding to the weight of the work also seems to me to hamper it significantly as most of the audience will already have considered these exact circumstances and decided which side of the fence they stand on. Perhaps a fictionalised version would have left audiences more open to (re)considering their attitudes.

Mr Peters (Sylvester McCoy), still grieving for the loss of his son William and infuriated by this latest act of (in)justice, and his former pupil Maller (Gemma McElhinney) each make their case for/against the bomber's release, but many aspects are dropped too quickly - particularly the suggestion that Scotland can make claim to being an inherently merciful and compassionate nation. A suggestion which doesn't exactly tally with the opinion polls of the nation at the time of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's release.

Marshall's choices for Finn Den Hertog's characters left me puzzled. Featuring William in flashbacks worked well but the use of his childhood imaginary friend, Alby, rather than just William's spirit/essence/ghost seems to add an unnecessary level of complexity. And the play's sustained 'bird' imagery didn't really work for me, feeling forced at times. Even with McCoy's compelling performance, his 'version' of what happened in the sky that night left me unmoved, although Waldorf was more convinced by it.

For me, the play's strength actually lies away from its 'issues' and in the relationship between Maller and Mr Peters. Here we have the demonstration of faith, hopes and disappointments that really got to me and that draws the elements of the play together. It doesn't matter whether either individually or collectively we can act compassionately - just aspiring to do so, or having others believe in us is sometimes enough.

Despite its flaws, I found "Plume" to be a powerful and emotional piece of theatre, just not in the way I expected it to be.

We received our tickets for the show through our membership of the Tron's Patrons scheme which we thoroughly recommend for anyone who is a regular attendee at the Tron.

Plume runs at the Tron until 17th March.
Image by John Johnston used with permission.

Getting back up and running...

Illness (our own and other people's) severely restricted our theatregoing in November & December. Nothing serious, but the potential blows from people sitting near us as we coughed our way through shows may well have turned out to be life-threatening.

We missed two of the three Christmas shows we had booked ('Mister Merlin' at the Tron and 'Robinson Crusoe' at the Clyde Auditorium) but we did manage to get fit enough to enjoy 'Wicked Christmas' at the Citizens. We also made it to the National Theatre of Scotland's 'Staging the Nation' event at the Kings in Glasgow on the theme of 'Pantomime & Variety' which made for an entertaining afternoon.

We'd hoped to recharge and reboot with a quiet January but events conspired against us. And with me spending more time in doctor's surgeries than theatres in February, it's taken until now for us to get our 2012 theatre trips up and running.

We're looking forward to seeing "Plume" at the Tron this week and although work may get in the way, I'm hopeful of catching Oran Mor's 250th play - "The Jean-Jacques Rousseau Show".

We've not really had the chance to look further ahead than that as yet but we'll try to post a preview of our plans in the next week or so. And we will eventually get round to writing up a Review of the Year for 2011.

"Saturday Night" - October 2011

Back in 2009 Vanishing Point gave us a very different theatre experience with "Interiors" - a show where all the action took place behind a glass wall which allowed the audience to see, but not hear, the characters. "Saturday Night" pushes the concept further - we see more (three rooms instead of one) but hear less (there's no external voiceover this time round) - and the events are much more surreal. What hasn't changed is the way it absolutely captivates an audience.

"Saturday Night" makes significant demands on the attention of its audience as they work out what to take from the silent interactions on stage - often in more than one room simultaneously. But all that effort doesn't go unrewarded.

As the show is in part a puzzle, and in part open to interpretation, I'm not going to talk about the characters or the 'plot' - other than to praise what is a fine acting ensemble. I'll also add that it features the most oppressive sense of foreboding I've felt in the theatre for a long time - I'm not sure I'd want to see a Vanishing Point show where their main aim was to scare an audience. That's a lie. I'd love to see that show.

So, and let me be clear about this, I thought this was a spellbinding and wonderfully entertaining piece of theatre. And in many ways that's where this post should end. My problem is that I'm not convinced the show 'does exactly what it says on the tin' or in this case, in the programme notes. The programme and publicity material suggest they were aiming to create a show where the audience would use their imagination to interpret what they saw on stage, and I don't think that was achieved to any great extent. The performances are so well crafted that there's rarely much room for interpretation in individual moments. Yes, there are some details that require leaps of imagination (did I see a pizza being ordered by phone after it had already arrived?) but the central narrative is really only open to two possibilities. You either 'get it' or you don't . And if you don't, there aren't really (m)any alternatives that an imagination, however vivid, is likely to come up with. Leaving an audience divided ino those who 'got it' and those left thinking "what the hell was that?". And while the vast majority of those sitting around me in the theatre definitely 'got it', there were a noticeable minority who really didn't. I'm fine with that - I'm just not sure director Matthew Lenton and the Vanishing Point team would be.

Saturday Night completes its tour this week with dates at Eden Court, Inverness on 26th/27th October and at the Traverse, Edinburgh on 29th/30th.
Saturday Night is a co-production between Vanishing Point, Tramway, Teatro Nacional São João, Centro Cultural Vila Flor - Teatro Oficina, Sao Luiz Teatro Municipal.
Image by Joao Tuna/TNSJ used with permission.

"Juicy Fruits" - October 2011

It's been quite a while since I last made it along to Oran Mor's "A Play, A Pie & A Pint" lunchtime shows - and if I'm honest waiting one more week might not have been a bad idea. It's never a good sign when it's twenty minutes in and I'm glancing at my watch.

Leo Butler's play throws together two old friends meeting up for the first time in several years - Lorna is struggling as a new mum and Nina's finding it difficult to readjust to 'normality' after spending time saving the Orang Utans. But could there just possibly be more than meets the eye to Nina's decision to come home? Yawn. It's all a bit by-the-numbers, and even a coup-de-theatre that brilliantly moves the action to the jungle can't save the show.

There are a few nice barbs thrown about between the friends, and Clare Waugh makes Lorna a believable anchor in what is otherwise a pretty 'out there' show. Denise Hoey avoids making Nina 'Central Casting cooky' and instead gives her an edge that creates just enough doubt that she intends to harm, rather than simply wake Lorna's baby when she shakes his buggy. But there are too many gaps in their character's motivations to allow us to relate to their choices.

In fairness, others seemed to enjoy it more than I did, but at times I do feel the Play, Pie, Pint audiences can be generous to a fault.

Juicy Fruits is a co-production with Paines Plough. It runs at Oran Mor until Saturday 22nd October before visiting Edinburgh's Traverse, Manchester Royal Exchange & Coventry's Belgrade Theatre.
Image by Leslie Black Photography used with permission

"Days of Wine and Roses" - October 2011

At a time when the role of alcohol in Scottish society is under increased scrutiny, the Tron & Theatre Jezebel deliver a devastating reminder of its impact on an individual level. So much so, that I wouldn't be surprised if the Tron notice a dip in post-show takings at the bar - on schoolnights at least.

The typical 'stage drunk' played for comic effect is almost totally absent in director Kenny Miller's production of Owen McCafferty's version of JP Miller's original play - we witness far more of the 'morning afters' than the 'night befores'. With a two hour runtime this could easily become heavy going for the audience. But the initial charm of the young Belfast couple goes a long way and Keith Fleming and Sally Reid's performances are compelling as Donal and Mona's lives fall apart.

Kenny Miller's direction effectively evokes time and location, but the pacing may have benefited from moving the interval back a scene or two. On paper, it would be tempting to dismiss the play's recurring use of racing great 'Arkle' as a timeline for the couple's relationship as faintly ridiculous, but Fleming's delivery exudes so much love and belief in the horse that it adds greatly to his connection with the audience.

I can't pretend that this is a fun night out, but it is unquestionably serious theatre of the highest quality.

We received our tickets for the show through our membership of the Tron's Patrons scheme which we thoroughly recommend for anyone who is a regular attendee at the Tron.

We'd also like to mention how impressed we were with the way the Tron front of house staff dealt promptly, professionally and sensitively with a medical emergency in the audience shortly before the start of the show.

Days of Wine and Roses runs at the Tron until 29th October
Image by John Johnston used with permission

Getting back on the theatrical (pantomime?) horse...

After having our Fringe plans for the last week of August decimated by coming down with a nasty bug/cold/manflu (delete as applicable / perm any 2 from 3), we were both left feeling under the weather for the entirety of September. And nodding off most nights before 9pm wasn't exactly conducive to our theatre plans.

But we've finally got our energy and enthusiasm back and we'll have a few shows to post about in the next week or so.

"Legally Blonde - The Musical" (UK Tour) - September 2011

We often enjoy a trip to a musical on our occasional visits to London, but we tend to be wary about the touring versions of the shows. We've always been worried that they are scaled down versions with a second string cast, squeezed into spaces they weren't really designed for. Legally Blonde may just have changed that.

Its songs didn't leave us rushing home to buy the soundtrack CD, some of the lyrics may be of questionable quality, and the 'plot' is wafer thin. But none of that matters when it explodes with such energy, its cast are top class, and the whole show is fun - with an enormous pink and fluffy capital F.

Faye Brookes gives an impressive vocal performance, lighting up the stage as Elle and along with Iwan Lewis' Emmett ensures that the audience is cheering for the inevitable happy ending. Liz McLarnon is one of the production's main attractions and although her stage time as Paulette is fairly limited, she makes every moment count. A special mention also for Hannah Grover as fitness guru Brooke Wyndham and the ensemble for the magnificent choreography in "Whipped Into Shape" which is undoubtedly the greatest dance number I've seen in any show. And of course they are all upstaged by the dogs (and Waldorf says 'and the thighs').

Legally Blonde - The Musical on Tour runs at the Edinburgh Playhouse until the 17th of September and then continues on a national tour including Birmingham, Manchester, Belfast and Aberdeen

"David Leddy's Untitled Love Story" - Edinburgh Fringe 2011

It's been almost two weeks since we saw the show, but I've wanted to allow some time to reflect on it. The question isn't whether it worked for me or not - it didn't. What I've been desperately trying to do is work out why it didn't work for me. And I'm not sure I'm any closer to doing that...

David Leddy has shown before in "Sub Rosa" and "White Tea" that he can transport an audience a century into the past or halfway across the planet , but "Untitled Love Story" never gave me any sense of Venice. Yes, there are references to the church of Santa Maria della Salute and the Grand Canal but there was no sense of time or space created. Venice should have been the show's fifth character, yet its appearances are only fleeting.

The show's guided meditation elements break up an already fractured narrative and are an acquired taste. One, I'm afraid I grew tired of long before acquiring. Of course, that's my problem and not the show's, but I doubt I was alone in the audience. What I can't fault are the performances from Keith Fleming, Robin Laing, Adura Onoshile and Morag Stark - yet I cared so little about their characters that only Laing's "Priest" managed to retain my interest to the end.

And now I've got a problem. Because I'm not confident enough in my recollection of the show to comment much further. But then, perhaps that speaks more strongly about it than anything I could say.

David Leddy's Untitled Love Story runs at St Georges West until Monday 29th August.
Image by Tim Morozzo used with permission

"Remember This" - Edinburgh Fringe 2011

For a variety of reasons (some relating to the play and some due to an on-coming head cold) I'll keep this one short and sweet. Written by Florence Vincent and Lizzie Bourne, "Remember This" is an engaging show with a well judged balance of light and dark. Annie Hardy's direction deftly handles a number of potential hazards, if perhaps signposting things from a little too early on. Daisy Badger gives a well crafted and considered performance as Helen while Paul Brotherston takes a more natural approach and brilliantly succeeds in making Nick the most believable character I've seen at the Fringe this year. In a supporting but crucial role, Emma Friedman-Cohen is tasked with a number of scenes that could make or break the show and sells them beautifully every time.

The Fringe is full of small scale personal dramas; few will pack the emotional punch of "Remember This"

Lastly, a bit of housekeeping. We have a policy of not accepting press tickets, but we're happy to take advantage of any offers available to the general public, and in this case I received a free ticket through the Theatre Ninjas website.

Remember This runs at Bedlam until Saturday 27th August
Image by Dan Harris used with permission

"Viewless" - Edinburgh Fringe 2011

There's a significant disconnect between the show and its blurb in the programme. What sounds like a fairly subtle, if humourous, take on witness protection is in fact an absurd comedy set in a fantastical realm a la Wonderland / Dissocia / Neverwhere (choose your own pop culture reference). Sometimes daft (funny); sometimes daft (stupid). Often funny (ha ha); occasionally funny (odd). Always entertaining. Ultimately disappointing.

There are some great set piece moments, but too often they feel like they have been bolted-on to get a laugh and lack any relevance to rest of the show. When it does focus the audience attention on the impact being placed in witness protection has on a person, it only serves to highlight wasted opportunities elsewhere.

Fortunately, the production has plenty of tricks up its sleeve to distract from its failings in the shape of superb sound and video effects. It also benefits greatly from three fine performances from Finn Den Hertog, Robbie Jack and Richard Addison.

"Viewless" may fail to explore the depths its subject deserves, but if you accept it for what it is, it will reward you with a slick and polished hour of entertainment.

Viewless runs at Hill Street Theatre until 29th August (not 24th)
Image used with permission

"Hairy Maclary" - Edinburgh Fringe 2011

We tend not to review children's shows for the simple reason of not having ready access to small people. However a day out with some friends, who happen to have an almost 3 year old* and a 5 year old, gave us the perfect excuse to visit Nonsenseroom Productions's Hairy Maclary. As unashamed fans of their productions for an older audience we were keen to see what they produced for the wee ones.

I think the show can be best summed up with some quotes from the target audience. "Excellent" said the 5 year old (although worryingly he did want to know after the show if they were real dogs - they're not), and our almost 3 year old* visitor wanted to "take the doggies home". Her mum is considering a repeat visit if it tours near her.

At an hour long we had wondered how well it would hold the attention of both big and small but there are no worries on that front. Nonsenseroom have put together a show that moves at a nice pace, intertwining 4 or so of the tales with songs and audience participation so there's always something new for the little ones to look at or be involved with. For our two guests there was rapt attention - even sitting near the back of the large auditorium. For the grown ups there's no attempt to work at two different levels, it's very much a children's show; but helping the little ones join in with the actions and songs certainly brings out your inner child. Apparently I can pant well...

Carrie Mancini and Mat Urey, as the main human characters, do a great job keeping control of an audience that certainly isn't into sitting quietly. Audience interaction is built in to give them plenty of chances to release that noise in a (semi)controlled manner. The 'canine' cast bound around the stage with such energy that makes you tired just watching them and the songs and music are catchy enough to earworm you for the rest of the day. It helps that most of the children and their adults are familiar with the books and the characters from countless bedtime retellings. I think the man behind me had them all memorised.

My one criticism would be the size/type of venue. Although it's a nice 'proper' theatre with good raking we had the children on our knees for whole show, as if they'd been in their own seats visibility would definitely have been a problem. I may be being too harsh here as our children had no problem joining in, but I did feel they would have benefited from being a little closer to the action.

And I can't stop singing "Hairy Maclary...from Donaldson's Dairy".

*Yes we know that makes her two, but she'd give us into trouble for not pointing out that she's very nearly three, apparently you want to be older when you're that age. And she's scary when she's grumpy.

Hairy Maclary has completed its run at the Fringe but now begins an extensive tour including London and locations around the UK.
Image used with permission