INK revisited - April 2009

Back in January we posted about the INK event at the Tron where a group of writers were staging collections of short plays on a theme as rehearsed readings. Tonight we were through in Edinburgh for the last of the current series of INK events so it feels only right we should give it another mention...

Given the format we didn't feel it was appropriate to pass comment on the plays/performances so our January post was really just to highlight its existence as something that may be of interest to others. Since then, we made it along to February's Valentines themed evening at the Traverse but missed out on March's 'Breaking News' themed event back at the Tron as we found tickets were sold out.

We've certainly enjoyed our three evenings at INK and it's been interesting to see works in this shortened format and hear some of the writers' thoughts in the post show discussions. And we'd hope to see return in some shape or form in the future.

"Spoonface Steinberg" - April 2009

Any play centering on an autistic child as she battles cancer is prime material for reducing an audience to tears, and Zoe Thorne's performance deserves to be recognised as one that may just become the stuff of legend. So why were we left unmoved by it?

Despite being in her 20's Thorne is unnervingly convincing as the eight year old Spoonface - but only a small element of what makes the performance believable is her petiteness. What makes the character credible is Thorne's perfectly crafted mannerisms, childlike expressions and the completely unselfconscious way she moves. And once you add in her distinctive use of language the character is unquestionably real.

Lee Hall's play makes no attempt to shy away from the bleakness of the situation or the less palatable elements that Spoonface has to contend with. However, there is also a lightness that comes from the character's openness and her observations on those around her that ensures the tone is not relentlessly depressing.

There were clearly several audience members in the Citizens Circle Studio who were profoundly moved by the evening - but our tissues stayed firmly in our pockets. Admittedly it does take something extraordinary to leave me biting my bottom lip in the theatre, but Waldorf is a soft-touch. So for a show about a desperately ill child not to have her in floods of tears indicates that something has gone wrong somewhere. We discussed afterwards why it hadn't quite 'got to us' and I'll do my best to provide the best explanation I have.

Part of the strength of Zoe Thorne's portrayal of Spoonface is that she endows her with a genuine sense of disconnection. It's a perfect choice for the character but serves to isolate us from her. The Circle Studio is a very small space and with the set against one of the two longer sides of the theatre the capacity was reduced to around fifty audience members. Yet we didn't feel played to. Any eye contact seemed almost accidental and those on the shorter sides of the space were largely ignored - Spoonface did what Spoonface does, and it really didn't seem to matter that anyone was watching. I've seen children (autistic or otherwise) do exactly this when asked to 'perform' in front of a group, so as a piece of characterisation it was spot-on, but it definitely played a part in reducing the impact it had on us. Although as I say, others were visibly affected.

So for us the evening didn't quite have the punch we were expecting, but that was clearly our personal response to it, and we're still not clear as to why that emotional connection was missing. Thorne on the other hand is clearly a talent to be reckoned with and given roles that she can get her teeth into will no doubt have an extremely bright future.

Spoonface Steinberg is a production by Beggars and Kings and completes an extensive UK tour this week with dates in Wick and Inverness.
Image used with permission.

"Wuthering Heights" - April 2009

Classic fiction meets Bollywood in this production of "Wuthering Heights" from Tamasha at the Citizens' Theatre. So just how do you transfer a classic, complex tragic novel to an Indian setting with musical numbers? Intrigued by the possibilities this combination brought up we just had to go.

Taking the key elements from Emily Brontë's tale of wild boy and girl, of love declared then lost and turned sour we follow the tale of Krishan (Pushpinder Chani) and Shakuntala (Youkti Patel) to its inevitible end.

The first slight surprise was when we realised from the programme that the singing wasn't live, but in Bollywood tradition it was lip-synched to recordings from playback artists. Although we'd seen some of the publicity material that detail had passed us by. Statler felt cheated by this (this is from the man who had to be dragged kicking and screaming to musicals in the past), but I felt it didn't detract. The whole point of a musical is the complete suspension of disbelief.

And if you go with the intention of having a good night out at the theatre, that's what you'll have. You won't necessarily leave humming any of the songs, but you'll have seen an interesting adaptation with some particular high points. "The Camel Races" scene was classic Hollywood/Bollywood musical, very reminiscent of the Ascot scene from the film "My Fair Lady". And any scene featuring Ayah (Rina Fatania) was shamelessly stolen by her and her philosophy on life's ills being cured by sugar cane juice.

The tale goes along at a nice pace, although the first act does seem a little long. There were also some technical difficulties with the scenery at the performance we saw and at times the dialogue was a little muffled. Statler, watching with a more critical eye, felt a sense of scale was lacking and it wasn't enough of a spectacle. However, don't be put off by the fusion of East meeting West this is more than the novelty the concept might suggest.

Photo by Manuel Harlan. Used with permission.

Wuthering Heights is at the Citizens' Theatre until Saturday 25th April, then moves to the Lyric Hammersmith and subsequently further dates in England.

"The Angel and The Woodcutter" - April 2009

Korean company Cho-In Theatre bring "The Angel and The Woodcutter" to The Tron. Starting off with its roots in a gentle folk tale, a woodcutter and his mother are living in harsh surroundings, but with obvious affection for each other. On spying an angel bathing, the woodcutter is smitten by her beauty and his devoted mother steals her wings and forces her to become his bride. Left there it would be a charming story, but it darkens into an brief history of Korea which disturbs and captivates.

Told mostly non-verbally by weaving together movement, expressions, music and sound; this is an incredibly physical piece which is beautifully executed. The interactions between the mother and her son, and the mother and the angel are particularly well done and are comedy of the highest order. The battle between the two women as they try to set the groundrules of their own relationship and stake their claims to the affection of the man they both love is wonderful theatre.

Abruptly and jarringly Korea's recent history intrudes on this gentle tale. The angel and the mother are left to fend for themselves after the woodcutter is conscripted into the army and is brainwashed into becoming the perfect soldier. We continue down this dark road and by the end you feel as drained emotionally as the perfomers must be physically. It is quite startling as to how complex a story can be portrayed without words.

At almost 90 minutes straight through it does struggle to maintain its intensity at times, but its strengths more than make up for that. One word of warning - although a lot of the publicity of the show mentions its use of puppets, that does not make it a children's show. A lot of the themes explored are very dark and adult, which could make for uncomfortable explanations.

"The Angel and The Woodcutter" continues at The Tron until Sunday 26th April.

Photo used with permission.

"Too Clever By Half" - April 2009

Here at View From The Stalls we genuinely try to steer away from flippant remarks and waspish put downs. Our aim is always to try to give an honest response to a production that is very much our own considered, if at times uninformed, opinion. But every so often a writer puts words into the mouth of a character that just perfectly sum up our thoughts on a piece, and when these words are sufficiently repeated that they find a foothold in my head it can prove too strong to resist...

Especially when, as with Andrew Dallmeyer's contribution to "A Play, A Pie and a Pint", the play does little to merit further thought and the production is technically problematic. So, in what will hopefully be a one-off departure from our usual attempt to provide constructive criticism, I'll simply quote from today's dialogue - "Dismal to the end. Save your breath. No need for words."

"Too Clever by Half" runs at Oran Mor until Saturday 25th April.
Image by Leslie Black used with permission.

"Interiors" - April 2009

We'd planned on catching this last week at the Traverse, however due to illness were unable to use the tickets we'd booked. Fortunately, we could still get tickets for when it reached MacRobert Arts Centre in Stirling, and even though we ended up paying double, it was worth every penny. In fact my only regret is that we didn't get to see the show twice, because "Interiors" is a truly elegant piece of theatre that would benefit from multiple viewings.

The action is contained within Kai Fischer's stunning dining room box set. Solid on three walls, the fourth is glass/plastic that allows the audience to see in, but prevents sound from inside escaping - leaving us watching a silent dinner party (at least until the music gets turned up). What's impressive is just how effectively the cast communicate their situations and emotions - even before we get the assistance of our initially unseen commentator providing an insight into the guests at the table set before us.

Now, it would be fair to say that I'm a fan of shows with narration/voiceover and internal/external monologues so this was always going to be very much to my taste - and so it proved. Frequently hilarious, always compelling, the performances are impeccable. Elicia Daly, Sara Lazzaro, Myra McFadyen, Andrew Melville, Aurora Peres, Davide Pini Carenzi, Barnaby Power and Damir Todorovic make for what will surely be one of the finest ensembles Scotland sees this year. There are so many details to the characters and so much going on simultaneously that it's almost impossible to appreciate just how good they are in a single viewing - or to unravel the complexities of the characters. (Why doesn't Damir drink his shots?)

And right there is probably where anyone involved in the show may wish to stop reading... for much as I loved the show I can't help feel that it flatters to deceive. Strip away the narration and give the characters back their voices and I suspect we'd have something resembling a mediocre BBC sitcom. And I'm not sure that I should be quite so impressed by this form of theatrical alchemy - and just a little scared I might find myself tempted to try watching "My Family" with the sound muted. I'm also reluctant to reward the rather blatant emotional manipulation of the audience that comes as the evening reaches its conclusion. I don't mind having the rug pulled from under me but this smacked of overkill.

But there's no denying it makes for fascinating theatre and I was completely entranced by it. In the final moments our narrator/observer suggests she will move on to view other windows - the real shame is that we can't join her. Although, I'm finding myself more and more inclined to try and fit in a second helping when the show reaches the Tron.

Interiors is a co-production between Vanishing Point, Napoli Teatro Festival Italia, Mercadante Teatro Stabile di Napoli and Traverse Theatre. It continues its tour to Aberdeen, London, Glasgow and Naples.

Image by Tim Morozzo used with permission.

"Djupid (The Deep)" - April 2009

The world of deep sea fishermen should be prime territory for drama – confinement, danger, family bonds, not to mention the whole man vs nature aspect. But sadly Graeme Maley's translation of Icelandic playwright Jon Atli Jonasson's “Djupid” does little more than hint at these.

In part its limitations come down to just how much can be realised in a forty minute monologue. Liam Brennan does well to give his lost colleagues a sense of being present, but it can’t match meeting them in person and witnessing the relationships and banter between them. As a result we don't really feel much attachment to any character other than Brennan's unnamed trawlerman who finds himself the last survivor when the boat goes down.

What didn’t help my enjoyment of this was that I spent the first half of the play mentally screaming “Please stop shouting” and looking for the volume control. To be fair to Brennan it was almost certainly a character choice rather than a misjudgement of the space - but it was nevertheless painful.

And with his character's re-telling of the final moments of the film “Titanic” for cheap laughs, any hope I had for the play sank beneath the waves. That said, there remained moments when it fights for one last breath and Brennan's description of his escape from his cot as the boat upturns is genuinely compelling.

But essentially his situation is largely irrelevant as the play disappointingly turns into a simplistic reflection on “If I just had one more day…” and then fails to bring any novel thoughts or attitudes to the table. There are few of his wishes and regrets that wouldn't feature on most people's such lists.

In the end, ironically, what the play lacks is depth.

Djupid (The Deep) runs at Oran Mor daily at 1pm until Saturday 18th April as part of A Play, A Pie & A Pint.
Image by Leslie Black used with permission

"Citizen Y: Nighthawks" - April 2009

This latest offering from the Citizens' Young Company allows the audience a glimpse into the secret world of teenagers on a night out. We join their search for the mythical 'Nighthawks' nightclub - where only the elite make it past the door staff. As with all youth/student or amateur productions we comment on, we make no concessions - if they look for an audience and charge for tickets we treat them all the same. So please keep that in mind when I tell you that this production absolutely rocked the Citz Circle Studio.

Described in the programme as devised by professional playwright Peter Arnott and the Company and scripted by Arnott it perfectly captures several aspects of teenage life including the fleeting and shifting nature of friendships. The dialogue is blisteringly funny and rings entirely true to the characters created, but there's plenty of social comment here too - consumerism, families, restricted opportunities and a rumoured approaching apocalypse all feature.

Apart from a few lines delivered into the floor that don't quite reach the audience, the performances from the large cast are all strong. In "The Lads' Tale" Chris McCann's Pan-like Wittgenstein impressively commands the space and plays his comic relief wonderfully straight while Scott McKay's Kevin is a bundle of frustration and disillusionment. Keren McGill effectively leads "The Girls' Tale" with a convincing performance as abandoned birthday girl Karen. Other highlights include James Harkness as local tough guy Gary and a deliciously show stealing turn by Kelly Love as the club's 'Lifestyle Consultant'.

Neil Packham's direction keeps the action moving and there's some clever use of projection for a casino scene, but I'm not convinced that the soundtrack added quite as much to the piece as it could have.

In a small theatre space it would be easy to dismiss the hugely enthusiastic response of the audience as one of invited family and friends but I don't believe for a minute that to be the case. This is a quality piece of writing, performed by a cast full of talent and energy - and it deserves a wider audience than this short run can give it.

Citizen Y: Nighthawks completes its run at the Citizens on Saturday 11th April.
Image by Tim Morozzo used with permission

"Cabaret" - April 2009

A combination of some Theatre Tokens burning a hole in our pocket, and a relative who had been hooked on BBC's "I'd Do Anything" (aka the "Nancy Show" in our house) meant a family outing to the Theatre Royal. Especially since Bill Kenwright's Production of "Cabaret" featured our relative's favourite from "I'd Do Anything", Samantha Barks as Sally Bowles.

Set in the seedy side of Weimar era Berlin of the early 30's, "Cabaret" follows aspiring American novelist Clifford Bradshaw (Henry Luxemburg) and his encounters with the sexually liberated denizens of the Kit Kat Klub. As musicals go, "Cabaret" is definitely on the darker side with its adult setting and its look at the rise of Nazism and the persecution of Jewish people and other "undesirables".

Despite the promotional material focusing on the casting of Wayne Sleep as the Emcee and the aforementioned Samantha Barks, the strongest performances come in the side story of Fraulein Schneider (Jenny Logan) and Herr Schultz (Matt Zimmerman) and Jenny Logan's delivery of "What Would You Do?" far outshone the big numbers of "Money", "Willkommen" and even the title song. Whilst "Tomorrow Belongs To Me" by the Company was both beautifully sung and sinister at the same time.

So what about the leads? For me Wayne Sleep's performance suffered from a lack of clarity during the songs. I'm not sure if the levels were off, but I struggled to make out the lyrics during a lot of his numbers. The connection to the audience seemed lacking at times, although there was a nice mention of the Theatre Royal's sister theatre and a strong final scene from Sleep. Samantha Bark's as Sally Bowles has big shoes to fill as Liza Minelli is always in the back of your mind. Her delivery of the musical numbers was good, but she lacked the charm and the steel as Sally that would have made her relationship with the sexually confused Bradshaw seem plausible.

Some impressive dancing by the Company, especially leaps from the staircase and a very strong last moment rounded off a mixed night for a production that was just a little too uneven.

"Lucky Box" - March 2009

David Harrower's contribution to this season's "A Play, A Pie & A Pint" came with no advance indication as to topic or tone, so it was good to see a full turnout at Oran Mor on the Monday lunchtime - before any reviews are out. It shows just how much trust the audience are prepared to put in producer David MacLennan. And I'm pleased to report that their faith was well rewarded.

I'm afraid that this is another production where I think it's best to go in blind, so I'm not going to comment directly on the plot. I'd go so far on this one as to suggest that you avoid reading reviews elsewhere - just in case others are less circumspect. It's not that there is a huge twist or reveal at the end, it's just that for most of the play we're unsure what exactly is going on, and which of the two characters we should fear for. It's a long time since I've been in the theatre quite so uncertain and intrigued about the events in front of me. There are moments of pure electricity between Stuart Bowman and Scott Fletcher as the dynamic cleverly shifts between the two. Fletcher gives a carefully balanced performance allowing his character to be sympathetic and smart while retaining the potential for a darker side, whilst Bowman convinces as a man on the edge.

But going along with Harrower's relentless rollercoaster ride of a play has its problems. Much like watching a series of "24" once you understand what's gone on, many of the characters' actions in earlier episodes no longer seem to make much sense. It leaves the play as one to be greatly enjoyed in-the-moment but possibly not to be reflected on too much afterwards.

There are some nice moments of topicality that get some laughs, and some of Harrower's observations clearly hit their mark but the production suffers rather badly from a combination of the staging and Dominic Hill's direction. The catwalk stage set-up left many of the Oran Mor's regulars confused, and I know I wasn't the only one to circumnavigate the room trying to pick a seat with a good view before realising that all eight of them were already taken. The default positions of the characters on the stage leave much of the audience constantly facing the back of one of the two actors and I find it difficult to believe there wasn't a more adequate way of arranging the space. Perhaps this was designed with next week's performances at the Traverse more in mind.

But this firecracker of a play and its two performances are more than strong enough to overcome any flaws.

Lucky Box is a co-production between Oran Mor where it runs until Saturday 4th April and the Traverse where it runs from 7th to 11th April.
Image by Leslie Black used with permission.

"The Trial" - March 2009

We've previously enjoyed Glasgow College of Nautical Studies drama students' productions, so when we found ourselves in the vicinity of The Citizens' and at a loose end on a Saturday afternoon we decided to catch a matinee of their production of Steven Berkoff's adaptation of Kafka's "The Trial".

Joseph K (James McSporran) descends into a bizarre world of beaurocracy, violence and confusion after being arrested for a crime that no-one is willing or possibly able to reveal to him. He wanders through a maze accompanied by a Greek chorus who take turns to play the other characters that are part of K's tale.

Perhaps deliberately you only get glimpses of these other characters and they seem superficial and two-dimensional. The comedic guards who initially interogate K, are reminiscent of the droogs in Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, the lonely and needy Leni, the bailiff and his wife trapped in the system. The painter Titorelli is perhaps the strongest of these characters, probably due to his role in shining a light on the choices that face Joseph K in his struggle to clear his name.

It's very much an ensemble piece from GCNS, but Pamela Shaw as Leni and Sean Reid as Titorelli particularly stood out. And although I enjoyed our afternoon, there was also a strong element of confusion within the story that resulted in me losing track in places and lost me completely at the very end.

In some ways the issues in "The Trial" are more relevant than ever today, but that's perhaps its very weakness. When reality contains more absurdities than are presented on stage some of the strength of message is lost. It's no longer a warning about what might happen.

"Poem in October" - March 2009

Stop reading now. Time is short. Rearrange your plans. Do what you have to do to see this lunchtime show at Oran Mor (until Saturday) or at the Traverse next week.

I'm actually going to say very little about this as much of the poignancy of the piece comes from watching it develop over the course of 45 minutes. Robert Forrest's play isn't perfect - it has two or three lines too many that take it past what should have been a powerful end point - but it's pretty damn close. Finlay Welsh's performance isn't perfect - it's better than that. Telling the story of Walt - haunted by lost love, lost independence and what may be the ghost of Dylan Thomas, Welsh's ability to switch characters is uncanny. Truly like watching a man possessed. Beautiful, sad, funny, upsetting, utterly compelling and unsettlingly real. Look past the absurdity of the conceit and Forrest and Welsh have created something with a real power to affect people - and make them think.

Poem in October is a co-production between Oran Mor & the Traverse as part of the A Play, A Pie & A Pint season.
Image by Leslie Black used with permission.

"Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of Loneliness" - March 2009

We'd passed on this one in our original plans as we'd had a mixed response to our previous encounter with Anthony Neilson's plays in "The Wonderful World of Dissocia". However, a couple of weeks ago Waldorf had her interest piqued by the blurb for it (forgetting about the Neilson connection) and as there were still tickets available for the Citizens £7 Tuesday performance we decided to give it a chance after all...

It's taken me a couple of days to write this up - largely due to the fact that I've struggled to get a handle on my response to it. Taking the form of a 19th century 'freakshow' but replacing physical grotesques with emotional traumas, Headlong and Nuffield Theatre's production looks sumptuous, but I found its delight in amusing the audience with 'gross out' humour deeply depressing. In fact, my initial comment to Waldorf on leaving the show was that I was unsure if I was more disappointed in the production or the fact that much of the Citizens audience seemed so amused by it.

One of the reasons I was so frustrated by the humour, is that underneath all the absurdity, blood and vomit each of the three tales has the potential to be genuinely touching. But despite the universally strong performances from Gant and his troupe (Simon Kunz, Emma Handy, Paul Barnhill & Sam Cox) I think much of the beauty and depth here is lost amongst the audience's gasps and groans.

What's also lost is the sense of accusation that seems inherent as the play progresses. The players debate amongst themselves as to what audiences want (and deserve) to see and while that of course remains a question for theatre I felt it required a more pointed nudge in the direction of the current state of television and "Reality" shows in particular.

And my confused attitude towards the show continues right to the end and its final 'reveal'. While I (and Waldorf) found it overly signposted there was clearly a good proportion of the audience taken by surprise, so I'm entirely unsure as to where to direct my frustration on that front.

While I don't think I can say that I enjoyed the show, I was always interested in it - and I guess sometimes that's more important.

Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of Loneliness runs at the Citizens until Saturday 21st March and then plays Clwyd Theatr, Cymru and Soho Theatre London.
Image by Ellie Kurtzz used with permission

"The Pillowman" - March 2009

'Black Comedy'. Two words that are almost certain to grab my attention. But far too often they are attached to something that turns out to be lacking in blackness or comedy - and frequently both. No such failings here, that's for sure. XLC's production of Martin McDonagh's "The Pillowman" is as funny as you'd want it to be, and darker than is comfortable (which is exactly how it should be).

Writer Katurian finds himself in an interrogation room subject to some 'robust' questioning about the similarities between his gruesome stories and a series of child murders. In the next room his mentally damaged brother Michal is also being questioned about any involvement he may have had. What follows is a beautifully structured piece of theatre as we get glimpses of Katurian's writing along with elements from the brothers' childhood.

As Katurian, Kevin Mains transitions perfectly from confused to despairing but retains the character's quiet dignity throughout. It's a fully committed performance and the violence inflicted on the character has to take it's toll on the performer. As lead interrogator Tupolski, Richard Rankin gives a superb performance giving the character a smoothness which makes his playfulness all the more chilling. In contrast to Tupolski's calm control, the torture-happy Ariel is explosive, but Colin Harris effectively brings out the depth of the character. There's a dynamic amongst the three that I've been trying to put my finger on since seeing the show and it's something akin to watching Neo being doubleteamed by Morpheus and Agent Smith.

The middle of the three acts reunites Katurian with Iain de Caestecker's Michal and provides some of the play's funniest and darkest moments. Mains shines as we see him turn from suspect to interrogator while de Caestecker gives a genuinely childlike quality to Michal.

David Lee-Michael's direction impresses throughout with a great deal of creativity on display in realising the storytelling sequences. Two and a half hours is a long time to spend in the Citizens Circle studio so the decision to go with two short intervals was a welcome one and ensured the show never felt its length.

Thoroughly entertaining, thoroughly troubling. Great stuff.

Oh yes, a special mention for the way Colin Harris effectively dealt with the programme an audience member in the front row had inexplicably decided to place on the set's desk seconds before the start.

The Pillowman runs at the Citizens until Saturday 14th March.

"Kyoto" - March 2009

On my way back to work after this lunchtime visit to Oran Mor's "A Play, A Pie and A Pint" I mentally prepared an opening paragraph about how my expectations were too high, possibly unfairly so. But after further thought I'm not prepared to accept that. Yes, as soon as the Season was announced David Greig's "Kyoto" was the one I was most looking forward too, but I'm afraid that by any standards this has to go down as disappointing.

We meet government negotiator Dan (Matthew Pidgeon) and polar scientist Lucy (Vicki Liddelle) as they stumble into a hotel bedroom during an environmental conference. It's an event they have circled around and anticipated at many such similar conferences over a number of years but the opportunities have gone untaken - until now.

While the performances from Pidgeon and Liddelle are perfectly fine and there are a few comic moments, the production feels somewhat unloved. Dominic Hill's direction seems entirely absent, sound and lighting are minimal while Greig's script feels like an early draft that's been fished out from the back of a drawer. The relationship has too many blanks that are never filled in - What finally got them through the bedroom door this time? And now they are here, why the hesitation? There are moments that are so bizarre that it makes the characters ridiculous, an overused running 'gag' that never has a pay off, an ending that left me uncertain - and if there was a message it escaped me.

And then we have the running time. While we've come to expect these lunchtime plays to fit comfortably within an hour they tend to be fairly consistent at 45-50 minutes but this was barely over 30 minutes. Of course quantity can't be equated with quality, but for the first time ever "A Play, A Pie and A Pint" didn't seem such great value.

Not a huge concern of course, I'll shrug it off and be back in a week or two. However, this is the first of five co-productions with the Traverse which will also be staged there starting next week. And that's a real problem, because if this was my first experience of "A Play, A Pie & A Pint" I doubt I'd be rushing back.

Kyoto runs at Oran Mor until Saturday 14th March and then at the Traverse from Tuesday 17th to Saturday 21st March.
Image by Leslie Black used with permission