"Frankenstein" (NT Live) - March 2011

The National Theatre's production of "Frankenstein" starring Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch, directed by Danny Boyle has been one of London's hottest theatre tickets in recent months; so we weren't alone in being grateful for the opportunity to see it on the GFT screen as part of the NT Live scheme. The demand for tickets was inflated further through the gimmick high concept decision to have Miller and Cumberbatch alternate roles on a nightly basis between Frankenstein and the Creature which left many wanting to see both versions. And although we really enjoyed it, I'm just not sure it merits a return visit.

We won't rehash the debate about how well the whole NT Live thing works as we've covered all that before when we saw "Phedre" - it suffices to say that we're wholeheartedly in favour of it as a way of enabling us to see productions we would never get the chance to see. I'll just add that in some respects Boyle's direction of the show seemed well suited to the cinematic transfer but some of his more striking moments probably really have to be experienced first hand.

By the time we saw the show, we knew we would be seeing Miller as Victor Frankenstein and Cumberbatch as the Creature - which Waldorf had already decreed to be 'the wrong way round'. However, the show changed our opinions on that - but perhaps not quite as you may expect. And that was only the start of our disagreements about this show.

I quickly found Cumberbatch's creature to be lacking in subtlety - perhaps due to the camera zooming in for a performance designed to be viewed from a distance. Waldorf on the other hand loved his performance and was distinctly unimpressed by Miller's portrayal of Frankenstein, who I had thought excellent. And it wasn't enough for either of us to simply see the 'reverse' casting - I wanted to see Miller play both roles simultaneously and Waldorf wanted to see Cumberbatch do the same. But that might be an ask too far even for a director of Boyle's talent.

We also couldn't agree on the production's prolonged opening sequence as the creature is 'born' and gradually gains control of his body. For me this was unbearably long and I just wanted it to start already while Waldorf found it an important part of the character's development.

Our other significant disagreement was over the colourblind casting of Victor's family. I'm all for playing individual characters against 'expectations' as to their race but they should retain the relationship between characters. Without explanation of adoption or a step-relationship it was impossible for me to accept them as a family unit, particularly given the accents involved, which left me struggling to feel the pain the characters are put through. Waldorf again disagreed - not caring about the racial identities and more concerned by what she considered a poor performance by George Harris as Frankenstein Sr.

In fact, just about the only thing we do agree on is that we both really enjoyed it. And to cap it all Waldorf has just disagreed once more with my earlier statement and insists it would be worth a return visit - although sadly time won't permit one. It might not have succeeded in connecting with either of us emotionally but as a piece of spectacular storytelling it's hard to beat.

There is an NT Live broadcast featuring Miller as the Creature and Cumberbatch as Victor on 24th March which will also be shown for a number of 'repeat' performances. The production at the National Theatre runs until 2nd May but advance tickets are sold out - a limited number of day tickets are available.
Image by Catherine Ashmore used with permission.

"Love Letters to the Public Transport System" - March 2011

Molly Taylor's re-telling of her quest to thank a number of train and bus drivers who got her to the right place at the right time, combined with the public transport related stories of others, is a delightful piece of theatre. The peg on which the concept hangs may be a little shaky - one of the central tales only really involves a coincidental meeting on a bus - but the beauty here is in the telling. It's a long time since I've seen a performer in the Citizens Circle Studio hold an audience's attention the way Taylor did.

Despite that, its charm and confessional quality did leave me with a nagging doubt - and revealed a difference in attitude between Waldorf and I towards theatre of this kind. Large parts of the play are presented as autobiographical, and while I was happy to take things at face value I couldn't help doubt the spark of inspiration for the piece. The Molly Taylor we met last night - or at least her stage persona - just didn't strike me as 'cooky' enough to start shooting off letters to anonymous public transport employees. Unless of course the idea of creating a piece of theatre based on it was there from the very beginning. Such premeditation wouldn't invalidate what followed, but for me it would somehow take a layer of sheen off of it.

Unusually, Waldorf was more sceptical than I, questioning not just the motivation but to what extent the events presented were based in reality - so far as to doubt if any letters were actually sent (even though the replies appeared to be produced on stage). And interestingly, that wouldn't matter to her at all. It didn't need to be real - none of it.

Fortunately we can both agree that regardless of what level of dramatic license she has employed, Taylor is a wonderful storyteller who is equally at home making an audience laugh as tugging their heartstrings.

Love Letters to the Public Transport System is presented as a work in progress as part of the National Theatre of Scotland's Reveal season. It has concluded its runs at the Traverse and the Citizens.
Image by Drew Farrell used with permission

"Count Me In" - March 2011

Gary McNair's "Count Me In" is one of those shows whose success (or otherwise) really depends on what the artist wants to achieve. If he's aiming to inform and provoke his audience then it probably has to be regarded as a failure; but if it's all just an excuse for a fun evening then it's a big success.

McNair's main problem in any attempt to educate his audience is its self-selecting make up. The vast majority of those choosing to see a show about the political system will have sufficient interest/understanding of politics that there is unlikely to be much here that will be new to them - and some will be frustrated by his inaccuracies. While his insistence that in Westminster elections we don't vote nationally for a Prime Minister but vote for a party may be de facto correct for many voters, it ignores the reality that we vote only for an individual person in a constituency - and one who is capable of changing their party allegiance at will. To be fair, McNair makes no claims to be an expert and is on journey of learning himself - but that's a fairly big mistake to make.

Most of the show is pitched at too basic a level for the majority of the audience - when he drops 'gerrymandering' into his illustration of varying constituency sizes it seems like we're about to go down a more interesting road but it's instantly discarded. And we get no mention of party funding, political broadcasts, media partiality etc. We don't even get the contrast between the various voting systems used in the UK in the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, European elections etc with the question as to how they can all be 'the best' system. It's also disappointing that we're given a largely Anglicised version of the development of British democracy.

In a couple of weeks, Mark Thomas appears at the Citizens - a comedian/activist who manages to highlight the absurdity of the detail and complexity of the systems that run our society, and although McNair's previous show on finance, "Crunch", showed he's capable of that, "Count Me In" falls considerably short.

But what it lacks in substance it makes up for, at least in part, in entertainment value. McNair's self deprecating approach works well and the electronic voting pads add the novelty factor = if perhaps not used to their full potential. His audience interactions are handled well, but at times he would benefit from a stand-ups killer instinct to shut-up an audience member enjoying their moment in the spotlight a little too much. What he does have, is a brilliant eye for a well crafted routine - particularly the creation of his 'digital assistant' (although she is then allowed to drone on far too long). There's no doubt that "Count Me In" is entertaining, but the overwhelming feeling we were left with was of a missed opportunity to really attack the flaws that exist in UK politics.

Count Me In was presented as a work in progress as part of the National Theatre of Scotland 'Reveal' season. It has now concluded its runs at the Traverse & Citizens.
Image by Drew Farrell used with permission

"Gagarin Way" - March 2011

How good was this show? That's an easy one to answer. Due to scheduling difficulties we had to drive two hours through snow and sleet to St Andrews to see it at the Byre Theatre. And two hours through mist and rain back home again. But even with a dodgy sat-nav inspired detour to Dundee, we don't grudge one minute of the drive. It was that good.

Yes, you could make a case that the political or social commentary aspects of Gregory Burke's play are overshadowed in turns by humour and violence. But when the laughs are so genuine and the brutality isn't out of character you really just have to hold on tight and enjoy the ride. Burke has created characters and circumstances which, while not believable in any real sense of the word, are certainly recogniseable - and director Michael Emans has put together an excellent cast to portray them. Jimmy Chisholm convinces as the activist who finds himself in over his head; Finn Den Hertog gives accidental witness Tom a nice balance of naive optimism and insecurity; while Dave Anderson manages to make us care what happens to Frank - despite spending much of his stage time unconscious. But it's Jordan Young's performance as Eddie, the driving force behind events, that makes the biggest impact with his character's fast paced dialogue and raw energy. It's a commanding performance and one that leaves you nervous of encountering him on the street outside after the show.

Emans never allows the pace to flag - even in the moments when little is happening - and from the very first bars of the Kaiser Chiefs track used to open the show the audience knows it's in for a great evening. Rapture Theatre have been one of our favourite theatre companies since we first saw their shows back in 2005 - and Gagarin Way just serves to remind us why we enjoy their work so much.

Gagarin Way still has several Scottish dates to play on its tour including the Tron in Glasgow and ends with performances at Greenwich Theatre in London.
Image by Eamonn McGoldrick used with permission

"King Lear" - March 2011

It's from one of the UK's foremost theatre companies, stars one of the country's most esteemed performers and has garnered five star reviews left, right and centre. So why did the Donmar Warehouse production with Derek Jacobi as King Lear leave us unmoved and, quite frankly, disappointed?

Don't get me wrong, this is in no way a bad show, it's just safe and unimaginative. I'll admit that I am a sucker for directors that play around with Shakespeare - either in setting or a complete re-interpretation but while I'm not averse to productions taking a classic approach I do need them to put some kind of stamp or character on it. With the quality of the cast and production team involved here - and yes, the ticket price - I wanted something more than I could expect to see from any local theatre. And we just didn't get it.

Jacobi is of course the main draw, and as both the 'angry' Lear and the 'old, frail' Lear his performance is pitched perfectly but I found his 'mad' Lear badly misjudged. The scene where Lear reunites with Gloucester was cringeworthily over the top - much closer to someone faking madness than a genuine and moving failing of the mind (only one step short of Blackadder's 'wibble' moment) . Watching a performance of King Lear with elderly older parents and grandparents (like we did here) should increase its impact. Given that it didn't resonate with us, even under those circumstances, it's difficult to consider it an overwhelming success. King Lear should have no difficulty in finding a relevance in the modern world.

Gina McKee and Justine Mitchell give fine performances as Goneril and Regan; revelling in their misdeeds, but Pippa Bennett-Warner's Cordelia has so little stage time she struggles to make an impression or give the character any real definition. Ron Cook succeeds in making the Fool hugely sympathetic - his affection for Lear shines through the verbal barbs and the scene where he appears usurped by 'Poor Tom' was the one moment in the play to generate any real sense of emotion. Alec Newman's Edmund and Michael Hadley's Kent are also particularly noteworthy amongst a strong ensemble cast.

I'm struggling to work out if our response was out of kilter with the rest of the Theatre Royal audience - there was certainly prolonged applause but not the standing ovation that might have been expected for the pairing of Jacobi & Lear. Perhaps we should adopt the attitude of Lynn Phillips, a friend who saw the show earlier in the week - "It's culture - you're not supposed to enjoy it."

King Lear has completed its run at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow and continues its UK tour.

"Lear's Daughters" - March 2011

The timing of XLC Theatre's "Lear's Daughters" fitted in perfectly with our plans to see the Donmar Warehouse's touring production of Shakespeare's play the following week, and having enjoyed several of their shows previously we made our first trip of the year to the Citz Circle Studio. And this prequel certainly provided an interesting take on the characters.

Written by Elaine Feinstein and The Women's Theatre Group, I'm finding it difficult not to feel that the choices made for the characters are more in the interests of advancing a political agenda than in creating a work of theatre of value in itself. But what Feinstein has delivered is a very lyrical script which the cast perform well. There were a couple of moments early on when some of the semi-monologues came over as more recited than spoken with real meaning, but once we get into the main part of the play all five cast members give impressive performances.

Caitlin Cummins Duffy, Skye Cooper-Barr and Rehanna MacDonald as Goneril, Regan and Cordelia handle the transition from young children to womanhoood effectively. As The Fool, Vasso Gergiadou holds the show together and appears very comfortable getting up close with the audience. Miriam Sarah Doren makes her character(s) sympathetic but the fact that we're unsure if her billing as Nurse/Nanny was a single character is indicative of a wider lack of clarity in the script and David Lee-Michael's direction which left us with a number of plot points on which Waldorf and I disagreed on our understanding of. And we're also now disagreeing as to how much of this was intentional ambiguity.

Sadly we couldn't see a credit in the programme for the costumes - and it's a pity as they were fabulous. "Lear's Daughters" was an entertaining night, and it will be interesting to see just how much it colours our view of "King Lear" when we see it later this week.

Lear's Daughters from XLC Theatre in association with Langside College has completed its run at the Citizens.

"The Belief Project" - March 2011

Perhaps it was the show's title; or maybe the philosophical sounding blurb on the Tron website; or the worrying director's note in the programme which described it as "an experiment to explore the effect our beliefs can have on our lives". Whichever it was, we were expecting something unconventional, rough round the edges and quite possibly a bit, well, pretentious. So it came as quite a surprise to find that it was actually accessible, polished and relevant.

The story of a young couple crumbling under the pressure of their hopes, their past and society's expectations in the face of the current financial climate is horribly true to life. The characters of Kim and Mark, and their lodger Scot are all fully formed and complex - while some things are black and white there are also plenty shades of grey here. And it's only at the very end that it strays into sensationalist territory.

Amy Conway's performance as Kim is close to heartbreaking and Richard Gadd makes Mark at times funny and even sympathetic despite the unpleasantness of the character. There's no specific programme credit for a fight director, but I have to say that the violence here is either the best or worst I've ever encountered in the theatre - it's either beautifully choreographed and executed or Amy Conway is taking a real beating every night of the run. Dòl Eoin completes the cast with a strong performance as the lodger they take in to make ends meet - and acting as our narrator. Eoin also contributes the musical elements that form an integral part of the show.

Waldorf took the view that as a whole the show was overlong at two hours (including an interval) and that the same could have been achieved in 75 minutes. I'm not sure I'd have been taking that much red ink to the script (written by Stephen Redman in collaboration with the cast) but there are certainly moments that added little to it - most notably the two scenes that are most overtly about belief.

"The Belief Project", either by accident or design, makes an excellent companion piece to "Staircase" which has been playing in the Tron's main theatre - and in truth I think "The Belief Project" is the better of two - and certainly the most current. And while it had a considerable audience in the Tron's Changing House studio space, were it to be billed/marketed more conventionally there is a much wider audience for this show out there.

The Belief Project from Flatrate has now completed its run at the Tron.
Image used with permission

"Staircase" - February 2011

Charles Dyer's play sees Charles and Harry reach a crisis point in their relationship when Charles finds himself facing prosecution for a drunken incident - just as he is about to be reunited with his long lost daughter. And tensions rise further as Harry accuses Charles of trying to sweep their relationship under the carpet. As a comedy, black or otherwise, "Staircase" misses the mark - while a play set in the sixties is clearly going to have a period feel, here the comic lines seemed dreadfully dated. Or maybe you just have to have lived through the sixties to appreciate it (the older couple sitting next to us certainly found parts of it hilarious). But then, for me, the play's strength lay elsewhere - as a consideration of an abusive domestic situation. And on that level it worked rather well.

Andy Arnold gives Charles the sense of unpredictability and lightning quick mood shifts so often at the heart of domestic abuse, with Benny Young making Harry a textbook battered wife. They certainly managed to transfer that element of being 'on edge' to me in the third row. And in fairness the anticipation of where things were heading may have been in part to blame for my inability to appreciate the attempts at humour. Part of me is left disappointed that this aspect of the play is overshadowed by both the comedy billing and a final plot twist, when the abusive relationship seems both more interesting and contemporary.

Arnold and Young both give strong emotional performances, but due to the accent and fast paced delivery we did struggle to catch some of Charles' dialogue. Arnold also directs effectively and what could be a very static two hander maintains a considerable level of energy throughout. Special mentions also for Kenny Miller's clean design and Karen Bryce's atmospheric lighting.

"Staircase" serves as an interesting reminder of just how recently lives were destroyed by society's attitudes to homosexuality, but it's difficult not to feel that a more contemporary consideration of the issues might have been more worthwhile.

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.

Staircase is a 'Tron Stripped' production and runs at the Tron until Saturday 5th March.
Image by John Johnston used with permission

"Smalltown" - February 2011

On reflection, it shouldn't have come as a surprise that a show comprising three parts by three writers would result in three differing opinions. But while you may have expected our views to be split on the success of each element of the show, that isn't how things turned out. In fact, the three opinions that we arrived at on Friday night can be pretty much summed up as follows: Waldorf hated pretty much all of it, while I thought it had some moments but wasn't great. The third opinion? Well that would be the rest of the audience who appeared to love it.

The overarching premise for "Smalltown" sees a toxic new brand of bottled water cause havoc across Ayrshire and each of the writers is responsible for the story set in their respective hometowns. While every audience will see the main part of each tale; they are then asked to vote to as to which one they wish to see the conclusion of.

Douglas Maxwell's Girvan based segment gets the show up and running and establishes the chain of events that have brought the towns to the brink of disaster. To his credit, Maxwell seems to have the most to say with his piece - an ambition sadly missing in the two later parts. He takes a look at the impact growing up in an isolated town can have and the tensions that can arise between those who leave, those who stay, and those who return. He also throws in some nice gags, but the more clever/subtle ones tend to get smothered by performances that really ham things up.

DC Jackson sets his tale in the same universe as his 'Stewarton Trilogy', featuring a character from "The Ducky" and name-checking others. In fact there's more connection to his previous works than there is to the Girvan and Ardrossan elements of "Smalltown". While the bottled water is once more the cause of the town's problems, there's nothing to move the story arc onwards or suggest anything of the bigger picture outside young Ruby's bedroom. It's also questionable exactly how the teenage angst on display here is so different from the country's more urban areas (effects of the toxic water aside). And it's difficult not to feel that the nudity and puppet sex is a rather cheap and easy way to buy laughs. Perhaps it's due to a busy competing workload, but Jackson's piece has a 'phoned in' feel about it.

Fortunately Johnny McKnight's zombie filled Ardrossan based piece feels much more polished - although again the setting is somewhat incidental. It also benefits from performances from Julie Brown and Anita Vettesse that seem much more considered and subtle than in the earlier pieces, and McKnight's snappy one-liners gave me my first genuine laughs of the evening. Had we only seen 'Ardrossan' it would have made for an enjoyable evening, but it wasn't strong enough to carry the baggage of the other two parts. In fact, Waldorf was so disinterested by the first half of the show that if there hadn't been the prospect of a 'new voice' after the interval she would have been campaigning for an early exit.

Disappointingly we were deprived of seeing the conclusion of McKnight's piece - despite it appearing to me to have the edge in an admittedly close audience vote. Instead, we got the conclusion of Maxwell's Girvan, which although amusing failed to capitalise on the more thoughtful elements of its tale.

But while "Smalltown" may not have been for us, please do remember what we said right at the start - everyone else in the theatre genuinely seemed to be having a great time.

Smalltown from Random Accomplice has completed its run at the Tron, but continues to tour Scotland until 26 March.
Image by John Johnston used with permission

Blog re-fresh - Update

We've taken longer than planned to finalise our redesign and still have a little tinkering to do - and things may still 'break' from time to time. Hopefully we'll be able to apply the update before too long, but until then, normal service will be resumed...

Blog re-fresh/downtime

We're working on a long overdue redesign of the site and hope to apply the new look shortly. As part of the testing/update process there may be some downtime for the site over the next couple of weekends - 8th/9th and 15th/16th January. There's also the possibility of elements of the site 'breaking' or looking a bit strange between now and when the new look goes live.

We'll try to keep any interruptions to a minimum, but apologies for any inconvenience.

Spring 2011 Preview

Lazy post-New Year days in the house are ideal for looking ahead at theatres' 2011 seasons. We've already received some programmes in the post and most now have details of their shows online. Details are pretty sparse, so there will be other productions that attract our attention nearer the time if a cast seems particularly strong, but we think this will be fairly close to what we actually see this Spring.

January looks like a quiet month for us, but The Tron gets us up and running in February with a couple of shows. "Staircase" would have been on our list anyway but the fact that it features Benny Young and Tron artistic director Andy Arnold certainly elevates our level of interest. Random Accomplice's "Smalltown" is not only credited with three writers - DC Jackson, Douglas Maxwell and Johnny McKnight, but it also allows its audience to choose an ending for the show. We think it may turn out to be one of the highlights of the year - either that or an unmitigated disaster. In March "The Belief Project" sounds a little on the serious side but we don't mind getting a bit philosophical now and again. Waldorf is keen to see "Age of Arousal" from Stellar Quines but I need a little more convincing. But there's no persuasion required for Gregory Burke's "Gagarin Way" which Rapture Theatre are touring - the play has a strong reputation and Rapture have repeatedly shown an ability to put together fantastic casts for their shows.
Click for full details of the Tron's Spring Season.

Across the Clyde at the Citizens their co-production with the Lyceum about Marilyn Monroe doesn't really appeal, so our visits there won't really kick in until March. NTS Reveal brings a set of new works (including rehearsed readings) but we found it quite tricky to work out all the combinations of the individual plays - we've settled on a double bill of "Love Letters to the Public Transport System" and Gary McNair's "Count Me In" (NTS Reveal also visits the Traverse). XLC Theatre company have put some great shows on at the Citz in the last couple of years so we'll be heading along to see "Lear's Daughters" which appears to be a prequel to Shakespeare's play. And in a nice piece of programming the National Theatre of Scotland bring David Greig's acclaimed 'sequel' to Macbeth - "Dunsinane" to the Citz in June (following a run at the Lyceum). Having enjoyed his "Manifesto" at the Fringe in 2009 we're looking forward to Mark Thomas's new show "Extreme Rambling" which is part of the Magners Comedy Festival which has a considerable presence across Glasgow in March/April. The Citz Community Co don't seem to have a main stage show planned for the Spring but we're looking forward to going 'Doon the Watter' with them in the Circle Studio in "Fair Friday". And lastly, the Citz have given us a bit of a dilemma with "After the End". It's definitely my kind of show but at the moment I'm finding myself more drawn to Dundee Rep's site specific production of the same play later in June - and I just can't see us booking up for both.
Click to view the Citizens full season brochure.

Published programmes for The Arches and Tramway are limited at the moment and the new season of 'A Play, A Pie & A Pint' at Oran Mor is due to be announced shortly.

Regular readers will know that it takes something special to get us along to the Kings or Theatre Royal in Glasgow due to expensive tickets and uncomfortable seating - but surprisingly we may well be booking up for three shows. We booked some time ago for "King Lear" featuring Derek Jacobi but are also tempted by the touring productions of "Avenue Q" and "Yes, Prime Minister".

The production of "King Lear" can also be seen in a number of cinemas on 3rd February as part of their National Theatre Live programme, and we're planning to see the NTLive performance of "Frankenstein" directed by Danny Boyle on 17 March. We've seen a couple of NTLive shows previously and despite small technical issues it's actually a great way to see a show you wouldn't otherwise be able to see.

With a main season that's largely also available in Glasgow, there isn't anything for us at the Lyceum this time round, but we're considering making trips through to Edinburgh for "Around the World in 80 Days" and "The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church" at the Traverse. I'm also keen to make the trip to Perth Theatre for their production of "Death of a Salesman" which has always been a favourite play of mine.

I'm not sure we're going to be able to make this last one work as it's a one-night-only thing, but Kim Shepherd made a huge impression on us in an amateur production of "We Will Rock You" a few years back, so we're hoping to get through to Dunfermline to catch her 'evening of song' at the Alhambra on 22nd January. UPDATE - this has now been cancelled, but hopefully will be re-scheduled.

As always with our previews, these aren't really recommendations, just a note of the shows that interest us and that may also interest you. Do let us know if you think there's anything we've missed...

Review of the Year - 2010

We managed to see over 50 shows in 2010 – a bit of a drop from the last couple of years. While that may reflect that there were fewer shows that grabbed our attention, it’s also due to the fact that we had fewer available evenings this year. Time constraints also curtailed my trips to “A Play, A Pie & A Pint” at Oran Mor and we really struggled to find much to interest us at this year's Edinburgh Fringe. Even so, we were unable to fit in a number of shows we had been really keen to see this year such as Grid Iron’s “Spring Awakening”, DC Jackson’s “My Romantic History” and the NTS’ “Beautiful Burnout”. Of course, that still leaves us with a lot of great theatre that we did get to see…

Back in March the Citizens production of “Backbeat” left me with the feeling that it didn’t quite manage to gel its separate elements, but ten months later it remains one of the most striking shows I saw – full of visual style and featuring some excellent performances – particularly from Isabella Calthorpe. The Citz also gave us their brilliantly entertaining “One Million Tiny Plays About Britain” with its energetic cast, and their Community Company’s harrowing “The Grapes of Wrath”. It was also at the Citz that we caught the ingenious and delightful "The Event".

The National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Douglas Maxwell’s “The Miracle Man” formed part of their ‘tfd’ season aimed at teenage audiences and was a wonderful piece of theatre for those of any age - a perfect balance between hilarity and heart-wrenching moments.

I was particularly disappointed not to see more of the Tron’s Mayfesto season of ‘political’ theatre as the one show I managed to see – “Address Unknown“ provoked a surprisingly powerful personal response and featured fantastic performances from James MacPherson and Benny Young. In a much less serious moment, but still packing an emotional punch, the Tron’s outrageous production of “Valhalla!” left us laughing all the way home.

The Tron were also involved in what was unquestionably the best piece of theatre we saw in 2010. It’s had plenty of plaudits in places much more significant than our little blog, but we need to add our own recognition of what “Roadkill” achieved. Written with restraint by Stef Smith, creatively directed by Cora Bissett and performed by a wonderful cast it was a flawless piece of theatre that took audience ‘engagement’ to a level I didn’t think existed.

John Kazek’s performance in Roadkill was the finest we encountered this year – transforming chameleon-like from vicious pimp through concerned policeman to a loving African father. Marianne Oldham’s quirky portrayal of “The Girl in the Yellow Dress” at the Citz also made a big impression, while Richard Magowan showed the impact a genuine stage presence can have as Sky Masterson in Theatre Guild Glasgow’s “Guys and Dolls”. Another performance that really impressed us was Joanna Tope in "Promises Promises" and we were completely won over by Janette 'Krankie' in "Aladdin".

Thanks to all those involved in the shows we've seen this year, and also to all of you who have shared your thoughts here. We'll be back in a week or two with our plans for the first half of 2011.

"Flo White" - December 2010

We were sceptical, but last year’s “Ya Beauty & The Beast” at the Tron made us believe we could fall in love with their post-modern panto. Sadly it appears even fairy dust has a limited lifespan, and there is not to be a “happily ever after” ending, for despite a sci-fi setting this is very much a traditional panto.

If a panto should be judged on how the children in the audience respond, then "Flo White" is a resounding success. From its first moments the kids are fully committed and involved in the show – particularly impressive in what can be a lull between Christmas and New Year. It makes a particularly good choice for a Christmas outing for parents who get a little nervous around the innuendo that can overwhelm a panto – it's all pretty clean fun here. And although the Tron can’t compete with the 3D effects in Aladdin at the SECC, their own animations work very well indeed and make a nice addition to the show.

But a great panto knows how to balance its appeal for children and adults alike – and it's here that "Flo White" falters. Even adults who enjoy traditional panto might find themselves struggling at times – almost every scene feels just a little too long and cumulatively it becomes a problem. Do we really need two song-sheet moments? Two characters that require to be greeted every time they appear? A time killing audience interaction scene? An overlong and pointless game of bingo? Even a custard pie throwing scene gets tiresome. Only the 'Barry White' and 'Take That' gags have sufficient legs to justify them running through the show.

Alasdair McCrone and Anita Vettesse put in great performances as panto dame Flo and evil villain Hingeroan but at times both characters feel too large for the show more suited for a Kings-style 'spectacular'. Darren Brownlie's robot Mr Brockie goes down a treat with the kids and Derek McGhie makes the most of a limited role. Star of the show may be Sally Reid's excellent Snow White but it was good to see Fiona Wood given the chance to showcase her impressive vocals as So Shy.

It's a pity that the show didn't quite hit the mark for us, but we can certainly understand why many in the audience, including adults, loved it.

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. And particular thanks to the Tron for rearranging our tickets when the snow prevented us attending the opening night.

Flo White runs at the Tron until Saturday 8th January.
Image by John Johnston used with permission.

"Aladdin" - December 2010

When I learned that Panto producing behemoth Qdos was attempting to muscle in on the Glasgow market, I found it difficult to see what they hoped to bring to the city that it didn’t already have. And although we’re no fans of most of the existing pantos, each has its own niche. So, my initial response was an urge to resist this commercial interloper – particularly after I read about their national sponsorship deal which involved incorporating Churchill the dog into every one of their pantomimes. But when they announced all round entertainer John Barrowman as their leading man we succumbed to the draw of a star name. And even the later casting of the Krankies wasn’t enough to dampen our enthusiasm. The question remains though – does Glasgow need another Christmas show? And if so, is "Aladdin" it?

There’s no denying that bringing Glasgow-born Barrowman home is a major coup. Glasgow has always had a tradition of creating its own pantomime stars – most recently the late, great Gerard Kelly. But even back in the days of Rikki Fulton and Stanley Baxter they didn’t have the same profile John Barrowman has achieved both nationally and internationally. And from the response in the audience it was clear who most of them (us included) had come to see – and we didn’t leave disappointed. In an age when many celebrities and 'stars' have obvious limits to their talents, it’s great to see one live up to the hype.

But what of The Krankies? Well, they very quickly overcame any reservations we had with some clever in-jokes, impressive physicality and some perfectly played contrived corpsing. We're never going to be huge fans of their humour, but we can recognise that they are absolutely brilliant at what they do. And any similar scepticism about the use of a “3D Genie” vanished just as quickly once we reached the first of several 3D scenes. The effects are stunning – much, much more effective than I had expected them to be. Waldorf may have sat calmly in her seat but I’ll admit to flinching as something flew past my face - and others in our party visibly jumped. The effects provide a huge WOW factor to the show, as does a beautifully executed scene that sees Barrowman flying above the first few rows of the stalls.

The script on the other hand could do with a little more polish. It could be sharper at times, and there isn’t really any concerted effort to make us care about the characters or hide the fact that this is a Barrowman/Krankies vehicle. And while you can argue it’s just giving the audience what they came to see, it’s a waste of a strong supporting cast who appear capable of delivering much more. I’d also have to say that some of the gags based on John Barrowman’s sexuality would have given me concerns - were it not for the fact that he is so clearly the star of the show and has presumably given his approval to the script.

The show appropriates a number of pop songs jukebox-musical-style rather than using an original score. To me it felt like a shortcut too far, but it certainly gets the audience going and no one else I’ve discussed it with had any objection to it. Nor did I hear anyone object to the short scene featuring Churchill. Yes it felt ‘dropped in’ but by that time I could see where my ticket price had gone – if it requires a financial top-up from an insurance company then I can live with that (but do allow us to register mild disapproval by being a little mischievous with our weblinks).

Whilst star names, high production values and technology all contribute to the show’s success, its biggest asset may actually be the venue. We may have seen it at its best in Row D of the stalls, and the lack of significant raking does give me some concerns, but we felt the Armadillo really worked for this kind of show. It has comfortable seats with plenty of legroom – and even the sweet stall prices weren’t ridiculous. If you were to put the same show on here and at the Kings, I would pay an extra £5 for the ticket without hesitation – and in truth probably another £5 without grumbling too much about it (but I would still moan about the £6 SECC car park charge).

But I do worry about what that means for Glasgow's theatres, and with the terrible weather it might be difficult for anyone to quantify the impact Aladdin has had on the other theatres. On a more positive note, I generally believe that theatre-going is a habit and that the more you see, the more you want to see - so if people have been lured in by Barrowman and the 3D genie, perhaps they’ll consider seeing other shows (now or throughout the year).

Aladdin runs at the Clyde Auditorium (the 'Armadillo' at the SECC) until 9th January
Image by Keith Pattison used with permission