tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63761637775237247182024-03-14T00:19:59.823-07:00Unique CafeUsed to live in London, now I'm up in Manc. Jumping back on this theatre reviewing thing...Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-91586213964175370902015-11-12T12:22:00.000-08:002015-11-13T04:03:41.304-08:00Pomona, Royal Exchange, 11th November 2015<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-22fe31d2-fd5b-4bf5-43d5-3f9af844e3d6" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fresh from a run at the National Theatre, Pomona slides North to its rightful resting place at Manchester’s Royal Exchange. Described in a recent Guardian article as ‘the grassy Limbo’ between Salford and Manchester and popularly known as ‘the lost island of Manchester’, the abandoned isle a couple of miles shy of the city centre is an inspired location for this slippery dystopian thriller by Alistair McDowell. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Opening with an impassioned exposition of Raiders of the Lost Ark, followed seamlessly by an enigmatically unhinged pitch on the virtues of daily consumption of bulk bought chicken nuggets, the cold, steel framework of the Royal Exchange only adds to the feeling that the next hundred minutes are going to be, at the very least, jarring. The inaugural monologue is sassily popped out by Zeppo, exuding slick charisma whilst munching mcnuggets and clad in grubby underwear and a parka, the fact that McDonalds survives for his enjoyment whilst civilisation self-destructs is bleakly tongue-in-cheek. Seeking her lost sister in the squalid wasteland is Ollie, Zeppo’s listener, and between them, an unacknowledged, dice rolling tentacled figure. Zeppo points Ollie towards Pomona with a disclaimer that it’s unlikely to end well, and the story begins.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The mark is set for a portrait of humanity at its brink, of squalor, disease and finding surreal humour in the darkest of places. Pomona unfortunately just doesn’t quite hit it. The disjointed components of the fragmented plot fail to catch enough interest to warrant elucidation whilst intermittent injections of puerile humour feel like cheap shots at forcing a laugh. Strong performances confirm a coherent thread of humanity amid apocalyptic chaos, but it is these alone which prevent the show from dissolving into incoherent ramble. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Whilst it’s clear that you’re not supposed to ‘get it’, and there are far more questions than answers (‘did Ollie even have a sister?’, ‘who/what is Keaton?’ ‘does Zeppo get involved more than he claims?’), these are unfortunately not questions that cross your mind once you’ve got a pint in your hand five minutes later. There’s an argument that the all-encompassing ambiguity unsettlingly masks deeper more disturbing truths, but it’s unfortunately not a protest that feels important enough to spare a thought for once the lights have gone up. First-rate performances and a strikingly fitting venue prop up an ambitious production that entertains in part but fails to wow. 2/5</span></div>
Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-18844239786974179532015-10-29T13:51:00.002-07:002015-11-02T10:40:40.662-08:00Strictly Balti, Travelling Light, The Edge Chorlton, 23rd October 2015<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-8e9003ea-b558-fc28-ae92-688287fc323b" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sid and Saikat, Saikat and Sid. Both begin with an ‘S’, similarities end there. Sid - bog standard Birmingham lad, thick accent, Christmas presents? He got way more than you, he’ll whoop you at computer games too. Saikat doesn’t celebrate Christmas, although he did get a book of Bengali poems this December, and he goes ballroom dancing. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh yeah, forgot to mention, Saikat and Sid are the same kid. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Strictly Balti details the true-life trials of actor Saikat Ahamed growing up as a second-generation immigrant in the UK. By day Saikat is ‘Sid’, lives Birmingham, eats Birmingham, sleeps Birmingham. However, stepping through his front door each evening to the flocked wallpaper, curries and traditional writings of his parents’ Bangladesh homeland, Sid evaporates. Welcome home Saikat.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sound confusing? Well yeah, definitely, I couldn’t help but feel grateful that as a white British ten year old girl my biggest worry was whether to go for blue or green hair mascara. Masterfully infused with the contagious, endearing energy of Ahamed and on-point direction of Sally Cookson, Strictly Balti is a toe-tapping triumph, waltzing between laugh out loud comedy and poignant introspection, foxtrotting through the ubiquitous social and emotional trials of growing up, whilst pulling at the immensely relevant thread of growing up as a second generation immigrant pulled between two ways of life. 4/5</span></span></span></span></div>
Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-1024473938307895612015-10-08T12:26:00.000-07:002015-11-02T10:41:04.819-08:00Review: So Here We Are, Royal Exchange Studio, Royal Exchange & High Tide, 6th October 2015<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-c3adf92f-48e8-a1ed-43a8-4c6d8175f7a5" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Four men, black suits, black ties, the mood bleak, the sense of loss evident, a tense silence hanging on the air, broken only when one of them pipes up “well that’s f**ked up the five a side”. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">From the first line, you know that bog standard isn’t going to be dish of the day.</span></span> A co-production with High-Tide Festival, So Here We Are tracks the events leading up to a young man’s death and the ripple of its aftermath. Ripple being the key word, no flapping of arms, no histrionics, barely an undry eye, just a liberal dose of crude, laugh out loud lad banter masking emptiness, devastation and preventing anyone from asking what the hell happened to Frankie.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s a winning start, but it fails to grab the medals. The sharp dialogue and mystery of the opening scene, a chunky, 30ish minute four hander focussing less on what is said (how fit was the grieving mother/grandmother?) than what no-one wants to say, is concurrently riotous and intensely moving (although arguably becoming slightly too ‘Inbetweeners’ at some points). The ensuing scenes fail to live up to the blast of this starting gun, descending into a perfectly executed but ultimately clunky, formulaic catalogue of exposition that is saved by a crushing twist and a heartbreaking final scene. 3/5</span></span></span></div>
Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-8224357027754177162015-10-08T11:02:00.001-07:002015-11-02T10:39:19.298-08:00Review: Golem, 1927, HOME Manchester, 7th October 2015<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b5ccec5-4898-fdee-e585-96e01f3b3735" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you’re one of those people who's ever wondered what would happen if you mixed The League of Gentleman, The Mighty Boosh, Black Mirror and Dr Caligari into a nutty, trippy soup, this is one for you. Hot on the heels of their previous show, which played to sell-out audiences at the National Theatre last summer, 1927 march into HOME with Golem, a simultaneously hilarious and unsettling feat of visual gluttony which will satisfy even the portliest of eyes. A timely revival of the German silent film trilogy, Golem is the story of a clay automaton who gains sentience with devastating results. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b5ccec5-4898-fdee-e585-96e01f3b3735" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A co-production with Salzburg festival and Theatre de la Ville Paris, Golem’s European inspirations ooze throughout, 1920s German expressionism fuses effortlessly with twists of film noir and Chaplin-style slapstick to articulate a strong polemic on the looming stride of complacency in the ever technological age. In fact the key twist on the tale is Golem’s ubiquity, with the newest upgrade being the must have item, you can’t help but sense the strong whiff of iphones. 1927 are sublime, exuding intelligence, attention to detail and timing so spot on it’s got to be bordering on indecent. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b5ccec5-4898-fdee-e585-96e01f3b3735" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Their set, all projections, is a show in itself; when combined with the impeccable comic timing of the five sets of feet on stage, Golem is second to none. 5/5</span></span></span></div>
Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-39845510912636030622015-09-29T15:08:00.001-07:002015-11-02T10:39:29.479-08:00Review: The Bogus Woman, Z-arts, Curtis Productions and Theatre by the Lake - 11th September 2015<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-cfbec4b5-1b8e-c305-3e6b-b3731c85fbbc" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Looking at the current climate (today the Guardian ran an article called 'A Day on a Refugee Ship' whilst the DM ran a uncharacteristically sympathetic (*cough*) story on the plight of disabled refugees), The Bogus Woman, an uncompromisingly frank documentation of an African refugee’s bleak, inevitably hopeless grasp for safety on UK shores, couldn’t be more bang on time or smack closer to home. Krissi Bohn executes this revival of Kay Adshead’s hard-hitting, gut-punching play with an inexorable energy that far eclipses your average bee-hive and leaves you with a far worse sting. An inspiring one-hander that never once strays into the tempting yet tediously fatal pit of self-indulgence; Bohn, under the flawless eye of director Zoe Waterman, springs seamlessly between 30 plus characters, oozing cocky revulsion as a bigoted official one second and bumbling as an affable ex-Eton type solicitor the next. A gutsy and unflinching confrontation that teases out glimmers of hope before wrenching them from under your feet; The Bogus Woman is a must-see show for anyone who has ever taken for granted the four walls around them, the wallet in their pocket or settling in for the night, securely locking their front door and getting a good night's sleep. 4/5</span></span></span></div>
Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-15630650176386718472015-09-16T15:29:00.002-07:002015-11-02T10:39:40.582-08:00Review: Dead Dog in a Suitcase, HOME Manchester, 16th September 2015<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-ac96ba35-d8b1-7dfe-0097-dd16982b1ac3" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">With two and a bit hours of gloriously aggressive assaults to the senses; Kneehigh don’t fail to disappoint as they smash into HOME with their retelling of John Gay’s ‘The Beggars Opera’. True to form, it’s Kneehigh’s good old singing and dancing with a solid sprinkle of bawdiness, a few puppets, cross-dressing, colourful language and a couple of willies thrown in for good measure. The performers spurt pure vocal and musical gold, with standout prowling from the hilariously deranged Mrs Peachum whose bafflingly energetic performance brings to mind Cher, Mrs Lovett and my Auntie after a bottle of Pernod. However, this opera ain’t forgetting it’s Brechtian roots; the play crashes to a graphic, unsettling halt which sits uncomfortably with the toe tapping sordid sexiness of its preceding acts, a conclusion which menacingly disperses the lingering darkness that's been trapped in the floating noose the whole time.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Would I go see it again? Absolutely, do you want to go? Yes? Let’s mash it.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Spoiler alert. It doesn’t end well for the dog. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">4/5</span></span></span></div>
Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-15261662364569841442015-02-19T11:23:00.004-08:002015-11-02T10:40:03.316-08:00Review: Yen, Royal Exchange, Wednesday 18th February 2015<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Normally when you walk out at an interval it’s a fairly clear indicator that Breaking Bad and eating Nutella in your jammies is a far superior alternative than another hour of a seat in a dark room. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not in this case. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Happily musing my love of ‘open endings’ on my skip exitward I discovered that there was a whole bonus second half of the Bruntwood Prize winning </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yen </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to come. And, in all honesty, sod what people have said about my ignorant near walk-out being a heinous indictment on the play as a whole, the fact that the first half had me deep in thought and saturated with theatrical glee (something many a 'full' play fails to bag) is testament to just how bloody good this production is. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="line-height: 20.7000007629395px;">tells the story of two teenage brothers left to fend for themselves and their dog in a squalid flat in Feltham, </span>Performances that could easily be grating and overbaked (alcoholic absent mother, animal loving teenage girl and malnourished trakkie bottom-wearing sweary youths) are played out with brutal honesty, no stain hidden. Sharp dialogue and gritty delivery tosses you from hilarity to despair with each passing second and an empty stage populated by a grotty sofa-bed is filled with the turbulence of first love; the monotony of a seven hour Playstation marathon and a tragic childhood where nicked charity shop clothes and chicken nuggets for tea are considered luxuries. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All this before a horrific twist in the second half. (Make sure you don’t leave). </span></span></div>
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Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-35149902782417136542014-07-23T06:47:00.001-07:002015-09-29T15:09:50.712-07:00Review: Mr Burns, Almeida Theatre, 21st July 2014<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">You know what, I'm going to put it out there, call me a maverick if you will, call me crazy, go ahead. I like the Simpsons. Yep, there you go. That's it, the confession of the year. Start throwing your stones, I just don't go in for the mainstream, what can I say? Innit. Everyone loves The Simpsons don't they, find me someone who doesn't. So in the lead up to this
show I predictably found myself texting carefully selected quotes to my pals (“hello, my name is Mr
Burns, I believe you have a letter for me”, “Alright Mr Burns what’s your first
name?”, “….I don’t know”), to which I would almost always receive a lightning flash response ("<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.22222328186035px;">They're fighting like Iran and Iraq!", "What?", "...Persia and Mesopotamia")</span> I should also mention that I never called this
show ‘Mr Burns’, always ‘Mr Boo-urns’ (“I was saying Boo-urns”). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So, with all that in mind, Anne Washburn's depiction of a post-apocalyptic world where The
Simpsons becomes shared conversational fodder around a campfire doesn't seem like the most far-fetched situation. Indeed the beauty of Washburn’s script is its
recognition of this near ubiquitous knowledge of Springfield and its hilarious inhabitants,
and the manner in which it becomes inevitably misquoted and corrupted over time. Washburn’s script is such a little flirt; it keeps you gagging
for those classic moments, forever yanking them away at the last minute. The
action tiptoes on the precipice of hilarity with a seething underbelly of
unease and uncertainty and the tension comes from what isn’t revealed as quotes become intellectual property to be violently bartered. Mr Burns shrugs off traditional structure, opting for three acts
and two intervals; a unsettling but welcome change which shakes up the typical
experience; whilst also allowing you valuable extra time to discuss what the
hell just happened. However, the palpable tension and mystery of the first two
acts is spoiled by the third; which lays it on just a bit too thick.
Whilst being suitably disorientating and removed, depicting a post-apocalyptic
future shrouded in corrupt oral tradition (mash-up Britney, Eminem, The
Simpsons and elaborate ritual ceremony and you’re about half way there), it’s
all just a bit much. Whilst an elucidating, explanatory third act would be
inappropriate, this tribal, post-apocalyptic Simpsons-centric civilisation veers
a little too much towards cliché. Chilling, innovative but clumsily concluded, it’s
definitely worth catching; but after veering towards a 4 I'm it’s going to
have to be a 3. [3/5]</span></div>
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Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-33365852277072092852014-04-12T06:38:00.002-07:002015-09-29T15:10:26.185-07:00Review: A View from the Bridge, Young Vic, 9th April 2014 <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Ivo Van Hove slams Arthur Miller’s
play to the Young Vic stage, a simmering, foreboding take on ‘the American
Dream’ which continues to hit home and spurt relevance sixty years after it was
written and a few thousand miles away from the city in questions. Recently
commenting on this production in the Guardian, Van Hove claimed, “my aim is the
ultimate production”, whilst the performances are toe-curlingly brilliant,
erupting a bubbling pit of jealousy, hardship, cabin fever and frustration, Van
Hove’s excellent production is crushingly relegated to at least the
‘penultimate’ by sadly ill-fitting choices of design and soundtrack. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In light of the passing of the
gay marriage bill in the last month, Eddie’s allusions to Rodolfo’s
homosexuality and being “not right”, are particularly relevant, evoking more
than a few self-conscious titters around the audience, Van Hove adapts these
lines beautifully, acknowledging Eddie’s ignorance whilst also implying that
his prejudicial views are far from unusual. Van Hove’s direction is flawless (bar
a prolonged ‘awkward conversation’ scene that should have stayed in the
rehearsal room), and Mark Strong broods onstage as an utterly terrifying Eddie.
One half-expected him to leap-frog the stage and unleash a murderous brawl in
the front row. A caged animal imprisoned by his own obsession, simmering
violence and inner-turmoil; there’s no need to wait until the first punch is
thrown an hour or so in, the violence seeps out of Eddie the second the lights
come up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As mentioned initially,
objections are from a technical perspective. Whilst the sparse, clean-cut lines
are indicative of a community unaccustomed to luxury, scraping by what they
can. Miller’s play centres on a cramped, deprived microcosm in flux, where a
sheltered ward, to the bubbling, fermenting near-incestuous dismay of her
guardian is exposed to the bright lights of the city and the lurid vividness of
first love. As said above, the acting, spot on. Whilst simplicity can indeed ensure
that style doesn’t deviate from grittier substance, Jan Versweyveld’s clean
black and white lines divorce the story from its heady, atmospheric context,
depriving the audience of a gritty insight into the collision of grime, sweat
and hardship with hope, big-city and bright lights.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Similarly, whilst a drumming
motif works throughout to an extent, and a choral soundtrack adds a certain
ambience evoking the clash of Italian Catholicism with modern America, it’s all
just a bit much. The constant drumming feels too much like a rehearsal
technique that’s slipped into the end product whilst the amped up music in the
famous ‘chair’ scene, elicited a wave of hearty laughter rather than the loom
of foreboding violence which Van Hove presumably intended.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Don’t get me wrong, this was pretty good. However, can the drums and pipe down the music a little and Van Hove
could have had the “ultimate production” for which he strived. 3/5</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-53767873151035895892014-02-04T04:29:00.000-08:002015-09-29T15:10:46.956-07:00RETURN FROM THE DEPTHS. Review...ish Blurred Lines, National Theatre Shed, 3rd February 2014.<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">First things first. Hello. It's been a while. Right. Pleasantries over, let's go...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Don’t get me wrong, there’s so much that I loved about this
show. How bloody marvellous it is to see a stage occupied solely by woman
without bearing the warning disclaimer that you’re about to endure an ‘all
female’ production (I know…can I get you a glass of water?). How often do you
sit in the theatre for two hours and the only woman you see is in your
peripheral vision, and it’s the mate you turned up with. Yet you’ll receive no
warnings, you won’t have to sign any forms, don a radiation-proof jumpsuit or
go into quarantine to attend one of these ‘all male’ productions. Whilst some
might harp on condescendingly about how traditional Jacobean theatre was always
that way, I might barricade entrances to the foyer bathrooms and invite members
of the audience to find a suitable corner to defecate in at the interval,
because clearly, when in the theatre, do as the Jacobean’s did…no loo roll? No
problem, use the corner of your tunic…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Anyhow, I digress. The point I’m trying to make is that, in
the theatre, you don’t usually get a fanny-fest onstage, and it’s great to see
one without having been extensively warned of it beforehand. In fact the
greatest thing about Blurred Lines is the immediate and sad realisation that
this particular collection of genitals onstage is an unusual one. My niggling
problem is that I wanted to feel significantly less comfortable. Half the
audience was bopping away in their seats to Robin Thicke’s bestselling single
of 2013, and I have a feeling that they’ll do the same thing next time it pops
on the radio. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The production creeps forward with claws bared in its last
scene, but retreats before any real confrontation materialises. Compare that
with the audience member who was asked to cough up some change or requested to
publically admit whether they’d touch a homeless person in ‘Protest Song’ last
month, and the confrontational chasm is exposed. ‘Blurred Lines’ has incredible
content, but feels a little incoherent in places, which would be fine if we
were wrenched out of our seats into the chaos. I just wanted to hear more, I
wanted to feel compelled to kick off, start a protest, ANYTHING. The reality is
that last night’s performance felt like a quickly resolved pub kerfuffle that
fizzled with no need for intervention, when what I really wanted was an all-out
brawl, a chance to emerge with a bit of a sore brain and a sense that I was
being dealt a strong dose of injustice. Maybe I just enjoy a bit of a barney.
I’ll indulge my temptation to flog out a tiresome metaphor further, I just wanted
to feel a bit of a punch in the head, something buzzing through my head on the
train home…instead I looked up pictures of cats wearing hats on tumblr. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I’d love responses on this one. So if you’ve seen it. Go,
go, go. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">PS. Sorry for saying ‘fanny-fest’, I tried a number of
alternatives but they just weren’t as good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">PPS. ‘Fanny-fest’, sorry? Nah.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-47558475789467911152013-08-15T04:50:00.000-07:002013-09-26T05:05:06.357-07:00Edinburgh 2013 Musicals Review: King Kong the Musical! (Pinecone Penguin Productions)<h2 style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’ll be honest: when I heard I was going to ‘King Kong the Musical!’ I didn’t know whether to laugh or vomit. Thankfully the main component is an awful meta-musical; after half the cast quit a group of actors are forced to perform their musical to a Broadway producer. Though it gets some big laughs, the performances aren’t strong enough to take it from funny to side-splittingly hilarious. Vocals are overwhelmed by the music, and an ending which is intended to move you only makes you awkwardly wish they’d shut up and do more funny stuff. A few diaphragm warm-ups and scrapping the earnest bits would make this a much better show. It’s not big, it’s not clever, but it’s all right for a silly chuckle.</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Space @ Niddry Street, until 10 Aug, 3.50pm.</em><br style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">tw rating 3/5 | </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- See more at: <a href="http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-musicals-review-king-kong-the-musical-pinecone-penguin-productions/#sthash.hnCB1xXB.dpuf">http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-musicals-review-king-kong-the-musical-pinecone-penguin-productions/#sthash.hnCB1xXB.dpuf</a></span>Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-66139943949810881132013-08-13T17:24:00.000-07:002013-09-25T18:06:51.587-07:00Edinburgh 2013 Theatre Review: Running With The Firm (James Bannon)<h2 style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Georgia, Lucida, Helvetica, sans-serif; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Zoo have a cracking programme this year, and whoever booked ‘Running with the Firm’ deserves a pint. James Bannon’s a bloke you’d pass in the street without a thought, but once he starts talking, wow. If I could’ve grown an extra ear to take it in more, God I’d have done it. It’s about his work as an undercover policeman, specifically an investigation in the late 80s aiming to convict Millwall football hooligans. Bannon takes you through highs, lows, moral minefields and crippling fears creating a show that’s thrilling, hilarious and harrowing. When it finished, I wanted to jump on stage and beg him to keep talking. I’d cull the book plugging (unnecessary) and a few awkward iffy bits; but this has got to get every star I can chuck at it.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">Zoo Southside, until 26 Aug, 8.35pm.</em><br style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">tw rating 5/5 | </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- See more at: <a href="http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-theatre-review-running-with-the-firm-james-bannon/#sthash.WW6RAMeZ.dpuf">http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-theatre-review-running-with-the-firm-james-bannon/#sthash.WW6RAMeZ.dpuf</a></span>Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-3231045098403793342013-08-13T16:33:00.000-07:002013-09-26T05:11:43.421-07:00Edinburgh 2013 Theatre Review: These Halcyon Days (Landmark Productions)<h2 style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Heart-warming and tear jerking in equal measure, ‘These Halcyon Days’ is the bitter-sweet tale of Sean, a wheelchair-bound man rotting with inertia in a retirement home, and Patricia, a stubborn, feisty new arrival with no intention of sticking about and grabbing a Zimmer frame. As friendship blossoms, their personalities shine; Sean’s impassioned Henry V soliloquy is one of the most heart-breaking things you’ll see this year whilst Patricia’s sunbathing antics in the back-garden are a true reminder of what it is to be young at heart. A brutally honest account of loneliness and the unavoidable ravages of ageing, and a moving reminder that “old men forget, yet all shall be forgot”.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">Assembly Hall, until 25 Aug (not 7, 12, 18, 19) 11.00am.</em><br style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">tw rating 4/5 |</em></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zpt0N53d3xc/UkQkdKMxE2I/AAAAAAAAADE/tFP6b_hrGb8/s1600/The+Halcyon+Days.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zpt0N53d3xc/UkQkdKMxE2I/AAAAAAAAADE/tFP6b_hrGb8/s320/The+Halcyon+Days.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- See more at: <a href="http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-theatre-review-these-halcyon-days-landmark-productions/#sthash.4T12yzHW.dpuf">http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-theatre-review-these-halcyon-days-landmark-productions/#sthash.4T12yzHW.dpuf</a></span>Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-72392102890087047512013-08-12T17:30:00.000-07:002013-09-25T17:54:57.889-07:00Edinburgh 2013 Theatre Review: Hanging Bruce-Howard (Gone Rogue Productions)<h2 style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Living room farce with an alcoholic actor protagonist; cue neurotic gay playwrights, incompetent Polish plumbers, fist fights and hidden bodies. Jolly good fun for some maybe, but you can’t shift the sense that it’s a bit old hat for a young company, and perforated with cliché and stereotype that demonstrates a mind-boggling lack of self-awareness. It’s hampered by weak writing and a lead actor, who though trying his damnedest, just isn’t watchable enough to pull off the character of endearingly self-absorbed dandy, though admittedly being the first performance this could improve. Chuck in a couple of AIDS jokes and the end result is resoundingly off. Tired, unoriginal and poorly executed, it may sharpen slightly during the rest of their run, but only a miraculous rewrite could truly save this.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">C nova, until 26 Aug, 12.05pm.<br style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;" />tw rating 2/5 |</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- See more at: http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-theatre-review-hanging-bruce-howard-gone-rogue-productions/#sthash.vsZTVvU7.dpuf</span>Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-47443680992538705602013-08-12T04:40:00.000-07:002014-02-04T04:25:39.034-08:00Edinburgh 2013 Review: HeLa, Summerhall (Adura Onashile and Oxide)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Although technically you might </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">have to classify it as such, to bill ‘HeLa’ as
“half lecture, half theatre” seems an injustice to this poignant,
thought-provoking, enlightening venture from Adura Onashile and Oxide. ‘HeLa’
is an exploration into the depths of cancer cell research from the early 1950s,
focusing on cell samples taken from 31 year old Henrietta Lacks in 1951; cells
which continue to change and influence scientific research to this day. The
performance uncovers the woman behind the cells and serves as a gut-wrenching
reminder of hideous days of racial segregation, “whites only water fountains”
and “’black’ waiting rooms”. The piece raises important ethical issues surrounding
medical research and uncovers atrocities that have historically been swept
under the carpet. An informative and relevant piece, if a law was passed to
make this essential viewing, I'd be having strong words with anyone who made a fuss. 5/5</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TSQQHZGgjSo/UkQlL8B09iI/AAAAAAAAADM/LCASniQIyBc/s1600/hela.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TSQQHZGgjSo/UkQlL8B09iI/AAAAAAAAADM/LCASniQIyBc/s320/hela.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-32804661870468804172013-08-12T04:34:00.000-07:002013-09-25T18:25:19.808-07:00Edinburgh 2013 Children’s Show Review: A Boy Who Cried Wolf (Gem & Ren / PBH’s Free Fringe)<div class="post_title" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: none 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; line-height: 19px;">‘A Boy Who Cried Wolf’ is a step-by-step guide of how not to do a kid’s show. Performers ‘Gem & Ren’ harangue their audience with an hour of patronising cooing and condescending pep talks about being a “great team”. The essentially strong concept of taking audience suggestion to improvise new stories is doomed by their fundamental misunderstanding of how to talk to children or adults. A sequence improvising songs with ‘zany’ lyrics is thrashed to death after 1,000 repeats of the same song. Audience rapport is marginally livelier than a wake; the performers largely suggest their own improvisations, and excruciating high-fives are dished out to adults who pipe up to put them out their misery. I considered walking out and throwing myself down the stairs. Painful.</span></div>
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<em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The Dram House Upstairs, until 24 Aug (not 7, 14, 21), 11.45am.</span></em><br />
<em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">tw rating 1/5 |</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- See more at: <a href="http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-childrens-show-review-a-boy-who-cried-wolf-gem-ren-pbhs-free-fringe/#sthash.M539dyPk.dpuf" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.298039); box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; outline: none 0px;">http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-childrens-show-review-a-boy-who-cried-wolf-gem-ren-pbhs-free-fringe/#sthash.M539dyPk.dpuf</a></span></div>
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Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-22546282673106032902013-08-11T17:22:00.000-07:002013-09-25T17:55:54.233-07:00Edinburgh 2013 Theatre Review: Genesis / Golgotha (Clancy Productions and Assembly)<h2 style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Georgia, Lucida, Helvetica, sans-serif; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Eve (yep, that Eve) and Jesus come to Edinburgh to treat us to a verbose, tedious rant. ‘Genesis/Golgotha’ is composed of two monologues; Jesus is a rambling, deranged, down-and-out who pelts out a non-linear, irate stream of conscious which leaves you feeling less compelled and more like you wish you’d chosen a different seat on the bus. Eve’s rant is more neurotic and self-pitying, but not much better. It’s clear both actors inject everything into their performances, though the subject matter isn’t as original or thought-provoking as it thinks it is; after an hour of Eve’s wailing and Jesus’ scatty movement and boob references, all you’ll want to do is run out into George Square, down a pint, and probably demand your money back.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">Assembly George Square, until 26 Aug (not 12), 12.30pm.</em><br style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">tw rating 1/5 | </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- See more at: http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-theatre-review-genesis-golgotha-clancy-productions-and-assembly/#sthash.qtYqiw1O.dpuf</span>Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-75084292111768379992013-08-11T16:38:00.000-07:002013-09-25T17:56:10.305-07:00Edinburgh 2013 Theatre Review: Funeral Replacement Service (Ghost Bus Tours)<h2 style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Georgia, Lucida, Helvetica, sans-serif; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">You’re invited to celebrate the life of Roger Cocksweets (pronounced “Co-sweets”), and the funeral will be taking place on his old Routemaster bus (pay your respects to the coffin as you board). Theatre on wheels is a great concept, and this unconventional commemoration treats you to video messages from irate relatives, graphic poetry, and a grandson who goes around chatting everyone up. The real problem is that, at 45ish minutes, it’s too short- you’re just getting warmed up when you’re turfed out. There’s also no bar, and I imagine booze would put people more in the mood for belting out dubious hymns. An enjoyable, yet unexpectedly sedate experience: bring some mates and have a few pints first to get the best out of it.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">Necrobus, until 26 Aug, 11.00pm and 12.30am.</em><br style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">tw rating 3/5 |</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- See more at: http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-theatre-review-funeral-replacement-service-ghost-bus-tours/#sthash.jBhuz0Un.dpuf</span>Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-69704824908346532202013-08-11T16:30:00.000-07:002013-09-25T17:56:24.508-07:00Edinburgh 2013 Theatre Review: How To Occupy An Oil Rig (ARC Stockton)<h2 style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">The minute I walked in and got handed a lump of plasticine, my inner five year old did a fist-pump. ‘How To Occupy An Oil Rig’ is a step by step guide to the practical elements of protesting, from joining a protest march to safely chaining yourself to a radiator. With jumbo Lego bricks, plasticine people and lurid wigs, everything appears childlike and whimsical, but beneath this façade is a compelling and very grown-up appeal to action. Provocative, playful and engaging, this earnest performance makes you believe that you can and should be changing the world. If you decide against occupying an oil rig today, do the next best thing and track down an ‘ARC Stockton’ show, I guarantee your world will be changed.</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">Northern Stage at St Stephen’s, until 24 Aug (not 12, 19), 12.35pm.</em><br style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">tw rating 5/5 |</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- See more at: http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-theatre-review-how-to-occupy-an-oil-rig-arc-stockton/#sthash.tU69A1kQ.dpuf</span>Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-91669875728699972382013-08-10T05:03:00.000-07:002013-09-26T05:04:23.412-07:00Edinburgh 2013 Physical Review: East, A Woman Shifting On Time Axis (Water Reflection Dance Ensemble)<h2 style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Water Reflection Dance Ensemble present a thoughtful piece tackling the noble challenge of exploring the way in which Chinese cultural norms have traditionally and continue to oppress Eastern women. There’s no doubt it’s an important topic, and there’s something undeniably courageous and powerful watching a piece conceived and performed by people who have experienced these values first hand. Director Tan Hui-Chen puts the female dancers in restrictive traditional shoes, and their hidden discomfort throughout is harrowing. However, at times the piece lack clarity and coherence, a lot of the speech wasn’t subtitled or accompanied by explanatory movement; it also didn’t help that on this particular performance, a light partially obscured the subtitles from vision. A brave, inspiring piece, but a little rough round the edges.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Paradise in the Kirkhouse, until 11 Aug, 2.20pm.<br style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;" />tw rating 3/5 | </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- See more at: <a href="http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-physical-review-east-a-woman-shifting-on-time-axis-water-reflection-dance-ensemble/#sthash.LpUFxA1p.dpuf">http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-physical-review-east-a-woman-shifting-on-time-axis-water-reflection-dance-ensemble/#sthash.LpUFxA1p.dpuf</a></span>Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-53337715768148461422013-08-09T16:40:00.000-07:002013-09-25T17:57:33.786-07:00Edinburgh 2013 Theatre Review: That Is All You Need to Know (Idle Motion)<h2 style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Georgia, Lucida, Helvetica, sans-serif; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Crossword solving speed seems odd screening for someone entrusted with saving thousands of lives; ‘Idle Motion’ fuse verbatim testimony and sensitive imaginings to present this and other thoughtful, enlightening insights into the Bletchley Park code-breakers. The show uses recordings of long-silenced memories, poignantly placing the ageing voices alongside their younger counterparts onstage. My sole criticism would be that the characters feel slightly distant; though this is to an extent inevitable, many of the workers honoured their code of silence to the grave, an emotional ending is muted as a result. That said, ‘Idle Motion’ are a ridiculously talented company who have that rare talent of being able to hurl their collective excitement, intelligence and innovation upwards and make brilliance land at their feet. Great stuff.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">Zoo Southside, until 24 Aug (not 11, 18), 5.05pm.</em><br style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">tw rating 4/5 |</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- See more at: http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-theatre-review-that-is-all-you-need-to-know-idle-motion/#sthash.DlmMp14n.dpuf</span>Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-79907228495445612432013-08-08T17:31:00.000-07:002013-09-25T17:57:59.269-07:00Edinburgh 2013 Theatre Review: No Holds Bard (Royale Productions)<h2 style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">“What did you see, a one-man Hamlet?” says Gran each year when I return from the Fringe. Michael Hurst trumps Nan’s wildest imaginings with a one-man Hamlet featuring Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. An actor holds a gun to his head, then we’re whisked on a disorientating excursion into the recesses of his disturbed mind, occupied by the characters mentioned above. Bullying, abuse and torment ensues, comic relief is provided by a boorish, Glaswegian Macbeth who casually fries up breakfast whilst chatting to the neurotic Hamlet. An Olivier-style foaming-mouthed, dubiously accented Othello raises more than a few awkward titters. It’s dodgy ground that I’m not sure works, thankfully his appearances are brief. Tweak the borderline offensive Othello and this sweaty, schizophrenic, Shakespearian mash-up could become a classic.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">Assembly Roxy, until 26 Aug (not 12,19), 12.20pm.</em><br style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">tw rating 3/5 | [Holly Sharp]</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- See more at: http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-theatre-review-no-holds-bard-royale-productions/#sthash.wveQIYp9.dpuf</span>Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-17936329133194660222013-08-08T04:35:00.000-07:002013-09-25T17:58:23.391-07:00Edinburgh 2013 Theatre Review: Holes by Tom Basden (The Invisible Dot Ltd)<div class="post_title" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: none 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; line-height: 19px;">Maybe it’s just me who read “secret location” and “3 hours 45 minutes” expecting a magical mystery tour. ‘Holes’, whilst an incredibly well-written play containing some of the finest comic performances in Edinburgh, is just that, a play; and it’s in a room, not a spooky cave. In this piece following four plane crash survivors, Basden’s command of words is sublime. Excruciatingly recognisable personalities are shaped with precision. However, the ending does feel rushed. The seating in the secret location too is not great, but, provided you can see the stage, the performance is the kind of stuff you’d like to bottle up and slather yourself with when you’re having a terrible day. The disappointingly unnecessary jaunt out of town kills it, if you’re hankering for adventure pop up Arthur’s Seat instead.</span></div>
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<em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Secret location, until 25 Aug (not 19-22), 3.00pm and 6.30pm.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- See more at: <a href="http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-theatre-review-holes-by-tom-basden-the-invisible-dot-ltd/#sthash.FZEcL1gr.dpuf" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.298039); box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; outline: none 0px;">http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-theatre-review-holes-by-tom-basden-the-invisible-dot-ltd/#sthash.FZEcL1gr.dpuf</a></span></div>
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Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-63055967484200284932013-08-07T17:52:00.000-07:002013-09-26T04:39:33.092-07:00Edinburgh 2013 Physical Review: Fleurs de Cimetière, et autres sornettes (Cie Herve-Gil)<h2 style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Whilst a dashing older man might be a ‘distinguished silver-fox’, a good-looking older women is far more likely to just be ‘quite good for her age’. French choreographer Myriam Herve-Gil teams with playwright Dominique Wittorkski to present this candid, witty account of a woman’s reflection on life, the inevitability of ageing, and the cruel reality that older women become increasingly disregarded. The dialogue is concise, frank and engaging, a brutally honest, non-indulgent acceptance of the process of ageing, though I’m not sure Herve-Gil’s choreography does justice to the poignancy of the words. The thought’s clear; older women demonstrating the retained litheness in their bodies, though it often feels like distraction from Wittorski’s pertinent observations. The two sides are mismatched, leading to a frustratingly average conclusion.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">Summerhall, until 15 Aug, 2.15pm.</em><br style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">tw rating 2/5 | </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- See more at: <a href="http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-physical-review-fleurs-de-cimetiere-et-autres-sornettes-cie-herve-gil/#sthash.sDr4jCWq.dpuf">http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-physical-review-fleurs-de-cimetiere-et-autres-sornettes-cie-herve-gil/#sthash.sDr4jCWq.dpuf</a></span>Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376163777523724718.post-12605074408001077722013-08-07T17:15:00.000-07:002013-09-26T04:39:06.110-07:00Edinburgh 2013 Theatre Review: The Collision of Things (Move to Stand)<h2 style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Georgia, Lucida, Helvetica, sans-serif; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">An innovative clash of stagnant realism, physical theatre and music, ‘The Collision Of Things’ is the story of three reasonably ordinary friends. Simple as. No histrionics, no terminal illness diagnosis, no long-lost buddy with blood-lust. There’s grief without the wailing, relationship problems without hideous break-ups, drinking binges without world-changing confessions; just three mates, getting on with life and putting up with its obstacles. It does at times feel engulfed by the gaping performance space. It’s beautifully simple, though; theatre that takes your hand and becomes your best friend before crushing you with its heart-rending finish. A moving, excruciatingly accurate representation of what it is to be human, with some of the rubbish, some of the fun and some of the same-old.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug (not 13, 20), 5.45pm. </em><br style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><em style="list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px;">tw rating 4/5 | </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- See more at: <a href="http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-theatre-review-the-collision-of-things-move-to-stand/#sthash.buHwkZce.dpuf">http://www.threeweeks.co.uk/article/ed2013-theatre-review-the-collision-of-things-move-to-stand/#sthash.buHwkZce.dpuf</a></span>Unique Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14861817869016800202noreply@blogger.com0