For our annual trip to the Cheltenham Jazz festival we began as usual in the intimate and warm surroundings of the Pillar Room . Whereas our three booked shows for the remainder of the festival were more well-known, safer perforances our choices on the Saturday were bold by comparison.
I always feel that the opening act of any festival always set the tone for what is to follow. At first glance a group consisting of an Englishman, a Norwegian and an Austrian and sponsored by the Norwegian Embassy may not have sounded too promising. Fortunately though my fears proved unfounded when Food provided a riveting 75 minute performance. Led by Thomas Stronen on drums and a variety of percussive instruments, accompanied by Iain Bellamy's saxophone and guest performer Christian Fennesz on guitar and synthesizer they played a new Festival comission in its entirety.
Starting quickly with a succession of quirky noises and seamlessly building to a crescendo this piece was repetitive but ultimately entrancing and beguiling. One of these compositions you could enjoy with your eyes open or closed but, fortunately, loud enough to ensure you never actually fell asleep.
A great start to the festival.
Thursday 20 May 2010
Tuesday 18 May 2010
The Devil Inside Him - New Theatre May 6th 2010
After many false dawns the National Theatre of Wales has finally arrived. Its first major production is a rare revival of a long-forgotten John Osborne play "The Devil Inside Him".
The opening preview night at the New Theatre brought a reasonable sized audience out to see this new company and an early work from the writer who changed the course of British theatre with " Look Back In Anger" in the mid 1950's. It was also good to see a lot of students present although having seen the above mentioned play I hope they weren't expecting a barrel of laughs.
I always enjoy seeing a play I know nothing about, especially from a front row seat. We were immediately plunged into an austure 1950's Welsh guest house run by a stern religious father and his fussy down-trodden wife, trying to look after her guests and a rather disturbed son.
The action starts with a lodger making a hasty departure, later we discover following a mis-judged liasion with a young serving girl. This is all serious fare but the introduction of a nosey housemaid ( played to perfection by Rachel Lumberg) provided welcome light relief.
These three older characters naturally represented the establishment Osborne was vehemently opposed to. The introduction of a young doctor, a guest with modern more enlightened views challenged the stifling attitude of the status quo. The centre-piece of the play and the plot was Huw, seen by his father and the local clergy as possessing a filthy, perverted and dangerous mind but regarded by the doctor ( a mesmerising Jamie Ballard) as having a beautiful and profound mind to be encouraged not quashed.
As I rather expected this wordy, yet gripping play proved too old-fashioned for the students who mostly didn't reappear in the second half. This was their loss as the acting ( particularly Helen Griffin and Iwan Rheon) was outstanding and building to a great climax. Osborne was boldly trying to justify Huw's unacceptable actions ( without giving too much away)by treating him as a victim of an oppressive society. I would like to discuss the end of the play but, unfortunately, just as I was thinking they had uncovered a masterpiece, I fainted.
Apart from ruining the ending for myself and a friend ( Rick) I also spoilt it for a doctor ( I'm sure it is compulsory there must always be one in the audience). Even now I have no idea how it ends. I must also thank one of the ushers ( I think Phil) who helped me during a difficult time, allowing me to be fit enough to travel to Madrid the following day.
So, not the ending I was anticipating but I suppose Osborne would have been pleased that half a century after it was written it still has the ability to cause a disturbance in the audience. And worse of all I when I finally got home I realised I had lost my programme. Disaster!!
The opening preview night at the New Theatre brought a reasonable sized audience out to see this new company and an early work from the writer who changed the course of British theatre with " Look Back In Anger" in the mid 1950's. It was also good to see a lot of students present although having seen the above mentioned play I hope they weren't expecting a barrel of laughs.
I always enjoy seeing a play I know nothing about, especially from a front row seat. We were immediately plunged into an austure 1950's Welsh guest house run by a stern religious father and his fussy down-trodden wife, trying to look after her guests and a rather disturbed son.
The action starts with a lodger making a hasty departure, later we discover following a mis-judged liasion with a young serving girl. This is all serious fare but the introduction of a nosey housemaid ( played to perfection by Rachel Lumberg) provided welcome light relief.
These three older characters naturally represented the establishment Osborne was vehemently opposed to. The introduction of a young doctor, a guest with modern more enlightened views challenged the stifling attitude of the status quo. The centre-piece of the play and the plot was Huw, seen by his father and the local clergy as possessing a filthy, perverted and dangerous mind but regarded by the doctor ( a mesmerising Jamie Ballard) as having a beautiful and profound mind to be encouraged not quashed.
As I rather expected this wordy, yet gripping play proved too old-fashioned for the students who mostly didn't reappear in the second half. This was their loss as the acting ( particularly Helen Griffin and Iwan Rheon) was outstanding and building to a great climax. Osborne was boldly trying to justify Huw's unacceptable actions ( without giving too much away)by treating him as a victim of an oppressive society. I would like to discuss the end of the play but, unfortunately, just as I was thinking they had uncovered a masterpiece, I fainted.
Apart from ruining the ending for myself and a friend ( Rick) I also spoilt it for a doctor ( I'm sure it is compulsory there must always be one in the audience). Even now I have no idea how it ends. I must also thank one of the ushers ( I think Phil) who helped me during a difficult time, allowing me to be fit enough to travel to Madrid the following day.
So, not the ending I was anticipating but I suppose Osborne would have been pleased that half a century after it was written it still has the ability to cause a disturbance in the audience. And worse of all I when I finally got home I realised I had lost my programme. Disaster!!
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