I should start this review with two statements. Firstly, " Twelfth Night" is one of my least favourite Shakespeare plays and I am not a fan of plays at The Gate in Cardiff.
So, why did I come? Well, I thoroughly enjoyed Bare Knuckle Theatre's debut with " A Midsummer Night's Dream" there last year and was intrigued to see what modern touches they would bring to this ancient comedy.
The plus and minusses of this production appeared in the opening speech. "Twelfth Night" famously begins " If music be the food of love play on", allowing director Simon Riordan to utilise his lovely four piece band. Sadly, the poor acoustics of this converted church ensure that any extraneous noise will drown out the words & we duly lost the rest of Orsino's speech.
Like all Shakespearean comedies it is very wordy with quick verbal interplay between characters. With the usual complicated plot involving a shipwreck ,identical twins and a girl masquerading as a boy it is essential the audience can understand the early dialogue or what follows is very confusing. Unfortunately, the problems of the theatre are highlighted when the actors speak quickly or softly. Several performers fell into this trap leading myself and others to check our programmes in the interval to work out who was who and what was happening.
The actors, therefore who took their time and spoke the lyrical verse clearly reaped the rewards. So, step forward, Laurence Patrick ( revelling in his role as the unliked and easily tricked Malvolio), Claire Howey ( extremely convincing in her love for the cross-dressing Viola), Matt Humphries ( in a small role) and that consistent scene-stealer David Parker as Toby Belch.
Bareknuckle Theatre may be a no thrills company but the lack of many props allowed them to rely upon the powers of the imagination to bring this play to life. Audiences like nothing more than good set-pieces and Simon Riordan duly delivered. The climax of " Twelfth Night" is the famous Malvolio appearance in " yellow stockings and cross-gartered", which I have never seen to such great comic effect before, with Laurence Patrick relishing the great line " some have greatness thrust upon them".
Equally fun were the musical numbers where the rather dull Shakespearean songs were replaced by unexpected modern ones by "Outkast", " Queen", "Train" etc. Impressively, they fitted in seamlessly.
Then, with all the lovers happily inter-twinned and the strains of Elbow ringing in our ears we returned to the Cardiff streets happier than when we left it two hours previously. So, despite the problems of The Gate Bareknuckle Theatre still produced an enjoyable experience. I shall return in June to see their take on " Romeo & Juliet".
Sunday, 9 January 2011
Friday, 31 December 2010
Kevin Eldon - Friday 17th December 2010
I may have seen 32 shows at his year's Edinburgh festival but there are still plenty of good shows I missed. Since last August I have caught Linda Marlowe's " The World's Wife" and Simon Callow in "The Man From Stratford" and when I found out ( thank you Buzz Magazine") Kevin Eldon was touring " Titting About" I leapt into action.
In all five of us booked to see his first performance at the Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. However, the arrival of a lot of snow ensured I was the only one of my group to turn up. I rather hoped the show would be cancelled, but boy was I wrong.
I duly took my customary position in the front row ( why do peple avoid this great seat when watching a non-threatening comedian) to watch this sell-out, although the weather resulted in a few gaps in the audience.
The moment he arrived on stage we could relax as we were in the hands of a supreme performer. Kevin Eldon is mainly known as an actor and tonight predominantly appeared in character. From the poet Paul Hamilton to George Martin's voice being used by Hitler, interspersed with dramatic selections from his latest play ( allowing him to use to use his most famous attributes, his eyes, to hysterical effect), it was a master class in comic timing and subtlety. Not a moment was wasted, every gesture was there was a purpose and we all loved him for it. Considering this was his first stand-up and he is not known for his writing the quality of the material was breath-taking. Fortunately, for those who missed this event the two shows in Cardiff were recorded for future DVD release. If you see a grey, bearded gentleman, wearing wellies and laughing hysterically, it was me.
Thank you Mr Eldon. Any inconvenience suffered this evening was worth it!
In all five of us booked to see his first performance at the Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. However, the arrival of a lot of snow ensured I was the only one of my group to turn up. I rather hoped the show would be cancelled, but boy was I wrong.
I duly took my customary position in the front row ( why do peple avoid this great seat when watching a non-threatening comedian) to watch this sell-out, although the weather resulted in a few gaps in the audience.
The moment he arrived on stage we could relax as we were in the hands of a supreme performer. Kevin Eldon is mainly known as an actor and tonight predominantly appeared in character. From the poet Paul Hamilton to George Martin's voice being used by Hitler, interspersed with dramatic selections from his latest play ( allowing him to use to use his most famous attributes, his eyes, to hysterical effect), it was a master class in comic timing and subtlety. Not a moment was wasted, every gesture was there was a purpose and we all loved him for it. Considering this was his first stand-up and he is not known for his writing the quality of the material was breath-taking. Fortunately, for those who missed this event the two shows in Cardiff were recorded for future DVD release. If you see a grey, bearded gentleman, wearing wellies and laughing hysterically, it was me.
Thank you Mr Eldon. Any inconvenience suffered this evening was worth it!
Sunday, 5 December 2010
Silent Night - 2nd December 2010
Hijinx Theatre was created in 1981 to create theatre which is accessible, and entertaining for small communities. Odyssey Theatre was set up in 1999 for all adults including those with learning disabilities.
While people were preparing to head towards the main auditorium of the Millenium Centre to see " Mamma Mia" and know exactly what they would get, they missed a treat. Next door in the more intimate and nicely full Weston Studio Odyssey Theatre performed their latest offering "Silent Night."
Loosely based on how Austrian priest Father Joseph Mohr came to write this famous carol. The story centred on how a flood trapped the local villagers, the Finkels in a church. There arch enemies were the Amsels who later were forced to seek shelter in the church. Initially the old grudges ensured they remained at opposite ends of the hall but the discovery of a heavily pregnant woman and a love story between a woman and man from the rival factions ultimately ( as we always knew it would) helped to heal the rift.
Despite the above the story doesn't really matter. This was an hour spent in the company of performers and members of Meadowbank School and the Odyssey Theatre. In the real world some of the acting was basic but fortunately, once you entered the theatre you were in an old-fashioned nativity play. You were immediately greeted by impressive music from students of the Welsh College of Music and Drama playing and singing carols and Christmas songs.
The thrill of the evening was watching everyone involved thoroughly enjoying themselves and proving that theatre can and is available for all. Some of the set-pieces, villagers precariously staggering through treacherous conditions ( which ironically is what many of the audience would have endured on their journey tonight) the singing ( dramatic and both funny) taunts of the rival villagers, the near drowning scenes and the music were extremely well done.
The pantomime element wasn't ignored either with the audience involvement encouraged and I will never forget singing and signing " Ding Dong Merrily On High". A perfect pre-Christmas outing hitting the perfect balance between seasonal fun and making the always relevant message about communities getting on together.
While people were preparing to head towards the main auditorium of the Millenium Centre to see " Mamma Mia" and know exactly what they would get, they missed a treat. Next door in the more intimate and nicely full Weston Studio Odyssey Theatre performed their latest offering "Silent Night."
Loosely based on how Austrian priest Father Joseph Mohr came to write this famous carol. The story centred on how a flood trapped the local villagers, the Finkels in a church. There arch enemies were the Amsels who later were forced to seek shelter in the church. Initially the old grudges ensured they remained at opposite ends of the hall but the discovery of a heavily pregnant woman and a love story between a woman and man from the rival factions ultimately ( as we always knew it would) helped to heal the rift.
Despite the above the story doesn't really matter. This was an hour spent in the company of performers and members of Meadowbank School and the Odyssey Theatre. In the real world some of the acting was basic but fortunately, once you entered the theatre you were in an old-fashioned nativity play. You were immediately greeted by impressive music from students of the Welsh College of Music and Drama playing and singing carols and Christmas songs.
The thrill of the evening was watching everyone involved thoroughly enjoying themselves and proving that theatre can and is available for all. Some of the set-pieces, villagers precariously staggering through treacherous conditions ( which ironically is what many of the audience would have endured on their journey tonight) the singing ( dramatic and both funny) taunts of the rival villagers, the near drowning scenes and the music were extremely well done.
The pantomime element wasn't ignored either with the audience involvement encouraged and I will never forget singing and signing " Ding Dong Merrily On High". A perfect pre-Christmas outing hitting the perfect balance between seasonal fun and making the always relevant message about communities getting on together.
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Paul McCartney - 26th June 2010
Where does one begin to describe the first Cardiff concert for 35 years from the world's most famous living musician? For someone born in the 50's his music has always been part of my life and as the great day approached my expectations increased accordingly.
It started positively with glorious sunshine ( and an open roof) welcoming North Walian group "The Joy Formidable". Being the opening act of a large stadium show is always a difficult task but they impressively won over those audience members who had eagerly taken their seats early. The loud guitar based sound filled the large arena with lead singer Ritzy Ryan obviously enjoying being part of such a prestigious gig.
Shortly afterwards local heroes The Manic Street Preachers helped to fill the stadium with both bodies and their style of rock and roll. A lot of headline acts fail to deal with their relegation from top of the bill (Morrisey to David Bowie springs to mind) but Wales's finest avoided falling into this trap. From the opening guitar riff of "Motorcycle Emptiness" they blew away a rapturous audience with their enthusiasm, professionalism and great songs. It was virtually a greatest hits package with rare outings for " Suicide Is Painless" and the old Beatles classic " Rock & Roll Music" in tribute to the recently departed Stuart Cable.
Soon it was time for the main event with impressive video screen presentations of Paul McCartney in his early years helping to electrify the audience. A brief burst of " Venus and Mars" brought the great man on stage before this turned into " Jet" and we were away.
Quickly the realisation that you were watching a legend disappeared and you could enjoy the concert on its own merits. Firstly I was impressed with his unexpectedly strong, singing voice, then his immaculate guitar and piano playing and his natural exuberance. This wasn't an old man basking in old glories he was just enjoying showing that his music is still relevant today to an audience of all ages. Obviously most people wanted to hear the Beatles but he started mainly going through his Wings back catalogue which surprisingly had stood the test of time.
One of the reasons for the Liverpudlian's longevity is his ability to adapt to changing times .His use of technology was impressive especially showing unseen video footage of the famous photographic session for the cover of "Band On The Run" while singing the title song of the still great album.
The highlight of the show ( and one of the best live versions I have ever seen) was his performance of the 1973 James Bond theme " Live & Let Die". This was a perfect combination of sound and vision as the driving guitar and drum rhythym was batched by the backscreen images and the sychronised bursts of flame and fireworks. This was even more astonishing when you realise that the roof was closed by now.
It must be emphasized that not all the music was old. He played from songs from his most recent " Fireman" project and showed off his newly acquired eukelele skills was a fun version of " Everybody's gonna dance tonight".
Proving this was a concert of contrasts he moved into emotional territory singing " Something" in tribute to George Harrison, " Here Today" for John Lennon and " My Love" for his late wife Linda.
But it was when he sat at the piano that you knew you were in classics territory and he duly delivered beautiful versions of " Eleanor Rigby", " The Long & Winding Road", " Let It Be" and " Hey Jude" amongst others. Nothing was predictable though and versions of " Oh Bla Di" and " Got To Get You Out Of My Life" etc made you realise just how many famous songs he has written.
Soon though we were into encore territory starting with an armageddon style performance of " Helter Skelter" before returning one last time with just a guitar for company. What could he possibly have left to sing I thought & just as the penny dropped he played the opening chord of "Yesterday" and for no real reason I burst into tears. It was that kind of night.
And so 33 years after seeing Jean Michel Jarre at the Place De La Concorde the accolade of my Best Concert ever now passes to Sir Paul McCartney.After all the other accolades I have already mentioned I must also add stamina. This show lasted over 3 hours ( leading into Bruce Springsteen territory) and the guy is 68!!
Astonishing.
It started positively with glorious sunshine ( and an open roof) welcoming North Walian group "The Joy Formidable". Being the opening act of a large stadium show is always a difficult task but they impressively won over those audience members who had eagerly taken their seats early. The loud guitar based sound filled the large arena with lead singer Ritzy Ryan obviously enjoying being part of such a prestigious gig.
Shortly afterwards local heroes The Manic Street Preachers helped to fill the stadium with both bodies and their style of rock and roll. A lot of headline acts fail to deal with their relegation from top of the bill (Morrisey to David Bowie springs to mind) but Wales's finest avoided falling into this trap. From the opening guitar riff of "Motorcycle Emptiness" they blew away a rapturous audience with their enthusiasm, professionalism and great songs. It was virtually a greatest hits package with rare outings for " Suicide Is Painless" and the old Beatles classic " Rock & Roll Music" in tribute to the recently departed Stuart Cable.
Soon it was time for the main event with impressive video screen presentations of Paul McCartney in his early years helping to electrify the audience. A brief burst of " Venus and Mars" brought the great man on stage before this turned into " Jet" and we were away.
Quickly the realisation that you were watching a legend disappeared and you could enjoy the concert on its own merits. Firstly I was impressed with his unexpectedly strong, singing voice, then his immaculate guitar and piano playing and his natural exuberance. This wasn't an old man basking in old glories he was just enjoying showing that his music is still relevant today to an audience of all ages. Obviously most people wanted to hear the Beatles but he started mainly going through his Wings back catalogue which surprisingly had stood the test of time.
One of the reasons for the Liverpudlian's longevity is his ability to adapt to changing times .His use of technology was impressive especially showing unseen video footage of the famous photographic session for the cover of "Band On The Run" while singing the title song of the still great album.
The highlight of the show ( and one of the best live versions I have ever seen) was his performance of the 1973 James Bond theme " Live & Let Die". This was a perfect combination of sound and vision as the driving guitar and drum rhythym was batched by the backscreen images and the sychronised bursts of flame and fireworks. This was even more astonishing when you realise that the roof was closed by now.
It must be emphasized that not all the music was old. He played from songs from his most recent " Fireman" project and showed off his newly acquired eukelele skills was a fun version of " Everybody's gonna dance tonight".
Proving this was a concert of contrasts he moved into emotional territory singing " Something" in tribute to George Harrison, " Here Today" for John Lennon and " My Love" for his late wife Linda.
But it was when he sat at the piano that you knew you were in classics territory and he duly delivered beautiful versions of " Eleanor Rigby", " The Long & Winding Road", " Let It Be" and " Hey Jude" amongst others. Nothing was predictable though and versions of " Oh Bla Di" and " Got To Get You Out Of My Life" etc made you realise just how many famous songs he has written.
Soon though we were into encore territory starting with an armageddon style performance of " Helter Skelter" before returning one last time with just a guitar for company. What could he possibly have left to sing I thought & just as the penny dropped he played the opening chord of "Yesterday" and for no real reason I burst into tears. It was that kind of night.
And so 33 years after seeing Jean Michel Jarre at the Place De La Concorde the accolade of my Best Concert ever now passes to Sir Paul McCartney.After all the other accolades I have already mentioned I must also add stamina. This show lasted over 3 hours ( leading into Bruce Springsteen territory) and the guy is 68!!
Astonishing.
Idiots of Ants - 23rd October 2010
In another on-line guise I am a reviewer for DARKCHAT an Edinburgh festival review site. Two years ago we were first entranced by the " Idiots of Ants" a sketch-based four man group.Last year's show " This Is War" was a big DARKCHAT favourite and earned them a deserved if.com nomination. Unfortunately, I was not so keen on this year's Edinburgh offering "The Red Button", which although it contained good sketches I felt the idea of a member of the audience in charge of a remote control was rather contrived.
However, they are always worth watching so I couldn't resist seeing them in the Weston studio in the Millenium Centre. They are known for constantly re-writing their material and so it proved. Rather than just merely touring their Edinburgh show they dropped their " Red Button" concept and concentrated on entertaining their audience with finely honed sketches
and a great one from a previous show ( trainee Dads).
Sadly, there was only a small audience but it just encouraged them to perform at the top of their game and enjoy the intimacy of the gig. You would think that having just 4 men of similar age ( if not size) would limit their range but fortunately they are good enough actors to play youths, adults and women!
For a group set up to get a coveted television slot they are completely at ease on stage and you can clearly see how much they relish live performance. Even though they have done this material countless times ( over 40 as they mentioned) they impressively make it seem it is new to them. And if they are enjoying themselves the audience can relax they are in safe hands.
The success of any show ultimately rests on the quality of the sketches. Again, their diversity is impressive ranging from the laddish anti-woman " they can't throw" to the more sophisticated subtitling of a German spy film. They are brillant in engaging with the audience through eye contact, references to the less than perfect lighting and music cues and inviting 2 members to appear on stage as well as their climactic song where an unsuspecting lady ( nisa tonight) became
theirs ( and the audiences) previous lover.
Too many touring shows ( Frisky & Mannish and Pappys's to name two) fall into the trap of adding half an hour onto their Edinburgh show which usually means padding with lesser material. This didn't happen tonight as the " Idiots" realised that as long as they provide sixty minutes of top-quality entertainment the audience are more than happy. Which is what happened tonight when they also proved that good shows do not need a theme.
However, they are always worth watching so I couldn't resist seeing them in the Weston studio in the Millenium Centre. They are known for constantly re-writing their material and so it proved. Rather than just merely touring their Edinburgh show they dropped their " Red Button" concept and concentrated on entertaining their audience with finely honed sketches
and a great one from a previous show ( trainee Dads).
Sadly, there was only a small audience but it just encouraged them to perform at the top of their game and enjoy the intimacy of the gig. You would think that having just 4 men of similar age ( if not size) would limit their range but fortunately they are good enough actors to play youths, adults and women!
For a group set up to get a coveted television slot they are completely at ease on stage and you can clearly see how much they relish live performance. Even though they have done this material countless times ( over 40 as they mentioned) they impressively make it seem it is new to them. And if they are enjoying themselves the audience can relax they are in safe hands.
The success of any show ultimately rests on the quality of the sketches. Again, their diversity is impressive ranging from the laddish anti-woman " they can't throw" to the more sophisticated subtitling of a German spy film. They are brillant in engaging with the audience through eye contact, references to the less than perfect lighting and music cues and inviting 2 members to appear on stage as well as their climactic song where an unsuspecting lady ( nisa tonight) became
theirs ( and the audiences) previous lover.
Too many touring shows ( Frisky & Mannish and Pappys's to name two) fall into the trap of adding half an hour onto their Edinburgh show which usually means padding with lesser material. This didn't happen tonight as the " Idiots" realised that as long as they provide sixty minutes of top-quality entertainment the audience are more than happy. Which is what happened tonight when they also proved that good shows do not need a theme.
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Toy Story 3 - 7th September 2010
That's all the world needs another review for Toy Story 3. But thanks to Tesco's 2 for 1 offer the Coxes return to the cinema for the 1st time since " I Love You, Philip Morris". We had not seen either of the two previous Toy Story films at the pictures instead waiting for them to appear on television.
When the first film appeared in 1995, it revolutioned film-making being the original movie to be made entirely in CGI. Fifteen years later 3D is the current rage so the final Toy Story is naturally produced in this genre.
The characters of Woody and Buzz Lightyear are now household names but it is time that they are literally placed back in their toy box. This is in fact the plot of the film with writer Michael Arndt realising that the child Andy would now be of an age to attend college. Whilst he has been chosen to travel with him Woody is trying to save his toy colleagues from accidental refuse destruction and ensure that they are re-housed and therefore played with at Sunnyside Daycare.
Naturally all does not go well and after quite be a terrifying inferno scene Woody heads us towards a truly emotional but not manipulative ending. Yes, dear reader I can confirm that I can
add my name to the adults who have blubbed uncontrollably at its conclusion. A truly excellent way for the trilogy to finish and a strong candidate for my film of the year even if it failed to take full advantage of the new 3D technology.
When the first film appeared in 1995, it revolutioned film-making being the original movie to be made entirely in CGI. Fifteen years later 3D is the current rage so the final Toy Story is naturally produced in this genre.
The characters of Woody and Buzz Lightyear are now household names but it is time that they are literally placed back in their toy box. This is in fact the plot of the film with writer Michael Arndt realising that the child Andy would now be of an age to attend college. Whilst he has been chosen to travel with him Woody is trying to save his toy colleagues from accidental refuse destruction and ensure that they are re-housed and therefore played with at Sunnyside Daycare.
Naturally all does not go well and after quite be a terrifying inferno scene Woody heads us towards a truly emotional but not manipulative ending. Yes, dear reader I can confirm that I can
add my name to the adults who have blubbed uncontrollably at its conclusion. A truly excellent way for the trilogy to finish and a strong candidate for my film of the year even if it failed to take full advantage of the new 3D technology.
Monday, 25 October 2010
The Man From Stratford - 15th September 2010
This was another show touring shortly after a highly successful run at this year's Edinburgh festival. Simon Callow, star of stage, screen, film and literature is no stranger to the world of the one-man show. A few year's ago he delighted audiences ( including here in Cardiff) with his Charles Dickens evening ( a role he re-created in a Christopher Eccleston Dr Who episode).
Tonight's recipient of his sublime talent was William Shakespeare. Director Jonathan Bate chose to go with a predictable format of using his words to follow the course of the Bard's life. This, of course, gave the star of " Four Weddings And A Funeral" the opportunity to display his great vocal technique but seemed to lack any great depth or emotion. It doesn't help that little is really known about Stratford's greatest son and there are big gaps in his middle years leading to a lot of conjecture.
However, the evening had two great plusses. Firstly the chance to see a great actor in full flow and secondly to hear some of the greatest speeches ever written. An impressive combination.
Tonight's recipient of his sublime talent was William Shakespeare. Director Jonathan Bate chose to go with a predictable format of using his words to follow the course of the Bard's life. This, of course, gave the star of " Four Weddings And A Funeral" the opportunity to display his great vocal technique but seemed to lack any great depth or emotion. It doesn't help that little is really known about Stratford's greatest son and there are big gaps in his middle years leading to a lot of conjecture.
However, the evening had two great plusses. Firstly the chance to see a great actor in full flow and secondly to hear some of the greatest speeches ever written. An impressive combination.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
