King John - 19th May 2012

One of the joys of our 21st century has been the late discovery of the Royal Shakespeare theatre in Stratford. After our first visit in 2002 to see an Richard Jones' odd (if enjoyable) version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" we have returned most years.

Like people who collect football league grounds I am (slowly) attempting to see all of Shakespeare's plays, so the appearance of this rarely seen play encouraged me to overcome a broken car and travel by train to see "King John".

You can see why this isn't performed more often as it doesn't easily fit into any obvious genre. It is one of his earlier plays and is a history story with John enjoying his coronation following the death of his brother Richard the Lionheart. Even the threat of war with France didn't deflect his arrogance having usurped Arthur, the son of John's brother Geoffrey.

But, having acquired the power he (and his dominant mother) wanted, he soon discovers it is harder to keep it. This is one of Shakespeare's wordy plays with the physical action occuring (conveniently) offstage. It is therefore essential that the director keeps an audience involved and here Maria Aberg is exceptional.

From the start, the Bastard (Shakespeare's name) arrives with an old-fashioned microphone to sing an uptempo version of " Land of Hope and Glory" which the audience join in with (rather impressively) and immediately we are part of a
patriotic masse.

The marriage of Lewis the Dauphin and Blanche is celebrated with a stunning wedding dinner celebration in their own style of " Dirty Dancing" with " The Time Of My Life" performed into front of a Strictly Come Dancing style audience. The second half commences with John's second coronation releasing a stage full of confetti and a huge number of huge balloons allowing the actors to kick them in anger as events get increasingly bad for them. One of the most beautiful moments occurs when Arthur nudges one of them slowly down the ramparts preceeding his suicide moments later.

Then, as King John is dying Alex Waldmann embarks one of the most challenging pieces of drama I have ever witnessed. He has to show us his forthcoming death by poisoning and his desperation to avoid his fate by dancing to the Four Seasons song "Beggin", centre-stage, all alone. That this succeeds is a testiment to the skill of the actor and the imagination of the director. Similarly, the choice of PJ Harvey's " Let England Shake" as we left the auditorium was a master-stroke.

This production is awash with ideas but some questions remained unanswered, how does John's mother die, why did Arthur kill himself, who was the monk who poisoned John etc? Perhaps this matters more to a modern audience brought up on endless detective shows and Scandinavian murder dramas than Shakespeare who is more concerned with intentions and consequences.

As always at Stratford the acting is of a high quality. In the title role Alex Waldmann perfectly shows the arrogance and contempt for the French and Arthur though I was less convinced of his emotional involvement when his crown is at stake in the second act.

Pippa Nixon as The Bastard steals the show, clearly relishing her unexpected advancement at the beginning of act one and the pace of the piece clearly picked up when she was on stage. John Stahl was an impressive Philip of France ( especially in the hysterical marriage sequence) with Susie Trayling providing most of the emotional drive as Arthur's mother.

This isn't an easy play to watch or perform but with thanks to an interesting perspective from the director this is a welcome addition to a Shakespeare watcher's portfolio.

John Taylor - 6th May 2012

We don't know much about Jazz but every Cheltenham festival we try to select a balance of familiar musicians ( this year Seb Rochford and Roberta Fonseca) and new acts to us. Yesterday this proved successful with Sheelanagig and today it was the turn of John Taylor, an accomplished pianist celebrating his 70th birthday with a new piece commissioned by the BBC.

He duly surrrounded himself with an accomplished seven piece band featuring two of his sons and established players like Henning Berg on trombone and Julian Arguelles on Saxophone etc. As he explained at the start the piece is based on Kurt Vonnegut Jr's book " Harrison Bergeron" with each segment relating to particular characters and pivotal moments.

This undoubtedly helped from an audience perspective. As you listen you can decide if you like a tune or not but if you understand the thought process behind it it helps to paint a picture in your head.

This wasn't always an easy listen but it was interesting to compare with more sedate Seb Rochford/ Kit Downes show the previous evening. Both performances had their merits while the additional instruments to Mr Taylor which obviously helped to provide a more varied sound.

He,of course, as composer and pianist was the central figure and thoroughly deserved the tumultuous applause he received at the end. We may never have heard of him at the beginning of the festival but we would definitely add him to the (growing) list of people we would see again.

Roberto Fonseca - 6th May 2012

As always we like our Cheltenham festival to feature a balance of new and familiar musicians. In 2008 we were bowled over by the artistry of Roberto Fonseca and when we knew he was returning this was a must-see concert for us.

One of the disadvantages of the Jazz Arena is that as most of the seats are on the flat you have to bob between the heads of people sitting in front of you to see much. The alternative is to sit further back in the raised area which gives you the benefit of seeing everything that happens on stage. This may not be necessary for all Jazz concerts but is is a plus for Mr Fonseca who is always active. This can just be trying to focus on his fingers as they move too quickly for your eyes to properly focus on, to see his control of a computer keyboard, presumably to re-create certain sounds from his latest CD or just to watch his inter-action with his band. I was mesmerised just watching them all constantly staring at their leader to see what he wanted them to do next. This was Jazz at its most thrilling and enthralling.

The previous concert we saw him clearly referenced his Cuban/ Bueno Vista Social Club roots. This show is far more linked to World Music. The rhythms are similar but his current band makes this journey even more accessible and enjoyable. One of the joys was the musicianship and incredible personality of Baba Sissoko on African percussion and vocals. On the few occassions you could draw your attention from the effervescent pianist it was to see this charismatic performer.

The sell-out audience thoroughly and understandably had a great time ( though a few people amazingly did rush out before the end to catch another show). This was their loss as concerts of this quality don't come around often.

This was the perfect way to end our festival. Thank you Roberto, thank you Cheltenham.

Kit Downes & Seb Rochford - 6th May 2012

For us the Cheltenham Jazz festival isn't the same without, at least, one sighting of Seb Rochford. Our first show in 2007 saw him as part of Fulbourn Teversham, before seeing him with Johnny Philips, Battle of the Beats with Schlomo and of course, Polar Bear.

Today he was teaming up with fellow Mercury nominated Kit Downes, allowing us our first oppportunity to look inside one of Cheltenham's newest venues. This was the Parabola Arts Centre which provided excellent comfortable seats and more importantly, perfect acoustics.

The concept behind this particular collaboration is quite simple. They both know each other individually and as part of other groups and just wanted to do something, just the two of them. So, they wrote their own tunes, rehearsed at each others houses & here they are. It sounds simple and in many ways it was. With Kit Downes generally leading on piano and Seb Rochford following this wasn't complicated music and I thought was a joy because of it's simplicity.

Having arrived at Cheltenham a few hours ago not feeling well, Sheelangig and Candi Staton perked me up and I was able to fully concentrate on every note and pause. The same, however, cannot be said of other audience members. One of the problems of starting a gig at 10.15pm is the temptation to close your eyes and let the music flow over you ( I know my wife did though she claims never to losing consciousness).

I wouldn't rush out to but any subsequent CD but this was a beautiful concert produced by two of the best Best contemporary Jazz musicians around. Well worth staying awake for and Kit Downes is now added to my growing list of performers I would see again

Candi Staton - 5th May 2012

Every now and then I kindly allow my wife to select a show to see, which is how I ended up watching Candi Saton. I quite like a couple of her songs though I am not a great fan of 1970's souls music and was concerned this might turn into ninety minutes of " Young Hearts Run Free".

A generic cover of the Dobbie Brothers hit " Listen To The  Music" didn't bode well although the early appearance of one her biggest UK hits " Nights On Broadway" helped to relax the packed  audience.

We all knew she had a great voice but gradually we realised we were in the presence of an experienced entertainer who knew how to work the room. She carefully explained about the songs she was about to sing, talking about the writers and her reminescences, I never knew she was Grammy nominated for " Stand By Your Man" in 1971 etc.

For me the surprising aspect of the show was discovering what a great interpreter she is. Not only could she belt them out but she inhabited the songs, making them her own. She did a stunning version of a Bonnie Raitt song before singing " Breaking Down Slow" so poignantly I was moved to tears. I wasn't bothered by "Suspicious Minds" but her breath-taking take on " In The Ghetto" has replaced the Elvis version in my head.

I am a big Paloma Faith fan but surprisingly she was unable to compete with Miss Staton's on an improptu version of her 1969 hit" I'ld Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart (Than A Young Man's Fool").

The stage was dominated by the American's voice and presence but afterwards  we saw her walking to her hotel and she looked tiny. (We were also amazed when we checked her age ( which I am too gallant to reveal) and discovered she was a decade older than we expected.

Credit must also go to her band who were all musically expert in their own right and now how to support the star without diminishing from her stunning abilities,  helping to provide a storming show. Technically, not Jazz but when a show is as good as this who cares about labels.

Thank you Miss Staton for appearing and thanks to my wife for choosing it.

Dirty Protest - 10th May 2012

Dirty Protest were established in 2007 to promote new work. Using the theme of "May Day" Debi Maclean curated seven pieces, written in four weeks, lasting from three to ten minutes and to feature no more than two female and one male character.
The performance took place under Bunkbed bar and was intimate theatre at its most literal sense. You could either sit on the floor surrounding the actors, on benches which provide no real view of proceedings or you stand up and see what you can between other heads and pillars. One of my friends gave up after one play while another asked me at the end if the actors were reading from scripts as he just couldn't see.
These practical problems were a shame as this was quite an enjoyable evening. Some plays I enjoyed more than others which is the advantage of short pieces, if you don't like the current one, another will be along soon.

My personal favourites were "Crossing" and "Mayday". In the former I loved Tudor Owen's concept of a couple rowing round the coast for charity, only for one to reveal he had been unfaithful. I thought the evening ended strongly with Keiron Self's touching tale about a comic book writer struggling on a date following the death of his wife. It was the perfect short play, funny, moving & wanting you to know more about the characters.

Impressively this evening moved along sharply ending within an hour. Lee Mengo, Rhian Blythe and Ffion Williams all handling their multi-roles well. Ultimately, I enjoyed the show more than I expected when it began. Would I go again? Probably not unless the venue is more audience friendly. Fortunately, I see their first full-lenth play " After The End" will be staged at Sherman Cymru in July.

Sheelanagig - 5th May 2012

Our return to the Cheltenham Jazz festival after a two year absence did not have an auspicious start as for a variety of reasons we arrived a little late to see Sheelanagig.

Fortunately, we didn't miss much and we were soon immersed in their extraordinary world. With Aaron Catlow on violin and lead vocals, Adrian Sykes on flute, vocals ( and other items), Kit Hawes on guitar and vocals, Dorian Sutton on bass and vocals and John Blakeley on drums, percussion and vocals they excel in bringing Balkan and Eastern European music to the masses.

This is fun music and as well as instrumental tunes they wisely interspersed songs, generally with humourous explanations adding variety to proceedings and emphasizing how multi-talented these musicians are.Having been around for seven years this Bristol based group know how to engage with an audience. Aaron Catlow is the perfect front man chatting naturally and apologising for his terrible jokes.

But fun and brilliant musicianship still isn't enough for these guys. The unexpected addition of handstands, backflips, playing the guitar whilst balancing on the knees of colleagues and playing instruments horizontally all help to provide an all-round spectacle.

A perfect start to our festival. Now off to purchase the new CD.

Big and Small - 28th April 2012

The Barbican is not one of my favourite theatres so it takes a good reason to lure me to East London. However, a second appearance of Cate Blanchett on the London stage proved too strong to resist. I missed her previous appearance in David Hare's "Plenty" so I was determined not to lose the opportunity to see one of cinema's most intelligent actresses again.

It was only when I realised  I would be watching a 160 minute German surrealist play that I began to have doubts. "Big and Small" ( Gross Und Klein) was written by Botho Strauss in 1978 and is presented by the Sydney Theatre company and will tour to other European venues.

It starts with Cate Blanchett sitting at the front of the stage, listening to conversations (unheard to us) whilst on holiday in Morooco. Following the monologue we entered strange scenes with the Australian actress appearing through bedroom windows and then constantly entering doors for some confusing mini-tableaux.

Eventually though the frenetic nature of the piece died down and as the audience becomes more acclimatised to the pace it becomes apparent that there is a coherent plot. We are following the exploits of Lotte a woman struggling to cope with the collapse of her marriage to Paul and see her (increasingly) desperate attempts to connect with old schoolfriends, family and ultimately the world.

This may sound heavy, pretentious material but the play's triumph is its warmth, humanity and humour. The playwright never allows us to laugh at the characters, only the situations eg a sleeping bag  inhabited by a person avoiding the world, a seemingly normal family barbecue descending to chaos etc. These pieces are not designed to belittle Lotte but conversely show that none of us are totally inter-connected.

This is theatre on a grand scale. The production values are impressive with the scenery changes slik and effortless allowing these vignettes to flow naturally. The cast is surprisingly large (14) for a touring company and although obviously one performer dominates proceedings, her co-stars all have their moments in the spotlight.

But, of course the reason most people are here is to watch the Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett and she does not disappoint. Increasingly, film stars appear on the West End stage (often when their career is waning) in well-established plays , "Driving Miss Daisy", "The Sunshine Boys", "The Children's Hour" etc. It is therefore extremely impressive that she selected such an ambitious and demanding (both physically and mentally) piece. ( How she manages to perform twice on a matinee day is beyond me!) A succession of curtain calls from a packed, appreciative audience (no doubt relieved this was not as avant-garde as they had feared) proved she was right.

A wondrous evening was perfectly concluded having spotted Rufus Wainwright sitting next to the Duke & Duchess of Kent . A truly surreal night.

Clytemnestra - 26th April 2012

The classical Greek plays are thousands of years old so it is refreshing to come across a  modern take on an old classic. Former Welsh poet laureate Gwyneth Lewis taken the lesser known Clytemnestra and put her centre-stage. She is often a peripheral figure in drama as the wife of Agamemnon, who although rarely seen is the key figure in this story.

As with most Greek tragedies the drama has already occurred off-stage with the King having given up his daughter for much-needed food. Director Amy Hodge stages the play in an impressive industrial warehouse with workers bemoaning the lack of food and on the look-out for the marauding ferrals outside. Jaye Griffiths dominates proceedings in the title role, displaying the emotional turmoil you would expect from such an situation but without over-doing the dramatics.

These classic plays are not known for their subtlety so the ending holds no real surprises, other than the abruptness of the ending. This is a slick, classy production which does not overstay its welcome. It is hard to recover the intensity following the intrusion of an interval so they wisely choose to play it straight through. Even in these days of short attention spans seventy-five minutes is not too long to maintain concentration as long as the spectacle provided is riveting.

The acting from the entire cast and the classy staging proves this is a welcome addition to the classic Greek tragedy repertoire.

Antigone - 27th April 2012

I won't claim to be a great follower of Greek drama so it is highly ironic that I should see 2 Greek tragedies on consecutive nights ( in seperate coutries). Fresh from enjoying " Clytemenestra" in Cardiff I moved onto Mornington Crescent to see Sophocles "Antigone".

"Antigone" is the daughter of Oedipus mourning the deaths of her brothers in mortal combat ( which occurred at the end of " Seven against Thebes"). Creon has become King of Thebes and determined to show he is not afraid of exerting authority he decrees that the body of the traitor Polynices remain unburied, stating that anyone who disobeys his order be put to death.This being a Greek tragedy we know that such a simple sounding statement will undoubtedly end badly for all concerned.

The director's decision to set this production within a theatre group putting on this play within the context of the Greek riots against the current round of austerity measures was a masterstroke. Immediately, this show becomes relevant to a modern audience, proving that all good drama is timeless.

Ultimately, though the success of any play revolves around the actors and "Antigone" was fortunate to have 2 excellent performances in the key roles. Tania Batzoglou was outstanding in the passionate, emotional title role while David  Middleton personified authority in the flawed belief that "discipline" will create a controllable and obedient populous. He is the only non-Greek performer and the contrast in accents has the bonus of emphasizing how out of step he is with his subjects.

I must also commend the space itself. It is an intimate theatre providing excellent views and impressively, superb acoustics, with a good balance between the speeches and the excellent music by Aristarchos Papadopolous.

Director and founder of Theatro Technis George Eugeniou intends to run all five remaining plays of the Oedipus legend. I would happily return.