Festival TheatreReviews at a Glance list.co.uk/festival
Against the Odds ●●●●● This one-woman show tells of disturbed mathematical genius Flora and her relationship with her father. Jade Blue adopts multiple personas, allowing the audience to develop sympathy for her character’s predicament, although the intermittent reminders of her character’s penchant for mathematics can at times be a little baffling. (Julia Correia) Hill Street Theatre, 226 6522, until 30 Aug, (not 17, 24), 4.30pm, £9 (£7). All the Queen’s Children ●●●●● The teens of Reading Youth Theatre devised this impressive piece of fluid theatre themselves around the stories of real-life teenage asylum seekers (some of whom are in the company). Samuel is forced to swim to shore, swaggering, glam Lule is pulled into prostitution; their stories are set, pointedly, against that of three gap-year kids blundering around Africa. (Kirstin Innes) C Aquila, 0845 260 1234, until 14 Aug, 4.50pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50). Babbling Comedy: The Perfordian Show ●●●●● Once you’re over the sight of four grown men capering about dressed unconvincingly as babies, this is perfectly adequate family entertainment. A toybox of props provides pretexts for magic, juggling, balloon modelling and a healthy dollop of slapstick. But beware: the cast’s infantile babbling often continues longer than is necessary to set up each stunt; and those in the front row will be humiliated. (Matt Boothman) C Central, 0845 260 1234, until 30 Aug (not 17), 5pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). The Bacchae ●●●●● This all-male version of Euripides’ tragedy adds a homoerotic sheen to the already potent mix of vengeance, repression and violence. The cast power their physicality into the fast-paced production, though some of the more intricate plot twists get lost amidst all the writhing around onstage. (Allan Radcliffe) Venue 13, 0707 420 1313, until 21 Aug (not 16), 8.30pm, £8 (£5). Bang Bang You’re Dead ●●●●● Writer William Mastrosimone and director Michael Fisher update their 1999 attempt to make sense of student Kip Kinkel’s killing spree at Thurston High School, Springfield, Oregon. This well- respected version lacks the emotional force attributed to the original, which was performed by the survivors of Thurston. (Suzanne Black) C Chambers Street, 0845 260 1234, until 14 Aug, 3.40pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50). Belt Up’s Quasimodo ●●●●● Masked underworld creatures lead you into a crumbling, labyrinthine corner of C soco. The four performers take turns at storytelling and acting – a couple of the cast are less convincing, but Lord Justice Frollo is brilliantly menacing, startling the audience with asides whispered in their ears and making them fully a part of this triumph of atmosphere. (Laura Ennor) C soco, 0845 260 1234, alternate days until 30 Aug, 11pm, £8.50–£10.50 (£7.50–£9.50). The Blue Lady Sings ●●●●● Tricity Vogue is blue. Not depressed, literally painted blue. She sings the blues and other lyrically relevant songs. She is also a painting, although slightly unhinged and occasionally escaping her frame. Romping through a series of 82 THE LIST 12–19 Aug 2010
cabaret-style skits Vogue has a blue-tiful (sorry) set of pipes and the humour and performance skills to stop the joke running thin. A free show for which it’s well worth shelling out some green. (Suzanne Black) Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 622 6801, until 29 Aug (not 16 & 17, 20, 23 & 24), 8.45pm, free. Bound ●●●●● Some say life is like a boat: you can move around the deck but the course is set. Six fisherman on their last (sea)legs undertake one more voyage in Bear Trap’s drama about the fibres of human connection. Brimming over with comedic talent, although weaker on the pathos, their lovely voices make a highlight of scene changes with traditional songs. (Suzanne Black) Zoo Southside, 662 6892, until 30 Aug, 3.45pm, £7.50 (£6.50). Clint’s Reality ●●●●● A Simon Cowell-alike suffers a meltdown after it emerges that his latest talent show was rigged. Things come to a head in his luxurious flat, from where Clint tries to manipulate the truth to his own ends. The performances are spirited, but the script could have been sharper. (Miles Fielder) Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, until 28 Aug (not 12, 14, 16 & 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27), 12.35pm, £8.50–£10 (£6.50–£9). Could it Be Forever? ●●●●● Six schoolfriends reunite to remember an eventful week during which they were in thrall to David Cassidy. Whether you were a pop picker in 1973 or not, this enjoyable play will have you fondly recalling the heights of youthful emotion with the revelation that some things are more enduring than The Partridge Family boy’s shag haircut. (Suzanne Black) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 29 Aug, 2.45pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). The Day the Sky Turned Black ●●●●● Ali Kennedy-Scott retells the story of the firestorms that claimed the lives of 173 Australians in February 2009, acting out the testimonies of five survivors. Each character is convincingly portrayed, with Kennedy-Scott changing her mannerisms to suit each one; the transitions between them, though, follow a somewhat rigid and formulaic process. (Niki Boyle) C Soco, 0845 260 1234, until 30 Aug (not 16), 5.30pm, £8.50–£10.50 (£7.50–£9.50). The Door ●●●●● Two men argue in spiteful spirals about responsibility and religion as a door bangs offstage. The outcome of the debate is unexpected without being contrived, and is delivered more theatrically than the rest of the play, but who cares about the outcome when neither party engages our empathy? (Matt Boothman) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 29 Aug, 12.30pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). Expectations ●●●●● The daily struggles of raising a disabled child are explored here through two very different couples. This is an earnest piece, intelligently delivered by the cast, though some overplaying and the odd incongruous scene at times dampen the otherwise poignant story. (Julia Correia) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 22 Aug (not 16), 12.40pm, £8.50–£9 (£7.50–£8). Hamlet for Girls ●●●●● Invoking the Dane for this intimate drama about two couples juggling work and relationships is a neat conceit. It’s nicely performed, too, by a charismatic cast. The crosscutting between various
combinations of characters maintains the swift pace, although it does interrupt the narrative flow. (Miles Fielder) theSpaces on the Mile @ The Radisson, 0845 508 8316, until 28 Aug (not 15, 22), 2.05pm, £7.50 (£5.50). Love Bites ●●●●● As paranoia and dependency take over Claire and Stephen’s relationship, an obsession with eating grows and sex, love and food become interchangeable. A mysterious TV chef tracks their emotionally abusive romance, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy until the only thing keeping the couple together – and tearing them apart – is food. (Kirstyn Smith) theSpace on the Mile @ Jury’s Inn, 0845 508 8387, until 28 Aug, 8.05pm, £7.50 (£6–£6.50). The Master and Margarita ●●●●● Staging as dense and convoluted a novel as Bulgakov’s masterpiece in 70 minutes necessitates ellipsis – so much, in this version from Oxford University Dramatic Society, as to make it very difficult to follow. Using live music and dance to bring this grotesque fable to life is admirable, but the execution of the performances is too rough. (Laura Ennor) C soco, 0845 260 1234, until 30 Aug, 10.30pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). Mussolini: A One Man Political Farce ●●●●● Ross Gurney-Randall brings a distinctive energy to this self- penned role, tracing the life of Il Duce from childhood, through early days as a teacher, then editor, to his demise at the collapse of his empire. If the humour of the piece fails to take off, it provides enough fascinating detail about the man and his times to intrigue. (Steve Cramer) Hill Street Theatre, 226 6522, until 30 Aug (not 17, 24), 3.15pm, £9 (£7). Of People and Not Things ●●●●● Going into this show without knowing anything about it can be disorientating: the play is set in the aftermath of a world-destroying event (a couple breaking up), although this is only alluded to obliquely. It’s longer than the average Fringe show and there’s so much to assimilate that the mind occasionally wanders when in need of a rest, though the two leads deliver the piece with charm and wit. (Niki Boyle) The Vault, 510 0022, until 30 Aug (not 16, 23), 6.10pm, £8 (£5). Plague! The Musical ●●●●● In this vibrant musical cute but clueless Clive travels to London to find fame and fortune, but gets waylaid by jack-the-lad Jerry and finds himself working for an undertaker instead. In a plot featuring elements of Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist and Moulin Rouge, the irreverent humour is just the right side of offensive and the guy may or may not get the girl. (Kirstyn Smith) C Chambers Street, 0845 260 1234, until 29 Aug (not 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 26), times vary, £9.50–£11.50 (£8.50–£10.50). Ray Bradbury’s 2116 ●●●●● Creepy. Macabre. Childish. Puppets are dangerously captivating. In this new musical by speculative fiction guru Ray Bradbury Mr Marionette leads a dreamy gothic fairytale about the perils of creating perfection. The production, masterminded by Gallimaufry Performing Arts’ Steve Josephson, offers quality songs, great dancing and a Tim Burton-esque aesthetic. The second act jars a little, but is ultimately more rewarding, revealing who is really pulling the strings. (Suzanne Black) C Plaza, 0845 260 1234, until 29 Aug (not 17), 9pm, £9.50–£11.50 (£8.50–£10.50). 10 Dates with Mad Mary ●●●●● ‘Mad’ Mary McArdle is 25 and having trouble readjusting to life out of prison. She drinks, she hangs around the local teenagers to whom she’s a celebrity, and tries not to start any more fights. This is a very simple character study, but it’s brilliantly done. As played by the fearsome, charismatic Caoilfhionn Dunne, Mary is endlessly watchable: at once vulnerable and frightening, foulmouthed, and at times extremely funny. (Kirstin Innes) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 29 Aug (not 16, 23), 5.20pm, £9–£11 (£7.50–£10). Touching the Blue ●●●●● Clive Russell is instantly engaging, capturing the highs and lows of one-time snooker champion Derek Hodges as he stands on the brink of a comeback. This blackly comic monologue gets progressively darker as the story unfolds until a shock ending that feels too abrupt. You yearn for more insight into this wonderfully constructed character and his inherent faults. (Henry Northmore) Assembly Rooms, 623 3030, until 29 Aug (not 16), 3.30pm, £11–£12.50 (£10–£11.50). Two ●●●●● Two frantic, versatile actors play a succession of straight couples – in love, in hate, in cynicism. Through it all runs the relationship of the landlady and her husband, a dark, unspooling thread strung between the notes of broader farce. It’s uneven, but packs a powerful, poignant punch. (Kirstin Innes) TheSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 0845 508 8515, until 28 Aug (not 15, 22), 10.45am, £7.50. Unshakeable ●●●●● Paul Betney lived with undiagnosed Parkinson’s for 18 years before finding medication that helps suppress his uncontrollable shaking. With the aid of video clips, slide shows and jokes, he talks about his life pre- and post-medication. Unfortunately, the jokes induce smiles, not laughs, and the show often wanders off on obscure tangents. (Niki Boyle) theSpaces @Surgeons Hall, 0845 508 8515, until 28 Aug (not 15, 22), 3.05pm, £5–£7 (£5). The Virtuous Burglar ●●●●● This splendid production of Dario Fo’s farce is a joy from start to finish. When a cat burglar breaks into an apartment he precipitates a crisis involving himself, his suspicious wife and three adulterous couples. It’s a clever pastiche of the locked room mystery in which the titular criminal is the least guilty party. Lively performances, handsome postwar period design and a palpable air of the absurd ensure this is a winner. (Miles Fielder) Assembly Rooms, 623 3030, until 30 Aug (not 16, 23), 2.15pm (£10–£12 (£9–£11). Zambezi Express ●●●●● Feet stomp, drums resound and mouths scat and sing to conjure a vibrant, joyful Africa through dance, percussion, vocals and acrobatics. A nominal storyline fails to hinder the packed dance card of contrasting pieces, which errs on the side of being too generous as it feels a tad long. But throughout, these talented performers from Zimbabwe succeed in bringing warmth to our cold shores. (Suzanne Black) Assembly Hall, 623 3030, until 30 Aug (not 23), noon, £12–£14 (£10–£12).