Eigengrau

          So, Eigengrau, what does it mean? Well, its defined as 'the colour seen by the eye in perfect darkness'.

          I was invited to the press night of this production and I must admit I knew absolutely nothing about it, even that the plays title was a real word. I also didn't do any research as I wanted to go in with completely fresh eyes and without any pre-conceived ideas. Eigengrau, by British playwright Penelope Skinner, was first performed in 2010 at the Bush Theatre were it was met with critical acclaim. This production has been produced by Dark Skies Theatre, as a response to the British government starting the 'Lets Talk Loneliness' campaign in June, which is designed to try and tackle the stigma of loneliness.

          The play sees four young people in their 20s thrown together. In their struggle to find their places in the world amongst the chaotic backdrop of London, they have their beliefs tested to devastating effect. Cassie (Isabel Della-Porta) is a feminist fighting against the patriarchal oppression. Her flatmate Rose (Katie Buchholz) believes in true love and leprechauns. On the other side of London, Mark (George Fletcher) believes in his masculinity and marketing, while his flatmate Tim (Callum Sharp) is forever struggling to find the will to get out of bed in the morning.

          The theatre, Waterloo East, is hidden away in the back streets near Waterloo Station. I've walked around this area many times and not really noticed it there. Like all theatres located in the arched under railway lines, at least all the ones I've been in to, it has an over whelming smell of damp. This is kind of to be expected, but it still something I don't like. I feel very off put. I was glad when I entered that actual auditorium and fount the smell greatly reduced. The theatre space is painted black with the stage completely bare, all except six boxes of various sizes lined up along the back wall. These boxes are moved and rearranged throughout the show to create very simple but effective sets.

          Penelope Skinner's writing is sublime. It really represents the mind of young people, but also the minds of society at large. She writes what we are all thinking, or at least what we presume other people are thinking. Its extremely naturalistic and a very easy style to follow with a steady pace and clear progression of story. Its perfectly complemented in this production by the four actors. They all play extremely well off each other, with no awkward pauses or one actor being better/worse than the others. There acting was as naturalistic as the writing. They were a joy to watch. In such a small space as this theatre, one really got to see them performing their craft in detail, something larger theatres don't give you the opportunity to do.

          I was however slightly disappointed. Not with the show, but with how this show has been publicised. Now I'm not saying this because I'm a man and I want to push my masculine agenda out into the world, but the online material for this show is totally focused on the two female actors. The men get almost forgotten. I know this is a feminist piece and is all about female empowerment. In fact when the show is produced its often marketed with the line 'What does it mean to be a good feminist? What does it mean to be feminist?'. That doesn't mean however, I feel, that the male actors should be left out. The show was partly funded via Crowdfunder.co.uk, an online community were people are able to raise money from the general public rather than through bank loans and/or other lenders. On the page to advertise and promote this show (click here to see) there is no mention of George or Callum whatsoever. It simply says 'Staring RADA graduates Isabel Della-Porta and Katie Buchholz'. I could almost forgive this. Ok, maybe they started this page before they had confirmed the male actors? But then one looks at their official website. Yet they have the pictures of all four actors, and if you hover over the images their names come up. However if you click on the images of either George or Callum you are taken to the pages for Isabel and Katie. You can find literally nothing out about Callum or George, both of whom have been in a number of theatre productions and/or television shows. They are also extremely talented actors and so it seems a discredit to their skills to not have any information about them. 

          That being said, it was a good production. Its wasn't the most enthralling thing I've ever seen, but nine years after it was first preformed its still as relevant as ever. I know form experience how lonely a crowded city can feel. How it can be a struggle to find ones place in the world or to understand your self worth. Yes this may be a piece with feminist undertones, well not undertones they are thrown in your face right from the start, but its a show relevant to all. 

The show is running at Waterloo East Theatre until September 22nd 2019

For more information about the show or to book tickets, click here

The Crown Duel

          I went to see this show on a complete whim. It sounded interesting and was at Wilton's Music Hall, the oldest grand music hall in the world. The Crown Duel is a 2 handed, 70 minuet version of the first two seasons of the Netflix series The Crown. I had high hopes as it's been created by Daniel Clarkson, one half of the successful team behind Potted Potter. It also had a sell out run when it premiered in London at the Kings Head theatre before traveling to this years Edinburgh Fringe. I wasn't disappointed. Its a barrel of laughs from the word go and makes one remember all that's good about theatre. It is also a great example of top notch theatrical timing and an evening full of satire and just being silly. Its also a show that was written specifically with the two actors in mind who perform in it, Rosie Holt and Brandan Murphy. These two are definitely perfectly suited to the roles. Rosie becoming more prominent on the comedy scene and Brandan being someone who regularly appears in Potted Potter.

          Wilton's Music Hall is a lovely venue, with a history that goes back to the 1690s. The sight was originally a number of houses, shops and a pub. John Wilton then purchased the properties and went on to build the Victorian Music Hall as it now stands in 1859. He wanted to provide a first-rate and comfortable venue for the working people of the East End that would rival the glamour of venues in the West End. Since 1859 it has had many uses including a Methodist mission as well as a rag storage unit. Beginning in 2004 it went through steady restoration work which was completed in 2015. The restoration has been very sympathetic to the original features of the theatre. You can just feel the history, It has a feeling as soon as you walk into it, like no other theatre in London. EVERY theatre lover or enthusiast needs to come here at least once on their lives.

          I'm a great fan of The Crown on Netflix, as well as a fan of Potted Potter, so I was interested to see just how this show would present itself. Oh wow is it stunning. Yes there is audience interaction, which long time readers of my blog will know is something I truly do not like, but it seemed to work well in this context. It did go on a little too much though, but I think it helped that I wasn't called upon. There was also a number of jokes which seemed to be repeated far too often, for example the telephone operator being a 'non-speaking role'.

          Rosie Holt really did portray The Queen rather well, showing respect but also making it exceptionally comedic. It helped that the script was more focused of some of the failings of the Netflix series The Crown rather than Queen Elizabeth II life itself. Every one was laughing along to what we know were jokes that were coming from a place of love. Brandan is also great, with perfect comedic timing and an attitude that suits theatrical comedy. He and Rosie play off each other wonderfully, and its an absolute joy to watch. 

          It doesn't matter if you've seen The Crown or not, this is still a show that you will enjoy. You need to be quick though. There are only a few days left, with the show finishing on the 14th September 2019. Get a ticket now. You'll be in for a fun night.

For more information or to book tickets for the show, please click here

To learn more about Wilton's Music Hall, please click here.

Rabbits In The Precambrian

          When I got invited to this show, I was intrigued. It sounded like nothing I'd seen before. The show sees evolutionary biologist Reed (Liam Croker) have his entire view of the world changed by the rumor of a rabbit fossil being found in a Precambrian rock: a scientific impossibility. His partner Jess (Olivia Noyce) doesn't help the situation with her endless stories about death. His colleague Clair (Charis Murray) with her obscure thought-experiments along with her husband Nick (Jamie Patterson) only add to the confusion, all centering around Nick's obsession with the charismatic one-man-cult leader, The Guru (Alexandra Octavia). Reed is forced to question whether rational thinking is really the best way to cope with this unpredictable universe. An interesting and strange description of a show, so you can see why I was intrigued. The fact I once worked at the Natural History Museum in London also means I have some scientific knowledge/understanding that only added to my interest.

          For those of you that don't know, the Precambrian is the earliest part of Earth's history and accounts for roughly 88% of the Earth's geologic time. Relatively little is known about the Precambrian, despite it making up roughly seven-eighths of the Earth's history, and what is known was largely discovered from the 1960s onwards. It spans from the formation of the Earth about 4.6 billion years ago all the way to the start of the Cambrian period roughly 541 million years ago, when hard-shelled creatures first appeared in abundance. A specific date for the origin of life has never been determined, however well preserved microscopic fossils of bacteria older then 3.46 billion years have been found in western Australia and Carbon has been found in 3.8 billion year old rocks from islands off western Greenland which may be of organic origin. However there is evidence that life could have evolved over 4.28 billion years ago. There is a fairly solid record of bacterial life throughout the remainder of the Precambrian. This would mean for a rabbit fossil to be found in rocks that predate mammals is scientifically impossible, and would destroy all our modern scientific understanding of Earth and life as we know it. Thus we have the premise of the play.

          The show is playing at The Front Room in Croydon south London, a space that creates a diverse programming of musical and theatrical performances. The venue states that it is "always striving to find a balance between 'top-class' live quality and accessibility." Located in two converted shops only a short walk from East Croydon station, the outside is fairly unassuming. Metal shutters pulled down covered in graffiti. Inside though is a pleasant surprise. A small yet attractive bar area, that has a very young feel about it, greats you as you walk in. The theare space itself is also small, with a very wide yet shallow stage. It looks very roughly put together, but then the space is used for a variety of activities so a more permanent structure would I assume be unhelpful in the space. The size of the space does however mean there is a very intimate feeling, with seating for maybe 30 people at most. The show is just the second full length production for Wrong Shoe Theatre who have become the resident theatre company of The Front Room.

          Walking into the theatre space as an audience we were greeted by Alexandra Octavia, who plays The Guru, sat on the front of the stage and 'meditating'. The space in darkened with the sound of ethereal music flooding the room, broken occasionally with the sound of waves or crackling fire. This helps you as an audience member become relaxed and calm, engrossed in the atmosphere of this meditating Guru. The show starts, once the lights go down, with The Guru standing up and talking to the audience and explain who she is and what she believes. Alexandra's performance as The Guru was rather over exaggerated, with constant movement of her arms and a general attitude that showed a lack of sincerity and believability to/about her character. I felt it rather over the top at points but then maybe this is what the director Michael Greenwood wanted, though I felt it an insult to the writing. Many lines were lost and lacked the comic impact I'm sure they were intended to have. The Guru is the cross between a drugged up hippie and a posh millennial from Notting Hill. Perfect for the role of the cultist Guru, but as I said it felt a little over the top occasionally. So much so in fact that at times I struggled to understand what she was saying, with unclear diction and melodic talking. I get that this is the character, but one still needs to be able to understand what they're listening to.

          Out of the cast of 5 there were two that stood out for me. This was Charis Murray as Claire and Jamie Patterson as Nick. Charis was extremely naturalistic, grounding her character and giving her a real personality, and an absolute joy to watch and listen to. She interacted well with the other cast members as was always making herself noticeable in the crowd, even when she wasn't a main participant in the scene. Her Scottish twang was calming in an often confusing and complicated mix of scientific jargon and overly long scenes. Jamie Patterson who played the bumbling fool that was Nick also a breath of fresh air. His comedic timing and portrayal of such an idiotic and simple minded man was a joy. Yes a bit over the top, but it was needed. He bought a lightness to an otherwise heavy show, full of moral, scientific and religious themes. These two are as far as I'm concerned already perfectly able to go into more main stream theatre. They know exactly how to fill a stage and realistically portray a character, whilst also having sometimes totally unbelievable or exaggerated characteristics. They absolutely made this show for me, otherwise I would have become slightly uninterested. They were let down by a cast that were otherwise rather monotone in their line delivery along with a lack of realism, which only prolonged the show more. There was a general feeling of the actors feeling slightly uncomfortable with the work and this didn't sit well with me. 

          I must also mention the lighting. For the majority of the show it was neither good nor bad. It suited the show wonderfully. However this wasn't the case for the start of the show when we as an audience are spoken to be The Guru. I believe Alfie Rackley, the lighting designer, was trying to go for a hippie like feel being almost psychedelic, however it was more confusing and distracting than anything. It seemed like the lights was changing every thirty seconds. Just some soft lighting with maybe a pinkish or bluish glow would have done. I was worried the whole show would be like this, but I had no need to be. 

          I'd like to say that the ending came out of the blue and was shocking, however that would be untrue. I hadn't predicted it totally correct, but it certainly wasn't a surprise. In no way does this mean the show failed at all, I just like for shows to keep me on my toes and this didn't happen this time. Also the ending seemed rather abrupt. It left questions unanswered and left me more confused than I had been at the start. The writer, Josh King, has a lovely writing style that is realistic and that has a lovely overall flow. This piece may need some extra tweaking for it to be perfect and I'm sure Josh has many good stories up his sleeve. The show has much potential, though I feel it was rather lacking with with production.

The show is running until the 15th September. For tickets and info, click here.

Lone Star Diner

          Set against the backdrop of an American diner located in the middle-of-nowhere in the New Mexico desert, Lone Star Diner looks at the relationship between the four main characters. These relationships mainly focus around the Diner's only waitress, June. Ultimately she must revaluate her life and the choices that she's made. The writer has said he intends for the show to look at 'the American dream' and feminine liberation from a patriarchal system that often is degrading for women. Lofty ambitions. I'm afraid to say I didn't think it quite reached them. The set perfectly reflects the bleakness of the situation our characters find themselves in. A relatively large stage covered in a black and white lino checked flooring. Just three small metal tables each with two chairs, and a small counter draped with bunting that has the American flag, fill the expanse of stage. Surrounding the stage is a continual mound of sand/dirt, that in my opinion neither added to nor distracted from the show itself. It just was.

          The fact the writer of this show, Cameron Corcoran, studied Criminology was for me all too clear in this show. He delves deep into the conscious and sub-conscious minds of the characters, constantly bombarding us with their complexities. Its a fascinating look into the human condition. Just what are we capable of? How far will we go? With periods of action mixed with quieter moments of reflection, as an audience we often have the opportunity to look inwardly at ourselves and ask; What would I do in that situation?

          I can, in some strange way, almost relate to the bleakness of the situation our characters find themselves in. Let me explain. When I was 11 or 12 my family and I drove across America. Near the start of our journey we were driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, passing through Death Valley. We drove for hours, seeing no vehicles and nothing but rocks and dirt. Suddenly we arrived in a VERY small town on the junction of some crossroads in the middle of nowhere. Bet there, amongst the abandoned looking buildings was a KFC. There were no cars in the car park, yet inside were 6 members of staff. How could this place make a profit? Surely it couldn't get enough customers? Still tot his day its a story that my family talk about. This random KFC. The setting of this Diner very much reminds of of this KFC. The show flooded my head with memories of that day, and it was as though it had happened yesterday, rather than 20 years ago.

          The script did, at times, seem to jump around making situations or lines seem slightly out of place. I did at times find it hard to hear, due to the audience not the actors, so it may just be I missed something rather than the script. having read the script though I don't think this is the case. Certain things/events that were mentioned seemed to come out of nowhere and they were never mentioned again. There were also moments were there was a lack of emotion from characters. Maybe this was what the director and/or writer wanted but it seemed to slow down the play. The flow was generally good however these slower moments with a lack of emotion, intended or otherwise, really didn't sit well with me. It also didn't help that Seamus Dillane, playing our villain Cyrus, really couldn't do an American accent. He says he can do 'American-California, American-Standard' but that, I'm afraid, simply isn't the case. He would occasionally start talking with an American twang, would get maybe four or five words out but then would delve back into something that can only be described as a posh cockney. It was extremely off putting and very frustrating to watch, especially since the other three members of cast had no issue with the accent. His lack of maintaining an accent was a great disservice to some wonderful writing by Cameron.

          Billie Hamer's performance of our protagonist, the waitress June, was enthralling. She made the character of June so believable and someone you were able to connect to, almost like you knew everything about her. You could feel her pain from the moment she stepped on stage. This is all one can really ask of an actor, however is amazing how many professional actors fail to do this. Billie was very naturalistic and seemed to just float through he performance without even trying. She was an absolute joy to watch. I was also very impressed with Jack Sunderland as the police officer Billy Lee. He had the most comedic moment of the show, but also had one of the most shocking lines I think I've ever heard in a play; 'My bidding's to skull fuck you with your own fucking arm'. Now there had been a fair amount of swearing by this point, and I'm not adverse to profanity in shows, but this just seemed a bit much. Especially for the character. Yes he's tied to a chair, but it just didn't seem like something he'd say. You could tell the whole audience were in shock and taken a back. 

          I must finish be saying how stunning Daniel Maxted has been with his lighting design. One specific moment, when June lights a cigarette, was like something out of film noir. It was stunningly beautiful and I couldn't help but smile. I had to really resist the desire to just stand and clap it was so beautiful. Emotive yet realistic it pulled you as a viewer even further into this world. No words needed to be spoken for characters thoughts to be all too clear.

          The show is being produced by Off Main Stage, a theatre company that is devoted to new writing. They have only been running since 2017, and so are still finding their feet with Lone Star Diner is their first show they have created independently in London. They have a mission to 'tell modern stories for modern audiences' as they say contemporary stories don't get enough attention in UK theatres. This is interesting to me, as I immediately felt that this story was set in the 80s. I don't know why as no suggestion of that was made, there was just a feeling I got. I can see the effort Off Main Stage put into this production, and how hard their whole team work, and so I'm sure they will go far as a theatre company. 

          An overall interesting production, by a writer who seems to be nearly at the point of finding his voice. Its clear that when he does he will be thought-provoking, shocking and yet relatable in his style. This production could have done with a little more work, as it has the potential to be such an interesting and thought provoking piece. Don't get me wrong, it was good. I just feel it hasn't reached its full potential.

This production has now finished, however you can see what else is on at the Omnibus Theatre here.

For more information about the theatre company Off Main Stage, please click here.

Theatre From Down Memory Lane (1)

Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert

(Seen 15th December 2011)

          This review, the first of my 'A Show From Down Memory Lane' series, will look at Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert. This is mainly because it will once again be heading on a UK wide tour. It will be starting tonight, 5th September, in Dartford and finishing on the 23rd May 2020 in Cheltenham.

          Lets start with why out of everything I could have chosen to see, this was a show I decided on. I thank my parents for opening my eyes to a variety of cultural experiences when I was young. Live music, comedy, musical theatre, museums and art galleries. They also encouraged my sister and I to explore everything genre wise. Not to stick with what we knew or liked, but rather experiment and discover new things. This led to the occasion in my late teens when I discovered The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert, an Australian comedy-drama film from 1994. The basic plot of the film is: 

Two drag-queens, Mitzi and Felicia, and a transsexual, Bernadette, sign up to perform a show in Alice Springs. They head west from Sydney aboard a lavender bus named Priscilla, meeting some interesting characters along the way. When they arrive they find more than just a job lying in wait.

          I fell in love with this film from the moment I first watched it, and even now I'll watch it at least once a year. It even led me to watch an American film from 1995 called To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. This film was fairly similar to Priscilla however was far less critically successful yet proved a lot better financially, making over $36million at the US box office (three times that of Priscilla). Priscilla has fantastic performances from the three main actors; Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce. They seemed to perfectly fit the roles of Bernadette, Mitzi and Felicia respectively. I was immediately drawn into the film and find it a joyous watch every time. I was therefore ecstatic when I found out is was going to be made into a stage musical, though hesitant as I loved the film and didn't want it ruined. I decided I just had to see the show to find out, but I needn't have worried.

          I was sat in row C of the Grand Circle surrounded by a load of OAPs (old age pensioners) who, if my memory serves me right, had travelled in from Brentwood to see the show. It was also within the last two weeks of the shows run. The reason I saw it so late in the shows West End run was because this was in fact the first show I ever saw on my own, and so I had to build up the courage to take that leap of faith and purchase a ticket. Boy was I glad that I did. Full of songs that are dance floor classics, though completely different ones to the film, its such an easy show to sing along to. To open a show with three women, 'The Divas',  hang suspended high above the stage was a great way to grab the audiences attention. Just two songs in we were treated to a fringe covered drag queen singing What's Love Got To Do With It by Tina Turner, hooking me and fellow audience members even more. Then just two songs later a scantily clad Felicia, performed perfectly by Oliver Thornton, was dancing around the stage with some rather attractive young men dressed in minimal clothing (which looked like it would be worn by male strippers doing a routine based on a Roman centurion). This only made me realise even more that we were in for a show unlike anything I'd seen before. This excited and intrigued me. Its no wonder that 8 years later its still a show that tours all over the world

          And the show just kept delivering. From eye catching costumes and jaw dropping sets it never once failed to keep my attention. I think I never stopped smiling. It has a message that really hit home with me, of acceptance and love. Yes it was a comedic romp through he Australian outback, but it also had a heart. One must really congratulate and draw attention to The Divas, who sing every song that the drag queens lip-sync to. The three of them have equal involvement in all the songs, and are fantastic at standing out while also fading into the background. You cant help but notice them whilst also forgetting that they're there. Standing atop the bus or descending from the ceiling, dressed in some outrageous costumes, they really are the unsung stars of the show.

          Onto the three main actors. As I was seeing the show towards the end of its run, I had replacements to the original cast. The role of Mitzi/Tick was played by Ben Richards, Bernadette was performed by Don Gallagher and Felicia/Adam was played by Oliver Thornton. All three of these actors were superb in their portrayals, and translated the characters from the film fantastically onto the stage. Oliver Thornton had been in the production and so had understandably grown into the character. As camp as Christmas and yet realistic as anything. You could tell he was having fun on stage and just letting out his inner diva. And who can blame him. The role of Felicia is, in my opinion, probably the most fun of the three main characters. With outrageous outfits and a sense of childishness it a role you can just overact and still not be over the top enough. Don Gallagher also bought complete and utter realism and believability to the role of Bernadette, an aging transsexual who is recently bereaved. I was completely transfixed by his portrayal and fell in love with her immediately. One couldn't help but feel compassion and hope that she reaches her full potential as a woman. I've very rarely felt such compassion to a character.

          With the introduction of every character we are met with confidence in who they are, however we learn that each and every one of them is protecting themselves. They have hidden layers of hurt both from others and with internalised hatred. They explore their emotion with us as an audience, and we get to see them grow and learn to love who they are. We as an audience are constantly presented with challenging content however we are fed it using a nonthreatening back drop of upbeat music. The show tries to break down the stereotypes that exist and demystify and humanise the historically demonised LGBTQIA+ community.

          The costumes were an absolute joy to behold. Due to the fact they are VERY over the top and camp (full of glitter, feathers and bright colours) one might assume they would distract from the performances, but this couldn't be further from the truth. They enhanced it. Constantly changing from scene to scene there was something new to look at, at every moment. The makeup was also phenomenal. Over the top yet realistic at the same time. And some of the quick changes are beyond beliefe (well unless you know how its done). They also were an extremely good representation of the would of drag queens. In 2019 as a write this many more people have developed a love and knowledge of drag queens, mainly thanks to the television show Ru Pauls Drag Race. Back in 2011 there had only been three series of the show, which had been broadcast on E4 in the UK. It simply hadn't gained the momentum and notoriety it now has. I however, at the age of 23, had some knowledge of this part of the LGBTQIA+ community. I know it was very much over playing and exaggerating certain aspects of the art form and the community, but it was 100% based of truths.

          I was tapping my feet throughout the whole show and, quietly enough so as not to disturb other audience members, singing along to every song. Its just a joyous evenings entertainment, that's light hearted while also having a serious message and hard hitting subject matter. Yes its set in Australia, but the story of people trying to find love and acceptance is universal. I will definitely be trying to see it while its on tour around the UK, and I encourage everyone to see it if possible. Your in for a fun night.

For information and to book tickets for the UK tour, please click here.

There are a number of tours happening around the world, as well as a production aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line (where a shorter version has been showing since 2015). Information on each production can be found here