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.

Waitress

          My partner and I have been eager to see this show since it was first announced as coming to Broadway back in 2015. The fact the show has now been nominated for 19 awards, winning 2 of them, made it even more appealing. I'll be referencing the wins later. We both loved the music, which along with the lyrics has been written by 7-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles, as well as the characters and had been eagerly awaiting a London transfer. When it was finally announced I snapped up tickets as quickly as I could. I have to admit though I've never seen the 2007 film, of the same name, starring Keri Russell. I have now purchased it and will be watching it soon. That does mean though, other than listening to the Original Broadway Cast Recording, I have no preconceived ideas around what to expect.

          I'm sorry to say though we both left the theatre disappointed. Now this wasn't because of the story or the music or indeed the theatre itself. It was mainly down to one actor, and one actor alone. Before I talk of this, let me talk about aspects of the show that I enjoyed, and there are a number of them.

          Lets start with the story. A lady, who is extremely good at making pies, has an unwanted pregnancy. She hates her abusive husband and ends up cheating on him with a married man. All this against the backdrop of a dead end job she has at a diner. A very unconventional story line, that I'm sure will not be to everyone's taste. In fact a couple of people in front on me walked out halfway through the first act. I was a little unsure myself, however this is a reality for many people that's hardly ever spoken about. Its nice and refreshing to see a musical show real life, not some jumped up exaggerated story with songs. Not that I don't like that sort of thing I might add, sometimes its just nice to have something different. The staging is exceptionally good with set pieces rolling in from stage left and right, including a podium which carries the band. I was drawn into the story, and felt like I was a fly on the wall of the diner. The story is hard hitting but, as I said, based in many peoples realities. Its certainly an interesting and unusual subject on which to base a film let alone a musical.

          Katharine McPhee gives a wonderful performance in the title role of Jenna, enabling audiences to feel empathy with a character whose actions many would disapprove of. Katharine's voice reverberates around the auditorium, and has a distinct warmth to it. She resonates friendliness and immediately brings the audience in. She has great chemistry with her waitress co-stars, Marisha Wallace and Laura Baldwin. Their friendship seems completely real and I get the impression they have fun on stage every night. Katharine isn't the best performer I've seen on stage, though she is more than adequate in her portrayal of this role.

          The character of Becky, played by Marisha Wallace, is the friend who's also looking outside of her marriage for sexual pleasure, but for completely different reasons than Jenna. The role of Becky was originally performed of Broadway by the fabulous Keala Settle, now most known for her role as Lettie Lutz in The Greatest Showman. Its unfortunate for Marisha, as she will always have that comparison made with Keala. Marisha brings a whole new attitude to the character of Becky, more understated and complex. She does however have many comic moments, bringing at times some much needed comic relief. I was unfortunately at times however reminded of the song Random Black Girl from the show Homemade Fusion, by the writing due Kooman and Dimond. I'm not saying this in a positive way. If you have no idea what I'm talking about id recommend looking it up. Saying this though, she was an excellent performer. She made Becky into a fully realised 3D personality. It was a joy to watch. Laura Baldwin is also brilliant in the role of Dawn. I immediately loved her, wanted the best for her and felt protective of her. In many ways she reminded me of one of my dearest friends I've known since university. Her character like Becky, gave many comedic moments when it was much needed. She has a wonderful singing voice and gave a performance that outshone many of the cast.

          Now onto the part that, for me, completely ruined the show. Jack McBrayer as Ogie. I know some people have enjoyed his performance, but for me it was lacklustre and quite frankly one of the worst performance I've seen on a main West End stage. Saying that, he was a perfectly competent actor though nothing amazing. As for his singing, well ………… there is definitely ALOT of room for improvement. The fact that in the programme his biography focusses more on who he's acted with rather than what he's been in, says a lot about his lack of experience. He is slightly funny, though completely overacts it, throwing himself around the stage which affects the already lacking quality of his singing voice. Now Christopher Fitzgerald, who played the role on Broadway, was stunning. He had exactly the right balance of comedy and creepiness that made you love the character. Chris is a seasoned performer, having appeared in Wicked and Young Frankenstein to name just two, and it shows in the quality of his performance. (UPDATE:- Joe Sugg is now playing the role of Ogie, and his voice sounds much better, which is surprising seeing as this is his stage debut and McBrayer was supposedly a 'professional')

          Its a very interesting show and a breath of fresh air for the West End, even if the subject matter may be hard for some people to deal with. I imagine it will be on in London for a while, though I doubt it will last as long as the Broadway production is likely to last. It's also been announced that it will be going to Australia in 2020, though there has been no announcement as to the cast.

For information and tickets for the Broadway production, click here

For information and tickets for the West End production click here

For up to date information on the Australian production please click here