24:7 The Transit of Venus

A Transit of Venus is a phenomenon that occurs when the Sun, the Earth and Venus are all aligned in the sky. It is a rare event, first observed by two friends, William Crabtree of Lower Broughton, Salford, and Jeremiah Horrocks of Much Hoole near Preston, in 1639. It is known these two gentlemen corresponded, sharing their observations and knowledge, but there is no evidence that they actually met. The last transit occurred on the 5^th June 2012 and the next one is due in 2117. I know all this from the copious notes provided in the programme to this show, not because I have the slightest bit of knowledge about astronomy. So I did wonder whether I would find the subject matter of this play heavy going, but my fears were unfounded as it turned out to be a well-crafted tale of friendship and love, with a bit of science for good measure!

Writer Eric Northey uses real events to inspire his story but has Horrocks (Nathan Morris) arriving at the house of Crabtree (John McElhatton) and his daughter Jenny (Lucy Ward) to share findings. The two men come from very different backgrounds and beliefs which are explored through the piece, but a common love of science and the heavens and a keenness to share. We also see a very tender bond develop between the brilliant but hesitant and clumsy Horrocks, and the studious and loving Jenny. All this is set against the background of the increasing tensions that lead to the Civil War.

There are some very engaging performances here from all the cast, a nice script that brings out the warmth and humour of the Crabtrees and has some local references which were appreciated by the audience, and strong direction from Alyx Tole. I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of Jenny and Horrocks’ increasing closeness which was very well judged and tenderly done.

With its historical setting and original subject matter this play acted as a nice contrast to a lot of the 24:7 programme this year and was an unexpected treat. I even learnt a bit about history and the heavens (although I’ll have forgotten it by next week).

24:7 The Towers of Babel

As well as the ten main plays that 24:7 is hosting this year, there are a number of ‘extras’ including rehearsed readings, talks by writers and actors, and a couple of ‘by special invitation’ productions. Sadly my schedule would not allow me to fit everything in, but I did manage one rehearsed reading, a bit of street theatre, and today’s invited play, Towers ofBabel.

Written by first time playwright and University of Bolton creative writing student, (and established tiler and plasterer!), Nick Yardley, and directed by Bolton Octagon’s David Thacker, this play was chosen to win the Octagon Theatre award, which gave the chance for it to be developed further and produced. It is set in New York, in a radio station broadcasting in the shadow of the Twin Towers on the morning of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Topping and tailing the play is a touching speech given by Vince, a Jewish lawyer from Manchester, on the day of his ‘second bar mitzvah’, describing his experiences of 9/11. However, the main part of the play sees Vince arriving in New York to visit his brother upstate for Jewish New Year, but on the way stopping to visit his son Justin (Ted Holden), an economist who has a spot on the radio station’s morning talk show. The show is hosted by Bill (Eamonn Riley) and the antagonistic Baldy (Colin Connor), who looks for every opportunity to bait his guests and callers. His ‘shock jock’ tactics are in the main encouraged by producer Issy (Georgina Strawson) as it is good for ratings and pleases the management. Justin has hidden his relationship with the non-Jewish Issy from his father, knowing he we disapprove, and the play centres Vinny’s off mike confrontation with his son, and on mike confrontations with Baldy, over the nature of relationship, faith and belonging.

It is an extremely accomplished piece of writing, especially considering Yardley is a first timer. The cast are excellent, especially Kenneth Alan Taylor, who portrayed Vince’s journey well as he explores the nature of his faith, and the ‘differences’ between us. The timing of the setting adds tension to the play, we know what happened that morning, and each time the studio cuts to the ‘eye in the sky’ traffic reporter, you wonder if this will be the moment, although at times the ‘playing’ with the audience in these moments did, for me, threaten to distract from the main themes of the piece. 

The final moral of the play is very powerful and touchingly played, tying in well to what has gone before. A very satisfying addition to my 24:7 schedule and I’m glad I managed to shoehorn it in!

24:7 All The Bens 25/7/12

All The Bens, written by Ian Townsend, and directed by Martha Simon is a play that I had been hearing very good vibes about, although having read the interesting blog that they have been keeping, I have been studiously avoiding any reviews in case they spoilt elements of the show for me.

There are just three characters in this piece, and it is told simply in a series of interactions between the characters, and direct addressing of the audience. This works very well and really engages the audience from the outset.

Ben (Dominic Vulliamy) is the central character around whom the piece unfolds. He's slightly aimless in life, looking for something , love, companionship or just meaning. He meets the intense Al (Thomas McGarva), and wonders whether he is the something.  But Al claims not to be interested, he’s not gay, he was just using him as a diversion. And then there is Ben’s half-brother Henry ( Daniel McCann), special needs, obsessed with numbers, but the most endearingly honest and uncomplicated character who has a knack of cutting through all the angst and denial and barriers that we surround ourselves with and finding the real truth.

 

The three characters have a series of encounters, and gradually a connection of sorts starts to develop between them, but not everything is straightforward, and some serious themes are touched on during the course of events.

The three actors give fantastic performances, really bringing out the subtleties of their characters, but special mention has to go to Daniel McCann who was outstanding in the role of the endearingly honest but vulnerable Henry, a technically superb and wonderfully judged portrayal.

I’ve found it quite hard to articulate my thoughts about this play because I want to do it justice and  I can’t really explain what it is that made it so special for me. There is something about it that reaches right into you and tugs at your heartstrings.

Beautifully written, nicely observed comedy is balanced with more serious themes, 

including one  scene that is quite hard to watch. It is excellently directed, boasts an extremely talented cast and was definitely one of my highlights of this year’s festival. I do think it has something that speaks to us all about life, and what we all need from it. It left me quite emotional and in desperate need of a hug, but hopeful too that there is a way through all this for us all if we are brave enough to embrace it.

24:7 The Cell 24/7/12

It’s an extremely warm day for my final visit to the atmospheric Three Minute Theatre as part of the 24:7 Festival and it is baking hot inside. I mean, who expects warm summer weather in, erm, summer! Thankfully there are also lots of lovely cold drinks in the fridge served by the smashing lady in charge of the place, and I’m soon sitting down, cold beer in hand, amidst much fanning of programmes, to see the latest festival offering.

The Cell, written by Michael Crowley and directed by Ron Meadows, finds us in a modern day prison. A prison Officer and prisoner are barricaded in the cell and demanding to see the Governor. But all is not necessarily what it seems at first glance.

Very strong performances by Paul Regan as Prison Officer Scully, and David Barlow, as prisoner Kelly, are at the centre of this play. A prisoner has died, one has been attacked, and the narrative explores the drivers for, and consequences of, the actions that have taken place. Maybe it was the heat, but at times I did find it a little hard to keep up with who did what to who, but nicely paced dialogue, with a good mixture of humour and drama are combined with a clever twist to good effect in this intense play. A simple but effective set conjures up the confines of the cell, and the intimacy of the venue compliments the setting.

A good end to my time at this quirky venue as part of the festival, but now I know it is there I am sure I will be back.

24:7 The Interpreter, Home

The Interpreter, Home,  written by Hekate Papadaki, directed by Lucy Allan and presented by House of Orphans, centres on a Kurdish lady, Hevi, who has been institutionalised for 19 years, spending much of that time sedated or restrained. She doesn’t speak, except one word over and over, and appears trapped in her own world. 

A new doctor has taken over her case, Dr Parry, who is determined to find a way to unlock her mind, before the ‘administration’ take the easy way out and sedate her again. She hires a young student, Nalin, as an interpreter, to try to communicate with her, the first time anyone has spoken to her in her own language for many years.  As time goes on Nalin crosses the boundaries of professionalism in an effort to reach Hevi, spurred on tiny reactions from her like the hint of a smile and the humming of a traditional lullaby, and in doing so Nalin also starts to open the door to her own past and culture, and reconnect with her own family.

Quite a lot of the 24:7 plays I have seen this year deal with heavy subject matter, and although this touches on the horrors that Hevi must have experienced, and the complexities of Kurdish history, it doesn’t allow itself to be led by them. At its heart it is a tender story, simply told, about a woman who has been lost for a very long time, and the people who start to help her find a way back to herself, and is all the more effective for this.

We get glimpses of Kurdish past, and present day culture is portrayed in an affectionate and respectful way. Whilst people in the play have undoubtedly suffered, the narrative is not about the suffering, it is about the people. The staging is simple but slick, there is plenty of warmth, some nice comic touches and excellent performances, especially from the three central characters Hevi (Hilly Barber), Nalin (Jade Greyul) and Dr Parry (Alice Brockway).

I do think there are elements of the script that require a little more work if it is developed further, I particularly thought that Nalin’s background could have benefitted from more focus to highlight the parallel journey that she takes over the course of the play, but there is a limit to what you can do in the strict one hour limit of the 24:7 festival. 

Overall I found this a lovely play, with engaging characters and an extremely touching and hopeful ending.

24:7 The Legend of the Ghost Shark

Having paid little attention to the various 24:7 play synopsis descriptions, I turned up The Legend of the Ghost Shark, written by Anthony Morgan, Directed by Charlie Mortimer and presented by UltramarineProductions, expecting to see some form of creepy ghost story. I was almost late for the show, having realised that my watch was five minutes slow just in time, and it was only as I settled hot and bothered into my seat, that I glimpsed the words ‘a surreal comedy’ on the front of the playbill, raising my hopes for some much needed light relief. This it definitely delivered on. 

It’s a little hard to describe, as it is quite mad, in a nice way. Writer Jason (Christopher Brett), behind on his deadlines for his tedious day job writing copy for food and lifestyle magazines, has somehow conjured up and is taking dictation from an imaginary scantily clad narrator, Wendy (Iona Thonger), who is recounting the Legend of the title. Everyone can see Wendy and her presence in Jason’s room is treated as quite normal. Jason’s frustrated editor, Jacqueline (Alison Darling) is desperate for him to focus on his real work, and stop with the fanciful storytelling. His extremely patient doctor wife Catherine (Victoria Brazier) wants him to drink less coffee and spend some quality time with her.

It turns out that Jason has made a deal with the dapper Shaman, Lucien (James Nickerson), from ‘downstairs’ to write the Legend, which will allow a demon to be released. Add in to the mix Cops Conway (Tony De Angelis) and ‘Bad Cop’ Morello (James Kerr), and the stage is set for a surreal, fun and original slice of bonkersness.

All the cast gave sharp performances full of energy and wit, and the script had some great comedy lines, and engaging characters.

There are some elements that could be sharpened up in further development, but overall it was a refreshing and bright hour of surreal comedy, and was just what I needed to lighten my mood.

24:7 Firestarter, 22/7/12

My second trip to the quirky Three Minute Theatre was today to see Firestarter by Dave Windass, directed by Andy Pearson and presented by Ensemble 52. It’s a play set in the early 1970’s in Northern England, inspired by real events, wanting to explore the mind of an arsonist, and delve into the dark recesses of the psychotic mind.

It starts promisingly, in Part One as we meet the mentally challenged adolescent Paul, and explore the workings of his mind that lead him to such terrible acts, the force that takes over him every time he feels the tingle in his fingers that can only be satisfied by flame. Through his absorbing monologue you also get a glimpse into abuse he has suffered, his rationale for his acts, and his attitude to his victims.  It’s a mesmerising performance by Andy Wilson as the disturbed and chilling Peter, and gives great promise for what will follow.

However, Part Two was where it went wrong for me. Here we are introduced to Annie and Tone, getting reacquainted following Tone’s lastest release from prison, somehow ignoring the bound and blindfolded Paul at the rear of the stage, who it eventually becomes clear has been caught by Tone in their house ready to start his latest fire. Neither of these characters really worked for me. Whilst Zoe Matthews gave a brave performance as Annie, her actions just didn’t seem believable, initially light hearted and brash, trying to seduce her man and satisfy her desires, and then only latterly showing any fear, or concern for her daughter asleep upstairs. I think the playwrights intention with Tone (Richard Vergette) to portray a complex psychotic character to make you question who is the real madman in the room, but it didn’t feel well realised or portrayed.

The plot seemed messy, like the playwright couldn’t decide what story he wanted to tell so he crashed a few clumsily together, resulting in an unconvincing whole. Such a disappointment after the promising start.