Saturday 25 April 2015

Golem, Trafalgar Studios London 17/4/15


According to folklore, a Golem is a being made of clay that does as it is commanded. Versions of the golem story have appeared throughout the artistic world over the years, indeed the cover art of this production's programme appears to have been inspired by poster of the the 1920 silent horror film Der Golem, and anyone familiar with the late great Terry Practchett's Discworld series will have come across Golems. This innovative take on the golem legend, created by 1927 and first seen at the Young Vic, places its golem tale in a fantastical futuristic setting and explores when the boundaries can shift and switch between master and commander and just who is really in control of our thoughts and decisions.

Robert, the central character, is somewhat of a geek, obsessed with the latest invention to make his life better, most of which quickly become obsolete. He is persuaded to purchase the latest big thing, a golem, that can be woken and sent to sleep by a simple incantation, and whose sole purpose is to make life simpler and more successful for its owner. It's starts well, golem takes on the dull tasks with ease, but shadowy influences are at play, and Golem is soon developing and has an increasing influence on Robert's choices, and things only escalate when he receives an upgrade!

The design of the show is striking, clever use is made of projection, with the actors interacting directly with animations that 'create' the set and other characters, leading to seamless action and virtually limitless scope to create a fantastical world on the blank canvas of the simple set. The interaction of the actors with the animation is finely honed, with lots of clever detail throughout. Actors take multiple roles, including providing the haunting soundtrack, and the 90 minute straight through running time simply flies by. There is plenty of comedy both in the performances, and in little details of the animation, whilst a slightly sinister overtone is present throughout.

The themes of the play really make you think, there is a clear and deliberate parallel with modern technology advances of today. It makes you wonder how much your choices are your own, and how much they may have been influenced by the faceless tech companies 'whispering in your ear' as your life is made 'simpler' by their advances. 

Since seeing the show I've realised that it will be coming up to Manchester as part of the new Home arts centre's opening season. I definitely think it deserves a repeat visit as there is so much detail and so much to admire in this production that you probably need a second look to take it all in. 

Really very clever and extremely enjoyable theatre. I'm impressed, and wondering if I should turn the wifi off!

Sunday 12 April 2015

Anna Karenina, Royal Exchange Manchester, 4/4/15



It can't be easy adapting Tolstoy's epic Russian novel for the stage. There are a lot of characters and many themes being explored including love, society, politics and duty (and it's over 800 pages long!) This adaptation by Jo Clifford, proves to be a very accessible production by focussing on the human nature of the events without getting too bogged down in the political.

Whilst not a completely modern day setting, the characters and settings have been portrayed in a very contemporary way. Actors often play more than one character, this can be confusing, but the approach used of characters conversationally introducing themselves as they enter helps you keep track. The pace is extremely rapid, the story is moved along in a serious of snapshots, even at times with scenes being played in parallel, generally this worked well, but I did feel that in particular Anna's emotional journey felt a little rushed.

Ony Uhiara, in the lead role of Anna, gives a striking performance, although I did find that the approach taken to the character, all nervous energy and immediacy, worked better for me in the latter scenes as Anna's mind struggles with the consequences of her actions. Exchange regular Jonathan Keeble, as Anna's by the book husband Karenin, was nicely done, as his confusion over the impact on his ordered life turns to anger at Anna's betrayal. 

Welcome comic relief comes from Ryan Early's Oblonsky, portrayed here as an incorrigible flirt, somewhat oblivious to the deep hurt his actions inflict on his long suffering wife Dolly ( Claire Brown) The act two opening scene as Oblonsky and Levin ( John Cummins) fail to make it on time for the latter's marriage to Katy (Gillian Sarker), was hilarious, and provided a nice contrast to the darkness that was to follow. 

A very simple stark set has been created for this production, with a patch of soil at the centre of the stage between rails gradually widening until by the start of the second act it completely bisects the stage. Although striking, I'm afraid some of the symbolism was lost on me, possibly if I knew the source text better it would have been clearer. At the start of act two as Katy knelt in a beautiful white wedding dress in the soil I did find myself becoming very distracted by the thought of the poor costume department having to maintain it between performances! 

Whilst I don't think this is one of my favourite Exchange productions, a talented cast, striking design and very accessible adaptation did bring this epic take to the stage effectively and memorably. 

Kneehigh Theatre's Rebecca, Lowry Salford 11/4/15


I was very excited to get a chance to see Kneehigh in action again as the previous two productions I have seen of theirs, Brief Encounter and Don John were remarkably crafted and very memorable experiences and I was intrigued as to how they would bring their unique touch to Daphne Du Maurier's well known tale.

From the moment the curtain went up I knew I was in for something very special. A gorgeous detailed and extremely clever set has been created which, with the help of the cast, magically transports you to the various settings of the play, from the beautiful but slightly faded glory of the Manderley house, to the wild lonely shores of the Cornish coast. There are even echos of the previous lady of the house built into the set, the wrought iron balustrades and vases containing Rebecca's initial representing the hold the first Mrs De Winter still has over the lives of the participants even from beyond the grave.

This being Kneehigh, you shouldn't expect a straight retelling of the book. Although the plot is well represented on stage, this 'play' is so much more than that, and actually quite risqué at times!  There is plenty of humour, especially with star turns from Katy Owen as Robert the servant ( who also does an excellent job of portraying the fragile young Ben waiting on the shoreline for his father to return from the sea) and Lizzie Winkler as Giles De Winter's sister Beatrice, who delivers some of the finest, and most death defying drunk acting I have seen. Cornish sea shanties provide an evocative element to proceedings as they are woven through the action. Puppetry is used to great effect and there's even a couple of fun dance numbers built into the narrative (tip - don't be tardy getting back to your seat after the interval)

Emily Raymond's sinister portrayal of the obsessive Mrs Danvers sent shivers down my spine, Imogen Sage as the current Mrs de Winter showed a nice journey from vulnerable innocent to something much stronger as the true nature of her 'love rival' and the manner of her death are revealed, and Kneehigh stalwart Tristan Sturrock is well cast as Maxim de Winter, still struggling with the ghosts of the past.

The whole ensemble cast are incredibly talented and hardworking, most appearing on stage throughout, providing music, cleverly creating scenes and expertly evoking the dark atmosphere of the story. 

I was totally captivated by this gorgeously atmospheric and beautifully crafted retelling of this well known tale. Kneehigh truly brought a little Cornish magic to the Lowry stage.