The Crucible, Royal Exchange Theatre 3/10/15

"This performance lasts three hours and ten minutes with one twenty minute interval" -  Words to strike fear into the heart of any theatregoer who has experienced the joy of an more arduous production. Picture if you will the scenes of chaos when the Royal Exchange decided to crash together Acts One and Two of Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe into a single over two hour ' first act' . Slower moving theatre goers were trampled in the sprint for the toilets when the interval was declared. Then of course there is added danger of jaw dislocation as you try to stifle the yawns in a production that the directors really should have edited. Thankfully, neither of these theatrical perils were realised in the Exchange's latest production, Arthur Miller's The Crucible, thanks in a large part to the talented cast who hold your attention throughout.

Somehow, I've managed to reach my advanced age without ever having seen a production of The Crucible on stage or screen, despite it being one of Miller's most widely performed plays. I was, of course, aware of its subject matter, the Salem witch trials, and watching it performed, it was easy to draw comparisons with many more modern references, the most obvious being the McCarthy era in the U.S. But the mass hysteria, bandwagon jumping and a refusal to recognise the facts over the panic mongering portrayed is played out time and time again today.

Perhaps as a nod to the modern reflections, the male characters in this production wore present day dress, but this contrasted weirdly in the decision to dress female characters in a kind of repressed Amish like manner. There was probably a very deep meaning to this but it was lost on me. Also lost on me was the design choice to flood the stark and effective  stage set towards the end of the production. It was cleverly done and looked impressive but I didn't entirely see the point.

As mentioned, the cast gave impressive performances, in particular the central characters of John and Elizabeth Proctor, Jonjo O'Neill and Matti Houghton clearly gave their all to the parts. And Rachel Redford gave a delightfully manipulative and hard faced portrayal of the central accuser Abigail.

All in all, despite not totally buying in to the design decisions, I did enjoy this production, it felt powerful and relevant, and the cast was superb. The initially dread inducing running time was justified and I was engaged throughout by the performances and the play itself which, despite its 17th century setting, has powerful messages for a modern era.

The Ghost Train, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester 30/5/15

The latest production at the Royal Exchange sees theatre company Told by an Idiot return with their take on Arnold Ridley’s Ghost Train. Ridley, who many will remember best as Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army, enjoyed considerable success with this play, when it first opened in London in 1925, where it played for over two years. The plot of this comedy thriller revolves around a group of passengers stranded at a remote country railway station overnight, having ignored the station master’s dire warnings to leave as a ghost train haunts the line bringing death to anyone who sets eyes on it.

Having seen and thoroughly enjoyed Told By An Idiot’s previous two productions,  You Can’t Take it with You, and Too Clever by Half,  in the main space at the Royal Exchange, I was looking forward to the same brand of eccentric humour and riotous laughs from this production, but for me, despite some fun and inventive elements, and good performances, I found it unengaging and slow.

There are plenty of chuckles throughout. Javier Marzan as a drunken Miss Bourne being a particular highlight, and the talented cast work extremely well together to deliver the piece. Timing is precise, and there is some fun and cheeky interaction with the audience.  There is innovative use of set and sound, I particularly liked the opening sequence as the train was brought to life by the cast. But, whilst other productions have been lively and well-paced, the first act of this play felt terribly slow and disjointed, and takes over an hour to get to the pivotal moment. I hoped that things would pick up in the shorter second act but even though the story moved on considerably, the pace still felt stilted and sluggish.

At times I felt like I was watching rough draft of a play, talented actors and good moments but in need of editing. Whilst there are amusing characterisations and fun elements, it verges on the self-indulgent at times. Just because you have some mildly amusing ideas you don’t need to put them all on stage and lose sight of the need to also move the action on.

Despite my reaction to the performance, and my disappointment in the production for not living up to my hopes for a riotous afternoon of comedy and / or chills, there were plenty in the audience who would disagree with me and seemed to enjoy themselves immensely.

Mildly amusing in places, but no real scares, talented cast and nice staging, but for me it never lived up to the sum of its parts and was a frustrating and disappointing production.  

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. 

Scuttlers, Royal Exchange Manchester 1/3/15

Royal Exchange Theatre's latest offering is a new play by Rona Munro, Scuttlers, offering a glimpse into the gang culture of 1880s Manchester. The scuttlers of the title are the members of the gangs, regularly involved in skirmishes, with rival gangs and each other, and petty crime in a bid for power, status and respect, but also, as this play touches on, a need for belonging and a 'family' against a background of poverty, violence and overcrowding.

A striking and effective set has been created for this production, with a central feature representing the looms of the mills, which later rises to form an almost chandelier like structure 'looming' overhead, this combined with an excellent thumping soundscape, and dark oppressive lighting, and yes at one stage the famous Manchester rain, effectively set the mood for the piece and help to maintain the tension throughout.

As you enter the theatre space the workers are already hard at it in the mills, threads fall from the ceiling, machinery screams and clatters and there is constant movement. The Exchange has once again made use of a community ensemble for this production and it really adds to the piece as they are involved throughout, giving a sense of the overcrowding and chaos, and helping each scene to blend seamlessly into the next. The bar scene and rival gang face offs were particularly well choreographed, and with such a large cast in such an intimate space it had the effect of drawing the audience even more into the action.

Of the central cast the script gives the female characters more chance to shine, the male characters seemed to be less substantial, although this may have been deliberate as the natural path when creating this work may have been to focus on the 'leaders' and the female focus offers an alternative lens. The central trio of Theresa (Rona Morison), Polly (Chloe Harris) and Margaret (Caitriona Ennis) were excellently played. Theresa the 'mother' of the gang, spiky and ready to fight but with a protective core, Polly the androgynous 'tiger cub' constantly spoiling for a fight and wanting to be one of the boys, and the lost and vulnerable Margaret, escaping violence at home and looking for purpose and belonging. I was particularly pleased to see Ennis in the cast following her amazing performance in Angel Meadow last year and she didn't disappoint, perfectly balancing the complex and vulnerable character of Margaret, especially touching in her scenes with the nurse Susan (Anna Krippa) who sees the potential for something more in her.

The plot itself is a little predictable at times, especially in terms of the link between the rival gangs, and the final gang confrontation, although effectively staged, felt a little rushed. I also remain slightly undecided about the final scene that contrasts the history with the present, the point it was trying to illustrate was a little lost on me although it was nicely done.
The play moves along at a relentless pace with the tension maintained throughout, in fact I wondered if cuts had been made as it came in well short of the time advertised on the Theatre's website. The pace, staging, design and performances combine to deliver a very powerful and involving experience, and a refreshing addition to the Exchange's season.

Black Roses, Royal Exchange Studio 8/3/14

“On August 11 2007, Sophie Lancaster was beaten unconscious in Stubbeylee Park, Bacup and later died from her injuries in hospital. She was 20 years old, had just passed her A levels and was working out what to do with her life. She was killed because she dressed differently” 

The above is a an extract from the playbill from this extraordinarily powerful play, on what I think is its third outing at the Royal Exchange Studio, before embarking on a tour of community venues and a short run at the South Bank Centre in London.

I remember hearing about this sickening attack on Sophie and her boyfriend at the time, and the subsequent trial. When I initially heard about the subject matter of this piece I did have my doubts, is it ‘seemly’ to seek to make entertainment from such a horrible and relatively recent event, did I really want to subject myself to something so potentially upsetting. But the things I heard following its debut made me want to go and see it for myself.

What has been created in this piece is something quite special. It is full of contrasts, most strikingly in the delivery. Julie Hesmondhalgh as Sophie’s mum Sylvia, addresses the audience in a realistic and conversational style, using Sylvia’s own words, as she remembers Sophie’s life, and the tragic circumstances of her death. Sophie (Rachel Austin) tells her story through a series of poems conjuring up some beautiful images, and she moved lightly around the performance area like some kind of delicate sprite. The main focus of the play is more about who Sophie was, a celebration of her life, her strengths, her individuality and potential and what she brought into the lives of the people she loved.

When the narrative moves towards the events of the night of the attack and beyond, the testimony of Sylvia is absolutely heartbreaking, and shockingly realistic. It’s hard to witness, but excellently played. And the beautiful poetry of Sophie is in stark contrast to the pain and fear that she experienced, and the hell her family were going through.

Austin and Hesmondhalgh are both brilliant in their contrasting roles. Hesmondhalgh is measured, conversational and controlled, and when she falters as she describes the latter events it is completely heartbreaking. Austin has an amazing stage presence as Sophie and a wonderful lightness of delivery. 

The bringing together of Sylvia Lancaster’s own words and Simon Armitage’s poetry has been done in a very clever way, carefully balancing telling Sophie’s story and celebrating her as a person. The piece has a very important message, but it gets in across in an understated and measured way, and is all the more effective for that. 

You could assume that the message that the play is trying to get across is only aimed at one section of society, but it is far wider than that. It really makes you think about how you perceive and treat others, the assumptions you make when you see someone who looks a bit ‘different’. Whilst only the minority would use this as an excuse for violence, I do think it has something to say to all of us. I hope this can be seen by a wide section of people as it’s a very important lesson for us all.

Following Sophie’s death a charity was set up in her name, The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, with a focus on creating respect for, and understanding of, subcultures in our communities. Details of the charity and its work can be found at sophielancasterfoundation.com.

Orlando, Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester 1/3/14

Based on the novel by Virginia Woolf and adapted for the stage by Sarah Ruhl, this is an unusual tale. It tells the story of Orlando, a young man in the 17^th century, who has a string of relationships, including a brief dalliance with Elizabeth I and a passionate love affair with a Russian princess. After fleeing abroad, one night he falls into a deep stupor for a week, and upon waking finds he has been transformed into a young woman, a state he finds himself in, never aging, for the next 400 years, which we see through a snapshot of events and encounters that examine the ‘place’ of a woman in terms of gender roles and expectations, and the nature of love through the centuries.

This is an energetic and fast paced production with plenty of humour. With the help of an excellent ‘chorus’ (Richard Hope, Thomas Arnold and Tunji Kasim) , who along with Orlando, provide narration, but also step in and out of the roles of various participants in events, forever with their tongues firmly in their cheeks, we romp through the adventures of the central character. There are a number of inventive and magical touches woven into the actions including puppetry, fantastical costumes, graceful aerial acrobatics, and gorgeous music, providing in part by on stage musician Hetti Price.

There are many layers to this tale, especially I imagine if you are already familiar with the novel. As a newcomer to it I found that once I surrendered to its surreal nature I found it totally mesmerising, magical, graceful and very funny in parts. The style reminded me in some ways of a previous Exchange production, Rats Tales as the stories played out before me. 

Suranne Jones in the title role was simply superb and totally captivating. She has just an amazing stage presence, and a great grace and balance to her portrayal. It really was a privilege to witness her clever and accomplished performance in the intimate setting of the Exchange. 

This was a wonderful production. Clever, almost exhausting to experience, funny, touching and skilful. Bravo!