Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Adapted from popular children’s book by Richard and Florence Atwater, Mr Popper’s Penguins certainly lends itself brilliantly to being adapted as a musical for the stage. The story proved its popularity back in 2011 when it was released as a feature film with Jim Carrey taking the title role. With music reminiscent of golden era MGM, romance and charming penguin puppetry, this brilliant stage adaptation by Pins and Needles Productions, recommended for ages 3 and up, makes the perfect festive treat for families this Christmas.

Mr Popper is a painter and decorator and lives with Mrs Popper in a small American suburb called Stillwater. Nothing really happens in Stillwater and Mr Popper has dreams of being an explorer in Antarctica. Fascinated with the South Pole, spending every spare moment reading about it – he decides to pen a letter to his idol Admiral Drake, to tell him how wonderful he thinks penguins are.

Soon after Admiral Drake responds to the mailing by sending a huge penguin-sized crate by return – Mr and Mrs Popper’s predictable daily life takes a sudden but exciting change as they soon find themselves chasing a rookery of penguins around their home.

A super talented cast of four tell the succinct and highly entertaining story well – with performers doubling up as puppeteers for the mischievous penguins Captain Cook and Greta, designed by Nick Barnes. Musical numbers composed by Luke Bateman and written by Richy Hughes are catchy and appeal to the young audience; there is a magical snow shower and a penguin dance that the whole auditorium can get involved with too.

Mr Popper’s Penguins has the perfect running time of around 60 minutes – just long enough to keep those imaginative little minds transfixed. If you look below the funny feathery surface there is also quite an inspiring message for you to take away too – the importance of having dreams and how something totally unexpected can suddenly land and change the course of your life forever.

A gorgeous show, Mr Popper’s Penguins is guaranteed to warm your cockles this winter.

-Kristy Stott

Mr Popper’s Penguins runs at Waterside, Sale until Tuesday 31 December 2019.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Clowns usually elicit a range of emotional responses from their audiences – laughter, warm nostalgia and sometimes fear – it’s all in their job description. However, in Forced Entertainment’s new show, Out of Order, the troupe of clowns, dressed in matching burgundy suits and smeared white face paint, are plunged into the depths of chaos and confusion. Drawing on some of the traditional elements of clowning, Forced Entertainment have devised a show which breaks, twists and subverts our expectation of clowning. This is clowning. Forced Entertainment style.

Out of Order is different from any of the company’s previous work in that it uses no spoken word. Six straight-faced clowns find themselves on a minimalist stage, furnished only with a wooden table and a set of chairs. Each clown takes a seat before they quickly find themselves embroiled in a series of fights, either as the clown picking the fight or as the one trying the break up the fight. It’s all very physical – overturning tables and lobbing of chairs – clutching, grappling and sweaty – and it is mesmerisingly exhausting to watch. The heavy breathing and dripping faces are real; Forced Entertainment aren’t a young company and each spat tires them. Stuck in the cyclical ritual of the game, they continue…

This show has no spoken content, and as with most of Forced Entertainment’s work, the audience is encouraged to search for their own meaning from what they see on stage. Adding drollness, the music propels the performance along; the chorus of ‘Someone’s Gonna Cry’ by Val Martinez is repeated as the soundtrack to each new fight, while later in the show the sound of Strauss’ familiar waltz is accompanied more balletic, though still as aggressive, episodes of movement. Bursts of energy and frustration are ground down by uncomfortable moments of stillness and anticlimax.

Running at 90 minutes, Out Of Order can easily be read as a metaphor for our time – the toing and froing of Brexit negotiations, political buffoonery and follow-the-leader mass consumerism. Most symbolically, after all of the mayhem and disarray, the performance ends with the slap of a limp balloon on an abandoned stage.

What was most encouraging was the number of young students in the audience on the night that I attended. Many of which were on their feet to give a standing ovation at the end of the performance. Inspiring and hopeful.

-Kristy Stott

Out of Order runs at HOME until Friday 15 November 2019. There is a post-show discussion with Tim Etchells on Thursday 14 November.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Light Falls is Sarah Frankcom’s swan song as artistic director at the Royal Exchange. And what a moving and beautifully crafted performance to leave on. Light Falls is one of the best performances I have ever seen at the Royal Exchange and the most perfect work to bow out on.

Written by Simon Stephens, who fittingly was the first writer that Frankcom commissioned when she became literary manager at the theatre, Light Falls is an intense study of a family who are drawn back together following a single and unpredictable tragedy.

The concepts explored are simple and universal; the play blends ideas of family, closeness, connection with individualism, community, those things that pull us closer together and the stuff that pushes us further apart. Most people will be able to relate and that is the foundation of the play’s appeal.

We are introduced to a series of characters who are at different points in their lives; all are connected as members of the same family. The play opens with a monologue from the mother, Christine, played by Rebecca Manley, who despite riding the wagon for the past nine months, embarks on a mission to pick up a bottle of vodka from her local Co-Op. Sadly and unpredictably, while doing so, she suffers a fatal brain-hemorrhage. We are privy to her thoughts in her moment of death as she worries about her children and what they are doing at that exact time. Remaining on stage throughout, she keeps a kind-hearted, ghostly watch over her husband and three children. It’s a clever conceit which is handled perfectly throughout, through both the direction and individual performances; Stephens writes from the heart – lyrically with a healthy dose of wit.

Rebecca Manley gives a strong performance – a calm though passionate maternal figure – from her opening monologue through to her appearances as other characters and apparitions. Dressed in a woolen blue coat, she seems to represent beliefs around after-life, how we deal with grief and the love that survives us when we are gone. All of the cast shine, with particular stand-out performances from Katie West as daughter Ashe – struggling with her own mental health, trying to bring her son up on her own; Christine’s husband, played by Lloyd Hutchinson, who is randomly trying to arrange a hotel threesome as his wife reaches for the vodka, and David Moorst as youngest sibling, law-student Steven who is joyful to be reunited with his boyfriend, who works for an airline.

The whole performance is bound together by music from Jarvis Cocker. It’s actually just one song, ‘Hymn of the North’ which pops up frequently throughout the play. It’s a bit like a warm, comfort blanket that weaves itself into the performance.

Light Falls is a wholly satisfying, uplifting and unmissable performance. Definitely recommend.

-Kristy Stott

Light Falls runs at the Royal Exchange until 16 November 2019.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It’s True, It’s True, It’s True is a gripping all-female three-hander examining the 1612 trial of Agostino Tassi, who was accused of rape by the talented artist Artemisia Gentileschi, who was allegedly only 15 when the attack happened.

Based on the original period transcripts from the trial, which have been translated from Italian and Latin, the cast speak in modern-day language. Gripping and charged, this is a courtroom drama that roars with feminist rage. Intelligently, this production awakens the events of a real-life 17th-century rape trial, and in doing so, exposes just how little society has changed over 400 years.

Always pushing boundaries and helping their audiences view the world differently, Breach Theatre are innovative, bright and refreshing theatre-makers. It’s True, It’s True, It’s True is performed by Kathryn Bond, Sophie Steer and Ellice Stevens. Wearing men’s attire, collars and cuffs, they give committed, passionate, and measured performances. The courtroom narrative is delivered in relay and interwoven with animated descriptions of some of Gentileschi’s paintings. Truly fascinating for a contemporary audience is the way that Gentileschi reflected her experience – the horror of her ordeal and her appetite for revenge – into her artwork.

The darkness is interspersed with moments of humour too. Tassi is laughable, a leering sleazy pest; archaic views of female sexuality become a great source of laughter for the audience. This is a remarkable and timely performance, a gripping and emotive narrative, which resonates powerfully – with a 21st-century audience – following the #MeToo movement.

Reviewer: Ciaran Ward

Upstaged rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Following the relatively positive openings of As You Like It and The Taming of the Shrew at The Lowry last week, the Royal Shakespeare Company introduces Measure to Measure as the final instalment in their national tour of three Shakespeare plays. Under the capable direction of Gregory Doran – incumbent Artistic Director of the RSC – this production adeptly traverses the conflicting genres of the original problem play. Intertwining ribald comedy with a morality tale is no easy feat, yet an outstanding cast and creative team reinforce this thought-provoking and immersive experience for all to enjoy.

From the play’s exposition, Anthony Byrne dominates the stage as the duplicitous Duke of Vienna. While the character is renowned for his manipulative and coercive actions, Byrne injects the Duke with an unnerving amiable quality that accentuates his ability to effortlessly deceive those around him. Lucy Phelps, in an angst-ridden performance as Isabella, captures the raw desperation of a novice nun pressured into saving her brother Claudio (James Cooney) at the expense of her chastity. However, Sandy Grierson’s portrayal of Angelo, whilst overtly antagonistic, fails to express the sexual passion (for Isabella) that is central to the character’s moral and political corruption.

Achieved through a series of detailed projected images, set designer Stephen Brimson Lewis transports the audience through the morally ambivalent city of Vienna. Whether in Mistress Overdone’s (Graeme Brooke) dingy brothel, or Isabella’s pure nunnery, Lewis utilises a backdrop of distorted mirrors as a medium through which to parallel the distorted ethics of the city’s inhabitants. Lighting designer Simon Spencer also succeeds in illuminating scenes set in the prison, where iron bars cast a great shadow over Claudio and haunt him as he anticipates his forthcoming execution. Likewise, the vibrant orchestral score, directed live by Lindsey Miller, not only conveys the diverse and frantic energy of the city but emphasises the high production values of the entire performance.

While the RSC’s production of The Taming of the Shrew reimagines Elizabethan England as a matriarchal society, this play does not shy away from emphasising the dark sexual politics which pervade Vienna. This performance, therefore, excels as an authentic reproduction of Shakespeare’s’ original text, but ultimately fails to deliver the ‘electrifying’ spark that the RSC promises this tour possesses. However, given that the majority of the cast and crew are concurrently working on at least one of the other two plays, they are to be commended for the vigour they have graced this production with.

-Ciaran Ward

Measure for Measure runs at The Lowry, Salford until Saturday 5 October 2019.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

As You Like It has much in common with Shakespeare’s other comedies – gender-swapped disguises, a forest setting and a happy ending that verges on pantomime. Directed by Kimberley Sykes, this production relies heavily on the strength of the cast but other aspects fail to live up to the same standard. The performances thrive in spite of the direction rather than because of it.

The comedic energy is uniformly excellent, there isn’t a single weak link in the chain. The chemistry between Rosalind (Lucy Phelps) and Celia (Sophie Khan Levy) is stunningly well realised, and their giddy excitement is infectious and convincing.

Touchstone (Andy Grierson) manages the impressive feat of engaging the audience without feeling gimmicky. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the general direction and design. The decision to raise the house lights at seemingly random intervals only serves to interfere with the flow of the performance, and destroy the already slim amounts of atmosphere that has been conjured.

The presence of an onstage band is initially intriguing but is soon revealed to be totally redundant. There are a number of songs in the play and the players provide an impressive accompaniment to them, but they spend the vast majority of the performance just sitting still watching the play from behind.

The setting of the Forest of Arden is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and provides a plethora of opportunities for designers to sink their teeth in to. This makes it all the more disappointing that the pastoral setting is rarely even hinted at, let alone captured evocatively. Instead, the stage is mainly bare throughout the plot, until a deeply impressive but ambiguous puppet emerges to deliver a monologue at the play’s climax.

The bare stage hints at Shakespeare’s famous ‘all the world’s a stage’ speech. Whilst this is a conceptually sound interpretation of the play, it is an overly cerebral reading and stifles the fun of what could have been a hilarious few hours at the theatre.

-Daniel Shipman

As You Like It runs at The Lowry until Saturday 5 October 2019.

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Macbeth is a top tier Shakespearean classic. Countless phrases from the script have worked their way into everyday English usage, and images such as the three witches around their cauldron or the sleeping Lady Macbeth rubbing blood from her hands are deeply ingrained in modern British culture. In short, it is not a safe bet for the Royal Exchange to be opening their Winter 2019 season with.

Thankfully, this production receives stunning direction from Christopher Haydon and, crucially, Lucy Ellinson is magnificent as Macbeth. The gender-blind casting is an inspired choice. In an era when this is becoming increasingly popular, Ellinson as Macbeth and Alexandra Mathie as Duncan lends a newfound emotional depth to some of the most poignant scenes.

There are too many stellar performances to mention by name here, but Ony Uhiara as Lady Macbeth is a particular highlight. I only wish that Shakespeare had given her more stage time so we had been able to witness more of the devious manipulation, followed by her slow descent into madness.

Rachel Denning provides an excellent delivery of the Porter’s speech, which is here rewritten by Chris Thorpe. This stands out for its contemporary references but provides welcome comic relief in exactly the way it was originally intended to.

The production is sometimes slightly on the nose with the modern war setting. It hammers this point home at the opening of the first act which makes for an overly abrasive start to the production, but the Witches soon remedy this and set the production on the right track once the dialogue starts.

The design is slick and cohesive, with the sound design by Elena Peña providing an especially intense accompaniment to the events of the play. The more notable soliloquies are subject to echo and electronic manipulation, and at its finest moments, this technique pushes the language into exciting new territory as if you are hearing it again for the first time.

The performances alone are worth the ticket price, but Haydon and his team have created a sinister world for these characters which is a creepy joy to experience.

-Daniel Shipman

Macbeth runs at the Royal Exchange until 19 October 2019.

Red Dust Road at HOME. Image courtesy of The Other Richard.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Upstaged Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Adapted from the memoirs of Jackie Kay by Tanika Gupta, Red Dust Road roams from Kay’s upbringing in Scotland to her first meeting with her father in Nigeria.

The staging is simple, taking place in front of a large picture frame which is moulded in to a tree trunk in one corner. The implication is that the pluralism of Kay’s Scottish and Nigerian identities is ever present throughout her life, but this is conveyed more than adequately through the script which renders the set-piece redundant.

Gupta’s adaptation does away with chronology yet still manages to retain a distinct sense of temporal identity for each distinct phase of Kay’s life. From the shy uncertainty of her school years through to the confidence and strength of her later life, Red Dust Road revolves around the identities which follow Kay through her life, whether they are adopted by her or forced upon her.

Taking the central role of Kay herself, Sasha Frost is excellent. She has to be, as she is on stage for pretty much the entire show, and many of the other characters verge on caricatures at times. The task of embodying Kay at a variety of ages and identities must be a daunting task for an actor, but Frost pulls this off seemingly with ease.

There is, however, one crucial problem with the production as a whole. Whilst it convincingly conveys the facts of Kay’s life, I never once felt any emotional engagement with the events portrayed. This is not for lack of content – growing up as an adopted black child in Scotland through the 1970s must have been incredibly difficult, but this adaptation of Red Dust Road fails to communicate the emotions it would have brought up, or the effect that these had on Kay as she matured.

The show is worth watching for the convincing rendering of Kay’s life but, strangely for a show about a poet, it falls short of ever achieving real poetry.

-Daniel Shipman

Red Dust Road runs at HOME until 21 September 2019.