Reviews Archives - Page 23 of 28 - UPSTAGED MANCHESTER

REVIEW – Pomona (The Royal Exchange, Manchester)

November 12, 2015kristobel

Orange Tree Theatre presents in association with the National Theatre and the Royal Exchange Theatre --POMONA-- — Orange Tree Theatre presents in association with the National Theatre and the Royal Exchange Theatre
–POMONA–

UPSTAGED RATING:

Alastair McDowall’s Pomona was first performed in the round at the Orange Tree Theatre in 2014 before transferring to the National Theatre in 2015. Now, it plays in the main stage at Manchester’s Royal Exchange which is a stone throw away from Pomona island where the play is set.

The play opens with a peculiar parka and pants wearing character called Zeppo giving a comically long-winded account of a famous scene from ‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’ to Ollie, a young woman who is searching for her missing twin sister. With a mouthful of chicken nugget Zeppo (Guy Rhys) tells Ollie (Nadia Clifford) that he owns the whole city but doesn’t get involved with anything and offers the scene from Indiana Jones to highlight why some things should just be left well alone.

Under Ned Bennett’s stylish direction, what follows is a series of scenes leading up to the disappearance of Ollie’s sister. This whole narrative is segmented and does not follow a simple linear structure – it’s more like a jigsaw puzzle which the audience have to try and piece together. Exploring themes around sub-culture, gaming and the sinister underworld, Pomona is a brutal and gritty sci-fi thriller.

Georgia Lowe’s stripped set design complements McDowall’s dark story thread which charts flashbacks to Ollie’s sister meeting Fay (Rebecca Humphries) when she gets a job in a brothel; we also encounter Gale ( Rochenda Sandall) a seemingly powerful presence in the criminal underworld and two security guards Charlie (Sam Swann) and Moe (Sean Rigby). Alongside this we meet squeaky and mouse-like Keaton (Sarah Middleton) who meets with Charlie regularly for a game of Dungeons and Dragons. Sam Swann is particularly impressive as oddball Charlie and provides some very funny moments amidst the hopelessness.

Some theatre goers may find Pomona hard going – there is frequent strong language and the characters inhabit a place which some of the audience may prefer not to visit. As the play progresses the outlook for the characters becomes bleaker and the line between fantasy and reality more blurred. There is a sense of confusion and a lot of questions still remain unanswered by the end of the play. Ultimately, Pomona is a powerful, menacing and intelligent piece of work by Alastair McDowall.

-Kristy Stott

Pomona is running at The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester until Sunday 21 November 2015.

REVIEW – The Possible Impossible House (The Z-Arts Centre, Manchester)

November 8, 2015kristobel

Being a huge fan of Sheffield based experimental theatre company Forced Entertainment – I was very keen to find out more about their first production for young people, The Possible Impossible House.

The Possible Impossible House --Forced Entertainment-- — The Possible Impossible House
–Forced Entertainment–

Upstaged Rating:

THINGSTARS:

The Possible Impossible House is a wonderful exploration of the power of storytelling and a lesson for all, young and old, in setting your imagination free. The magical adventure begins as we travel down the long winding corridors of The Possible Impossible House. Claire Marshall is our guide and she leads us through the twisting passageways. When we reach the library we meet a little girl who is sketched onto a blank page in an algebra book. This endearing little doodled character is desperately missing the matching scribbled spider who used inhabit the opposite page – we are invited to join her on her mission to find her little eight legged friend.

It’s essentially a two hander with Claire Marshall recounting the story to the audience while Cathy Naden provides the humorous soundtrack. Comedy is created through storyteller, Claire and sound-maker, Cathy as they both compete to take control of the story. Both performers are supported by wonderfully scruffy illustrations by Vlatka Horvat as our journey spans elaborate marble ballrooms, secret cupboards and black holes and we meet an array of familiar but surprising creatures – talking animals, a not-so-very-frightening-ghost and an army of dancing soldiers.

“I really liked Cathy. She made me laugh when she interrupted and when she ate celery and pretended to be a mouse…everybody was laughing!”

–Thing 1 (aged 9)

The storyline is beautifully childlike, as if penned by a 7 year old, it’s spontaneous and imaginative. Under Tim Etchells’ direction, Horvat’s magical doodles are projected on to large pieces of torn brown cardboard all going to prove that good quality children’s theatre does not have to rely on lavish sets or costumes.

This production is as much fun for the adults in the audience as it is for the little ones. As always Forced Entertainment blow apart our traditional expectations of theatre- which is children’s theatre in this case. The result is witty, engaging theatre that doesn’t patronise – layered with irony and humour and pitched at a level that both children and adults can appreciate.

-Kristy Stott

You can catch The Possible Impossible House at Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University on the 12th December.

The Snow Queen glides to Z-Arts from the 3rd – 13th December 2015. For more information and to book tickets please click here.

REVIEW – Nosferatu (The Lowry)

October 31, 2015kristobel

Nosferatu at The Lowry, Salford ©2015 Richard Mulhearn. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED — Nosferatu at The Lowry, Salford
©2015 Richard Mulhearn. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Date: 29 october 2015

Upstaged Rating:

The Proper Job Theatre Company arrived at The Lowry Theatre in Salford with their spine chilling Nosferatu just in time for All Hallows’ Eve. Their latest touring production, Nosferatu is written by acclaimed poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan and takes its inspiration from the 1922 German Expressionist film of the same name and the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula charts the journey of the Demeter as it sets sail for Whitby from Varna, Transylvania. The ship leaves with its full complement of crew only to arrive without them – the captain is still onboard but he is dead and strapped to the wheel and in place of his crew, there is a strange cargo of wooden boxes. The tale of Nosferatu unpicks the chilling fate of these sailors in the last hour before the sun rises.

Considering that this play is based on one of the most iconic monsters of all time -Dracula -very little happens in the running time of 80 minutes. The crew are waiting for the dawn which brings sunlight and safety from the mysterious and evil cargo that lurks below deck. McMillan’s language is poetic and uses some powerful imagery – however, at times the language felt repetitive which resulted in a feeling of detachment from the characters and their plight.

The highlight of this production was the beautiful musical accompaniment played by Anna Scott – both haunting and atmospheric. Through the simple combination of her skilled cello playing and her melodious soprano voice she did manage to conjure up the eerie atmosphere of the of the fateful night onboard the Demeter.

-Kristy Stott

Nosferatu visits The Plowright Theatre in Scunthorpe on the 30th October and Square Chapel Centre for the Arts in time for Halloween on the 31st October 2015.

REVIEW – The Oresteia (HOME, Manchester)

October 30, 2015kristobel

The Oresteia at HOME Manchester. © Graeme Cooper — The Oresteia at HOME Manchester.
© Graeme Cooper

Date: 28 october 2015

Upstaged Rating:

It’s pretty apt that the newest theatre in Manchester brings one of the first great works of theatre, Aeschylus’ The Oresteia to its stage. The Oresteia, a Greek tragedy, is a trilogy which first saw the light of day back in 458 BC when it was performed in Athens at the Festival of the god Dionysus. This festival involved pitting poet against poet – a much grander version of the poetry slam competitions that we have today – needless to say Aeschylus’ The Oresteia was triumphant, taking home first-place.

Director Blanche McIntyre uses a gripping and fast paced translation written by Ted Hughes. It’s well condensed which sees the epic trilogy clipped down into a single play of highlights running at around 1 hour 45 minutes.

Hughes’ language is bold and concise and McIntyre’s direction gives a powerful hit of sharpened stage imagery. Laura Hopkins’ design is stark, the action taking place on a stage loaded with dark gravel – it’s as if the dust has fallen on humanity. When Lyndsey Marshal’s powerful but softly spoken, Clytemnestra insists her husband Agamemnon to join her, four of her servants serve to scrape the dirt away with their fingers to reveal a pathway of crimson.

A fringe curtain of metal chains shimmers and clinks behind each character as they exit through it to kill or be killed. It’s ominous and volcanic, there’s a sense of impending doom – that an eruption could occur at any minute.

What is perhaps so special about this production is the chorus which is made up of fifty six Greater Manchester residents. The two choruses, separated into male and female, seek to bridge the gap between the bloody private lives we see on stage and their public implications. Interestingly, possibly one of the most striking images throughout the whole of the production is that of the furies, played by the members of the community chorus – with their jerky movements they contort their limbs about the stage, long dark hair covering their faces.

-Kristy Stott

The Oresteia is running at HOME until 14 November 2015. Click here for tickets.

REVIEW – We Want You To Watch (The Lowry)

October 23, 2015kristobel

RashDash and National Theatre present We Want You To Watch by Alice Birch Photo Credit: ©Richard Davenport 2015, — RashDash and National Theatre present We Want You To Watch by Alice Birch
Photo Credit: ©Richard Davenport 2015,

Date: 22 october 2015

Upstaged Rating:

What would the world be like if we could annihilate pornography? How different would our world be if we could ban online porn and just start again? It’s an interesting debate and the subject of Rash Dash Theatre Company’s current production, We Want You To Watch.

We Want You To Watch has been commissioned by The National Theatre and written by Alice Birch – it follows two women (Helen Goalen and Abbi Greenland) on a mission to end pornography once and for all. Prior to them meeting with a pint-size American internet hacker (Bettrys Jones), who they hope will be able to pull the plug on internet porn, they have brief and outlandish encounters with a brutal sex offender (Lloyd Everitt), the Queen (Helena Lynbery) and a primary school boy (Adam Charteris) who has been exposed to porn on a mobile phone.

Helen Goalen and Abbi Greenland give energetic and versatile performances – every word and movement is loaded with freshness and spontaneity. First they are CID investigating the brutal sexual torture of a dental student – they interview their male suspect arguing that his addiction to hardcore porn was the motive for the attack. The language is striking, intense and sickening. A few moments later, they are assisting each other with the zips on their ball gowns as they prepare to interrogate the Queen and cajole her into signing a decree to abolish porn. There’s dynamic physical imagery here as the three dance to Beyonce’s Run the World, waving huge flags amongst a colourful burst of confetti.

Each main section is punctuated by the two performers talking directly to the audience through a microphone – it’s random, it slows the pace slightly and serves to keep the audience prepared and alert for their next chunk of the extreme. Designer Oliver Townsend has framed the performance space with a scaffold construction. The top platform is labelled like a supermarket shelf and it is laden with cans of SEX.

Following the 70 minutes of high intensity performance, Goalen and Greenland leave the stage breathless and sweaty. I leave feeling as though my brain has had a work out – with cogs whirring, Rash Dash certainly leave their audience with plenty to consider.

-Kristy Stott

We Want You to Watch is at The Lowry Studio on Friday 23rd October 2015 at 8pm.

REVIEW – Ghost Opera (The Lowry)

October 19, 2015kristobel2 Comments

Ghost Opera at The Lowry © Jack Offord — Ghost Opera
at The Lowry
© Jack Offord

Date: 16 october 2015

Upstaged Rating:

Fellswoop theatre have collaboration at their heart – working as a creative team consisting of a director, two performers and a musician – their main aspiration is to fully integrate the music with the drama so that it becomes a key character in the production. Ghost Opera is their latest show and part of the ‘Developed With The Lowry’ programme.

The story is led by the interaction between two strangers at a spa. She is staying at the spa and he is a pool boy who delivers fresh bottled water to her room. All of the action takes place in the spa bedroom. Both characters seem to be battling their own internal demons – the woman consumed by her feelings surrounding her dying mother and the boy with his obsession with singer Chet Eternity. Both characters play out a series of role plays where they either become ‘Julie’ by putting on a Ossie Clark style teal dress or ‘Chet’ by donning a short black jacket. These interactions between the two characters become increasingly blurred and more baffling throughout the play.

Ghost Opera is quite difficult to follow and understand although this is no reflection on the actors, Nina Logue and Hal Kelly, who are clearly very talented and are working very hard to create some kind of narrative.There is a need for a tighter directorial focus from Bertrand Lesca – some sections felt awkward and forced and I found myself getting distracted as I searched for a meaningful plot. However, Nina Scott’s japanese inspired set is effective and utilised well by the actors and Edmund McKay’s smooth lighting design moves through from ambient to haunting and from night to day with ease.

The musical score composed by Ben Osborn and Josephine Stephenson is expressive and menacing. Played by the Quatuor Van Kuijk string quartet, the powerful music certainly adds intensity to the production, though further confuses my understanding of the narrative as it can be an overwhelming presence at times.

I left The Studio at The Lowry feeling confused by Ghost Opera – certainly more cohesion and focus is needed to make the production more meaningful for the audience.

-Kristy Stott

Ghost Opera is visiting the Bikeshed Theatre in Exeter from 20th – 24th October 2015 and then the New Diorama Theatre, London from 27th-31st October 2015 and Warwick Arts Centre on 4th November 2015.

REVIEW – The Chair (The Royal Exchange, Manchester)

October 16, 2015kristobel

The Chair at The Royal Exchange, Manchester — The Chair
at The Royal Exchange, Manchester

UPSTAGED RATING:

There is the eerie flickering of candlelight and the faint sound of Edwardian music hall as we walk into Manchester’s Royal Exchange Studio and take our seats. Barber Owain Sawyers (Gary Lagden) is tending to his client – he’s comfortable with using a cut-throat razor as he spruces up his latest ~~victim~~ customer and it soon becomes apparent that Sawyers doesn’t shy away from a spot of dentistry either…

“If you’re sure that Ghosts aren’t real,

If your Nerves are made of Steel,

If you’re brave and if you dare,

Come sit upon the Barber’s Chair.”

Written and directed by Lewis Gibson, The Chair is set in a barber shop in an creepy Cardiff port called Tiger Bay. Our barber and accomplished storyteller Sawyers is assisted by his aide Hans (Christopher Preece) and together they animate stories of mermaids, ancient Egypt and mysterious tales of wonder and suspense.

Gary Lagden keeps the diverse audience captivated with his skilfull storytelling – he moves through from Sawyers’ Welsh lilt to take on a range of different accents and physicalities as each twisted and chilling tale unfolds before us. The poetic and haunting performance is heightened by Louie Whitmore’s ghostly set and the macabre musical score played by versatile performer Christopher Preece. The shadowy set doubles up to provide a spooky soundscape – an upright piano howls unconventional chords to build suspense before it transforms into a ship’s sail and a large drum provides the uneasy beat of a blue moon.

Director Gibson folds the audience into the action as a few willing members step up to take a seat in the barber’s chair – there’s the offer of a trim and even a dram of whisky for some enthusiastic volunteer. Lagden’s Sawyers often looks out into the crowd and refers to us as sailors or ancient skeletons; sometimes he holds our gaze for a millisecond longer than is comfortable and it all adds to the unsettling atmosphere. My son, Thing 1 looked curious but equally terrified when Sawyers made his way over to him and my other son, Thing 2 averted his gaze for fear that he would be next. Both Things, aged 9 and 6, were compelled by the performance of The Chair from start to finish.

The pace of the production is pleasing too – there is a humorous ditty about anatomy and surgery just before the mirror takes centre stage for the grand finale. No spoilers here.

The Chair is a thrilling hour long journey of creepy magic, adventure and storytelling that is suitable for all ages from 7 upwards.

-Kristy Stott

The Chair is running at The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester until Sunday 18 October 2015.

REVIEW – Golem (HOME, Manchester)

October 8, 2015kristobel1 Comment

GOLUM: A 1927 Production © Bernard Mueller — GOLEM: A 1927 Production
© Bernard Mueller

Date: 7 october 2015

Upstaged Rating:

I was thrilled to attend HOME in Manchester last night to watch the weird and wonderful production, GOLEM by theatre company 1927 Productions. Following rave reviews at the Young Vic and then the West End, I was eager to find out what the Northern audience would make of this unique piece of theatre which fuses animation, live performance, music and claymation.

Golem is like nothing I have ever seen before. It is a potent 90 minute brew of witty animation and quirky physicality – the sharp interaction between the performers and Paul Barritt’s eye popping animation is skilful and is carried along smoothly by Lillian Henley’s brilliant silent movie-esque score.

Greeted by the voiceover ‘We live in a world where people want for nothing, we are safe and secure – we are progressive’ we are introduced to the family, librarian Annie (Charlotte Dubery), her nerdy brother Robert (Shamira Turner) and their Granny (Rose Robinson).They are a creepy looking crew who look as though they have been peeled from the pages of a Roald Dahl book. Annie fronts a punk band called Annie and the Underdogs, whose members consist of her gawky brother Robert and their equally awkward looking peers.

Writer and director Suzanne Andrade turns the Jewish myth of bumbling clay monster Golem into a modern day commentary on consumer capitalism, when Robert visits the sleazy inventor Phil Sylocate (Will Close) to purchase a Golem of his very own.

Golem, with the silky voice of Ben Whitehead from Wallace and Gromit, reminds me of Tony Hart’s Morph except considerably more well endowed. At first the heavy setted clay creature seems kind and helpful when he speeds through Robert’s work ‘backing up the back-up’ at the technology company. Though, it soon becomes apparent that Golem is a strike at technology and and how quickly it can take over. With Robert now a more fashionable version of himself and with a girlfriend in tow – it’s only a matter of time before Golem version 2 is released ‘ Move with the times or you’ll be left behind’ it repeats – speedier, compact and even more controlling.

Throughout the duration, the clever animated backdrop of independent shops loses itself to chain stores; the silly dives that Robert and his friends used to skulk around in become strip clubs – all reflective of a city losing its flavour to advertising and big business.

Golem manages to integrate every single artistic element immaculately – from the writing to the lighting scheme. The animation becomes a character of its very own – with the actors popping their heads through windows and doors in the screen as the Looney Tune style spotlight finds them. The energetic cast of five play many different characters between them with Lillian Henley and Will Close also nipping about to play the live soundtrack on the keyboard and drums either side of the stage.

Golem is a true theatrical spectacle, inventive and perfectly synchronised – but don’t just take my word for it, go see for yourselves…

-Kristy Stott

Golem is running at HOME until 17 October 2015. Click here for tickets.

REVIEW – The Crucible (The Royal Exchange, Manchester)

September 25, 2015kristobel

The Crucible at The Royal Exchange Manchester © Jonathan Keenan — The Crucible at The Royal Exchange Manchester
© Jonathan Keenan

DATE: 24 september 2015

UPSTAGED RATING:

Inspired by the Salem witch hunts of the seventeenth century, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible offered a commentary on McCarthyism and the House Un-American Activities Committee when it first premiered in 1953 on Broadway. Now, playing at Manchester’s Royal Exchange it is remarkable how much these themes still resonate loudly within our society today. Aside from modern-day witch hunts on social media for the latest shamed celebrity or the fear of terrorism and National Security, The Crucible also raises ideas surrounding the cuts to Legal Aid and those perceived as vulnerable, having to represent themselves in court.

Director Caroline Steinbeis has set the story somewhere in the UK, at no particular time in history and the characters talk with a range of different accents – it all makes for an ominous atmosphere and a strong sense of displacement. The heptagon stage is stark, the action punctuated by Richard Hammarton’s unnerving, apocalyptic soundscape.

The female cast wear long, loose-fitting dresses buttoned up to the neck, to cloak their sexuality – the first time we see them they are sprinting across the performance space to reach the woods where they will dance naked. ‘Naked’ – Reverend Samuel Parris can barely spit out the word. Donning their denim and smart suits, the men in this town are terrified by women.

The cast of nineteen are so universally strong that it feels like a masterclass in acting – Jonjo O’Neill gives a stand out performance as John Proctor supported by his wife Elizabeth Proctor, admirably played by Matti Houghton. Ria Zmitrowicz shines as troubled and scared Mary Warren and Tim Steed gives a fully realised performance as the honest academic Reverend John Hale; Sam Cox also gives a noteworthy performance, balancing intensity with wit, as the courageous Giles Corey.

Max Jones’ clever set design sees the shallow bowl-like set symbolically filled with water for the final act. The sound of thunder and the flash of lightning which has built throughout the play, finally catches up with the characters as the deafening storm sweeps through the theatre.

This visionary production of this Arthur Miller classic, certainly blows the cobwebs off the familiar text that I studied at secondary school. With characters that are boiled down to their core and themes that are still as relevant today as they were in the 1950’s, The Royal Exchange’s The Crucible makes for a production of electrifying intensity.

-Kristy Stott

The Crucible is running at The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester until Saturday 24 October 2015.

REVIEW – Swan Lake – Birmingham Royal Ballet (The Lowry)

September 24, 2015kristobel

Birmingham Royal Ballet © Bill Cooper — Swan Lake — Birmingham Royal Ballet
© Bill Cooper

Date: 23 september 2015

Upstaged Rating:

Swan Lake has returned to The Lowry this September – in this lavish, romantic and stunningly beautiful production by the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Swan Lake is arguably the most famous ballet in the classical repertoire, certainly one of ballet’s greatest love stories and a personal favourite of mine. Headed up by David Bintley CBE and with choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov and Peter Wright, this production by Birmingham Royal Ballet is one of the finest that you will ever see.

Powerfully illuminated by Tchaikovsky’s striking score, Swan Lake depicts the story of Prince Siegfried’s love for a beautiful princess named Odette. Odette has been cursed by the evil sorcerer Baron von Rothbart and must spend her days as a swan, only returning to human form between midnight and dawn. The sorcerer’s wicked enchantment can only be broken if someone who has never loved before swears an oath of undying love. However, Rothbart further complicates the lovers by introducing a beautiful black swan, Odile.

Prima ballerina, Céline Gittens is captivating playing the twin roles of Odette and Odile – she turns effortlessly, for what seems like an eternity, on one spot alongside Tyrone Singleton, her Prince Siegfried. The whole company are outstanding – but the harmony between the two principles during their pas de deux is spectacular. Singleton demonstrates strength, energy and passion against Gittens’ purity and elegance – both dancers are masterful storytellers.

Philip Prowse’s set design is majestic and detailed from the grand setting of the reception at the castle to the haunting embankment at dawn. The costume design is a marvel – heavy, bejewelled and rich attire for the regal scenes, yet the dancers move with ease. The twinkling white tutu’s worn by the swans give a stark contrast against the medieval backdrop of red, black and gold opulence. Atmospheric lighting design by Peter Teigan fully complements the graceful magic of the dancers on stage by conjuring up a sense of autumn and the haze of sunlight drifting through the trees; the cascading dry ice creates a haunting lakeside setting for the shimmering formation of the spectacular female corps de ballet, twinkling and moving perfectly as one body.

The wonderful sound of the soft padding of pointe shoes across the Lyric Theatre at The Lowry, backed by Tchaikovsky’s legendary lyrical score delivered by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia make this a first rate production – thrilling, beautiful and faultless.

-Kristy Stott

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Swan Lake continues at the Lowry until Saturday 26 September 2015.

With First Steps: A Child’s Swan Lake on Friday 25 September at 1pm.