Reviews

Theatre Reviews

REVIEW – One Man Breaking Bad – UK Tour (The Lowry)

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Date: 01 March 2015
Upstaged Rating: 

Remember that feeling of loss when you reached the end of the final episode of season five of Breaking Bad? One show which had taken on a permanent place of residence in our hearts – we loved the characters, we felt like we actually knew them and we had taken them into our lives. I don’t know about you, but I really struggled when I reached the end of Breaking Bad. I tried to replace Walt with Dexter but it just wasn’t the same – I was attached to Heisenberg and Jesse Pinkman.

Well there is good news for anyone still suffering with withdrawal symptoms from the Emmy award-winning TV drama – Miles Allen, has brought his One Man Breaking Bad parody show to the UK for a full tour. Throughout the performance time of 80 minutes, Allen manages to condense all five seasons of Breaking Bad and take on the challenge of impersonating all of the lead characters,

Talented impersonator Allen uses our favourite meth head Jesse Pinkman as a narrator for the story, sticking closely to the original narrative, he manages to put his own spin on the action, using relevant cultural references to the NHS and the UK government as well as squeezing in some hilarious impressions of Peter Griffin, Homer Simpson and Gollum.

Miles Allen’s impression of Skyler is particularly entertaining – as he throws the blond synthetic wig haphazardly on to his head and dulls his voice to her low patronising tone. Allen really is a skilled performer, taking on pretty much every character in the series convincingly, as well as performing Breaking Bad dance moves (Better Call Saul and Die like Jane) and fashioning Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball as a strange parody with Walt Jr taking the limelight.

The show is interactive and high energy and Allen encourages the audience to join in wherever possible – whether it be chanting key lines from the show or picking participants from the audience to re-enact the ‘pizza on the roof’ scene.

One Man Breaking Bad is a light hearted and skilled stand up show which taps into a shared love of one of the best TV shows ever made. What did confuse me, however, was the number of people who raised their hands, at the top of the show, when Miles Allen asked, “Who hasn’t watched Breaking Bad?” Aside from the mass plot spoilers, I was puzzled they they had even bought a ticket.

This show is for those people who watched, lived and loved Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad and in Allen’s own words it is “a love letter for all of the fans who lived through the blood, meth and tears of the greatest TV show ever made”. If this review has whet your appetite and you fancy revisiting the world of Walter White and co, One Man Breaking Bad will definitely get you your fix.

-Kristy Stott

One Man Breaking Bad continues its UK tour at The Severn Arts Centre in Shrewsbury tonight.

Further tour dates can be found here.

REVIEW – Yen (Royal Exchange)

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 YenPosterImageWebsite
Date: 19 february 2015
Upstaged rating: 

Just as the submission window opens for The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2015 – Manchester receives the world premiere of the 2013 winning entry written by Anna Jordan.

Yen is the tale of two neglected teenage brothers, Hench, 16 and Bobbie, 13. They live alone with their dog, Taliban who spends his days locked in their old bedroom because he once ‘bit someone on the estate’. Sometimes their alcoholic and diabetic mum descends on them, usually when she wants something, but they don’t get along with ‘minge-face Alan’ the man that she has shacked up with. The two brothers spend most of their days playing Call of Duty, watching pornography and drinking and smoking whatever they have managed to get their hands on. Hench (Alex Austin) dropped out of school and Bobbie (Jake Davies) has ADHD and quit his place at ‘The Unit’.

The two brothers have no ambition, no hope, they share a sofa bed and a t-shirt that they nicked from the charity shop. It is a well carved out, well layered story of lost childhood, love and violence – it is a commentary on the state of society.

But, it is not only this – Yen is vivid, it gets right under your skin, it is unsettling, but in a brilliant way. Anna Jordan’s writing is witty and terse, the dialogue is filthy but hilarious. It is amazing that a play which was based on a local news story about two neglected and abandoned brothers who commit a heinous crime, can produce such laughs from the audience, but it does.

All four members of the cast give remarkable performances during their debut appearances at the Royal Exchange Theatre. The two brothers Hench and Bobbie are loaded with testosterone, reminding us of caged monkeys as we take our seats in the studio, they climb the scaffolding and swing from ropes, making the most of Georgia Lowe‘s sparce but highly effective set design.

The energy between the two brothers is quite profound, tousling with each other constantly, Bobbie is loud mouthed and vulgar with a deep attachment to his hopeless mother (Sian Breckin) while Hench seems shy, suspicious and afraid of the outside world. When Jenny (Annes Elwy) barges into their flat venting concern for Taliban’s welfare, Hench is given a small glint of the world outside and a small window of hope and love.

By the end of the play my mind was doing somersaults, the characters were racing around in my head, they had stuck. Rather like Ned Bennett‘s clever cyclical direction, Hench and Bobby were trapped in a system and a way of life.

Anna Jordan’s Yen is phenomenal. It is no wonder that it won The Bruntwood Prize in 2013. Get a ticket while you still can.

Yen is running until the 7th March 2015 in The Studio at the Royal Exchange, Manchester

-Kristy Stott

REVIEW – I Believe in Unicorns (The Lowry)

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Date: 19 February 2015
Upstaged Rating: 
Thingstars: 

I Believe in Unicorns is a captivating and expressive story penned by one of our greatest storytellers, Children’s Laureate and writer of War Horse, Michael Morpurgo. In this adaptation for the stage, Theatre Alibi unpack the experiences of Tomas and his family in an inventive and visually stunning way. Using live music, puppetry and powerful physical theatre sequences, the moving story is brought to life completely for the audience. I even had a tear in my eye by the end and Thing 1 (9 years old) whispered in my ear, “I feel very sad for them.”

“The Little Match Girl puppet made me feel sad. Some people in the world are poor and some people are rich”

Tomas didn’t like books or stories. He was happier clambering in the mountains like a goat or tobogganing with his Dad. One afternoon, Tomas’ mum suggests going to the library. Tomas is reluctant until he arrives at the library and meets the Unicorn Lady who has a wonderful talent for storytelling, opening the pages and setting the magic free. Tomas’ world becomes so much bigger as he reveals the wonder of stories, the importance of books and the power of his imagination.

“He pulled funny faces, like me, when his mum was taking him to the library.”

There isn’t a weak link in the cast of three, Ben Worth‘s Tomas is animated and well paced, he leads us fluidly from the fun of physical theatre through to scenes loaded with emotion. Derek Flood and Cerianne Roberts are skilled in playing several different characters with ease; a change of voice and posture and a new prop is all that the younger members of the audience need to understand this. The atmospheric lighting design by Dominic Jeffery and live music by Thomas Johnson really help to pace the whole show, aiding the depth and meaning of the story.

I Believe in Unicorns is billed as being suitable for ages six and over, although I would take this with caution. The backdrop to the immediate domestic action is war torn Europe. To Tomas, the war always seems so far away until one day it reaches his village and he experiences first hand the devastation and sadness of war. It is possible that a younger child may well struggle with understanding some of the context here, given that the story is extremely well-crafted with plenty of different strands explored during its running time of sixty minutes.

However, for those older children, over the age of 8, who are able to follow the narrative and appreciate the emotion of the production, I Believe in Unicorns is a rare treat for an age group who are so often overlooked in quality children’s theatre.

“It made me feel like I was lucky.”

Thing 1 went straight home and dug out my old weather beaten copy of The Little Match Girl and began to read.

I Believe in Unicorns is at The Lowry until Sunday 22nd February and then tours nationally through Spring and Summer 2015.

-Kristy Stott

REVIEW – Top Hat (Manchester Opera House)

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© 2015 Top Hat On Stage Ltd
© 2015 Top Hat On Stage Ltd
Date: 10 February 2015
Upstaged Rating: 

Top Hat transports us back to the golden age of Hollywood, it is all about the glitz and glamour, a romantic narrative steeped in the fast screwball comedy genre of 1930’s America. It is a dance extravaganza with a showcase of Irving Berlin’s show tunes providing the perfect accompaniment to a night of precision tap dancing and Bill Deamer’s Olivier Award winning choreography.

For those who are not familiar, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers starred in the 1935 original movie of the same name – the plot is uncomplicated and quite farcical and tells the story of Jerry Travers (Alan Burkitt), a Broadway dancer, who falls for the stunning Dale Tremont (Charlotte Gooch). However, the course of love and romance never did run smooth and his failed attempts to woo her result in hilarious misunderstandings and mistaken identities. The simple but well-made plot is loaded with humour which the cast deliver with such impeccable timing and pace – once you let yourself get swept up with the sentiment and moral sensibility of the 1930’s, the comedy is an absolute delight.

Alan Burkitt’s dancing is technically flawless and perfectly synced as he tap dances with his silhouette in the hotel room above where Dale is trying to sleep. Charlotte Gooch impresses as the leading lady, a real triple threat – her charming stage presence and comic timing make her as mesmorising an actor as she is a singer and dancer.

Top Hat really feels as if it was made for the stage, the second act really thrives in front of a live audience, there is a sense of spontaneity from fashion designer Alberto (Sebastian Torkia)who is also competing  for Dale’s affection. Horace (Clive Hayward) and Madge Hardwick (Rebecca Thornhill) and eccentric valet Biggs (John Conroy) all impress also during the denouement – with well-paced lines and no use of a blackout, the humour reaches a crescendo which the audience love. Top Hat is not just any champagne – it is a pink champagne of the finest quality.

The show boasts over 200 different costumes, designed by the award winning Jon Morrell; the beautiful and functional art deco set design by Hildegard Bechtler’s is also a highlight. Top Hat is pure gold entertainment, clean and elegant fun – that will leave you toe tapping and singing ‘Cheek to Cheek’ all the way home.

-Kristy Stott

Aladdin (Dancehouse Manchester)

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Following on from last year’s pantomime success, The Dancehouse Theatre, home of the Northern Ballet School, are back and keen to grant Manchester a Christmas wish by staging timeless classic Aladdin this year.

This pantomime is a perfect opportunity for the company to showcase their dancing talents, featuring many different dance styles from bhangra to ballet, all are skilled from the teeny tiny jazz dancers through to the feisty and rhythmic crew of street dancers.

The Dancehouse Theatre and Eight Freestyle poke fun at the expected pantomime tradition, managing to put their own stamp on the magical middle eastern adventure. The genie of the evil Abanazer’s diamond ring was a bolshy Liverpudlian, which ran well with the Mancunian crowd and the final fight scene between Aladdin and Abanazer played out with lightsabers, giving the nod to all of the Star Wars fans in the audience.

Although most of the energetic dance numbers were choreographed well and the popular chart music choice was a hit with the audience, there were moments in the story where the action seemed stunted and the audience were left trying to make sense of an empty stage.

There were also some problems with the sound quality throughout the show – occasionally my ear drums were rattling as the treble was booming and just like Widow Twankey sang in the show “All About That Bass”, some adjustments did need to be made.

The cast took every opportunity to interact with their eager audience by inviting people on to the stage and encouraging all to join in with the customary pantomime sing-a-long. The use of gauze to create a starry night as Princess Jasmine and Aladdin were suspended on a magic carpet was a highlight as was the amusing version of “Take me Out” to find a suitable husband for the Princess.

The Dancehouse Theatre and Eight Freestyle certainly succeeded in entertaining the whole family, with plenty of belly laughs, Christmas sparkle and not a reality TV star in sight. Aladdin runs at just over two hours long and with ticket prices starting at a mere £30 for a family of five, it really is excellent festive value for money.

-Kristy Stott

Originally published by What’s on Stage in December 2014.

DESH (Lowry, Salford)

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DESH © copyright – Richard Haughton

DESH means ‘homeland’ in Bengali. Akram Khan has woven a full length contemporary solo on this subject and by moving the story between British and Bangladeshi culture, he intricately juxtaposes his personal experiences with folklore and evocative memories.

Akram Khan is a gifted storyteller and an outstanding dancer and performer – perhaps the most striking aspect of this performance is the way that he can achieve such intimacy despite the performance being delivered on such a grand scale.

Khan gives a transfixing performance and draws on his comparisons of two different cultures in this outstanding collaboration with Oscar-winning visual artist Tim Yip and Award-winning composer Jocelyn Pook. DESH is essentially a quest by Khan to make sense of his parents life in Bangladesh. Born in London, Khan wants to explore this culture to help him understand himself.

I walked out of the theatre deep in thought- there is a lot to take in- Khan’s personal cyclical narrative leaves you thinking for some time afterwards. Khan punctuates his traditional storytelling with humorous references to pop culture which suggests different character traits and the way that identity and family values can change with the passing of time.

The set is visually stunning particularly the section where Khan performs behind a large gauze which is projected with moving images. It is a real treat as we watch Khan stare in awe at an elephant, float down stream in a canoe and come face-to-face with a giant crocodile. Later we see Khan caught in a relentless but beautiful monsoon, hanging upside down between glimmering silvery fabric panels and it is magical.

The whole show has such fluidity- everything flows into everything else, the props constructed by Sander Loonen are used effectively throughout the performance. There is an aeroplane engine, central to the narrative, which is used as a telephone and there are two chairs- one considerably larger than the other, which are used to frame sections of Khan’s captivating performance.

By the close of the show, Khan has managed to excavate his fathers old shirt and he puts it on. We realise that Khan is telling a story that we can all relate to, cultural changes between different generations, the feeling of loss when you no longer have your parents and the questions that you wished you had asked them.

A beautiful and magnetising piece of theatre.

DESH is at the Lowry until 14 November.

-Kristy Stott

Post first published by What’s on Stage in November 2014

Russell Brand – Messiah Complex (Manchester Apollo)

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Russell Brand © WireImage

Russell Brand struts onto the stage with his trademark skinny leather pants, massive hair and long hippy wooden beads. A real presence. He doesn’t take himself too seriously – his whole performance is built on self irony – and he is not afraid to mock himself, expose his own failings and belittle celebrity.

He tells hilarious accounts of his experiences, accompanying them with film and projections; in all of his stories, he succeeds in sending himself up. It is all quite narcissistic, but it works because Brand is not afraid to poke fun at himself and expose his flaws – this is his appeal. Brand takes on a convincing Mancunian accent frequently during the show and straddling it with irony, he refers to himself as a “southern ponce”. The northern crowd love it.

His stand-up is sharp and he is compelling, articulate and slick. Lowering himself into the audience so that he can “examine” us all, he is confident with interacting and engaging with the crowd. He picks a few willing participants to banter with – “I’m like a vampire – I’ll only come in if you invite me”. The crowd are hysterical, many trying to grab Brand’s attention, one woman even hanging right over the circle balcony. Brand is not the Messiah, but he is the centre of adulation on this particular night at the Apollo.

Demanding a muscular fellow in the audience to “elevate” him to the stage, he begins his main show. He addresses themes of celebrity and explores the flaws in his four chosen heroes – Jesus Christ, Che Guevara, Ghandi, Malcolm X – and seeks to prove that he is a little bit like them. He is uncensored and unapologetic about his own excesses, saying of celebrity: “Why would I attack a lifestyle that plucked me from poverty and dropped me into a tumble-dryer filled with tits and money?”

Through all of the 90 minutes of Brand’s self deprecating frivolity, it is clear that he is also using his position to influence and spread a message: “Choose your heroes carefully before culture chooses them for you.”

Russell Brand is a bit like marmite – you either love him or hate him. On this particular night in rainy Manchester, he goes down a storm.

This gifted comedian and wordsmith continues his Messiah Complex world tour in Glasgow tonight.

-Kristy Stott

First published by What’s on Stage in February 2014

Dinosaur Zoo ( The Lowry, Salford)

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date: 4 october 2013
Upstaged rating: 
Dinosaur Zoo The Lowry
Dinosaur Zoo
The Lowry

Dinosaur Zoo is an interactive and educational show, suitable for all ages, by Australian company Erth. The show aims to animate the lesser known (but equally ferocious) dinosaurs that ruled in part of the Southern hemisphere which, we are informed, is referred to as Gordwanaland.

The young audience are encouraged to interact with narrator Australian zookeeper, Lindsey Chaplin, and her dinosaur puppets from the very start, especially, those sat in ‘The Danger Zone’ at the very front!

The show maintains a remarkable sense of surprise throughout – the lifelike dinosaur puppets move convincingly, easily fuelling a child’s curiosity, nervousness and amusement in equal measures. Lindsey is our host – her address to the audience is perfectly timed, her humour and friendly approach appealing to children and adults alike.

I attended with my dinosaur-obsessed 3 year old; who despite chattering all week about the show, lost his tongue when he entered the theatre, all wide eyed on seeing the stage set with hay bales and giant flora.

I could sense that many of the children were excited and apprehensive – not knowing what to expect. And although Lindsey explained that all of the dinosaurs in the show were puppets (and you could clearly see that they were being manned) – I think that many children forgot this fact early on, which added to the magic of the show.

Dinosaur Zoo, with interaction and science at its core, is very different from any of the other dinosaur shows that I have seen, and at just 55 minutes long it is perfect for the attention span of even very young children.

My only niggle lies with the staging of the show; due to the interactive element it would definitely have benefitted from being staged in the round or in a more intimate performance space. And from watching the trailer, this is what I was expecting.

However, Erth must have recognised this as being a potential issue and so overcame this by bringing all their dinosaurs out into the foyer after the performance, so that all of the children were able to get up close and personal with their favourite from the show.

If like me, you have a dinosaur obsessed child or one that you can borrow to accompany you, Dinosaur Zoo is well worth a visit!

-Kristy Stott

Originally published by What’s on Stage in October 2013.