York Theatre Royal – until Saturday 18th March 2023
Reviewed by Michelle Richardson
3.5***
I must admit that generally, every show I go to see I do not read anything about it before hand. I like to go into a theatre and watch any show with an open mind. With the title of The Time Machine, though I have never read the book I have seen the 1960 film adaptation numerous times, I thought I had a rough idea of what the show was going to be about, even with the added “A Comedy” adorning the posters a programme. I’d left my reading glasses at home and couldn’t read the programme until I got home if I had I would have had more idea what to expect.
Original Theatre are currently touring with The Time Machine and are playing at York Theatre Royal this week. Directed by Orla O’Loughlin and written by Steven Canny and John Nicholson, this show is marketed to be an adaptation like no other, when the world of science fiction and science fact collide, and mind-boggling things can happen.
This adaptation starts off as three actors, Dave (Hearn), Michael (Dylan) and Amy (Revelle), switch from performing The Importance of Being Earnest and attempt to recreate HG Wells The Time Machine after being cajoled by Dave, who is the great-great grandson of HG Wells. Things soon go off kilter with technical problems, lines outs of sync, sounds of falling props off stage, very “The Play That Goes Wrong” style of theatre. This all made sense once I read the programme and saw that Dave was one of the founders of Mischief Theatre, who are experts in this field.
Whilst Amy and Michael are trying to roughly follow the script, Dave realises he has his great-great-grandfathers original “Time Machine” and is soon convinced that time travel is real, what follows is mayhem, culminating in tragedy at the end of the first half. I must admit that this was all very confusing and though at times was funny I did truly wander what I was watching. The second half was equally just as whacky, but with audience participation and a lot more laughter. With everything else happening it was extremely entertaining and took the show to another level.
This show is well cast with the confident, enthusiastic and charismatic Dave owning the stage with his energetic physical performance. Amy is spirited in her role, often exasperated when things go awry. She gives a fabulous Cher performance, wouldn’t be out of place as a Cher tribute. Michael is certainly dramatical and not only manages to do an Irish jig but delivers a soliloquy from Withnail and I. They really owned the stage with their melodramatic performances and shared great chemistry.
This show is absolutely bonkers, plain crazy, and I wasn’t sure what I was watching at first, certainly not the traditional The Time Machine. We do get to see some characters from the book, the Eloi named Weena and a Morlock, the latter resplendent in a naff costume, with a lot of hair, but we are also treated to Cher, and keeping up with current affairs, Harry and Meghan make an appearance.
The Time Machine – A Comedy, takes you on a rollercoaster of a ride and really comes into its own during the second half. Full of time paradoxes, perfect for the sci-fi geeks. I do enjoy a bit of sci-fi and this didn’t disappoint. This is an adaptation like no other, that takes you on a hilarious and unexpected journey, one that you can’t help analysing afterwards.
How Not to Drown was a different kind of theatre experience for me especially in the way ThickSkin Theatre portrayed a human story through multi-disciplined formats. The 90 minute production that has been adapted and dramatized by Nicola McCartney and innovatively directed by Neil Bettles certainly delivers a painful yet uplifting story that should not be missed.
Dritan Kastrati is a nine year old boy when he witnesses the destructive carnage of the Kosovan war with guns, dead bodies, and mass graves all around him. As a desperate act, his father decides to pay for his sons to be smuggled over to Britain starting with his eldest son Alfred and then Dritan who is aged eleven by this time.
He makes the journey all alone in the back of vans, trains and on boats arriving finally as a refugee in Britain and into their care system where he is regarded with suspicions eyes. Dritan is initially reunited with Alfred but is split from him due to suspicion of being involved in criminal activity and he has to contend alone once again with the revolving doors of foster care.
This story was first performed at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh in 2019 produced with Tron Theatre and Lawrence Batley Theatre and developed with support from the University of Edinburgh.
This is a fast paced drama performed by Dritan Kastrati himself alongside four other actors (Ajjaz Awad, Esme Bayley, Daniel Cahill, and Samuel Reuben) each of whom play Kastrati at some point in his journey alongside other characters such as mafia bosses, family members and foster families. The acting is superb which helped to draw out different elements of Dritan’s personality, most notably for me is his defiant ”formal complaint” that he is being ripped off having “paid all inclusive” for the journey.
The production needs special thanks to Becky Minto for the set design which included a raised revolving platform that looked like a raft, multipurpose props (steel barriers also being used as beds and doors) which were used effectively in transporting the audience across many hundreds of miles of Dritan’s journey. Neil Bettles & Jonnie Riordan for choreography, Zoe Spurr for Lighting and Alexandra
Fay Braithwaite for Sound design which punctuated key moments as well as creating a subtle atmosphere of menace and a reminder that an eleven year old boy is constantly asking himself “are these people going to feed me, beat me or rape me?”
EMPIRE THEATRE, LIVERPOOL – UNTIL SATURDAY 18 MARCH 2023
REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN
5*****
J.B. Priestley’s timeless crime thriller, An Inspector Calls landed at the Empire theatre last night and since Stephen Daldry’s production in 1992, has won a total of 19 major awards, including four Tony Awards and three Oliver awards. It has played to more than five million theatregoers worldwide and is also one of the most popular modern texts studied in English Literature GCSE. An Inspector Calls is the most internationally, highly praised production in the National Theatre’s history.
Set before the First World War, in 1912, we join the prosperous Birling household, where they are celebrating an engagement. The merriment is halted by the arrival of an Inspector Goole, who announces that a young woman, Eve Smith who used to work in a factory owned by the arrogant and self-important Arthur Birling has killed herself. The Inspector asks questions to uncover the truth about each character’s connection to Miss Smith. In doing so, he forces the family members to self-reflect, in turn they end up confessing to a secret they hoped no one would ever find out and lapse into self-pity. The audience is taken on a journey and learns the timeline of events which led this young woman to her end.
The magnificent staging by Ian MacNeil is genuinely striking, adding to the moral socialist piece of theatre. It is when the family secrets are revealed and their preconceptions exposed that everything, literally comes crashing down. The set is reinforced by the menacing music by Stephen Warbeck contributing to the sinister atmosphere effectively.
This production features a stellar cast and their performances are outstanding with Liam Brennan as Inspector Goole (or Ghoule), dominating the stage even when he wasn’t talking. I was particularly impressed by Christine Kavanagh as Sybil Birling, she was commanding as the icy-hearted and self-justifying matriarch.
The play forces the audience to reflect on their own actions and potential consequences. It also highlights the importance of caring for one another and accepting social responsibility! If you have seen it before, then you have not seen it like this.
Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until Saturday 18 March 2023
Reviewed by Steph Lott
5*****
This could be a very short review. In summary, it’s a blimmin’ marvellous production and you should buy a ticket now, without delay! However perhaps I should say why I think that.
Andy Dufresne has been given a double life sentence for the brutal murder of his wife and her lover. He says he’s innocent. Imprisoned at the notorious Shawshank facility, Andy quickly learns that no one can survive alone.
Andy becomes friends with the prison fixer Red and demonstrates his talents for accountancy, talents which come to the attention of the prison governor Warden Stammas. However, Andy is quietly plotting his ultimate revenge.
Based on Stephen King’s 1982 novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, this production stars Joe Absolom (EastEnders, Doc Martin) as Andy Dufresne and Ben Onwukwe (London’s Burning) as Ellis ‘Red’ Redding.
This mesmerizing tale of unjust imprisonment, powerlessness in the face of cruelty, and, ultimately, hope and escape, has now been brought to the stage by Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns. The production is directed by David Esbjornson, with design by Gary McCann and lighting design by Chris Davey. The set design is ingenious and the lighting evocative. I wondered how it would transfer to the stage, but it is just as suspenseful, mysterious and heart-wrenching as the Stephen King novella or the 1994 film starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.
Joe Absolom and Ben Onwukwe deliver equally standout performances, but they are not alone. The whole cast are unforgettable, each in their own way. Mark Heenehan is both pompous and menacing as the cruel and corrupt Warden Stammas. Jay Marsh as Bogs Diamond and Leigh Jones as Rooster are truly vile and mindlessly brutal as the predatory “Sisters.” Coulter Dittman shines out as Tommy Williams. The whole cast are truly accomplished.
The play takes place over the course of 20 years and is of necessity a slow burn. But it never flags, and every word and action are flawless. The stage production of The Shawshank Redemption portrays an incredibly harrowing story but the message the play delivers is one of hope.
Unlike seemingly every member of the enthusiastic audience at the performance of Buddy that I attended, I thought I didn’t really know anything about the music of Buddy Holly, so was arriving to this musical with a ‘clean slate’ in terms of my expectations. It was clear from the opening bars of the show that I was surrounded by serious Buddy fans – ladies who might have been young when he was in his prime were bouncing on their seats with excitement, and the final half an hour of the show saw plenty of dancing in the aisles. It was clear that the audience last night loved every minute of it. There were a perhaps surprising number of younger folks in the audience too, and they were no less enthusiastic.
And it turned out that although I thought I did not know his music, I did actually know a lot of Buddy Holly songs – such is the enduring nature of his appeal.
AJ Jenks put in a tremendous performance as Buddy the musician – a fabulous voice and seemingly endless energy brought Buddy Holly’s songs truly to life. All the cast members also performed as musicians throughout, which always strikes me as an incredible feat – all were incredibly impressive, but a special mention must go to Joe Butcher as Joe B. Maudlin who performed simply unbelievable acrobatic feats with his double bass – whilst playing it!
The musical numbers were obviously the focus of the show, and there were certainly sections of dialogue which felt somewhat stilted and slow, but it was never long before another hit returned the energy to the stage, and some of the performances from the other ‘acts’ of the period were outstanding – Samuelle Durojaiye and Laura-Dene Perryman as Marlena Madison and Chantel Williams absolutely stole the show with their barnstorming set in the scene from the Apollo, Harlem. Miguel Angel as both Tyrone Jones and Ritchie Valens brought dynamism and humour, along with a magnificent voice.
The youth and vitality of the whole cast only emphasised further the tragedy of Buddy Holly’s death at the age of 22, and there is an inevitable poignancy to any reflection on his life and music, but what a tribute this show is to him. The show had officially ended by the time I left the theatre but most of the audience were on their feet and still dancing the night away, unwilling to leave – indeed I wouldn’t be surprised if they were still there now. I for one am a new convert, and will looking up Buddy’s back catalogue on Spotify..
Initial casting announced for the world premiere of ‘Glory Ride’
Josh St. Clair, Amy Di Bartolomeo, Fed Zanni, Daniel Robinson
‘Glory Ride’ Book, Music & Lyrics by Victoria Buchholz & Todd Buchholz Directed by Kelly Devine
Charing Cross Theatre 22 April to 29 July, 2023
Josh St. Clair, Amy Di Bartolomeo, Fed Zanni, Daniel Robinson, Ruairidh McDonald, Ryan Bennett, Peter Watts, Jamie Coyne, Loris Scarpa, Susianna Paisio, Steve Watts, Alice Spigariol
GLORY RIDE, a new musical with Book, Music & Lyrics by Victoria Buchholz & Todd Buchholz, directed by Kelly Devine (Olivier Award-winning choreographer of ‘Come From Away’), reveals the secret wartime heroics of Gino Bartali, one of the most beloved athletes of all time.
A Tour de France winner, in the 1940s he was considered the second most famous man in Italy – after Mussolini. His cycling achievements on the Alps and Pyrenees were legendary, but until recently, few knew that he risked his life by saving hundreds of people from fascism during World War II.
With his cycling career as a cover, Bartali cycled thousands of miles between cities across Italy. Hidden in the frame of his bike were falsified identity cards and other secret documents to help victims cross borders to safety. His bravery rescued hundreds of persecuted Jews and other refugees, many of whom were children. In 2013, Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, recognised Gino Bartali with the honour of Righteous Among the Nations.
GLORY RIDE transports the audience to the golden hills of Tuscany during the darkest days of the Second World War, with a story combining heist, history, humour, and humanity and a soaring new score.
Victoria Buchholz encountered the story of Gino Bartali while travelling in Tuscany and set out to put it to music as GLORY RIDE, working with her father, Todd, a best-selling author, inventor and senior White House economic adviser.
GLORY RIDE was developed through workshops in New York and Los Angeles featuring top Broadway talent, with sold-out staged concerts last year at The Other Palace Theatre in London.
Cast includes: Josh St. Clair (as Gino Bartali). Josh’s West End credits include the original cast of ‘Frozen’ (as Grand Pabbie), Peter Kingsley in ‘City of Angels’, ‘School of Rock’ and ‘Wicked’, and the UK tour of ‘Kinky Boots’.
Amy Di Bartolomeo (Adriana Bani). Amy is best known for playing Catherine of Aragon in ‘SIX’ in the West End, Leibeswoosh in ‘Bat Out of Hell’ (West End & Toronto), Meat in ‘We Will Rock You’ (UK tour).
Fed Zanni (Major Mario Carita). From Medina, Italy, Fed’s recent credits include Basilius in ‘Head Over Heels’ at Manchester’s Hope Mill, Nikos in ‘Mamma Mia! The Party’ (O2), ‘The Twelve Tenors’ (European Tour) and Jesus in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’.
Daniel Robinson (Giorgio Nico). Daniel was Kurt’s Dad in ‘Heathers the Musical’ (The Other Palace), Nathan Detroit in ‘Guys and Dolls’ and Luther Billis in ‘South Pacific’ both (Kilworth House), ‘Kiss Me Kate’ and ‘South Pacific’ (Théâtre du Châtelet); ‘My Night with Reg’ and ‘Piaf’ (Donmar Warehouse).
Ruairidh McDonald (Felix). Winner of the Young Scottish Musical Theatre Performer of the Year, Ruairidh made his professional debut as Buggins in ‘Half A Sixpence’ at Kilworth House and was John in ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’ (Pitlochry Festival Theatre).
Ryan Bennett (Commander Graziani). Ryan was recently in ‘Heathers’ as Coach Ripper/Big Bud Dean/Kurt’s Dad (The Other Palace) and was Lurch in ‘The Addams Family’ (UK tour).
Peter Watts (Fantali). Peter’s credits include Macduff in ‘Macbeth’ (UK Tour), Antiochus in ‘Pericles, Prince of Tyre’ (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), Trinculo in ‘The Tempest’ and Bottom in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ (both Nottingham Playhouse).
Jamie Coyne (Cosmo). James is a recent graduate of Guildford School of Acting. ‘Glory Ride’ is his professional debut.
Loris Scarpa (Lorenzo). Loris was Svec in ‘Once in Concert’ (London Palladium), ‘Rapunzel’ at The Watermill and played Tweedledum/The March Hare in ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (The Mercury Theatre).
Susianna Paisio (Rosetta). Susianna is an Italian actress and singer-songwriter based in London and Turin. Her stage credits include ‘La Conferenza degli Uccelli’m ‘Chotto Desh’ (Akram Khan Company), ‘Song of the Earth’ (Edinburgh Festival, shortlisted for the Sustainable Practice Award), ‘Una Mendicante Cieca Cantava l’Amore’ (Teatro dei Sensibili, Milan) and ‘Sibilla in Il Postino dell’Arcobaleno’ (Teatro San Babila, Milan).
Steve Watts (Torello). Steve’s credits include ‘Passion’ at Hope Mill, Manchester, ‘As You Like It’ (West End and International Tour); ‘Macbeth’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, ‘Lady Be Good’ and ‘The Boy Friend’ (Regent’s Park).
Alice Spigariol (ensemble). Alice is a recent graduate of Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. Glory Ride’ is Alice’s professional debut.
Creative team includes:
Director Kelly Devine Associate Director Ricky J. Hinds Musical Director Dave Rose Set, Costume & Video Designer PJ McEvoy Lighting Designer Rob Halliday Orchestrations Jen Green Casting Director Harry Blumenau General Management Smart Entertainment Italian cultural adviser Federico Bellone Producers Glory Ride 2023 Ltd
Kelly Devine – Director
‘Glory Ride’ is Kelly Devine’s UK debut as a director. As a choreographer, she won the 2019 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Choreography for the West End production of ‘Come From Away’. Her Broadway choreography credits include ‘Rock of Ages’, ‘Rocky’, ‘Doctor Zhivago’, ‘Come From Away’ ‘Diana the Musical’ and ‘Escape to Margaritaville’. She was associate choreographer on ‘Memphis’ and ‘Jersey Boys’.
Todd Buchholz – Book, Music & Lyrics
Todd Buchholz is a novelist and economic historian. He was an original co-producer of ‘Jersey Boys’ and his novel ‘The Castro Gene’, a mystery about a megalomaniacal investor in the Rat Pack era, was named a finalist for the USA Best Book Prize. He provided audio narration for his recent books,’ The Price of Prosperity’ (HarperCollins), which was named a “must-read” by the Wall Street Journal and ‘Rush’ (Penguin), for which he was profiled in The Times in London. Todd served as a senior advisor at the White House and is a frequent commentator in The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and has appeared on such HBO’s ‘Real Time with Bill Maher,’ PBS NewsHour, BBC Today, and National Public Radio.
Victoria Buchholz – Book, Music & Lyrics
Victoria Buchholz is the author of the play ‘Lockdown’, which has been performed at regional theatres in Southern California and New York, as well as by the Tisch School at NYU. She has served as an executive at Viacom and Royal Caribbean, has written for publications such as the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, and was a producer for ‘The Charlie Rose Show’ and Bloomberg Television. Victoria’s musical compositions include a set of contemporary pop songs under her stage name, Victoria Beachwood, as well as the score of ‘Law School Musical’, composed during her time at Stanford Law School.
Smart Entertainment – General Managers
Smart Entertainment provides general management, executive producing and consultancy services for the theatre and live entertainment sector. The experienced team have worked on over 100 productions in the last decade. Smart’s recent clients include Hartshorn – Hook Enterprises (including ‘Peaky Blinders: The Rise’, ‘Doctor Who: Time Fracture’, ‘Amélie’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’), ‘Grenfell: Value Engineering – Scenes from the Inquiry’, ‘Grenfell: System Failure – Scenes from the Inquiry’, London Musical Theatre Orchestra (including ‘A Christmas Carol’ at the Dominion, 2020), Rifco Arts, Talawa Theatre Company, Hackney Showroom and Northampton Royal & Derngate.
LISTINGS INFO
Glory Ride 2023 Ltd presents the world premiere of
GLORY RIDE Book, Music & Lyrics by Victoria Buchholz & Todd Buchholz
Directed by Kelly Devine
Charing Cross Theatre The Arches Villiers Street London WC2N 6NL
Box office: 08444 930650
Saturday 22 April to 29 July, 2023
Performances:
Monday to Saturday evenings at 7.30pm
Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm
Prices: from £25.00
Premium seats add programme and glass of bubbly for only £7.50 extra.
A £2.50 booking fee applies to phone and internet orders; no booking fee to in person over the counter sales. A restoration levy applies to all tickets
The box office is open from 2 hours before curtain time on performance days for in person sales
Mark Rylance returns to the West End this summer in Dr Semmelweis opening at the Harold Pinter Theatre on 11 July, with previews from 29 June, and running until Saturday 7 October. The critically acclaimed Bristol Old Vic production, directed by Tom Morris, opened in 2022, and sees Rylance reprise the title role.
Mark Rylance said today, “Here is a person who makes one of the most important discoveries in modern medicine – what we now call ‘Bacteria’ – and yet he is pretty much unknown because for forty years, until Louis Pasteur and Dr Lister make the same discovery, no one will listen to him. Why?
“I was intrigued. The inspiration to act our story with a chorus of ballet dancers and a quartet representing the many thousands of mothers who perished unnecessarily, makes this a very powerful piece of theatre for me. I am thrilled to be reviving it in London at the Harold Pinter Theatre.”
With preview tickets from £10 and over 350 tickets a week at £25 or less, the production will play for a strictly limited 14-week run.
Booking for National Theatre Members, Bristol Old Vic Members and ATG Theatre Card Members opens on 17 March at midday.
To sign up for advance booking, please go to https://drsemmelweistheplay.com/ by 22 March – with tickets available from 24 March for those who have signed up, and for SFP Mailing List Members.
Public booking opens on 31 March at midday.
Sonia Friedman Productions and the National Theatrepresent
the Bristol Old Vic Production of
DR SEMMELWEIS By Stephen Brown with Mark Rylance
Based on an original idea by Mark Rylance
Directed by Tom Morris; Set and Costume Design by Ti Green; Lighting Design by Richard Howell Choreography by Antonia Franceschi; Music by Adrian Sutton
“We are the doctors of the modern age. We are marching into battle.”
Mark Rylance returns to the West End as one of medicine’s greatest pioneers, maverick Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis – the man whose research could save many millions of mothers’ lives.
But what good is a discovery when it falls on deaf ears?
In Vienna, a city of artistic and scientific revolution, thousands of women are still dying in childbirth each and every year. Only Dr Semmelweis can see the invisible killer at work, but to stop it, he must convince his colleagues to admit culpability and approve change.
Damned by an establishment that questions his methods, his motives and even his sanity, Semmelweis is haunted by the women he has failed to save. Can he finally convince the greatest doctors of 19th century Europe to accept his argument – and what will it cost him to make an almost impossible case?
Following a “smash hit” (Mail on Sunday), sold-out run at Bristol Old Vic, this “compelling new drama” (The Telegraph) directed by Tom Morris, featuring live music by Adrian Sutton and original choreography by Antonia Franceschi of Balanchine’s New York City Ballet, comes to the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End for a strictly limited run this summer.
In association with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Mark Rylance plays Dr Semmelweis. His theatre credits include Othello (Shakespeare’s Globe), Farinelli and the King (Shakespeare’s Globe/Duke of York’s Theatre/Belasco Theatre), Nice Fish (Harold Pinter Theatre – also co-writer with Louis Jenkins), Twelfth Night (Shakespeare’s Globe/Apollo Theatre/Belasco Theatre – Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play), Richard III (Shakespeare’s Globe/Apollo Theatre/ Belasco Theatre), Jerusalem (Royal Court Theatre/Apollo Theatre/Music Box Theatre – Olivier Award for Best Actor and Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play, and Apollo Theatre 2022), La Bête (Comedy Theatre/Music Box Theatre), Boeing-Boeing (Apollo Theatre/Cort Theatre – Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play) and Much Ado About Nothing (Queen’s Theatre – Olivier Award for Best Actor). Rylance was the Artistic Director of the Shakespeare’s Globe for 10 years (1996-2006). His television credits include Wolf Hall – BAFTA Award for Best Actor and an Emmy nomination. His film credits include Institute Benjamenta, Bridge of Spies – Academy Award and BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor, The BFG, Ready Player One,Dunkirk, Waiting for the Barbarians, The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Phantom of the Open, Don’t Look Up, Bones and All, and The Outfit.
Tom Morris has been Associate Director at the National Theatre since 2004. He was Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic from 2009 to 2022, where he re-established the theatre’s programme after closure, conceived and directed two landmark festivals (Bristol Proms, festival of world class music and integrated digital technology in collaboration with Watershed Bristol and Universal Music, and Bristol Jam: Britain’s first festival of improvised performance). He also oversaw a major restoration and refurbishment of Britain’s oldest continuously working theatre – creating direct visibility from the street for the very first time. He was Artistic Director of BAC from 1995 to 2004 where he established the scratch developmental programme, restructured the organisation, set up and curated A Sharp Intake of Music, Playing in the Dark, the British Festival of Visual Theatre and the Sam Shepard Festival, and BAC Opera, where he produced Jerry Springer the Opera. His work as a director includes Juliet and her Romeo,The Meaning of Zong (with Giles Terera), Cyrano, King Lear, Touching the Void, The Grinning Man, Swallows & Amazons and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (all for Bristol Old Vic and/or West End/International tour), Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo (Vienna Statsoper), Breaking the Waves (Scottish Opera/ Opera Ventures, EIF, Opera Comique, Adelaide Festival), TheDeath of Klinghoffer (ENO & Metropolitan Opera), Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (NT), War Horse (NT, Lincoln Center and world tour (winning numerous awards including Tony for Best Director, with co-director Marianne Elliott)), Disembodied, Newsnight: The Opera, Home, Passions, Unsung, Othello Music, Trio and All That Fall (all for BAC). Writing includes A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker (Bristol Old Vic), World Cup Final 1966, Jason & the Argonauts and Ben Hur (all with Carl Heap for BAC), The Wooden Frock, Nights at the Circus and A Matter of Life and Death (all with Emma Rice for Kneehigh) and the libretto for Orpheus in Hell for ENO. Morris was founding Chair of the JMK Trust, is the current Chair of Complicité, has honorary doctorates from UWE and Bristol University, and an OBE for services to Theatre.
Save the date for TheatreCraft 2023, the UK’s largest free theatre careers event.Taking place at London’s Royal Opera House on Monday 20 November 2023, TheatreCraft is the place for young people to explore a huge range of offstage jobs.
Open to 16 to 30-year-olds, the day offers a unique glimpse into a wide range of non-performance careers from directing, stage management and producing, to marketing, lighting and costume design. Attendees can take part in interactive workshops and join backstage tours at the Royal Opera House and other West End venues. They can ask questions of leading industry professionals, explore a Marketplace full of arts organisations and training providers, network with your peers and potential employers and get one-to-one expert advice. All for free!
TheatreCraft continues to address the skills shortage in the sector, showcasing a range of offstage roles and allowing young people to highlight jobs they may not know existed. For young professionals already in theatre, workshops and conversations provide opportunities for career development and much food for thought, (last year we focused on sustainability, funding models and new technologies).
Registration will open later in the year, so pop the date in your diary and sign up to the TheatreCraft newsletter to be first to register for the event and book your workshops and tours. For anyone who can’t attend in person, we will also have a busy online programme.
TheatreCraft 2022 was attended by hundreds of young creatives, over 70 theatre professionals led workshops, talks and Q&A sessions, and 60 of the country’s top theatre companies, arts organisations and education providers exhibited in the Marketplace. In 2023, TheatreCraft will be even bigger!
TheatreCraft was founded by Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass Trust (Masterclass) in 2003, and is now co-produced by Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass Trust, Royal Opera House, Society of London Theatre and Go Live Theatre Projects.
Details of when registration will be open and the days schedule will be announced later this year.
Quotes:
“We are delighted to host TheatreCraft again this year, opening our doors to hundreds of young people as they explore the wealth of opportunities available to them in this exciting industry. So many talented people started their journey with Theatrcraft, and I look forward to seeing more follow in their footsteps as we work together to make the UK’s theatre industry the best in the world.” – Alex Beard, CEO of the Royal Opera House
‘We are really proud to be able to continue this flagship careers event for young people looking to join our theatre workforce. Finally back in full capacity, we plan to offer more workshops, tours, industry conversations and inspire the next generation of backstage workers. We are pleased to be able to join forces with new and existing oganisations to extend our reach and let young people know theatre has a place for them’. – Claire Walker & Hannah Essex, SOLT and UK Theatre
‘Our industry is full of people whose journey started at TheatreCraft. This year we will inspire another new cohort of young creatives, bringing them together with organisations where they can learn their craft and make brilliant theatre.’ – Clare Annamalai, Masterclass
‘This annual event provides an unsurpassed occasion for young people seeking a career ‘behind the stage’ to discover the huge range of opportunities the world of theatre has to offer. For anyone intent on a job in the theatre industry, this is a not-to-be-missed event!’ – Susan Whiddington, Go Live Theatre Projects
Nottingham was looking and feeling decidedly wet and wintry on Tuesday evening as we headed to the theatre for an evening of bucolic entertainment.
The Cunning Little Vixen Opera was written at the end of the First World War by Janacek. It is based on a very popular newspaper cartoon of the time. It is a story of the natural cycles of nature and life. On the one hand the animals, birds and insects gossiping and lazing in the forest on the other the dour middle-aged men full of regret and longing.
The story highlights Janacek’s love and understanding of nature and the natural world. It has stood the test of time and has some surprisingly “modern” ideas about feminism, freedom and liberation.
Whilst it is viewed as an opera the work includes dance, puppetry and spoken verse. This current production has its origins in the 1980s and was originally directed by Sir David Pountney. It has been revived for Opera North by Elaine Tyler-Hall (Associate Director and Choreographer).
The curtains draw back to show a rolling landscape (set and costume design by Maria Bjorson) with branches hanging down to create the illusion of the forest. In the branches there are suspended rocking chairs with birds watching the scenes unfold. The opening dance by the dragonfly (Stefanos Dimoulas) is light and ethereal, whereas the mosquito (Kamil Bien) is comedic with its bloodstained proboscis. The stage soon fills with all manner of animals, insects and birds. My particular favourite was the badger (Paul Gibson) all grump and whiskers.
On to the scene bounds the youthful fox Vixen Sharp Ears . Clad in red tights, black feet and russet hair. The adult role is played by Elin Pritchard . She is energetic, playful and has a wonderful voice.
The set works its way through the four seasons. The transition from winter to spring caused the audience to gasp and giggle! The set opens to reveal the dark and morose forester’s hut and the grey tavern.
The stand out scene for me was the hens and the cockerel. Vixen Sharp-Ears having dealt with the amorous advances of the dog (James Davies) turns her attention to the farmyard hens and cockerel. Their costumes and mannerisms are fantastic, comic and clever in equal measure. Sharp-Ears tries to liberate the hens. She talks to them about feminism and not being ruled by the cockerel. Sadly and all too predictably they don’t take her advice and well it doesn’t end well for the hens. A fox has to do what a fox has to do.
The three act opera follows the life of Sharp-Ears as she meets her mate, produces a whole load of cubs. Each one the spitting image of their parents, but too many to count! All the while she taunts and haunts not only the Forester (Richard Burkhard) but also the Poacher (Callum Thorpe). Eventually her luck runs out and she meets her end. However the circle of life continues with her oldest daughter emerging centre stage.
The production is supported by a full orchestra, spilling out into two of the boxes, conducted with great pace and enthusiasm by Oliver Randell.
My only disappointment is that some of the singers (in particular the younger cast members) sometimes struggled to be heard above the orchestra. This might have been because we were sitting in the stalls and consequently very close to the orchestra.
Fortunately our production had surtitles on two screens, which ensured we could pick up the lyrics.
Shaw takes a contentious subject and lays it out for all to see. Originally written in 1893, even today we find the story hard hitting. This is the story of resourceful women in a patriarchal society, that forces women to be dependent on men. 220 years later we are still battling for women’s rights with men like Shaw standing right beside us, using the medium of theatre to tell it how it is.
Caroline Quentin (Mrs Warren) takes the range of emotion in this piece in her stride. The pretence as a woman of substance eventually slipping into her native dialect, she takes you on a journey of duality, love and harsh reality. The main character Vivie (Rose Quentin) is determined to make her own way in the world, without having to marry for status or relying on her mothers money. Rose Quentin portrays the strength and vulnerability of a determined woman, when faced with the misogyny of the men she is surrounded by. The relationship between Mrs Warren (C Quentin) and her daughter (R. Quentin) has not been necessary up until now, as long as she has given Vivie the opportunities in life to better herself. Facing old age, Mrs Warren (C Quentin) now sees that she is once again in a vulnerable position, with no one to look after her. The final scenes where this comes to light spotlights the talent of Caroline and Rose Quentin in the heart breaking revelations. Simon Shepherd (Sir George Crofts) is the perfect device to accentuate the position of women of the 19th century. Shepherd flexes between affable and vicious with ease. The ensemble create the mood of the time, with pretence and outward appearance being the norm and of utmost importance. We have some glimmer of hope in Praed (Stephen Rahman-Hughes) who offers a different view to the audience, as an outsider not so much embroiled in the profession of Mrs Warren.
I was struck by the beautiful set created for each scene, cleverly contrived to draw the audience in. The creative team offered a glimpse into a previous world, through costume and the set. In the words of the Quentin’s, this is a piece that is ‘often hilarious and eventually deeply moving’. They have done George Bernard Shaw proud.
