Ekaterina Krysanova, Semyon Chudin, Maria Alexandrova and
Vladislav Lantratov of the Bolshoi Ballet
with students of London Russian Ballet School present
Romantic Revolution
London Palladium, Argyll Street, London W1F 7TF
Monday 18th September 2017, 7.30pm

For one night only, London Russian Ballet School (LRBS) will continue its collaboration with the world-famous Bolshoi Ballet and Theatre, bringing ballet and classical music to young people in London

700 children from Lambeth, Brent, South West and West London, who have never visited a theatre to see ballet and most of whom have never heard of the Bolshoi Ballet, will join the audience at the London Palladium for free, with transport provided. Romantic Revolution is a philanthropic endeavour to engage these young children in ballet and impart the richness of this art.

Leading Bolshoi principals will present an outstanding programme with LRBS students, to include the spectacular classic Don Quixote. A new work will be premiered which has been specially created for Alexandrova and Lantratov. Accessibility is the driving force of Romantic Revolution with tickets priced affordably to enable as wide an audience as possible to see Bolshoi artists perform.

LRBS, based in Clapham, is a vocational school and charity which teaches ballet to and educates young people from widely diverse backgrounds. Its Artistic Director, Evgeny Goremykin, danced with the Bolshoi Ballet for over twenty years and founded the school on the principles of his own ballet education with a dominant ethos of opportunity and inclusivity.

The goal of the school is to give students the best of the past in order to work for the future; in this vein, students train with former artists of the great theatres and ballet schools of Russia where tradition and knowledge are passed from one generation to the next. LRBS believe that the Russian method, one of the finest in the world, may be applied to any individual with great success.

Dame Gillian Lynne comments, The London Russian Ballet School is an inspirational, tough and practical ballet school. It is extremely good and inspired by the addition of the Bolshoi’s impeccable standards. Russian ballet training has always been extremely effective and important and these children are very lucky to be able to be part of the beautiful art that ballet incorporates and also to have the chance to develop, lead and inspire the talent within their souls. I am in a unique position to talk about Russian Ballet training given that I was lucky enough to work with Vera Volkova during the war who also trained Margot Fonteyn. Dance has no barriers, it is a universal and powerful art which will always endure and should be accessible to all. This year, over 700 children have been invited to the London Palladium in September to see the LRBS pupils perform with leading principal artists from the Bolshoi Ballet, something they would otherwise never have been able to do. It will give them a chance to experience the extreme discipline of this teaching which will lead to their
enjoyment of the beauty of ballet and the enriching of their souls which this kind of training will produce

LRBS has an extensive outreach performance programme to engage young children in the world of ballet and classical music. It regularly performs for over 3,000 children each year in local underprivileged schools. These children experience ballet accompanied by young musicians in their school halls. The Head of Inclusion from a Lambeth Primary commented, It was lovely to see our children’s full attention taken by such a wonder on the stage…and for nearly all it was the first time that they had seen a ballet production on stage.

The Wedding

Gecko’s most ambitious show to date visits HOME for a limited run

 

Award-winning physical theatre company Gecko’s new show The Wedding focuses on personal and political marriage. With a performing company of nine, this is Gecko’s most ambitious show to date and visits Manchester’s HOME for a limited run (12-16 September). 

www.geckotheatre.com / @GeckoTheatre / Facebook.com/GeckoTheatre1

 Gecko is an award-winning and internationally-acclaimed physical theatre company, led by Artistic Director Amit Lahav. Established in 2001, Gecko has developed 6 full-length shows, numerous youth projects and workshops and celebrated its 15^th anniversary last year.

We are all married, bound by a contract.

But what are the terms of this relationship? And can we consider a divorce?

 

Gecko’s seventh creation, The Wedding, is inspired by the complexities of human nature: the struggle between love and anger, creation and destruction, community and isolation.   

The extraordinary ensemble of nine international performers guides audiences through a blur of wedding dresses and contractual obligations, a dystopian world in which we are all brides, wedded to society.

Combining movement, imagery and provocative narratives in Gecko’s trademark style, The Wedding brings these contracts into question with an emotionally charged and spectacular performance.

We all want to believe in our journey, but where are we heading? Is it too late to stop, to go back, to fall in love, to start again?

Amit Lahav, Gecko’s Artistic Director, has devised a rigorous and productive process of developing a show over a period of two years, including an initial phase of development followed by a Creation Tour in which the show changes and progresses dramatically. The Wedding’s first work in progress was shared in June 2016 at Pulse Festival in Ipswich and the show’s Creation Tour took place in spring 2017 (Northern Stage in Newcastle, New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich and Warwick Arts Centre in Coventry).

“Walked in to watch a play. Left feeling ready to change the world.” Audience response at New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich

“So glad people are making such raw, powerful theatre.” Audience response on Twitter

 

Autumn tour dates include: HOME in Manchester (12-16 September), Exeter Northcott 21–23 September), Lighthouse in Poole (3 October) and Hall for Cornwall in Truro (6-7 October).

Supported by Arts Council England and Ipswich Borough Council. The Wedding is a Gecko production co-commissioned by DanceEast and New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich, Northern Stage, HOME Manchester and Beijing 707 N-Theatre Co. Ltd (Edinburgh Fringe Showcase in China) in association with Lighthouse, Poole and Warwick Arts Centre, supported by The Point, Eastleigh.

 

Amit Lahav, Gecko’s Artistic Director said: “Our first experience with HOME was last year with Institute. I think we all felt that there was a chemistry with the HOME team and its place in the City; a shared vision regarding our style and approach to performance. So there was little surprise that the audience’s response was so warm and energised. We are delighted that HOME have supported us through the process of making The Wedding and look forward to developing our relationship with our Manchester friends.”

Walter Meierjohann, Artistic Director: Theatre, HOME, added: “We are thrilled to welcome back Gecko to HOME. This award-winning company is internationally renowned for their visual and ambitious work, putting audiences at the heart of the narrative. For The Wedding, Amit Lahav explores personal and political marriage – in typical Gecko-style: poetical, inspiring, moving and entertaining.”

Tango Moderno at Hull New Theatre

Strictly Come Dancing stars bring show to venue in February

Strictly Come Dancing stars Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace are bringing their hot new stage show to Hull New Theatre in February.

Tango Moderno is the irresistible spectacular from the pair, who have been dance partners for more than two decades, world champions and West End performers.

Vincent and Flavia’s famous tango style will combine with dazzling theatrical flair to bring audiences a tango for today.

Tango is the rhythm of the city, the heat of the streets and the pulse of life, intoxicating the world with its incredible passion and intensity.

This new production follows the incredible successes of Vincent and Flavia’s Midnight Tango, hailed as ‘a triumph’ by the Daily Telegraph, the ‘utterly unmissable’ Dance Til Dawn (Smooth Radio) and the ‘fabulous must-see’ The Last Tango (Radio Times), promising a classic yet fresh and modern show.

Tickets for Tango Moderno at Hull New Theatre from Tuesday, February 6 to Saturday, February 10 2018 are from £18 with concessions available. They go on sale at 10am on Friday, July 7.

Extras members receive a £10 discount on the opening night and a £4 discount on Wednesday to Thursday performances on the top three ticket prices, including premium seats. Extras members can also access 24-hour priority booking from 10am on Thursday, July 6.

Book at the Hull City Hall box office or call 01482 300 306. Visit our new website www.hulltheatres.co.uk to book online.

FAT FRIENDS THE MUSICAL GOES ON SALE AT THE LYCEUM THEATRE, SHEFFIELD

 

Sam Bailey (X Factor, Chicago) and Jodie Prenger (I’d Do Anything, Shirley Valentine) star alongside Former England cricket captain, and star of Sky’s League of Their Own, Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff in Fat Friends – The Musical at the Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield from Mon 12 – Sat 17 February. Tickets go on sale to members on Sat 8 July and on general sale on Sat 15 July.

The award-winning Jodie Prenger who recently appeared in Shirley Valentine at the Lyceum Theatre, will lead the company in the beloved role of Kelly Stevenson with Freddie Flintoff playing opposite her as her fiancée Kevin Chadwick. They are joined by Sam Bailey, who rose to fame winning the tenth series of The X Factor, who plays the role of Betty.

Fat Friends – The Musical is written and directed by BAFTA and multi award-winning Kay Mellor. Kay is one of the UK’s most prolific writers whose extensive television credits include hit series ofBand of Gold, The Chase, The Syndicate, In the Club and whose stage credits include A Passionate Woman.

Fat Friends hit television screens in October 2000, following the lives of a group of overweight friends as they struggle with the absurdities of modern dieting. Running for five years on ITV, the show starred Alison Steadman, Gaynor Faye and Lisa Riley and launched the careers of James Corden and Ruth Jones. Written by Kay Mellor, the show was nominated for multiple awards including the BAFTA for Best Drama Series.

Fat Friends – The Musical features original music and songs composed by Nicholas Lloyd Webber, design by Bretta Gerecke, musical supervision, orchestrations and arrangements fromSimon Lee, sound design by two time Olivier Award winning Gareth Owen and lighting design from Tony Award nominated Nick Richings.

The ‘weight’ is over; Packed full of warmth, life and weight loss, this brand new stage show reunites our favourite foodie friends in an original musical bulging with hopes, humour and heart. Join the infamous group of loveable characters as they are put through their Zumba paces at their local branch of Super Slimmer’s by the lovelorn Lauren whilst Kelly fantasises about fitting into the wedding dress of her dreams. Fat Friends offers a generous serving of hilarious fun with a sprinkle of romance on top!

Fat Friends – The Musical comes to the Lyceum Theatre from Mon 12 February – Sat 17 February. Tickets can be purchased from Sheffield Theatres’ Box Office in-person, by phone on 0114 249 6000 or online at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk and are priced from £21.00. Concessions and group discounts are available.

 

Quays Theatre, The Lowry, Manchester – 3rd July 2017.  Reviewed by Julie Noller

Back in the 90’s my teenage self never actually watched Waiting For God, therefore I was looking forward to what I perceived would be a play of light humour or light entertainment to coin that old TV phrase. My friend on the other hand was really excited as she had loved the show.

The Lowry is the last stop on its U.K tour yet the cast showed no sign of tiredness. The set made clever use of the space with the two apartments either side of the stage and any set changes being subtle and swift, a table added to centre stage for the dining hall inside Bayview, a hospital bed for the hip replacement and birth scene (note to reader not at the same time) chairs added for hospital waiting rooms, wow all this in just under two hours! In a nutshell it was indeed light entertainment, I chuckled, I thought of my own parents, of my Grandparents, of my future. It was full of witty one liners with the sarcasm very typically British.

Originally penned by Michael Aitkins as a stage play, it’s polished and at most times it moves with fast paced slickness, written with Mick Jagger in mind – The Jagger Syndrome. The idea that generations are changing how we no longer retire at 65 and put our feet up. The characters are all written with great understanding of age and its many issues from Jane (Emily Pithon) Harvey (Samuel Collings) Sarah (Joanna Chase) and Geoffrey (David Benson) all younger.

Portraying the naivety that youth exudes, searching for perfection, dreaming, hope. Love connects them to our twilighters (don’t call them senior citizens) who are superbly portrayed by Nichola McAuliffe as Diana Trent, deliciously naughty giving me some hope for life in 20 years time, I want to start plotting and behave very badly. She knows she shouldn’t but when you’re bored with playing solitaire (and cheating with yourself) after years as a War photographer, she discovers that there’s nobody stopping her, challenging her still sharp mind. She wants to drink gin and dance (hip permitting) she wants to feel like a woman – which of course she is, but we are all guilty of viewing those in twilight years as no longer man and woman but tagged as old – such a shame. Jeffery Holland is a far cry from Spike in Hi-di-Hi, as Tom Ballard he’s led a life, his son is hen pecked and it was interesting to see how the characters interact, with Diana encouraging him to stand up to his wife, maybe not with the result he ideally wanted but showing that regardless of age, trials and tribulations of life affect us all. Tom is a sharp dresser and we are never truly sure if he has some genuine senior moments or just enjoys playing with peoples insecurities, he does show an amazing level of understanding towards Dianas personality, allowing her to be herself, a woman but also to bloom. One of my stand out giggles is when Tom turns round in hospital ready to walk away with Diana, he shows no sign of the embarrassment that cripples many of those with youth on their side. He expertly flashes his bottom to the audience, oh those gowns, we’ve all complained about them.

My friend informed me that it was true to the TV series however that ran for five series. I found it was exactly as expected well acted, enjoyable, slick and gave me and the rest of the audience a night of light laughs. I aspire to be like Diana for all her toughness and acting she had a mellow side and emotion briefly showed with the birth of baby Diana, however not for long. Here’s to days to come in our Bayviews of the future drinking gin and behaving badly.

FREE PLACES AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL YOUNG PEOPLE TO ATTEND SHEFFIELD THEATRES’ SUMMER SCHOOL

 

Local theatregoers have donated over £5000 to give 23 young people across South Yorkshire the opportunity to attend Sheffield Theatres’ Summer School completely free of charge.

The generous donations from supporters of Sheffield Theatres will enable 23 young people, who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend the Summer School without financial support, the opportunity to develop their skills in acting, singing and stage craft at the UK’s Regional Theatre of the Year. The funded places also include support for food and travel costs.

Sheffield Theatres’ Summer School runs from Monday 31 July – Sat 12 August (excluding Sat 5 & Sun 6 August) and have three different age groups: ages 9 -12, 13 -15, and 16 -25, as well as a Technical Summer School for young people aged 16+  who are interested in learning about Stage Management, Lighting and Sound. No previous acting or theatre experience is needed, with the two weeks culminating in a performance in the Crucible’s Studio Theatre.

If you would like to apply for a fully funded place for Sheffield Theatres’ Summer School contact [email protected] for further information or call 0114 249 6000. Summer School places start from £150.00 and are available by calling 0114 249 6000 or visiting sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.

 

Sheffield Theatres Listings:

Crucible Theatre

Mon 31 July – Sat 12 August (excluding Sat 5 & Sun 6 August)

Ages 9 – 12
10.00am – 1.00pm | £150.00
Ages 13-15
10.00am – 4.00pm | £185.00
Ages 16-25
10.00am – 4.00pm | £185.00

Technical Summer School
Ages 16+ | £185.00

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR

THE UK AND IRELAND TOUR OF

 

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S

SUNSET BOULEVARD

STARRING

RIA JONES AS ‘NORMA DESMOND’ AND DANNY MAC AS ‘JOE GILLIS’

 

PRODUCED BY MICHAEL HARRISON, DAVID IAN AND CURVE

 

DIRECTED BY NIKOLAI FOSTER

OPENING AT CURVE
ON SATURDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2017

Michael Harrison, David Ian and Curve are delighted to announce full casting for the forthcoming UK and Ireland tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s award-winning musical SUNSET BOULEVARD. Directed by Nikolai Foster, the tour will open at Curve on Saturday 16 September 2017 (press night Thursday 28 September). Tour schedule below with more dates to be announced soon. sunsetboulevardthemusical.com

 

Joining the previously announced Ria Jones as ‘Norma Desmond’ and Danny Mac as ‘Joe Gillis’ will be Adam Pearce as ‘Max Von Mayerling’, Molly Lynch as ‘Betty Schaefer’, Dougie Carter as ‘Artie Green’ and Carl Sanderson as ‘Cecil B DeMille’.

The rest of the company includes Bernadette Bangura, Matthew Barrow, Benjamin Chambers, Joanna Goodwin, Kristoffer Hellström, Iain Mattley, James Meunier, Gemma Naylor, Fiona O’Carroll, Joanna O’Hare, Jessica Paul, Sam Peggs, Tom Vincent and Barney Wilkinson

Last year, Ria Jones played the role of ‘Norma Desmond’ at the London Coliseum when Glenn Close was indisposed, receiving rave reviews and standing ovations for her performance. Ria has recently starred as ‘Dorothy Brock’ in “42nd Street” at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Her West End credits include ‘Fantine’ in“Les Misérables”, ‘Grizabella’ in “Cats” and ‘Florence’ in “Chess”. Her touring credits include ‘Alex’ in “The Witches of Eastwick”, ‘Mrs Overall’ in “Acorn Antiques – The Musical”, ‘Reno Sweeney’ in “Anything Goes” and ‘The Narrator’ in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”.

Danny Mac captured the nation’s hearts and received overwhelming support during his incredible time on BBC1’s “Strictly Come Dancing” making it all the way to the final. He most recently starred as ‘Gabey’ in “On The Town” at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. His other musical theatre credits include “Wicked” and “Legally Blonde”.

 

Adam Pearce’s many West End credits include “Les Misérables” at the Queen’s Theatre, as well as the original casts of “Love Never Dies” at the Adelphi, “The Light Princess at the National Theatre and “Urinetown” at the St James Theatre.  Adam has also appeared in “Evita”, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Sweeney Todd”, all at the Adelphi.

Molly Lynch most recently appeared in English National Opera’s “Carousel” at the Coliseum, where she has also appeared in “Sweeney Todd”. Her other credits include “Fiddler on the Roof” at Grange Park Opera.

Dougie Carter recently played ‘Jean-Michel’ in the national tour of “La Cage Aux Folles”. His West End theatre credits include “Les Misérables” at the Queen’s Theatre and “Alice” at St James Theatre.

Carl Sanderson’s many West End credits include “Cats”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Acorn Antiques – The Musical” and “Starlight Express”. His other theatre credits include the national tours of “My Fair Lady” and “Hairspray” as well as “Guys and Dolls”, “The Music Man” and “The Pajama Game” all at Chichester Festival Theatre.

One of the all-time great musicals, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award®-winning (Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical) masterpiece SUNSET BOULEVARD is a compelling story of romance and obsession, based on Billy Wilder’s legendary film, with Don Black and Christopher Hampton’s wonderful book and lyrics. This much-loved score includes the title number Sunset Boulevard, With One Look, As If We Never Said Goodbye, The Greatest Star Of All and The Perfect Year and will be performed by a full orchestra.

In her mansion on Sunset Boulevard, faded, silent-screen goddess, Norma Desmond, lives in a fantasy world. Impoverished screen writer, Joe Gillis, on the run from debt collectors, stumbles into her reclusive world. Persuaded to work on Norma’s ‘masterpiece’, a film script that she believes will put her back in front of the cameras, he is seduced by her and her luxurious life-style.  Joe becomes entrapped in a claustrophobic world until his love for another woman leads him to try and break free with dramatic consequences.

SUNSET BOULEVARD UK AND IRELAND TOUR 2017/18 – sunsetboulevardthemusical.com

2017

SATURDAY 16 SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY 30 SEPTEMBER

CURVE, LEICESTER  www.curveonline.co.uk

TUESDAY 3 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 7 OCTOBER

EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE www.atgtickets.com/edinburgh

MONDAY 9 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 14 OCTOBER

NEWCASTLE THEATRE ROYAL www.theatreroyal.co.uk

MONDAY 16 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER

SWANSEA GRAND THEATRE  www.swanseagrand.co.uk

MONDAY 23 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 4 NOVEMBER

MANCHESTER PALACE www.atgtickets.com/manchester

MONDAY 6 NOVEMBER – SATURDAY 11 NOVEMBER

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE, ABERDEEN www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/venues/his-majestys-theatre

MONDAY 13 NOVEMBER – SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER

BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME www.birminghamhippodrome.com

MONDAY 20 NOVEMBER – SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER

BORD GAIS ENERGY THEATRE, DUBLIN www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

TUESDAY 28 NOVEMBER – SATURDAY 2 DECEMBER

MILTON KEYNES THEATRE www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

Old Red Lion Theatre 27 June – 22 July.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

You leave some plays with a warm and fuzzy feeling, well Mumburger certainly isn’t one of them; instead you will probably leave feeling uncomfortable and questions flying around inside your head, but thoroughly entertained.

Mum has died, in a crash with a Birdseye lorry on the M25, and Tiffany is trying to sort out funeral plans. Unfortunately, her dad is almost catatonic with grief, and shows no interest in her spreadsheets and to do lists. Any plans are set aside however, when a surprise delivery arrives. Mum had already made arrangements, deciding on a digestive memorial, and Tiffany and dad are faced with the consequences – a greasy bag of mumburgers. This surreal plot twist lifts an already engaging play into the realms of theatrical brilliance, as the audience’s senses are battered with images, sounds and smells that leaves you as stunned as the characters.

The complicated relationship between Tiffany and her dad – trying, and wondering if it’s worth it, to reconnect after years of indifference – is portrayed to great effect by Andrew Frame and Rosie Wyatt. Both actors are totally convincing in their grief. Both characters are in turn annoying, frustrating, pitiful and funny, and the pauses and glances say as much as their words, thanks to the talented cast. Sarah Kosar’s script is sharp and witty, asking lots of awkward questions that have no black or white answers, only shades of grey. The character of mum hangs over the play, and as we hear more about her, it’s obvious why the two can’t really cope – she was the boss, running a vegan household, yet making them eat roadkill and dead pets. Springing the surprise of her burger delivery doesn’t seem out of character, but whether this was an act of love or a power play is up for debate.

As Tiffany and dad struggle with whether to fulfil her last wishes, Kosar lets rip with fantastic spoken word passages from Tiffany, accompanied by disorienting clips of rollercoasters and accidents, as dad tries to become the father Tiffany needs by watching Father of the Bride.

And then they begin to cook. As the actors gasp and gag as they blowtorch the burgers, the audience reaction is audible. There were groans, moans, and a lot of sniffing. My goodness, mum smelled good… Even though you know it’s not real, when they eat the burgers, it is excruciating – again down to the brilliant writing and performances. But just as it gets too much, there’s a killer line that draws laughs of relief – my favourite being “She was 5’9’’ – there must be more left!”

Mumburger is a wonderful cringemaking study of grief, family obligations and social taboos, and is also damn funny. You’ll never have seen anything like this before – grab a ticket while you can.

Park Theatre, 27 June – 22 July.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Chuck Anderson’s new play has a very important message about the presence of industrial chemicals in the environment, and the battle between corporations and scientists over whether the levels in the environment are high enough to damage humans. Unfortunately, the message gets lost in a cliched David versus Goliath story that we’ve all seen before.

Alchemex, makers of the world’s leading weed killer, offer scientist P.G. Washington a research grant to continue his work on the effects of a chemical in the weed killer on the hormones of frogs. When his results become awkward for the company, he refuses to back down, instead publicising the risks of the weed killer. This leads to the company’s PR machine launching a campaign to discredit Prez and his work to protect their interests.

The main problem are the scientists – Prez is just too easy a target for Alchemex. Dreadlocked, dressed like a children’s entertainer, brought up on a sink estate, an egotistical anti-establishment showman, he has all the “interesting” traits a flawed hero has in a Hollywood movie. And is just as annoying – remember Patch Adams? If Prez had been a dull, quiet scientist, this could have been a much more interesting play with less obvious plot points. Mensah Bediako does a great job trying to give the character a little humanity, there are some cracking one-liners, but Prez is not a fully rounded character. The adoration of his research assistant Sandy (Emma Mulkern) is laid on with a trowel – again, it’s nothing to do with the acting, Mulkern gives a splendid performance as the socially inept student with attachment issues – the audience is drip fed her past, and so are given a reason for her adoration of Prez; and needy, lost people clinging on to the feeling of family by revering an unsuitable father figure is a real danger, but it all gets a little melodramatic and overblown. The voice of Alchemex is Rona (Nina Toussaint-White), loyal to the company and willing to stoop to any level to protect the brand. Toussaint-White has a tough job, as Rona is a complete blank, only showing the slightest hint of emotion. Math Sams as Pennington has the most interesting character arc – a scientist, but a complicit company man, whose disillusionment and disgust at what is going on finally leads to him growing a spine.

Chuck Anderson certainly knows his facts, but The View From Nowhere struggles to engage emotionally. The story begins interestingly, but then lurches sharply into TV movie of the week territory. The cast, at times, seem to be concentrating so much on the technical jargon that they forget characters’ names, although I am sure that this will improve during the run. Even the supposedly dramatic climax is puzzling and feels rushed – it just doesn’t ring true. The framing of the play as Prez’s lectures works well though, as does the set design, with projections of cells and formulae on the floor.

The View From Nowhere is a well-intentioned, but flawed attempt at highlighting a serious issue – like the hermaphrodite frogs in the experiments, this play doesn’t seem to have a definite identity and the message gets bogged down in a weekly sketched character study.

Jack Studio Theatre 27 June – 15 July.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

In the land of our fathers, it’s the buried sins of our mothers that destroy our dreams. Wales in the 1980s wasn’t the most optimistic of places, with the death throes of the mining industry and rising unemployment leaving many families and communities in desperate trouble. Sid, Boyo and Gwenny live with their mother in a forgotten town, where the only hope of employment is labouring at the new open cast mine. As the cast creeps nearer to their house, the family refuse to leave, and mam’s eccentricities become increasingly worrying. Told by mam that their father left and went to America when they were young, Sid and Gwenny become obsessed with leaving, and build an idyllic vision of what life in America would be like. Their discovery of Kerouac’s Life on the Road leads them down a nauseating spiral of escapism and fantasy that ends in tragedy. As Sid and Gwenny play at being Jack and Joyce, quoting lines and acting out parts of the book, Boyo can only watch in disbelief and rising horror as he sees his fragile sister disappearing before his eyes. Meanwhile mam’s episodes become more sinister, with talk of blood on the walls, as buried secrets are unearthed.

All very cheerful, but there is a huge amount of dark humour and laugh out loud punchlines in Ed Thomas’s often poetic script. There are moments of wonderful absurdist humour – most memorable being mam in Welsh bonnet eating a bowl of imaginary cawl – gentle riffing philosophy, and shocking violence. Just like a night in the rugby club really. There is a more positive global image of Wales nowadays, but the scars of mining are still deep, and the story is as relevant today as it was in the 80s as austerity bites and communities face financial uncertainty.

The Welsh cast (so no dodgy accents here) are completely believable as this tight knit family. You wouldn’t want to live next door to them, but the cast manage to keep the characters sympathetic even when they are carrying out unconscionable acts. Pete Grimwood and Evelyn Campbell are devastating as Sid and Gwenny, and Robert Durbin will break your heart as Boyo, as his strength gradually crumbles as he realises what has been going on. Lowri Lewis as mam is fantastic – in turns pathetic, defiant, sweet and impish – and convinces as the matriarch determined to keep her family together at home at any cost.

The set is dark and grim, with clever lighting design isolating characters without the need for long scene changes and ramping up the feeling of claustrophobia as the play progresses. My only gripe is the delicacy of the sound effects. An open cast is LOUD. Maybe if the blast siren and explosions were at a more realistic level, the claustrophobia and fragility of the house and family would be even more palpable?

An assured, thought provoking and compelling production, House of America is well worth a look.