Little Eyolf, Almeida Theatre ****

From Greeks to Europeans, Rupert Goold now has a season of Ibsen and Chekhov, first being Richard Eyre's staging of his own adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's Little Eyolf. The work of Ibsen and Chekhov often inspire the same dread as with Greek drama. The focus on the bourgeoisie and the flowery language makes it difficult for me to find an in to the drama. Eyre's adaptation, however, is far easier to relate with all the flowers pruned and a three act play being condensed into an 80 minute roller coaster of tragedy. Tim Hatley's pristine and pretty set of a wooden veranda with a mountain backdrop lulls you into a false sense of security before being ripped apart by the brutality of Eileen Walsh's rat woman who induces death and destruction on this wealthy family. The cool and settling nature of the Scandinavian sounds and fjords are given a more brutal and harsh characteristic by Ibsen and Eyre and Jon Driscoll's videos bring this out. The whole play and production is full of deception deceit and finding new meaning, with the innocence of childhood and the relationship between siblings being challenged. Jolyon Coy is wonderful as Alfred, whose revelation to focus attention on Eyolf starts a competition between the child and Lydia Leonard's superbly portrayed Rita, whose sexual desires create hatred and distrust. This is a brutal and raw production of Ibsen at his best.

Medea, Almeida Theatre ***

The final production of the Ameida's Greek season brings Kate Fleetwood as the vengeful Medea in Rupert Goold's strikingly modern production with Rachel Cusk's reimagining of Euripides' tragedy as the story of the divorce between two successful writers has an unrelentingly feminist message whilst, in the process, discussing the destructive nature of divorce and the emotional damage it can bring to children in the middle of it. The notable thing about this production is the change of ending. If you are coming for horror, blood and gore, you will be disappointed. No screams or any graphic scenes are constructed, with a clinical production and design from Ian Macneil. Any production of Medea hinges on the quality of the titular character and Kate Fleetwood is a worthy Medea. She is angry and vengeful in the role yet also containing love and sanity which earths her and, with a frustrating and annoying chorus of mothers, seems like the most sensible person there. Whilst I'm not totally satisfied with Cusk's adaptation, with an ending which makes little sense and a family whose first world problems are hard to totally sympathise with, yet there are some stimulating issues raised in this adaptation. The supporting cast is strong with Amanda Boxer's mother demonstrating how not only men prevent oppose feminism and Justin Salinger being a husband who, whilst amiable enough, is unsympathetic and is not subtle or caring enough to command the audiences respect which creates a fiery and tense relationship on stage. Whilst some found the chorus annoying, I found it relevant and an interesting translation of the cliques between mothers but with some pathos to be found in some of them, notably Ruth Everett's character. The cleaning lady is a misstep which really just provides a foil to demonstrate how well off and lucky Medea's family is, which diminishes the strength and power of the piece. I can't see this interpretation of Medea being used again but it is a valid and stimulating work that captures both the position of feminism in the modern age very well.

Oresteia, Trafalgar Studios *****

It was with great surprise and delight that I found out that Icke's acclaimed production was getting a West End transfer. I had no idea what it was about when I saw it at the Almeida so each twist of the plot seemed truly remarkable.  Getting to look back at this production is good, therefore, to be able to see the production with some knowledge of the plot was enlightening. The story of Electra makes more sense the second time around whilst you could see the proleptic irony in the first family dinner. I also forgot how shocking it is, much more so than 1984. The feminist spin at the end didn't feel forced and Oliver Ryan is just as creepy as Calchas whilst the original cast are just as spellbinding here as at the Almeida. I can't think of a production that I could have wished a West End run on more as this is an impressive and important piece of theatre that as many people as possible need to see.

My original blog post is here: http://britainstheatre.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/oresteia-almeida-theatre_28.html 

1984, Playhouse Theatre ****

I'm a wimp. I can't sit through any horror movie and I jump whenever a gunshot is used in the theatre. Therefore, perhaps sitting in the middle of the first row for 1984 wasn't one of my smartest ideas. I am proud to say that I managed to get through it in one piece without closing my eyes. This is a brutal adaptation of Orwell's image of dystopia. Icke and Macmillan capture the text wonderfully and it is rendered by a talented cast. Icke has a fantastic understanding of how to capture horror on stage and, whilst this isn't as layered or exhilarating as his Oresteia, the ability to create an atmosphere of fear and oppression is masterful. The idea of of the oppressive nature of the party is captured by Chloe Lamford superbly. She firstly uses a set that almost lulls the audience into a false sense of security before stripping it back to reveal a bigger and scarier reality. It is at this point that we, as audience members, are directly addressed by their actions which is made obvious by the house lights being turned on. Natasha Chivers' use of lighting allows strange and eerie trickery to occur that even kept the front row confused whilst Tom Gibbons' video design brings the art of film and uses it to a positive effect on the stage as dramatic irony for the ever- watching eye of Big Brother. This piece is made necessary in an age of surveillance and a world where a North Korea loss at the World Cup leads to 're-education'. Whilst the gimmick of the nursery rhyme feels ineffective and clichéd, it is the sole creative misstep in an impressive production.
And yet, I still left slightly frustrated. This production is far from alone and it is a subject that I get very frustrated with. Since Oppenheimer, I haven't commented about it but it has been niggling me for a long time. The lack of diversity here is noticeable. Two white, male directors are in charge of a company of white, British actors. Perhaps the production calls for a company that are identical but I mainly think this is a production from fantastic companies such as Headlong and the Almeida which produce diverse and interesting pieces from many cultures (I am not familiar with the Nottingham Playhouse's work) so it is a shame that there is no visible effort here in a production that could clearly encourage BAME actors. They're not alone with shows having their 'token' black person or having none at all and I hope this hasn't detracted from my view of what is a truly remarkable show. However, whilst I appreciate the quite brilliant production values and acting on the stage, I still feel more needs to be done here and across the West End to reflect the wonderful diversity we have in Britain.

Bakkhai, Almeida Theatre ***

Bakkhai, according to Rupert Goold is about 'gender, about wildness, and about who, when the framework of society is stripped away, we really are.' These high concept and big ideas are addressed very well in James Macdonald's production of the Euripides tragedy. However, to me, Bakkhai is a play about pain, loss and corruption of power. These smaller and more heartfelt themes are not conveyed here. Anne Carson's adaptation sacrifices clear narrative structure for poetry and dressing. Character development is abandoned bar an exposition part at the beginning from Whishaw's Dionysis that, in a Star Wars fashion, tells us the ins and outs of the story so far. Macdonald's use of a chorus too is a shame as they feel unconnected to the three actors, almost creating two separate productions. In spite of this, the talent on that stage is perhaps the strongest this year. The quality of the voices in the Bakkhai are astonishing and create an eerie atmosphere thanks to Orlando Gough's polyphonic compositions. They carry off speaking in unison very well, maintaining both clarity and character. Kevin Harvey is also superb in a plethora of roles which are all different, not just in accent but in character, movement and tone. Whishaw and Carvel give two standout performances that, in any other production would be showered in awards. However, Ben Wishaw's beguiling yet cruel God and Carvel's pathetic Pentheus and mad turning despairing Agave are diluted by a creative team who want to concentrate on the big issues rather than concentrating on the more powerful ones. Carvel especially suffers as Agave who, whilst his singing is too similar to his Miss Trunchable to have a profound effect, his grief stirred the only shred of emotion in the piece. Whilst Oresteia left me an emotional wreck, Bakkhai left me cold in spite of some of the best and talented performances currently on stage.

Oresteia, Almeida Theatre *****

You have intense and then you have this. Icke's interpretation of Aeschylus's tragedy is so tense, I almost walked out. I have never seen any Greek drama which has had a real effect on me. I was underwhelmed by Binoche's Antigone and whilst I admired Kristin Scott Thomas' Electra, I didn't particularly feel anything about her situation. In this adaptation, you are shown every angle, from feeling sympathy for Williams' Klytemnestra to fearing her to the pain felt by Electra, perfectly portrayed by stage newcomer Jessica Brown Findlay who captures the pain as well as Scott Thomas yet, by showing her happy in the first act, the emotion is felt stronger (even though I don't think she ever existed!!). The traditional story is told through flashback through Orestes, who is played by Luke Thompson and who I think can have a more intense effect in the indoor space than at the Globe, who is telling this story to Lorna Brown's character, who remains ambiguous until the end. This family drama is set up well by Icke who creates a typical family atmosphere, hereby creating characters who you can feel for. The family dynamic at a glance seems normal; the odd family row but nothing major. This means that the dilemma that Agamemnon faces, here played in a statesmanlike fashion by Angus Wright, is made even more horrifying. It also makes the grief felt by Klytemnestra even more real. The use of song also helps this production gain traction, with the well known hit 'God Only Knows' being used for an eerie and haunting purpose. The moral dilemma asked to Agamemnon poses to the audience the same question, often asked in the RS classroom but here made all too real. They are the questions of how to measure and compare people's suffering and that of justice and equality. This family drama cum crime thriller cum horror extravaganza is made slick and efficient by Icke's decision to cut the chorus which, whilst usually would seem strange, here it works to create a bare, isolated stage which mirrors the feelings of the characters on the stage. This is helped by the cold, empty space designed by Hildegard Bechtler that encorporates the history of the text whilst encorporating video (which is designed excellently by Tim Reid) on sliding panels, along with modern costume to make this piece relatable instead of stuck in time. This is a landmark production of a greek play and, as well as maintaining the good form the Almeida has had over the past few years, has redefined how to stage a classic. It is pure class.

King Charles III, Whyndham's Theatre ****

Tom Piggot Smith in King Charles III

When this hit first arrived at the Almeida, I was extremely disappointed not to get a ticket. Therefore, I was delighted to get tickets at yet another transfer to the West End for the company.

And I could not have picked a better time to see it. I can not think of a more relevant play than this, immediately after the Scottish referendum and the talk of devolution still strong in the mind, this play directly addresses this question in a dystopian future about the death of our current monarch and the chaos that ensues. It is one of the best written plays to come out of England in the last 20- 30 years with Mike Bartlett giving us perhaps the strongest pieces of verse since Shakespeare. This, in turn, is acted with brilliant performances from Piggot Smith and Oliver Chris, last seen in Great Britain at the National. Actually, King Charles III makes a very strong double billing  with Bean's new comedy, recently transferred to Theatre Royal Haymarket. It both picks up on similar themes and takes them in very different directions. Great Britain talks about the press and their role in privacy whereas, in Bartlett's play, freedom of the press is a very prominent theme. It also is great fun. The audience laughed at the snide comments and in jokes about the royalty. This play, in my opinion, is a play that will be showcased for years and years as some of Britain's greatest pieces alongside Shakespeare's Hamlet and Bennet's The History Boys. If you want to see great writing on show, this is the show for you.

Oliver Chris and Lydia Wilson in Kind Charles III