King Lear, Shakespeare's Globe **

Joseph Marcell in King Lear

Having seen this production last year, I was intrigued to what changes they would make to a far from perfect rendition of Shakespeare's great tragedy. However, whilst I was engaged for the best part of it, there was no great change. There was an overhaul in the actors with only Lear, the Fool/ Cordelia and Regan staying in their roles. Apart from Beth Cullinane and Marcell, I found the actors slightly overacted their roles. It just seemed like a student production. They did seem to enjoy the experience of performing at the globe but that  response was not equaled by the audience.

West End Live Talks, Leicester Square ***

 

It's time for another West End Live performance. However, having found last years musicals a bit lack luster with shaky sound engineering, I decided to opt for their new emporium and talks. The tent itself was impressive. The sheer quantity of outfits, props, designs and electrical technology was staggering with imput from the Royal Opera House and the National as well as all the commercial shows typically found at West End Live.

The talks themselves started off shakily. First up was the cast of 'Handbagged' who seemed only to talk about how much they enjoyed the experience and how 'they have learnt so much about the Queen and Margaret Thatcher'. I did not leave that tent having learnt anything about, the play, the people or their characters, which was most disappointing. Unfortunately, then I had to leave to see King Lear at the National again (just as emotionally engaging and awe- inspiring as the first time round) before coming back to hear the last talk of the day with the leading couple in the new stage adaption of Shakespeare in Love. This was substantially better than the first talk, partly due to the insight into rehearsals but mainly due to the superb chemistry between Bateman and Briggs- Owen. Whilst there was nothing particularly substantial to the talk, which appeared in a red carpet 'insight' fashion, the charisma of them both won me over, leaving me anticipated for what they and the rest of the cast have to offer.

The second day, on the other other hand, was far more interesting and had much more depth than the first. This was probably because we had the creative teams instead of just the surface so they knew more about what they were talking about. My day started with a talk from director of 'Let the Right One In' John Tiffany who talked about the show journey to the West End as well as it's future on top of describing the inspiration for the set and finding child actor to play the main roles. This was followed by Trafalgar Transformed director Jamie Lloyd talking about the upcoming production of Richard III which put to bed my concerns about the suitability of Martin Freeman to the lead role as well as mentioning the great work of Mousetrap. An equally gripping conversation. The day was rounded off by Magician and theatre illusionist Richard Pinner who gave some great tricks before discussing about his career, the types of tricks he has devised for productions and the hazards of pulling it off. This rounded off a far more positive day two.

In general, I was impressed by the efforts of the West End Live team to branch out into plays. However, they need to lengthen the amount of time their conversations last for to get the most out of the interviewees.

2014 So Far

This is just to get up to speed on everything I've seen in 2014. Will just write a pithy review for each.

Stephen Ward, Aldwych Theatre: 4/5
Lloyd Webber back to his best with outstanding performances from Hanson and Spencer with a fantastic show. Slightly less exciting second act and the brass section being played on a keyboard annoyed after a while but the quality of the songs and the singers singing them make up for it. Sad to see it go.

Alex Hanson and Charlotte Blackledge in Stephen Ward

Photo by Nobby Clarke

Mojo, Harold Pinter Theatre: 3/5
Great performances by the cast although I do feel sorry for Tom Rhys Harries who must have been bored to death backstage with only a few lines in act 2. It definately was not the laugh out loud comedy that the press claimed but was mildly amusing with a much more serious tone that really came through to me. It was a passable way to spend 140 minutes.

Colin Morgan in Mojo

Photo by Simon Annand

  
The Duchess of Malfi, Sam Wannamaker Playhouse: 5/5
I am a huge fan of the Globe and have seen countless performances over the years so am perhaps slightly biased towards the company but this new space is truly spectacular. The play itself is a masterpiece with the dissent into absolute chaos being a executed masterfully.Gemma Arteton is a great Duchess with her death being truly touching. Would have loved to have seen L' Ormindo there but this performance is something else.

Gemma Arteton, James Garnon and David Dawson in The Duchess of Malfi

Photo from The Express

La Boheme, Royal Albert Hall: 3/5
Puccini is a master at creating that sense of romance and intimacy through his music as well as the grand spectacles. However, both of these aspects were partially lost at opera in the round. The problem is that Act 1 and 4 did not convince me that these people were desperate for money, space and warmth in an exposed stage whilst Act 2 is so crowded you have to strain your eyes to see who is singing. The cast can sing remarkably well for what is ,to put it frankly, 'second- rate opera' and the orchestra sent shivers up my spine in Act 4 at Mimi's demise. This is quite a good performance overall but I would like to see how it compares to the Opera Houses' production in July.

The cast in La Boheme

Merchant of Venice schools production, Shakespeare's Globe: 4/5
It is rare to find cheap tickets and good theatre in London but the Globe manage to offer both. This event, primarily for students was offered to the public for free on two of the shows dates. This makes you think that the production is going to lack quality. However, this is not the case. A great interpretation which appeals to children whilst not being patronizing or compromising the piece. This is the perfect way to show students Shakespeare's work.

The cast of the Merchant of Venice

Copyright Ellie Kurttz

Twelve Angry Men,Garrick Theatre: 4/5
Robert Shaw put in a fantastic performance as juror 8. Whilst the accents occasionally wavered, I found this production to be compelling with a fantastic set. It is scary that I did not notice that the whole table revolved until three quarters of the way through the performance. An impressive performance.

The cast of Twelve Angry Men

Photo by Alaistair Muir

Versailles, Donmar Warehouse: 2/5
The problem with this play is that it has a rather irritating second act. The first and third act  is a reasonably insightful view of the effects of the First World War with an interesting take on relationships but is spoiled by a second act which has a whole section where the situation regarding where the coal would go was discussed. It just didn't capture my imagination enough to deserve any more than two stars.

Gwilym Lee and Tamla Kari in Versailles

Photo by Johan Persson

King Lear, National Theatre: 5/5
Trying to get a ticket to this show was painful but the show totally made up for it. Russell Beale is a sublime Lear with genuine menace. Scarborough's fool is really something else and the rest of the cast is equally first class. Gloucester's eye gouging seen is truly disturbing and the whole idea of a dictatorship reminiscant of Stalin's Soviet Union is expertly pulled of by Mendes and his team. There aren't enough superlatives that could describe this show. Shakespeare at its finest.

Adrian Scarborough and Stanley Townsend in King Lear

Photo by Mark Douet