Macbeth, Young Vic *****

I came in to the Young Vic feeling apprehensive. Their previous Shakespeare was less than entertaining and this was another proscenium arch production in a space which is clearly best suited to thrust and in-the-round productions. However, as I started I instantly felt comfortable that Carrie Cracknell and Lucy Guerin knew what they were doing. This Macbeth combines the text with superb choreography which intensifies the supernatural elements of the drama. Ana Beatriz Meireles, Jessie Oshodi and Clemmie Sveaas especially are wonderfully unsettling and physical as the three witches who, in this production, appear to manipulate Macbeth's descent into madness rather than being done by Macbeth's own greed and ambition, shown through their almost continuous presence in the drama. Lizzie Clachan's design also demonstrates Macbeth's fate being pre-determined and his being trapped in yet another striking and ingenious design from Clachan, who is demonstrating the huge talent of designers in modern theatre that is staggering in quality. Neil Austin too has become the go-too guy for great lighting design and he excels here, both concealing the truth and, especially in the banquet scene, contrasts between Macbeth's mind and the action. Performances are immense. Anna Maxwell Martin is a formidable Lady M, not falling into the villainess trap, with her silences meaning as much as her words, which are conveyed with passion and elegance. John Heffernan is quickly turning into my favourite actor with an incomparable gift for maintaining a rhythm and technique whilst portraying pure truth. In Oppenheimer, his performance rescued what, in my opinion, was a flawed production. Here, his talent is allowed to blend in and fuse with perhas the strongest ensemble I've seen this year. Prasanna Puwanarajah also wonderful as Banquo and the casting of his son Fleance is thought provoking and an inspired directorial decision. This is one of the shows of the year and shows that the Young Vic haven't lost their ability to punch above the heavy weights with this gem of a tragedy. (Genuinely awful programmes though. Even worse than the Dorfman one. One tiny article and some biographies simply isn't good enough for three pounds!)

La Musica, Young Vic ***

The Maria, in my short experience, has always provided very alternative theatrical pieces and Jeff James' production of Margarite Dumas' play about a couple meeting up after their divorce is no different. La Musica is a very stereotypically French play. Even Barbara Bray's translation keeps the references and the contemplative tone. The first half sees Emily Barclay and Sam Troughton facing a window away from the audience with cameras capturing the smallest facial expression. This move is less grating than the video usage in Measure for Measure on the main stage and gives the audience a meaningful insight into these people's lives with a cinematic quality. The second sees the action relocated to an in the round setup with the audience moving to both sit and stand whilst the two actors sharing similar sentiments in a more dynamic way. However, at times the repetition bores and despite Ultz's extraordinary design Bray's translation of Dumas' play just isn't interesting enough. Barclay and Troughton try to breathe life into the text with a powerful and complex relationship which is wonderfully and fascinatingly staged by Jeff James yet I just couldn't get over the plodding and static text which disappoints, in spite of the first rate production values.

Measure for Measure, Young Vic ***

2015 seems a popular year for Shakespeare's problem play. First, Cheek by Jowl's fierce production in Russian played at the Barbican. Next, Dromgoole's out-and-out comedy version is about to close at the Globe. At the Young Vic, I don't quite know what Joe Hill-Gibbins has done with Measure for Measure. The symbolism feels more prevalent, whether that be this production or the amount of time I have spent watching this play. Lucio's devilish qualities are enhanced by the fiery costume from Nicky Gillibrand whilst Isabella and Angelo felt very much like Adam and Eve brought before the seemingly omnipresent and omniscient, if not quite omnibenevolant Duke for judgement. I feel for the people who sourced the props, who must have felt very awkward walking into a shop in Soho and requesting about a hundred sex dolls. These represent the sin within Vienna and the way each character treats them in the opening scene tells us about that character in one of  the few good directorial decisions from Joe Hill-Gibbins. Escalus knocks them out the way; Angelo tiptoes around them whilst the Duke steps on them. It all goes downhill from there. Video is a wonderful tool if used to enhance the action on stage. However, when half of the action takes place out of sight with a camera (as it is with Chris Kondeck's video), it becomes no better than an amateur attempt at live cinema. When Pompey (played by Tom Edden as an irksome and seedy American) is wondering round with the dolls with no effect other than cheap jokes karts totally with the serious and meaningful aesthetic of Miriam Buether's design. The klaxon whenever the prison door is opened becomes infuriating whilst Marianna's obsession feels that it comes from a sane place which is challenging to comprehend. As far as the acting is concerned, whilst there are decent performances on stage, there is nothing exceptional about a single member of the cast. As the last of the Measure for Measure's, you can't help but compare them to far superior performances in the previous two versions. Romola Garai, whilst impressive, can feel slightly trapped in the character of Isabella, yet there is real emotion and a drive to her. Paul Ready's Angelo simply isn't interesting enough. He is neither as grotesque as Andrei Kuzichev nor as morally righteous as Kurt Egyiawan. Occasionally it feels like a child is at the helm of Vienna. Dubinsky Varla's Duke is a complex character but frustrated when under the camera lens. He also doesn't have a clear identity yet (it was only the fourth performance). At the Globe, whilst the decision to cast Dominic Rowan's Duke as a bumbling fool was midguided, at least it gave him axle are role in the narrative. Varla feels secondary here, with his manipulation lacking a clear motive. This is a production that wants to be bold and striking yet feels oddly lost in trying to be so different.

Song From Far Away, Young Vic ***

It is pointless for the Young Vic to be transformed into a pros space. For such an immersive and vibrant theatre, you feel slightly disconnected with a traditional staging. Despite this, no Ivo Van Hove production can be dull and here, where a man is naked for 40 minutes of this monologue is guaranteed to engage most audience members for 1 hour 20 minutes. One of the things SImon Stephen's monologue is advertised as being about 'unsettling sex'. What needs to be established is that, just because a playwright describes a man's homosexuality, it doesn't mean that it is an analysis or dissection of sexuality. Sex is very secondary here, with this piece being mainly about the family relationship, with the nudity being a metaphor of this man being stripped of the protective clothing and left exposed to the wounds of his previous life. Jan Versweyveld's design is a bare and lifeless room that represents the loss of feeling Willem has experienced towards his family, including his dead brother. It is a complex and layered production which occasionally can become slow however, a convincing performance from the well toned Eelco Smith as the vulnerable Willem is raw and engaging, with a final scene that is rather emotional. The use of music from Mark Eitzel is interesting even if the actual theme isn't of a high enough quality to be a convincing theme to be catchy. Whilst this is no 'A View from the Bridge' it is still a poignant and quality production from the pair from Toneelgroep to show British creative teams how to do it.

A Number, Young Vic ****

I wouldn't say that the last Caryl Churchill play I saw was a success. Light Shining in Buckinghamshire was very difficult to watch and her writing felt more like a history textbook than a dynamic and engaging drama. I had resolved not to bother with this play after that experience however, after seeing that Michael Longhurst was directing, I got a ticket. It is clear that Churchill can write a decent play. A Number is a fascinating and superbly written piece that both deals with the relationship between fathers and sons as well as medical ethics and the future of science. Her play also is served very well by the creative team who create a unique and thought provoking experience. You're brought into a room with about 50 people with a covered screen facing chairs in a place which has a feel of a hospital waiting room. The sound in the background also feels medical before the blind are peeled back to reveal a mirror which then disappears to reveal John and Lex Shrapnel in a room where the other three sides are mirrors behind which are other audience members. Scutt's complex and fascinating design creates this feeling of the dangers of the advancement of medical science, showing that the unique relationship between a father and his son could be replicated and reproduced in the not too distant future. The flaw is that, by creating this effect, it involves creating a physical barrier between the audience and the actors. This keeps us from ever becoming emotionally involved in the drama properly which is a shame with such an engaging staging of a great play.

The Trial, Young Vic *****

There is a feature in the Delfont Macintosh programmes at the moment that look at the great one man shows. From John Gielgud to Eilleen Atkins to Simon Callow to Kevin Spacey. The latter two I have seen perform and have seen the energy needed to engage the audience and survive on stage for 2 hours. Kevin Spacey achieved it; Simon Callow didn't. Sitting through his Charles Dickens show felt like torture. However, watching The Trial, which is essentially Rory Kinnear's one man show that happens to have other actors in it, felt like you were watching history being made. Richard Jones' production has certainly been devisive with the critics, being one of the few spectacles that has achieved a full house of scores with 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 star reviews being written about it in the press, and you can see why. Gill's adaptation is radical, as is Jones' and Buether's staging and set. K's almost incomprehensible babble that is sprinkled across the 2 hour show could be seen as annoying and protentious if you can't see a justifiable reason for them. The travelator could be seen as unnecessary. And yet, to me, this is yet another top class hit from the best theatre in London. K's babble makes sense to me in showing a potentially  drunk man to show his imperfections or to isolate his inner monologue. Unlike the opera, Kinnear's K is made to be the strange man and the world to be more normal which is a fascinating interpretation of Kafka's work. Kinnear, however, still manages to make the fall of K heartbreaking and scary. He is on the stage all of the time and gives us a masterclass in acting to the extent yet doesn't detract from the chemistry of the play. The ensemble that surround him are also great, notably Kate O' Flynn, Richard Kant and Hugh Skinner. Buether's set and Mimi Jordan Smith's light create a surreal and nauseous world in which we, as the audience, are incorporated into the play as part of this society who knows everything and helps to increase K's anxiety. The travelator generates this feeling that this is a process that is unstoppable and inevitable. The whole experience is a shining example of how to produce surreal and alternative theatre.

World Factory, Young Vic ***

As an antisocial type, being told that the show will involve talking to people almost brought me out in palpitations. Luckily, I was on a table with three lovely people and I just about survived the ordeal. Unfortunately, whilst it deals with challenging issues rather well, as a person in my group remarked, World Factory was 'one sprout away from a Christmas game'. The 'show' involves different groups acting as Factory Owners in China and making decisions about our factories taking either ethical or economic decisions based on cards which are handed out. It did feel like it should be on the shelf of a game shop rather than a theatrical experience. Our four hosts start the Game with some verbatim interviews of British and Chinese workers and parts of speeches from Thatcher and Reagan. This part is really interesting and would make a far more challenging production. I get that they are trying to get us to think about the decisions we make and get an insight into the world of the factory but I think, as a piece of theatre, the verbatim approach works far better than a glorified parlour game.

Ah, Wilderness!, Young Vic ****

Ah, Wilderness hasn't been treated well by the critics. Whatsonstage.com even went as far as giving the production one star, a misfortune that is very rarely given out. Therefore, I went in to the theatre expecting the worst production of a play that could possibly be imagined. I came out confused. Did I just see the same show as the critics? Yes, parts are misjudged. The sand seems to have escaped from the previous production of Happy Days to flood the set of this production and the role of Eugene O' Neil watching over the family to signify the nostalgia. It seems to be an attempt to subvert what is essentially frothy fun. Despite this, even Abrahami's slightly dodgy direction can't hide the beautiful, funny and warm story and the wonderful actors telling it perfectly. I am awful in recognizing bad accents but the accents here seemed OK to me. George Mackay is just wonderful as an adolescent that feels slightly too real and relevant for me. Jamie Dee is also great as a conservative mother who has genuine heart. Yasmin Paige isn't quite as marvellous as I would like as her performance feels shrill and annoying and not in a good way. The rest of the cast, though, are good and the overall result leaves you feeling fuzzy and warm inside.

Happy Days, Young Vic ***

People always say with Shakespeare that people should study his plays before seeing them performed. I strongly disagree with this as I believe Shakespeare, if played in the right way, can be accessible to all who see it. However, in the case of Samuel Becket, I think that extensive classes are needed in order to make sense of his plays. I was at 'This Comedian' at the Duchess when a 'lost Becket play' Pointless Anger, Righteous Ire was performed by Arthur Darvil. This involved two men perched in a bin whilst Darvil read stage directions a violently cut a cake. Coming out of Happy Days at the Young Vic, I think that Pointless Anger made more sense. With more time to think about the play, I understand it better but at the time it felt like intellectuals being intellectual whilst looking down at those which didn't understand the clever references or 'nuances of the piece'. However, I can appreciate it more with some distance, especially the admirable performance the ever- wonderous Juliet Stevenson gives. For an actress to be buried up to the neck in sand and give pretty much a one woman show for two hours 7 times a week is astonishing and her Willy also does as well as a man which is only given grunts and murmurs can do. Whilst I love contemporary, experimental theatre, I fear that even I struggled with this piece and, whilst I admire it, I could never engage with it.

Bull, Young Vic *****

Mike Bartlett has gone from the grandure of King Charles III to the intimacy of his latest play to come to London. Bull is 55 minutes of pure torture; gut-wrenching and awful in its depiction of bullying in the workplace. As soon as you enter the studio space from the Vic, you recognise that this is a sport rather than a play; you recognise the Bull in Sam Troughton's Thomas; you recognise his tormentors in his two collegues and his boss. The set up is that three workers are waiting for a meeting with their boss in which one of the three will be fired. Bartlett's writing is electrifying, dynamic and graphic in order to show this taunting of Troughton's bull. It gets to the point to, at times, manipulating you into confusing the bully for the victim. James' clearly has good taste in terms of writing, having come straight from Bartlett's play about the fall of the monarchy to this masterpiece. He, along with Eleanor Matsuura are device, slippery and superb as the 'toreadors' and Neil Stuke goes from being the clerk in Silk to the boss who joins in with the tormentation of the star of this piece Sam Troughton. There was no lost voice for him in this where he shows an extraordinary range, especially in the last 10 minutes which was almost physically painful to witness. Soutra Gilmour's design is magnificent and simple to give the audience the feeling of witnessing a bull- fight, creating the perfect atmosphere for the tension which Clare Lizzimore directs. Why this has not created more of a fuss stumps me as it is spectacular and secures Mike Bartlett to be, in my opinion, as Britain's greatest living playwright.

A View from the Bridge, Wyndham's Theatre *****

When I saw this production at the Young Vic, I thought I was in a trance. After seeing this transfer to Wyndham's, I can thankfully say that it was as good if not better. The problem for transfers from the Vic is dealing with the transformation between the immersive auditorium at the Cut and the proscenium arch which has less connection with an audience. Despite this, Miller's classic joins the Scottsboro Boys as the second west end transfer for the company at this moment in time. In fact, both shows are on the same street and both are sublime. The direction from Ivory Van Hove is clearly the key factor in this majestic production. Each scene is a portrait; Van Hove strips back everything so you get the true essence of the play and appreciate every small gesture. There were no slips in accent and no actor shines alone as they all are astonishingly good. 

The Cherry Orchard, Young Vic **

The Cast of the Cherry Orchard

It has been a blinding season at the Young Vic, with Streetcar just being nominated for a London Evening Standard award along with A View from the Bridge and the Scottsboro Boys, who both in turn have received west end transfers. All of the pieces have been edgy and exhilarating and have challenged its audience. This production, therefore, seems slightly safe and disappointing. The actors were great, with some such as  Hugh Skinner's Simeon giving a great comic role. Having been described as a tragi-comedy, I was expecting for Stephen's adaption to contain more laughs than it did as well as perhaps see through several themes which are picked up for one act and then are not referred to again. Also, through Mitchell's direction of the part of Peter, he is portrayed too much as the one sane man in a house of lunatics. A mixture of Stephen's text and Mitchell's direction shows him to be the man that has all the answers if everyone just listened to him where in fact, he is just as useless as everyone else. This combined with a mixture of needless full- frontal female nudity and a lack of any heart leads to a, frankly, lack- luster production of a true classic.

The Scottsboro Boys, Garrick Theatre *****

The Cast of the Scottsboro Boys

This new retelling of the famous case of The Scottsboro Boys has now finally made it's way to the West End and it is no understatement that this is perhaps the best music I've seen in some time. The audience lulled into a false sense of security before being smashed to pieces in no time at all. Kander and Ebb's music is typically creepy, especially 'the electric chair' which is just as creepy as anything from Cabaret. The actors also create a deeply uncomfortable feeling, portraying minstrels performing for its audience. It creates a similar setup to the recently cancelled Exhibit B but, unlike the show depicting human zoos, is probably slightly more direct in it's attack at racism and could never be said to be racist itself, made evident in some of the best closing scenes ever to be portrayed in theatre. Throughout the show,a woman is present, observing the action. However hard I tried, I could find no link until the final scene where everything is answered in such a poignant piece of theatre. It is worth seeing this musicalas it does not rely on a huge set or huge orchestration but is carried through by pure talent.

A Streetcar Named Desire, Young Vic *****

A Streetcar Named Desire at the Young Vic Theatre. Gillian Anderson as Blanche DuBois, Ben Foster as Stanley

On a whim, I went along to the Young Vic hoping for returns for an addition to my National Theatre Platform with Kate Adie. To my delight, I managed to get front row seats so, after an interesting interview, I was full of  anticipation for the show.

I wasn't dissapointed.

Gillian Anderson's Blanche is the best performance in stage or screen that I have seen in my lifetime. The plunge into insanity is made so real by her physicality in the role. At the end, I defy anyone to look into her eyes and not turn into a blubbering wreck. Some of her actions towards the end triggered laughter from the audience. To me, it signalled a tragic woman destroyed by her own actions. Her supporting cast also don't let her down. Foster brings true menace to Stanley and the sister is played with real compassion. It isn't all perfect. Whilst I found the set design original, at times my view was obscured by it's constant rotation. However, the idea of bringing American classics into the modern world is an inspired idea and should be done more often. At curtain call, I have never seen a reaction from an audience before. The warmth towards Anderson was tangible. I also have never seen an actor more appreciative. It is a spell- binding show.

A View from the Bridge, Young Vic *****

Luke Norris, Phoebe Fox, Nicola Walker and Mark Strong in A View from the Bridge
Photo by Jan Versweyveld

Words cannot describe how superb this show is. But here is my attempt:

This poignant piece is perfect in every single way. From it's actors who have their accents down to a tee to the direction from Ivo Van Hove who has just demonstrated to me why he is the best director that theatre- land has. The set and lighting is fantastically designed by Jan Versweyveld that hosts a spine- tingling finale which interprets Miller's work in a way that left me with a lump in my throat.

The role of Alfieri, however, is the highlight for me. Van Hove shows him to be outside of the action to start off with, just observing the action taking place off stage, but gradually works his way onto the stage and into the action and gradually becoming more helpless and more desperate for the tragic tale to stop. This is just one example of how deep the director takes this. And whilst the deeper metaphors make this production the perfection it is, it is backed up by a strong story with plenty of emotion from Arthur Miller, showing Shakespeare how to do a blood bath to leave you in tears.

This production is the best example of how you do not have to pay the West End prices for West End quality. If this production does not pick up awards next year, something seriously wrong has happened.