Othello: a fresh take for the 21st century

As you’ve probably guessed, I’m a massive fan of West End theatre. Ever since my parents took me to see Joseph in the 1990s, I’ve been hooked, and can still very often be found singing show tunes in the shower. (Don’t try and tell me I’m the only one.)

But I’m also very aware that the West End isn’t the only place to see great plays. And that’s how I ended up last night watching Time Zone Theatre’s production of Othello, which recently transferred from the Rose Playhouse on Bankside to Waterloo East Theatre.

A modern re-telling of Shakespeare’s tragedy, set in the cut-throat world of business, the production focuses its attention on the five core characters – Othello, Iago, Desdemona, Emilia and Cassio. Others are mentioned (or make a brief appearance via Skype), but only five actors ever appear on the simple set, alongside the office furniture that makes up these career-obsessed characters’ entire world.

Photo: Time Zone Theatre

To say this focus makes the play a bit intense is a massive understatement; I’m not sure I blinked for the entire 100 minutes. Director Pamela Schermann’s decision to lose most of the first two acts of Shakespeare’s original text means we’re left with a concentrated version of the story, in which smooth-talking Irishman Iago puts his plan into immediate action, and things escalate really fast. The modern setting translates brilliantly, with Iago angry at being passed over for promotion in favour of the young, inexperienced Cassio. His reaction? Obviously, to convince his boss Othello that his beautiful new wife Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, and so destroy them both in one fell swoop.

Trevor Murphy is fantastic as the slightly unhinged Iago. With his slicked back hair, wild eyes and manic grin, he’s clearly the villain of the piece, and yet there’s something almost childlike about his determination to get what he wants at any cost, and to use anyone he can, even his own wife Emilia, to get him there. You have the feeling he’s long since ceased to see any of them as real people, so focused is he on his own ambitions, and so it’s kind of hard to hate him as much as you know you probably should.

Meanwhile, Othello is on a downward spiral from confident businessman to crazed, jealous lover, so easily tricked by his friend, ‘honest Iago’. While the character’s rapid descent into madness has always struck me as unconvincing (would you really be that easily persuaded that your wife was cheating on you?), James Barnes’ performance is anything but. And his final scenes are particularly haunting, as he stumbles around the stage, almost incoherent with grief and horror at what he’s done.

Photo: Time Zone Theatre

Special mention to Charlie Blackwood, who made her debut as Desdemona earlier this week. She’s likeable as a happy newly-wed with just a hint of flirtatiousness, and infinitely sympathetic as her desperation grows and she begins to realise how serious her situation is. Ella Duncan really comes into her own as Emilia in the closing moments of the play, when she discovers how her husband used her for his own twisted ends, and Denholm Spurr brings to his Cassio the bewildered air of a young man who’s suddenly found himself playing with the big boys, and losing.

Time Zone’s Othello is dark and unsettling; in a world where people are seemingly willing to do anything for money and success, it doesn’t feel impossible that events like these could really happen. But with incredible performances and a fresh new take on a centuries-old story, it’s well worth the trauma. And you won’t pay West End prices for it, either. Bonus!

Othello is at Waterloo East Theatre until 21st March; if you’re in London, you should go and see it.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend 🙂

February theatre round-up

It’s been a busy, busy few weeks. And that includes the week I took off work earlier this month (which now feels like forever ago, by the way) and was supposed to be relaxing, but instead ending up running around. In between an evening of speed dating, a talk about the Guantánamo banned books list, a Michael Kenna photography exhibition and a trip to the zoo in the freezing cold, I’ve also been to the theatre. Quite a lot. Still smashing that ‘once a month’ new year’s resolution!

So, here’s the February round-up.

Di and Viv and Rose (Vaudeville Theatre)

I was really sad to hear that Di and Viv and Rose is going to be closing early. It’s a story of three friends, who meet at university, and examines whether it’s possible to remain close with the friends you make as a teenager, once you all go out into the real world. The play has a cast of just three – Tamsin Outhwaite, Samantha Spiro and Jenna Russell – although there are plenty of other characters just on the periphery of the story to keep things fresh. And it’s a comedy, but one that doesn’t try to steer round the bumps and shocks that happen in every friendship, and in life. It’s also great fun for any fans of the 80s. I really enjoyed Di and Viv and Rose, and it’s not closed yet, so there’s still time to check it out 🙂

Conclusion: emotional and thought-provoking; it’ll make you laugh and cry, and want to call up all your friends afterwards, just to say hello.

Made in Dagenham (Adelphi Theatre)

Another one that’s closing early. Made in Dagenham is based on the movie of the same name, which in turn was based on the real events of the Ford sewing machinists strike of 1968. Gemma Arterton is great as strike leader Rita O’Grady, and the show itself is a lot of fun, even if it’s not the best musical I’ve ever seen. There were a few songs we could have done without (the one about America, which was completely superfluous and, well, just a bit odd), and it became clear very quickly that men are losers, women are awesome and politicians (the male ones, that is) are a waste of space. Not that I had too many problems with that, although I did feel Rita’s husband Eddie, on forgetting their tenth wedding anniversary, could have come up with a better defence than ‘I’m just a man, with a foolish brain’. Really, Eddie?

Conclusion: an entertaining evening, and worth seeing. It’s no Miss Saigon or Les Mis, but it does make you feel like a revolution might be quite a fun thing to do.

Miss Saigon (Prince Edward Theatre)

One of my favourite shows, ever since I first saw it fifteen years ago. This was my third visit overall, and it was just as amazing as I remember. The tragic story of Kim, a young Vietnamese girl who falls for American GI Chris in the days before the fall of Saigon, is based on Puccini’s Madam Butterfly, and contains a hard-hitting message about the horror and waste of war. On top of that, it’s an awe-inspiring production – the kind of show you need to see more than once just to take it all in. The cast, led by Eva Noblezada and Jon Jon Briones, are all sensational, and the entire audience left the theatre, once again, emotional wrecks. Oh – and did I mention the helicopter?

Conclusion: awesome. That is all.

Jersey Boys (Piccadilly Theatre)

This was one that I was aware of but it hadn’t really occurred to me to see, until suddenly it felt like everyone I knew was telling me I should. So I did. And it was great. Taking a new approach to the jukebox musical, in that it actually tells the story of the band rather than a random made-up tale, Jersey Boys charts the rise and fall of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, from their days singing in the street to the height of their fame – and then how it all fell apart. It’s a lot darker than I was expecting (I’d assumed it would be light relief after Miss Saigon – which, to be fair, it still was), but still really good fun, and this time we left the theatre singing rather than sobbing. The show contains a lot of classic songs, some of which I didn’t even realise were originally hits for the Four Seasons, performed by four amazing singers. There are also some highly questionable dance moves, but probably the less said about those the better.

Conclusion: definitely worth the hype, and I’m glad I saw it. Jersey Boys is a lot of fun, and if you don’t stand up and have a little boogie at the end, then frankly I’m a bit worried about you.

Once (Phoenix Theatre)

Another repeat visit – this was my third time seeing Once, and I was curious to see how current star Ronan Keating would stand up against former leading men Declan Bennett and David Hunter. And the answer? Not bad… not bad at all. Ronan’s Guy is different, and probably not my favourite, but still a very strong performance, especially considering it’s his West End debut (and, as far as I’m aware, his first time acting). It was also my first time seeing Jill Winternitz as Girl, and she was great, full of the energy and sparkle required for the role. It’s a shame Once is closing, but there’s still a couple of weeks to see it, if you haven’t had a chance yet. It’s not your typical musical, in the same way that the original movie was about as un-Hollywood as you can get, but that’s why we love it.

Conclusion: still great, and a confident performance from Ronan. Unfortunately my enjoyment was ruined a bit by people around me texting, talking, eating, filming, heckling, whistling… but the show itself is brilliant.

Yeh Shen (Polka Theatre)

And finally, something different – a Chinese Cinderella story; you may have seen my review of Yeh Shen the other day. It’s primarily aimed at children but lots of fun for adults as well, so worth checking out if they happen to be touring in your area. Yeh Shen has puppets, dancing, countless musical instruments and a talented and versatile cast. And it was lovely to see children enjoying the theatre, and staying behind for the Q&A with the writer, director and cast; they asked some great questions!

And that’s all for February. Bring on March!

Reviews for London Theatre Direct

Di and Viv and Rose

Made in Dagenham

Miss Saigon

Jersey Boys – coming soon

Once – coming soon

Shake it off

I planned to sit down this evening and write a sickeningly joyful post about what a great week I’ve had.

Then I had a stupid argument with someone this afternoon (no, not about The Dress, although we argued about that too), and it ruined my good mood. For several hours, I was really angry – not just with the person I fell out with, but with myself for being upset by the situation. And that rage extended to anyone who got in my way on the tube, and the guy who kept elbowing me on the train home, and my noisy upstairs neighbours. And their dog.

But then I realised: I’ve still had a brilliant week. One bad thing doesn’t cancel out all the good things that have happened, so why should I let one silly disagreement stop me being in a good mood? It’s too easy to do that sometimes, I think. With that in mind, I made a cup of tea, put on some Les Mis to drown out the noisy neighbours, and sat down to do what I’d planned.

So what was so great about this week? Well it was mostly because I had three fantastic trips to the theatre, two of which were thanks to the lovely people at London Theatre Direct. I’ve been a member of their blogging team for a few months now, and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done (and not only because I get free theatre tickets). Anyone who’s ever been published on someone else’s blog or website will know that little buzz you get seeing your words in print and sharing your passion with a wider audience. After all, isn’t that why we write in the first place? Not just that, but I’ve started a little theatre club with the girls from work, made friends with other theatre fans on Twitter and watched some fab shows I might not otherwise have had a chance to see.

Anyway, the three this Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday included two of my all-time favourite musicals, Miss Saigon and Once, and my first visit to see Jersey Boys. And I’ve got one more tomorrow at the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon, where a friend’s appearing in a show called Yeh Shen. Watch this space for a review.

You might think that sounds like a bit too much theatre in one week, but not for me. I loved every second, and as shattered as I was by the time I got home on Wednesday, it was totally worth it. I actually felt a little bit bereft on Thursday when I didn’t have a show to go to. Earlier in the week, one of my colleagues accused me of turning into a luvvie. I took it as a compliment.

On top of that, I got to spend two lovely evenings with my mum, and to catch up with some friends, one of whom I haven’t seen for months. Oh, and today, there was cake. (I’m very easily pleased.)

Don’t let one bad moment ruin a great week. I never thought I’d quote Taylor Swift in a blog post, but  sometimes you really do have to shake it off.

Oh and by the way, the dress is clearly blue and black.

January theatre round-up

Remember how I said I was going to get to one West End show a month in 2015? Well I’m currently smashing that resolution (which is just as well, as it makes up for the fact I’ve completely failed at the one about getting up earlier). In January I made it to three shows, and I’ve got three booked for February already, the first of which is tonight. But more on that in a minute.

First up in January was The Railway Children. Yes, again. This was a bit of an accident – I was offered two tickets, which I said I’d take if nobody else wanted them. Lunchtime on the day of the show, I got an email to say my tickets were waiting for me at the box office. A few panicked texts later, my sister Helen had rearranged her afternoon so she could come with me, and we were back on the platform for the second time in less than two weeks. Fortunately, it was just as brilliant as the last time – and this time we had the added bonus of knowing before we went in that it was definitely indoors (thus avoiding the small panic attack we went through the first time, when we briefly thought it was an open air performance – in December). I already reviewed The Railway Children after seeing it the first time, but I’ll just add that as much as I enjoyed the play both times, I think the kids sitting opposite us loved it even more.

The second show was Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, in mid-January. This was a work outing with the girls from the office (we didn’t bother to ask the boys; it didn’t really seem like their cup of tea) and I was excited to see how they’d adapted the classic Spanish movie. I wasn’t disappointed. The show is as fast and frantic as the original, but the musical numbers – which I loved, and would buy the soundtrack tomorrow if I could – allow a breather every now and then and a chance for the fantastic cast, led by Tamsin Greig and Haydn Gwynne, to showcase their talents. It was hilarious, and yet at times really moving and quite emotional to watch the various ways people can fall apart when life takes an unexpected turn. My only advice is, if you can afford it, steer clear of the upper circle. We were in the front row and had to lean forward to see the whole stage, which meant we blocked the view of the people behind. Since I have a terror of upsetting others, this meant I spent most of the evening sitting rigid and ended up with a fairly sore neck by the end of the show. You also have to climb about a million stairs to get there.

(Ok, maybe not a million. But a lot.)

And finally, last week I managed to catch The Scottsboro Boys, which closes in a couple of weeks at the Garrick Theatre. If you can get tickets for this, you really should – it’s brilliant. Don’t be fooled by the happy clappy photos outside; this is not a cheerful story. It’s about nine young black men falsely accused of rape in 1930s Alabama, a true story widely regarded as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in U.S. history. As regular readers will know, I’m quite interested in this sort of thing, and, as I expected, The Scottsboro Boys left me speechless and horrified that such a thing could have happened in a ‘civilised’ nation, even eighty years ago. Judging by the silence that fell over the theatre as the show reached its conclusion, I wasn’t alone in that reaction. But in case you’re thinking it’s all doom and gloom, don’t worry – there are some big laughs in there too, not least during the scenes where two of the (male) actors play girls. And it’s fascinating to watch the cast rearrange the set, which consists of a pile of chairs, into a train, a prison cell, a courtroom, a bus…

I’ve reviewed all these shows for London Theatre Direct so you can read more there:

The Railway Children

Women on the Verge

The Scottsboro Boys

So, what’s in store for February? Well, tonight is Di and Viv and Rose, next week is Made in Dagenham and a couple of weeks after that is Jersey Boys. I haven’t seen any of these shows before so I’m excited – check back next month for the round-up 🙂

Making my theatre debut (sort of)

I don’t have a photo this week but I do have a link to my first blog post for London Theatre Direct, hurrah! This is very exciting, not only because I love talking about the theatre but because there’s a possibility of free tickets for some West End shows in the not too distant future. Hurrah again!

So here it is – a short but fairly ranty piece about how to behave in the theatre, something that shouldn’t really need to be explained but apparently does. It’s been well-received by people who enjoy the theatre and know how to behave, and probably totally ignored by those who really need it. But I got it off my chest and that’s the main thing 🙂