Under The Blue Sky by David Eldridge at the Duke of York’s Theatre

Under The Blue Sky Cast

This tragic-comedy took place in three acts. Each act told a story of two teachers with romantic inclinations –or not.

The first story belongs to Nick (Chris O’Dowd) and Helen (Lisa Dillon). After three years of supper close friendship, Helen is far beyond ready for something more, but Nick breaks the news that he wants to move and start a new life at a new school. Alcohol is involved, and desperation moves Helen to confess her feelings and threaten Nick with a knife. Nick talks her back from the edge and they end up maintaining ‘friendship’. Brilliant scene and that is brilliantly choreographed. I especially enjoyed Lisa Dillons performance because her reactions were so spontaneous and, while at times didn’t make complete sense, I could definitely see a desperate woman who had the metaphorical love-carrot dangled in front of her once too often. I also liked Chris O’Dowd but there were two things that I desperately wanted to tell him. One, stand up please. I am willing to forgive this one because his scene partner was about half his height, and being super tall myself I know how hard it can be to relate when you can’t look your partner in the face. But it looked awkward from the audience, but I can accept this as being a character choice. What I did not like at all was ,two, I had no idea what accent he was trying to go for! One moment it was American and then Irish, with little slips of everyday London. I found it really distracting. It’s lucky his unruly curls, good looks, and disarming manner kept me invested most of the time.

The second act takes place one year later as a drunken Michelle (Catherine Tate) and Graham (Dominic Rowan) stumble into Grahams apartment, hurriedly undressing each other. But when Graham comes prematurely we quickly realize that the night is going to disintegrate into hell. We find out that Michelle is actually Nicks ex, and she sleeps around. A lot. Graham is her attempt to make Nick jealous. Graham, however, has in fact wanted her for years. Seven to be exact. After more alcohol is consumed, Michelle goes on a rant about all her exploits and angrily confesses her hate for Graham, how he disgusts her because he isn’t a Man, and how weak he is. In return, he confesses that he has been stalking her and blackmails her with pictures of her with several of her ‘exploits’. He then rapes her. This scene starts out hilarious and then makes you insanely uncomfortable. Brilliantly played, especially by Catherine Tate, because at first you hate the drunken bitch who is using this poor nerdy teacher to get back at her ex and slowly the scene turns to a point where you are screaming at her inside your head to RUN!! Great status work, as well.

The third act, is the balm to soothe the wound created by the last story. The story of Anne (Francesca Annis) and Robert (Nigel Lindsay), a set of older teachers, who are best friends, and they go on holiday together every chance they get. Anne cancels their plans for their next holiday to spend with her aunt. She tells a absolutely heart wrenching story about her aunts lost love. Then she tries to tell Robert, who about a decade her junior, that she is holding him back. He stops her and tells her that she shouldn’t make decisions for him. And slowly throughout the scene it comes to light that they are actually in love. Happy ending. J Yay. I really liked this story, especially in contrast to the last two. However , there were a couple things which I didn’t like. One was that Francesca Annis was what one would call old-style voice beautiful. I felt that she had just come from voice class. Also her physicality was so neutral that I thought she had somehow forgotten to give her character traits. I wanted her to be more human. I realy liked Nigel Lindsay, he was relatable and very cute, despite being a big man. However, he demonstrated being out-of-shape, which was required by the script as opposed to ‘being’ out of shape.

Another thing I would like to rave about was the set, which I loved. You enter the theatre, which is a intricate gold and salmon pink affair with warm lighting that just reeks of history, and all you see on stage is a blue neon outline of the square stage. I loved the contrast between the old and new. During the first scene, a kitchen and bedroom roll onto the stage divided by more of the blue neon. Simplistic, wooden, modern. For the next scene the focus shifts to the bedroom, and then disappears all together for the last act. Brilliant.

Go see it if you have a chance. Good light play, only an hour and a half (no intermission). Good for a date!

]]> http://uncontrolablelaughter.wordpress.com/2008/11/12/under-the-blue-sky-by-david-eldridge-at-the-duke-of-york%e2%80%99s-theatre/feed/ 0 uncontrolablelaughter Under the Blue Sky http://uncontrolablelaughter.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/italia-conti-school-of-theatre-arts-men-should-weep/ http://uncontrolablelaughter.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/italia-conti-school-of-theatre-arts-men-should-weep/#comments Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:14:45 +0000 uncontrolablelaughter http://uncontrolablelaughter.wordpress.com/?p=29 ]]>

The Italia Conti School of Theatre Arts presented Men Should Weep by Ena Lemont Steward in the Chelsea Theatre this week. A dark, yet at times comical, play about poverty in Glasgow in the 1930s depression.  I wanted to quickly mention this play put on by my third years, because it is truly excellent. Especially the lead, Maggie, played by Sarah Languish Smith, was exceptional. She truly ‘lived’ in the play, natural and completely (at the risk of sounding actorish) in the moment, she kept the outside world at bay with her reality. This plays, although 3 hours long, whizzed by and was a joy to watch. I made me proud to be at Italia Conti.

Here is the synopsis of the show as written in the program.

“Welcome to the Ruff Endz Estate, the home of the vinyl spinning, DJ Spinderella, who is dating the uber-confident lady magnet Prince, who, being a true ‘playa’, is two-timing her with the vivacious rapper MC Rap-On-Zel. She lives on the tenth floor of the tower block, letting down her long hair extension from her window so that Prince can pay her secret visits. Then there is Lil Red, a singer who has just signed a deal with Wolf, the manager of Big Teef Records. She secretly has feelings for music producer Jaxx (who lives in the Basement) who is struggling with debt, is late on the rent and facing eviction. A desperate Jaxx enters into some dodgy dealings with Giant, the resident drug-dealing pimp, who lives in the tower’s penthouse.
The Children meet the Landlord, who sends them out to work for him with the task of finding gifts for his daughter’s birthday and in return he promises to see them out of the hood and safely home. They only have four days to find:
‘and ipod as white as milk,
a hoodie as red as blood,
weave as yellow as corn, and
trainers as pure as gold.’ “

To be honest, the plot is simplistic at best, and is not the reason to watch the show. However, the dancing is very impressive and really really neat. Although, the plot takes up too much time in the show (wow never thought I’d say that) it is still a really fun show, but how fun really depends on the level of energy the audience gives. I felt I came on an off night, and I was conscious of clapping and yelling and throwing my support at the stage to spur the dancers on and trying to get other to join in. My family and I had a great time, and felt that the rest would have had a better time if they weren’t so typically suppressed white middle class and had let loose a little.

The dancing was brilliant to watch, especially Lil Red, whose moves were funky and fun with great energy. She also had a huge mop of hair that swung to the beat in the cutest way. Another dancer of note was Spinderlla, who at one point had a ballet and hip hop hybrid dance that was truly beautiful to watch. However in another scene she comes in another scene and you realize she is ripped to the max! I have never scene a woman with such abs! Another dancer that left a lasting impression was the man that played the ugly stepsister. Yes that’s right. Not so much for his actual dance movement but for his amazing ability to jump around in what I’m sure were 5 inch heels (the man himself was already well over 6 foot so amazing to watch in a hot pink mini dress) and his astounding flexibility.

An amazing night out, definitely try and get crazy at this performance. It is simply a good time.

The Old Vic: Speed-The-Plow by David Mamet

Director: Matthew Warchus
Bobby Gould: Jeff Goldblum
Charlie Fox: Kevin Spacey
Karen: Laura Michelle Kelly

Speed-The-Plow is a fast-paced, hard-hitting show about the nature of Hollywood screen writers in the usual David Mamet take-no-prisoners style. To be honest, despite the big names (Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldblum) this is probably one of my least favorite shows that I have seen this year. Although hearing a piece in my own American accent was comforting, the pace of the dialogue was so fast that there was hardly any time to reflect on what was being said. Now, I suppose, that was a directorial choice made to reflect Hollywood’s fast, punchy, no-time-for-anyone-or-anything lifestyle, which it certainly did, and it gave the piece an air of desperation and a complete disregard to what the characters mind or body might be telling them.
As for the actors, there was an incredible range of believability.Kevin Spacey, once the initial Oh-my-god-I-am-in-the-same-room-as-Kevin-Spacey wore off (Yes, I as all the way back in the Dress Circle…), not once did I not believe him in terms of his character. He is possibly one of the most relaxed and truthful actors I have ever seen, and also one of the hardest working. After the show it was obvious that he was exhausted, he had squeezed every inch of life out of his character, and it was very impressive. Jeff Goldblum, who, I just have to say, is massively tall (which gives me hope), was excellently cast and quite well matched against Kevin Spacey. The two made a very comical pair. However I felt at times that Jeff’s downfall was the third member of the cast. Laura Michelle Kelly was by far the weakest and most uninteresting to watch. Between the two energetical powerhouses, she seemed like a black hole that sucked the life out of the show, and while Spacey was able to resist her pull, there were moments where Goldblum seemed discouraged by her lack of reaction. She seemed, not only weak, but unsympathetic and more a caricature than a person. Supposedly the touch stone of the story, she was what was supposed to keep the audience from disassociating from the characters and make them invest in the play, but instead of presenting an empathetic character, which would have made the ending twist all the more devastating, her character felt false and plastic, just when it wasn’t supposed to be.
To be honest, when I read or watch a Mamet play, I tend to get quite irritated. I think it is because he tends to present a problem, rub it in your face, and then not offer any form of solution. I like to feel good after a show, like progress is being made. Call it optimism or naiveté, but I am uncomfortable when I am so confronted. But, don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate and see the value of such in-your-face antics. The show really does make you think about the nature of the film industry, about our standards as producers and consumers, and what we give up for money and status. So, I think that the play its self achieved its objective.

Comedy Theatre: The Lover / The Collection by Harold Pinter

Director: Jamie Lloyd

The Lover
Richard: Richard Coyle
Sarah: Gina McKee
John: Charlie Cox

The Collection
Harry: Timothy West
James: Richard Coyle
Stella: Gina McKee
Bill: Charlie Cox

Having previously stage managed Harold Pinter’s The Lover (along with The Betrayal) in school; I was very excited to see a professional cast do the same show. Luckily, I was not disappointed! An absolutely excellent all-star cast and obviously brilliant direction made this a laugh-out-loud piece of theatre. The top-grade direction was palpable throughout the show, which held a humorous and consistently mischievous and mysterious atmosphere. Also, the set designer, Soutra Gilmour, and lighting designer, Jon Clark, both deserve standing O’s. The set and lighting that Gilmour and Clark designed was absolutely ingenious, aesthetically pleasing, gave the play amazing atmosphere, made everything seem as part of a larger world, and worked wonderfully for both one acts.
The first thing that I must comment on is the voice work that these actors must have done. It was noticeable as soon as they opened their mouths. They had a voice coach, Jeanette Nelson, who must have trained them marvelously, because very word was heard with ringing clarity.
The actors themselves were all quite good. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Richard Coyle and Gina McKee in The Lover, as well as Timothy West’s character, Harry, in The Collection. I was blown away by The Lover. It was definitely the most humorous Pinter show I have ever seen!

Royal Academy of Arts: From Russia

I visited the Royal Academy of Arts for research into my character in The Cherry Orchard. They were showing French and Russian Master Paintings from 1870-1925. This is exactly the time when Luybov Ranevskya was both in France and Russia. I learned a lot from the paintings and the audio tour, everything from Russian history, to fashion and the social values of the time! Now, many people are used to using the internet as their only source of research, but we are warned not to forget about the other sources. Art, for me is by far one of the most effective ways to build character history, because you get visual information that is absolutely true to the time, and with a bit of background reading into history one quickly gets the whole picture.
The collection its self was not too large and takes approximately two hours to get through. It will run until the 18^th of April if you are interested in seeing it!

National Theatre: Happy Now by Lucinda Coxon (World Premiere)

Director: Thea Sharrock
Michael: Stanley Townsend
Kitty: Olivia Williams
Johnny, Kitty’s husband: Jonathan Cullen
Miles: Dominic Rowan
Bea, Miles wife: Emily Joyce
June, Kitty’s mother: Anne Reid

I went to see Happy Now with my mother while she was visiting me in London. We were very lucky to get the last two available tickets, both returns, both front row seats! After the show my mother turned to me and said “That is like my life! I am so glad to know that I am not alone and crazy!” I thought that was such a wonderful complement to give the author and actors.
The show dealt with the everyday realities of marriage, relationships, and having kids. Happy Now was very relatable regardless of age or marital status. There were more than several moments during the show where the audience, myself included, had a parade of different emotional responses. While some people were laughing, others were watching uncomfortably, mainly because one didn’t know whether to laugh or cry about the blatantly obvious bittersweet truth about people, how we function in relationships and our own denial.
Before I go on I have to applaud the director for bringing together such a brilliantly cohesive show, and bringing forth such vulnerability from all the actors. Also applause for the set designer, Jonathan Fensom, who designed a set that was highly stylized, yet somehow generic, so that their home could have been anyone’s home, and very practical in term of scene changes.
Each character, especially Kitty, whom I thought gave an especially courageous performance, and Michael, who somehow managed to be completely repulsive and attractive at the same time, were so deliciously and scarily human, all completely neurotic in their own hilarious, frightening and distinct way, giving each a rich personal history, and that made them all easy to relate to. I walked out of that show both doused with a cold bucket of reality and with a small flame of hope for human communication, truthfulness and actual connection within society. Admitting we have a problem is the first step toward recovery.

The hour we knew nothing of each other by Peter Handke at The National Theatre

Director: James MacDonald

There were 27 actors in the hour we knew nothing of each other playing 450 characters. A remarkable feat in itself, but what had really inflamed my curiosity was that this play, written by a “great experimental figure of European theatre” Peter Handke, is completely without dialogue. Set in a generic city square, that could be really anywhere in the world, a parade of characters cross the stage, none saying anything and only ever connected by proximity. A brilliant piece to watch, especially for physical theatre and character development. This show will take you through a range of emotions. I laughed, I cried, I cringed, I applauded. I was on the edge of my seat for almost the entire show. There were only two elements that I could have done with out. One was a character, a man in a yellow vest that seemingly commented on everything he or others did while he was on stage. I don ‘t know if that had to do with bad casting, direction or if that was called for in the script, but I felt that he was treating the audience as stupid, as if we needed to have the show explained to us. And two, was a random break from the realistic physicality of the play into a random moment where suddenly a woman walked down a stair created from all the players. So random and odd that I wish I could ask the director what that was all about.
At the beginning I was slightly hesitant, thinking “An hour and forty-five minutes with no dialogue?!” but time passed so quickly that it was a surprise when the show ended! Although somehow the show never really did end because the moment you step out of the theatre and walk down the street, you look at strangers in a completely different way. A fantastic study in physicality, body language, human connections and nature, as well as a great exercise in imagination, I loved this show.

The National Theatre’s Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare