The Importance of Being Earnest – Lyttelton, National Theatre – Tuesday 31st December 2024

(Rated 7/5) To say the National Theatre’s production of ‘The Importance of Bein Earnest’ does Oscar Wilde proud is almost an understatement! It’s the loudest, proudest, pinkest, campest (yet in the necessary moderation to ensure it not being OTT, and so losing the audience) exhibition of all his themes and ideas in his final play that could possibly be produced. However brave Oscar was himself in ‘inferring what could not be stated directly’ in ‘coded references’ and ‘linguistic playfulness’, the actors here shouted it to the heavens! And I’m certain he could hear… and also see his characters in their brightest gloriousness!

On entering the auditorium, you are faced with the infamous black HAND-BAG (see Lady Bracknell later) hanging outside a gorgeous red velvet curtain. Just before the play starts, someone extricates the bag, and off we go…

The performance opens with Ncuti Gatwa as Algernon Moncrieff in a screaming pink corseted dress at a piano. There were screeches of delight and laughter as he played, beaming his pearly whites at us, then being caught out as the piano continues to play without him. Ncuti had us all in the palms of his hands straight away! He and the rest of the cast give us a stunning Burlesque-style opening number with the freedom of expression Oscar sadly never had. That, and the flamboyant curtain call are the best tribute to a man, who deserved so much happiness and joy, we feel he sadly never had. It felt like giving him the best posthumous present to perform his work as we can only imagine he might have wanted it.

AND, however much the play itself sends up Victorian Society, this performance of it takes that sending-up to the next level. As Dad said, they couldn’t have done more and all lines were delivered to perfection. Excellent interactions too as they all bounced off each other with Oscar’s witty, exquisite dialogue. I believe the most famous character in this play is Lady Bracknell – here played by Sharon D. Clarke. She is simply stunning with fabulous Afro-Caribbean costumes and mannerisms. Yep, as Hugh Skinner as Jack Worthing tells her he was found in a handbag, we wait with baited breath to see how she will give us her reaction along with that word! Of course, such a class act cannot disappoint, she looks away – taking her time – then turns back, and ‘A HAND-BAG???!!!’ Exuberant applause! I’ve seen Sharon before in ‘Caroline, Or Change’ – she has such a special singing voice too.

I am jumping around all over the place – actually a little like the play itself – not that it’s not well-structured – it’s brilliantly so – but there is so much energy to it and so fast-paced, as is Ncuti especially in his embodiment of the multi-faceted Algernon, and his changes of costume/persona! Such fun to watch! Maybe not as many as 15 regenerations (see what I did there), but close! 😉

Everybody is excellent, and lovely to see Hugh Skinner again – I so enjoyed his performance as the young version of Colin Firth in ‘Mamma Mia 2’. In this play, Wilde gives us so much fun yet serious comment on how people of the time (Victorian), but also of other times, find ways to live double (or even multiple) lives to cope with the challenges they face maybe trying to conform to what is expected of them. Arguably never more so than in the times in which Wilde lived. But, of course, the mistaken-identities theme was used so often by Shakespeare in his comedies. People do joke that they all had the same plot – and in a way he did seem to over-use it. I would argue maybe Wilde adds more cleverness to the device.

Max Webster has thought of everything in directing this version so we can enjoy the full scope of Wilde’s work. The curtain itself and the handbag both also need shout-outs as they very-actively play such significant parts, even called-upon to do so by the human characters at times. And the sets -Rae Smith - are all in superb technicolour with ever so much detail in all cases. Costumes, sound and lighting also amazing and impress – of the time, but also incorporating other times.

On the surface the romantic interactions are ‘straight’ but the chemistry between Ncuti and Hugh and the dynamics of the ‘Earnest’ communications between Ronke Adekoluejo as Gwendolen Fairfax and Eliza Scanlen’s Cecily Cardew are so wonderfully gay and charismatic. They are all geniuses in their use of movement in addition to voice and facial expressions to convey the comedy and drama. Sharon’s Lady Bracknell reminds me a little of Judi Dench’s appearances as Elizabeth I in ‘Shakespeare in Love’ in their gloriousness, but briefness. In Judi’s case Oscar-worthy, and in Sharon’s definitely Olivier-worthy. BUT, I’d argue so were everybody else’s acting turns. Can they all get awards?!

Marvellously Magnificent and Jovially Joyful to the Nth degree!! ImportanceofBeingEarnest – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2024

Macbeth – Harold Pinter Theatre – Saturday 30th November 2024

(Rated 5/5) Of all of Shakespeare’s best-known plays, ‘The Scottish Play’ is my least favourite, though, ironically, I realise I have seen it a few times and I know Lady M’s sleepwalking soliloquy off by heart, and hold it in my heart too. So, why did I go yet again?! I mean, of course, Mr. David Tennant is always a draw for me – I have never seen him be ‘rubbish’! But that alone was not enough, and I only half-heartedly tried to get tickets at the Donmar, and didn’t feel that disappointed that I didn’t succeed. But, when the opportunity arose again, and my sister-from-another-mister together with her blood sister wanted to go, I gave my attempts at ticket-acquiring more energy and got row B stalls, before it all sold out very rapidly. I joked with my SFAM that the three of could be his three witches. And, as it turned out maybe so, as they were not physically present! Before I go on, there will be spoilers in this review. Not of the play and plot itself really, but of the production, because, in a way, it all needs saying to try to convey the impact of the ways the audience experienced it.

Once in your seat, you’re invited to put on headphones and test to make sure you hear sounds in the correct ears – very important for later – and yes, you literally cannot hear the performances properly without them. I later met up with my ‘Three Boys’ and A commented it was 8D sound – actually yes – noises of all varieties come at you from all directions, and in some cases it’s pretty crucial to be able to identify from whence they emanate 😉 Macbeth opens with the ‘Weird Sisters’ – no, not me, my SFAM and her sister lol – voiced by the ensemble directly into our ears, as though coming from everywhere and internally at one and the same time. Together with the smoke and candle-lighting you immediately feel like you’re in an other ethereal world, and that together with a minimal black set and a simple glass box at the back trapping at different points many of the cast, who are all – besides one – dressed in dark colours, provides a powerful sense of the sinister and feeling that you’re deep into the darkness of the psychology of this play. Being so immersed, and with tremendous performances hitting me, I genuinely felt more connected with this Macbeth than any other. When Shakespeare is performed with such perfect awareness of the meaning and skill at expressing the emotion of it by the actors, the audience cannot fail to ‘receive it’. David Tennant is certainly a master of the bard. He, and Cush Jumbo as Lady Macbeth, had me so fully engaged. And there is an interesting ‘twist’ in this particular production – He is all in black, She is all in white – unusually and unexpectedly, she is the light to his dark. David’s Macbeth put me in mind of him playing cold psychopath Dennis Nilsen in ‘Des’, and the pace of his delivery and character development too, reminded me of the way he gave us the fast-thinking 10th Doctor becoming all too power-obsessed in the ’Doctor Who’ episode ‘The Waters of Mars’. As many will know, it is normally Lady M, who encourages and even manipulates the couple’s dastardly deeds, but here she is the humanity and conscience to his apparent total lack of guilt. That said the headphones add to the intimacy of the turmoil of their interactions – he can whisper into her and we hear every little murmur. We feel trapped in the game of crowns too, which has to be played by adults and children alike. The presence and absence of children is very keenly felt in this – and again Lady Cush Macbeth poignantly conveys her lack and pain at never being a mother. It also put me in mind of the Tudor World of Hilary Mantel’s ‘Wolf Hall’ and the story of Richard III’s nephews ‘The Princes in the Tower’ and the unsolved potential crime; were they murdered? – both very present on our TVs just at the moment. We’d hope we had become less barbaric, but tragically innocents and children are dying even today in places around the world, simply because of politics! Have we not learned??!! Yet, this is of course exactly what good theatre does for us – it’s past, it’s present, it’s future, it’s showing us ourselves in all our glory and utter tragic insanity.

Just as the darkness and devastation may be getting too much, Jatinder Singh Randhawa distracts us away from the stage by appearing to our right in one of the boxes and teases us about wearing headphones, ‘Are you expecting a radio play?’, argues with an usher who is supposedly trying to throw him out and get him to buy a very expensive programme, and then gives us a stand-up show! At first, I found this very contemporary sketch – mentioning the likes of Suella Braverman and Trump – out of place and distracting, but it later occurred to me this is actually a History play even though it wasn’t called one, and with kings in it, it also needs a fool. Jatinder was a superb fool and made me smile so much. ‘Knock, Knock…’ And after such not entirely frivolous jollity we are back to knocking at the gates of the court of Macbeth! The ensemble cast are like trapped shadow-figures at many points, yet also very front and actively present at others. Standing out for me was Rona Morrison as Lady Macduff – aside from excellent acting she also had excellent red hair! 😉 As also did Gemma Laurie as Ross – we noticed she got extra applause from the cast, then realising she was the cover for usual Ross – an impressive cover 😊

I had a strange experience of time in this production. Even though in many ways it was obvious where we were in the play, I felt Lady M’s presence much longer than I have in other productions. It’s like she was very much there even when she physically wasn’t. I guess that was in part the power of the character’s influence, but also a little like the witches, she could be present in spirit and not in body. The ghosts of other characters continually haunted Macbeth also as the actor playing them was always present even if their character was absent. This, I’ve only just fully engaged with as I write about it now. Clever choice and effect! Our headphones delivered a great deal more than simply actors’ voices, together with wildlife and witchcraft, there was music… and also, we had dancing worthy of places on Strictly! Very enjoyable to watch 😊

As I mentioned earlier, I talked with my ‘Three Boys’ about this production afterwards and A said he had to learn and deliver one of the soliloquys. I started ‘Is this a dagger…’ He said ‘No, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow…’ I asked him why. Apparently, because it was the shortest 😉 I’d witnessed David Tennant joking with Greg Doran about that speech, yet in performing it, of course, David was ever the professional and we felt Macbeth’s utter brokenness and devastation at the loss of his Lady wife.

This production has given me whole new insights into and appreciation of The Scottish Play. Thank you, David, Cush, Will, Director Max Webster and the whole cast and crew!! Macbeth – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2024

Faust – Opera National de Paris – Sunday 29th September 2024

(Rated 5/5) I would say that now having been twice to the Opera National de Paris, with my wonderful classical-music loving Trobador Dad – first to Giacomo Puccini’s ‘Turandot’ (superbly impressive and – aside from exquisite arias etc - we really enjoyed Ping, Pang & Pong’s dancing), and second Charles Gounod’s ‘Faust’ – Opera is winning me over. I would still say the accessibility of Musical Theatre is my preference. As I discussed with Dad, I love too that in a musical each key character has their own song, which completely, utterly and immensely movingly encompasses literally everything about them and the part they play in the story. For me, Eponine’s ‘On My Own’ in ‘Les Miserables’ or Freddie’s ‘Pity the Child’ in ‘Chess’ are two perfect examples. Of course, there are also duets and ensemble numbers, but like in a TV show where a musical theme may be associated with a particular character – eg. Clara’s theme in ‘Doctor Who’ – that little song theme recurs when the character is singing in ensemble… ‘One More Day All On My Own’ – Eponine in ‘One More Day’, Les Miserables.

In Opera you have amazing arias, libretto, bel canto, cadenza, coloratura, obbligato, leitmotif (actually the Opera version of the musical phrases for a particular character), portamento, recitative, trills and vibrato all within highly-skilled beautiful classical music scores, and well, that’s the draw isn’t it?! As you can see, I’m on a learning curve here! And obviously, musicals developed over time from opera, so today, they are now quite close! It also really helps the accessibility of Opera, that these days the words are in captions – in this case in French and English – above the stage. The programme also includes an explanation of the story, characters and summary of each act, without giving away the power of directly experiencing the themes, music and philosophy of each piece in performance, so you’re not really getting ‘spoilers’, but rather an added understanding by reading all of that in advance.

As Dad said Faust takes himself far too seriously, and sacrificing spiritual or moral values for material gain, knowledge or power – or in Gounod’s Faust’s case to be able to enjoy intimacy with young beautiful women by selling his soul to Mephistopheles in return for his youth – is not going to end well! There’s also a strong religious component in Gounod’s Faust. So, in may ways, much that does not quite resonate with we two audience members, however we were blown away by it. The singing from all – but especially tenor Pene Pati as Faust, soprano Amina Edris as Marguerite and bass Alex Esposito as Mephistopheles – was exceptional! And for that alone it is well worth being there! Emmanuel Villaume took charge of the direction musicale to perfection. The staging was out of this world literally, not only using impressive stage sets, but film of Faust and Mephistopheles flying over, or riding on horseback through Paris and Notre Dame on fire! Mephistopheles devils plague the characters and we see that play out on the stage as well as in close-up film taken as the action occurs in situ. Poor Marguerite is even tormented by Mephistopheles on the Paris Metro – well we could sympathise with that having experienced travelling on the Metro lol!

Outstanding production of a surreal Opera and we really enjoyed the ‘signing’ (upmarket stage-dooring) experience afterwards too!

Faust – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2024

Next to Normal – Wyndham’s Theatre – Saturday 6th July 2024

If Music Be the Food of Mental Health, Play On…

Singing is so well known now to help us access areas of emotion talking alone cannot reach, and the melodies, lyrics and vocal performances in ‘Next to Normal’ illustrate that in such a perfectly beautiful way. This is also a musical that reaches depths of psychology with revolutionary openness and honesty. It is not that other musicals don’t have poignant hidden themes, but they are so often just that, hidden in the midst of a fairytale like story. ‘Next to Normal’ is so explicit in its reality. The struggles and traumas of each character fully visible or indeed audible. Tom Kitt created the music, and Brian Yorkey the book and lyrics. ‘Just Another Day’ immediately presents us with a ‘normal’ day in the lives of Diana (Broadway & West End star and Olivier award-nominated Caissie Levy) and her family, who are husband Dan (highly experienced Jamie Parker), son Gabe (award-winner and nominated Jack Wolfe) and daughter Natalie (award-winner Eleanor Worthington-Cox). It rapidly becomes clear their normal is unboundaried chaos strongly catalysed by Diana’s bipolar disorder and, as we gradually discover trauma. They are all trying to manage the impact of that on them individually and the family dynamics in a wonderfully dysfunctional way. As we are introduced to the potential drug-treatment for Diana, with her psychopharmacologist played by yet-another award-winning performer Trevor Dion Nicholas, we enjoy the complications and humour of all the different medications and what might go with what or what might counteract what and the entire cast join in ‘Who’s Crazy/Psychopharmacologist and I’. There is just one other cast member – Jack Ofrecio, who plays ADHD-owning Henry, who is hoping to form a relationship with Natalie. As the production progresses, we also see Diana try psychotherapy (with her rock star therapist also played by Trevor Dion Nicholas) and dramatically too ECT. A link in the theatre programme provides resources of information and support in connection with ‘ApplauseForThought’ for anyone affected by the themes or content in the production. Weirdly, maybe, I was not. I fully recognised how good and powerful the story and performances were, and how ‘true’ they also were to the disorders, traumas, actings out, and all sorts else involved in all the characters journeys through the play. In addition, how open and emotionally connected the performers were with the audience – I appreciated all that, but with a sense of detachment, or as though I was a supervisor feeling empathy for everyone involved, but not falling into the pit. To be fair to myself, it was a kind of busman’s holiday – my day job is as a psychotherapist and I have experience of the whole kaboodle of the issues, which the piece explored, both professionally and personally.

Ironically, though, it was in peer supervision, when asked if the production did justice to bipolar, I felt cold chills going through my body, and the tears started welling-up. Yes, all so true to my experiences with Mum, her mental health challenges and their impact on me. I immediately heard Gabe & Natalie’s song ‘Superboy and the Invisible Girl’ in my head, and thought about how things had been with me and my brother. I won’t spoil this story by explaining why Gabe was ‘Superboy’, but my perception as a child was that my brother got far more attention, and was elevated into being more interesting and enjoyable to be around than myself. On his side there were reasons I won’t go into – on mine, I certainly did feel like ‘The Invisible Girl’ – unseen as everybody else was too occupied with their own concerns, yet also deliberately hyper-good so as not to attract any attention – hiding all within myself… and also, as I didn’t realise then, being the ‘blank screen’ therapist for Mum. All that has been processed in therapy and counselling training, but it does not make me immune from being triggered and that’s all ok – just heals another part of my herstory by revisiting it.

Having said that, for me, only a fraction of the whole range that bipolar can present was explored in the play. Diana lacked the extreme anger and hostility than can be exhibited, and, unlike my Mum, didn’t spend vast amounts of time hiding away in bed. But then that would make for a very boring experience for the audience watching! Then again would be a little like watching that first reality TV – ‘Big Brother’ – at night when everyone was asleep in bed 😉 I feel I did get most from witnessing Natalie’s story and how her attempts at relating with Henry, reflected – at times on stage literally – interactions between her parents Diana and Dan. I feel there are ever so many nuances in this production, and it would take several watches to take everything in. I may well try to go again, or at least listen to and study the lyrics and the music several times more 😊

My Mum was very resistant to psychotherapy and sadly in the main drugs actually made her worse. You’ll have to go see this musical to see if the same is true for Diana. Happily, for Mum her mental health improved vastly in later life, and she and I became closer as we healed the distance between us caused by the negative aspects of her bipolar. She even grew to respect psychotherapy after she asked me ‘Does it actually help’ and I replied ‘Yes, for some people, it really does’ 😊 Ultimately Diana does want to give Natalie a normal life, but she realises she has no idea what that is… As Natalie replies, ‘I don’t need a life that’s normal, that’s way too far away, but something Next to Normal would be ok, yes, something Next to Normal, that’s the thing I’d like to try, close enough to normal to get by…’

‘Next to Normal’ is way far away from being a ‘Normal’ Musical. It is Outstandingly Super-Visible, High-Flying, Gloriously Alive, Essential as Air <3 NextToNormal – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2024