Tag: Emma Gregory

Factors Unforeseen by Michel Vinaver, Orange Tree Theatre, 16 May 2009

This is one of those rare plays about the workplace; in this case a suntan lotion business. The impecunious Orange Tree is one of the few theatres with solid production stubs going back as far as 2009 – click here for all the details on this one.

As is often the case with workplace plays, this one didn’t quite work for us. The stage was incredibly busy – a huge cast for the tiny Orange Tree. The humour didn’t quite translate/make the grade either.

Still, it was well acted and did provide some interesting points for us to discuss over a Don Fernando Spanish meal afterwards.

 

The House Among The Stars by Michel Tremblay, Orange Tree Theatre, 31 October 1998

Our Richmond-fest continued with this Canadian (or should I say Quebecois?) play. My log was pretty clear on our take:

Dreadful, we almost missed it due to bad weather and road condition, but still left at half time.

Nick Curtis in The Standard was kinder than that, although still awarded it a blob:

Tremblay Curtis StandardTremblay Curtis Standard 28 Oct 1998, Wed Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

The local Chronicles spoke highly of it:

Tremblay Starr ChroniclesTremblay Starr Chronicles 05 Nov 1998, Thu The Feltham Chronicle (Hounslow, London, England) Newspapers.com

No doubt Janie and I enjoyed our Don Fernando dinner afterwards, despite the play.

Overboard by Michael Vinaver, Orange Tree Theatre, 1 November 1997

Just me and Daisy this time at The Orange Tree – The Duchess was away on some sort of a bridge holiday IIRC.

Still, this play/production still seemed to last for ever. There is a seven hour version of the play – this just felt a bit like seven hours.

My log reads:

Somewhat rambling but has its moments.

The play is potentially enormously long (7 hours) – unsure of exact length of this production, but it seemed long although it was the short version.

Paul Taylor in The Independent independently reached a similar conclusion:

Overboard Taylor IndependentOverboard Taylor Independent 10 Oct 1997, Fri The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Charles Spencer in The Telegraph truly hated it:

Overboard Spencer TelegraphOverboard Spencer Telegraph 08 Oct 1997, Wed The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Our friend, Michael Billington, who is usually extremely kind to orange Tree stuff, seems to have omitted to review it. Speaks volumes.

Janie and I no doubt consoled ourselves with some Don Fernando grub afterwards.

Family Circles by Alan Ayckbourn, Orange Tree Theatre, 30 November 1996

Blooming heck – Janie and I took Pauline with us on this occasion, to see an Ayckbourn play about a family with three daughters…

…and yet our logged verdict on the event was:

Very good.

It must REALLY have been very good.

The play was subtitled “The Story So Far aka Me Times Me Times Me” and is one of those lesser-known Ayckbourn plays. Possibly it is lesser-known precisely because it is less predictable, glib, farce-oriented comedy than many of his works.

My friend, Michael Billington, clearly liked the play and this production:

Family Circles BillingtonFamily Circles Billington 10 Dec 1996, Tue The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

After reading that Billington review, I am for some reason (“Dance Of Death played for laughs”, perhaps, or “three sisters in comparison with whom Lear’s daughters look like balanced and beneficent progeny” reminded of one of my favourite Peter Cook quotes:

I go to the theatre to be entertained. I don’t want to see plays about rape, sodomy and drug addiction – I can get all that at home.

Nick Curtis in the evening Standard was less sure about the piece:

Family Circles Nick Curtis StandardFamily Circles Nick Curtis Standard 12 Dec 1996, Thu Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

We would no doubt have dined at Don Fernando’s after the show. Families, eh?

The Changeling by Thomas Middleton & William Rowley, RSC Swan Theatre, 29 October 1992

Here is the Theatricalia entry for this production.

This was the first of two plays Janie and I went to see on our first long weekend away together in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

I had seen The Changeling before, at the RNT in 1988, thought highly of it as a Jacobean revenge tragedy and thought Janie might like it. I didn’t yet realise that she was not so keen on classics/old plays. I’m not sure she realised it yet either.

My log reports:

Not quite to Janie’s taste – I rather liked it.

It was a superb production. Looking through the cast and creatives list you can see why. Cheryl Campell as Beatrice-Joanna, Malcolm Storry as De Flores, Michael Attenborough directing. Also a stellar list of youngsters who would break through in their own right later; Sophie Okeonedo, Barnaby Kay, Dominic Cooke (assisting Attenborough). Even Tracy-Ann Oberman (prior to her NewsRevue & SportsRevue days) puts in an appearance as an inmate of the asylum.

The Swan is an ideal venue for this type of play, much better than the Lyttleton. Very high production quality both times though – hard for me to rank one production above the other.

There’s a picture from The Swan production in a Guardian Gallery – click here and scroll down – but no on-line reviews of course.

Below is Michael Coveney’s Observer review:

Changeling, Antony & Cleopatra, Michael Coveney

Changeling, Antony & Cleopatra, Michael Coveney Sun, Nov 8, 1992 – 57 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Below is Michael Billington’s Guardian review:

Changeling, Antony & Cleopatra Michael Billington