Travel, Theatre, Music, Cricket, Tennis, Writing, Life
It seemed like only a week since we last went to Harry’s and then The Hampstead…
…but this one did less for us.
I seem to recall finding the whole evening a bit irritating and we really didn’t like this play.
It’s had great reviews so don’t take our word for it.
Emilia Fox doesn’t do much for us and the play seemed very laboured and obvious in places.
The Hampstead resource on the play/production can be found here.
This was an extraordinary installation/show. Not quite in the same class as The Masque Of The Red Death, another punchdrunk masterpiece, but not far off.
We went with Kim and Micky, eating a spread of Big Al goodies at the flat before ambling over to the venue. The “Temple Studios” installation was in the old Paddington sorting office; the place from whence I used to collect my parcels and “must be signed for” mail, back in the day.
This piece is about the making of a Hollywood movie and the studio that is making it. But are the scenes we see playing out scenes from the movie or real violent drama playing out in the studio?
Kim tried to amuse herself by putting the performers off, but they were all too seasoned for that. I enjoyed getting lost around the studio and examining the incredibly detailed artefacts punchdrunk had strewn around the place, before wending my way through the various performance scenes.
It was great fun.
The bar and entertainment therein was good too. At that juncture, Kim’s style of intervention was positively sought after and Kim did not disappoint.
Here is a link to punchdrunk’s explanatory on-line resource and you might enjoy the “film trailer” below.
This link will take you to plenty of reviews; mostly excellent but some reviewers didn’t get it.
Janie and I really liked this play/production. Another “Hampstead Downstairs special” in our book.
A three-hander about an uber-male astronomer whose space is invaded by an arty female.
Funny and thought-provoking. We thoroughly enjoyed it. The piece deserves a bigger audience.
Here is a link to the Hampstead’s resource on the production.
The author explains some of his thinking in the vid below.
Diary suggests we ate at Harry Morgans before the show. I think we were coming towards the end of the Harry’s pre show era at that time.
When we saw Jacquie and Hils Briegal for Christmas, we discovered that we were all going to see this play on the same night as couple of days later, along with Brother-in-law/Uncle Bernard Jacobs.
Typically, Jacquie said that Janie and I should join the family at her place for some supper after the show which we did.
Frankly, the play was rather dull. It’s funny how Howard Brenton tends to either get it very right or very wrong for me. this one missed the mark.
Fascinating subject, the partition of India, but what an old-fashioned “tell don’t show” history play it was.
Click here for a link to the Hampstead resource on this production.
Below is a video trailer with cast interviews:
Below is an interview with Howard Brenton about it:
The show got mostly good reviews – click here for a search term that finds them – so Janie and I form a minority view in that regard.
I think we were the least impressed among the family too.
What the family readily agreed, though, was that Jacquie’s supper spread and the family natter was the highlight of the evening. Bernard was in especially good form that night. Sadly, he passed away just before new year 2018 – more or less exactly four years after this splendid gathering, which I’m sure he enjoyed, as did we.
This was not the most sophisticated or interesting play we have seen at the Hampstead Downstairs, but still it was good.
It was about a charity responding to a developing world emergency rather ineptly in the aftermath of a staff Christmas party.
We needed to suspend a fair bit of belief but there were some good fun elements and some juicy moral dilemmas thrown in.
Click here for a link to the Hampstead resource on this play/production.
Below is the trailer:
Click here for a search term that finds whatever else there might be out there – no formal reviews downstairs in those days.
This was a fun play with enough drama in it to keep us thoughtfully entertained.
Tracy-Ann Oberman (formerly of our NewsRevue parish – or at least the SportsRevue version is always superb value, as is Michael Attenborough, having a go in an even smaller house than the Almeida for once.
Click here for a link to the Hampstead resource on this play/production.
No formal reviews downstairs in those days, but this search term should find whatever there is out there on this production.
A strangely sinister play this one, about a young couple of expats in Dubai who get themselves into difficulties and fall foul of some older, exploitative expats.
The story seemed somewhat extreme, although apparently it is possible to get into extreme difficulties in Dubai and similar places and some young people do thus get exploited.
Click here for a link to the Hampstead resource on this play/production.
It had its moments but was not the best thing we’ve seen downstairs at the Hampstead – mind you we have seen some absolute crackers down there.
We didn’t regret our visit, but we were a little disappointed given the high hopes we now always take with us to the Hampstead Downstairs.
Below is the (very short) trailer:
No formal reviews downstairs, but what there is to be seen should be found through this search term – click here.
A weird and dark play about an extreme capitalist. We like Dennis Kelly’s plays – they are always entertaining with dark twists and lots to think about. This one was no exception.
Writing up this play now (march 2018), in our Brexit/Trump infused society, the play seems very relevant and prescient.
The fine actor Tom Brooke seems to thrive on Dennis Kelly plays. Actually the whole cast was good. I think this was our first sighting of Ned Bennett’s work as a director (assisting Vicky Featherstone on this one) – our next sighting being the tremendous Pomona at the Orange Tree – even weirder:
Pomona by Alistair McDowall, Orange Tree Theatre, 15 November 2014
The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas certainly kept me and Janie entertained during and debating afterwards.
Click here for a link to the Royal Court resource for this play/production.
Below is the trailer vid, which is intriguing but not illuminating:
Below is an interview with Vicky Featherstone and Dennis Kelly:
This one divided the critics. Click here for a search term that finds the reviews.
An engaging play at the Bush with an excellent cast, not least Kenneth Cranham and Amanda Root. This must have been Rory Kinnear’s first go as a playwright. Howard Davies directed.
We found it witty as well as moving – basically about a birthday party for a young man with severe learning difficulties.
Click here for the Bush resource on the play/production.
Below is the promotional interview vid:
It subsequently transferred to the Steppenwwolf Theatre in the States, which counts as a big win for a British playwright’s first play, I think.
Click here for links to the reviews, which were mostly, deservedly, very good ones.
This was an excellent play/production.
We had loved Constellations by Nick Payne, so he was very much on our list of writers to watch…
…yet this one was far more down to earth, subject-wise and style wise…
…but still excellent, just differently so.
Basically about ambulance-chasing lawyers and insurance fraudsters.
It reminded me in style of Mamet plays of the Glengarry Glen Ross type.
Click here for the Donmar’s excellent “Behind The Scenes” document on this play/production.
Below is an interview with Nick Payne about this piece:
Click here for a search term that finds the reviews. This one really split the critics – we’re with the critics who got it, but some of the critics found this piece shallow after Constellations.