Category: Theatre

Mottled Lines by Archie W Maddocks, Orange Tree Theatre, 13 July 2012

This was an unusual visit to Richmond and the Orange Tree Theatre in many ways.

For a start, unusually, it was on a Friday. Following one or two “close shaves” after work on Friday evenings, Janie and I normally eschewed places like Richmond for theatre on a Friday.

But this was an interesting looking play on a short run, we had already arranged a theatre visit for the Saturday, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to take the afternoon off, visit mum at Nightingale that Friday afternoon and drive on to Richmond. Janie arranged to go to Richmond by cab and kindly volunteered to drive back to the house after dinner.

It was just before the start of the 2012 London Olympics and I recall that there were lots of “cops out and running about” in London at that time. I had a police escort almost all the way from Clapham to Richmond station – I was pretty sure that cop car had decided to follow me personally when it followed me, after the south circular, along my idiosyncratic route into Richmond.

I even recall mentioning the following to Janie when she got to the Orange Tree. We decided that the whole force was on visibility alert for the Olympics with not too much real policing to do.

Here is a link to the Orange Tree resource on Mottled Lines.

Mottled Lines was about the 2011 riots – basically a piece sympathetic to the rioters as well as to those caught up in them inadvertently.

We both rather liked the play – an interesting piece by a young West London lad. I think it was the comparison with this piece that made us somewhat luke warm to the subsequent, far more ambitious verbatim piece, Little Revolution by Alecky Blythe at the Almeida on the same subject:

Little Revolution by Alecky Blythe, Almeida Theatre, 30 August 2014

Mottled Lines didn’t get much press, but what it got was positive and a link to what there is can be found by clicking here. We’re certainly keen to see more from that young writer Archie W Maddocks.

Janie and I had dinner at Don Fernandos, then went and retrieved Nobby from the Richmond Station car park.

Janie, with Nobby, at his last resting place a couple of years later, not Richmond Station

Janie hadn’t driven Nobby for a while, so started out a bit slowly/cautiously, sensibly reacquainting herself with the feel of that car.

Very soon after we set off I realised that we were being followed by police again – a different car/pairing of officers. This police car pulled Janie over on the north side of Kew Bridge.

“Why have you stopped me?” asked Janie, wondering what she might have done wrong.

“You were driving suspiciously slowly and cautiously”, said the male officer.

“I don’t drive this car all that often,” said Janie, “so naturally I was being cautious at first…I am insured to drive this car”, said Janie.

“We know that, Miss…Wormlington?” said the female officer.

Janie was then questioned as to where we were coming from and going to, then the male officer asked her if she had been drinking.

“I had one small glass of wine with my food”, said Janie, which was absolutely true.

The policeman then breathalysed Janie, pursuing a line of statements and half-questions which indicated, to me, that he was pretty much “expecting” to see a positive test.

While we were waiting, Janie tried to break the ice with the two of them by telling them about the play we had just seen. The female officer seemed interested and relatively friendly, the male officer merely seemed to be preparing himself to read Janie her rights, explaining what the different indications on the breathalyser would mean.

After what seemed like ages, the male officer announced the result of the test; it indicated that Janie had some alcohol in her breath but it was below the warning line and some way below the legal limit.

The policeman couldn’t disguise his obvious disappointment as he announced the result. He then “warned” Janie to be careful on the rest of her way home, because, if she was in fact over the limit but had merely “got lucky” because of the timing of her test, she might get stopped again and might register a positive breathalyser test later.

Janie restated the fact that she had taken a little more than half a glass of wine with her dinner more than an hour ago.

I couldn’t resist asking the officer why he was warning her, if her breathalyser was below the warning line.

The male officer then explained to me, in very convoluted terms, that he wasn’t officially warning Janie, because her reading was below the official warning level, but he was informally warning her that if she was in fact over the limit she should nevertheless not drive.

It seemed to me, on that basis, that the lines between “over the limit – you’re nicked”, “warning zone – you are dangerously close to the limit” and “below the limit – be on your way” were…to that particular policeman…to say the least…mottled.

Mottled Lines and Janie’s breathalyser trophy

The Last Of The Haussmans by Stephen Beresford, Lyttelton Theatre, 9 July 2012

This play was good fun, as I recall it and well received by most critics.

But it was not, in truth, a great play, nor an ideal outlet for the immense talent on show, both cast and creatives.

Still, we had a fun evening at the theatre and the National had somewhat of a hit on its hands.

Here is a link to a search term that finds reviews and stuff – click here.

Below is a trailer:

Below is an interview with the playwright:

Below is a vid with cast and author interviews:

 

The Physicists by Friedrich Durrenmatt, Donmar Warehouse, 9 June 2012

What a palaver.

I was really keen to see this rarely-performed play, having absolutely loved reading it “back in the day”. Further, it was a cracking good cast, Josie Rourke directing – unquestionably one for us.

So we booked it, way in advance – as soon as tickets became available to members…

…for 2 June – which turned out to be the date of Charlotte and Chris’s wedding.

My bad? Janie’s bad? For both of us, presumably it was so obvious that the first weekend in June was the youngsters’ wedding weekend that we were both far too polite to book out the date in our diaries. I’ll write up the wedding in the fullness of time.

For The Physicists, of course, it was “impossible” for mere ordinary members like us to swap our tickets by the time we spotted our error…

…but it was not impossible for one of Janie’s high falutin’ clients who had some sort of corporate or “patron” membership to arrange a switcheroo for us. Thank you, anonymous high-falutin’ client – we were truly grateful to you – I’m sure Janie also found ways of thanking you gift-wise, foot-wise, etc.

With the benefit of hindsight, of course, perhaps we would have been better off without this one.

What a mess.

All style. All star-quality. No substance.

Perhaps it has dated badly. Perhaps it was adapted in a way that simply didn’t work for us.

This was the culmination of an especially disappointing week of special treats for me, given the unprecedented lack of cricket at Edgbaston on the preceding days:

Long To Rain Over Us, England v West Indies, Edgbaston, Days One and Two, 7 & 8 June 2012

Oh dear.

Here is a link to the excellent downloadable “Study Guide” pack from the Donmar on this production.

Here is the trailer for The Physicists:

Here is a link to reviews and such – mostly less than special.

Children’s Children by Matthew Dunster, Almeida Theatre, 26 May 2012

I recall us both rather liking this play, without being bowled over by it.

Some very clever writing and lots of issues to chew over afterwards. A good blend of family comedy/drama and global issues. Very Islington.

Here is a link to the Almeida resource for the play/production.

The trailer below is quite good:

The reviews were, deservedly, good but not great – click here for a search term link. As Woody Allen might have said, “it was a good play, not a great play…”

The Complaint by Nick Whitby, Hampstead Theatre Downstairs, 25 May 2012

This was one of the first plays/productions we saw at the Hampstead Downstairs, which helped to cement our view that the small house down there is a happening space.

Here is a link to the Hampstead resource on this play/production.

In truth, this particular piece did not really float our boat – we’ve seen rather a lot of Kafkaesque pieces about absurd bureaucracy, yet there was enough in this one to keep us motivated and wanting to come back for more.

No formal reviews down there, but this search term will find what little informal stuff is floating around on-line.

Detroit by Lisa D’Amour, Cottesloe Theatre, 12 May 2012

I remember we were really looking forward to this play/production.

Transfers from the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in the US are usually top notch, as are Cottesloe productions.

In many ways this was top notch; a well written, well-acted, well-directed piece about suburban America. It just didn’t really light up.

Perhaps we had been spoilt too recently by Bruce Norris’s Clybourne Park – another mid-west suburban play…

Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris, Royal Court Theatre, 4 September 2010

…or the harder-hitting Neil LaBute’s we’d been enjoying the last few years.

We enjoyed our evening but had been (perhaps unfairly) half-expecting to be wowed, which we were not.

Mixed reviews from the critics – click here for a link.

Below is the RNT trailer – not very revealing…

…this Steppenwolf vid explains more:

Big And Small (Gross Und Klein) by Botho Strauss, Barbican Theatre, 28 April 2012

We were really looking forward to this piece but found it disappointing.

It felt to us like a rather inconsequential, silly piece trying to be profound.

Cate Blanchett has never really done the business for me on stage. Strangely, with this piece, my feelings about her undoubted abilities as an actress were enhanced but it would have been a struggle for anyone to wring much out of this play.

Here is a link to a trailer vid from the Sydney Theatre production (presumably filmed before it came to the Barbican).

Here is an interview with Cate Blanchett from this tour:

Cate Blanchett and Benedict Andrews talk a good game.

Mixed reviews – for a link to a search term, click here.

Black T-Shirt Collection by Inua Ellams, Cottesloe Theatre, 14 April 2012

I recall Janie and I both really enjoying this short, unusual, imaginative piece, written and performed by Inua Ellams.

I think it pleased us more than it pleased many of the critics, many of whom found the piece lightweight compared with its big themes of globalisation, the fashion industry and anti-gay prejudice in Africa.

Here is a search term that finds the reviews and stuff. 

Below is a link to the trailer:

We found the piece entertaining and thought-provoking. That was enough for us.

Filumena by Eduardo De Filippo, Almeida Theatre, 7 April 2012

I seem to recall that this piece charmed me more than it did Daisy. Eduardo De Filippo is never going to be her type of playwright, even when Tanya Ronder writes a spicy version of this uber-Neapolitan play.

Here is a link to the Almeida resource on this one.

A fine production. Samantha Spiro was excellent as the eponymous lead, along with a good supporting cast.

Below is the trailer:

Also an interesting interview with Michael Attenborough about the play:

…but ultimately the play could only achieve so much – I think most of the critics, like Janie, were underwhelmed by the play but they also – like me – found the production charming and worthwhile – click here for a search term to find the reviews.

 

 

Play House And Definitely the Bahamas by Martin Crimp, Orange Tree Theatre, 31 March 2012

A double bill of Martin Crimp plays, the first brand new, the second an older one.

Part of the Orange Tree’s 40th anniversary celebrations and a nod to one of its bigger achievements; championing Martin Crimp’s work in the early days.

Here is a link to the Orange Tree resource on this double bill.

I recall us liking the first, more recent play more than we liked the older play on this evening.

They were very different and we were pleased to have seen both.

We’re not normally wild about writers directing their own work, but Crimp did a good job with these pieces.

The reviews were good too – click here for a link to them.