Low Level Panic by Clare Mcintyre, Orange Tree Theatre, 25 March 2017

This made it two in a row theatre visits to see all female affairs, the previous visit being Scarlett at the Hampstead Downstairs – click here – earlier this month.

Unlike Scarlett, though, this production is a revival of a 1980’s play. Indeed, a quintessentially 1980’s play. It’s a three-hander. All three actresses performed their roles very well.

Here is a link to the excellent Orange Tree on-line resources about the production, including reviews and stuff.

Lots of excellent reviews up there, mostly four stars. Of course, the Orange Tree only puts up the best ones with stars, so I add these only for balance:

Several of the reviews discuss feminism 1988 style and debate the extent to which things have changed since then – very much the conversation Janie and I had over dinner and the next day.

Anyway, Janie and I both really enjoyed our evening at the theatre and our Don Fernando grubsie afterwards.

 

Port by Simon Stephens, Lyttelton Theatre, RNT, 26 January 2013

This was an excellent play/production.

We’re really keen on Simon Stephens work and had high hopes for this play – high hopes that were indeed met.

The play is basically about Simon Stephen’s home town – Stockport.

This was a revival of one of Simon Stephen’s early works – we didn’t realise that when we booked it, bit never mind.

Years later, when Janie and I went to Southport, I had terrible trouble convincing Janie that they are very different places in the North-West with vaguely similar names.

Unfamiliar names in the cast but all did a cracking job. Superb design too. Marianne Elliott is such a good director.

Below is a trailer vid:

The piece had very good reviews – here is a link to a search term that finds them.

Below is a vox pop audience feedback vid:

Our vox pop – both Janie and I really liked it.

We went to see Marianne Elliott & Simon Stephens talk about the play 10 days later, which was interesting and good too:

Marianne Elliott And Simon Stephens On Port, 7 February 2013