Once

I approached the musical adaption of Once with some hesitation, it is such a subtle and delicate film that I questioned how it could be translated to the stage.  However I shouldn’t have had any doubt, Once is a breath-taking, subtle, romantic and beautiful production with songs that make you laugh and make you cry. 

The set is that of a friendly pub, much like your local.  It even functions as a real bar for the audience during the interval and before the show starts, the opportunity to go onto a West End stage and get yourself a drink is certainly unique.  The show starts without you realising, as the cast are singing and performing during the 15 minutes before 7.30.  I’m not sure that I like this, maybe I’m a traditionalist and would rather have the obvious curtain drawing back to reveal the set. Then out of nowhere comes such a raw and powerful voice that I know I’m at the very least going to enjoy the music throughout the show.  David Hunter was the understudy for the main ‘Guy’ although had the little slip of paper not been in the programme I would have had no idea, he was sensational.  His voice had such an intense quality and it's depth reminded me of Tom Smith, lead singer of Editors.  The whole story of Once seemed to be encapsulated through his voice.

I don’t want to spoil the plot for anyone who hasn’t seen the film or the show, but it’s such a bittersweet tale and not your typical love story, which is refreshing.  The show demonstrates human relationships at their very best from families to strangers who find a connection through their music.  The show also acts as a tribute to Dublin, with many comments on the magic of the city; one of my favourite lines was a comment on how many broken hearts Dublin has produced, such a melancholy way to view any city.

One of the best features of the show is that all the cast are on stage constantly, excluding the adorable little girl who plays the ‘Girl’s daughter. They sit at the side when not actually in the scene providing subtle background music and watch the story unfold.  At first I thought that was their only purpose but as the show develops they are all actually characters in the story, from the Girls typically Czech family to the ex-girlfriend of the Guy who is in New York.

The music in Once is absolutely beautiful and not at all your average musical score.  The songs have obvious Irish influences as well as the Czech and Eastern European influences.  Occasionally a song is  predominantly with the Eastern European or Irish feel however the best songs were when these two merge together, to create something stunning.  The most spine tingling moment for me was an A Capella version of 'Gold', if anyone is familiar with Riverdance it had the same feel of ‘The Hearts Cry’.  You could of heard a pin drop in the theatre at that point.   The songs that 'Guy' had written reminded me of Gary Lightbody’s work, which could be the main reason I fell in love with them all so quickly.

Overall the show, despite my initial doubt, perfectly encapsulated the magic of the film and the decision to keep the main song ‘Falling Slowly’ in the show was a good move, although considering it won Academy Award for Best Original Song it would have been foolish to leave it out!!  I have to admit that I left with tears streaking my face, although I seem to be one of the few people it affected so much it really did move me and will be a while before I can listen to the soundtrack on public transport. 

London Stories

London Stories at Battersea Arts Centre was my first experience of 1 on 1, or in this case 1 on 1 on 1, theatre and it will certainly not be my last. I was mesmerised by the transformation of the building and the lasting effect of the stories I heard.

The premise of the show was to hear stories from people, ordinary Londoners you would pass on the street or stare blankly at on the tube.  People who you would not give a moments thought, but who are brought into your lives for one night and share their stories.  A simple idea beautifully realised.

Each audience member has a different route and therefore only hears six stories.  You hear each story with a stranger, split from whomever you arrived with.   This was initially a daunting prospect, but one that added to the magical quality of the night.

The stories I heard affected me more than I had expected, and have had a lasting impact.  Two stories in particular profoundly moved me on the night and have continued to do so beyond the world of London Stories.   The first was told by Lara, she spots a figure standing on the edge of Blackfriars Bridge who is obviously intending to jump. Her description of tears pouring out of his hoody sent shivers down my spine and from that point on I became more and more emotionally involved in her story.  Theatre is such a powerful art form, and being in a 1 on 1 situation hearing true stories from the people that experienced them intensified the impact on me. I left Lara’s’ story with tears streaking my face, with the accommodating venue managers offering me tissues.

(c) Layla El-Deeb

Another story that particularly affected me was that of a storyteller labeled as ‘Anonymous’. She began her story by stating that what she was about to tell us, none of her friends or family knew: she was secretly married.   Although her secret marriage is a heart-wrenching story, the description of her mothers’ death was an almost unbearably moving experience.  She described seeing her mothers’ dead body, smelling it and the coldness of its touch, with tears in her eyes.  I know I will never forget being witness to such raw emotion in a room with two strangers. 

The other stories that I witnessed did not have such an impact on me emotionally, yet I still felt privileged to hear these fellow Londoners share with me their passionate, funny and often empowering stories. A story about a child visiting her sick sister and befriending another sick child in the ward, until she visits one day and her new friends bed is empty. A Millwall supporters experiences at a match and the sensationalist reaction to the violence at the match, of which he had no part, describing his friends eagerness to hear his stories of the violence when all he wanted was to talk about the match itself. 

Battersea Arts Centre’s building was another key component in this production; this old town hall with all its secret rooms, staircases and hidden corners was the fourth member of the intimate London Stories.  The building was candlelit and without any signage instructing audience members to do so, everyone spoke in hushed tones as if in respect of the stories we were being told. 

I feel honored that I was a part of such a fantastic production that put Londoners and BAC in the spotlight.

One Man, Two Guvnors - "I laughed my socks off"

This has to be one of the funniest shows I’ve seen in years. I was quite literally gasping for breath at some points.  A classic British comedy set in Brighton involving murder, cross-dressing, mistaken identity and a good dose of innuendo. In the programme is a picture of Barbara Windsor in that classic scene from Carry on Camping, and this just about sums up the humour of One Man, Two Guvnors.  It does make you question how this humour translates to foreign audiences, as it has often been said that British humour is very unique and the show features a fair few British “in” jokes although perhaps I’m not giving our foreign audiences enough credit.

It did take me a while to get into this genre, farce is definitely not to be taken too seriously and once you realise that they will talk directly to the audience panto style and they will corpse (whether intended or not) this is British entertainment at its finest.  The truly ridiculous plot merely acts as a springboard for the character based comedy and the physical stunts.

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/mar/06/one-man-two-guvnors-adelaide-festival
Box of tricks … Owain Arthur as Francis Henshall in Richard Bean's One Man, Two Guvnors. Photograph: Johan Persson

Physical comedy is one of the best elements of this show, the elderly waiter who falls down stairs, gets repeatedly smashed in the face by an opening door and bends over at a seemingly impossible angle is a treat.  Francis Henshalls (Owain Arthur) physically comedy is seemingly endless, from fighting himself to trying to lift a seemingly heavy trunk.  As well as the physical ‘stunts’ his subtle physically comedy and knowing looks at the audience created a real connection between character and audience, you left feeling like a night in the pub with Francis would be a treat.  The scene in the pub was reminiscent of Fawlty Towers, I half expected Manuel to run out of one of the doors and join in on the action with a seething Basil Fawlty chasing him.

One of my favourite bits of the show was the 60s style band who perform before the show starts and also during scene changes. I loved their style, gorgeous suits, perfect hair and a bit of Elvis leg action. The songs were pretty good too, classic 60s style rockabilly and skiffle tracks that perfectly suited the show. 

The set of Brighton was also fantastic, it was immediately obvious it was Brighton and the sea on the backdrop looked incredibly realistic.  With it’s almost panto-esque feel the set definitely added to the overall feel of the show, cartoonish yet brilliantly done.

The funniest part of last nights show was definitely the audience interaction, Francis preys on two unsuspecting men in the front row (to be avoided if you go!) who are asked to merely carry a trunk across the stage.  A simply task you would think, however the comedy value two members of the public can produce is not to be underrated at any cost, it was truly hilarious watching an old gentleman from Colorado struggle to lift a trunk in the most awkward way possible.  Another element of audience interaction, which I don’t want to spoil for anyone who has not seen the show, is shockingly hysterical with an unexpected twist!

Overall, although this show won’t stay with me on the same level that some shows I’ve seen recently have, I thoroughly enjoyed my evening, it was entertainment as it should be and a chance to become immersed in a mad world. I feel refreshed from laughing so hysterically, it should be a form of therapy to see this show and just laugh until you can’t laugh anymore. 

Sweet Bird of Youth - Old Vic

Last night saw me back at the theatre to catch Tennessee Williams’ play Sweet Bird of Youth at the Old Vic. Two things drew me to this production the first being the play itself. I have the script from my A-Level English days so was intrigued to see how it would manifest itself on the stage, and how my interpretation and this production would differ.  I also wanted to see what Kim Cattrall was like when she’s not the firey Samantha Jones from Sex and the City. Although her character arguably has many similarities with Samantha, both women conscious of their age and the inevitability of aging: yet with such strong characters (and spending most of the show in some state of undress). 

The tensions and drama were so well presented, through the staging, lighting and acting that made you  feel that the extortionate full price tickets are worth it (although luckily I had got discounted tickets). The use of music was also very well done, with the same haunting theme appearing at key moments, which gave me a shiver every time it reappeared. Although part of me thinks a really good play needs no set at all (some of the best shows I’ve seen have been in the back of pubs with no scenary at all) the set for this show was beautiful and I really liked how it all changed to suit the different acts.  Starting out as the hotel room, then transforming into the house of Heavenly and her family, then into the hotel bar and finally back to the hotel with incredibly smooth changes.

In the programme Kim Cattrall states that one of the key things that drew her to the role was that the two main characters are equals rather than the typical vulnerable female characters of other Tennesse Williams plays.  Usually it is the woman in distress in his plays but here there is the “pairing of equal forces”. I also liked this fact, Alexandra Del Lago really was a force to be reckoned with despite her obvious vulnerability – and I think that’s what makes a great woman, behind that vulnerability frequently still associated with woman there has to be some real gumption (I love that word)

There are so many themes in this play; the passing of youth and mourning lost fame being the main ones although other themes that add to the power and impact of the play include segregation.  There was an audible gasp and sense of discomfort as the castration of a black youth was discussed – this only added to the constant level of unease and brought you to the historical context of the Southern States of the US in the 1950s. I felt on edge for most of the show, so much so that I frequently jumped out of my skin (to the annoyance of the person next to me).

It was interesting that both the main characters, Chance Wayne and Alexandra Del Lago, are suffering the same fear of aging yet there could easily be 30 years between them.  We know that Chance is 29 yet Alexandra Del Lagos age remains a mystery; she is a jaded Hollywood star who is facing up to the possibility that her career is over.  It’s interesting as I’m 22, and the number of my friends (including occasionally me) who are worrying about their age is bordering on ridiculous as in the majority of peoples eyes we are still incredibly young.  There’s that constant question of is age really just a number, and it is just how you feel?

The play could be considered a bit of a slow burner, it’s fairly long. But I liked the way we gradually realise what is going on.  Alexandra Del Lago wakes at the start in a state of amnesia and we are also in this position, wondering what the situation is, who is that man, where am I?  We gradually are able to piece together what takes place; with a sense of foreboding aided by the haunting theme reappearing each time we learn something new.  When Alexandra and Chance sleep together near the opening the lights dim and behind curtains we see the shadow of another girl, giving a glimpse into the real reason Chance is here – Heavenly.  I found this moment really powerful especially when at the end, Chance is left in the hotel as Alexandra returns to her career and the shadow of Heavenly reappears, slowly replaced by the men who are there to seek revenge on Chance. Makes me shiver just thinking about that ending, the applause came too soon for my liking.

I watched an interview where Kim Cattrall mentioned the similarities between Alexandra and Samantha, she said that she likes to play on this and make it obvious to the audience.  Although I’m a big fan of Sex and the City I felt it was a shame she felt this way, yes they are similar characters but surely the plays of Tennesse Williams have more depth than a 20-minute episode of Sex and the City. But that’s my only criticism, it was absolutely fantastic and the fact that Seth Numrich is dangerously handsome was just the cherry on the cake.

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 The show closes on the 31 August so get there quick! You won't regret it.