Downstage Drama

Richard Twyman’s adaptation of Macbeth at the Lyric Hammersmith has left me feeling rather  curious. I now ask myself the question: “did it work, or was it just good acting?”. Whilst the set is stunning: a floor to ceiling construction of a mid-century urban mansion. Dark oak panels, a full kitchen and mystifying details such as working shower, giant mirror and disco ball, each having their place in the story, feature prominently and leave a resounding impression in my mind. There are many choices I agreed with. One of which being possibly the most striking addition: the element of live video recordings. Some made to look like security camera footage, some streaming directly from an actor’s video camera on stage, some playing the role of Banquo’s ghost. Because the three witches were not exactly played by a member of the cast, I interpreted this to be a representation of the pressure Macbeth felt from the witches’ prophecies and their omniscient nature, ultimately leading him and h...

Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers is just over 40 years old and still continues to amaze me. I first saw this musical a decade ago, when I was just 7 years old (the same age as the boys at the beginning of the show) and even then, having very little idea of what the actual story was, I remember being completely captivated. Back then, I understood almost nothing about the historical context of the story, the nuances of each character or the technical marvels of the musical. And yet it dug itself into the deep recesses of my brain and, for the most part, became one of the founding pillars for my love of theatre. I’ve seen it twice more since then, the latest being just a few days ago, and was lucky enough to see Sean Jones (Mickey) and Joe Sleight (Eddie) for both. I find these two actors fascinating. I have never met more lively, fresh characters and, under the actors’ guidance, the sparkling chemistry between them became such a character itself.  Sean Jones is particularly interest...

Clueless The Musical  is a brand new musical that is  so totally  creative and brilliant. To start, the music of  Clueless  (the 1995 film) is a very distinct mixtape of bright, youthful pop songs that remain truthful to the trendy and fresh-faced cast of characters. (Think  Kids in America  by Kim Wilde and Supergrass’s  Alright,  both songs that feature on the soundtrack). I was interested to see how this would translate into original musical theatre, and luckily, they called upon KT Tunstall, an established singer/songwriter who is well versed in the quirks of 90s-00s pop. You may know her from her 2005 hit  Suddenly I See.  Tunstall wrote the music for the musical, with Glenn Slater as lyricist, and the electric guitars, synth-y feel and slight blend of different styles and genres means they really could have been blasted out of a teen’s Boombox in 1995. This authenticity make the whole musical feel so much more camp and up...

Never Land, written by Phyllis Nagy in 1998, is set in a small town in France, following an ambitious yet heartbroken family through their dramas and tribulations. Henri’s desire, above all else, is to live and work in England, and we see him get closer and closer to the realisation of this dream, before it is plucked out of his fingers, sending him and the whole family into a downward spiral of depression and self-loathing. This is, of course, played in tandem to a socio-economic crisis that leaves the family in crippling debt and despair. At the same time, the daughter Elisabeth’s abusive fiancé, Michael, ends the relationship in a chaotic, full-blown speech, destroying Elisabeth and causing her already fragile emotions to crack and burst free from her heart in the overblown climax of the play. The text itself is simultaneously haunting and tumultuous, as a play about extreme heartbreak should be. But, Nagy does not play to your expectations. She completely removes all boundaries, de...

We all have a pet peeve, no matter how often we tell ourselves we don’t. Mine, like many other theatre-goers, is the increasing number of rude and inappropriate audience members we are having to share auditoriums with. Watching Matilda on the West End a few weeks ago, I noticed at least three people whip their phones out of their pocket, scroll on Snapchat, send a quick message or, God forbid, sneak a quick snap of the stage. Not to mention a couple having the most in depth, obtuse conversation possible bang in the middle of my eye line. I know I’m not alone in these experiences. So why is it these insensitive audiences seem to be getting more and more common? The first possibility is, and excuse me whilst I sound like your old uncle at Christmas, those damn phones. TikTok and YouTube have become a breeding ground for illegal filming of these shows, many reaching hundreds of thousands of views. Wicked seems to be a particular favourite of these bootleg creators, one playlist of which g...

A Streetcar Named Desire, written by Tennessee Williams in 1947, follows two sisters as they reconnect and discover more about each other, in the landscape of an urban, post-war New Orleans. The young women, formidable Blanche Dubois and dutiful Stella Kowalski, live with Stella’s husband Stanley, often drunk and aggressive yet protective of his wife. Many other male characters reveal themselves throughout the play, particularly Mitch, who attempts to spark a romance with Blanche.  A main message of the play for me is the gender roles and expectations awarded to men and women. The actions that the men are allowed to indulge themselves in, drinking, gambling and sex, are admonished when performed by Blanche. This is apparent of the time period, as the early-to-mid 1900s are infamous for this kind of discrimination. However, Blanche is a powerhouse, whose mysterious backstory is one of sordid exploits and a degrading reputation. She is the subject of rumours, insults and assumptions,...

War Horse is an adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 novel, adapted by Nick Stafford in 2007. It follows the friendship and separation of young Albert and his horse, Joey,   as they face the horrors of trench warfare in 1916. This grave backdrop is expertly contrasted with the previous idyllic countryside of pre-war England, using muddy soldier uniforms, dark lighting and literal barbed wire to encapsulate the danger of No Man’s Land. This contrast is further explored with the reappearance of traditional folk songs often played with instrument accompaniment by one actress.   It didn’t seem like she was directing her music to the audience though, more so to Albert, the protagonist, or even the horses. The whimsical, traditional folk lore mixed with the foreign, terrifying modernity of war served as a constant reminder of Devon, of what was missed and eventually, what was lost. In representing the destruction of the English landscape, a huge watercolour projection overhangs the...