Two theatre trips
I've been busy the past few days so completely forgot that I hadn't written about our trip to see Richard III with Kevin Spacey at the Old Vic last Thursday.
It was an incredibly powerful evening in the theatre. We were both pretty much shattered when it was over. Kevin Spacey played Richard with his body so twisted it was almost painful to look at and how he sustained the sheer physicality of the performance for three and a quarter hours I don't know. When he first came on the lighting cast his shadow on the wall in a way that reminded me of Nosferatu, whether that was my imagination or not I don't know, but it seemed quite appropriate.
The play is done in modern dress and with a modern setting with one particularly clever use of TV cameras. It's almost a handbook for dictators seizing power with names up in lights on the walls as Richard disposes of the people in the way of his path to power. Parallel to this is Queen Margaret (played by Gemma Jones) as she puts crosses on doors as another victim falls to her curse. Although most of the power that Richard needs to seize in the play is in the hands of men his most powerful scenes are with women. His wooing of Lady Anne would be described in fanfic as the prelude to hate sex as she is revolted by him, but lured into becoming his wife. Almost more powerful is his scene with Queen Elizabeth (very powerfully played by Haydn Gwynne) as Richard reveals his intention of marrying her daughter after Anne has died. Even though she knows Richard has killed her sons there are moments when you almost see her succumbing to his charms. Some of the time Richard's dirty work is done by Buckingham (very well played by Chuk Iwuji) who is basically his PR guy. In a wonderfully staged moment he offers the crown to Richard on stage, which Richard accepts with his face being shown on a large TV screen. That was possibly my favourite moment of the whole play as the duplicity on display is quite delicious. After Buckingham also falls victim to Richard the end comes quickly and the final image is of Richard's body suspended upside down on stage as Richmond takes the crown.
It was a hugely powerful production and quite draining to watch. If I had a criticism it would be a wish that they'd toned down the shouting a bit. I know it's a bit inevitable at the end but there were moments when I thought it was overdone.
And then last night we went to the Menier Chocolate Factory to see Stephen Sondheim's "Road Show". This is late and minor Sondheim (it's one of the ones he keeps tweaking) but I enjoyed it. The audience were in two tiers on either side of the stage area and we were sitting in the front row on a level with the action so it was definitely necessary to keep bags and feet in just in case the actors tripped over (and how they didn't I don't know). At one point one of the actresses was leaning on my shoulder and we were showered with dollar bills (sadly fake). Being so close to everything meant the production zipped by.
The musical is about two brothers Addison and Wilson Mizner and their attempts to get rich in the early years of the 20th century. It's also a comment on American 20th century society and the souring of the American dream, but that isn't heavily emphasised. The relationship between the two brothers is close, at one point it seems as if Addie is almost physically attracted to Willy, but they come together and separate as Addie works and travels and Willy tries many get rich quick schemes. Eventually Addie is in a loving relationship complete with gay love duet "The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened" but Willy ruins that with his scams and Addison dies alone though we see him reunite with Wilson in the afterlife (sort of). The performances were excellent particularly from Michael Jibson as Addison and David Bedella as Wilson and the production is terrific. It isn't great Sondheim, but it was a very entertaining evening.
It was an incredibly powerful evening in the theatre. We were both pretty much shattered when it was over. Kevin Spacey played Richard with his body so twisted it was almost painful to look at and how he sustained the sheer physicality of the performance for three and a quarter hours I don't know. When he first came on the lighting cast his shadow on the wall in a way that reminded me of Nosferatu, whether that was my imagination or not I don't know, but it seemed quite appropriate.
The play is done in modern dress and with a modern setting with one particularly clever use of TV cameras. It's almost a handbook for dictators seizing power with names up in lights on the walls as Richard disposes of the people in the way of his path to power. Parallel to this is Queen Margaret (played by Gemma Jones) as she puts crosses on doors as another victim falls to her curse. Although most of the power that Richard needs to seize in the play is in the hands of men his most powerful scenes are with women. His wooing of Lady Anne would be described in fanfic as the prelude to hate sex as she is revolted by him, but lured into becoming his wife. Almost more powerful is his scene with Queen Elizabeth (very powerfully played by Haydn Gwynne) as Richard reveals his intention of marrying her daughter after Anne has died. Even though she knows Richard has killed her sons there are moments when you almost see her succumbing to his charms. Some of the time Richard's dirty work is done by Buckingham (very well played by Chuk Iwuji) who is basically his PR guy. In a wonderfully staged moment he offers the crown to Richard on stage, which Richard accepts with his face being shown on a large TV screen. That was possibly my favourite moment of the whole play as the duplicity on display is quite delicious. After Buckingham also falls victim to Richard the end comes quickly and the final image is of Richard's body suspended upside down on stage as Richmond takes the crown.
It was a hugely powerful production and quite draining to watch. If I had a criticism it would be a wish that they'd toned down the shouting a bit. I know it's a bit inevitable at the end but there were moments when I thought it was overdone.
And then last night we went to the Menier Chocolate Factory to see Stephen Sondheim's "Road Show". This is late and minor Sondheim (it's one of the ones he keeps tweaking) but I enjoyed it. The audience were in two tiers on either side of the stage area and we were sitting in the front row on a level with the action so it was definitely necessary to keep bags and feet in just in case the actors tripped over (and how they didn't I don't know). At one point one of the actresses was leaning on my shoulder and we were showered with dollar bills (sadly fake). Being so close to everything meant the production zipped by.
The musical is about two brothers Addison and Wilson Mizner and their attempts to get rich in the early years of the 20th century. It's also a comment on American 20th century society and the souring of the American dream, but that isn't heavily emphasised. The relationship between the two brothers is close, at one point it seems as if Addie is almost physically attracted to Willy, but they come together and separate as Addie works and travels and Willy tries many get rich quick schemes. Eventually Addie is in a loving relationship complete with gay love duet "The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened" but Willy ruins that with his scams and Addison dies alone though we see him reunite with Wilson in the afterlife (sort of). The performances were excellent particularly from Michael Jibson as Addison and David Bedella as Wilson and the production is terrific. It isn't great Sondheim, but it was a very entertaining evening.