Tag Archives: Akshay Sharan

REDLANDS

★★★★

Chichester Festival Theatre

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REDLANDS at the Chichester Festival Theatre

★★★★

“Justin Audibert’s direction infuses the production with energy, enhancing the psychedelic ambience of the time”

Redlands, a new play by Charlotte Jones, deliciously delivers an enthralling portrayal of a pivotal moment in cultural history. This fictionalised account of the infamous 1967 trial of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in the quiet Sussex city of Chichester explores generational conflict and societal change, highlighting the tension between The Establishment and the emerging rock and roll aristocracy.

In the summer of 1967, Keith Richards hosted a party at Redlands, his country house in West Wittering, near Chichester. Their revelry is abruptly interrupted by a police raid, leading to Mick and Keith’s arrest on drug charges. Jones deftly captures the clash between the youthful idealism of figures like Mick and Keith and the entrenched authority represented by Michael Havers, the leading QC defending them. This is no straightforward courtroom drama; it masterfully blends history and fiction, capturing the spirit of an era while examining the generational rifts that define it.

Central to the narrative is 17-year-old Nigel Havers, son of The Rolling Stones’ lawyer and an aspiring actor. Serving as a meta, fourth-wall-breaking narrator, he bridges the old guard and the new generation. Here, Nigel develops a relationship with Marianne Faithfull, whose portrayal in the tabloid press after the raid prompts her to re-evaluate her career and relationships. Their shared background of family and societal expectations, along with noble titles, adds emotional depth, highlighting the personal stakes amidst the public spectacle of the trial.

The show transcends the typical courtroom or coming-of-age drama. It examines the class system of late sixties UK, the reliability of the press and justice system, and the nature of fandom and fame. With ten songs from the Rolling Stones and Marianne Faithfull’s back catalogue performed live by cast members and an on-stage band, the play captures the exuberance of the era. Jasper Talbot (Mick Jagger) and Brenock O’Connor (Keith Richards) excel in their roles, skilfully channelling the unique moves and charisma of their real-life counterparts, particularly in musical numbers featuring classics like “Ruby Tuesday,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” and “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.” Emer McDaid conveys the complex emotions of Marianne Faithfull, transitioning from the wild atmosphere of the party to moments of vulnerability in her relationship with Nigel.

In addition to father and son Michael Havers QC (Anthony Calf) and Nigel (Louis Landau), we also meet Michael’s father, Cecil “Bongo” Havers (Clive Francis). Despite being a prestigious lawyer and judge, Cecil is depicted as having more in common with his grandson than with his stuffy son. This trio adds both emotional depth and humour to the narrative as they navigate the weight of generational expectations.

Justin Audibert’s direction infuses the production with energy, enhancing the psychedelic ambience of the time. The vibrant set (Joanna Scotcher) and evocative lighting (Matt Daw) immerse everyone in the chaos and excitement of the era, creating a truly dynamic experience. Chichester’s thrust stage brings the action close to the audience, enhanced by direct interactions between performers and audience. Actors dance in the aisles, and two small platform stages above the exits serve as additional performance spaces during the musical numbers, as well as for commentary by journalists and witness boxes during the trial. The hardworking ensemble cast take on multiple roles, from comedic police officers to legal staff to journalists, bringing their characters to life with charisma and depth. Standouts include Adam Young, who plays both the drug dealer sent to Redlands and the News of the World journalist believed to have sent him there, as well as Havers’ other son, Philip. Akshay Sharan shines as Michael Havers’s legal colleague, who is smitten with Jagger.

Redlands cleverly juxtaposes the liberated spirit of the ’60s with the conservative values of an older generation, creating a dynamic commentary on the cultural upheaval of the time, alongside contemporary themes of youth culture and the struggle against societal norms. This celebration of rock and roll rebellion serves as a timely reminder that the clash of ideals continues to shape our world. The audience in Chichester was more than satisfied, despite the city and its residents being the butt of many jokes.


REDLANDS at the Chichester Festival Theatre

Reviewed on 29th September 2024

by Ellen Cheshire

Photography by Ikin Yum

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previously reviewed by Ellen:

BARISTA THE MUSICAL | ★★★ | CAPITOL THEATRE | September 2024
THE BELT | ★★★★★ | THE CORONET THEATRE | September 2024
THE WEYARD SISTERS | ★★ | RIVERSIDE STUDIOS | August 2024

REDLANDS

REDLANDS

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Renaissance

Renaissance

★★★★★

Stephens House and Gardens

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Renaissance

Renaissance

 Stephens House and Gardens, Finchley

Reviewed – 18th September 2020

★★★★★

 

“There is so much charisma and bite on stage, it seems slightly ridiculous that we should be allowed to experience this in such an intimate setting.”

 

Twenty or so fold-out chairs, scattered two metres apart, surround a small fairy-light-canopied stage, nestled beneath a big old tree at the bottom of the garden. Not quite summer anymore, there’s a significant nip in the air as the sun sets behind us, and the select crowd snuggles in to their jumpers and coats (one couple taking a sneaky swig from a hidden flask- not a bad idea), readying for the show to begin.

It doesn’t get much more picturesque than that, really. And besides the fact the location was likely chosen due to Covid, it feels more like the perfect setting for a small Midsummer Night’s Dream production or Woolf’s pageant in Between The Acts, and the limited audience makes it feel all the more special. Maybe it’s not extra practical for the production, but I’m having a very nice time…

“Why is everything so bland?”, Cesare Borgia (James Corrigan) begins, lamenting the misery and boredom of his princely responsibilities. He yearns for a taste of freedom, and so decides to offer his position and title to a passing unemployed politician, Niccolò Machiavelli (Nicholas Limm) who jumps at the opportunity, while Borgia himself guises as a struggling artist because, as he rightly posits, “The truth is simple: Artists win at life.” Simultaneously, Leonardo da Vinci (Akshay Sharan), similarly sick of his lot, decides to seek something more grounded than the lofty arts and, also disguised, finds a job in the Borgia palace as a politician. Cue a series of hilarious misunderstandings, disguises piled on top of disguises, genders swapped, stations elevated and swiftly demoted.

Writer Charlie Ward packs a lot in: war, politics, religion, romance, gender identity, class disparity, and all in a form that sits somewhere between a bedroom farce and a Shakespearian comedy.

Everything is in rhyming couplets and iambic pentameter (I think?) and just as with a Shakespeare play it takes a little while to find the rhythm, so with Renaissance, the first few scenes of dialogue are largely lost while the audience recalibrates. But it does give the story a pace, and a certain flavour which, being that it’s set in the sixteenth century, feels apt.

Before lockdown, nearly the entire cast was committed to major theatrical projects elsewhere, and you can see why. There is so much charisma and bite on stage, it seems slightly ridiculous that we should be allowed to experience this in such an intimate setting. The physical comedy and timing displayed, combined with everyone’s extensive previous experience with Shakespearian language brings a very comfortable, natural delivery, as though they spent their lives speaking in rhyming couplets. Corrigan whips between silly and domineering with ease; Bethan Cullinane is a force, so quietly sure of herself, she hardly moves whilst somehow absolutely commanding the stage. And Haydn Gwynne is just fabulous. Considering the immediate affect her presence makes on stage, she feels slightly underused, though you might say that of the whole cast really.

Director Emma Butler’s design is massively pared down, a necessity for such a small stage, and a relief really – there’s already enough to focus on with the grandiloquent language, and striking performances: Costumes consist of a simple palette of whites, creams and dusky pinks, and the ‘disguises’ comprise skirts swapped for trousers, shirts rebuttoned disheveledly, and dodgy French accents. It works though, and adds to the comedy, that someone should merely put a hat on and say they’re someone different from the person they were two minutes prior in the same company.

As theatre slowly starts to pick itself up again, even those productions that do manage to cobble something together will likely be taking an artistic hit, having to re-mould themselves in line with government guidelines. On this occasion, though, the restrictions have only enhanced the audience’s experience. How often do we have the chance to enjoy such a concentration of talent in such an intimate setting, and with fresh, new writing? Take the opportunity while you can, before (hopefully) everything returns to some semblance of normality and such an event becomes near impossible.

 

 

Reviewed by Miriam Sallon

Photography by Charlie Ward

 


Renaissance

Stephens House and Gardens until 20th September

 

Last ten shows reviewed by Miriam:
Antigone | ★★★★★ | New Diorama Theatre | January 2020
Frankie Foxstone Aka The Profit: Walking Tour | ★★★ | The Vaults | January 2020
Rags | ★★★ | Park Theatre | January 2020
The Canary And The Crow | ★★★½ | Arcola Theatre | January 2020
Madame Ovary | ★★★★ | The Vaults | February 2020
Meat | ★★★★ | Theatre503 | February 2020
Raw Transport | ★★★ | The Vaults | February 2020
Cracking | ★★★★ | King’s Head Theatre | March 2020
Take Care | ★★★★ | Network Theatre | March 2020
Thank You And Goodnight | ★★★★ | Camden People’s Theatre | March 2020

 

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