Tag Archives: Camden Fringe Festival 2023

All That Glitters

All That Glitters

★★½

Rosemary Branch Theatre

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ALL THAT GLITTERS at the Rosemary Branch Theatre

★★½

All That Glitters

“with some work it could be laugh out loud funny”

 

All That Glitters – a comedy drama set in a popular burlesque club – is the debut show from Made You Look Productions. When seasoned dancer Lexi (Kate Coulson) takes newbie Selene (Rosie Bridges) under her wing, an unlikely friendship forms. Exploring loyalty, female friendship and bodily autonomy, the show combines dance, lip sync and political commentary in its short 45-minute runtime.

Coulson and Bridges have good chemistry between them especially in the dance numbers, but their acting is unfortunately rather awkward. Conversations don’t flow naturally and the pauses for contemplation are never quite the right length of time. The characterisation of Lexi and Selene is good – we know who they are the moment they walk on stage. Selene’s character also has added intrigue as she deals with a possessive partner who doesn’t like her newfound career path.

The show’s biggest weakness however is probably its length. There isn’t quite enough time to get invested in the characters. Lexi’s plotline with the venue’s manager Crystal needs fleshing out in particular. A further 15 or 20 minutes to add more context would go a long way but the general plot is good.

The dance sequences are fine – they are best when also comic. Though a slightly outdated reference, the strongest is when Lexi and Selene dance to ABBA’s Money, Money, Money whilst wearing masks of Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt stomping on the EU flag. In addition, at the beginning of some dances, Lexi addresses the theatre audience as if we are the audience for her burlesque show. This is an enjoyable piece of engagement work and more would be welcomed.

“All That Glitters has potential”

The set is simple but used well. Three white boxes containing props and costumes are moved around the stage to make seats, platforms, something to lean on. A set of strip lights are in a square on the back wall and lit up when a dance is taking place. The stage lights are turned off and on again rapidly to signal a change in scene. These are sometimes a bit too fast and make it unclear that we have switched to a different time – especially when the characters do not change positions.

The base of both Lexi and Selene’s outfits are mini leather shorts and a bodice but layers are applied and taken off throughout the show for a variety of different outfits. Changes are done relatively quickly from behind the boxes – something larger to shield the two actors might be good for a better reveal in the future.

All That Glitters has potential. It has a fun storyline and two interesting characters to explore. You will chuckle at the script and with some work it could be laugh out loud funny. I am excited to see what Made You Look Productions do next.

 


ALL THAT GLITTERS at the Rosemary Branch Theatre

Reviewed on 2nd August 2023

by Flora Doble

Photography courtesy Made You Look

 


 

 

 

More shows reviewed by Flora:

 

Cuckoo | ★★½ | Royal Court | July 2023
Peter Smith’s Diana | ★ | Soho Theatre | July 2023
After The Act | ★★★★★ | New Diorama Theatre | March 2023
Gay Witch Sex Cult | ★★★★★ | VAULT Festival 2023 | February 2023
Kings of the Clubs | ★★★ | VAULT Festival 2023 | February 2023
Le Gateau Chocolat: A Night at the Musicals | ★★★★ | Soho Theatre | January 2023
Who’s Holiday! | ★★★ | Southwark Playhouse Borough | December 2022
Diana: The Untold And Untrue Story | ★★★★ | Pleasance Theatre | November 2022

All That Glitters

All That Glitters

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glad to be dead

Glad to be Dead?

★★

Hen and Chickens Theatre

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GLAD TO BE DEAD? at the Hen and Chickens Theatre

★★

glad to be dead

“It’s an impressive feat to perform one monologue, let alone multiple”

 

At the core of Glad to Be Dead? is a fascinating idea, but it is let down by a lack of cohesion, in theme, style and narrative.

It is an hour of monologues, told from beyond the grave. Some are historical figures; others are famous fictional characters. Each ghost is trapped alone in a room, able to watch the world through their window. It is slightly unclear how much of the world they can see, some seem to be confined to the memories of their creator, or themselves, while others can see our world and can pass judgement on it. Many of the ghosts berate us, pointing out flaws with modern life. Each monologue recounts the character’s life, sometimes dipping into philosophical musings.

The trouble is the choice of characters is random and disconnected. They include Casper the friendly ghost, Dorian Gray, and Reyna Angélica Marroquín, a young woman who was murdered in the 1960s. Some of the stories are interesting, because they’re less well known. But that’s a very different style to the monologues which are nods to famous fictional characters. Maybe the piece would work better by focussing on one of these stories, perhaps Irish murderer Katherine Webster, whose story is gripping, though the presentation of it reads a little like a Wikipedia entry. Many of the characters struggle to come to life, and feel a bit trapped by the weight of facts – there are lots of names and dates. Perhaps finding a stronger overarching theme would give the piece a little more narrative cohesion, as it feels a bit disjointed.

Mother/daughter writing duo Donna and Jade Flack have chosen some interesting figures, and the concept of these ghosts who are trapped in their rooms is really poignant. Casper, who is a child, just wants to play, and that loneliness is moving. There could be a little more light and shade in the piece, as it does feel tonally quite similar throughout. The moralising nature of many of the ghosts brings a strange preachiness at times, which is a shame. It would be nice to see these characters having a bit more fun.

It’s an impressive feat to perform one monologue, let alone multiple, and Barbara Llewellyn, Bruce Murray and Jade Flack (a writer/performer) all manage admirably. Llewellyn brought a real gusto to her characters, Murray a wry knowingness and Flack had a strong energy.

There are parts of Glad to Be Dead? which are thought provoking, and moving. It packs a huge amount into the hour, and learning about some of the characters was interesting, but in the end, there needs to be something more.


GLAD TO BE DEAD? at the Hen and Chickens Theatre

Reviewed on 31st July 2023

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by ShillingSnaps

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Lautrec | ★★★½ | August 2022

Glad to be Dead

Glad to be Dead

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