Cockpit Theatre Archives - Page 8 of 19

★★★★

“holds the attention effortlessly for 60 minutes”

This one man opera, based on John Milton’s magnificent epic poem, and produced as part of a socially distanced live performance series at the Cockpit Theatre, is sufficient temptation to lure anyone out of self-imposed isolation. But if you are in quarantine, don’t worry. The 2020 Tête à Tête Opera Festival at the Cockpit Theatre is also offering an interactive broadcasts online, with the added bonus of “meeting” with the artists afterwards to ask questions and share thoughts.

Lawrence Zazzo, acclaimed countertenor, and composer and pianist Geoff Page, do not disappoint in this adaptation of Paradise Lost, despite what must be their disappointment at having to perform to such a reduced audience. Zazzo, acclaimed as the “Maserati” of countertenors, holds the attention effortlessly for 60 minutes, and fans of the countertenor’s voice will appreciate his range. His mastery of the upper register notes are just as compelling as the lower. For a role such as Lucifer to be convincing, the artist really does need to be able to evoke celestial sweetness as well as the deeper, more sinister notes of a fallen angel. Pianist Page is likewise an accomplished musician whose technique provides a vigorous counterpoint to Zazzo’s vocal acrobatics. The only criticism that could be made of this pared down production is the lighting, reduced to single spots of changing colour on Zazzo. These are not always sufficient illumination. Paradise Lost may begin in hell, but should the proceedings be shrouded in diabolical gloom?

Since Milton’s Paradise Lost is an extremely long poem, and contains a multitude of characters, Page wisely confines his version to focusing on the character of Lucifer. The story of this Paradise Lost, then, is about the archangel who rebels against God, and who falls from heaven to become Satan, lord of hell. As Satan, he tempts Adam and Eve, the first humans. He transforms into a beguiling serpent who tricks Eve and Adam into tasting the forbidden fruit that brings knowledge, but also expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Page makes much of dissonance in the music to portray this story, and the overall effect is memorable—and haunting. The combination of Zazzo’s voice and Page’s piano works well for the most part, although there are moments that have both pianist and vocalist battling for supremacy.

Paradise Lost is an ambitious addition to the Tête à Tête Opera Festival’s declared intent to “share ideas and visions for the future of opera, art, and our world.” Catch it online, if you can’t catch it live.

Reviewed by Dominica Plummer

Photography by Claire Shovelton

Love in a Nutshell

Cockpit Theatre

Reviewed – 11th March 2020

★★★

“Across all elements, there were moments that were wonderful throughout”

Xameleon Theatre presented an evening of nine short plays by Chekhov. The direction of the production (Dmitry Turchaninov) neatly linked each play to a theme of water; the set design (also by Turchaninov) emulated this by consisting of either a piece of blue squared silk laid on the floor in the first act, or white in the second, representing the different seasons. The play was entirely in Russian, with surtitles projected onto the back wall of the theatre (a note is given to those that do not speak Russian to sit in clear view of the surtitles at the beginning of the performance).

Turchaninov used this linking theme of water in order to transition between each separate story; different characters would approach the water and the narrator (Chekhov), performed by both Oleg Sidorchik and Vadim Bogdanov would announce the new setting. Whilst this was clear on occasion, Turchanivov’s decision to have two narrators was confusing, as this, alongside the rest of the cast, who were all also multirolling meant that it wasn’t quite clear when one story ended and another began; especially as on occasion stories would overlap for humour. This might have worked had the show been in English, but with an audience trying to decipher all of this at once, and it not be in English, it was challenging.

Standout performances were given by Irina Kara, as she portrayed a matchmaker who intended to set up a 50 year old man, Stychkin (Oleg Hill) who had very specific tastes despite insisting he was easy going. As they drank vodka on stage her notably odd laugh became more prominent, pulling a great deal of humour from the piece. However, despite being drunk, Kara managed to pull a poignancy out of her character when she matches herself with her co-protagonist.

Despite some performances being strong, the style of the production was confusing. In the final story, Ivan Vassilevich Lomov (Vadim Bogdanov) goes to propose to Natalia Stepanovna (Vlada Lemeshevska), who he cannot seem to stop arguing with. This piece bordered on an absurdist farce which, if emulated across the entire production, would have been a clear intention and might have been brilliant. However, it was disorientating to suddenly deliver an absurdist piece, with the other pieces being far more typically Chekhovian.

However, there was a flash of brilliance in a story about a pair ice-fishing, who don’t speak the same language and are increasingly frustrated with one another. A build up of tension and humour is developed before this suddenly ceased as Gryabov (Oleg Hill) jumps into the icy water. At this moment, the white silk sheet was lifted above Gryabov’s head and he was seen to be struggling in the cold water. In this moment Yuri Galkin’s lighting and sound design worked magic, allowing the whole atmosphere to go cold as the theatre was plummeted into a hazy blue and the sound of someone under water banging on the ice above played. This design alongside Turchaninov’s direction was beautifully realised.

Across all elements, there were moments that were wonderful throughout Love in a Nutshell, however an overall inconsistency of style and a confused layout made the production hard to follow.

The Cockpit Theatre

Reviewed – 12th September 2020

★★★★

“holds the attention effortlessly for 60 minutes”

Paradise Lost is an ambitious addition to the Tête à Tête Opera Festival’s declared intent to “share ideas and visions for the future of opera, art, and our world.” Catch it online, if you can’t catch it live.

Reviewed by Dominica Plummer

Photography by Claire Shovelton

Paradise Lost

The Cockpit Theatre as part of Tête à Tête Opera Festival 2020 also available online

Previously reviewed by Dominica:

Cockpit Theatre

Reviewed – 11th March 2020

★★★

“Across all elements, there were moments that were wonderful throughout”

Across all elements, there were moments that were wonderful throughout Love in a Nutshell, however an overall inconsistency of style and a confused layout made the production hard to follow.

Reviewed by Mimi Monteith

Love in a Nutshell

Cockpit Theatre until 13th March

Previously reviewed at this venue: