Tag Archives: George Fletcher

And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens – 4 Stars

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Stories

And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens

King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed – 15th August 2018

★★★★

“a stunning piano and vocal set that frames the first act”

 

Seeing this passionate and surprising play by Tennessee Williams – unperformed during his lifetime – is reminiscent of a moment that happens towards the end of Russell T. Davies’ ‘A Very English Scandal’. “I can only speculate,” says Hugh Grant’s Jeremy Thorpe, referring to his relations with men before the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Britain, “but if you do know those men, George, then you know those nights and you know how those nights can end”. What follows is a snapshot of violent and volatile scenes of Thorpe picking up men, and a similar sense of threat and menace hangs over this beautiful and moving portrayal of oppressed male sexual desire by young director Jamie Armitage.

Ageing drag queen Candy Delaney (Luke Mullins) is nearing ‘her’ thirty-fifth birthday and picks up hot-headed sailor (George Fletcher) on leave for the weekend. Taking him back to her apartment, she offers him anything he wants, all at her expense, just for “some companionship”. Williams’ script is a touching and desperate back and forth filled with honest, risky confessions and financial bartering leading to a dramatically violent, yet familiar, end.

Brimming with emotion, Luke Mullins is an exceptional Candy. Starting off cool and confessional, he convincingly turns desperate and pitiful, and years of heartbreak and pain are readable in every look he gives. It’s a moving performance that makes Candy as the shows central figure so watchable. His upstairs tenants, two ‘queens’ played by Ryan Kopel and Joe Beighton, barge into the second act bringing a much-needed burst of energy, and, under Beighton’s musical direction, provide a stunning piano and vocal set that frames the first act. Armitage’s graceful use of light and colour create a beautiful pastel palette that evokes the heat and period, and choice blackouts create dread and drama at all the right moments.

For those familiar with Williams’ plays, “And Tell Sad Stories…” maintains the emotional weight of his most well-known works, and as a drama in two acts, leaves the audience desperate for more. This is just one of many ‘sad stories’, and the passions and drama on show here leave a lasting impression long after the final bow.

 

Reviewed by Joseph Prestwich

Photography by Henri T Art

 


And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens

King’s Head Theatre until 19th August

 

 

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Frankenstein – 4*

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Frankenstein

Wilton’s Music Hall

Opening Night – 8th March 2017

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“the performance is full of energy, at times it feels almost like you are watching a ballet”

If you need to create a spooky Gothic atmosphere then there’s nowhere quite like Wilton’s. A haunting, dimly lit stage, eerie sounds and a haze drifting down into the auditorium. Shivers run down your spine before the performance even starts.

Two people appear on stage, one we soon discover is The Creature (George Fletcher) and the other (Rowena Lennon), we’re left unsure exactly who or what she is. The story starts with a recording, after which we relive the moment that Frankenstein’s creation is galvanised into life. Like a human child, we then witness how the being learns to talk, move and worryingly, start to feel emotion.

The creature in the novel (and in the narrative of this play) is described as a hideous huge beast; George Fletcher who plays the role is neither of those, he’s handsome and of quite normal stature, so at times it’s hard to see him as the grotesque monster he’s portraying. But he does an incredibly good job, his performance is full of energy, at times it feels almost like you are watching a ballet by the way he fills the whole stage with movement. A credit to Movement Director, Tom Jackson Greaves.

Rowena Lennon arguable has a more difficult role to play. She’s billed as ‘The Chorus’ yet appears to not only act out some of the minor parts, but also provide everything from sound effects to creating some moody lighting with the aid of a deftly manoeuvred ‘filament bulb on a stick’ (there’s probably a much better description for that, but you get the idea!).

Next year sees the 200th anniversary of the first publication of Mary Shelley’s novel and it’s seen many an interpretation during the last two centuries. This adaptation (by Tristan Bernays) is fairly true to the original story, but done as it is in near monologue form, makes it an original twist and a delight to watch. 

It’s not particularly scary, but it doesn’t need to. This isn’t necessarily a horror story, it’s an emotional tale of a living being, desperate for companionship but with a savage brutality lurking within. Wonderful lighting design (Lawrence T Doyle) in a splendid location combined with a delightfully energetic cast, make this one to watch.

 

 

FRANKENSTEIN 

is at Wilton’s Music Hall until 18th March

 

 

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 Production photography by Philip Tull

 

 

 

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