Tag Archives: Joanna Hetherington

Much Ado About Nothing – 4 Stars

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Ado

Much Ado About Nothing

Katzpace Studio Theatre

Reviewed – 15th October 2018

★★★★

“plays actively on the comic element with quick-witted interaction and lively, farcical staging”

 

Bursting with ideas and inspiration, Exploding Whale’s retailored model of Shakespeare’s most frequently performed comedy reveals a wealth of new talent. Hidden beneath Katzenjammers’ Bierkeller, Katzpace is an interestingly-located, if somewhat incommodious studio space and home to this vibrant young theatre company.

The modern corporate setting of this adaptation is an excellent choice as a venue for social intrigues as well as a vehicle for the shifting of traditional gender roles. In this version, Don Juan is a female executive and several minor characters have become women in the workplace. Director, Ellie Morris, creates beautifully contrasting moods while the story unfolds. As they arrive for work, each personality is immediately established and the spirited pace allows for an atmosphere of bustling office banter. However, it is never a mistake to take time over establishing complicated backstories and plots; even for those familiar with the play, the energy of the opening rushes through the initial set up as we learn the latest line-up. The first half plays actively on the comic element with quick-witted interaction and lively, farcical staging, though sometimes the quality becomes patchy and we lose the tension and conviction of the characters. In the second, the drama comes together and we experience an unusually powerful sense of tragic relief, sobering the mood for a dose of reality.

In this redesigned cast, the two central couples find a perfect blend of tone and attitude which place them in the present day. The nonchalant pretence of Talia Pick’s Beatrice complements Gregory Birks’ carefree, comic front as Benedick, breaking eventually in a touchingly affectionate scene. Ava Pickett as Hero and in particular, Julian Bailey-Jones as Claudio, grow with passion from starry-eyed young lovers, experiencing the powerful feelings of betrayal, anger and grief. Octavia Gilmore portrays a manipulating Don Juan and James Irving as Hero’s father, Leonato, asserts himself in the second half. There is an enjoyably quirky Dogberry from Charlotte Vassell, but many of the secondary roles are changed or omitted and the distinction and balance between their updated versions is not always clear.

A room below a beer cellar is certainly a change from one above a pub but it has its practical drawbacks. Visibility is sometimes obscured by a couple of pillars and made uncomfortable by the glaring, low spot lights. Technical aspects aside, Exploding Whale’s production captures the fundamental essence of these two couples, exploring the timelessness of their relationships as well as putting more women on the stage. The clever, contemporary setting and details, dynamic direction and wonderful acting make this a ‘Much Ado’ which spans our emotions and entertains at the same time.

 

Reviewed by Joanna Hetherington

 


Much Ado About Nothing

Katzpace Studio Theatre until 24th October

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:
Gaps | ★★★ | April 2018
What the… Feminist?! | ★★★★ | April 2018
Obsession | ★★★ | June 2018
Let’s Get Lost | ★★★ | July 2018
Serve Cold | ★★ | August 2018

 

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Love, Genius and a Walk – 1 Star

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Genius

Love, Genius and a Walk

Drayton Arms Theatre

Reviewed – 8th October 2018

★

“fails to lift us on any level and, consequently remains, similar to Mahler’s unfinished 10th Symphony, not ready for performance”

 

Mahler and Freud. Two brilliant minds in two very different areas of life. Mahler had a neurotic talent as both composer and conductor, his head full of wildly beautiful and powerful music. Freud revolutionised our perception of psychology with challenging theories and the founding of psychoanalysis. ‘Love, Genius and a Walk’ imagines their one brief meeting, brought on by Mahler’s marital problems, and generally questions the complexity of love between people and their passion, simultaneously paralleling a contemporary tale. Unfortunately, the production shows nothing of the mental virtuosity in the portrayal of these two great men. Neither does it convincingly show relationships struggling to balance their emotions and ambitions.

Alma Mahler was tormented by having to give up composing, imposed on her by Mahler when they married. “I feel as if a cold hand has torn the heart from my breast”. She was attracted to his dynamism but was later crushed by his lack of affection. He was anguished by her infidelity, unable to accept her lack of devotion to him. We feel nothing of this angst in the performances. As for the modern couple, a writer and her banker husband fail to understand each other. Her glorification of Mahler is beyond his comprehension. And any bond between them is beyond ours. At the end, we can only guess at the reason for his reaction on facing the music.

‘Bringing Up the House’ has the objective of raising money to find accommodation for homeless people with animals. Therefore, plainly, the budget is tight – noticeable in the costumes and set. It could also explain why the cast is a mixture of professional and non-professional, though sadly, despite a couple of cameo roles by Ashleigh Cole, it is not clear which is which. That aside, the quality of the work itself need not be compromised. Gay Walley’s script puts a list of facts into dialogue without shaping the characters or developing their stories, achieving a two-dimensional effect; it is disappointing to think that the conversation at the meeting of these two great men could have been quite so uninspiring. The actors are not helped by this but the half-baked performances add awkwardness rather than bring life to the play. Could we not hear more of his music as he sits composing, to illustrate what is going through his head?

There is a lot of fierce competition among shoestring fringe productions. A work about Mahler and Freud and their intellectual and creative surroundings inevitably has artistic expectations. The idea is fascinating but ‘Love, Genius and a Walk’ fails to lift us on any level and, consequently remains, similar to Mahler’s unfinished 10th Symphony, not ready for performance.

 

Reviewed by Joanna Hetherington

 

 


Love, Genius and a Walk

Continues at the Etcetera Theatre 12th – 14th October

 

 

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