Joanna Hetherington Archives - Page 4 of 26

Snow White

Chickenshed Theatre

Reviewed – 5th December 2019

★★★★★

“a unique experience of entertainment, enlightenment and warmth”

Another year and another Chickenshed Christmas extravaganza! This time, we are thrown into the 1960s; society is tossing aside its coat of conformity, young people are asserting their individuality and music and fashion are colourful, vibrant and defiant. Snow White resents her shallow, affluent life in the Regent’s Park mansion, and the elite parties thrown by her stepmother. A ‘has been’ fashion model, Jane de Villiers is jealous of her for having the looks she, herself, has lost and for the love her banker husband shows for his daughter. To remain ‘the fairest of them all’, she instructs her security guard to kill Snow White. Of course (as we all know the plot) he doesn’t; she flees to the Scottish Highlands where she meets the Magnificent Seven, a commune of outsiders who feel they don’t belong but have found love, friendship and happiness together.

Within the structure of the narrative, writer and director, Lou Stein, with a small student collective, develops 60s themes, shapes strong principal roles and form teams and clans to enable a huge cast to participate, benefit and enjoy. And whether it is the youngest ‘Sixties Swinger’, the smallest ‘Mirror’ or the oldest Sprite’, they do this with intoxicating energy, enthusiasm and commitment. Cara McInanny is a wonderfully down to earth and sympathetic Snow White, her narcissistic stepmother is played with frighteningly malignant nerve by Sarah Connolly and, as the down-trodden husband, Jonny Morton gives a remarkably strong performance. All three sing beautifully with confidence and ease. Nathaniel Leigertwood plays Jason the security guard, with just the right ingenuousness and as Bobby The Buster, Will Laurence leads his mobsters into trouble with great aplomb. A mirror with charisma, Ashley Driver also integrates the signing into the show, along with two of the ‘Seven’, Sarah Jones and Bethany Hamlin, drawing the whole audience into the action. Dave Carey’s varied musical numbers spread across the many genres of that time. Not only reminiscent of the Beatles he also gives us a taste of Pink Floyd, reggae and ‘Hair’, the musical.

The set, by William Fricker, incorporates artistic designs of the decade with the looking-glass motif in a stunning combination of simplicity and practicality – monochrome, geometric patterns and circles and a wall of assorted mirrors which double up as screens for projections of 60s London life. Fricker’s costumes touch on the various styles of the era (including the Dr. Seuss-esque Psychedelic Sprites), devises dazzling mirrors and cleverly keeps Snow White’s colour scheme to the popular blue, yellow and red. The lighting by Andrew Caddies gives an additional layer of richness to the visual brilliance of the production.

There may be some magic formula to juggling the logistics of putting on a show with four casts of 200 but I imagine it comes down to dedication, experience and a lot of hard work. One could perhaps point out the somewhat accelerated ending, that the band occasionally drowns the singing or question where the Psychedelic Sprites really fit into the tale, but it hardly seems relevant. ‘Snow White’ gives everyone the chance to feel part of something while expressing their own potential. For the audience, it is a unique experience of entertainment, enlightenment and warmth.

Reviewed by Joanna Hetherington

Photography by Steve Gregson

Snow White

Chickenshed Theatre until 11th January

Previously reviewed at this venue:

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest | ★★★ | April 2018

Mr Stink | ★★★★★ | July 2018

Jekyll & Hyde | ★★★★ | September 2018

A Christmas Carol | ★★★★★ | November 2018

Christmas Tales | ★★★ | December 2018

Monolog 2 | ★★★ | February 2019

100% Chance Of Rain | ★★★ | March 2019

Feel The Love | ★★★★ | July 2019

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★★★½

“an engaging and enjoyable show”

Gobby: Tending to talk too loudly and in a blunt or opinionated way.

Bri has always talked too much and too loudly. She’s been nicknamed ‘Gobby’ for as long as she can remember. But at some point, she stopped letting it out and instead, kept it in. Writer and performer, Jodie Irvine, brings her own wit and style to broach the rarely-voiced subject of gaslighting and its psychologically depletive consequences. The stage festooned with bunting, balloons and paper cups, Bri invites us to join her on a tour of five parties over two years which mark her healing journey from the repercussions of a toxic relationship.

Imaginatively and resourcefully, with just a handful of accents and plenty of party paraphernalia, Irvine conjures up a colourful cast of friends and acquaintances and some original accessories – a fun hat cocktail shaker, talking balloon heads, a party blower moustache and poppers which not only serve to vent anger but also punctuate the five part(ie)s of her story. She creates an assortment of wonderfully vivid roles including posh ex-flatmate Anna, drunk party girl, uncaring crush Matt and new best friend Beth (hard not to visualise Gavin and Stacey’s Nessa there). The use of music and lighting – clearly a given at parties – adds shape to the narrative while doing some creative underlining of mood.

The show touches on several topics which are often hard to discuss. Why do we need to be noticed, accepted or care what people think of us? Why can’t we be happy as we are?
Bri seems to mourn her ‘loud’ assertiveness which has been undermined by her previous boyfriend; no one close to her realised and she lost the confidence to speak out and ask for help. So how did she have the strength to leave? That would be interesting to develop. She addresses the effects of emotional abuse and Bri’s recovery but how she became submissive is left mainly to our imagination. And although the discovery of ‘self-awareness’ is Bri’s lightbulb moment, her speech about blame and gratitude is a deeper, more involved view with a thoughtful and positive conclusion. It goes without saying that it is beneficial to start any conversation which can throw a lifeline of recognition and understanding.

Irvine’s writing encompasses the awkward and painful reality of all types of relationships with anecdotal humour. Her honest and naturally comic acting combined with Rosie Snell’s meticulous direction produces an engaging and enjoyable show even though, when it digs into the darker areas, the message becomes blurred.

Reviewed by Joanna Hetherington

Chickenshed Theatre

Reviewed – 5th December 2019

★★★★★

“a unique experience of entertainment, enlightenment and warmth”

Reviewed by Joanna Hetherington

Photography by Steve Gregson

Snow White

Chickenshed Theatre until 11th January

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Pleasance Theatre

Reviewed – 1st December 2019

★★★½

“an engaging and enjoyable show”

Gobby: Tending to talk too loudly and in a blunt or opinionated way.

Reviewed by Joanna Hetherington

Gobby

Pleasance Theatre

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue: