★★

“we are left disillusioned with the acting industry due to both the message of the piece and Fabray’s performance.”

Starting an acting career familiarly as the “third tree from the left”, Kate Fabray candidly depicts the expectation, self-doubt and rejection experienced by an emerging actor pursuing a lifelong dream. Through a combination of music, monologue and physical theatre, Fabray gives the audience a day-in-the-life whistle stop tour of the trials and tribulations of the acting world with sincerity and occasional humour.

The piece has a promising start with a striking dance that introduces the play’s motif of beauty and self-presentation. The contrasting physical struggle that follows and reappears throughout, encapsulates the accompanying mental strain of maintaining a sense of self-worth and defiance. Movement and dance appear to be Fabray’s strong suit and most comfortable forte and this is used effectively to transition between scenes and to drive the play forward.

Musical songs, ‘Maybe This Time’ and ‘There are Worse Things I could Do’, are heartfelt and offer moments of connection with the audience but miss the mark due to Fabray’s weak vocals. Many songs are off-pitch for their entirety, yet song forms a large part of this piece. This comes across as a lost opportunity to explore dance and physical theatre further, which would also enrich occasional drawn-out monologues. The saviour of this piece is Fabray’s writing skill. Her poetic description of the tree which symbolises her growth as an actor, is poignant and demonstrates an exciting capability that is not fully realised in the delivery.

The tirelessness of auditioning also translates to the audience although this dangerously drifts towards a rant. Witty moments in the piece, and instances where Fabray breaks the fourth wall to address the audience as fellow auditionees, really shine but certainly leave them desiring more. Performed slicker and wittier, the audition scenes would really pack a punch.

Fabray describes the act of putting her self-esteem in the hands of strangers in auditions. As audience members we somewhat add to the “vicious cycle of uncertainty” however it is unclear whether this irony is intentional. Lacking self-enhancing humour, she risks leaving us with a sense of culpability and forges an inconsistent connection.

The triumphant self-empowerment that concludes (No) Leaves on my Precious Self is slightly outweighed by the sense of defeat throughout. With further development, it could be extremely affecting and could reinstil the “magical power of performing arts” that Fabray repeatedly refers to. Unfortunately, we are left disillusioned with the acting industry due to both the message of the piece and Fabray’s performance.

Reviewed by Beth Partington

La Traviata

King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed – 3rd October 2018

★★★★

“artistic lighting creates a snug, clandestine ambience, with resourceful and imaginative scene changes”

Far from 1850s Paris, we enter through the sleazy glow and pulsating bass of the King’s Head Theatre into present day England for a new take on Verdi’s ‘La Traviata’. Stripping the story to its core and adapting four main roles to fit the update, Becca Marriott and Helena Jackson recreate the life of Violetta as a pole-dancer who chances upon Elijah (Alfredo in the original), reluctantly dragged by his father into the club where she works, and finds true love. Although a chunk of Alfredo’s story of male friendship and rivalry has been omitted, this adaptation adheres to the original idea of social reputation by making Elijah’s father anxious for his own political career (rather than unable to marry off his daughter) and he manages to persuade Violetta to leave his son. The ending moves away from the melodramatic tableau of the heroine dying in her lover’s arms, to an angry re-encounter of the couple and, while clinging on to his image, her decision to find her own freedom.

The combination of Amanda Mascarenhas’s red-tinged set and Nic Farman’s artistic lighting creates a snug, clandestine ambience, with resourceful and imaginative scene changes. In contrast to the grandiose, full-scale productions, this one concentrates on the intense relationships between four of the opera’s characters, Panaretos Kyriatzidis’ arrangement of the orchestral score for solo piano working well as an accompaniment. Oliver Brignall’s expressive tenor tones capture the changing moods of Elijah – nervous, enamoured, angry, impassioned. However, the strident power of Becca Marriott’s singing dominates the occasional duets they have. Talented as both librettist and soprano, she interprets Violetta with anguish and desire but could shape the music with more variety of dynamics and articulation. The intricacy of the coloratura in ‘Sempre libera’ is lost and we miss the spiritual quality of her final scene. Michael Georgiou as Sinclair, Elijah’s father, is the only one to compete with Marriott in volume with his strong yet lyrical voice. He adds a light-hearted mood at the beginning and, later, unnerving persuasion with Violetta and Elijah. Flora (Gemma Morsley) commands the stage as she oversees her nightclub but, despite showing her true vocal potential in a couple of instances, she is barely audible in the group passages.

Verdi’s ensemble writing is such an important part of his operas. The threads of the plot weave together and the parts need to be balanced to be able to appreciate the narrative and the music. A readjustment in certain sections would give everyone a chance to be heard. This ‘Traviata’ may not have the uplifting contrast of the big choruses or the intrigue of the sub plots, but its contemporary slant and abundance of wonderful arias make it an enjoyable taster for those unfamiliar with opera.

(No) Leaves on my Precious Self

King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed – 9th October 2018

★★

“we are left disillusioned with the acting industry due to both the message of the piece and Fabray’s performance.”

Reviewed by Beth Partington

(No) Leaves on my Precious Self

King’s Head Theatre until 13th October

Previously reviewed at this venue:

La Traviata

King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed – 3rd October 2018

★★★★

“artistic lighting creates a snug, clandestine ambience, with resourceful and imaginative scene changes”

Reviewed by Joanna Hetherington

Photography by Bill Knight

La Traviata

King’s Head Theatre until 27th October

Previously reviewed at this venue;