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Ken – 3 Stars

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Ken

Ken

The Bunker

Reviewed – 29th January 2018

★★★

“Fans of Ken Campbell and those knowledgeable about his work will enjoy this show”

 

Entering the auditorium at The Bunker you are transported into a 70s time warp thanks to Tim Shortall’s clever set design. The space is decorated with a garish orange shag pile carpet and a mismatch of seating including battered sofas and wicker chairs. Choose your seat carefully, making sure it’s comfortable for the 90 minute ride that is about to follow. Frilled flock lampshades adorn the ceiling, piles of scatter cushions invite the audience to kick off their shoes and relax, burning incense dotted around the room completes the look and rewinds you back to the 1970s.

Terry Johnson, the writer, plays himself and takes you on a journey which is part play, part tribute to, part audience with and part eulogy. The tales are about the real life maverick Ken Campbell and how a chance phone call impacted on Terry’s life and future path. Terry delivers most of his lines from a lectern centre stage and admits that not all of the stories and anecdotes are “entirely true”. He hints that the most unlikely of stories are the ones that are actually based on true events. Terry reads his lines from a script in a monotone voice that lacks enthusiasm. It is only when he steps away from the lectern and seems to ad lib that his story comes to life and you can see the passion and respect he had for Ken.

Jeremy Stockwell plays the maverick Ken Campbell. He is the polar opposite of Terry – jumping around the stage with a hyperactive, manic energy that you can imagine was difficult to squash and even more difficult to work with. He plays the part well and is able to switch roles with a remarkable ease.

Fans of Ken Campbell and those knowledgeable about his work will enjoy this show, as many in the audience certainly did. Those who aren’t may find some of the stories uncomfortable to listen to, especially in the current climate with revelations of inappropriate behaviour within the entertainment industry making front page headlines.

 

Reviewed by Angela East

Photography by Robert Day

 


Ken

The Bunker until 24th February

 

 

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Review of In the Event of Moone Disaster – 5 Stars

Moone

In the Event of Moone Disaster

Theatre 503

Reviewed – 9th October 2017

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

“Rosie Wyatt is captivating. Lively, fragile and engaging.”

 

 

On the night of the moon landing, Sylvia Moone has an encounter with an astronaut that has a ripple effect for those closest to her. Winner of the 2016 Theatre503 Playwriting Award, Andrew Thompson’s In Event of Moone Disaster is a comedy about space exploration very much grounded in the reality of family life. Spanning nearly a century, 3 generations deal with the consequences of looking to the stars.

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Theatre 503 rarely disappoint and once again they have delivered an auspicious and beautiful new play to the stage. This is an accomplished and charming debut from Andrew Thompson. The story weaves seamlessly through its many time jumps, depicting a family in flux as each generation pushes and pulls against the aspirations it inherits. It’s a coherent, touching and funny glimpse at how dreams of greatness can impact the ordinary, that’s not afraid to take a few satirical swipes at current issues in its future view.

Technically the show is beautiful, a minimal set (designer Sarah Beaton) that uses lights and sound to create the atmospheres of the different periods very effectively. The direction (Lisa Spirling) is clean keeping the focus squarely on the character’s connections throughout. The play is also playful in its style, switching between sci-fi and domestic. My only niggle was Julie’s (Alicya Eyo) direct address to the audience. While it was a great speech performed beautifully, I’m still not sure what purpose it served other than to make 2017 seem a little alien.

As both daydreamer Sylvia and her granddaughter facing a fantastical reality, Rosie Wyatt is captivating. Lively, fragile and engaging, she invites the audience to share Sylvia’s fantasy even when the reality becomes painfully clear. Will Norris as Neil gives an earnest and sympathetic take on a man obsessed with family, even when his tactics take a turn for the bullish, offset beautifully by Eyo’s pragmatic Julie. In multiple roles, Dar Dash impresses giving poignancy to the ending. But for me, it was Thomas Pickles’ Dennis who has the heart of the play. Goofy, hapless and out of his depth, its heartbreaking to see his bumbled attempts at doing the right thing repeatedly be met with rejection, and the vulnerability in Pickles performance makes the scene between him and Norris devastating.

Overall, this an exciting and confident production, once again affirming that Theatre 503 is the fringe’s new writing King.

 

Reviewed for thespyinthestalls.com

Photography by Jack Sain

 

 

IN THE EVENT OF MOONE DISASTER

is at Theatre 503 until 28th October

 

 

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