Tag Archives: Matt Strachan

Little by Little – 2 Stars

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Little

Little by Little

Etcetera Theatre

Reviewed – 26th September 2018

★★

“for the most part there is little variation, and too many songs share the same tempo and level”

 

Everything is little about “Little by Little” – the new musical about mates and dates. The cast is little – there are three. The orchestra is little – there is one piano. Unfortunately, the story is little too. In the format of a musical revue it charts the long-term friendships of two women and a man over time. There are echoes to the initial stages of Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man: we see the whining schoolboy and the lovers’ ‘woeful ballads’, but we don’t get much further than that.

Inevitably a love triangle develops but the turns are predictable. The characters, named just ‘Man’, ‘Woman 1’ and ‘Woman 2’ begin as schoolfriends, playing innocent games that echo the future, more complicated emotional games of their adult selves. Sung from start to finish with no dialogue this is quite a challenge for the three actors, who remain onstage throughout. The songs are vocally demanding, and in the small space of the Etcetera Theatre with just piano accompaniment, it often shows in the strained harmonies.

But the ambition and the energy of the cast is uplifting. Guido Garcia, as ‘Man’ and Susannah Gidley and Charlotte Shaw as ‘Woman 1’ and ‘Woman 2’ possess an engaging chemistry that allows the audience to forgive the saccharine obviousness of the storyline. They are aided by Ellen Greenfield’s and Hal Hackady’s often witty and observant lyrics: quickfire snapshots of life’s faux-pas and foibles. But these sparks fade fast into the duller backdrop of the score. There are moments, such as during a bluesy piano introduction, where we prick up our ears; but for the most part there is little variation, and too many songs share the same tempo and level.

It is evident that a lot of hard work has gone into this production and the singers clearly believe in it. But it is hard to know what sort of audience this musical is aiming for. There is an adolescent edge to the adult themes of fidelity, betrayal and commitment. The stakes are all too low, and the narrative courses along a very straight road indeed, with no change of mood or unexpected twists. As it stands it is a slow roll through a relentless song list, flattening the dynamics the cast are trying to build. Running at seventy-five minutes it feels longer. “This is your life” they sing in one of the closing numbers, “and there’s no second act”. It is a welcome reminder that this is a one act show.

 

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Russo Rainaldi

 


Little by Little

Etcetera Theatre until 30th September

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:
Find Your way Home | ★★★★ | February 2018
A Woman’s World / Monster of State | ★★½ | April 2018
Hello Georgie, Goodbye Best | ★★ | April 2018
Ophelia | ★★★ | May 2018
Saphira | ★★½ | May 2018
Keep Calm I’m Only Diabetic | ★★★ | June 2018
To the Moon… and Back… and Back… | ★★★ | August 2018
Too Young to Stay in | ★★★ | August 2018
Your Molotov Kisses | ★★★★ | August 2018

 

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In the Wake of – 3 Stars

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Wake

In the Wake of

Lion & Unicorn Theatre

Reviewed – 4th August 2018

★★★

“Morris’ emotionally charged delivery of a monologue in the final scene proved to be a highlight of the entire production”

 

Set on a council estate in Hull, In the Wake Of is a new piece of writing by Michael Black, who also appears in the production. Black plays Jimmy, who has recently been released from prison and turns up at the house of a friend, Rob (Mickey Mason), and his girlfriend, Chelsea (Rachel Morris). It’s not long before we learn of dark secrets when past events rear their ugly head and relationships are threatened.

The acoustics of the Lion and Unicorn Theatre worked well with the production, making it almost feel as though we were in the room with the characters. This did sometimes mean that outbursts and confrontations were a bit harsh to the ears, but overall it could be said that it added to the gritty nature of the play.

Confrontational scenes were generally well played and directed (Matt Strachan), but it was sometimes a case of the energy then dropping and the pace lagging, before the next outburst. In some of these scenes, actors also occasionally had their backs to the audience, which meant we missed some of the emotion delivered by them.

All actors displayed a good level of commitment to their characters, but Rachel Morris as Chelsea stood out, particularly during the final scenes. She presented great raw emotion and was believable as someone caught up in other people’s dramas, culminating in her character doing something to create drama of her own. Morris’ emotionally charged delivery of a monologue in the final scene proved to be a highlight of the entire production.

In the Wake Of is not a play to see if you want a relaxed evening, but it’s certainly a realistic and powerful display of human emotion and the impact past events can have when they resurface.

 

Reviewed by Emily K Neal

Photography courtesy Faded Ink Productions

 

Pigeon

In the Wake of

Lion & Unicorn Theatre until 7th August

as part of The Camden Fringe Festival 2018

 

 

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