Old Red Lion Theatre Archives - Page 6 of 20

In Search of Applause

Old Red Lion Theatre

Reviewed – 13th February 2019

★★

“Though there is some good writing and funny moments, the format is difficult to engage in, and an unrelatable protagonist with an unrelatable problem doesn’t help”

Lorelei loves the stage. She’s a professional clown, or she would be, if it wasn’t so competitive and London wasn’t so expensive. She had to take regular jobs to survive. But then she met Nigel. Nigel has money to burn, and suddenly Lorelei finds herself in a situation where she doesn’t need to work. She’s comfortable. Secure. She has all the time in the world to pursue clowning. And yet, somehow, two years later, she still hasn’t got around to it.

In Search of Applause is billed as a one-woman romantic comedy about the sacrifices we make for security. The play, written and performed by Maroussia Vladi, and directed by Andrew Hurst, does not match the description. First, it’s not a romantic comedy. It’s a series of Lorelei’s ruminations on why, even with Nigel’s endless resources at her disposal, she isn’t happy. Vladi uses elements of physical theatre, including mime, to set a light, comedic tone. But ‘romantic comedy’ is a genre that establishes very concrete expectations, none of which are met.

Second, the programme says the play asks how much we’re willing to sacrifice for comfort and security. It’s misleading because it suggests the relatable dilemma of sacrificing dreams for stability and careers that pay. In Search of Applause isn’t about this. The actual question the play poses is: would you stay with someone you didn’t love for his or her money? It’s not surprising the show isn’t billed this way, as it’s an outdated premise modern audiences will have little interest in.

Because the set, costumes, and props are 1950s, it’s perplexing to be made gradually aware the play is set in the present day. The 50s style may be a metaphor for Lorelei’s “old-fashioned”, How to Marry a Millionaire mentality, but it’s so contrived and disorienting it works against the story rather than for it. While the design is aesthetically interesting, and there’s clever use of props, it’s hard enough to believe we’re anywhere but a small pub theatre without the set screaming the wrong era.

The show itself is a long sixty minutes of stilted, one-sided conversations – an onslaught of rambling and artless ideas. Though there is some good writing and funny moments, the format is difficult to engage in, and an unrelatable protagonist with an unrelatable problem doesn’t help.

The script, in many ways, paints Lorelei as vapid, “insensitive and spoilt”. A stereotypical ‘trophy wife’. She wears heels and lingerie slips. That this person could also be a clown stretches the limits of imagination. And we’re given no assistance. For a story about someone who loves clowning, the almost complete absence of it form the show leaves a gaping hole. We never see Lorelei as a clown. It’s a missed chance for boldness, an infusion of much needed freshness to the performance, and believable depth to the character.

In Search of Applause has glimmers of intriguing ideas, but they need development.

Reviewed by Addison Waite

Photography by Ian Hart

In Search of Applause

Old Red Lion Theatre until 2nd March

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

Lamplighters | ★★★★ | July 2018

Welcome Home | ★★★ | August 2018

Hear me Howl | ★★★★ | September 2018

That Girl | ★★★ | September 2018

Hedgehogs & Porcupines | ★★★ | October 2018

Phantasmagorical | ★★★ | October 2018

The Agency | ★★ | October 2018

Indebted to Chance | ★★★★ | November 2018

Voices From Home | ★★★½ | November 2018

Anomaly | ★★★★ | January 2019

Click here to see more of our latest reviews on thespyinthestalls.com

★★★★

“Warden has raised important questions for our social media obsessed world”

Liv Warden’s play Anomaly is described as: “An unsettling debut play, exploring sisterhood, reputation and loyalty.” Phillip Preston, a powerful man in the film industry, has been arrested for GBH, after assaulting his wife. But the play is not about him. The only characters are his three daughters Piper, Penny and Polly, played by Natasha Cowley, Katherine Samuelson and Alice Handoll respectively, and their struggle to deal with what has happened to their family, and to cope with the media fallout. Piper, the eldest, works in the family business and has to try to keep it intact during the scandal following her father’s arrest. Penny is an actor in LA, who is in demand on the chat show circuit, and who has, until now, benefitted from being Preston’s daughter. Polly is the youngest, and the most fragile, newly out of rehab, both a catalyst, and a victim of excessive media attention.

The three women do not often communicate directly with each other, giving a fractured feeling to the play, appropriate to their fractured worlds. They are a strong cast, and each convince in their roles. Alice Handoll’s Polly is engaging and moving as a rebellious but vulnerable young woman. She is the only one who is worried about their mother. Penny becomes more ‘human,’ and likeable as the story develops, but Piper does not follow the expected route. It’s a tribute to Natasha Cowley that I really didn’t like her character, despite her moments of emotion as revelations pile up.

Holly Ellis’ lighting design, sometimes, having the sister who is speaking lit, while the other two remain in the shadows, works well to portray the separate struggles of the women and the lack of any true ‘sisterhood’. The voices of unseen characters, such as a talk show host, a radio presenter and Piper and Penny’s spouses work to provide context and give the women a way of telling their story. But, of course, those stories are twisted and manipulated by the media. The sister’s distant and chilly relationships fit beautifully into Charlotte Dennis’ white, contemporary set. It is hyperstylised, with a slash of red, like a torn piece of a tabloid headline and just three white blocks that the sisters sit on. The sound design, by Fuzz Guthrie is also atmospheric and abstract.

Anomaly an unsettling play that leaves the audience questioning; why do we fixate on family tragedy and the pain of others, particularly the rich and famous. And why do we still blame women who perhaps don’t speak out, or who cannot accept the reality of the male brutality that they are confronted with. Your father is still your father, if he causes serious harm to your mother. How would that feel, how would we cope if it happened in our family? Warden has raised important questions for our social media obsessed world, and Adam Small’s direction keeps the stylised world of the play on point. This play packs a punch with its timely look at an issue that has been brought to the fore by scandals like the Weinstein affair.

Reviewed by Katre

Photography by Headshot Tom

Old Red Lion Theatre

Reviewed – 13th February 2019

★★

“Though there is some good writing and funny moments, the format is difficult to engage in, and an unrelatable protagonist with an unrelatable problem doesn’t help”

The show itself is a long sixty minutes of stilted, one-sided conversations – an onslaught of rambling and artless ideas. Though there is some good writing and funny moments, the format is difficult to engage in, and an unrelatable protagonist with an unrelatable problem doesn’t help.

In Search of Applause has glimmers of intriguing ideas, but they need development.

Reviewed by Addison Waite

Photography by Ian Hart

In Search of Applause

Old Red Lion Theatre until 2nd March

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

Old Red Lion Theatre

Reviewed – 10th January 2019

★★★★

“Warden has raised important questions for our social media obsessed world”

Reviewed by Katre

Photography by Headshot Tom

Anomaly

Old Red Lion Theatre until 2nd February

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue: