Tag Archives: Oliver Johnstone

RETROGRADE

★★★★

Apollo Theatre

RETROGRADE

Apollo Theatre

★★★★

“the tension is expertly paced, punctuated with sharp quips and well-timed barbs that keep the drama crackling”

Ryan Calais Cameron’s Retrograde is a taut and electrifying drama that captures a pivotal moment in Sidney Poitier’s career and moral journey. It’s the mid-1950s, and Poitier is on the cusp of stardom. But, his breakout performance in Blackboard Jungle has brought him not only industry attention, but an altogether more sinister political attention. Now, on the verge of signing with New York-based TV network NBC, he faces a career-defining choice: sign a loyalty oath and make a public statement denouncing civil rights activist Paul Robeson or risk blacklisting.

This gripping three-hander, based in truth, stars Ivanno Jeremiah as Sidney Poitier, Oliver Johnstone as his friend Bobby, a white liberal screenwriter who has written a role for him, and Stanley Townsend as Parks, NBC’s ruthless lawyer who demands Poitier sign the oath. As Bobby and Poitier’s friendship is tested, both men must confront how much they are willing to sacrifice for career advancement. Self-interest begins to outweigh principles, and the stakes for all three characters become ever more apparent.

The play runs for 90 minutes without an interval, unfolding in real time as Poitier arrives for what he believes will be a straightforward contract signing. Bobby has been singing Poitier’s praises to Parks, but when Poitier enters, it quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary meeting. When Bobby is asked to leave, and Parks and Poitier are left alone, the pressure intensifies. Parks reveals that this is not merely about a contract, Poitier must prove that this “Black-Black” actor from the Caribbean upholds “American values.” Their exchange is a harrowing power play, laying bare the racial and political tensions of the era.

Under Amit Sharma’s direction, the tension is expertly paced, punctuated with sharp quips and well-timed barbs that keep the drama crackling. Sharma ensures the psychological and moral dilemmas remain at the forefront. Moments of stillness land as powerfully as the play’s most charged exchanges, often lingering just long enough to make the next verbal moment of levity or cutting blow hit even harder.

Jeremiah delivers a magnetic performance, shifting from an unemployed actor forced to entertain white gatekeepers to a principled man refusing to compromise. Johnstone’s Bobby, brimming with nervous charm, subtly unravels as the tension escalates, his affability giving way to desperation. Townsend, on stage for most of the play, dominates as Parks, embodying cold, relentless pragmatism.

Frankie Bradshaw’s set design enhances the claustrophobic atmosphere. The single setting (a stark, mid-century NBC studio office) is both period-accurate and symbolically oppressive. A subtle but telling touch is a Notorious (1946) film poster on the office wall. Hitchcock’s thriller, centred on espionage and moral compromise, quietly reflects Poitier’s predicament. A prominent clock runs in real time, its ticking growing louder at key moments, reinforcing the inescapable pressure on Poitier, a subtle but effective auditory cue from sound designer Beth Duke. The play opens with period jazz and sound bites referencing Poitier’s growing reputation – significantly, voices of others commenting on him – making the final audio recording, in his own voice, all the more poignant.

Bradshaw’s costume design is equally thoughtful. Poitier’s outfit, a somewhat garish, ill-fitting mix of burgundy and burnt orange, feels out of place, making him appear exoticised beside the grey-suited establishment figures of Parks and Bobby, visually reinforcing the power imbalance. Lighting by Amy Mae plays a crucial role in shaping the mood. Stark, interrogative lighting casts deep shadows, reinforcing the feeling of entrapment. Subtle shifts in lighting reflect the evolving power struggle.

With Retrograde, Ryan Calais Cameron has crafted a play that not only honours Sidney Poitier’s legacy but also speaks powerfully to the present day. The dilemmas Poitier faced – navigating a system that demanded assimilation at the cost of authenticity – still ring true for many actors of colour today.



RETROGRADE

Apollo Theatre

Reviewed on 20th March 2025

by Ellen Cheshire

Photography by Marc Brenner

 

 


 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

FAWLTY TOWERS THE PLAY | ★★★★★ | May 2024
MIND MANGLER | ★★★★ | March 2024
THE TIME TRAVELLER’S WIFE | ★★★ | November 2023
POTTED PANTO | ★★★★★ | December 2022
CRUISE | ★★★★★ | August 2022
MONDAY NIGHT AT THE APOLLO | ★★★½ | May 2021

 

RETROGRADE

RETROGRADE

RETROGRADE

🎭 A TOP SHOW IN SEPTEMBER 2024 🎭

THE REAL THING

★★★★

Old Vic

THE REAL THING at the Old Vic

★★★★

“Stoppard at his finest”

The Old Vic stages a new production of Tom Stoppard’s discursive but entertaining play from 1982. It’s become a norm to criticise the work of Stoppard for lacking heart, being too clever, and too wordy, so it’s amusing to hear the author condemned by one of his own characters. “Having all the words is not what life’s all about”, says Max as he argues with the playwright Henry. And there’s much to carp about: the lack of character development, the snobbery, the itty bitty supporting roles. Charlotte argues that Henry creates a female character that is only good for the pouring of drinks, whilst Stoppard comes close to making Charlotte just that.

The central topic is the title of the play and to make this clear it is spelt out in neon pink lighting across the centre of the stage at the start and end of the show. As a series of relationships play out we assess if any of the affairs, married or otherwise, are ‘the real thing’. Henry pontificates at length about the subject whilst his daughter Debbie reduces the discussion to something snappy that could be written on a t-shirt. Max clings at the legs of Annie when he discovers she is leaving. Henry cries in the dark when he hears of Annie’s affair with Billy. Charlotte admits nine secret liaisons whilst married to Henry. It appears that Stoppard is telling us that there is no real relationship without infidelity.

And what is real? In the first scene we believe we are witnessing something only to find it is a scene from a play. (No spoiler here as the Old Vic programme inexplicably gives this one away.) And if we think a scene seems real, the illusion is broken by dancing stagehands rearranging the stage furniture. In one such entr’acte, Henry is poured a drink by a stagehand as he relaxes on his sofa, whilst his room is created around him. It’s not real whatever Henry (or Stoppard) has to say about it.

The production values are superb. The set is a much larger open space than a traditional living room set (Peter McKintosh – Set & Costume) with luscious royal blue walls. Different lampshades are flown in above the same white sofa to differentiate sitting rooms. The sofa even doubles for seating in a train carriage. Director Max Webster moves his characters around the stage effortlessly, and whilst much of the action takes place on the sofa it never feels too static.

Bel Powley as Annie delightfully harnesses her inner Felicity Kendall, beautifully flirtatious in an over-sexy mini dress for her early scenes and comes into her own as her relationships develop. Her clothing ages with her as she settles down into shirt and jeans, and finally a rather middle-class trouser suit. James McArdle, on the other hand, spends much of the time in just a shirt and his boxers as Henry battles it out with his typewriter and the need to write words. These two characters carry the brunt of the play through their lovemaking and their arguing and McArdle and Powley are excellent throughout. It is the quality of their speech that is impressive, their impeccable diction giving Stoppard’s verbosity Shakespearian quality.

Oliver Johnstone too excels as Max particularly showing some fine facial expression and such a pity he disappears from the action after the important early scenes. Susan Wokoma as Charlotte who is brought back for a brief catch-up scene could give us more.

A special mention of Karise Yansen as Henry and Charlotte’s teenage daughter Debbie who aces her one brief scene, allowing us to learn that Henry struggles with father-daughter relationships as much as husband and wife.

The Real Thing is Stoppard at his finest. Combine this with the outstanding design elements of the show and the stellar cast, this is a show not to be missed.

 


THE REAL THING at the Old Vic

Reviewed on 12th September 2024

by Phillip Money

Photography by Manuel Harlan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

MACHINAL | ★★★★ | April 2024
JUST FOR ONE DAY | ★★★★ | February 2024
A CHRISTMAS CAROL | ★★★★★ | November 2023
PYGMALION | ★★★★ | September 2023

THE REAL THING

THE REAL THING

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page