Owain Williams Archives - thespyinthestalls.com

★★★★★

“An incredible night out.”

“Priscilla The Party” is joyous, tremendous musical fun. Based on the 1994 Academy Award winner “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”, “Priscilla the Party” hails from Australia in 2006. It is a rip-roaring celebration of drag, queerness and camp musical theatre. Each scene is calibrated towards entertainment and intrigue from the start. The story follows ‘Tick’ (Owain Williams) as he travels across Australia to reach his wife (Kimberly Blake) and his child (a stooge) as part of a fabulous trio of drag queens travelling in a bus they christen “Priscilla”. Adam (Reece Kerridge) and Bernadette (Dakota Starr) accompany Tick as he travels throughout Australia battling homophobia, transphobia, making allies, and delivering hit after hit. The show is an immersive experience (developed and directed by Simon Phillips), with staging and actors moving throughout the crowd on the dancefloor. The set (Brian Thomson and Justin Nardella) and direction make great use of the atmosphere of a club with an impressive line up of dance hits from “Say a Little Prayer” to “Born This Way”. A tale of love, adversity and Aussie humour shines with amazing theatrical gravitas throughout.

Every cast member performs with outstanding energy, delivering a varied set of pop/dance songs in a jukebox musical for the ages. The quality of musical performance is high with remarkable talent on display throughout as Queens deliver ballads and romps with equal intensity and stage presence. Beautiful vocals draw us into the story and relay the emotions of the characters. The band are brilliant and you can tell they know they have the best gig in town (Musical Arrangements and Orchestration Stephen ‘Spud’ Murphy). The stage management team work tirelessly to coordinate movement of stages as they weave throughout the crowd. The sound design (Ben Harrison) includes familiar hits, punctuated by topical music in the breaks that ensure a continuation of the party. The multi-media venue makes use of video backgrounds (also Thompson and Nardella) and vibrant club lighting (Per Hörding). The show includes all the best parts of a drag show with all the precision and thought of a well-crafted musical (Musical arrangements and direction Steve Geere). A highlight are the fantastic costumes (Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner) and wigs, delivering camp, classic and heightened drag in the best possible way.

Seated dining experiences are available, though dance floor tickets make up the bulk of audience members who get to join in the concert-like drag-show-esque party atmosphere. “Priscilla the Party” is stunningly unique and totally immersive, taking the audience on a hugely enjoyable road trip through Australia whilst delivering one spectacular party en route. The close to three hours playing time flies by as the colourful scenes progress in and around the gloriously camp ‘Cockatoo Club’. Arrive early to enjoy the full experience, as there are superb opening acts to enjoy. With drag queens and musical actors combining their strengths, “Priscilla The Party” makes for an incredible night out.

Flinch

Old Red Lion Theatre

Reviewed – 29th May 2019

★★★

“Despite its flaws, Flinch is a compelling piece of theatre and it is hard not to get invested in the young couple’s drama”

The comedy Flinch, directed by Rosalind Brody and written by Emma Hemingford, intimately explores the failing relationship between young couple Mark (Joe Reed) and Jessica (Emma Hemingford). Mark works as a trader in the City and Jessica is a struggling actress who has just moved to London to live with Mark after three years of dating. After Mark flinches away when a drunk man (Andrew Armitage) threatens Jessica with a ‘gun-shaped banana’ on their first night in their new flat, issues relating to emasculation, failure and the struggle for intimacy in their relationship are quickly exposed.

The play consists of domestic scenes between the young couple, all of which end in heated arguments. These scenes are separated by brief blackouts and harsh red lighting in which Reed, Hemingford and Armitage move in slow motion enacting several outcomes of Armitage’s fruity attack. In one interlude, Reed heroically saves Hemingford from Armitage’s clutches. In another, Armitage viciously chokes Hemingford with Reed nowhere to be seen. The disparity of these scenes shows just how different the couple remember the night in question and highlights their inability to see things from the other person’s point of view. The lighting for the rest of the play is very bright which perhaps represents the spotlight being shone on this dysfunctional relationship.

Reed and Hemingford have little chemistry which for the most part serves the play well. Mark and Jessica are clearly bad for each other and their views on the world, relationships and the future are wildly different. This lack of chemistry however also made it quite difficult to understand how they had ever been a couple in the first place even when they do reminisce about their early romance. The couple are hugely unlikeable, and it is hard for the audience to be sympathetic to their plight considering the lack of effort on both sides to make things work. Regardless, Reed and Hemingford are strong actors and are at their best when monologuing.

The set is not particularly complex, but the space is used well. A raised square stage is backed by a set of cupboards filled with coats, food, toiletries and books which helps to expand the space beyond the dining room table set at the centre of the stage. This does also however mean that the actors often have their backs to the audience which is mildly frustrating in a play where facial expression is of the upmost importance. In addition, Reed and Hemingford frequently step off the raised stage onto the theatre floor which helps to foster greater intimacy between the audience and the quarrelling couple.

Despite its flaws, Flinch is a compelling piece of theatre and it is hard not to get invested in the young couple’s drama. Flinch is a poignant reminder of how easily things can fall apart and a great advocation for the importance of interpersonal communication.

PRISCILLA THE PARTY! at HERE at Outernet

★★★★★

“An incredible night out.”

PRISCILLA THE PARTY! at HERE at Outernet

Reviewed on 24th March 2024

by Jessica Potts

Photography by Marc Brenner

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PRISCILLA THE PARTY!

PRISCILLA THE PARTY!

Old Red Lion Theatre

Reviewed – 29th May 2019

★★★

“Despite its flaws, Flinch is a compelling piece of theatre and it is hard not to get invested in the young couple’s drama”

Despite its flaws, Flinch is a compelling piece of theatre and it is hard not to get invested in the young couple’s drama. Flinch is a poignant reminder of how easily things can fall apart and a great advocation for the importance of interpersonal communication.

Reviewed by Flora Doble

Photography by Ali Wright

Flinch

Old Red Lion Theatre until 15th June

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue: