Tag Archives: Owen Lewis

The Crown Dual
★★★★

King’s Head Theatre

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The Crown Dual

The Crown Dual

King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed – 14th March 2019

★★★★

 

“Clarkson’s script lives up to the challenge, hilariously capturing the essence of the blockbuster series”

 

I must admit that I’m a huge fan of The Crown, and was beyond eager to attend The Kings Head Theatre to watch the new comedy based on the popular series. With season three of The Crown soon approaching, there couldn’t have been a better opportunity for Daniel Clarkson (playwright) and Owen Lewis (director) to present their ambitious production of The Crown Dual. The production promised to condense twenty episodes worth of royal content into a seventy-minute production, cleverly reimagining the story of how Elizabeth Windsor became Queen Elizabeth II. Fortunately, Clarkson’s script lives up to the challenge, hilariously capturing the essence of the blockbuster series by adding a humorous twist to the characters we’ve grown to know so well.

The story centres on Beth Buckingham (played by Rosie Holt), an aspiring actress and avid despiser of Claire Foy, who with the help of Stanley Diamond (Brendan Murphy) her idiotic agent, gets the opportunity to prove her rightful role as Elizabeth in the popular Netflix series. The two actors juggle the characters of the series perfectly, with Stanley playing every character imaginable, including Winston Churchill, Princess Margaret, Prince Philip, Peter Townsend and even the Queen’s favoured corgis. The show should be praised for its comedy value from the start, as the actors hilariously create the opening scene of The Crown. We watch as Beth prances around the stage, dressed in a black costume, twiddling green ribbons and flailing around to the haunting orchestral tune. Stanley interrupts Beth’s performance by holding a ‘skip’ sign, (an option that appears on Netflix) to an eagerly awaiting audience member who complies, therefore cutting Beth’s performance short and sending us all into fits of laughter.

The writing is meticulous in its attention to detail and appreciation of the well-known characters. In particular, Stanley’s portrayal of Winston Churchill was just brilliant. We watched as he amplified the characters mannerisms by laboriously travelling across the stage, dragging repetitively on his cigar and screaming about sticking to tradition and not breaking protocol in their meetings. This same appreciation should be given to both Beth and Stanley for recreating Princess Margaret’s character by reimagining scenes of her writing in her diary with a cigarette and drink in hand. We see Princess Margaret persistently slurping on her drink, declaring through every reading, ‘I’m drunk again.’

The actors really honed in on the series presentation of the Royal family, exaggerating certain characteristics and playing them to perfect comedy value. They persisted to break the fourth wall, calling upon lucky audience members to assist with different scenes from the TV show. There is often a tendency for audience participation to become quite awkward, but luckily that wasn’t the case.

The lighting (Robbie Butler) and sound (James Nicholson) complemented the performance perfectly, as did the simple yet effective costume design (Lee Newby). Although slightly mad, and at times a bit slow between scene transitions, this is a comedy that stands well on its own and will definitely also get you excited for the new series of The Crown.

 

Reviewed by Maddie Stephenson

Photography by Geraint Lewis

 


The Crown Dual

King’s Head Theatre until 7th April

 

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:
La Traviata | ★★★★ | October 2018
No Leaves on my Precious Self | ★★ | October 2018
Beauty and the Beast: A Musical Parody | ★★★★★ | November 2018
Brexit | ★★★★★ | November 2018
Buttons: A Cinderella Story | ★★★★ | November 2018
Momma Golda | ★★★ | November 2018
The Crumple Zone | ★★ | November 2018
Outlying Islands | ★★★★ | January 2019
Carmen | ★★★★ | February 2019
Timpson: The Musical | ★★★ | February 2019

 

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Dad’s Army Radio Show
★★★★

Wilton’s Music Hall

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Dads Army Radio Show

Dad’s Army Radio Show

Wilton’s Music Hall

Reviewed – 22nd January 2019

★★★★

 

” an homage to the original writers and a celebration of a particular brand of humour that has sadly all but passed away”

 

From the moment we hear the voice of the former music hall star, Bud Flanagan, crooning the famous theme tune for “Dad’s Army” through the speakers, we are wrapped in a blanket of fond nostalgia which keeps us warm for the ensuing ninety minutes. We think we are in for an unsurprising, almost gentle, recap of the BBC television sitcom about the British Home Guard during the Second World War; yet we are immediately caught off guard by the impressive skill of impersonation. David Benson and Jack Lane, between them, take on all the characters with near perfection.

Set in a fictional seaside town on the south coast of England, the stories revolve around a mixed bag of local volunteers otherwise ineligible for military service, either by being in professions exempt from conscription or because of age (hence the name ‘Dad’s Army’). “Dad’s Army Radio Show” relives three classic episodes; ‘Round and Round Went the Great Big Wheel’, ‘Mum’s Army’ and ‘The Deadly Attachment’, eschewing visual props and set, recreating the atmosphere of a radio broadcast that ultimately relies purely on the script and the voice. A tall order, maybe, but this two-man army conquer the task with masterful ease.

The pair seamlessly bounce between the characters as fast as the humour switches from subtle to slapstick, enjoying every minute and relishing the crackle of catchphrases that have become part of popular culture. They don’t look the part but as soon as Lane utters the clipped vowels of Captain Mainwaring you can close your eyes and picture Arthur Lowe on a grainy black and white television screen. Only, don’t close your eyes! Otherwise you will miss the meticulous mannerisms. Benson’s Sergeant Wilson comes complete with the shy half-smile and self-conscious forehead-patting we loved John Le Mesurier for. Blink and he has morphed into the dour, Scottish Private Frazer or black-market spiv Private Walker; while Lane ricochets between the old but hilariously fastidious Lance Corporal Jones and the young, mother’s boy Private Pike.

Aided by Tom Lishman’s evocatively period sound design, this is not merely an exercise in mimicry. It is an homage to the original writers and a celebration of a particular brand of humour that has sadly all but passed away. It is not laugh-out loud, nor sensational, yet it still bites beneath its soft pelt. It pokes fun at our very Englishness, but the real target is outside aggression, to which it stands up, and fights.

The original television series was expected to have had limited appeal, and all involved were surprised at the popularity of the show, later reflected in the frequency of the repeats over five decades. Similarly, “Dad’s Army Radio Show” reaches beyond the limits of an audience wanting merely to relive the moment. The winning charm of Benson and Lane, that equals that of the mellow yet bitingly ironic original material, not only ensures that this show will stand the test of time and invite repeat viewing, but will persuade us, familiar with it or not, to revisit the original.

 

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Richard Davenport

 


Dad’s Army Radio Show

Wilton’s Music Hall until 26th January

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:
Songs For Nobodies | ★★★★ | March 2018
A Midsummer Night’s Dream | ★★★½ | June 2018
Sancho – An act of Remembrance | ★★★★★ | June 2018
Twelfth Night | ★★★ | September 2018
Dietrich – Natural Duty | ★★★★ | November 2018
The Box of Delights | ★★★★ | December 2018

 

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