Rebecca Crankshaw Archives - Page 17 of 33

★★★

“The energy and commitment of the cast is undeniable, as is their pure joy in performing”

Once On This Island is set in the French Antilles, and tells the story of a young peasant girl, Ti Moune, who falls in love with a Frenchman, Daniel, who lives in the grand hotel on the other side of the island. Ti Moune’s love plays out as part of a battle between the gods Papa Ge (the demon of death) and Erzule (the goddess of love) as to who is the strongest, and although Ti Moune ends up cast aside by her lover, in favour of a French noble woman, the gods look kindly on her loyalty to Daniel, and she is reincarnated as a tree, which eventually grows, cracks the hotel gates and allows future generations to live together in harmony. The story is part Romeo and Juliet, part Little Mermaid, and the score is rich in calypso and Caribbean rhythms.

The musical is one of The British Theatre Academy’s summer shows, and, with its nineteen strong cast, Once On This Island is a perfect choice to showcase the talents of its alumni. Lee Proud (director) runs a tight ship, and the production is pacy and professional, with every performer, from the leads to the ensemble, giving their all 100% of the time, which is fantastic to see. The energy and commitment of the cast is undeniable, as is their pure joy in performing. Inevitably, there are weaker links here, but the strength of the collective is such that it doesn’t matter. Similarly, some of the more hackneyed choreography and design choices are glossed over by the brio of the production as a whole.

That said, the high-octane energy could become relentless, and both the production and certain individual performances would have benefitted from a bit more light and shade. This wasn’t helped by the sound, which was deafening. The Southwark Playhouse is a relatively small space, and, although it is now done as a matter of course, this reviewer again questioned the necessity of miking up the performers. The audience is perfectly capable of hearing the singers at such close quarters, and miked-up singing exaggerates an already-present musical theatre stridency in many of the voices. Clarity and vocal strength, however, were on point throughout.

Chrissie Bhima, as Ti Moune, demonstrated terrific tone and control, and made the most of her belters, especially her opening number ‘Waiting for Life’, but the voice of the evening was that of Aviva Tulley, who was masterful throughout and truly came into her own with her showstopper ‘The Human Heart’. Already a subtle, expressive, powerful performer, she is bound to have an exciting future. Credit too to Marie-Anna Caufour for her touching performance as Euralie, Ti Moune’s adopted mother, and to Jonathan Chen for his rousing portrayal of the Earth Mother Asaka.

Once On This Island is not a particularly arresting musical, lyrically, musically or in terms of its story, but it is lots of fun. And this particular production feels like a celebration, full of youthful energy and love. And that really ain’t a bad thing to be a part of on a summer evening.

Reviewed by Rebecca Crankshaw

Photography by Eliza Wilmot

Chiflón, The Silence of the Coal

Arcola Theatre

Reviewed – 24th July 2019

★★★★

“There is a poignancy in this precision, and the piece has real emotional heft, reducing at least one audience member to tears last night”

Dalston’s CASA festival, showcasing Latin American arts, celebrates its 10th year this year; as a part of it, Chile’s extraordinary puppet theatre, Silencio Blanco, has brought its show, Chiflón, The Silence of the Coal, to the Arcola. It is a simple tale, told without words, over the course of fifty minutes, and is based on the short story The Devil’s Tunnel, by the distinguished Chilean author Baldomero Lillo. Lillo wrote in the latter part of the 19th century into the beginning of the 20th, and having been exposed to the writings of Émile Zola, chose to highlight the appalling suffering endured by Chile’s mining community, in the hope of inspiring reform to working conditions. Mining is still a vital part of Chile’s economy, and, as was brought to the world’s attention in 2010, remains an incredibly dangerous and exploitative industry. Silencio Blanco’s beautiful, bleak, tender creation gives the audience an unforgettable insight into this often-forgotten world.

The puppets themselves are haunting creatures. Their facial features are vague, as if not fully formed; instead, all their expression comes from the expert manipulation of their bodies. Dominga Gutiérrez, Rodolfo Armijo, Camila Pérez, Marco Reyes and Camilo Yáñez are the exceptionally skilful puppeteers, who work together in silent choreography, anonymous in black, with their faces covered, using only their hands and their breath to animate their creations. Watching the young miner, his wife and her friend, we are continually aware of the physical toll of their lives. Backs bow with exhaustion, legs strain with the effort of getting up and sitting down; the miner is racked by a coaldust cough. The attention to detail is phenomenal, and is what lifts these puppets into the human realm – the weary miner scratching his arse on the way home, his wife cracking the eggs into the soup she is preparing for his return, and the malevolent overseer at the mine, caring only for the figures in his ledger. There is a poignancy in this precision, and the piece has real emotional heft, reducing at least one audience member to tears last night.

Silencio Blanco are also masters of atmosphere. In Chiflón, Richardo Pacheco has designed a sparse but nonetheless totally involving soundscape, which brilliantly complements the action, particularly in the scenes down in the mine itself. Minimal lighting is also used to great effect throughout. The scene in which the mining cage slowly descends is an extraordinary piece of theatrical illusion, making that small square of performance space seem like an endless and terrifying drop down into the earth. Credit here to director Santiago Tobar, who really understands the power of visual imagery. At one point, the small studio stage is hung with a seemingly endless line of laundry. Endlessness, again. Which is right. For it is this quality that defines poverty and hardship more than any other. And yet, in those tiny fluttering scraps of cloth, there was also so much tenderness and love. As there was in every touch these simple marionettes exchanged. Even in the darkest of tunnels, somewhere there is always a little light.

Southwark Playhouse

Reviewed – 14th August 2019

★★★

“The energy and commitment of the cast is undeniable, as is their pure joy in performing”

Once On This Island is not a particularly arresting musical, lyrically, musically or in terms of its story, but it is lots of fun. And this particular production feels like a celebration, full of youthful energy and love. And that really ain’t a bad thing to be a part of on a summer evening.

Reviewed by Rebecca Crankshaw

Photography by Eliza Wilmot

Once on this Island

Southwark Playhouse until 31st August

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Arcola Theatre

Reviewed – 24th July 2019

★★★★

“There is a poignancy in this precision, and the piece has real emotional heft, reducing at least one audience member to tears last night”

Reviewed by Rebecca Crankshaw

Chiflón, The Silence of the Coal

Arcola Theatre until 26th July as part of the CASA Festival 2019

Previously reviewed at this venue: