Tag Archives: Rick Fisher

THE GATES OF KYIV

★★★★

Theatre Royal Windsor

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THE GATES OF KYIV at the Theatre Royal Windsor

★★★★

“Mixing storytelling, music and dance in a unique and quite fascinating way”

Maria Yudina, a Soviet piano virtuoso, enjoyed notoriety as much as fame. Born in 1899 she grew up to be fiercely defiant of the repressive regime under Joseph Stalin – publicly denouncing him as well as demonstrating her faith in the Orthodox church. In Communist Russia that could have easily earned her a death sentence, yet somehow, she lived. There is one particular myth about this “holy fool” that goes some way to explaining her ability to survive the scourge of Stalinism. Apparently, Stalin listened to the radio a lot, and on hearing Yudina’s recital of Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 23 one night in 1944, he called the station demanding a copy of the recording. The producers, afraid of the consequences of admitting that no recording took place, promised to deliver it the next morning. In panic they assembled an orchestra and called Yudina back to record it through the night. Legend has it that she slipped a note into the album sleeve stating that she would “pray for you day and night and ask the Lord to forgive your great sins…” All according to her lifelong friend, the composer Dmitri Shostakovich, whose fondness for imaginative tales adds to the fantasy of the folklore.

Although it often defines her, this late saga in her life forms little more than a footnote in Ian Kelly’s extraordinary “The Gates of Kyiv”. Mixing storytelling, music and dance in a unique and quite fascinating way, Kelly casts a panoramic eye over the life of Yudina, focusing on her sometimes-fractious relationship with Shostakovich. Michael Praed is a commanding figure as the renowned composer while Stockard Channing wears the pianist’s brittle yet mutinous mantle. They narrate their story in retrospect, portraying them late in life, intermittently talking out to the audience and to each other, scaling the heights of harmony and discord in equal measure like frantic arpeggios on a grand piano. Yet it’s not just the black and white notes that are struck. There are many shades of grey within Kelly’s rich, rhythmic and expressive text. Sometimes the couple step out of time and there is an over reliance of the script in hand, but the performances are charismatic and the chemistry between them keeps our attention throughout. There are occasions when we feel we are about to step into a history lesson, but the natural delivery and flair keep us outside – on the fun side of the door. And we are also grateful to learn so much about Maria Yudina and her fascinating life.

Revolving within their tale is the star attraction. Gala Chistiakova is forever present at the glorious ebony Steinway that dominates centre stage. Yet somehow her beautiful, passionate and evocative playing does not dominate the narrative. It weaves, underscores, illustrates and accentuates the subject before crashing over us in waves of passion at the climax of each act. Chistiakova covers much of Yudina’s repertoire, taking in the greats including Bach, Mozart, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, Pasternak, Mussorgsky; and Shostakovich of course.

Complementing it all is dancer Xander Parish who moves in time with balletic musicality, adding further layers to the already rich tapestry, although occasionally the visual bonus is an extra flavour with faint hints of indulgence. The music more often says it all. It leads us on the journey, right up to the last number that gives us the title of the piece. Mussorgsky’s ‘The Great Gate of Kyiv’ from his 1874 piano suite ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’. A stirring finale, and symbolic in many ways. Originally built in the eleventh century, the Great Gate of Kyiv served as a triumphal arch – a prominent symbol of the Ukraine capital. At one time a monument to Tsarist rule in Ukraine it can now symbolise Kyiv’s defiance against Russian invasion. A defiance that Maria Yudina shared, and which is wonderfully illustrated in this unique tribute. The music is the most defiant of all, and no matter what troubles may surround us, its power and its beauty will always survive. We don’t necessarily need a reminder of the reality, but this show reinforces it. Classical and classy – it is a triumph in itself.

 


THE GATES OF KYIV at the Theatre Royal Windsor

Reviewed on 4th September 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Jack Merriman

 

 


 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

ACCOLADE | ★★★½ | June 2024
OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR | ★★★★ | April 2024
CLOSURE | ★★★★ | February 2024
THE GREAT GATSBY | ★★★ | February 2024
ALONE TOGETHER | ★★★★ | August 2023

THE GATES OF KYIV

THE GATES OF KYIV

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page

 

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

★★★★

UK Tour

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AN INSPECTOR CALLS at the Alexandra Palace Theatre

★★★★

“a magnificent spectacle of a classic play that continues to engage”

J B Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’ continues its over 30 year run on tour this year, and I was lucky enough to see it played at Alexandra Palace. Like most people, I first read (and adored) the play at 15 for my GCSEs, however, I never got a chance to see it until now. I’m glad to say my high expectations were not disappointed.

It’s 1912 and the upper class Birling family are celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling and Gerald Croft over dinner. Yet, their celebrations halt when Inspector Goole pays them a visit, and informs them of the death of a local lower class woman. Through his investigation of the family, they become shaken by their involvement in the woman’s life and their clear contributions to her death.

The play is none traditional in its portrayal of the text. The family’s introduction is framed from an outsider’s perspective – due to the fantastic design of Ian MacNeil. A house where the Birling’s is hoisted above the stage, which appears as a destroyed and blackened street. The opening scene is played within the house, while others watch them on the street. An interesting portrayal of the hierarchical society in which we live. I was a little apprehensive at this point, however, due to the overuse of haze on stage that practically blocked all sightlines, while it was also quite hard to hear the actors’ dialogue. Mics are used, but I fear they were too quiet against the echoey space. I think the opening scene is key in introducing the characters, setting up the context and foreshadowing the events of the play, so I would have liked the scene to be visible, rather than wholly playing inside the rather small house. Instead, the set opens up when the Inspector is introduced to the family and – to my relief – the majority of the action takes place downstage.

The cast, with polished direction from Stephen Daldry,  shine in their individual roles, with Tim Treloar portraying a highly energetic and unapologetic Inspector Goole. Jeffrey Harmer also stands out as Mr Birling, bringing a lovely sense of youth and charm to a role one would often only see as a boring and business focused villain. The stand out performance for me, however, was Leona Allen as Sheila – a strong portrayal of a woman who is still so childlike in her behaviour, desperately yearning to be heard.

The costumes are traditional to the era of the play – the men wear trim suits perfect for a dinner party. Sheila of course wears an all white gown, perhaps signifying her future marriage or perhaps her innocence. It gets dirtied in the rain, however, once she begins to discover the consequences of her past actions – so I would say the latter. Mrs Birling wears a very glamorous deep red and black gown and is well decorated in pearls and other accessories. Such vampish glamour would appear similar to the ‘evil queen’ characters of many fairytale depictions.

Overall, the show is a magnificent spectacle of a classic play that continues to engage audiences. It’s important to note, that every other review I’ve seen – which date back many years – all state the play is ‘more relevant now than ever’. With the gap between the rich and poor arguably being the same now as it was in the time the play is set, that is especially true in this revival. In the 30+ years this iteration of the show has been performed, it appears the class divide has only gotten worse. One hopes a day will come when the play is not as pertinent as it is today.


AN INSPECTOR CALLS at the Alexandra Palace Theatre then UK tour continues

Reviewed on 4th September 2024

by David Robinson

Photography by Mark Douet

 

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE GLASS MENAGERIE | ★★★★ | May 2024
A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A GHOST STORY | ★★★★ | November 2023
TREASON THE MUSICAL | ★★★ | November 2023
BUGSY MALONE | ★★★★★ | December 2022

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page