Soho Theatre Archives - Page 21 of 36

The Starship Osiris

Soho Theatre

Reviewed – 7th August 2019

★★★★

“The charisma and talent of each performer is beyond doubt”

The Starship Osiris looks from the start to be a play handcrafted from amateurism – from the badly-painted office chair that serves as the Captain’s helm, to the far-from-space-age computer effects on the screen behind. But for overbearing actor George Vere, it is his masterpiece. The rest of the cast will just have to put up with it, and him. So begins a production that is unapologetically silly and joyful, and a welcome addition to “The Play That Goes Wrong” genre.

At first, the show is pure and delightful sci-fi pastiche. Each scene bounds gleefully into one trope after the next; the script offering up vague mentions of “space years”, unpronounceable planets, and ridiculous aliens with pitch perfect timing. The perky Starettes (Molly Bird, Lola Claire, and Jo McGarry) dance adoringly around their captain (obviously Vere himself), whilst he engulfs the stage either narrating his own virtues or criticising lowly mechanic Evans (a great performance from Adam Willis). As enemies threaten the starship, surprise, surprise, it is only Captain Harrison’s poorly-choreographed punching (surely a homage to Star Trek’s Kirk) that can save the day. But the rest of the cast are only just getting started.

It’s hard not to laugh at Evans’ increasingly blank-faced delivery of lines and the other cast members’ underwhelming interactions with low-budget props (bin bags, tents, and blankets all working their hardest as galactic phenomena in this production). As the space shenanigans grow more extravagant, one by one each performer abandons gusto for their roles with some wonderfully subtle acting worth watching out for. But it is when Evans’ finally breaks character and picks a fight with Vere that the play truly runs riot, veering off into a realm where the audience is left wondering what on Earth – or in space – will happen now.

The script, a collaboration between George Vere and Adam Willis, is packed with infectious humour, but it would be nothing without the actors, who are the bright stars of the show. The charisma and talent of each performer is beyond doubt. They play their dual roles with perfect precision and are a delight to watch, although the script does give some more time to shine than others.

The costumes work well as obviously low-budget Star Trek, although Vere’s dramatic prancing about in his leggings is reminiscent more of David Bowie in Labyrinth than any of the stiff, stoic captains of the sci-fi golden era. Other elements add little touches that enhance the ridiculous atmosphere further, including a few clichéd songs featuring a deadpan keyboardist (Ian Coulter) and the introduction of the technician (Alex Wells-King) as part of the play. Even the staging is self-consciously goofy, but there is some smart choreography in the scenes towards the end, showing that, really, the actors know what they are doing.

While there is much here for both mainstream viewers and sci-fi fans to enjoy, there did seem to be some “space” for a few more jokes, especially in the latter half of the play. And the high-energy intensity of the show may not be for everyone. But, with a host of accolades from its 2017 fringe run already under its belt, The Starship Osiris has clearly tickled the minds of many. All in all, it ends up a charming theatrical romp – giggle-worthy from start to finish.

Reviewed by Vicky Richards

Image courtesy Willis & Vere

The Starship Osiris

Soho Theatre until 10th August

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Garrett Millerick: Sunflower | ★★★★ | February 2019

Soft Animals | ★★★★ | February 2019

Angry Alan | ★★★★ | March 2019

William Andrews: Willy | ★★★★★ | April 2019

Does My Bomb Look Big In This? | ★★★★ | May 2019

The View Upstairs | ★★★ | July 2019

Click here to see more of our latest reviews on thespyinthestalls.com

★★★

“It does all become a touch stereo-typed, and the crying scenes lead too predictably into the love scenes”

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the uprising at the Stonewall Inn in New York; widely considered to be the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights. We have come a long way as a society since then, but Max Vernon argues in the musical “The View Upstairs” that we still have a long way to go. He spearheads his argument by sending the central character Wes (Tyrone Huntley) back in time to 1973, overlapping past and present. We are reminded of the television series, ‘Life on Mars’ as Vernon’s script makes frequent use of jokes and dramatic irony about a future that the audience already knows, but which the characters of 1973 do not.

Sometimes the device works too well, and we are left with an overpowering sense of nostalgia for the past that conflicts with the intended message of the piece. Wes, a present-day fashion designer, is buying a burnt out building in New Orleans and, for reasons that are not remotely touched upon, he is transported back in time and he finds himself in the Upstairs Lounge; a real-life gay bar that was the target of a homophobic arson attack that took the lives of thirty-two people – the deadliest attack in the U.S. until the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, but one which was ignored by the wider American media and public.

The musical is a celebration of the regulars of the bar – a disparate band of odd folk sharing drinks and wisecracks in a kind of queer ‘Cheers’. Lee Newby’s lavishly ramshackle set evokes perfectly the time and territory we are in. As does Vernon’s score which is snappy and uplifting and, although not exactly memorable, stirs memories within ourselves. Presiding over the bar is John Partridge’s ‘Buddy’, the resident pianist who becomes ‘straight’ whenever he goes home to his wife and kids. Partridge cleverly conveys the mixture of resentment, embarrassment and liberation of the closet gay of that time. Other stand-outs are Garry Lee’s Freddy; burly builder by day and drag queen by night, and his biggest fan – his mother (a very watchable Victoria Hamilton-Barritt). Love interest Patrick, played by Andy Mientus, gives Huntley’s Wes a run for his money, while Declan Bennett’s bitter Dale injects a much-needed dose of menace. It does all become a touch stereo-typed, and the crying scenes lead too predictably into the love scenes. But we are eventually shaken out of any sense of complacency towards the final scenes, especially if you don’t know all the historical facts beforehand.

But what carries the show are the performances. A lot of numbers are packed into this one act musical but the energy and vocal agility of all the cast provide the spark that sets this piece ablaze, despite the dampening effects of some over-familiar moralising.

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Darren Bell

Soho Theatre

Reviewed – 7th August 2019

★★★★

“The charisma and talent of each performer is beyond doubt”

Reviewed by Vicky Richards

Image courtesy Willis & Vere

The Starship Osiris

Soho Theatre until 10th August

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Soho Theatre

Reviewed – 25th July 2019

★★★

“It does all become a touch stereo-typed, and the crying scenes lead too predictably into the love scenes”

But what carries the show are the performances. A lot of numbers are packed into this one act musical but the energy and vocal agility of all the cast provide the spark that sets this piece ablaze, despite the dampening effects of some over-familiar moralising.

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Darren Bell

The View Upstairs

Soho Theatre until 24th August

Previously reviewed at this venue: