Tag Archives: Stockard Channing

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

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'Night Mother

‘Night Mother

★★★★

Hampstead Theatre

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'Night Mother

‘Night Mother

Hampstead Theatre

Reviewed – 28th October 2021

★★★★

 

“has a harrowing complexity, exposing the emptiness that manifests itself as ordinariness”

 

“If I’d known you were going to act like this, I wouldn’t have told you” complains Jessie to her mother mid-way through Marsha Norman’s one act play, “’Night, Mother”. On the surface it’s a fairly run of the mill, snappy remark for a thirty something divorcee, living once again in her mother’s house. Although what she has told her, quite casually, is that she is going to kill herself. We know by now she isn’t joking; but with a punchline as shattering as that so early on it is hard to know where to go from here. But this play covers plenty of ground within the confines of ‘Mama’ Thelma’s mid-American country home, thanks to Norman’s contemplative yet penetrative writing. And two outstanding and moving performances from Stockard Channing as emotionally charged ‘Mama’, and Rebecca Night as the matter of fact, bloodless, Jessie.

“Where’s Daddy’s gun?” It’s a throwaway question as the two characters wade through the clutter of domestic routine, the lightweight delivery belying the Chekhovian gravity of the dialogue. There is a moment when we think we might be in for an evening of cheerlessness, but the rich humour that courses through this piece keeps it warm and alive. There are many times we laugh, but they are guilty laughs, aware of the seriousness of the issues that are tackled. No life lessons are learned but the way we view the veneer of our comfort and privilege are questioned. Mother and daughter seem happy enough. Yes, their lives are mundane, but they are cosy. Or so it seems. The conversational tone of the drama cuts deep and the scalpels that slice through the heart clearly reveal the ways in which people can hurt each other.

“If you’ve got the guts to kill yourself, you’ve got the guts to stay alive”. Channing beautifully morphs from dismissiveness to desperation as she ploughs her energy into dissuading her daughter from carrying out the final act. We will her on, gripped by her performance. Jessie, the daughter, is the harder role to convey but Night handles the clashes and conflicts of a damaged soul with a natural skill. It is almost impossible to sympathise with the character, yet we do. Jessie, an epileptic since a horse-riding accident, has been suicidal for nearly ten years. “I came off the horse because I didn’t know how to hold on” carries an intense metaphoric weight. She has lost her sense of ‘self’ without hope of reclaiming it, yet the paradox is that she is not selfless in any way. It can be argued that her intentions are the most selfish of all. Night’s performance is such that you simultaneously accept and reject her predicament – a paradox that runs through the whole text.

“I can’t stop you ‘cause you’re already gone”. Channing is the one to win us over ultimately. Her concern drifts from what will happen to her, to a heart-rending resignation to the fact that she might not be able to save her daughter. Roxana Silbert’s meticulous direction, which brings out the realism, keeps us on the edge of our seat.

“How could I know you were so alone?” Mother and Daughter were with each other all the time, yet the parting question epitomises the problem. “’Night Mother” has a harrowing complexity, exposing the emptiness that manifests itself as ordinariness, and highlights the many relevant issues that surround mental illness today. That it can do this in such an entertaining and engrossing way is testament to Norman’s writing and the exceptional skill, charisma and sensitivity of Channing and Night, who hold the stage throughout.

 

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Marc Brenner

 


‘Night Mother

Hampstead Theatre until 4th December

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:
The Two Character Play | ★★★★ | July 2021
Big Big Sky | ★★★★ | August 2021

 

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