Tag Archives: The Space

A KISS FOR CINDERELLA

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The Space

A KISS FOR CINDERELLA

The Space

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β€œa beautiful hidden gem that is perfectly suited for the festive season”

We all know the story of Cinderella. Everyone roots for her reunion with the prince – and her glass slipper. JM Barrie’s lesser-known play, A Kiss For Cinderella, tells the story of a kind hearted but delusional cleaning lady in WW1 London who believes that she is the real-life Cinderella, destined to marry The Prince of Wales. This new production, adapted and directed by Bethany Sharp, has many good ideas and a wonderful cast. At this point, the show is short of a slipper and could benefit from further exploration to give it that fairy tale flare.

The play is funny, with credit to Barrie’s writing and Sinthu Bhairavi’s delightful performance as Cinderella. Bhairavi’s portrayal is intelligent, playful and endearing. She captures Cinderella’s naivety and insanity without turning her into a caricature, allowing the audience to see why the policeman (Matthew Lyon) is falling in love with her. The policeman meets Cinderella at the home of Mr. Bodie, Cinderella’s employer, who is beautifully played by Simon Balcon. The policeman becomes suspicious of Cinderella’s interest in the German language and follows her home, where he discovers she’s hiding two European refugee children. They too are caught up in Cinderella’s fantasy that she will be invited to meet the prince.

The story, which is more than a century old, explores themes which remain relevant today: War, immigration, poverty and how we cope with harsh realities. Unfortunately, Sharp’s adaptation of this political dramedy, with Steven Shawcroft as assistant director, is missing the creative risk and tenacity to dig into it. The costumes (Stephanie Schreiter) in the dream scene are clever and imaginative, aiding the audience in understanding that this is Cinderella’s hallucination. However, a lack of attention to detail at times undermine her thoughtful designs. There’s no need for an actor’s trousers to be falling down only because he wasn’t given a belt. The same issue presents itself with sound design. There is some use of sound to give context or ease transitions, but most scenes (such as the ballroom scene) feel too quiet, causing the actors to work extra hard to keep the energy from dropping. Tiaras off to them, they actually do a valiant job!

Sharp shows a clear understanding of directing a show in the round. The blocking is dynamic, and the actors have excellent awareness of the audience. However, the once off dramatic opening of the double doors, only to reveal the theatre’s terrace, feels excessive and out of sorts with the otherwise sensible use of the space. At this point Cinderella is passed out β€œin the snow”, centre stage. By revealing the outside world to the audience when we are meant to believe that Cinderella is near death in the freezing cold, the integrity of the performance space becomes compromised. If Sharp and Shawcroft found some link between the story and the abrupt reminder that we are in a theatre, the sensational moment could have worked. However, there is no follow-through and as an audience member you don’t know what to do with this extra information in relation to the play.

A Kiss For Cinderella by JM Barrie is a beautiful hidden gem that is perfectly suited for the festive season. Sharp can be applauded for recognising the play’s potential and giving it a moment in the spotlight. This show promises praiseworthy acting and fun moments for an overall charming Christmas story.


A KISS FOR CINDERELLA at The Space

Reviewed on 5th December 2024

by Lara van Huyssteen

 

 


 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

ONE MAN POE | β˜…β˜…β˜… | October 2021
AARON AND JULIA | β˜…β˜…Β½ | September 2021

A KISS FOR CINDERELLA

A KISS FOR CINDERELLA

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One Man Poe

One Man Poe

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The Space

One Man Poe

One Man Poe

The Space

Reviewed – 19th October 2021

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β€œOne Man Poe’s strong points are definitely the soundsβ€”not just Smith’s flexible voice skills, but also Joseph Furey’s music and sound design”

 

The London Horror Festival is once again bringing chills and thrills across the metropolitan area, even if the pandemic means a pared down festival this year. One Man Poe, performed by Stephen Smith at the suitably spooky Space in London’s East End, is one of several offerings for the 2021 Halloween season. It’s hard to find a writer more accomplished in the horror genre than Edgar Allan Poeβ€”and there’s a reason why this American nineteenth century writer is still widely read and enjoyed today, despite the archaic language, and the dictionary workout his words will give you. Based on three of Poe’s best known stories, and one very well known poem, One Man Poe is a no-brainer of a choice for the Festival by Smith and the Threedumb Theatre Company.

Nevertheless, One Man Poe is a bit of a misnomer. This piece, clocking in at one hundred and forty minutes (including the interval) is not so much a play, as a staged performance of Poe’s stories by Smith. And while Smith’s is the only voice on stage throughout the show, he is not always the only person there. Assisted by Jack Hesketh as a doctor in one story, and as a policeman in another, Smith performs The Tell-Tale Heart; The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Black Cat. The Raven, Poe’s signature poem, is the final piece that sets the seal on an evening of blood chilling revelations.

Smith does have a great voice for these kind of stories, and his presentation is appropriate, if verging on the melodramatic. But then, the Victorians did appreciate a good melodrama. Smith’s diction is clear and measured, allowing the audience to relish Poe’s language. It’s overkill, then, to project the words on the back of the stage, above the actor’s head, for the whole performance. It is a distraction the audience could do without, and dispensing with them might also allow the lighting designer (Eddie Stephens) to shine a bit more light on the proceedings on stage without obscuring the text on the wall. One Man Poe’s strong points are definitely the soundsβ€”not just Smith’s flexible voice skills, but also Joseph Furey’s music and sound design. Kudos also to dramaturgs Amber Buttery, Amy Roberts, Jonah York and Rebecca Phythian for the thoughtful support and programme notes. But the overall effect of One Man Poe is to make one wonder if the show would not be more powerful if enjoyed at home with the lights off and the amplifiers on.

Fortunately for us, there is one livestream performance on offer, and perhaps there will be more. One Man Poe will be livestreamed on October 21st. Just the ticket for a horrifying evening at home with the family. Or, for the truly brave among you, alone.

 

Reviewed by Dominica Plummer

Photography by Alya Sayer

 

 

One Man Poe

The Space until 23rd October as part of London Horror Festival 2021

 

More shows reviewed this month:
Dumbledore Is So Gay | β˜…β˜…Β½ | Online | October 2021
Back To The Future | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Adelphi Theatre | October 2021
Roots | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Wilton’s Music Hall | October 2021
The Witchfinder’s Sister | β˜…β˜…β˜… | Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch | October 2021
Rice | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Orange Tree Theatre | October 2021
The Cherry Orchard | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Theatre Royal Windsor | October 2021
Love And Other Acts Of Violence | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Donmar Warehouse | October 2021
Yellowfin | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Southwark Playhouse | October 2021
Brief Encounter | β˜…β˜…β˜… | Watermill Theatre Newbury | October 2021

 

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