Tag Archives: Theo Toksvig-Stewart

Once Upon a Mattress

★★★★

Finborough Theatre

Once Upon a Mattress

Once Upon a Mattress

Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Reviewed – 7th March 2020

★★★★

 

“songs are bold and brassy, but with moments of pathos and humour”

 

A Broadway hit from 1959 (book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer), Once Upon a Mattress is a musical comedy based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea. Or rather, it takes the essence of that story and has a whole lot of fun elaborating it.

It’s the year 1428 and Prince Dauntless (Theo Toksvig-Stewart) wants to be married, but his domineering, utterly insufferable mother – Queen Aggravain, brilliantly brought to life by Julia Faulkner – wants to keep him for herself, believing no other woman will ever be good enough for her precious son. Perfectly adequate princesses are unfairly rejected for failing the queen’s impossible tests in a pattern that seems destined to repeat itself forever. But when the 13th contender arrives, everything changes.

Beth Burrows is stunning as the sassy, irreverent Princess Winnifred the Woebegone – an exotic creature from the marshlands. Not only is she incredibly animated and full of energy, but she also has perfect comic timing and makes every moment count. There’s a real sparkle in her performance that makes her very compelling to watch.

Steve Watts as King Sextimus has the challenging role of having to communicate only with hand gestures and facial expressions, owing to being under a spell that prevents him from speaking. Given that, it’s remarkable how well he articulates emotion and communicates so lucidly with both the cast and audience.

A six-piece band led by Jessica Douglas provides a lively and often ambitious musical accompaniment that’s punchy and precise. Mary Rodgers’ songs (with lyrics by Marshall Barer) are bold and brassy, but with moments of pathos and humour. They are clever, too – see ‘The Minstrel, the Jester and I’, which plays with the notion of the king being mute by leaving spaces at the end of certain lines in place of the rhyming lyric you expect to hear.

Giulia Scrimieri’s simple yet fluidly effective set features a couple of platforms for dancing on, and screens that can be wheeled around. Colourful and inventive medieval costumes also add to the sense of vibrancy.

There are plenty of laughs, but the plot is sufficiently well constructed that there are several interwoven strands to be followed through. One thread isn’t quite tied up: we see the minstrel charm the wizard into revealing the secret test for the princess, but then Winnifred appears to pass it without any assistance. Being a ‘real’ princess she’s sensitive enough that a single pea beneath 20 mattresses prevents her sleeping, and the minstrel’s plan for her to cheat is bafflingly not referred to again. However, this little mystery in no way impairs the enjoyment of a continually rewarding experience.

Another major plus point is the way that each character, from the jester to the minstrel narrator, is given their own moment of focus. This even-handed character development keeps your interest throughout while helping the show build to a hugely satisfying resolution.

Ably directed by Mark Giesser, Alces Productions’ Once Upon a Mattress is a funny and joyful production of this rarely seen gem.

 

Reviewed by Stephen Fall

Photography by Andreas Lambis

 

Upstairs at the Gatehouse thespyinthestalls

Once Upon a Mattress

Upstairs at the Gatehouse until 29th March

 

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:
Strike Up The Band | ★★★★ | March 2019
The Marvelous Wonderettes | ★★★★ | April 2019
Flat Out | ★★★★ | June 2019
Agent 14 | | August 2019
Pericles, Prince Of Tyre | ★★★ | August 2019
Working | ★★★★ | September 2019
A Modest Little Man | ★★★★ | October 2019
I Do! I Do! | ★★★½ | October 2019
42nd Street | ★★★★ | December 2019
Elton John: It’s A Little Bit Funny | ★★★★ | February 2020

 

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Endless Second

Endless Second

★★★

Pleasance Theatre

Endless Second

Endless Second

Pleasance Theatre

Reviewed – 5th November 2019

★★★

 

“With a touch more dramatisation this would lodge itself in our hearts as well as our heads”

 

It would be interesting to know if one’s reaction to a play like “Endless Second” would be affected by not knowing the gender of the writer. It is difficult to avoid, with a play that explores the breach of consent within a relationship, the fact that this is by a male writer. Theo Toksvig-Stewart, however, manages to outstep the stereotypes with some subtly balanced writing that weighs up the controversy with a sensitive and moral neutrality.

Two characters, known simply as M and W, meet during freshers’ week at Drama College. Their relationship develops into a conventional love story and in the haze of young passion they go through the motions: day trips, evenings out, shared friendships, meeting family, the occasional holiday. They are compatible and respectful. M is outwardly the epitome of the modern liberal feminist. But one evening, in an alcoholic blur, W says ‘no’. M pays no heed. The following day, in the fog of a hangover, they have sex again. Life for a while seems to go on. Yet everything has changed.

Cut the Cord, a London based theatre company, focuses on new Nordic writing that questions what it means to be human. In “Endless Second” they tackle the subject of sexual assault within a consensual relationship. In our #MeToo, post-Weinstein climate the general mood is that there are no grey areas, but Toksvig-Stewart demonstrates otherwise. Through this ambiguous, twilight zone M and W tread carefully. It is a slow dance on broken glass that, as the rhythm quickens, will ultimately cut deep.

Toksvig-Stewart as M and Madeleine Gray as W give energetic and natural performances. Up close in the studio space at the Pleasance, Gray’s skill at demonstrating a sea of emotion in a split-second facial tic comes to the fore. Initially skirting the issues, she repeats the classic leitmotif of “I’m fine” so evocative of those in denial. M’s denial is of a different nature. As the performers circle the stage the questions in our minds spin at a faster rate. They are dangerous questions – we find ourselves asking whether being the perpetrator is as damaging as being the victim. W is the accuser but insists that M play the role of comforter as well as culprit. These questions are among many others, and the shades of grey darken until the word ‘rape’ is finally used.

Toksvig-Stewart takes no sides. The performers narrate their stories from their own perspectives and director Camilla Gürtler skilfully knows where to place them in the space, like a tarantella. The characters come together either for the kiss or the bite. Yet the technique is often in danger of overshadowing the empathy, and despite the commitment and investment of the cast, the overall feel of the piece is that of an exercise or a drama showcase. It certainly hits on an intellectual level and raises many important questions but an emotional connection with the audience is sometimes lacking.

A bold piece that triggers debate and succeeds in its aim in making us think about the issues of consent, responsibility and assault. But therein lies its fault. With a touch more dramatisation this would lodge itself in our hearts as well as our heads.

 

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

 


Endless Second

Pleasance Theatre until 7th November

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:
Anthology | ★★★★★ | October 2019
Children Of The Quorn | ★★★★★ | October 2019
Go To Hell! | ★★★★ | October 2019
Murder On The Dance Floor | ★★★ | October 2019
The Accident Did Not Take Place | ★★ | October 2019
The Fetch Wilson | ★★★★ | October 2019
The Hypnotist | ★★½ | October 2019
The Perfect Companion | ★★★★ | October 2019
The Unseen Hour | ★★★★ | October 2019
Heroin(e) For Breakfast XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | ★★★★★ | November 2019

 

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