Tobias Graham Archives - thespyinthestalls.com

★★★★

“the collection of performers that were gathered at this cabaret were unbelievably talented”

Bernie Dieter’s Little Death Club is a celebration of us, a place to let loose and celebrate our differences and, if you’re the man in the third row, a place for you to get your face slammed in the crotch of Dieter herself.

As soon as you walked into the venue, reminiscent of a circus big top, you were hit with colour changing lights, smoke and a rocking band playing you to your seat. When the show started after a small delay, it was worth the wait. The audience was greeted first by the emcee Bernie Dieter, who began to sing before making her way into the audience on the prowl for a man, or many men. She talked about the importance of human connection, literally, as she straddled one man, head in crotch and grabbed four other men in a touching war. Dieter was able to draw in the audience from the moment she stepped onto the stage through her use of song and comedy.

As much as it was Dieter’s show, the collection of performers that were gathered at this cabaret were unbelievably talented, commanding the stage in their own right. Some stand out performers include Beau Sargent, a contortionist and aerial act who “blurs the lines of gender and preconception.” He performed two acts, one of which was twisting his body in positions that seem impossible. Then, towards the end of the show, he performed an emotional aerial act with Dieter singing behind him, the words, “is this the woman you thought you would grow to be” as Sargent took of his heels and weaved his way in and out of the flying ring. What seemed to be almost a commentary on queerness and freedom, or the lack thereof, was a nice break from the fire and nudity and all around debauchery.

Another stand out performer, was Fancy Chance (Veronica Thomson) who came out, fabric floating through the air as she swung her arms in a mesmerising manner. What started as a simple and beautiful act became an incredible and dangerous act of chance, being lifted up hanging only by her hair. She swung and spun through the air as the audience watched, necks craned and mouths opened. Her clothes were then ripped off in a comedic turn as she came down from the air before embracing her nude body and once again, leaping, full force, into the air.

The cabaret also included exciting performances from Myra Dubois, a comedic drag queen, Josh Glanc, a mime (who lamented about the cons of being a mime), and Kitty Bang Bang, a fire breathing goddess. This cast of performers each brought a genuine electric fire to the stage.

As the show ended, Dieter sent the crowd out into the London night, reinforcing the message that it is important, in this scary world we live in, to never let anyone tell us our differences are not to be celebrated.

Reviewed by Tobias Graham

Photography by Alistair Veryard

Night of the Living Dead Live!

Pleasance Theatre

Reviewed – 16th April 2019

★★★

“full of unique and inventive ideas that create an air of originality to the play”

Based on George A. Romero’s classic 1968 movie of the same name, Night of the Living Dead Live! translates the horror story to the stage. This comedic adaptation is stylish and performed brilliantly with some exciting theatrical twists, however it doesn’t quite live up to its horror-comedy expectation.

The show opens with the murder of Ben (Ashley Samuels), who has been hiding in a house from ghouls, which are essentially zombies. Discovered by the Chief (Mike Bodie) and his sidekick Vince (Tama Phethean), the story then rewinds as we watch how the whole thing unfolded. An eclectic mix of characters assemble, including a squabbling couple, a soppy, loved up couple, and the seemingly vacant Barbara (Mari McGinlay). The first act follows the characters bicker and fight in their attempts at survival, and the second act then diverts from the original film narrative in its exploration of alternate endings; what if the leader of the group was a white, all-American man, or what if the leader was a woman? The show plays out every possibility to test which is the best method to survive the night of the living dead.

The production is full of unique and inventive ideas that create an air of originality to the play. Firstly, a section of the audience is seated on stage, dressed in boiler suits and shower caps, literally seated in the middle of the drama. These members of the audience are invisible to the characters on stage, but they are not safe from the blood splatters and violence that plays out before them; the seating area is quite literally called the ‘splatter zone’. To my relief, I wasn’t seated on stage, but I enjoyed watching those who were – their amusement and horror at being covered in blood became a comedic element in itself.

Secondly, the design of the production (Diego Pitarch) was stylish as it attempted to replicate the black and white aesthetic of the movie. The actors were all painted and dressed monochromatically, as was the entire set, and this was really effective in creating the old movie tone that laced the script and performance in general. This tone was heightened in the use of music; tense country music introduced the scenes (soundscape and compositions Samuel West) alongside dramatic, horror movie sounds (sound design James Nicholson and Paul Gavin) that kept all the audience on the edge of their seats – I heard people gasp and felt them jump when these sound effects were played. The production understood the importance of sound in creating tension and exploited it to its full advantage.

Similarly, performances were strong all round, and every actor managed to intentionally embody that awkward style of the stilted, old-Hollywood performers. Jennifer Harding was a real stand-out, playing two very contrasting characters with absolute conviction and perfect comedy- both the characters of Helen and Judy became a joy to watch. Benji Sperring’s direction was neat and flowed nicely, and he certainly lived up to his ambition of wanting to make theatre fun.

That said, there were moments in the drama that lacked significant tension that the design and performances couldn’t disguise. The play started off with a lot of promise but it took too long to progress the narrative. The mix of horror and comedy felt natural to the piece, but the first act slowed in certain places and while the second act redeemed it, picking up the pace, the repetitive structure seemed to stunt its potential rather than push it further. While some jokes sparked, other felt laboured and I felt restless rewatching certain pieces of dialogue over and over. Despite that, the stakes were definitely raised in the second act, and they became higher and higher culminating in a fun and bizarre conclusion that definitely ends the show on the high.

Having not seen the original film, I was worried that some references would go right over my head, and perhaps that’s why I struggled to connect the whole time. I could tell some people responded well to the play and I have no doubt that those on stage had a really fun evening out because it does provide a unique theatrical experience. However, sat in the stalls I sometimes felt like there was a private joke I was missing out on. I’m sure fans of the film will have a great time, but despite its style and energy, I have to admit I was left a little confused and alienated by the whole thing.

Underbelly Festival Southbank

Reviewed – 25th April 2019

★★★★

“the collection of performers that were gathered at this cabaret were unbelievably talented”

Bernie Dieter’s Little Death Club is a celebration of us, a place to let loose and celebrate our differences and, if you’re the man in the third row, a place for you to get your face slammed in the crotch of Dieter herself.

The cabaret also included exciting performances from Myra Dubois, a comedic drag queen, Josh Glanc, a mime (who lamented about the cons of being a mime), and Kitty Bang Bang, a fire breathing goddess. This cast of performers each brought a genuine electric fire to the stage.

As the show ended, Dieter sent the crowd out into the London night, reinforcing the message that it is important, in this scary world we live in, to never let anyone tell us our differences are not to be celebrated.

Reviewed by Tobias Graham

Photography by Alistair Veryard

Little Death Club

Underbelly Festival Southbank until 23rd June

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Pleasance Theatre

Reviewed – 16th April 2019

★★★

“full of unique and inventive ideas that create an air of originality to the play”

Reviewed by Tobias Graham

Photography by Claire Bilyard

Night of the Living Dead Live!

Pleasance Theatre until 19th May

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue: