Posts with the label national theatre
Showing posts with label national theatre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label national theatre. Show all posts
Wednesday 24 May 2017
Angels in America, National Theatre | Review
Angels in America
National Theatre, Lyttleton Theatre
National Theatre, Lyttleton Theatre
Reviewed on Saturday May 13th 2017 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
Angels in America has got to be one of the National Theatre's most eagerly anticipated productions and one of the hottest tickets in London right now. The production boasts a line-up of incredible stars with the entire run sold out apart from lottery and day seats. Due to the sheer size and epicness of this play, it is rarely staged so seeing this revival from director Marianna Elliott is a once in a generation opportunity.
The show is big. The glossy A4 programme is big, the set is big, the cast names are big and the length is big. So much is packed in and the scope of the production and the ideas within it are vast and although slightly overwhelming at times, it's an extremely well put together and a mesmerising production.
The cast includes Broadway's Nathan Lane, Olivier-winner Denise Gough, NT stars Russell Tovey and James McArdle and Hollywood film star Andrew Garfield, who had performed in shows at the NT before heading to Hollywood. The acting is utterly sublime, with ridiculous talent and confidence that is breathtaking throughout.
Tony Kushner's two-part play tells the story of the emerging AIDS crisis of the 1980s as it hit the gay community in New York, by as cast of both real life and fictional characters who are living through it. Both parts are dense but liberating in the way they play with form, moving from domestic realism to hallucinatory fantasy, especially in part two Perestroika.
Part one, Millennium Approaches is full of angst and drama but is extremely humorous at points. A homeless woman chaotically exclaims "In the new century I think we will all be insane", when get to part two, Perestroika, twenty-five years later we see that that premonition may have come to be.
Nathan Lane manages to have both our hate and sympathy as the vicious, closeted lawyer Roy. Denise Gough lives right up to her superstar name and she embodies the role of the drugged out, angry and upset, Harper, giving a mesmerising performance. James McArdle is wonderful as the infuriatingly sensitive Louis. Russell Tovey brings pain and innocence to the confused Mormon Republican Joe and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett is fantastic as Belize who is perhaps the only sane one of the group. But it's Andrew Garfield who steals the show. He is breathtaking as the shows lead, Prior Walter. Garfield is intense and committed to the role with just the right amount of wit and grit to make this somewhat wacky character come to life in perfect colour on stage.
Although the context of Angels in America is different in 2017, especially with regards to AIDS, the play feels extremely relevant and the revival couldn't have come at a better time. The action looks back at the time Reagan was in office and studies his right-wing policies which are scarily analogous with Donald Trump's. This makes everything even more resonant and emphasises the fractured America where opinions on gender, wealth and race have unfortunately not changed.
This play is unlike anything else, with a mix of angsty, sardonic, gloomy surrealism which is a roller coaster from moment one. There are so many moments of shock that jump out like an endless stream of consciousness and it's really like being inside Kushner's brain as his thoughts vomit out. Although that doesn't sound particularly pleasant, it really is. There's something magical and truthful about the craziness. This play is not likely to be seen again in the near future and this production of the modern masterpiece is sure to stay with everyone who sees it until the next one comes about. Angels in America is epic but the most important thing is that it promotes discussion and remains relevant.
Angels in America will be broadcast to cinemas by NT Live from 20 July.
Thursday 2 March 2017
Ugly Lies The Bone, National Theatre | Review
Ugly Lies The Bone
Lyttleton Theatre, National Theatre
Reviewed on Wednesday 1st March 2017 by Olivia Mitchell
Reviewed on Wednesday 1st March 2017 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★
Unless you've ever been on a tour of Afghanistan as a soldier, I would assume it's pretty impossible to ever know what it must be like. To experience pain, death and sadness so up close must be truly horrific and coming back to a family and community who have changed and moved on without experiencing that? I can't imagine.
Ugly Lies The Bone, a new play by American playwright Lindsey Ferrentino, aims to shed light on this as well as exploring virtual reality therapy which trials show, has been successful in reducing pain levels in those who have suffered serious injuries.
The play tells the story of Jess played by Kate Fleetwood, who has come home after three tours of Afghanistan to her Florida town in the heart of Nasa county. Awfully disfigured and struggling to deal with the constant pain, she must learn to adjust to her life which is not as she remembers it.
In a bid to move on with her life she agrees to take part in an experimental virtual reality therapy programme which aims to reduce her pain levels. She is taken into a virtual world of snow capped mountains and delicate, falling feathers where she begins to experience life without pain again.
Over the course of 90 minutes we watch the story of Jess and those around her adapting and recovering both mentally and physically.
Kate performs the cynical, frustrated character very well, showing the struggles very truthfully through a stunning performance. Ralf Little is also wonderful as the bumbling Stevie who is facing an internal struggle of his own.
For me, I found the play fell a little flat. Because we didn't get to see Jess before her injuries it was hard to see any character development and therefore hard to see how the virtual reality therapy worked. Overall there was just not enough character development and I felt that there was not enough solid dialogue or storyline to make the audience empathise with them.
The set and stunning design are brilliant and really do immerse the audience in the virtual world but I would have loved a stronger storyline to back it up. The whole cast give extremely solid performances but no real plot means there isn't a final resolution and overall there is a flatness.
Ugly Lies The Bone is on at the National Theatre until June 6th.
Photo: Mark Douet
Saturday 3 December 2016
Peter Pan, National Theatre | Review
The Olivier Theatre, National Theatre
Reviewed on Friday 2nd December 2016 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
Reviewed on Friday 2nd December 2016 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
The story of 'The Boy Who Never Grows Up' is one which we all know. Since J.M Barrie's original story and production there have been countless re-imaginations of Peter and Wendy's adventures in Wonderland, each trying to add their own spin to the story. With a such a Classic it can be hard to make the distinction between a play and a panto but the National Theatre's production has done that perfectly and created a fresh and exciting version of Peter Pan which is sure to be enjoyed by children and adults alike!
Madeline Worrall captures Wendy Darling's character wonderfully, with moments of childishness as well as of maturity and practicality. Wendy, is this production is much more free spirited than I've seen previously; she doesn't just follow Peter's every whim but seems to weigh up every decision she makes. She's independent whilst still having childlike qualities; a lovely contrast to Peter himself, played by Paul Hilton.
Peter is not the charming, sweet boy we usually think of. He is much darker and more frantic; a mix between Drop Dead Fred and The Mask (maybe that's because of all the green though!) At first I was unsure of this portrayal but Hilton's Peter really grew on me and I understood why he had such a cocky and arrogant side and was able to sympathise with him much more in his moments of despair than if he had been sweet throughout.
Of course motherhood is a key theme in the story of Peter Pan but in this production it is really magnified, especially through the choice of having Captain Hook played by a woman (Anna Francolini who replaced an injured Sophie Thompson.) Francolini is dark and menacing as Hook. Her gold teeth glistening like knives, her gothic get-up and of course her hook, all create a truly threatening character. The character of Hook is deconstructed slowly throughout the play, with snippets of her humanity showing all through, making her somewhat melancholy. I got the feeling that Hook would have liked to be a mother but as she is stuck in Neverland and evil has been drilled into her, she knows she never could be. This was a revelation to me as I had never seen Hook as anything other than the evil antagonist.
The stand out scene of the whole show for me was when she was roused up and dressed by Smee in a revealing scene where she transformed from a frail, balding lady to the strong, menacing Hook she shows the world. Although Hook was suitably scary, I found myself drawn to her and wanting to know more and more about her.
Another stand-out character was Tiger Lily played by Lois Chimimba. Tiger Lily is a feisty girl who's been raised by wolves and knows her way around. The wolves themselves would have terrified a 10 year old me- they're very reminiscent of The Wheelers in Return To Oz coming onto the stage erratically with masks and crutches.
The only character I didn't feel attached to was Tinkerbell, played by Saikat Ahmed. He was too aggressive and not at all likeable. Although it was heartbreaking when he drank the poison, there was just something about him which made me feel uneasy. I loved the made up language used for Tink and the whole premise felt very solid but I personally was not a fan.
I loved the theatricality of the production. It was wonderful to see how all the 'magic' was being done. Seeing the counter-weights and 'fairy strings' on stage didn't distract from the magic at all but made the whole thing even more enjoyable to watch. The use of music is another highlight of the production. Whilst it is clearly not a musical, it is also not just a play. The songs added are not randomly thrown in for decoration but to add to the characters and emotions, the duet/vocal duel between Hook and Wendy was raw and rich and exciting to hear.
Overall this production is lively, colourful, exciting and rich. It takes the classic story and elevates it to a new level of wonder and fantasy without taking it anywhere near the pantomime realm. This is a creative and refreshing production which is magical for children and touching for adults. The whole production is a visceral spectacle which is not to be missed!
Peter Pan is playing at the National Theatre until the 4th February. Tickets can be booked at: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/peter-pan
A huge thank you to #LDNTheatreBloggers for having me at the show; make sure you check them out on twitter @TheatreBlogs and their website: http://theatrebloggers.co.uk/!
Friday 19 August 2016
Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, National Theatre | Review
Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour
National Theatre, Dorfman Theatre
Reviewed on Thursday 18th August 2016 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
If you love the feeling of leaving the theatre in a mass of smiling, contented, glowing audience members then this is 100% the show for you. Its an hour fifty minute show with hilarious dialogue and exuberant singing which combines music by Jeff Lynne, Handel and more, all of which contrast and take you on the journey of these girls. The show, an adaptation of Alan Warner's 1998 novel The Sopranos is an absolutely joyous time and a celebration of life and living.★★★★★
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