Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Strangers In Between. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Strangers In Between. Sort by date Show all posts
Saturday 13 January 2018
Strangers in Between, Trafalgar Studios | Review
Strangers in Between
Trafalgar Studios
Reviewed on Friday 12th January 2018 by Shaun Dicks
★★★★★
As a member of the LGBT community we all face our fair share of struggles. One of those struggles is the loss of family, whether its you leaving them or they sever ties with you. Strangers in Between tackles the subject of creating your own family with wit, humour and wonderful storytelling. It’s the story of Shane, a 16-year-old boy who runs away from his home and family in suburban Australia to Kings Cross, Sydney. The story follows Shane as he tries to navigate these new surroundings and new friends whilst carrying old baggage.
The story and message is a very relatable one; one that is very well crafted by Tommy Murphy. Murphy’s crafting of the story and characters is genius, the script is witty and humorous without even trying. The writing is outstanding, modern scriptwriters please take note. The direction from Adam Spreadbury-Maher is masterful, the show being slick, punchy without being over bearing.
Now we come to the cast. No words can be used to describe how outstanding the all-male cast of three are. You can tell that the relationship between them is strong. They are comfortable with each other and they have an undeniable chemistry. Roly Botha as Shane was truly endearing, creating a gem of a character. Dan Hunter as Will/Ben was charming as Will but complex as Ben. Hunter’s ability to change between roles was brilliant. The best I’ve saved until last, Stephen Connery-Brown as haggard old queen with a heart, Peter was simply perfection. Peter was witty, humorous, serious, kind and loving; the complete character. Connery-Brown isn’t just talented, he is an actor young performers should look up to. He gives a masterclass on how theatre should be done. These men took this script, ran with it and then some.
As a gay man myself, I relate to this story. It didn’t make me feel just for a second but a very long while. It made me emotional and think for hours after the show. That is a signifier that it is excellent theatre. The Kings Head Theatre is renowned for producing brilliant LGBT theatre, Strangers In Between falls into that bracket and is more than deserving of its West End transfer to Trafalgar Studios. Everyone needs to see this show. Support the wonderful Kings Head Theatre, support Strangers In Between. It deserves to be seen. It deserves to be recognised. It is the best thing you will see.
Tell your friends, family and work colleagues. Everyone needs to see Strangers In Between!
Strangers in Between runs at the Trafalgar Studios until 3rd February 2018
photo credit: Scott Rylander
Sunday 23 December 2018
Come From Away, Abbey Theatre, Dublin | Review
Come From Away (European Premiere)
Abbey Theatre, Dublin
Reviewed on Wed 19 December 2018 by Damien Murray
★★★★
As a former refuelling stop for trans-Atlantic flights, the remote town of Gander in Newfoundland was once well used to having many visitors on board passing planes.
In 2001, due to its position and facilities, it unexpectedly found itself playing host to 38 international flights filled with 7,000 passengers of many nationalities during the horrific attacks of 9/11 on the North-Eastern region of the United States.
This is not a show about those atrocities, but rather a true story of generosity, gratitude and ultimate hope performed as a theatrical documentation of the unfolding events at Gander as a result of the attacks and the efforts of a small island population to help their fellow man in exceptional and demanding circumstances.
Ahead of its transfer to London at the end of January, it is, perhaps, appropriate that the European premiere of Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s relatively new, but highly-acclaimed, award-winning musical, is being staged in Dublin as Newfoundland owes much of its music, language and culture to Ireland.
This fact is reflected in the show’s accents, humour and music, with a distinctly ‘celtic’ approach to the score, instrumentation and underscoring in this Abbey Theatre co-production with Junkyard Dog Productions and Smith & Brant Theatricals.
Playing a multitude of roles with a quick-fire change of accent, hat, shirt or jacket to convey each character, the hard-working and 12-strong cast - Jenna Boyd, Nathanael Campbell, Clive Carter, Mary Doherty, Robert Hands, Helen Hobson, Jonathan Andrew Hume, Harry Morrison, Emma Salvo, David Shannon, Cat Simmons and, returning to the city where she made her professional debut, Ireland’s own West End and Broadway star, Rachel Tucker - prove the perfect team for this exceptional ensemble piece.
Indeed, the captivating cast takes ensemble performance to a whole new and higher level in this factual, intense and heart-warming drama.
Performances here are of such a uniformly impressive standard, it is almost impossible to single anyone out for special praise, but it must be said that, with her commanding stage presence, quality vocals and passionate performance, it is no accident that one of Rachel Tucker’s main characters is, appropriately, that of the Captain.
By necessity, the casting is diverse to reflect the wide cross section of some of those who were caught up in the Gander situation with people of various shapes, colours and creeds being represented; each with their own story and circumstances and each dealing with the situation in their own way.
With Beowulf Boritt’s simple, sparse and static (apart from a stage revolve, which, thankfully, is not overused) set representing the remoteness of the forested island being cleverly lit by Howell Binkley’s mood-inspiring lighting, this production is greatly helped by Christopher Ashley’s no thrills direction and Tara Overfield-Wilkinson’s relentless choreography and movement to advance the evolving story in its 100-minute performance time, without ever losing the attention of its audience.
Because of the nature of its unfolding story, this unconventional musical benefits greatly by the absence on an interval to ensure no loss of momentum or continuity.
The show is also unusual in terms of the musical score, which mixes Celtic with folk and rock with the addition of a few ballads and, with tongue firmly in cheek, gives a musical nod to Titanic to add humour to the piece.
Apart from when they take centre stage for a bit of an international hoe-down during Screech In (highlighting the importance of music as an international language), the eight accomplished musicians, under Alan Berry’s musical direction, are discretely positioned at the side of the stage.
Musical highlights are dominated by the ensemble’s excellent choral work throughout, particularly in songs like Darkness And Trees, while the beautiful rendition of Prayer reinforces the commonality of music in religion.
Other highlights include Rachel Tucker’s moving showcase song, Me And The Sky, and the tender love song, Stop The World.
In the midst of mixed emotions, fear, confusion, panic, terror and tragedy, we find that camaraderie, friendship, tolerance, respect and humour are universal and all shine through in this story of interaction between strangers when they are thrown together in the most unusual of circumstances and when relationships survive and grow with random acts of kindness.
Human resourcefulness becomes second nature as all rally round to provide such practical essentials as food, clothing, accommodation, language interpreters, counselling, medical and spiritual care, money and special care needed for babies and animals that were on any of the grounded flights.
In addition to the positive feelings when they are all pulling together as one, a painful feeling of loneliness and emptiness descends on everyone immediately after they eventually leave to go home similar to that experienced at the end of an Irish wake.
This story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in a time of need is truly inspirational and this intense, gripping, emotional and heart-warming production perfectly captures the generosity of the human spirit and the hope that has been born out of tragedy to create an oasis of harmony in a world of confusion.
Come From Away runs at the Abbey Theatre until Sat 19th January 2019
Photo credit: Matthew Murphy
Friday 25 May 2018
F*cking Men, King's Head Theatre | Review
F*cking Men
King's Head Theatre
Reviewed on Thursday 24th May 2018 by Shaun Dicks
★★
I’m a massive advocate for LGBTQ+ theatre and the King’s Head Theatre is a fantastic platform for LGBTQ+ art. It is a venue that I whole heartedly support. It produces exciting work – like Strangers In Between, which I previously reviewed - and is really a benchmark for pub theatres. The King’s Head is currently home for the show F*cking Men, written by Tony Award winning writer Joe DiPietro. The show follows a multitude of characters that are interwoven into multiple narratives, exploring monogamy, lust and cruising.
In recent times I’ve come across the quote of ‘Happiness writes white,’ but in a play where there is no happiness, simply sex, the word I would use to describe F*cking Men is beige. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few redeeming qualities that I commend. One of the shows biggest pluses is its characters. In mainstream media there is a overwhelming amount of archetypal gay characters that only represent a small cross section of the community; here there is a smorgasbord of characters covering much of the gay community. Another redeeming quality is the performance of the actors, they do the best they can with what they have been given.
Despite these redeeming qualities, there are too many negatives in this show that far outweigh the positives. As I was reflecting on the show after I’d seen it, I couldn’t decide whether it was brave or demoralising that the show was so full frontal with its exploration of the modern gay relationship and cruising culture. Ultimately, I concluded that it’s demoralising. F*cking Men takes a metaphorical dump on one of the rights the LGBTQ+ community have fought for, monogamy.
DiPietro presents men of the gay community as lust driven, predatory creatures who can’t hold down a monogamous relationship. It is repeated throughout the script that one of the bonuses of being gay is that we aren’t bound by monogamy. The show is also hampered by it’s painstakingly long transitions from scene to scene, and when we finally get to a scene, they are very vague and basic; the actors spend more time taking their clothes off than they do act. We were given no time to invest into characters, so when heartfelt moments happened, I felt nothing.
I simply don’t understand why most LGBTQ+ shows insist on including such vulgar nudity. I’m no prude but I don’t come to a theatre to stare at a chiselled man and his penis. I implore all who are writing LGBTQ+ theatre, raise your taste level, we will rise with you.
I urge you to go and support the King’s Head Theatre, it is an incredible venue with a very bright future but do it in ways other than seeing F*cking Men. It’d be a waste of your time and money. I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed.
photo credit: Christopher Tribble
Monday 19 June 2023
Harry Styles at Wembley Stadium review: Where Strangers Become Friends and Fans Become Family
a life-changing experience, driven by exceptional musical talent, captivating stage presence, and a genuine commitment to building a community
Harry Styles Love on Tour
Wembley Stadium
★★★★★
Among the huge array of concerts on offer, some artists possess the unique ability to create an atmosphere that goes beyond a mere performance. Harry Styles, the British singer-songwriter and former One Direction member, is undoubtedly one such artist. His closing show of four sell out’s at Wembley Stadium, was a testament to his musical prowess and stage craft. The ambience he created allowed for a magical showcase of the power of friendship and community; under Harry’s command, pure, unfiltered joy permeated the evening, and made it so special to both audience and performer.
Leading up to the performance there was a frenetic energy filling every space. With bedazzled outfits, feather boas and cowboy hats filling the arena, the sea of colour was a visual indication of the bright and beautiful performance to come. From the moment Harry took the stage, the crowd came even more alive and from the moment he stepped out it was clear that the enthusiasm and genuine love was mutual between the audience and the star. He effortlessly took the role of the charismatic conductor of this extraordinary symphony and invited everyone to forget their troubles and be truly free for a few hours.
What struck me the most about the concert was the strong sense of friendship and community that Harry fostered throughout the night. From the get go Styles created an inclusive space where everyone felt accepted, loved, and celebrated for exactly who they are. The vigour with which the audience embraced this was a testament to Harry's commitment to creating an environment where diversity and individuality are not only accepted but embraced.
Throughout the evening, Harry’s music served as a catalyst, bringing people from different backgrounds together, forming an unbreakable bond. Whether it was the carefree sing-alongs to Watermelon Sugar, the semi-cultish bowing at the alter of Mitch Rowland’s guitar solo in She, the united screams of “leave America” during As It Was, the congas in Treat People With Kindness or the group hugs and tears during Fine Line, each song became a thread weaving a tapestry of emotions that bound us all. With surprise songs added, including fan favourite Medicine and Sweet Creature which Styles hasn't performed since 2018, it really was a treat to be in the room for this momentous concert that truly cemented Styles' icon status. There’s no other word to describe it than electric. If unadulterated joy could power the country, Harry Styles would be head of operations.
Beyond the music, Harry's heartfelt interactions with the audience showcased his genuine care for his fans. He took the time to engage in conversations, listen to their stories, and make each person feel seen and valued. It was a beautiful reminder that music can bridge the gap between strangers and create lasting connections.
Production wise the show was a treat, with great visuals that told a story, lighting that complemented the sun slowly going down and a fun stage design which allowed many to get almost within touching distance of Mr Styles. A sensory feast, the show really provided all you could ask for.
As the night came to an end, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the incredible impact that music has on our lives and the meaningful connections it brings. Harry Styles not only delivered an outstanding performance but also reminded us of the significance of finding people who allow you to be yourself. It was a night that broke down barriers, opened hearts, and created lasting memories.
This concert was a life-altering experience, driven by exceptional musical talent, captivating stage presence, and a genuine commitment to building a community. Styles' ability to deeply connect with his audience, fostered an atmosphere of inclusivity and acceptance, making the event a remarkable celebration of music and our shared humanity. It was an occasion where strangers quickly became friends, and fans collectively experienced the transformative power of music. As an artist who truly embodies his craft, Harry Styles continues to redefine the concert experience, leaving an unforgettable impact on the hearts of his fans.
Reviewed on Saturday 17th June 2023 by Olivia Mitchell
photo credit: Lloyd Wakefield
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