Skip to main content

Review of Flash Festival: Allure Theatre Company - The Elephant In The Room at the Looking Glass Theatre

The poor old elephant in the room, that little object sitting upon a "small" box had to endure such activity around him. Did he tumble where all chaos surround him, did he heck!

Allure Theatre's production from the wonderful trio of Hannah Mitchell, Julia-Louise Nolan and Jack Smith particular elephant is obsessions, be they of the stalking variety, pop fandom or OCD. Or OCD, pop fandom and stalking to put them in alphabetical order. For the best part they told the trials of these obsessions in a comedic lighthearted way, with more than an element of clowning. So we had obsessive kissing departures from Hannah and Julia-Louise, we had stalking of his cake prey from Jack (the cake is a lie) and we had a loving relationship between Hannah and Jack, well Hannah anyway.

Our set consisted of a large number of boxes, small, medium and large which were used in numerous ways throughout the busy, very quick scene changing show and also offered us the hysterical moment of Jack trying to fit into a small size.

Another magic moment was the super gurning slow motion fight as two Harry Styles obsessives battled it out, just brilliant. This scene returned later, with Jack once again donning the Styles mask, but this time with a gut punching moment. With so much having been lighthearted before and generally jovial, the switch to #cutforharry was a body blow of a scene, with the spirals of blood released via a ribbon from the wrists of Hannah and Julia-Louise. An incredibly powerful, and oh so brilliant moment.

There is also more tough stuff before we see the end as Jack confronts his stalker in another powerful scene. This is the light and shade that was mentioned in another review and much could be learnt from this particular group.

Also of high praise for this group is the obvious research, preparation and rehearsal. It can be seen throughout on the stage in front of us. The fights, the choreography, the shear punch of the movement scenes have been rehearsed to the extreme to make them clean and perfect. Time and effort pays off and will reward all three of these performers down the line I am sure. Tech consisted mostly of lighting and this was perfect as well, so huge credit on this and indeed whoever was working on it behind the scenes. My aloe vera has never glowed in the dark, so it must indeed be magic.

So a show of tremendous things, short snappy scenes with humour and sadness and some beautiful moments. One of the best so far for me this week.


The Flash Festival 2015 runs between 18th-23rd May, 2015 at four venues across the town. Details can be found at http://ftfevents.wix.com/flashtheatre2015, while tickets can be booked via the Royal & Derngate. Details at: http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/whatson/2015-2016/Other/FlashFestival15

Popular posts from this blog

Review of Fawlty Towers at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

The seventies comedy series Fawlty Towers , written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, remains one of the most enduring shows of all time. While some now frown on some of the content as being politically incorrect, it is impossible to see the antics of Basil Fawlty, his wife Sybil, and his staff as anything other than stunningly clever TV comedy of the highest standard. So, when news broke that Cleese was adapting three of his most famous episodes for the stage, there was a mix of naysayers predicting failure and jubilators ready for success. As the show now rolls into Royal & Derngate as part of an extensive tour following a hugely successful London run, the naysayers have gone quiet, and the audiences are packed. For those unfamiliar with the show,  Fawlty Towers  featured inept hotel manager Basil Fawlty battling everything from corpses and rats to Germans in his campaign to create the very best hotel, despite his constant annoyance with humanity, including the guests....

Review of The Rocky Horror Show at Milton Keynes Theatre

Richard O’Brien’s anarchic, surreal, and often incomprehensible musical, The Rocky Horror Show , has captivated audiences for over fifty years now. With this new tour, it feels as fresh and unpredictable as if it had just emerged from O’Brien's vivid imagination yesterday. While another review might seem unnecessary given the countless dressed-up fans who fill every theatre it visits, let’s go ahead and write one anyway. The Rocky Horror Show follows the adventures of Brad and Janet, a newly engaged couple. On a dark and stormy November evening, they run into car trouble and seek refuge at a mysterious castle reminiscent of Frankenstein’s. There, they encounter the eccentric handyman Riff-Raff, the outrageous scientist Dr. Frank N. Furter, and a host of other bizarre characters. What unfolds is a science fiction B-movie narrative that is at times coherent and at other times bewildering — yet somehow, that doesn’t seem to matter. I first saw The Rocky Horror Show in 2019 and exper...

Review of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Milton Keynes Theatre

There have been numerous productions of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's groundbreaking musical since it first appeared in 1968 and opened in the West End in 1973. One might wonder if there is still room for another tour. However, judging by the packed audience in Milton Keynes Theatre for the opening night of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat , much interest remains for this show. Also, with this production first seen at The London Palladium in June 2019, and with a few production elements altered, Joseph still has, after all those years, the room to change and evolve. However, the question is, does this change help or hinder the show's history? For those unfamiliar with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, it tells the story of Joseph, Jacob's favourite son, in a lighthearted and musical style that jumps between various genres. Joseph's brothers are somewhat envious of him, leading to them selling him into slavery to an Egyptian nobleman. As for ...