Review of The Body Of One Theatre Research Groups first performance at University Of Northampton, Avenue Campus

Bewildering. Confusing. Bizarre. Bamboozling. Oblivious.
All words to describe my opinion of The Body Of One's first performance. However when asked my favourite word to explain my opinion of a production that I didn't quite "get" is "interesting".
I used interesting last night when asked after the show. I like using it.

However, it turned out that this production, influenced partly on Butō (I thought Popeye at first when I heard that if I am honest), was very deliberately ambiguous, verging on what the hell was that? Primarily because of the second part of the evening where we all sat around in a room and tried to discuss what we had understood from the play.

I honestly said last night as I was leaving that the discussion at the end was the best part of the evening as it gave a little more understanding but also allowed me to know that I wasn't the only one confused. It was a bit like the old English Lit days where you watch a Shakespeare play (first if you were lucky) and then dissected the living bejesus out of it.

That whiteboard didn't complete. The meat? What happened behind the curtains (I know, well actually, no I don't)? The meat! All those bird sounds were what? The meat...

If you are still reading now, you must either have been there, or you may be needing medical treatment now. Surely reading this means nothing to you? No? I knew I was right.

However if you are still with me, I have to say that I was happy that I went to the show last night and I would go again to another one (free tea: shall travel). I have seen a few shows, plays, things, call them what you will, this year and to be honest, I have been fortunate that I have enjoyed them all, even the ones I have found "interesting". I always just simply appreciate the skills, the effort, the talent and the time that has gone into them. Never be the one to condone and rubbish, what you are incapable of doing thy self is a motto I could use, if I used mottoes.

However, I think this piece is in danger of getting more confusing than the show, so I will cease now. And really, if you are truly still reading this, I salute you, you honour me so.

The Body Of One is a theatre research group made up of Arte, Fran, Lydia and Sam and their website can be found here: http://tboo-theatre.co.uk/, on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/TBoOTheatre or on Twitter @TBoOTheatre

Review of & Juliet at Milton Keynes Theatre

First performed in 2019, & Juliet has become quite a global success, and now, as part of a UK Tour, it has arrived at Milton Keynes Theatre for a two-week run. Featuring a book by David West Read, it tells the what-if story of the survival of Juliet at the end of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet . Primarily a jukebox musical, it more specifically features the works of Swedish songwriter Max Martin (and friends, as the credits describe). The question is, does & Juliet provide more than the standard of many a jukebox musical before it, and does it honour the tragic tale from which it has sprung? Our story opens with William Shakespeare presenting his latest work, Romeo & Juliet , for the first time. However, when his wife, Anne Hathaway, learns how he intends the tale to end, she is away with his quill and planning on her reworking of the story. At the core of this touring production's success is Geraldine Sacdalan's powerhouse performance as Juliet. Her Juliet ...

Review of Northern Ballet - The Great Gatsby at Milton Keynes Theatre

This production of The Great Gatsby performed by Northern Ballet was my fifth encounter at the theatre of a full ballet production and as before, I happily share my review of the show with nearly zero knowledge of-the-art form and more of a casual theatre-goer. You could say that this is a poor direction to come in on a review, but I would say that casual audience are the ones to review this for. Over the years, Northern Ballet has set quite a high benchmark for ballet productions, and any audience member who is worth their salt as a ballet fan would no doubt have tickets for this new touring version of the 2013 version of The Great Gatsby , lovingly created by David Nixon OBE. So much is Nixon part of the very fabric of this show, that he not only provides the choreography and direction but also the initial scenario and costume design (assisted by Julie Anderson). So, discounting those ballet fans already sitting in the audience, what does this offer for the more casual theatre-goer ...

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...

A Small Mind At The Theatre

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