Review of National Theatre Connections - Day Two at Royal & Derngate, Northampton

After a slightly mixed first day of productions of the 2015 Connections plays, the second contained two absolutely glorious ones.

"Drama, Baby" by Jamie Brittain and performed by Barnwell School was an absolute delight from start to finish. Funny, fresh and superbly performed by the young cast, led by a hysterical star turn by the young chap who played Neil (devoid of a programme again, so sadly no names). While I try not to single out a single person in these shows, he made it quite impossible not to in his performance of the socially awkward and occasionally offensive individual. A slightly abhorrent character that you could not help love because of his performance. However there were many other lovely individual performances from the large cast and all got their moments of glory.

The play itself starts at the final rehearsals of two Theatre Studies groups, and proceeds via a collection of relatively shorts scenes to their final results, and culminates in a reaping what you sow poignant final scene. Throughout it remains likable despite some occasionally tough dialogue and despite being relatively short (like many of these plays), you really get to love and hate the simply drawn characters.

One of the best of the Connections plays I have seen so far and one of the best group performances. I shall see a second interpretation of the play on Sunday and it will be interesting to see if it is as wonderfully performed.

The second play of day two was "The Accordion Shop" written by actress Cush Jumbo. Performed by The King's Theatre Company, this was a snappy, clinically performed play. Every section of dialogue is presented after a short sharp section of music where the cast members relocate on stage, always presenting themselves direct to the audience. It is a nice style and tells a sad tale of Mister Ellody and his shop of the title superbly, although it is never really about the shop to be fair. This is more about a rather random text message and its tragic consequences. I don't mind a rather ambiguous title and I will not say more than that, so that if you are lucky enough to see it, it will come as a surprise to you as well.

Once again we have a generally solid group of performances, with only a couple of slightly weaker performances, mainly on projection to the audience. My couple of picks though have to be the right cockney rebels Rhys Clark and Toby Platt as the "boys". Whenever they were on stage, me old mince pies were nowhere else. A delight, as were both plays of day two. I look forward to three more on Saturday!

Performances reviewed: Thursday 30th April, 2015 at the Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton.

The National Theatre Connections continue at Royal & Derngate until Sunday 3rd May, 2015. For details go here: http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/whatson/2015-2016/Royal/Connections15

For further details about the National Theatre Connections visit their website at: http://connections.nationaltheatre.org.uk/

For further details about the Royal & Derngate visit their website at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/

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 Tambo & Bones at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

Tambo & Bones , first performed in 2022, is a deliberately provocative play by Dave Harris, currently performing at Royal & Derngate, one of the co-creating theatres of this touring version. It is a powerful piece created in three acts that does not shy away from controversy and offence. However, does that all culminate in a piece of theatre worth your attention? Our opening sees Tambo and Bones, two black entertainers, named in history from names inspired by their accompanying instruments (here the tambourine and bone castanets) tasked with entertaining a white audience in the Minstrel show they find themselves involved in. Following their discovery, from a moment of audience observation, that everything is not what it seems, Tambo and Bones embark on a crusade of fighting back at history that has seen them trodden down. Writer Harris doesn't mince his words in describing the power whites have held over blacks for centuries. Without question, moments are deliberately uncom...

A Small Mind At The Theatre

Search This Blog