Review of Flash Festival 2019: Nine More Lives by Ellipsis Ensemble at Castle Hill URC

As is so often the case, Flash Festival performances have a strong emotional theme running through them, they are so very rarely lightweight, and Nine More Lives from Ellipsis Ensemble is no different. Here as this plays central point is organ donation, and it's spin here, spin used with political context as well, is an idea by high flying politician Emily of making people only eligible for organs if they themselves are on the organ donation list, known as Give to Get, and the play title coming from the nine lives that each person can potentially save.

Emily, played by Izzy Weaver, is a highly driven politician, and Weaver's performance carefully calculates what her two personas represent. We have the clear, business-like character standing at the podium taking increasingly difficult questions, and then we have the more relaxed Emily, having her diary and biscuit quota handled by her ever-reliable PA Molly (Beth Hâf Jones). The two faces of a politician are extremely well created by Weaver here.

Emily's world is about to be turned on its head though, and in a very relevant way as her brother, taken seriously ill, is all of a sudden in need of a donor himself. Her brother Darren is played with a deft style by Moses Gale, it is low key, and because of this all the more realistic as his character faces a staggeringly difficult decision, it is perfectly pitched. Gale also has a collection of other characters in this, all distinctly different, without question my favourite being as Emily's father, is a fabulous little scene, and benefits from a tiny moment of simple physical theatre.

Beth Hâf Jones's PA is a reassuring presence, all organised and proficient at keeping things in order, and she also plays the doctor charged with giving bad news and advising on solutions with crisp integrity.

The play is well created visually, crisp clever scene changes, some simple, but excellent video, and a very well used table. The whole thing is smooth and professionally created as a piece of theatre.

Nine More Lives is a controlled emotional rollercoaster, it brings you through the wringer and spits you out at the end with a bit of hope. If you are already a donor as you watch this, you feel happy to be prepared to help, if you are not, you just might take home one of Molly's flyers and use it. Who knew that a little bit of theatre might save lives.

Performance viewed: Tuesday 2nd April 2019

The Flash Festival 2019 runs until Sunday 7th April 2019 at venues across the town.
Details here: Flash Festival 2019

Review of Murder She Didn't Write at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

Murder She Didn't Write , stopping off for a four-day run at Royal & Derngate on a lengthy UK tour, treads the now well-worn path of an improvisational evening of theatre entertainment. Unsurprisingly, from the title, this show from Degrees of Error's takes a murder mystery as its inspiration, with the story influenced by ideas from the audience each evening. Due to this, Murder She Didn't Write and a review are very much an individual affair. What I saw in my evening at the theatre will differ significantly from what the audience will see the following evening; however, the fine performers will remain. The touring cast, in no particular order, is Lizzy Skrzypiec, Rachael Procter-Lane, Peter Baker, Caitlin Campbell, Stephen Clements, Douglas Walker, Harry Allmark, Rosalind Beeson, Sylvia Bishop, Emily Brady, Alice Lamb, Sara Garrard, Peta Maurice and Matthew Whittle. For my performance, Skrzypiec, Procter-Lane, Baker, Walker, Bishop, and Clements were on stage alongsid...

Review of An Inspector Calls at Milton Keynes Theatre

First performed in 1945, J. B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls is a remarkable play, a morality play of the highest order, a study of character, an examination of the soul within us all. Unsurprisingly, this is always in production due to its strong characters, perfect for any actor to devour and digest. Therefore, with little surprise, it is back at Milton Keynes Theatre again, with many a GCSE student in the audience, as it remains on the curriculum. So, with so much potential, this couldn't go wrong as a production. Could it? An Inspector Calls tells the story of a Birling family dinner rudely interrupted by a forthright inspector, Goole. He arrives with news of the death, by suicide, of a 24-year-old girl and challenges each one present on how they may have come to influence the girl's decision. From an acting point of view, director Stephen Daldry's production is excellent, with a strong cast bringing the Birling family, plus one, to the stage. The leader of the h...

Review of a A Taste of Honey at Stantonbury Theatre, Milton Keynes

Written by Shelagh Delaney in 1958 at just nineteen, A Taste of Honey was a ground-breaking depiction of modern society, falling very much into the "kitchen-sink" genre, fast developing with writers within the world of British theatre during the fifties. Dealing with a multitude of themes including class, race, age of sexual consent, gender, sexual orientation and illegitimacy, it has rightfully become a legend of theatre. However, almost seventy years later, does this play still resonate with audiences and have a place in modern theatres? The play, set in 1950s Salford, tells of teenager Jo and her mother Helen moving from one rough lodge to another as either rent becomes due or Helen needs to escape another failing relationship. With Jo approaching school leaving age, Helen sees the time is right to abandon her to the world and move on with her own life. When watching A Taste of Honey , you can imagine the controversy surrounding its original release. The content is provoc...

A Small Mind At The Theatre

Search This Blog