A Small Mind At The Theatre

The new Warts & All theatre group have been set-up almost a year now and finally this weekend I actually managed to have my first encounter with them with their Scuff Night. It was a perfect introduction to the group for myself as it very much leant towards their theatre creation area, rather than some of their more varied gatherings they have been holding. On this evening we were presented with short, ten to fifteen minutes extracts from four plays that have been under development for a few months, and our challenge was to select the two that would go further forward and become full pieces under the tutorship of professional playwrights Think The X-Factor, but with much more intellect. Our weapons of casino chips were in our possession and the event was to begin. It started with Deep Freeze , a play based on a true case a short time which I remember well, about regarding a child who wanted to be cryogenically frozen at her soon to be early death. It was and remained my f...

I have now written a little over two hundred and fifty reviews on this blog (yes I know, amazing. I am sorry). Most shows I have enjoyed, many I have given four star reviews, a good number have also got that lofty five stars from me. There is however hiding among them five star reviews, another tier of brilliance. One that lies in my head, where everything comes together to go beyond that five, but where I have nothing left to give. The play, the performances, the staging, and perhaps even more to elevate what is a personal opinion as a review, an actual personal emotional feeling or connection towards the piece. Featured: Boy (Tom Cocker), Trader (Greg Dallas) and Mum (Helen Gibb) Market Boy written by David Eldridge and performed by the Royal & Derngate Actors Company will (spoiler intended) receive five stars from me at the end of this review. However as that first paragraph suggests, this was one of those that went a little further for me. Set in what I happily claim a...

"It was when I" were four words that during the fun, uncomfortable and at times sad performance laid bare many an "oh deary me, that is slightly awkward" moment from the members of the audience. The title of the play chose a little more obvious term for it and indeed many of the stories told were very valid of an expletive or two. During the hour long show written by Chris Thorpe and Hannah Jane Walker, we were treated to a number of these moments through history as well as randomly exposing several audience members own endevours (including mine). My own apparently was the least likely of the first four selected to have any forgiveness from. Nice. It is always bold to involve the audience in a show and I do enjoy it when it happens, especially like this one when all selected were willing to take part. Our two performers Helen Gibb and Greg Dallas struck up immensely likable performances as they relayed the tales of woe. Some of these were hugely tragic tales inc...