A Small Mind At The Theatre

This weekend I spent my first money ever on seeing a pantomime. I have of course seen them in the past, in those wonderful days when the magic money people, the parents, paid for things and I have near no memory of them (pantomimes that is, not parents! :O ). I did however see Jack And The Beanstalk last year, however no money or magic beans passed from my hand as I experienced the mysterious benefit of a competition win to see it. I enjoyed it in a sort of surreal "what the blooming bananery is going on" way that comes perhaps from an adult watching a pantomime (especially with no children of any form in tow "look at that weirdo!". Much like going for a Sunday walk with no dog. Just odd.). CJ de Mooi of Eggheads fame was particularly good in it, I remember. However it didn't turn me into a pantomime going thespian or whatever they might be called. So I didn't return to the Deco this year, or indeed my second home to see Peter Pan, I wanted to save my money ...

Killed tells the story of Billy Dean, a First World War soldier shot for cowardice on July 17th 1916. Originally performed in the eighties, this has been picked up by the Looking Glass Theatre in commemoration of the centenary of the beginning of the war. Director James Smith has assembled his own quality group of recruits for this production. Particularly Jaz Cox as Billy Dean, who plays him with the sufficient emotion to leave the audience thinking. And thinking is the important part of this play because it gives you no answers. Was Billy a coward or not? Did what happen at the crucial moment amount to cowardice or simply confusion? For me, I have no answer except for the fact that the shooting of cowards was wrong in any case. A terrible part of history with a tremendous lack of understanding. Some people simply do not have what it takes to go to war and kill people. That does not make them cowards. However back to the production. Sasha Farmer and Jennifer Styles-Barker are bo...