The Playhouse, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 22 December 2008 Axis of Evil Take three students – a pair of Brits (Tom Butterworth and Andy Bennett) and a Yank (Will Averill), plus hours dossing about in student squalor watching films and TV, together with a bunch of willing friends and a host of whacky, anarchic comedy ideas and we have Axis of Evil Productions. The Coalition – Tales of the Uninvited was their latest instalment of a couple of episodes of a continuous staged soap opera. Episode 9: Attack of the Yank’s Kid Sister and Episode 10: Horsemen of the Multipocolypse were served up, drawing freely on – and making fun of – Star Wars. Other influences, ranging from The Goodies, Benny Hill, The Young Ones to Punk’d, were clearly visible as some … Read entire article »

George Piper Dancers at Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 19 July 2004 The George Piper Dancers/Ballet Boyz Traditional ballet, it wasn’t. But with all the classical precision, technically demanding moves, came a range of boundary-pushing dance discoveries that made for a stunning evening. A unique feature of this company is that they do not have to appeal to an established dance audience. They convince general performance enthusiasts that modern dance is accessible, intelligent and huge fun. The Ballet Boyz, Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, recently gave us a documentary series on Channel 4 demystifying the creative dance process. But it’s the rehearsal and tour footage that accompanies the dances on stage which is particularly novel. Indeed, some video links were applauded. The talented team gave us a feast of challenging spectacle and … Read entire article »

Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 20 August 2004 Black Coffee This Agatha Christie tale is an acquired tatste. So is the elegant Hercule Poirot, solving the mystery with his little grey cells, his deliciously old-fashioned sidekick Hastings and hapless Inspector Japp. However, in the confident hands of the Maddermarket company under Tim Seely’s deft direction the familiar came alive The intimacy of the theatre draws us into the country house library and the plot – albeit dated, resting on dinner jackets, poison, blackmail, a stolen formula for a new weapon and copious red herrings – was strangely comforting. The denouement is vintage Christie, bringing the strands and twists together in a satisfying way. Humour in both script and direction plays to the full, ranging from the stylish self-deprecation of the characters to … Read entire article »

Saltmine Theatre Company at the Playhouse, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 23 June 2004 The Screwtape Letters The power of love, the love of God, is the heart of this very triumphant Christian message through pure theatre. CS Lewis was one of the most powerful Christian voices writing in the 20th century. The letters – epistolary – between  experienced devil Screwtape and his novices Wormwood and Flubgob are classics of popular theology. They have been assigned to secure the damnation of a new young Christian. To portray this dialogue as a piece of gripping theatre is a challenge well met by Saltmine Theatre Company on its 18th anniversary tour. A mainly Christian audience responded warmly to a wake up call on the human weaknesses of us all laid bare and to the humour … Read entire article »

Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 15 June 2004 My Boy Jack Expecting nostalgia about first world war sons and daughters, I was touched deeply by Rudyard Kipling’s confused emotions in putting his obligation ahead of family and breaking rules to send his myopic teenage son to the trenches in the name of King, country and empire. The pointlessness of the boy’s sacrifice (half of the 250,000 under-age soldiers died) at Loos after a few months resonates in a broken Kipling’s subsequent writing and his own death as the second world war looms, inevitable after The War to End All Wars didn’t. The dilemma of a devastated patriot questioning his fundamental beliefs is the tragedy mirrored in the lives of millions, echoed in the strain on wife and marriage and made … Read entire article »

Marina Theatre, Lowestoft Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 3 May 2004 The 40th Anniversary Tour of the Animals and Friends 1964 was a different age. But if you were a teenager then, you can relive the excitement. We’ve replaced records with CDs, but to share the Animals and friends’ 40th anniversary tour is to spend an evening with living old friends. True, only two of the original Animals played, but there was a founder Kink and the others are talented survivors of other groups. All looked as lived in as most of the audience. Eric Burdon and the deceased were missed. Songs from a new album interspersed classics in  their rhythm and blues style including I’m Crying, Don’t Bring Me Down, Bring It On Home to Me, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, Baby, … Read entire article »

Northern Theatre Company at the Playhouse, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 26 April 2004 Poisoning Pigeons in the Park While some classic comedy is genuinely timeless, much of what we see of it today hopelessly obscure or out of fashion. However, this revue of songs by America satirist Tom Lehrer by the Northern Theatre Company shows material still funny. Songs were drawn from the 50s and 60s and showed him as a political folk musician commenting freely on social and cultural life. Drawing from dozens of musical styles via pastiche and mimicry, they ranged from the amusingly eponymous Poisoning Pigeons in the Park to the biting ‘satire is taking things to extremes” Masochism Tango. College days and Harvard featured, but when NBS broadcast an Americanised version of That Was The Week That Was … Read entire article »

Ridiculusmus at the Playhouse Theatre, Norwich Review published by the Eastern Daily Press, 23 February 2004 Ideas Men Comedy has many parents and the one night offering at the Playhouse nodded in the direction of everything from stand-up to the Theatre of the Absurd. After the success of the Ricky Gervais’ school of office management, the merciless satire on contemporary office life might seem already a full house. However, Ideas Men, written by Jon Hough and David Woods, adds a fierce surrealism to the genre that was occasionally painful. They came with high expectations and humour hype from the Barbican, but they didn’t quite bring tears to the eyes for more than short sequences in their 80-minute work. The intentional laid-back, understated and under-rehearsed effect contrasted well with the inspired madnesses like smashing a keyboard and … Read entire article »

Norwich School at the Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 6 February 2004 The Beggar’s Opera Anyone arriving at the Norwich School annual senior play expecting John Gay’s 1728 classic concoction of 69 street songs, parodies and arias would be surprised. The story is still peopled by thieves, whores, beggars, jailers and low-life, but has a keener political edge. Even those thinking former Czech president Vaclav Havel’s 1970’s play is a direct descendent of Brecht’s Threepenny Opera with its haunting Mac the Knife song, would also be surprised. The noose hanging over the central Macheath (Justin Beardsell) is less threatening than expected. However, none of the surprises is a bad experience. The programme note by director Michael James tells us that everyone except the pickpocket lies. Even criminal business has to co-operate with … Read entire article »