Review: Ian McKellen on Stage

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Ian McKellen on Stage.
To celebrate his 80th Birthday, Sir Ian McKellen is bringing his one-man show, Shakespeare, Tolkien, Others and You to the West End's Harold Pinter Theatre following on an extensive tour of London and the UK visiting venues far and wide that have had a part to play in the actor's legendary career. Taking to the stage with stories and anecdotes from his illustrious career both on stage and screen, McKellen performance reprises extracts from his most-renowned performances, which include Shakespeare's Lear and Tolkien's Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, while engaging with audience members to help craft the show.

Veteran actor Ian McKellen is well and truly a national treasure. His contributions to theatre, as well as the big screen, are undeniable and his talents are like no other. This one-man show takes the audience on a fascinating journey spanning the entirety of McKellen's life, and tells us of his backstory, his love for the theatre and how he was able to achieve success, in what many view as a highly competitive industry. He also speaks of his most famous roles, including the infamous wizard Gandalf from the critically-acclaimed 'Lord of the Rings' film trilogy. McKellen's life story is fascinating, and certainly made for interesting viewing.

McKellen has an exceedingly engaging persona, which proves vital for this one-man show. The whole experience feels very personal, due to McKellen's ability to connect with the audience. He has impeccable comedic timing, and is a master of all acting styles. During the show, he clearly demonstrates the extent of his talents, flawlessly delivering extracts from novels, poems, scenes from The Lord of the Rings and several Shakespearean monologues. If this wasn't enough already, he also performs a song from 'Cats the Musical', of which he will be starring in the movie adaptation this Winter.

My only slight criticism for this production was that I felt the first act was significantly stronger than the second. Whilst the first half consisted of a range of different works, the second half was solely focused on Shakespeare. I feel that diversifying act two may have benefitted the production, but it was still thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless.

Overall, Ian McKellen on Stage is a wonderful experience. McKellen is one of the greatest entertainers of the past century, and this one-man show serves as a clear testament to that statement. He is truly a marvel.

Now for my final verdict on Ian McKellen on Stage. I give Ian McKellen on Stage...

This was a wonderful experience, and I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to see it live.

Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Only Fools and Horses

Hey readers!

It's time for my review of Only Fools and Horses. 

Only Fools and Horses the Musical is based on the 1980s British television sitcom of the same name, and adapts the most popular moments from the series for the stage. It follows two brothers from London's rough Peckham estate as they wheel and deal through a number of dodgy deals searching for the big score that'll soon make them millionaires. Whilst many theatregoers will go to watch Only Fools and Horses the Musical in order to gain feelings of nostalgia, I had not seen the television show prior to watching the play. As a consequence of this, I was experiencing these stories and characters for the very first time. 

Only Fools and Horses is not a particularly deep or thought-provoking experience, but instead places its focus on audience nostalgia and light-hearted fun. On the whole, I would personally argue that the show does achieve its primary objectives. The vast majority of those attending appeared to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, proving that this musical does succeed in entertaining its audience. Whilst I myself, as previously mentioned, had not watched the television show, I can imagine that this musical would be true Heaven for die-hard fans. This production is crammed with endless references and in-jokes which only true Only Fools and Horses devotees would fully appreciate. The downside to this, however, is that it does put other theatregoers who may have only seen the occasional episode at a rather large disadvantage. Unfortunately, if you are unfamiliar with such references, then there may be, as I discovered first-hand, a fair amount of confusion.

This production takes different elements of the most popular stories from the TV show and combines them into one sole narrative. Whilst I did find the show's story to be enjoyable, I felt at times that an entirely new and original story featuring these characters may have been better suited for the stage. For example, hit West End play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child takes the much beloved characters from the book series, but tells an entirely new story in continuation of their character-arcs. I did feel that Only Fools and Horses could have potentially benefitted from carrying out something in this manner in order retain maximum creativity and inventiveness. 

The highlight of Only Fools and Horses was, undoubtedly, its stellar cast. Each performance was truly outstanding and could not be faulted in any which way. At the performance I was attending, the leading character of Del Boy was played by Chris Bennett, who was understudying. The role of Del Boy is an exceedingly demanding role, rarely ever leaving the stage, but Bennett was well and truly exceptional. By his side were Ryan Hutton as Rodney and Andy Mace as Grandad, both of which were phenomenal. Both Hutton and Mace had excellent comedic timing and created extraordinary characterisations. I have also heard that both actors were very accurate accent-wise in relation to the original characters. A special mention must also be awarded to Oscar Conlon-Morrey, who portrayed the dating agent and various other roles. Conlon-Morrey was a real stand-out and absolutely nailed each of his roles; he thoughtfully distinguished between each character both carefully and cleverly.

The scenic design, by Liz Ashcroft, was also remarkable. The set was filled with immense detail, and felt very realistic. The scenery is accompanied by a back-drop of screen projections, which have been designed by Tim Blazdell. The screen projections were equally commendable, and complimented the set nicely. 

Now for my final verdict on Only Fools and Horses. I give Only Fools and Horses...

Whilst Only Fools and Horses is by no means perfect, it is still thoroughly enjoyable. It is very much a crowd-pleaser, and I am sure it will continue to have a very successful run in London's West End.

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Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: 9 to 5

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of 9 to 5.

Featuring a number of Dolly Parton's greatest hits, the musical is the story of three employees – Violet, Doralee and Judy – who work under their difficult boss Franklin Hart, Jr. at Consolidated Industries. When it’s revealed Judy doesn’t have any work experience, the others take her under their wing and give her a few tips about surviving in an office environment.

9 to 5 is, undoubtedly, a lot of fun and certainly takes its audience on a wild journey. Whilst at first the show seems to be a simple story about three ordinary office workers who dislike their domineering boss, 9 to 5 later takes a very dramatic turn when suddenly the three women decide enough is enough and go to desperate measures to banish their misogynistic employer. The different twists and turns that the story takes is very amusing, and as the show went on, I became intrigued to find out how it would end. The show has a real feel-good factor, which in turn means audience members will likely leave the theatre overjoyed, and ultimately, that is a very important quality for any show. At the heart of this musical are its messages of feminism and gender equality, as well as sexual harassment in the workplace. Whilst the show is well-intentioned in its attempt to tackle these issues, I did find that these elements of the story could be somewhat corny at times. There was a lack of subtly to the way such topics were handled, which is likely as to why the show's efforts to deal with such matters came across in this way. Despite holding these feelings, I still throughly enjoyed 9 to 5 and found it hard to be averse. 

This production has three leads, and those are Caroline Sheen as Violet Newstead, Natalie McQueen as Doralee Rhodes and Amber Davies as Judy Bernly. Sheen, McQueen and Davies were all phenomenal, and had remarkable chemistry with one another, creating a life-like and believable friendship onstage. All three women had excellent voices, and each had a brilliant stage presence; all of the leading performances mentioned were well and truly flawless. Brian Conley, as Franklin Hart Jr., also gave an outstanding portrayal. Conley played the 'comedic villain' role well, and had the audience in stitches throughout. Whilst all of the cast were marvellous, it was in fact stage veteran Bonnie Langford, in the role of Roz Keith, that stole the show. Langford is a gifted stage performer, and never falters in any performance that she carries out. She was utterly hilarious in this particular role, and gave a show-stopping rendition of 'Hart to Heart'. 

In regards to creativity, the choreography, by Lisa Stevens, is more than deserving of a special mention. The dance routines were exceedingly up-beat and fuelled by an energetic ensemble. They were a true delight to watch.

Now for my final verdict on 9 to 5. I give 9 to 5...

Whilst certain elements of the story were a little corny, I still found 9 to 5 utterly delightful and throughly enjoyed it from beginning to end.

Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Die Fledermaus

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Die Fledermaus.
Baseless Fabric, Finalists at the 2018 Off West End Awards for Best Opera Production, return with a new production of Strauss’ Die Fledermaus. The production will pop up in more than 30 high street venues in Merton and Wandsworth this August, with free, unticketed performances for all, as well as being adapted for two indoor performances at the Arcola Theatre as part of the 2019 Grimeborn Festival.

Classed as a 'street opera adaptation' of the classic operetta, this production of Die Fledermaus was quite unlike anything I have ever seen within my lifetime. As opposed to being staged in a theatre, Die Fledermaus takes place in ordinary settings of cafes, pubs and supermarkets, depending on the location of the performance. At the performance which I attended, the show's initial scenes took place at Ely's Department Store, Wimbledon, whereby the cast launched into this opera within the shopping aisles. After 20 minutes, the actors exited the department store, after which time we were told to follow them through the streets of Wimbledon and to a local pub. It was here that the show resumed and continued the previous narrative. After another 20 minutes, the cast, orchestra and audience once again departed; we were then led to a nearby marketplace, which is where the operetta reached its climax. The production features an immense level of inventiveness, creativity and ambition, which are all admirable qualities for any piece of live theatre. The company organising the show, Baseless Fabric, have the intention of changing attitudes to the art form and convincing people that opera can be "fun and not elitist, expensive, boring or irrelevant". The audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves throughout, and as a result, I would personally argue that Baseless Fabric have been highly successful in achieving such goals. The crowd included a wide range of different ages from very young children to a number of older viewers, demonstrating that Die Fledermaus has a wide appeal and can be fun for the entire family.

Die Fledermaus consisted of only four cast members, and those were Claire Wild, Abigail Kelly, David Horton and James McOran-Campbell. All four performers were incredibly talented singers, which is something that, as an audience member, you gain more an appreciation for when in an intimate space, as opposed to a large theatre. Additionally, it was evident that the cast were really enjoying themselves during the show, which was rather endearing to watch. After all, when it is clear that the cast are having fun, it makes it a lot easier for the audience to find joy within the show as well. They all had remarkable chemistry with one another, and were a delight to watch. A special mention must also be given to the show's orchestra, who were equally remarkable.

Now for my final verdict on Die Fledermaus. I give Die Fledermaus...

I was not quite sure what to expect from Die Fledermaus, but I left Wimbledon very impressed indeed. It was highly innovative, and truly unlike anything else.

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Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: The Lehman Trilogy

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of The Lehman Trilogy.
Beginning in 1844, The Lehman Trilogy charts the formation of the Lehman Brothers bank, as a young man from Bavaria with a big dream made a splash in New York with the help of his two brothers. From here, the play skips through  163 years of banking history, and tells of the establishment of the bank, and its doomed fate which led to the biggest global financial collapse in history, affecting each and every one of us.

The tale of The Lehman Trilogy is a truly fascinating one. The play begins with three young brothers, who have only recently immigrated to the United States of America and have very little to their name. They had very humble beginnings, and despite the odds not being in their favour, the three Lehman's were able to create a successful small business that flourished soon after being founded. The Lehman Brothers business went bankrupt when I was at a fairly young age, and as a consequence I knew very little about this company prior to seeing the play. Thanks to the detailed and insightful storytelling of the show, however, I have now gained a vast amount of knowledge regarding this particular topic. New knowledge is always welcome, and especially when it is presented in such an intriguing manner. I also admired the way in which various elements of American history were seamlessly integrated into the lives of the leading characters. Throughout the course of the show, the story takes place against the backdrop of events such as the American Civil War and the Great Depression. As a result, The Lehman Trilogy not only provides historical presentations on personal matters, but also national matters as well. The play stands at a grand total of three and a half hours, but despite its long running time, the time flies by. With the exception of the final 20 minutes, the show retains its momentum and fast pace throughout, thus ensuring that the show does not feel overly prolonged.

The adaptor of The Lehman Trilogy, Stefano Massini, has stated in past interviews that the original vision for the play included a grand total of 18 actors. This production, however, has one sixth of that and features only three actors who play over 100 roles between them. These three actors are Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley and Ben Miles, all of which were remarkable. The play requires these actors to portray a wide range of different ages (the youngest being a toddler, whilst the oldest being gentlemen in their 90's), an assortment of personalities, a number of accents, as well as multiple women. The amount of versatility needed to successfully pull this off is astonishing, and yet these three actors give it their all, providing masterful performances. Each portrayal was incredibly distinct and unique, which in turn helps the audience to differentiate between characters. Costumes remain the same throughout the play, meaning that character differentiation relies solely on the actors. Additionally, holding the audience's attention for an extended period of time with so few actors can be challenging, and yet the three of them excel at this. They are each highly engaging, allowing them to captivate audience attention throughout.

The Lehman Trilogy is directed by Sam Mendes, who recently garnered both Olivier and Tony Awards for his extraordinary work on The Ferryman. Mendes is, clearly, exceptionally talented and I believe that The Lehman Trilogy stands as testament to that claim. He has made a number of bold decisions with this production, particularly with choosing to feature only three actors. All of these decisions have paid off, however, and it is an excellently staged production. The scenic design, by Es Devlin was also outstanding, cleverly taking the approach that 'less is more'. The revolving office scenery felt very life-like, helping to make the play feel ever more realistic. The set is complimented nicely by sensational video designs played across the back of the stage, created by Luke Halls. The projections show the changing landscape of America throughout this extended period of time, which was both effective and interesting to look at. I particularly admired the colourful screen projections that were used during the nightmare sequences, which was incredible to witness. In regards to creative aspects, I would also like to add that the inclusion of music, performed by a live pianist, was a welcome addition and worked well in serving the tone of the play.

Now for my final verdict on The Lehman Trilogy. I give The Lehman Trilogy...

The Lehman Trilogy is an outstanding play, which is largely as a result of its three actors. Beale, Godley and Miles give phenomenal performances, and the amount of versatility shown was quite something.

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Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Rosmersholm

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Rosmersholm.
An election looming. A country on the brink. A rabid press baying for blood. At the centre of the storm stands Rosmer's home, the grand house of an influential dynasty. This is where the future will be decided by John Rosmer - a man torn between the idealised hope of the future and the ghosts of his past.

Rosmersholm was first written in 1886 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, however for the new West End revival, the original source material has been adapted by Duncan MacMillan. Whilst the play still takes place in the late 1800's, certain elements of the story have been updated to cover a range of topical issues, which has been done in order to reinforce its relevance to a modern audience. The aspect of Rosmerholm's story that I personally found to be the most interesting was the character of Rebecca West, the show's rebellious young heroine. Rebecca is an exceedingly determined woman who, despite not having the right to vote, will do everything within her power to influence politics. In defiance of the men that tell her to avoid such matters, nothing will stand in her way when she decides to give assistance to a progressive and liberal political party, thus unseating the incumbent conservative government. Whilst some of her methods end up going to the extreme, her relentless strength of character makes her fascinating. Whilst those watching the play in 1886 would likely have disapproved of Ms. West, modern audiences are likely to adopt to a more sympathetic view of the character, simply viewing her as a woman ahead of her time. The power struggle and clash of ideologies that takes place between Rebecca West and conservative Governor Andreas Kroll makes for interesting viewing, and their final 'show-down' was very well-acted. The political topics explored within Rosmersholm are extremely compelling, with Ibsen and MacMillan offering criticisms on both left and right political viewpoints. The criticisms made towards politics are still highly relevant today, which shows that, even 100 years later, not all that much has changed.

As John Rosmer is Tom Burke, who performs the role with excellent skill. Burke perfectly conveys Romser's inner-sadness and lack of joy, giving a heartfelt and sincere performance. Playing such a broken man for an extended period of time can be difficult, but Burke portrayed this flawlessly. In the role of Rebecca West is Hayley Atwell, who is completely and utterly mesmerising. Atwell fully immerses herself in the role, resulting in a performance that is both believable and spellbinding. She puts an abundance of emotion and passion into her portrayal, and as a consequence her characterisation is intriguing. Giles Terera, as pompous conservative Governor Andreas Kroll, is also outstanding. Terera's demonstration of his Kroll's lack of heart and pragmatism was very interesting indeed, especially in contrast to Atwell's Rebecca West, who was more of a romantic. Terera is evidently a gifted actor, whose abilities were well-suited to this particular role.

The scenic design, crafted by Rae Smith, was sublime. From the second I entered the Duke of Yorks Theatre, I was immediately struck by the immense detail of the set. I particularly admired the decision to have the portraits of John Rosmer's relatives hung up on the wall, due to the fact that it helped to add a number of layers to the story. Throughout the course of the play, John Rosmer tarnishes his family's legacy, and it seemed at times as if the portraits were staring down at him in disapproval. I also rather admired the lighting, which has been designed by Neil Austin. The lighting gradually changes as the play goes on to show the progression of time, therefore using different coloured lights for the morning, afternoon and evening. Whilst a small touch, it really helped to make Rosmersholm feel all the more life-like.

Now for my final verdict on Rosmersholm. I give Rosmersholm...

This new adaptation of Rosmersholm is remarkable. The performances of Burke, Atwell and Terera are all astounding, and in addition to this there are also a number of masterful creative features.

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Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: The Starry Messenger

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of The Starry Messenger.
The play centres around an astronomy teacher whose life is spiralling away from him: the planetarium he works at is under threat, his marriage is on the rocks, and he’s mourning the recent loss of his father. Though things begin to change when he meets a trainee nurse called Angela.

Unfortunately, The Starry Messenger was not my cup of tea. Whilst there are certain elements of the story which I did enjoy, the play as a whole does feel somewhat dull and never quite takes off. The writing is not particularly engaging which, speaking on a personal note, made it difficult to connect with these characters. Whilst I understand that playwright Kenneth Lonergan is attempting to convey that the show's leading character, Mark, lives an unexciting life, this does not make for particularly interesting viewing. The Starry Messenger currently stands at 2 hours and 50 minutes, which seemed far longer than it actually needed to be. The scenes relating to Mark's home life, in particular, felt rather tedious and began to somewhat drag. The play could really benefit from some trimming, and I actually think it might have been a far more engaging play had it only been 90 minutes, with no interval. Having said all of this, I did enjoy all of the scenes featuring the character of Angela, excellently portrayed by Rosalind Eleazar. Angela makes for an intriguing character and the scenes that take place in the hospital surrounding her job as a nurse were the most engaging scenes of the play. I also enjoyed the scenes whereby eager student Ian presents his teacher, Mark, with a number of harsh criticisms in regards to his teaching style. These scenes were very amusing, and were responsible for the funniest moments of the play. If the play had featured more humour such as this, then The Starry Messenger may not have been as dull. Therefore, whilst I did not like the overall concept of the play, there were a number of scenes which I did, in fact, enjoy.

In the leading role of Mark stars Broadway veteran Matthew Broderick, who is making his West End debut with The Starry Messenger. I had previously seen Broderick star in 'It's Only a Play' in New York City, where he gave a superb performance. Broderick has a very unique persona that I do not believe I have seen in any other performer; he always seems to ooze calmness and tranquility. This given quality makes him extremely interesting to watch live onstage. Whilst I wasn't entirely convinced that this was the perfect role for him, Broderick still delivers a solid performance. Despite not being one of the show's advertised stars, I personally felt that it was Rosalind Eleazar, as Angela, that stole the show. Eleazar was the life and soul of this play, and whenever she re-entered the stage, the pace really picked up. She has a brilliant stage presence, and has created an excellent characterisation for the role. A special mention must also be given to Sid Sagar, in the role of eager student Ian. Sagar successfully delivered comedic relief, which was much appreciated. The humour came easily to him, and the scenes in which he featured were very enjoyable.

Now for my final verdict on The Starry Messenger. I give The Starry Messenger...

Whilst there are certain redeeming factors, The Starry Messenger simply was not for me. In my personal viewpoint, the run-time was far too long and the writing was not as engaging as I would have liked it to be.

Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer