From The Archives: We Will Rock You (Schools Version)

In 2013 I starred in my school's production of We Will Rock You, a script that I'd had an open contempt for. Half-way through production, while things were still on the wrong side of bitterness, I wrote an article about how much I hated the script - this was that article. After the night itself I decided that the article contained too much bad blood and didn't reflect how much enjoyment I actually got out of the production when I actually did it, and thus I decided to take it down. But, since an article is an article, I have it here for your reading pleasure. May contain words unsuitable for children from the outset.Written 8/12/13.

We Will Rock You?

Yeah, this is happening.

Be prepared for some jimble jamble about my school production of We Will Rock You in late December.

Thanks.

Review: Cannibals

Cannibals
Written by Rory Mullarkey, directed by Michael Longhurst, currently showing between the 3rd and 27th April 2013 at the Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre

Photograph: Jonathan Keenan, for The Guardian

Cannibals is a play that shows, behind a very well-executed exterior, a troubling inexperience. It is a play that rather unfortunately leaves many ideas painfully undevelopped, and the main point of the play gets lost towards the end. What makes this rather tragic for me is that I rather enjoyed the Royal Exchange Theatre production, and I feel that the main thrust of the play was quite subtle and nuanced. It was the advertised content of the play, what amounted to a last-minute subplot, that left me wondering what it was all about.
     The story followed Lizaveta (Ony Uhiara), a woman from an unspecified ex-Soviet state whose life is drawn into tragedy when her husband is killed by a local milita and she is forced to escape to a local village, where there are tales of suffering and loss as well as rumours of cannibalism. Later, Lizaveta is swept from her last comfortable surroundings and sold to a wealthy Manccunian man as a mail-order bride. The play was sold on that last line, and it's a shame because that only really takes up the last ten minutes, the narrative climax coming rather earlier when a spotless monologue by Uhiara basically dredged through her painful life story. As such, it felt tacked on an unnecessary.
     Not a difficult thing on its own, but for the amount of effort that went into this final, almost denoument-like segment of the production. Not only were the themes and ideas presented at odds with those in the rest of the play, there were several clever techniques that actually worked pretty well. One such technique was the representation of Lisaveta's confusion at her surroundings through a lanugage-switch, having all English be Russian and so forth. I wanted this part of the play to be more developed, but it just seems to end on a narrative note that references the play's beginning but has little to say in regards to change.
     One could argue from an artistic perspective that the nature of that segment of the play was deliberate; like Lizaveta, we have been robbed from our comfortable surroundings and the future for our characters is unclear. The problem comes with the pacing - had there been ten more minutes or so spent on that part of the plot, it would feel more like a tragic final act than an add-on that robbed time away from the other developing subplots. One such subplot refered to the history of cannibalism in the village, and while it was adressed admirably through some implicit dialogue, the confrontation that was needed never arrived.
     There was nothing wrong in any of the play's execution - the direction was top-notch, and exploited the theatre to full effect. The troupe was on top-form and I found Uhiara's performance especially commendable, spending the entire 105 minutes on-stage. It's a blessing of the Exchange that the quality of their physical production can elevate any script, and I really did enjoy myself. I would go and see it; I haven't spoilt too much, and I think it's for the viewer to really decide whether the issues that the play presents in the eleventh hour gel with the rest of the play's more developped themes or otherwise.

Thanks.

Review: Wizard of Oz 2011

Note: This review contains incredible positive bias!

I won't say that it's been easy, because it hasn't. This year's production has been plagued by problems from the beginning, and as a witness to those problems I feel that I'm a little bit biased this year. We have put in a lot of work and it has at times been tiring, empowering and hilarious, all at the same time. But at the end, it all came together and stands as one of the best productions the school has done.
     Production issues abound made this a difficult play to get off the ground. Early rehearsals made little progress, and then two months into production the lead character actress was replaced by another, causing a shuffling of roles that meant that we had to start from scratch. That considered, the progress made within the five weeks of rehearsal time has been incredible to say the least. Further, different dates this year gave us even less time than we had last year, which further piled on the stress.
    I must say that I initially had reservations about the choice of play, and they remain. The Wizard of Oz is one of the most potent fairy tales of the 19th Century. Written by children's author L. Frank Baum in the 1890s, the story was popularised (and significantly dumbed down) for a technicolour 1939 version featuring Judy Garland - a film that has become embedded in Western Culture. I personally detest the film for its complete and total lack of any meaningful characterisation, it's useless optimism and its skewed sense of morality. I do however appreciate the story itself for what I interpret it as - an examination of the American economic situation during the 1890s. I hoped, slightly, that our interpretation here would be able to capture that, and I feel it does that in many placed while still appealing to people's expectations of the cheerier 1939 version.
     Because of the more...extravagant play, the costumes this year were rented professionally and look incredible. The same can be said of the background sets, and while I thought that Kansas theme was a little silly when one considers that Kansas only appears for five minutes of the two-hour production, I appreciate that this year the Art Department fought over a lot of hurdles. To make up for this single setting, the team made the innovative decision to make curtains that could be used to quickly change set. It'sd little additions like this that took the initially bleak outlook of the production and made sure that on the night it was spotless.
     As for the acting itself, I thought that there was a wonderful sense of campness in the air. Characters like the Lion and Lord Growlie remained in character constantly despite their entertainingly queer characterisations. It helped that a lot of the principle cast had returned from the previous year, but the show's newcomers were just as well-performed.
    None of the problems this year stopped the cast or the producers from giving it their all. And at the end of the day, the production came together in a way which more than equalled the previous year's heights. On a personal note, I'd just like to say that the production was amazing to work on despite my initial reservations, and I'm proud to have been a part of it. I'm sure looking forward to next year, whatever it may be.

Thanks.

Off To See The Wizard

Like last year, and less so the year before, I'll be reviewing my school's production this year, which I again have a part in. Compared to previous years, I expect that this year's review will be a lot more interesting due to our relatively messy production. We'll have to wait and see, I suppose. In any case, look forward to Wizard of Oz 2011 on the 9th December.

Thanks.

Review: Oliver! 2010

"The best production I've seen in 30 years" Mr. Ward

It was Lionel Bart, in the 1960s, who decided to translate one of Charles Dickens' most scathingly satirical books into a stage musical (and then a major film). It softened the lengthy and often conveluted plot from the book and gave it an overall more optimistic spin, while retaining enough of the orignal satire to encourage a morbid feel. Oliver is a story of corruption and innocence, taking centre-stage in the depths of the London Underworld. Perfect, then, for a school production.
     This year saw a large number of Year 10s come to the front, most of whom especially were excellent character actors - injecting some much-needed realism into preceedings. The Sixth Form filled in the other gaps, as last year, but this year they were generally stronger. The chorus this year were still as distracted and juvenile as one can expect when attempting serious drama, but there were some strong players that really knocked it up a notch and the energy on the stage was simply amazing. This was no doubt helped by the two Sixth Form choreorgraphers, Laurens Power and Haigh.
     The director this year was Mrs. MacFarlane, assisted by Miss. Urwin, and they took a different approach then previous years due to the less aesthetic nature of the production - Grease got it's points across (the few it actually had) using song and dance, while Oliver! is a bit more cerebral.
     As expected in a school production, the cast brought their own eccentricities to the fore to make their characters more interesting. The almost obligatory "Panto Dame" was Old Sally, played by a disgruntled (but clearly very brave) Year 10. Irregularities in the scripts provided also gave birth to entirely new characters with their own histories and characteristics (e.g. Reg the Undertaker, who was invented when a cast member was needed to bring on a coffin).
     Much credit must also be given to the other aspects of the show. The backdrop this year took on a more consistent style in the form of a London street, in contrast to the gaudy tableaus of previous years. Costumes were a great challenge, but Miss Ainscow managed to bring along an outstanding array of outfits for all of the characters - the most notable being Nancy's stunning red dress, Fagin's hat and wig, and Sikes' imposing green coat. Finally, the music was spot on and well-worked by Mr. Jones and his Year 11 assistant Stephen Scott.
     Now all is said and done, I'd like to thank everyone involved in the production and especially everyone who paid to come and see it. As a cast member, I had a lot of fun and I sincerely hope the audience did too.

Thanks.

P.S. My reviews of Misfits 2.6 and Life On Mars 1.7/1.8 will be up later today, Sunday at the latest. Also, this week will have no Super Sunday, like last week.

Reviewing the Situation

Long term readers of the blog will remember my second ever review, first written on the 8/12/09, of the 2009 Audenshaw School Play, Grease the Musical. Well, nearly a year has passed and now it's coming up to the time when I will review this year's school play, Oliver! the Musical. There is one difference this year, however - I am starring in the play!
     Despite this, I'll try and make my review as critical and (hopefully) entertaining as possible. Expect Review: Oliver! the School Musical Version on 18th December, as part of Audenshaw Reviews Anniversary Month.

Thanks.