Main Review 5 - Ion

Ion

Performed at Bath Spa University

Reviewed by Darryl Harris

Before seeing this production I had little knowledge of the story of Ion and afterwards I felt exactly the same. The storyline of this production was vague and at times seemed rushed; this was due to the play as a whole being only 20 minutes long.

The piece was put on by The Feathered Letter Company, an amateur theatre company that was born at Bath Spa University. This was the first piece I had seen by the company and I was relatively impressed. The reason for my “relatively” was a number of factors, choice of space, length of play and in some parts choice of script.

The performance space was small and gave the play an intimate feeling as the actors weaved in and out of the audience. The actors moved well and made the most of the little space they had and addressed the audience in an appropriate and convincing manner.

I didn’t judge this piece on the quality of acting but on the way it was crammed into 20 minutes. It was a shame it was so short as some of the characters such as, Ion himself, didn’t have the chance to build on their characterisation. What the audience did see of the actors was promising; the portrayal of Xuthus was a stand-out with his strong use of voice and convincing behaviour. My only criticism is that perhaps the aggressive shouting became a bit repetitive.

The set itself was creative considering the space and it was good to see that the director hadn’t been overambitious with it unlike many other productions. A simple table and chair setting on stage left provided a good visual for the audience to watch the action unfold. The play would have looked a lot grander if performed at a better venue.

The script was written especially for this production and claimed to be a modern adaptation of the Greek myth of Ion. The problem with the script was that the language still had the “ancient” tone to it but had unnecessary additions of modern terminology. A particular moment in the play saw Xuthus recommend Ion to play the “X-box” and this just seemed very out of place, this actually lowered the tone of the play and was laughable for the wrong reasons! The modern references were a bad choice and in my opinion the script should be revised for this problem. Apart from that, the tone was held well throughout by the good use of language, for example, Ion’s monologue at the beginning was beautifully written.

The last scene, in which a white sheet was raised and the female cast member undressed behind, was completely not needed and if it was some metaphor for another meaning then it was lost upon the audience. The problem with this piece was not bad directing, script or acting but timing.

The piece was enjoyable but would need to be extended to receive more praise. A pleasant evening was had and some potential was witnessed.

Mini Review 18

Musical Showcase

A fun filled evening that bombarded the audience with new musical classics. Some singers out shined the rest but overall the show highlighted a new genre of performance for me.

Mini Review 17

Lydee

The poor main actress seemed to be out of breathe throughout and was sadly upstaged by the male lead. A trying performance that lacked the lustre of a professional production.

Mini Review 16

Ion

A promising production that showcased new writing talent. The show provided an intimate setting for the young audience to fully appreciate the talent.

Audio Blog - R.E.D.R.U.M

Video Review - Others

Mini Review 15

Frankenstein (Streamed from The National Theatre)

Mindblowing performances and breathtaking set made this production a once in a lifetime experience.

Mini Review 14

Avenue Q

A bubbly, fun, exciting and hilarious night at the theatre. The use of puppets provided wit and the puppeteers/actors themselves were of a very high standard. Definately worth a watch but perhaps one not to take the kids too. Risqué is an understatement.

Mini Review 13

King Lear

An interesting adaptation of a classic but the costumes was the main star of the show. Not entirely convinced it worked as a play but it provided some vague enjoyment. Overall it was too long and left me feeling restless by the middle of Act 2 which was a shame.

Mini Review 12

R.E.D.R.U.M

A clever concept of a promenade style theatre piece and elaborate set designs made this production enjoyable. Not the best piece I've seen but certainly not the worst.

Mini Review 11

Others

By far the best production I have ever seen on stage. Superbly rehearsed, witty and even heart-wrenching in places; a joy to watch and should be appreciated by all.

Main Review 4 - A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange

Performed at The BathSpa University Theatre

Reviewed by Darryl Harris

This show was a classic example of how the use of Media can either boost a production or ruin it; sadly in this case it was the latter. The student created piece was based around the original plot of Anthony Burgess’s novel which excited me as I am a fan of the book.

Throughout the show it was plain to see that the cast were very under-rehearsed which led to some of the acting being wooden; this even forced an awkward laugh out of the audience once or twice to break the tension caused by the flailing actors. Although, credit should be given to the person responsible for the creative concept as the use of Media was occasionally well received and the ideas were clever but unfortunately let down by execution and generally a lack of preparation.

The male actor who played the protagonist, Alex, was the one shining star of this play; he brought the dark wit needed to play such a character and put his own spin on the famous role. His haunting looks and monologues to the audience were entrancing and definitely kept me hooked throughout. Unfortunately for him though, the rest of the play overshadowed his good work and left me feeling robbed of my time afterwards.

The use of cameras and projections was intelligent and I would definitely be willing to watch this piece again once the production team had had time to polish up on the technological side of the performance. To be perfectly honest it felt like I was watching a rehearsal of a piece rather than a proper show. There was definitely an awkward atmosphere in the audience when the uses of media would fail and this made me feel uncomfortable; not a feeling I enjoy having at the theatre.

The basic ingredients of a good play were all present but it just seemed like the director had bitten off more than he could chew with the lighting and technology. The set was basic, which left all the focus on the acting. There was at one point, what can only be assumed to be a paper mache phallus present on stage that was used to beat a woman, this would normally been acceptable but the overly comedic scene that it was used in just highlighted the fact that the actors were merely running around the stage with a giant penis rather than the focus being on the brutality of a woman being attacked by a group of thugs.

In conclusion, I was less than enthused by this piece but there were flashes of what could be magical theatre throughout. The epic storyline was luckily strong enough to help me through but the rest…left a lot to be desired.

Mini Review 10

A Clockwork Orange

An amateur production that was under-rehearsed and over ambitious. Clever uses of media were overshadowed by poor execution. This piece had potential due to the strong plot but failed to make the grade.

Mini Review 9

Landscape & Monologue

Described as "rarely performed Pinter classics" the pre show thoughts were that of anticipation. Sadly, I now know why they are rarely performed; just over an hour of monotone waffling from wooden actors. I would not recommend to anyone who doesn't want to fall asleep during the performance.

Main Review 3 - Frankenstein

Frankenstein

Viewed via Video Streaming from The National Theatre

Reviewed by Darryl Harris

When asked if I wanted to watch a live streamed production of Danny Boyle’s new masterpiece, Frankenstein, I was very wary, but I’m now extremely glad that I did. The modernisation of technology allowed the audience to feel as if they were at The National Theatre experiencing the drama first hand including the addition of close-up shots that helped the viewer engage with the characters. The particular streaming I watched was held in a quaint, old fashioned style cinema and the play was projected onto a large screen for all to see.

Having well-known actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller as the lead roles, made this re-telling of a classic tale simply irresistible. The set was, with lack of a better word, astonishing; hundreds of free hanging light bulbs were suspended above the audience and across the stage, these opulent globes were used throughout to light the stage but also to portray the electricity pulsing through Dr Frankenstein’s equipment. The atmosphere the lighting created was heightened by the flawless acting of both Miller and Cumberbatch. One of the attractions of this production was that the two leads would alternate roles every night; in the show I witnessed, Miller played the Creature and Cumberbatch was the infamous mad scientist, Doctor Frankenstein. Miller’s portrayal of the Creature was the stand out , for example, the first 15 minutes of the show are taken up by the Creature stumbling around the stage learning the ability to be able to walk and talk; in my opinion, for a lesser actor this would have been hard, attempting to keep the audience engaged for such an amount of time but Miller’s commitment to the role had myself and everyone else, on the edge of our seats.  The talent was so obvious for both actors throughout and I wouldn’t hesitate to see the production again with the roles reversed.

The set was breath-taking, a large turntable that disappeared into the stage to reveal elaborate backdrops for scenes such as a bedroom was one of many aspects that made this show look professional and exciting. The stage was used well by all and it was obvious that Boyle had spent time thinking about how his actors should move about. The directors attention to detail was visible throughout as the performance was well rehearsed and clean-cut.

Overall this play reminded me why the British are reknowned for their theatre. Forget Shakespeare, shows like Frankensein are the future and I look forward to watching other productions that catapult me into a fantastical world of drama and talent. 

Mini Review 8

Hippolytus

Spending an hour and a half on my feet turning around every once in a while to follow the acting would be worth it for a decent performance. Unfortunately, in this case, I feel my time was wasted.