BBC Proms, No. 63 2007

It struck me today that I have managed to see only two proms thus far this season and with the last night next Saturday, I suddenly felt very compelled to go. I won't profess to having any particular insight into the quality of the evening but I'll give an overview anyway. A new work by Thea Musgrave written for the Evelyn Glennie and Nicholas Daniel. I can't say I thought the piece ever rose above the slightly gimmicky premise, but just seeing Glennie perform live in bare feet and with her wild child, ethereal air is simply magic (for those who don't know she's a deaf percussionist who "hears" the music through vibrations in the floor). The second half was Mahler's 1st Symphony an enjoyable work although I had several minor quibbles with the oboe being a shade out of tune and the off stage brass not exactly in time. All that said, I really enjoyed the concert with Bělohlávek showing off all the charisma that makes him great.

Tomorrow I'm planning on hearing Deborah Voigt (she of the tiny black dress) sing the final scene from Salome, which should be amazing. I'm also supposed to be watching the second half of High School Musical 2 with my little sisters so depending on how pained I am after that, I just might give it a quick review.

Satisfaction

I hate to trash a piece of theatre, especially a dance one, but I'm in a murderous mood after the red spiky haired girl tried to make me dance in the finale. Regardless, "Satisfaction, The Dance Concert" is a new work by Peter Schaufuss based around the songs of the Rolling Stones. Where to start? Well it's a pretty mediocre piece of work all round. Let's start with the music, sure bet you'd think, Rolling Stones, recognisable songs etc. But they had to use a recording with terrible sound quality, WHY?!?!?.

Anyway the choreography is a bit piecemeal. Not really ballet, not really modern, a bit boring really. Totally emotion free, whatever attempt at storytelling that briefly appears is pretty weak. The dancers don't really help although you can at least feel their energy. Special mention must go to Josef Vesely for eliciting the only emotion of the evening as the man with the silver box, Ayako Makimoto for the only really solid bit of dancing and Maja Storseth for just being unbelievably good looking.

The staging is simple with odd caricatures of the Rolling Stones providing the only backdrop. My biggest issue was with the lighting. Now whilst I have an intense dislike of what I term "Epilepsy Lighting", a disease that currently courses through the West Ends Veins, what I cannot abide is when the audience are themselves lit by such means. "Satisfaction" is a particularly terrible offender. You'd think directors would realise we can't see as well when we are having bright lights flashed in our faces (or maybe they do and just like it that way). So this is an epileptic no go. The costume designer comes off better with some remarkably skimpy outfits that are at least stylistically interesting.

Then it struck me. All these people are the same man. Peter Schaufuss seems to have done everything on this show, except the dancing (although one suspects he would if he could), and from his appearance at the end I would guess he's on a bit of an ego trip. Rant over. "Satisfaction" only has a further 15 performances but I wouldn't bother if I were you. From the tepid applause and general lack enthusiasm I'm fairly certain I wasn't in the minority. This show just isn't very good.

Absurdia

I can't help but feel disappointed by "Absurdia" at the Donmar Warehouse, a triple bill of very absurd, very British plays. I wanted to laugh till my lungs hurt but up until Frayn's new piece, I really struggled. The opening piece "A Resounding Tinkle", the first of two by N.F. Simpson (Not a name that immediately springs to mind) was something of a damp squib. It had its moments; the radio sermon is undeniably funny as is the consumption of prose, but throughout I just felt like Fawlty Towers did this better. Peter Capaldi and Judith Scott do their best to keep the laughs coming, but the piece has dated and transsexual Uncle Ted really isn't that funny beyond the initial surprise.

Things improve with "Gladly Otherwise" a much shorter, sharper and funnier skit. John Hodgkinson gives a hilarious bowler-hatted bureaucrat who for no particular reason (absurd remember) inspects the entirety of the Brandywines' house, beginning with the doorknobs and ending with Mr Brandywine. Its brevity means this piece is constantly funny which is frankly all it needs to be.

Frayn's new play "The Crimson Hotel" is really when the triple bill finally kicks off. This almost obnoxiously clever piece has a philandering actress and a playwright attempting to have it off in the desert (god knows why the desert) only to slowly become embroiled in the obstacles of farce. The doors and secret passages all make an appearance, albeit in a clever and original manner, whilst Capaldi hams it up as Pilou the playwright to great effect. Lyndsey Marshal plays Lucienne with much gusto, shimmering as a mirage to great effect (you've got to see it to really understand, I'm not even sure I do). Whatever the complexities the play somehow manages to come to a satisfying conclusion.

I might have started slightly negatively; it is an enjoyable evening I just can't say I thought this triple bill really put absurdism back on the map. It will always offer a good variation but I'll take realism any day. That said, I suspect "Rhinoceros" by Ionesco which is soon to start at the Royal Court may give a better showing of absurdism as a wider more meaningful genre, and that'll be followed by Frisch's "The Arsonists" so absurdism isn't going anywhere quickly.

The Emperor Jones

I'd primarily like to make this my first review of "The Emperor Jones" but I'll kick off my new blog with a brief idea of who I am and what I'm about. Whilst I don't believe my actual age is important you'd be right to consider me much less experienced than the Michael Billingtons of this world. I see roughly 2-3 shows a week and have been doing so for several years so I'm not a total novice, but unfortunately (or thankfully depending on your perspective) I won't be comparing any production to its original Edwardian one. I have a special interest in Opera so you'll be getting a very unusual perspective on that field but that doesn't mean I frown on Musicals. I'm young, don't have any ancient prejudices against Lloyd-Webber and those of his ilk, nor a problem with women directing (I'm not sure anyone does but Hytner can get a little crabby). I don't profess to offer reviews that are somehow more objective than the newspapers, a review is subjective by its nature, but I hope I'll give a different perspective from the majority of the mainstream reviewers. Feel free to disagree with me, have a good rant in my comments section, whatever you like, I'll just offer my opinions and if you want to read them do, and if you don't... well don't.

That was a bit longer than I intended so if you're still reading here's a quick review of "The Emperor Jones". This is the sort of play that lives and dies by it's the casting of its central character, and boy have they got it right here. Paterson Joseph is brilliant, his physicality is perfect. His fall from all powerful emperor to suicide is totally believable despite being squeezed into the space of 70 minutes (a very unusual running time for the national). The production is beautifully designed by Robin Don with his metallic corrugated iron set cleverly interacting with the lighting to create a mottled oppressive jungle. The harsh emotive drumming by Sister Bliss adds real atmosphere to Brutus Jones' journey especially in his final moments. If the production has one great problem it is that the Olivier is just too big a space for what is virtually a one man show. Joseph fills the space with a massive performance but this play was never written for this auditorium. You have to give Thea Sharrock credit though for making a good fist of it. This is a great piece (and a perfect example of what subsidised theatre should be producing) and at least such a large theatre gives a much wider number of people the opportunity to see it. The Emperor Jones has its press night tomorrow and it runs at the National Theatre till the 31st of October. Worth seeing.