Into the Hoods

When I bought the tickets to Zoo Nation's "Into the Hoods" I was quite unaware the 27th was opening night. Wading through the paparazzi I saw Ben Fogle (He of Animal Park) and some other blonde off the televison. Plus some bloke from "Blue" (My friend knew his name but I have long since cleansed my mind of it). Reaching the seats I awaited with some dread the Comedy-Rap-Poet who was supporting. Whilst these words, both individually and collectively, inspire me to sever my head, I tried to keep an open mind. Having a "Supporting Act" at all was certainly a novelty, albeit a completely unnecessary one when the main event is ninety minutes long with no interval.

Mr Gee (that's his name) I had been informed was a very successful Comedy-Rap-Poet so I was a touch alarmed when Alan Yentob walked out. Comedy perhaps, Rap-Poet...not so much. Thankfully he was just out to introduce the evening and hadn't spent the last few years moonlighting on the hip-hop circuit. Mr Gee then walked out and remarkably was actually quite good. At no point during his twenty minute set (I'm slowly getting this lingo) did I wish to rend any of my limbs. He was both funny and had a positive message both supporting and deriding hip-hop culture. His poem about "Hoodies" was a hoot and I was almost sad to see him leave the stage.

So having meandered through all that, the show finally started. This wasn't a first for theatre by any means Jonzi D has been serving up this stuff for years (I've reviewed an excerpt before) but it was certainly the most coherent I've seen it terms of story telling. Neat video clips, and a BBC style voiceover tell the story leaving the dancers nothing to do but dance. Which is a good thing (I recently discovered that even the great New York City Ballet struggle a bit when asked to both sing and dance) as it meant they danced really well. As a troupe they're not as strong as some of the international stuff that turns up at Sadlers Wells but they're infinitely stronger than Boy Blue Entertainment, the closest thing to Zoo Nation that exists in the UK, (I've only ever seen an excerpt from them but it was a bit rubbish). The story is on the whole pretty good, thank Sondheim for that, and pretty witty, probably even more so if you understand the references, which in many cases I simply didn't (made me feel really old, which is unusual for the West End where I'm usually the young un'). The end is rushed and I'm not entirely convinced I liked the fact that, to save themselves, the children had to effectively rob a series of characters of their possessions. Including, in one case, an ipod.

Regardless of the plot foibles, I was pretty much there for the dancing and I wasn't disappointed. The ensemble were incredibly well drilled and their dancing was simply electric. Of the principle characters Sacha Chang stood out as Lil Red (one of several cringe inducing name changes) as did Rowen Hawkins as Jaxx (Jack, he of the beanstalk which in this case was a lift). Teneisha Bonner has a terrifying well toned body including a slightly scary six pack but she danced well as Spinderella (don't even get me started on that name) especially in her balletic solo. The music is a sort of "greatest hits" of the Hip Hop music scene. I found the constant switching of tunes a little irritating, some are played for only a few seconds before changing. The adult dancers were however completely danced off the stage by the children. Annie Edwards, a pint sized (literally about 3 feet tall, she can't be more than about 6 years old) dancer who literally stole every scene she came near. The gold jumpsuit helped, but even the bling couldn't disguise the fact that a dancer of that size doing one handed hand stands is insane. The two lead children who (I think) were played by Alicia Lai and Russell Royer were simply stunning, maintaining their cool throughout.

This isn't the greatest dancing you're ever going to see and nor is it a revolutionary show, but it's a very entertaining night out with decent dancing and some inventive choreography (all by Kate Prince). Worth a look, if only because a show like this is a rarity in the West End.

Sylvia (Royal Ballet)

Having ventured to the single act non-story ballets that the New York City Ballet seem to adore, I'm now back on home territory with the full length ballets so beloved of the Royal Ballet. I saw this production awhile back early in the run and I wasn't convinced. This time however Marianela Nuñez was Sylvia and Rupert Pennefather was Aminta and what a difference a good cast makes.

Nuñez fires on all cylinders from the very start. She was born for Ballets like this. She commands the stage exactly as an amazon warrior should. Her footwork, especially in the Act III Pizzicato solo, is perfect. Light, quick and beautifully in time with the music. She is very easy on the eye, especially in the "nothing left to the imagination" Act II costume, making it obvious why all these men would lust over her. Aminta is a dreadfully English role. To be brutal he's a complete loser, he never wins a fight in the entire ballet including the one against a girl, but through sheer good luck somehow gets Sylvia. Rupert Pennefather nails this. His balances were exceptional, he mopes about the stage with much grace. It must be a rotten role to have to dance but he does it very well. Thiago Soares is less villain more latin lover, making Sylvia's choice of man somewhat questionable, but he carries it off with his immense swagger. The supporting roles were all well performed and the corp have definately improved since I saw this last. The timing is much better and the leg lines tended towards one single level rather than the mix that was on display previously.

I was amazed at how much I enjoyed this. The music is brilliant, one of the finest ballet scores, and the sets and costumes are opulent. It lives or dies however by it's lead dancers and this bunch made it work. Nuñez was simply stunning.

Ballet and Broadway (New York City Ballet, Programmme 4)

My second experience (my first is here) of the New York City Ballet (NYCB) was a similarly uneven affair. A feel good evening, with a series of lightweight but spectacular ballets. "West Side Story" is a ballet like few others and as a novelty was entirely worth seeing. I'm not convinced dancers should really be singing, they're not brilliant at it, but it certainly enlivened the bill.

"Thou Swell" which opens the bill is a grim affair. Which is surprising when you consider the theme. Rogers and Hart music, glitzy ballroom costumes and live singing. Well you can quickly discount the singing, the singers weren't good. The costumes were lovely on the girls but made the men look chunky, Nilas Martins looked positively chubby. The music was the strongest element with a fantastic, if slightly distracting, onstage band supported by the orchestra from the pit. The dancing itself was forgettable and repetitive. I was amused for the first ten minutes but bored for the next thirty. The brief dance for a trio of men and a single woman was exciting but ended all too quickly. The four cocktail waitresses should have injected a bit of sex appeal into the piece but they appeared unrehearsed, being completely out of time with each other. This was a nice opportunity to see Darci Kistler dance, she surely can't be around much longer, but otherwise was a bit of a bore.

"Tarantella" followed and this too was a little disappointing. A pas de deux of a more classical nature, this unfortunately involved tambourines. Gonzalo Garcia managed to keep things exciting with some magnificent leaps but Sterling Hyltin was less than exciting to watch. She waved her tambourine with no particular intent (despite my dislike of tambourines they can be used effectively) and generally lacked edge. It's quite a fun piece but without flair from the dancers it fell a little flat.

"Western Symphony" offered exactly what I had come to see. A huge line up of NYCB dancers, dancing Balanchine with blistering intent. A homage to the midwest, this ballet has it all. From the slow romantic pas de deux to the colossal corp pirouetting away as the curtain falls. Top honours go to Damian Woetzel who was simply magnificent. Megan Fairchild and Adam Hendrickson also made a great deal of the more romantic section.

The finale "West Side Story" is an interesting piece the like of which does not even exist in the Royal Ballet repertory. Pretty much a musical, only with more dancing and less singing (several songs are sung offstage whilst the dancers dance). The story pretty much goes out the window with only snapshots of the music. "America" is left in, presumably owing to it's popularity (it is a great tune) since it has very little to do with the actual storyline. The main roles are all performed with great flair. Andrew Veyette manages to be a remarkably strong singer even when he's dancing and whilst Georgina Pazcoguin is no Tatiana Troyanos she belts out "America" well enough and dances beautifully at the same time.

An eclectic mix of works but I'm certainly not complaining. Every piece across both programmes I saw was a new work to me, which is great. The NYCB has a stunning line up of dancers both in the star positions and in the corp. This has been a great tour which I hope will be repeated soon although, based on the terrible ticket sales, I fear won't.

Four Voices (New York City Ballet, Programme 3)

My first taste of the New York City Ballet (NYCB) and I'm not disappointed. Programme 3 was a fantastic opportunity to see four relatively recent ballets from diverse choreographers. Unsurprisingly it was a little uneven but the very fact that the NYCB have such a range of recent works speaks volumes. The Royal Ballet (RB) seem to be lucky if they gain one decent ballet every few years, these guys are dripping in them.

The opening work was "Carousel" by Christopher Wheeldon (who recently turned out a reasonable ballet for the RB). It's an, unashamedly, lightweight piece in the very best way. Leaps, turns, cartwheels abound. The corp are excellently used, especially in the closing stages when wooden poles are used to create the titular carousel. For all the bravado, the piece also contains a sweetly romantic central pas de deux. Danced by Tiler Peck and Damian Woetzel this really was something. Woetzel is supposed to be on the point of retirement but you wouldn't know it. A lovely ballet.

"Zakouski" followed and this I could have done without. A pas de deux to four different Russian composers. This was pretty enough and well danced by Megan Fairchild and Joaquin De Luz. I just couldn't work out the point. The four different sections could each have belonged to a different ballet. Peter Martins, the head honcho of the NYCB, choreographed this and it seems odd that he chose this piece to tour. It just isn't terribly interesting. On a side note, making the poor girl land several jumps en pointe in second position is just cruel. It doesn't look attractive and it does look painful.

Interest levels went through the roof for "In Vento". A recent work from Mauro Bigonzetti and composed by Bruno Moretti. To have music composed specially for a ballet is a depressing rarity these days and this really worked. A very physical work, not exactly Balanchine, which the lead male, Benjamin Millepied, threw himself into with great verve. I'm in two minds about the lighting. At times some stunning images were created, dancers appearing out of the shadows, but for the majority I was more irritated that I couldn't see the dancers properly. The subject of the ballet is also a mystery to me. There's a lot of struggling on the floor and a fair bit of writhing in formation. This was either an incredibly superficial but exciting work or an incredibly deep, impenetrable but exciting work. To be honest I don't much care. It was beautifully danced and I was entranced throughout.

The final piece "Russian Seasons", choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky (the Bolshoi's artistic director), plays out pretty much like Les Noces. Very Russian and not the slightest bit American. Apart from the hats, which are ugly, ugly creations, the costumes and staging were perfect. A chance to see the depth of dancing that the NYCB commands. Wendy Whelan shone as did Albert Evans, a dancer who exudes great strength. The piece runs too long and flits between tones a little quickly for my taste. One minute slapstick humour, the next grave sadness. It's an interesting piece and quite different from everything else on the bill, it just could have been shaved of ten minutes.

A great introduction to the NYCB. I'm seeing programme 4 as well so more of this later but I'm truly impressed. Tremendous flair is shown by all, across a range of styles. Zakouski could be laid to rest but otherwise this was a broad and exciting programme.

Eugene Onegin (Royal Opera)

A novel evening to say the least. This production (the first revival of the late Steven Pimlott's 2006 version) is something of a damp squib lifted by a talented cast. Unfortunately Gerald Finley (who was, if other reviews are to be believed, absolutely amazing) had a minor throat infection that created an absolute catastrophe of his Act III arioso. Mark Stone (Direct from raping his sister down the road at the Coliseum) stepped in for the final climactic scene but he had little chance to make much of an impact, stepping in cold at such a late stage.

The production itself is pretty bizarre. The sets are far from period (as was advertised). A big, ugly white procenium is present and huge homoerotic images are used as backdrop at various points. Why these are present is somewhat unclear, although playing Onegin as gay would be original albeit completely incongruous with the actual opera. If you ignore these bizarre images, the staging doesn't get much easier. Why exactly is the Polonaise staged outside and on ice skates? Massive Russian balls are rarely held on wintery hillocks. The massive sets also make the intimate sections somewhat less intimate. Mini sets are wheeled in (with all the clattering that seems to be commonplace at Covent Garden) but the constraints of the rest of the set means they are placed about thirty feet upstage. On the whole the costumes are nice period ones (although the party has some "colourful" characters floating around) and the staging of the duel is nicely wintery, albeit again placed thirty feet beyond the orchestra.

The singing was disappointing. Finley was, as I mentioned earlier, suffering under an infection. As seemingly happens every other performance, an announcement was made that he was not in great shape, usually I ignore such complaints as weedy singers. This clearly wasn't as he crashed, burned and cracked his way through Act III. In fact he very successfully murdered several notes. It was unfortunate because in acting terms he was more than up to the part. He was cold, callous and reserved. This was an Onegin whom you could believe could easily charm Olga and the rest of the household. Mark Stone nobly stepped in for the finale and he hit the notes well enough, but there wasn't really any opportunity for him to shine. Marina Poplavskaya (an ex-Jette young artist who has a big future) should have been better than she was. She looks Russian which is always a bonus and her accent was better than most. However she lacked both in the acting and singing departments. Her Tatyana was vastly too mature and reserved. Her infatuation with Onegin felt entirely fake and the letter scene had no real emotional core. Vocally she made the notes, but made many sound less than pure. Her big, high final note, as she climactically spurns Onegin, was far too harsh and forced. Piotr Beczala made for a fine Lensky. He captured the young, passionate poet beautifully and has fine tone if occasionally he sounds like he's working a little hard. Ekaterina Semenchuk was secure as Olga, and could also act the part. Although she's far too pretty to be Olga, why Lensky would choose her over Tatyana is not a difficult question. Hans-Peter König gives a solid performance producing a sweet, loving Prince Gremin. He has the lower range firmly in his grasp and was one of the few singers who actually made Russian sound something other than complete gobbledegook.

To be honest, this was a disappointing evening. Finley's problems aside it's a pretty poor production. Far too expressionist for the realistic drama, the singers struggle to drive this lumbering production forward. Strip away the ice skating, homoerotic imagery and massive white set and you might find a meaningful drama. An overloaded production that doesn't need reviving again.

Punch and Judy (Music | Theatre | Wales)

Music to make the brain melt, Birtwistle provides comfortably the most unpleasant sounds around. What's more, it's incredibly repetitive so it can be boring as well. Yet for all that, this is a stunning opera. I can't say I'll be listening to the recording too often but somehow despite the repellant nature of the music I found myself strangely drawn to the piece. Emotions run high as the cast are slowly slaughtered by the titular character.

Music Theatre Wales have revived their production from 1998 in advance of the big upcoming Birtwistle premiere The Minotaur. Curiously the English National Opera have decided to revive Punch and Judy just next month. Whether London really need two productions of such a difficult piece remains to be seen, but I'm certainly not complaining. The Music Theatre Wales production is a stunner. The staging is similar to their last effort in the Linbury, Julie, with the orchestra placed behind the action. The box frame then acts as both a large scale puppet theatre (with dolls slowly filling the nooses that descend from the roof) and a picture frame for the orchestra. It's hugely effective especially when Punch jumps on his Hobby Horse, which rises out of the orchestra.

The cast seem perfectly at ease with the difficult parts. Jeremy Huw Williams makes for a creepy Choregos, shifting from sinister puppet master to the helpless victim of the puppet he sought to control. His diction was superb managing to convey every word despite the sometime overbearing orchestra. Gwion Thomas was a decent Punch, managing a degree of pathos despite his wicked acts. Carol Rowlands was thoroughly disgusting as Judy, she made erotic violence seem like a normal thing. Which was exactly what was asked of her. Allison Bell had to fight her way through some ear bleed coloratura, but more or less nailed it.

In my mind almost the antithesis of drama like The Homecoming. That piece has perfect dialogue, carefully plotted but makes zero emotional impact. Punch and Judy has foul music, a simple libretto and yet it comes together as a potent whole. Shocking (far more so than the Salome upstairs) but moving. I can't wait for the ENO's production, although it'll have to be very, very good to compete with this one.

The Homecoming

"The Homecoming" is the sort of play I find really impressive yet completely untouched by. Harold Pinter writes undeniably powerful words: witty, precise and inventive. Yet for all that I don't really see the point. As an examination of men isolated from women, it's interesting but not much more. The introduction of the single woman (in this case compounded by ethnicity) is well thought out but it all ends too abrubtly and with character changes I couldn't quite buy into. This fault probably lies as much with the strictly naturalistic production as the text. The staging is neatly done. The set is a large, bare room. A few chairs are carefully placed around but the walls are almost completely bare. A cold, unfriendly, masculine room.

Michael Attenborough's production is mostly impeccably acted. Kenneth Cranham is perfectly cast as the elderly, aggressive father of the house. He wields his stick like a cane but is mostly bark and not a lot of bite. Lenny, one of his sons, is stunningly portrayed by Nigel Lindsay, London's number one aggressive, lower class actor. He has amazing presence that crumbles beautifully in the presence of the "woman". Danny Dyer is hysterically funny as the very dumb, boxing son. Perhaps a little weedy to really be going to gym as often as is claimed, he has lovely comic timing. Jenny Jules has possibly the hardest role as the "woman" who invades this male society but she gives a very controlled performance. She exudes sex appeal and dominates the other characters exactly as she should. Neil Dudgeon gave the weakest performance. I simply couldn't buy his reaction to his wife slowly seducing the entire family.

Not the happiest of families

As an overall piece I just wasn't that impressed. It's a well produced play with a nicely evocative set, decent acting and competent direction. Yet for all that, it's periodically amusing but never moving. The first act flounders, lacking drive, and the tension never really kicks in as it should in the second act. For all the witty words this just isn't particularly good.

The History Cycle Glorious Moment (RSC)

What an experience. Shakespeare's two history cycles performed back to back over the course of four days with a single troupe of 34 actors. Rehearsed over two and half years it is an undertaking virtually no other company could manage. The Royal Shakespeare Company have achieved something special. The eight plays, including the rarely performed (quite unfairly) Henry VI, are near continous. The links far stronger than I suspect many realise. Indeed Henry VI part 3 could be renamed Richard III part 1.

Michael Boyd has linked every play with a common set (although not common period) of rusty iron, a tower rises imposingly at the back of the large thrust stage. Yet he manages to keep the largely bare space interesting for roughly 24 hours of text (that's 24 hours without intervals). Motifs flow throughout the cycle. A stunning percussive score gives an almost cinematic quality to some scenes. Boyd sacrifices individual productions for the strength of the whole. To give just one example, to see just Richard III, I suspect Margaret appears a victim, but having just seen the suffering she inflicted upon others in Henry VI, a much more interesting morally ambiguous situation arises. That said, if your interest can't be maintained on the complex political machinations that the cycle centres on (it is hard for four days) Boyd keeps things exciting. Men emerge from above and below the stage, a good bit of spectacle is never far away. The audience aren't spared any blood letting either. Litres of the stuff are sprayed about the stage over the course of the cycle. Matthew Warchus once claimed that his Lord of the Rings was a melding of Cirque de Soleii and Shakespeare. Well I'm afraid Boyd has produced the perfect fusion of style and substance. Great thought seems to lie behind every decision. The French court fly above the audience on Trapezes in Henry V, the English make their assault at Agincourt from beneath the stage, emerging from the many trap doors with ladders. It's both exhilarating and at times surprisingly moving. The Histories are considered by many to be somewhat turgid, but this company are so comfortable with the plays they find comedy whenever needed. There's an easy wit that emerges exactly when required.

One of dozens of amazing images

It would seem unfair to mention names in what is a complete company piece but a few stars do emerge. Everyone mucks in with tiny roles as well as large (although if you're a female member of the company you get damn all other than wives and prostitutes) but Jonathan Slinger shines no matter what is thrown at him. To be fair he is gifted both Richard II and Richard III. Yet when given the smaller Fluellen, he makes even this smaller part great. He shows such vast range from the uber camp Richard II to the vile, rasping Richard III, I can scarcely believe the same actor played both. A name to remember, Slinger will be a star. Geoffrey Streatfield manages to carry off the difficult (and rarely tried) transformation from Prince Hal to Henry V. He can't be the massive, eloquent leader. That doesn't make sense when seen in the context of the full cycle. Streatfield does everything asked of him and more, his Suffolk is top notch as well. The company is largely faultless. Over the four days there were no mistakes. Like a well oiled machine they continuously create new and more impressive things.

Jonathan Slinger, Not a man I want to meet in a dark alley...

This is really an experience of a lifetime. So perfectly formed are Shakespeare's Histories when performed back to back that I will now struggle to see them independently of each other. The endless links that Boyd makes between the productions are impossible to list, so intricately is it arranged. This was the final stand for the company in Stratford but they are doing the entire cycle in London for a very short, already largely sold out, season at the Roundhouse. If you can see them, you will not regret it, and nor with you ever forget it.

Madam Butterfly (English National Opera)

Much has been made of this English National Opera Butterfly, directed by Anthony Minghella, and it has certainly divided critics. The production has a certain glossiness that I actually find quite appealing, but it could be considered a little stylish for its own good. Thankfully whatever your tastes, behind the shifting walls and stark lighting hides a potent soprano who more than makes her mark on the title role.

Judith Howarth is simply wonderful. Despite being caked in "oriental" makeup to the point where she looks somewhat deformed (it's completely unnecessary, the kimono does just fine on its own) she's a very human Butterfly. The entire production shies away from the heavy, simplistic "Butterfly is a victim" portraying her as a resilient, young woman besotted to her "husband". She is easy to sympathise with without becoming pitiable, to my mind the perfectly balanced butterfly. Her voice isn't the prettiest but her lower register is potent and her diction impeccable (a relative rarity at for the English National Opera). She is mostly well supported from the rest of the cast. Gwyn Hughes Jones makes for a merry Pinkerton, hardly the most savage attack on America, but easy on the ear and effective enough to balance with Howarth. Karen Cargill gives a solid performance as Suzuki, dependable without flair which is really exactly what you'd want from Butterfly's maid. Ashley Holland was to my mind the weakest link in the cast offering a fairly one dimensional performance. He held his notes fine enough, I just found him uninteresting. Despite being the most wooden of all the actors (a pun that makes even me grimace) the puppet, Sorrow, is both a triumph and a total distraction. A triumph of puppet characterisation (think War Horse for comparable living puppetry) this Sorrow is vastly better than any child could manage. However with this amazing "life" comes a major sacrifice. The audience's attention. So glued was I to this creation that the action that surrounds it became quite superfluous. Lord of the Rings is immeasurably improved by the staging being so impressive that no one notices that the piece actually doesn't have any substance. This Madam Butterfly is immeasurably weakened as a result of it. It makes it appear to have much less substance than it does. When Sorrow emerges from the back as Butterfly is about to stab herself, I found myself sufficiently impressed by how much I believed in their relationship that I quite forgot just how tragic the situation is.

Ignoring the problems that such novelty brings (similar problem to those I encountered with Christopher Wheeldon's latest ballet commission), which I hope will vanish in time, I actually really like the manner in which Minghella has staged this work. The dancers are used to great effect both enabling clever scene changes (thankfully not in the manner of Poppea) and deepening the action without distracting. I'm not usually a fan of pre-overture action but the arrival of Butterfly over the back of the stage, backlit in red, is effective. The giant mirror above the stage is overkill, providing a nice initial image but then looming over the action in a irritating manner drawing the eye to events in the periphery of the stage. The simplest elements are the most effective with the sliding Japanese panels used well to evoke the Asian setting. The costumes are bright and lavish for most, whilst the puppeteers are all garbed in black a nice contrast although at times it means the man in black stands out more than the one in fluorescent yellow.

I can't say I loved this production. For all the gorgeous designs and strong vocals, something is lacking in the emotion department. I came out impressed but far from moved. I still think it is unfair to describe this as style over substance. Maybe style distracting from substance is fairer but with Howarth's stunning Butterfly this still seems a little harsh. This won't leave the ENO's repertory anytime soon and rightly so, as an easy night at the opera it's ideal, but Covent Garden's elegant staging is still far more effecting emotionally (although as the production that first dragged me into opera, it will always be a fond memory that will be unfairly hard to better).

Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) (2nd Cast)

I'll be relatively brief since you can find my original review here. On repeat viewing most of my original comments stand. The staging is too dark for too long to remain interesting and the rumble as the set moves is a major irritation. That said, the second cast were a far more balanced bunch making the overall production stronger. No longer does Papageno dominate owing to a weak Tamino.

Pavol Breslik is fantastic. He looks the part, sings with gorgeous colour and can even whack throught the spoken dialogue with aplomb. His "Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön" is beautifully delivered. Kate Royal, looking simply radiant (although in slightly more cloth than was afforded her at the ENO for her last London appearance), is perhaps a weaker actress than Genia Kühmeier but makes a purer, more youthful sound. Her "Ach, ich fühl's, es ist verschwunden" was powerfully moving and she didn't miss a note. Anna Kristiina Kaappola was a relatively disappointing queen. Her coloratura was a little jumpy, especially in her first aria, and her lower register curiously sounds like she is very old (I'm not quite sure why). As Sarastro Hans-Peter König has the notes well within his range, managing the absurdly low sections excellently without a hint of forcing. Christopher Maltman was following the great Keenlyside in the role of Papageno, but that mattered not. He was superb. He never dominated as Keenlyside did (although this was mostly due to the weakness of Christoph Strehl in the first cast) but offered a similarly rounded performance. He can't quite manage the physicality, failing to clear the bed post without an extra step up, but maintains the same silent comedy style prat falls.

The "second" cast was a much more balanced affair. Apart from Kaappola, the term "second" seems a little unfair since individually they're also largely stronger. I'm still not convinced by the slightly staid production (a rare weak production from David McVicar) but with the potency of this cast, it still makes for an enjoyable evening.