Arts reviews and other cultural thoughts, mainly focused on theatre.
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Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge Theatre
Photo: Laura Peatman
Matilda the Musical is one of the most talked-about musicals of the last few years, finding unprecedented success at the 2012 Oliviers with seven awards (since equalled by The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, one of my other all-time favourite shows). With the genius of Tim Minchin, enthusiasm of a young cast, mad costumes and brilliant staging, this is one of those shows where everything comes together to create magic. Forget the film, this is how the story of Matilda should be told.
Even the opening set that greets the audience on arrival establishes a sense of fun, with countless colourful wooden blocks that sprawl across the back wall and out of the proscenium arch, seemingly random but actually delightfully concealing words if you look carefully enough. This level of detail is present throughout, making it feel that real love and warmth has gone into this production. Everything from Mr Wormwood's suit, to the children's messy hairstyles, to the wide array of CCTV in Trunchbull's office has been carefully thought out and contributes to a show that just works, in the best way possible. 'School Song', with the alphabet hidden within the lyrics, is brilliantly staged, as letter blocks appear in the school gates just a split second before a chorus member steps onto it: it must have taken hours of rehearsal but appears effortless, as all great routines should.
There's a risk that a young cast, however talented, can appear precocious and start to grate a little: no fear of that here, as all the children are fantastic and complete naturals on stage. I can't think of many things more fun than being a kid in this show, and to be quite honest I'm immensely jealous of them all. Their singing, acting, and probably above all their dancing, put a huge smile on my face from start to finish – and when they rock out to 'Revolting Children', it confirms that they really are the stars here. At this particular performance, George King as Bruce Bogtrotter stole the show with his hilarious acting and rockstar-worthy opening to 'Revolting Children', while tiny Freddie Haggerty stole our hearts as Eric. Georgia Pemberton, in her first month as Matilda, took on the leading lady duties and is evidently proving herself a great addition to the cast. She is funny, heart-warming and mischievous, and at times heart-rending. And her Russian is impeccable, of course... (I'm not going to explain that one – no spoilers!). The role of Matilda has a lot of time alone on stage, and to pull this off at such a young age is undoubtedly impressive – and I'm sure the memories of receiving the applause in her solo curtain call will stay with all the Matildas for a long time, whatever their future career path.
Photo: Ben Tavener
Elsewhere the Wormwoods (James Clyde and Kay Murray) and Rudolpho (Joshua Lay, utterly unrecognisable from his headshot in the programme!) provide plenty of hilarity, while Alex Gaumond is fabulously horrible, and more than a little creepy, as the notorious Miss Trunchbull. The cast have great fun with the height difference between him and the children, and every movement and flinch is perfectly timed to create this funny but disturbing baddie.
There is some pretty puerile humour here – Bruce's prolonged description of his chocolatey belch springs to mind – but the show somehow still doesn't feel childish. About children yes; great for children to watch, also yes; but despite all this there's emotion in it that certainly appeals to adults as well. The shadow puppetry of the acrobat and the escapologist is simply beautiful, while the poignant scenes between Matilda and her parents really do tug at the heartstrings. Overarching the whole production is a great sense of being a child, being 'Naughty', and being free from rules and expectations, summed up in the gorgeous 'When I Grow Up', with its use of slides, swings and scooters. Matilda is surely the best new musical of recent years, and one that I could watch again and again and carry on smiling at. Fingers crossed it will stay in the West End for many more years to come!
New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich 12 September - 5 October, then touring the UK until 23 November Our House is by no means a household name when it comes to musicals, rather unfairly it seems. The show first hit the West End in 2002 to mixed reviews, but bagged the 2003 Oliver Award for Best Musical, and went on a national tour from 2008-9. Critic Mark Shenton has called it the best jukebox musical since Mamma Mia! as well as the most underrated – and now a new national tour by the New Wolsey Theatre Company is aiming to change that. Judging by the reaction of the audience, the show already has a lot of fans in the home of the company, Ipswich. Tim Firth's show is based around the songs of ska kings Madness, and follows 16-year-old Joe through two alternative paths through his life, depending on a decision at the beginning of the story. This does make some early scenes a little confusing, as the action shifts rapidly between alternate realities of the plot (marked helpfully by Joe's two different outfits), but it gets into its stride after a while. The relatively small stage has the potential to create difficulties with the complex set – it's a bit different from the show's original home at the Cambridge Theatre, London – but the cast and creative team make the most of the space they have, and in actual fact the concentration of the cast's energy works in the production's favour. The ensemble musical numbers are definitely the best element of the show. The cast have bags of energy, throwing themselves into the routines with boundless enthusiasm and a huge sense of fun, so songs such as 'Our House', 'Baggy Trousers' and 'Wings of a Dove' have you itching to get up there and join them. There were a few problems with sound balance meaning the lyrics sometimes got lost – although it's hard to tell if this was true for the whole audience, or just for those of us in the balcony – but this didn't harm the overall effect too much. The decisions to cast actor-musicians makes the music blend effortlessly into the show, as backing track and performers become one, really boosting the party atmosphere.
There are more touching scenes too, and Alexis Gerrerd as Joe manages to balance his cocky swagger with vulnerable moments, particularly in his obvious hurt pride and feelings of inferiority at seeing the better life Sarah (Danielle Bowen) has made for herself after leaving him behind. Switching quickly between the two possible lives of his character, not only does he manage the difference in personality with ease, but he has some lightning-quick costume changes that are deservedly greeted with applause. The two double acts of Emmo and Lewis (James Haggie and Alex Spinney) and Billie and Angie (Natasha Lewis and Dominique Planter), Joe and Sarah's loyal friends, provide plenty of comedy – particularly the girls, who are alternately over-excited by Sarah's life or distinctly underwhelmed by Joe's efforts.
The plot is a little flimsy at times: despite the justification within the script, it's hard to believe a 16-year-old would be sent to prison in those circumstances, for example. The Blood Brothers-esque presence of Joe's father is risky but avoids cliché through a strong performance by Sean Needham, who shies away from over-exaggerated mysticality. Parts of the show are a little cheesy, it's true, but these weaknesses are forgotten in the face of the raucous and joyous musical numbers that can't help but put you in a good mood. It's not the most intellectually stimulating of shows – but then who really looks for that in a musical? Showcasing a brilliant cast, Our House is a whole heap of fun and laughter that's certainly good for the soul.
I'm almost starting to get confused
between Helen Mirren and the Queen herself, so accustomed am I to seeing this
great British leading lady playing our monarch. After the rave reviews of the
2012 film TheQueen, Mirren has donned the crown once again in this new play by Skyfall co-writer Peter Morgan.
Of course by now it's not entirely new,
as this stage production hit the West End back in February, and was first broadcast to cinemas
across the UK on 13 June. But the wonderful team at National Theatre Live
have included this broadcast from the Gielgud Theatre in a series of 'encore' screenings, as the National celebrates
its 50th anniversary this year.
Mirren excels once again in this
wonderful production. She is full of charm, warmth, wit and, most impressively
for a character whose inner thoughts we know so little about, depth. Presenting
a series of imagined conversations between Her Majesty and a selection of her
many prime ministers, The Audiencecovers a wide
array of political events, which are fascinating when refracted through this
semi-fictional lens, but never feels like merely a history lesson. It might be
beneficial if you have a basic grasp of 20th century politics and history – with references to the Suez crisis, miners' strikes and rationing scattered
across the script – but it doesn't really matter too much. What shines through
is the personal, human emotion of these figures of power. There are laughs
aplenty – the bumbling Harold Wilson (affectionately and wonderfully portrayed
by Richard McCabe) and hilariously accurate depictions of David Cameron and Gordon
Brownby Rufus Wright and Nathaniel
Parker stand out – but also moments of poignancy, achieved through a clever
script and a beautifully understated yet powerful performance by Mirren. She
delivers so much in a look, in a gesture, that even in the restrained – and
supposedly politically neutral – character of the queen, we feel the wealth of
swirling emotions beneath the polished exterior.
Notable potential targets of this drama
are absent: Tony Blair is absent from the script, reportedly at the request of producer Andy Harries, as is
the death of Princess Diana. Yet the scenes are cleverly chosen, and intelligently
ordered. From the first, splendidly regal appearance of Mirren, clad in a
gorgeous royal blue, we subsequently jump backwards in time to the queen's first ever audience– with, of course, the traditional and experienced Winston Churchill
(Edward Fox). Her naivety and lack of certainty in the face of
Churchill's old-school formality is touching, and helps to round out the
character beyond the Queen we all recognise today. Also immensely pleasing is
the forceful discussion with Margaret Thatcher, terrifically played by
Haydn Gwynne. Although the subject of the meeting is tense, there is
something incredibly joyous and brilliant about seeing this meeting of two of
the most commanding women in British history– and the audience's reaction proves it.
This is a brilliant production, and it's wonderful that so many more people are able to experience it through the National Theatre Live project. Although there are some great ticket offers out there, particularly for young people and local residents, the cost of West End theatre is still a barrier to many people, especially when you add the price of travelling to London. Compared to that, a £10 trip to the cinema down the road is a pretty good alternative! I'll always prefer live theatre performance, as you unavoidably lose a great deal of the connection between audience and actor when viewing a screen; but National Theatre Live certainly provides the next best thing. When a show is a sell-out it gives access to an even bigger audience, and I for one am hugely excited about the upcoming programme of 'encore' screenings, which will give me the chance to see some of the National's best recent productions that I missed out on the first time around!
National Theatre Live: 50th Anniversary Encore Screenings trailer
National Theatre
Fresh from his spellbinding performance as Iago in the National Theatre's Othello (which was broadcast live on 26 September), Rory Kinnear's critically-acclaimed turn as Hamletwill be shown on 22 October. Described as "an evening to admire and cherish" by Michael Billington, Nicholas Hytner's adaptation moves the action to a present day Elsinore where constant surveillance means even the famed soliloquies are always under scrutiny by a hidden audience.
Creepy in a different way – and probably the screening I'm most excited about! – Frankenstein comes to cinemas from 31 October, giving those of us who didn't make it to the theatre a chance to see Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch in Danny Boyle's 2011 "monster hit" (credit to TimeOut London for that pun). Both combinations of cast are being broadcast on separate dates, as Miller and Cumberbatch alternated for the original run, but either should be a terrific watch. My instinct says I'd prefer Miller as the creature and Cumberbatch as Frankenstein... either way, I can't wait to finally see this Olivier award-winning production that I mourned missing two years ago.
Also appearing in the Encore season is Alan Bennett's The Habit of Art, featuring Frances de la Tour, Alex Jennings and the glorious, much-missed Richard Griffiths, while new broadcasts include, amongst others, the underrated Shakespeare tragedy Coriolanus starring Tom Hiddlestone, and the celebrated War Horse. The latter is one I'd rather see in the flesh, as it looks to be running in London for a good while to come yet: the magic of the puppetry is surely unbeatable on stage, but as I've said, the opportunity to see this hit show for a few quid in your local town is fantastic – and based on the success of the book, film and stage adaptation, the cinemas are sure to be packed out!
With an increasing number of musicals, plays and operas being broadcast at cinemas on a regular basis, here's hoping that the National Theatre Live continues to take the lead on this great idea, bringing Britain's wonderful theatre to more and more people around the country.
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