Ignite 2014 – Young Critics Recommend

The Exeter Northcott Young Critics are busy this week for Ignite, Exeter’s brilliant festival of Theatre now in it’s 5th year.  Supported by Belinda Dillion the young critics are on assignment for Wildfire, the daily review paper.  It’s going to be a great challenge to watch, write and submit their reviews all within a few hours.  Grace Natusch is particularly excited by the opportunity as it will mean her review will be published alongside professional critics for the first time.  We met last week to discuss the programme, and Carmen and Grace would like to share a few recommendations and shows that have grabbed their attention, should you still be umming and arring about what to see.

Carmen Paddock

While the Ignite Festival has no shortage of fantastic theatrical performances of all forms and styles, I would have to highlight the RAW Platform as an exceptionally unique, diverse, and exciting offering.  Produced by Exeter University’s Drama Department in conjunction with the Exeter Northcott Theatre, it showcases the original work of graduating BA and MFA students in a rotating performance schedule over three days.  This year includes commedia dell’arte, dance theatre, verbatim, Shakespeare re-imaginings, comedy, and more.

Another especially exciting piece during this Ignite Festival is Poetry Ping-Pong, showing at the Exeter Phoenix.  Billed as ‘an evening of comedy and spoken word’, it is set far in the future, when poetry is turned into a blood sport and now only two contestants remain in this deadly game.  The premise and early reviews promise an insanely entertaining show!

Grace Natusch

Love Sick – A play by the All in theatre, I was drawn to this play by the rather grabbing blurb, which told me that it was about love, aliens and their dying planet. This play looks like a comedic look at how we view love and I’m looking forward to seeing what the alien ambassadors have to say on the subject.

A stand up show from Alfie Brown, Divorced from reality (and my wife), has an attention grabbing name and is described as ‘another screaming, pretentious, crusading monstrosity’.  It will be interesting to see how this show handles divorce and mental illness and manages to remain hilarious all at the same time.

Keep an eye out for Wildfire around Exeter and on the blog, the first paper is published today!

Whats next? Reviews on their way from last weeks dance performance by EDge at Exeter Phoenix and community play Jerusalem in Rougemont Gardens.

 

 

 

Duplicity – Review

Substance & Shadow Theatre

The Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter

Part of From Devon With Love

18th January 2014

A Review by Lucy Ricketts

Now I’m not one to write scathing critic reviews…but I know bad theatre when I see it. Such was my experience with the Shadow and Substance theatre last night. Luring me in with ‘experimental theatre’ and ‘twin imagery’, I sat down anticipating an 80s anarchic conglomeration of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. I didn’t get any. With a boring story-like feel to the piece and (quite frankly) GCSE acting, it quickly had me thinking more about how it could have been improved, rather than how amazing it was. I am unsure how this event sold out because, if I could have sneaked away like a blonde curly-haired ninja, I certainly would have.

Don’t get me wrong; the ideas were all there. They just werent executed properly. The amount of audio effects they had overwhelmed me, and not in the good Theatre of Cruelty way; more of a ‘I’m a 15-year-old girl who’s just downloaded Garageband’ way. I simply didn’t like it.

The only positive I have to note is the actor who played Leonard Silver. His accent was on point and he genuinely had some humourous moments. His dancing was hilarious too – something I must commend.

I’m sorry this is so vicious but if you’re going to do theatre, do it right!

Wrong ‘Un – A Review

Red Ladder Theatre Company

The Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter.

Part of From Devon With Love.

3rd February 2014

A Review by Jack Wride.

Of Wrong ‘Un, I could not help but think about the strange transition that former Chumbawumba guitarist Boff Whalley has made in his career, diverting his attentions from outrageous slapstick on screens across the nation, to writing a 60-minute long one-woman a cappella that follows an infant suffragette’s journey from a Lancashire mill to a London prison cell.

Young factory girl Annie, played by Ella Harris, becomes part of the suffragette movement in the hope that she will become educated in the art of self-defence. However, soon Annie becomes a committed member of the group, allowing herself to become subjected to torture as she fights for sexual equality. Harris takes hold of the complete lack of accompaniment extremely well, using her solo turn in the piece to create a bare impression of Annie’s vulnerability at the hands of a movement which ultimately takes control of her life.

The intimate nature of The Bikeshed Theatre played to the strengths of the musical, allowing Harris to talk directly to the somewhat modest number of audience members, giving me a sense of Whalley’s writing, which was witty and unsentimental; some of Annie’s actions do not urge approval.

There is a degree of sugar-coating to the lesson that is trying to be taught through Annie’s story, yet Ella Harris was able to portray Annie with enough fun and realism so that they balanced each other out, the lasting taste in my mouth being a sweet reflection on a time that is thankfully long gone.

Threnody for the Sky Children – Review

A performance by Jack Dean.

The Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter.

Part of From Devon With Love.

29th January 2014

Review by Jack Wride.

From the start, Jack Dean’s one-man show Threnody for the Sky Children clearly outlines the concepts and ideas that lie behind this modern fable, drawing inspiration from Ovid’s Metamorphoses and mixing surrealism, music and poetry as a way of juxtaposing the whimsical reality of an unemployed graduate and the unusual, auspicious society that lies outside the window of the attic he currently resides in.

The narrative itself was extremely compelling, a delicately crafted prose that follows carefree delights of childhood, whilst highlighting the ephemeral nature of these wonders as he makes his transition into adulthood. The story-telling was a potent combination of humour and intimacy, further developed by the application of childhood toys that soar in the fading light of his room.

However, whilst I certainly enjoyed the elaborate prose, I felt as though I would have been more receptive to its message when reading it from a book. The lethargic nature of the set changes caused me to lose focus, often forgetting the last run of dialogue that he had gone through.

Despite this, Jack had enough charisma and skill to hold it together for the hour, sending every word out with enough force that it left me with a sense of joy that lasted well into the night.

A Little Nonsense – Reviews

A Little Nonsense – Juncture Theatre

Bike Shed Theatre

4^th February 2014 

Review by Phoebe Graham 

I found myself experiencing one of those fantastically apprehensive but exhilarating moments in the theatre when you take your seat, having absolutely no idea what you are about to be faced with. What in fact followed was a continuation of this electrifying cluelessness throughout the entirety of A Little Nonsense as the audience is thrown headfirst through an absurdist exploration of the sense of humour.

We are immediately connected to the heart of the farcical fun as we are greeted by a loveable clown who smiles, waves, pulls faces and invites us into his playful world, reviving everyone’s inner child as we are absorbed into the distantly familiar life of practical jokes, mischief and freedom.  The subsequent introduction of the villainous owner of the clown creates a beautifully sinister edge to the play, creating a thought-provoking depth to just ‘A Little Nonsense’.

The audience is made uncomfortable by the absurd struggles between the two characters with the envious man taunting his clown in increasingly controversial ways (including force feeding and urinating on the clown and encouraging him to hang himself with a colourful string of handkerchiefs – an image that sent chills chattering down my spine). As much as I enjoyed the darker twists, the violent acts were perhaps slightly overdone to the point where they were trying to force intensity.

The Samuel Beckett inspired style really enhanced the play’s nonsensical intentions albeit at times the dialogue seemed to adjust to the style rather than the other way around. However, the beautifully constructed monologues, which gave the audience a philosophical insight into the nature of living, were flawlessly executed and were by far the most moving moments in the play.

From the taunting, to a role swap, to the general farce, it all left me trying to extract an underlying metaphor for this complex piece. I pulled together a number of ideas, all regarding the development and suppression of our sense of humour over time. But in the end, it just proved how sometimes the most thoughtful theatre doesn’t have to have an objective purpose and that, as Juncture Theatre wonderfully concluded, a “little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men’.

6th February 2014

Review by Freddie House

Founded in 2009, Juncture Theatre has been at the helm of several critically acclaimed black comedies. The latest, entitled A Little Nonsense, was in the midst of a two-week residency at the Bike Shed Theatre when I went to see what all the fuss was about. This dark comedy tells the story of a suffering double-act who spend the entirety of the play in one room, it’s location, however, is left unspecified. There’s the man; logical, pensive and rather inert, and then there’s the clown; idealistic, restless and blatantly foolish. The narrative explores the man’s evident aggravation as he watches his partner play and delight in his own slapstick humour. Several clownish capers later, he even goes on to attempt to beat some sense into the retired entertainer through singing lessons and ‘knock knock’ jokes (of course).

It is clear from the clown’s first recital of the heart-breaking poem ‘I can’t sleep tonight’ that Samuel Beckett’s work is a strong source of inspiration for this play, with double-act royalty Vladimir and Estragon (Waiting for Godot, watch it if you haven’t) bearing a strong resemblance to the two characters in A Little Nonsense. This both helps and hinders this intimate showcase for a Godot fan like myself, as there is a fine line between a tribute and a replica. I felt that the actors, Adam Blake and Harry Humberstone, did a sterling job of shying away from the Godot parallels, bringing their own interpretations to roles which could have, very easily, been attempted after a quick YouTube search of Beckett’s famous tragicomedy. The script, however, often crossed too many bridges, featuring a familiar ‘hanging’ incident and recurring references to the improbable arrival of another character.

Putting this unmistakable comparison to one side, I must say that the play itself is actually rather good, and makes for a humorous yet thoughtful evening. All audiences take pleasure in an hour of slapstick humour and I must admit that I also enjoyed some of the rather unsettling moments as they left me thinking, a good sign from a night at the theatre.  I must also note that the conventional elements in this disconcerting subversion of comical expectation are welcome; after all, the clown is made up with a pale face and bright red nose, so really, how threatening can he be? The audience participation scenes with multiple ‘knock knock’ jokes ensued hilarity, and the physical theatre of Blake was outstanding, with humorous facial expressions and top-notch comic timing. Humberstone portrayed the irritable and frustrated man with ease, and contrasted perfectly with his partner, switching comfortably to a more comical role towards the play’s conclusion. I feel that’s what really made this piece work; the partnership of the actors was far superior to the novelty of the script. This, along with an effective set and simple lighting, made for a pleasurable evening.

‘A little bit OCD’ – Review

‘A little bit OCD’

‘from Devon with Love’ festival at the Bikeshed Theatre

27^th January 2014

By Grace Natusch

OCD can be hard to get your head around. Ask most people and they’ll say something along the lines of people who clean a lot and keep their pens in a specific order. For most people with OCD it isn’t like that at all; somebody once explained it to me as ‘like having a song stuck in your head, only instead of a song it’s an unwanted thought’. ‘A little bit OCD’ gets this perfectly, portraying how nuanced and personal OCD can be – and how it affects the people around you.

Along with the main story of a girl who can’t stop picturing harming the people she loves, we get sympathetic and moving portrayals of other people with OCD, talking directly to audience as if you are the therapist. The play captures how a normal insecure thought – ‘is my boyfriend cheating on me? Am I fat? What if I hurt someone?’ is taken and magnified by OCD, leaving the characters to cope through rituals of eating with plastic cutlery and becoming bulimic, among others.

You also get the sense in watching it of how casually people with mental illnesses are stigmatized on a daily basis – through phrases we take for granted, like  ‘I think you’re insane’ and ‘I’m a little bit OCD about that’. While people say this every day with no repercussions, it’s truly heart wrenching to watch it be said directly to Sarah as she tries to hide her symptoms from her family, telling them she’s ‘just a bit stressed with work’.

All in all, the play took a difficult topic and explored it sensitively and with pathos, leaving those who didn’t understand OCD at the beginning of the play a clear idea of what it was really like by the end.

A Fool’s Proof – Review

A Fool’s Proof

Scratchworks Theatre Company

From Devon With Love, Bike Shed Theatre

25th January 2014

Review by Carmen Paddock

The Bike Shed Theatre’s ‘From Devon With Love’, a January festival of local theatre companies and artists, is a wonderful showcase of short performances which might not be on the regional radar but are no less entertaining than their large-scale counterparts.  One such was A Fool’s Proof, produced and created by Scratchworks Theatre Company.  These four talented young women put on a high-energy, humorous, and cuttingly-satirical piece scrutinising the media’s obsession with missing children and dramatic life-or-death scenarios (and likewise, the public’s love of such media coverage).

The play followed a budding journalist, her boss, and the other deputy journalist as they fight rival news sources to break the next sensational story – in this case, rumours of a missing girl followed by childlike screams coming from the bottom of a disused well.  With each new development, the story becomes more and more dramatic and tensions rise as the three battle to discover the latest information.  And then, in a hilarious turn of events, the story vanishes – after the paper has gone to press!

Three of the actors portrayed the journalists and one switched between the ‘trapped girl’ and a visiting celebrity reporter.  These characters were noticeably stereotypes – the eager new employee, the bitter ‘glorified spell-checker’, and the  but each was strong and commanded the stage with larger-than-life personalities.  The physical theatre elements of the piece never failed to entertain.  Animated clothing, in-motion costume switches, keyboard dance-offs, flying paper, and props doubling as timekeeping devices kept the madcap energy high.  In one fantastic sequence, the table became both the office desk and a claustrophobic trap for the well accident ‘victim’.

Although definitely a new and developing production (by Exeter alums, no less), it does not detract from its genuine entertainment quality.  It is refreshing to see such unpretentious, creative, and engaging work from budding artists who could quite possibly be the UK’s theatrical future.

The King of Infinite Space- Review

The King of Infinite Space, Running Dog Theatre Company

From Devon With Love at The Bike Shed Theatre

16th January 2014

Review by Jack Wride

The King of Infinite Space; a title that holds great promise, a title that alludes to one of our nation’s finest pieces of theatre, a title that is far, far too misleading.

The new show from the Running Dog Theatre Company, formed by Exeter University graduates, centres around one man using the exploits of astronaut Michael Collins and his orbit around the moon during the Apollo 11 expedition of 1969 as a metaphor for his own life. This is where my grasp on the plot completely disappears.

The opening few minutes seemed to suggest that the isolated orator, whose identity we never learn, held some interesting opinions on the shared trials of humanity and our collective need to advertise ourselves within a social environment. However, this is unfortunately the only thing I can bring myself to praise, as what followed was a disorganised amalgamation of astronomy lecture, self-pity and unprofessional jargon. The individual delivering the monologue was seemingly unaware of how negligent he was being on several different occasions, expecting the audience to see the funny side of 2 unplanned phone calls to his mobile, an entirely overlooked set of lighting equipment and his frequently erroneous handling of dialogue.

However, the aspect of the show which bothered me the most (yes, that’s right, there’s more) was the performer’s overtly vain awareness of his own ideas, recounting tales that simply spelled out nature’s primary laws, but tales that he nonetheless felt prompted a standing ovation.

I wish that I could have reviewed The King of Infinite Space in more complimentary terms, but sadly, this was one mission that ultimately failed to launch.

Will Kempe and the Nine Daies’ Wonder – Review

Will Kempe and the Nine Daies’ Wonder.

Fast Forward Theatre Company

From Devon With Love Festival. Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter

17th January 2014

Review by Daniel Burnage

William Kempe, was the resident clown and a shareholder, alongside William Shakespeare, of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men acting company. Although Kempe was the most popular clown of his generation amongst London’s theatre goers, he was considerably less popular amongst its players and poets. The Nine Daies’ Wonder refers to Kempe’s stunt, of Morris dancing from London to Norwich, shortly after the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, finally having had enough of his anarchic stage antics, sacked him.    

Fast Forward Theatre uses this bizarre adventure to frame a light hearted eulogy of Kempe’s career, using flashbacks of his most prolific performances, to highlight his contribution to the Renaissance stage. There’s an unshakable air of pantomime, a ‘rough around the edges’ quality to this production, with the actors supporting the structure rather than the other way around. Fortunately the cast are up to the challenge, but you can’t escape the feeling that all their exuberant energy is just there, not to dress a fully formed piece of theatre, but to keep a flimsily realized premise on life support.

In the hands of a school drama class, Nine Daies’ Wonder would be exposed as the flat and lukewarm offering it, technically, is. However the total commitment of its infectiously joyful cast and the extracts from Shakespeare’s work, keep this from happening, although the strain does frequently show. Will Kempe and the Nine Daies’ Wonder is a piece of rough and ready fun, cheeky, well-meaning with just enough magic to gloss over its cracks.

Eliza and the Wild Swans – Review

Eliza and the Wild Swans

A Bike Shed Theatre & Wardrobe Ensemble Co-Production

8^th January 2014

Review by Alice Higginson

Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, Eliza and the Wild Swans was a festive treat, even in January. The story follows Eliza, a young girl battling to save her eleven brothers from her evil stepmother’s curse. If this sounds like the makings of a pantomime, think again. Set in a Devon laundrette, the fantastical fairy tale emerged from humble beginnings. An old lady, a plumber, a hapless teenager and an incompetent husband confide in each other over their yuletide troubles, accompanied by the endless rumble of the tumble dryer.

All of a sudden the audience was whisked off into a fairy tale world where the plumber became a Russian Tsar, the old lady a wise oracle, the husband a wicked stepmother. The Wardrobe Ensemble showed true creative flair through their clever puppetry, transforming the laundrette into a magical setting.  Everyday items from the laundrette were tools for their ingenious visual storytelling. Clothes, wash bags, coat hangers were all used to create a myriad of quirky, vibrant puppets. Inventive puppetry was accompanied by equally strong character performances from the entire ensemble. Each performer played a multitude of dynamic and amusing characters, fluently switching from one character to the next, while handling an endless flow of new props and costumes for each part of the story: a demanding task, made to look effortless.

To top it all off, the Wardrobe Ensemble delighted its audience with a live musical score of original folk songs to tell the story. Strong voices were accompanied by a ukulele, violin, accordion and clarinets which bolstered the action, keeping the story moving all the way through. The music was catchy, comical and delightfully composed.

Intended as a family show, the writing was at times a little simple, yet the humour and artistry that prevailed throughout the piece made it nonetheless captivating and entertaining for the adult audience. Appealing to such a wide-ranging audience is admirable in itself.

Eliza and the Wild Swans runs until Saturday 10^th January so catch it before it ends.