Simon Callow Takes On Shakespeare

No need to list the work Simon Callow has done – to Richmond theatre-goers he is an old friend. So, over coffee in the Stalls Bar, we confine ourselves to Richmond alone. “Yes, come to think of it, I’ve done a lot here, haven’t I?” he chuckles. And such diversity: wicked villains Abanazar and Hook in two pantos, egocentric Garry Essendine in Coward’s Present Laughter, the flamboyant and unstoppable Dickens in the one-man show that won huge critical acclaim – and this summer, Shakespeare: The Man From Stratford.















He thrives on variety. “I first wanted to be an actor, in order to be lots of different people – and I certainly have been! Of course in the Shakespeare, as in Dickens, I play many diverse characters within the play. I’m very excited about it. It’s probably the most challenging thing I’ve done in my career.”

Why? “It’s going head-on with the greatest writer who ever lived. I haven’t really done that much Shakespeare – and he’s the test of every actor. I have performed the Sonnets of course – so I feel I’ve been in contact with him all these years - but my ambition henceforth is to spend the rest of my ‘declining years’ doing those wonderful parts that I’m now the right age for.”

Knowing the frantically hard-working Mr Callow, we can guarantee he will have researched every known fact about Shakespeare before he steps onto the stage. No-one, I suggest, can call his approach to work skimpy. He laughs loudly and melodically. “No, but skimpy is exactly what Shakespeare’s biography is. So little is known about him – unlike Dickens. So I’ve done a lot of research into the world he inhabited – how he lived. And we have his writing – he saw the world in a way that I find extraordinarily moving. There is such precision in his observations, clothed in language of such musical perfection. He’s a supreme, sublime genius.”

Simon has provided a selection of that genius in a volume of Shakespearian extracts, Shakespeare on Love. He has written two volumes of a detailed biography of Orson Welles – “I am working on volume three,” he assures me – plus a biography of Charles Laughton – and has just completed a theatrical memoir, My Life in Pieces. Writing is very important to him – and surely it helps him to understand the writer’s mind. “Yes, I am constantly reassessing everything. And constantly working of course.”

Is Richmond a special place? “The point about Richmond, as I’ve always said, is that the theatre has a perfect relationship between stage and audience. Richmond theatre-goers are well-informed, keen and bright and they feel a great warmth towards their theatre. The actors feel as though they’ve been invited into the audience’s home. And that’s very beautiful. Also, the town is full of memories for me – and so perfect for Shakespeare. Cricket wasn’t played in his day, but if he stepped onto the Green in summer, he would feel completely at ease.”

Simon Callow is appearing in Shakespeare The Man From Stratford Tues 27 – Sat 31 July

Article appeared in Applause Summer 2010

Touring the Theatre

This afternoon Michaela* and I set off on an all-exposing tour of the inner workings of Richmond Theatre. Armed only with our wits and the guidance of Adam (the very friendly stage manager), we were eased into the tour with a quick trip around the dressing rooms, technical equipment stations and labyrinthine backstage corridors. After following Adam through a seemingly random door we emerged onto the vast black expanse that is the Richmond stage. It was silent and entirely empty- being devoid of any sets, props or actors- which emphasise the size and gave it a grand and imposing effect.

Although standing centre stage and looking out onto the crimson auditorium was daunting, there is only one way to gauge the sheer enormity of the place: by visiting 'the grid'. This is a complex platform of crosshatching wires and wooden beams suspended fifteen metres above the stage, accessible only by (very tall) ladder. With a helping hand from Adam, we were able to overcome vertigo and reach it, even testing out our newly acquired technical skills along the way. We continued our exploration of the theatre on the roof, in the 'cave' above the chanelier and in lighting boxes, until we had wriggled and crawled into every conceivable corner.

The whole tour was very 'hands on'. We learned how to operate all of the different equipment around the theatre and were allowed to test it out ourselves; using the two spotlights to follow Adam around the stage whilst playing around with the size, colour and intensities was a particular favourite of mine. Although nerve-wracking at times, the tour was exciting, detailed and permitted us to learn an enormous amount. I am sure this is the only way to truly experience Richmond Theatre.

Lucy Moss is doing work experience at Richmond Theatre and didn't tremble.
*Michaela is the Earth-name taken by a lovely Australian lady in the marketing lair. Fear her- Ed

David's Marvellous Seminar

When it comes to children's theatre, David Wood is the go-to guy. Chairman of the board (The Rat Pack's influence continues!). The Superman of adaptation, though without the underwear-over-the-trousers look. Basically, if you want a Roald Dahl book turned into an awesome play, this guy will do it, and he'll do it better than anyone. His most recent Dahl work, George's Marvellous Medicine, finished at Richmond Theatre last Saturday having been thoroughly enjoyed by all, and Wood was kind enough to host a seminar the day before to tell us a little about himself and how he goes about adapting Dahl's books.


With a background in acting, it's little surprise Wood has an affinity for the stage, and his extensive back catalogue has seen him referred to as "the national childrens' dramatist" by The Times. On this occasion, he talked about using his depth of experience with childrens' theatre to distill Dahl's stories down to their basic components and then ensure that these essential themes make it into his stage adaptations. Particularly emphasised were the notions of 'justice' and 'subversion', Wood underlining the need to appeal to child's basic sense of fairness and to retain the streak of irreverence and rebellion which runs through Dahl's work. The giant chickens, meanwhile, are emblemic of the magic and surrealism (you and I might call it 'insanity', but in a good way) Wood understands is necessary to keep a child's attention and, perhaps more importantly, to keep the show fun.

Much is made of the effective use of cliff-hangers and ensuring that the audience has something to wonder about during the interval, something to want to come back for. Fade-to-black is out, unless you want the little tykes' attention to fade away as well. What's a good way to stop that from happening? Villains we love to hate: Wood delights in transposing Dahl's despicable antagonists (child-eating giants, greedy farmers, witches with an irrational dislike of pre-pubescents) to the stage. At the same time, he refuses to talk down to his audience: whereas the cinematic adaptation (itself celebrating its 20th anniversary this August) of The Witches gave the end of the story a thoroughly sanitised happily-ever-after, Wood's stage version retains his source's traditional (and far bleaker) conclusion. To his amusement, he once received a letter on this subject, informing him that he had not been true to Dahl's vision in his stage adaptation, an accusation which merely served to prove that the complainant had failed to keep up with their reading...

Affable and enthusiastic, Wood held our attention throughout, taking care to direct any rhetorical questions to the younger members of his audience, all of whom seemed to know a great deal more than I did. He happily answered the barrage of questions thrown in his direction when he had finished, and by the time we were due to shuffle out and get on with our lives, the dramatist had proven again that he can enthrall an audience, with or without a giant chicken.

Rory Thomas is Richmond Theatre's digital media editor and wishes he could remember more.

Setting Up For Success

An 8 AM start to a scorching day filled, for the most part, with carrying very heavy bits of metal around does not sound like the beginning of a Good Time. This much I happily confess, and whilst I don't think I'd recommend it as an option for a fun day out with the kids, I can say with all honesty that it was more fun than I had anticipated the night before, when the prevailing terror I felt insisted I was going to be crushed under a stage item or make some sort of horrific error which would mean the show would most definitely not go on.

What I'm talking about is helping with the 'get-in' for this week's showing of The Rat Pack, which audiences are loving. 'Get-in' is a term I hadn't heard before coming to Richmond Theatre, and so far using the term as if people don't already know what it means has earned me looks which range between pitying and contemptuous, but just in case you're the only other person besides me who hadn't come across it, a 'get-in' involves bringing in and setting up everything required for the show. In this case, 'everything' is a massive collection of steel frames, plastic sheets and wheeled cases which combine to make the elaborate back-drop for The Rat Pack. Perhaps a day on which it felt like the sun was throwing itself at the Earth like a hungry lion on an unlucky tourist was not the best choice for ingratiating myself with the intricacies of stage set-up, but I've never been one to pass up a punishing experience. While I wilted and sweated and saw my life flash before my eyes, the rest of Richmond's technical crew (admittedly a bit more used to such things) made it look easy, hefting, lifting and hauling with practised ease.

The bare stage began to transform into a place to perform as we stretched backdrops over frames and assembled platforms with poles, screws and more than a little effort. Other members of the team hoisted up and tested a bewildering array of lights. A piano tuner fiddled with an expensive-looking grand piano while I was tunnelling around inside the structure we had erected trying to bolt bits of it together.

I even got to close off the little road to the side of the theatre and Duke Street church so that the lorry could escape without crushing cars into scrap or demolishing shop fronts (something I am reliably informed has happened before). This probably sounds less exciting than it was, but hey, I got to use a short-wave radio.

It was enormously satisfying seeing the whole thing come together, rather like I imagine watching a sped-up recording of an artist drawing a cartoon might be. The moment when the stage suddenly looked like it was fit for The Rat Pack was elusive, but when it jumped out at me I couldn't resist a little bit of self-congratulation. Richmond Theatre's technical team deserve all the more- they do this kind of thing week in, week out, and have to pack everything away again when the show moves on. There was a point in the middle of the day when, under the sun's punishing gaze and a barrage of heavy lifting, their banter and good-natured insults faltered a little, but it rallied soon enough amid a public inquiry into the name of Def Leppard's drummer and a blizzard of alliterative alternative names for the band.

A great many thanks go to Adam and everyone in the technical team for tolerating my doe-eyed innocence and inability in a job where the clock is the enemy- it would have been easy to get frustrated with the blogger who's probably more hindrance than help, but everyone was nothing less than friendly and welcoming all day, even when working to a deadline in the boiling heat. Will I be back to help with a get-out? Maybe one day. For now, though, I'm still discovering aching muscles I didn't know I had. You're on your own on Saturday, guys!

Rory Thomas is Richmond Theatre's digital media editor and thought it sounded like a great idea at the time.

So What Else Is On?

I can't remember what it was that first made me want to see War Horse. A friend's recommendation? A critic's review? The pleading eye of the titular horse gazing out at me from the poster? Regardless, the other week I finally found myself shuffling into my seat in the New London Theatre on Drury Lane to watch a moving tale of a boy, his horse and the horrors of the First World War unfold, featuring astonishing life-sized puppets (the handiwork of the South African group Handspring Puppets) and superb performances from everyone involved. Top billing, if it is not to be awarded to any of the magnificent puppets, should really go to Bronagh Gallagher, playing the mother of said boy, an endearing portrait of a long-suffering, loyal and affectionate wife. War Horse pulls few punches- people are gunned down, animals are put out of their misery- and uses a fantastic concoction of sound, light, backdrop and a rotating stage to construct an intoxicating and compelling performance, in which a goose will make you laugh and in which the heads of dying horses, craning upwards pathetically, bring home the horrors of war better than any poem on a page.

Richmond Theatre Anniversary Exhibition

Here are a few words from one of our volunteers, Leanne Werner, who is working on the Heritage Lottery Project: Richmond Theatre 110...

As I’m sure you are already aware, Richmond Theatre will see the culmination of its 110 year celebrations with the launch in September of a new exhibition tracing its history.

This isn’t just any exhibition, but the work of 13 volunteers, including me, who have been tracing the history of the Theatre’s development. The exhibition will reflect Richmond Theatre’s rich theatrical history from serious plays to pantomimes to its musical offerings which have been as diverse as Rocky Horror and Russian ballet.

It will also reflect the memories of those who have been connected with the Theatre – ex-employees, cast members, audiences and patrons. So, if you do have any memories please contact Eleanor Packham – 0208 332 4526 or eleanorpackham@theambassadors.com. Better still if you have any memorabilia relating to the theatre (like photos, old programmes or posters) which you could loan to the Museum for the exhibition, we would all be extremely grateful!

Looking back through the archives I was surprised to find that the stage has seen many great artists including– Charlie Chaplin (my favourite!), Ralph Richardson, Alec Guiness, Omar Sharif, Glenda Jackson, Ian McKellen to name but a few! I am sure that we will uncover lots more interesting facts and stories in the coming months-I just can’t wait!

On the anniversary of Richmond Theatre’s first performance, Saturday 18th September, the exhibition will open at the Museum of Richmond in Whittaker Avenue (Tues-Sat 11-5 until the year end). So please come and visit! This will also coincide with London’s Open House weekend in which Richmond Theatre will participate, so visitors will be able to call at both venues that day and get a real sense of ‘then and now’ (and find out about all the juicy secrets!)

We'd love to hear from you

This year, we’ve been celebrating Richmond Theatre’s 110th Anniversary and one way that we’ve been celebrating is collecting people’s memories of the theatre. It’s been so interesting looking back over our long history together and remembering some of the incredible events that have taken place within the four walls of this beautiful building.

Norman Fenner, our archivist, remembers being taken by his mother to see Sinbad The Sailor here in 1924, when he was so terrified he had to be carried out screaming. While most of us don’t have memories which reach back quite so far, we all look back at our time at Richmond Theatre and one or two special moments stick out.

For Michaela, it was the first time that she walked into the auditorium and looked up. She never tires of staring at the ceiling, studying the scenes from Romeo and Juliet, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet and Julius Caesar. Like all of us Michaela often has to pinch herself that she’s lucky enough to work here!

For Charlotte, it was the time that she met Matt Lucas and advised him on where to catch the football in Richmond, she loves how friendly all the stars are who come to the theatre – they can often be seen signing autographs for their fans after a show. Matt was kind enough to sign a congratulations card for Charlotte’s younger sister who had just completed her GCSE’s and is a massive fan of Little Britain.

From speaking to the members of our audience, participants in the theatre’s regular workshops and some of the volunteers who help out at the theatre we know that Richmond Theatre is a special place for so many people, not just the staff. This is why the major project for our Anniversary Celebrations is so wonderful.

“Late afternoon, Christmas time, 1970, after the matinee my three year old daughter stood at the top of the short flight of steps leading from the circle to the foyer. The rest of the audience had left but she would not budge, ‘We must go’ I said. ‘No’ she said, ‘I want to go back into the magic’. So she was hooked for life- just like her mother! Thank you beautiful Richmond Theatre.” J. Cunningham

A team of passionate volunteers are currently going through the theatre’s archive and are curating an exhibition of memorabilia, charting the history of our theatre which will be held at Richmond Museum from September.

And this is where you come in… our volunteers are eager to speak to as many people as possible, to collect everyone’s ‘special moment’ with Richmond Theatre as well as to hear what you’d like to see on display at the museum.

If you have a special memory that you’d like to share, please email eleanorpackham@theambassadors.com We’d love to hear from you.

The Tragedy of Soliman and Perseda at The Rose Theatre, Bankside

I battled valiantly with TFL to make my way to The Rose Theatre, Bankside, in Southwark last night – and yes it was definitely worth the journey. I was there to sample the first offering from Trifle (insert your favourite desert based pun here), who are “a new company set up to create cutting edge theatre and film” (hmmm, so far so good).

This first offering from Trifle is The Tragedy of Soliman and Perseda, “a rich and rare Elizabethan tale” accredited to Thomas Kyd. My plus one, Kaitlyn, was impressed with The Rose’s rich history, and excited to be seeing a show that was last performed in The Rose Theatre during the late 16th century, about 400 years ago.

The Rose Theatre’s well-preserved archaeology was discovered in 1989 during an exploratory excavation during the re-development of an office block. Since its discovery, the site became a major international news story, and the site attracted many thousands of visitors. Today people visit The Rose Theatre to learn about its life between 1587 and 1603. On Tuesday night we were most interested by the red rope lights marked out the original foundations of the theatre allowing us to imagine what it must have been like during Elizabethan Times.

Our imaginations ran wild with scenes of debauchery and chaos and back in the real world we were delighted to find that Tuesday night’s performance filled The Rose with dazzling frenetic energy. Ben Galpin’s Erastus delivered a solid tragic hero, liveried in the throes of love for Cassandra Hodges’ passionate Perseda. She in turn brimmed with desire for Erastus whilst fervent in her rejection of Israel Oyelumade’s shamelessly licentious Solomon. Fortunately this powerful trio of performances were matched by thoroughly enjoyable comic relief throughout from Carsten Hayes as Basilisco and Michael Linsey as Piston. We were especially tickled by Basilisco’s deft theft of a kiss from the dying Perseda, but his costume of flamboyant pastel striped pants and baby pink Abercromie & Fitch button down shirt combined with his front of bravery seemed to a bring forth a chuckle almost every time he stepped on stage.

We felt that this play seems a perfect example of how timeless theatre is, although with its short run it may be the audience who run out of time before having the opportunity to see it. Let’s at least hope that it’s not another 400 years before the opportunity returns.

The Tragedy of Soliman and Perseda will be playing at The Rose Theatre, Bankside, until Saturday, 1 May 2010.

Photo from The Rose Theatre Bankside website

Written By: Trish Langenau

Dancing in the Streets... or in the Stalls Bar

Dancing in the Streets is an energetic production, so we created a photo booth on Monday night, 12 April, for our upbeat audience. Richmond Theatre friends of all ages dressed up in wigs, sported peace-sign necklaces, and posed against a backdrop displaying Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Diana Ross and The Supremes. We must admit, we were guilty of jumping into a few of the photos… but we wanted to take pictures with some of our most loyal audience members. We’d like to say “Thank You” to everyone who participated. We love to have fun at Richmond Theatre, and the photos prove it! You can comment or tag yourselves by going to our Facebook page.

Written By: Trish Langenau

Romeo & Juliet

Reading reviews of Rupert Goold’s Romeo & Juliet, I wasn’t sure what to expect: critics have referenced the modern-day costumes and the simple set with varied opinions. However, the moment Romeo stepped on stage in his hooded sweatshirt and wrinkled jeans I was captivated. We listened to the monologue playing on his audio player which told us about, “two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona where we lay our scene.”

Immediately after the audio-played introduction, a violent stage fight ensued complete with fire exploding from the stage floor. Everyone who came out for the brawl was dressed in lavish Elizabethan costume. I especially liked the male costumes, which incorporated royal maroons and greens, and platform boots like I could have found at stores like Darkside in Camden.

The show continued to surprise me, with its humour. Jonjo O’Neill, who plays Mercutio, brought almost ten minutes of uninterrupted laughter during the first half. After exclaiming, “Romeo, that she were, O, that she were an open et caetera, thou a poperin pear!” and then proceeded to act out the meaning of his words! Mercutio was certainly a favourite, every time he came on stage he captured the audience’s attention and we prepared to laugh. Another humorous moment that I especially enjoyed, was in the beginning when the fighting Capulets and Montagues were ordered to drop their weapons. What the audience expected to be an immediate clatter of swords and shields became a farcical extended performance. Every time we thought all weapons were dropped, someone else would drop a weapon causing laughter with every extra club and dagger. This proceeded for quite some time, and had us laughing from the beginning, setting the mood for the rest of the production.

This said, the comic relief did not detract from the intensity of the love story. I appreciated how the careful portrayals of Romeo (Sam Troughton), and Juliet (Mariah Gale), showed not just two lovers, but too young lovers. There is humour in young love, and Goold was successful in poking fun at how awkward and irrational it is, without denying the strong emotions that are also a reality.

The Courtyard Theatre proved perfect for this production. It opened in July 2006 and will continue to be the main venue in Stratford during the transformation of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The Courtyard Theatre’s stage configuration, which is a prototype for the redeveloped Royal Shakespeare Theatre, had seating on three sides of the stage. On my second day in Stratford, I had lunch at Oscar’s Deli Café, the food was delicious and local. As the weather warms up, if you are looking for a day trip, I would definitely recommend Stratford. Beyond it being a theatre-loving town, it has quaint Tudor architecture, shops, good food, and feels more relaxed than London.

One of our friends from Orange Tree Theatre, Meg Dobson, will be visiting Stratford on Sunday 25 April, to run in the annual Shakespeare Marathon. Wish her luck!

Photo from Royal Shakespeare Company website

Written By: Trish Langenau

The Gods Weep

Ok I confess, I rushed to book my tickets for Hampstead Theatre’s latest production, The Gods Weep by Dennis Kelly because it had Jeremy Irons in it and pretty much ignored what it was about, probably for the best as I’m not entirely sure that you could adequately synopsize the play’s 3 hour content! The evening got off to a cracking start as Irons, playing a kind of Gordon Gekko straight out of Wall Street role, dominated the scene in a fairly conventional board room setting. The subsequent action was then fast paced but never dull moving into a Quentin Tarantino phase before finally turning into a much calmer Waiting For Godot scenario with a staggering metamorphosis by Irons from his suited and slick get up to pajama wearing tramp in act 2. I know some critics have disliked this production but I LOVED it, it moved me, shocked me but always engaged me. I try and pop along to the wonderful Hampstead Theatre as often as I can and think they should be applauded for putting on this brave new production, please do go along and support it as it’s big, brash, ambitious and provoking - thank you Mr. Irons for taking on the challenge!

Photo from the Royal Shakespeare Company

Written By: Alison

Wicked

Love them or hate them, musicals continue to draw audiences in the West End. What I love about musicals is the glitz and the glam, and Wicked certainly delivers. WICKED first dazzled Broadway in October 2003 and came to the West End in September 2006, bringing Stephen Schwart’s powerful songs to London. Schwart’s impact on the show was illustrated when I invited my friend to join me and she exclaimed, “I’ve been listening to the soundtrack for ages!” Wicked seems unique in that many people listen to the soundtrack prior to actually seeing the production.

Based on the acclaimed novel by Gregory Maguire that re-imagined the L. Frank Baum’s, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, it sheds a green light on the untold story of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, played by Alexia Khadime, and her friendship with Glinda, the Good Witch, played by Dianne Pilkington.

Stepping out of tube, the green lights shining down from the Apollo Victoria Theatre onto the street lead our way to the theatre entrance just as the yellow-brick road lead Dorothy to OZ.

The Wicked Witch of the West stole our hearts with her powerful and deep, yet impeccably controlled voice. Her passion and energy made her stand out, even amongst the outrageous costumes (designed by Susan Hilferty) and spectacular sets (designed by Eugene Lee). She has previously played the role ‘Nala’ in Disney’s The Lion King (West End). She truly complimented Glinda, who delighted us with every hair-flip and squeal.

The show is famous for being over the top and it did not disappoint! A rain of confetti opened the show in celebration of the death of the Wicked Witch. It took me by surprise as I was marvelling at the giant dragon looking down on us when the confetti was released. During intense moments the dragon’s eyes would illuminate a bright red, it would shake its head and flap its wings above, inciting squeals and gasps from the younger members of the audience. The set for the Emerald City extended beyond the stage by surrounding the audience with green lights. The costumes were different shades of green and gold, made of velvets and satins, and had ruffles, holes, and volume in unexpected places.

Although the production is for pure entertainment, and involves little thought to follow, it does reveal that there are two sides to every story. The show is truly a melting pot of creativity and we left with a new definition of what it means to be Wicked.

Photo From Londontheatredirect.com

Written By: Trish Langenau

Simon Annand’s photographic exhibition, ‘The Half’

Popped along to the V&A on Saturday to take a look at Simon Annand’s photographic exhibition, ‘The Half’. (We’re all extremely familiar with Simon’s work here at Richmond as we were lucky enough to have him take our pantomime production shots for Snow White). The exhibition was made up of photos taken of most treasured thesps during the half an hour before they go on stage – usually a sacred time for them – so as you can imagine the photos are quite revealing (in more ways than one for a couple), I particularly loved the photo of David Tennant (The Rivals Barbican 2000), Daniel Craig (A Number Royal Court 1999) and a stunning behind the scenes shot of Tim Vine and Jonathan Shotton in this year’s panto. What I really loved though was the projected images of Simon’s photos (note to V&A, please add a sofa in front of this as I could have happily sat here all day watching these images flick by, all quite absorbing. Be sure to go along soon though as the exhibition finishes on April 1. Also worth taking a look around the V&A’s permanent theatre exhibition, keep an eye out for Emile Tittler’s Show Business board game and Mick Jagger’s tiny stage costume!

Photo from V&A website

Written By: Alison Tracey

English National Opera

This production at the magnificent London Coliseum, (another Matcham designed building) was a real treat.

If you like your Opera's 'angular' then this could be the one for you. The stage rake is the same as the Upper Circle at Richmond' or the A39 that comes out of Minehead in Somerset, about a 1/10 gradient. It is beautifully lit by Adam Silverman and the whole production is dramatic. Patricia Racette gives her all as Katya especially the giant leap into the 'Volga' at the end- if you're going to leap then this is how to do it. However, for me, the show is stolen by the wonderful Susan Bickley as Marfa Kabaniche, somebody who you do not wish to cross if they're having a bad day (a bit like our Chief Executive if we haven't sold enough tickets). Susan Bickley plays the part so well that it causes the audience to boo in pantomime style at the end which then turns into cheers. If you wonder about the story, think 'Coronation Street' with the Molly, Tyron and Kevin triangle, somehow I don't think Molly will however leap into the pond in the Red Rec!

This was really great night out, great production and some fine singing. I didn't know the Opera beforehand and okay I am not going to rush out and add it to my CD collection but for the production I'd give it 4 stars out of 5, highly enjoyable.

Photo from English National Opera Website

Written By: David

Waiting for Godot

This much vaunted production of Samuel Beckett’s classic, Waiting for Godot, is still delighting audiences at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Sir Ian McKellen (theatreland royalty by anyone’s reckoning) plays Estragon and, together with Roger Rees, Ronald Pickup and Matthew Kelly, lured us into the beautiful surroundings of the Theatre Royal which has recently been restored to its original 1819 glory. What better way to spend a rainy afternoon? The restoration alone is reason enough to purchase a ticket, as the royal blues, stunning painted ceiling and mock tapestries that adorn the walls of the stalls were breathtaking. Although our hearts are with Richmond Theatre’s beautifully maintained interior, this is also a truly spectacular example of how to look after a theatre!

When we attended last week, we of course knew that nothing would happen, but we were glued to our seats all the same! Recently winning a Whats On Stage Award for Theatre Event of the Year, the show definitely satisfied our expectations. Sir Ian McKellen’s skeptical Gogo complimented the optimism of Rees’s Didi by constantly asking, “Why?” We enjoyed Rees’s Didi, who was originally played by Patrick Stewart, and felt that there was a great dynamic between him and McKellen. The set, which famously calls for “A country road. A tree. Evening”, stayed true to the simplistic tradition of the play while managing to still be innovative. Director Sean Mathias chose to emphasise the play’s theatricality by creating a stage within a stage. The clever design included a proscenium arch (complete with theatre boxes), remains of masonry in the background, a tree, and stone bench. Everything was falling apart. The top of the arch revealed it’s interior construction and had pieces of plywood sticking out in all directions. “Evening” was conveyed by using a spotlight to represent the moon: a simple, but dramatic effect. Ronald Pickup, playing Lucky, and Matthew Kelly, playing Pozzo were also outstanding. We enjoyed Kelly’s extravagant interpretation of Pozzo as it brought energy to the entire show.

The final performance at Theatre Royal will be on 4 April, so we wanted to catch it before it leaves London for the world tour, and urge you to do the same. Click the link below to purchase tickets:

http://www.waitingforgodottheplay.com/

Photo from Theatre Royal website: hhttp://www.trh.co.uk/show_waitingforgodot.php

Video from Waiting for Godot Video Landing Page: http://www.waitingforgodottheplay.com/

An Inspector Calls

An Inspector Calls, at Wyndhams Theatre is suspenseful and visually creative. The show starts with having the audience listen in on a dinner party from outside the prosperous Berling family home. Although we felt kind of guilty for eavesdropping, but we were happy to hear about the exciting engagement of Mr. Berling’s daughter to Gerald Croft (heir to the most successful family business in North England). The celebration was interrupted when a police inspector arrived. In the following hour (without an intermission), Inspector Goole proceeded to question each member of the Birling family about the death of a young girl. During this suspenseful process everyone finds themselves connected to this young girl; causing great distress among the Birlings. Realizing that everyone's connection to her death, illuminated the importance of recognizing the consequences of our choices today. To find out how it all ends purchase a ticket by clicking the link below:

http://www.london-theatreland.co.uk/theatres/wyndhams-theatre/theatre.php




Photo from Wynhdams Theatre website: http://www.london-theatreland.co.uk/theatres/wyndhams-theatre/an-inspector-calls-cast-creative.php

Written By: Trish Langenau

Check out the British Music Experience!

We approve of the British Music Experience because it’s an ultimate interactive adventure that can be enjoyed by everyone. The journey begins by ascending up two flights of escalators; bringing attendees to the very top of the famous O₂ and into a dark room where they are welcomed by the glow of a virtual greeter. Guests are then invited to explore the “museum of popular music”, where one can listen, sing, dance, and observe popular music from 1945 to our present time. Not only are tickets reasonably priced at £15.00 for adults, but interactive as well because they are Smarttickets. Smartickets allow holders to create a database of what interested them and review it later online. My favourite activity was learning how to dance the disco. You can see my dance moves by clicking the link below to access my Smarticket:

http://www.britishmusicexperience.com/index.cfm?PageID=71&FriendUUID=6A80E256-C7AB-E666-A4BDF4A45ACDF149

Photo from BME website: http://www.britishmusicexperience.com/home/

Written By: Trish Langenau