The Importance of Being Ernest
October 30, 2007
The Importance of Being Ernest is one of Oscar Wildes hardiest plays that is often produced on tour or as part of a season of plays at theatres around the country.
In fact we only have to look back to 1991 to recall Penelope Keith touring in another version of “Ernest” again playing Lady Bracknell, her co-stars on that occasion were the real life husband and wife team of Dulcie Grey and Michael Dennison.
Move forward to 2007 and we have Miss Keith playing the same role of Lady Bracknell with, for obvious reasons different co-stars, this time the play is on a pre West End tryout, astounding as that may be due to the production values I witnessed.
Portable Panto!
October 28, 2007
Comics, singers and groups talk often of “doing the clubs”, touring around the working men’s clubs, but for the second year running a North East theatre company will be “doing the clubs” this Christmas.
Entertainments agency Beverley Artistes, currently based in South Shields but about to move into new premises, has brought in South Tyneside theatre company KG Productions to write, produce and tour a pantomime around the social clubs of the NE from Northumberland to Teesside.
At the moment, Aladdin has 33 bookings in the four week period from the beginning of December to New Year’s Eve but Beverley’s Paul Taylor confidently expects that number will increase.
A Cold Coming
October 24, 2007
A Cold Coming is novelist Chaz Brenchley’s first play which after an intial successful run is starting a short regional tour in November.
The central character for the story is Quin who ten years ago was diagnosed as HIV positive. A year ago his condition deteriorated and, at roughly the same time, his partner Michael took up a post at the University of Kyoto. Now close to death, Quin is looked after by a group of old friends and former students, led by his doctor Gillian, an old friend, and Stuart, a former lover.
Now Michael has returned…
A Cold Coming is a searing, deeply moving play. Just an hour long, it examines the complexities of relationships in the face of imminent death.
Casanova
October 24, 2007
Northern Stage Newcastle 23rd Oct to 27th and touring
When looking to write a play considering adapting an existing story must be a favoured option as you have the characters and plot outline already. But then to change the lead from a male to a female, as writer Carol Ann Duffy has done here, is no easy task. Luckily she manages to pull off the gender change to provide us with a worthwhile , yet different, night at the theatre.
This production by Told by an Idiot, Yorkshire Playhouse and the Lyric Hammersmith is a pantomime for adults, told in two fifty minute chunks of entertaining theatre. The cast of seven play a multitude of parts during the play and to keep up the pantomime feel , the male members play the countesses and the females roles such as Mozart. The opening sequence with Casanova in prison literally has no English dialogue spoken in the first ten minutes, but the Italian, German and whatever else that is thrown at us during this time sets the scene and does not stop the comedy element of the production .
Equus gallops in to town
October 22, 2007
The tour of Equus has now been confirmed with the Theatre Royal in Newcastle being one of the tour dates from March 24th to 29th (evenings 7.30 and mats Thursday 2.00 p.m. and Saturday 2.30 p.m.)
Recently a hit in London with Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) taking the lead and much was made of his nude scene. This promises to be a must see production in the Theatres spring season
Peter Shaffers hit play tells the story of Alan Strang, a 17 year old boy, who for no apparent reason stabs 6 horses in the eyes whilst working at a riding stables. It is down to Martin Dysart, his psychiatrist, to investigate the mysterious case, while at the same time curing Alan.
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