Review: Twelfth Night
May 2, 2009
Date reviewed: 1 May 2009
Venue: York Theatre Royal
In cast lists of Twelfth Night Curio is one of two gentlemen attending on Duke Orsino and Fabian a member of Olivia’s household, Curio barely defined as a character and Fabian so ambiguous that directors constantly redefine his role: many years ago, at the old Leeds Playhouse, he became an icecream salesman! At York Theatre Royal, however, they play a major part in creating the style of the production as, armed with flute and violin, they come close to replacing Feste as the troubadour(s) linking the palaces of Duke and Countess.
Review: Funny Turns
April 29, 2009
Date revieved: 28 April 2009
Venue: Hull Truck Theatre
Funny Turns is a well chosen welcome to Hull Truck’s splendid new premises on Ferensway. John Godber’s new play is very much within the company’s tradition: people on hard times in Hull find their lives transformed Cinderella-style, but by their own boldness rather than some fairy godmother (though Funny Turns boasts a sort of fairy godmother, but he’s a large, hairy roadie!). The doubling of parts, the strong sense of ensemble and the short blackout scenes carry on the old Spring Street ways. On the other hand, it’s doubtful if the Spring Street stage could have accommodated a speaking chorus of eight (male) and a dance troupe of the same size (female), both from the Truck Youth Theatre – a neat way of celebrating both the spacious new venue and the future of the company.
Review: Northern Exposure double bill
April 29, 2009
Date reviewed: 28 April 2009
Venue: West Yorkshire Playhouse
Now in its seventh iteration, the annual Northern Exposure season is an established fixture at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. However, while its exact shape varies between years, this is the first time that the main item has been a double bill of short plays, with each around an hour long and performed by the same cast under the leadership of WYP associate director (literary) Alex Chisholm.
Review: Kellerman
April 23, 2009
Date reviewed: 22 April 2009
Venue: West Yorkshire Playhouse
With Kellerman, Leeds company imitating the dog, along with serial collaborator Pete Brooks, tackles the achingly cool theme of time travel. It’s usually seen more as a haunt of filmmakers than theatre companies, but this is consistent with itd’s style, which sews live performance to film and animation.
Review: Paradise Moscow and Russian season
April 21, 2009
Date reviewed: 20 April 2009
Venue: Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House
According to Richard Mantle, general director of Opera North, Shostakovich’s “block-busting musical comedy”, Paradise Moscow, first performed by the company in 2001, has been one of the productions most requested for revival. In some ways the timing this year might seem a little unusual, with the 2008-9 season already top-heavy (or, possibly, top-light) with operetta. In another sense the timing is perfect, as Paradise Moscow sits in the middle of a splendid series of Russian-themed events at the Howard Assembly Room.