Reader Reviews
Summer and Smoke (Southwark Playhouse, Inner London)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | Ironically, Tom Clifford's criticism of the WoS review is itself unnecessarily personalised. After watching the production last night, I salute Katherine Gregor for describing it accurately as she saw it: she has no duty to be "constructive", or avoid mentioning what she felt didn't work - mainly the mis en scène. I'd agree with her that Rebecca Frecknall's self-consciously expressionist techniques do make free with conventional, naturalistic staging; but that's no bad thing when Williams is so concerned with intangible qualities like longing, hope and regret. The suffocating small-town atmosphere is memorably evoked by the ever-watching chorus, and the most of the individual roles are very vividly drawn. Kate Lamb's Alma, the deluded heroine, is a superbly detailed creation; and Sarah-Jayne Butler and William Donaldson each seize their opportunities with gusto. Within the constraints of working with such a young cast, Frecknall has articulated the play's central ideas with a clarity that eluded the well-resourced London premier, with a miscast Rosamund Pike, a few years ago. Certainly, any lover of Williams should seek out this production in the next fortnight. - Adam Sheldon | 20 Jun 12 |
| I went to see this play on Monday, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Have since read entirely positive reviews of it (including 4 stars in the Times!) apart from this one from Whats On Stage. The vault in the playhouse is a dark and damp space beneath a railway arch but was transformed by some imaginative lighting techniques and great performances from everyone involved especially Curran McKay and Kate Lamb. What I liked best about this show was the physical theatre element to it. The movement and music between scenes made the whole thing flow, rather than being a series of events as it could have been, and injected a freshness to the play. The minimal set and use of slightly quirky methods (brilliant touch with the fireworks!) added to this. Sometimes I wonder whether some reviewers credit the audience with enough intelligence. We have imagination and just because we`re sitting in a cold underground bunker dosn`t mean we can`t transport our minds to a hot, sticky, deep south American town. Moreover, I think the minimalist set enabled this timeless story to stand out even more, and show that feelings of frustration, what you`re meant to be doing with your life, and just who you`re meant to be that we all experience are as relevant today as they were when it was written. Surprisingly, it was so seamlessly put together that I didn`t even get confused by the four actors who played 16 characters between them. Actually it added to the small town mentality where you can never seem to get away from your life, theres always the same old familiar people around you wherever you go! The review from Whats On Stage is too personal, and not in anyway constructive. So you didn`t like the show? So what? Your job is to give more of a professional critique to inform your readers about the show. All you`ve done here is tell people not to see it because you didn`t like it – I thought the job of a critic was a little more refined than that. Go see it and make your own mind up. It’s a gem. - Tom Clifford | 19 Jun 12 |
| Considering the price of the tickets (£9.00)for this production I would have gladly paid more. The actors were fantastic and put on an excelent performance. Amazing use of props especially as they were limited. A very believable and true to life performance. I will gladly recommend to my friends. Well done. - Gill Biggerstaff | 18 Jun 12 |
| I loved the show and thought the venue worked well together. Especially using the viaduct to represent the angel! The actors all did a wonderful job and I feel gave a strong and believable performance. I like the way the other characters were used to listen in to the main dialogue. This made me think of how things would have been in a tight knit community. Everyone knowing everyone's business. I thought the use of the prop's was very imaginative, especially the fireworks! In all an excellent performance and I have recommended it to friends. - Shirley Ellicott | 17 Jun 12 |
| Enter into the experience as one of a team of volunteers to work with families, youth or drug rehab and you find yourself caught up in the lives of families living in this cut off area of London. Once the characters are introduced through a short series of interviews that we are witness to we are plunged into the underworld as head off into the vaults and witness site specific scenes in which we are invited to comment and make suggestions. A unique piece of well researched and written interactive theatre. - Dave J | 15 Apr 10 |
