Progress Theatre's Production of Moonlight and Magnolias by Ron Hutchinson. Progress Theatre Reading, Monday 11th November 2013

Moonlight and Magnolias is a comedy about the frantic 5 day rewrite of the Gone with the Wind screenplay. Or is it? Actually, there is a lot more to this play than just a funny take on the producers, directors and writers of Hollywood’s glory years. As most people will know Gone with the Wind is a sort of soap opera omnibus set against the backdrop of the American civil war. The fact that the heroine is a Southern Belle (or brat if you will) on the wrong side of America’s moral compass has political ramifications for the period. The film was released in 1939, just a few months after Europe had begun the Second World War.

The play also tackles the position of Jews in Hollywood with lots of banter between producer David Selznick (Alex McCubbin) and the writer he has brought in to salvage his production Ben Hecht (Daniel Clarke), both Jews but with quite different views on what that means to them. Daniel Clarke creates a character of Ben Hecht which draws the audience’s empathy from the start; I think I wanted him to have a bagel more than he did. This is vital as Ben Hecht is often the obstructer in this play and the moral questioner which would be a tricky position if the audience hadn’t warmed to him already. The opening scene is fast paced and full of witty remarks but the true laughs came from the physical comedy. The introduction of the director Victor Fleming (Christopher Hoult), who is a rough sort with little respect for any of his actors or crew and even less for writers like Hecht, allows the physical comedy to really shine. A great deal of work must have gone into the various slapstick set pieces which bring up the tempo and energy for the audience but they make it look easy and natural.

The pace does tend to fall at times, especially during the somewhat heavy handed moral dialogues. This is dealt with in this production with the afore-mentioned physical comedy and the actors do an admirable job of keeping the energy high even as they portray the exhaustion their characters feel. The ever ready Miss Poppenghul (adorably played by Alison Hill) helps to relieve the feeling that develops in the second act of also being trapped in that room with the three protagonists. There are some strong visuals and clever use of lighting and music throughout the production.

I enjoyed this show for the performances despite the sometimes repetitive dialogue. I also think there is still relevance in the themes the play tackles, such as whether the responsibility of movie makers is to solely entertain or also to challenge, even if the dominance of the Hollywood blockbuster has diminished a little since the Golden Year of 1939. Progress Theatre’s production aims for the fine balance between the ridiculous and the truthful in this show and in the main they hit in on the head leaving the audience feeling entertained but also thoughtful, which in my book is exactly what any popular movie or play should do.

Dante or Die’s production of I do by Daphna Attias, Terry O'Donovan and Chloe Moss. Malmaison, Reading, Sunday 10th November 2013

This show encapsulates all that is brilliant about live fringe theatre. The storyline is complete and full of drama. The characters are all fully defined despite the audience only seeing short glimpses of each character.  Even more impressive was the way in which the almost claustrophobic nature of the staging, where the audience become voyeurs, allowed an empathy for the characters to develop. The directors are right when they say this production is somewhere between a theatre play and a film. We (the audience) are allowed to witness the most intimate scenes between characters, which we can immediately empathise with, in close up like a film, but we also get to choose the camera angle.

The main storyline of this production is the last 15 minutes of preparation before a wedding in a hotel setting. The audience is split into groups and led from room to room by friendly guides. The idea is that we get to witness the preparation in each room, the bride’s, the best man’s, the mother of the bride’s etc., but each group will witness a different opening and ending scene with a different combination of scenes as the middle. To pull this off so that each group has as full an experience as possible each “scene” has to be the beginning, the middle and the end. Judging by the whispering I heard as the groups passed each other in the corridor throughout and the version I experienced, no-one was left disappointed.

What I thought was the strongest element of this show was the intricate web of plotlines, performed with real truth by the entire ensemble. There were subplots which bring laughter, others which move to tears but each and every one rung true for me. During the performance I witnessed (and you do feel like a witness rather than an audience at times) the flow of drama was flawless. This has to be down to an excellent storyline, precision scene changes and a delightful performance by the maid, our silent fellow witness to scenes and stage setter as she “rewound” us before we entered each new room.

Whether you have ever been a part of a wedding or not, you cannot help but get caught up in this wonderful drama. It will be performed again in Winchester in February and again in London in March. If you are still in doubt and wondering whether or not I recommend this show… I do, I most definitely do.

Tom Frankland and Keir Cooper in association with Ultimo Comboio production of Don Quijote. MacDevitts Studio, Reading 6th November 2013

This is a very clever, very funny and very inspiring production. I’d like to describe to you the experience of being an audience member for Don Quijote but I know I wouldn't do it justice and I wouldn't want to spoil the experience by giving you any pre-conceptions. I will say that it starts with the audience all seated on red cushions on the floor, which reminded me strongly of being a child at school listening to teacher read out a story. This feeling of being like a child, which is not only a more receptive state for being immersed in the fantastic stories of the book but also, I imagined, was related to Don Quijote style thinking, recurs several times during the show. It isn't the only recurring theme I noticed and I am certain I will have missed many too.

The players employ many different performance techniques such as puppetry and dance, sometimes to make us laugh, sometimes to make us gasp in wonder. The many interconnected layers of this show will keep me pondering on it for some time. All of the excellent performers had a natural, easy manner which I think served them very well for setting up a lot of misdirection. One could say that this was a show about Don Quijote. You could also say this show was Don Quijote. I think it was both, simultaneously, in parallel and yet also intertwined.

The only criticism I can offer (and I am hesitant to do so because I now wonder if I have missed the reason why it was done the way that it was) is that I’m sure they could have evened things up with some modern female Don Quijotes. If that comment intrigues you then go and see this show tonight. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed to have spent your evening in the company of several wonderful Don Quijotes. 

South Street's production of Jackson’s Corner by Cassie Friend and Benedict Sandiford. Jackson’s Corner, Reading 5th November 2013

We were instructed to gather just off the King’s Road a little way from the titular Jackson’s Corner. Once we had all assembled, we were led like a gaggle of tourists to our destination. Somewhat apprehensively I waited with the others outside the main entrance to this landmark building in the centre of Reading. A man in a sharp suit came bounding up to us, making excuses for being late and led the way inside. We were to believe that this man was an estate agent and we the prospective buyers when the business closes its doors for the final time this winter after 138 years.

Our estate agent took us on a tour of the premises, from haberdashery to hosiery, all the while assuming new personas. We were initially entertained by the knitting department gossip, before being welcomed to the brand new store by the original Jackson and taken on a nostalgic whistle-stop tour through the shops history by the Gentleman’s tailor. Despite the competent performance of Benedict Sandiford (who embodied the different characters with charm) and some clever, very strong images, I was left trying to figure out the point of this show. As someone with no ties nor nostalgic memories attached to the shop I have to say I didn't get the impression I was missing anything. Other than the pneumatic payment tubes still operational, I’m still wondering what makes Jackson’s unique from all the other family run outfitting businesses up and down the country.

This show would have benefited from more of the real stories of people who have trod those well-worn shop floors either as customers or behind the counter. I am sure many exciting things must have happened there in all that time and I think this production missed a trick by not telling me at least one of them. However, if you have your own memories, of buying school uniforms for your children’s first day at school for example, or you just want a last look at the pneumatic tubes then I encourage you to get a ticket for the Christmas shows before the doors really do close for good.

London Classic Theatre's production of Betrayal by Harold Pinter. Oldham Coliseum 1st November 2013.

Pinter’s “Betrayal” tells the story of a love affair in reverse order beginning with the ex-lovers meeting some time after the affair has ended. London Classic Theatre’s production reflects Pinter’s sparse use of language and the tragic outcome of the play in the set, which is an abstract impression of a house in ruin and decay. Despite the openness of the design the many nooks and crannies helped to create an intimate feel to the character’s interactions.

In true Pinter style the dialogue gives little away and all the characterisation must come from the actor’s physicality. Each small change in facial expression and the slightest muscle tensing is a clue for the audience as they piece together who the characters are. This actually empowers the director and actors to interpret the characters in their own unique way. In this production the initial easy confidence of Emma (compellingly played by Rebecca Pownell) is gradually diminished as the play progresses further into the past whilst her lover Jerry (Steven Clarke) seems to be always grasping for control of each situation but falling short. The cuckolded husband (Pete Collis) is played with an undercurrent of menace which averts any feelings of sympathy for him until the last scene (which is chronologically the start of the story).

I confess that I was worried when, after four scenes, the interval began. Though the first act had been well performed, I wasn’t yet fully invested in the characters and their story. I felt an interruption was a risk. However, the first and third scenes after the interval were, in my opinion, the strongest and so compelling that you could almost forget there had been a break at all. The way the final scene (the start of the affair) was performed threw so many of the assumptions I had made as the story unravelled on their head, that I rather wished I could watch the play again. Only this time in reverse order!