Reviews

‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of

Jez Butterworth’s eerie and enigmatic 2009 play is set in a remote log cabin high above a river where, on a dark, moonless night, a somewhat obsessive man has invited his latest girlfriend along to share in his passion for trout fishing. Although no time span is given, it quickly becomes obvious that we may be observing events that have taken place over at least a couple of years, as the woman who leaves at the end of one scene is invariably not the same person who enters in the next. This is Raven Arts’ debut production and the company’s

At the end of the first section of this concert, the man sitting next to us pronounced it as ‘awesome’; he was correct, and it became even more awesome as the evening progressed. This is why, half an hour after I arrived home, I’m still reeling and wondering just what words I can possibly use to adequately describe just how absolutely outstanding this evening was. A concert of show songs is fairly common among musical societies, but BMT is not just any old musical society – actually it’s not old at all, but a mere babe of three years –

John Buchan’s adventure story has had several re-incarnations since its original format as a serial in Blackwood’s Magazine back in 1915. It is the first of five novels featuring Richard Hannay, an all-action hero with a stiff upper lip and a miraculous knack for getting himself out of sticky situations. Since the original story, it has been adapted for the radio and re-made as several films (including Alfred Hitchcock’s famous 1935 version), as well as different stage versions. One of the more recent versions is a comedic adaptation by Patrick Barlow for just four actors, and it is this version

Hot Mikado is a wonderfully bright, energetic and sparkling musical comedy, a jazzed-up version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta, The Mikado. It is not an easy show musically, with its complex harmonies and tempos challenging even the most accomplished of musical societies. It’s a challenge that RAODS has taken up and, despite some fluctuating timings and tunings early on during opening night (issues that I am sure will smooth out as the run continues), has met admirably well. The scene is beautifully and elegantly set, with a Japanese-style bridge, screen panels and Japanese parasols transporting the audience to Titipu, the

The very title of Mike Leigh’s 2011 play suggests that it isn’t going to be a bundle of laughs, but ImpAct’s reputation for successfully tackling gritty subject matter more than convinced me that this was a production I shouldn’t miss. How did I feel by the end of the evening? Well, I’m awfully glad there was an interval – in the original at the National Theatre it was played straight through – or I might just have nodded off. I do stress that this was absolutely nothing to do with the performances or Patricia Richardson’s direction, all of which, as