NT – A SPURDLE reviews

Day 3 (Friday 15th August):

Day 3 once again start around 8am to attended the NT breakfast again. This was a great breakfast as I was sat with the writer and MD from yesterday show “I wish my life were like a musical”. It was such an insightful chat about his show and others he is working on. Along with an insight in what it is actually like creating and running a show at the fringe. As well as lots of generally theatre and industry chat. It was one of the best breakfast conversation I have had with a creative. After a long chat it was time to head back to the Pleasance courtyard.

The big bite-size breakfast show

Playing at venue 33 (Pleasance one at Pleasance courtyard) with a start time of 10:30 and a running time of 1 hour 10 minute. I have seen a big bite size breakfast a couple of years ago and was pleased when I was able to fit it into my 2025 itinerary. The concept is five different short plays performed by the five actors. Each day the 5 plays rotate around three sets. So that’s 15 shows by 5 actors in a three day window and then repeat. I really like the format of a 10 to 15 minute play/scene very much like a short film. I find it very impressive that a writer can create characters and good story in such a short time frame. The performance I watched was menu one. Which had the following plays (Some synopsis contain spoilers).
Such dreams as stuff is made on (Dan McGeehan)
A opportunity for a wealthy couple to keep up with their friends and prove how nice their belongings are during an burglary. However proving wealth does not bring inelegance when the burglars appear.
The unbearable lightness of bring on the the phone (Karl Minns)
Two different phone conversations on the bus which seem to answer each others questions.
The gaffer (J.P Mannion)
What seems like a Dear England football manger and phycologist style scene takes a twist and answers the question of is this actually a football manager simulation from the the future. My favourite of the five shows
Emergency contact (Laura Bonang)
A man unable to get over his exe girlfriend of two years takes drastic action of being hit by a bus. Just to get the opportunity to speak to her as his emergency contact which seems to be working until his bride to be turns up fro the alter.
Annnd scene (of the crime) (John Busser)
An American improv group member is killed in the UK and the police have a prime suspect. They are able to find out the truth using the “ding” improv game. In which every time the bell rings the scene changes.
I highly recommend the big bite size breakfast show it is multiple snippets of great playwriting and a perfect way to start your fringe day, you even get free tea/coffee and a croissant. Overall as a concept I give this 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Thanks for being here

Playing at venue 82 (Main house at Zoo Southside) with a start time of 13:45 and a running time of 1 hour and 15 minutes. After finding out this show was another immersive theatre experience, I was slightly worried after last night “immersive” experience. However I was pleasantly surprised as this is not immersive theatre as you know it. As the show is a fully immersive show as the audience is the show however you do not have to do anything. There is great use of Jamie Lloyd esc/style camera and projection work. While the camera is recovering the audience as soon as you enter the space. Then this is narrated by the cast in a very clever way. There is also amazing use of lip sync that provide the perfect depiction of voice real recordings of audience members. At times is felt like an art exhibition and at others more like a social experiment that an traditional show as there is no real plot. It is appreciating that without an audience there would be no performance. It did seem that they only really had enough content for around 30 to 40 minutes and had to drag certain sections out for the whole time slot. Overall I give the experience 3 out of 5 stars.

Hot mess

Playing at venue 33 (Pleasance Two at Pleasance) with a start time of 15:10 and a running time of 1 hour and 5 minute. I was really looking forward to this show mainly because it a brand new musical but also the cast. About 5 minute into the show starting it encountered my first ever technical show stop at the fringe which lasted about 10 to 15 minutes. However was resolved eventually by the amazing tech crew and the show went on and what a great show it was. It’s a modern day style musical romantic comedy between Earth and Humanity (Hu). Which at first sounds very strange but due to the great writing it actually works really well. As it is able to align the different stages of earth development with the different stages of a relationship lifecycle. For example it uses climate change to highlight one partner in a relationship taking advantage of the other. Also using humanity extinction on earth as the break up of the relationship. The staging and especially lighting and sound effects were used very well and almost seem to complicated and developed for the very small space it was performing in. The vernal style is very modern day musical theatre with very heavy beat based songs, think “Six the musical”. Danielle Steers played earth who I have seen a lot in the West End most memorably in “Bat out of hell the musical”. Her voice is so powerful and unique but works so well in a musical theatre format. Tobias Turley played Hu (Humanity) was the winner of the ITV show “Mamma Mia! I have a dream” was brilliant as expected. I always find it so strange yet amazing when you get to see West End talent perform in such a small and intimate space. It’s a climate change rom com modern day musical, this show definitely has a future somewhere. Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Abnormally funny people

Playing at venue 33 (Beside at Pleasance Courtyard) with a start time of 16:50 and a running time of 1 hour. This show was located literally next door to the previous show so even after the late finish due to the tent all issue in the previous show I had plenty of time between the shows. My last two shows at the fringe were stand up, this was not a conscious choice it was just how the scheduling it worked out. This show has been running for 20 years at the fringe and consists of 5 stand ups which all have some form of disability. The only difference between this show and any of stand up show was that the audience was on thie acts side from the beginning. It was not your traditional audience where some of them are trying to get at the act. Everyone was on the acts side and the result of it was a really good atmosphere and one of the best stand up shows I have seen at the Fringe. The acts who performed at this particular show were:
Jake Donaldson
Don Biswas
Ria Lina
Gabriella Rolls
The show was compèred by Juliette Burton who was brilliant and my faviotie out of all the performers. I highly recommend this show to anyone attending the fringe. As a result I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Farewell dinner with Indhu Rubasingham
The next social event as part of the National Theatre trip is the dinner. This used to be a welcome dinner however due to Indhu currently being in the middle of rehearsal for her debut show as the new director of the NT the dinner was moved to Friday night. It was a great catchup opportunity with other patrons and NT staff discussing all the good and not so good shows and experiences of the fringe. It is always a great time with some great food from the three course meal at the Balmoral hotel. Before I knew it was time to wrap up the conversations and make my way to the final show of the trip

Best of the fest: The new class

Playing at Venue 3 (Piccolo Tent at Assembly George square gardens) with a start of 22:35 and a running time of 1 hour. This was my show 16 and my last show of this year fringe. The purpose of this show is to take five stand up comics you are new or entering talent and give them a 10 minute slot. I have attended this event in the past and watched some great stand up. However the same can not be said for this particular show. The audience did not seem to be onboard form the outset and due to the inexperience of the performers there was no crowd work to attempt to turn this. As a result the audience were pretty flat and also though some of the jokes landed it was not a great general stand up experience. The abnormally funny people acts were so much better than these. In this show the follow comics performed:
Annie Boyle
Shalaka Kurup
Jacob Nussey
Lou Wall
May O’Connell compèred the event.
Lou Wall was the best act even though I had seen some of her act which went viral online recently about a marketplace sale of a bed frame. Overall I have to give these set of acts 1 out of 5 stars.

I then made my way back to the balmoral for the last time of this trip at around midnight. It had been another 16 hour day with just over 14K steps completed. It only leaves one more breakfast in the morning before I have to make my way to the airport for my return flight.

Fringe Day 1 (Wednesday 13th August):

The day started at 6am to enable me to get to the local airport to fly up to Edinburgh. After a slight delay we eventually landed at around 10:45 (45 minutes later than scheduled). For me it was straight to the Balmoral hotel to meet the brilliant NT development staff, where I picked up my tickets for the first shows of the trip.

Nerds: The Bill Gates vs Steve Jobs Comedy musical

Playing at Venue 302 (Cowbarn at Underbelly, Bistro Square) starting at 12:30 with a running time of 1 hour 10 minutes was my first show of this years fringe. It was my two worlds colliding. My day job of IT and tech with my favorite hobby musical theatre. The combination was even better than I could think of. The show charts the intiail and continued rival of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs as they try and dominate the energy tech world. This is the most full rounded/completed musical I have seen at the fringe. With a fully rounded musical with story, costumes, props/small staging and dance routines. Has to be one of the best musical I have seen at the fringe it is up their with “Cathy and Stella solve a murder”. However unlike Cathy and Stella I don’t really see a place for this production outside of the fringe. The whole cast was amazing but “Dan Buckley” as Bill Gates steals the show for me. A very strong start to my 2025 fringe with an overall 4.5 out of 5 stars.
For more information about “Nerds…” click on the image above.

Ohio

Playing at venue 139 (Upstairs at Assembly Roxy) starting at 15:00 with a running time of 1 hour and 15 minutes. Although billed as a 15:00 start time, for this showing it was around 15 minutes late. Which meant that I had 5 minute turn around at the end of the show to catch my next, on a google map journey time of 9 minutes. Luckily I made the next show by the skin of my teeth. “Ohio” provides an insight into the life of the two performers while concentrating on Shaun who is gradually loosing his hearing and has turned his back on his religious up bringing. There were a number of technical issues during the first section of the show, however they quickly rectified by the crew. The show utilised a Ed Sheeran esc loop panel which was used throughout the show to create all musical aspects of the show. At some points I did find the looping a little grating especially amoughst the many chants that occurred throughout the show for no real reason. The whole show seemed a little disjointed with no real clear story arc and the songs some of which were good did not add to the overall narrative. It did contain a surprising but very interesting science lesson around the cause of tinnitus which I found very interesting. The show is coming completing a very short tour including performances at the Young Vic. Overall I give the show 2 out of 5 stars.
For more information about “Ohio” click on the image above.

Shantify

Playing at venue 3 (Palais du Variete at Assembly George Square Gardens) starting at 16:35 with a running time of 1 hour. This show takes classic and modern pop songs along with musical theatre and “shantifys” them. Think “Choir of Man” but in a Shanty style, if you have liked Choir of Man you will love this. It contains a little more of a storyline based around a fisher harbour in western England and a pair of brothers and their friends. The songs fit perfectly the narrative and really make you listen to the lyrics so much more than you would even during the musical songs. There is not much else to say that it is a lot of fun with very talented performers. Towards the end of the show we were told that the ruction has secure a 2 show performance in the West End, which I highly recommend seeing. Overall the show is 4 out of 5 stars.
For more information about “Shantify” click on the image above.

NT Welcome drinks
The next stage of Day 1 was to make my way to “The Scotsman” hotel for the National Theatre Welcome drinks. Were I was able to catchup with other NT Patreon’s and NT staff on the trip to discuss what we have already seen and what is to come. After a few hours it was time to move onto my last show of Day 1.

She’s behind you

Playing at Venue 15 (Traverse 1 at Traverse Theatre) starting at 21:45 with a running time of 1 hour and 15 minutes. This was my last show of day 1 and first at the traverse this trip. There was around a 15 minute delay to the start of the show which was well worth the wait when it started. The show consists of Johnny McKnight one of Scotlands biggest and best pantomimes dame. The shows charts Johnnys journey through the pantomime dame world from his early 20s through to writing some of the most progressive pantos on stage today. The shows consists of the expected snippets of one Panto one liners. However there is a deeper more meaningful story of how changeling the pantomime and dame stereotypes is the only way to move forward. I came out of the show with a new found appreciation of pantomimes and not only how they are constructed but how they challenge wider cultural differences and opinion. This show is A perfect way to end any day at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and for that I give this show 4 out of 5 stars.
For more information about “She’s behind you” click on the image above.

And just like that day 1 of my Fringe 2025 trip is over. It’s been a long 18 hour and over 18.5 thousand steps kind of a day. Which started at the literal other end of the country and ends with me sat in my room at the Balmoral writing this final review.

“Alterations” review

My next review takes me once again back to the national theatre and the Lyttelton stage for another NT young patron club night. This time for a show which is currently still in previews and officially opens on 27^th Feb and scheduled to close on 5th April 2025. This play is originally written by Micheal Abbensetts and directed by Lynette Linton. It has a running length of one hour and fifty five minutes with no interval.

Like many plays and productions I see I was not aware of the text or ideas of the play so once again entered the Lyttelton theatre with an open mind of what was to come. I took my seat which was chosen by the NT development team. The only other people apart from myself who I trust to choose a seat for me. And once again they did not dissapoint with a seat in the stall in row G seat 24.

The play transports us back to the 1970s where we enter Walkers (Arinzé Kene) tailors shop. Where he dreams of become a suit designer and maker. Were we spend the next nearly two hours living 24 hours in the life of Walker trying to complete a demanding trouser alteration order from Mr Nat (Colin Mace). With the help of his trusty expecting to be father friend Buster (Gershwyn Eustache Jnr) and his young driver Courtney (Raphel Famotibe). With the help or as it becomes more obvious hinderance of Horace (Karl Collins). Along with the occasional appearance from Walkers wife Darlene (Cherrelle Skeete). We learn of the hopes and dreams along with the struggles these characters have to face on a day to day basis of being black in the 1970s.

Before the “curtain up” as there was no physical curtain a number of the ensemble cast started to appear on stage with boom boxes and push bikes. Attempting to prepare us for this step back in time to the 1970s. The set itself was basic and is shown in almost in is entirely within the view room my seat image above. As the play is based in a short timeframe of the same location it meant that there was no need for large set pieces of even major scene changes. However momentum of the play and time changes were achieved by rotating the whole set within the centre of the the Lyttelton stage. This allowed for the actors to seamless move from the front of the shop to the back simply by walking through the hanging clothes rack while the whole set piece was rotating. At very few occasions the front of the stage was used as a scene setter. The only main addition to the common stage was during Walker dream sequences when additional set pieces appears from the wings with ensamble replicating a suit shop. With the aid of very simple light design the different scenes and timings of the play were able to be progressed and portrayed.

As usually with the NT the set design was perfect for the play and the props were amazing. With the expected NT attention to detail not disappointing. When looked at closely you are able to see the exact detail of the tailors shop from the cotton to the time period sewing machines. Once again the NT prop department did not dissapoint with not a single prop or item on stage being out of place for a 1970s alteration shop. It is this small attention to detail that makes the NT so impressive.

Talking about relevant time period aspects the costumes were amazing. The style and fit of each costume was perfection for the time period. Not only the costumes being worn by the actors but the outfits that were hanging as effectively props and set where exactly in style and design. I can only imagine the fun that the creative team had walking through the many racks of the NT green store to find these outfits. Again the attention to detail that makes an NT production an NT production.

In the same vain but slightly different tack the attention to detail within the accents of the characters was great.If not a little difficult to start with by the end of the play it seemed very natural. Each actor had what I can only assume is a very authentic accent which was needed for the original text which was written by the late native Guyanan Micheal Abbensetts. However for me this is where the play had problems. As the original play was written in 1978 by a native there were at times certain dialects and phases/comments that were made which went totally over my head and only hit with a very small proportion of the audience. As well as these more specific references I found a lot of the more comedy aspects and points of the play didn’t land with me and also didn’t seem to land in general with the audience of this preview night. I don’t believe that this text originally from 1978 really has a place with a modern London National Theatre/ West End audience. Although you can see the play attempting to hit some very major topics which are still relevant today including race, dreams and strong women. The style in which it is presented in the play does not fit for me a Morden audience.

The running time of nearly two hours straight with no interval also did not seem to fit this perticular play. I am huge fan of straight through plays with no interval. However for this production there were many different opportunities for a break in proceedings and not having one just seem to elongate the play rather than keep the audience on side and on board. Perhaps by the time the play has opening night in a few days the timing may get shrunk a little.

Although Karl Collins was marketed as the “main star” of the prodcution. I recall it was his face that appeared on the slide show presented by Rufus during the launch of his last season. I was surprised to see him not in the title role. However I really enjoyed Arinzé Kene portrayal of Walker. He was able to portray the character and emotions brilliantly. Really making the audience buy into his dream of the suit shop as well as the heart ache he endures nearer the end of the play. Along with these two actors Gershwyn Eustache Jnr was able to reduce such an endearing character as the expectant father.

The other two actors which deserve a special mention is first the only female character of the play Darlene played by Cherrelle Skeete. Cherrelle was able to bring that strong female energy to the stage and if you see the show you we see the power and control she has to make a discoing which would not normally occur in the 1970s. The other actor to mention is Raphel Famotibe playing the young Courtney who simpployises the hope of youth and the belief that the future will be not only internet but better. These two actors had some great scenes in which they were able to show their great talent.

As per above the actors and production value of this play was as ever the National Theatre very high standard, it was just the orginal text not fitting in with this modern audience.

Overall I give this play 2 out of 5 stars. A great NT production of the original 1978 play, portrayed by some great actors. However unable to save what seemed to be a inaccessible text for most modern London theatre goers.

For more information on this show, further details can be found on the National Theatre website here

“The importance of being Earnest” review

My next show brings me back to the National Theatre and for another NT Young Patron club night. This time for “The importance of being Earnest” which opened at the NT Lyttelton theatre on 28^th November 2024 and scheduled to closed on 25th January 2025. However has a NT live streaming date for 20 February 2025. The show has a running time of two hours and forty five minutes. It just so happens that I watched the show tonight and will also be seeing it again tomorrow night for the NT Annual supporters celebration which will be tomorrow. It will be at this event we get to hear from some of the creatives and stars of the show. Which I am now very much looking forward to.

Having had this production open back in November I have only heard very good things. From not only the NT staff who one has confessed to seeing the show four times during its run. But also from other theatre going in friends who rated it their favourite show of 2024. So as I took my seat in the Lyttelton stall row K seat 14 I was hoping for good things. I was not disappointed for reason that will be explained throughout this review.

The importance of being Earnest is a well known Oscar Wilde play first performed in 1895. However like most shows I have not seen or studied it before and as a result had no idea of the story. For those who were like me and do not know the story here is a brief synopsis.

The story of two gentleman friends one from the London Algeron Moncreif (Ncuti Gatwa) and one from the country Jack Worthing (Hugh Skinner). Both use a made up relative or friend as an excuse to spend time away from their respective places of origin. Algeron lives in a city house with his trusty butler Lane (Julian Bleach). While using his made up friend Bunbury as an escape to the country mainly from his aunt Lady Bracknell (Shereener Browne, understudy for Sharon D Clarke) and her daughter Gwendolyn Fairfax (Ronke Adekoluejo). While Jack uses Earnest a wicked younger brother who lives in the city. All this to spend time away from his ward Cecile Cardew (Eliza Scanlen) and her mentor Miss Prism (Amanda Lawrence and his butler Merriman (also Julian Bleach). All seems to be fine until Jack attempts to propose to Gwendolyn who only knows him as Earnest. Things get even funnier as Algeron attends Jacks country estate posing as the wicked brother Ernest only to fall in love with Cecile. In the background we also have the love in interest between Reverend Canon Chasuble (Richard Cant) and Miss Prism. Pure comedy ensues especially when Gwendolyn arrives at the country house. As both Algeron and Jack have their want to be engaged partners together at the same time of which neither know the men’s true identity. With an endless amount of revelations throughout the show all producing hilarious twist and turns.

Even though the original Oscar Wilde play was from the 1890s it is surprising how relevant the topics raised throughout the play still are to this day. With topics such as relationships, status and expectation all featured and all more than ever relevant into todays world. This meant that the comedy was still has effective as it was over a hundred years ago. As a comedy play this did not disappoint with fits of laughter an inevitable result of every scene and in some cases most lines. Mainly from the brilliant text which as mentioned the modern day audience was still able to resonate with.

There was some slight modernisation in direction and script changes. This came in the form of some subtle and very funny sexual innuendo sprinkled throughout the play. The sporadic but extremely effective use of modern swear words provided some of the biggest laughs throughout the show. There was also the use of very modern songs in which some of the characters were singing acapella including James Blunt “Your beautiful” which was perfectly timed within the sene and made it even funnier. These little touches of modernisation just built on the already very funny text.

Along with the verbal comedic events, the use of physical comedy was brilliant weather it was a stagger own the seemly steep hill to the physical confrontation of the actors. Both the verbal and physical emphasis on certain words during delveiry just made a funny line even funnier. This is where credit has to be given to the director Max Webster as it was at this places and times when he could really push and rely on the brilliant cast to push comedy point through. For me personally some of the funniest movements came in the form of the audience sides or acknowledgment of the audience. It was this along with the odd forth wall breaking comment which had me laughing extremely out loud. For example comments regarding “We should move on now as we have covered the set change” were brilliant and gave it a more modern feel to the whole play.

This brilliantly directed and written play was not let down by the set and staging at all. In typical NT fashion the set design and attention to detail was outstanding. There was three main scenes/set designs. The first being in side the London house which was very grand, this was the stark contrast to the garden of the country house which was rolls of hills and flowers beds. The last scene was inside the country house in the entrance hall with two very large staircases surrounded by floor to ceiling books shelves. Each set had amazing attention to detail and on a scale which engulfed the whole stage. Each scene was perfectly framed with the ornate almost picture frame quality which can be seen in the view from my seat image above. Each scene was as slick as expected with one minute a London house suddenly after the drop of a curtain a very large garden appeared. The lighting design for all the scenes especially the contrast from the house to the very bright and vivid garden was very impressive.

Not only was the larger set pieces attention detail but as expected from a NT production the prop attention detail was outstanding. With food being mentioned a lot throughout the play the fact that most of the props on stage had to be edible and were consumed on stage again a time to much comedic effect. Just goes to show the amount of work and effect the backstage crew have to put into each production. Not only the edible props were great attention to detail the chairs and larger props were perfectly chosen and added to the whole plays era.

The most impressive part apart from the comedy brilliance was the costume. The costume department at the NT is always amazing however they really did out do themselves with this production. They costume designer Petrova Kourtellaris had a dream scenario with this prodcution. And did not disappointment. Costumes were such an important part of portraying the characters and their personas especially within Algernon Moncrieff. The most impressive part was the “Pretty Women” inspired outfit try on scene. The style for every outfit flambouent or not was perfection and really did steal the show and needed for this production. Below is a link to an NT YouTube video where you hear from some of the costume department talking about this show.

NT video on “Dressing Algeron Moncreif”

Now for a quick mention of some of the amazing cast individually. However all the cast was perfectly casted and not one disappointed in their role or participation in the production. I will mention a few of the standouts for me personally.

Ncuti Gatwa as Algernon Moncrieff was amazing casting and was born to be on the stage and especially in this role. The casting choice here was genesis could not think of anyone who would and could play this role any better than Ncuti. This was the first time seeing him on stage and the performance was amazing, Ncuti is wasted on TV, lets hope he does more and more theatre in future.

Hugh Skinner as Jack Worthing was perfection. Hugh has a lot of theatre and NT credits however this has to be his stand out performance. The comedic timing and physical theatre was amazing. The connection between himself and Ncuti was superb and fitted the characters brilliantly. He was able to match Ncuti all the any and at some point take over the scene from Algeron.

Julian Bleach as two butlers of the bubbling idiot of Merrimack to the sophisticated Lane. The ability to play both butlers which were polar opposite is a true showcase of brilliant comedy acting. The equal amount of comedy he was able to bring to both very different roles shows a great talent.

On this performance Understudy for Sharon D Clarke as Lady Bracknell was Shereener Browne. Who did not disappoint and for me Sharon D Clarke was not missed at all. I was however surprised that this role was not a larger part due to the high profile casting and for it being such an iconic role.. Either way Shereener brought enough energy and power to the role that was needed.

Eliza Scanlen as Cecile Cardew was brilliant the dialect and accent was perfect for this character and prick used some of the funniest moments with her one liners and report with Ronke as Gwendolyn.

If it is not obvious from this review, I really really enjoyed this production and it definitely lived up to the hype produced by everyone in the theatre world I know. Full details can be found on the NT website.

As a result I give this production 4 out of 5 stars. A brilliant version of the hilarious Oscar Wilde play. With simply perfection casting and amazing costumes. A great production which keeps you laughing and entertained throughout the whole show, with Ncuti Gatwa and Hugh Skinner excelling.

“Ballet shoes” review

My next show brings me back to the NT and once again forms part of a Young Patron club night. The show in question is “Ballet shoes” which is currently running in for previews and has its press night scheduled for tomorrow night (5th December 2024) and is scheduled to close on 22nd February 2025.

The show is based on the best bestselling book by Noel Steatfeild from 1939. It is has been adapted for the NT Olivier stage by Kendall Feaver and directed by Katy Rudd with brilliant choreography from Ellen Kane. As I was seeing the show as part of a NT club night I did get to choose my exact seat however as usual the NT development staff did not disappoint and allocated me row K seat 37 in the stalls in which I was ready for the 7pm start for this two hour and forty minute show.

From Olivier Theatre stalls Row K seat 37

We are introduced initially to Great Uncle Matthew [GUM] (Justin Salinger) who is an eccentric professor and adventurer who is fascinated by fossils. He is suddenly burdened with having to look after his unknown great niece Sylvia [Garnie] (Pearl Mackie) with the help of the maid Miss Guthridge [Nana] (Jenny Galloway). We quickly learn of how he manages to rescue three babies during three separate exploration trips each with their own dramatic story. The babies grow up into Petrova Fossil (Yanexi Enriquez), Pauline Fossil (Grace Saif) and Posy Fossil (Daisy Sequerra). Once GUM has not returned for many years the introduction of three lodgers occur who are the actor/performer Theo Dane (Nadine Higgin), garage owner Jai Saran (Sif Sagar) and English doctor, DR Jakes (Helena Lymbery). We discover that these three professions align with the interest and talent of each of the children. Act one concludes with the children realising GUM is not returning, as they must now vow to support the house and their family. Act two depicts the continuous stage roles the children are taking in order to raise some money. This gradually delvoples to a brilliant conclusion in which each children along with their respective mentor manages to live out their dream of appearing in films in America for Pauline Fossil, training at a prostegious ballet school in France for Possy Fossil and after the dramatic return of GUM Petrova gets to have the opportunity to live near Croydon aerodrome and live and work around planes. Mackie and mechanic idiain get married.

Before I continue with the review I have to point out that this show is this years NT festive (Christmas) family show. As a result there are lots of signs of this surrounding the whole show. To start the program is not a traditional NT program as it has an activity book at the back and the cast list includes interview questions with the principle cast giving the younger audience a insight into the actor and characters. Another great difference was that the ensemble cast were mingling throughout the auditorium before the metaphorical curtain up. It was great to see actors engaging in character with the audience members and especially the younger ones with some proving ballet lessons and getting pictures taken. A small change to normal play etiquette but great for the children. During the production there were many scenes when the actors appeared running through the stalls and lower part of the dress circle. Another great way of engaging the children in the audience. As part of the concept of making theatre and this show more accessible and to inspire to the younger / next generation. The NT each year organise a great initiative in which you can donate money which will pay for a around 1000 young people tickets so a child would would not have the ability to see this show or any West End production. A great initiative to inspire the next generation. As an adult you recognise these slight differences however they do not distract or take anything away from the show. The rest of the review will be keeping this in mind.

The set design as you can see from the view from my seat image above was as brilliant as ever from the NT. The usual attention to detail from the NT production team was outstanding. Each item and fossil on the huge set was its own individual prop that looked amazing. And the detail perfection was able to portray GUM fossil obsession. This set did not really change throughout the whole show. At a few points it was used to produce the second floor of the house. Generally it was normally just used as a backdrop for all the scenes. However the transition into each scene was so slick. His was orchestrated by the brilliant ensemble cast effortless sliding in of larger prop items such as doors, beds and baths. This being accompanied by the use of again brilliantly detailed smaller props. The lighting was used to focus the audience attention on the relevant sub section of the stage where these limited props create the whole scene without the need for large set pieces. I cannot commend enough the stage management on how slick the transitions were. The effortless scene transitions meant the story was able to flow from one stage another.

One of the largest props was the full size car which was used in multiple scenes throughout the whole show. However especially came into its own in the second act when with the use of brilliant lighting design and sound somehow appeared to speed through roads at break neck speeds when in fact it was only really being pushed round in large circle by some of the ensemble cast.

Another stand out moment for me and I’m sure any young audience member was when Yanexi Enriquez playing Petrova literally flew into and over the stalls on a stage high wire. The use of dramatic lighting and music really made this a stand out part of the show.

You can’t have a show called “Ballet shoes” and not mention dancing. I am no expert when it comes to dancing and especially ballet. The dance intrudes were often but not over done and did not last for elongated amount of time. It really was a perfect way to showcase the ballet art form to not only the younger generation but the total ballet novices like myself. The dancers especially Xolisweh Ana Richards who plays the young Madame Fidolia “Katherine Federovsky” gave a real top class ballet performance. Along with Daisy Sequerra who practice and finale routines were very impressive.

A quick mention of the the costumes which were perfect for this era. They also provided some amazing on stage quick changes especially at the opening of act two.

Now for the actors, there were many main characters as mentioned in the synopsis but also a number of the actors played multiple parts. And no one more brilliantly than Justin Salinger playing the eccentric GUM but them for a large portion of the show playing Madame Fidolia the dance teacher of Possy Fossil. Both characters were polar opposites but bot portrayed perfectly.

Both Pearl Mackie and Jenny Galloway were brilliant in providing an authenticate parental and guardian figures to the children. With Mackie really showing the struggle of trying to look after the well-being but also the childhood of these three children while not being old enough to be their mother and too old to be their sister.

The stand out actors have to be Grace Saif, Daisy Sequerra and Yanexi Enriquez playing the three children. There ability to portray the ambition and caring orphans while epscailly Daisy Sequerra having to dance ballet was brilllaintly. For me out of the three Grace Saif slightly edged it for me as a stand out of the three, the characterisation Pauline Fossil was brilliant and was able to provide some humour and drama throughout the whole show.

The ensemble cast for this show really made it something special. Without them the scene transitions would have not been the same and would have resulted in a more clumsy portrayal. With them it was given a dream like flow.

Overall for me personally 3.5 out of 5 stars but for a young audience member it would be 5 out of 5 stars. It is a great family and young audience friendly show. With the expected perfection of NT production. A great introduction to the theatre, ballet and the NT for any younger audience member.

Further information on this show can be found on the NT website.

“A Tupperware of Ashes” review

My next show takes me back to the NT and to my favourite stage of not only the NT but London as a whole the Dorfman theatre. This time to see “A Tupperware of Ashes”. Which is the last show to be staged at the Dorfman before its closes for a few months. In order to complete what I have been reassured by senior NT staff as boring but very important work.

This show opened on 25th September 2024 and closed on 16th November 2024. It is written by Tanika Gupta and directed by Poona Ghai. I managed to grab a last minute ticket the day before show closure. Hence the seat in the circle of dorfman. However as is the beauty of the Dofrman there is no bad seat and this last minute seat confirmed it. The production had varies start times throughout its run however this particular show had the more traditional start time of 19:30.

The show depicts the whole “life cycle” of an Alzheimer’s patient. From the initial suspicion, to full diagnosis and throughout the reality of trying to care and support someone with this disease. While ending with the inevitable conclusion of death. This story is centred around a Indian family and their mother “Queenie” (Meera Syal) the Alzheimer’s patient/sufferer and her three children, oldest son Raj (Raj Bajaj), his younger bother Gopal (Marc Elliott) and their doctor sister Kamala (Natalie Drew). With auntie Indrani (Shona Gulati) and Queenie long dead husband Ameet (Zubin Varla). With the rest of the characters being portrayed by Stephen Fewell and Avita Joy but more on them later.

The set was very static however was initially and remained more traditional theatre staging. This is not the normal scene within the Dorfman however the very large set jutting into the audience and first front rows of the Dorfman pit auditorium was utlerised very well. The set main feature as seen in the image above is a very long large set of steps. Which was used very well throughout the show. Mainly for characters especially the dead husband of Ameet to appear from behind. Especially at the start and end of the show these steps cascading into the rear centre stage replicated the banks of a river in which Queenie initially was frolicking with Ameet to the ending in which her ashes were scattered from the Tupperware container.

Although not spectacular set the prop usage was brilliant. Firstly from the table which seemlessly appeared from the center stage steps. The props were used to depict the different scenes through the shows with this one table being varying representative from a doctors consultation table, to the family dining table to the visa operators desk. It was not only the use of this and other props throughout the show which were very impressive. The use of also magic/sleight of hand and stage trickery at different parts of the stage took myself by surprise. There was multiple occasions where this stage trickery was used to highlight/simluate the confusion occurring in Queenie mind. This includes Ameet sliding into a suitcase on the stage floor and disappearing, a very smooth quick change from Indrani, the sudden production/appreance of mango in Queenie hands. All this magic/ trickery was used to highlight the confusion that Queenie had and to give the audience a glimpse into her confused mind created by the Alzheimer’s desease.

It was not only the slick prop manipulation which helped the audience have a glimpse into the conufused mind of Queenie. The use of sound to muffle the supporting cast voice during some scenes, was used very effective. It really did let us feel like we were seeing the scene from Queenies perspective. The use of sound effects to replicate the sound of water and the ocean was used very effectly at the start and conclusion of the play. This use of perfect sound timings meant that the actors were able to “splash” the water around. As well as tap on the glass/window that separated the family and Queenie during COVID.

Not only the sound but the lighting also helped draw the audience into the state of confusion that gradually increase and become more common throughout the play. The use of light to flick between current real time and Queenie memory’s and story’s/interactions with her dead husband. This flick in lighting was subtle but effect to help provide that glimpse into Queenie point of view and outlook to life and the “real world” as she was seeing and experiencing it.

The whole show was very well written with comedic aspects at comedy the start and throughout. While also showing the real symptoms and side effects of Alzheimer’s and how it affects not only the patient but their supporting family around them. The events that occurred were a realistic glimpse into the harsh reality of such common but hugely effecting illness of Alzheimer’s. Many scenes depicting real symptoms from the illness that I have heard and experienced first hand from sufferers of Alzheimer’s. This ranged from the not eating, to not remember who you are, to aggression to totally alienation of the real world. Being able to write the whole “cycle” of the disease provided a a real hard hitting insight into not only the patients view point but the family who are trying to support and look after the individual.

The costume design was simple and effective to portray a real life family dynamic of Indian culture.

Meera Syal performance was outstanding. The ability to depict the gradual decline as the Alzheimer’s took hold was brilliantly done. From the simple forgetfulness episodes of a Michelin star chief forgoing the menu to the more consuming stages of the disease and the aggression that brings all the way through the the blankness and shell of the person. All these stages were displayed perfectly and gradually revived themselves throughout the show and you could see this person deteriorate in front of your eyes. Anyone who has dealt with any dementia type illness will recognise and appreciate how well Meera Syal portrays this characteristic do not have enough praise for Meera’s performance. You have to catch this show on NT @ home if it becomes available just for this performance alone.

The three actors of Raj Bajaj, Marc Elliott and Natalie Drew portrayal of the three quarrelling siblings was a perfect reflection of a family dynamic. Especially one having to deal with such a difficult and effecting disease. Each of then able to highlight the day to day practicality struggle that exists when having to attempt to care for a loved one with such illness. Including the internal turmoil of having to make that eventual call to put their loved one into a care home for their own safety. The reality and hard hitting nature of this production is only enhanced by these three actors performances.

I was expecting the show to be more based around the Indian cluture however it did not concentrate in to much detail on the culture or background. With a few scenes and costume design to remind you of the culture expection that comes from India. The start of the second act and the conclusion scenes and the reason for the Tupperware transport gave a great insight into the cultural need around the family. The main driving force of the whole show was not around the culture but the impact that this type of illness has on the individual and family regardless of your background or success.

Apart from the main family members Stephen Fewell portrayed many of the supporting characters which were critical at each stage of the show. Each character Stephen played was totally different from each other. They ranged from the expert doctor providing the diagnosis to the foreign care home worker. Each one totally believable and without his brilliant performance the show would not be the same.

Further information can be found on the NT website for this show and I hope to see it appear on the NT at home platform.

Overall it’s a real tear jerker especially if you have had any first hand experience of Alzheimer’s or any other debilitating type illnesses. Overall 4 stars out of 5, an unapologetic glimpse into the life and support needed for an Alzheimer’s patient. A whole “Life cycle” of the disease and the impact it has on the patient and the family’s trying to support them.

“The Other Place” review

Tonight’s show takes me back to the NT and the Lyttelton theatre to see “The Other Place”. Which opened on 8th October 2024 and is running at the NT until 9th November 2024. The show is written and directed by Alexander Zeldin, whose production of “Faith, Hope and Charity” back in 2019 I really enjoyed.

The show start time was an extremely early one at 18:30 so I was in my seat within the stall row L seat 15 by 18:15. Which I think has to be the earliest I have ever sat in a theatre for an evening performance. This is part of the ongoing trial that the NT has adopted. This production was having one 18:30 start time each week. The major Benji fit especially for this production in particular which had a running time of one hour twenty minutes with no interval meant that I was on out the theatre before 20:00.

The show opens with no immediate house light dim, the only sign that the show has started is the appearance of two out of the six characters. Within a few minutes we are presented with another three. We gradually learn that we are watching Chris (Tobias Menzies) the uncle to Issy (Alison Oliver). Chris wife Erica (Nina Sosanya) her son Leni (Lee Braithwaite) and Chris`s mate Tez/Terry (Jerry Killick). Everyone is awaiting the arrival of Annie (Emma D`Arcy) who is Issy Sister. Through the first section of the play we gradually learn some background to not only the characters but why they are all together. The reason is to scatter Issy and Annie dads and Chris`s bothers ashes. There seems to be lots of fiction caused by he arrival of Annie and she quickly adds to the issues by refusing to let her fathers Ashes be scattered. As the play moves through the middle and later stages we learn more about how the father died and also the relationship between Annie and Chris which stems from her childhood from when her dad committed sucuide in the garden of the same house his and Erica are now leaving in a renovating. As we learn the dark past of both the char enters and the house we expected a sinister end for someone and we this does come to furission at the final scene.

The set was fully static with no moving parts at all. Not even a rearrangement of main set pieces. It was a cross section of the back of the house. The same set shown in the view from my seat picture above was the set and the only set. All props were already within the set. The attention to detail on both the props and set staging was amazing and what I totally expect from a NT prodcution. No other theatre can do the attention to detail that the National does. From having real dirt to surround the partially renovated house and garden. To a real outdoor sensor security light which came on and off at the actors made their way from the inside to out. The set was so static and realistic that the actors did not use the wings to enter and exit the stage. Instead they walked from stage right past the first few rows and used the front stall auditorium entrance.

There were no scene changes throughout the whole show and as a result there was never a full black out instead the huge lightbox above the centre stage would angle and the stage lighting would dim. However the actors just continued to progress the scene and these moments would just extend the timeline of the play slightly so the narrative could move on. The lighting in enrol was god especially the lighting to direct the nighttime scenes within the garden which suddenly reavled some ultra realistic trees a a dark blue tinge to replicate the night sky.

Music and sound effects were used throughout the production to build tension and increase the drama of some of the more pivotial moments. Especially at the the end when the music build and builds to a defining volume while Chris starts to break down. The use of this music and sound effects along with the ongoing election that something tragic will occur really did build some very dramatic movements. Especially in the final part which did get an auidable reaction from the audience, even know we knew it was coming it was still shocking.

The play was written so well especially the way to developed not only the characters but the overall back story that led us to this one day/night for this family. There are some very comical one liners and direction which are a welcome mood lightener in what is quite a trametic play. A paly which tackles some very diffulct subjects not only around sucide but the impact that a sucide has on young family members, the invludeuls who find them. And the logistics and practicacalitys of dealing with a family member who has died let alone though sucide. The play does not shy away from these very challenges topics and instead confronts them head on.

The whole play gave you the feel and approach that you were peering through the window of a real authentic family home. This feel of peering through a real family home was up held in lots of different ways. The first was the writing as the script and delvery of it was so authentic. The long pauses while people were texting, the pause while characters went out of vision for the audience. It is these pausing which occur in real life and normally are written out of plays. The fact the set didn’t move and that someonetimes actors were out of the vision of the audience of behind a glass door in the garden. Also added to the authentic feel. The lack of blackout and no actual scene changes also added to this authentic feel. As we were with the characters the whole time and saw their day from start to finish.

All of these points gave the authentic feel that the play was going for. Along with these points the actors were also outstanding and as mentioned earlier had to deliver these roles. I will now comment on each of the six actors as each deserter there own dedicated mention.

Starting with Annie portrayed by Emma D`Arcy who from the outset was able to highlight the trauma and issues that Annie was going through and had been. Many stages throughout the play Annie is obviously so damaged and emotionally scared from the events of her childhood. Emma is able to deliver these sections so well.

The next character and actor to mention is Chris played by Tobias Menzies who initially doesn’t seem as emotionally damaged but we son learn throughout the paly the effect that the events have had on him and Tobias is able to hint at this throughout the start of the play brilliantly. The finale section of Chris medley shooting at the audience was so impactful.

Issy is played by Allison Oliver who does a brilliant job of portraying what at first seems nieve character which dlevops into raw emotion which varying outbreaks emotional brilliance Allison.

Erica is played by Nina Sosanya who you will recognise from stage and screen including Love actually. As the wife of Chris she did not have much opportunity to show the same emotion as the first charecter and actors mentioned however was able to portray the character of the wife who is just trying to get everything and ever in to progress and survive, in some cases literally survive.

The next character to mention is Terry or Tez played by Jerry Killick. Who was able to show the audience this initially joking, lighting the mood character. But even he has he opportunity to hint towards his home life trouble which a great drunk scene at 4am. Jerry Killick was perfect acting for this role and really was able to deliver the brilliant written daioglue,

The last character to mention is Leni played by Lee Braithwaite. Although not a “Main” character he was able to also provide some light hearted moments. While at certain points really showing how such events can impact family’s and indivudels who were not even around at the time. But have to deal with the aftermath. At many points Leni is used to just say what everyone is thinking.

The whole show gave me a massive NT Dorfman vibe. The static set, the lack of full black out. Really had it made for the dorfman. Now thinking about it the same staging direction was also completed in Alexander other play Faith hope and charity which did run at the Dorfman.

Overall I give this show 4 out of 5 stars. A play which lets you peer through the window of a suffering family who is dealing with the logistics and impacts of loosing a loved one. Another brilliant Alexander Zeldin play produced brilliantly on the NT stage. 80 minutes fly by.

Further information and details can be found on the NT website

“Coriolanus” review

My next review is also from the National Theatre. However this time in the Olivier theatre, the largest of the three stages at the national. The play in question is William Shakespeare’s “Coriolanus”. Which just highlights how diverse the NT scehuleing is. This production is currently in previews with opening night (Press night) Tuesday the 24th. It will be running at the Olivier until 9th November 2024.

Young Patrons Club Night 18th September 2024

Tonight I watched the show as part of a Young patron club night. Which means I got a pre show drink event in which I had an opportunity to speak to the NT development staff and other patrons. The NT development team not only look after the Patron and supporters but also provide an amazing insight into both the production in question and also the NT as a whole. During the pre show drinks I was pre warned how brilliant this production was with the comments of “how it’s makes Shakespeare accessible from the start”, “it received a standing ovation on preview night one” and even someone stating “the best Shakespeare production I have ever seen”. Spoiler, in hind sight I don’t not disagree one bit. This was also the best Shakespeare production I have seen. And I will explain why as we go through this review.

With these amazing comments ringing in my ears I entered the auditorium with sudden unexpected high hopes. I took my seat in K 25 within the stalls of the Olivier theatre, for another 19:00 show start. With the show being two hours and fourty five minutes long, once again the early start time was very much appreciated.

Before I start discussing this production in particular. I feel I should provide a caviate that I am not a Shakespeare expert and even though I have seen multiple production of the years. I do not claim to be a Shakespeare expert. Because of this I had not seen any other productions of this particular play, I am aware there is Tom Hiddleston production which was recorded for NT Live. Which according to some is much gorier than this version. As a result I did not know what this story of the play was so once again was seeing a play (especially at the National) totally blind.

This production starts in a Museum type scene with lots of Roman relics on display. The props department at the NT really has outdone themselves with these relics. They really do look like they have been taken directly out of a real museum. I was trustfully informed that the large cat like statue was in fact made from polystyrene however looks like solid bronze.

Shortly after this we are thrusted upon a number of very intense fight sequences. I have to call them sequences rather than a scene as a scene does not do it justice. The intensity and full out action rivals any Hollywood action film. The physicality of the fight is like no other I have seen on stage. The choreography and actual combat was unbelievable. This was tied with some amazing lighting and music which made these fights scenes a highlight of the whole production and one of the best theatrical experiences I have seen. The way they are able to replicate a slow motion film action sequence live on stage is second to none.

It is at this point we are exposed to the rivalry between Coriolanus being portrayed by David Oyelowo (More on him later) and Aufidius played by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. Who for me along with David were stand outs of the show. Kobna performance was amazing throughout this production.

The set design and scene transfers throughout this whole show is amazing. The large concrete looking pillars are brought up and down to create the different scenes sets throughout the production. While also allowing very slick scene changes to occur behind them without them looking out of place in the scene. Each time they move you are exitcted to see what they will reveal. It means there is no sliding set pieces across the stage which allows the whole stage to seemlessly blend into the Olivier auditorium. Due to the nature of the NT concrete building and the set design it becomes difficult to know where the stage ends and the auditorium starts. Which makes this already large stage (the biggest of the NT) seems huge however the action does not get lost as the production is a huge as the staging.

The play moves onto to Coriolanus victorious home coming. It is here we are introduced to some other principle cast members. It was at this stage of the production that I had to remind my self that this was a Shakespeare play. I was so surprised how quickly I was into “Shakespeare mode”. Especially compared to previous productions I have seen, I sometimes struggled to get into the “Shakespeare mode” and sometimes the dialog never clicks. However this production was the opposite within thirty minutes I was consumed and the language was not a barrier at all. Making this a truly accessible Shakespeare production.

The victorious and hero status for Coriolanus was somewhat short lived. As the play moves to a senate meeting of the Rome leaders which quickly deteriates into a mass public forum. It is within this forum that Coriolanus goes from hero to zero as the Rome leaders have convinced the general public that Coriolanus is in fact a traitor. This creates one of the two amazing mother and son moments from which Volumnia played by Pamela Nomvete. Who was absolutely amazing being able to portray this powerful, infulantail mother and women. Who also becomes such a major part of the story. Pamela was amazing throughout the whole show really embracing the power behind this female character. Not only in the scenes with her son but in the scenes of defence of him proving she has no fear when it comes to her family. I don’t believe I have seen Pamela in any other shows but she is definitely someone I will look out for in the future. Volumnia provided her influence over this number one solider by convincing him to return to talk to the general people who had unexpectedly turned on him.

This successful talk around sees us end act one with a press conference in which Coriolanus erupts with great destain for the general people. The use of modern technology with live camera feeds from the on stage cast being projected onto the impressive set really making the audience feel they are in a modern press conference another example of normalising this Shakespeare dialog. The use of projection throughout the show is amazing. This use of projection starts as soon as you enter the auditorium before curtain up. Projection is not heavily used in every scene. However when it is, it adds an extra dynamic along with the tension building music. Throughout many parts of the production you feel totally absorbed by the projection and music. It is also used brilliantly during the scene transfers.

During the interval if you stay in the auditorium you are given an opportunity to see once again the amazing props that make up the relics. I recommended having your bathroom and bar break quickly in order to see the brilliant stage management rearrange these amazing props while you wait for the second act.

The second act opens with Coriolanus having to leave Rome after being banished due to the aftermath of the press conference. With Coriolanus gone, it is up to Volumnia to defend her son against everyone as mentioned before another stand out scene by Pamela Nomvete. We are quickly then transported to the residence of Aufidius in which Coriolanus enters via the kitchen. This part of the play concludes with the two once enemy’s forgiving each other to now become potentially friends or at least allies. Another opportunity for David and Kobna to perform together on stage and really highlight their great talents.

With this new “United front” the leaders of Rome are concerned as news arrives that Coriolanus and Aufidius have joined forces. This forces many of the general public who turned on Coriolanus in act one to start retracting their previous negative opinion. This worries the leaders of Rome which prompts the attempt to prevent such a take over. First the father figure is sent however to no prevail. The last resort is the women of Coriolanus life appear with his son in attempt to talk him round. This produces the second mother and son conversation. Again highlighting the power and importance of the mother, female character of this play.

The play heads to a conclusion of Corlionaus return as persuaded by his mother however he meets a tragic end. No real surprise as this play is a Shakespeare tragedy. A very intense finale of the people turning and this time physically on Coriolanus. The final scene is a very wholesome conclusion scene in which he is now a relic in a Muesem being visited by a young a child.

I have purposely left my review of David Oyelowo until the end. There is always questions and comments when a “Hollywood” actor appears in the west end especially at the National Theatre and even more so when attempted Shakespeare. However in this case he was great and should not raise any questions. He is a natural on the stage and able to embody Corlionaus and the Shakespeare script effortlessly. Again another reason I feel this production makes Shakespeare so accessible. He is up there with some of the best actors of Shakespeare I have seen including Kinnear and Lester. I hope it isn’t long before we see David Oyelowo treading the boards again on either side of the pond.

Overall if it isn’t clear already I really enjoyed this production and as a result I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Which really surprises me for a Shakespeare play. I highly recommend you see this production even if you’re not a Shakespeare fan or think it’s too dawnting. See THIS show if it’s only for the staging and fight scenes, you have to see David perform live. I highly expect there will be a NT Live recodering of this if I am right make sure you see it.

The Grapes of Wrath review

How apt that the first review on my new theatre review blogging site is at the NT. If you have read the “About me” page on this site you will know that the national theatre is very special to me for many reasons and why I’m a young ambassador Pateron.

I watched “The grapes of wrath” on the 9th September 2024 at the Lyttelton theatre within the National Theatre on London South Bank. I was sat in row O seat 22 within the stalls. So a pretty central part of the stalls of this great venue.

The show had a scheduled start of 19:00 and at two hours and fifty minutes long the adjusted start time was greatly appreciated for the commute home. This is part of the new initiative the NT has started trialing with earlier starts. I was surprised to see that everyone was successfully in their seats by 19:00 and the show promptly started around five past with no latecomers within the stall seating area. I think the jury is still out on this early start time, however it is a thumbs up from me. Even if it does reduce the time in the foyle room (Pateron only members bar) at the NT.

Before I start talking about the show in detail, which will contain some level of spoilers. The show is a Frank Galati adaption of John Steinbeck 1939 novel directed by Carrie Cracknell.

Now for the show itself, like all shows especially at the NT I booked it not knowing anything about it apart from some of the cast members, I was not aware of the orginal 1939 Steinbeck novel. The show opens to some classic NT staging and “wind acting”…. Some of the cast caught in an atrocious storm which really did look like the stage was being blown sideways. This depicted the storms raging and ruining the crops of the south and Midwest of the early 1930’s when this play is set. It moves onto the introduction of Tom Joad portrayed by Harry Treadaway who for me was the star of the very large and talented cast. We quickly learn that Tom is returning home from prison in which he has served 4 years. After a reintroduction to the local ex-preacher we are quickly introduced to the rest of the family which consist of 11 other members. Made up of a vast array of characters including grandpa (a personal favourite character of mine during the first act) and the mum being portrayed by the very talented and multiple award winning (Tony and Emmy) Cherry Jones. A particular character who I didn’t feel had the opportunity to really show Cherry Jones ability, as she quickly faded into just one of the 12 family members.

With the help of the on stage “Band” made up of a guitarist , violin/fiddle, steel guitar and the lead vocalist, singer song writer Maimuna Memon we are moved from scene to scene. This band not only provided a great replacement of a background sound track for each scene change. The lead singer of Maimuna was brilliant. So brilliant the NT have released a prerecord of one of the songs. You can listen to it here to get an idea of where I am coming from:

“Are we people” written and performed by Maimuna Memon

At many points throughout the show especially in the second half this band was able to provide the atmosphere needed to really take you to the time and place. For me music can add this third dimension that really brings something else to the table. It initially gave me a one man two guvnors vibe as having a live band providing the interlude is not a common practice within current plays and being in the NT with this style brought back one man two guvnors memories. With the great band used there who I had the privilege of hearing and meeting at the NT summer party back in 2019.

The first act charts the ups and downs of the 2000 plus mile journey from the family home to California to the east where the promise of jobs and money were on the horizon. The whole journey is depicted within many scenes though out the first act all centrally based around the one car in which all 13 members are travelling within. A very restricted set with the use of props, the main one being the full size car which was able to be manovoured about the stage with the brilliant use of lighting to really make the audience feel they were on the journey with them. The toughness of the journey being shown within the loss of characters who were dying due to the conditions. During this first act we get exposed to the amazing staging which takes the whole production from a very good touring production to a real National Theatre deserving production. Suddenly graves were being created with certain areas of the stage disappearing to show the actors waist deep in the “grave”. Not only this, a “real river” well a trench within the centre of the stage with real water up to the actors chest appeared. Again providing the real illusion without the need for very grand sets of you being by the river bank with the family. The use of real fire during fire side conversations also continued to add to this authentic feel which was being created, most of the time on a fairly bland and empty stage. At one point the rain curtain along the front of the stage resulted in no need for sound effects, the audience could just empraise the waterfall cascading at the front of the Lyttelton stage. Along with this and the amazing lighting design the lack of set really did not matter. The use of touches and headlines searching across the audience only added to to this authentic view and experience. Act one ends with the success of the remaining family making it to California.

We quickly learn with the opening of act two that the grass is maybe not greener on the other side. As we are presented with a stage full of tents and the sudden realisation that the jobs promised require no where near the the amount of people who have travelled from all across the south and midwest to furfil them. It was during this campsite scene where you really see the small details that make an NT production stand out from the rest. Including the small non existent bumps in the road of the car during act one to the small about of smoke appearing from a tent fire not even visible by the audience. During a very heated argument with someone who is promising work however seems to be supported by a very corrupt police force. The preacher is removed from the group and the campsite is brought down right in front of the audience eyes. Another amazing detail, instead of using a set piece to move off stage. The cast can be seen dissembling the tents in front of your eyes. Another way to provide the audience with authenticity and emotion that was going through these individuals who had to move camp before it was burnt down. The progression onto the other scenes in which jobs are promised along with a good wage. We quickly learn that there are others outside of the brilliant choreographed fence movement. Again no major set just a very well directed use of large props. It is these others including the preacher from act one who we suddenly discover are attempting to complete a “Stike” in order to increase the limited wages. Reading the NT programme for this production as usual gives you a great insight into this time and the history and politics which was occurring during this time. The show comes to a close with a very emotive conclusion of a miscarried mother attempting to save the life of an adult man who as described by his son is dying of starvation. The delayed applause that occurred within the Lyttelton really did highlight how emotive the final scene was and how the whole play was playing on the audience emotion with its true authenticity. Eventually as expected the auditorium erupted into a well deserved applause.

The show closes at the NT on the 14th September and I don’t believe it has been recorded for NT live so if you haven’t seen it unfortunately you may have missed out. But I hope this review gave you some insight into it.

Overall I give the show 3.5 stars out of 5. A very authentic insightful view of the struggles of the south and Midwest in 1930s. Showing the hope and bond that a family can have. With the NT production value adding that something extra to a John Steinbeck Adaptation.