westend – Page 2 – A SPURDLE reviews

“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

“The Real Thing” review

My next show takes me just up the road from yesterday show and to the “Old Vic” to watch “The real thing”. A show which was in its final week with a closing date of 26th October 2024.

This production is a revival of Tom Stoppard play which has seen multiple version both sides of the pond since its incarnation in the early 80s. With actors such as Felicity Kendal, Glenn Close, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Ewan McGregor playing the title roles. This version is directed by Max Webster and has a running time of two hours and thirty minutes. Before I took my seat in the theatre I managed to grab and drink and relax in “Penny at the old Vic”. Which is the Old Vic bar/cafe/restaurant which along with the rest of the building has been majorly redeveloped since 2018. I then took my seat in the stalls of the Old Vic auditorium row J seat 26.

The show isn’t so much a play within a play like some productions, it is more a few scenes of a play within a play. With a few scenes within the production in hindsight clearly being the scenes from a different play. This quickly becomes obvious as the actors suddenly morph from one charecter to another. During the first half sometimes these transitions are not that obvious but as the character development builds the differentiation becomes more clearer. The first act charts the first of the affairs, this being between Annie (Bel Powley) and Henry (James McArdle) behind the back of their respective parters of Max (Oliver Johnstone) and Charlotte (Susan Wokoma). We learn that Henry is a playwright while Charlotte and Max are actors in his play. We learn of a convicted criminal of Brodie. In whom Annie seems to care about after meeting on a train journey to London. Act one concludes with the what once an affair now love between Henry and Annie who are now together.

Act two jumps forward to Henry and Annie still together but now Annie wants Henry to rewrite Brodies (Jack Ambrose) play which he has written. Through the second act we learn from different characters that Brodie cannot write and the play is unworkable in its current form and that Henry will have to rewrite it. The next potential affair comes to afray once Annie obtains an acting role in Glasgow where she meets the young Billy (Rilwan Abiola Owokoniran). It’s is never confirmed if this affair is a physical one as suspected by Henry or just flirtation. The show concludes with Brodie (Released from prison), Henry and Annie watching their play which has been turned into a TV play with Annie and Billy staring in the title roles. We now have the next potential affair between Annie and Brodie however in conclusion learn that it was Annie fault that Brodie was improsioned and therefore the relationship was based on guilt and not love. We then end with Annie and Hnery relationship back in tack and therefore love again.

The set was totally static with only props being moved around stage by the what appears as stage Crew. They really were stars of the shows. The scene changes were theatrical brilliance with the stage hands who gradually become more and more involved in the changing scene and end up doing a full dance routine during one of the second act change overs. I was glad to see that they came and took a bow at the end of the show. They were not credited so I can only assume they were not actors but they really did add to the show and almost bring in a more modern feel. A nice touch for a show written and based in the 80s. The scene changes were emphersied by the music tracks. As each scene change seem to be triggered by a new record being placed and played on the centrally located record player which was located down centre stage. The way the music built throughout room from what appeared to be playing just on stage to ending up playing across the whole theatre sound system was very well done and very slick and aided the scene transistions.

The lighting design also helped with these scene transitions. As it never fully went dark which allowed us to see the stage crew work their “magic”. And move the props around to physically set the scene for the next part o the play. The overall mix of very strong lighting and the bold blue set also aided to provide a modern twist and feel to this 80s play. There was one particular stage crew involvement which stood out to me. This was to conclude the first act when Annie is sat on the arm of a sofa and then one stage crew member appears and starts to swing the floating lightbulb in large circles around Bel Powley. The way the lights dimmed and the swaying relocation n the plain but bold set was very impressive.

Overall the play was written very well with some parts of the dialogue being very good. The quality of the script can also be emphasised by the basic and staticness of the set. Which meant that it was just the script driving the story and engaging the audience. However there were some aspects of the script which did feel a little dated which is expected of a play that was written and based in the early 80s. However this was counteracted by the direction of Max Webster and the on stage crew who as before modernised the whole feel of the play. Once you hear or read more about Tom Stoppard personal life the script becomes a lot more relevant and understood. Esppecially around the theme of a struggling playwright who is also struggling with personal relationships.

Now for the main title roles and first James McArdle playing Henry. He was very good overall and was able to bounce off of Bel Powley perfectly. Which allowed them to really delve into the script very well. He was able to portray the humour in relevant parts while still keeping the necessary drama and intensity which were required in many scenes throughout the play.

Now for Bel Powley who was portraying Annie. I have been aware of Bel Powley for many years even from the late 2000s when she stared in the children’s TV show “M.I. High”. People of a certain generation will be well aware of the show. More recently I and everyone I know who watched was so impressed by her role in the Anne Frank based Disney plus show “A small light”. I was so pleased to see that Bel was able to transfer these brilliant on screen performances to the stage. Which was excavated seemlessly along with her very unique voice which worked very well for this chrecter and this play as a whole. She along with the script was able to take you on the up and down rollercoaster of love, affairs, love and affairs again. I have not seen Bel perform on stage perform but was very impressed and hope to see her tread the boards in future London or New York shows.

Overall I give this show 3 out of 5 stars. It is a good play which charts the love, affair, love, affair and love again rollercoaster which comes from this 80s Tom Stoppard play. With a great new direction approach and a brilliant performance from Bel Powley.

Further information on this show and the Old Vic itself can be found on their website.

“Cake: The Marie Antoinette playlist” review

My next review and my first musical review for this site and comes in the form of “Cake: The Marie Antoinette playlist” currently (only just) playing only just at “The Other Palace”. I say only just as unfortunately this production which was originally scheduled to finish on the 10th November 2024. Is now having to close early on the 29th September. As a result it means there will no longer be an opening (Press) night. Only opening on the 13th September means this was an extremely unexpected short run and I was so glad I managed to catch it while I could.

Playing at “The other palace” which has been a great fringe theatre space especially for musicals ever since its “St James Theatre” days under ALW (Andrew Lloyd Webber) where I have seen many productions including “The last five years”. Now under Bill Kenwright company they have not stopped this tradition of showcasing emerging musical theatre.

I have to be honest I am no history buff and have very limited knowledge of Marie Antoinette and the stories that surrounded her. The only thing I did know going into this production was that Zizi Strallen was in a title role. As a musical theatre fan I had to take this opportunity to see the 2020 Olivier award nominated performer in person. Achieving this nomination for her stand out role in Mary Poppins this was a very different role all together.

The show is scheduled for 1 hour and forty five minutes with no interval. A format which is becoming more and more popular within the west end and especially within new musicals. It is a format a personally enjoy as I believe it keeps the audience engaged and forces the story to be more punchy and condensed which fits the newer musical concepts very well.

I took my seat in row F seat 13 within the other palace auditorium. Every time I step inside this main auditorium I also forgot has intimate the space is and even a side seat on the last row will still have an amazing view. The seating chart is always very misleading however I can guarantee you can book any seat with confidence that the view and experience is the same as every other seat. Within my seat I was only a few rows back and centrally located which gave a perfect central view of the whole production.

It wasn’t until fifteen minutes after the scheduled “curtain up” that the action got underway. Around ten minutes after the originally start time we had a house announcement apologising for the delay and for us to remain in our seats. It was at this point that I was concerned that this may be my first show that got cancelled on the night. However I am pleased to say this was not the case at the show did indeed commence. After seeing multiple broadway productions having a ten to fifteen minute delay was not unusual.

As this is a musical production I am going to approach my review slightly differently by proving a more condensed synopsis before then going into the details of the musical production and its performers.

The show is based around the four step plan of our narrator Jeanne (portrayed by Renèe Lamb) to get the money back the money her family had in her eyes taken away from them. The backdrop is Paris in 1783 on the midst of the revolution. The show progresses through these four stages as Jeanne successfully completes each one. First getting into the palace to see the queen. Which is made successful with the help of the much corrupt and in love cardinal (played by Travis Ross). Once in the palace it is time to befriend the queen Marie Antoinette and obtain one of her dresses. Which after a rather comical toilet scene is successfully. The next stage is to use the dress to convince the cardinal to give his beloved queen a large sum of cash to use as a deposit on a very expensive piece of jewally. This stage is successful this time with the help of Nicole (brought to life by Millie O’Connell, more on her later). With the large cash secured Jeanne has the choice to take it and run or go ahead with the plan and help the revolution. After securing the jewels with the deposit and unable to pay the jewellers the finale of the production is a court scene. In which all the characters are accused and taken down for trial. The fate of each now lays with Jeanne in which she names Marie as her guest partner in crime. In the conclusion Jeanne tells the audience this is “a spark that could change history” and if she has this power then why can’t you as the audience make your mark on history a light the fuse. A really rallying and motivational finale. Which given the target audience of the younger generation such an inspiring way to end the show.

Someone with a bit more history knowledge than mean would be able to assess how this fits in with the tales of history however for me who does not know that detail it was a great 90 minute walk down Paris history during Marie Antoinette reign.

Now to discuss something I do know a bit about the production and performers of this show.

Firstly the set or in this production case the staging. As the set consisted of one two tier podium which moved up and down the stage throughout the production normally manually manipulated by the ensamble cast. This is not unusual for production on the size of stage that is the other palace. Many scenes were set by using largest of three screensof in which was located at the back of the stage provided a backdrop throughout. The other two screens were located on stage left and stage right. The moving podium allowed the cast to become physically elevated during parts of the production. Each scene was set by reling on the song accomping it to set the scene. The lighting was used to add to the dance/ modern feel to the whole production with lots of strobe lighting to get the audience in the “rave” esc environment. Due to the limited size of the stage at the Other Palace the band which perched in the rafters at the top of the stage. With only the drummer, keys player and musical director visible. However having this limited playing space did not limit their performance which was able to also add to the overal modern party like environment the songs lent to.

There were no costume changes throughout the show apart from the odd detachable skirt here and there however with the fast pace and limited staging the lack of costume change did not have any negative impact. As it allowed a lot of the characters to remain on stage or only off for very shirt periods keeping the pace and intensity very high.

Now for the two main characters and to start with the (to me) surprise main character of Jeanne as mentioned before performed by Renèe Lamb. With the title of the show being called Marie Antoinette you would forgive me to be surprised when Renèe opens the show to tell us it is her story and continues to side bar with audience throughout. I have not seen Renèe in any other productions before however she was brilliantly casted for this role. When looking at her previous shows and roles it should not be a surprise the casting was so good for this production. With the credentials of originating Cathrine of Argon in Six and shows such as “Be more Chill”. The sass and power that Renèe had not only in the acting but the very large about of spoken word and dab that occurs throughout this production was brilliant.

As mentioned the title character Marie Antoinette was performed by the award nominated Zizi Strallen who was able to prove her musical theatre diversity by absolutely smashing this role. Really in capturing this quirky queen character this production interprets Marie. Zizi vocals were as expected spot on as wishes was really able to bring this show closer to more traditional musical theatre with my favourite song of the whole “Champagne Dreams”. I was so pleased I could see perform this song live. If you take anything away from this review it is you should listen to that one song. Having said that I do encourage you to listen to the whole cast recording which has been released and can be found on all normal music platforms. I have to admit the days following seeing this show I have had “Two birds One stone” and Champagne nights” on constant repeat. Both songs seems to summarise the style of this show in around 7 minutes.

It was no surprise to me when I learnt that both Renèe and Zizi originated these roles in the short Lyric run. I can see why they were reprising them as I couldn’t think of anyone better to perform these characters.

One other cast member I have to give a mention to is Millie O’Connell. Someone who I wasn’t aware was in the show but was very pleased to see appear as Nicole. Mollie has been on my radar ever since her Anne Boleyn days in “Six”. For me her role in Soho Cinders (2019) at “Charing Cross theatre” performing “Wishing for the normal” is an absolute Morden musical theatre standout. Once again Millie did not disappoint even though not having a title role the entry she brought to the stage and during her solo song of “Turn the lights down low” was brilliant.

Now to conclude with the music and songs themselves. As hinted during this review the songs and general vibe is not traditional musical theatre. As it mainly revolves around a lot of spoken word and rap style. Not normally my preferred genes. However as a whole package of the show within a few songs I adopted and by the end it become the norm for the show. However I was very pleased to get some light relief during some of the more traditional songs like “Chanpnge nights” which as mentioned was amazing and for me more traditional musical theatre.

Overall I personally give this show 3 out of 5 stars.

It’s a mix of Six and Hamilton with an essence of more traditional musical theatre. Which for me was ok but the standout performers really made it for me along with the high energy and feel good motivational ending. I believe it was unable to stick with the general London ticket buying audience because of the general Gen Z target audience. I think even myself aged early 30s was far too old for the show in general. And as I’m on the younger side of the London theatre ticket buying audience I fear this maybe the cause of the early close. I liked the intention of making a more musical theatre Six type of production however at some points feel it did loose its way and wasn’t quite sure what direction it was going in. But overall not a wasted theatre trip and I have a new cast recording to loop on repeat.

The fuse was officially light however in my eyes being extinguished far too early.