We hate Chekov - there, I've said it! We only went to this production because the cast was so strong that we thought if anyone could make us like it, they could.
The cast was fantastic - Lucy Peacock as Masha, Irene Poole as Olga, and Dalal Badr as Irina - you could not have asked for three better sisters. Add Kelli Fox to the mix as Natasha, the sister in law and it just gets better.
But I still want to scream at them to just "buy a ticket and go to Moscow for god's sake. Stop whining and go! "
Chekov's plays, unlike Shakespeare or the Greeks, are too firmly rooted in his time and place. The world has changed and his characters no longer fit it, nor do they deal with timeless issues. Watching Chekov is like watching a boring history piece, even when it is as well done as this production.
No more Chekov!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Bartholomew Fair
We went to two lectures about his play to try to get a feel for it. Both lecturers (one of whom was Sandy Leggatt) described it as impossible to read, so we did not even try. Leggatt described it as being like watching a Breughel painting - no centre, but many things going on all over. This was a very apt description.
There was a plot of sorts (more than we expected), but mostly it was just continuous action. The sight of Lucy Peacock as Ursula the pig woman was totally amazing, as was her performance. Kelli Fox slid around on a litttle platform and still managed to dominate the stage. Jonathan Goad was excellent as usual. Trent Pardy as Bartholomew Cokes was just like a puppy - totally captivating and another young actor to watch.
It is wonderful that Stratford is taking the risks of putting on a play like Bartholomew Fair. Seeing plays by Shakespeare's contemporaries really helps put him in a context and increases your understanding and appreciation for what the Elizabethan theatre must have been like.
There was a plot of sorts (more than we expected), but mostly it was just continuous action. The sight of Lucy Peacock as Ursula the pig woman was totally amazing, as was her performance. Kelli Fox slid around on a litttle platform and still managed to dominate the stage. Jonathan Goad was excellent as usual. Trent Pardy as Bartholomew Cokes was just like a puppy - totally captivating and another young actor to watch.
It is wonderful that Stratford is taking the risks of putting on a play like Bartholomew Fair. Seeing plays by Shakespeare's contemporaries really helps put him in a context and increases your understanding and appreciation for what the Elizabethan theatre must have been like.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
This production seems to have divided audiences along age lines. The younger you were, the more you liked it. The very young loved the energy and the action. The not quite so young loved the rock references and the energy. And the old folks were upset by the idea of punk fairies and a broken stage. I loved it - this is the best Dream I have seen.
Tom Rooney was fantastic as Puck (channelling Mick Jagger) and Geraint Wynn Davies was simply brilliant as Bottom. In most productions I find the character of Bottom painful to watch and always wish they would just cut the scenes with the mechanicals. In this production, I was totally captivated. Bottom was hilarious, but entirely sympathetic. Wynn Davies managed to play him straight, and the result was brilliant. The final version of the mechnical's play was hysterical.
The rest of the cast was strong, but not quite up to these two. Yanna Macinitosh was good as Titania, but still too cool, especially when trying to channel Tina Turner. She needs to loosen her hips and strut more. Dion Johnstone was very good as Oberon, and continues to be an actor I want to see more from. Othello should be in his future.
Tom Rooney was fantastic as Puck (channelling Mick Jagger) and Geraint Wynn Davies was simply brilliant as Bottom. In most productions I find the character of Bottom painful to watch and always wish they would just cut the scenes with the mechanicals. In this production, I was totally captivated. Bottom was hilarious, but entirely sympathetic. Wynn Davies managed to play him straight, and the result was brilliant. The final version of the mechnical's play was hysterical.
The rest of the cast was strong, but not quite up to these two. Yanna Macinitosh was good as Titania, but still too cool, especially when trying to channel Tina Turner. She needs to loosen her hips and strut more. Dion Johnstone was very good as Oberon, and continues to be an actor I want to see more from. Othello should be in his future.
Ever Yours, Oscar
Brain Bedford reading the letters of Oscar Wilde. He reads well and Wilde writes well, so the combination was very effective and surprisingly moving.
Julius Caesar
This is undoubtedly the best Julius Caesar that I have ever seen. (even counting the Stratford production with RH Thomson as Mark Anthony, where he had all the teenagers in the audience swooning over his good looks and great physique).
Ben Carlson as Brutus, Tom Rooney as Cassius, Jonathan Goad as Mark Anthony, Geraint Wynn Davies as Caesar - does it get any better than this?
Goad's rendition of the " Friends, Romans, Countrymen" speech was superb. The staging with the mob in the aisles and around the theatre was hugely effective. You could believe that you were in the middle of the mob.
I loved the costumes - very futuristic and elegant, they communicated the message that wars and politics have not changed and won't in the future.
I rarely notice the music in a play, but this was superb. subtle, but totally capturing the feeling. Alfred Schnittke wrote the music the sound was based on.
Ben Carlson as Brutus, Tom Rooney as Cassius, Jonathan Goad as Mark Anthony, Geraint Wynn Davies as Caesar - does it get any better than this?
Goad's rendition of the " Friends, Romans, Countrymen" speech was superb. The staging with the mob in the aisles and around the theatre was hugely effective. You could believe that you were in the middle of the mob.
I loved the costumes - very futuristic and elegant, they communicated the message that wars and politics have not changed and won't in the future.
I rarely notice the music in a play, but this was superb. subtle, but totally capturing the feeling. Alfred Schnittke wrote the music the sound was based on.
Phedre
A two hour production with no intermission and the audience was totally captured throughout!
Seana McKenna turned in a fantastic performance - the look on her face when she found out that Hipploytus was in love with Aricie was worth the price of admission. The look on Jonathan Goad's face when she confesses her love was a close second!
Tom McCamus was an excellent Theseus - and such a contrast to the actor who played the role in London. Roberta Maxwell was also great as Oenone.
It was interesting to contrast this with the National Theatre production starring Helen Mirren which I thought was great. But it does point out that live theatre is different, even when the film is recording a live performance, it just does not have the same immediacy.
The translation used by Stratford was different - they used a new one by Timberlake Wertenbaker, where the national used the Ted Hughes version. Unfortunately, I don't know the play well enough to know whether it made any difference. I just liked them both!
As we saw the first preview and Seanna said that they are still making changes, we are going to make an effort to see it again.
Seana McKenna turned in a fantastic performance - the look on her face when she found out that Hipploytus was in love with Aricie was worth the price of admission. The look on Jonathan Goad's face when she confesses her love was a close second!
Tom McCamus was an excellent Theseus - and such a contrast to the actor who played the role in London. Roberta Maxwell was also great as Oenone.
It was interesting to contrast this with the National Theatre production starring Helen Mirren which I thought was great. But it does point out that live theatre is different, even when the film is recording a live performance, it just does not have the same immediacy.
The translation used by Stratford was different - they used a new one by Timberlake Wertenbaker, where the national used the Ted Hughes version. Unfortunately, I don't know the play well enough to know whether it made any difference. I just liked them both!
As we saw the first preview and Seanna said that they are still making changes, we are going to make an effort to see it again.
Macbeth
We had high hopes for this production with Colm Feore in the starring role. But somehow it did not come together. the chemistry between Feore and Yanna MacIntosh as Lady Macbeth just did not make it out to the audience, although listening to Yanna at the seminar, it was clearly intended to be there. She is a very cool actress, and passion does not seem to be her forte. Feore is also a fairly cool and controlled actor - brilliant in many parts, (Don Juan for example) but not this one.
Many people had trouble with the fact that the play was set in modern Africa, but I actually liked that decision. Violence and tribal warfare is still with us and nowhere more obviously than Africa.
Tom Rooney was great as the Porter - the first of three great performances in the week.
Many people had trouble with the fact that the play was set in modern Africa, but I actually liked that decision. Violence and tribal warfare is still with us and nowhere more obviously than Africa.
Tom Rooney was great as the Porter - the first of three great performances in the week.
The Importance of Being Earnest
It doesn't matter how often I see this play, I always enjoy it. But this production definitely ranks as the best one ever!
Brian Bedford was at his arch best as Lady Bracknell - totally in control of every nod and every look. Mike Sharra is one of the best physical comedians around and his Algernon gave him every opportunity to demonstrate his talent. He was a perfect foil for Ben Carlson, who manages to be funny in a serious kind of way. Sara Topham and Andrea Runge were perfectly matched as Gwendolyn and Cecily.
The sets by Desmond Healey were fabulous, especially when you took a close look a realized what they were made from. Amazing use of found stuff ( plastic glasses and duct tape for example) to create beautiful looks.
Brian Bedford was at his arch best as Lady Bracknell - totally in control of every nod and every look. Mike Sharra is one of the best physical comedians around and his Algernon gave him every opportunity to demonstrate his talent. He was a perfect foil for Ben Carlson, who manages to be funny in a serious kind of way. Sara Topham and Andrea Runge were perfectly matched as Gwendolyn and Cecily.
The sets by Desmond Healey were fabulous, especially when you took a close look a realized what they were made from. Amazing use of found stuff ( plastic glasses and duct tape for example) to create beautiful looks.
A Funny thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
A great way to start the annual week at Stratford. We were looking foward to seeing Bruce Dow as Pseudolus - he was so great as the Emcee in Cabaret last year. Unfortunately, he is injured and the understudy filled in - fortunately the understudy was great. Randy Ganne is definitely someone to watch!
The whole production was a lot of fun - silly songs, fun dances, and more dumb jokes than you can count. Stephen Ouimette was hilarious as Hysterium, as was Chilina Kennedy as Philia. (she's lovely) Another actor to watch for in future is Mike Nadajewski, who played Hero.
And the sight of Dan Chameroy as Miles Gloriosus will not soon be forgotten. The muscles were fantastic (he's lovely,too).
We may not be Sondheim fans, but we did like this one!
The whole production was a lot of fun - silly songs, fun dances, and more dumb jokes than you can count. Stephen Ouimette was hilarious as Hysterium, as was Chilina Kennedy as Philia. (she's lovely) Another actor to watch for in future is Mike Nadajewski, who played Hero.
And the sight of Dan Chameroy as Miles Gloriosus will not soon be forgotten. The muscles were fantastic (he's lovely,too).
We may not be Sondheim fans, but we did like this one!
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