George F Walker took some charaters from Three Penny Opeara and went on from there. I my view, he did not go far enough. This is a midly amusing play, set in the 20's. It attempts to point out that it is not alwys easy to figure out who the real criminals are - th eones who claim to be criminals and shoot people, or the bankers who just steal?
It's a musical but for the life of me, I can't remember a single song or lyric.
Generally, another example of a good cast wasted on weak material. Sean Cullen, as Vinnie, the speakeasy owner was excellent and seemed comfortable in his part. Nora McLellan was also comfortable in her role (Myrna, Peachum's wife.)
Not a play I wold bother to see again.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Serious Money
Set in London in 1987, when greed was the theme of the day, this is a mystery, a social commentary and a musical all wrapped into one.
Apparently when it was first produced, traders used to come in groups to see it, not getting the point that their behaviour was disapproved.But Caryl Churchill certainly captured the frantic energy, noise and obsenity of the trading floor, now largely gone to computer.
This is a very high energy production with a high energy cast. Marla McLean as Scilla Todd is theonly cast member playing one part, probably because she is already inhabiting two worlds as a trader and an old money heiress.
Graeme Somerville delivers another great performance, firmly establishing himself as one of the Shaw stars. Ali Momen is another actor to watch.
Apparently when it was first produced, traders used to come in groups to see it, not getting the point that their behaviour was disapproved.But Caryl Churchill certainly captured the frantic energy, noise and obsenity of the trading floor, now largely gone to computer.
This is a very high energy production with a high energy cast. Marla McLean as Scilla Todd is theonly cast member playing one part, probably because she is already inhabiting two worlds as a trader and an old money heiress.
Graeme Somerville delivers another great performance, firmly establishing himself as one of the Shaw stars. Ali Momen is another actor to watch.
John Bull's Other Island
There is a good reason that this one does not get performed very often. Not that I did not enjoy the production or the cast. Strong performances and a strong productionmade it quite an enjoyable evening of theatre. But it is definitely Shaw at his very talkiest, and it does get tiresome by the end.
Benedict Campbell and Graeme Somerville were both excellent as Broadbent and Doyle respectively. Jim Mezon was also outstanding as Peter Keegan. The rest of the characters are largely caricatures, so the cast don't have a lot to work with.
Benedict Campbell and Graeme Somerville were both excellent as Broadbent and Doyle respectively. Jim Mezon was also outstanding as Peter Keegan. The rest of the characters are largely caricatures, so the cast don't have a lot to work with.
Age of Arousal
Five women and one man debate the need for women to be self-sufficient. A former suffragette ahs opened a typing school to teach women the skills they need to get a job that pays a reasonable wage so they do not have to depend on men, who are in short supply.
The play was first produced in 2007 and I saw it as a fundraiser for YWCA Elm Centre.
Playwright Linda Griffiths is flexible with time and place (I think the big imbalance between he sexes, demographically speaking, occurred after the first world war, while the play is set in 1885.) But no matter whether a woman can't have or doesn't want a husband, many of the issues are still current and relevant today. Women and men need to be able to look after themselves; soemtimes there is a price to pay, but usually, the benefit is greater.
Strong cast - Kelly Fox, Donna Belleville, Jenny Young, Sherry Flett, Zarrin Darnell-Martin and Gray Powell. Kelly drinks, Sherry swoons and flutters and Zarrin gets pregnant and dies. Gray does not get the girl.
The play was first produced in 2007 and I saw it as a fundraiser for YWCA Elm Centre.
Playwright Linda Griffiths is flexible with time and place (I think the big imbalance between he sexes, demographically speaking, occurred after the first world war, while the play is set in 1885.) But no matter whether a woman can't have or doesn't want a husband, many of the issues are still current and relevant today. Women and men need to be able to look after themselves; soemtimes there is a price to pay, but usually, the benefit is greater.
Strong cast - Kelly Fox, Donna Belleville, Jenny Young, Sherry Flett, Zarrin Darnell-Martin and Gray Powell. Kelly drinks, Sherry swoons and flutters and Zarrin gets pregnant and dies. Gray does not get the girl.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Doc
I had not considered the idea of a play as a portrait before, but this play is interesting not because of the plot, which is quite limited, but because it creates three dramatic portraits.
Doc, played by RH Thomson takes the lead. Driven to work by his desire to succeed, to make a difference, to help people, he ignores the needs of the people closest to him. He knows what his wife needs and cannot understand why she thinks she needs something else. The reflections of life as a wife in the mid twentieth century are painful to watch, but essentially not important. The real problem is his ego getting in the way of his actually listening to anyone who is not a patient. Thomson is always a pleasure to watch,even when he is ranting.
Bob, (Jane Spidell) is the second portrait. The alcoholic wife who takes to drink out of frustration, not because she can't work, but because she can't connect with her husband. Spidell was terrific in this role - never taking it over the top, but hovering on the edge of anguish.
Katie/Catherine is the least defined portrait of the three - probably because the role is split between the character at two ages. Hannah Gross was very good as the young Katie and Carmen Grant equally solid as Catherine. But the role is not as clear as Doc or Bob, largely because she does not act, she reacts to her parents. As a result we learn less about her and who she has become.
Derek Boyes was very good as Oscar, but the character is not well developed enough to be considered a protrait - just a sketch.
Doc, played by RH Thomson takes the lead. Driven to work by his desire to succeed, to make a difference, to help people, he ignores the needs of the people closest to him. He knows what his wife needs and cannot understand why she thinks she needs something else. The reflections of life as a wife in the mid twentieth century are painful to watch, but essentially not important. The real problem is his ego getting in the way of his actually listening to anyone who is not a patient. Thomson is always a pleasure to watch,even when he is ranting.
Bob, (Jane Spidell) is the second portrait. The alcoholic wife who takes to drink out of frustration, not because she can't work, but because she can't connect with her husband. Spidell was terrific in this role - never taking it over the top, but hovering on the edge of anguish.
Katie/Catherine is the least defined portrait of the three - probably because the role is split between the character at two ages. Hannah Gross was very good as the young Katie and Carmen Grant equally solid as Catherine. But the role is not as clear as Doc or Bob, largely because she does not act, she reacts to her parents. As a result we learn less about her and who she has become.
Derek Boyes was very good as Oscar, but the character is not well developed enough to be considered a protrait - just a sketch.
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